beautiful life

Anyone out there???

2012-01-24T12:52:00.001-08:00

Hey!!!!! I am not gone or lost. I just wanted to let anyone know that checks this blog that I have moved. Find me now at shabbyattic.blogspot.com

Come on over and follow me!

O Christmas Tree!

2010-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

I put up my Christmas tree. It was so much fun. This was the first year that Ashley Ryan has gotten into it and wanted to help me decorate. She did a really good job. I was so excited. Something I never thought would happen. I am decorating a christmas tree with my daughter. I love it.

I always loved putting up the christmas tree. I had parents who let me do it every year and I loved it. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I am so thankful for my little family. I am also thankful for my mom and dad who taught me to love christmas! Love you.

Vacation 2010

2010-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

We went to Gatlinburg again this year. This is Ashley Ryan's 3rd trip and me and David's 1000th trip! To say we love it is an understatement. We had a great time. We shopped, went to Dollywood, ate to much and even went to a football game. We also ran into Santa Claus!!! He was great! He wrote Ashley Ryan's name in the "nice" book and even gave her a christmas ornament with her name on it. She is still talking about Santa. This is a picture of my cheerleader at the game. TN was playing Ole Miss. Of course we had to go! It was fun. The stadium up there is huge.

We met up with my cousin, Calvin and his wife, Camille. We love them!

This is Ashley Ryan at Dollywood driving her first car. David said she is an awful driver. haha

Shopping in downtown Gatlinburg. She loved all of the fountains and Christmas trees they had up.

This is the view from the sky lift. It is beautiful!

Mommy and Ashley Ryan!

Yes, this is a fake Santa. She did not care. We HAD to take a picture with him.

Aren't they cute. They take the sweetest pictures.

This is our cabin. I should of taken more pictures of it. It was beautiful. We have stayed here before and it is my favorite. The inside is great. It is actually a two story cabin. There are two balconies on the back and a hot tub. The inside is typical cabin decor. Very pretty.

We are already looking forward to next year. I can't wait.

See below for Ashley Ryan's 3rd brithday party pics!!

Ashley Ryan is 3!!!

2010-11-21T20:41:00.001-08:00

Ashley Ryan is 3 years old! I can't believe it. Where did the time go? She is such a blast to be around. She is so funny. She is smart as can be. She loves baby dolls and playing with her mommy! Mommy loves playing with her too. We had her party at Kidz Rock. I have posted some pics for you to see.
Opening presents. She was soooo excited. I really can't wait till Christmas now.

Eating her yummy cupcake!

She loved everyone singing happy birthday to her. It was soooo cute.

Yummy cupcakes from Gigis Cupcakes.

It has flown by! Who knew 3 years could go so fast. I love my little girl more than she could ever know. I am so excited to watch her grow up.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I know I have a lot to be thankful for!

October has been BUSY!!

2010-11-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan was a tiger for Halloween! This is her and my niece Scarlett. They are so cute. They went to my church for trunk or treat. It was a success. This is the best picture I got of her all night. She would not sit still for 2 seconds for me to get her picture. We have had 3 birthday parties this past month!! Who knew at this age they would be so social?? haha. The picture below is Ashley Ryan and her BFF at daycare. Her name is Sanders. They are two peas in a pod at school. They are so cute. Sanders is such a sweet little girl.

The ladies auxiliary for the BPD had a carwash to raise money. Of course we could not do this without Ashley Ryan. She came and helped us wash cars. She was so sweet she even washed people's cars that weren't really there for the car wash!

The biggest deal is her FIRST haircut. We went to Tranquility Day Spa. She got her haircut and even her first pedicure!! So much fun.

She was so excited!

I love my little girl. She is such a blessing to me and my family!

We leave for vacation next week. I am super excited. I will post lots of pics when we get back! Lots of love.

Evan and Meghan Jones

2010-10-09T19:51:00.001-07:00

Evan Jones married Meghan MacMillan this weekend. Ashley Ryan was their cute flower girl. We had so much fun being at this wedding. They are so in love and so sweet. It seems like yesterday I was getting married. I have known Evan all of his life! Litterally, I was at the hospital when he was born. I can't believe he is all grown up. He married a fabulous young lady. I am so happy for him. Here are some pics from the weekend.

My cute husband on the right and my brother on the left. Me and David

Me with my mom and dad. Two of my favorite people.

Mr. and Mrs. Evan Jones:

Ashley Ryan walking up the steps at the wedding

Walking down the aisle:

Bride, Groom and flower girl:

Ashley Ryan

The Rehearsal dinner:

Lots of love!!!!!

Glory Haus!!!

2010-09-09T08:15:00.001-07:00

Have you visted Glory Haus??? You may have seen some of their products in certain stores around the area. If you have been to my house you have caught of glimpse of their work and just did not know it. I am totally in love with their products. They are based in Marietta, Georgia and they create the cutest things. They are faith based as well so that makes them even better. I am going to show you a few things on their website, but you will need to check it out for yourself. www.gloryhaus.com

Their items would make some really cute Christmas gifts and yes it is already that time of year again!!!

I have this plate, but mine is painted green.

I also have this great hook board. It hangs in my bedroom. I love it!

I have this coffee mug as well. They are great and boy will they hold a lot of coffee.

I have this mug as well, but mine is painted different than this one, but has the same saying on it.

Have a great week!!!

Guest bedroom re-do

2010-08-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have finally put something in my guest room! When we moved in we had a bed in this room and then someone at my church needed a bed so I gave it away. Since then this room has been the catch-all. I had to always keep the door closed because it was a wreck! Finally David and I decided on a sitting area/man room! I am really pleased with how it turned out. I think it looks really classy.
Our friend Tommy came over and installed the TV for us. I think he did a pretty good job.

This picture is pretty dark. I had the camera on the wrong setting.

This is a little better. I got a great deal on these two leather arm chairs at Miskellys. David ordered the lamp. I found some cute $9 curtains at Target and framed his poster and there you have it! Below the table sits an autographed football by Deuce McAllister!

I hope you all have a great week!!! I am sure I will be keeping my guest room door opened more often now.

Ashley Ryan Love!

2010-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan found her dress up clothes! I love this picture. She had to put on every outfit! She also thought she could wear this to school the next day. I had to break the news that she couldn't.

Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture? Yes that is an umbrella at the kitchen table. She totes this thing EVERYWHERE.

This is my favorite! How cute are they? Just two peas in a pod. That is a daddy's girl right there!

We have been pretty busy at our house. We are still praising God in the storm, but we are pulling through. Ashley Ryan is pretty much POTTY TRAINED!!! This is a huge deal to me. I was so hoping we could get this done. She just took off with it one day. She is such a smarty pants!

She and her daddy have been having dates. That is so cute to me. Today they went to the park. Last Saturday he took her out to lunch. How sweet is that? Oh yeah, he also took her to the Brandon/Clinton Football game on Friday night.

I told him that it was my turn! I plan to take her out on Friday night. She is the light of our life for sure!

Have a great week!!!

"The Lord gives strength to his people and blesses his people with strength." Psalm 29:11.

Best Friends!

2010-08-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

This will continue my post on best friends. As I mentioned earlier, I am so blessed. God really has given me some good friends. I love to think how he has put certain people in my life for a short period and then to think about the people he puts in your life for the long haul. That's what I can say about Haley. Haley has been my best friend for so long I can't even remember how we met. She has always been there for me. She has loved me unconditionally. I really don't know what I would do without her in my life. She can keep me balanced for sure. What I love about her the most is her honesty. She loves my child and my child surely loves her!

I am so fortunate to know her! I love you Hales!

I will Praise You in the storm!

2010-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I will continue my posts on Best Friends, because lord knows I have some GREAT friends and family.

I can not go into any details on the internet and a lot of you know, but we are in the midst of a storm. I have faith and my family and right now that is the most important thing in my life. That is the one thing that NOONE can take away from me.

I will praise YOU in the storm. That's all I can do.

My prayer today is for peace and strength. I mean the strength that only comes from above. I love you lord Jesus and I know you will help us make it through!

Can you ever have enough...

2010-07-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Best Friends???
I decided on a topic that I would do for a couple of entries. I am so blessed to have good friends. I don't mean just friends . I mean really, really good friends. Friends that would be by my side in a minute if the need arose. Friends that have laughed with me and cried with me. I have friends that have seen me at my worst and seen me at my best. I am BLESSED.

First, I will introduce you to Kim. Kim has been my best friend since at least 5 year old kindergarten. What would I do without her? Growing up we spent countless nights together. We would stay up half the night. We would play in her sister's closet because she had the coolest clothes. Kristy would be ready to kill us!! It did not matter how well we put the clothes back in closet, she always knew when we had been there.

Kim and I graduated highschool together and went to church together. Kim has lived in every corner of this country and we have never missed a beat. We are always still best friends. We do not talk everyday. For that matter, we do not talk every week. We talk when we can, but we have the talent of picking up where we left off. She had 4 beautiful kids and a great husband. (Yep, I said 4 kids...)

To say that Kim knows me is an understatement. I swear if I ever had a sister, I imagine that she would be Kim. Someone who knows me as well as I know myself. Someone who can be honest with me. (Sometimes I think that we really must be related).

Anyway, I love you Kim and I do not know what I would do without you. There is just not enough time in the week to hang out.

KIM:

Chair

2010-07-05T17:03:00.001-07:00

I bought this chair over the weekend at one of my favorite places to shop. It did not always look like this. I have posted the before pictures below. I really love the way it turned out. What do you think??? I painted it with some leftover black paint that I had. I ran to Hancocks and bought some fabric and covered the cushion while the paint was drying. It was really fun to do!

Before:

Another before! Yes, thats my dog!

Ever Grateful

2010-06-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

Oh how I love these dishes! Hint hint...for anyone who needs to buy me a gift...ha ha. Just Kidding.

But all jokes aside, I do LOVE these dishes. They are the Ever Grateful collection from Dayspring. http://www.dayspring.com/ is where you can purchase all sorts of christian gifts. I love it. I have actually ordered a few pieces of this collection and can't wait to receive it. They are having a sale through the end of June where you can get 20% off.

I ordered this great pitcher for myself...it will look great in my kitchen.

I also ordered this easel. This will be a great place to leave notes to my hubby.

I ordered this vase. I am thinking this will look cute in my house also.

I love this plate. I have not ordered it yet, but I will soon. I will have to get a few pieces at the time. The message says "always blessed, ever thankful." I love that!!

Hope you enjoyed my random post!! Have a good week.

60 Years!

2010-06-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my mom on Saturday. It was GREAT. She really was surprised. I had a lot of people help me pull this off. First, my dad kept a secret!!! My best friend, Kim, made the cake. It was awesome. Her mom made food. My sister-n-law made more food. My aunt helped me with decorations, drinks, cups and food. My mom's good friend, Debbie met me at the church on Wednesday to set up tables. She also met me at the church at 2:30 on Saturday to begin decorating. My mom's other friend, Fran helped me with food as well. I can't leave out Haley and her mom Carla. Haley helped me with the picture board. Her mom pitched in at the last minute on Saturday. My crock pot was not nearly big enough for all the meatballs I needed to cook. I called her and she ran right over and picked them up and graciously took them to her house to cook!!

My mom had so many people show up. Her cousin Connie drove in from the coast. One of her friends, Karen came from Philadelphia. Not to mention all the friends she has here who came to make the day very special. It was a great time. The picture above is when she walked in. I have added some more photos. Enjoy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

This is the board that me and Haley worked on. It's a compilation of photos from years past. My aunt also came over one night and helped me with this.

Kim and her awesome cake!

Below; my husband, me and my inlaws.

Ladies and gents, this is some cheap entertainment for a party! She is for hire!!

Mom's cousin Connie and my Aunt Pat.

Me and David

Before the party.

Shiloh Splash Park

2010-06-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

We live around around the corner from the Shiloh Splash Park and Ashley Ryan is in LOVE. We bought season passes this year, because trust me, it was cheaper! She has a blast and mommy gets to lay out in the sun. Of course, I can splash if it gets to hot :0)

Here are some pics from Saturday at the splash park. I am sure we will be there this weekend. In fact, if we are not home on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, chances are this is where we are!

Um yeah - she is drinking the water!!! That's kinda gross.

I love this one!

So I had this Old Armoir...

2010-06-20T20:01:00.001-07:00

So about 8 years ago I found this armoir at Walmart. It served it's purpose in our house for many years. When we built and moved into this house we bought new furniture and this had been pushed to the guest room. For months I have been telling David that I wanted a hutch or buffet for the kitchen. I searched in every store I went in and even looked on line. Everything I wanted was $1200 or more!!! My mom has always accused me of "expensive taste." The other day at work a light bulb went off in my head...I could turn the old armoir into my new expensive piece of furniture...

Below is the only before photo I have. This is David taking the doors off. We removed all doors, painted it black and added bead board to the back. My dad came in off the road Wednesday night and cut the bead board for me at 930 one night. He had some left over from another project he had worked on. So, literally, this project cost me $50. That is one can of paint and some brushes. It is decorated with things I already had.

I even put in my America decorations for the 4th of July. So, what do you think??? I love it. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

VBS

2010-06-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Vacation Bible School last week! It was exhausting, but so worth it. I love the fact that Ashley Ryan loves church.

A lot of people do not know this, but David and I struggled for a baby for many years. I remember many nights praying and asking God to bless us. He finally did, and I promised him that I would teach her about Him. It is my goal that she learn about Christ. Here are some pics from the week.

Monogrammed Swim Suit

2010-06-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

I ordered Ashley Ryan a new swim suit from a very talented lady on Etsy. I absolutely love this swim suit. The pics do not do it justice. She did an amazing job making this for me. The top is monogrammed with her initials. Here are a few photos to enjoy. If you like it enough, I do not mind if you copy me. Ashley Harvey from www.etsy.com/shop/cookiesncreamkids made this.

Hope you like it!!

May 2010

2010-05-19T21:11:00.001-07:00

we went to the MS Braves games last night. Ashley Ryan had a blast. She even got to be the honorary bat girl and go on the field before the game. At the Braves games before she went on the field.

We went to Gulf Shores for a short vacation. We had so much fun!!! Ashley Ryan was not crazy about the sand. But she found a way to get around as you can see.

How sweet is this face!!!! I love her more than she could ever know.

How cute is that??? I wish I looked that cute in my swim suit!

We have had a great start to the summer. I am really excited to see what else we do this year. Ashley Ryan is so much fun and such a joy to be around!!! She is still as sassy as can be, but after all, she is her mother's child.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Lots of love!

Hi Mimi!

2010-04-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

My mom wanted some pics of her baby! I need to take some more but these are from last week. She has been sick this week. Poor baby is doing 3 breathing treatments a day! We are ready for this pollen to go away!

Have a good week!!! lots of love!!

Picture overload

2010-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Something happened to my earlier post. So, this post is a continuance. Be sure to check the post below this one for more pics.

In other news, this beautiful baby is Elizabeth Jane Pierce. She was born on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 10:57 a.m. This is my best friend's 4th baby! She is a saint of a mom and doing a fabulous job raising 4 kiddos!

This is Ashley Ryan and "Pop" on Easter Sunday. She loves her pop. Not sure if she is giving me a kiss or what!

Ashley Ryan and daddy before church! She was giving him a "high five."

Lots of love! see below for more pics!

Family Fun!

2010-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan and mommy before church on Sunday!

Playing at the park. She loves the "blow flowers."

Ashley Ryan with some of her easter basket loot!

Easter Basket from mommy and daddy, I mean the easter bunny brought this! haha

We have been really busy lately! Ashley Ryan is growing like a weed! She is a busy body. She LOVES to be outside. We stay outside till dark almost every day. It's a great way to wear her down. She sleeps really good at night. We had a great Easter. Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It's right after Christmas in my book. It's not the easter bunny or the dress that I love so much, but the fact that Christ rose again! He's alive and well and I am so thankful. I have alot to be thankful for. Sometimes I feel so undeserving. But, then I realized that we are ALL undeserving of Christ's love. We are unworthy, but that makes his resurrection even better!

Here are some pics to show you what we have been up to!

Loving this Weather!

2010-03-07T18:52:00.001-08:00

This is Ms. Hollywood! She found mommy's sunglasses and put them on. So cute!!!

We are having a blast with this great weather we had this weekend. I think Ashley Ryan was loving on me for all the M&Ms I gave her this afternoon!! Mommy's so cool!!!

Don't you miss the days when you could be swung around? I do. This looks so fun and she wore us out doing it. You can't just do this once. You must do this 50 times! In.a.Row!!

Yep it finally happened. Ashley Ryan found the doggy poop in the backyard! She told the dog that he was "nasty." Then she said "stinky dog." It was sooooo funny.

David has been trying to fly this kite all weekend. Doesn't he look cute with the smurf kite!! He actually got it to go pretty high at the park yesterday. He did not have that much luck in the backyard today!

Thank you God for the beautiful weather! Bring us some more! I hope you all have a great week. Lots of love!

Baby shower weekend

2010-02-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

Mommy to be - Lara Martin!

Me and my mom!

Ashley Ryan being a big girl and drinking from a big girl cup!

Lara got some really nice gifts and I was so happy to be a part of her shower. Now I just can't wait to meet baby Olivia!!!

Long time-no post!!!!

2010-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Is there anyone out there who still looks at my blog??? It has been a long time since I have blogged. First of all, my computer died. Technology is nice, but it can be a pain. I thought it was my battery on my computer that needed to be replaced, so we ordered one. It never came in. David finally took my computer to the repair shop. They said it would cost more to fix it than to just buy another one. Soooo, I decided I wanted a netbook. The only thing I do is pay some bills, blog and look at facebook when I am at home. So a netbook is just what I needed.

My sweet mom and dad bought me one for valentines day. I love this thing!! It's pink! It even has a built-in webcam. We were able to talk to David's mom and dad yesterday on the webcam. It was great.

We have been busy since the first of the year. Let's see, Ashley Ryan is 27 months old. We are still not potty trained. But, we are about to really work on it. Tonight I let her wear some panties! She tee-teed in the floor, of course.

We are going to the beach in May! We are really excited to take her down there for her 1st beach trip.

O-my gosh! Can we say SNOW!!! Ashley Ryan has had way more snow in her short life than I have had in my entire life. It has been crazy here in Mississippi.

We are ready for spring. I am ready to be playing outside and cooking on the grill. Fun times! We are having cabin fever. We are ready to get outside.

Here are some pics to enjoy! Lots of love!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

Helloooooooo is anyone out there? I have not posted in so long. I am really sorry about that. We have been really busy. We rang in the new year with our Best Friends, Tommy and Nickie. As usual, we had a good time. I only have one picture from that night because my camera died right after I took it. New Years Day was spent at the house with my baby. She stayed with Mamaw and Pawpaw on New Years Eve. I promise to be better at blogging these days. I will update later with some new pics of Ashley Ryan. She is growing fast. Talking better. Baby-doll crazy. But still NOT potty trained!! That is my next step as a mom. I have been dreading this since the child was born. But it has to be done. I will be working at it again next month. We tried this month and she was just not ready. Get ready for this - in 10 months she turns 3!!! Can you believe that? Crazy, I know.

Anyway, have a great weekend, and I promise I will post new pics this week! Lots of Love!

Christmas and a bedroom makeover!

2009-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

We all had a fabulous Christmas. Ashley Ryan got so many new toys. My living room looked like a tornado hit Christmas morning. It took me 2 days to clean it up. We had a great time being home from work for several days to just hang out and do nothing.

The big news is that Ashley Ryan got a bedroom makeover. We got her "big girl" furniture. I just can not believe it. It seems like yesterday that I was looking at cribs and bedding for her nursery. She absolutely loves her new room. Here are a few pics for you! I hope you all had a great Christmas and have a great new year. Here's to 2010!

Festive??? We Try!

2009-12-13T20:22:00.001-08:00

I made these cupcakes for my Sunday School class last night! They were yummy!!Last year for Christmas, my friend Sarah gave me the cutest cake pan. It makes a teddy bear. last night I finally baked one. I had each side of the bear cooling in the kitchen when I looked over and saw that ashley ryan was eating it! O-well. We decided that a 1 sided bear would be ok.

We took Ashley Ryan to Bass Pro Shop to see Santa last week. She also had a blast playing with all of the stuff they have on display. SHHHHH....but I think Santa is bringing her one of these for Christmas...

This was her favorite! she just couldn't figure out why it would not go anywhere!

Last but not least! We did get some snow! It was soooo pretty. It snowed at night, so my pics aren't that great.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! REMEMBER, CHRISTMAS DOES NOT COME FROM A STORE!!!

Jesus is the REAL reason!

Ashley Ryan is a good momma!

2009-11-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

This is Ashley Ryan's baby. She does not have a name. Well, her name is baby. She is constantly putting her to bed. It's so cute. Tonight she decided to have a party in our foyer. She had all of the blankets and two babies in there with her. They even posed for pictures!

Notice all the blankets!

CHEESE!!! These are the babies. I would almost bet that Santa will be delivering a new one!

Have a good week!!

Happy Birthday sweet baby!!!

2009-11-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Here she is at 2 hours old! So precious!

Here we are at 2 years old! How precious is this child!!! She melts my heart everyday! I can not believe it has been 2 years.

MOMMY LOVES YOU ASHLEY RYAN!

HAPPY 1 YEAR!

2009-11-10T08:30:00.001-08:00

I have been blogging for 1 year!!! Boy time flies.

Happy blogoversary to me!!

12 Questions!

2009-11-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

I stole this from my friend Melanie's blog....12 questions and answers about me...

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?

I would run the light. I am married to a cop, so hopefully if there was one hiding in the bushes, I would know him :o)

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?

No, I played with my baby last night and watched her go to sleep. That is perfect!

3. When you reply to some one's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment?

I usually comment on my blog.

4. Your favorite Disney movie is:

The Lion King.

6. Games of strategy or games of chance?

Game of Strategy. Me and David are very competitive. I love to think of way to beat him at something!

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?

No.
8. What did you learn from your first real job?

That the littlest details matter. I worked at a Hallmark gift shop. You would not believe what all I learned from working at that little store. I learned that the smallest details make a huge difference...also I learned to be nice, because you never know who is around!

9. Do you buy or borrow most books?

Borrow from friends.....And normally I return them unread! I am not a reader!

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?

Denim jackets. I wore them in the 80's and now I love them again!!!

11. When do you start Christmas shopping?

Usually in early December.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds?

Of course, when I found out I was pregnant!!! I jumped, screamed, cried, etc.!!! It was a very happy moment.

Ashley Ryan is 2!!!!!

2009-11-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Can you believe my baby is 2 years old??? I can't. Actually she turns 2 on the 17th but we had her party this Saturday. The picture above is from the happiest day of my life! I know i look horrible, but in my defense, I had just given birth!

The party was so much fun. It was bitter sweet for me. I love her, but every year I am more aware of the fact that she is growing up! We also had her 2 year pics taken Saturday. I can't wait to get those back. They will be so cute. Here are some photos from Saturday. The big kitchen was from mommy and daddy and she loves it!!

This was at the City Park. We had her pics taken there and after she was done being a good sport for mommy and the photographer, I let her play!

We were trying to sing happy birthday and she wanted to do flips! She is always the busy girl.

Look at my cool kitchen!

Check out this vaccuum cleaner that Mimi and Pop bought me! She LOVES this thing!

THANK YOU KIM FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CAKE! It was sooooo yummy!

Halloween 2009!

2009-11-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan with aunt Haley!

Ashley Ryan seeing her Mimi and Pop!

Oh and they had sidewalk chalk at church! She loves sidewalk chalk.

This is one of the trunks. She was throwing a pumpkin in the basket for candy.

Strawberry Shortcake on a mission!

How cute is that???

Ashley Ryan and her daddy!

Ashley Ryan had a BLAST on Halloween. She dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake. She was the cutest strawberry I have ever seen! We started out at my friend Sarah's house, then off to the church for trunk or treat. We then went to see Mimi and Pop and ended the night seeing Haley and her mom and dad! We all had a great time.

Strep Throat

2009-10-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, we had it! Yes, we are over it. This is my sweet girl on Saturday when she was back to her old self!
This is at the hospital once the tylenol kicked in. She saw this box of Kleenex and let's just say she helped herself to the whole box. She thought she was so big pretending to blow her nose. At least she was throwing the tissues in the garbage. She did not feel good so of course, momma let her do it.

This was my baby before we headed to the hospital Thursday night. Her fever got to 103 and would not come down. I was kinda freaked out by that. She was so hot and you could just tell she felt awful. She is much better now, thank the lord!

Wedding Weekend!

2009-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to our family and we could not all be happier!! What a beautiful bride!

The happy groom!

Mimi & Pop with their "baby."

Is this an angel, or what???

Jimmy Dale, my cousin, married his long time girlfriend Lara this weekend in a very small ceremony at Bethel Baptist Church in Brandon. The wedding was BEAUTIFUL. Of course, so were the bride and groom! We are very excited for their new life together and wish them all the best!!! Love ya'll!!!

Pumpkin Time!

2009-10-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Once Ashley Ryan saw this swing the hunt for the perfect pumpkin was over!

Don't be fooled by this! She found the swing soon after and momma had to pick the pumpkins.

She is checking out this huge hayride we were on!

Is this the cutest pumpkin you have ever seen??

We went to Nichols-Boyd Pumpkin Patch over the weekend. We all had so much fun. I went to the patch with my BFF a few years ago and have been wanting to take my own baby for so long. I finally got to do that. I am so glad and thankful to have Ashley Ryan and I love to do all of these things with her. She is so cute and so sweet and has so much fun! She really is the cutest pumpkin EVER!!!

New Ashley Ryan Pics!!!

2009-09-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

Don't you love my cute night gown!!!

These are Ashley Ryan's best buds...

Small class today, but aren't they all so cute??

Ashley Ryan was coloring!

Okay, enough about me and what I have been doing! I am sending you some Ashley Ryan love! Here is a pic of Ashley Ryan in her Sunday School class. I am also attaching some pics of her cousins, Scarlet and Savannah and of course, Ashley Ryan in her cutest night gown ever!!! She is growing up so fast. I can not believe she is about to be 2 years old!

The last Couple of Weeks!!

2009-09-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I have been super busy! My friend Kristen and I set up a booth at the Muscadine Jubilee in Pelahatchie. We were selling some of our handmade goodies. Kristen makes beautiful frames and I love to sew.

This weekend David and I went to Oxford to the Ole Miss v. SE Louisiana game. We had a blast. We went to Oxford early so I could go to the square and shop a little bit. We also ate at Boure. They had a fabulous hamburger!!!! I bought some fantastic candles that are making my house smell soooo yummy right now!

have attached some pics for you to see what we have been doing!

THANKS!

2009-09-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about Ashley Ryan and I can't help but smile. She is WILD. She never slows down and she has so much energy. It's so sweet. She is ALWAYS making a mess, but to her, she is helping mommy clean up.

I can not imagine her any other way. I do not want to imagine her any other way. I just wanted to say THANK YOU GOD for my precious angel. She is perfect and I could not love her anymore!!

Weekend fun!

2009-08-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend. Ashley Ryan stayed with her Mimi and Pop Saturday night so mommy and daddy could have a night out. We went to a wedding reception for some friends who got married in Hawaii on August 1, 2009. We had fun and we had fun seeing some friends. Most of us all have kids now, so its harder to get together than it used to be.

Ashley Ryan had fun too. She went to a party with her Mimi and Pop at church. I hear she was the center of attention, which is usually the case. I hope you all have a great week!!

Busy summer!

2009-08-18T19:11:00.001-07:00

We have been busy! I know it has been a while since ya'll have seen my baby. My mom called me today and said "update your blog." We came home from vacation and got back to our routine called "life." That is wake up, get dressed, go to work, come home, eat, bath, play, bed. I told David yesterday that it's like groundhog day around here. We do the same thing EVERYDAY. I guess that's ok, but sometimes you need a change. So, yesterday when we got home, we ate and then took Ashley Ryan to the park. Tonight she went to see her mimi and pop and me and David went to the walking track for some exercise. Anyway, I have attached some cute pics of Ashley Ryan from the last couple of weeks! Lots of love and I hope everyone has a great week!!!

Vacation 2009!!

2009-08-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great vacation. Of course, we went to Gatlinburg! This is absolutely mine and David's favorite place to go. The mountains are beautiful. It is so relaxing to us. We took Ashley Ryan to a petting zoo, the aquarium and into Cades Cove. She also got to go to a kiddie amusement park. She seemed to have a great time! I know I did. I love to hang with my hubby and my baby. I have attached some photos from our trip!!

Easely Amused

2009-07-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

I went to Easely Amused tonight in Ridgeland with some friends and had a great time. They had Christmas in July and we painted 16 x 20 canvasses of a christmas ornament. I had to tell you that just in case you can't tell what it is! haha. I have posted some pics below for your enjoyment, laughter, etc!!!

This is my friend Melanie from work!!

There is a giveaway going on!

2009-07-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

There is a giveaway going on! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of my blog and click on "Mel Tells." She is having a fantastic giveaway! Melanie and I are good friends from work and her blog is always so cute. She actually created my cute blog for me. If you need a blog design, she also does that, so just contact her and tell her what you like.

Be sure to check out her blog and enter to become a winner in this giveaway. It is a fantastic one that I would love to win - hint hint!! haha!

Turtle!

2009-06-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

Ashley Ryan was not all that amused by our visitor on Saturday morning. I have to admit I was a little freaked out at first, but I warmed up to him once I figured out he was not a snapping turtle. You never know what will show up at the Smith house!!

Grands!!

2009-06-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

The grands came up Friday to keep Ashley Ryan and took some great pics!!! Thought I would share some!

As promised!!

2009-06-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have told you how I have been sewing up a storm and then it hit!! The STOMACH BUG! I have not been able to update my blog because we have all been sick. Ashley Ryan got it first, then my dad, then me, then david and then my brother!! The entire family has been sick! But I have managed to sew alittle more. I decided I would post some pics of some stuff I have been making. So, as promised, here you go. Tell me what you think!!

SEW CRAZY!!!

2009-06-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

I am really sorry that I have not updated this blog. I have been a little pre-occupied. I bought a sewing machine and signed up for sewing classes! It has been so much fun. I took a five week class at Continental Sewing in Jackson. I learned a lot.

I have been spending my "free time" at night when Ashley Ryan goes to bed in my sewing room! So far I have learned to make cute draw string bags, pillow case dresses, hand towels (which I add a little applique to) and aprons! I have decided that I am a fabric rat!! I love to look at all of the pretty fabrics and imagine what I could do with them. My goal is to be able to make the drapes for Ashley Ryan's "big girl" room in the next few months. I will post pictures later of some of the things I have made.

Speaking of Ashley Ryan - she is something else these days. She is climbing all over my house! Last week she was sick so I stayed home with her. She usually will play in her room by herself. I was in the kitchen washing dishes and I could hear her laughing at herself. She was having a really good time. So, I decided I needed to go and see what was so funny. When I walked down the hall and looked in her room I was blown away to find her sitting on top of her changing table!! She was so proud of herself. She climbed right on up there. Of course, now she climbs in her bed, she can climb on my bed, she can use chairs to climb up to the light switches!!! There is NEVER a dull moment at the Smith house! I love every minute of it. She has really filled our house with some funny moments.

She will be 19 months old this month. I really can't believe that. I can't believe that she will be 2 this year. It has flown by so fast it's scary!

I will post some pics of her on here pretty soon. Check back and lots of love!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up on Mother's day to some very beautiful roses! Ashley Ryan also handed me the sweetest card! We went to church and then went over to my mom and dad's house for lunch.

Once we came home, Ashley Ryan took a nap and when she woke up we headed outside to enjoy this weather. We put her in her bathing suit and let her play in the sprinkler. We don't have a kiddie pool yet, so this is it! She loved it. She was all squeals. It was very cute.

I had a great mother's day, as I knew I would. I told David later on that I appreciate all of the nice things he did for me today, but it was really no different than any other day. He always does nice things for me. The little things are what matter. Like helping me clean the house, vaccuum the floors, take out the trash or letting me sleep later than 7 on a Saturday! I am blessed with a great family. I hope all of my mommy friends had a great day. If your not a mommy, I still hope you had a great day! I have attached some pics for you to enjoy.

Time for an Update!!

2009-05-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not been blogging! We have been super busy. David started his new job and he absolutely loves it. I am loving having him at the house every night when I get home too. We get to spend time together with Ashley Ryan like "real family."

I started a sewing class! I am really excited. I had so much fun at my first class. My next class is actually tonight. We are learning to read patterns and will complete a skirt and a shirt when the class is over. I bought a sewing machine last weekend and I have been trying to sew a straight line ever since! It's fun and I guess we will see where it goes. When I finish my first project, I will be sure to post it on here for everyone to see.

Ashley Ryan has been sick. She woke up from her nap Sunday afternoon with a really high temp. I took her to the dr. on Monday and she had strep! Poor thing. She got a penicillin shot and feels much better. She is back to her old self.

This weekend is Brandon Day!! David is thrilled. haha, just kidding. He will be working some really long hours, but I do plan on taking Ashley Ryan and walking around. Check back next week. I hope to have some new pictures frok this weekend to post.

Lots of love!

Daddy's new job!

2009-04-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, David was recently promoted at work to Investigator. I am very happy for him. He has been a police officer for many, many years! I have experienced the night shift, the day shift and most of all, my husband having to work every weekend! He now works Monday - Friday from 8 - 5. I could not be happier. I had to snap a few pics of him on his first day on the job as an Investigator. Thank you God for this new opportunity and I pray that you bless his career from this day forward!

Easter Basket!!

2009-04-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan got her easter basket first thing Sunday morning. She was very excited. It was so cute. I was amazed at how well she did with the easter egg hunting also. She was great at it. We took her to the mayor's easter egg hunt on Thursday night and then she hunted eggs again at my mom's house on Sunday. See below for more of Ashley Ryan's weekend.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

After church and after we all changed clothes we went to my mom's house for lunch. I got a rare picture of me, my mom, my aunt pat and my sister-in-law and thought I would share.

Easter Weekend!

2009-04-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan had a big weekend. We saw her grandma and grandpa on Friday. She had a blast. Saturday she spent the day with mommy and daddy. We took her to Crossgates Lake to feed the ducks and then we went to Winner's Circle Park in Flowood and let her play at their nice playground! Here are a few photos from Saturday above.

And the winner is!

2009-04-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

HALEY!!!!

Haley won the giveaway! We drew names on Friday of all of the people who entered the giveaway. I have attached pics of the prizes. Haley wins a cute set of napkins and some yummy mexican dip mix! Melanie gets this cute kitchen towel which says "kitchen goddess." Hope ya'll like it!!!

This is the bowl with the names in it...then you see David drawing the name. I have attached photos of the gifts too. be sure to check my post below about Ashley Ryan's weekend.

Cousins!

2009-04-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Ashley Ryan went over to her Mimi and Pops house and got to spend some time with her cousins, Scarlet and Savannah. I got some pretty cute pics of them outside and thought I would share.

Give Away Time!

2009-03-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, a couple of weeks ago my friend Melanie had a "pay it forward" giveaway on her blog. I decided to participate and I actually won!! It was so much fun and such a good idea that I decided to do it too. Well, that was actually part of the deal. If I won, I promised to have a giveaway on my blog.

Melanie, you are already a winner just for giving me this great idea.

So, if you want to participate, leave me a comment and I will draw names next Friday and one lucky person will be the winner!!

There is a twist...The prize is a surprise. I think whoever wins will love it, but you want know what it is until you win. Good luck and happy blogging!!!

Staying with the Grands!

2009-03-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ashley Ryan went and spent the night with David's parents this past weekend. This was a first for all of us. I think she had a great time. I really hope David's parents had fun too. She even went to church with them on Saturday and Sunday night. I was concerned about this as their church does not have a nursery, but they said she did great. I was so proud of her.

They took her to McDonald's after church on Sunday and then met us in Prentiss so we could pick her up. I was very excited to see my girl, but I realize how important it is that she spend time with her grands. It's also important that me and David have a little time together. We enjoyed our time even though we just talked about her most of the day and night. She is definitley the center of our lives and we could not be happier about that.

Lay Up For Yourselves Treasures in Heaven!

2009-03-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

I drop Ashley Ryan off at daycare every morning and then I have about 20 minutes in the car by myself. This is really the only time of the day that I would honestly say belongs to me. There is no one wanting to be fed, no boss wanting those last minute changes to a document that we have already revised 48,000 times (or atleast it seems that way)!! This is actually my time to drive to work and zone out and get ready for the day.

David laughed at me the other day because I told him that on the way to work I put in my favorite CD and praise the lord! David said "well in the mornings I am usually jamming out to Glenn Beck and then I top that off with a little Rush Limbaugh." How depressing would that be? As if we don't have enough bad economic stuff coming at us all day, my husband chooses to listen to it!! Bless his heart. He loves loves the news!

This morning I was driving to work and listening to my CD when I swear God spoke to me. The first line of my favorite song is "Now is the time to worship" and I thought about all the stuff I hear everyday. It is hard to worship all the time. We get so caught up in the bad news. We get caught up in our jobs and the what if's. What about all of these people loosing their retirement? I am sure they are having a hard time at worship. But, this song repeats itself over and over and says "Now is the time to worship." I started to think about that.

Let's see:

I have a healthy beautiful full of life child!
I have a job!
I have a great husband!
I have great parents!
I have a family that worships!
I have my health!
My husband has his health!
I have the best friends in the world - friends that would be there in the drop of a hat!

What do I have to be worried about? Why shouldn't I worship? God says to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." This life is a vapor. Thank God! Can you imagine having to be here forever?

God really worked on my life and my soul when he blessed me Ashley Ryan. I started to see that the little things are what matter. It's not about how much money I have. It's about the small stuff. When I see her smile at me every morning and run up and give me a hug. That is what matters the most. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and thank the Lord for that. Needless to say I am not as skinny as I was when we first got married, but he does not care. He certainly did not marry for money either! We struggled for a child for many years and God saw that and he blessed us. Thank goodness we did not have to wait as long as Abraham, because God knows that patience is not my virtue.

So, this morning I did the usual. I dropped Ashley Ryan off at daycare and I drove to work and decided, you know what - NOW IS THE TIME TO WORSHIP!! Thank you God for all you have done and all you still do. You blessed me more than I deserve! I realize that it could all be gone in a second, but You are still here!

Here we are at the hospital!!

2009-03-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the hospital. She was about to go back to surgery to have her tubes put in. She was a little groggy. Read below for the how it all went!!

Tubes!

2009-03-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well we did it! Ashley Ryan had her tubes put in this morning. We left the house at 640 this morning. We made it to the clinic where we waited and waited and waited some more. Finally they called us back at 845. We went to the pre-op room where we waited some more. They gave Ashley Ryan some medicine that made her really woozey. It was kinda funny. She dropped something on the floor and her usual "uh oh" sounded really southern. She went back for her surgery around 915 and they were done in about 15 minutes. She was really fussy when they woke her up. She cried for about 45 minutes. We left the hospital at around 10:15. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and did not wake up until 3:30 this afternoon. She was back to her old self again. That was great to see.

Thank you for your prayers. We could feel them. I am glad the whole thing is over and done with. Lets just hope we are done with the ear infections!!!

love my new blog???

2009-03-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to my friend Melanie Smith who redesigned by blog!! I love it.
Melanie and I work together and she redesigned my blog last week and I think she did a fantastic job. Thanks Melanie!!!

How it all began...

2009-02-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

I started this blog for everyone to keep up with Ashley Ryan and all of the funny things that she does everyday. But, I thought I would give you a little back ground on the long road that led me and David together and made us parents to this precious little girl.

I will never forget the first time I met David. It was basically in passing. Just someone saying "this is Julie" and he said "hey, I'm David, nice to meet you." We chatted for a few seconds at most and he left. I remember that very day thinking, "wow, he is just sooooo nice." We ran into each other a few times after that and I even ended up at a get together at his apartment. We ended up talking most of the night. Then a few weeks later I ran that fateful stop sign. David pulled me over and we just started laughing and talking. He did get my phone number that night but did not call me for an entire week. I understand that in boy time that's like 2 hours. But, in girl time, that's like 4 months!!! I did not call him. If there is one thing my mom taught me that I actually listened to, it was that girls do not call boys!

We went to lunch just as friends. He even talked to me about an upcoming date he had with another girl. He asked me for suggestions on what he could do on his date. I tried to help because we were just friends. Deep down I was devastated. Who was this girl? Why did he want to go out with her and not me?? The night of his date I had night class at Hinds. I remember leaving school and he called me. I asked him how the date was going and he said "I cancelled." I was shocked and said "why?" He said "I would rather talk to you on the phone than go out with some other girl." I was so excited. That's how I knew that he liked me.

We dated for 3 months and on July 3, 2001 David asked me to marry him. I have never been happier. We were married September 29, 2001. The strange thing is, earlier that year I did not even know David. I certainly did not think I would be married before the end of that year. I had basically given up that there were any good ones left. God knew better than me, thank goodness. He certainly saved the best for me! David and I were both raised with the same values, morals and character. We had the same beliefs on everything. I could not believe I had found someone that was as good as my daddy.

We were married for a year when we decided we wanted to have a baby. I thought this would be so easy. I mean, it can't be hard, right?? Think again. We struggled with infertility for years. I saw my fair share of doctors and cried many of nights thinking that we were not meant to be parents. Finally in August, 2007 I went to church and Brother Steve preached a sermon I will never forget. He made the statement "are you putting something in your life in someone elses hands, when it should be in God's hands?" I knew right then that God was talking to me. I was trusting a doctor to help me have a baby. I felt so bad for losing the faith. I called David at work as soon as I left church that day and we decided to quit seeing the doctors and leave it to God. God is faithful. 8 months later, I found out I was pregnant. Praise the lord!

I can still remember how I felt when I found out. We were so thankful, and we still are. God is good and he is faithful. We have to LET him be in control of our lives. It's not enough to just say that He is in control.

I firmly believe that God had a hand in bringing me and David together. I am not worthy of the life that I have been blessed to have, but I am grateful and humbled.

Ok, i just wanted to give you a little back ground of where we have been and where we have come from. We have both come from loving homes who praise God and we are so thankful! Our parents raised us to be the people that we are today and we only hope that we can do them justice while raising Ashley Ryan.

Lots of love and have a great week!!

15 months!!!

2009-02-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan had her 15 month check up today! 15 months!! can you believe that?? Anyway, she is doing great. Her ears looked great too. She weighs 25 pounds and 4 ounces and is 31 inches tall. She is in the 75th percentile for her age group. She had to get one shot today. Needless to say she did not like that one bit. She cried and I think she gave the nurse the evil eye!
We only have about 12 days left until her surgery for tubes. The doctor's office called me today to go ahead and let me know how much we will owe at the time of the visit. Isn't that nice of them? Kinda crazy I thought.
I will keep you posted on how that goes. David is a little under the weather this week with sinus issues, so maybe I can get both of my babies to feeling better. I can't imagine why his sinuses are acting up. I mean yesterday it was 75 degrees and today it is 30 degrees! Good grief. Hope you all have a great weekend!!! Lots of love.

Shopping with Ashley Ryan

2009-02-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

So, Saturday my mom and I decided to go to the mall. We took Ashley Ryan with us...what were we thinking??? We started out at Gymboree. Ashley Ryan desperately needs some new spring/summer clothes. Well, I got her out of the car and loaded her into the stroller and off we went. Gymboree has a little TV area for the kids with chairs for them to sit in. Ashley Ryan saw this and climbed out of the stroller and went to the TV. She was standing in the chairs, banging on the TV and running behind the cash register area. I quickly shopped, checked out and we left!

We ended up going to get a sandwich at Lenny's Sub Shop. My mom strapped Ashley Ryan into the high chair. Once I sat down, I noticed Ashley Ryan trying to wiggle her way out of the high chair. I repeatedly told her to "sit down." Well, that did not work out to well. She ended up on top of the table! Yes, on top of the table! Don't ask me how. There were two grown adults sitting there and my child is on top of the table! There were spectators in the sub shop staring at me with that "look." I wanted to look at them and say "if you think you can do a better job, come on!"

I needed to run into one more store to look at some clothes for myself. I went into the dressing room to try on and I took Ashley Ryan with me. This was more or less to give my mom a break, since she had been chasing her since we got out of the car. Well, she got a little roudy in the dressing room and I sent her out to walk around with my mom. When I came out Ashley Ryan had made her way to the window with the manequins and was in the window display waving at people walking by! She is quite the little star. That ended our trip to the mall and we went home. Ashley Ryan was so tired and slept for about 2 hours once we got home.

We went to the Valentine Banquet at our church Saturday night. It was a no brainer - $10 meal for me and David and free childcare. Why would we go anywhere else and stand in line??? We had a great time. I went to get Ashley Ryan from the nursery when it was over and the two ladies who kept the kids looked exhausted. They basically told me that Ashley Ryan had kept them busy and that "you can't keep her off the ceiling!!!" She is into climbing right now. She tries to climb onto everything. It can make you crazy trying to keep up with her. It will also wear you out.

Needless to say, Ashley Ryan is full of energy and she is not for the faint of heart. I love her though. Even though she is everywhere and has a little bit of an attitude, that I have to admit she got honestly, she is more fun than I know what to do with!! She is at daycare today and hopefully not climbing the walls. It seems like over night she decided that she could climb and if you look away for a minute she could be hanging from the ceiling fan!!!

Ashley Ryan playing outside

2009-02-10T20:09:00.001-08:00

Ashley Ryan loves to be outside. I thought I would post a pic so you could see her pretty smile. I love this picture. That's my pretty girl!!!

I Love my Independent Girl...

2009-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

I just realized today that Ashley Ryan is EXACTLY like me. I have always been so independent. I don't think I ever thought I really needed anyones help. I can shop by myself, entertain myself and sometimes even like to just be by myself. Sounds kinda strange considering the fact that I love my family and friends and enjoy their company as well.

This morning I dropped Ashley Ryan off at school and she just ran into her room like she owned the place and never looked back. It's kinda sad because in a way I would love to be standing there trying to pry the child off my leg or something. But, no she just runs in and starts having her breakfast and finds a place to sit at the table. I know that one day I will probably appreciate this, but sometimes you just want them to turn around and PRETEND they do not want you to leave.

She is always THRILLED when I show up to pick her up from school and is eager to get in the car, so that helps. I really look forward to leaving the office everyday and going to get my sweet little girl.

I remember one day a long time ago my mom telling me that she wished I had not always been so independent and would LET her help me do something. I always thought that was strange. I mean, why? Well, guess what mom, I think I will know exactly what you meant in the years to come. I love that at 15 months old my baby is adapting so well to new things. She loves people and loves to be outside and loves to play and I really do love that. She is a beautiful baby and I can't wait to see how she grows up. She is changing everyday right in front of my eyes and it is kinda sad. I know that one day I will turn around and she will be grown.

Ok, this was not meant to be a depressing post. It just amazes me how these little people that we love so much already have such personalities.

Ashley Ryan will be 15 months old next week and that is just crazy to me. I still feel like I just brought her home from the hospital last week. I know that the last 15 months have flown by so fast. I mean should she really be going down the "big" slide by herself? Should she be climbing up the "big" slide by herself? She is running, chasing the dog, standing up in her rocking chair and drinking from a sippy cup! The sweet moments are at night when she grabs a book and comes to sit in mommy's lap. I love that.

Ya'll keep up, because I am afraid if we blink she will be driving and graduating from highschool!!

Lots of Love and Happy Valentines Week!

Look at my new room!

2009-02-04T08:44:00.001-08:00

We hung a new chandelier in Ashley Ryan's room yesterday. I LOVE it. I think she likes it to. We did not think she would notice, but she did. She kept looking up at it last night like "where did that come from." I thought I would post a pic to share. Enjoy. It even looks better in person.

Its been a while!!!

2009-01-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since I updated! We have been pretty busy. Ashley Ryan has had another ear infection. Yes, this makes 7 in one year! I am so ready for the tubes. March can't get here fast enough. She was sick most of last week and has been feeling alot better this week. She went to see her grandparents last weekend. She got to see both sets. She spent some time with her Mimi and Pop on Friday and spent some time with her grandma and grandpa on Saturday. She had a pretty good weekend! I think she gets to do the same thing this weekend. She is a very lucky little girl to have so many people who love her and love to spend time with her. We always appreciate the help too.

I was watching some videos of Ashley Ryan last night and it just amazed me at how fast she has grown up. Where did the last year go? It was kinda sad. I realized that I did not have a "baby" anymore. I had a little girl.
Lots of love to you all!!!

Tubes!

2009-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

I took Ashley Ryan to see the ear, nose and throat doctor on Friday. He recommends that we do the surgery and have tubes put in. We are going to do this on March 3, 2009. I could of done it sooner, but for personal reasons, we decided to wait until March. He seems to think that once we have this done, we will see a huge decrease in the amount of ear infections. I sure hope so. I can't stand to see my little bug sick.

She is doing great right now. We are about to finish this round of antibiotics for the current ear infection. Hopefully she can stay well long enough to get the tubes and be done with all of this. Right now she averages an ear infection every other month!!!

Keep her in your prayers that all goes well. I will keep everyone posted the closer we get to the time of surgery!

Mommy & me getting dressed!

2009-01-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. I just had to post it. Ashley Ryan always has so much fun playing in my makeup and playing with my rollers. So, the other day, I decided to roll her hair too. She thought it was funny!

Tubes?

2009-01-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

I had to take Ashley Ryan back to the doctor this morning for the second round of her flu shot. At her age they can not get the whole shot in one dose, so we had to spread it out. Since I was at the doctor's office I asked him to take a look at her ears. She still has a bit of a cold and has been pulling at her ears.

Well, she has a double ear infection! This is her 6th ear infection and round of antibiotics so Dr. Rogers thinks it is best if we go ahead and meet with an ENT doctor. So, I have an appointment on Friday morning with Dr. Lee at Baptist. I will keep you posted.

I hate the idea of her having to have any anesthesia, but I plan on doing whatever they say is best for her.

Other than that, Christmas and New Years was great. Ashley Ryan got some great presents from Santa and had a blast playing with all of them. She is the cutest thing ever. I will post new pics soon, but I have not even attempted to download my new camera software yet. I need to get around to doing that!

Christmas Week!!!

2008-12-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for Christmas this year. I know that Ashley Ryan will not fully "get it" but I just can't wait to watch her open her presents. I am looking forward to time off also. David will be off Christmas day and the rest of the weekend. We will be going to his parents for Christmas day for a little while. We always spend Christmas Eve with my parents and my aunt and uncle. My brother has two little girls - ages 3 and 1. They play so well with Ashley Ryan. I love to watch all of them together. They are so sweet. The 3 of them together could very well demolish my parent's house.

I will post pictures of all of this very soon with my NEW digital camera that David bought me. Yes, we have already opened our gifts to each other! We can't ever wait. We are just big kids. I bought him a new barbecue grill and he got me the camera. I love it. The picture quality is great. Keep checking back for updated pics of Ashley Ryan! Lots of love.

I'm Back!

2008-12-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog!! Ashley Ryan is doing great. Haley asked me yesterday if everyone at our house was well and I shuttered to say "yes." I do not want to say it too loud for fear of someone getting sick!

But, so far, so good. Ashley Ryan did run a slight fever yesterday, but I am sure it was caused by the chicken pox vaccinne. The dr. told me that in about 10 days she could run a slight fever and not to worry. So that is what I am doing - not worrying! The fever broke really quick and she has been fine since.

I am really excited for christmas this year. Me and David are going to try to go shopping Thursday night for Ashley Ryan. That reminds me - Mom if you read this - Ashley Ryan wants to know if she can come over Thursday night? I have ordered her "big" gift, but there are a few small things at Toys R Us we want to get her. Her room is sooooo full of toys. I wonder where we will fit everything.

My cousin Jimmy Dale will also get to spend Christmas with us this year, and that is a HUGE blessing. We have missed him for several years and are so thankful to God that he will be a part of it this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tired of being sick!!

2008-12-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Ok. I have not updated in a few days because me and David have had awful colds!! We have been fighting this stuff since Ashley Ryan came down with RSV. I am finally feeling a little better, but David is still sick. Ashley Ryan does not have RSV anymore, but she still has a major runny nose. We are just so sick of being sick! Last week I had a sore throat everyday. David had a stuffy nose everyday and Ashley Ryan is just coughing all of hers up. The dr. told me she would be coughing all of this up for up to a month. We have been doing at least one breathing treatment on her everyday just to help get it all out.

I will be so glad when spring gets here. We have been doing great all year until the cold weather set in. Now it seems like all of us are constantly sick. We have some great friends, Tommy and Nickie Smith (used to be our neighbors) and they call every weekend and want to hang out and I swear they probably think we are just avoiding them. Everytime they call I usually have to say "Well so and so is sick, so maybe next weekend."

Anyway, please pray specifically that we all get well!!!!!!! Thanks much. Lots of love.

We are Clear!!!!

2008-12-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan went back to the dr. today and she is free and clear of RSV!!!! Praise the lord. I was so excited. So, we can quit doing the breathing treatments. The dr. also went ahead and did her one year check up. We had to post-pone the first appt., because of the RSV. She got 4 shots!! She got two in the leg and one in each arm. The poor little thing cried and cried and cried some more. I felt so sorry for her! She is fine now. I took her back to daycare to finish out the day. She is staying with my mom tomorrow just encase she runs a fever from the shots. If she runs a fever at the daycare she has to stay out for 2 days! So, since my mom is off work, she can stay over at her house and play and get doses of tylenol all day.

On another note, I am pretty sure that my ear drum has burst. My ear had been stopped up for two days and it finally popped! Then last night I noticed that it was bleeding. Not a pretty sight, but it is what it is. Hopefully it will get better soon.

Thanks for all of the prayers. We appreciate all of them. Lots of love!

Great Grand Dad!

2008-11-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan has met her great grandfather on a few occassions. He is 95. Mr. Charlie is in the hospital and not doing very good. He is a very sweet man who has lived a long, good life. This Thanksgiving I am thankful that my husband has had a grandfather for 32 years! I am also thankful that he got to meet his great grand daughter. My grandparents were all deceased by the time I was 13. I miss them. I did not really know my mom's parents, but I know I would of loved them. I did know my dad's parents and they were great. They loved me. Hang in there Mr. Charlie. But, if/when God does take you home, I am glad you got to meet Ashley Ryan. We will always cherish the picture above!

Wow!

2008-11-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Who would of thought that kids could change your house so much??? I love it I have to admit. My house is ALWAYS a wreck now and just look what Ashley Ryan has done to the refridgerator! Its actually very cute.

Ashley Ryan is getting much better. We have been keeping her in and not going anywhere, and I really think that has helped. She is getting tired of doing the breathing treatments. But, we still do them 3x's a day. She is sounding much better to me. But, I will let Dr. Rogers be the judge of that. We go back on December 2, 2008. I am ready!!!! I love the picture of Ashley Ryan looking out the front door. I took it last night. It looks like she is trying to "get out." She is just like her momma. She gets cabin fever too!

Keep praying for a speedy recovery from this RSV!! I have to go. Ashley Ryan is out of my sight, and that can't be good. haha!

Birthday pics are in!

2008-11-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

The birthday pics are coming! I am to excited. To check out a few look at the blog for my photographer: www.twosistersphotograph.com. You can click on the blog section of their website to see a few of the pics! They are really cute.

Ashley Ryan had a pretty good day. David stayed home with her part of the day and I came home from work early and stayed with her the rest of the afternoon so David could get some work done. She is doing so much better with the breathing treatments. Thats a blessing. My mom came by tonight and said she had added her to the prayer list at church. Thanks mom! We will take all of the prayers we can get.

David is having some sinus issues tonight. Hopefully that will clear up soon. I swear I feel like our house should have a huge CDC banner around it to keep us quarantined!

I hope to get some cute pics of Ashley Ryan soon to add to my blog, but I want her to really be feeling good. Keep us in your prayers. Especially Ashley Ryan!

RSV

2008-11-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Well this morning I woke up and Ashley Ryan was still coughing. This cough had started the night before. I took her to daycare and went to work and decided to call the dr. on my way to work. I told them that although she had her one year checkup scheduled for the next day, I would really like to go ahead and bring her in to have this cough checked out. RSV had been going around at the daycare anyway, so that was already my concern.

I picked her up this afternoon and took her to the dr. They had to do the RSV test which was AWFUL!!!! They stuck a long q-tip all the way up her nose. She was screaming and crying and I thought I was going to as well. The test confirmed my suspicions. She has RSV!

We have her on breathing treatments 3 x's a day. The 1st one was not fun at all. Me and David were literally holding her down and trying to keep the face mask over her nose. She was not happy at all. We will be doing this for a few weeks.

Please keep her in your prayers. Please pray that this clears up and that she gets over all of this! I really want her to be well for Christmas!!! It can take a month or longer to get over this. She is contagious right now too. We have to keep her out of daycare for several days.

God is still good and I know he will take care of my little girl!

1st Birthday!

2008-11-16T19:26:00.001-08:00

November 17, 2007 was the best day of my entire life! My daughter was born. She is the sweetest, most precious baby I have ever met. I really cant believe it has been a year. Time flies when you are having fun. That statement could never be more true than it is today. We have had so much fun being the parents to our little angel. She was long anticipated and very few people know how long and hard we tried to have a baby and now it seems all worth the wait. I would go through all of the tests, dr.'s visits and tears again! It was all worth it.

Her birthday will be a good day!

We had her party over the weekend and she had a great time. She loves all of her new toys and we have enjoyed watching her play all weekend.

There will be pictures to post from the party soon. I have not gotten them back from the photographer yet.

Ashley Ryan starts in her new class tomorrow. I cant wait to see how it goes. I will keep you all posted!

2008-11-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

Today Ashley Ryan has her christmas pictures at daycare. She was looking so cute in her little red christmas tree dress! I loved it.

I put the tights on her this morning and it hit me that she had never worn tights. She was amazed! she kept rubbing her legs and looking at me! It was so funny.

I went to pick her up this afternoon and Lisa told me that she did not smile at all in her pics! I could not believe it. Lisa said that the man taking the pics scared her so she just kept crying. He was also trying to get her to play with a teddy bear. Anyone who knows Ashley Ryan knows that you can not make her do anything! So, I dont think it went well. We are going to try again tomorrow.

Later on when we got home she was her usual playful self. David came in and she got so excited to see her daddy. He picked her up and she was playing with his nose. This is an everday thing.

She also grabbed his ear and must of scratched it because the next thing I know David has blood streaming down the side of his face!!!!! Of course, she was laughing at us because we were freaking out and trying to wipe his face up!

I posted a few pics so you could see how cute she was today! I love her more everyday!

Wild child

2008-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan was in rare form tonight. She was all squeels!!! David went to pick her up at daycare and when he first walked in the room he could not see her. They told him that she was in the big girl room playing with some of her future classmates. He walked in there to get her and she was having a blast. She actually did not want to leave!!! I guess they have better toys in that room than we have at home. Thank goodness her birthday party is saturday because I think she will get some great gifts!! She has outgrown most of her toys, so I am excited for her to get new stuff. I really can't wait to see her get excited.

I posted a few pics from her tonight. She was in her pj's and running around all night laughing and playing!!

Cubby Hole

2008-11-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

For the last 10 months my child has been a member of the baby room at her daycare! I have loved this room. Lisa - the lady who takes care of her during the day has been wonderful. She loves Ashley Ryan and almost does as good of job as me :-).

This morning at my house was crazy! We all overslept. David had to give Ashley Ryan a bath, feed her, change her diaper and get her dressed for "school."

We all ran out the door like crazy. I usually drop her off at daycare every morning. But, today I only had 12 minutes to spare and decided he should drop her off while I jumped on the interstate and headed to work.

He calls me up after he drops her off and is telling me that I need to buy a mat for her new class because that is what she will nap on at school. I asked him if she was for sure moving up on Monday and he said "yes, and they showed me her cubby hole and it has her name on it."

I just can't believe that she is growing this fast. We will no longer be in the baby room. She will no longer have a crib to nap in, but a mat! This will be quite the change for me. I think I am more nervous about this than I was the first day I dropped her off at daycare!!!

Oh and Monday - November 17, 2008 is her 1st birthday!

I am ready to come to your bed, mommy!

2008-11-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Ashley Ryan is quite the con-artist! She has been sick this week, so i don't know whether or not to just let this play out, or actually try to break this habit. You know, the habit of your children coming to get in your bed in the middle of the night.

Saturday night, I let her sleep with me and daddy because she had been sick and so that's just where she deserved to be. In between us, right?

Sunday night, she went to bed in her own bed and I thought "this is good." She is feeling better and I will be able to sleep without a foot in my face or my rib.

Well, sometime around mid-night her daddy (the light sleeper) heard her bouncing up and down in her bed. Yes, bouncing! So, he goes in there to lay her back down, stuff the pacifier in her mouth and walk out of the room. Ha ha ha! I love that. She let out one of those "listen here daddy, I am the boss around here" cries.

So, when I woke up this morning, my angel was laying in the bed with me, and as daddy likes to say, "she was all toasty warm."

I guess I will see where this goes. I know what everyone says - "get that baby out of the bed with you now!" I will say to you that I do not know very many teenagers who still want to cuddle between their mom and dad!

Most likely, I will just enjoy it.

My name is Ashley Ryan

2008-11-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

I hate going to the dr. Ashley Ryan had to go back to the dr. on Saturday for yet another ear infection!

The worst part is that they will NOT call her Ashley Ryan. They only use her first name.

The funniest thing is, there are people who have known her for her entire life, who only call her "Ashley."

I really can't wait until she can correct people and say "My name is Ashley Ryan."

1 more week

2008-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

It's only one week until Ashley Ryan turns 1!!!! I just can not believe that it has been a year.

What a difference a year makes. We were so excited when she started rolling over, sitting up and crawling. Then, a few weeks ago, she started walking! She is all over the place. I love love watching her learn new things everyday!

I just can't wait to see what all we get excited over in the next year!