A Year in the Life

Today is a happy day  It's Hopson's birthday.  He's 29...again.  He's off with Harry & Henry hunting in Clarksdale.  It's his birthday & I want him to do what he loves.  I think he would really love it if it were warm outside so he could sit on the porch at the lake during the gloaming .  It's his favorite time of day.  He would be drinking a beer & playing Rummikub with the fam.  There would be love, lots of laughter & me getting eaten by mosquitoes.  For his birthday I didn't spend any money.  It's one of the things he always wants.  Hopson works hard for our fam & he is the best builder, fixer, ski instructor (water & snow) & manliness passer oner around.  I did get a chuckle at his expense the other night.  He loves to brag about how he still gets carded.  We had a Costco date, and as we were checking out, the wine he was purchasing was scanned right over the bar-code reader &...

I love to take a few minutes each day & just kinda scroll through Facebook.  I love looking at people's pictures, reading from some of my favorite political blogs, funny memes, and even taking a few , some , OK, a lot of those stupid quizzes by buzzfeed.  There are a few times of year that I've decided I don't like getting on Facebook, and Father's Day is one of them.  One thing before I go any further, Hopson thinks Facebook is from the devil.  (He feels that way about Instagram, SnapChat...really all forms of social media.  I think there are days he wished I didn't blog, he hates it when I write about him.)  I didn't post pictures of Hopson yesterday for Father's Day.  I didn't post pictures of my dad for Father's Day & I didn't post pictures of my father-in-law, Walter, for Father's Day.  You know why?  Because I think Mother's and Father's Day are stupid holidays.  There I said it!  Whew!  And you know what,...

It's May.  If you are a mom with multiple children at home, you know what that means.  It means it's crazy, and you don't know your name; your children's names; or really what day it is.  Most of my mom friends will tell you May is worse than December.  We all have to stick together to make it through to the last weeks of school, sports, dance, graduation etc.! Sports teams are starting to wrap up.  If you had rain outs during your season you very well could end up with 4 games in a week...because we all have time for that.  There are team parties, coach's & team mom gifts.  Don't forget teacher gifts, dance teacher gifts, bible study leader gifts, Sunday school teacher gifts...well, you get the idea.  If you have a graduating senior, hold on tight, because it's a world wind that everyone just expects you to know about.  Parties, gifts, gifts and parties, there's a little school thrown in too. Today, I sat down for 2 minutes and came ...

My dad, close to the same age as Hopson is in the picture below. The day my dad passed away he was 44 years, 1 month & 15 days old.  It's amazing how time offers perspective.  A 20 year old sees their 40+ parents as a little aged.  Yeah, they have their moments when you can see them as they were 20 years ago, but they are still old.  Time has made that 44 years seem younger and younger.  I'm sure my kiddos think Hopson & I are older than dirt.  Hopson & I don't make a habit of acting like we did in our 20's in front of our children.  So, I guess in some ways were are old  mature.  :)  I've been thinking about all the different aspects of this for the last few weeks.  I was so distracted by it one day that I may or may not have accidentally run a red light.   February 15th Hopson will be 44 years, 1 month & 15 days old.  The exact age as my dad was May 7, 1992.  The day of his death.  Hop i...

One looks the same & the other looks very different... 21 years.  No bar crawl; no drinking games. (thank goodness)  Just a nice dinner and flowers for me. Last week Hopson & I celebrated our 21st anniversary.  Wow, 21 years.  That's a long time.  I've been married almost 1/2 of my life.  It's gotten to the point that it's hard to imagine myself as ever being single.  He's like that really comfy pair of broken in slippers.  Nice analogy I know.  :)  But it's true.  A great pair of slippers are warm and soft, and they just make you happy when  you get to put them on.  Hopson will wear his out in public.  They look like camo shoes, so it's easier to get away with wearing them. But, as any couple who has been married over 20 years will tell you, it's not all sunshine and roses.  Marriage is hard work.  It's two people who have been raised in different households coming together to blend tradit...

That should be the new motto of my state & city.  I stand in utter amazement this morning as I read about all the acts of kindness.  Is there anything more humbling than being served by someone? There have been pleas on FaceBook to rescue elderly grandparents, children, stranded motorists.  Churches opened their doors; neighbors opened their doors; businesses packed people in.  There were friends who abandoned their cars to start walking home last night, and stopped to rest at restaurants that were slammed with customers.  You know what they did?  They became servers!  How great is that?  (Kim & Jason)  Have hands, will serve. This morning an alert went out that there was a good Samaritan that didn't make it home last night & he was not responding to calls or texts.  He is also diabetic.  Oh yeah, and it dropped down to 17 degrees last night.  SCARY!  You know what a group of people did?  They formed a...

The snow had just started. Snow, it is the four letter word here in Alabama.  It sends fear into the heart of every mother.  Last night they predicted that we would get just a dusting.  Um, they messed up our forecast by just a bit.  Our favorite weatherman in town has called it a "horrible forcasting error".  We received around 2 inches, and it hit fast. My totally precious Zumba instructor, Kaitlin. Now, if you are reading this in a state that gets a lot of snow, I know you're laughing.  You know what, I would be too.  What you need to realize is that we don't get a lot of snow.  We are in the deep south.  We do summer really well, not snow.  As a matter of fact, after Christmas, I would be so totally ok if spring would come.  I am done with winter. Here's the Terrible, Horrible... The snow hit so fast that within 30 minutes you couldn't drive on the roads.  At this point in time (around 10:30 this morning)...

How do you cram 20 years into 400 words or less?  How can it even come close to everything Hopson & I have experienced together?  In truth, it can't.  But, I'm going to give it 'the old college try'. I met Hopson at Auburn.  We were on a double date, with different people.  My life was about to change forever & he remembered my name.  It's funny what a difference it is when someone calls you by your name.  I will never forget that day.  Hopson was helping to build Fiji Island.  He was shirtless (which was not a bad sight); he smiled at me and said 'Hey Ashley, I'm Hopson'.  We talked for a bit & I went to visit my friends at the house.  May 7th my dad passed away & I was thrown into a funk.  I didn't a pretty good job hiding it, but I don't remember a lot from that summer.  Hopson says he called me to go on a date with him in June (I think), and claims I stood him up, but I don't remember it.  Then h...

On our way ...the smell of coconuts, the ocean breeze, the sun shining on your face, long walks, eating fresh seafood, people watching, or taking drive in a convertible, do I have the destination for you! Hopson likes for us to get away if we can for a few days each year or two.  Just us, no rugrats.  We love said rugrats, but sometimes mama & daddy just need to decompress.  He looks cute in a convertible! He booked us a few days in the Florida Keys.  When we left Thursday, it was cold and rainy.  When we landed in Miami, it was in the high 70's and sunny.  Thank you Lord for the sun!  I don't think I had seen it in almost two weeks.  I'm sorry, do I live in the pacific northwest or the deep south?  Right now I'm leaning toward the pacific northwest just with southern accents.  It's been a crazy wet winter. 17 miles on the odometer... We wound our way through the maze called the Miami airpo...

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...

  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?   ...

This is posting is short & sweet and is about me having an epic fail.  Wow...wow, wow, wow. I decided I was going to be a nice wife & while Hopson was sitting at the computer doing some work I would swoop in & give him a kiss.  I know kids, it's gross, but hey how do you think you got here? Anyway...I go to give him a kiss and POW!  I get bonked in the head.  We headbutted each other.  Yeah, like I said...fail!  Please tell me I get at least a few sweet wife points for trying.  Some much for me being spontaneous.  They say, no good deed goes unpunished; I'm starting to believe them.  :)  We did better the second time after we stopped laughing & my head stopped hurting.  He got his peck on the lips & we had a good laugh at my expense. :) Celebrating Life & Successful Kisses! ~ashley   

Why doesn't my cleaning bucket look this cute? Oh yeah, because I actually use it.  :) You know, most of the time, moms and dads clean differently.  I am the kind of person who likes things scrubbed clean and put in their places.  I want whatever I'm cleaning to be shiny and smell wonderfully clean when I'm done.  I don't like to do the bare minimum, and I really don't like a dirty cluttered house. Hopson, on the other hand, is not to terribly concerned with cleanliness.  He will throw his stuff around & let it land where it may.  :/  This is very frustrating and drives me to distraction.  The children have adopted this mantra in life.  (Hence, Not Me has taken up residence.) At the lake this weekend, I stayed behind with the children to get the house cleaned and put back into order.  On the way home I found out an interesting fact:  Hopson only makes the beds and vacuums when he is left to complete the clea...

We don't go to the mall.  It's hard to get in and out quickly because it seems you always get sucked into stores that you really didn't plan to go into in the first place.  And, it happened today. The first thing you need to know is that this week has been the appointments week for all the children:  orthodontist:  three boys are looking good, eight of E's baby teeth won't come out, and her teeth are kinda jacked up, I think our ortho, Dr. Jeff was a little too excited about it; pediatrician:  everyone is doing great & they are all healthy, they were stabbed and shot by the lab and nurses, Harry was the most unhappy about it; and finally today, the dentist:  all four cavity free, E may have to have six or seven teeth pulled in six                                   ...

...Nothing except for the clicking of my keyboard keys.  (and the lawnmower my neighbor us using)  Oh sweet silence.  I love you and have missed you so much.  I can't remember the last time we were able to hang out together.  :) It's quiet right now.  It wasn't earlier, and won't be later, but it is right now.  You always hear that you should live in the now.  Well, I'm livin' and lovin' it & sharing it with you.  It's amazing how clearly I can think with silence.  The term silence is golden is bouncing around in my head.  You may be wondering why my house is quiet on this beautiful Saturday morning.  (or not...but I'm going to tell you any way.) Hop left bright and early to go take the SAT test...one gone.  Around 8:30 this morning Hopson took all the other kiddos to the lake overnight...four more out the door.  Yippee!!!  It could be, hands down, one of the nicest things he's done for me.  I now ...

Watching true friendships form and grow is a wondrous thing to behold.  It is everything that is good and right.  I remember my friends from high school.  I love them dearly.  Their friendships are golden to me: precious and unwavering.  I saw golden friendships being strengthened tonight.  Elizabeth & I went to the girl's lacrosse game tonight.  They beat a big rival by a pretty big margin.  Yea Rebels!!!  Onto the finals Sunday!  What was really fun was to sit with the friends who came to watch the girls play.  Such sweet girls, I love them!  At one point they all stood up and started doing cheers.  I had a big giggle.  We cheered the team on & were so happy for them. Immediately after the girl's game we left and went to the boy's game.  The boys played a very tough game, but lost.  There were a bunch of Hop's friends there.  It was great to see.  They cheered loud...

Hold on just a sec...Big Hopson is sick & needs some Advil.  I'll be back... ...Ok, I'm back.  It's pretty funny when the men get sick at my house.  They can become quite needy.  Just in case all you moms out there didn't know, there is an official memo against you getting sick.  I have had to refer back to it multiple times since becoming a mom.  This is just a copy, the original is much prettier.  Us moms have to be well at all times... ...there is no going to bed when we're a little sick.  (I'll cry uncle for the flu & throw-ups, but that's about it.)  For my fam I'm the keeper of the schedule, finder of lost things, head chef, and head dishwasher.  I've seen what happens if I try to get sick & it's not pretty.  I just follow what the memo says and take two Advil & try my hardest to work through it.  It's a similar situation and can be equated to when our ch...

Hopson comes from a long line of farmers.  His daddy farmed up until a few years ago.  It must be in their blood because Hopson loves to grow things, and it is something he has passed onto Henry.  When Hopson starts digging in the dirt I call him Farmer Ted, so when Henry came home with a cabbage plant and a HUGE smile on his face, I knew I would need to just start calling him Farmer Ted, Jr. Every 3rd grader at his school received a cabbage plant of their very own.  I think the only thing that would have made him happier is if you gave him Legos.  We love shredded cabbage with a little Hidden Valley Ranch dressing on it.  Yummy!  (but it has to be the kind you mix yourself, the HVR in a bottle is nasty)  Henry couldn't wait to get home & plant his cabbage in the garden in our backyard.  It was so cute!  Since it is March, and March weather is crazy in the south, I talked him into planting it in a pot.  I ...

There are things only a father can teach his children.  Hopson is wonderful at teaching our children so many things.  (including how to be messy , even though I'm not crazy about this one.)  I can not teach my boys to be the men they need to grow up to be.  I can try but it will never be enough.  They have research that shows children who have a father who is active in their lives are less likely to engage in high risk behaviors. Hopson can fix anything;  build anything; is an avid hunter; loves to argue (he's a CPA, but likes to play at being an attorney); he's one of the best critical thinkers I've ever met; he's caring but not gushy about it (I love it when he brings me flowers; it makes my day!); loving but not weak; and he is great at teaching our children all the skills he possesses. We don't having any boys playing baseball this year; the first time in a long time.  We have traded in our baseball bats for lacrosse sticks.  H...

The heart of a woman starts forming from the time she is born.  With every word spoken, every action taken she is formed.  She knows when she is loved and cherished; or dispassionately tolerated and placed to the side.  She will develop the heart of a warrior or one made of stone.  She will live with passion or survive with apathy.  Yes, a true woman's heart is cultivated, and not something to be taken lightly.   I hope Elizabeth knows where she stands.  I hope she knows how Hopson & I feel about her.  That, like her brothers, we cherish the day she was born.  We hold her in high esteem, not because she's our daughter, but because she is one of God's most beautiful creations.  Her truest beauty shines from within:  her caring spirit and servant's heart.  What a thing of beauty to behold.  A true treasure, more precious than diamonds.  I can't think of anything more impor...