A Year in the Life

Today marks the 18th celebration of my 29th birthday.  😁  In case you need a little help in your addition, that makes me 47.  47!  Wow, my cake is going to put off some smoke.  And yes, in case you're wondering, I do want a cake.  Cake makes people happy, especially me.  Chocolate on chocolate with raspberry filling.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. What have I learned in my 47 years?  A bunch of different random stuff.  The scary thing is that it's all rolling around in my head at one time.  Maybe that's why I walk into a room & can't remember why I walked in it.  Or it could be that I have 4 children, 2 dogs, and a husband, and they have sucked all the good brain cells from me.  (or killed them, you decide)   This year also marks the 20th year that I have been the matriarch.  It's been a long road filled with mistakes & tons of learning.  Many days are great & man...

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 &...

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...

The last two weeks have been CrAZy!  Oh wait, our weeks are always crazy.  :)  Because of what we did over Christmas vacation I have some definite opinions about a few things.  I know, hold your comments, I have opinions about pretty much everything.  Here goes... This reminds me of a Christmas Carol. We left Christmas day for Park City, Utah for the fam to take our vacation skiing.  We are usually spring skiers, but because Hop's spring break is different from the other three, Harry had the idea to go at Christmas.  We left the 25th so I didn't really decorate the house for Christmas.  I put out our favorite decorations, but I didn't put out everything, and it was all packed up before we left.  I didn't even wrap any presents.  I love Christmas, so this part was hard for me to swallow. All my peeps skiing on the 26th. We arrive in Utah to it snowing.  It was in the 20's, which is cold but manageable.  My first hic...

Today is that crazy Henry's 12th birthday.  No more little kids in this house, and I have to say, it's kinda nice.  Everyone has been able to wipe their own fanny, tie their own shoes, make beds, fold clothes and do chores for a few years now.  It's nice to have at least a little help from the people who make the mess.  Each baby is a miracle & I think it's important for each child to know stories about their pregnancy and birth, so I'm documenting Henry's here. But before I go any further...Happy Birthday Hen!  We love you bunches & bunches!  You are #4 & you have completed our fam. Henry is our little surprise baby.  We had three children & were clicking along.  E was 1 1/2 and I could see a light at the end of the diaper tunnel.  Then one day I woke up, and just like with every other pregnancy, started throwing up...everything.  I was sick all the time.  (and those of you who think I needed to eat saltines ...

...It's my birthday too,  yeah!   I was going to put the clip from 16 Candles on here, but they say a few not very nice words & um, I couldn't bring myself to put a link to the clip.  So, there's a video of the Beatles singing it live.  It's amazing how sensitive I've become over the years. Me at 42 Well, it is my 42nd birthday & this blog's 2nd blogaversary.  Wow, I'm 42.  I remember when I used to think anyone 40 & over was old as dirt.  (That included my parents. I thought they were ancient.)  Funny how when it's you facing the numbers they don't seem so old anymore.  I still feel like I'm in my young 20's...I just don't look like it anymore...and I'm not quite as fearless with some things as I used to be.  I mean, I  used to jump from high places.  Counters, stools, stairs, chairs...no fear.  Don't judge, I'm 5'2.  I need a stool to climb up on my bed.  Now if I have to climb up on a bar...

My sweet Elizabeth...surrounded by brothers.  Brothers who don't like her to be too girly.  I've been trying to tell them there's a difference in being girly and high maintenance.  I don't know if they believe me. I mean, cut her some slack...she's not whiny or demanding.  She shot a doe & a nine point buck this season.  She's pretty easy going when it's all said and done.  I don't know what else I can do for them to show how, for a girl, she's about as calm as they come. Well, that is except on her birthday.  March 22nd.  It was my dad's birthday too.  It's a great day for a birthday.  My daddy would have loved Miss Priss.  She's kind, smart, a gifted writer, not intimidated easily, and when she gets nervous she giggles.  Her GiGi & Pop love her to pieces, so I know mine would have too. Since it was her big 13th birthday we had a girls' day.  I had ...

Henry, Elizabeth, Hop, Harry and Hop's first best friend, Will D. Birthdays do make me happy.  It's another year to celebrate life.  (and eat birthday cake!)  A chance to celebrate both what has been and what will be.  Having a birthday over the Christmas break can be a bummer.  Friends are out of town or already have plans.  Poor Harry.  He really wanted Mooyah! for dinner that night but they were closed, so we ate Mexican instead.  When Harry was little would have his party on his half birthday.  It's easier to have it during the summer.  This year he just wanted to have a few people over to watch movies, shoot pool, hang out, and eat cake.  Not a problem!   Happy Sweet 16 Harry! WooHoo!! 2 drivers in the house! Harry's favorite cake is a cookie cake & so I made him a double decker birthday cake with lots of icing.  I think he liked it.  :)  Yea for the mommy who doesn't like ...

He's ready to be called to the back to begin this thing! So as  you know, Harry & I tried to go get his driver's license this past Monday on his birthday, but they were closed.  Total bummer.  We made plans then to leave our house by 7 am today to go for his driver's test.  I figured with four days worth of 16 year olds wanting to take their driver's test it would be busy.  And...momma was right.  (but then again, when is momma not right?) ;) At 7 am Harry was the third person in line.  Yea!!!  It was cold this morning just in case you were wondering.  We have all the paperwork needed, and I'm sitting in the waiting room while Harry goes in to take care of everything & at this point I'm excited for him.  I know he's going to ace this thing.  Harry's driven a ton.  If he's in the car with me, more times than naught he's the one driving.  He's driven on the interstate at both day and...

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...

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

Hey, I realized yesterday is four months until my birthday!  Happy 8 month anniversary to AYITL!  I feel like a teenager with her first boyfriend.  It's our 8 month anniversary, I love you sweetheart.  Gag me!  We'll talk when you've been married for almost 20 years.  Sorry, confusing the blog with a boyfriend.  ;) A four year old asked me yesterday if I was four.  I said that my age started with a four.  She proceeded to tell me that since I had a four in my age that I was four.  You know what, four is a pretty good age.  You have someone else do a lot of stuff for you; you have to take naps; you get to color, play with puzzles, play dress-up, and  have great snacks at school; everything is fresh and new.  At 40, you get to do everything yourself; you want to take a nap, but can't; the closest thing to coloring, puzzles, and dress-up is when I write my name on a check or debit slip, balancing my checkbook, and goin...

My Hoppy at 5 months.  This is one of my favorite pictures of all time! This time 18 years ago I was very sick, and about to become a mommy.  11:01 pm Hopson was brought into the world at 36 weeks; 5 lbs 11 ozs; 19 1/2" long.  He was a little peanut baby, but he was all mine. His birth story was a hard one.  If I had lived before the time of modern medicine, I would have died in childbirth.  That's a great thought to have 18 years later isn't it?  It's not meant to be morbid, just me being thankful for each day, and reflecting on my own mortality. I had  pre-eclampsia with the HELLP syndrome .  I went in for a typical non-stress test on a Friday.  No biggie.  The next thing I know, I'm being admitted to the hospital because they were afraid I was about to have a stroke.  Um, no, can't be admitted, have to go and clean my house and change my sheets.  It's sheet changing day.  They told me I had no ...

I'm doing a double posting today.  I want to remember my friend Debbi.  Do you remember your very first friend from school?  I do, I remember meeting her like it was yesterday.  We were as opposite as the day is long, and growing up I loved her dearly. It was the first day of first grade.  We had just moved to Dunwoody, Georgia.  I knew no one.  I saw her in the room.  She was tall, blond, and had the cutest little pigtails.  I was short, dark headed, and had long hair.  She was sweet, I was loud.  She made me laugh, and I loved my very first best friend. We had a lot in common.  We both swam, danced, and would spend hours listening to records.  Every time I hear Double Dutch Bus and The Boy From New York City I think of Debbi.  I'm shocked her sister Dana didn't steal the records and shatter them.  I loved spending the night at Debbi's house.  Her mom would make us chocolate chip p...

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                                   ...

The baby is finally 2 hands.  Yep, 10 years old today.  I guess I really shouldn't call him the baby anymore.  I remember one time he looked at me & said he couldn't do something because he was a baby.  He was 5.  I informed him that he was the baby (of the family) not a baby anymore. I often wonder what it's like being the baby of the family.  I married one, so it can't be all bad.  I do firmly believe that when there are multiple siblings in a family the baby gets it the easiest.  You laugh, but think about it.  With the first child you are anxious about everything because you're learning so much as a parent.  There are no instructions that come with your particular model of child & what will work best with them; it's a learn as you go kinda thing.  (Accompanied with a lot of prayer!)  Middle children have it a little easier because we've seen a little & know a little, and tend not to get stressed...

Chimney Rock, Lake Martin Today is the last day of school for my little people.  The big people were done with exams Tuesday.  WooHoo!!!  IT'S SUMMERTIME!!! We love summer.  We love summer.  Did I mention we love summer?  Well we do.  It's been a hard year.  Everyone was stretched academically, athletically, and personally.  Now it's a time to take a big deep big breath.  (and it couldn't have come soon enough)  Right now there are 15 teenagers at the lake for a few days.  It's going to be lots of laughter, and lots of memories made.  Wow I wish I was 17 again.  I wish I could be 17 and know what I know now.  I know those kids look at me and see a 40 year old, but I don't feel that old.  I feel like I just finished high school.  I feel like I could conquer the world.  (as long as I can stay awake to do it)  I think that's why I love teenagers so much.  Their possibilities ar...

 The Birthday Girl on the plane today 12 years.  12 years ago today Miss. Priss made her appearance into our family.  Elizabeth couldn't have arrived on a better day.  March 22nd fits her to a T.  She shares her birthday with my dad.  He would have been 64 today, and I know he would have loved her so much, maybe as much as we do.  I know her GiGi & Pop love her! She was supposed to be a planned induction; funny how babies don't keep to the schedule their parents plan.  March 21, 2000, two of my friends, Amy & Jennifer, called me around 10 pm to wish me good luck.  They jokingly asked me if there was any chance of me going into labor.  The chances were about zero and none.  (Both the boys were scheduled inductions.)  Let's face it, my body didn't know how to go into labor by itself, but not this time.  It's now 11:15 pm, two sweet boys have been kissed and tucked in bed, grandparents briefed...

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...