Wednesday, April 19, 2017

March 2017 Round Up

Helllllo March!  It was a good long month...full of fun, laughter and a flat tire.  Let's get started!!

First up...CANTON!!!!  This year we were joined by my mom and dad's best friend, Vickie as well as my Uncle Joel and Aunt Karen.  It was a full house and we stayed in an RV...which I've never done before.  Not the biggest fan of knowing everyone in the LR can here me pee in the bathroom.  Whomp whomp.  But on to the fun stuff!!  Up first...mannequin selfies!!



The first night mom tried, really hard, to get the front seat of the RV to turn around...no luck was had, but we all laughed heartily at her expense!!


Bright and early the next morning...B and I had some fun with Snapchat!!


Once everyone else was up we all set out for our finds!!!



I got to meet a super sweet lady that I follow on IG.  Becky Cunningham has a booth at Canton, and I couldn't wait to meet her and peruse her beautiful booth.  


The gals...



Meanwhile.....the boys decided to go camping!!  Joey was kind enough to send me some photos of their adventure!!  They had a great time...until Saturday afternoon when it was so cold they could see their breath.  They decided to come home early and enjoy our warm house!  



One last mannequin selfie on our last day.  We had a blast at Canton and got so many fun goodies!!


Back to the grind the next week...here we are attempting a group shot of my preschool class!! 😂😂😂
Hopefully the professional photographer got better results than this picture!!  Hilarious!!


That Friday, the 10th, I got a screw in my tire.  It's a long story, but in the end my dad rescued me again!!  I love him!!  But he said that I should probably get AAA from now on!  Haha!!



Just a pic of my sweet beautiful girl!!


The new season of soccer started up and even though B and Owen weren't on their same teams from last season, they still knew a couple of kids on their teams!!  Breslyn and Owen were a bit tired and red-faced after their first games!!



Spring break started early for Joey and myself!!  My MIL took the kids right after soccer Saturday so he and I spent the day together!!  It was very nice and we ended it watching Logan.  It was very violent, but a great movie.


Monday I had a doctor's appointment which lead to me getting a CT scan.  Boo.  No problems were found from the scan though which is great.  


The kids went from my MIL's to my parent's house so Joey and I had a delicious dinner date that Tuesday night!


The rest of spring break I worked on some house projects, purged and cleaned Finn's room and finished out the week meeting Grandma and mom for lunch at El Fenix!!



Joey, Aidan and Finn went on a guys campout for the weekend, so the littles and I hung out and had a great time.


Monday afternoon this boy had a horrible headache and vomiting.  Poor baby.  But he was better by morning.  


During Tuesday evening during soccer practice the sunlight made for a sweet pic of B....


Wednesday I decided it was time to actually paint Finn and Owen's rooms...Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black it was!!


Thursday I decided I needed a pic with my AMAZING co-teacher and friend, Trica!  I love her and am so blessed to work beside her each week. 


Friday I started and FINISHED painting accent walls in both boy's rooms!!  It was a beating, but I'm so glad I did it!


Monday the 27th I broke the boys toilet.  Yep.  By CLEANING IT.  Okay....more like while I was cleaning it, the NEW toilet seat (that I installed a fews weeks ago) wouldn't stay up.  So I got frustrated and SLIGHTLY slammed it against the porcelain tank.  Then the tank completely broke flooding the bathroom!  UGH!  Luckily Joey was home to help!  We went to Lowe's and decided to go ahead and buy all the supplies we needed to make F and O headboards.  So one new toilet and two headboards coming up!



Storms rolled through on Tuesday night (I think).  This picture is us in the master closet at 2:30am.  The kids were none to thrilled, but they weren't cranky the next morning so that was great.


Breslyn has been playing with my hair and she is doing a FABULOUS job!!  I might pay her to play with it, but it's worth it!!  


After Joey and I finished installing the headboards I was left to sand them.  Holy cow...I was COVERED it sawdust.  It was everywhere including getting stuck to the two new black walls.  I literally had to get my duster out and dust the walls.  Anywho, they are finished and I love them!!  


I added this lamp on the right, but I haven't painted it yet.  Next project is waiting I guess!! 😉


And there ya have it.  Another month has come and gone!!  

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

One Year Without You

One year...
An entire year...

I just can't believe that it has been exactly a year since Zach passed.  It still hurts...almost every Monday my mind drifts to him.  Most people hate Mondays because they are going back to work.  I've never felt that way...to me it is a fresh start to the week.  New possibilities.  A new to-do list to be checked off.  But now Mondays sting just a little bit.  Sometimes they sting a lot.  That flipping grief will smack you upside the face at any moment.  In the last year so much has happened and Zach wasn't here to see it.  Zach wasn't here to be loved by family and friends.  And today we grieve him all over again.  Fresh, new, horrible grief.  The first week was so hard.  Two weeks was difficult.  A month was too much.  But a year?  It is an anniversary that no one wants to celebrate.  

I want to remember him through pics I haven't shared before, so I dug on my external hard drive for some oldies but goodies.  So here we go...

Helping B with her Christmas gift from him...a stuffed dog from Cabellas.


I believe this was the first time he held Owen...we surprised him up at work.


 Christmas at my parents...


At a birthday party...sitting next to another man we lost recently...my wonderful FIL, Bill.


Holding sweet B...


...melts my heart.


He came over for a haircut and seeing as how I am a "fancy" hairdresser, I provided an uncomfortable chair and a black trash bag to keep the hair off his clothes!


The haircut was a success, keeping it off his clothes was not...so he had to wet himself down once I was done!!  
THAT SMILE!  A genuine, laugh out loud, enjoying himself smile.  
So beautiful to see.


 Holding Owen at his 1st birthday party...


...and rough housing with Finn.


Attending a graduation ceremony at Grace Place.


These next two pictures...they make me hurt.  He and Aidan were so close...


...and I'm pretty sure Aidan would be taller than Zach, if we could re-create this picture now.  


Helping us chaperone Finn's birthday party at the Fort Worth Zoo...so sweet.




Attending Finn's Christmas program in Kinder.


Loving on Owen at Halloween.


 Another birthday party...another Longhorn sweatshirt and hat. ;)


I will give him this...he sure loved his LONGHORN sweatshirt and hats...as well as the Texas Rangers.  

I know I never told him how proud I was of him for going to UT and for graduating.  I never told him he was a fun Uncle, and that the kids loved being with him.   I didn't tell him enough how funny he was, and that I was jealous of his talent and whit.  

One year...365 days without you.  I love and miss you brother.  
xoxo, ashley