Christmas with Grandma Martin

Trying to eat with chopsticks at Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse in Wichita with Nick's mom and sister's family.

Nick and Uncle Terry trying to put one of my gifts together--a kid's folding chair and little table just my size!

Cheeeeeese! :)

Sitting in my new chair with my new dress and my princess book on the floor too--all from Grandma Martin.

Yea! It's the Leap Frog magnetic alphabet toy for the fridge.

Another princess book.

Little Einstein's DVD

Gabrielle is demonstrating how Rocket blasts off in each episode.

Just bein' cheesy for the camera!

Cousin Tyler got two Texas shirts from us--

his favorite team!

Playing Patty-Cake with her new doll from Grandma Martin.

Later on in the week Gabrielle was having a snack of banana bread and decided that the dog needed some of her snack too--how cute!

Getting ready to eat supper...

Obviously by herself...

Opening a gift from the Slater family.

Nick's uncle Steve and cousins Jeff and Amy Slater

Another gift from Uncle Steve and Aunt Muriel--

a Christmas puppet book that's really cute!

(Nick's mom is watching in the background.)

Just feelin' a little crazy (a nice picture to match the crazy one of me from my family's Christmas together).

Christmas with the Walker families

On Sunday the 20th of December we got together with family at Grandpa and Grandma Walker's house in Wichita.

Gabrielle sitting on Grandma's step stool in the kitchen...one of her favorite places to go in their house.

Some of the family before we opened gifts.

Grandma and the kids who were at Christmas this year (minus a grumpy Gabrielle).

Daddy helping Gabrielle open a cheer-leading doll from G & G Walker.

The excitement of Christmas (by most people).

Gabrielle checking out Randi's new HS Musical jewelry box.

One of the gifts that Nick opened during the dirty Santa part of the gift-exchange enjoyed by the adults. Unfortunately, they were stolen from him, so you won't get to see Nick wearing them. Bummer! :)

Nick's dad, Chuck, got the gift of Simpson boxer shorts--nice!

Gabrielle got tired of watching people open gifts and found a canvas bag to play with instead.

I wonder if she really would have been able to get herself into the bag if we hadn't stopped her from playing with it after a while.

Tuesday night we got together with Chuck and Judy again for a meal at Spangles. Gabrielle and Grandma walked in front of us to the car, and I thought it was a cute picture.

Smile! You can see that it was cold outside in Kansas while we were there. I should have gotten Gabi's hat and gloves out, but I guess we weren't outside for very long.

Back at their house G & G Walker gave Gabrielle another little gift--a Santa hat, shoes, and socks.

Our little Christmas Elf

Gabrielle was trying to figure out Grandma's "old" phone.

Nick giving them directions on the new digital camera that we got them for Christmas (in combination with their gift a little early).

Gabrielle entertained herself (and us too) by checking out everything that was in my purse while they were playing around with the settings on their camera.

Christmas in Texas

Before we left for Kansas and Nebraska Christmases, we opened a few gifts at home between us...mostly so that we didn't have to haul all our gifts back and forth in the car.

Daddy helping Gabrielle open her first gift of the year.

It's a toy piggy bank.

Gabrielle helping daddy open his gift...
some new accessories and books for his mandolin.

More cheesy smiles.

Opening another gift for Gabrielle.

Oooh, ahhh! It's a play kitchen.

Gabrielle enjoying her new toy...

Some assembly was required--you'll have to ask Nick about this one. I told him that it probably wouldn't get any easier in the years to come!

Finally...a new post

Sorry it's been so long since I've made a post...no one has even noticed, I bet! :) Here's just a few fun pictures that we took before we left for Christmas vacation.

Mommy and Gabi watching TV on the floor before bedtime.

A new favorite picture of mine...
precious time between mommy and daughter.

Gabrielle's cold moved into her eyes, so we had to give her some eye drops to get her better.

Even though she doesn't feel that great, she was still "cheesing" it up for the camera.

Ready to go on our trip...and trying out an adult seat belt.

Visiting Santa

So just to refresh your memory--

here's what happened last year when we went to see Santa.

Gabrielle crying while cousin Matthew enjoys his time.

And, guess what?  It happened again this year--

more crying.  And, as you can see, it's the same Santa as last year!

I tried to bribe Gabrielle to smile with the "snack" (candy cane) that Santa had given her--nice!  :)

Gabrielle ended up smiling (with tears in her eyes).  Too precious!

And, of course after we were done, she was fine again!

Posing with daddy and her snowman mask from Santa.