Decorating Our Christmas Tree!

I LOVE real Christmas trees! I know that tons of people have fake trees, but I grew up going to get a real Christmas tree every single year, and now I just can't live without a real tree! It's so exciting to go to a Christmas tree lot and find the perfect tree. I love having a tree every year that's a little different than the one the year before. We always get a Noble Fir, but no two trees are exactly the same! They smell so heavenly too!

So the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went and got a 6-foot Noble Fir tree. It's full and gorgeous and I was REALLY excited to get the lights on it and pull out all my ornaments! As soon as Stephen started to put the lights on it, Kirsten made a beeline for them. She is obsessed with lights, so she of course had to "help" Daddy with the Christmas lights. The Christmas lights just make her SO happy!

Stephen has been a good sport as I've taught him to put lights on the tree the way my Dad does it. I just don't like lights strung around the tree. They have to be weaved in and out through the branches, infusing the whole tree with light! It really is worth the extra effort! And I love putting colored lights on the tree, and white lights on the garland on our mantle.

Every year I get SO excited to open up my ornament boxes and put ALL my favorites up on the tree! My mom had a really awesome tradition of giving my brother and me an ornament every year, so that when we grew up and left home we'd have a bunch of ornaments with memories attached to all of them. I am definitely continuing that tradition on for my kids! I've also kept on collecting ornaments for myself too. I always try to find Christmas ornaments when I travel, and collect them from everywhere I can!

This one is from our honeymoon in St. Thomas! I smile every time I see that Santa Clause riding a dolphin!

I have way too many amazing ornaments to post pictures of them all. But among of my favorites are the blown glass balls I bought in Venice. They are gorgeous!

Guess who else loves my ornaments? The kitties! Herbie and Tigger go crazy, batting at all the ornaments and even carrying them up the stairs if they can get them.

This is Kirsten's ornament for this year. I got it at Disneyland!

Of course Kirsten loves the tree. She goes over to it at least 15 times a day, pointing at all the ornaments and sometimes pulling them off the tree. She can reach higher up than I thought she could too! Her favorite ornaments are the sparkly, glittery ones. Sometimes she'll go straight to the tree and say, "No, no!" since she's so used to me saying that when she reaches for certain ornaments. :)

She also enjoys grabbing the Christmas tree skirt and pulling it across the floor away from the tree, scattering pine needles everywhere and chanting "No, no!" while she does it.

When I turn the Christmas tree lights on every night, she goes nuts! She squeals and shouts and races to the tree so she can touch the lights and marvel at them.

Our beautiful Christmas tree!

It'll be a sad day for everyone in our house when we have to take the tree down, that's for sure!

Tuesday Top Ten!

Welcome to the first edition of Tuesday Top Ten! I'm about to reveal. . . (drumroll please). . . my Top Ten Christmas Albums!

#1- The Carpenters Christmas Portrait- I adore this album! I think it has so much variety in it and I just love their arrangements of all these wonderful songs.
Best songs: Hard to choose, but I'd have to say 'Merry Christmas Darling' and 'Christmas Waltz'
#2- Let It Snow! by Michael Buble- I don't actually own this album (it's too short, only 6 songs!) but I have downloaded all these songs and love each one! His voice is perfect for Christmas music.
Best song: All of them!

#3- The Christmas Collection by Frank Sinatra- Classic! I love Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole's songs as well, but if I'm going to listen to a whole album by any one of them I'll choose Frank Sinatra any day.

#4- Noel by Josh Groban- I was looking forward to this Christmas album long before it came out. I love his voice!
Best song: Little Drummer Boy

#5- The Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack- These are just the cutest Christmas songs! It makes me happy to listen to them.
Best songs: One More Sleep 'Til Christmas, It Feels Like Christmas, and Bless Us All

#6- The Christmas Collection by Amy Grant- Her Christmas songs are all SO well-done. Nobody ever listens to her 80's music anymore, but at Christmastime she's all over the radio, and with good reason!
Best songs: A Christmas To Remember, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Breath of Heaven (that one gives me tingles all over! It's so beautiful!)

#7- Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan- This is just a gorgeous album!
Best songs: I'll Be Home For Christmas and Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

#8- Christmas Is. . . by Percy Faith and His Orchestra- I've been listening to this album ever since I was old enough to know what Christmas is. Listening to it brings me right back to decorating the tree with my family. I love every song!
Best songs: Christmas Is and White Christmas

#9- The Christmas Collection by Il Divo- Their Christmas songs are soooooo unbelievably beautiful. Their version of O Holy Night especially is the best I've ever heard!
Best songs: O Holy Night, When a Child Is Born, and White Christmas

#10- The Wonder of Christmas by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir- It's hard to pick just one of their Christmas albums to include on this list, but I think this is the one I listen to the most often. I love the songs!
Best songs: The First Noel, Winter Wonderland, Carol of the Bells, and Sleigh Ride

Bonus- A Fresh Aire Christmas by Mannheim Steamroller- Out of all their albums, this one has got to be my favorite!
Best songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel, Greensleeves, and O Holy Night

I think I'm going to have to go put one of these on right now! I love Christmas music SO much. Which albums have I left out? I'd love to hear your favorite Christmas albums too!

Thanksgiving in Phoenix!

I am finally posting about our Thanksgiving trip! It was so fun to spend lots of time with our extended family in Phoenix. We were really glad to get there, especially after our plane was delayed for over an hour. We didn't arrive in Phoenix until 11:30 pm the night before Thanksgiving! Poor Kirsten was so tired. She didn't sleep at all on the plane either!

We stayed at my grandparents' house, and everyone in this family picture was there for Thanksgiving. This was our first family picture with the whole group that we've had taken since I was pretty young!We got the pictures done at a place called the Pecan Groves. The trees and the lighting were really pretty! Here's my little family.

I love these pictures of Kirsten with her Daddy!

I also really like these. This is Kirsten with my brother, her Uncle Jakob!

My parents!

Kirsten got pretty wiggly and didn't want to stay in our arms for many pictures, but it was great to get these done anyway!

My Grandma cooked a VERY yummy Thanksgiving meal! My favorite parts of a Thanksgiving dinner include orange rolls, the turkey, real mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and apple pie for dessert. And we had all that and more!!!

Kirsten had her own little feast in the high chair.

After dinner, she was having a TON of fun. . . finding everyone's plastic cups and squeezing them until they broke. She squeezed so hard her head would shake and it was pretty funny!

Kirsten was pretty shy around all the new people, and she kept touching her eyes and nose with her hands like she was trying to hide. But she did warm up to a lot of people and ended up having a great time!
She especially loved playing with Grandma and Grandpa!

My Grandma had this FUN ball pit in her basement and Kirsten immediately started playing in it when she saw it!

Here's Kirsten with my cousin Brittany.

She had a fun time playing with the other little kids, especially some of the older kids who would entertain her and make her laugh.

And she got to play outside in the Phoenix sunshine and run barefoot on the patio! The temperatures were in the 60's and 70's while we were there, so it was nice! I was glad it wasn't too hot!

We just wished the trip could have lasted longer! But we had an awesome time eating, playing games, shopping on Black Friday, and talking and catching up with everyone. I'm SO thankful for my whole family!

My Christmas Wish List!

This is my first EVER computerized Christmas list, complete with pictures and links! Santa's got it easy this year! :) Stephen requested a list recently, because he had no idea what I wanted for Christmas. So here's more help than he probably bargained for. My blog letter to Santa!

Dear Santa,
I hope you don't think I'm greedy, but I know I've been good this year and I think I deserve at least a few of these awesome gifts under my tree this year. I would like:

*1: A piano. And we would need some space for the piano to magically appear in our house as well. :) Not too much to ask, right?

*2: The Flip Video Ultra in this color! I got my current video camera in 2002 and it still works but it's bulky, records onto mini VHS tapes, and it's a pain to get videos onto the computer. I know I would use this cute mini digital video recorder all the time! And it connects straight to the computer so I can easily share videos and record them onto DVD's. *3: This dog! A teacup yorkie, the cutest little animal I ever saw in my life. Yes, Stephen, I know you're not getting me a dog this year. That doesn't prevent me from wanting it anyway!

*4: Tickets to see Wicked in Hollywood! We'll be down there for Christmas anyway and I've been really wanting to see this show. The perfect day would be Saturday, December 27'th, and we could eat my favorite California Nachos at the historic Pig'n Whistle restaurant in Hollywood too. You can buy tickets at:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1085291?camefrom=CFC_WICKED_hometicketsla

*5: The Philosophy Warm By the Fire gift set! It's inspired by the simple pleasure of sipping hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows over a crackling fire, and comes with Double Rich Hot Cocoa shower gel/bubble bath, Melting Marshmallow Cream Body Souffle, and Ooey Gooey S'mores Lip Shine. What girl wouldn't want to take a hot chocolate bubble bath? I'm dying to have this!! Buy it at: Sephora.
*6: A few CD's I'd love to own-
-David Archuleta's new album
-'Rejoice and Be Merry' Christmas CD by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, featuring the King's Singers
-'The Secret of Christmas' by the BYU Singers

*7: Mamma Mia! on DVD, so I can sing and dance along with it as much as I want in my own living room :)
*8: An apron has never been on my wish list before, and I don't currently own one, but I really want this Red Cherry Apron! Isn't it the cutest? Stephen, I promise I would bake lots of French apple pies for us if I could be wearing this while I do it. Here's the link to buy it:
http://flirtyaprons.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=15_10&sort=20a&page=1
*9: The 'Dip Into Something Different' cookbook from The Melting Pot. I love to use my fondue pot, and this book has SO many recipes I'd love to try!
*10: Zooloretto looks like a fun board game, and I'd like to try it out! I'm always up for fun new games.

*11: This Peppermint Flexible Spatula from Williams-Sonoma. By far the cutest spatula I've ever seen! It would be a perfect stocking stuffer!
*12: These cozy, soft pajama pants from American Eagle and the top that goes with them. (Note to Santa: You don't need to worry about this one. I think Stephen already got them for me at the Black Friday sale).

I'm excited for Christmas morning already! Thanks for reading this, Santa. You know I still believe!

Love,
Ashley

Christmas Tag!!!

Happy December 1'st, everyone! I'm so glad it's really December now! In honor of December, here is the Christmas tag that I've been wanting to do. Enjoy!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper is a lot more fun to open. But I love gift bags too because I can use them again!

2. Real tree or Artificial? ALWAYS real! And I always get the same kind. . . Noble Fir. They smell and look the BEST!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend right after Thanksgiving. One of my favorite days of the whole year! We are decorating ours tonight and I'm so excited about it!!!

4. When do you take the tree down? Early January. I leave it up until after New Year's eve.

This was our Christmas tree last year!!!

5. Do you like eggnog? YES, homemade eggnog is delicious! Stephen has been begging for it and I'm making it tonight to drink after we decorate our tree. I really hate store-bought eggnog though.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Anything with My Little Ponies, like the Paradise House I got one year. I also loved my roller skates!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Stephen or my Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? Kirsten

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a white one that I got a long time ago

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I like getting them in the mail!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of a specific thing. I hate boring gifts like generic white socks or things you would have to buy for yourself anyway.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, Small One, Home Alone 2, the claymation Rudolph, Mickey's Christmas Carol, the Muppet Christmas Carol, and my list could continue!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually in November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I think I probably have!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Orange rolls (just like at Thanksgiving!) I also love sugar cookies and chocolate mint brownies! We made the ones in this picture last year.

16. Lights on the tree? Of course! That is a silly question!
17. Favorite Christmas song? I can't pick just one! I love Winter Wonderland, Oh Holy Night, What Child Is This, Do You Hear What I Hear, Sleigh Ride, White Christmas, Home for Christmas, the Christmas Song, and tons and tons more!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Well I travel to GET to home! So I have Christmas at home, with family, but that family is in San Diego so we do have to travel to get there ♥

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes, easily!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have an angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? It's over too quickly!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My tree is very eclectic and has EVERYTHING on it! I love collecting ornaments from places I travel to!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and ham, and I love pretty much everything!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Well if the sky's the limit then I really want a PIANO or an amazing vacation!

I hope everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit and loving the music, lights, and decorations! Christmastime is the BEST!!!