the five-year-old wants to be a farmer

during our visit to arizona, grandma surprised the children with a visit to our sweet friend becky's beautiful home. it was a special day. auntie brin was celebrating her seventh birthday and it was our last day there with everyone.



we're so thankful that she was so gracious with us. it was a perfect afternoon.

gage was mesmerized by all of it. feeding the horse and pony, sitting on the pony, attempting to feed the cattle, roaming through the grassy field and watching for cow pies. all of it was fun to him! and of course there were the chickens. chickens are still kind of a sore spot with him right now since he begged and pleaded for some this spring and never had his way with it.

he told becky "you have all the animals you're supposed to have on a farm!"



he already knew he wanted to be a farmer before our visit but the wonder of it all just affirmed it for him. this boy really wants to be a farmer. and a chef. he could have quite the set up i am sure.



doodle bop the pony {left}:: uncle marcus, becky and gage {right}



callie taking her time on the pony {left}:: gage sharing a healthy snack {right}



gage atop his noble steed



callie sharing a snack with the horse {left}:: the birthday girl on doodle bop



here they were all trying to convince one of the cows to lick oats out of their hands when mr. horse decided to sneak in on the action.

garrett loved this wagon with the "monster truck wheels". every time he sees this picture he says "look i'm jacking it up!" he is boy through and through.



gare heading out to see the chickens {left}:: gare helping callie navigate



the five-year-old had a hay day in the chicken coop with auntie emm. maybe next spring this boy will get his chicken wish.

mayyyybe.





i love me a pretty garden.

uncle marcus with {excuse me if i'm mistaken} cooper

thank you for being our afternoon hostess becky. we had a lovely time!

xoxo. ash

the day we went to the beach

mid-june we took a little trip down to south texas with my family. we could only stay for a few days but we had a lot of fun! we went to schlitterbahn water park which was awesome! and i suggest if you ever take a trip there, you plan to spend more than one day. it is huge and full of all kinds of good, cool, wet fun. a perfect getaway for a hot and sticky texas summer.

on our last day there we drove a few hours south, to padre island. that beach is beautiful! it's completely non-commercialized which can have it's downfalls in some ways, but for the most part it just keeps it looking natural and beautiful.

i didn't take many pictures because i was mostly just focused on staying cool and making sure my little water puppies didn't get too cozy with the waves....but you get the idea. we would definitely love to go back someday.













tell me please, what's your favorite beach??

how are you with mental pictures?

i do not have a single photo from yesterday's festivities. not a one. i whipped out my camera mid-barbeque, only to discover that my battery was dead. so into the outlet it went so that i could at least capture some fireworks or post eating smiles. you know, the kind where you're so happy and full that you can't really see straight. but if you can imagine it rained and poured all the way up to the fireworks and then it drizzled for the remainder of the evening. so my poor little camera had to sit tucked away safe and dry in the car. so this is my attempt at painting a mental picture of our fourth of july.

*********

i'm the type of person that over prepares. okay, so not really. i am more like the person that you see running through the stores at the very last minute, looking like a chicken with her head cut off. kids in tow of course. it just seems to be my thing. that being said, let me share a story with you.

this all begins on thursday evening as the family and i made our way home from dallas after our flight from arizona. i started to have one of my pitty parties {which i have more than i should admit lately}. i was telling the hubby how terrible a plight it seemed that we would not be around family for this holiday and unable to join in the traditional festivities of it all. the parade, bbq's, fireworks, homemade ice-cream parties and so forth. that is about the point where he got fed up with my whining and asked "well then why not still do those things?" ummm. does that give you a little insight on what a sorry sap i've been lately? it's embarrassing but true, the thought really had never crossed my mind. still have fun when we're miles away from everything that has ever been normal to us??? i guess i was just bound and determined to be sad.

so fast forward through the next few days where we celebrated a birthday, unpacked, tried to catch up with our time change withdrawals and laundry and all that nonsense and oh shoot it's monday already! where does the time go? so at about 9 o'clock in the morning i text my sister-in-law to see if their little family would like to come barbeque with us. she gives me the green light and after that it was a mad dash to get ready.

i let the boys pick out some patriotic decor {being a slacker has it's perks....everything was at least 50% off....} and grabbed a couple of last minute grocery items in town and set off home to get ready.

we ended up having a lot of fun for being so last minute. we ate our hamburgers and freshly grilled corn on the cob out in the 95 degree weather and watched the boys splash around in the kiddie pool. it was hot. and then a miracle happened. about two minutes after scooping out bowls of homemade ice-cream for everyone storm clouds gathered, thunder boomed {and i mean BOOMED} and lightning lit up the darkening skies. sitting under the patio felt amazing. the temperature dropped, the wind blew little mists of cool water onto my face and arms and leaves started to flutter down into our yard like a picture perfect scene from a movie. it was an absolutely wonderful and relaxing way to finish up our meal.

we sat around and talked while the big boys played a very soggy game of ladder ball and the little boys played a very soggy game of, well whatever it is that little boys play. then about an hour before dark we gathered up blankets and chairs and headed out to watch some fireworks. we drove through some torrential downpour and questioned whether the show would even go on. but a few minutes before parking the rain let up to a soft drizzle and continued that way until the very last firework lit up the night. and as garrett said, them was amazin'.

we had such a great time and are so thankful for the many blessings we have been given. such as our family and our freedom just to name a few.

i hope that everyone's holiday was just as enjoyable!

xoxo.ash

my little brother

we are back safe and sound in our texas home with lots of memories of family and fun to hold us over until next time.

+++++

my phone sat abandoned in my room for the last half of yesterday while we were busy celebrating a special three-year-old's birthday. when i finally lugged my tired body to the bedroom at 11:36 i picked it up to find a few missed calls and a text.

"well i thought i would just say hello the last time that i can use a phone."

i knew who it was from. my brother marcus. our whole trip to arizona revolved around the fact that it was our last opportunity in the next two years to spend time with him. he has chosen to spend these next years sharing the good message of our Savior Jesus Christ with the people of Resistencia, Argentina. we are proud of him but will miss him something fierce.

our first sunday in arizona was spent listening to him talk to the congregation, which is what is typically done in the LDS church before a young man or woman leaves on their mission. i guess it's like a final parting message before stepping into shoes that seem so very big to fill. you listen to the boy that you have watched wander the church halls since his head hit somewhere around your hips and you realize that he is giving up the last days of his boyhood to serve the Lord and to become a man, far away from the comforts of his home.

at the end of the meeting his bishop spoke for a few moments and recounted a story of marcus from a few years back. i will probably botch the story, but hopefully the spirit of it stays intact because that is the part that touched me.

as a newly called bishop, he had been invited to join the young men on their yearly trip to the grand canyon. being that he was a bit past his prime, on the morning that they were to hike up out of the canyon, the bishop made sure that he was the first to set off. so he started the 12 mile hike at the lead and just shortly after was passed up by his son, levi, and marcus.

more time passed and eventually all but two of the young men had come and gone. he kept on and the other two stayed within viewing distance behind him. as he reached the last two miles, full of switchbacks and steep slopes he looked up to see one young man making his way back down. it was marcus. he reached the bishop and asked if he could help him. he responded that he was okay but that maybe he could check on the last two boys who were slipping slowly behind. marcus followed the suggestion and continued back down.

after a little time passed he heard someone behind him. with two new packs on his back, marcus had caught up and continued the final and probably most difficult leg of the hike. soon after the two boys were also passing him and he was now bringing up the back.

once again he noticed a young man, making his way down the mouth of the canyon. and once again it was marcus offering his help. he took the pack from the bishop and made his very last trip up to the top with him.

after relating the story he continued that this was the kind of missionary that he pictured marcus to be. being very aware of the needs of the people he served and being willing to take their packs for them and ease their burdens. it made me emotional to hear those words from someone else. i have always known marcus to be this kind of a person. it reminded me of a time when i was first pregnant with our little gage. it was in the afternoon on a fast sunday and my phone rang. on the other end of the line was my then thirteen-year-old brother calling to make sure i knew that i wasn't supposed to be fasting while i was pregnant. his concern over me was something that made me teary eyed. he has always been a tender person. of course i remember his pestering our youngest brother to tears at times, but the overpowering trait that marcus has always carried is selflessness.

i know that he will serve the Lord well and i know that he will be a blessing to the lives of many many people. i already miss him but couldn't be more inspired by the person that he is becoming.

i love you marcus!

xoxo.ash

sweet mountain sunshine

gare being silly with his auntie brin

the boys and i embarked on a twenty-one hour tour to the motherland last sunday evening. it was everything that a road trip should be. complete with crying kids, sugary and salty snacks, lots and lots of pee stops a tire blow out and sandwiches from the ice chest. it was the three of us plus ten in a swagger wagon of major proportions. i got the star treatment because i'm pregnant and apparently that translates to: this woman ain't gotta do nothin'. i was kind of a fan.

we've been loving the sunshine without the intense humidity. although my lips are dry and my nose tends to bleed....dry heat is a commodity that we just don't get much of anymore. and i am kind of a fan of that too.

we'll be back next week and ready to share some of our fun with you!

happy weekend!

xoxo. ash


gare, auntie brin, auntie callie, gage and cousin aiden

maria maria. you remind me of the west side story.

we moved to show low when i was just a young little thing. shy as a mouse as they say. the thing about small towns is that even by the time you are six you know everyone and your parents who all grew up together back in the good ol' days have already helped predetermine your future friends and life partners. that's just how it is.

i started first grade in the winter. i remember the snow on the ground the day my mom came home and announced to me that i was all set up to start school. my little classroom of students accepted me graciously and i fell in love with my teacher. she was a dream! especially compared to mrs. olchesky, my utah kindergarten teacher, whom only months into the school year had compelled my mom into withdrawing me from school and home teaching me herself. she was a nightmare. ever seen matilda?? 'nuff said.

but i'm straying from the subject.

the church front proved to be slightly more difficult. apparently little girls who don't talk, don't get talked to. not for a few months at least. with a little patience, i found my friend! there was an incident involving white lace easter gloves that hindered our friendship for just a few short weeks, but we managed to get past that. and in the last nearly two decades i would say we have gotten over a whole pile of things. that's when you know you're friends!

our escapades in high school included, but are not limited to, accidental half-naked encounters with a stranded cowboy, jam-out sessions all across our little mountain, several awkward drive-thru moments {how does that happen you ask?? you don't want to know.}, early morning wake-up calls for jogs that turned into let's just find a nice place to sit down and talk's, really baaaaad double-dates, questionable hair do's and rock climbing adventures gone awry. we were good girls who managed to do some really dumb things. things that i would incarcerate my own children for. disclaimer:: none of these indiscretions were actually illegal...rest assured.

girlfriends are definitely one of God's tender mercies. i love my husband, i love my mom, dad, sisters, cousins, brothers, etc. but sometimes you just need a friend there with you in life. i'm thankful i found that in mareez. {i'm using her alias because i know she's not a big fan of publicity.} but i had to brag a little anyways because this girl is the bomb and a much better friend than i am and i miss her face out here in texas!

thanks for the good times mareez!

xoxo. smash

we had visitors::oh yes we did

My brother Jamison graduated from Paramedic School in Dallas a few weeks ago so we were happy to have a couple of house guests. {Did I mention that he graduated with the second highest grade in the class? And by less than a point. The boy has smarts.} Grandma Butler and Uncle Marcus graced us with their presence and we had a great time even though they were only here for a few short days.

The last night that they were here we packed into their little rental car and made our way to Shreveport. Marcus will be leaving for Argentina in a few months and now he can at least say he has been halfway across the motherland. We sure will miss him but I am so proud of the decisions he is making in his life. This is a boy who loves the Lord and is sacrificing to share that love with others.

And yes, when I say boy I mean boy. Just look at that face.

Grandma narrowly escaped with her life.

And Gage found the man eating alligator to be a little boring for his taste. Keep in mind he is used to fighting off dragons and such. This was child's play.

And you just haven't experienced Louisiana until you've observed the swamp life.

Oh yes, and the ferry boats.

We took a ride on the carousel which the boys loved. I love carousel music. I don't know why but it always makes me smile.

Standing by the wishing pond. Grandma pulled out a handful of pennies for them and they had a great time tossing them all in.

While browsing through shops we stopped in for some yummy frozen yogurt from Orange Leaf. It was oh so tasty and I wish I would have pocketed a few of their spoons. They were like teeny tiny shovels, so cute.





Thanks for the fun Grandma and Marcus! We miss you guys {and everyone else too} and can't wait to see you this summer!

X's and O's,
The Texans