CHRISTMAS!

This Christmas was crazy fun. We stayed at 3 homes in 20 days - phew! Were we glad when we finally set foot in our little apartment in Waco?! Here's our Christmas in pictures:

Before we left Waco, Mark let Ilana play the guitar a bit with him at the Outdoor Adventure Christmas party.
We arrived in Philly on December 11. Gigi got the privilege of reading to Ilana almost as often as Ilana wanted. Ilana also discovered a new love for rocking chairs.
We all enjoyed a shower for Erika that Sunday. (Yes, she's smelling a diaper. No, it's not dirtied by a baby - it had chocolate in it. It was a game!)
That Monday afternoon we made our way to Hanover where Ilana found yet another rocking chair and continued practicing her new talent.
After a few days of screams, she eventually warmed up to Pepe (or was it that he warmed up to her?). By the end of our time in Hanover she was having a blast with Pepe all the time!
The day before we celebrated Christmas with the Millers it snowed 12 inches! The guys worked all day clearing the driveway, but we had to take Ilana out for a little bit. So, we all took a break and played for about 20 minutes. We put Ilana in the Miller's big orange bowl...
and ran her in circles all around the back yard...
we played for 30 seconds longer, then she realized how cold she was (poor Texas toddler!). So we went inside for some hot chocolate.
After celebrating Christmas at the Rabuck's I think it's pretty easy to tell who's the boss:
The next day we made our way down to Annapolis where Ilana met another cat, who, although he usually runs from toddlers, decided to give Ilana a try.
She LOVES playing on the steps when we're away from home.
In Annapolis she also deepened her love of rocking chairs...
and chairs in general.
Paul and I were able to get away for an Ilana-free over-night in DC. We actually left the hotel room at 7, which is normally bath time and bed time for Ilana. It was wonderful!
The next day we went to the National Geographic Society Museum, the Natural History Museum (with everyone else in DC) and ended the day at the Library of Congress. It was a blast...and very bright!
We had a great Christmas, but there really is no place like home. Let the last semester of grad school begin!
-H