Christmas Part I

On Christmas Day we flew to Ohio to see Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of the Ohio clan. The trip went as well as could be expected when travelling with three babies! Here we are in the airport in Ohio waiting inside where it was warm while Daddy got the car seats in the van outside (where it was 30 degrees!)

Helen in her old crib back at Grandma's

Grandma and Alex

Ella showing Grandma and Grandpa how she can clap

Ella playing with her new Christmas toy

The whole Boeckman/Cauley clan - Grandma, Grandpa, my brother Brad, my sister in law Alison, my niece Caroline, my nephews Andrew and Matthew, Helen, Ella, Alex, Cecil, and me.

The Cauleys - me, Cecil, Helen, Alex, and Ella

Ella getting her cousin Caroline to walk her around the house - again, and again, and again, and again.....

Helen and Alex playing with new toys at Grandma's

Mommy with Helen, Ella, and Alex

It was actually warm enough in Ohio one day to go for a walk - Andrew and Caroline did an excellent job pushing the strollers

Alex in his doggy sweater - complete with big floppy ears!

Sweet Ella - she looks so innocent....but we know better :)

Ella getting Daddy to take her for a walk

We discovered Grandma's pots and pans!

We are still in Ohio so these are only the pictures that I pulled off of Grandma's camera. I have a lot more at home that I hope to get up later this week. Thankfully the weather has not been too bad here in Ohio. It is cold but no snow storms - thank goodness! The kids were a little restless on the plane; it was about a 2 hour flight. Alex was in his car seat and the we each had one of the girls on our laps. One would think that since we were flying during nap time that everyone would sleep. No such luck - there was a way too much exciting stuff going on! Everyone slept in the car on the way home from the airport though.

Once we got here, it was a flurry of social engagements. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we had parties at Grandma's house with lots of people to visit and lots of kids to play with. Everyone was pretty exhausted and very stimulated. The kids did great though and held up pretty well. Even Helen warmed up quicker than usual - as long as no one other than Grandma, mommy or daddy tried to hold her within the first 30 minutes of strangers arriving. Tomorrow is the flight back home and hopefully it goes as smoothly as the flight up here. Then we have a week to recover and it is off to Disney World! We are cramming in a year's worth of excitement in a couple of weeks :)