Ornament #4

This is an ornament we were given by my dad last year--this is Kris writing. My dad has always been a music guy. When I was still at home, his band was Second Wind and now he's playing with his group Highland Highway. As time has gone on, he's become increasingly a guitar guy, collecting famous guitars, building some of his own and even curating a coffee table book on the subject.

It's almost impossible to spend any time as my parents house and not hear him play guitar. Since we moved from Utah we don't get to spend as much time at my parents (or in-laws :) ) as we'd like to. When we do, it's often around the holidays and that's why this ornament is so great. Visiting my parents, listening to my dad play Christmas tunes on guitar is something I love. It's the man behind the ornament that make this one so great and it reminds me of being home. And to make it even better, he made this ornament using the tools his uses to make "real" guitars. Thanks for the guitar, dad.

::two trees::

So it took us a while, but about a week or so ago we the tree was finally out complete with lights and ornaments.
There were two obstacles to getting it up on time--1. It was in the "attic." Since I didn't know we had an "attic," I couldn't find the dang thing. 2. We had to move furniture out of the living room in order to put up the tree. Our living room is weird shaped--It's really long and narrow. So any of the normal places I would think to put it would basically be in the traffic pattern. And since we've got a speedy 5 yr old and a humungo dog, the traffic pattern seemed like a bad idea.
So I had to wait for poor Kris to move everything and get the tree from the silly "attic."

And the ceiling is too low for our star. Arrgh. Oh well. All that matters is that it's up and it's fun and (knock on wood) none of the light strings have quit working *yet*.

I thought it would be really fun for Max to have a little tree in his room. I found a teeny white one at Target for like $7 dollars and I just couldn't resist. I stood in the aisle for probably ten minutes trying to decide if I should get it or not, and finally just bought the dang thing.

He loves it. And when we were putting the ornaments on the big tree he kept trying to poach them and put them on his tree. So I let him take a couple of his favorites.

Appropriately sock monkey is the topper. And he has lots of fish. I bought a bunch of red jingle bells back when Max was about two, and used those mainly to decorate the big tree that year. I knew that he wouldn't leave the tree alone no matter what I did, so better safe than sorry. So a bunch of those bells went to Max's tree this year. I think they look really cute.


Pretty cute huh? Just like the little guy himself. Such a cutie.

::ornament 3::

Alright, so this one is ornament(s). And these are some of the few ornaments on my tree that haven't been made by a member of my family.

I got these two little guys on my trip to Russia and Siberia in the summer of 1998. I went with BYU's jazz band Synthesis and it was quite the experience for me. My first international experience and definitely my first experience anywhere that wasn't a first world country. I learned a lot on that trip. We were usually very uncomfortable (complete lack of air conditioning everywhere), thirsty (no clean water), sick from the greasy food and none of us could understand and thing anybody said. But we did meet some interesting and wonderful people, and got to help strengthen the church out there. It was an experience not to be missed.
And I don't think these little minarets were supposed to be christmas ornaments, but that was the first thing I thought of when I saw them. And I think they're perfect.

::ornament 2::

The ornament for today is an old favorite. My mom is going to have to comment and tell me what year she made it.

It's me! It's me at about age 3 I think, wearing my "dancing dress" which was a dress my mom made me around that time. I loved dresses and dancing and hated wearing pants.
Isn't the little me adorable? It reminds me so much of my mom and my whole family when I was little. I love it!
What would my tree be without my mom, honestly?

::a bit of a brag::

I have to brag a little bit here. I think I have the two most talented moms in the world. And I get to enjoy the benefits of it, especially at Christmas time!
Every year my mom makes a Christmas tree ornament. It's always creative, amazing and adorable. And the best part is that I always get one, since she makes enough for all the kids to each have one.
Here is this year's ornament:

I love this bird! And yes, my mom can do stained glass, work with metal and make beaded stars.
Thanks mom, my Christmas tree just wouldn't be happy without you.

And my other mom (Kris's mom of course) is an amazing quilter. We have so many wonderful quilts that she's made and I get compliments on them all the time. People are always asking me if I made them. I'm tempted to lie and say I did, but since I'm too much like George Washington I always give Kathy the credit.
We have an adorable quilt advent calendar that Max loves. It's hanging in the dining room right now as well as a really cute little christmas quilt with scenes from the Christmas story.
And THEN the other day I got a package with this in it:

(please ignore the mess underneath it--that particular counter in my kitchen needs a little attention)
Isn't that the cutest candle rug you've ever seen? I love the style and the colors.
I just love getting these awesome gifts from my moms. I'm probably going to have to start reciprocating at some point. I better get to work!

::ornament 1::

Kris had a bright idea for me. He thought it would be fun to have a little feature of one Christmas tree ornament a day until the day itself.
So the first:

My Grandad made this for me. It's wonderful. I don't know how long ago it was that he made it, but I seem to remember having it forever. He made one for each of us kids (at least I think everybody has one.) My mom has one as well and it really confuses Max because her dad likes to call her Kris, so that's what her ornament says. Max thinks that one belongs on our tree rather than hers.
What it comes down to is that I just love the shape of the letters and how the whole thing makes me think of my marvelous woodworking Grandad. And it always will.

::card(s)::

When I was trying to decide what to do about Christmas cards this year I suddenly realized that I have some photoshop skills. That instead of picking somebody else's template I could make up my own! I got excited and went to work.
Here's the first draft I came up with.

I like it. It's fun and busy. I never know where to stop when pictures are concerned though, so I think this card may have had a few more pictures than were really necessary.
Then I worked up another one:

This is the one we sent out. Simplicity and bold colors won out. I love it. It's fun that I get to claim credit for the design. And plus I found a place that printed them for about .50 apiece, which made it so we could actually send them out.
Christmas cards are fun. I love getting them and I enjoy sending them.

::thankful::

(I just wrote this post and it got deleted--I'm very disappointed and I know this recreation won't be the same--I'll try though)

I haven't been feeling very good for the last week. I got a really yucky cold that's laid me low. I've been a little homesick. It would be so nice to be where I could have moms taking care of me.
It's made me think a lot about family.
When I think about it, I think that I've got to be the luckiest person on earth where family is concerned.

I was sent to the perfect family for me. I think my parents are two of the best, sweetest people that I know. They take such good care of me, even when I'm far away. And my siblings? I love them to death. They're wonderful ambitious, smart productive people, and I know they really care about me. I couldn't ask for more.

So don't bother asking me to trade. I won't do it. No way.

And to continue on--
I think I couldn't have found a better family to marry into. Not only did I get Kris, which would've been enough, but I scored two parents that I really love, and some great siblings too. I feel so close to my inlaws. And I know that's a serious blessing, and that it's not always that way, so I really appreciate it.

Nope, nope. Not trading them either.

And finally:

It doesn't get better than this little family. It's perfect. The best, sweetest husband ever, and the cutest little mischievous boy. I love them so much.

It makes me so grateful for the gospel I believe in. For the knowledge that these family ties--so solid, so tangible--don't have an expiration date. That we can be together and keep loving and supporting each other forever.
The thought of that keeps me going through the hard times, as do you my beloved family.

::house::

On monday evening we got together with our good friends to make "gingerbread" houses. The gingerbread is in quotation marks because we really made them out of graham crackers. But that's A-OK.
So I brought my big heavy camera all the way over there and got it out and started taking photos. I was more than a little dismayed to see the camera flashing it's "NO MEMORY CARD" prompt at me. ARGH.
So no pictures of all the construction and candies, smeared up little faces, excitement, dads trying to build impressive structures and having them flop all over the place.....etc.
But I did take a couple of pictures of our finished product the next day.



So three photos may be more than a little silly (not) gingerbread house deserves, but there you go.
I designed it and I think it turned out pretty cool--kind of modern, kind of southwestern. It looks like the roof should be made of solar panels rather than candies, right?
The house was actually more impressive at one point. It had a snowman, two more trees, an intact fence and lots more candy on the roof. But unfortunately Sultan decided to sneak around, and at 2 in the morning we heard a tremendous crash, and Kris ran in to see the house face down on a chair and Sultan chasing chocolate candies around the floor. Needless to say Sul got in trouble. My architecture held up pretty well though, don't you think?
Christmastime is fun. We're so glad to have good friends out here!