Ellie talks non-stop. It's hard to imagine a time when she didn't talk. She has questions for everything, opinions for everything and a song for every occasion. She's telling stories and recalling things that we've done "yesterday" (past = yesterday).
We asked Yoav to take some family photos. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Almost impossible to get all 3 of us looking, with eyes open, at the camera at the same time.
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| Thank you Yoav for the beautiful pictures! |
We had the fortunate opportunity to visit Hawaii again this year. It was a total unplanned trip that we struggled to decide if we should so. Disney's Aulani resort in Oahu is under renovation/expansion, so they were offering cast members an extra discount on the rooms. Even with the discount, it is still very $$$, but it made it more realistic for our little family experience Aulani.
If it was possible for everyone to afford to go, I'd say DO IT! Especially if you have kids. It's not very obviously Disney, meaning the Disney elements are very subtle. They did a fantastic job of being authentic to the Hawaiian architecture and culture. The only tiny thing I noticed was that they did not have many activities for toddlers ages 1-3 and no babysitting service available.
Ellie got to meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy for the first time and she did wonderfully. She was a little scared in the beginning, but the characters were so great with the kids and really gentle. They took their time and didn't rush and allowed the little ones to get used to them.
We went to "Aunty's Character Breakfast Buffet" towards the end of our trip. It was so great we wished we had gone towards the beginning of our trip and just ate breakfast there every morning! The characters stay throughout the entire breakfast, greeting, "talking", and taking pictures with all the diners. Aunty will join in, leading and involving the kids in different songs.
Thanksgiving was uneventful. We stayed in town and Jesse came over for dinner. We ordered take out from 101 Noodle and enjoyed a very low key Thanksgiving, which was AWESOME.
As the end of the year draws to a close and we reflect on all that has happened this 2012, we are so grateful to God's faithfulness and blessings. I've been on a decorating/organizing binge, and been desperate to do something with our fireplace. I finally decided on a wall decal, and am really happy with what we chose. It really sums up everything in our lives and reminds us every day of how God is taking care of us.
