Christmas card photo shoot

These gems happened while I was attempting to take pictures of my boys...it was a struggle, but we managed to get a single photo in focus with both boys smiling to use on the card.  These didn't make the cut, but they are fun.

the gift that keeps on giving

Give them once, and you'll be frowned upon if you don't give them every subsequent year...
That's right, it's calendar-making time for me (three completely separate versions for in-laws, grandparents, and myself).

Balls, wheels, and cell phones

In an effort to live up to the title on my header and blog (at least) weekly I'll let you in on what we were up to last weekend.  We didn't do very much, but it was actually kind of nice.  Beckett had his final soccer game for his team.  Despite it being over 100 degrees that day, he played longer than he had in any of his previous games.  He likes to play goalie (because of the lack of running involved, and because it makes his goalie aunt proud) and he's not bad at it!  He blocked a handful of goals from a kid a head taller than everyone else on the two teams (definitely not 3 or 4 years old like they're supposed to be in that league) by squatting down a little and stretching his arms out wide.  He took a shot to the hand, and one big one to the chest, but the crowd cheered for him, and it was amazing!  He was so excited to get his medal for the season after the game.

Jeremy promptly left the game to go buy his new mountainbike.  He got it for a steal thanks to old friends being super nice, and he is so excited!  Since he got that little beauty, I decided I would splurge on the device I've been waiting so long for!  At midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning I ordered my very first iPhone!  I never wanted to have a data plan until Jeremy was out of school and had a job.  I watched and waited as Verizon finally got the iPhone.  I watched and waited until my upgrade came in June.  I watched and waited until my husband graduated and got his job in July.  I figured after waiting so long...why not wait another few months until they released a new iPhone.  The announcement came, and today mine will be coming in the mail!  Merry early Christmas (for the most part) to both of us!

12 days of Christmas

Here is a cool history about this song that I was sent in an email from my grandma.  I like things that bring the gospel back into Christmas and help us forget about the commercialism and materialism that many focus on at this time of year.


From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping are the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Nothing Better

We spent our weekend filled with giving thanks and being surrounded by the people I love most.  We had such a great time celebrating Thanks-Christmas with my family!  Disneyland, eating, gift exchanging, family pictures, shopping, money pit, Sheba memories...good times.

Looking for a unique present?

I have made my own version of a family tree display inspired by one seen on pinterest.  The 11x14 print by the online company is sold for $65 (no frame included), and is only sold in two color schemes.  If you are looking for something special for a parent, sibling, etc. for Christmas and have 4 generation family group sheets for both sides of the family, I'll be selling these lovelies for $20!  What you'll get:

- a family tree with your choice of child's name OR family name and established date in the center
- customized color scheme of your choosing (need ideas?  try this site out to easily show me what you're looking for... http://www.design-seeds.com/p/palette-search.html)
- I will send you the completed 11x14 JPG file that you can take anywhere to be printed OR for $30 I will have it printed and mailed to you.

If interested, email me at ...ashleysbyu {at} yahoo [dot] com... for more information on placing an order!
(Orders must be placed before December 1st to guarantee completion in time for Christmas.)


Examples:

'twas the season

One of the coolest things we did during the holidays was Singing for Rita. 

As a four year old I was in a singing group called Children's Chorus (owned and run by Rita Schroeder). Three years later we moved and ended up in the same ward as the Schroeders. My other sisters were in Children's Chorus on and off while growing up, so we knew Rita and the Schroeders through that and church.  Later on Rita was one of the parents in my high school carpool, and she was always the funnest mom to ride with.  She was an amazing mom, always bringing breakfast for her girls to eat on the way to school.  I was always jealous!

For a while now she has been struggling with health/cancer/etc., and her girls (I believe) arranged for as many as were willing and heard about it to come caroling for Rita at her home a few weeks before Christmas.  It was very powerful, and I was choked up and couldn't sing for some of it as we all stood and shared the gift of song...a gift that Rita had either shared or taught to so many of us.  There were hundreds of people standing with umbrellas in the pouring rain singing as Rita looked on from her porch.  It was definitely the coolest thing we did during the Christmas season.  From where we stood it was impossible to see Rita over the sea of umbrellas.  Beckett was none too thrilled to be woken from his nap in his warm carseat on the ride over to be freezing and wet, but oh well.  It was awesome.

Crazy December & 2011

Successfully moved to our new apartment - 12/10 - 12/11

Disneyland with Greema and Alex (lovingly referred to most the time as Alec) - 12/13

Started babysitting Beckett's 2nd cousin Alexis - 12/14

Christmas presents completed - 12/22

G'ma and G'pa Smith arrived - 12/23

Andrew & Haircuh + Abby & Jesse arrived - 12/23

Sibling gift exchange - 12/23

Wild Animal Park w/Smith grandparents - 12/24

Pearce Christmas PJ party - 12/24

Monroe Christmas (+GG and Vauna) - 12/25

Hangout with the Aunts and Uncles (lots of ping pong a.k.a. peen ponn) - 12/27 - 1/1

Movies to see Tangled (Beckett loved the lanterns) - 1/3

Back to normal life, Jeremy back at work, me and Beckett at home - 1/4

Bumble

So, I have always loved Bumble, the Abominable Snowmonster from the Rudolph claymation movie.  In college I bought some Bumble slippers to help me brave the winters of Provo...
As a stocking stuffer a year later I received a Bumble Altoid Tin which I still use to this day to hold my gum...

And to continue the tradition I just ordered Beckett his stocking with none other than the lovable monster on it...

Bumble

There's one house on Knob Hill...if you've ever driven down the street in December then you know the one. They go crazy. Unlike the house Nikki just blogged about, this one is covered every inch with lights and tons of other things, but there is no rhyme or reason to it. From blow up snow globes to moving reindeer, this house is crazy (the lawn isn't even that big). Usually the week or so before Christmas, the husband of the house dresses up as Santa and sits in the yard waving to cars and people actually do bring their kids over there to see him. Well this year there were two new additions to the yard that my mom and I could see...one was about a 6-7 ft. tall moving ferris wheel with kid figurines riding in it. The other was a blow up Bumble!! Well, if you know me well, you know of my love for Bumble the abominable snow monster from the claymation Rudolph movie. Someday when we live in a house we WILL have this!