Things I love!!!

It is that time of year--The February Funk!!! And I am feeling it! Yucky cold weather, being stuck inside, and stir crazy kids! And to top it all off, every time I turn on the news it s nothing but doom and gloom!! I have decided to stop watching the news, I don't want to hear it anymore.
So, I have decided that instead of focusing on the negatives, which is so easy for me these days, I am going to be more positive! So, I thought I would make a list of things I love-that make me happy! This may be boring to all of you, so I don't blame you if you don't read it all. But, maybe it can help us all think of all of the things that make us smile! I know it has helped me! (These are not necessarily in order from, things I love most to least!)

• My husband! I can't even begin to describe what an amazing husband I have. It's so great to live with someone that you have so much fun with. And even after 10 1/2 years we still love to cuddle while we watch TV. I love You Bri!
• My Aspen Nicole! It took us many years and many painful miscarriages to get her here and it was worth every second! She is a great big sister and is growing into a beautiful little girl-actually I wish she would stop growing so fast!!
• Brylee Jean! Our lives would be so BORING without her!! She's our little runt!
• Porter B! Having a boy has been such a fun new adventure! We already have a hole in a wall and one in our door from him- I have a feeling it is just the beginning!
• My family!! I have got some pretty amazing parents. I love the way they love my children! I love that I can talk to my mom for an hour on the phone everyday and still not run out of stuff to say! In fact my dad called me today just to talk-how great is that! And I better not forget about my sisters! We always have a great time together! We are pretty lucky! And I have a great brother on a mission in West Virginia and I couldn't be prouder!
• My In-laws. Now how many people can say that? Brian's parents have made several trips up here to see us, and I know that means a lot to Brian. One of the hardest things about moving up here has been that Brian misses all of the stuff he did with his Dad and brothers, so when he gets the opportunity to hang out with them I know it makes him very happy. we always have a great time hanging out with the Davis'!
• Spill-proof sippy cups! What a great invention!
• Pictures/cameras! I love being able to go back and look at old pictures and to remember what my kids looked like as babies and etc..
• I love going out to eat! Anywhere!
• OK so, I just love to eat!
• Dishwashers. AMAZING!!
• Microwave ovens-my kids might starve without this one!
• The sound of my kids laughing-especially when Brian is making them laugh!
• I love my Young Women and my calling to work with them, it has been a major learning experience. And I have fun with them, they keep me feeling young!
• Music-any and all!
• My kids right after they get out of the bathtub!
• Cooking, just not cleaning up after!
• I love it when my husband tells me I am sexy! (Is it wierd he thinks pajama pants and ponytails sexy???)
• I love dish soap that smells good!
• Already grated cheese!
• I love the primary program and my kids teachers! It is amazing the things they learn from them-they make up for all of the things I have missed!
• My favorite time of day is when my husband comes home from work!
• New Clothes!
• My Boss! I have worked for Dr Sands for about 10 years now and am still working from home for him. He is great! Not only has he been a wonderful boss, but a great friend to us- he has came to see me in the hospital after having babies, came to baby blessings, invited Brian to play softball and golf with him, and we have been to house for dinners and just to hang out. He is definitely more than just my boss, the Sands family has become our friends.
• Disposable diapers! Can you imagine washing them out!! No thank you!!
• My children's friends! They have some great friends and I love having them over. Everyday the girls ask "Who is coming over today?"
• My dogs!
• Coming back to your own bed after being away for a long time!
• I love it when the farmers start planting the corn around here, it means it is spring! And it's fun to see the scenery change into huge fields of corn, beets and of course potatoes!
• I love my friends OLD and NEW! I love knowing if there is anything I need I can go to them for help!
• A shower after you have been camping for quite awhile or after four-wheeling in the dust! It feels so good!!!
• Cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup! If you have those two things you can make almost anything!!
• I love sunflower seeds-specifically "Spits smokey BBQ" flavor. My favorite thing is to eat the when we are traveling!
• I love Crab!! Just ask Brian!
• I love having a fireplace! I the winter time there is nothing more comforting than sitting in front of a warm fire!
• Canning! I really do like doing it.
• Vacuuming, there is nothing better than the way your carpet looks with vacuum lines in it!
• Catching up with old friends!
• A good cry, from either a great church lesson or sappy country song!
• I love having a garden! It is a great feeling to know you can be self sufficient, and all of that great fresh food is so fun! (Weeds-not so fun!)
• Snow, when it snows enough to cover EVERYTHING! It is so pretty!
• Hunting, I really do enjoy it!
• Holding babies!
• The first BBQ of the season!
• Four-wheeling with my fam!
• The Internet! You can find anything on there!
• My Straightening Iron!
• Our ward.
• Our bishopric.
• A good chick flick!
• Cuddling with my kids, which only seems to happen when they are sick, because they won't sit still any other time.
• Camping!
• Entertaining! I love having people over!
• Blogging, and looking at other people's blogs, in fact I may like this a little too much! Can you say blog stalker!
• Disney movies!
• The way it feels when you have served someone selflessly.
• The gospel! I love that we have a guide to make it through all of this crap! It is so comforting!
• The rain!
• A good massage!
• Missionaries. I admire them and for all they sacrifice for the Lord!
• I love where we live!
• Clean laundry-it smells so good!
• Getting a sun burn!!
• Having a clean house!
• I love it when my kids get excited to go to church, sometimes THAT is the only reason I go!
• I love horses-I have never owned one and may never, but that would be a dream come tru for me!
• I love old country houses out in the middle of nowhere!
• I love the memories I have of my Granpa Jenkins! We had some amazing times with him-He was a great man!
• Getting a pedicure-I think my feet look better with toe nail polish on them!
• Having healthy kids!
• Having fake nails!
• A new tube of mascara!
• My OBGYN! Really I love her she is great! She was amazing when I was having my miscarriages, and I am so glad she was able to deliver all of my kids! I love Dr. Kathleen Langer!!
• Lip gloss!

• WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE COMMENTS ON MY BLOG!!!! hint hint

Ok, I think I am done for now! And yes I feel happier! Look at all of these wonderful things the Lord has given to me just for my happiness -and these aren't all of them--just a few!!!

Watch out Betty Crocker-Here comes Brian!!

I am suffering from a bruised ego at the moment. Brian made bread-beautiful bread!!!


Let me explain= In an effort to become more domestic, save money, and learn how to use what is in my food storage, I have been attempting to make homemade bread. I have tried three different recipes. One from the internet, one from a friend, and then yesterday a lady Brian works with brought a recipe and a sample for Brian. So, today I tried the recipe and got the same result that I have gotten every other time=flat, brick-like bread!! When Brian came home I was a little miffed to say the least. So, he thought he was funny and kept going over the recipe asking if I did everything it said, needless to say that only made me more upset! I am by no means a gourmet chef, but I do pride myself on being a good cook. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy people enjoying what I cook even more. So, I said "You think it is so easy-you try it!" So, he did!! I went to young Womens and came home to three beautifully perfect loaves of warm, delicous bread!! Good job Brian!! yes I am BUGGED!! My husband should NOT make better bread than I do - It's like a law somewhere!!!

My bread is the one on the left, HIS is on the right!! (I am rolling my eyes right now, because he keeps saying "would you like me to teach you how to make bread?") I have decided it is now his job, and again he thinks he is funny and says "So, now I am the bread winner and bread maker!" Does anyone think he is funny? I DON'T!!!! I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but I am bugged. WHY CAN'T I MAKE BREAD????

This is what happened to my bread!!

The loss of a dear friend...

Today has been a sad day for me, I am mourning the loss of one of my best friends.

Rest in Peace-Dr Pepper addiction!! Now to be fair it has only been two days, but it is real this time-I am comitted!! I hesitated posting this just yet, because if I fall "off the wagon" then it could be a little embarrassing. But, I also think that maybe I will be more likely to stick to it if EVERYONE knows (because I KNOW "everyone" reads my blog). I have made this life changing decision for a few reasons: first "Hello, My name is Ashley and I am a Dr Pepperaholic" , no really I am addicted seriously! I know some of you are laughing at me right now, and that's ok, but for those of you who have similar weaknesses you know how I feel. I figure my addiction is definitely against the word of wisdom, because it has control over me (I stopped at the gas station to fill up my car after my spinning class, and I got a Dr Pepper, no big deal you say---IT WAS AT 6 AM!!! see I have a problem). So I am taking control back! My second reason is that in 5 months I turn-------well, lets just say I turn OLD!! And the worst part is, I feel old!!! I know that cutting out the sugar, carbonation and caffeine will help me loose the weight that I would like to, while helping to feel better, eventually-right now I have a withdrawal headache and feel like crap!! I am also hoping it will help me look younger also. Please don't judge me, this is just one way I am trying to be a better ME! Two days down! Now wish me luck!!

We love our Uncle Steve!!

A couple of weekends ago Brian's parents and his brother Steve came up to visit and Coyote hunt. And while they were here the girls talked Steve into playing their many games with them. Hungry hungry hippo, caraboo and Brylee's fav-Duck Duck Goose!! Everytime he would walk in the door Brylee would immediately start begging "you play duck duck goose?" And Steve would sit down and play EVERYTIME!! The kids loved it!! And he's still single?!?!? SHOCKING I know!!!!!

Cabin Fever!!

It seems as soon as Christmas and New Years end, I get a little stir crazy. No more fun parties or fun Christmas planning, just us stuck inside all day long!!! I have been looking into some different things to get the kids involved in and I found this great place!!! It is like the bouncin' off the walls place in SL. They have got huge inflatable slides, bouncers and play things. They even have a little pit, full of balls that Porter would live in if he could. I bought a monthly pass and we are taking advantage of it!! The kids run like crazy and when we are done they crash-they all fall asleep in the car on the way home! It is wonderful!! Brian went with us one night for family night and he even had fun-it is quite the workout too. Yeah--we might survive the next few months!!

Porter even enjoys it!!

Would it be THAT wrong to never go to sacrement meeting again???

Something awful happened at church!! SACREMENT MEETING!! With the new year came a change in our church schedule, now we start at 9 am, AND sacrement is LAST!!! It is awful, not the 9 am thing, but the sacrement meeting being last thing! Reason #1 Porter is right in the middle of nap time and he has grown out of the sweet, cuddle on your lap fall asleep anywhere stage and grown INTO the climb all over, cry at everything and not give up and fall asleep for anything stage! so much fun:) Reason #2 BRYLEE!!!! Need I say more! That girl is going to make church miserable. She started going to her Sunbeams class which she loves and they love her every week her teachers and someone in the primary presidency tells us how good she does-of course she is GOOD for them!!! Then sacrement meeting starts!!! AAAUUGGHH!!! Today it started with Brylee singing "Mary had a Little Lamb" as loud as she could, during the first hymn, yes-you can laugh- every one else did too! ok everyone except me!!! Then it was "I want to color" "I want gum" "I want candy""I want (whatever toy Aspen or Porter had)" And then it would start all over again!!! I had to go up front and sing with the Young Women which left Brian alone with the monsters, while up there, I could hear Porter screaming and the best part was Brylee dancing to the song in the middle of the aisle!! (One boy told his mom "look she's bustin' a move!"-so yes, people noticed!!) Two different people gave my kids candy to "help" ha ha One of my friends gave Brylee candy with a note that said "It is funny when it is someone else's kids!" Gee I am glad I could make someone smile!!! And during the song with the Young Women an older lady was sitting in the VERY back of the church came all the way up to us to give the kids smarties, again to "help", instead. Porter threw a fit because he could not get the wrapper open, then screamed louder because Brian took them from him to open them! So, needless to say by the end of church Brian and I were exhausted and embarrassed and the kids were on a major sugar high! (I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the candy, because it was really nice) And during all of this Brylee was having "panty problems" they kept going up her bum-so in turn she kept lifting her dress up to remove them, and she was not very lady like about it!! Well, I have to take the blame for this one-when we got home I discovered her panties were on backwards- which meant the skinny front part, was in the back!! OOPS!
Even with all of that I know that we are teaching our children where they should be and what they should be doing and that we will be blessed for being obedient. At least that is what I tell myself-over and over and over!!! And as a side note Aspen was wonderful through all of this, she quietly colored or laid on my lap. See I am not a total failure!!

New Years Eve!

We spent New Years in Salt Lake with family! We partied at Brian's parents house New Years Eve! My family came over also. The girls had a blast chasing their cousin Colton around and playing the Wii. Porter shared a sandwich with my dad-he didn't want just a little bit he wanted the whole dang thing!The girls with Colton blowing their noise makers and pretty crowns!

Brian went goose hunting new years day with his brothers and Dad, doesn't that look fun!!

Christmas Morning!

Santa Came!!! Christmas morning we woke before the girls did and waited for them to get up. As soon as they woke-we knew it! They were screaming "Santa Came!! We got bikes!!!" They were very excited! I wasn't sure what Porter would think, but just like everything he followed his sisters lead! He would say "ooohh!" about everything.

He quickly caught on to tearing off wrapping paper to get to the goods inside!

The girls got digital cameras from my parents, so all morning we had flashes going off all over the place, they also can play games on the cameras and put silly hats or faces on us.

Aspen's purple bike!

Brylee's pink (of course) bike!I love this picture-Brian and Porter putting all his BOY toys together. It was nice not to have all pink, girly stuff!

Woo hoo stockings!!

Say cheese!
We had to try the bikes out so, we went out to the shop and let the girls ride in circles. Now everyday I have to pull the car out of the garage so they can ride in the garage, we can't wait until summer time so, we can try riding in a straight line!
We got the same snowy weather everyone got on Christmas day, so we took advantage of it and played with the sled and four-wheeler-again! We had some friends over later in the day and pulled their kids around too.

We had a great Christmas season! We missed spending it with family, but we were definitely not bored! We had a party (sometimes two!) every weekend. It's great to have so many wonderful friends to celebrate the holidays with! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has an even better new year!!

Christmas Eve!

This year we spent Christmas in Idaho, but don't worry we weren't alone! We had Christmas Eve dinner at the Paramedic Stationhouse, one of our friends is a paramedic and he was on that night so we all joined him and some other friends at the station, and we got lucky and he didn't get called out. We ate lots of yummy food. The kids ran all over the place and had a great time!We told the Christmas story and the kids each got a piece of the nativity so they could all participate. And, of course we opened our new Christmas jammies! Spongebob jammies!! (I swore I would never buy anything with Spongebob on it, but I was weak, and Aspen loves them!!)Nothing is more appropriate for Brylee than Pink jammies with butterflies on them.
This isn't the best picture of them, but we made Santa Seekers (binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and decorated them with wrapping paper and ribbons) the kids used them all night to look for Santa! Our families sent all of our Christmas presents home with us when we were down for Thanksgiving and we kept them outside in the shop until just before bed. And as I knew would happen Porter opened two different presents TWICE!! The girls could not stay away either, they would both find a present with their name on it and come tell me "Mom, there is another one for me!!" Can you tell they were not very happy I made them hold still and take this picture?