happiness

Christmas trees are the best. Especially real ones. Those make me miss Mikayla. The one in the pictures is our little tree on the fifth floor. We are also trying to find a live one for our downstairs. If we don't succeed in doing that then we'll have some sort of fake one downstairs as well.

I'm linking up with my little sister Elisabeth for this post! Go over to her blog and check out her version. :D

What are you loving about December and the Christmas season right now? DO tell, because I love to hear your thoughts.
Do you have a favorite out of my pictures?

  This is the dress I want. Or something like it :) I'd wear it on Christmas eve!

This one I would like for my birthday party :D

I don't think you've checked out my friend's blog yet... Head on over here!

I love the lights. And I love Bokeh.

Love, a

cozy season

It's crazy how listening to one Christmas song sends countless memories flooding into your mind.

The day after Thanksgiving we always hiked up into the Colorado mountains, hunting for the perfect Christmas tree. Snow always spilled down, transforming our little town.
Everything was magical.

But... guess what? I'm not in Colorado anymore and everything is still magical. And I'm so excited for this Christmas season! 

China loves their lights, so naturally they put up lots of Christmas lights and decorations. Sure they might be really big and tacky but I, at least, am thankful for them. 

Classical Christmas music has already been playing in shops and restaurants for about a month. Now we can actually enjoy and listen for it.

It will get bitterly cold too. The kind of humid cold that settles in your bones. Burrr.

I miss Colorado a lot right now but as you know I love where I live and I love that I will spend Christmas here! And this won't be the first or the last time. 

Last night I made myself a cup of tea, went up to my room with a candle and our Sara Groves Christmas Cd.

I turned off the lights. But then I kind of wanted to cry. Then Bethy showed me a picture of New Castle... So I decided to listen to the Cd as I went to sleep instead.

A couple of days ago we started listening to our Christmas music and decorating our home with the same, familiar decorations and in a few more days week and a half my brothers will be here... Yes, yes let me put some exclamation points in there---!!!

So here's to the month of December, which has yet to arrive, and to more Christmas posts on azalea blue. 

Shirt: Target (Brand new, brought over with my cousin!)
Tank Top: Target (brought over the Summer.)
Jeans: From a friend (they're used but I love them!)
Shoes: Hand-me-downs from my Mom and before that, my Aunt Judy.

All three photos taken by Becca.

Love, a

Give this song a listen,

and this one! We have too many favorites.

 Look at these shoes! (I don't know if I could wear these but I think they're really cute.)

Did you check this out???

New design! YAY! I guess the "cozy season" got to me.

p.s. To ALL my friends out there, I miss you guys. So much. <3

some feelings of mine

Can it be November? When I walk outside I still feel warm wind rushing through my hair and that isn't exactly what it feels like in the midst of Winter. Back in Colorado the cold has crept in, and warm, holiday feelings start crowding in. But although I know in China that all will be different this year, those feelings are going to come. It most definitely will get cold. But as of now the over all feeling hasn't changed that much yet.

My brothers are coming... the three that are back in America. Yes, yes I am so happy... how did you know? And we are going to have yet another Christmas with all ten of us. They're also bringing a friend, hurray!

I absolutely love Christmas. Christmas music is the best. We have so many x-mas Cd's that we've had for so long, that are so very special to us and I can't wait to listen to them non-stop (soon.)

Last year we were here for Christmas. We had all ten of us, and it was an amazing, first Christmas in China. Our shipment hadn't come yet so we didn't have any of our decorations and Cd's (although I had most of the music on my iPod, praise the Lord!) This year we have our decorations and the actual Cd's. :D 

We actually spent Christmas and the three weeks leading up to it in Shanghai, living in my Aunt and Uncle's house, while they went back to America. We had their foster baby with us (my cousin Maggie, remember?) for Christmas. It was wonderful being there. It was like having another baby sister in the house and I loved it so much.

Every year it's always so exciting waking up early and opening presents and such, but the last couple of years I've felt more then that. I've felt so relaxed and joyful about so much. The cold, frosty air outside, the warm, festive house filled with merry guests, having all of my family there and just completely enjoying the day and praising God. It IS about him.

I know it's kind of like once you get older gifts don't matter as much and all, but really you do feel different and start enjoying such things as I've mentioned. But I do still love receiving presents.

Last year I figured out this song on the piano by Coldplay called "Christmas Lights" and now whenever I hear this song, I think of our Shanghai Christmas. It was a wonderful time.

Every Christmas has been (and hopefully always will be) so special to me. I love it.

So back to the first thought. It is only November 13th, so lets think about Thanksgiving first, shall we? 

Love, a 

p.s. Yeah I know, I said Christmas ten times, but I didn't want to say x-mas that much you know? Another thing, maybe sometime I'll record the song I talked about... yeah maybe :)
More on Christmas in about a month, xoxo.

Lights, Ferris Wheel, Suzhou at night!

Finally!!! Some fun pictures that I took with Andrews nice camera.

A couple are edited the slightest bit but otherwise just sharpened.

My Dad and and Ben and Beth headed out into the COLD with me to get some pictures of the lights so here they are!

                                                        

                         So how do you like Suzhou at night? Its really pretty! January 9th 2011