The Walkers: Christmas Memories

On facebook this season instead of doing the daily gratitude thing that people did in November I decided to put my own spin on it and share a Christmas memory every day until Christmas. Well I made it until about day 16 and things just got too busy so I pooped out but I did get quite a few good posts in! They are not in chronological order or order of importance, they are just as I think of them. This is a compilation of all those posts:

Day 1: I remember years ago, I was probably only 11 or 12, someone did the 12 days of Christmas for me. Every day I got an ornament and a little gift, and each day the presents got bigger and better. One of the first days I got a little tree to hang the ornaments on, and I still have that little tree! They did a great job keeping it anonymous even though I tried really hard to catch them! To this day I still don't know who did it for me but it meant so much to me and I never forgot it!

Day 2: Martindale kids (circa '92 or '93?) sitting on Santa's lap with matching mullets and 80's stonewash denim......'nuff said! haha

Favorite Christmas memory day 3: When I was a kid we would go down to Holden to visit our Tuttle cousins and go find a Christmas tree up in the mountains to cut down. While the grown ups went hunting for trees, the kids would go sledding/tubing. Then we'd go back to my aunt and uncle's house for hot chocolate and chili. Those were some good times!

Almost forgot to post my Christmas memory for the day! Day 4: For as long as I can remember, we have been getting together with my extended family on my mom's side on Christmas Eve to have dinner, play games, and exchange gifts. A couple of years ago we played this hilarious game where my cousin Travis took people aside one at a time to record them singing a Christmas song, but we had to try and disguise our voices. Then he played the recording and we all had to try and guess who's voice was who. It was hysterical!

Favorite Christmas memory day 5: Last year's Christmas, which was the first Christmas in our first house! (Funny little tidbit, this picture was taken on 12/12/12, and as you can see there was ZERO snow on the ground! It's funny to think that a year later we are completely covered in snow and it's freezing outside!) (pic in front of house)

Favorite Christmas memory day 6: For many years my brothers and I would stay up SUPER late on Christmas Eve because we were too excited to sleep, just talking about what we hoped we were going to get. Then we would wake up SUPER early to open presents (my poor parents!). There were even years where we camped out on the living room floor together waiting for Christmas morning. We even did this when I got to high school!

Favorite Christmas memory day 7: Malea's 1st Christmas! She was about 9-10 months old at her first Christmas. The first picture below is of her seeing the Christmas tree for the first time (we set it up while she was napping). She was pretty mesmerized by it! In the second picture, I bought this blanket and used it for both kids on their first Christmas. And lastly, her first time seeing Santa....she was not too thrilled about it! haha! I can't believe that my baby girl is going to be 6 at her next birthday, time just goes by way too fast!

Favorite Christmas memory day 8: Isaac's 1st Christmas! He was only about 3 months old at his first Christmas, so he didn't really know what was going on too much, but he was such a great addition to the family! He didn't seem to mind Santa too much in this picture (Malea wasn't too happy about it though, lol), but you can bet that he has cried every single year since then! haha! He was such a smiley baby from such a young age, and as a 3 year-old has a great sense of humor. We sure love our sweet little ball of energy!

Favorite Christmas memory day 9: Going to see the lights at temple square in SLC. I've been many times over the years and it just never gets old! The pictures below start with us and Malea in 2009, then Malea and baby Isaac in 2010, and then both kids in 2011 (that is the last year we've been, we need to go again!). It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the lights are and how magical it looks all lit up.

Favorite Christmas memory day 10: I was looking back at some old pictures and came across some from one of the first Christmases Keith and I spent together as newlyweds .....I found a picture of our first little Christmas tree (2005), and it brought me back to that time when we were young, poor college students (wait, we're still young(ish), still poor, and still college students.....not much has changed, haha ;)). We didn't give each other much for Christmas but we didn't even care because we were just "livin' on love" as they say. As we're approaching our 9th anniversary on the 18th (whoa!) its fun to look back to simpler times before kids, house, etc.

Forgot to do my Christmas memory again yesterday! I've realized that a lot of my posts have been related to traditions as well so this one is going to be about a favorite Christmas memory/tradition. Day 11: the annual Martindale/Oldroyd Christmas party! Every year we get together with my Dad's side and play a fun game where we each bring a $10 gift and then we roll dice in a circle and when you roll a certain # you can trade gifts with someone else. The last two minutes of that game is always the most intense!

Favorite Christmas memory day 13: Christmas of 2009 when I got a Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas from my dad & step-mom! I thought it was funny that Keith caught my reaction on camera, I was SO excited!

Christmas memory day 14: My Grandma "M's" beautiful Nativity set, takes me back to so many years of seeing it out on the table in the living room at her house during Christmas. Going to her house was like heaven on earth, I always felt loved and safe there. Sure miss her!