Kiersten was very excited over all the candy and presents (she was amazed that Santa gave each of us a different candy cane in our stocking. Thankfully she didn't notice that they all looked like candy canes from last year or the ones Santa gave them at our ward party!), but Tanner was pretty excited by the banana that Santa left in his stocking! He wouldn't let go of it until Nate put him in his high chair so he could eat it (which wasn't that much later!).
Back when I first started my Christmas shopping, I asked Kiersten what she wanted for Christmas, and she didn't have any ideas so I picked what I thought she'd like. As Christmas got closer, however, she found a set of princess dolls at Target that she really wanted and started telling everyone that is what she hoped Santa would bring her. A few days before Christmas I really started to worry that she was going to be disappointed by the Doctor kit Santa was bringing her. I even sent Nate to Target 2 days before to get the princesses, but no luck for us . . . Target was out (or, he may have been looking in the wrong spot, I don't know!). So I prayed really hard that she'd be happy with the 1 princess doll Tanner gave her and the Doctor kit Santa gave her.
And thankfully that prayer was answered - she was delighted that no longer did she have to find things to pretend to play doctor with her babies. She now had the "real" stuff! We decided that Santa must have known how much she liked to play doctor with her babies, and that Tanner was going to give her a Belle doll.
Tanner has the funniest look he gives us on a regular basis, but we've never been able to capture it on film. This still isn't quite the look, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what he looks like. (By the way, this was a random face - I was taking pictures because he was so excited sitting on Nate's lap opening the truck from his cousins Brooklyn and Savannah.)
I was a little worried that it would take about 15 minutes to open presents Christmas morning because it was just our small little family of 4, and we only got each person 4 presents (1 in their stocking, 1 from Santa, 1 from the kids/their sibling and 1 from Mom and Dad, and that was a combined present for the 2 of them). However, Grandparents, Aunts, and cousins came through and filled under our tree, and it took over an hour and a half to open presents Christmas morning. Of course, not all of that time was opening presents - we stopped and got Tanner a snack (his stocking banana and some Nutter Butters that Santa had left), and we'd stop opening presents and let the kids open the toys and play with them for a bit before going on.
After we finished opening presents and had breakfast, Kiersten organized another rendition of the Nativity. This time was different than the night before because we had different costumes (I've never known Mary to have such bling, have you? And Joseph has never looked so good in pink, don't you agree?)
Tanner really didn't have a role in this rendition of the Nativity - he just jumped in where he wanted. This time I got a little more for my shepherd's costume - instead of just a hair bow like I had the night before, this time I had a blanket to wrap around my shoulders.
After naps/quiet time Nate took the kids out back and set up the trampoline we got for them. I'm hoping to save my couches and mattresses from all the jumping they've seen over the last several months! Unfortunately our back yard isn't big enough to accommodate a large trampoline, so hopefully they won't mind sharing and taking turns until we move into a house with a bigger back yard (no, I'm not making an announcement - we don't have any plans to move, we'll get a bigger back yard "someday int he future!") and can get a bigger trampoline.
Later that evening Kiersten was so excited to set up her easel from Grandma and Grandpa and get to work. She's colored and painted so many pictures. Watch your mail - you may be the lucky recipient of some of her original artwork one of these days!
All in all it was a wonderful Christmas day. We really enjoyed being able to spend time as a family. While we missed our family and friends, we were also glad we couldn't share our sicknesses with you (Kiersten had pink eye, Tanner had a fever, and Nate and I had colds!). And, Kiersten has done a wonderful job of keeping the Nativity story in the forefront of our thoughts, as we've now had to act it out 4 times in the past week (and that's only because we've put her off several times! If she had her way it would have been at least daily!)
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