'be fit' check in...

tonight was our first check in for our 'be fit' challenge. we gathered outside and came clean with how our mini goal went. mine was to drink a lot more water than i do. well, since i (okay, all of us except for ransom didn't do ours) didn't do mine as well as i could have, i had the opportunity to do push up's and sit up's. the challenge is, each week i fail at my mini goal, i have to add to the push and sit up's. i made a new one for this week (along with still working on my last one)...which is to go on a bike ride on the circut each day.
we then had an activity...the looser of the game has to do a service for the winner (part of 'be fit' also). if the service doesn't apply, one can be thought of on the spot. we were going to play poison, but couldn't remember how, so we decided on spud. we have been playing that game since we were little. everyone picks a number and the ball is thrown in the air. if your number is called, you run to grab the ball and yell spud. everyone else runs for the hills. if you do by chance catch the ball, without letting it touch the ground, you can re-toss it in the air, calling out another number (hopefully catching someone off guard). everyone freezes and you try to hit one of them with the ball. they can only move one leg when you throw the ball at them. each hit you get a letter until you become a spud and then you are out. mom was the first to get out (after proudly telling us how athletic she is and how she was nationball champion in grade school). she stood there in awe that she was out. it was pretty funny. the last two players were me and dad. I WON! i am so excited to get a car wash from mom...of course i will take pictures, and i am sure a waterfight will break out (mom+ashlee+water=waterfight).
-ash

bike rides

i want to be more active and play outside with the wonderful weather, so dad and i made it a goal to go each day on a bike ride. there is this route that dad and mom have named 'the circut'. not sure if that is the correct name, but that is what they call it. we try to go everyday. it is 30-40 minutes of pure bliss. i get to be outside with the trees and with those i love.

-ash 

dad, abby, kelsie, mom, & my eyeball

bridal veil falls

today was tuesday, which is my favorite day because i get to watch conrad. he, katie and ransom have been out of town for the past week, and so we had some catching up to do. ransom's brother, david, came up with them to hang for a week or two. he came too. david likes to be active, so i thought it would be fun to ride our bikes up to bridal veil falls. what was i thinking? when i go up to the falls, it is just me, pulling me...this time, i carted conrad (who i swear weighs 50 lbs now) all the way up. i hate to say this, but by the time i got down to the trail, i was kicking myself in the butt! i knew i could do it, i just didn't want to die doing it. on some of the hills, i had people running faster than me. it was really embarrassing. when we were almost there, i started to whimper out of anger, frustration, rage and my legs hurt like crazy. plus i am the sort where i don't really like to stop to take a break...(i am stronger than that for pete sake!) 

the way down wasn't as easy as it usually is. the trail on the way down was really wet from the rain. the tire tread kicks the water straight back. when we got home, david and i had mud on the backs of our shirts and poor conrad had a line of dirt all over his face and head. poor thing. it was pretty funny though. 

we then got to harmons and picked out some ice cream. it was so worth it. the rest of the night was me waiting for my legs to stop throbbing. 

-ash

david and me on our way down. i wanted to get a photo of conrad with us, but my camera ran out of batteries before i could get the photo...

our night

kim and i go way back. we are the same age, and we even have the same birthday...though i am not sure who was born first...during high school, we had a culinary class together. we would make plans to open a bed and breakfast and she tried to teach me how to write cursive lowercase z's (not sure why i really struggled with that letter). i will say every time i write one, i think of her and fits of jealousy run through me because i know mine will not turn out like hers. i love kim for a lot of reasons. she is such a real person, what you see is what you get. she tells things like they are, she has great skin, we share the same hair color, we both have a passion for cooking, we love movies, and she makes me laugh a lot. we had planned on doing a girls night, and of course, we are both busy. last night we finally got together and watched a movie, talked for a few hours (which i loved), and ate the most delicious tart. yes kim, it was worth waiting to eat with you! i can't wait to have another girls night...i will text you to plan the next one. thanks kim for a great night. next time we ought to add dinner or something.

-ash

yes...it is this good!

hill afb air show

for those who aren't doing anything the 6th of june, you must head up to hill air force base and watch the air show. it is only held the summer of each odd year. in 2005 paul and i went and loved it. we were able to walk through the huge planes that transport tanks, kids can sit in black hawk helicopters, you can watch planes take off and land, plus more...it was really cool. so we thought we would make it a tradition. so in 2007 we looked up the dates, and they couldn't do it because of budget! we were so bummed. this year they are doing it and we are going. it is from 10-5ish...look at their website for more info. it really is the best. plus it is FREE!!! we aren't sure what to expect this year, but we are so excited to go!!!

-ash

so you think you can dance...

I AM SO EXCITED!!! i love this show and can't wait for it to start tomorrow. i have to watch it online because i am usually not home on thursday nights (bummer)...this really is the coolest show...i wish i thought i could dance!

-ash

moments

each of us have perfect moments that we would like to find ourselves in constantly...i was talking to paul last night about mine...
mine would be in the kitchen, wearing the brown apron mom sewed an oakleaf on, listening to ella fitzgerald, frank sinatra, or louis armstrong, with the smell of bread baking. of course my kitchen would be FULLY stocked and i could bake anything!

that would be a moment i would like to have myself in over and over again.
-ash