first snow this december

This morning it was snowing... well sleeting sorta'.  I always love snow!  It's so fun and calming.  But there are some things that I and others don't really like;  being snowed in and running out of groceries,  car accidents, etc. (I didn't know what to write after car accidents, so I just put etc.).  But overall I love the snow!  As I was saying, this morning when I had first noticed the snow I was all like, "Yeah!  It's SNOWING!"  and I'm running up stairs to Mom and Dad's room, "IT'S SNOWING!".  When we were all (well almost all) eating brunch, Dad open the slider door and the sound of popping Rice Krispies filled the whole room.  Dad had built an overhang and finished it last night (he did an awesome job!); I think the snow/sleet  coming down on the overhang was making the popping Rice Krispies sound.  It was so funny!

Well I'm looking out my window and for sure, it is snowing (now/still)!  So I'm going to bundle up and close this post and... do... something (idk).

*Allie*

christmas? hmm ...

What do you think of Christmas?  Do you think of Christmas music and movies, or Christmas trees and stockings, or Secret Santa and shopping, all of the above or none?  Me?  What do I think of Christmas...

*  family and friends

* cold weather and hot drinks

*  candy canes and slippers

*  Santa and presents

*  pillows and blankets

*  movies and music

*  no school and cleaning

*  excitement  and chills

*  wrapping and unwrapping gifts

*  Nativity Story and Jesus

*  Love and Happiness

What do you think of Christmas?



Merry Christmas!

*Allie*

my nativity scene

So since last year, I've been collecting figurines from the Willow Tree company.  I got a part of the set for the Nativity Story/Scene.  My set has Mary holding Jesus, her son; Joseph; a shepherd holding a sheep; a donkey; and two more sheep.  The Willow Tree company makes hand carved looking figurines.  I just love my figurines!  But one thing was missing; the stable.  I new Willow Tree already had a stable, but I didn't really have a lot of money to pay for it.  Well, my Boppa had some sketches he had done for my stable
, and he said he would be happy to make one for me.

A week later; after we had an idea of what the stable might look like, Boppa brought it over.  I was so happy.  I quickly put my figurines on.  It was perfect!

*Allie*

let's talk about slippers

A couple of years ago, my (great!) Great-Grandparents got me a pair of frog slippers for my birthday!  I fell in love with them!  I would wear them during school, or reading a book, or watching a movie but I would never walk outside with them; they were so special to me!

Well fast forward a few years and they don't look the same way they did when I first got them.  I had worn open patches through the bottom, they were dirty, and Lucy was starting to rip into them.  So when I got the idea this year to be a teenager in PJs for Halloween, I thought I could wear those!  My whole outfit was stuff I usually wear on Saturday mornings, and I had only used like three bucks for the accessories.  Mom said, that if I wanted I could get the frog slippers from Amazon and use the money I would be using on a costume, for the slippers.  So the last time I wore my frog slippers were on Halloween!  I was so excited, I was going to get a brand new pair of my frog slippers!

You probably remember this picture, but there I am with my Teenager in PJs outfit with my frog slippers on.  I actually got blisters on my feet from walking for a half an hour in those fuzzy little guys!

 So when I got home; blisters and imprints in my feet from the rocks in the road, I was ready to say good by to them!  Mom and Dad were like, "You should give those to the Good Will, someone would be really happy to have those slippers," "Trust me guys, I would be doing that someone a favor, when you wear these you can feel every crack and crevice in the floor, I might as well be bare foot."  I hope that didn't come out snotty because I didn't mean to say it in that way, you know like talking back to my parents.

You can see that Lucy was going for the eyes in this picture; the thread is all torn but still on, and still kinda' cute.

But on the bottom, *yeash* even looking at those gives me blisters! *shudder*

Goodbye Frog Slippers! (small cry behind the camera)

So the new slippers were on their way, and I was like asking my Mom everyday, "Did the frog slippers come yet?", the answer was always no until, "Omigosh!  I can't believe they're here!" I said ripping into the box.  When I look at what I thought were my identical slippers online, in person they were... well... scary.  It was the same brand but the eyes were different, the smile was... not the same, and... they weren't mine you know.  So I was kinda' ticked, and that was the only thing they had under frog slippers online, "This must be the new style," Mom had said, and I was so sad.  I had thrown my frog slippers away thinking that I would get the exact same frog slippers.  Every time I wore those I always thought of my Great-Grandparents.

So a few weeks went by and Mom finally convinced me to look for a new pair of slippers.  It was a little sad, but winter was approaching and my toes were getting cold!  We were at Target in the slippers section, and I found them, no they weren't the frog slippers but the cutest pair of regular slippers I was like, "Mom I found the perfect slippers!", these are grey, with like a knit/crochet look to them, nice and fuzzy inside (and out), and have a rubber sole to it like a shoe would so it won't wear out.  Bonus: they have flowers on the bottom of them (hehe)!

Cute huh?  Yeah, I think so too!

Just like the bottom of a shoe!

See!  Flowers!

 I am very happy with my slippers!  When ever I wear 'em, I think of my (great!) Great-Grandparents : )
I wear them all the time (I'm actually wearing them now), and If I wear them with ankle socks, my toes are even more nice and toasty!

*Allie*

'tis the season to be... cleaning?

So every year around Christmas time, our family cleans like the whole house.  I don't know if my room wasn't as messy as usual or what but I had a fun time cleaning.  I blared some Taylor Swift Christmas music on in my room, while I was imitating Danny Tanner *giggle*.  It was fun... okay really fun!

To tell you the truth, I love cleaning (my mom is probably laughing at this now)!  I just do!  I love vacuuming (oh I forgot to do that actually), washing dishes, laundry (well sorta'... not really... I like the washing and drying part not the folding part ; D ), sweeping, scrubbing tables and chairs and- ... well I love to clean ; )

I forgot to take the before pictures... sorry!

This is my bed and in the corner is my guitar,
(Oooh!)

This is my Moms' old TV,
(Aaah!)

This is where my laundry used to sit,
(Oooh!)

This is where I blog!
(Aaah!)

Thank you for joining the Allies' Room tour today, we hope to see you next time, and just around the corner is an exclusive it's my life gift shop!  Okay bu-bye now!

*Allie*

ahh! christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming?  Christmas is coming!  Ahh!  Christmas is coming! (imagine me like totally freaking out)

I remember as a kid, I could not wait for Christmas!  One day felt like twelve days.  Right now, I find myself waking up, shower, school, free time for two hours, dinner, bed!  One day feels like, five hours!  There's like only eight days until Christmas... Ahhh! (again, imagine me freaking out)

Okay Allie, there are only eight days 'til Christmas, why are you freaking out?  Well to be honest... I don't know.  I just don't!  Maybe because I'm trying to finish up some Christmas presents or the fact that my room is still a mess and I don't have a place for the things I'll be getting... I don't know.

Let me go over some of the things that have been going on for the last two and a half weeks.

Me: Mom!  The dogs keep hogging all the heat from the heat dish!
Dogs: Just because we have fur coats doesn't mean we don't get cold, gosh!

So first we started decorating the inside of our house.  We went to LOWE'S to find our beautiful tree.

The next morning we decorate the tree.  This is our first time using color lights!

We had our cousins over for dinner.  I had a blast with them.  Reagan played a lot with Nick and Zack, and I played with her eight month old sister, Quinlan!  I held her like the whole time they were there.

Nick:  Umm... can I hold her now, Allie?

Left to Right
Zack, Nick, Me, Quinlan, and Reagan

We went to see Tangled with our grandparents', and afterwards had lunch at Red Robin.  YUM! 

Then we had an over night at our grandparents' house, and I got to set up all the little houses on the mantel this year, Nick helped Boppa with the tree lights, and we all hung ornaments on the tree.  So much fun, (sorry don't have any pictures)

A few days later we went to our music teachers concert.  They were totally awesome!  We all just wanted to stand up and dance to the guitar, and piano *giggle*

Me and Zack!

A few days ago we went to see the Santa that we see every year!  He's so nice... I hope he doesn't retire.

Waiting in line to see Santa Claus!



"Are you getting all of this Santa, so I would like..."
*giggle*

 After we saw Santa, we went over to Claim Jumpers.  So good!

On Sunday we're going to see the next Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I'm super excited!

So I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Season,  Merry Christmas!

*Allie*

late at night

Do you ever have a nightmare really late at night, and your mind keeps reminding you of the scariest parts in there?  You're sitting in your bed thinking, "I can't go to sleep, I just can't!", and you end up being crabby all day because you didn't get enough sleep.

Well I did have a nightmare late at night, and I kept thinking to myself, "I can't go to sleep, I just can't, there is no way I can!"  I was still half asleep when I was thinking this, and so I tried to fix the nightmare by going back and trying to do something different.  Well I tried over and over and for some reason, the nightmare would get worse and worse.  Then I started praying,

God clear my mind from the awful things I saw in my nightmare.  I can't fall asleep with out getting those images out of my head.

So I just talked to God for about a half an hour;  I prayed that Zack would have a fun time at basketball practice in the morning, that my guitar teacher and my brothers' piano teacher would have the energy they need to get through their concert tonight.  I just talked to God until I realised that I had forgotten all about the images in the nightmare.  I still saw some of the creepy characters in my head but you know what, my heart and my mind were cleared.  Within that half an hour of talking to God, while He was listening to every word I was saying, He was clearing my mind and heart.

Never feel foolish asking God for peace in your life, heart, or mind.  God wants to help you in every way He can.  When you are excited your volunteer application was excepted at the library, God rejoices with you.  When someone you love gets sick or passes away, God grieves for your saddened heart.  God cares for you!  Having that nightmare was sure scary, but I think God was reminding me in that little way that He is with me all the time and He cares for me all the time.  I hope this was a little reminder that God really cares for you, even in tough times.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Oh and by the way, I wasn't crabby today *giggle*

*Allie*      

friday girls day

Yesterday, Mom and I went on a "Girls Day".  It was so nice to spend one-on-one time with just my Mom.  We had dinner at Taco Time , then we went shopping for four hours.  I have like, a thing for KOHL'S.  It's my all time, you must go to that store first, kind of store.  My Mom and I got to smell perfumes which I never do... I smelled really pretty after that ; )  We each found three awesome pairs of jeans, found a few really nice sweaters, and then some other things...
After we went to KOHL'S, we went to Fred Meyers.  I found a nice workout sweat-shirt, Mom and I found some makeup, and some things for today's breakfast.
Boy when I got home, I was so tired, my legs and feet were tired from walking and standing so long, and I was just plain tired from shopping for four hours >o< yawn (still tired, but happy that we had a successful shopping trip).  And I was really cold!
All-in-all I had a blast with Mom!

*Allie* 

thanksgiving II

Tonight was awesome! The snow had all melted, it was nearly forty degrees and it was soooo nice seeing Grammy and Boppa!  We had a HUGE amount of food, watched the Thanksgiving Macy's Parade again, got new PJ's, played X-BOX with my Dad and brothers, and we all watched A Christmas Carol!  It couldn't have been a better Thanksgiving II.  I better go, whatever that something is that makes you sleepy after you eat turkey is getting to me now giggle.

*Allie*

thanksgiving I



Look at the MASSIVE turkey!!!



Well since it snowed, Grammy and Boppa couldn't come up because of the roads, so we had a little Thanksgiving for the family five.  We made everything you usually make for Thanksgiving, we got really full as usual, and we even watched the first Christmas movie of the year!  It was awesome!  We watched It's A Wonderful Life (one of my many favorite Christmas movies).  Also, as usual, we were very sleepy after we ate (there must be something in the turkey); so I (and many others in the family five) almost fell asleep a few times during the movie.  Over all, a very nice Thanksgiving I.

Dad made a snowman, it was awesome!  Indy wasn't so sure about it though ; )



Zack (left), Nick (right), and me!  (Jack in the back)

*Allie*

happy thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for.  One day a year hardly seems adequate... 

*Allie*

colder(er) than ever

A couple of  mornings ago, it snowed.  It was so beautiful, so pretty, it was the first snow fall of the year!  How exciting!  Well, it's Wednesday now and we have five inches of hard pack snow everywhere.  No on can leave there house just to get to our own grocery store that's five minutes away.  Yesterday, it got down to eight point five degrees!  It was soooooo cold!  To make things worse, we might not even see our grandparents for Thanksgiving >o<



We have a lot of hills in our neighbor hood.  Sure it's fun to sled down them, but that's one of the BIG problems we have hanging over our heads right now.  That's also why we can't go to our grocery store that's five minutes away.
Pictures of what it's like over here.  Before and afters. 

Awww, that's so elegant!

That's Not!

This is...NOT!!!

I am seriously bummed that my grandparents might not be able to come up for Thanksgiving.  The night of Thanksgiving, we get to watch the first Christmas movie of the year.  So I always do something special like making movie posters, movie tickets, and little snack booths to hand out cocoa and candy canes to people.  Well, that's been a tradition since I was like six.  So can you see how I'm soooo bummed.  We're planning to have "Thanksgiving" on Friday.  But it's not the same!  I want it to be the same day every year, it's traditional... and I'm traditional (I got that line from a Phineas and Ferb song)!
Well at least I'll have another exciting story to tell to my kids someday... the story not the song giggle!

*Allie*

christy miller series

Oh my gosh!  This series is a must read!

The series starts out with a fourteen year old girl who goes through regular teen situations, drugs, drinking, boys.  Yet through all of those times,  she follows God and goes through hoops and swings to understand the things He puts in her life.  Following this particular series are;  Sierra Jensen series, Christy and Todd the college years, and Katie Weldon series which only has three books out so far.  The authors name is
Robin Jones Gunn, who also wrote  Sister Chicks series (I think it's for older women thirty and up), The Glenbrooke series (I haven't read them yet), and even children's books.
I recommend this series to girls from ages eleven to age twenty five (or older).

*Allie*

my lil' friend ponyo

Ponyo

One of my new favorite movies is Ponyo.  It's a Disney movie that is directed by a Japanese man (I forgot his name), but the movie is so so so sooooooo CUTE!  Ponyo is a little fish in the sea and her father says she is not aloud to go to the shore (kinda like The Little Mermaid).  Well she goes to the shore one day and meets this little boy named Sosuke and she falls in love with him (they're like nine years old, it's cute).  Ponyo eventually turns into human and can talk to Sosuke.  It is the cutest Disney movie I have ever seen!  I'm asking for the movie and the plushie  for Christmas.

I also have like a lot of Ponyo songs on my ipod and have a lot on my wish list!  They are just adorable!

Sosuke with his boat

Ponyo and Sosuke

Since Ponyo is half fish and half human, she can run on water!



Oh yeah, Ponyo loves ham!  giggle



 *Allie*



Zzzzzzzzzz....

I don't know why but I have been so dang tired!  My Mom has been sick and I've been sleeping until like ten-forty five in the morning and I'm still tired... is that normal or is it just me?  Or maybe I'm catching something.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... snork!  I'm awake!  I just needed a little two minute nap on my desk (I actually did take a nap on my desk).  YAWN  I'm gonna... go back to... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Morning?  Now? Seriously?  GROAN!

*Allie*

P.S.  I don't snore!

another one of those days

Do you ever have one of those days?  Where you wake up in the morning, you feel like doing something, like playing your guitar?  You're playing The First Noel the Aly & AJ version and you're really into the song....
until your hand loses the grip on the pick, and it falls inside of the guitar.  You spend about ten minutes trying to get it out by shaking the guitar upside down.  Finally you get it out and you start to play, but your arms are stiff from shaking the guitar up and down for ten minutes.  So you decide, "Ugh!  It's not worth it!" you put the guitar on the stand.  You sit on your bed for a while and think, "Well maybe one more song..." you pick the guitar up, start to play again, and realize you broke a blood vessel on your pinkie.

Well I did... I mean have one of those days.  Don't get me wrong, I love playing guitar... it's just... another one of those days =^I

*Allie*

god's little reminder

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,  "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

I think we all need this reminder.  We might be going through really tough times, and we're thinking, "Why would God do this to me at a time like this?  Does He even care about me?"  This Bible verse will remind you that God does care for you, and that He allows these things in your life for a reason.  He doesn't just sit up in His Kingdom, laughing at us, "HAHA!  You spilled your milk on your new blouse!".

We may not always see the hope in all situations.  But it's there.  Our hope is not in our own abilities to figure out the future.  Our hope is in a perfect God who cares about us and has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

Just a little reminder =^D

*Allie*

girls day out

A beautiful view!

So we (Grammy, Mom, and I) had our little "Girls Day Out" when we were on our way to see Grandma and Grandpa!  We haven't had our "Girls Day" in so long so we decided to use this opportunity before we went over to Grandma and Grandpa's ranch.  The definition of our "Girls Day" is we do something different, something fun, something extravagant!  We usually go shopping; have lunch, dinner, or both; or do whatever we feel like... it's our "Girls Day"! 

So when we began driving on the way there, we were talking and I brought up the subject about books.  Mom asked if she could see what book I was reading and I showed her.  Well the book was made into a movie, the movie looked cool, so I got the book at the library.  Well I didn't know that it was an adult book, I thought it was okay for me to read, but Mom said it wasn't an okay book.  I was kinda ticked, so I didn't talk to her for about half hour... maybe more.  She asked Grammy if we could go to a book store, so we did.  We looked for about a half hour and Mom decided to get me the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  I saw the movie and it was so good!  After we did that I wasn't so mad anymore... don't worry I'm not a spoiled little brat that's nice unless she gets something at every store... I think.

So we walked less than a block to a butcher shop, to find a little snack for the ride.  They had tons of meat (obviously), and cheeses that I haven't even tasted before.  We got meat for Grandpa for his be-laded birthday and some cheese and crackers for us.

Next door to that was a gelato store, and I had never tried it before!  So we went over and they had about fifteen to twenty flavors.  I couldn't decide!  The gal was nice and let me try some; I tasted pistachio and a fruity flavor one and then decided to go with old fashioned chocolate.  Gelato is not my favorite, I would choose ice cream over that any day... but hey, I tried it =^D

Me and my Gelato! giggle

On our way home we decided to go to a Chinese place for dinner.  I love Chinese food, but I had a really bad experience with a pepper.  There were a few unknown peppers on our plates, it was in one of the spicy dishes we chose at the counter.  There were two halves and a whole, Mom and Grammy took the two halves and I took the whole which was like an inch long.  It was a smokey flavor which I did not like, but when my tongue touched the seeds, i felt like my mouth was on fire!  I can take really hot foods, but this was something totally different!  Tears, immediately, started crawling down my cheeks.  I told Mom what was happening.  I think because Mom and Grammy didn't have the same reaction as mine, it was because their peppers were cut, mine was not.  A whole would have more seeds in it, the half would not have as many.  So I was freaking out, drinking my root beer didn't help much but make it worse.  I was worried if I was allergic to this mystery pepper, I was picturing myself being wheeled into the ER.  My tongue was on fire and my throat was on fire, my mouth was numb and tingly, I was crying in public, but luckily everything started to get a little bit better... but not much.  I had been on my third cup of root beer and I could still feel it, but once I got in the car for the ride home, I felt really tired.  So I went to sleep in the car.  I have never in my whole life, had a reaction like that with food... ever!

When I got home, I was so excited to talk with Nick, Zack, and Dad.  It was late at night but I felt so energized with that long nap.  It felt really good to be home... really, really good!

*Allie*

Grandpa and his dog Shadow having a wonderful conversation!

Mom and Me!

Mom and Shadow!

Grammy and her Dad (my Grandpa)!

My favorite dirt road at the ranch!

My Great-Grandpa and Me!

Shadow and Me!