....to Opa and Nana's house we go!
-17 stockings this year
The Great Martin Christmas was ON this year which means Mom and Dad, all 8 siblings, 3 spouses and 4 grandkids were all under one roof for the weekend!
-Uncles Sam, John & Josiah with Zoey, Levi, Jancsi & Isaac.
It was busy. It was loud. It was crazy. It was wonderful. It is so neat to think back to Christmas's past and see how we have all changed and yet in many ways are the same. We no longer sit at the edge of the stairs at 5am, waiting for Mom and Dad to tell us we can come down. This year, the three little uncles (6'+ John, Zi and Sam) pleaded to be allowed to sleep in till at least 8am!
The grandkids are still too young to fully grasp what is going on. Isaac is close though and possibly by next year I can see him being super excited!
-getting ready to pull taffy.
People ask me all the time what is was like growing up with a big family. It's hard to explain. I don't think you could ever fully understand unless you had experienced it yourself. I know it's probably different for everyone, but for me it was perfect. I treasure these times where we are all together. I am so thankful for my parents who listened to the Lord instead of others on the advice of how big their family was supposed to be. I can't imagine life without any one of my siblings. And now as our family grows with each new little addition, it is even more wonderful.
-wrestle time with Uncle John.
I was laughing to myself as I watched Sebron join in all the talking and laughing with five different cooking/baking ventures all going on at the same time in the kitchen that seems tiny when you get a bunch of tall people in it. Hard to believe this is the same guy that just 3 Christmas' ago, I was having to go hunt him down and would find him hiding out in some out of the way room.... taking a break from all the craziness. As an only child, he was a bit overwhelmed. Not now. : )
Jancsi had the biggest blast of his life with a million people to hold him, play with, feed him and just simple go crazy over him. That boy loves attention. His big cousin Isaac was a huge source of entertainment for him and they enjoyed playing 'house' with Isaac's new kitchen set as they cooked up all sorts of sweet concoctions!
-'baking' in the kitchen.
There were three new additions this year. We are so very richly blessed. It is going to be such fun to watch all the cousins grow up together!
-newbies: Levi John, Zoey Bree & Jancsi Sebron.
-Opa's Christmas bread.
-Zoey Bree, enjoying some tummy time.
I couldn't get over how small Zoey and Levi seemed compared to Jancsi. So much fun to hold a baby again! Zoey wants to be a part of everything, and Levi wants to cuddle and sleep all day. So thankful the Lord put them into our family!
-Snuggling with Levi after a morning run.
-The entire crew. 2011
We drove home late Monday and it's back to real life with the two boys, laundry, house cleaning, and just 'stuff.' Jancsi woke me up at 1am this morning screaming. After a few minutes, thinking he would cry it out, he only got louder. I went in to check on him and hello! there he was standing up in his crib! I picked him up and he was so tired! He was asleep as soon as I out him back on his mattress. He is pulling up on everything but hasn't figured out how to get back down once he's up. Poor guy. He is trilled with this new discovery and the whole world has gotten way more exciting!
Going through the day thinking of sweet memories from our Christmas weekend at home!
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