Time for Tea

Ma Cheryl Stopped by just in time for a tea party with Ashley.

Pa David played with Aiden while the ladies enjoyed their tea.

Playing at the Park

Today it is 90 degrees, but the other day we were able to enjoy some cooler, fall weather while playing at the park with our friends.

Camping

Our First Camping Trip

Last weekend, we loaded up the truck, and I mean "we really loaded it" (Allen wasn't sure if I was packing for a weekend or a week) and headed up north to Sedona. The weather was beautiful! It was a little chilly at night but we all stayed bundled up. It was so nice to get away. We went with my sister, my brother and his wife and our friend, Mike. We roasted marshmallows, made dinners over the campfire, played at the creek, found bugs, watched ants gather their food, and most of all we just enjoyed the fresh air and good company! The boys found lots of firewood to keep us warm and tended the fire, or "bonfire" at times, very well!

We borrowed my parents old tent, which was the tent I camped in as a child. It was fun to see Ashley and Aiden playing in it. I remember how big the tent felt to me when I was a kid and watching Ashley, I knew she felt the same way. Thanks mom and dad for all the fun camping trips we went on as kids, I am starting to understand all of the work that was put into those great memories!

Ashley's favorite part was "marshing marshmallows at our camp out".

We are looking forward to many more camping trips!

A Perfectly Stocked Refrigerator

Lately, it seems as though whenever one of Ashley's grandparents comes over they bring something for her to eat so, she has been stocking her refrigerator with all sorts of goodies, including:

1. gumballs

2. mini-marshmallows

3. an assortment of chocolate candy

3. Easy-Mac

4. Yummy, vanilla cookies

It is good to know that if we should ever forget to feed her she will be able to survive just fine for quite some time!

What happend to my first sleepover?!?!

Ashley had her two friends spend the night two weeks ago. Terinna and Ryen spent the evening with us while their parents went out for the evening. This was Ashley's first time having friends sleepover. They had fun playing outside, eating dinner, taking a bath and then we all laid on the floor in the living room and watched Ratatouille. At about 9 p.m. they decided it was time for bed. To my surprise, everyone was so relaxed, like it was no big deal. We set up a bed on the floor in Ashley's room but that didn't last long, then we pulled out her trundle bed. Terinna ended up falling asleep on the trundle bed and Ryen and Ashley were laying on her bed. I went into check on them and they were giggling. I asked what they were laughing at and they said they were talking about their dreams. Ashley was the last to fall asleep. I wish I had taken a picture of them all sleeping, they looked so sweet.

When their parents got home we decided to have them take home. Actually, this was the plan from the beginning we just failed to tell Ashley. So, at about 5a.m. Ashley wakes up and starts crying and yelling " Terinna and Ryen are gone!!!" I tried to explain that their mommy and daddy came and got them but she was not very happy about that!

LOVE

Ashley: " I love you AJ......."
"Mommy, I think I love him more than you..."

Ashley: "Aiden is my best baby."

Race for the Cure

We participated in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday. We were there with my Great Aunt Rosie, a breast cancer survivor, my Great Uncle Gil, my grandma, my aunt and my cousins, Mandy and Jenna were all there walking too. The weather was perfect! The walk began at 7:30 a.m. and so, I was supposed to leave my house at 6:15 a.m. Well, when I went in Ashley's room to wake her up, she asked if she could sleep a little bit longer because she was still tired. I felt bad getting her up but then when I told her we were going to the race she smiled and sat up in bed. You can imagine she was picturing an actual race in her head but none the less she got out of bed. Then when I began brushing her hair, I said " wow, there aren't any rats (knots) in your hair today" and she said " that's because I didn't sleep berrrry long". Needless to say we got there a little late.

After the race we went to lunch at Duck & Decanter, a great deli. Then when we came home and I was able to coordinate Ashley and Aiden's nap so, we could all take a nap together...Ahhhhh, I love when that works out!

Did I check my mailbox today?

Ashley received this mailbox for her birthday (thank you, Raney!!) and she loves to make mail and "invitations". Invitations, usually consist of her cutting up a piece of construction paper into as many little pieces as she can, then making sure they all end up on the floor.

But, the fun part is that she started delivering mail to her neighbor friends and now she gets surprised when she checks her mail box and finds mail. One night she even received some candy! It has been fun and gives her a purpose for all the coloring, painting, gluing, cutting and writing that she loves to do everyday!

This makes me laugh....

This was from Ashley's hip hop dance class.

So simple....yet, so entertaining

We love building with wooden blocks. Ashley loves to build castles and now Aiden is right behind her knocking them over. It is frustrating to her but we build towers for him so that he can just knock them down.