Better Together: Christmas 2017

So grateful that we get to be so close to our families this year for Christmas time. It is so fun with little kids. I love this time of year. And both of our kids are at a really fun age. Brylianna is 2 years and 3 months old and is just old enough to be excited about everything. She loves all the Christmas lights and "helping" wrap presents and staring at the Christmas tree and laying under it too. Corbin is 6 months old and fun to cuddle and dress in cute Christmas jammies and he belly scoots over to the tree to inspect the lights and try to open presents :) I love having a baby to cuddle up with a big blanky and sit on the couch by the fireplace in the winter time, even though we have had a pretty mild winter this year, especially in comparison to last year. ( It dumped a ton of snow and got down to negative 25 degrees in Logan last year)
Pat's brother Parker and his family got to come visit this year again. We quite like that they have been able to visit the past several years and we could definitely get used to this tradition :) Brylianna learned their names before they visited and she always called Zeke, cousin Zeke the whole time he was here. It was cute. Brylianna also loved seeing her Thomas cousins so much this Christmas. She asked almost everyday if we were going to see them that day. She sure loves her cousins.
Christmas Eve we spent with my family and some good family friends. We always do a white elephant gift exchange, read the story of the birth of Christ, share testimonies, and sing some Christmas hymns. It was wonderful.
Corbin slept horrible Christmas Eve night and Pat stayed up with him a lot of the night. We spent Christmas morning with Pat's family and had breakfast and went over to my families a bit later and spent time there opening presents. Brylianna is so lucky to have loving Grandparents and two Christmases :) She got a lot of cute stuff and finally got a toddler bed. A purple one. She had been sleeping in a pack n play still. She was super excited and jumped up and down on her bed to break it in. She also loves playing with all the new toys that Corbin got.
It was so nice to see our families and see the joy in Brylianna's face as she enjoyed the day and presents and famliy and fun and ate entirely way to much chocolate and candy. Holidays are just so much fun with kids. I love my extended family and I love my little family.

Bryliann and Felise

Pat and I went to the temple finally, and saw the temple lights. We had to park way faraway and it was quite the cold adventure. We rode trax to the temple. IT is the first time we have been back to the SLC temple since we were married here 7 and a half years ago and the first time to the temple together since Corbin was born.

Brylianna was jumping up and down excited to sit on Santa's lap. He asked her what presents she wanted. And she only associates presents with birthdays so far so now she tells everyone that she sat on Santa's lap and told him what birthday presents she wants.

Aunty Kim was by us in line and asked Brylianna " Are you so excited to sit on Santa's lap?"
Brylianna jumping up and down "Yes!"
Is Santa going to bring you Christmas presents?
Brylianna jumping up and down "Yes!"
Is Santa going to bring baby brother Corbin Christmas presents?
Brylianna shakes her head "No"

Oh kids :) Hahaha

You just can't ever have enough pictures of babies and Christmas trees right?

In some cute (12) month Christmas jammies

Tradition to go to the Forgotten Carols with my mom and sister. I love this tradition and the Forgotten carols. It just doesn't feel like Christmas til we go. It is such a beautiful way to bring the Christmas spirit into our hearts. We had the closest seats to the stage that I have ever had too!