Our Christmas!

Well, Christmas has come and gone and ours was fabulous! We enjoyed spending time with all of our family and seeing Ella enjoy her gifts this year! She is SO much fun and made Christmas a TOTAL BLAST this year! I know next year will be even more fun with two sweet little girls!!!!!

We started out our Christmases at my mom's house on Christmas Eve. She cooked an amazing dinner and we all enjoyed hanging out, catching up, listening to Uncle Dusty play his guitar, and opening presents. I completely forgot my camera, but mom took a few pictures. Ella had a blast opening presents, riding mom's rocking horse, and just running the show. My mom got Ella an ADORABLE broom/mop set! It is the perfect size for Ella and it has it's own little stand! I love it and Ella loves sweeping when I get my broom out!!

Sweet Landri! LOVE her outfit and I seriously want those leggings!! AND BOOTS!

Ella & Nehemiah!

Ella riding the rocking horse with Uncle Bull!

After dinner at my mom's, we came home and put Ella to bed, then started the most super fun job ever... playing Santa Claus!!!! I had been working on her presents for a few weeks and we couldn't wait to see her face when she saw all of her presents on Christmas morning!!! I had so much fun setting everything up for her to see when she woke up!!

Ella has been sleeping all night in her bedroom for a long time now, but for some reason on Christmas Eve, she had a terrible night and at one point ended up in our bed for about an hour. She just didn't want to be asleep. I think Santa woke her up!! I seriously considered asking Nehemiah if he wanted to go ahead and let her see her gifts in the middle of the night... but I snapped out of that real quick! haha Eventually she went back to sleep in her bed and then slept until 7:30, which was torture for us!! We ended up opening our presents for each other while we waited for her to wake up!! I'm pretty sure we almost fought over who got to go get her once we heard her awake in her room!! Nehemiah was SO sweet and thoughtful with his gifts for me!! He got me the Friends Trivia game and (my favorite) a new pair of maternity jeans!!! So practical and thoughtful!!!!

Ella got excited and started pointing at everything when I brought her into the living room on Christmas morning!! When I put her down she went straight to her table and got her new sippy cup! Then she brought me her Elf!

A note from Santa!!

Love her little shopping cart!

 BEFORE: I have wanted to get this table for Ella since last Christmas, but I made myself hold out for Christmas this year!! It's ONLY $20 from Ikea!! But Ikea wouldn't ship it, so I had to get it from Amazon for $40... which is still a total steal!! So I painted the table and chairs white and the tops with chalkboard paint!! I LOVE how it turned out!! And I LOVE that she can color on the top with chalk! She has been scribbling a lot and I LOVE it!!! I've had visions of her doing crafts, eating snacks, and just making amazing memories at this little table!! Christmas morning did NOT disappoint!!!!!!

After: The finished product of the table & chairs!! Love how it turned out!

Ella's Elf even got a new Christmas outfit from Santa!

She walked straight up to her table and grabbed her new sippy cup!

So of course, her daddy promptly went and filled it up with ice water for her!!

Just checking everything out & telling us ALL about it!

Daniel Tiger is her FAVORITE! She just kept pointing at him on her new DVD!

Unwrapping her Nativity Set!

She clapped for herself every time she stacked her blocks! haha

Reading her new Daniel Tiger book!!

Ella is OBSESSED with singing/dancing to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, so this Reindeer finger puppet book was a huge hit!! Umm... $1 from Dollar General! Score! And she LOVED her Frozen Band-Aids!

More Reindeer Finger Puppet fun!

Cora even sent Ella a Christmas present!

I'm a Big Sister! Ella sat there looking at the pictures while her Daddy read it to her! You would think she understood! So, so, so, precious!

Playing with her Tea Set at her new table!! (I ran in Dollar General for diapers one day ((because I did NOT want to go in Wal-Mart so close to Christmas!)) and totally scored 7 books for $7, $5 tea set, and $2.50 alphabet blocks! She loves them ALL! I love those prices! haha)

Coloring at her new table!

I love her concentration!!

She is the best present ever!! Eating breakfast at her new table!

Helping me frost the cake I made on Christmas Day... She was looking at me like that because she thought she was going to get in trouble for licking the spoon! haha

After all the Christmas morning fun, Ella took a nap and Nehemiah and I got ready for the day! Our first stop was Uncle Brian & Aunt Janet's house!! We ate some DELICIOUS steaks, hung out, and opened presents! We drew names last Christmas so it was fun seeing what everyone got for the person they drew! Ella loved her new shopping cart and all the groceries that came with it from Uncle B & Aunt Jan! And she loved rocking on her new rocking horse from Maw & Paw!! We had a great time and I'm pretty sure we all said it at least once, that we can't wait until next Christmas. We will have THREE grand babies next year!! Ella, Cora, and Baby Phelps!!! So much fun ahead for our family!!!

Ella & Aunt Janet playing with her new shopping cart from Uncle B & Aunt Jan!

Riding her new Rocking Horse from Maw & Paw!!

Giving her horsey a kiss!

I think she loved it! So much JOY!

Enjoying her banana pudding & cherry cake, with her Santa sippy cup, of course!

After lunch we went home, Ella napped and we tried to steal a few minutes of sleep as well! Then we headed over to Dad & Julie's for Christmas with them and Grammy & Paw-Paw! We ate dinner, then opened presents, and just enjoyed Ella playing with her new toys! Dad & Julie got Ella a play kitchen and a few accessories to go with it! She loves it!! We put it in the kitchen and it is so cute to see her playing in her kitchen while I'm cooking and cleaning in our kitchen! Love it!! And it's keeping her out of my cabinets! Thank the Lord! haha We had such a nice evening and it was a great ending to our Christmas!

Ella & Paw-Paw opening Paw-Paw's present! I love this picture!!!!

Ella & Grammy watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas!! SO PRECIOUS!!

Ella & Grammy playing with her toys from Gigi & Paw-Paw!

Paw-Paw Mike & Uncle Ben were trying to help her taste some chocolate pie, but she just wasn't having it! haha

Tasting one of her new "play" cookies! haha She had to taste it!

Checking out her brand new play kitchen from Gigi & Paw-Paw!! Thank  y'all so much!! She loves it!!

Watching Paw-Paw open her new cash register!

Waiting patiently!

Another precious picture of Ella & Paw-Paw! Love it so much!!

Ella & Uncle Ben! So adorable!!

We got home late that night and CRASHED!! Christmas can REALLY wear you out!! haha So much fun and totally worth it though!! Can't wait to do it all again next year with TWO sweet little girls! So thankful for our family this Christmas (and all year long!)! Ella is 100% blessed with amazing grandparents! Literally, her grandparents are better than Santa! haha And we seriously need a bigger house! haha 

 I hope y'all all had a very Merry Christmas! I looooooove the Christmas season, but I am so looking forward to taking down our decorations and getting our house all ready for a brand new baby girl! Literally three months from meeting our newest angel. I'm so excited and so thankful for this "nesting" phase that has hit a little early!!

This is one of my favorite scene's at our house from the past week! I can't wait to make more memories in this little nook!

Happy New Year!!!