Christmas 2012

We had such a great Christmas this year. Matt's parents, Craig and Patti, and Matt's sister, Natalie, all came to visit.

Charlotte, Grandpa, and Elise

Natalie, Grandma, and Elise

Elise loves when Grandma brings sticker books.

 We had fun together. We watched some Christmas movies, ate good food, had tons of treats, and just talked together.

lots of Christmas movies to choose from

 We also went to see the lights at the Mesa Arizona Temple. The girls loved it.

me and Charlotte
She was mesmerized. 

Matt and Elise

It was crowded when we went, but Elise had the best view!

Mesa temple

me, Charlotte, Matt, and Elise

Charlotte, Natalie, Grandma, Elise, and Grandpa

Elise and Matt listening to the message at the Nativity

 Then on Christmas Eve we went to Bass Pro Shop. We were just going to look at the fish for something to do, but it turned out to be a lot more fun than I had expected. They were doing Santa's Wonderland, which meant free, fun activities for Elise. Plus, she loved all the dead animals and tents and things. (We had two no-go's with Santa so far this year, so we opted not to wait in the long line this time and just skipped him altogether. Maybe next year.)

Free carousel rides? Yes, please! Elise rode the bear, Natalie rode a moose, I stood by Elise, and Charlotte enjoyed the mirrors and lights. 

"Wave, Elise!"

Natalie on the moose

Then Elise got her ATV on.

Really big fish!

There was a real, live bear there! Just kidding, it was stuffed.

huge Christmas tree decorated with antlers

Grandpa playing some shooting video game

We were trying to take a picture sans flash so you could see the huge fish, but Charlotte was too busy looking around to stay still enough.

Elise loved the duck bench.

Natalie and Elise trying out this tent.

Fox!

comfy sleeping bags

decorating cookies with Grandma

Yum!

Grandpa, Matt, Natalie, and Charlotte just relaxing

Charlotte says, "Mom! I want to go home. All this camouflage makes me feel like a redneck!"

Grandpa and Charlotte

Then there was Christmas Day!

stockings

Candy for breakfast? Okay!

I don't even know what that is Matt is holding, but it's a Christmas present from me to him. He always wants stuff I don't understand, like random cables and connectors and adapters.

sweet Charlotte

baby's first Christmas

Charlotte isn't so sure about those other two.

enjoying her stocking stuffers

Elise was the master unwrapper. She unwrapped all of her presents, all of Charlotte's, and helped some with Matt's and mine.

Elise reading Charlotte's new book to her

new ball

Natalie gave Elise this panda. Elise said, "I love it!" It was just what she wanted.

plush hippo stacker from Grandma and Grandpa to Charlotte

Elise got Goodnight, Gorilla from Grandma and Grandpa.

Elise practicing with her new scissors
Besides the panda, all Elise asked for for Christmas was scissors. If we had given her just scissors and candy, she probably would've been very pleased.

Charlotte enjoying her baby gym

Merry Christmas! Now we get to find a place for all these new toys and enjoy the leftovers from Christmas dinner.

Sisters, Sisters

Elise and Charlotte have become good friends these past few months. Seriously, I'm so glad they love each other so much. Elise has made Charlotte cry a few times with a squeeze or a nibble, and Charlotte has made Elise jealous with her irresistible, attention-grabbing ways, but overall they adore each other. Charlotte watches Elise all the time and gives her the best smiles and coos, and Elise is always cuddling and loving on Charlotte.

Elise clobbering sharing with Charlotte

love

Elise has become quite the little mommy these days. She sings to her babies, rocks them to sleep, pushes them in Charlotte's swing, nurses and burps them, changes their diapers, gives them baths, cuts their nails. She copies whatever she sees me do.

Elise nursing her baby doll

Elise is getting so grown up! She speaks so clearly now. If she would add in a couple words like the and to, she would sound like an adult most of the time.

Elise is my big helper.

She really wasn't trying to strangle her, although that's what it looks like here.

Elise helps keep Charlotte entertained during tummy time.

Charlotte is getting so big too.

chubby baby

I love these smiles! And she even started trying to laugh the last couple of days.

Charlotte practicing using her voice

I love it when she coos like this. It's my favorite thing, maybe ever.

Elise cuddling Charlotte and Charlotte loving it

Sometimes Elise still wants to be the baby. It's easy to forget how little Elise is when she looks so big compared to Charlotte. But most of the time, Elise is all for being big. The other day she told me, "Mommy, Daddy, Lisey [her nickname and what she calls herself] big girls. Charlotte is little baby." I thought it was funny, but when I told Matt, he wasn't too excited about being called a big girl.

my two big girls and my baby
(You can decide which is which.)

Love this kid!

Elise is learning to do all kinds of things, like help me clean up. She's great with a spray bottle (filled with water, of course).

"No, don't spray Mommy!"

Charlotte is learning all kinds of new things too. I think her favorite is her newfound ability to get objects into her mouth.

I love my sweet girls!

Elise reading to Charlotte