Christmas Eve Party at Grandma and Grandpa Ellis's House

War Christmas Party

This was the Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause from our ward party. Lance was totally enthralled with them and Whitney wanted nothing to do with the whole thing. This was a place in the south hills that was completely covered with lights they even had a large camel. We went with Mom, Dad, Matthew, Johanna, Mollie, Derrick and Shannon and all the the kids. The lights were beautiful, I couldn't believe how many lights that they put up.

They even had a Santa. Mom and Dad Ellis's Christmas Eve Party

This is a picture of dad reading the Christmas story in the Bible as the Kids acted it out. It seems like just yesterday that it was me and my brothers and sisters acting the same scene.Mary (Lilli), Joseph (Joseph), and the baby Jesus (Doll). The same doll I remember using at one or two of the Nativity's that I have done in the past.

Wrapping the Babe in swaddling cloth, or a dish towel.

Joshua was a Shepard

Wesley was the Angel, and as you can see he was really excited about it.

Our little Angels!!

Robbie was one of the wise men because he is the ultimate wise guy.

The Three wise men

Grandma and Leiloni

This was so cute, they took turns blowing the horn.

Grandma and MaddieMy buddy and I

Hey good looking

Whitney had learned 2 Christmas songs that she sang to everyone,

Stars were gleaming and Santa Clause is coming to town. She had her special way of sing them of course, "Oh you better watch out, you better don't cry, you better don't pout, I'm telling you twice. Santa clause is coming to town." After Whitney sang, everyone sang Carols while we waited for Santa to get ready.

Whitney singing

I really love this picture. We were so happy that the Schmidt's came to the party. But we were all really missing Joe but I did feel like he was there. In this picture there is a glare right next to Laurel, right where Joe would have been. I makes me feel like he really was there. I am really missing Joe but I am grateful for the father figure that he was to me and for the way he loved everyone he met and the children that he and Laurel raised. They are an amazing family.

This is the Santa Clause costume that mom has been working on for years. Every year at Christmas she takes it out and adds something to it. This year she added the beard. When he came out all the kids got to sit on Santa's lap and they all go a gift.

Leiloni and Maddie

Lilli

Joseph and Joshua

We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Ellis' House this year. We ate chili and did a Nativity and sang Christmas Carols. Whitney had memorized Santa Clause is coming to town and Stars were Gleaming, so she sang them for everybody. While we were singing Santa Clause (Grandpa Ellis) came out. Whitney was so terrified that Santa was in the same room as her that I had to break the news about Santa at a very young age. I had to tell her that it was Grandpa and even after that he had to take of his beard before she would even come close to sitting on his lap. Lance was pretty cute too. He was not scared but he was just so distracted by the beard that Dad had to take it off so that Lance would focus on the present that they were trying to get him to open. It was so fun, Santa gave all of the kids a gift when they came and sat on his lap.

Johanna Lance and Makaila

It was getting late and we are all starting to feel it.

Santa had a gift for my buddy Michelle. Santa, Mrs. Clause and the Schmidt family Santa and the Brauburger Clan. Berny kept bugging me so I gave him what he deserved He got me back Truce Making up! Sometimes fighting is fun Whitney and Michelle Johanna Michell and Rob. Lilli

Christmas Morning

Christmas was very fun for me this year. It was the first Christmas, since we have been married and had kids that we have had our own place and we were able to play Santa. It was so fun! The hard thing is that since I have never had to decorate for Christmas I had not decor. So I had to start from scratch this year. The big surprise this year was that at the after Thanksgiving day sale I was able to get a TV for $189. It was my first time doing the after Thanksgiving day sales this year too and that was crazy. They opened up some of the sales at midnight at Wal-mart so all of us went to Wal-mart at about 10:00pm. Mollie, Heath, Johanna, Julianne, and I were all stationed at different places so that when it they opened the plastic on the crates we were there. I was stationed at the Woodie and Buzz Dolls. When they opened the plastic only a football practice could have prepared me for what happen next. People were grabbing fighting, I had a pregnant lady push me out of the way to get a doll. Don't worry I held my own and got what I needed. After that I had to go stand in line for the TV. Johanna and I stayed in that line until 5:00am. Surprisingly it was really really fun. We joked around with the other people in line all night and since we were so tired all the joke were strangely hilarious!! I told Berny I wasn't able to get a TV and then hid it in the storage room. I night before Christmas I got up in the middle and wrapped the TV. Berny was pretty surprised when he saw it there in the morning. Whitney got a kitchen set from Stephanie. She got it when she was the nursery leader and had to downsize the nursery toys and she got it so she gave it to Whitney.
Whitney was so excited when she woke up and saw that Santa had left her some presents. Well we couldn't say it was Santa because she does not like the idea of Santa it freaks her out. In fact when I was making cookies and I told her that we were making them for Santa when he comes to our house. She got a serious look on her face and said, "Santa can eat cookies at his own house."



I got the tradition from mom that Santa always leaves candy canes on the tree when he leaves. The kids really like this tradition.

After we were done opening presents Lance decided it was time to take down the tree.
Berny putting together the TV.

Christmas pancakes!!

Christmas at Grandma Debbie and Papa's House

We had a little Christmas party at Grandma Debbie's and Papa's house. When we started opening presents Papa brought out two BIG boxes. He had gotten Whitney a battery powered jeep but he didn't want Lance to feel left out, Debbie said that they could share but Papa said that would not work because the jeep was pink, so he got Lance a car too. The funny thing was that I had gotten Whitney a battery powered four wheeler at the after Thanksgiving sale. So when I saw that I took the four wheeler back and got something else. Lance is already helping his dad under the hood. Lance was so funny trying to help put the car together.

Whitney and Papa
Christmas tree and all the presents
Whitney Loved her Jeep
Our new Christmas outfits. Berny and I help Bernave pick out Debbie's outfit and Debbie got mine for me.

The kids in their new Cars. They had so much fun we moved the couches so that they could dive around
Lance seeded to like Whitney's Jeep better than his. He kept climbing out of his and in with her. So much for not sharing because it was pink :-)
Lance has a little crush on Shyanne, Victors girlfriend. He was nursing when she came in and once he heard her voice he climbed right off my lap and crawled right over to them and plopped himself down in between Victor and Shyanne for the rest of the night. and when Shy would talk to him he would get a big smile on his face and blush. Victor had a lot of fun with Lance too.