Christmas Wrap up

How much fun was Christmas?!
Here are some pictures...and a video...
to sum up Miss Allikaye's 2nd Christmas!

Started with a Santa visit...
no tears, but a very serious little girl.
She did say thank you for the candy cane though!

Here we are getting ready for the Christmas day events!

Yay! So excited to open presents!

We played a little piano...

Miss Thing opened a great big tiger! Fun!

A new kitchen and table! Woohoo!
This is just as much a present for Matt and me...
she played by herself for over an hour with this! Woohoo again!

And now...
MY Christmas present...

This is STAR! My new Kitty!
Matt totally surprised me!
I have tried to get a cat for almost 6 years of marriage!
He finally gave in!

Allikaye LOVES Star!
We still have a little work to do on HOW to hold her though.
And Tre still isn't too sure about her...

Merry Christmas! Love, Matt, Ashley, Allikaye, and Tre Dog

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Follow the Star!

Grab that sugar cookie loaded with frosting...

for a yummy recipe go here...

and enjoy a sneak at our Colorado Christmas!

Let's start with the...
O Christmas Tree...

When we lived in Germany, I bought the white and gold glittery stars.
I LOVE them!
I would probably save them in a fire...I love them that much!

I also added lots of Gold C's this year!
Hobby Lobby had the big ones -
and I had collected the little ones for awhile now -
just added some gold spray paint!

Oh! How I could just stare at the gold/red/sparkle goodness all day!

Next comes the mantle!

My little birdcage holds decorations for every season...
it had little pumpkins in it first!

JOY has to be one of my most favorite words...
especially at Christmas time!
I have this sign up all year round - but it finds a special place
near Mary and Joseph these days!

Here are Miss Allikaye's favorite Christmas books...

Our Christmas cards...

And here is the REASON FOR THE SEASON...

Thanks for stopping by!

FOLLOW THE STAR!!

Snowy Outside...Bakin' Inside...

Allikaye and I had some fun making our Christmas cookies today!
On the agenda...
Initial Cookies!
I made one of these for each one of my co-workers....fellow teachers.

Can you unscramble these letters?
What does it spell?
If you figure it out - tell me because I don't think it spells anything! Ha!

Check out my cooking blog...
Hey Good Lookin',
for the recipe of these delicious cookies!

Also going with the cookies...
Chocolate Cake in a Mug!
**The Office mug is for a very special teacher-friend!**

I got the idea from here...
I packed up the dry ingredients...
then the recipient just has to add some egg, oil, and milk...
microwave IN THE MUG...
and TA DA...
a yummy chocolate cake!!

Here is the final touch!
Ready to be given for a very Merry Christmas!
Perfect gift for co-workers, bosses, helpers....you get the idea!

Here is a little video...
Miss Thing does her impersonation of Santa...
while going sprinkle crazy on her cookies!

Ho Ho Ho!

Jesse Tree...First Day of Advent...

December 1st!
Ist day of Advent!
I am so excited to start the tradition of the "Jesse Tree" with Allikaye.

We read the first day today...
which was the beginning of creation...
Genesis 1:21-36
we talked about how God made Allikaye, and mama, and daddy.
Miss Thing chimed right in and told us that God made Tre too (our dog)...
yes He did!
Here is sweetie-poo reading her Bible along with us...

I love this picture!!
I think this little chick is going to really enjoy our advent time!

Here is Allikaye putting the first ornament on her Jesse Tree.
It is a wonderfully crafted 'world'...
made by her mama, out of paper...
the land is brown because I couldn't find the green...
and I was rushing to get this thing made so she could hang it.
I am determined to try to make the ornaments out of felt or something...
as soon as I get a hot minute!

So there ya go!
Happy first day of Advent!
I love this season..
and the message of the awesomeness of God..
that is so wonderfully told to us during our advent devotions!

And I have to throw this picture in here...

Daddy is teaching her how to say...
"Vanilla...ice...ice...baby..."
While she sits with her hat cocked to one side and chillin'...
I feel a video coming on...

Jokester...

Allikaye ran into the living room...
saying...
"Look, mom! DIAPERHEAD!"
I ran to get the camera...
and capture this funny girl!
Let it be known...
Matt and I have not been "diaperheads" before...
this joke was ALL Allikaye!
HA!

Light the Star!

Christmas is right around the corner!

When you see the star on top of our Castle Rock
shine-shine-shining...
you can almost hears those jinglin' bells!
We had a great time at the 73rd annual Star lighting!
There were carolers (many of whom were my student - or former students)...
Christmas lights, Christmas music, hayrides, all things Christmas!

After all the street partying - and the sun goes down -
the whole town of Castle Rock-ians start singing some more carols...
and then the count down begins...
ta-da!
The star is lit!
Christmas is almost here!
Woohoo!"May this star of Castle Rock
Shine forth for peace on earth."

It's not over yet!
Here come the fireworks!
Yep...Christmas green and red fireworks!

So, happy star lighting...
all you blog readers!

Now it is time to give you a little suggestion
on what to order next time you are at your favorite coffee spot.
It is sososo good!
Happy Thanksgiving week!

Hope Now

I am in love with this song by Addison Road!

The lyrics and the words can speak to us
in so many different situations our lives bring us.
"I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
all my life"
As Christians we have such a beautiful HOPE...
no matter what the world may bring...
we have been set free from the worldly struggles...
our Faith sets us free.

Just like the song says...
"how quickly I forget I'm yours."
That is SO my prayer right now...
all the stresses that come with everyday life...
I pray that I don't quickly forget who my Father is!

I hope you enjoy this song and video as much as I have!
You can sing along as the video plays...
that's what I do...
even though I have to sing quietly right now...
because Allikaye is napping!

Here are the lyrics...

If everything comes down to love
Then just what I am afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I’m Yours

I’m not my own
I’ve been carried by You
All my life

CHORUS
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I’ll be okay and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm

I’m not my own
I’ve been carried by You
All my life

CHORUS
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free
You’ve become my hearts desire
I will sing Your praises higher
Cause Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free

AMEN!

Have a SET FREE kinda day!

Now She Knows Her ABC's...

The day has arrived...
this beautiful...
tutu wearin'...
22 month old...
knows her ABC's!!

As I have said before...
actually filming Miss Thing is a little bit of a challenge...
so I am showing 2 videos...
You can see some of the "toddler ADHD"...
but it's the best I could get!
She is singing along with Mr. Leap.

Besides the ABC's...
I made a tassel!!
My mama is a little obsessed with these beauties...
so I thought...why not give it a try?!
I am now presenting...
my first tassel...

I went with some Christmas-y colors...
I can't wait to make more!

I am so ready for this Christmas season to hit full force!
Love it!
It also snowed here today...
took me an hour to get to work...
which is only about 5 miles away...
a little icy!
Bring it on...winter!

We Have a Winner..and a Birthday...and some Randoms...

So since I have written my

Blogiversary Giveaway Post...
and I am awaiting announcing the winner to you...
coming at the end of this post...

I thought I would first share
some random things we have been up to...
Here ya go...

First...we ventured to the Target Halloween Clearance Section!
Check out this hooded red beauty...

This costume was a huge success...
as you can see.
Chalk it up to dress-up time...

Second...
I bought - for very cheap - some old drawer faces...
painted them...
and used some of the words I got from
Uppercase Living...
my awesome cousin's site...
Ya like? I do!

Third...
we woke up with some CRAZY
bedhead...
Fourth...
Miss Allikaye is almost 22 months...
and this is her prefered form of eating her eggs in the morning...
Yep...that's a phone book...
What a BIG girl!!
And now...
this amazing man...
my hubby...
turned 29!
Ah! Almost 30!
We are getting up there!
We went to Rodizio Grill...
we had been there before...
for Matt's 19th birthday!
Woah...TEN years ago!!

This place is a man's place!
They come around with meat, and slice it for ya...
right there...

This cheery man happens to be holding...
chicken hearts...
with a lovely lime wedge.
Matt did try this...
me? no.

My most awesome parents gave Matt...
Denver Nuggets tix...
I had him open them at the restaurant...
Awesome seats! So much fun cheering and yellin!
Happy Birthday, my best friend!!
AND NOW!!!
Drumroll please...
Here is the oh-so-technical-mug...
that holds numbers 1-44.

I had the birthday boy choose from this cup...
(I got him this shirt for his birthday...
it says "The Second Amendment"...
and it has a man with arms like a bear...
do ya get it?
Look it up if you don't)
Okay...back to the drawing of the winner...

The winner....
of a set of blocks...
made by ME...Allikaye's Mama...
IS....
number 24!
Dee!! Congratualtions!!
(email me what blocks you would like...
allikayesmama (at) gmail (dot) com)

Remember...if you didn't win...
please consider buying some blocks...
birthdays, Christmas, baby showers...
and you can completely personalize them!!!

One more thing...
I LOVED all of the comments!
Thank you so much for the love!!