A Year in the Life

The view from the bottom Ok, mountain may be stretching it a bit if you compare it to mountains out west...it's more like a a really steep hill.  Steep being the key word.  It's .3 of a mile straight up.  If I were to rate it on a ski scale, it would be a good blue, even though it is short.  Once I walk it I feel like the Queen of the Mountain.  The fastest I've ever walked the hill is 5 1/2 minutes, and I consider it an accomplishment to make it to the top.  Rounding the first curve I talked my friend Ashley into walking the hill last week with me.  I told her to get ready, it's a hard hill.  Half way up she realized that I wasn't kidding.  From a car it doesn't seem that steep, but when you're walking it, your quads and hamstrings scream at you that you must be out of  your mind.  It's so hard on my breaks I usually have to get new ones on my car either every year of every year and a...

I really don't like being on a diet.  It's not fun.  I like to eat too  much.  I exercise, but I would need to exercise for hours for it all the balance out.  Along with restricting my caloric intake, I have started exercising multiple hours a day.  I figure it's the only way I'm going to get the rest of this weight off.  I like walking with my friend, Ashley.  We have great conversations and try to solve a few problems along the way.  Much better to exercise with a friend than alone! I would love to be back to my high school weight of 108 or my college weight of 112.  I haven't seen either one of those numbers in a long time...Ugh!  Hopson was so sweet the other day, he said he could tell I've lost weight.  He may have just been trying to brown nose me.  (just kidding, he was very complimentary.)  I am trying very hard to get in shape...I have my archenemy to conquer!  In a few weeks will in...

There is something about brothers, something special.  When they're little they build Legos, play cars, pretend to be superheroes, roll in, throw, and wear dirt, watch Sesame Street, want to shave like daddy, and sometimes fight.  As they get older they play ping pong, shoot pool, play video games, go hunting, practice lacrosse, do yard work, wear dirt, shave like daddy, watch (and quote) movies, and sometimes fight. The way boys fight compared to girls is so much better.  Boys get in each other's faces, yell, they might throw a punch (this has not happened in our house, thank you Lord!), work it out, and get over it.  Girls can hold a grudge for years!  I don't like that, but this posting is not about girls, it's about the boys... I love it when all my boys get along.  It's those days you want to hide in your heart.  Here lately Hop & Harry have really taken Henry under their lacrosse st...

There are a few weird things you need to know about me:  Although I love the ages of my children now, and would never want to go back to when they were little bitties. Even though I don't want my children as babies anymore, I LOVE babies. There is nothing better to put on your face than new baby feet.  They are so soft! Smelling baby lotions and powders is not the same smell as a new baby.  I've tried. I could smell new babies all day and be content. If they could replicate new baby smell I would buy it by the gallon! The kiddos with their newest cousin My brother, Cotton & his wife Leah, and my sister, Amy, came up to visit this weekend.  Leah had a wedding shower to go to so we babysat.  I had to fight for baby time.   Oh he is so precious.  For a split second I did want my kiddos to be little, but then I remembered that you don't get any sleep with a new baby & I quickly changed my mind.  (you real...

We loved to go rolling when we were growing up.  First thing is you have to wait until you have the cover of darkness, getting caught is not an option, but runnin' is.  Once you have no light what-so-ever,  you go to the store; buy the cheapest toilet paper you can find; wear your darkest clothing & then go nuts on someone's trees.  Of course you have to drive by take pictures the next day.  Too fun!  We're Auburn fans, so you know we love to roll some trees . Last night...10pm...the homestead... The guilty parties...Juniors & Freshmen Love 'em! Notice Joe Joe trying to do the sorority squat... Hop's friends be bop into the house.  It was David, Lauren & Joe Joe.  They're happy and wide awake...it's 10pm...they're teenagers...I'm not a teenager...I'm a little sleepy.  Let's be honest, I was asleep on the couch.  There was no reason for us to suspect anything funky going on, but th...

The fam is crazy about Chuck Norris, Yo Mama, BonQui Qui, and John Pinette (among other things).   So for today, I'm giving you a Fantastic Four!  Enjoy the giggles! 1.  Chuck Norris Jokes: No, Thank you Chuck Norris Chuck Norris can kill your immaginary friends. When Chuck was in middle school, his English teacher assigned an essay: "What is courage?" Chuck received an A+ for turning in a blank page with only his name at the top. Chuck Norris doesn't play "hide-and-seek." He plays "hide-and-pray-I-don't-find-you." Once a cobra bit Chuck Norris' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died. Death once had a near-Chuck-Norris experience. Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd. No one fools Chuck Norris. Brett Favre can throw a football over 50 yards. Chuck Norris can throw Brett Favre even further. Chuck Norris is the reason Waldo is hiding. Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris paj...

Ok y'all, I am going to ask you to do something.  I would love for you to leave your comments, positive or otherwise, on the blog.  I think you may have to have a Google account, but am not sure.  I'm weird and like to read what you think about what was posted.  I'm needy in that way, and I'll remember which post it goes with. :)  You can still post comments on FB, but here is great too.   I have really had fun posting snippits of my daily life.  Most of the time it's boring...just the way I like it.  Drama is overrated, and so far, 40 has been great! Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  My baby is coming tomorrow!!!  (and my brother, his wife, and my sister, and I'm excited about seeing everyone, but they are really just the vehicle to get the baby here.  Let's be honest...)  Henry is already six weeks old.  Isn't he just precious?  Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on him.  I have a strange...

These last few weeks I've been thinking of friends who have passed away, and their families.  It's not a morbid thing, it's just something will happen:  a song will come on the radio, or the smell of something; or maybe it's just deja vu.  I don't know, but I do think about them.  I've also noticed that the weird part of me has a hard time letting go of certain things.  I have their contact info still on my computer & phone or I'm still friends with them on FaceBook.  It seems so unfair when a life is cut short in its prime.  It's not something you plan on when you get married and have children.  You plan on growing old together, and spending many wonderful years celebrating milestones of your children and grandchildren.  But, no one said life is fair.  Not one day is promised to any of us.  We're given this day.  So today, I want to focus on one of my friends who had a well lived life. S...

Molly & Hop I have been begging Hoppy to tell me who he was planning to ask to prom.  He never would tell me.  He said he didn't want it to end up on the blog.  Well Hop, I have only been writing this blog for almost two months & have ten more to go, so guess what, you will be the subject of other postings.  Sorry! Hopper asked his friend Molly.  Isn't she cute?!  (and she's super sweet!)  I am proud of him because he didn't wait until the last minute to ask her.  Whew.  Now she'll have plenty of time to find a perfect dress to wear & we can get his tux to match her dress. He left last night with a pad of paper and my Sharpie markers.  I asked him what he was doing & he gave me that 'mom don't ask' look.  I said if he was going to ask someone to the prom then he needed to take my camera so they could document it.  (I was not invited.  Insert hurt feelings here.  Just kidding, he's 17, I don't t...

Hopson snores.  And I mean he snores loudly!  When he takes the children hunting not one of them will sleep in the same room with him because you can hear him snoring throughout the entire house.  It's like a freight train.  He has horrible allergies, and I don't know if that is a contributing factor or what, but I've tried kicking him, getting him to roll over, getting him to take a melatonin to help him sleep, but nothing has worked.  It has led to many fitful or no nights of sleep.  I'm not happy if I have no sleep. Right now I'm writing this from my couch in our family room because I just couldn't take another minute of the sound.  It's not a bad place to sleep, but not nearly as comfy or warm as my bed.  He always tells me to kick him out, but I'm awake, so I might as well be productive... Hope is on the horizon!  A dentist who hunts at the same club where the fam hunts told Hopson about an appliance he ...

Last night I spent time with some wonderful old friends as we celebrated our 40th birthdays together.  Many of these women I have known since grade school; that's a long time.  We may not see each other all the time; but we will always be friends; until we die.  It's the kind of friendships that have stood the test of time, and if you're in a tight, you could call one of them and they would help you, no questions asked.  We have laughed and shared many wonderful times, and cried with each other when the time called for it. Last night we talked non-stop for hours . You name it & I think we talked about it:  things that happened in high school, college, husbands, children, how our bodies are starting to fall apart.  What we realized is that we are all in the same boat...it's nice to know you don't have to do life alone. Celebrating 40 together. front row:  Shelley, Cindy, Dana, Merryl, Lisa, Ashley back row:  Shannon, Amy, Nata...

So as you read , my iPhone deleted the text from my original post on the 15th of this month.  It was actually a good one too.  The one you see now is a replacement & it is sub par at best.  I wrote it very quickly on the 16th & adjusted the schedule date so it would show as the 15th.  Stupid phone! I hate that I feel like I'm tethered to my computer and phone.  I mean, I was alive before we had both, and I survived just fine.  (except for when I had papers for different Psych classes that were at least 30 pages long.  I promise I'm not making that up!)  Remember the days when you had to actually go to the library to do research?  I spent many an hour there in college.  I even got turned around in Auburn University's HUGE library & couldn't find my way out.  (No, I'm not a natural blond, but it was my first of many blond moments.)  My first cell phone was one of those ginormous bag phones....

Yes, people it's time for Farcical Friday...installment number 3! If you have a facebook account you know the newest thing is the 'What I Actually Do' pages.  Some are really funny.  So for today's Farcical Friday I'm going to post a few that I thought were funny, and or hit a little close to home.  I even found a template if you want to do one for yourself!  Enjoy the giggle! Celebrating Life! ~ashley What do people think you do?

On my birthday I did myself a favor & decided to start a diet.  Yeah, I know, what a great birthday present.  It's not that I'm obese, just pleasantly plump, and to be honest I don't want to be.  Because there is no time like the present, I started my diet, and guess what...there's an app for that!  It tracks my calorie intake and exercise. It's really great, and it's a free app.  It's called 'My Fitness Pal'.  Learn it...Use it...Love it! I'm gauging my weight loss by my archenemy...my ski pants.  I'm not worrying about how much I weigh (number sensitivity here) but how my clothes fit, and in particular my ski pants.  Last year I went to put them on & couldn't get them completely zipped up.  Ugh, I hate ski pants.  You know why?  They are made for people who are stick thin & they have no Lycra in them.  Lycra is my best friend.  I don't need it in large quantities, just between 2%-4%. ...

Oh my goodness, I just checked my posting from yesterday & it's blank...YIKES!!!  I'm going to delete it. Y'all I'm so sorry.  I posted it from my iPhone so I have no idea what happened to the post.  That makes me somewhat unhappy.  :/ So I'm going to do 2 for today to make up for yesterday.  Yesterday I talked about one of my favorite books:  The Help .  Violia Davis was born to play the role of Aibileen Clark in the movie based on the book.  You feel what she feels.  I love Aibileen's character. A few months ago I was chosen as a guest blogger on my sorority's alum site.  What I posted for this month is something I feel very strongly about & I wanted to share it with you. You can see it here . One thing you need to remember is: You is Kind You is Smart You is Important Celebrating Life & posts that actually show up! ~ashley

No really, I'm a total dork.  Thank goodness the only person who saw me, this time, was Harry.  Of course he laughed at me.  I mean if I had seen me I would have laughed too! So, Elizabeth told me yesterday she needed more ring pops for her Valentine's party at school today...insert eye roll here.  I decided I would go to the store before I needed to pick her up from dance.  Harry drove, because that's what he likes to do more than anything right now.  Into Wal-Mart we go... Quick sidebar:  I like to wear high heels. (like at least 4 inch high heels)  I'm vertically challenged and need as much height as I can get.  I also have ankles that will fall out in a second.  I've sprained and strained my ankles so many times that when I walk they'll just roll.  Yeah, it's great.  Now, pair my ankles with my high heels, and you could (or in my case did) have the potential for something dorkish to happe...

Ok, my least favorite holiday is Valentine's Day...whew, there I said it!  All you boo birds can just boo all you want.  I think it's stupid to relegate love to a season.  Hopson buying me flowers or taking me out to dinner means much more when he's not compelled to do it.  And when did it become vogue to make it a big deal to give children Valentine's presents?  My children are not my sweethearts...my husband is.  If I'm not doing anything for him, I'm not doing anything for them. I can understand the little children giving valentines at school & having valentine's parties at school, but from parents?  Um no, not in this house.  How about a big hug & I love you?  Happy Valentine's Day!   The only redeeming quality about Valentine's Day is the candy.  We are sugarholics around here.  (well the children and I are anyway)  I love candy.  I'm going to blame it on my mom becau...

It's been cold around here the last few days & I wanted some tomato soup .  If you need a great (and very easy) tomato basil soup recipe this is the one for you!  Of course I cheated on it and tweaked the recipe, but that's neither here nor there.  Heaven forbid I actually follow the directions.  That wouldn't make it any fun.  :)  Hoppy & Elizabeth gave it two thumbs up, so that made me feel good.  It was perfect on this very cold day. Y'all stay warm! Celebrating Life! ~ashley

Ok, this is just cool; we have deer that have been walking in our yard.  I love deer.  I think they are beautiful creatures.  (they are also very yummy!)  I've seen them out and about every once in a while in our neighborhood eating all the pansies.  I think they have to battle the bunnies for them.  I love it when you come across a deer, they will freeze and stare at you.  You'll slow down and then they'll bound away.  So graceful.  There is a small strip of woods between our subdivision and the high school and they like to wander around in them. Hopson was 'walking the yard' looking for weeds that needed to be pulled when he came across this hoof print.  (it's the dark part in the picture above.)  Harry took this picture for me & I think he did a great job.  Thanks Harry Cotton!  Celebrating Life & God's beautiful creatures, ~ashley

2011-2012 Rebel Cheerleaders The cheerleading squad at our high school made the finals for the National Cheerleading Championship in Orlando today.  I'm so proud of these girls; they have worked so hard.  Whomever doesn't think cheerleading is a sport is crazy.  What these girls can do is amazing, and their routine is very hard.  (I'm so glad it's them and not me, I would be sucking wind by the end.)  I could only watch slack-jawed last Sunday as they preformed for parents and friends. I want to wish our cheerleaders Good Luck in the finals tomorrow!  They are a special group and I know they are going to do great.  Love you girls & Go Rebels!!! Celebrating Life, hard work & leaving it all on the mat, ~ashley

I love funny sayings.  The ones that catch you off guard and make you laugh are my favs.  You may try not to laugh, but you can't help it, and if you show it to the right person you might even get a snort along with the laughter. Face Book and Pinterest full of these sayings.  For today's Farcical Friday I thought I'd share some with you.  These are ones that had me doubled over laughing, or shaking my head b/c oh how true they are. It's Friday!  Yea for Fridays!  Y'all have a wonderful weekend. Celebrating Life & laughter! ~ashley