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...