"lilacs"

I need... no I don't... but I do want some of these..... they are my most favorite flower in the world. Both of my grandmother's yards were full of them every spring (now Cooner has a garden full of them too- she took a bouquet to my brother's house last week- YES I'm jealous).... and the smell can not be bottled up by Yankee candle or any other company..... I wonder??? can/do they do well in NC? Someone out there let me know.....

p.s. thanks to Papaw- Prissy has mastered her big bike (just in time for her recital this weekend- scabbed up knees and all....)!!!!!!!

"and then he was 3"

well.... without any further delay- here are some highlights from A-man's BIG 3rd B-day @ the fire station!!!!!


















and then he went home & played with ALL of his new super fun presents.... until bath-time (where he took a couple of fire trucks for a swim too... then he slept with one of them! I love 3 yr olds!!!!!!!

p.s. THANK YOU Cooner, Papaw, & Therese for all of your help @ the party!!!!

"we are FAMILY... "

A-man & I are headed out to RDU this morning to get Cooner & Papaw!!!!!!! We are SO excited to have them here with us for the weeks festivities!!!! I hope to share party pics early next week & then some recital pics of course...
Have a great weekend!!!!!

p.s.

HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
UNCLE JAMIE!!!

"happy 3rd birthday A-man"

3 years ago today I helped God with my second little miracle!!!! You- Precious Ashton Honor are such a joy to everyone around you- I am loving getting to know you more everyday. You have taught me that it's okay to get dirty, how bugs are not as threatening as they might first appear, that cars & GI Joe's can be as fun as dolls & make-up, how to bite my tongue & let you climb the very tallest slide on the playground, & that GREAT BIG BLESSINGS really do come in a TEENY TINY PACKAGES (to think that you were once a little 5 lb wimpy white boy in the NICU)! I pray blessing over your life my cherished son! May you live it with your whole heart & give God ALL of the glory!

p.s. we are having his party this weekend.... guess what the theme is this year- (ha ha ha)???

p.s.s.

happy
birthday
Papaw too!!!
(we can't wait to see you this weekend)

"come on over"

This week has been ~CRAZY~ but I wouldn't have it any other way! We are getting ready for my parents to come into town this weekend, Priss has had countless recital practices, & some little (strangely enough nearly blond) boy is having a big party.... and his momma tends to go a little lot nuts when it comes to her kiddos..... And... if ya'll remember I bought a bed last week?

Well.... drum roll please!!!!!!!!

Isn't she georgous??
(I adore her & the little one who gets to keep her! SEE- I told ya'll Joey could make her pretty. We added some molding & some Jersey Cream- one of my favorite paint colors)


The biggest hurdle with the bed was the bedding... I adore the current "twin" sized bedding that we already have, plus I am trying to cut corners on cost... I tweeked the "twin" into a "full" in NO time & you can too. First turn the quilt sideways (perfect fit) then roll the duvet the other way (perfect too)... finally cut the panels off of the dust ruffle & sew all 3 onto a "twin" flat sheet. PERFECT!!!! (I only had to purchase 1 more euro sham & that should be here next week). Priss is positively giddy about her new bed & now we have guest room accommodations YEAH!!!! Now ya'll IN peeps have NO excuses!!!!!!!!!!

"just wanted to say"

XXOX,

WE LOVE YOU

"to hate or NOT to hate?"

so today... I picked up my Priss & this is how our conversation went on the way to ballet:

Priss- "hey Momma can you have more than 1 BFF"

me- "of course, but I'm your very favorite right (laughing looking in the rear view mirror realizing that she wasn't laughing)? Hey you what's the matter?"

Priss- "well @ school sometimes some of the girls don't want to play with me & sometimes my heart hurts a little but- but just sometimes..."

me- (wanting to do a U turn & fix this once and FOR ALL... but knowing that this shouldn't be right... Is it possible to HATE a little 6 yr old who hurts your child?) "Priss that brakes my heart! well... I'm sure that tomorrow will be better. I know that getting left out is NO fun- please don't EVER leave anyone out. But hey you know who NEVER lets us down?"

Priss- "who Mamma?"

me- "Jesus & he'll come to you anytime you need him to. Even when Momma or daddy or Cooner or Grandma Harris or anyone else lets you down even a little bit- he will NEVER let you down!!! Why don't you play with someone else who's playing my herself or maybe start your own game & I bet the others will want to play too!"

Priss- "o-kay... hey if brother ever wants to come play @ recess.. will you bring him for me? And Momma.. you are my BFF with an exclamation point!"

me- "ABSOLUTELY my love... & your my BFF! too!"

p.s. I'm reminded by my bible study a quote that I have heard MANY times growing up... "a mother is only as happy as her saddest child". Tonight I'm sad...

and NO I really do not hate any of her playmates... at least not anymore:)

"the search is over"

Well..... I've done it again! I keep doing it so I can NOT say that it won't happen again.... I went "junking". But this time I found something that I've actually been looking for- huh imagine that? Priss is currently sleeping on my childhood bed (which I adore & will be keeping Cooner), but she & Cooner & Grandma Harris like to co-sleep.... so I've been looking to for a antique bed that is: larger, with a precious high backed head board, a rounded foot board, & it must be within my price range of under $100.00- no problem! . Low & behold after 2 years of looking- the search is over!

Now before you get all "what is that awful looking thing" on me.. Joey can make it pretty- don't worry. Now I just have to come up with some fancy dinner plans for tonight & some sweet talk- ha ha. I think he'll take the bait, besides it's for his precious daughter whom he adores!!!

p.s. I hope to get this baby in ship-shop-shape before Cooner & Papaw get here next week. The house is bulging @ the seams with all of the party stuff for A-man's big #3 next week- I'll fill ya'll in on that later....

"Macarena"

YES- this is my studly nephew doing the "Macarena" on the dance floor! I'm just glad to see ya out there Tyler your fud-d-dud uncle has NO idea how to do it (but Priss does- ha ha)!!!!!

p.s. I had to steal this picture from the Daleville newspaper- I have zero shame....

"trauma life @ the Great Wolf Lodge"

AHHHH we are back from an EXTREMELY fun weekend @ the Great Wolf Lodge!!! Joey, Me, Priss, & A-man suited up for the BIG slides (ALL for different reasons). Joey promised Priss that he would give her a dollar for each time she went down the "big" slides & well... since she is saving desperately for Lanie (the newest American Girl doll)... she cried & went! I must say however- she loved them all once she went down the 1st time... Now A-man on the other hand- he does NOT have to be persuaded to put himself in harms way! Joey led him to the top of one of the big ones & I waited (pale & sick @ the bottom) to see his little mop of curls come whirling down. The 1st time was great- he wanted NO part of his OVER-PROTECTIVE-NEURO-NURSE-OF-A-MOMMA to even help him out of the rather deep pool @ the end. The 2nd time... well that was different. I waited, just like before- but this time when he came out he was on his belly? I said "are you o-kay A-man?" "Me NO go that slide again!" he shouted for the world to hear. And then I saw why- I pushed back is ringlets only to find a goose egg the size of Texas bleeding down his forehead..... So now what have we learned here girls????? Well this- when your good sound mind tells you "hey Ashly maybe you shouldn't listen to the man who thinks that blood is a sign of good character who consequently wants to take your baby on a slide that may/or may not cause you to have to do a COMPLETE neurological assessment on him in the end"?????? I don't know that's just me! Anyway once we got over that & I watched him take his nap & woke him up every 30 min.... I relaxed some more. This time I was encouraged to ride the "tornado" & was rewarded to a shopping spree for my bravery (or maybe it was in restitution for the A-man incident?)....

A-man taking down some other little fellas on the squirting jet skies!
(I swear the boy is fearless- this just before rushing the crowd @ story time to see Wiley the Wolf!!!)


Priss having a little snack & relishing in all if her $cash$


A-man in between pupil checks!!!! He had a very fast recovery- praise GOD!!!


~my boys hoopin' it up~

p.s. I am still waiting for a Prom picture.........

"wonder woman..."

So this is what ya get when your child tells you on THURSDAY- that she wants to be "wonder woman" for Super Hero Spirit Day on FRIDAY!

FIRST- you rummage through the dress-up box... then you find "something/anything" that at all resembles something super hero-ish (thanks Marissa for the hand-me-down). Teal & blue??? sure! Who says that Wonder Woman has to wear red,white, & blue- work with me here folks!!!


THEN... you think about a cape..... huh what can I make a cape out of?? I know my black skirt! And with the wave of my wand- wal-ah a huge W was in place & all was right @ our house... yet again.... Good Gracious!!! Whatever happened to the good 'ole days of "denim day"?


FINALLY... add a few silver stars to her face, SEVERAL bracelets & rings, some shiny teal eye shadow, & of course- some RED lipstick- watch out Linda Evans!!!!
GO Mrs. White's 1st grade class!!!

have a blessed
weekend!!!!!!

p.s. my handsome nephew Tyler is going to Prom tomorrow!!!! I hope (wink wink hint hint) to get a picture to show ya'll. My My have things changed & so have the dresses!!!! I loved Prom......

"my favorite peeps"

ok ok ok.. here are some pics from last weekends events (including the hunt & Easter Sunday). WARNING! some of this pics may hurt cause they are so darned cute!!!
So sorry for the delay...

A-man with his precious "truck" basket...
checking out the competition.

I {adore} these guys- but I guess ya'll knew that already...

just some of the super-fun loot that came out of the eggs-
{thanks Laura for making it so fun!!}

A-man "thanking" Priss for sharing her new toys with him

{he didn't quite catch on to the idea of GRABBING the eggs in a hurry- the big kids snatched most of the ones that he spied...}

my little handsome guy showing off his new tie...

aren't they precious???
I LOVE that they don't object to "matching"... yet?

the 2 most handsome guys in NC!!!

that's ALL folks..

have a WONDERFUL day!