A Year in the Life

I'm mean, how could you not love that face? Today marks a wonderful day in my life.  Today is Harry's birthday.  Not just any birthday, but his sweet 16!  December is chocked full of birthdays for the fam.  Hopson's oldest brother's wife's birthday is December 20th, I'm the 26th, big Hopson the 30th & Harry is today.  December is a little expensive, but so worth it. Harry got online to see if the DMV would be open, and they said they would be closed the 1st.  He was so excited because he knew he would get to take his driver's test today. Yea!  Another driver in the fam.  So, we go out to the DMV & guess what is posted on the door?  You guessed it; they are closed for the 31st and the 1st.  This made for one very sad 16 year old.  I had to wait two days to get my license too.  It really stinks. Oh well, there was nothing for it, so we'll go back on the 2nd. Harry decided to go to a new restaurant...

Yeah, he's pretty hot! God is so cool.  He always gives me something happy to think of on sad occasions.  Today is big Hopson's birthday.  Happy Birthday to Honey Daddy!  I love that man & sometimes he drives me crazy.  I guess that's how it is when you've been married for almost two decades.  :)  He hates for us to draw attention to him on his birthday; he would be happy to just let it pass with no fanfare, cake or gifts.  Whatever!  I need cake, it makes me happy.  He just wants to be in the woods, so I let him go. Today is also another special day.  It's my mother's angelversary.  She has been in heaven 15 years today.  3:31 pm is the exact time, just in case you're wondering.  I have been the matriarch of my family for 15 years.  I never wanted that role.  I still don't want it.  I would rather have my mom back, faults and all.  (except when my kiddos trash the house)  Ho...

I thought I would go with another Epiphany theme for today's posting.  I love the song We Three Kings.  It's so cool to think about these guys.  Don't think of them as showing up Christmas night to see the baby Jesus, because that is not how it happened. These guys were astrologers in the Orient.  Someone told me they were known as 'king makers'.  While studying the skies they noticed a new star that had settled over Jerusalem.  They knew it was a special star & set off, on their camels, to find out what king was living under that star.  This was a several thousand mile journey, not just a jaunt over the next hill. It is often speculated that there were three wise men, but there could have been more.  What is important is that when they saw Jesus, who is between 1 and 2 when the Magi arrive, they knew he was the messiah.  They didn't hesitate in giving their obedience ...

I love Christmas.  I love everything about it.  The decorations, the music, the time with family, and most of all celebrating the birth of the one person who came to change the world, and break the bonds of sin. I love Christmas carols, especially the ones that have Christian meanings.  Did you know that the 12 days of Christmas have Christian symbols throughout it?  I read them a few years ago but decided to dig them out since right now we are in the 12 days of Christmas making our way to Epiphany January 6th. The 12 days of Christmas were written to help people remember 12 tenants of the Christian faith.  They're fun to know, so I've put them below.  See how many you know; we had fun talking about these Christmas Eve after church.  I hope your family enjoys them also! May your days be merry & bright! Celebrating Life! ~ashley The meaning behind the 12 days of Christmas   Gift Interpretation A partrid...

The story of redemption.  The story of love.  The story of us all. This is the movie version of the longest running musical; Broadway's Les Miserables.  It is, hands down, one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.  We saw it Christmas afternoon along with, I think, half of the city.  :)  We were a little late getting to the theater and ended up sitting on the second row.  Big, the characters on the screen were very big. :)  I think they would have been big even if I was sitting in the back row.  Don't miss this movie! I knew Les Mis would affect me after watching it for 5 minutes.  The condemnation, the shame and guilt carried around by Jean Valjean mirrors every person before we realize who we are in Christ's eyes.  We carry our burdens around like boulders strapped to our backs.  Straining under the weight of our sins, and trying to hide the scars.  It's a burden, b...

Harry & Margaret and Nolen & Pete Today Harry & his friend Pete were asked to Sadie by two sweet girls:  Margaret & Nolen. They went with movie themes for their posters.  Of course I LOVE this idea because we are big movie people in our house.  We will quote a line from a favorite movie in a heartbeat.  Harry's new favorite movie is Pitch Perfect.  It is aca-hilarious!  Not appropriate for the younger two, although I did let E watch the singing parts.  Some of us have to wait to get to heaven to get our ability to sing, so we love to listen to those who can.  Margaret's poster is aca-awesome. Thank goodness Nolen isn't an angry Elf!  :) We tried to talk Harry & Pete into wearing our banana and gorilla costumes to answer the door, but Pete said no.  :(  Party Pooper!  We thought it would be hilarious, but we are very strange, so there you go.   ...

Today is my birthday.  Today AYITL is one.  :)  I had grand hopes of posting everyday for a year.  Needless to say, that did not happen.  I am disappointed that I didn't accomplish this task, but I also am ok with my failure.  I know it sounds crazy, but if I had made all 366 days I would have felt pride, and not the good kind.  :/  Yes, this is something I am working on.  :) I'm going to keep posting on this page, I have found I like it & it's a great way to get things off my chest.  I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  We are about to go out to lunch for my birthday.  I usually let the children choose where we eat, which means we'll be eating Japanese food today, again. It's all good though, I like Japanese food. Celebrating another year of Life! ~ashley

Merry Christmas Y'all!     I wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  This year as the fam celebrated our blessings, we also took a minute to remember those who are hurting.  I hope you will take a minute to pray for those along with us.  I love in Christ's birth story that the heavenly host say:  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace on whom God's favor rests."  Luke 2:14.   Did you notice the words peace and rest?  In this crazy time when things sometimes don't make sense, God does.  His peace wants to settle on those who trust in Him.  This is what Christmas is about.  Claiming the peace God has chosen to settle on those whom he favors.   Thank you Jesus for choosing to shed your glory for us.  Thank you for choosing to make your presence known throughout the world as the author of peace and love.  Happy Birthday!   Celebrating Life, the promises of C...

 Stephanie & Hop As you know, this is Hop's year of lasts.  I know how the girl's mothers feel wondering if your child will be asked to homecoming or prom.  That is how I feel about my boys at Sadie time.  Hop was asked tonight.  :)  Stephanie is a very smart & talented young lady.  (she also has a very sweet mama & daddy!)  I'm thankful for sweet girls.  I remember looking up to high school girls when I was in middle school & E has some great ones to look to.  They love the Lord and their families.  They are involved in different activities at the school & are always sweet to me and the other children in our family.  (huge points earned on the last aspect!)  Thanks Steph for asking Hop!  I know y'all are going to have a wonderful time.  It's the last one for you both...so have lots of fun & make a ton of memories.  :)  The American Flag ornament is appropriat...

These next few days will be big movie days for me.  I will see two movies that I really want to see within days of each other.  WooHoo!!!  With our schedule, it can be difficult to do this, and I am so excited that it will work out for me to see both of the movies. I was able to turn the first one into a date with my favorite 10 year old in the world.  :)  Henry and I went to see was The Hobbit.  As a fam, we are LOTR fans.  We've seen all three Lord of the Rings movies in the theatres.  We own all the videos.  We can quote from the movie at any given time.  The lessons in the trilogy are perfect for children and adults alike.  We expected nothing less from The Hobbit.  If you've never read the book by J.R. R. Tolkien, I highly recommend it.  Of all the books from the LOTR, The Hobbit is the easiest to read.  It's the prequel to the trilogy and tells the journey of how Bilbo Baggins comes to...

I've been so remiss lately about posting.  I had forgotten how CraZY December is.  One more big deep breath...tomorrow is the last day of school for this semester.  The fam is very excited about this fact.  (I would be lying if I said that I wasn't ready too.) Anyway, I posted something on my sorority alum blog & wanted to send you over.  Anyone can read it.  It about the 'S' word.  It's a word we don't say here in the south unless we want all heck to break loose.  :)  Y'all know what it is! Well, gotta go.  Have to pick E up from dance & help Hopson make some Red Fish Cubion .    I'm not too crazy about it.  I like butternut squash bisque myself.  :)  Yum, comfort food!  I may have to make some for me.  Have a wonderful Thursday! Celebrating Life! ~ashley

Hop left yesterday morning to go interview for an internship on capitol hill.  We may never get him back home for several reasons.  :/    He loves DC and I think wants to work up there & also he's still not physically home from the trip yet.  There is a problem with the brakes on his plane.  He's been stuck in Atlanta for four hours.  I'm waiting patiently for him to get here.  It's going to be hard letting him go. I know that he may never come home if he goes up to DC.  When I talked to him earlier, he said he was having a wonderful time.  Hopson's brother Will & wife Penny took Hop under their wings while he was up there.  Penny's staffers treated Hop like that loveable kid brother.  He felt taken care of.  They showed him around the capitol in-between his interviews.  He can't wait to go back for the We The People finals in April & then for the summer for...

I read a very disturbing article the other day.  It's one of those things that I thought I would only read in a dystopian novel.  (which I love to read by the way.  The Giver by Lois Lowry was my first dn ever.  I cried throughout the entire book.)  The concept in the article is so far out of the realm of possibility, so I thought, that I knew there would be NO WAY it would ever come to be. Well you know what?  It has.  When did we become so Godless and morally void?  When did we decide that life is just something to be thrown away?  When did we start to focus on the can't do instead of the can?  When did industrialized countries become like the communist?  I am morally angry.  And the word angry is the word I meant to use.  This is Hop when he was a baby. There are doctors in the UK that are putting sick and disabled newborns on a 'death path'....