Happy Birthday!

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet Ashlyn! I can't believe how much you have grown this year. You are growing into a sweet little girl right before my eyes.

You are very independent and know what you want. I see so much of myself in you. You are quiet but a strong spirited girl. You need to observe and take in your surroundings before you feel comfortable. You are shy and take a while to warm up and talk to people. You are very head strong and have the need to do everything yourself. Which often becomes quite the battle during the day since I am also head strong and feel the need to do everything. You are also extremely tender hearted and want to take care of people. You are often concerned if you think someone is sick or hurt. You are such a sweet heart and make mine and Daddy's heart melt!

You can dress yourself and put your shoes and socks on. You are also very opinionated in what you want to wear each day, you have developed quite the style. A style in which I often wince at if you are going to be seen in public that day! You also love to play dress up! It is not an unusual site to see you at the dinner table in a ballerina tutu or princess dress.


You also started using the potty this year. In true Ashlyn fashion you did it by yourself and in your own time. I started the potty training process and after a couple days of sitting on the potty you decided it was for the birds and refused to sit on your potty seat. So, back to diapers we went. Then several weeks later I was in the kitchen washing supper dishes and you came around the corner with the bucket from your potty seat in your hands and a proud grin on your face. I was thrilled to death but wasn't up for the potty training challenge again since Daddy was out of town for work. But the next day you refused to wear your diaper and stayed dry the entire day.


One of the biggest milestones in your life was becoming a big sister. You were so excited to have a baby sister! You would put cheerios in my belly button so your baby could share your snack. One of your favorite things to do was go to my OB appointments and hear your sisters heart beat. You would come home and have Daddy and I play doctor and listen to the baby in your tummy. You are such a sweet big sister and a big helper to Mommy!


Ashlyn, I love you more than you will ever know. I know that God has big plans for your life and I can't wait to see you grow and develop into a wonderful Christian young lady. I will never stop loving you!

Christmas 2009

We enjoyed Christmas day at home, just the four of us. We spent an early Christmas with my family and will have a late Christmas with Phillip's family. It was so much fun being at home and be able to establish our own little traditions.

On Christmas eve we went to church and had a wonderful Candle Light Service. A nasty storm was blowing in but we were able to make it back home before it started to get too bad. After dinner Ashlyn and I finished up the cookies for Santa and poured a glass of milk. Ashlyn thought Santa would rather have orange juice with his cookies but we were out of OJ, I'm sure Santa was not too disappointed about that.


Ashlyn also wrote her letter to Santa, well she dictated while I wrote it out for her.


In case you can't read what the letter says:
Dear Santa,
Thank you for coming to my house. Please bring me a puppy dog. My sister Aubrey wants a piano.
Love,
Ashlyn


I kid you not, she kept asking for Santa to bring her a puppy dog all month. We tried to explain to her that Santa only brought toys, not pets, hoping her first real memory of Santa wouldn't be destroyed since she didn't get what she asked for.

I think she forgot all about the puppy she was hoping for Christmas morning when she got busy playing with her new kitchen.

Aubrey enjoyed Christmas morning also. Santa brought her a book and toy storage unit that I am going to make a cushion for and use as a window seat. Isn't Santa practical!


Half way through opening gifts Aubrey crashed and was ready for her morning nap. Opening presents is hard work for such a sweet baby!


After we opened gifts and played with our new toys, I made lunch while Phillip painted Ashlyn's fingernails with her new polish that was in her stocking. He is such a good Daddy!

No, I did not pick out Ashlyn's wardrobe. But hey, at least she isn't in her dress up clothes! And don't even ask why Phillip is in his winter coat, we do have central heat in our house.

The storm that blew in the night before brought us beautiful snow! So, after nap time we ventured out and played a little bit. Aubrey and I only stayed out long enough to take a picture of our white Christmas.

I have enjoyed Christmas more and more over the past three years. It is so much fun watching your children enjoy Christmas!

3 Months Old

Aubrey you are three months old! It's getting hard to remember what life was like without you. You are my smiley little sweetheart!


You want to sit up and look around. You fuss at us if we try to lay you back in our arms.
You still get up once during the night to eat and take good naps during the day.
You absolutely love Ashlyn. Your face lights up when she plays with you.
You had your 2 month shots and did great. It broke my heart to hear you cry when you got stuck.
You weigh 10lbs 10oz and are 23 1/2 inches long. Which puts you in the 23% for your weight and 70% for your height.
You wear size 0-3 months clothes but you are just about to outgrow some of your outfits. I bet you will be in 3-6 months clothes soon.
You are in between size 1 and 2 diapers.
You had your first over night stay at Grandpa & Grandma's house for Thanksgiving and Pawpaw & Nana's for an early Christmas. You were such a trooper on our 14 hour trip to Texas. Although it used to only take Daddy and I 10 hours. ;)

You are such a special blessing to Daddy and I. We love you more than words can express!

Deep in the heart of Texas

We just got back from visiting my family in Texas. We had a wonderful time! My Grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this month so all 5 children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren came in to honor them. Everyone except two people were able to come in. Last year on Christmas eve my Grandma had a stroke and this was the first time I've seen her since she was in the hospital. It was a night and day difference from my last visit. Her speech was affected so her speech is just random words and she calls everyone by a different name. My given name was Ginger. She seems to be in good physical health considering her age and past medical problems. Before her stroke she used a motorized wheelchair but is now in a manual wheelchair and uses her feet to pull herself around the house.

My Grandparents

This will always be a cherished picture. Not many people are able to have a four generation picture.

No, we were not super models with fans blowing our sexy hair.
It really was that windy.

Phillip's grandparents and a few other relatives are also in South Texas, only a short drive from my parents, so we were able to see them as well. Phillip's Grandma is mentally going down hill. She has not been clinically diagnosed with alzheimers but is showing all the signs and symptoms. She is not able to remember things for long stretches of time anymore. She asked me three different times who Aubrey belonged to. It breaks my heart to see our Grandparents going down hill. I still think they should be the same as they were when I was 10.

My brother was there the entire time we were so we enjoyed catching up with him. It had been almost a year and a half since we had seen each other. He brought his girlfriend, Kristine, with him to meet everyone. She has met my parents and a few other relatives but she was thrown into the fire this weekend! I can't think of anything more nerve wracking for a girlfriend than spending the entire weekend with twenty something members of your boyfriends family. She is very sweet and down to earth. Kristine is about to move to Austin to start grad school so her and Aaron are about to start a long distance relationship. Distance is usually the true test of a relationship.

Aaron and Kristine

I wish we were able to spend a bit more time visiting with my parents. We didn't have much down time to just chat. Things are always so crazy with food prep and clean up and activities when there is such a large crowd. Mom and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking together which was fun for both of us. Aubrey loved the attention from everyone and Ashlyn and Phillip always enjoy being outside doing a little "ranching chores" while we are in Texas. Ashlyn absolutely loves going out on the tractor and ATV with Pawpaw and I'm pretty sure Pawpaw enjoys taking her out just as much. About a month or so ago my parents had a calf that was rejected by it's mother. Under normal circumstances if another cow doesn't adopt the calf they take it to the sales barn. Well, since Ashlyn was coming to visit soon my dad decided they needed to keep it and bottle feed it so that Ashlyn could feed it while she was here. My poor mom was such a trooper, she went out every morning while my dad was at work to feed it. I'm sure my parents loaded the crazy calf up in the trailer and headed to the sales barn as soon as they saw the back of our van disappear! What Pawpaw and Nana won't do to make their granddaughters happy!

Look who sweet talked Pawpaw into playing with her new castle and watching cartoons on the floor!

Ashlyn loved watching cartoons in Pawpaw and Nana's bed

Opening Christmas Gifts

When I was young I always loved going to my grandparents house to be loved on and spoiled. I am so thankful for parents that do the same for my girls. When we were driving away I was teary eyed and Ashlyn asked me what was wrong, I told her that I was ok I just miss Nana and Pawpaw sometimes and she said "I miss Nana and Pawpaw too".

Busy, busy, busy

My goodness I have been so busy! I'm not sure who was the instigator but both of our families decided to have Christmas early!! Not everyone in Phillip's family was able to all get together on one weekend so we are having to do Christmas in "shifts" this year. Two of the siblings were able to get together this past weekend and the other two of us will get together New Years weekend. So I had to get all the gifts and stocking stuffers mailed to my in-laws this week. My Grandparents are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this month so all of my Mom's family is getting together to honor them and will also have an early Christmas together. So now I am concentrating on our trip to Texas to see my family and Ashlyn's birthday party on the 29th.

I'm pretty sure this trip to Texas will be one for the record books. Before we had children Phillip and I would hop in the car and only stop for gas in which you also took a potty break and we ate in the car. This would take us about 10 hours. Then we had Ashlyn and we had to stop and change diapers and eat inside the fast food joint because I refuse to let my kids eat in the car and grind fries into their seats and carpet. It then took us 12 hours. (Her and I flew to Texas during her first year, so no car trips) Now we have a two month old along for this trip who eats every three hours. So if we leave right after her first morning feeding at 7am we may make it to Texas by midnight.

Last night we went to see Santa at the mall. Ashlyn was sooo excited. She didn't sleep during nap time and when she came out of her room "after her nap" she was wearing her outfit for her picture and went into Aubrey's room and was waking her up so they could go see Santa. When we got there she hopped right up on Santa's knee and told him what her and her sister's name was but when it came time to the picture she refused to smile. When we asked her later why she didn't smile she told us "because I had my mouth closed". He is a pretty authentic looking Santa if you ask me. I asked Ashlyn what color his beard was and she said "orange"! (His beard is real and was a little yellowed)


One of our favorite things to do is read books in bed. My brother and I loved reading in bed with my mom when we were young so this was something I wanted to do with my children. Aubrey kicks her feet and coos and grunts the entire time we are reading. The first couple times I thought she didn't like it because she is so squirmy but when you look at her face, it is completely lit up! On this particular night she was very tired and ready to get in her pajamas and go to bed. She was crying and carrying on but as soon as I laid her down and picked up the book she stopped crying and started kicking her feet with excitement.