Christmas Decorations!

I love the day after Thanksgiving!  Well, I love Thanksgiving day too, but on the day after Thanksgiving I start listening to Christmas music and I love Christmas music.  Then, while I play my music, I get to decorate the house; and who doesn't love Christmas decorations?  So, yesterday, Mark and I picked out a nice 7 foot tree and guess where it's from?  SALEM, OR!  It reminded me of the first time Mark ever came to Oregon for Christmas - we drove to Silver Creek Falls and on the way passed farm after farm of Christmas trees and Mark was amazed that there are such things as farmers and farms dedicated just to the growth of Christmas trees.  He said, "I've never seen so many Christmas trees in one spot"  (Let's be honest, he had probably never seen so many trees of any kind in one spot.....) Anyway, it just warms my soul that I have a piece of Salem in my Apple Valley house for Christmas.  Here is the tree decorating process. 

The plain Salem, OR tree

Me putting up the lights . . . by myself.  (Those fake, pre-lit trees were starting to sound really good at this point).

The lights are finished!  Hallelujah!  You know, the white lights are great and all - but color is where it's at.

Mark putting up a total of 3 ornaments.  He said, "Our new tradition should be ME watching YOU decorate."  (New? ...that's how it's been the last 3 Christmases).

The final product.  Obviously my theme is anything and everything.  I grew up with Christmas trees that way and that's how I like them.  It's more personal that way.  A lot of my decorations have stories or were given to me by family, students, or friends and I wouldn't want to leave them off just because they were the wrong color.  Plus, someday when my kids make me ornaments they will fit perfectly with my anything and everything theme.

The tree without the flash on - now you can really see the lights.

Mark and I have a tradition that each year we pick out an ornament that is special for that year or represents us somehow.  (See that's why I have an anything and everything theme).  This year we bought this ornament.  It says "New Home" and on the other side "2008."  This will remind us that we bought our first house this year.

Our stockings and mantel decor.

You can't see it very well, but that's poinsettia garland and candles on our window sill...ooooh.

A lovely decorative Christmas plate hanger thing.

Our centerpiece.

When we first got married, I decided that I wanted to collect nativity scenes.  This is not random, but very traditional.  My mom collected nativity scenes and at Christmas our house was covered - one on every flat space, in every corner, everywhere.  In the 3 Christmases Mark and I have been married I have collected 4.  This is the first one we bought.  It is a mini nativity scene.

This is one my mom gave to me from her own personal collection.  It was her favorite and the one that she always put up herself in a special place so that little hands couldn't drop or knock it over.  For this reason, this one means the most to me.  

Close up.

This is one I got in Mexico last year.  It's a true Catholic nativity - no Joseph.

See - just Mary and an angel.

This one doesn't have any real sentimental value - I just liked it and it was on sale.

Close up.  Don't you like the cool star thing?

Roses? For Me?

If any of you know Mark, you know that he is very logical and practical.  After we got married, I learned that roses and other such pre-picked flowers were illogical and unnecessary because they are already near dead.  Even a live Christmas tree is considered dead and impractical.  This being said, I have put up with potted plants for birthdays and anniversaries for the last 2 1/2 years.  However, Mark and I are working on doing things that may be impractical or illogical, just because it's fun, spontaneous, adds memories to life, and shows others that you care more about them and their feelings than what is practical.  I don't think I realized how hard it is for him to do something just because, but he is trying and getting much better - and just to prove it here are my Thanksgiving roses.    

It was so cute!  I was making dinner on Wednesday and he walked up behind me and said, "This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for you," kissed me on the cheek, and when I turned around there he was with a big bouquet of beautiful roses!  I loved it!  And I love him!  I'm lucky to have such a thoughtful husband that is willing to do impractical things, just because they make me happy.  I am thankful for him and all that he does for me and for our family.  Here is another picture, taken in different lighting.  Aren't they just lovely?  

 
Just a side note - Mark also spent a few hours downloading new Christmas songs for me.  What makes this so special you ask?  Well the downloading program we have is still on our old, ancient computer.  To do anything on that computer, let alone sit there and download 20 songs is the epitome of patience.  And it was just because I told him that I was sick of the old Christmas songs we had.  He must love me!  

The "Mormon Special"

My sisters blog title is, "If you open your eyes, oh what a sweet discovery!"  I have been trying to do that more as of late and it's true!  Sometimes the most mundane things seem hilarious, or sometimes the most normal things seem special.  You just have to look harder.  Well, today was one of those moments.  I was sitting at home working on my blasted TPA for school and a man was here tuning our piano (and it was in desperate need of a tuning).  After he was done and while he was cleaning up and putting our piano back together, he asked me, "Are you and your husband LDS?"  To which I answered in the affirmative.  He then said, "I was looking at your pictures while I was tuning and I figured you were."  He continued to ask me which temple we were married in and who our bishop was, etc etc.  Turns out although he isn't a member, his wife is.  He then told me and Mark about his wife and how she is still recovering from a brain tumor surgery and wondered aloud why good things happen to bad people and bad things to good.  We talked to him briefly, basically about the Plan of Happiness, although we didn't call it that.  We just told him that because he and his wife were being good now they would be happiest in the long run.  To that he replied, "You're right, that is what matters most - the long run."  As he was leaving he told us, "I just want you to know, I gave you the "Mormon Special" today.  I could have easily left 1/2 an hour ago, but I could tell you were Mormon and I wanted to give you the best."  We thanked him for his generosity and in turn gave him a healthy tip.  Although I'm sure the money will help, I hope he felt a spirt here that will help him.  Maybe it was our way of giving him our version of a "Mormon Special." 

Where Are All The Buildings?

Sometimes I just love my students (even my highs school ones).  Yesterday we were having a going away party for me because I might get switched to a new high school schedule.  We were listening to music and hanging out when they said they wanted to see pictures that were on my computer.  I showed them this lovely picture of the view outside my dad's house in Oregon and they seemed very concerned.  One kid finally spoke up and said, "Where are all the buildings?  Didn't you ever get lonely without other people?"  I just had to laugh.  If only they had known that hidden behind all those luscious trees was a high school, an elementary school, neighborhood after neighborhood, offices, a major medical facility, busy streets and intersections, churches, and stores.  And that's just from that angle.  Oh my poor desert raised high school students that do not know the beauty of green and tree-induced privacy.  They all also asked me one very important question that I can't seem to get Mark to understand, "Why would you ever move from there to here?"  I just told them, "Go ask Mr. A."  Love can make you do crazy things! :) Good thing he is so great and he makes it all worth it! 

I'm Quirky

So, believe it or not, I have been tagged again.  This is entitled "6 quirks of mine." 

hmmmm.....

1. I hate the sound of blowing noses.  Which is quirky because I don't seem to have a problem blowing my nose in front of anyone.  So apparently my own blowage is fine, but listening to other people - not ok.  Seriously.  It has ruined friendships.  While I was at BYU, I went on Singers tour and I had to room with this girl who had a perpetually running nose due to allergies - not her fault right?  Well, by the time we were able to switch roommates I was ready to leave her in Quebec! 

2. I'm going to copy Jessica, but extend it to all stores.  I do not like shopping, period.  Grocery, clothes, shoes, make-up, office supplies, appliances, etc.  "Going to the mall" was never my idea of a good time.  Call me crazy, but that is just how I am.  I do it.  Obviously, I have to eventually, but I wait until it is absolutely necessary.  Now here is the one exception:  I love shopping for holiday decorations.  I could walk down aisle after aisle of Christmas, fall, easter, or whatever decorations and just love it.    

3.  Saying "I love you."  One day I heard this story, told by President Monson, about a woman who got in a fight with her husband and yelled some not so nice things out the door as he left for work.  Well, as chance would have it, he never made it home because he got in an accident and she lived her whole life regretting that the last words he heard were harsh and mean.  Since then I have been on a mission to let everyone that I ever talk to know how much I love them.  I will not hang up the phone until I say, "I love you" and I probably tell Mark about 50 times before either of us ever leave the house and 50 more times just sitting in the house.  The same goes with fighting..I cannot go to sleep or hang up or let someone leave until things are settled and happy again...and of course I have to say, "I love you" first.

4. Washing my hands for at least 20 seconds.  As a teacher I have become somewhat of a germ-a-phob.  And I am totally one of those people that use paper towel to open doors.  I wash before I eat, before I make dinner, after I make dinner, about 30 times while I make dinner, obviously after I use the facilities, and at other random intervals during the day.  Oh and to add to my germaphob thing - I will do almost anything to avoid public restrooms.  When I do absolutely have to use them I go in, plug my ears, do my business and get out as fast as is humanly possible.  They are just so germy and I really do not like listening to other people go to the bathroom.   

5. Everything I do is done in the same order everyday.  And I mean to the minutest detail.  For example, when I do happen to go grocery shopping, I go in a particular order - fruit, cheese/meat, milk, eggs, other dairy products, cereal, canned, bottled, or boxed goods, chips/crackers, and then bread.  I probably shouldn't do the heavy things as one of the last things, but that's my order and it will not change.  Or in the shower, I wash my hair, condition my hair, wash my face, wash my body, and shave (if I shave) - and it is always in that order.  My face never comes first, shaving never comes first..my hair does.  Or, at night, I brush my teeth THEN wash my face - not the other way around.  It drives me crazy if I try to do something in a different order.

6. I love decorating for holidays/seasons- any holiday or season.  However, I always do it on the same day.  On the first day of Fall, September 22, I whip out the fall decorations.  On the first day of October I add the Halloween decorations.  Those get taken down on the first day of November only to be replaced by Thanksgiving decorations.  Then as of the day after Thanksgiving, all of fall comes down and up goes Christmas.  It's tradition - the day after Thanksgiving we go get our tree.  Then I decorate the house while Mark tries to put up Christmas lights outside, only to say that we can't turn them on because the electricity bill would be too high (hmmm and I'm the quirky one??)  Oh, I also listen to Christmas music for the first time all year the day after Thanksgiving.  I will not listen to it sooner - it takes away the magic of Christmas music!  I take these down by January 1st and my house looks relatively normal again for awhile.  I am actually still in need of some cute Valentine, Easter, and 4th of July decor.  Any ideas?

So, there you have it.  I am a potential candidate for OCD and slightly crazy.  But I think that anyone who has to dig around in their behavior for quirks will find similar things.  That being said, I tag: Kristy, Ceri, Shayna, Melissa, Heather, and Cheyenne.  Have fun! 

RAIN!

It rained today and it smells so good outside!  You know, after living in Oregon the majority of my life and seeing what I thought was enough rain to last me a lifetime, I am now sorely missing this life giving water! This is the 2nd time I have seen rain since....well, since I don't remember when.  And I'm not joking.  It rained once about month or two ago and Mark called me to come outside, but by the time I got out there it had stopped.  And before that.... really, it was a long long time ago.  Here's the thing with rain here: it will rain, occasionally, but it only lasts for about 5 minutes or less and then no more rain for a couple months.  You think I am exaggerating, but I'm not.  I have been trying to catch the rain for a while now and have always failed.  Today, however, I was victorious!  I caught it just in time.  It stopped just right after I took all these pictures.  

Can you see the water dripping off the roof?

Puddles!

Check out that ominous sky!

The ground is so wet!  It rained hard - for about 5 minutes - but still, it rained!

Here is a video of the rain.  You probably can't see the actual rain, but you can imagine!