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A kid’s dream

Our day started out with driving 45 minutes to the peninsula to buy cowboy boots.  That’s right, cowboy boots.  Tyler HAD to have them.  The kids and I tagged along so that after we picked up Ty’s new kicks, we could go to the Air and Space center to learn about all things gross.

Notice the poop by the elephants foot?  Yes, this exhibit was all about poop, slime, vomit and blood.  LOL.  And I’ll admit it, I had a BLAST!

Mmm, blue Airheads are the best.

He got to pump blood into bugs.

He learned about tapeworms.  And HAD to have his picture taken with the turd in the toilet.  LOL.

We learned that flies pee every 4.5 minutes when they land on something.  We also learned that they barf every time they want to eat something.  So next time you see a fly on your meal, remember this.  They also carry around 100 diseases.  Ugh.

Did you know that male frogs swallow the eggs of their babies and then when they’re ready to be born, they burp them out?  Gross, but interesting!

And in case you’re interested in grossing some of your family and/or friends out, make these:

Edible Dookie Cookies

Warm the over to 375 degrees.  Into a sauce pan place 1/2 cup of margarine, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and four teaspoons of cocoa.  Melt the mixture.  Set aside.  Into a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar packed, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 cup flour, 1 cup rolling oats.  Stir well.  Add the melted cocoa mixture.  Stir well.  Add a squirt of green food coloring and mix.  Add some crumbled shredded wheat cereal and mix.  Shape the dough into turds, keeping in mind that the dough will flatten during cooking.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  To serve, place a single cookie on a plate or a napkin.  Find someone who didn’t smell baking cookies and say, “HEY, want a yummy treat?”

I got this recipe from the Air and Space center.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s a picture!

Posted in a student.

1 comment

By ashley – February 6, 2010

Since this is the best way to communicate with the women in my family

I’m going to share my wedding ideas with you from afar.  And you can be brutally honest with me (just know that it doesn’t mean I’ll listen … right, mom?)

I’m in the very beginning stages because I can’t do anything until the venue is reserved and a date is officially set.  I’m hoping to book the venue this coming week … eeek!  But first I’m trying to decide which date we would prefer.  Either June 12 or June 19.  Being the people pleaser that I am, I really want to go around and ask everyone in my family what day would be best for them, because I want them all to come.  But my dear friend Erin, my voice of reason, told me not to do this.  She said that if they really want to be there, they will be.  End of story.  Such a wise one she is.

Originally I was hoping for the end of May, but my grandparents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  It’s a sweet story, actually.  They were set to be married in June 1959.  But my granddad chickened out and ran off.  For five months he didn’t speak to my grandmother.  She sent him a napkin with their would-be wedding date on them every day, and got updates on him through his friends.

In October, he came around.  In May 1960, they eloped.  They never had a wedding.  In fact, I don’t believe they have a picture of that day at all.  So in May of this year, they are having a full-blown wedding.  It’s really exciting!

Their anniversary wedding is planned for May 22.  That cancels out the end of May, because the following weekend is Memorial Day weekend.  And June 5 seems too close to their big day.  I want everyone to have a few weeks between weddings (so that we won’t have to share the spotlight).  That leaves June 12 or June 19.  I am mainly concerned about my mom’s side of the family and Ty’s immediate family being able to come into town.  My mom is in Houston, my grandma is in New York, his mom is outside of Philly, his brother is in San Diego, and his grandma is in Florida!  The majority of the rest of my family (and his dad) are in the local area.

So, I guess what it really boils down to is what day the venue is available.  And if they’re both available, which day is most convenient for those who have to travel long distances.  Thoughts?  Mom?

For now, pictures of the prospective location …

This will (hopefully) be the ceremony site – please, God, don’t let it rain.

And the reception site.

Posted in a girl.

2 comments

By ashley – February 5, 2010

The 365-day Challenge

And no.  I’m not promising to take (and post) a picture every single day for the next year, like a lot of bloggers are doing.  My challenge is different.  And I’m the only one who is doing it (well, that I know of).  I am challenging myself to make dinner every night for the next year, with the exception of birthdays and the occasional night out (maybe once or twice a month).  Ok, so it will be less than 365 days.  In any case, we spend way too much money on take-out (or even worse, eating AT the restaurant where we have to pay a tip).  I want to see that money in our savings account.  Not in my gut. 

Dinner tonight will be ….

Fettucini Cacciatore!

  • 1/2 lb fettucini, uncooked
  • 2 tsp. oil
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup each green pepper strips and sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/4 cup zesty italian dressing
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Cook pasta as directed on package. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink.  Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occassionally.  Stir in tomatoes and dressing; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. or until chicken is done.

Drain pasta.  Toss with chicken mixture; top with cheese and basil.

Posted in a chef.

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By ashley – February 3, 2010

Crazy kids

The area is still “recovering” from all of the snow fall … so we all have off work/school today!  Yay!  Here are some pictures of my fun, crazy, weird children.

Posted in a photographer.

3 comments

By ashley – February 1, 2010

I’m on a roll!

More pictures from today!  I l.o.v.e. this camera!  Can’t wait to figure out how to take more creative/artistic photos.

 

Posted in a photographer.

1 comment

By ashley – January 30, 2010

We’re having a blizzard!

And I don’t mean the DQ cookie dough kind that you can usually find me munching on.  It may not be a blizzard by meteorology standards, but by southeast standards, definitely.

We have about 5 inches of snow; and for those of you from around here, you know that’s enough to shut the whole town down for a good two to three days! ;]  Maybe no work on Monday?  One can only hope.

Our neighborhood.

Caden hasn’t been feeling well this morning which is sad b/c this is his first real snow “storm”.  I told you, it never snows here.


We’ve been catching up on laundry.  Fun fun.

In spite of its messiness, I like the way our house looks when it’s snowing outside.

Noah disagrees.  He said, “Whatchu talkin’ bout, Willis?”

And here is Noah with Nunu.  Oh wait, that’s Caden in 2004!  Noah is definitely starting to resemble his big brother.

I’ve been having a blast with my new Canon Rebel T1i.  It’s still on auto setting, but I am going to venture out into manual eventually.  :]

Posted in a girl.

1 comment

By ashley – January 30, 2010

Friday night @ our house

Brace yourself … we’re wild, folks.  :)

Tyler, dreaming of the “man cave” he will one day have.  For now, though, our garage will have to do.

Caden, passed out on the couch before 8 o’clock.  He’s definitely my child.  We are not night owls.  Especially this week.  And that is because of this child right here:

He has kept me awake every night this week.  God bless his heart.  He seems to be doing a lot better (still congested), but mama is all shook up.

Thank the Lord for Vicks.  Their products are Heaven-sent.

And because the little guy has required so much attention this week, our house has taken a back seat.  All of the projects we intended to start & finish were thrown to the wayside.

The toys meant for donation are still sitting in the middle of our upstairs landing, threatening to trip one of us at any given moment.

Our room, still neglected.

And our laundry, well.  I can’t do it all.

Life gets in the way of all of my plans … thank God, because life is so much more interesting!

Posted in a photographer.

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By ashley – January 29, 2010

Soup recipe

Lots of people have asked me for this recipe, so I’ll just share it here rather than send e-mails to 30 different people. :)

Stuffed Green Bell Pepper Soup

  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef, browned, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 2 green peppers, chopped
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon (I used 3 cubes)
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1 cup cooked white rice

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.  This makes 6 servings and is 4 WW points.  :)

Posted in a chef.

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By ashley – January 28, 2010

He’s FINALLY sleeping.

Holy Lord.  The past three days have been a total nightmare.  Noah was sent home from school on Monday morning b/c of coughing, and it’s been downhill since.  Yesterday he had his first ride on an ambulance – mine, too.

I decided to take him to the doctor after noticing that his coughing/breathing (weezing) was getting worse.  When we got there, he was immediately administered several doses of Albuterol (a bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways and increases air flow to the lungs) and two doses of other similar medications.  I was then told that they wanted to take him to the children’s hospital to monitor his breathing – but that they didn’t feel comfortable with me driving him, at the risk that he go into cardiac arrest or some other horrible event.  So, of course, I obliged.  We rode in the ambulance to CHKD, where he was administered two or three more doses of Albuterol.  After two hours or so, they sent him home with his very own inhaler that I have to administer every four hours.  He is breaking my heart.  And thanks to Ty for potentially donating his asthma gene to our beautiful child!  :/

In addition to all of this, he now refuses to sleep.  And when he does decide to sleep, he must be in my arms – and if I even THINK about putting him down, I get the stink eye and he starts yelling/screaming at me.  I drove him around Great Bridge last night around midnight b/c it was the only thing that would calm him down.  I’m a bundle of nerves and he is not helping.

Say some prayers for the little guy – and for his mommy who has Noah-duty all day and all night, because daddy has to go to work in the mornings.

Posted in a mother.

2 comments

By ashley – January 28, 2010

Suite.

Tyler and I have neglected the single most important room in our house.  While we have been painting the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, the kids rooms, etc., we have left our room abandoned.  It is sad.

We have beautiful bedroom furniture, but there is no personality in the room.  Instead of feeling relaxed when we go in there, we feel like it’s a storage unit.  Full of clothes and baby equipment.  Definitely NOT an adult-friendly space.  And it needs to change.

Enter my design idea.  I love, love, love anything art deco.  If you look at the style of our bedroom furniture, you can see so.  I’m going with turquoise on at least one of the walls.  I’m not sure if I’ll just use it as an accent wall or not.  I may throw some nice purple accents in there afterward.  Here are some inspiration pictures.

This is the look we’re going to try and re-create.  Obviously, these images are a little feminine, and rest assured that Tyler has made me promise that it will be a place for a man, as well.  That’s where the black comes in.  I’m excited!  I’ll post pictures when the transformation is complete!  :)

Posted in a house-lover.

4 comments

By ashley – January 23, 2010