Christmas 2011 and New Year 2012

2011 has been a very good year for our family, with three happy events: two new babies, Corben (our nephew) and Elsa, and Katie and Ron's wedding.

Christmas and New Year were very nice, as Mama Lili, Dan-Dan and Mio came to visit, too.

At the beginning of December, we went to visit Cambridge, a very nice university town. 

 

in Cambridge

 Mulberry Corner - Maria's Nursery - Christmas Party

 Christmas celebration with the Twinkletoes, Maria's ballet/dance class

 Christmas trail

 and geocaching

 Mio and my mum at Winchester Cathedral, for the Christmas Concert

 Mama Lili and Dan Dan

 In the park with the girls

This Christmas, Maria was very much interested in being a good girl, so that Santa/Father Christmas would come to visit her. She received one letter and one email from Santa, ensuring her that he would come to visit if she was going to be good and nice. She truly believed that the magic would happen, so she took on board all the advice and prepared for the Christmas Day.

 Maria on Christmas Eve, leaving food for the reindeer

 Getting ready for the big day

Christmas Day arrived and Maria found some presents from Santa, left in the chimney pots, outside, in the garden.

 Celebrating Christmas with my Romanian family

 

 Great Christmas dinner cooked by Will

 Merry Christmas everyone!

Between Christmas and New Year, we tried to get together with everyone, from the Mitchell side of the family. Katie and Ron could not make it, but we had Ed, Valerie, Corben, Mary and Peter over to see the Romanians and us. It was a very nice afternoon and very nice to get together.

 A chance for me to spend some time with my nephew, Corben.

Time has flown by when my family visited and soon, it was New Year's. Bye-bye 2011 and welcome 2012, Olympic Year!

 Happy New Year!

 Elsa in the first day of the year, her first New Year.

 Mio and Mama Lili enjoying some quality time with the girls

 Maria, showing them some of the pictures that she took

 Ferry trip to Hythe

 On the Ferry

 On the little train that connects the ferry to Hythe

 Visiting Hythe

My parents and Mio were very happy to walk with Maria at nursery (or PIPS/preschool from beginning of January)

 Mama Lili with her granddaughters

This was a very special moment, when my dad read a Romanian book to Maria. 

Multumesc, Dan-Dan!

 Mio with Elsa

 Elsa at 3 months

 Trying to lift her head and roll over (haven't managed to roll-over yet)

 Maria in her princess Cinderella dress. She loves dressing up.

 Pictures with my Romanian family, before they left home. Thank you Mama Lili, Dan-Dan si Mio for a great time spent together. We'll miss you, but hope to see you soon. (Multumim pentru frumoasele momente petrecute impreuna. O sa ne fie dor de voi, dar speram sa ne revedem in curand.)

Happy Birthday, Auntie Katie! Celebrating Katie's birthday

 and finding some caches

 Hiking with Grannie and Granddad