merry christmas!

merry christmas! paul and i woke up this morning to a white blanket of snow and snow falling almost all day. it was wonderful. i wanted to get the monkey bread going so we could eat sooner than later. paul insisted that we open present first. so we did. i know why now because he got me a monkey bread pan. man it cooks a good monkey bread! it was delicious. we love the tradition of monkey bread and orange juice on christmas morning. we then headed over to dad and mom's to open the grandparent presents and then aunt becky's (which i must say is our highlight!). becky and scott made us candles from their bee's. they are beautiful...i want to burn mine a little and then put it in a jar to keep it forever. 

we went over to g. birrell's for lunch/dinner. we have cold cut sandwiches, chips & dips, veggies, and all kinds of treats. then we always play fox and geese in the back yard. cameron and austin brought some movies they had made. hilarious. we started fox and geese and then got side tracked to building forts and having a snowball fight. it was a lot of fun. 

we went back over to mom and dad's house to open presents (we open ours at night). we had a great time. we then went downstairs to play wii rock band and wii playground. paul and i are undefeated in dodgeball. it was a wonderful christmas. 

some things we learned about the holidays this year. eat a simple meal on christmas day, remember it is the small and simple things that make the season wonderful, get neighbor gifts, family cards and sister cards done and sent out the first on december. 

-ash

christmas eve

paul and i have the tradition of sleeping over at his mom's house the night before christmas eve, spending time with his brothers and sisters. usually the boys play basketball and the girls chat on the sidelines cheering them on. it is a lot of fun. paul's mom makes a ton of food. i mean a ton. there is no way we can eat it all. 

this year, it was just betty, paul, matthew, heidi and i. very quiet and peaceful. we played games, ate, the best part is that betty found some childhood pictures of paul. i have been waiting to see some for the last 6 years. i was so excited to finally have some. i will post some of my favorites later on. 

matthew and heidi taught us to play smash brothers, we played apples to apples and watched movies. it was a great time. 

we came home and headed to mom and dad's house to do the pj's and book tradition. mom also started a great tradition. about 1 month ago, she asked for pictures from 2007 that i had taken. she made a 40 minute slideshow of all the things we had done throughout the year. boy has the year passed by. we left mom and dad's and headed home to fall asleep before santa came. 

-ash

warmth...

okay, i must say that i am awful with this whole blogging thing. i had a great talk with mom about it yesterday, and i feel somewhat better about it. you see, i have some of mom's traits in me. one of them is dispersing my time. i either blog for 3 hours at a time, or not at all. i either scrapbook for 3 hours at a time, or not at all. i make dinner that takes 1.5 hours, or not at all...do you see where i am going with this? i can't seem to do a little here and there. it is all or nothing sometimes. plus, it gets really boring with just paul and i. we don't do a whole lot, just try to stay busy with work, eat and sleep. mom also said that i can take little pictures of what brings me joy, what i am working on, some of my favorite things and who i love most! so, i guess what i am trying to say is so sorry to becky and mom for having to look at the beef stick for the last 2 weeks. i will really try to be better with keeping my life balanced. (also i know becky wants to see what we are up to especially when she is back east). so here we go...

we live in a pretty darn old house. the windows and walls are drafty, and heat doesn't stay inside very well. our first winter in our home, we would go to bed at night and have a thin sheet of ice on our walls. i mean cold. then we decided we couldn't live this way (i couldn't live this way) and paul got a little space heater. i mean little. i would leave the house frozen, go to work and thaw out, come home and keep my coat and scarf on. we had a furnace, but it didn't do much and our bill was ridiculous. we finally got smart...we got our wood stove up to code and burnt wood last year. we turned off our gas and our home was nice and toasty! heaven!!! (sometimes too toasty) then this year, paul bought a load of coal. much smarter. it burns longer, more even...i am so glad we can keep even warmer this winter!

-ash

hickory farms tradition

one night during the month of december, paul and i get hickory farms and watch a movie. this is a tradition my family started when i was little. we used to watch national lampoons christmas vacation and have hickory farms on christmas eve. mom decided that wasn't a good tradition on christmas eve, so now they watch christmas vacation and have hickory farms on another night. paul and i watch polar express, have hickory farms and some sparkling soda. a great tradition that i hope we do with our kids. what would make the night better? if it were snowing outside. i love traditions...

-ash

decorations up!

i love this holiday season...i love the lights on the homes in my neighborhood, i love looking into the front window and see a christmas tree, i love seeing the last minute yard preparations for winter (because even now we still have fall weather), i love seeing kids in the yards in winter coats, i love turning on the radio to christmas music, i love the nativity scene, i love my ornaments given to me when i was little, i love baking with the smell of cinnamon in the background, i love christmas movies, i love our wood burning stove, i love snuggling, i love my moccasins, i love my snow capped mountains, i love my sweaters, i love christmas cards, i love the stormy clouds, i love being with loved ones, i love christmas carols, i love christmas, i love santa, i love snow flurries, i love hot chocolate...

i thought i would start my entry today with things that i love. i feel so good focusing on all the things i love...i am so blessed!

paul and i got our christmas tree on saturday night. i love getting our tree. we walk around and when we see "the one", there is no question. when we got home, we put the tree in water, i put our door garland up, paul put the house lights up, i put the lights on the tree with the ornaments, paul came in and said it was 11pm! wow, time flies when you are having fun. i love this time of year. our home looks all cozy and warm. i will put pictures up a little later. it's the most wonderful time of the year!

-ash

some on my list

i really have a lot to be grateful for. i hurt my foot a bit, and while i was laying in dad & mom's room, i got a little teary eyed for the wonderful sounds in the house, dishes being done, the picture of christ, laughter, little pitter-patter of feet, the priesthood, traditions, smell of a pine tree, cooking/baking, those serving our country, movies, snuggling, the smell of wonderful food, shelter, football, my comfy bed, my paul, my ears, ben & jerry's, taste buds, the declaration, pilgrims, the origional settlers who had a wonderful vision of this country, water, aunts, uncles and cousins, friends, neighbors, my job, transportation, my home, recipes, my mountains, cloudy weather...etc

-ash

what did i do?

i have always wanted to make english toffee...so i did...i will say though that i am such a mess. i really dirty every dish in the kitchen. i think the best decision i made was toasting the almonds before using them. a much deeper taste. one thing that is very important is DO NOT LET THE SUGAR BURN...i was stirring my little heart out when i smelt the beginnings of something burning. so i stirred faster and faster. i bumped the thermometer, it flipped out of the pan and 300* sugar candy flipped onto my skin. i know that you are supposed to treat the burn asap, but i just couldn't let my sugar burn (paul thought that was a very stupid decision) my arm stings...really bad, but i will make it...linds brought us home some pumpkin seed brittle from williams sonoma. it has good flavor, but it is like $25.00 for a small bag. paul wanted me to recreate it, so i tried. it has cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and bourbon in it. it turned out good, but paul says that it is missing something. i will say that paul has developed snotty taste buds...i think i would rather have peanut brittle and english toffee, but it is always fun to try new recipes. (by the way, this burn is like the 4th or 5th i have gotten cooking, and paul says i am "this close" to loosing my cooking privileges. he is threatening to do the cooking...i am laughing inside right now)

-ash

dibbs

paul and i have this really childish game called dibbs. it goes a little like this. paul says..."dibbs, ash you have to make the bed" or "dibbs, you get to pick the game"...ashlee says..."dibbs, you get to do the dishes tonight" or "dibbs, you're being a meany face". sometimes (i hate to say this), we call dibbs on who gets to pray...eek, i know! what i am trying to say is the person who calls dibbs wins! dibbs has way more power than paper, rock, scissors, physical strength or manipulation. getting into bed is a whole new level of crazy... we both stand at the foot of the bed, because we know the first person to touch the bed will say..."dibbs, i get to hold you", and usually you get to choose the best position to fall asleep in! sometimes i will try to sidetrack him just so i can say it first and win. by now he has caught on and he is very fast at saying dibbs. sometimes it takes us half an hour to get into bed...(while we both are giggling). our poor children...

-ash

i won!!!

so paul and i have the electronic version of the classic game, battleship. i love hearing the sound of the missile traveling, the pause and then brgggg…awesome. i find myself getting giddy about it. i sunk his submarine first, then he sunk three of mine, i sunk another of his and then another, and another. he sunk the fourth one. darn we were tied…i wanted to win so badly. paul kept asking me if i had a system to my game…should i? i just punch in numbers and hope that i get one. paul has a way of making me crazy. he tells me (of course after i miss one of his ships) that i was really close, then i try to hit every available target around the last target, wasting time, while he gets another ship! frustrating. so, we are tied…he hits mine (mine is a three ship) and i have to find his (two ship). he tells me that i was close to getting his last ship. my next target was a hit! i was woohooin!!! paul was trying to find the direction of my ship, and i hit the other target!!! I WON!!! then i come to find out that while paul was stretching his neck, he looked and saw two of my ships…what a cheater face! anyway, i won and that is all that matters!

-ash 

dishes helper?

i wish i could convey to everyone how darn cute conrad is! there is no way that i can...i don't know if he is teething again, but he likes to be where i am, doing what i am doing. i was getting some dishes done, and i had him up on the counter with me (sorry katie, i started a bad habit). i took his shoes off and he took a whisk and whisked the water around. this boy loves, loves, loves water. when he hears the sound of water, he gets this grin on his face, and i know where he wants to go. before i knew it, his feet were in the water splashing around (a lot). for better access, i am sure, he then decided to stand in the water. now conrad is really strong and determined when he knows what he wants, and he knows he is sooo close to it. he plopped his cute butt into the water, clothes and all! i wished so badly i had my camera in hand. i giggled, he smiled at me with his two teeth grin and whisked away. i so look forward to my thursday's with him. he really has a way of making life so clear and adorable...to say the least, i didn't get the dishes done...

-ash

wonderful

my aunt becky finally blogged!!! i am so excited to stay caught up with her through everyday life. she is my favorite aunt...when she and mom get together, nothing but childishness comes out happens. i love how she lives what she believes, she is so funny, a great example of a wife and mother, and a loyal friend. next fall, paul and i are hoping to fly out and see our family members in tennessee. i love you becky...

-ash

it came!!!

i couple months ago, i had seen a recipe box in the hallmark magazine that i fell in love with. it was an antique box with the recipes burned into the wood. i still love it every time i look at it. my recipes now are in a big binder that is really heavy and not practical. i thought it would be great to get a box to put them in...that is where my search began. i looked on ebay, ksl, google, etc., and didn't find what i was looking for. finally one day, i came across a website with a box that i looked at and knew (you know when you just know?). i called and talked with tom. he said he had to finish a couple projects before starting my box and then it would take him a week or two from start to finish. it came today!!! it is so pretty and my recipes fit inside so nicely. i now want to find a wood burning place to finish it up. i am so in love!!! it totally made my day. this is another project that is almost done... the best part is, the money i spent on this has been the only money i have spent in a few months...(only $40) thrilled!

-ash

to a point

i don't know what has taken me so long to get to my breaking point...i wonder if it is the heartburn, the cupcake look, the 'chin' in some pictures, not sleeping well, breaking out, or just plain tired of looking the way i do...but i have hit it. i really want to take care of myself, eat healthy, eat at the dinner table (which we have done maybe twice our entire marriage), get a good 8 hours of sleep, be more active, enjoy life to the fullest, develop my talents, and just be me (in a healthier way of course). i guess this is really for me to remind me of my goal, to take better care of myself, create good habits now, and enjoy all that life has to offer. i am not really over weight, but i am uncomfortable...needs to be solved

here is my discovery...i was at a work meeting tonight talking about our food weaknesses. mine is totally bread and butter (much better together). i can eat chocolate/sugar sparingly (i made chocolate mint chip cookies and didn't have one...see the self control?), but put me in front of shirley's cinnamon/orange/raspberry roll and i am out of control. i can eat easily two or three in one sitting. mind you, not pasta...but flour, yeast and butter...hopefully realizing my problem will help solve my problem...crap, thought of one more BIG weakness...ben & jerry's half baked icecream!

-ash

i don't get it...

i have never seen the movie the nightmare before christmas, so on halloween, paul and i borrowed it from scott and jill. we sat and watched...what did i think?...i had my friend natasha in utter shock that i had never seen it, and audrey told me she listens to the soundtrack while she studies...hmmm. i don't think i liked it. i am a very traditional christmas lover! i love santa claus, the bright red and green, twinkle lights and eggnog. i love the holiday season. plus, i didn't like the characters of halloween town. they were kind of creepy. to top it off, one of the kids in the movie got a head for christmas! a head!!! granted it was a creative movie, but i don't think i would ever watch it again. not a fan... i did love big fish. that was an adorable one. now i can at least say i watched it...

-ash

spider web thing?

so i was at work and my co-worker started talking about a spider web thing...supposedly it helps write papers etc...i had no idea what they were talking about. after a rough lesson, a homework assignment, this is what i came up with.... i hope i can remember to teach this to my kids so they aren't as "far behind as their mom"!

-ash

the perfect day

today, paul and i woke up to the most perfect day. i wish everyday was like today. we could hear the rain, the wind in the trees and feel the crisp air. it was wonderful. we didn't want to get out of bed...but we headed off to church and had a wonderful sunday school lesson. i taught my beehives a lesson on loving themselves and others. i had a vase of bright daisies and one dull colored carnation. i asked them to point out differences between the daisies. i turned the vase around and asked what the differences were between the daisies and the carnation. the main point i wanted to stress was to be tolerant and loving towards those who seem different. i also know that some of them aren't getting along and it breaks my heart. i want them to love and support each other, because life only gets more challenging. i know that the more people you have around you to lean on, helps a lot. i hope they try hard to be better friends. paul and i got home, he read to me while i made a raspberry cream tart. delicious...and so easy. we each had a slice before we ate dinner. thanks williams sonoma!

-ash

Halloween Float

This year, mom challenged a couple of us to float the Provo River on Halloween day. I still can't believe we actually listened to her and did it. It was mom, Kelsie, Josh Mackey, Lindsay Bowerman and myself. Dad would not float, but he walked the train tracks a long the river to take photos. It was a beautiful warm afternoon without a clout in the sky...NOT! It was cloudy, there were at one point snow flurries and a bit of wind.
When we first got to the edge of the water, I really thought we would back out, but we didn't. We plunged ahead and got into the freezing water. It took me a a good 10 minutes to get my breath back. I would get used to the numb feeling in my back, then I would get splashed higher up and loose my breath again. About 15 minutes into it, it really wasn't that bad. We had a lot of people honking at us, and I'm sure they thought we were nuts!
I went as a prom date from the 80's, Kelsie was a hula girl, mom was Pat from SNL, Josh was a biker with tattoos, and Lindsey was Lucy from Charlie Brown. We sure did bond, and now I can say proudly that I floated the Provo River on Halloween! Thanks mom for an incredible memory.
-ash

halloween

halloween has come and gone...i can hardly believe it. i woke up this morning to a beautiful brewing fall sky. i love mornings like this. i do however have a couple regrets about this halloween...paul and i didn't carve pumpkins and we didn't watch charlie brown and the great pumpkin like we have the last 6 years. what the heck? it felt like halloween came so fast this year. when your a kid, there is a feeling of anticipation in the air. when you grow up...you get busy with work, you loose that feeling. my goal this next year, is to enjoy every single minute and get that feeling back. one thing i must say i did that was fun (for the first 15 minutes) was floating down the provo river in my costume. i went as a prom date in the 80's. i had my hair ponytail slicked to the side, a disgusting dress with a huge bow...the only thing i wanted to have but didn't, was lace gloves. like i said, it was fun for the first 15 minutes, then it started to rain and the wind started acting up. i went with kels, mom, and josh and lindsay from work. we were ice cubes. (pictures will come later) i had a lot of hot chocolate when i got home. the rest of the day was nice. went to costco to get candy, and went to mom and dad's for the traditional chili and breadsticks. (i of course didn't have chili, i made potato cheese soup) paul got home really late, and we headed home. next year will be different...i want that holiday feeling back...

-ash

ugly

i don't know why we love to make ourselves look the worst...somehow we pull it off very well. my computer has the photo booth feature. the options are endless, and i am sure we just got started!

-ash

High School Musical 3

What happens when a bunch of us love the movies High School Musical 1 & 2? Well, of course we are more than happy/thrilled/excited/giddy to go and see the 3rd one! It was so much fun to have a girl's night out and celebrate how this high school was nothing like ours. Oh that Zach Effron!
-ash

Katie Bigelow, Lindsey Birrell (the HSM3 crew), Ashlee Ward, Miranda Porter,

Madi Campbell, Abby Birrell

irritations

so i went onto ebay the other day, found an apothecary jar i fell in love with, bought it, and got it in the mail. i am not sure if it is going to work. i wanted to put my pinecones in it. i was thrilled to get the box on our porch...then i looked closely and saw that someone in the mail room had a bad day or something. it was kicked in. now, i thought when the word 'fragile' was written on a box, it really meant it was fragile...is that not the case anymore? i wanted to cry when i saw i wouldn't be able to use it at all. the good news is, somehow the lid survived, though not much good it will do. i would love to know how something like this happens...any guesses? hopefully i will have better luck next time.

-ash

one project down, zillion to go

doesn't it feel so good to get a project finished. i love that feeling. my dad's mom taught me how to crochet and i must admit...very therapeutic. i am so glad i asked her to teach me how to crochet. i got to spend a few hours with her, just her. i loved every minute of it. she is so willing to teach me anything. a couple years ago, she taught me how to make banana cream pies from scratch... her way (there isn't a better way). anywho...i have heard some of my family members refer to this hobby as a waist of time. not at all! i foolishly made paul an afghan that was 7 feet tall by 4.5 feet wide in a SINGLE STITCH! totally learned my lesson on that one. i love scarfs, love them. so i thought i would make myself a scarf. i went to heinzelmans's, picked out wool-blend yarn and started. i did this one with a double stitch zig-zag pattern. finally finished. i added little pom poms at each end to finish it off. i am so glad i asked grandma to teach me something she loves to do. i love it now too...thanks for passing on one of my passions.

-ash

sick day

i am hardly ever sick, but today just didn't start out well. you see, when i eat a lot of bread, chocolate, spicy food, red meat, etc (you are probably thinking what can't i eat?), i get the worst heart burn. mom always says i don't have a lot of room at the waist...so true. i have about 1.5 inches between my ribs and my hips...not a lot of room. we had meatloaf, mashed potatoes and roasted veggies for dinner last night. to top it off, we had pumpkin dessert squares. i went to bed knowing i wouldn't sleep well. i woke up this morning and still didn't feel well. katie finally realized my pain when she became prego with heart burn. not fun. anywho, i went into work for a tiny bit and went back home. i finished crocheting my scarf, started my little pom poms for the scarf, finished preserving my recipes and watched the love bug. still not feeling well at dinner time and i am too scared to try to eat something. i know tomorrow will be a better day. 

-ash

end of summer

each time i look at the mountains and see the changing of the leaves, i know that the ward home will change too! here are a couple changes. the car doesn't smell like fuel, dirt clumps aren't all over my kitchen floor and paul is a little cleaner. paul loves working outside...he loves getting dirty and smelly. i must admit i do too. i love looking down the road seeing paul coming. he gets out of the car and as he walks, dust comes up from his boots and pant legs. i thought i would share a little of what he does all summer. i must say he did a great job at this home. i love the water feature (just to let you know, the term is not waterfall...it is water feature...after 5.5 years i ought to know). i do love the changing of the seasons, and the changing of our home. i guess that's what makes us 'tick'. 

ash

one of our favorite places

we have been thinking of one of our favorite places in the world...in 2006 we went to europe. we back packed/toured 5 countries. we went to england, france, italy, austria, and switzerland. paul and i really wanted to go to normandy beach. we took a train up to bayeux france. the town was beautiful. the homes and churches look just like the movies. very quaint and quiet. we took a taxi ride through beautiful communities and ended up at normandy beach. it was an overcast day. paul and i were the first ones there. the united states purchased the beach there and built a beautiful memorial. there is a host from the united states stationed at the memorial. he and his family are there for 5 years. he was so nice. he let us in early and gave us a lot of great insights to the memorial. walking around the grounds was so humbling, so...words can't express how we felt. then we took the trail down to the beach. looking from the beach up to the hills brought us to tears. i had to take some of the sand back home with me. we spent all afternoon there and didn't want to leave. it is by far one of our favorite places.

-ash

peach jam

i will admit that i went a little overboard with making peach freezer jam this year! our trees finally ripened and paul went out and picked me peaches to make fresh pies, shakes and jam. i have no idea how to make a little at a time. after a few trips to the store for jars and pectin (oh and then lemon juice), my kitchen was a disaster zone. bowls, sugar, syrup and peach skins everywhere! i started on sunday and invited katie, ransom and conrad to come and help on monday for family night. we made pizza, conrad slept with a cold and we had a lot of laughs. by 11pm we were done. i wasn't though. i had run out of jars, but had some peaches pureed and lemoned! tuesday i wrapped it up finally. i don't want to make another jar of jam (unless of course strawberries or raspberries come back into season). now we can look forward to having warm rolls smothered in jam with stew!

-ash

girls night

you know what i think is so sad? is after highschool the wonderful friendships you had get lost. either by stupid differences you think are so big, but really aren't, moving away for school, getting married, finding new friends, etc. i had some wonderful friends in highschool. we also happened to be the same ward. three of us even have the same birthday. marianne, beth, kim, megan, and i did a lot together. then of course after highschool comes and you try to find yourself, you move on with your life. almost ten years later, one of them has the bright idea to get together to catch up! why had we not done this before?! i had such a good time. talking to each of them and finding out what they are up to, remembering the funniest memories, looking in the yearbook trying to fill each other in on who is where, and snacking. i don't think i realized how much i missed them until this morning when i thought about last night. i know how important it is to have good friends around you who love you and support you. the cool thing is that it didn't seem like it had been years since i had seen them. i guess that is how you know you found some good friends. i truly love them and can't wait until the next time...

-ash

heebie jeebie's

so paul brought a friend home from work yesterday. it was nasty. i hate spiders, i hate spiders, i hate spiders! then paul tells me it jumps. way worse! i was at mom and dads getting ready to go shopping with dad, when paul comes in with a cardboard box. that's right, a cardboard box. he opens it on the counter, abby screams and i felt sick to my stomach. i didn't look at it (hence the lack of picture). it was funny to see ransom, mom and paul looking over the box. mom wanted to touch it and hold it. ransom was in heaven and paul thought he had found the most incredible toy in the world. i don't know where he gets his fascination with spiders. when we were in mapleton, he would play with the webs hoping the spider would come out and "play". i don't get it at all. so i get home and forget the spider is there. i walked into the mud room and there is the box. i must say i sort of "freaked" out big time. even writing this, i have goose bumps up and down my spine. thank goodness it isn't at home anymore. a co-worker wanted to keep it. (stupid boy i think) anywho. i am so glad it is gone. 

-ash

my prodigy

during dinner, lindsey thought of a fun game to do while we waited for our food. one person starts by drawing a picture and then a line to the next person who draws a picture then a line and so on...it got to paul and this is what he did. i giggle still now looking at it. i must explain it to you...on the side with the square smiley faces they are 'happy' because the store is open. on the other side with the triangle frownies, they are sad because the store is closed...need i say more. i wonder where he gets things like this. he is so darn cute!!! like i said before, he is my prodigy...

-ash

early morning walking

i must say that it is much easier for me to wake up before 6am than after. paul is up by then anyway getting ready to go for work. so when kelsie and i decided it was time to get our bums in shape, it was an easy decision for me to go at 6. the only things that keeps me in bed are...snuggling, i am warm, tired, wondering if kelsie is up yet, and isn't it saturday morning? going walking is fun though. we get to chat (she mainly talks about josh and i was greeted this morning with 2 weeks 6 days until he comes), work up some perspiration and talking about life in general. my goal is to get abby to come and walk with us. she didn't seem at all interested when i asked her before, but i think i might give it another go... my mornings seem to go a lot smoother the earlier i wake up. (i get to spend a little more time reading the scriptures which is a bonus...) i've discovered my day is more enjoyable too. i would much rather have a somewhat enjoyable day than a day i can't wait to be over... getting up early and being active is wonderful!

-ash

family time, eating time

tonight mom made delicious chicken pot pies. they were really good. those who know me, know i love good food and can't get enough of it. now...when you add family time to it (not the arguing part), it is even better. i went over just before our stake fireside to eat. because paul and i just got back from our trip and i hadn't done any shopping, she made us some too! (aren't i lucky!) i was catching up with them about school and friends and mom started taping. that is when the fun began...i love my sisters, i am even crazy about them. i love spending time with them and know that we would do anything for each other. if you want to see more, go to dad and mom's blog and check out the video...good times...

the fireside was really good. sister draper talked about gardening, good soil and life. she also said to choose the best out of what you are doing, really spend your time in the good things, reading good books, and not procrastinate what you say you will do tomorrow. president draper talked about the attributes of jesus. he loves us, he is justice and he is mercy. he also said to trust heavenly father. trust in his timing, his love and his plan. sometimes you go to something you know is good for you, but then you leave with so much more than that. i needed to hear what they talked about. i get caught up in making sure i am doing what i want to be doing, when sometimes what i want to do isn't the best use of my time. i need to do what is best for me and for those around me...be more involved in the community, in church, work, and do all i can to be a better wife. life is too short...well anyway, these are some of my goals...

-ash

mount rushmore

paul and i decided it would be fun to go on a road trip. he needed a break from work and i wanted to spend time with him. he surprised me and got information about good ol' south dakota. i asked some friends and they said that the drive is beautiful and there is so much to see out there. i called to make a reservation at a campsite called spokane creek. the woman i spoke with told me it was about 30-35 degrees at night. the high during the day was about 55 degrees. i told paul, but he was still insistent that we camp...he said "we have a 10 degree bag, you'll be fine". i have to be honest, i dreaded being cold. we packed on friday and left saturday morning. about 20 minutes into the drive, a rock hit the windshield. it is a nice crack as you can see in the picture. i knew from that moment on, it would be so fun! those of you who are wondering about the beautiful drive...well the wyoming part (most of it) is not pretty. there is nothing out there. no wonder not a lot of people live there. the moment you get into south dakota these beautiful hills (black hills) come out of nowhere! we got to keystone around 7:30. it was raining and getting dark. we decided to stay at a hotel considering the elements. great decision i think. the next morning we headed spokane creek to set up camp. it was a beautiful day, blue sky, slight breeze and i was with paul. as we headed up i saw mount rushmore and got giddy. i couldn't believe we were actually there. we had a blast. toured the memorial, went on some hikes, drove around the national parks there (there are a lot of them), saw eye of the needle, went to a chuck wagon dinner/show, listened to harry potter, slept really warm, enjoyed the whole trip. here are some highlights from each day

-day one-long drive, flat and ugly in wyoming, lots of deer, raining/stormy, beautiful black hills, cool wood bridges, paul said !*@$% as we scraped the bottom of the car, paul is hungry all the time (he ate 3 granola bars in one sitting), hubcap is squeaky, i saw mount rushmore first, no phone service, byu won 59-0!

-day two-went to mount rushmore, walked the presidential trail, watched night program with light show,  saw lakota lake, found spokane creek, set up camp, paul kept telling me "way to go girl" as i helped set up camp, found a little frog, ate at big time pizza, paul eats a ton, drove around national parks, paul tested his gortex boots, i saw a huge turtle that turned out to be a rock, paul still claims he saw mount rushmore first, no phone service.

-day three-paul didn't sleep well, woke up at 9am, paul is way underfed, saw crazy horse monument, paul bought milk for his cookies and claimed that i didn't buy the right ones, paul gets to do our traveling shopping from now on, paul fell and didn't take his hands out of his pockets, i laughed really hard, went to jewel cave, met steve and jenny gibson (relatives of jacob family i know...small world), christmas village store ladies were really rude, waiting for chuck wagon show so hungry, paul is "in charge" of music, i tried to yodel (paul laughed at me), paul kicked my butt with hand-held yahtzee.

-day four-took down camp really fast, harry potter was over mid-wyoming, paul froze i-pod, paul really eats a lot, i discovered that i get more childish the longer i sit in the car (poor paul)

boston cream pie

paul and i have started a little something new...the first and third tuesday of each month, we have to try new dinner and dessert recipes. now those who know me, know i don't try anything at all new. i kind of freak out about new foods. i panic a little. so i made dinner and then wanted to try this boston cream pie. i had wanted to make it before, but i wanted to make the whole thing from scratch! apparently i don't have time for that. (by the way, i love going to www.kraftfoods.com. this is where i got this one. also they send a free food magazine with great pictures and easy/fast recipes every three months or so. and it is FREE!) so i got this recipe (really easy, really easy). paul loved it. i made two (i can't seem to make smaller portions yet) so mom and dad got one too. go onto the site and look around and let me know what you think. so far trying out new recipes has been a hit. send some good recipes my way to help us branch out. (remember the magazine is free!)

-ash

summer days

i woke up this morning to chilly autumn air. man! already?! there are some activities i love during the summer and tubing is one of them. i was looking through some pictures i have of tubing through the years and thought i would share them. i totally love fall! i wish fall were 9 months out of the year. i love waking up with a colder air, the smell of spices in my kitchen and my sweaters (snuggling with hot chocolate is also wonderful). i love tubing and will miss it greatly. i love relaxing in the sun (with a numb bum!) and watching the water, the leaves and my friends and family enjoying themselves. mom wants to go on halloween day in her devil costume. sounds fun? drive by the provo river and maybe we will be there!

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our days

i thought i would let you all in on my favorite days. i get to watch conrad on thursdays for ransom and katie. they are by far the best days. we get to go to the park, lay on a blanket on the lawn, swing, play with wheels of the stroller/cars, eat and nap. he is so funny to be with. he is such a happy boy. the world is perfect when he is around!

-ash

harry potter night

paul and i read the harry potter books together and love it. in fact one of my favorite days was a sunday when we were first married.  we woke up and started reading the first one (my first time reading the book series). suddenly it was lunch time. i took a bubble bath while he read to me, we laid in bed while i read to him, he read while i cooked dinner and before we knew it, it was 10pm...oops...we had missed church! anywho, we started reading the series again and finished the first one. we borrowed the 1st movie from dad and mom and watched it tonight. it was fun to snuggle and point out ALL the differences with the book and movie! i love this tradition.

-ash

pumpkin bread

today i got to watch conrad. katie needed to get a couple things done at work, i was the lucky one to hang out with him. he is so funny! i could hang with him for days and days. he wanted some pumpkin bread and who could blame him...i love pumpkin bread too! i cut us a slice to share. i must say he is a hog when it comes to food. i would give him a little bite, put the fork into the bread to feed myself, and he would grab the fork, bounce up and down, beg, put his hand in the bread, wipe it on me, i would take a tiny bite, he would whimper then get more. imagine this repeated until the bread is all gone. then he would look at the plate, open his mouth, realize there is none left and look at me as though i had eaten it all! 

-ash

today...

i woke up this morning around 7:30 and knew kelsie would be having a rough morning. i called her and asked how she was. i could tell. i told her that i would be right over. katie was already there. i love knowing that my sisters will drop anything and everything to make the world right again. i got there and she was holding tissue to her face and wishing so badly that josh didn't have to go. i couldn't help it...i cried along with her and wanted to make everything right. if i had all the money in the world, they would be able to see each other each weekend. paul went to church and i went to dad and mom's. we talked, laughed, cried, slept, ate, laughed and cried some more. katie brought over a ton of movies, not knowing what kels would want to watch. the boys stayed upstairs while the girls hung out downstairs. josh finally called and they talked for a few minutes...it has been so nice to have josh around with kels. he has helped her get out of her shell, try new things and become really happy. i mean, she has always been happy, but he really made her happy. i have loved watching her the last couple months. thanks josh she sure is smitten. she can't wait for christmas. she is going to practice snowboarding so she can beat him up (white noise). the best part is she calls him her boy... it reminded me of when paul and i started dating. i knew i would marry him, but i when either of us went out of town, it was really hard, but we called each other...that helped. i am excited to see what happens with the two of them...

-ash

water=conrad's happiness!

i get to watch conrad on thursdays! truly one of my favorite times ever...anywho...each day we get to take a break from whatever we are doing to water the garden. i get about half done and conrad starts wanting his 'water time'. i pulls at my arm to get the hose closer to his hands. we finally finish, he sits on the grass next to me and i put the hose next to him. he puts his hand in the water, realizes it is a little cold, then he sticks his arm, then his shoulder, then the front of his face. it is pretty funny and i laugh a lot! he is really funny and so fun to be with. when he is done, cold and wet, he is done! he loves the water!

-ash

found it!

back in the summer 2006, my friend janessa was telling me about how she loved to go through the car wash on the car! i wanted to try it, so we did! it was so fun. we went down by will's pit stop, put the money into the machine, put the goggles onto place and hopped on. it was so funny. we laughed so hard. i started talking to her and the soap came!!! yuck...i loved it and would do that again in a heart beat. i took one of mom's waterproof camera's and snapped a couple. she got them developed a few days ago...good memories!

-ash

cheesecakes

i love making cheesecakes. i don't really like eating them, but it is really fun to create them. paul likes it when i go onto cheesecake factory and choose one to make. katie really likes the raspberry/white chocolate, i like the toffee/caramel/fudge, paul likes the pumpkin swirl. i can eat a few bites and then i am done. it can sit in the fridge for weeks and i won't touch it. i tried this new recipe and didn't like how flat it turned out. i have a great basic cheesecake recipe that i turn into any flavor of cheesecake (some ingredients you just have to adjust). 

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my new lawnmower!

i love mowing my lawn! i love the smell, the look of a freshly mowed lawn and the time i get to spend outdoors! we were using dad and mom's lawnmower, and i thought it was about time to get our own. i went to lowe's to get some pricing. i called paul so excited and we went shopping that night. of course the time spent at lowe's is another story...(no help around for about half an hour, by the time someone came around, i was the inconvenience, how i dare i ask for help, and of course i tell myself i won't go back there again! well, i can't shop at home depot because believe it or not, their service is way worse. if i tell myself i can't go lowe's either, where can i go?) we got home, took it out of the box, paul helped me put it together and i took it for a spin that night. i couldn't wait. i got up early the next morning and finished mowing. i hope you all

love mowing the lawn too! 

-ash