Christmas Bucket List

For the last few years I've tried to do "advent" with my family.  Ya' know, do one Christmas activity a day for the month of December.  I even made a cute daily calendar thing.  It seems really fun.  It stresses me out too much.  So we've basically done a Christmas activity everyday, but only I have been keeping track of it so if it doesn't happen no one will notice and no one will be disappointed.  I've planned out  a couple "big" events with Evan, but other than that most of it has been spur of the moment or planned the night before when Autumn asks, "where are we going tomorrow?"  So far we have completed all of my imaginary "must do during the Christmas season or it really isn't Christmas" things, except one.  So here is my bucket list of Christmas-y things (or at least the ones I have pictures of).

 One of my very favorite things is looking at Christmas lights.  We have a lot of "bah hum bugs" in town (lots of dark streets).  However for the last three years we've found houses that have "light shows" in their yards.  (The one we went to the last 2 years didn't do it this year.  I panicked, but Evan knew of another house so we were saved!)  Evan had a very busy week at the "office" so he couldn't meet us until after the babies' bed time.  Nevertheless we all survived even though we had to wait in the Coldstone parking lot for 45 minutes.  Before we went to look at the lights we did one of my ultimate favorite Christmas activities...Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cold Stone ice cream.  Evan and I discovered it when we lived in Michigan.  Maybe it is one of my favorites since it is one of the only traditions we have started as a couple and wasn't carried over from our childhoods.

 Waiting for daddy in one of the many pairs of Christmas jammies they have.  (we don't often wait for daddy with his new job, so it was a bit odd).

 Autumn went to Grandma Linda's house one afternoon and decorated sugar cookies.  This has started to become an annual thing.  Autumn loved it.

 Evan got to come with us for a Saturday activity (I am still surprised when this happens.  I was all prepared to take the kids by myself, when I realized he wasn't working or studying! Post-residency life is good).  Santa flew to the municipal airport in a Cessna.  There are no windows in the airport, so we didn't get to see him fly...we just stood in line for an hour for a really tacky Santa.  But Autumn loved it.  The babies tolerated the stroller for most of the time.

 Didn't torture the babes this time.  Autumn told Santa she wants a Scooter for Christmas.  

 Autumn and I made cinnamon apple sauce tree decorations.  We also did hand-print salt dough ornaments one day and then painted them the next day.

 We got a lot of snow a couple days.  Evan loves being a home owner and loves shoveling snow.  The girls went out and helped one night while I made dinner.

 We watched the Las Vegas bowl and made snow flakes.  (not sure why Autumn is sad)

 Another set of Christmas Jammies (I was going to get Autumn's footie jammies out because she wouldn't wear them last year, but she probably would wear them this year since she wants to be like Maverick and Violet)

 The kids are really starting to interact with each other.  It is adorable

 Aunt Meagan gave these skirts to the girls.  Christmas Sunday.a

 We made graham cracker houses with the missionaries.

We also let Autumn stay up late one Friday and watch "Elf" with us.  We watched the LDS first presidency devotional, Autumn requested to go to bed half-way through...But enjoyed the music.  We've read lots of Christmas books.  Autumn and Evan went to the bookstore and bought Christmas presents for Maverick and Violet.  Autumn and I wrapped them fancy one day.  Evan took Autumn to the ward party and she had sugar cookies for dinner (I was sick so I stayed home with the babies).  Evan and I went to a friends' white elephant party.  We brought the best gifts and went home with only mildly lame gifts.  We also went to Evan's work party.  It was ok.  The food was good.  Evan took Autumn to Cameron's school choir concert while Evan went to Cameron's band concert and another choir concert.  Evan and I have watched the first half of several Christmas movies.