Christmas Memories

Unbelievable that Christmas is literally just a memory now!  Faster...and faster...the time goes!
We have spent the last week enjoying the beautiful snowy mountains in Vail, Colorado...and even our holiday ski trip is only just a memory too.

So...turning back time a week... {no...make that two weeks now!  I can't ever seem to get a post finished anymore these days!}
We celebrated our traditional family Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's house with the cousins! 

...getting ready to head to grandma's...all 3 1/2 of my littles! {20 weeks- already half-way there!}

Alex and Emma searching for their gifts among the wrapped loot!

Emily and Kendall looking pretty!

Same with Emma and Hannah

Excitement in the air at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Emily and Shelbie

Great-Grandma Martha and the great grandkids!  So special!

Time for presents!  Bethanie handing out the goods!

So eager to tear in!

...not yet!

Now!

It only takes lightning speed before the gifts are open!

 

Lite Brix for Alex and AG Caroline for Emily!  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

AG Julie for Elizabeth...and so it begins! ha!

Daddy helping with more gifts from the family!

The messy fun!

Purple and sparkly...perfect for Emily!

New ice-skate earrings!

And sparkly headband...love her shine!

Enjoying their new toys!

Kendall and Elizabeth

Alex getting started on building with his Lite Brix

Emily and Emma in Emma's new sleeping bag!

Emily showing Great-grandma Martha her new doll

Pretty in purple!

Ellie's new friend, the singing penguin - she played it over, and over, and over again, dancing to the music every time!

It takes Ellie a while to warm up to our big family...but she always loves sitting with Grandma!

Ellie introducing her friend to Great-Grandma Martha!

How many Martins does it take to figure out how to open the battery pack?!

The finished car all lit up!  Just like Alex's smile!

Another smile that lights up a room!

Emma, Emily and Cameron

the Cousins!

...with Grandma and Grandpa...

...and Great-Grandma Martha!  Christmas Eve tradition!

We took our goodies and all the excitement from Christmas Eve home with us to get ready for Santa's visit...which meant we needed to make some reindeer food for Santa's friends so they wouldn't get hungry from their long journey...

oatmeal, sprinkles and glitter

Looks tasty!

Tossing the food out for the reindeer when they arrive...hope they enjoy their little snack!

A few nights before Christmas Eve we decorated cookies for Santa...and maybe a few for mommy!

Yummy!

Cookies and chocolate milk ready for Santa's appetite!  Emily also left a special note to Santa asking for a Zuca ice-skating bag...the only thing she's really really wanted all year!

So excited for Santa!

He was here!  So many fun presents!

Checking out which ones are theirs!

Which one should we open first?

Emily pulled a big present from the back that she thought might be her ice-skating bag...
...and she was right!  And she was so happy!

And so surprised to find a new stuffed dog inside, one she had just like it but was ruined after a night of being sick with the stomach bug.
She was so happy to have her new favorite dog again!

So happy to open her first gift...Snow White and a horse!

Alex loves building...it didn't take him long to finish most of his Legos, Laser Pegs and to put his racecar track together!



He was happy to get new headphones...so he wouldn't have to hear Ellie crying! ha!

new slippers!

Alex is going all the way under the tree to retrieve every last present!

So excited!

Special stamps and wrapping paper for each one!

Ellie got new headphones too...just her size!  Now she is ready to watch her movies anywhere we go!

Fingernail polish!  She loves having sparkly nails!

Emily loves Legos too!

Alex's number one gift!  He's had this on his list for a couple years! 

Looks like they were pretty good this year!

Yay for new IU gear!

Ellie's favortie gift...a skateboard!  She loves scooting around the house on it with her dolls!

The always fun, last of the presents, Christmas morning aftermath!  I think Emily's in there somewhere!

The kids were happy to see Grandpa and Grandma Christmas morning and to show them what Santa brought!

Emily showing Grandma and Grandpa her new doll gymnastics bar...

So proud of her bag!

A few of Alex's new books

Showing Grandma Ellie's new doll bike and Emily's new knitting bag with lots of yarn, books, needles and projects to make!

Playing!  Christmas is so fun!

As usual...the holidays are much anticipated all year long!  So much thought, preparations, some stress, but lots of excitement...and it ends in an instant!  We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with close family and a fun, fortunate Christmas morning waking up to some very lucky kids with big happy smiles!  It seems like I can never quite capture it all...but I think I have plenty of pictures to relive this joyous season!  We enjoyed opening gifts and had time to play, clean up and finish packing...and a little bit of rest for some...

...before we headed off to our favorite holiday spot for the next week...

Vail, Colorado!