A Year in the Life

love costs you   it costs you everything   and when its ripped away it breaks your heart   and you know what   it hurts   it hurts a lot im heartbroken   the details dont matter   it just feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and trampled on   its the kind of hurt that makes you lay on the floor and just cry   where every teardrop becomes a waterfall   i know ill get over it but right now that love stings   im thankful for my sweet family who love me   hopson hoppy harry elizabeth henry   my brother and sister   friends who have walked this path too   you can try to not let it break your heart   celebrating life  even the hurting parts ashley

I'm in need of a rant today.  What I've been though with my kids is more painful than slamming your hand in a car door.  Really.  It's not my children that have done these things, it's policies... When did a 14 year old become an adult?  When I take my older children to the doctor they have to sign a consent form for me to be allowed to see their information etc.  WHAT?  First of all, said child can not drive.themselves.anywhere.  Second, they can't even pay for the visit.  That's called being a dependent.  Third, until said child can drive and pay for ALL their stuff, I am going to know what the heck you are doing to them.  HIPA my butt!  Otherwise, don't send me the bill!  Monday we tried to call Auburn to get Hopson's account activated, which is a lot more difficult than it should be.  I've paid the $200 non-refundable fee, we have the student ID number they sent with his acceptance letter, but no ID name...

As you all know, unless you live under a rock, the election is coming in less than 2 weeks.  As I was pondering the election, I started thinking about a lot of things; most of which that have nothing to do with politics.  I wanted to share them with you & get your thoughts on the matter.  Like I said, it's not all politics, it's my mind going crazy. Why do people lie and steal?  This is something that really bothers me.  With a husband who is a CPA, who audits businesses for a living, it is shocking how many people are stealing from their employers.  The theft and lying go hand in hand.  If you're stealing, you are also trying to cover it up.  Hence enter the lying.  A lot of people get away with it, but why do it? Absolute truth vs relative truth.  I am an absolute truth kinda girl.  There are things that just don't change no matter what I or you think or say.  But I guess it depends on wha...

Carpool, it's the most wonderful time of the day...not. It's just nuts, and I really think a lot of people lose their minds when they have pick-up their children at all the schools. I'm surprised no one has been killed or seriously maimed because of it. But, every once in a while, something really funny will happen that will make your day. Noting says 'have a happy day' like being butt dialed by your senior in high school. It's a free chance to stretch my vouyering muscles. I would love to tell you that I heard some great secrets of what guys do in the locker room, but I only heard garbled talking & a lot of laughing. Belly laughing...the kind that when you hear it you start to laugh too. I plan to ask Hop what they did today in the locker room, but until then, I'll just be happy with the laughter. I kept thinking that I would hear something like what you see in movies. I kept picturing the scene from 'Remember the Titians'  when they're ...

the enevelope Last week in the mail Hop received something I've been waiting for his whole life.  Don't get me wrong, I have not been wishing away his childhood, but I've been thinking about the day this enevelop would come. Flashback 22 years... It's early fall, and another enevelop is delevered to my house.  It has my name on it & in the return address it says 'Office of Admissions Auburn University'.  My dad is on pins and needles as I open my letter.  I have been accepted to Auburn, his Alma Mater, and his father's Alma Mater.  I am the third generation to go to, and eventually graduate from, Auburn University, the lovliest village on the plains.  I think my dad was more excited than I was.  The smile on his face was huge.  It's a great memory.  I wish he was alive so I could share my mommy memory with him. Back to the present... Oh I want to open the envelopes so badly.  But I'm not.  My name is no where on ...

Friday night Hopson had an away game.  Because we go to all the games, sometimes Harry's friends will catch rides with us.  We love it!  The more the merrier is one of our family mottos.  It's true when they tell you that once you hit a certain number of children if you add a few more you don't really notice it.  While big Hopson was driving to the game, he came to a rolling stop at a stop sign close to our house.  (which I  NEVER do, and don't promote doing.  Ha!) When I commented on how much I liked his stop, Henry pipped up from the back that all the stop signs with white rims around them are optional.  That is right Henry, they are.  (wink, wink)  It's kinda a family joke. After this comment, we were all chatting quietly as we listened to the radio.  We were a few miles from the school where we're playing when Harry starts talking about how his driver's ed teacher thinks it's hilariou...

It Saturday.  I'm working on a lot of different things today.  I'm watching college football.  Life is good! On a normal day, 99% of all commercials on TV really bug me, but today I saw one that I can really identify with.  It's a little scary, and I hate having to look at myself so closely.  I don't like to admit it, but I can not tell a lie.  I am superstitious.  Here is the commercial that at first made me really laugh & then think...wait, I'm like this.  Not in a crazy bad way, but in a tiny little bit way.  Just in case you couldn't get enough of the superstitious commercials, here's another one . The superstition begins Thursday.  I'm the senior mom who gets food for the linebackers.  I pick up something different every week, and I have to have it to the school by 2:20.  Every position group has a mom that does this.  I love it.  I get the food & have a qu...

I have been watching the meanest show.  It's called 'Prank My Mom'.  OMG, these kids are so mean.  They set their moms up by doing crazy things.  Like buying a stolen car with a briefcase full of Euros; or telling their moms they are dating one of their professors.  It's just horrible, and so terribly funny.  Wow, I think I would have to hurt my children if they did that to me.  Oy! I had a lunch date with Hopson today.  It was very nice for the two of us to go and just talk while we inhaled our food.  It's a bad habit.  We're always on the go, and we eat a little too quickly.  It was great just to spend some time with Honey Daddy without any children around.  We need to go out with other couples, but we might have to wait until after football season is over.  I'm heading out.  The Rebels have an away game tonight.  Hopson will be pacing, he can't sit still for anything.  :)  Betty Crocker will...

Every Friday night the fam can be found at the football field.  With having a child on the team, it would take a team of wild horses to drag us away.  Plus, big Hopson is the head of the varsity chain gang, so every home game he is on the sidelines working.  Away games are tough from him, he hates just sitting there.  It's really funny.  I just take pictures...I've been averaging about 200 a game.  Document, document, document. Hop recovered a fumble on this play One night a friend from high school sent me a face book message asking:  "Hey Betty Crocker, what's going on in the high school football game."  At first I was a little perturbed.  I mean, I know I'm a mom.  I like to cook, but calling me Betty Crocker was taking it a bit over the line.  Then I had a dose of reality & realized I am BC.  So, I've decided to own it, and when I do my game face book reporting, I sign in and out as Betty Crocker.  It's kinda...

My post went up on my sorority blog yesterday & want to send you over to read it.   It has a recipe in it...Something easy & and my fam gobbled it up.  I'm all over easy & kid friendly.  Know what I mean jellybean?  Well, gotta go!  About to run to go do Zumba...gotta workout so I can eat later.  Yea!  I get to move my booty!  Celebrating Life! ~ashley

Oh.My.Goodness. Look at all this stuff in my living room.  It's a little overwhelming.  October 25th is the Ballet Women's Committee Fall Extravaganza.  We have a holiday shoppe, silent auction, fashion show, and a drawing for some mack daddy inside-out diamond earrings.  (I really hope I win them!) My house is serving as the holding pen for all the silent auction things.  It's not so bad except that I really want to keep a lot of the stuff that's in here.  I know exactly where I would put the things I'm storing.  ;)  Just kidding, my house is already so full of stuff I really don't need anything else.  But, it has been fun to see everything the members have brought.  It's given me some great ideas for my house.  Today we worked on getting everything priced.  The red & white stuff is not quite my taste... I love orange & blue.  :) Well, I really need to go work on some bid sheets.  Lots to do &...

  The Before Picture...  Lizzie & Hop No, really, I do, I'm not being a smarty pants here. Yes, they have drama. Yes, they can be trying at times. But I'll take a room of 15 year olds over a room of 2 year olds any day!  Homecoming was this past Friday.  Both boys had precious dates...see pictures.  :)  Hopson and I had to divide and conquer.  Every time this has happened & I've had to trust him to take pictures of which ever child he is trailing I've ended up with 2 pictures and at least one was blurry and the other was off center with no one looking at the camera.  This year, I was VERY specific about what I wanted.  (he was going with Harry) I have to give him props, he took some great pictures.  He took some with Haley's mom's camera in it too, but I can crop that out.  See below, it's rather funny.  (insert eye roll here.)  Dads, what are you going to do with them?   ...

...is something everyone should experience. If you've never been to Oxford, Mississippi to tailgate in the Grove, you should.  There is nothing like it in the world.  The grove is beautiful.  Really the whole campus and town are beautiful.    The Ole Miss fans know how to tailgate.  There is enough food to feed an army, and there is an army around.  People will stop by each other's tents to visit and of course eat and maybe grab a drink.  They call it 'Southern Hospitality' for a reason.  Duh...  You will see the good silver out in some tents, and in others you won't.  They are all decorated in some form or fashion though.  It just wouldn't be southern if it wasn't made to look pretty.  They bring their big screen TVs so they can watch other games, because tailgating in the Grove is an all-day affair.  People in the south dress-up for football games.  If we wear shorts, they will not be Nike worko...

Homecoming was last night!  We won the game, yea!!!  Hop & I are about to head to Oxford to go to the Auburn/Ole Miss game, so I just wanted to post some pictures so you can see a little of what went on.  We had a great time.  I'm a little sleepy, but that's ok.  Y'all have a great Saturday! Celebrating Life, ~ashley Hop recovering a fumble in the HC game. Haley & Harry A group of sophomores the after party at our house after the shaving cream fight.  too funny!  Some really great Seniors!  Lizzie & Hop their last VHHS homecoming.                                                               ...

 RUDE.     Warning, I'm climbing on my soapbox this morning, so if you don't want to read it, just step away from the computer...now.  You've been warned.   I watched the vice presidential debate last night.  The one thing that kept running through my head last night was the Mad TV skit with Bon Qui Qui .  If you've never seen it, OMG you are missing out on a great laugh, but I digress.   A friend posted this on Face Book last night, and I think it fits perfectly with what happened last night:   " If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."  Prov. 29:9    God always has great truths!   I was very impressed with Paul Ryan.  He was very collected during the debate.  I would have respectfully looked at the VP & asked him to, very nicely, in the most life giving way possible, shut his pie hole.  I don't need yo...

I love the atmosphere that surrounds a high school football game.  Yes it is about the game, but there are so many colorful things that go on as well.  Most of the kids who are on the football team; in the band; those who are on the dance line, majorettes, cheerleaders, and mascots will not do these things when they go to college.  They do them now to be involved in their school, and more importantly for the love of the activity itself.  It's hard for them to imagine a time when they won't be doing them anymore, but it's approaching faster than they realize. I hope all of them are holding onto these days and loving every second.  They all want to go to college.  The kids in college want to graduate and get into the real world.  Everyone in the real world would every once in a while like to go back.  Or at least I would love to go back for a bit.  I had a great time in high school and college, and want the same for my child...

I have turned into a total geek.  I am actually very excited about tonight's presidential debate.  I need something soft to throw at the TV when they say things I don't like.  I have never cared about a presidential debate like this one.  Usually I'm just ready to cast my vote & be done with it, but not this time. I know Hop wants to watch.  He kinda needs too since he will vote in 5 weeks and he's taking AP Government & AP Econ.  Elizabeth will watch too because 1. she has a good bit of homework to do and 2.  she's taking civics.  This is Civics 101 at it's best.  Way cool.  Harry won't watch because he can't vote so he'll go to FCA.  Henry will probably be in bed.  After 8 is too late.  :) OK, gotta go.  Have to feed the peeps. Celebrating Life! ~ashley

...Or See Or Speak apparently. Yes, I know this is the 'red ring of death' but that's what I feel like when I should be putting up a post.  :) I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in forever.  No one told me that my schedule would become more crazy the older my children became.  It feels like it did when they were toddlers only now there is a lot more money involved. When I'm ready to sit down at the computer and write there are a couple of things that happen.  Either I am in the car doing something for the children, or there are people waiting in line to use the computers for homework, and around here homework trumps blogging.  :/  There are so many things that have gone on over the past few weeks.  Some are funny and some are just normal life happenings. I'm still trying to adjust to our new after school schedule, but I'm going to do my best in posting everything.  I have not done a good job in my 366 days of po...

I have the privilege to be a guest blogger for my sorority's alumnae website.  I enjoy doing it & enjoy reading what everyone else posts about.  As you can guess, I post about family & parenting.  I know you're shocked. Anyway, last month they needed someone willing to do two postings, and I had a great topic:  the south & football, two things I know a little about. I'm sending you over to the site so if you want you can read the postings.  I hope they make you laugh.  I had fun writing them! Here is the link for the first posting, and here's the second link .  Let me know what you think.  The posting I did for October made me giggle, so when it's up I'll let you know. Celebrating Life! ~ashley