May your holidays be merry and bright

Whether it's....


St. Patrick's Day...

The Fourth of July...



Thanksgiving...

Or Christmas...

May all your 2011 holidays be MERRY AND BRIGHT!!

love, matt and ashley crockett

(Couldn't get our Christmas card in a PDF or JPEG format to post this year, so I'm posting the photos from the card.)
Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Happy 7 Years, Matt!

Today I celebrate 7 years of marriage to my best friend. We've been together since 2001 and I almost don't remember what my life was like before him. It's like he's been around all along. Happy Anniversary sweetie. I am so happy and blessed to share my life with you. You make it better everyday.

We decided to see each other before the ceremony. I was so glad for this because I was extremely nervous, but I was fine as long as Matt was around.

This is right as the grandmothers and mothers of the bride are being seated. Matt came over to say hello before he walked his mom down the aisle. I was very nervous/excited and this little moment with him really calmed me down. I'm so glad the photographer got it on camera.

The Kiss.

And another kiss as we left the reception and headed to Tuscaloosa.

An absolutely wonderful day! Here's to MANY MANY more!!

Auburn vs. Arkansas - October 16, 2010

I am a lifelong Alabama fan. I remember watching the National Championship in 1992 and feeling the emotional roller coaster that football can be. I remember that same Christmas I got a #7 Alabama jersey (for Jay Barker) from Santa. A jersey I still wear on gamedays today. I remember when I decided to transfer from UNA to UA. My loyalty and love for the University of Alabama is not just about sports, it's about the feeling I get when I remember waking around the quad to my classes and hearing Denny Chimes ring the hour. I love the school and I always support our teams. I'm proud to be an alumna.

Having said that, I also love my husband very, very much. He is a lifelong fan as well....for Auburn. One of Bama's biggest rivalries. His birthday falls in late September and for the past 4 years he has purchased tickets to a game as part of his birthday present. He always takes me with him. This year we headed up to Auburn attend the AU vs. Arkansas game. We met up with Matt's brother and one of his high school friends for the game.

Matt and Chris enjoying some Gameday treats.

I do love my husband very much. If not for him I'm not sure I could tolerate all the orange and blue tigers walking around. It's not that any fan was ever rude to me, it just feels like you're at someone else's party or family reunion. I always get homesick for Tuscaloosa at these games.I'm not obnoxious enough to wear an Alabama shirt to these games because I hated to see AU fans take up ticket space at Bama games. I keep to a neutral white.

Matt is really happy to be there. We always have to be in the stadium to see the eagle fly down to midfield.

It was hot in the stands for an October day so I spent a good part of the first half watching the game on the monitors in the shade. It was a tight game and was really fun to see. The guys were having so much fun, I kept my cheers for AR silent. Like I said, no one likes an obnoxious fan that isn't really for either team.

I just enjoyed seeing the boys have such a good time. Plus I had my super nice camera lens and had a ton of fun snapping photos.

I think I'll be able to pull for AU in the National Championship. I'd love to keep that title in the SEC, but I know part of me is still going to be cheering against Auburn. It's ingrained in me. I think that's what makes the sport so fun and our rivalry so awesome. Good Luck Barners and ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Graby Bay

I am excited to be home for Christmas next week. This is my nephew, Gray's, first Christmas. We got him some sweet wooden toys from Ikea, but I imagine he'll be happy just playing with the paper and boxes the toys come in. Being and aunt and uncle is really fun for Matt and me. We like to shop for toys and stuff we think he'd like. We love to laugh at his crazy antics and messes because we can. We're not his parents. haha.

He's a good kid and very fun to play with. He likes my camera and has started reaching for it whenever I'm taking photos. He also likes electronics - he loves to play away on my laptop or push buttons on my cell phone. (I normally have these things turned off when he plays.)

He gets called "Baby Gray" a lot...he'll probably hate us for that eventually....and last week I was talking about him and accidentally called him Graby Bay. It stuck in my head of course. So here's my nephew, Graby Bay. He's getting so big, I wanted to get these memories on here before he's walking, talking and doing people's taxes. Plus right now, he still thinks I'm pretty cool.

Gray and Pop.
I think Gray was trying to swindle his Pop out of some money here with this trick memory game.

His teething toy is his green blankets. These blankets are never far from his side. He reminds me of Linus from Charlie Brown.

Love this face and smile.

Merry Christmas Graby Bay!! See you very soon!

Burns Thanksgiving 2010

Our Thanksgiving festivities were very nice this year. To start the day, my mom hosted the Burns family breakfast for the first time and did a wonderful job. The food was delicious and the company even better. We feasted on delicious breakfast foods. The company was delightful and we ended the meal by sitting around and talking and playing Rook. This was our first holiday without Grandpa. I was sad that he wasn't there in person but I know he was there and enjoying the day with us. I know he'll always be there with us whenever we're together.

Momma preparing the feast. She was a GREAT hostess.

First time we've had a table big enough for the whole family to sit in one room together on a holiday. Definitely a fun new experience.

Andrea and Elizabeth sang a verse of "All Things Are Ready" while waiting for everyone to arrive. They sang it in perfect harmony as us Church of Christ folks do. I was cracking up.
"All things are ready, come to the feast. Come for the table now is spread.
Ye famishing, ye weary come and thou shall be richly fed."

The breakfast spread: Grandma's biscuits, sausage pie, scrambled eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, grits souffle and fruit. My stomach is rumbling as I type this.

Having a Thanksgiving breakfast has been a great alternative celebration in our family for years. It makes for a lot of food in one day, but really helps spread out the festivities and gives us more time together to enjoy each other company. I'm looking forward to Christmas!

Crockett Thanksgivng 2010

I can't believe Christmas is so close. It's actually felt like Christmas down here in Florida this past week and weekend. The days have been blustery and chilly. Kinda feels like it did in Alabama when we were home for Thanksgiving.

Place setting for Thanksgiving lunch at the Crockett's

Fresh flowers picked from Dale's greenhouse for the table.

Here's someone I'm always thankful for.

My Girly Day

The Saturday after Thanksgiving was my one of my more "girlier" days. I started the day curling hair with a curling iron and listening Petula Clark and ended it watching a Hallmark movie. It was a FABULOUS day.

The ladies in on my mom's side of the family got together on Saturday morning for a tea party. My aunts, cousins, mom, sister and grandma all got dressed up with fun hats and enjoyed petit fours, pink lemonade, mint and apple tea and several other delicious foods. Aunt Tina made a delicious chicken salad. Aunt Nancy's cheese straws were delicious. My mom made one of my favorites: Candied orange and grapefruit peels (these are DELICIOUS) and Grandma made some super tasty toasted pecans.

Here's the spread. The petit fours came from the Victorian Tea Room and they were scrumptious.

Me and my hat. This is actually Matt's grandmother's hat and I added the feathers and bow.

Grandma and her granddaughters.

After the tea party we did a little shopping and then I headed over to meet Margaret and Dale for a ladies night at home. We picked up this DELICIOUS sushi from a place in Florence and ended the night watching a Hallmark Christmas movie lounging on the bed. I couldn't have asked for a more fun and relaxing day.

I recommend a ladies' day of tea parties and sushi for everyone.

Christmas and holiday cards for 2010!

It's officially the Christmas season! Thanksgiving has been celebrated, the turkey has been eaten and the leftovers are still hanging around. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holiday season. I've had my house decorated for a week or so now. I always decorate before Thanksgiving so when I come home my house is all ready for the holidays. My own little corner of Christmas wonderland.

I've also got to get to work on our Christmas cards this year. Every year we seem to come up with something more and more elaborate. We've used Yearbook Yourself and last year we went back in time and to the future for our Christmas cards. Stevie and Wil have endured all sorts of photo taking torture as I strive to capture that perfect moment or family photo. I always order my prints for the cards online and I have to recommend Shutterfly for their high quality prints and service.

They have so many Christmas photo cards to choose from: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards.

Love the colors on this one.

Shutterfly also has great options on holiday cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cardsLove the song White Christmas and love the phrase "Merry and Bright" -
Plus these colors are awesome.

And these great photo calendars caught my eye. What a great way to enjoy your photos all year. A friend of mine had one of these on her desk at work with family photos mixed in with landscape photos of her hometown. Such a great Christmas present! http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Wouldn't these make great gifts? They are also very reasonably priced.

I won't give away my Christmas card here just yet. Planning and sending out our Christmas card is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I love getting them to so put me on your list! Leave your address in the comments so I can be sure you get a card from the Crockett's and be tell me which Shutterfly cards YOU think rocks!

p.s. If you're a blogger and would like 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly click here to take advantage of a great promotion: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

May your family photos be full of smiles!

Count your blessings

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. This has been a crazy year for us, full of changes and transitions. I am thankful for my blessings big and small this Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for God who loves me and my faith that keeps me secure. I'm thankful for Matt, who is such a great best friend, partner, love and constant source of humor in my life. I'm thankful for my parents and their support. My in-laws and the way they always treat me like the 5th child. For Andrea and Margaret who support me and always know the right things to say. I'm thankful for my grandparents and for the example my Grandpa was to me. I'm thankful for Michael and Martin. I'm thankful for my extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who are like family. I'm thankful for the ladies of the Burns family and SO SO excited for our party this weekend. I'm thankful for Stevie and Wil. They are good companions and a source of entertainment and comfort. I'm thankful that I'm blessed enough to have 2 roofs to choose from for shelter. I'm thankful my pantry is always full and the good health of myself and my family.

Now for the not so serious, but still things I'm extremely blessed to have. I'm thankful for my air conditioning, Michael's craft store, weekend escapes to Disney World, college football, my camera, my dishwasher, the ability to fly home for holidays, down comforters, DVR recordings, Netflix on the Wii, my netbook, blue skies, changing seasons and M&Ms.

There are so many other people and things that bless my life and I am truly grateful for them. One of my favorite movies is "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. They sing a great song in that movie called "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep":

When I'm worried and I can't sleep. I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

I hope everyone falls asleep counting blessings this Thanksgiving.

After you've stuff yourself with turkey and dressing! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 5 - Mariposa Sequoia Grove

None of us wanted to leave Yosemite without seeing some sequoia trees, so on our way out we stopped by the Mariposa Sequoia Grove. We walked 2 miles down to the grove and 2 miles back. Add that into the almost 4 miles we did that morning and you've got an eight mile day! Totally made me work for that steak dinner I had planned that night.


These photos just don't do these huge trees justice. They are enormous.

Me and Matt in front of a great sequoia.

As you can see, I'm about 5 feet tall - so this tree is probably at least 7 feet wide. Amazing.

And the pine cones are humongous. So cool to see something like this in person.

This trip was a wonderful once in a lifetime experience for all of us. I had a great time despite the physical exhaustion and fatigue. Matt, Martin and Maggie were perfect hiking companions. We laughed, talked, ate and spent a lot of time together in close quarters (and without showers, I have to add). I couldn't have asked for better companions. I'm so glad I let Matt talk me into going on this trip. I love looking back on these photos and still being in awe of myself for climbing that 3.5 mile hike up 4,000 feet. I honestly didn't know I had it in me and I was so proud of myself for accomplishing that feat.

Yosemite is a great vacation spot. There's a lodge and campsites if you're not into the wilderness camping we did. The hikes are strenuous but the views are completely worth it. I can't wait to carry my kids back there someday.

Yosemite - Day 5 - Heading down the mountain

We finally started heading down the mountain. The entire way down we had amazing view of Half Dome. We got started early to avoid the hot sun and I am SO glad we did. It's a good thing we were excited to be heading down the mountain because that adrenaline was much needed. Going up was rough, but coming back down requires an entirely different set of muscles. We were basically doing deep knee bends over and over again while balancing on rocks and carrying 40 pounds of extra weight. My knees are still not the same.

An idea of how steep the trail got on the way down. We are all so lucky not to have twisted an ankle or worse.

Finally made it down below the tree level. The folks who built these trails are hardcore, y'all.

Finally made it down the mountain to Mirror Lake which was kinda marshy, but still lived up to it's name. As we rested here we were pretty close to the more touristy areas of the park and folks kept walking by talking about how gorgeous it all was. We felt pretty awesome because we had actually been up there and walked around where these tourists were only pointing and talking about it.

We headed back into the Camp Curry area of the park where our car was parked. We loaded the car, emptied our bear canisters and got some lunch. No Diet Coke has ever tasted quite so good.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 5 - Martin's Birthday

Day 5 - Martin's Birthday! We've been with Martin during his past 4 birthdays! We've been camping in Florida, sightseeing in Tallahassee, partying in Orlando and now camping in Yosemite. We carried birthday candles, a banner and a birthday breakfast surprise up the mountain for his birthday celebration.


Matt lights the candle on our blueberry muffin crumble.

Great cold morning for a warm tasty breakfast.

We pack up camp for the last time. Matt's attending to some blisters on his foot. His shoes broke in on the first day and we repaired them with duct tape. The duct tape made his shoes a little tight and gave him a couple blisters. But it was nothing a few strips of moleskin couldn't handle.

We were incredibly blessed as we suffered no health problems or injuries on this trip. I believe the only problems we had were Matt's blisters and Martin cutting his toe on a rock in the water the day before. We were so lucky that nothing serious happened. We were well prepared. But so glad to see most of the medicines and supplies in our first aid kits were never needed.

Me keeping warm. Loved those chilly mornings. I was excited to start down the mountain.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Turning in for the night

How could a day of playing in the water and napping get any better? By sitting around a campfire that night! Martin did a great job with our campfire. It warmed us up and was absolutely wonderful to sit around on our last night in the wilderness.


Martin, Me and Maggie keeping warm.

Matt and I walked over to the ledge again to see Half Dome at sunset. Love this Ansel Adams replica I shot!

Love these nighttime photos of the fire. Warms me up just looking at them.

Me and Matt snuggling by the fireside. Absolutely wonderful end to a great day.

Tomorrow morning we're waking up bright and early to head down the mountain!