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Went to a party at some friends for a while tonight, but now i’m the last one awake. It was an amazing year; we are very grateful to have a new daughter in the family and continued good luck for us all.

2004 looks very happy and busy too, with 2 weddings planned and prospects for lots of camping, biking and playing with our two amazing girls.

Happy new year and many happy returns!

merry xmas everyone! we’ve had a quiet day today, our first as just the clark-connell red headed family of four. last night was the first time we ever played santa for our own children (at least for one who finally understood and was excited for his visit). nursed fi to sleep, cuddled e to sleep, then we snuck downstairs and got out the presents, stuffed to stockings, etc. it was great fun.

the gifts were amazing. cloths, toys, art supplies, books, music, puppets, even a ‘nurse in training’ outfit for ella. uncle john wins the prize this year for the easel for ella. she just adores it. a close second is the guitar santa got her and the headlamp uncle mike got her. of course, ella was most entertained taking the pieces of a board game and moving them between the two bug houses we got her. go figure. fi wasn’t impressed with much, ‘cept for the cat toy we got for otto. best xmas gift ever, was fiona…laughing her head off. bill was playing with otto. fi was laughing and laughing. it was so funny. hope to get a mini-film of that up soon. [update: she did get it up, right here - bill]

for pictures, click here (or on the picture below)…

A quick post before we dive in to the festivities. It’s been a busy time, even without traveling or hosting festivities this year. We have holiday cards, they’re done (and darn cute too!), but not in the mail yet. Presents are shipped and all should be arriving on time to their various destinations.

This will be Fiona’s first christmas ever, and the first christmas that Ella can really know. The avent calendar has been so popular that Ella wants to open it several times a day. We’ll work on restraint and anticipation next year

We have many blessings to be thankful for this year. Though we’ll miss being together with our extended families this year, we are happy to have this christmas with our own little family that we’re creating.

Tonight: a nice roast chicken and opening 1 present for Ella (how will she decide?!?). For us, bringing the many presents shipped here over the past 2 weeks up from the basement and wrapping a last thing or two (no major assembly required this year… that we know of).

Tomorrow: a big pot of coffee, a pile of presents, lots of pictures and many phone calls.

ella’s grandma sandy got her a beautiful wooden avent calendar for christmas. it has 24 little drawers, each containing a little ornament or a little treat. during the first week, there were a couple days of chocolates. ella was quite thrilled about these treats. well, since then, she has had ornaments or hair bands, a couple days with little peppermint pillows. today she opened the drawer, and low and behold, chocolate again!

“CHOCOLATE! oh, i can’t believe it! i’ve been waiting for this!”

hee hee. she was pretty thrilled!

We had quite a conversation with Ella tonight - she told us all about her wedding plans.

First, she said she was going to marry a girl, then decided she would marry Benny.

She’s going to wear a white blue dress, with shoes made of bread, and flowers in her hair. Benny will be wearing a yellow t-shirt, yellow pants and red shoes.

The wedding will be here at our house; Ella will be playing flute, and Benny will play the drums. Dinner will be milk and kiwi.