Christmas 2014

December was full of family parties, school parties, piano recitals, ward parties, and any other kind of party you can think of!  Christmas Eve we stayed home in the morning and then went to the annual Boothe Family Christmas party with my family.  We had dinner, a nativity, a white elephant gift exchange and some Christmas carols.  It was fabulous.  We drove the hour back home just in time to get the kids in jammies and snuggled into bed.  Then the real work began!!  Haha, I think Matt and I made it to bed around 1, not too bad.

The kids woke up around 6:45 and Matt and I came upstairs for a little family devotional (a new family tradition instigated by our kids) and then it was down to presents!  The kids were all very excited with their gifts.  90% of what they received was from each other (dollar store and things around the house).  I think they each gave each other about three things.  At our house, Santa brings one gift, mom and dad do a family gift and then they get usually 3 other smallish things, usually a game or book, a movie and something to wear.

After we had opened all the gifts, we made breakfast while watching a new movie.  We cleaned up a little and then the kids just played while I started packing for our trip the next day.  We were out the door by 12:00 to head up to my parents' home to skype with my missionary brother Michael!  We visited with family a little bit and my mom and dad gave us some gifts.  I was so excited to find out that my parents and Matt and gone in and given me a new mixer!!

We then headed to Matt's family home to visit and have lunch.  We had fun and played around and gave gifts.  We were thrilled that Matt's parents gave us a gift card to Tuhacan theater, including volunteering to watch our kids so we could go on a little trip.  Awesome.

We headed back home by 4pm and hurried to make dinner and finish packing.  We had all the kids to bed at a good time and Matt and I cleaned and packed up.  We were getting ready to head off on a big road trip and we wanted to be ready.  It was a wonderful Christmas!  Full of family memories and focusing on the Savior.

 Cute little girls the Sunday before Christmas

 Mom wanted in on the picture, too. 

 The gift we gave Matt's parents.  It was from all the siblings.  It is a beautiful family tree.  

 A close up.  It took a long time for us to make, but it was so worth it!

 Christmas Eve nativity.

 Christmas morning.  Clearly, Ellie is thrilled to be posing on the stairs.  

 Santa came!  He left the boys some air soft guns and the girls a doll castle.  

 Both girls' gifts.  

 Austin

 Zack

Derek.  

The best gifts were the ones the kids gave each other.  Derek gave Austin his star wars alarm clock.  Zack gave Austin a really cool binder of his own that Austin had long admired.  Zack carved a ship out of wood for Derek.  It was so fun to see what the kids chose to give each other.