Christmas Week...plus some

The week of Christmas finally came... with lots of fun and activities!  Kirstie and Ian got all dressed up for church and sang two songs in Sacrament meeting with the primary.  They've been too scared the past few times to go up, so I was glad they both did.  Towards the end of the second song, Ian and I made eye contact and he started to cry a bit.  I quickly looked away and he ended up ok.  

Monday night was our annual Bunting Christmas Party.  We eat dinner, and the kids play Bingo.  When they get Bingo (or "Christmas") they get to open a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Bunting.  Ian got a pair of sweat pants (his favorite!), but they were do big, they just completely fell off him, even though they were a size 3T!

Kirstie and her cousin Payton usually get matching clothes.  This year was no exception!  They were excited to find that they even the exact same coat!  (There was a picture here-- where did this one go?)

Christmas Eve day is filled with lots of baking.  Each year I always feel the need to double my sugar cookie recipe.  But then, in the middle of frosting them all, I remember why I shouldn't do it!  Too many cookies!  But they sure are yummy!

Christmas Eve is spent at my parents house each year.  Ian LOVES his boy cousins-- look at him leaning in toward Owen!  

We have a lot of traditions on Christmas Eve, including the Nativity.  This year it was Kirstie and Ian's turn to be Mary and Joseph.  (I had a picture of all the kids, but it somehow disappeared from this blog post.  Go figure.)

After playing chimes and singing songs, it's pj time!  This year there was a Frozen theme with their jammies= very excited kids!

Once the kids have changed into pjs and a present handed out, it's one...two...three...OPEN!!

You can't even imagine how excited Ian was to get an ambulance, a police helicopter and a big dinosaur.

Kirstie got a really fun dance mat.  One of the modes makes funny noises-- including burps and farts-- you can imagine that it's a favorite!  She also got a dog that rides a skateboard and chases a ball.  

Later on, it's home and ready for bed.  We set out cookies and milk for Santa, hang up our stockings and it's off to bed!  

Woo-hoo!  Santa came!!  We were lucky that our kids slept in until 8:00.  Kirstie has asked for a big Barbie doll house.  In her letter to Santa, she told him that if he couldn't bring it, to leave her a note.  That night she was so worried that he wouldn't be able to bring it and wished that she hadn't asked for a big doll house.  Well, Santa brought a big package of new Barbie furniture.  But he didn't have room for that AND a big house.  So he left her a note saying that he brought me a big Barbie doll house when I was younger.  It was at Grandma's house and that she could have that.  

Ian asked for a cement truck and was ECSTATIC to also get a dump truck, a front loader and a jack hammer truck as well!!  His trucks had to be at the table when we ate breakfast that morning.  In fact, they had to go everywhere with him-- even the bathroom!

Santa also brought Kirstie a Cabbage Patch baby doll, a Kristoff doll, and a new Frozen scooter!

Ian got a chainsaw, a Rescuebot, and a new addition to his Thomas Train tracks.

From mom and dad the kids got some clothes (Ian's pants have green lining inside, which he loves!), a new calendar and a couple of books.

Kirstie had been DYING to have these Frozen leggings.  She was beyond thrilled!

She loves to wear her Frozen shirt, leggings, socks, headband, and necklace all together-- while riding her Frozen scooter of course.  And if she's going outside, she might as well put on her Frozen hat and gloves too!

Surrounded by trucks-- just the way he likes it.

All of December had been abnormally warm.  So it was fun to wake up to snow, making it a true White Christmas!  Brent and the kids went out later that afternoon to play in the snow.

That night we headed over to the Buchanans for some munchies and more presents...games, toys, dresses, and other fun things!

The following week we hosted a New Year's Eve party at our house.  We invited a few friends over for just a simple, casual party.  We had 8 adults, 2 teens, 5 kids and one baby!  The kids watched movies and played downstairs while the rest of us played games upstairs-- while eating yummy snacks and treats, of course!

At 10:00 we watched the ball drop and rang in the New Year with the east coast.  We ran outside for a few minutes to do some poppers and blowers.  But it was so bitterly cold, we didn't stay out for long.  We said good night to our friends and put the kids to bed.  Brent and I stayed up playing games til midnight to ring in the new year...again!