DeMartini Family Christmas Party

As has become tradition, we gathered with the DeMartinis for a cousin Christmas party today.  We tried to make it low key because whenever we get together, there are so many little bodies, it is always wild.  This year we planned some games, a white elephant gift exchange, a craft, treats for Rowen's birthday (which is the end of November, and was over Thanksgiving when Christopher and Tysen were away with the Coxes), and at the last minute, a photo booth.  We all brought things to put on our heads or hold in front of our faces, and then with an exciting wrapping paper backdrop, sat in front of the camera looking silly.

Here are the best of the photos of everyone.

 

I took these two pictures of Brandt before we put up the background.

I like them.

I wanted Brandt to turn his head so we could see his elf ears.

Brandt as an elf. 

He wore his robe for the whole party, not just for the photo booth.

Collin

Collin and Donovan

Lyla

Blythe

Makenna

Ava, Tysen, and Lyla

Ava

Makenna and Sharae

All of us

Luke

Blake

Griffin

Crew

Brick and Guy

Mikayla

Sue

Mik, Sue, and Kate

Mikayla and Guy

Christopher and Tysen and all theirs.

Not pictured but present at the party are Eugene and Big Will.

Neither of them were willing to come downstairs and put something silly on their heads.

Party poopers.

Mikayla prepared a cute and easy to do craft.  The kids made Santas out of a paper plate and some other papers.  Everyone did one and I came home and hung Brandt and Blythe's on the door with their other Christmas creations.  

Kent relaxed on the couch while others crafted.

We did the white elephant gift exchange.  I got a Scrabble game, Kent got a big bunch of new pencils, Brandt got a package of mac-n-cheese we'd brought from our house and which we took back home, and Blythe initially got a set of dominoes and a pack of candy, but before the party ended, she had traded Crew for a stuffed unicorn that walks and plays music and has a blinking horn.  Both felt as though they'd come out ahead.  

Sharae has the kids play a little game, and then we got treats, snowman sugar cookies and tree cupcakes.  The cupcakes were supposed to look like a Christmas tree when they were all together on the board, but something got lost in translation and they just looked like Christmas trees individually.  No one cared one bit though.  We sang to Rowen and he got to eat his cupcake.  When he had his one year doctor's appointment, it was discovered he was as big as a two year old.  He is all beefy goodness.

We certainly enjoy being together.  The kids love, love, love being with their cousins, and really don't need much by way of organized activity to be happy.  Just being together is usually enough.  Hooray for cousins!  And hooray for Christmas!