A Week Without Steve

 Ellie and I flew out to Utah for Christmas a week earlier than Steve so that we wouldn't be around to distract him during finals' week.  I'm not going to lie, I was having some serious anxiety about flying alone with Ellie for about a week before we left.  I even started telling Steve a couple of days before my flight, that maybe I should change my flight and wait to go with him.  He reassured me over and over that it would be fine, and of course it was.  Everyone at the Memphis airport was so helpful and nice to me when they saw that I was traveling by myself with a baby.  The kind airport police officer even carried Ellie's car seat all the way to the gate for me! 

 We lucked out and the seat next to us was empty! Ellie was extremely excited to have her own seat! (I was too. There is no way she would have sat on my lap for 3 hours straight.)

 She only slept for about 40 minutes during the flight, but the rest of the time she was pretty happy to play with whatever I put in her hands.

I was SO EXCITED to get to Utah! I may or may not have gotten choked up when I walked into the Salt Lake airport from my terminal......

 Ellie started this new squinty face, cheeser smile while we were in Utah. It kills me!

We basically spent our week without Steve decorating my mom's house for Christmas, seeing lots of family, and just enjoying being home.  I think I fell asleep watching movies with my mom on the couch every night around 10:30, just like I did in high school.  It's strange how you revert to your old ways when your husband isn't around.....not that Steve and I stay up any later than that anyways. ha!

 Preslie and Ellie

 Preslie still loves baby Ellie. She was constantly handing her baby dolls and other toys to play with:)

 Eating Grandma's glasses case and watching mom decorate the Christmas tree.

We went to see Great-Grandma Blake. As you can tell, they were both very happy to see each other:) We love that grandma great SO MUCH! I wish we lived close by so that we could spend time with her every day.

 Ellie and Preslie playing with great-grandma's dolls. She has 100s of dolls!

My mom and I watched my nieces perform in the Nutcracker.  They both did such a good job and were so cute.  They take dance from the same teacher that I did, so this is the exact same production of the nutcracker that I was in year after year.  Even the same costumes......Gilly informed that she even had to hot glue the sequins back on her costume before her performance! haha

Griffyn in her candy cane costume, or as she liked to call it, "handy cane" costume.

 Gilly and Griff. 

 We spent a night in Saratoga Springs at my brother Ruston's house. Ellie loved Havyn! For some reason she would start to laugh every time Havyn was around:)

 Cute girls at Costco.

While we were up north, we watched my niece Alli perform in her dance recital. She was awesome!

 Turns out, Ellie and Grandpa McKay usually go to bed around the same time.

 Griffyn came over to play with me a couple of times. Apparently, Ellie and I party too hard for her;)

I just love this sleepy girl, and I LOVE that she sleeps with her hand on her cheek, so I had to throw this picture in too!