Christmas Eve

Our Christmas in Jaffray

We spent this past weekend in Jaffray. We're not able to spend Christmas there this year as Tim has to work from the 22nd until the morning of the 28th (stupid shiftwork!). So anyways, we went into Jaffray to do our Christmas there with family. It was a busy, fun filled weekend!

We left for BC first thing Friday morning. But along the way we had to stop and mail Kinsey's letter to Santa. Let's hope he gets the letter in time!

And Friday afternoon we had a gingerbread house making party at my sister Jenn's house. Ya, I totally sucked at that. My roof kept sliding down and the walls caving in. So I don't have a picture of our gingerbread house/pile as it really was that bad! And Friday evening we had a house warming party at my sister Kimmy's house. Yep, she moved back to Jaffray after being in Castlegar for the last two years. We're so excited to have Brendan, Kimmy & Kamry closer!

Saturday we went to the Live Nativity at the Church. And Kinsey got matching shirts for her buddies Danyca and Kamry to all where to the Nativity and to the carolling thing afterwards. Kinsey was very excited about all the animals at the Nativity. She especially liked the "gonkey" (donkey) and Daddy even got a ride on it for her. She didn't stop telling me about how the donkeys says "ho haw" for the next two days.

And here is Kinsey and her cousins on Sunday in the beautiful Christmas dresses/clothes. Sunday night we all went to Jenn's and had an appetizer party (so yummy) and watched The Nativity movie.

Monday Me, Tim, and Kinsey went out a visited all our extended family in Jaffray and dropped of Christmas cards. Then that night we had our big turkey dinner at Mom's. After dinner we did some gift exchanges. And the little ones loved opening some presents early.
Here are Mama & Bupbup's favorite little people: Kinsey, Jayda, Kamry, Parker, & Danyca.
Here's the whole family:
And now that we're back at home Kinsey is having a blast playing with her new table, blocks, and books. And all day long she asks me where "Ganca, Parper, Jaja, and Kware" are. I'm not joking. She asks me a million times a day.

Tis The Season...

We have been crazy busy around here. As I'm sure you have been too. Getting ready for Christmas is a ton of work. Especially because our Christmas is starting early as we head to BC tomorrow morning! Eek! So here's a quick peek into what we've been doing this last week...

Got Christmas pictures done:

Went and found Santa at Tim's work Christmas Party:

"Helped" Mommy make Nuts & Bolts:

Made two double batches of Sweet Addiction Nuts & Bolts:

UNdecorated the tree for the millionth time:

Sent out a TON of Christmas cards:

Did a bunch of baking (this is only some):

Wrote a letter to Santa:

Wrapped presents with Kinsey's "help":

Finally got around to decorating the sugar cookies:

Found Santa again at our Ward Christmas Party:

Tried to be crafty (I suck at it) and made these:

And got into the stickers:

We've been hard at it here with all this stuff. PLUS Kinsey's been teething. And yes, if we don't leave the house, then Kinsey stays in her jammies all day long. But she does get clean ones before bed.

We're exhausted!!!

Ho Hooooo

My Kinsey is hilarious! This little girl keeps Tim and I in stitches all day long. She just doesn't stop....ever. Seriously, there's not pause or even a mute button on this little one. She talks non-stop. Ya she's only 15 mths but she can say anything. I think her favorite is "no, no, no" and she always says it three times just like that. My favorites are "mommy" and "I love you". I love it! Ball, puppy, and buffalo are the other ones that we hear a ton around here. When Tim calls us from work she will actually talk to him on the phone. It usually goes like this "Hi! Dad! I love you! Buh Bye!" And she's always very animated!

Kinsey's new favorite thing... Santa! I know! I was so prepared for one of those screaming/crying pictures of my Kinsey on Santa's knee this year, but no. She loves him. We had no problem getting her picture taken with him at the mall. Well, there was one little problem -- she wouldn't stop saying "Ho Hoooooo" long enough to smile for the camera. :) And then we went to Tim's work Christmas party and once again there was Santa. She had to keep going over to him to show Tim and I that "Ho Hooooo" was here. Oh ya, and according to Kinsey Santa doesn't have reindeer. He has a "buck". Yep, there's Mr. Ho Hooooo and his Buck! (Yes, she can say Santa but prefers to call him Ho Hoooo.)

Kinsey is so friendly. She would sit with absolutely anyone at church - even if we hardly know them. I chase her around church trying to save people from her. I've told my Mom that I can't let her out of the shopping cart when we go places cuz Kinsey would honestly take any stranger's hand and walk right out of the store with them. She's so trusting that it scares me. She's a handful, but such a sweetheart. I'll have to make a new video of her doing her "surprise face". It cracks me up! It's gonna be the perfect face for Christmas morning. Christmas is going to be a blast. Kinsey's so excited about everything. She's loving our Christmas Tree. She's pretty much stopped pulling the balls of the tree now cuz I showed her how to lay under the tree and look at the lights. She points to each light and says "pitty" (pretty).

And that's our Kinsey. She's a busy one, but way too much fun! We love her to pieces. Life must have been boring before her!

PS I no longer have to chase Kinsey around church on Sundays. She's not old enough to go to nursery, but Tim and I got put in as nursery leaders so she comes with us. I'm totally loving it! What a fun calling!