Here and gone...

How is Christmas over?  I know I'm posting about it late, but honestly, where did it go?  It passed in the blink of an eye!  I truly enjoyed my break home with Eliza and soaked up EVERY.MINUTE with her.  Christmas was spent up here this year.  We spent Christmas eve finishing up some last minute shopping and then heading to mass in the early evening.  Needless to say, Eliza was the entertainment during the service (as others informed us!).  She didn't want to sit still at all!  Oh boy!  We have our hands full as I'm sure most out there with a one year old or older know!  We came home, made a nice dinner while listening to Bing and Josh Grobin Christmas CD's.  LOVE IT!  We finally got Eliza down before the wrapping war began!  We decided not to go crazy on presents for Eliza as she doesn't get the gist of it yet, but it was still fun shopping for her and getting her gifts under the tree.  Just having her apart of the celebrations made it that much better than years past!  We got her a shopping cart as she loves pushing things around now that she is up and moving.  It was a hit!  So fun watching her push the cart back and forth and look inside to see what kind of fruits and veggies she has in there!  Of course anything that is round is a "ba."  :)

Christmas day we slept in (7:15--WOO HOO!!!) and then made a nice breakfast.  Of course we had Mommy and Eliza's favorite--blueberry pancakes!  After cleaning up breakfast, we sat down to open gifts.  Eliza had already gotten into her cart-not easy to hide it-but at first she was way more interested in the bow that was stuck to it.  She walked around with that little, red bow like it was her best friend for a good 10-15 minutes.  HA!  We spent most of the morning playing with her new shopping cart and reading books before getting ready to head to Mike's brothers house for Christmas.

A family picture after Christmas eve mass

Putting the shopping cart together

Daddy...I mean Santa loved the cookies!

 Santa came!

I love this bow!  

Daddy helping Eliza open her gifts

So happy!

Helping Mommy open her gifts

Mommy and her Liza bug

Daddy and Liza showing off their gifties

Even Chief was a good boy this year!

My shopping cart is almost as tall as ME!

Time to read books in my "reading corner"

We spent the afternoon with the Ripke side eating appetizers, watching the nephews and Eliza open gifts, and playing games.  Always a good, competitive time with the Ripke crew when games are involved!  Eliza enjoyed walking around and watching her cousins play and run all over the house.  It's entertaining watching our two youngest nephews try to play with Eliza.  They are such rough and tumble boys at times and think Eliza can do what they can.  At one point, Hunter was holding Eliza's hand (pretty much dragging her) saying "Look Mommy--Eliza is walking with me."  Oh my goodness!  It will be fun watching them grow up together.  Poor girl will have to grow up loving sports as much as her uncles and nephews talk and play them!

Eliza's new Bears headband

Auntie Jen reading Liza her new book

Uncle Matt lovin' on his goddaughter

Ron, Mike, Judy, and David

Kim and I

Trying out Easton and Hunter's new sled

Overall, it was truly an amazing Christmas as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.  We continue to be blessed with Eliza in our lives and can't imagine spending and enjoying all these times without her.  We can't wait till next year as it will be even more different watching her enjoy the season!