Ode to the Under Appreciated Christmas Songs

Its Christmas time, its Christmas time

You will hear the songs chime,

On the radio, on the tube, and of course in the store

You’ll find fun-loving people humming the score,

Of favorites and classics, the old and the new

With so much cheer how could someone feel blue?

There may still be some left out of our fun

Perhaps those other holiday tunes that we shun?

The songs we know, but never sing

Since the lyrics or artists are not so mainstream.

Oh you know the ones,

There may even be tons!

Of those holiday songs,

That’ve been unknowingly wronged.

There's a tale of dear Granny meeting a herd

Of flying Reindeer—yes that sound absurd!

There are songs sung by Muppets to name only some,

There are songs about hippos and teeth yet to come.

And so in honor of those neglected tunes

We invite you to listen to songs that are crooned

By Chipmunks and Frogs and Piggys that wear

High heels and dresses and have curly hair.

So listen and enjoy our collection of songs

For this holiday season—and please sing along!

Giving Thanks

The air is getting cold, the trees have become almost bare—it’s that time again—Thanksgiving is here. Lately my heart and mind have been filled with thoughts of home and family and the great many things that God has blessed me with.

I find it hard sometimes to get past all my selfish desires; I often get lost in the mundane daily tasks of life and allow my soul to be consumed by worry, regret, and selfishness. It’s hard to live a happy, health life constantly consumed by everything you don’t have. Haven’t you every noticed how easy you rest, how well you sleep, when you are truly happy and contented?

Rosemary Clooney prescribed a cure for such feelings, she sang, “when you’re worried and you can’t sleep just count you blessings instead of sheep and you’ll fall as sleep counting you blessings.” Counting your blessings is one of the best ways to drift into dreamland.

And so, every night for the past week, as I lay waiting for sleep to come, I have tried to reflect upon the greatest gifts I have been given in this life. At the top of the list I have placed the traditional Thanksgiving necessities: My husband, my immediate and extend families, the restored gospel, true friends, good health, freedom, a warm bed to sleep in, and food to eat.
Reflection has also led me to add: education, a good job, the gifts of sight and sound, and modern technology (communication and medical). And I must not forget some of those silly things that make my life so convenient like: indoor plumbing, microwaves, washers/dyers, cars, and tide pens.

I truly have been blessed. May I learn to be truly grateful of those things I have been given.

Tyler Crowther: FAA Certified Multi-Engine Flight Instructor

Ladies and Gentlemen: I would like to take this opportunity to present to you my husband, Tyler Crowther: FAA Certified Multi-Engine Flight Instructor!

After months of studying and training Tyler has earned his CFI rating. We have been anxiously waiting for this day and now it’s finally here! No more paying for flight time—that’s a thing of the past. Instead of paying for an instructor, Tyler will now be the instructor getting paid—Wahoo!

Now, unfortunately, this is not the end of the road for us. Tyler still has to complete his single engine commercial and CFI endorsements but just the same—this is big! A huge step! Our hope is that Tyler will be able to start instructing for UVU this coming January.

Instructing for UVU will be Tyler’s first job as a paid, professional, commercial pilot!

Congrats babe! I am so proud of you!

PS. Allyson—the rice krispy treat commemorative airplane was darling and delicious! Thanks; it was the perfect treat for such a great day!

I voted and so did Tyler!

Hooray for Election Day!

I am so grateful for the right that I have to vote. Not that my vote makes a huge difference, or any difference, but it makes me feels good to at least have a say in the goings on ‘round here. When the election results in a victory for my chosen cause I feel the sweet satisfaction of having done something good for myself, my family, and my country. And when the opposite happens, I don’t feel guilt about the negative things to say about the leaders of the country—in fact I feel entitled to express my discontent.
The right to vote really is a great thing. It’s empowering—even if it is a false sense of power.

This year was Tyler’s first time voting ever! I am so proud of him. Way to go babe! You’re such a responsible citizen!

Ok, I carved a pumpkin. Now can I start listening to Christmas music…Please?

Isn’t the autumn fun? Piles of leaves to jump in and pumpkins to carve…

I love the change in seasons. I love the cool crisp morning air and the clear breezy afternoons. I love the warm colors in the trees and the crunch of the leaves on the ground beneath my feet. The one bad thing about this time of year, it says “winter is coming” and “prepare for the snow!” Yuck! I have this theory about the snow—it may be pretty look at and fun to play in but the snow is something to visit, not live in. I must concede, however, there are a few good things about winter—our wedding anniversary, my birthday, and Christmas!

You know what they say, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Autumn is the gateway to the “most wonderful time of the year”! If you had a holiday season so jam packed with events wouldn’t you be in a rush to have it begin and want to make it linger longer after it had past? And so, my point, I am one of those ‘crazy’ people that think it is perfectly appropriate to listen to Christmas music from October 1^st until January 31^st. Yes… I am one of ‘those people’.

I pulled out my Christmas music and began secretly listening to it 2 ½ weeks ago. But it is now the last week in October, I have carved a pumpkin and everything so can I now start listening to my Christmas music publicly instead of in secret? My guess is most of you are those ‘other’ people. The ones who think that I am nuts, that I am overshadowing other fun or important holidays—like Halloween and Thanksgiving—with my incessant need to sing “Deck the Halls”. But I say to you, is there such thing as a Halloween or Thanksgiving song? –No. Christmas music is just too good to listen to it only 30 days of the year. Plus Christmas music makes me happy, and isn’t that the whole point anyway?

I can’t wait to be home for Christmas, go a wassailing (whatever that is), listen to the silver bells, etc. I am not, however, “Dreaming of a White Christmas”.

Pull out your Christmas music and sing along with me—go ahead—you know you want to!