December Daily: Looking back

January 2012

 February

 March: Reed turns 3!

 April

 May: Emma turns 5

June

December Daily: Our Christmas

 Christmas Eve crafts

 Games and fun time together

 Preparing for Santa's visit!
It only took them 2 hours to fall asleep & then Jeremy drank the milk that had been left for Santa :) He blamed the straw but I just don't understand what made him grab a cup of milk that had been left out for HOURS!!!

 Christmas morning!!

 We received a trace amount of snow and these girls were not going to let it go to waste! You can't see it in the pictures but they even have snow pants on :)

 This year we started the tradition of the pickle present {an old German tradition} The pickle is hidden in the tree and when they find it a gift is received! We decided to make this gift a family gift and so this year the kids received Yahtzee!

Christmas dinner: turkey, stuffing, carrots, applesauce, rolls, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie & birthday cake for Jesus!

So thankful for sweet family time and for the gift of Jesus!
2012 was a magical Christmas season in the Martin house and I so thankful for all of the extra special things that we have been able to do. 

December Daily: Christmas Cookies

Merry Christmas!
We hope your day is full of tiny sweet moments with those you love most.
And that you cherish the real meaning and the true gift of Jesus this season!

December Daily: The Christmas Pageant

We have a church near Bixby, OK that we attend even though we have moved about 45 minutes away. At that church, our kids were a part of a fabulous Christmas Pageant! Our Reed was the cutest cow and the girls put lots of time into learning the songs and the dance!

As Jeremy and I sat there watching I couldn't help but think of how strange it was that we have kids old enough to be a part of such a program.
I'm just hoping we have many, MANY more pageants ahead of us!!

Enjoy the videos...sorry for the bad quality I tried to get as close to the stage as possible. I was that annoying mom with a video camera and 2 still cameras running up and down the aisle. :)

 

December Daily: The Christmas Train

 We had a magical night at the Christmas Train! It was our second year attending and I'm pretty sure the kids had more fun this time.
I told Jeremy as we were walking through the park that it is nice to do things 2 years in a row again! I'm loving the feeling of putting down roots...it's time!

 An old time village with hundreds of Christmas lights!

 One young man who wanted to eat the ENTIRE time we were there was VERY excited to ride the Christmas Train.
The train tells the Bible story from Creation to Jesus' rising from the dead. The scene of the cross is powerful and brought up good questions from the girls, like why? Tender moments that I'm thankful, so thankful to have!

We went on a wagon ride and a narrator read us the story of 'Twas the Night before Christmas!


 

It's beautiful and was a lovely, lovely night!

December Daily: Stockings

 We had planned to go on a Bethlehem walk this day but instead ended up fighting an asthma attack with Kate...
So what are parents to go??!! Well, we let our kiddos open their stockings that Grandpa Bob & Grandma Connie sent. It was a little early but no one under the age of 6 seemed to mind!

December Daily: The 1st Christmas Program

 Our 2012 CBS Christmas Program
We have been so blessed by our CBS Community. We spend from 8:30a until 3:00p every Wednesday with this amazing group of ladies & their kiddos.
They supply my kiddos with surrogate grandma's and me with amazing women that take care of me & literally yell at me if I lift something :)
God blessed us with this fabulous group & I'm so, SO thankful! 

 This is Kate's reaction when she saw that her Daddy showed up to see her sing :)

Singing LOUD for all to hear!

A fabulous Christmas performance!