Christmas Trees!

We got our trees up earlier this year than last year, feeling pretty good about that. I opted to get a fake white tree for the downstairs since it shows off all my purple and silver ornaments better. We got our tree for upstairs at a U-cut off of 209th. Wow, that tree sure smells good!! I don't think we've ever gotten a tree that has had such a wonderful scent. I love it!
We spent time last night getting the ornaments up. The tradition is each person gets to pick a Hallmark ornament for themselves every year. So the tree is starting to get loaded down :) The kids have stuck to a theme most years. Nathaniel gets Scooby Doo, Jonathan gets Spiderman, Elizabeth picks out a princess, Seth started getting Disney characters and who knows what Meredith will end up with. We had fun, the trees look great. Just need to finish getting the rest of the decorations up and we'll be set!

Meredith just played and looked cute while we all decorated.

Jonathan loves this set he got when he was little.



First ornament, went straight into the mouth as soon as we handed it to her!





And...looks better in real life :)

Happenings in Beasleyville

I have been neglecting my blog. I just realized I didn't even post a thing in November. Time has just been zipping past and I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with it. Sigh. Anyway, I don't have time, haha, to give a complete update so it will be done mostly in pictures :)


First, Elizabeth turned 7 in October. Lucky kid got to go to our ward's trunk-or-treat right after so that is why she is dressed up. The little girl with her in the following pictures is her bestest friend ever, Jill. The two of them together are hularious and I'm so grateful for their friendship and I hope they continue it on through out the rest of their lives :)

Jill stayed the night and the next day we got to spend a few hours at Chuck E Cheese.

Nathaniel surprised us this year and announced he was trying out for the school play! He had fun doing it and has said he will try out again, just not for the next one, it's a musical :)

Nate is the 2nd from the left. Sorry I don't have more pics, they came out too dark to see anything.

Tree decorating time!! We go every year to our friend's tree farm in Yamhill. I think we picked out some pretty good trees this year :) Some friends we had over the other day were laughing as they watched Rob put on the lights. I'm very particular in how the lights go on. They need to go up and down the trunk and then from there you start moving out in very tight cirlces. Yes, it takes a LONG time and yes, lots of strings BUT the end result is a very brightly lit tree that you can't stop looking at. It's a very pretty effect especially at night with the overhead lights out. I'm pretty sure I learned this from my mom. This year he had the pleasure of doing this to two trees :) HAHA.

In the unpacking of decorations we found our Santa hat. Everyone had to put it on and get a picture :)

The tree upstairs. It's covered mostly in Hallmarks. That is our tradition, we all pick out a new ornament every year, usually from Hallmark. The idea being when the kids start to leave the house they will have their own set of ornaments to decorate their own trees :) Jonathan is collecting Spiderman, Nate-Scooby Doo, Elizabeth-the Disney Princesses and Seth we are still trying to figure out, this year it's Kung Fu Panda.

The tree downstairs, picture just doesn't do it justice. I got my own tree to decorate this year and naturally it was done in purple and silver :) I just love sitting and looking at it.

Well, I'll try harder to keep up. We have our yearly yurt trip to Winchester Bay coming up so will need to post pictures from that. Fingers are crossed the rain and snow hold off til we get back :)

Remembering Christ at Christmas

I have to give a talk in Sacrament meeting at church tomorrow. It's been hanging over my head all week. But last night I actaually sat down and wrote it all down. First time in my life I've had a talk written TWO nights before I was to give it. It usually gets written very very late the night before, maybe even the morning of if we have afternoon church :)

Anyway, the following goes along with my talk, which is on how we can each personally remember Christ during the Christmas season. I found a site that does a scripture Advent for Christmas. It comes from here. We will be starting this with our family this week. I'm excited to start it and have a discussion every day with the kids about the prophecies and birth of Christ. I hope you can use it with your families, too.

Day 1: The Pre-Mortal Realm Moses 4: 1-4, Moses 5: 6-8
Day 2: Abraham is a type of Christ Genesis 22: 7-13, Jacob 4: 5
Day 3: Prophecies made to Judah Genesis 49: 8-12; JST Genesis 50:24-27
Day 4: Look to Christ and live Numbers 21: 4-9, 1 Nephi 17: 41, Alma 33: 19-22
Day 5: Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses Deuteronomy 18: 15-18
Day 6: A virgin will conceive a son Isaiah 7: 14-16; 2 Nephi 17: 14-16
Day 7: For unto us a child is born Isaiah 9: 6-7
Day 8: I know my Redeemer liveth Job 19: 25-27
Day 9: Christ is of the Stem of Jesse Isaiah 11: 1; 2 Nephi 21: 1; Matthew 1: 1-17
Day 10: 600 years & the Messiah comes 1 Nephi 10: 4
Day 11: Prophecies of time before Christ 2 Nephi 25: 12-13
Day 12: Christ will be wounded for us Isaiah 53; Mosiah 14
Day 13: Salvation cometh to all Mosiah 3: 1-14
Day 14: He will be born of Mary in Jerusalem Alma 7: 7-14
Day 15: He cometh to redeem the world Helaman 5: 9-12
Day 16: Out of Judah will come the ruler Micah 5: 2-4
Day 17: Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecy Helaman 14: 1-9
Day 18: Annunciation to Zacharias Luke 1: 5-25
Day 19: Annunciation to Mary Luke 1: 26-38
Day 20: Mary visits Elizabeth Luke 1: 39-55
Day 21: John the Baptist is born Luke 1: 57-64
Day 22: Prophecy of Zacharias Luke 1: 67-79, 65-66
Day 23: Mary returns to Nazareth Luke 1: 56
Day 24: Annunciation to Joseph Matthew 1: 18-25
Day 25: Birth of Jesus Christ Luke 2: 1-20