Christmas Happenings

Brian, Kaitlyn, Mom, Grandma, Aunt Kim and I started out our Christmas Festivities Wednesday Night by attending The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean.  I always love this play and it really gets the true meaning of Christmas rolling through your head. And it's amazing the Spirit you get to feel. If you ever have the chance to go, GO!!! You will not regret it! 

John aka Michael McLean

Every time we drive by Target, Reagan always asks if she can go see the big Ornaments that they have placed randomly about the grounds so we finally said ok and her and Bryson loved every. single. one!

"it's too bright mom!!"

Daddy had to join in on the fun:)

he loved to hit them!

Reagan didn't like him up there by himself so she had to have her hand on him.

then she had to sit on it too!

On Christmas Eve, we still had some shopping to do so Brian headed out in the morning and then I went shopping with my mom once Brian was back home. I think this was the 1st time I went Christmas shopping without the kids!:) For our Christmas Eve Dinner/Lunch we all decided that we should go to Olive Garden and then have pies afterwards at GG's house. As always, Olive Garden was amazing! Actually, as we were all heading back home, we realized that we left all our food boxes on the table along with the breadsticks!:( We were all pretty devastated! Brian, Reagan, Bryson and I ran over to Target after dinner for a few things for Christmas Dinner and then decided to ride by the Loop of Lights. It's amazing all the lights you drive by! After the lights we headed over to GG's for some pie, decorating cookies and a little Christmas movie. It always great having Christmas roll around because you get to spend so much time with family! And I must say, I've never seen Reagan SO excited to go to bed before! She even claims to have seen Santa's sleigh in the sky when we got home:)

her Christmas Eve outfit. what a cutie!!

Bryson would not stand still!

loved the Fireplace on the house!

now this is the main house for the Loop of Lights! It's Amazing!

you can see that ball from pretty far away once it gets dark!

Reagan and Bryson both LOVE Christmas lights!

Christmas PJs

Christmas PJs

CHRISTMAS DAY.

Santa came to our house! Bryson woke up about 8 and was super excited when he saw everything so Bryson and I went to wake up Reagan so she would enjoy the gifts too! Once Reagan saw the gifts, she decided she needed to wake up daddy so we could see what everything was! We opened a few gifts at home and then head to Grandma & Grandpa's house for some Monkey Bread and the kids even got to open a present. We headed back home to shower and get ready for church and the kids finished opening all their gifts. Thanks to those who sent gifts! The kids loved everything! We had Chruch at 12, sacrament meeting only, and then headed back over to moms to finish up presents and have some yummy dinner!

Santa came!:)

Good morning handsome!

Good morning big girl!

Not sure what to think

Bath time octopus from PawPaw and Granny

Her scooter that she never gets off!

Presents at Grandma & Grandpa's

she loves her Barbie car!

off to Church we go.

best sunday picture I could get!

Family present time

Aunt Katie and Reagan being silly

silly girls!

PS- I think next year we are going to adopt an Elf on the Shelf. I've heard/seen so much about it and I think Reagan will love it!!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Grandma & Grandpa Christensen

Grandma Shauna and Grandpa came to visit for a week and we enjoyed every bit of it! They were on their way to Utah and decided to stop in to see us. We had a very laid back visit. Brian worked a few days while they were here so we just hung out around the house. We did make it to the park a few times, went to the Mesa Temple Lights, ward Christmas Party and went out to eat a few times. They were even nice enough to watch the kids while Brian and I went to a friends Christmas Party. Thanks for the fun visit!! It was great to see you again!

Reagan with her Minnie Mouse ornament from Grandma and Grandpa

opening the ornaments. Bryson got Lightning McQueen

And of course we had to show them how amazing Costa Vida is!:P

And they had to show us how good The Cheesecake Factory is!

Nativity at the Mesa Temple Lights

Mesa Temple

Reagan was so excited to have Grandma Shauna help her with a gingerbread house.

the gingerbread house kit even came with fondant! 

Ta-Da!

Off to church with go. Grandma Shauna, Reagan, Bryson and Grandpa Bryant

Halloween

Ok, I know this is a little bit late but give me credit that I'm getting it done:)

(now let's see if I can remember all that we did!)

ps-this is going to be LONG!

I was able to get some tickets 1/2 off at Vertuccio Farms so while Gary and Ellie were here back in October we decided to venture out to the farm. Reagan was super excited! They had a bounce house, a few other carnival games, cow train, lots of animals, big balloon trampoline(sp?), corn maze and a silly horse ride. We tried to do the corn maze but with the stroller it was a bit impossible because all the trails were about 1 ft wide and super rocky/bumpy. 

Reagan milking a cow(fake)

Everybody just cooling off in the shade!

Reagan on the teeter-totter(sp?)

in the little kid maze

Gma Jo and Bryson on the pony ride

family pony ride:)

the cow train

Reagan the Scare-Crow

Our Ward had a Chili Cook-Off and a Trunk-or-Treat. My mom made an awesome white chili for the cook-off and we ate it for days! After most people had ate, they opened up a few games like cake walk, ring toss, cookie decorating and ball in the hole. Reagan really enjoyed the game. Bryson was more in to walking around outside. During the Trunk-or-Treat, Brian stayed in the car and handed out candy while I walked around with Reagan and Bryson. There were tons of cars handing out candy! We got a little more than we wanted:)

Reagan and Chloe

Monkey Bryson:)

Reagan, Chloe and Brinley waiting patiently to play some games

Princess Reagan

Bryson enjoying the cake walk. He won like 4 times!

Trunk-or-Treat

GG and Lettie passing out candy from Gma Jo's car

Daddy the candy man

I just love his monkey butt:)

Sunday night, which was the night before Halloween, we decided to carve our pumpkin. Down here you can't carve to early or they just might melt in the sun. Reagan was excited to carve and even picked out the picture but she wasn't too sure about cleaning out all the guts. And Bryson was napping while this was taking place!

such a fake smile but she finally touched the guts!!

concentrating very hard on carving:)

TA-DA!!

And now for Trick-or-Treat on Monday night. Once again Brian stayed home to hand out candy while I took the kids out with Molly, Chloe and Brinley. We started in my moms subdivision then went over to our housing area. We didn't hit every house we saw because we didn't want the kids to have that much candy:) There were several decked out houses that looked like Haunted Houses but the girls didn't want to go any where near them. 

Tinker Bell, Wonder Women, Monkey Boy and Princess patiently waiting to go out:)

he enjoyed riding in the stroller as long as he could reach candy from his bucket!

they were walking a little slow so we piled in:) Brinley was in the stroller I had.