The McDonald Family

Monday, January 17, 2011

Lake Tahoe!

For the holiday weekend we decided that we wanted to see what Tahoe was all about. Everyone around our area talks about going to Tahoe in the Summer and Winter so we decided to check it! We found a great house online last minute and headed up to the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in Kings Beach. The lake was absolutely beautiful and the view from our house was amazing!

While we were there Ella and Lexi experienced their first encounter with snow - it was pretty funny! We went sledding (hilarious), went to NorthStar Resort where we rode the gondola up to the Ritz Carlton (even Lexi got to ride) and Brandon went on a snowmobile excursion to the top of Mt. Watson.

The weather was perfect - sunny in the 50's - but there was still plenty of snow on the ground from all the snow they have gotten this year (they have had over 51 inches of snow so far this season). We are looking forward to taking some more trips back to ski and will probably look at going this summer so we can enjoy some of the lake excursions.

Here are many pictures from our trip!

Kings Beach just before sunset

Ella and Daddy at Kings Beach

View of Lake Tahoe from the house we rented

Daddy and Ella on the snowmobile

Ella at Garwoods in Carnelian Bay

Mommy and Ella

Ella eating the snow!

Ella after we told her that she was not allowed to eat the snow!

Ella on her sled!

Sunset view from our deck

Lexi trying to figure out how to get on the deck.

North Tahoe Park

Lexi and Daddy on the Gondola to to Ritz Carlton!

Lexi exploring in the snow.

Lexi running in the snow!

Ella and Lexi at the park while daddy was snowmobiling!

Daddy at the top of Mt. Watson looking over Lake Tahoe

Thursday, January 13, 2011

War Eagle!!!

We had a great time watching the Auburn vs. Oregon National Championship game on Monday and seeing Auburn WIN! It was an intense 2nd half but we are thrilled that the Auburn Tigers are the 2011 National Champions!!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

7 months old!

I know I keep saying it but, WOW, the time is flying by and little Miss Ella is getting so big! She turned 7 months this past weekend! She now weighs over 16 lbs and is so much more active. Here are a few of her milestones:

She reaches for mommy when mommy puts her hands out for her!
She loves reading (and eating) books.
She loves Cheerios and puffs and makes the funniest faces when she eats them. Lexi loves when she throws them on the floor, especially the Cheerios and sweat potato flavored puffs!
She enjoys "drinking" water out of her sippy cup and doesn't mind that she is soaking wet when it's finally empty!
She still talks a lot, but has added GAGA and other sounds to her vocabulary!
She rides in the grocery cart and stroller now like a big girl and smiles at EVERYONE in the store and sometimes even squeal's with excitement!
She loves to play with all her toys and loves it even more when someone plays with her.
She loves bath time and enjoys splashing around and playing with the toys in the water.
She likes to stay up all day with mommy and only enjoys naps in the car, but she is still sleeping through the night so we are not complaining!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful 2010 with quite a few big milestones in our lives including having our sweet baby girl and moving across the country. We are definitly looking forward to what 2011 will bring and are thankful and hopeful for much love, happiness and health!

Happy 2011!!

Ella celebrated the next morning!

Still not used to the flash on mommy's new camera

She looks so innocent...

Especially here...

Aunt Lorraine and Ella at Brunch

Cousin Maitland and Ella at brunch

Ed, Lorraine, Ella (not sure what she is doing), Mike, Maitland, Lisa, Mommy and Daddy

Monday, December 27, 2010

A Happy Holiday Season!

December has been a very busy month! It's been an exciting time and we have enjoyed spending time with Ella and celebrating her first Christmas! We have done a lot of fun activities over the last couple of weeks:

Went to Atlanta to visit grandparents, family and friends. While in Atlanta Ella was able to spend a lot of time with her family and she loved every second of it! She was passed around from person to person and never stopped smiling - we think she is going to be a very social child :-)

GiGi and "Santa Claus" - aka Uncle Tyler

Mimi and Ella

Loving the box that her cute owl came in!

Ella and Aunt Heather

Ella in her new hat that cousin Haley got her!

Christmas at Lorraine and Ed's

Ella and Nana C

Nana C, Grandaddy Rick and Hugh

Ella, Hugh and Robin exchanging gifts

Jessica and Linda during our girls lunch!

Went also went to Plano to visit Ella's PaPaw and friends. She had a great time visiting her PaPaw's office and his coworkers. She even got to open her first Christmas gifts.

PaPaw and Ella opening gifts

Ella and her PaPaw's office

PaPaw and Ella by the carolers in the lobby

When we got back to Danville, Ella had her first ever "sleigh" ride in our neighborhood with the Clydesdale's. Santa drove the sleigh around our neighborhood while all the kids sang Christmas carols during the ride. Ella loved watching the other kids and by the end of the sleigh ride she had fallen asleep! Maybe next year she will be able to stay up past her bedtime!

Daddy, Mommy and Ella on the "sleigh"

Ella and her buddy Caitilyn

Ella after the sleigh ride! Out like a light!

We also were able to celebrate Ella's first Christmas. What a wonderful day! She loved opening her gifts and playing with all her new toys! We are so blessed this holiday season and could not ask for anything more!