christmas 2009

merry christmas! holy cow has the year passed by so fast, and already it is christmas. the first thing we did when we woke up was get the monkey bread in the oven. we then headed into the living room to hang out with our tree and open our presents. we kept a really small budget (see's candy is not part of the budget) this year. we don't need anything, and want a lot more for the future. paul of course went over budget (like every year), but kept control which made me proud. i got paul 'get smart season 2' , cabella's gift card, an orange, i made him a photo rubic's cube, and of course see's candy. paul made me a mini album on why he loves me (i LOVED IT!), a camaro calendar, 'strange brew', see's candy, and an acorn bowl. our sweet neighbor gives paul a hard time each sunday about is lack of shaven face, so he brought paul some razors, and me some m&m's. it was a really nice morning. the sad part for me was i didn't feel that we got enough out of our tree. i know i have high expectations (with myself), i mean even if we spent an hour each day with the tree, i would still be frustrated that i didn't spend more. i love our tree, it was so pretty and i wish it could last forever. we spent christmas day at g. birrells for a few hours mingling with those we love, then the rest of the time with dad & mom. we decorated the table, made a delicious dinner and spent the rest of the evening together.

this year i took more time to reflect on jesus christ and his birth, and what it really means. i had some wonderful experiences, and love his birth and all the circumstances surrounding it. it would have been so cool to be a shepherd hearing the angels singing, or looking towards the heavens and looking at a new star.

merry christmas!

paul and i hope you have a very merry christmas and a wonderful new year! (yes, that is snow on his eyebrow, and yes he hates it...but if amy had her way, she would have made them for me with just his eyebrows)

-paul and ashlee

monumental

paul and i ate dinner at the dinner table for the 3rd time (since we have been married!). i made my favorite...spaghetti and of course with the garlic bread. we usually eat watching seinfeld, little house, antique roadshow, so you think you can dance, transformers... i thought it would be good to start some good habits and eat at the table like a normal couple...

-ash

paul didn't like the photo of the massive plate of garlic bread (we look unhealthy)...

yes...we do eat that much garlic bread in the space of 2 days

skiing anyone?

paul and i took out our winter gear and conrad found these...i think i am looking at the next olympic snowboard gold medalist! he wanted to wear them around, but had a hard time seeing and would run into the walls...pretty funny!

-ash

heating sugar

so my dream is to be able to make anything, everything. i am having trouble making sugar candy, english toffee to be exact. i made more tonight and my first batch came out so wonderfully. i got so excited i started on the second (yes i am my mothers daughter and don't know when to say when). the sugar separated from the butter and it caramelized (wind out of sails and frustration). the same thing happened last year too. maybe i am doomed to make ONE batch a year...

-ash

hot chocolate

i have always found it strange when i find someone who doesn't like hot chocolate. seems silly that a warm chocolate drink, when below zero outside, doesn't sound good.

paul is one of those people. it is a little chilly outside (and snowing FINALLY!) and i asked paul if he would like a drink to warm him up. of course he said no...(then came why...) "i can't drink it as fast as i can cold stuff...is burns my tongue...i don't like that!" it is hilarious to me that it boils down to that, although it doesn't surprise me. he can eat so fast it is shocking. no wonder he stays away from food he can't eat/drink at a ridiculous rate! secretly he eats so fast so he can have more than me....

example...oreo cookies...the last bag we got i had 2 cookies and he scarfed the rest...(yes a month later, i am still mad!)

paul thinks this is wrong information, and if anyone cares for the "truth" can contact him...

-ash

neighborhood christmas

tonight we were able to go to our neighborhood christmas/talent party. there are so many young kids who have no problem going in front of the crowd to sing or play a musical instrument. me...no way! we had a little slideshow with photo's of the birth of jesus christ. it was beautiful. i love this time of year. i love jesus christ and find it so amazing that he was born in such humble circumstances. i would have loved to have been a shepherd to hear the angels singing of his birth. what an amazing moment! he makes me want to live better, to be better and i know through him i can...

-ash

honoring christmas

my friend jenny gave this book to me for christmas. her dad wrote this and i can't wait to read what it's about. i LOVE the mini christmas books, more importantly, i LOVE the message in them. i'll start reading this tonight and have it done by tomorrow.

-ash

relief society

tonight we had our relief society christmas dinner. it was nice to be with all my friends in the ward. we had a progressive dinner (really good food thanks to vicki), christmas lights and center pieces on each table (at my first table, the centerpiece was santa looking down in the manger at baby jesus...i thought that was a little strange. which i said to the owner of it without knowing it was hers oops!), and a band 'temple squares' came and played some folk music for us. it was a great way to help feel the christmas spirit.

-ash

a little color

i don't paint my nails a lot (hardly ever) but i thought a little red would be fun for the holiday season...no i didn't paint my fingernails...painted fingernails drive me crazy (esp when the paint starts flaking off...tacky).

-ash

neighborhood gifts

this year, paul and i got some supplies to make chocolate dipped pretzels for our neighbors. the problem is, i love to eat them a whole lot... so a who lot aren't making it into the bags.

-ash

birrell collection

i pulled this jewel out today. when i look at what mom did with her wood, i remember what it was like as we laid all of them on the lawn, sprayed them and bagged them, set up quilted bear, watching mom as she licked the pain brush after she put their eyes on, having containers full of paint wash, and neighbors who helped dropping wood off. she is so talented and can do anything she wants...i guess i love anything that reminds me of being little again. when did life become so fast?

-ash

villages up!

i remember going to my grandpa and grandma pool's house and i would lay by their christmas trees (they used to do 3). i loved looking at how they decorated with christmas villages under their tree. my sisters and i would imagine ourselves living in the little towns and living in the homes. when i was younger, i wanted to have a village. grandpa birrell even came over one year and helped us.

today, paul and i took a couple hours and put our villages up under the tree. i didn't put up any of the offices/stores because i just wanted a countryside look. keep it simple. in fact, when i thought about what i wanted it to look like, tennessee immediately came to mind. i wanted some rolling hills, a few farm houses. well, it didn't exactly turn out like scott and becky's home. for one, there are too many houses and another, i don't have a house that looks like theirs.

-ash

christmas ornaments

i love christmas tree ornaments. each year, i think it would be fun to have a snowflake tree, or just bells hanging. then i open my ornament box and those wishes disappear. i love taking each one out and remembering what it was like to open the present from grandpa and nana that would hold our special ornament for the year. i get teary with some of them and laugh at others. its perfect...the lights, the ornaments, everything about it. i love to sit in the living room and just look at it.

-ash

i thought i would share some of my very favorite ornaments...

1-my all-time favorite...she is so pretty and she was my first ornament too on my first christmas 2-she reminds me of me...i hope i was this cute when i was little 3-reminds me of my late uncle seamus 4-button girl from mom 5-i have not only this little bear in a walnut, but a mouse, and a baby (simpler times too) 6-i bought these last year and saw them again as i was hunting for this years. saw them and bought them again. brought them home, opened my ornament box and saw the two that i got last year...so we have 4! 7-one i made when i was three 8-i love snowflakes 9-aunt becky made this pepper santa...need i say more (plus, it is next to my favorite one!)

our perfect tree

we went to the tree farm in alpine and cut down our tree. it was a really tall tree (12' tall) that we had to cut in half to fit in the house. it is really hard to choose just one tree. i could have three...when we thought we had found the tree, paul went to stand in line to pay and cut. meanwhile, i started looking at all these other trees, and got a little sad when i saw the huge ones that no one wanted and now they are lonely trees knowing that no one wants them. pathetic i know...pretty soon, i looked up and saw this beautiful tree with pinecones! i had to have it. linds ran and told paul the new row i was on...he came, he cut and we were off. i love our tree.

-ash

our tree with pinecones!

fresh after decorating

here we come a caroling...

tonight, the youth in our ward put together baskets of goodies for some families in our neighborhood. we then wrapped ourselves in blankets/coats and loaded a trailer. we drove all around our neighborhood and sang christmas carols. i didn't want to stay on the trailer because last year i froze, so i thought i would walk. i was much warmer. i love the way christmas carols make the holidays brighter, warmer and more enjoyable.

while i love hearing their voices, i also like it when things are organized. some of the kids were singing their own songs, most were talking/texting, and the few others were singing their hearts out. the thing that gets me is when we would stop and sing at the porch of a home, most of the kids don't get up, they stay in the trailer and talk...kids these days!

-ash

its beginning to look a lot like christmas...

tonight, paul and i put up the christmas lights on the house. the worst part was it was 100 degrees below zero with a little wind that took the temperature down a trillion degrees. i had two pairs of leather gloves and my snow boots on (helped a little). truthfully, paul did most of the work. i stood there as a supporting wife and froze. i replaced some light bulbs, shivvvvvered and told paul to hurry and go my fast! it was nice to be out with him talking about some things we would like to do during the holidays. the lights are up and our home is beginning to look a lot like christmas.

-ash

me decorate?

i know it seems sad, but this is about as decorating-ee as i get. i pull out the wagon, cut some pine boughs off, head off and cut some berries with mom and there you go. besides my tree, this is it...i guess it isn't in my genes to do more...

-ash

pecan pie

kelsie and abby helped me make pies for thankgiving. we thought we would make a special pecan pie for our family, sort of an after thanksgiving treat. i always get nervous with crusts (especially when someone other than me will be looking at them...i demand perfection!) because working with flour can be a little tricky. it was nice to be in the kitchen with them and i know they loved helping. kelsie wanted to add chocolate, but it isn't dad's favorite, so a chocolate sauce would have to do. thanks kelsie and abby for some perfect pies!

-ash

happy thanksgiving

we were able to spend the night at dad & mom's house. we woke up bright and early, got ready for our ward's annual turkey bowl at the park. mom, abby and i got blankets, camera's and hot chocolate. we bundled up and got to the park and watched for an hour. it was great to see all the kids and adults come out to play. other than the food, this is my favorite tradition. it wasn't as cold as it was last year which was really nice.

we have so much to be thankful for...we have a wonderful family, blessed to live in this amazing country, and we have jesus christ in our lives. happy thanksgiving!

-ash

my paul...

so...paul came and picked me up from work. on the way home he told me...

1-he hit the gas line (next to our smouldering fire). he claims he knew it was there, but just got impatient, didn't call blue stakes and didn't tenderly dig. he took the trackhoe and smashed that thing. said some bad words, called 911, the police and fireman came. two hours later, everything was fixed.

2-he hit the water line too so we have no water until tomorrow (happy thanksgiving).

what am i going to do with him? and please tell me the power line is still standing!

-ash

lights on!

tonight, paul and i took mom, abby and conrad to the city center to watch the christmas tree lights turn on. it was pretty fun. we got there, brought some canned goods and blankets, watched some caroling, drank hot chocolate and waited patiently for the lights to turn on. it was really nice to be out with neighbors and friends to celebrate the beginning of christmas. the lights were so pretty and it was fun to be part of that. i will get some pictures later...

-ash

pumpkin pie

paul got me these fall cut-outs...i love them. anything with an oakleaf or an acorn i am a softy...then i found a really good pumpkin pie recipe i thought i would share. it is really easy too...enjoy!

-ash

spiced pumpkin pie

basic pie crust, rolled into pie pan, and partially baked

1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 c. pumpkin*

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until well blended. add cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg and mix well. add the pumpkin puree and cream and whisk until smooth. pour into partially baked pie shell. bake the pie until the filling is slightly risen and firm in the middle (35-45 minutes). transfer to a wire rack and let cool. serve with whipped cream.

*if you want to cook your pumpkin, preheat oven to 300*. take the stem off and slice in half. take the seeds out and coat the meat with veggie oil. turn onto a foil lined cookie sheet with the skin on the outside and bake for 45 minutes. let cool and scoop out the pumpkin from the skin. puree and freeze in 1 cup increments. last for a year...

our home

i love our home...and i love fall...

-ash

sleepover!

last weekend, ransom called me and asked if paul and i would be able to watch conrad while he took katie away for their anniversary...OF COURSE! when i get to watch him on tuesdays, i tell ransom and katie they can pick him up as late as they want. it is my therapy...rans dropped him off at mom and dad's while we were at a neighborhood preparedness activity and abby watched him for me. we got back to pick him up and he was getting tired. he was asleep by 9pm. this time when he slept over, he slept all night. since paul and i don't have crib or anything, he sleeps in our bed with us. he gets all the room in the world and i make paul and i squish on the other side. he woke up at 6:30 and asked for milk. we made cookies, ate a lot of croutons, watched toy story 2, went on walks, saw grandma and grandpa, took a nap (he did) and then ransom and katie came to get him. it is always really sad for me to go back into the house and have it really quiet. it was a blast and i can't wait until next time.

-ash

the cutest monster pj's

happy halloween

halloween has never been my favorite time of year. each year it comes and goes really without me noticing. before we headed to dad & mom's house for dinner, we had a visitor from the scariest lion. conrad knocked on the door and when i came, he sat his pumpkin down and tried to come in. grandma had us pose for a couple pictures. we didn't prepare ourselves with candy, so we pulled out his croutons and a kingsize snickers bar just for him. this year paul had to work and dad let me know i was in charge of picking out the movies because i "am the tame one". we watched charlie brown & the great pumpkin, and young frankenstein. i was put in charge of the drink. i got some dry ice and brick oven rootbeer (3-2 liters). dad said it wasn't enough because we were going to party! i spent the evening with dad and mom and had a great time. the tradition is dad's chili and a movie. since i don't like beans, i had leftover brick oven pizza. it was so much better than chili. we didn't have very many trick or treaters and the deal was we had to give those who came the 'crap candy' (from dad). we could give them all the laffy taffy and milk duds, but not the snickers or the butterfingers. maybe next year, i will dress up....probably not!

-ash

my spooky dry ice and rootbeer

my first trick or treater!

(and yes, fixing our front door is on my list for spring!)

halloween cupcakes

i wanted to make some halloween cupcakes this year...i searched wilton, martha stewart, food network, and kraft foods..what did i learn?

1-the martha stewart buttercream frosting recipe doesn't make frosting for 36 cupcakes, but for 3600 cupcakes

2-green taffy is hard to find

3-i should just make simple because after i rolled 24 squiggles, i was done (each cupcake needed 8)

4-i love and need simple

-ash

this was our attempt at the cupcakes on martha stewart. why do they alway look better when someone else does them? plus, buttercream frosting isn't that good...

pumpkin patch

every year, we go to the pumpkin patch and pick out the perfect pumpkins. we have been going there since i was in grade school. paul and i grew most of our pumpkins this year and i just needed a few more and some corn stalks. conrad came with kels, mom and i and wasn't interested in the pumpkins. he cared more about the blow up decorations and the rocks on the path. mom of course doesn't know when to say when. when kels and i saw what she had, she simply said "dad isn't here". she has a lot of pumpkins, but she really knows how to decorate with them.

-ash

challah (jewish bread)

here is the recipe. it is great for rolls, braided bread, french bread, sweet rolls etc...

1 tbl yeast

1 1/4 c. warm water (between 115*-125*)

1 tsp salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. oil

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

5-5 1/2 c. flour

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbl water (brushing the top)

1 tbl sesame seeds (to sprinkle on top, optional)

dissolve yeast in water, add salt, sugar, oil and eggs. gradually beat in 4 1/2 c. flour. turn dough out onto a floured surface and kneed until soft and smooth (10-20 minutes). cover and let rise until double in size (1 1/2 hours). divide and shape dough into desired shapes. cover and let rise again (about 1 hour). using a soft brush, spread egg/water mixture evenly over the tops. bake in oven (350*) for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

-ash

cravings

the past few days i have really wanted only one thing...ice cream...not just any ice cream, but italian gelato. when we were in italy, we had ice cream 4-5 times each day! it was perfect. there were so many flavors, i didn't taste a bad one. i have tried different "italian gelato" places around here and none of them taste as good as the original. the only thing i can think of is to fly there and get some.

-ash

paul and i in venice with our very first taste of gelato

peach season

our peaches are done and boy oh boy are they perfect. we have a few trees that are later bloomers than the others, but that just means we get peaches a little longer while they are in season. i love making fresh peach pie (i can't make it too often...i eat the whole thing and i will post a picture later of it). paul likes a variety of things for breakfast. he asked me to make him some bread with peach glaze. they were delicious...

-ash

our peaches

paul's special bread

this = warmth

here we go again! bring on the cold....

-ash

our coal pile for winter

keith urban

i love keith urban and his concerts are always really fun. it was a girls night out with mom, kelsie, lindsey and me. we got dinner at crown burger, since hamburgers are not my cup of tea, i got some chicken strips (not real chicken) so i had fries and a little bit of a shake. we also were privileged to hear (as half the restaurant) some angry man talking very loudly to his friends about the need to repent. we got to the pollution solutions arena and got some pictures taken, then headed inside. kelsie and i got a shirt (yes his face is on my chest) found our seats at the very top of the top, next to the cement walls. they were great seats because no one was behind us telling us to sit down. we were able to act as crazy as we wanted, sing as loud as we could and have the best time. it was wonderful...it was nice to be there with just us girls. mom started out next to linds, but made her way to me because of lindsey's hair flipping in mom's eyes. i would look at mom here and there to make sure she was having a good time, and her hand was sort of covering up her ear...when i asked why, she said she was only thinking...what a handsome man...sure!

-ash

notice the hair toss in this group...scary

how do you eat?

i think i found the best way to not waste the parmesan cheese after you sprinkle it on garlic bread. conrad loves to help me in the kitchen and keeps me very entertained. he helped me knead the dough, shape into french bread and sprinkle the few ingredients (i must say some of the slices had holes and in some areas, a lot of garlic/parmesan cheese topping). he loves doing what big kids do, but most of all i love watching him as he discovers new textures and flavors. pretty funny! i really do feed him...i promise...

-ash

1967 camero

i have been thinking about this for quite some time now and i can't wait to get started...my goal is to take this...
and create this (mine will have a fin on the back)...

i can't wait...

first i need to find the car, and then i'm off to restoration land...

-ash

i am like my mother

i have been thinking for the past few weeks about changing the color in our kitchen. i don't discuss it with paul (1st-because he doesn't care 2nd-he liked the mauve on the shelves when we moved in 3rd-he doesn't care 4th-he doesn't get why i have to move a couch around the room, let alone painting the kitchen) and so i just did it. kelsie was willing to help for a couple hours before she had to work. i got up right after paul left for work (i knew he would notice the change from willow to stormy-tealish blue when he got home), took everything away from the walls, taped and painted my heart out. as luck would have it, i was almost finished and i heard a voice say "what do you think you are doing?" oops! i had been caught. he came into the room and started laughing. i stood there like a child with my hand in the cookie jar, but i stood my ground. it is my kitchen so i can do what i want right? RIGHT! he walked around looking at everything and smiled. he did like it, i knew it. he then said "you are just like your mother." [a bit of history...when dad was out of town, mom had all the bushes taken out of the yard...while we were all asleep, mom painted the entire family room mustard yellow] i love the blue much, much more than the green and it seems to go better with frank, ella, louis etc.

-ash

summer days

i love summer, but HATE the heat. i love hearing the neighbor kids playing, bbq's (not the hot dog or hamburger, but the idea of one), sprinklers, and night games. it has been really hot the last couple weeks and having 3-5 popsicles a day (it's just juice) has been my answer. i took a couple pictures of conrad eating his popsicle too. i love how gradually he eats it, but is instantly messy. kids need to be messy, with a pool of juice in the belly button. he doesn't like to waste any of it and seems not to mind eating off his diaper (by the way, it is a new diaper).

just a side note...i was dusting the front room and i hear a rip and a giggle (camera was handy and i am trying to get into the habit of actually taking pictures) so i looked to see what he was doing. he stood there with the biggest grin. he had taken off his diaper, thrown it to the corner and was pulling at his (well, you know). i started laughing and told him to come over to me and he started running. i took this picture and still smile when i see it. i love it when kids are able to be kids. 

-ash

bad parenting

i was watching conrad yesterday and we made a quick trip to the grocery store. as we were walking in the parking lot, i heard a mom not only yell, but shrill at her son (who was 11 0r 12). it made me sick watching her parent her kids. soon, she grabbed his arm, then his ear, screamed at him again (with his ear less then a foot away), with words i know are bad, no complete sentences. the three younger kids started crying, and the 12 year old was telling his mom to please stop, "i was just telling him to stop" is what he said. i should have said something, i so wanted to say something, i should have said something. i never quite know where is my place and i know i should have said something. i stood there (like a few other watchful eyes) disgusted, and i prayed really hard for the little boys to be strong i wanted to give the kids hugs and tell them they would be okay. i know prayer is powerful. that "mom" needs a good slap and some anger management. i wish all kids had good parents that loved them and saw their full potential. this is the mom i will be.

-ash

weeks without a post

grawbully goop

(that is for you lindsay)

the great outdoors

paul and i had talked about going camping for a couple weekends and finally this weekend worked. we took care of some of the things we needed to do on saturday morning, paul got home and we packed, went to harmon's for some of the things we needed (cookies, marshmallows and grapes). 

we thought we would go up american fork canyon because it wouldn't take us long to get there. we got to the ranger station and found that all the sights were full for the night, but if we wanted to go further up and find a spot off the side of the road, we would be able to have that for a mere $6 (3-day pass). we were game and headed past tibble lake. i was so glad we took the truck because our little altima would be missing an oil pan and a couple of tires. the road was horrible. i would look over at paul and see him grinning because the truck can do anything! he was really cute to watch. i was the stressed one because i didn't want to pop a tire or hit the crazy 4-wheelers. we passed a few spots and they just didn't seem like home, so we kept going. finally, we saw one nestled in the trees. we stopped, backed up and set up camp. 

as i looked around the site, i realized there were no bathrooms to be seen and i hadn't seen one for a while (that situation was a little scary...truthfully i didn't want any creatures to bite my bum). we also noticed the sight next to us and it had a lot more shade than ours did (paul said several times he learned to scope out other sights before settling for the full sun, well until after 5).

we brought up uno, phase 10 and skip-0. we talked a lot, watched the huge killer ants, laughed, enjoyed the few minutes of rain, watched the trillion 4-wheelers pass by, breathed in a lot of dust, got dinner ready (my favorite hot dogs :(), and had cookies and milk, i roasted marshmallows while paul had sm'ores (how ever you spell it), learned about our water purifiers, drank river water, boiled water on our little stove, laughed a lot more, brushed our teeth, and lights out.

my favorite memories: 1-watching paul set up camp, he has a definite way of setting up 2-learning how to work our purifiers and little stove 3-watching families have a good time on the 4-wheelers 4-just being with paul 5-so happy to be outside!

the things i learned: 1-i can squat (tmi, but i don't care, i was proud) 2-our truck is tough 3-we need to be better prepared (didn't bring a hammer, broom, wet wipes (hence the boiling hot water) and no face wash)

paul's favorite memories: 1-learning how to work the stove and purifiers 2-being with ash 3-finally camping 4-sharing our wood with our camping neighbor as we heard his chainsaw 5-playing games

paul's things he learned: 1-checking out the other campsites before we settle for one 2-be better prepared 3-ash is the bomb!

we had a great time and can't wait to go again...

-ash

1-2-our campsite 3-the road up to our site 4-the river next to our site 5-my happy camper next to the tough one 6-paul and i

be careful...

a few years ago, someone mentioned that i look like julia roberts. she seemed very serious and i thought how sweet. then i looked at a picture of her and thought..."what a cruel joke...she is gorgeous and i look NOTHING like her". 

i made the mistake of telling kelsie's friend jaynann that i look like her and i don't hear the end of it. we were at a movie once, and jaynann ran up behind me and said "oh look, its julia...wait, your too short"! (my heart broke) 

yesterday i went to harmon's to pick a few things up for dinner. i walked around the cheese bar, and i heard... "kelsie, it's julia roberts....wait, your too short". yes, it was kelsie and josh getting a few things for their date. they were having quite the laugh...

-ash

what would mike do?

my cousin charles has been working at amen chassis in tennessee on some really cool motorcycles. while we were there visiting, a reality tv series was spotlighting the talent of his boss mike. charles would come home from work and share a few details about what was happening, but for the most part, was very tight-lipped about the show. all he told me was to wait for the show to start in july. well, it is that time and i can't wait to see it. my cousin is the handsome dark eyed, brown haired boy they call chuck. it will air on fox sports for 13 episodes and it is called "what would mike do?" click here to see more. 

-ash

freezer jam-fest

[i was going to make my own fun picture on photo shop with sparkle letters, my face talking about my jam, and maybe the scent of strawberries (but that part is impossible), instead i borrowed this from my friend lindsay]

i am not scared for this moment (i think lindsay is getting a little nervous)...i am ready for this moment...bring the REAL butter, homemade rolls and taste buds...lets do this. you know what they say, a little good competition is good for the soul.
-ash

fireworks

i was so excited for our firework display this year. mom put paul and ransom in charge of them. after tearing down the pebbles booth at the freedom festival, they ran to grab some. the rest of us headed to dad and mom's house and got the blankets ready. while we waited, we watched our neighbors incredible show. our other neighbors had the huge ones that shoot up in the air. i had no idea what to expect. paul and ransom showed up with some impressive fireworks. the closer ransom looked at it, he realized it wasn't a rocket. they lit it and i saw their faces drop. it was really sad. after our little 5-10 minute show, we got into our truck and headed to an empty lot to watch the stadium fireworks. we were further away than i thought and the fireworks we okay. usually they are awesome, but this year wasn't as cool. next year, we are going to have a really cool show! i can't wait.
-ash

4th of july

i love the 4th of july! i love this holiday and i love america. paul and i started the day working the booth during the parade. it was a lot of fun working with him. i over heard paul telling ladies "make memories today and then come see us". it was adorable. we shared a funnel cake and he helped me pass out flyers. i loved being there with all the festivities. i wish we had taken pictures (next year!). 

we then got home and made shirts like crazy for dad, josh and lindsey (i will post next) and we went to see dad's parents and his siblings. we had a bbq, i talked with alex about keith urban, we played wiffle ball, brent tried to catch the ball in the pool, lots of visiting, great homemade ice cream, and great company.

-ash