Finding the perfect Christmas Tree - our mountain tradition.

Thanksgiving was late this year and I was grateful for it.  As a result, however, there is less time between holidays making no room for putting off Christmas traditions and decorations until later.  As soon as Thanksgiving and Black Friday were over, we hit the ground running!  

First stop - Boyd Christmas Tree Farm to pick our perfect tree.  It's not christmas in the mountains unless you cut down your own Christmas tree! We started this tradition in 2009, which ended in Ryan surprising me with an engagement ring and we've been back every year since then! We found out that Jeremiah (Ryan's son) and his family were also wanting to pick up their tree from the same farm, so we decided to go together.  

The farm is about 40 minutes from Asheville between Waynesville and Maggie Valley, NC and is set against the most beautiful back drop.  The trees grow on the mountain that surrounds the valley and you can see all of them growing neatly in perfect rows all around.  It always takes my breath away!  Even Santa and Mrs. Claus can't stay away.

In past years, not sure how it happened, but we've always missed the crowds.  This year, though, I guess everyone wanted to get a jump on Christmas just like us.  We had never seen the farm so busy!  We actually had to park far away and walk into the farm. 

You felt the Christmas spirit quickly.  They had decorations everywhere!

 

I like it to be cold when picking out our tree, but not freezing to where it is unbearable to be outside.  Luckily weather was on our side! It was nippy but the sun was out to provide some warmth.

We didn't waste anytime and up the mountain we hiked to find our perfect tree!  

On the way up, we pass by a few adorable log cabins.  One day we will have stay here!

It's a lot harder than you think to find the perfect tree especially when expectations are so high. You want one, then the other, no wait, that one over there.  Decisions, decisions!

If it was left up to Keira, we'd go home with just this Charlie Brown branch!

Jeremiah and his mom, stepdad & sisters were the first to find their tree.  They just needed to yell, "We found our perfect Christmas Tree!"  It was the cue for the grounds crew to cut it down and transport it back to the tent to be bound.  

It took us a little longer.  I wanted it to truly be perfect!  Ever year, we inevitably we pick out a tree that is TOO big.  A tree on the side of the mountain looks a lot smaller than when the tree is sitting in our living room!  We've had to trim the top of our tree on more than one occasion!  We've finally learned that if a tree looks small in its natural setting, it was probably perfect for us!  We've also learned that since the trees at Boyd grow on the side a mountain one side is always lopsided, so we tried to find one on the flattest slope as possible.  After running up and down the mountain side, we finally found it!

We yelled, "We found our perfect Christmas tree!"  

Uh, we said again, "We found our perfect Christmas tree!"  

"Excuse me, we found our..."  Oh, forget it! They were so busy, they didn't hear us.  Everyone was yelling that they found their perfect tree.  Eventually, Ryan and Jeremiah physically found  a couple guys who were happy to help us and happy to take a quick picture in the process.

Sophia is Jeremiah's step-sister who was in town visiting from Raleigh for Thanksgiving.  We joke all the time that she looks more like my daughter than Sabrina's, so she fit right into our picture!  It does make for interesting eyebrows when we go out together.  It's funny to watch people try to figure us out!  We are just one big family and we were very happy to share in this tradition together.

These boys cut our tree and we head back to the tent to wait as it gets prepped to go home.  We warm up a little with hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies, which Keira very much enjoyed.  I have to admit, we were hit with a little bit of sticker shock when we paid for our tree this year, but the refreshments and time with Santa were free, so I suppose it's about the entire experience!  More reason to get your tree early, so that you have more time to enjoy it. 

I was surprised she actually gave Santa a hug!

Ryan went to go get the car while snapped a few more pictures.

 The line around this lake!

And there it is, wrapped and ready to be strapped to our car for the drive home.  

Christmas in the Felten household had officially begun!

  

   

Thanksgiving in Asheville

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend at home in Asheville!  For the past two years we have traveled to Cumberland, Maryland to be with Ryan's family.  We always have a great time, but it was nice to spend the holiday at home.  Laid back was the central theme and was exactly what we needed after a busy October & November, which happened to be filled with wonderful back-to-back family visits. It's like we had Thanksgiving for almost two months, so while we longed to be with family we couldn't complain because God blessed us with our fair share!  I hope to find time to write about all the visits later!

Ryan had to work at 4AM in the morning.  No reprise for those that work in news but don't feel sorry for him.  The holiday pay is great and he got off at 1pm, the perfect time for Thanksgiving lunch!  He did come home on his "lunch" break (more like second breakfast) and we were able to start off our day with some snuggle time in bed.

I got the turkey in the oven first thing in the morning.  I was originally going to do just a turkey breast but to my surprise the whole turkey ended up being cheaper.  I paid just $5.75 for our 12lb bird at Ingles!  I love a good deal!  It makes it taste all that much better.  You know what else makes it taste better... brining the turkey! I soaked the bird over night in an industrial bucket which doesn't look appetizing at all, but trust me it's worth it.  I also found it interesting and funny that the turkey included microwave instructions!  Who has a microwave big enough to cook a turkey?!? 

Very good friends of ours, the Browns, invited us over to their house.  Their family includes Darren, Becca and baby Davok.  They, too, were without family.  It was a Brown-Felten Thanksgiving fun day!

Even though it was just us, we certainly ate well!  Besides the turkey, I also made the green bean casserole, an absolute MUST at Thanksgiving and our favorite side.  Becca tackled the rest; the mac & cheese, mash potatoes and apple crisp for dessert - all of it delicious.  

I said we ate well, but the kids not so much.  Davok, who is also 1, and Keira have so much in common, including the lack of interest in eating.  I can't count how many times we said, "please just try it" or "don't spit that out" and "not on the floor!"  While frustrating, it was a little entertaining. We could only laugh.

As were eating, I had time to reflect on just how far we've come in the last few years.  The last time we spent Thanksgiving with the Browns was in 2010.  Ryan and I had just gotten married and we were still living in our small two bedroom apartment and neither of us had kids.  Things were so much more simpler then and even though it's only been three years, I feel like we've all grown tremendously.  Darren and Ryan both got promotions, we bought our house, they are adding to there's and we're both learning to how budget with a family in mind. We've celebrated and struggled together as new parents, often praying together and for each other. Not to mention, we've literally grown! Both Keira & Davok were born last year and Becca is expecting her 2nd any day now.  I like to think that our earlier selves would be very proud of our current selves. During the day-to-day grind it's hard to recognize just how much God is moving and blessing us in our lives, but on day meant for reflection we quickly realize we have so much to be thankful for!  It felt like a homecoming and a great time to mentally unpack what's happened in such a short amount of time.  How appropriate for such a day! 
 
Black Friday Thanksgiving Shopping

After lunch we dove into the circulars to check out all the black Friday deals.  Luckily Darren picked up the stack of ads on a last minute trip to Ingles.  Ironically, it was Becca who convinced me to go out for my first Black Friday back in 2010!  We were to meet at Target at 5:00 in the morning, except that we never discussed which Target.  I ended up at the one in Arden and she at the one on Tunnel Road.  We still laugh about it! Regardless of the mix up, I've been a fan of Black Friday shopping ever since. Needless to say, this year we made sure to meet at the same Target in Arden at 7pm, an hour before they opened at 8.

Our night started a little earlier than the Browns.  Ryan & I were on a mission to buy his son what I'm going to call Thing 1 just in case he happens to see this post.  He specifically mentioned wanting Thing 1 for Christmas in passing and Walmart happened to have an amazing deal!  Getting Thing 1 on Black Friday would probably save us $100, which we could use else where in our budget. We debated bringing Keira along, but had no one to babysit her so we ultimately decided to bring her with us.  With two of us working as a team, we were confident we could keep her occupied and more importantly safe!  As a side note, Black Friday shopping in Asheville is not nearly as crazy as it is in bigger cities.  People are generally very nice and the crowds are large but bearable.

We got to Walmart at 5PM and quickly found the line for Thing 1 in the produce section.  There were about 30 people ahead of us and I was worried we were too late.  One of the workers came by and inquired what we were wanting and gave us a number.  Whew!  I was still anxious because until you have the the product in your hand you never know.  Keira was great!  She was happy & smiling and quickly garnered the attention of those around us.

She did get a little antsy 10 minutes to 6.  She started running down the makeshift produce aisle and touching the wheelchair of the lady in front of us.  She wasn't upset but she didn't look ecstatic about it either.  I had to come up with something quick, so I started a made up game of Copy Mommy and it actually worked!

Soon enough the clock struck 6'oclock and our line started moving.  Mission accomplished! We got Thing 1! We headed straight for the check out line which already looked to be wrapping around the store.  By divine intervention, an associate looked at us and looked at the still empty registers and told us we could go under the partition.  I started to ask her if she was serious, but decided to just go with it.  After we passed through I over heard her tell others behind us they had to continue to go around.  It was a blessing!  We were checked out and in our car by 6:15!  That has to be some sort of record!

We weren't meeting the Browns at Target until 7, so we headed home to drop off Thing 1 and to feed Keira a quick dinner.  Going bye-bye again only excited her.  When we got to Target the line was already down to World Market.  It was cold so Ryan stood in line while we waited in the car.  Keira discovered all that the front seat had to offer, playing with all the nobs and buttons on the radio.  She blasted Pink's Greatest Hits through the stereo system!  And every time she accidentally turned on the windshield wipers she quickly hid her head in the nook of my neck.  It was precious and fun!  I enjoyed the one on one time very much.

We jumped in line with Ryan and our friends just before 8PM.  Davok was a bundled up in his turkey costume with a smile on his face and Keira was happy to see her friend again.  They were too cute and amazingly well behaved for a couple of toddlers out past their bedtime. 

Our number one mission at Target was to purchase a car DVD player with monitors that attach to the back of your car seats.  After the driving fiasco to Fayetteville we felt it would be a good investment before heading to Atlanta for Christmas.  It was a gift for Keira and a gift to mommy and daddy's sanity!  It's something we looked into in the past, but didn't want to spend a lot of money on. It was just our luck that Target had exactly what we were looking for on sale for $69.  

Mission accomplished!  We also picked up other gifts AND our Christmas pajamas also on sale. Matching pajamas for Christmas morning is a family tradition we started last year and I can't wait to reveal them!  Oh, and we bought milk... not on sale.  We checked out and were home and putting Keira to bed by 10:30!

Like many others, I was not happy about Black Friday making it's way into Thanksgiving, but as parents it turned out to work out great for us.  First, we got to do it together.  It's easier to keep Keira up late rather than wake her up before dawn, something I would NEVER do in the first place.  Ryan would have had to stay home.  I also very much enjoyed sleeping in with Ryan on Friday!  And because we got our shopping done the night before we didn't feel compelled or tempted to go out again, giving us an entire day to do other things as a family!

All in all it was a wonderful day and successful evening!  Great company, great food and 95% of our Christmas shopping done!  Yup, it was a great Thanksgiving!


   

  

Lunchtime photo shoot with my girl!

Ryan & I are blessed to live so close to where we work.  When we were looking for our house we kept distance from the station at the top of our must-have list, mostly because Ryan has to go to and from work three times on a Sunday.  We never thought 5 minutes away was possible, but God  opened the door. Little did I know that I would benefit so much from it as well when I became a mom.  Because we live so close, I get to come home most days during my lunch break, allowing me to maximize my time with Keira during the work week.  I love it and I am thankful that God has blessed us in this way!

This past Wednesday when I got home, I found Keira to be exceptionally cute.  She also happened to be in such a good mood, smiling and laughing.  Both in combination led me to grab my camera for an impromptu lunch-time photo shoot.  

The weather this past week has been phenomenal.  It's as if fall is making up for our lack of summer.  Knowing it was going to be beautiful I had dressed her in a peach halter, my favorite top of hers, and a cute pair of soft corduroy jeans I had bought her at Wee Trade.  They were a little baggy, but I folded them.   Her Nanny Jessi had done her hair and adorned her head with a matching bow.  Perfection!

I followed her around for about 30 minutes, snapping away as she played inside and outside of the house  She started in the kitchen.  I've given her full reign of the lower right hand cabinet.  It's only filled with tupperware and she often plays in it when I'm cooking dinner,  pulling tupperware out one by one and then putting them back in again.  

We recently taught her how to flex like Super Girl. Da-dada-da!

Look at those curls!  

After she was done with the cabinet she moved onto her bench.  It also happens to be her time out bench but she forgets that when she's playing.  

We'll often catch her relaxing on it with a cup of milk or water or hanging out with Owl or one of her other friends. 

She had a little fun with Dutchie!

Suddenly she set her mind on playing on the back porch.  The day was too beautiful not to sneak outside!

She can open all the doors in our house, including the door to get out!

She hasn't mastered going down steps yet, so she still goes down backward.  

Mommy prefers this method for her as well.  It's safer for now!

She's so happy to be outside!

Daddy's been up since 3:30 in the morning so he tries to snooze on the porch bed...

but of course, Keira has different plans. And he's awake!

I love these pants, especially when their folded, giving them that 'boyfriend' look!  It's the perfect combination of both fall and summer fashion.

Pretty baby.

After some time outside, she decides it's time to go back inside again!

But you have to stay outside momma, she insists.

I'm closing the door!

Squishy nose!

Hi, mama!

Okay, you can come in now!  I'll let you.

And just in time, too.  After all that fun, the clock strikes mid-night and I have to go back to work.  I get Ryan to snap just a couple more pics to complete our session.

Including one last kiss goodbye!  

My lunch break is just an hour, but I'll take every moment I can get with her. Some days when I'm home for lunch she's taking her nap and I miss her all together or sometimes she's cranky and in desperate need of nap or I'm preoccupied with what I left behind in my office, but then there are times like these that make the perfect break from a hectic work day and I'm reminded as to why I work in the first place.  This beautiful baby girl, my muse.

What's in a name?

Keira Ainsely Felten!

I catch my self saying it all time.  It's usually followed by no mam or come here or please do not put your hands in your diaper. Still, as her name leaves my lips they begin to flash a smile, replacing some of my irritation with a little bit of pride.  Keira Ainsely Felten.  Not bad, not bad at all.  What a sweet name we came up with for such a sweet, albeit sometimes naughty, girl.  I really ought to say her full name more then when she's getting into a little bit of trouble!

So how did she go from being Baby Felten to Keira Ainsely Felten?  Well, it was a process, which required much debate and negotiation between Ryan and I.

We realized that naming our child was a big deal. When you pick out the crib, the paint color for the nursery, the car seat, all that is temporary and can be changed.  Their name on the other hand, which will be expressed verbally and/or in writing every single day of their lives is with them FOR-EV-ER!

We wanted it to be different, but not TOO different.  We wanted it to be cute, but not TOO cute.  After all, he or she, will grow up to be adult and it has to look distinguished on a resume.  We wanted to avoid teasing as much as possible, so we turned ourselves into 5 year olds and put potential names through the ringer, making sure it didn't rhyme with butt or poopy or teste.  ie, teste, Estee! Yeah, that really did happen by the way, circa 1995.  Middle school was so much fun!

Ironically, we easily agreed on a boy's name very early on in my pregnancy.  For the first few months, we were certain that Keira was, in fact, a boy and he would be named Kainoa Ephram Felten. We'd call him Kai for short and if he didn't like it as he got older than we could switch to Ephram.  I love that name just as much.  It passed all the tests and not a single argument or debate about it. This is easy... little pressure. 

That is until we went for the ultra sound and the tech informed us that we were having a girl!

A girl, really? Are you sure? 

Oh, yes I'm positive!

Wouldn't you know, we didn't have a single girl's name in mind when left the doctor's office that day.  Not a single one.  Suddenly, the pressure was on!

Different, but not to too different, cute but not to cute.

We thought about naming her after my grandma, my mom or Ryan's mom, but they all hold special places in our heart and to pick one would be too hard.  So we decided to give Baby Felten her very own name.

What do you do if you don't know where to begin? Well, you take to the internet, for it holds all the answers!  In this case it really does.  Sure, you can buy a book of names at Barnes & Noble, but honestly, you don't need too. I must have sorted through over a hundred names, starting with A going all the way to Z.  Many sites even list orgins and meanings, if that concerns you.

100's were narrowed down to about 20. A few names not on here that we also debated were: Phoebe, Yana & Carlie.  Ryan didn't like the first two, so I didn't even bother to write them down.  We both loved Carlie, but we already knew a Carlie at church.  She is an adorable little firecracker and we thought there could only be one Carlie in our lives, so we shelved the name.  We may have to bring it back if we have another girl in the future.

On this list, is a nod to the WB hit, Charmed, one of my favorite shows of all time.  All the girls names start with P... Piper, Phoebe, Paige.

The funniest names on here are Ellowyn and Eowyn.  We tapped into our geeky sides a little bit and our love for Lord of the Rings.  Surely, we weren't serious... or were we?  I really can't remember.

In the end, Ryan was serious about Keira and I was insistent upon Ainsley.  We were both stubborn.    I do remember thinking, perhaps we can save Keira for a second daughter, but what if I don't have a second daughter?!?

And then it dawned on me one day to simply give her both names.  Keira Ainsely sounds much better than Ainsely Keira.  In that way Ryan finally won the battle, but I was happy with the concession prize!  It had a nice ring to it.  It's ironic that both names were side by side on our list!

You think it would be over, but it wasn't!  Two more names needed to be added.  In Filipino culture, you also give your child your maiden name.  And and on top of that, a child needs a Hawaiian name.  For example when I was born, my name was Estee Nohelani Bautista Guillermo.  While I love my name and wouldn't change it for the world,  it does not fit on license or my Social Security Card!

Before we went to the hospital we did decide against my maiden name, but the Hawaiian name was still very much in the air.  I really didn't decide until after she was born and Ryan was filling out her form.  So in all serious, her name was almost:  Keira Ainsely Ka'iulani Felten.

In the end simplicity reigned!  It would have been beautiful, but awfully long, just like mine.  She'll have enough trouble explaining that it's spelled "e-i-r-a" rather than "i-e-r-a", and that there's no "e" after "s" in Ainsley, and it's Fel-TEN, TEN not Fel-TON.  Haha!  We've run into all these issues, almost as soon as we put pen to paper and made it official!  What can I say... we at least attempted to keep it simple.

Regardless, it's a beautiful name and I'm happy with our compromised decision.  Her name is a little bit of Ryan and a little bit of me and now when I look at her, I can't imagine her as Carlie, or a Paige, or Eowyn.   As soon as the nurse handed her to me for the very first time, I remember saying, "Hi, baby, hi Keira. Mommy loves you."  She didn't even need to grow into her name! She just looked like a Keira and we were in love.

And that, everyone, is how this baby came to be known as Keira Ainsley Felten.

By the way, let's go back to the boys name... I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be able to use Kainoa Ephram Felten one day.   Not anytime soon, but one day!