Blog Held Hostage

Yes, Ashley is awesome! This blog has been temporarily taken over by an Ashley fan. I'm not going to get too sappy here because that isn't how we roll...but I need to take a few lines to give a shout out about Ashley. Many of you reading this have known her much longer than I have and I imagine you will be collectively nodding your heads as you read on. Here are the top 5 reasons why Ashley is awesome.

#5- She has the BEST sense of humor. Hands down - the best.

#4- She's really smart. I'm not talking book smart (although her simple math is impressive) she is also good ole common sense smart- Her advice is the "why didn't I think of that" kind.

#3- She is a people person. Strangers are drawn to Ashley. They just begin talking to her in stores, airports, restaurants, everywhere. I say her smile draws them in and before either one knows what happened she has made them and herself laugh uncontrollably.

#2- She is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. I'm continually amazed at how she listens, remembers, and acts on our conversations. Go to her house for dinner and she will present your favorite dessert- even if you don't remember ever discussing it with her.

and the #1 reason Ashley is awesome-----

at any given moment she'll outdo herself by breaking into song and later surprising you with the craziest and most thoughtful gift in the world!

You rock Ashley! I love you girl...but not in that indigo girls way... ;) Thank you for the dvds. Thank you for bringing out the fun in me. Thank you for being free with all those verbal affirmations you know I need. Thank you for being crazy enough to roll like that. It's no secret here, you are the best!

Just Nominated Best Mom of the year...

Yep-- that's me-- we pulled off the biggest surprise ever tonight for Payten and her 2 friends..... we took them to the Hannah Montana Concert. You could hear them scream for miles when we told them they were going tonight-- we let them know by writing a message in their Chicken Mcnugget boxes-- one box said-- U R Going, the next box said 2 C, and the last box said Hannah Montana----the girls put their boxes together to decipher the message----Results were as follows:

THE SURPRISE:

THE MATCHING SHIRTS:

THE LONGEST WAIT EVER:

THE STAR:

THE DANCING:

THE NON STOP DANCING........

THE AFTER PARTY:

(P.S. This really was taken last night--the date is crazy because my batteries died)

WE LOVE HANNAH MONTANA!!!!!!!!

A 2 year old's conversation..

Carter and I went to get my registration renewed today-- below was the conversation with the Lady behind the counter--

Lady(addressing me): Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?

Ashley: Yes mam

Carter: I ade turgey!

Lady: You did, was it good

Carter: Uh Huh

Ashley(addressing lady): Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?

Lady: I did

Carter: Dyu had turgey?

Lady: I sure did

I loved how he just fell right in like he was part of the conversation-- what a fun age when they begin to talk..... more to come...

Happy Anniversary Joe!!

Tomorrow Joe and I will be celebrating our 7th anniversary, and in honor of our special day I have added a little tribute to him.

I love you Joe, Thank you for 7 wonderful years, and many more to come.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone---I hope you all have a SAFE and HAPPY Holiday!!

Revenge is Sweet....

To get a little history you must double click on the "good clean fun" blog attached and read...
Sweet Tea for Me: Just some good clean fun

I like when people get me because it just gives me a chance to get them back-----let me tell you about it..

Was walking in the Walmart Parking lot yesterday... Noticed a Black and Silver Durango owned by Mindy Horner. Had a turkey fryer to return in customer service, had a flashback of situation described above.. had an idea..and what happened next? Everyone in Walmart heard the following:

"Attention Walmart guests, This is a customer page for Mindy Horner, please meet your party in Customer service, Mindy Horner please meet your party in customer service"

AHHHHHH revenge is sweet

My Week in Review---

What a week, I have been in Bloomfield, CT all week--in Black Belt Six Sigma training. For those of you that know what that is you may be able to empathize with me, if you don't know what it is you may know more than you ever want to know over the next four months, as I have a feeling it will have me blogging so as not to lose my mind....so since I haven't been around this week to blog--thought I would do a week in review----so here goes


Highlights of the week

• My farewell luncheon (always nice to be surrounded by friends and fam before you leave)
• Laughing at the lady whose undies fell out of her suitcase which came open as she got off the shuttle bus at the airport--and laughing at the shuttle bus driver saying--- Mam are these yours (this is SO going to come back and get me--why did I laugh)
• Learning that the lady I was traveling with was on the Newlywed show, and lost because she didn't want to tell the truth in front of her in laws
• Laughing at my boss saying "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". I have heard this phrase before recently in reference to all the water shortage and how often you should flush, but this time I found it extremely funny-- that was after 6 hours of statistics training on a Wednesday
• Good Food (and Free food at that)
• Laughing uncontrollably at the bell curve graphs which once the trainer added dots to the top ended up looking like boobs. (this was pointed out to me by someone at my table who shall remain nameless) After 7.5 hours of statistics training on a Wednesday I was getting the "to tired to stop laughing giggles" so bad that I was crying. The funny part is the instructor thought I was crying because of the stress of the class and came to check on me after class--
• Daily calls from the Family-- with I love yous, good morning, have a good day, and good nights-- I even got a couple of cute voicemails saved that I can reference anytime my heart needs it
• Daily check in voicemails from my buddies (even a nice serenade from Amos), and nightly debrief calls with my debriefing buddy.
• A great welcome back and a welcoming committee full of people that make me happy...

Not so Highlights of the week

• 36 hours of Stats (especially since it has been over 12 years since my last Stats class)
• Leaving the Fam on a Sunday and being away from them all week
• No exercise to counteract the good free food --even though I was fully prepared to walk every night and told everyone that was my plan...didn't happen
• Anticipating the next 3 weeks of training over the next 3 months
• Leaving the Fam on a Sunday and being away from them all week
• Anticipating a report out on my project on week 4 in front of a lot of really important people
• Leaving the Fam on a Sunday and being away from them all week
• Anticipating an end of class test
• Leaving the Fam on a Sunday and being away from them all week
• 30 minute delayed Flight home (30 mins doesn't sound like a lot, but seems like hours when you are trying to get home to see the fam)

Well there you go--- my week in review, I know I will be proud of myself once I accomplish my black belt (this is not in karate by the way-- that would require that exercise I didn't do all week) but it may be a stressful road to get there.... May have to increase the # of times I get hair color before this is all over with----

A Little Shout out....

Today was one of those days. The things that made it one of those days are not important. What is important is how great my buddy is, that stepped up to the plate many times today with no hesitation. When someone is there for you like she was, a million thank yous are just not enough-- believe me I have said it a million times today and still don't think I have said it enough.

So I would like to give a little shout out to my buddy Mindy Horner (it is not necessary to blog her whole name I know-- but I tend to call her by her whole name--so it only sounds right for me) Your friendship skills continue to impress me in every new experience and adventure.

So thank you again (#1 Million and 1)

By the way, I saw a card today that made me think of you it said "Some People are lame, Some people are awesome" when you open it, it says "you're awesome". I was going to get it for you but decided I would just show it to you the next time we are in Walmart and tell you this is the card I wanted to get for you (;

Moving on up....

Payten is moving on up to the next level in Swimming. We just found out tonight and I am so proud of the little squirt. In June we went to the beach and she wouldn't get in the pool without some sort of float or floaties, and she would not stand in the shallow end by herself. Then right before she started her swim school, I took her to watch her friend Grace swim, just to get her use to what she may have to do. I said see how she puts her head under the water, she said "I don't care I am not putting my head under water" now she is a little fish, and has only been there a couple of months. Her teacher said she couldn't believe how fast she has progressed. Yeah Pay Pay and Little Otter Swim School-- (BTW obviously mom hasn't done a good job at getting pics of the swim school-- so just added one of her silly little self)

Saved for future use...

Is it Kosher to blog 2 times in one day? Not sure will have to read the blog handbook .. I would have saved this for tomorrow, but since my friend blogged that she gets upset that I don't blog enough I thought I would over do it and blog twice in one day--

Anyway caught this cute moment today with Carter and Payten. She was pushing him around in her Baby Doll stroller, she put a pacifier on a holder and clipped it on him and he was sucking on it (he hasn't taken a pacifier since he was 5 months hold). It was one of those cute moments that I had to catch.

So I will hold on to this picture, maybe show it to Carter's first love, or even before that, when they are in their "not getting along stage" that is sure to come ---I will pull this out and say-- remember when you liked each other... and you would just do what sissy said-- can we get that back???? I am sure it will go over well and they will love me reminding them of this loving moment.

So Proud...

Joe has finished his first two years of school with flying colors, and I am so proud of him. I am sure the kids would be too if they really understood the full meaning.. either way, to show how proud we were of him we bought him a mountain bike (even got him a cute little horn that he removed immediately-- I don't understand) and gave him a well deserved, morning out with a friend to go bike riding.

And thanks to our sweet friends, we were able to pull it all off as a BIG surprise...He was so happy yesterday when he got home and that always makes me super happy.

CONGRATS DADDY WE LOVE YOU-- and the best part-- you are half way done-- it is all downhill now...and we will be right here supporting you every step of the way....