Christmas Time

Christmas time came and went in a tornado of shopping, present planning, gift giving, family, parties, and of course non-stop eating.

We love our traditions of performing the Nativity with our cousins on both the Martineau and Fillmore sides... sadly we didn't get a good picture at the Martineau Nativity this year: 

Bronson was Joseph, Charlotte and Whitlee were angels, Ashlyn was a shepherd, Ian was a wiseman, and Tanner was Herod?!? chasing the wisemen all the way to the baby Jesus.

We really have a good time getting together on Christmas Eve and the days before eating, playing, and just visiting for hours.

Charlotte and Bronson visited with Santa and put in some requests.  Whitlee was much to terrified to even be in the same room as Santa and refused to see him.  She was perfectly happy with the one present she had under the tree from her friend Josie and did not need the man in red sneaking into her house.  She has no love for Santa.

Ian and Charlotte put on Christmas programs with their school.  It was so fun to see them up there with their whole graduating class, just being little for a little while longer, singing fun Christmas songs, and being silly.

The kids had a sleepover in Ashlyn and Charlotte's room on Christmas Eve, Whitlee zonked out long before and didn't make it to the sleepover.  I had to go get these monsters to settle down at midnight because they STILL weren't sleeping!

Bronson left a very heartfelt (and hilarious) note for Santa.  He wanted to make sure Santa knew how thankful he was for the toys.  He also said in the note that he had been working hard and that our Elf on the Shelf had been watching... but it sounded a little more like a tattle on the elf for watching while Bronson was working.

Santa found his way to our house and it looked like this: 

Christmas certainly looks big when there are eight people in the family!

Christmas morning was spent eating and playing!  

Ian got a mounted fish!

Ashlyn got a new FULL size violin and tickets to the upcoming Lindsey Stirling concert.

Charlotte got some Hatchimals 

And gymnastics clothes:

 

 Our dad got a new saw.

 Whitlee got a mermaid tail from her best friend Josie.

The girls got matching pajamas with their dolls. 

Bronson got a cool airplane set. 

Tanner got a very awesome drone!

And I was very excited to find a surprise for me under the tree as well, some Ariat Fat Baby boots that I had had my eyes on.

Christmas was certainly a lot of fun.  And of course aside from the presents we have had a wonderful month reflecting more on our Savior.