Clan Buchanan

I am just now posting all of our Christmas doings in December. So, that means, this will be a long, frenzied, flurry of pictures telling the story of our Christmas season.

1. We took dinner to Grandma and Papa and helped them set up their tree. Grandma even lit the German advent candles so the kids could watch it spin.

We finished the evening by going to Trader Joe's to pick up ALL of our favorite Christmas treats - caramels, apple cider, peppermint Jo Jos, chocolate covered peppermint Jo Jos, etc. etc.

2. I took the kids to The Festival of Trees. I take them every year as one of our Christmas traditions. As a part of that tradition, I leave every year vowing to myself that I will never do that again. It's so crowded. This was our very best year though. These guys were so good. We all loved seeing the trees and having chocolate milk and a cinnamon sugar scone. Each year the kids get to choose their favorite tree and take a picture with it.

3. On a snowy Saturday we put new snow tires on the van so that we could actually make it up the hill to church and school. Merry Christmas to us! We also picked out and brought home our tree.

4. Decorating the tree.

Zachary is a real helper.

Ava got to put on the star.

5. Our ward Christmas party was an Ugly Sweater Party. I had gone to D.I. back in November searching for just the right sweaters for Scott and I. I grabbed the only two there. Scott's just happened to be a woman's XXL sweater. The pearls were stunning on him.

The kids got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they hoped for for Christmas. This is when things got tricky for Scott and I. Brielle AND Ava asked for "Christmas magic". Zachary asked for a rope that he can climb all the way to the north pole.

6. Kate helped me do Christmas shopping. I have one hour in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday when I only have Kate and everyone else is at school. It was twenty degrees and we were rushing. This girl would not be deterred from walking on her own and wearing princess heels though. So slow.

7. We picked up a gingerbread house for the kids to put together and decorate.

8. One night while Scott was at YM and after everyone had taken a bath, we took some hot chocolate in the van and went to see the lights around the neighborhood. Our favorite house has their lights synched to a radio station and lights up with the music.

9. We were so excited when a woman in our ward let us know of her daughter's upcoming trip to an orphanage in Ecuador where she was adopting a boy. The boys in the orphanage were in real need of things like tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, underwear, t-shirts, pillowcases, etc. We took the kids to Walmart to buy as much of this as we could to donate to the orphanage. It was a really special thing to teach our kids.

10. Brielle, Ava, Zachary and Kate continued their "dance parties" which include putting all the pillows and cushions in the middle of the floor and jumping off the couches on to them. There was just a more festive background to the party now. For the record, jumping off of furniture is totally against the rules. Do you see the orange blur? That is Ava in her t-shirt and underwear flying through the air.

11. We met up with our good friends, The Ennis', down at Abravenel Hall for the Christmas Concert. It was a symphony and orchestra of Christmas music for children. We thought it would be good to introduce our kids to being "cultured". They were bored. Felt like Sacrament Meeting. They were happy when they got to run around outside with their friends.

Are Elyse and Zachary holding hands?? Woo hoo.

12. After the concert, we continued on to City Creek to see the man who I believe is for sure the REAL Santa Claus. Each of them sat on Santa's lap (except Kate, who wouldn't even look at him without crying) and told him their greatest wishes for what they wanted Santa to bring on Christmas morning. Scott and I stood there listening and staring at each other in shock. One week away from Christmas and we had NEVER heard any of these requests before.

13. A Christmas dinner and cookie decorating party with our good friends Todd and Anna Allen and Barry and Julie Jensen. This was such a fun night for the kids to play and for us to hang out with and catch up with friends that we really love.

14. Out to the see the lights downtown. I know this is hard with little kids. It's cold and late and they are whining and I am forcing this evening upon us, but I just have to. I love it. It feels so very Christmasy. And I appreciate my good husband for going along with this night just to make me happy. He even brought thermos' of hot chocolate. (Secretly: Everyone had fun and it was a wonderful night.)

Brielle in front of the manger scene on Temple Square.

A huge gingerbread house in The Grand America Hotel. The whole thing was made of edible ingredients. So cool.

The candy windows in the ZCMI building as we walked along from Temple Square. My YW's leader, Pam Chaddock, made this one.

We ended the night at the Gallivan Center to see the big lit up tree and the ice skaters. We wished we could ice skate, but instead watched and drank hot chocolate.

15. Shortbread. Oh, shortbread. This is a HUGE part of Christmas. On a Friday morning I made my first batch of dough and had shortbread in the oven by 9am. I worked all day pulling shortbread from double ovens all day long. We listened to Christmas music, never got out of our pajamas, ate shortbread for lunch and I pulled the last of the sixty that I made out of the oven at 9pm.

Then we saran wrap all the plates. Then Scott and I stay up late wrapping them in cellophane, tying them with a plaid ribbon and adding a Christmas card. It is a lot of work. I have to say though that I really, really do like that this is our tradition. I LOVE when Scott is dressed in his kilt and takes all the kids to every door of our friends and neighbors. The kids yell out "Merry Christmas" when the door is answered and give them our shortbread. I drive them around happily all night long. This year the delivery took 4 hours. Seriously. Only because we talk so much at each door though.

16. A fun little project that we decided to add to our already really busy December was to re-do the 70's looking downstairs bathroom. 8 days before Christmas. Tawna decided to do it and I was so beyond thrilled that I went right along with it. We chose paint and towels and curtains and picture and frame and handles and knobs and rug. Tawna painted and I thanked her. It turned out so cute!! I had always wanted to paint in there, it just took her to make it happen. I love it.

17. Zachary put on a great preschool Christmas performance. He learned the songs and was so excited to sing them for us. He has some good friends ath preschool and is always happy to go. It was fun to see him with his class singing his heart out. And chomping on his gum.

He got to bring home his gingerbread house and then immediately started devouring it.

18. Our counter started filling up with neighbor gifts. They were rolling in every night. The kids were so excited to open the door each time. This counter could possibly be the reason for the extra five pounds I have on me right now. Kate got in on the action too. Here she is caught with a pile of Hershey kiss wrappers in front of her.

19. The Sunday before Christmas was the day to dress in Christmas clothes. I had Brielle, Ava and Zachary squeeze themselves into last year's clothes. It worked! They still fit. It didn't work for Kate since her's was a size 9 month dress. Luckily, she had a beautiful dress handed down from Lila. Wahoo!

Pictures before church. These three did great. Kate, not so much.