Our traveling year in 9 pictures

Each year, I make a travel collage and put it under my travel button HERE. It is fun to see all the cool places we have been in the year and feel so blessed that we are able to travel so much! It is definitely a big part of our lives and is so fun to see and do things across the country. Here are our top 9 this year (we also visited family in both Utah and Washington but I just ran out of squares!) : 1. Seattle and Victoria B.C. work trip with Spencer and friends 2. beautiful Philadelphia 3. weekend getaway to the Hampton's 4. camping in New Jersey 5. biking around Governor's Island 6. Mexico- kidless and loving it! 7. Boston (once for my marathon and another time to be a tourist... fell in LOVE with this city!)  8. Washington D.C. memorials 9. half marathon in South Carolina AND to visit my sister and her family!

Big Sis!

I grabbed my neighbor one day and asked her to come outside with us and snap a few pictures. These pictures were big news to her too! This graffiti is literally 20 steps outside our apartment so we didn't go far. Charley is going to be a big sister in May!! I don't think she has the slightest clue what that means but we are excited! We will find out the gender in January when we get back from Washington! Yay for growing families!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Our TOP 14 for 2014

1. We have spent the last year eating way too many donuts, cronuts, pizza, and bagels but we are happy and loving our daily New York adventure.  2. Charley turned one in July, started walking at 15 months and is now babbling away.  3. Madison is enjoying her up-and-coming photography business.  4. Spencer LOVES working from home and seeing Charley all day, everyday.  5. We took full advantage of this summer and went to as many beaches, splash-pads, playgrounds, zoos, and Broadway shows as possible.       6. Charley’s favorites are dogs, reading books, sitting on Dad’s desk and swimming.  7. We explored the East Coast, traveling to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., South Carolina, Boston and camping in New Jersey.  8. Spencer and Madison enjoyed a week in Mexico kid-less and loved every second!  9. Madison finished the Boston Marathon, making it her 7^th marathon.  10. We succumbed to the New York ways and bought a bike with a child seat for Charley. We love getting around the city this way.  11. Charley is the best eater and especially loves corn-on-the-cob, noodles, oranges and chicken.  12. When he isn’t working, Spencer likes exploring the city, spending time with the family and watching football.  13. Spencer and Madison are both busy in their church callings. Madison is in the Primary Presidency and Spencer is in the High Council. 

14. Last, but certainly not least, we are excited to announce we are expecting baby #2 in May!

With much love we wish you a Merry Christmas this year! We are ever grateful for our Savior’s birth and example here on earth. We have been so blessed this year and strive to show our gratitude for our Savior’s love and sacrifice for each of us. 

-With love, the Ellingson’s

NYC in December

 This year we are going to Washington for the holidays but before we leave we are still trying to make the most of this wonderful time of year in New York! There is always so much to do and see here! We loved staying in the city last year for Christmas and being around all the hustle and bustle. BUT we are very excited to be in Washington this year for Christmas with my family. A few top listers that we were able to do before we left were see Santa at Macy's, go to the Macy's window displays, Union Square Holiday Market and go to City Bakery for the famous hot chocolate and homemade marshmallow!

 City Bakery! This hot chocolate is so rich and creamy. It totally feels like we were in Europe drinking thick melted chocolate bars. 

Random pic of Charley in a cute dress my boss gave her! :) 

My friend, Madison, came to visit and so we checked out Union Square Holiday Market, went shopping at Fishs Eddy and then went to the Macy's window display. 

 A few days later, my friend and I brought our girls to meet Santa! I think they both liked the Santa Land leading up to seeing Santa better though. 

went during nap time... not a good idea:( 

meeting Santa! 

I first gave Charley to Santa and she started crying which I was okay with because what parent actually has a picture of their kid smiling with him? So I was ready to take a pic of her screaming her head off, but the elf next to us told me to hold her and be in the picture. So we took our picture with him, I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas and then we went on our merry way!:) 

Some other great things that I wish we had time for would be Dyker Heights lights, Rockefeller Tree, New York City Ballet: Nutcracker, ice skating at Prospect Park and sledding (if we had any snow).. but we will do tons of that in Washington! 

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year! I have been wanting to go to the Macy's Day Parade and so we decided to take advantage of living in New York and GO! We didn't have to wake up crazy early as everyone said and we still had a decent standing spot! Spencer helped me cook a few Thanksgiving dishes the night before so we wouldn't have to rush back to make our Thanksgiving dinner after the parade and it worked out perfect. We left right when Charley woke up in the morning and went to the top of Central Park where it started. We met Spencer's friend who had gotten there a little earlier than we did and saved us a spot. We were really close to the road and were able to see everything! Charley especially loved the bands playing and the huge balloons!

Megan Trainor

Nick Jonas

Loving the view! 

My hot husband on the subway home from the parade! 

We got home and actually were able to take a nap before we started the turkey and cooking everything else! It went so smoothly. We had Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbors, Megan and Don and Spencer's friend, Clint and a girl from our ward, Jill. Megan and I tag-teamed the menu and each chose about 5 dishes to make. Everything was sooo good! It was my first time cooking a turkey so Megan helped me with that!:) She stuck her hands all up inside the turkey to get the seasonings spread out.. what a trooper! 

Turkey cooking! 

The spread of appetizers and sparkling cider

Filling up our plates with turkey, fruit salad, corn casserole, rolls, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, ambrosia salad, cranberries and stuffing! 

And we can't forget about the yummy pies! Megan made a chocolate pudding pie and I made my first pumpkin pie! Then we had Tony (our building supervisor and cleaner) make us his famous sweet potato cheesecake! So good! 

Happy Thanksgiving!