Christmas Song-a-Day Countdown {2014 Edition}

Yes, it's December 8th, and yes, I have been doing my daily Christmas song countdown on Facebook every day, but because I no longer have a working computer of my own (and Gregg's, that I'm using now, is not the quickest machine in existence) I have not yet been able to blog each day's song here.  Instead of playing catch up with individual posts, I decided to just do one big summary post that I'll update when I can.  (Which should be daily starting on Thursday when my new laptop arrives in the mail - Merry Early Christmas to me.  Oh, I can't wait!  And stay tuned for more blog posts including Thanksgiving in Utah, our November Photos from Phones Round-up, and our hunt for a Christmas tree.  Lots to see, coming soon!)

Here we go!  Think of this as your very own December 2014 Playlist:

December 1st: We'll start things off with a little Vince Guaraldi and the Peanuts gang - Christmas is Coming!

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December 2nd: Today's Christmas Song-A-Day Countdown pick is this lovely number from Nathan Gunn and the MoTab from their Christmas concert a couple years ago. I've always loved this song since I first heard it as a Mannheim Steamroller version back in the day. It's just so joyous and happy and makes me smile. "In sweet rejoicing" indeed.

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December 3rd: It's kind of cloudy this morning - maybe it'll snow? I bet it will if Michael Buble is singing!

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December 4th: So, my kinda cloudy day yesterday resulted in no (new) snow, but I, along with Karen, still dream of a white Christmas.

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December 5th: Today's song comes to you from the one and only Perry Como - such a classic voice for Christmas tunes.

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December 6th: Today is Christmas tree hunting day!

And a bonus song since this one has been in my head all morning:

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December 7th:  Today's song is one of my favorite Christmas hymns. I've been looking for a great rendition of it for a few years but always came up blank . . . until I watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional last year. As I listened to this beautiful piece last year, I knew it would be making the countdown this year. And here it is. (Speaking of Christmas Devotionals, there's another one tonight at 6 pm! Don't miss it!)

Click here for Far Far Away on Judea's Plains

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December 8th: Today calls for a little Forgotten Carols. I especially love the end of this one. It's the best part - He was here!

 

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December 9th: My pick for today is from George Winston.  I love his version of Carol of the Bells.

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December 10th: Here's a lovely little number to start your day from The Lower Lights.  I dig their folksy (read: banjo) sound.

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December 11th: Here's another classic Christmas voice - Nat King Cole. I love this one because it reminds me of our trips to Preston to see the light parade on the day after Thanksgiving. We'd drive around after the parade to see the decorated houses, listening to our Celebrate the Season with Tupperware tape, and eating oranges that Mom Peggy Elwood) would peel and pass back from the front seat of the suburban.

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December 12th: I have lots of fun memories of this song, Sleigh Ride: playing it (more like butchering it lately) as a duet on the piano with Heather; playing it in our high school band concerts when some extra band-geeky alumni would come back to join us for this song and the saxophone section got to stand up during the jazzy section near the end; and hearing this particular version on the movie Elf, while Gregg and I watched it for one of our early pizza and a movie dates. (P.S. You can just stop it before you get to the Santa Claus Party part - I don't know what that's all about.)

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December 13th: Joy to the World!  Kurt Bestor sounds like Christmas to me.

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December 14th: Today I picked my new favorite primary Christmas song. This is one I had never learned (or even heard, for that matter) until I came to the Vail Branch (now Ward - still getting used to saying that). The primary kids sang it so beautifully last night at our ward party. I've loved learning it with them this month and it will be one I imagine I'll sing for a long time to come. (Technical note: You may need to click on the little "audio" tab at the top, right under the play button, and then check "words and music", and then press play to get the full effect of this delightful little number.)

Click here for Have a Very Merry Christmas!

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December 15th: Today's song is one we used to sing in our Adam's Elementary Christmas caroling days. Fun times in the lunchroom with our little chairs carried from our classrooms and Mrs. Brown (the school secretary) acting as our pianist.

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December 16th: Jon Schmidt's Christmas albums are some of my absolute favorites to listen to during December (and, I'll admit, many other times of the year). His arrangements are fun when they should be and peaceful at other times and simply beautiful, every one. I love 'em.

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December 17th: I feel like this song kind of gets overlooked sometimes, but I really like this version (from those trusty Reader's Digest records I love so much) of that good ol' king.

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December 18th: Today, after I got home from dropping Ky off at the airport, Cal and I did just this. Only our version was "Strollin' in a Winter Wonderland". ‪#‎dailystrollin‬'

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December 19th: I was first introduced to this song when I went to morning aerobics (led by Joann Healey in her awesome spandex and leg warmers) at the church with my mom (Peggy Elwood)many moons ago. Whenever I hear it, I want to get up and dance. Ha. I don't think we worked out to this version, but ya gotta love Bing.

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December 20th: Today's song is one of my favorites, but this version from Julie Andrews is new to me, thanks to my aunt, Joan, for tipping me off to it!

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December 21st: Today I picked one of my favorites from the MoTab. But now I wonder, who is Jeanette Isabella anyway?

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December 22nd: Burl Ives has such a jolly, Christmas-y voice. I think, even though he's singing about Santa Claus in this song, he could actually be Santa Claus himself. In other news, Cal has figured out who Santa is and what he says. Ho! Ho! Ho!

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December 23rd: Another from the favorite Reader's Digest records: Doris Day sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Sigh. Beautiful.

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December 24th: Happy Christmas Eve! Growing up I loved Christmas Eve as much or more than Christmas Day: the anticipation, the last minute preparation, and a little time to just sit and watch a movie or read a Christmas book before our grandparents came over for a fancy Christmas Eve dinner (complete with china on the table, I think). My siblings (Heather, Nate, Kylie, and Megan) and I would always perform a small concert for them on all our varied instruments (piano, saxophone, french horn, trombone, violin, viola, cello), in various combinations, calling ourselves the Elwood Five when we'd all play together. Then we'd read the Christmas story in the New Testament and the grandparents would leave and we'd lay out our stockings and set out a cookie (or two or three) and note for Santa. Falling asleep that night was always a challenge, but eventually we'd all succumb only to wake before the sun (sometimes much much before), too excited about the prospect of Christmas to sleep any longer.

Today's song doesn't really have much to do with any of those memories, but I love it anyway. It reminds me of the whole reason we have so much celebration at this time of the year - it's because Jesus was born and we love Him!

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December 25th: Merry Christmas! For my grand finale number I picked a pretty great rendition of my most favorite Christmas song ever. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas day, enjoying all the good things. Thanks for playing along.  :)