"Didn't Mean To Dent Your Do, Little Lady"...

{did ya get my "Hairspray" reference?  Teehee}

My (soon to be) SIL, Melony will be getting married to my BIL at the end of September!  Along with being the wedding photographer, I am also fixing the bride's hair.  I will be C.R.A.Z.Y busy that day!!  

Here are pictures of her do...I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. :)  I hope it turns out even better on the special day.  And I hope she likes loves it even more!!

I still have to perfect my technique...ya know...so the bobby pins aren't screaming, "look at ME!!"  But all the same not too shabby for my first attempt!  Tomorrow my MIL, Melony and myself will be taking her bridal portraits!!  I know they are going to turn out GREAT!

If you want anymore hair ideas go to Eisy Morgan!!  She has many great hair tutorials!  And she is doing a bunch of special "Thirty Days of Hair" posts!!  Go on over and join in the fun!!



{UPDATE:I will be posting pics of Melony's bridal photo session soon...and I must say I did an even BETTER job on her hair for those pics!!  You couldn't see the bobby pins at all!!}

*****

Ashley

Back to the Future

Nope I am not talking about the movie.  :)

Looking back 10 years ago, 3 years ago, 9 months ago I would never have considered myself a missionary.  I said I would never, could never be a missionary.  Whether I was scared of leaving my extended family, or afraid of failure, embarrassed of my relationship with Christ...all those reasons and more are why I would never be able to be a missionary. 

However over the last 6 to 9 months I have become so close to Christ that my heart is swollen with love for Him.  As uncomfortable as that sounds it is quite the opposite!!  A few months ago I realized I was holding in some great disappointment and anger from my past...but what I didn't know until recently was that God cannot forgive us until we have forgiven others. 

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

   ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 So I was able to forgive the past and I felt such a freedom, a peace and a movement in my heart that I never expected!!  For years I had felt apart from God...from May 2005 till early this year I felt God had left my side.  I cried out for Him on so many occasions.  I screamed, pleaded and begged for His return.  He didn't...He couldn't....because He was ALREADY there!!  I just had a wall built up that kept me from seeing and feeling Him.  

I began to talk to God with a renewed sense of healing and excitement...and with a body full of FAITH and without a doubt that Christ would answer me, hold me, heal me, reach me and love me.  

James 1:6-8 (NIV)

⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 

But back to the future (teehee)....I am a missionary.  Right now I am not in Haiti or New Orleans teaching the Gospel.  I am not in downtown Fort Worth standing on a bench, beating my hand on my Bible and yelling in peoples faces.  But I am a missionary to those people I come in contact with every day...my children, my friends, my neighbors.  I feel so blessed to be able to encourage those people daily. 

If we desire to be followers of Jesus today, we must acknowledge that he is sending us out as well.  He is saying the same things to us: we are to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Charles Stanley, Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines

*****

Ashley

 

Slip N Slide N Hurt

All four of my kiddos decided they wanted to play on the 

Slip 'n' Slide !!! 

It was a good afternoon

full of giggles

water in every crevice

nakedness galore

smiles

happiness.

{on a side note: the next morning after their romp on the slip n slide, the big boys woke up SO SORE that they couldn't even move...literally, Finley was crying from his bed saying he could not sit up!!  I helped the poor boy up, wiped his tears and explained why he was hurting so bad.  At first he didn't believe me!  Ha!  I think the boys are gonna stay away from the SnS for a while!!  Ha!}

Our Version

So.....

Ashlee and I read a certain blog (by another Ashley) and while having our picture made we decided (okay...I decided) that we should pose like the BEAUTIFUL women pose on Ashley's blog!!  

Picture #1 (how normal people pose)

Picture #2 (me making an attempt at the SUPER pose...arm on hip, chest out, eyes huge, leg crossed over the other, holding your breath and sucking in; however, we were without our super short and very stylish dresses.   I believe Ashlee is laughing so hard she might have piddled!!)

Picture #3 (the final attempt...I think we rocked it!!)

I love you Ash, and I love taking crazy pictures with you!!  You really are as beautiful as those ladies we are trying to imitate.  You are awesome girl!!  :)

*****

Ashley

Wordless Wednesday

Just Need a Laugh...

 

...and this wonderful man makes that possible!!  It's been a rough day for this momma.  As soon as Joey walked in the house this evening he kicked me out!!  He knew I needed to get away from the drama and the stress.  My car drove itself to Kirkland's and I had a wonderfully relaxing time browsing through the beautiful store!!  I haven't been in Kirkland's in forever, but it was worth it!!  

I returned home to a quiet, clean house and I was so very grateful.  

 Tomorrow my big boys will be busy cleaning ALL the baseboards in my house.  :)

*****

Ashley

Just Gonna Sit Here a While...

I have clean dishes in the dishwasher...
I have clean laundry in the washer and the dryer...
I have crumbs all over the floor...
I need to clean two DISGUSTING bathrooms...
I need to clean pretty much my entire house...

All of my children are crying AT THE SAME TIME...
and I really want to join them...

But instead I've filled their bellies and shooed them off to have quiet time...
and me?

I'm just gonna sit here a while...
closing my eyes...
praying and listening to the Lord...
as He fills my heart with renewed patience, hope, joy, energy and peace.

*****

Ashley

Family Vacation

 The face above might be your face if you get bored looking at around 50 family vacation pics, especially when they aren't pics of YOUR family...but here they are anyways!!  Teehee!!

 On the way to Little Rock, AR....

 ....Grandpa having issues with the flap-flap-flapping carpet under the car top carrier (this was only the THIRD time we stopped to check it!!!).

 B and Gaga relaxing after a long day in the car.

 Happy boy...he was about to devour a YUMMY breakfast (at lunch time...crazy boy) at Cracker Barrel.

 Grandma and Aunt Karen....

 Beautiful cousin Josie and my GORGEOUS mom!

 this is my dad...in all his glory...silly, funny, crazy!

 Uncle Joel...

 The hubs and I have begun making a list of cities we have visited that we would love to live in....this is one of THOSE cities.  Meet Franklin, TN.  Unfortunately, most of the pics I took of the incredible green mountains didn't come out well.  But here are a few of downtown.  It is so WONDERFUL here.  Ahhhh....

 Puckett's...Neatest restaurant EVER.... delicious food and A LIVE BAND!!  I was in heaven...

 Finally we reached Fall Creek Falls, TN....yes, this little guy was just a couple feet from the car...beautiful!

 Aunt Leola and Baby Taylor

 Have you EVER seen a cuter butt in a Speedo??  No.you.haven't!!!  He was precious!

 Owen did NOT like the big pool...but the other kids had a blast!

 On to the family auction....here is Joel trying to pawn FARM FUDGE...don't ask!

 Cousin Sara modeling a FANCY-SCHMANCY pair of blue jeans!!

 Salt of the earth these two!!!  Aunt Anita (or Auntnita to B) and Aunt Jessie.

 Thena, Uncle Marshall and Aunt Betty

 Josie and Deanna...the cutest.pregnant.girl.EVER!!

 John, Mary Sue and my Grandma

 (Grandma was makin' the rounds!!) Harriett and John Howard

 Driving to Chattanooga...LOOK at the GORGEOUSNESS...take it in....pure beauty by our AMAZING GOD!!

 Owen was a little obsessed with my Aunt Anita's stairs....right after this pic he fell down about 6 of those steps...lucky for him, his momma rocks and was right there to catch him!!!

 This face would fade soon....this was our LONG day...approximately 10 hours in the car...n.o.t fun!!  We were beginning our trek towards home (by way of Little Rock).  But he sure enjoyed hanging out in the trunk!!

 Three BEAUTIFUL sisters...Martharie, Jessie and Leola. 

We had such a good time...lots of fun, a little stress, great excitement, relaxing moments!!!  

A special thanks to my Grandma and parents for making it possible for us to go on such a great vacation!!  

*****

Ashley