tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117836642024-03-14T05:31:41.340-07:00The Mouse HouseLife is crazy.
Enjoy every minute!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-52137104521966652122009-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:002009-11-22T14:05:27.059-08:00July Celebrations<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wxrqy_QR4_KFowzifjJYeLUkmln15wghGyCc3TeqZllMyoAQJAgSKvRPBhSw3Shz5E6i-igcp01UqhUoZyP9h59iqj8r5Gf4zOg7adko6hF8QvSxQXQy8iWFmh6Q1VZ3oD2Avw/s1600/Zeke_sticks_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wxrqy_QR4_KFowzifjJYeLUkmln15wghGyCc3TeqZllMyoAQJAgSKvRPBhSw3Shz5E6i-igcp01UqhUoZyP9h59iqj8r5Gf4zOg7adko6hF8QvSxQXQy8iWFmh6Q1VZ3oD2Avw/s400/Zeke_sticks_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407050800301740994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Have you ever met a little boy who doesn't like sticks? Our Zeke loves them so much that he carries them around in his pocket! I think they were more of a treat than the cotton candy he is sporting all over his face.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztuTrUR_oRpuOi5SxlBbjNf83MvrMR4aJL2A7BtrR0RBjaPWTFhxrXU9XqdMqoKiE5dy9gVStABWAYXbKhJDuvg_nOcrROaKR5tmSof0qhp1y0vbsbpNPxS9Aj6nEXAHtllfcfw/s1600/Nathan_horse_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztuTrUR_oRpuOi5SxlBbjNf83MvrMR4aJL2A7BtrR0RBjaPWTFhxrXU9XqdMqoKiE5dy9gVStABWAYXbKhJDuvg_nOcrROaKR5tmSof0qhp1y0vbsbpNPxS9Aj6nEXAHtllfcfw/s400/Nathan_horse_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407050797476580114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I was surprised that Nathan really wanted to ride the ponies. "Mom, can I do it again?"<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk6A_LrMDc7qD-NyfusNuGg-vTCK_FapC8OgnpQJjVOOWHPviXuXIKcB56g7v73IM3uddljIsKHf7vcO6e1dvclOk1i2b8FlgvKPPhiM_gtN38xGVMfjmPWmsiJ1Xf_jMpkkNvA/s1600/Maviny_horse_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk6A_LrMDc7qD-NyfusNuGg-vTCK_FapC8OgnpQJjVOOWHPviXuXIKcB56g7v73IM3uddljIsKHf7vcO6e1dvclOk1i2b8FlgvKPPhiM_gtN38xGVMfjmPWmsiJ1Xf_jMpkkNvA/s400/Maviny_horse_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407050807936133506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Princess Maviny on her pony. She was very excited.</span></span><br /></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-90209873623682277392009-11-22T13:36:00.000-08:002009-11-22T13:50:59.288-08:00Screwdriver + Doorknob = Nathan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLqpZKaWLoK6ofJcfL3hB-gF-NEU4ooDsaqBouCQlheYgSN4E0oc6wumaG-DfWQUVX2o1_WX2mrESC44n_vI1VvJMxoM9xTBDDsZO1LadnufUZ27SkUlWDWFrpqkYa2DPCkcsTw/s1600/Nathan_doorknob_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLqpZKaWLoK6ofJcfL3hB-gF-NEU4ooDsaqBouCQlheYgSN4E0oc6wumaG-DfWQUVX2o1_WX2mrESC44n_vI1VvJMxoM9xTBDDsZO1LadnufUZ27SkUlWDWFrpqkYa2DPCkcsTw/s400/Nathan_doorknob_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407047749029971970" border="0" /></a>I think the picture is pretty self explanatory. Nathan was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome just a few months ago. He is so funny! He is extremely intelligent ... reinstalling the doorknob after I removed it. He just figures out where the parts go and gets to work. He recently qualified for special ed ... but he is smarter than average ... he just has communication struggles. It's kind of funny to have a gifted special ed student! It will be interesting to see what he will surprise us with next ... I love him so much!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-33098346876960915032009-05-24T14:38:00.000-07:002009-05-24T14:45:26.309-07:00We Open Presents Every DayWe finally hired some piano movers to get our piano moved upstairs from our garage. They had just finished carrying the padded, shrink-wrapped piano upstairs when I overheard a conversation Nathan was having with one of the big, tattooed men. "Is that a present? You get to open a present?"<br /><br />'Yep," he replied with the hint of a smile as he tore open the shrink-wrapped paino. "I get to open presents every single day.<br /><br />I could almost see the wheels spinning in Nathan's head. I think he has decided on his profession.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-91788690055411806872009-05-24T14:35:00.000-07:002009-05-24T14:38:45.082-07:00Nick's Definition of PrettyI was holding Aleza the other day and saying, "You are such a pretty baby!" Nick overheard me and felt the need to correct me: "No, she's a cute baby. Pretty is when you have long hair and rosy cheeks and freckles."Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-47282393449158456082009-05-17T16:15:00.000-07:002009-05-17T16:29:32.729-07:00Mother's DayI had one of the sweetest Mother's Days ever. On Saturday, I took my mom out to an Italian restaurant (Carino's) for our favorite ... rare steak with penne pasta and Gorgonzola sauce ... mmmm. It was so fun to have my mom to myself all night.<br /><br />The next morning, Mark made breakfast ... hash browns, bacon and an omlette. The kids were so excited to give me their gifts. Mark bought me a container of flowers and some new pans. Nick made some coupons for helping me out around the house, Nathan made a dish towel with hand prints on it ... Zeke gave me lots of hugs and kisses.<br /><br />We brought Mark's Mom a pot of flowers and spent dinner with her. I had fun taking pictures of Aleza with "Grandpa Dave" while we were there. Dave also took a picture of Aleza and me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu93fTRtyUxLrqC4dPOBDtNs9zBLY915XY5JGZ_RiMZ4V8Sk85SuVKvT26kwLgh44LsCIY-gikEBb1CX-i6ZmCTM3IRCXZUpgB8jrdkO1YBMPy1mPQgTYriA3d9qH__PDgG5pAEA/s1600-h/dave_and_aleza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu93fTRtyUxLrqC4dPOBDtNs9zBLY915XY5JGZ_RiMZ4V8Sk85SuVKvT26kwLgh44LsCIY-gikEBb1CX-i6ZmCTM3IRCXZUpgB8jrdkO1YBMPy1mPQgTYriA3d9qH__PDgG5pAEA/s400/dave_and_aleza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336937729142893890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Grandpa Dave and Aleza</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaesmRT1PK0cUCL6O-BrJi2_LuPDeFv1vIgCMxiYn5Px4QolVBHm8R6Gw-2KxDjWJszJPQqbCQvkduqbSHWwH2r2qwR0UWcjzAkImKpbsHfgkiWCabebjh5a9LUMaNaXDbkKYTQ/s1600-h/ashley_and_aleza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaesmRT1PK0cUCL6O-BrJi2_LuPDeFv1vIgCMxiYn5Px4QolVBHm8R6Gw-2KxDjWJszJPQqbCQvkduqbSHWwH2r2qwR0UWcjzAkImKpbsHfgkiWCabebjh5a9LUMaNaXDbkKYTQ/s400/ashley_and_aleza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336937726658467778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ashley and Aleza<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was thinking of Mark's stepmom all day and felt bad that we never called her. I think I will call her today. She's such a love!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-12105103181439186822009-05-17T16:00:00.000-07:002009-05-17T16:03:37.410-07:00Man in the MirrorI stepped out of the shower the other morning to some art work. It made my day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIMpGam9Yx1VN8BfMFigu3yeREK5K1FZVoWIDiUV6Tzxr6QXv-aHBi7OHCJF6XrcJ8sfCwu8Wlc-oPcVfigL5h3L4h5Uq0zBa5YSD1Th7iisIKjIe_T073bdaymBd1pcMQgh1QQ/s1600-h/man_in_the_mirror.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIMpGam9Yx1VN8BfMFigu3yeREK5K1FZVoWIDiUV6Tzxr6QXv-aHBi7OHCJF6XrcJ8sfCwu8Wlc-oPcVfigL5h3L4h5Uq0zBa5YSD1Th7iisIKjIe_T073bdaymBd1pcMQgh1QQ/s400/man_in_the_mirror.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336932295096300258" border="0" /></a>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-90008768047807086252009-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:002009-05-17T16:14:08.855-07:00Nick's Baptism<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Nick was baptized on May 2, 2009 by Mark. The day was so busy that I hardly had time to digest what was happening. We spent the morning getting the house ready for family and friends to join us after the baptism. Mark took Nick to go get his first set of scriptures as out baptismal gift to him. Zeke pulled Aleza off of my bed right before it was time to go to the stake center. Yikes! My mom came just in time to help me get off to the baptism.<br /><br />We actually beat Nick and Mark to the stake center. They ran to get dressed and didn't have time to get any pictures ... I'm sad about that. There were five baptisms. I introduced Nick and Mark played his viola. It was a really neat program. Mark baptized and confirmed Nick. I was actually able to record the confirmation and father's blessing for Nick.<br /><br />Later, the bishop told Mark that he had never had a baptismal interview like the one he had with Nick. He said that Nick took time to ponder and answer each question thoroughly. He didn't have just memorized answers - he answered from his heart. When I asked Nick why it's important to be baptized he said, "One, it's a commandment. I can become a member of the church. I can live with God again. That's it." I'm so proud of Nick. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxVhJOsXbYobmVXxrlNAL5zu3GHnQlNep4fp1D0Cz_uwJE7M7qHEgFYkbQijP1dTnG7TDdYFtWXjFZEnvLsQEL_zlNG-p6UISuRkgiVjciT-0WFm0bokjLYIdVv4_0XnHxxUAMA/s1600-h/nick_baptism.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxVhJOsXbYobmVXxrlNAL5zu3GHnQlNep4fp1D0Cz_uwJE7M7qHEgFYkbQijP1dTnG7TDdYFtWXjFZEnvLsQEL_zlNG-p6UISuRkgiVjciT-0WFm0bokjLYIdVv4_0XnHxxUAMA/s400/nick_baptism.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336926742672583202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Nick at the celebration after his baptism</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">On Sunday, Nick was asked to sit up on the stand to be recognized as a new member of the ward. I was home with two sick babies so I wasn't able to be there. Later in the week, I found his baptismal and confirmation certificate. It looked like someone had made some corrections on the certificate. I thought maybe the bishop needed to make a few changes and would print out a new one. I brought it to Mark to ask about it ... he told me that he didn't know why Nick scribbled all over his certificate. I burst out laughing! Nick corrected the grammar and punctuation on his own certificate! I think that is so funny!<br /></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-23035785041679630492009-05-07T09:03:00.000-07:002009-05-07T09:05:04.998-07:00Potty TrainingThis morning after I helped Zeke go potty and wipe his bottom, he proudly stuck his little index finger in his behind and looked at it saying, "Look, all clean Mama!".Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-2655081152340426312009-04-26T14:13:00.000-07:002009-04-26T14:33:09.141-07:00Nick is EightI can't believe how time has flown. My little "Nickers" is eight. Right now, he and his dad are visiting the bishop for his baptismal interview. Wow. We had a quiet birthday party for him. We took him out to dinner at his choice - McDonalds. Then we went to Nathan's soccer game and went home to eat cupcakes and blow bubbles.<br /><br />Nathan spotted the "bubble blowers" at Walmart and wanted to get them so much ... I thought it would be fun to have as a party favor for Nick's birthday. It seems like Nathan asked me about those bubble blowers every hour until it was time to get them out. I'm glad we bought them the day before Nick's birthday so I didn't have to hear about them for too long!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iqiJE5qnJEgmiwxyM3RbjPsxMQrZAilA15Wu4R9QLIHdC9Ks_oGwZ24Mh1kdjj0467b2rvy6kImxUUENPWUZ-z2ec9suOf7uv6RU8nE-6FoK4rgXKjaTd0qAzgNxVcUer6eLFA/s1600-h/nick_candles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iqiJE5qnJEgmiwxyM3RbjPsxMQrZAilA15Wu4R9QLIHdC9Ks_oGwZ24Mh1kdjj0467b2rvy6kImxUUENPWUZ-z2ec9suOf7uv6RU8nE-6FoK4rgXKjaTd0qAzgNxVcUer6eLFA/s400/nick_candles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329114523208213922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Nick blows out his birthday cupcakes<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H-j0q0ntXjcY1cHA6qGWXvqF0_KofjsuSZ2y_E4oZz_NQ8nZlpT2sPnZXIpdCcr0uTbeNqdcn53mIp-6DzyBjswEqXnbyrKDkvKk2h3oIaCsnhprsYq3FV-_WEpMg8mTAeashQ/s1600-h/boys_bubbles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H-j0q0ntXjcY1cHA6qGWXvqF0_KofjsuSZ2y_E4oZz_NQ8nZlpT2sPnZXIpdCcr0uTbeNqdcn53mIp-6DzyBjswEqXnbyrKDkvKk2h3oIaCsnhprsYq3FV-_WEpMg8mTAeashQ/s400/boys_bubbles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329114519341145922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >the boys playing with their bubbles</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gi3MuL-pdwP3LQrknyNnF30c1FDwhqaIJ4oHr-si4GQZwxcS9VLsTphu5R8xKkjdZOyeKqLaMtXms4c_xGK1Jk_FcPDHttiz5ySruYFuomrrmRMLVMhKs0h0QcwFGYVl0snJhw/s1600-h/aleza_bubbles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gi3MuL-pdwP3LQrknyNnF30c1FDwhqaIJ4oHr-si4GQZwxcS9VLsTphu5R8xKkjdZOyeKqLaMtXms4c_xGK1Jk_FcPDHttiz5ySruYFuomrrmRMLVMhKs0h0QcwFGYVl0snJhw/s400/aleza_bubbles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329114514596089746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nick shares his bubbles with his baby sister</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7evQfor34Ezdxm1UpfMDImaXVXFzZqikI3YS4bRC1MyE8uKvJGA3ufccxgE0MTcHafXzwVtKckLHW1MFBONurlum0vKcb86aEeifXMVjuArxcMDqJ_x_hMRmLcBV5T47ohp4f9Q/s1600-h/aleza_smiles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7evQfor34Ezdxm1UpfMDImaXVXFzZqikI3YS4bRC1MyE8uKvJGA3ufccxgE0MTcHafXzwVtKckLHW1MFBONurlum0vKcb86aEeifXMVjuArxcMDqJ_x_hMRmLcBV5T47ohp4f9Q/s400/aleza_smiles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329114516799765650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Aleza is happy to watch her brothers and get her picture taken</span></span>. <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm having fun playing in Photoshop</span></span>.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm91HSyTFGHBQ7zafFly0GD-gDuoGMmbkrv3U4ubhh4pS-wEBfGyTzc9A43HnUWANx0npFCYFtNX_PZFgFjG7xLl6DdWEz278oPXQ1EtE63eCYt6TfXkPtQ-nV94-ZLOBn1wwUw/s1600-h/messy_zeke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm91HSyTFGHBQ7zafFly0GD-gDuoGMmbkrv3U4ubhh4pS-wEBfGyTzc9A43HnUWANx0npFCYFtNX_PZFgFjG7xLl6DdWEz278oPXQ1EtE63eCYt6TfXkPtQ-nV94-ZLOBn1wwUw/s400/messy_zeke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329114517864034882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Zeke has a messy dirt bubble face while playing with Nick's new toys. (Got to love little brothers!)<br /></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-41324738227562790992009-04-14T10:55:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:59:29.417-07:00We Love Aleza<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EegI6DIl9PJEgFaACJuoXEZw4J4WQZ9nAIvy56qnQLC2A_dTuQ7572rQMLxiLEIdmt_RnOdwP-XuLaozlm_HUiusOz6jjl3g1yUc7czbBc48tXLUUPW314iKf68NtUl1fm0Ctw/s1600-h/Nick_holds_Aleza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EegI6DIl9PJEgFaACJuoXEZw4J4WQZ9nAIvy56qnQLC2A_dTuQ7572rQMLxiLEIdmt_RnOdwP-XuLaozlm_HUiusOz6jjl3g1yUc7czbBc48tXLUUPW314iKf68NtUl1fm0Ctw/s400/Nick_holds_Aleza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324607581148230610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nick adores his baby sister. He wants to hold her any chance he gets.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8TpfpW-1aeWBzyXdkRWyCLZz4PZwh2PhkiuGyct08Ebf-37Jvts6k8jDu3SH-z7XvV8YejyuG720cGZOH-Wpk95LCYZdTn4yDXnLnBvlFHVXDRNKvFu0T7q00pv-qjUOGj5kWA/s1600-h/LeeAnn_and_Aleza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8TpfpW-1aeWBzyXdkRWyCLZz4PZwh2PhkiuGyct08Ebf-37Jvts6k8jDu3SH-z7XvV8YejyuG720cGZOH-Wpk95LCYZdTn4yDXnLnBvlFHVXDRNKvFu0T7q00pv-qjUOGj5kWA/s400/LeeAnn_and_Aleza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324607577177659874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grandma LeeAnn holds Aleza.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC6Ok1Bjaay_bToEN4Q4EAj2lgVcyzOvi1ioUbXlDzfn_V1AUrdK85Le6PCzJkwXAcRfcNdBxlFryDmNFLMFXDY5G9fEBy3_jZuEn2okripuooz5r26zZXWC0yKWL00hdQHMrlQ/s1600-h/Aleza_bedtime.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC6Ok1Bjaay_bToEN4Q4EAj2lgVcyzOvi1ioUbXlDzfn_V1AUrdK85Le6PCzJkwXAcRfcNdBxlFryDmNFLMFXDY5G9fEBy3_jZuEn2okripuooz5r26zZXWC0yKWL00hdQHMrlQ/s400/Aleza_bedtime.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324607574492298722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is how Aleza likes to sleep: all bundled up with her binkie.<br /></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-37042757592644396522009-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:35:38.610-07:00A Visit to GrandmaI love Grandmas! They tell the best stories, they love children, and they have laugh-lines! Also, call me strange, I actually enjoy my cheeks being patted, pinched, kissed, whatever ... I think I must be perpetually attention starved. Anyway... we got to go visit Mark's grandma on Easter Sunday. Isn't she beautiful?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD1HSS5_M8thw2WLKMPjWfwY6SEugilcyrlMkfEGT7fH1B37KkBmO-01H-Z_9GMjabGfKksSpp39S6w8HvB11WNAdOShUDf_5PvI-hb0pB2B_og3UHJ5FxUCHaqXyBESnVFDMqg/s1600-h/Grandma_Hartner_and_Nick_and_Zeke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD1HSS5_M8thw2WLKMPjWfwY6SEugilcyrlMkfEGT7fH1B37KkBmO-01H-Z_9GMjabGfKksSpp39S6w8HvB11WNAdOShUDf_5PvI-hb0pB2B_og3UHJ5FxUCHaqXyBESnVFDMqg/s400/Grandma_Hartner_and_Nick_and_Zeke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324601439721712738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Grandma loves Nick and Zeke. I love the light in her eyes in this picture!<br /><br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGLTT-SxdQj9_d92U_Cy7T46nbb6ILFKSsCS2yYMJwEeYUDLXjL9LOZm8Bar6OUz86aZg00WpuCDLMPbGT_03Jxj9oLEV3y59zc70zGwK-XE8ad9wl83nufWKhxeGuQa7psZzmg/s1600-h/Grandma_Hartner_and_Nathan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGLTT-SxdQj9_d92U_Cy7T46nbb6ILFKSsCS2yYMJwEeYUDLXjL9LOZm8Bar6OUz86aZg00WpuCDLMPbGT_03Jxj9oLEV3y59zc70zGwK-XE8ad9wl83nufWKhxeGuQa7psZzmg/s400/Grandma_Hartner_and_Nathan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324601435479509138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grandma patting Nathan's cheeks.<br /></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-59256084245358763262009-04-14T10:14:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:24:57.109-07:00Who Created this Tradition?Obviously someone who thought it would be a good idea to combine a five-year-old, a two-year-old, food coloring, eggs and stickers. Well, they did enjoy it. Zeke only colored his right hand. Nathan, who can dismantle or reverse-engineer anything, only shredded the egg coloring kit. All in all, it was a successful endeavor. (Nick informed us that he only wanted to eat the eggs - not color them)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOfoL22W4VELPdPqWQNlE0bek7ys1AOoebqqbfnGK01-YjwS4R55WnSuhgweCZb0KXudO74sr2AC5dZwlkG4l8b8ntQSZKgN307fyy8sYPvIsW8mID22bbKIFCmNAm2t78QaOQ/s1600-h/coloring_eggs_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOfoL22W4VELPdPqWQNlE0bek7ys1AOoebqqbfnGK01-YjwS4R55WnSuhgweCZb0KXudO74sr2AC5dZwlkG4l8b8ntQSZKgN307fyy8sYPvIsW8mID22bbKIFCmNAm2t78QaOQ/s400/coloring_eggs_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324598065428324402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Egg-coloring in its innocent phase.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwtTE3C15ZGtLjxbbZZXhrf3SztCgH38lzACfj6HXpmbEYjI2iIrZzDiSO5sBpJP4DwLOAQSRIbHR4AfnURYIvGjlYSLc77NjyVS77YBZVQVK9VJ5hEhcEeLrIfqFc1nCt2s9WA/s1600-h/coloring_eggs_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwtTE3C15ZGtLjxbbZZXhrf3SztCgH38lzACfj6HXpmbEYjI2iIrZzDiSO5sBpJP4DwLOAQSRIbHR4AfnURYIvGjlYSLc77NjyVS77YBZVQVK9VJ5hEhcEeLrIfqFc1nCt2s9WA/s400/coloring_eggs_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324598066635528082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Getting more involved.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PVqgKNks0p5OVHEuKGLdEsJ8KReTzRwFqdpzftGIeedoUoiqhejQrxSWz-ydBAz3e4P_UzRgMObpqxBeBdlDXJLW839O4gYzfAWmeoB09L504cv0tada4rmosntEFXTg1jjNXw/s1600-h/coloring_eggs_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PVqgKNks0p5OVHEuKGLdEsJ8KReTzRwFqdpzftGIeedoUoiqhejQrxSWz-ydBAz3e4P_UzRgMObpqxBeBdlDXJLW839O4gYzfAWmeoB09L504cv0tada4rmosntEFXTg1jjNXw/s400/coloring_eggs_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324598068226127426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Zeke experimenting with salt while Nathan helps open eggs he has no intention of eating.</span></span><br /></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-23609371054427422442009-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:14:37.991-07:00Time-Out Zeke!Zeke is two-and-a-half. Please don't forget the "half"; he never lets us forget it. Zeke's recent misadventures include pouring a whole container of honey on the couch, coloring on the walls, and habitual cat-sitting (the literal kind). He also throws tantrums, rocks, sticks, toys or whatever he can find. He spends quite a bit of time on timeout (the top of the bathroom sink - not yet installed). Two questions might come to mind: How does he manage to survive the wrath of his desperate parents? - and - Does the kid EVER sleep?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd7awImDL8QL0L6_tpXqxD1b3BcvZrztR34dzGisu4Knzqmq79GOSX7LvwAuJn45rhzRoVt6yLxEbL1WbYrKyt0hyoaDjwRBB00HHkt4IZtVUb0ePkvV4-CMiLF0O9JIkViobkQ/s1600-h/Zeke_on_timeout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd7awImDL8QL0L6_tpXqxD1b3BcvZrztR34dzGisu4Knzqmq79GOSX7LvwAuJn45rhzRoVt6yLxEbL1WbYrKyt0hyoaDjwRBB00HHkt4IZtVUb0ePkvV4-CMiLF0O9JIkViobkQ/s400/Zeke_on_timeout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324594417262984290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Zeke asleep on time-out.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOvUR4V8fEYMdNMY0j8RZje5WjAIluMNhXxM4hWXh81B5y790DCis8uUvOMOpJip_6ouXhUXgHq6VCfTh_xs_Y_RX7mwrr1nXNbagdzP2-biiagMxccThOCFsjm2fczZ-3T_qwg/s1600-h/Zeke_stickers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOvUR4V8fEYMdNMY0j8RZje5WjAIluMNhXxM4hWXh81B5y790DCis8uUvOMOpJip_6ouXhUXgHq6VCfTh_xs_Y_RX7mwrr1nXNbagdzP2-biiagMxccThOCFsjm2fczZ-3T_qwg/s400/Zeke_stickers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324596323769462626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Zeke in his element</span></span><br /></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-67834260568446663752009-04-14T09:48:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:08:53.241-07:00Bat Boy vs. The Tooth FairyI think the Tooth Fairy wins hands down. Nathan didn't want to be left out playing dress up with his best friend Karissa. This picture could also be entitled "Future Blackmail". When I asked Nathan what he thought of this picture ... he said he wants me to buy him a "Peter Pan boy fairy costume."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnwMwVpgtTbUlpzmDtvZQ-632sUufRkx6lZjsMR3mdYlNRms1x6anHXMVvHS_U_WZ9k4VYmwX-7k18dCRmw1RtmRjMGBROrKW5jalwRD6E216sXFSX7rG_r7ryPjRiHErJ1oLFA/s1600-h/Nathan_fairy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnwMwVpgtTbUlpzmDtvZQ-632sUufRkx6lZjsMR3mdYlNRms1x6anHXMVvHS_U_WZ9k4VYmwX-7k18dCRmw1RtmRjMGBROrKW5jalwRD6E216sXFSX7rG_r7ryPjRiHErJ1oLFA/s400/Nathan_fairy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324591438190455122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Nathan the Fairy</span><br /></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-10978640301937138782009-03-29T20:27:00.000-07:002009-03-29T20:45:58.936-07:00I'm Glad the Day is OverWow, today has been nuts. I forgot to go to my visiting teaching appointment this Thursday, so I woke up early to make some cookies as a peace-offering. Nathan woke up in an extremely foul mood and started the day by throwing temper tantrums and hitting me. <br /><br />I grabbed a batch of cookies out of the oven and raced out the door to a 9:00am choir practice. I had to race back at 9:30am because Mark volunteered to play his viola at a retirement center at 9:45. I finished getting the kids ready for church amidst more tantrums and hitting. I looked outside and the overcast day had turned into an all-out blizzard! Yikes - I drug all four kids to church by myself, managed to sing in the choir with the three boys sitting relatively quiet in the pew. Mark joined us after he helped sing in the choir.<br /><br />Nathan decided he was hungry and he threw more tantrums and hit me some more. I told him that little boys who hit cannot go to primary. I told him I was afraid he would hit the other kids and the teacher. He was so upset. It was a lot harder to sit with him than to send him to class, but I think I got the point across. It was really sad to hear him cry that he was hungry. I had to tell him that he could eat after church and he was still so upset. <br /><br />Oh - I forgot to mention that it was Zeke's turn to bring snacks to nursery. In the middle of this, I had also volunteered to bring an Almond Puff Pastry to Amy's birthday party. I made hamburgers for lunch after chasing the kids into the car and back home. Nick said he didn't like his. I was in the kitchen for the rest of the afternoon and then we ran out to Amy's party. The party was pretty nice, but I am glad to be home now. It was just a crazy day and I'm glad it's over!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-59205247331162314492009-03-22T15:46:00.000-07:002009-03-22T15:51:11.168-07:00Aleza's Ears are PiercedErica and I took my nieces and our kids to the Children's Museum on Thursday. I decided to get Aleza's ears pierced. I felt so nervous and then wondered if I made a mistake as she screamed and as sweet Nick cried for his sister.<br /><br />But they do look so girly! It's fun to have a girl. (Pictures will come soon. I just need to make sure I get this written down before I get distracted.)Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-62818196420018035412009-03-22T15:22:00.000-07:002009-03-22T15:40:21.336-07:00I Don't Want a Pony!I love to watch horses - they are so beautiful and graceful. I've ridden them a handful of times, and I remember loving the way I felt as the horse galloped over mountain paths. <br /><br />Well, our close friends Becky and Guy have horses and I thought it would be fun to take my nieces who are visiting from Arizona to play with the horses. I had so much fun helping Guy brush one of the horses (Rose) that I decided it might be fun to have a horse some day. I could envision myself out galloping around and I got so excited that I asked Guy if I could take Rose out for a run. He consented, but warned me that sometimes Rose gets excited and will run faster instead of stopping. I figured I could handle it.<br /><br />I figured wrong.<br /><br />We got halfway though the field when Rose decided she was ready to go home and bolted. Just as Guy warned, she went faster instead of stopping. I found myself praying as hard as I ever have that somehow I would live through the experience. My prayers were answered as I ungracefully fell off the running horse. A week later, I still hurt. But, nothing is broken and I am safe. What can I say other than ...<br /><br />I DO NOT WANT A PONY!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-4748279799449866382009-03-20T10:38:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:55:23.615-07:00My Grandma's TreeWe recently moved into the home that my grandma raised her kids in. There is a tree in her yard that my girl cousins and I always climbed up into to talk and tell girl secrets. Grandma made yummy apple pies from the apples that came from this tree. I miss my grandma, she has always been one of my heroes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pO4HcdsbSoEPVWMpZbFiK8RWujm6jTKZKTXgQvF38XyoF1UlvLvbR3SVQENjRCkisNd9xjCTgn09RDPhffTCboYQU-ux-iqtUwc0P0Gdft9H2dJHukyuJWRQqRyHSVkRIlhyphenhyphenLA/s1600-h/Ashley_tree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pO4HcdsbSoEPVWMpZbFiK8RWujm6jTKZKTXgQvF38XyoF1UlvLvbR3SVQENjRCkisNd9xjCTgn09RDPhffTCboYQU-ux-iqtUwc0P0Gdft9H2dJHukyuJWRQqRyHSVkRIlhyphenhyphenLA/s400/Ashley_tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324606764876381602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ashley in Grandma's apple tree.<br /></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-50063017652655395572009-03-12T09:32:00.000-07:002009-03-22T15:45:49.545-07:00Aleza is Here<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcdp7q2IscKwiVydhj-ELsDUoo5oyyMiZG7Sy6cU0mMdi7yTH_Nyqm52NUaVGlvAzYpMu2Ut6mngx5UP5PunAG452JHU7Wo9iLXPbYEu-tyf7R_x1S7sD-cIQ_KIX5ZKjmuqZaQ/s1600-h/aleza4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcdp7q2IscKwiVydhj-ELsDUoo5oyyMiZG7Sy6cU0mMdi7yTH_Nyqm52NUaVGlvAzYpMu2Ut6mngx5UP5PunAG452JHU7Wo9iLXPbYEu-tyf7R_x1S7sD-cIQ_KIX5ZKjmuqZaQ/s400/aleza4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312340425225247778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGxsd7NCc4B-Aa8iIuhGeRspzam9ytCeca7MPIz8Cjv2hbwWpNjo-Zd5qKnblkADnzBQqJjTtXljVREWyPXFFBxv2RRt6U8qlZwJXDJBcXF1cs7off6dNQhfHjYfXx4jruXgHRw/s1600-h/aleza3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGxsd7NCc4B-Aa8iIuhGeRspzam9ytCeca7MPIz8Cjv2hbwWpNjo-Zd5qKnblkADnzBQqJjTtXljVREWyPXFFBxv2RRt6U8qlZwJXDJBcXF1cs7off6dNQhfHjYfXx4jruXgHRw/s400/aleza3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312340419638082690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH1n_P7cNph6lXm41UfM6d1mUXMH7if1Ve930DIp_-CIRqR141q4gbFKz62mLssR2RRFxUAJMU45WpSVCvJY7EiJjqC5pJaGUjUpkmBQp_sBLpKSO3NQy6CjTNWieadWyW1Ii0g/s1600-h/aleza1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH1n_P7cNph6lXm41UfM6d1mUXMH7if1Ve930DIp_-CIRqR141q4gbFKz62mLssR2RRFxUAJMU45WpSVCvJY7EiJjqC5pJaGUjUpkmBQp_sBLpKSO3NQy6CjTNWieadWyW1Ii0g/s400/aleza1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312340411195372322" border="0" /></a><br />Well, our beautiful baby girl is here. I am so happy. She was a month early. I went in for a routine visit, and had developed a random case of Toxemia. I guess it's pretty rare to have Toxemia on the fourth baby when all others have been delivered with no problem on my part.<br /><br />It was funny. So many of the nurses asked if her father was the same as my boys'.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-80664457700895696632008-08-17T20:35:00.000-07:002008-08-17T20:43:57.264-07:00"Sad Boy"Last week, Nathan was "Bat Boy". This week, he is "Sad Boy". Sometimes, he becomes inconsolable ... I think he must like the sound of his own crying. Anyway, Mark found a funny way to get Nathan to stop crying ... he takes a picture of Nathan crying and then shows it to him. "Do you think that you're sad enough in this picture, or should we try again?", he asks. Soon, Nathan becomes more concerned with making "good" sad pictures than with being sad! Chalk one up for Dad!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiiYlvMhYMbEIY1kq4HluI-SNaiVXgPiBEG0N3LcGPeUVR1_CHG6OQ_bb13vx7d87PSF8-EeWEO3x73gRR0q8ggNHs0sJUeT5XNg5IZZygHkomDL73PYA_qAv0Vpyw-zJaCfMSQ/s1600-h/nathan_screams_park.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiiYlvMhYMbEIY1kq4HluI-SNaiVXgPiBEG0N3LcGPeUVR1_CHG6OQ_bb13vx7d87PSF8-EeWEO3x73gRR0q8ggNHs0sJUeT5XNg5IZZygHkomDL73PYA_qAv0Vpyw-zJaCfMSQ/s400/nathan_screams_park.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235697562368114338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan is sad after falling down and<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KjEpKaQroqjX8k1CldANgLad-S-_Xo9pV38Kn89EWAOsaUJ-SRZGyldIGEaEaIhuH033c_IAFjO9p9ggE-FRsPDEK8Nb1XDJHAGnXiChpRxxXYyPGTypuQK7Zt-GyBV3F-s3oQ/s1600-h/nathan_screams.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KjEpKaQroqjX8k1CldANgLad-S-_Xo9pV38Kn89EWAOsaUJ-SRZGyldIGEaEaIhuH033c_IAFjO9p9ggE-FRsPDEK8Nb1XDJHAGnXiChpRxxXYyPGTypuQK7Zt-GyBV3F-s3oQ/s400/nathan_screams.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235697710540497634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan is sad after fighting with Zeke<br /></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-12870513686065231522008-08-17T20:31:00.000-07:002008-08-17T20:35:27.515-07:00Zeke's BirthdayWell, our baby Zeke turned two on Friday. We threw him a little party on Saturday. We couldn't get him to smile when we sang happy birthday. He just stood there looking stoic. It was pretty cute. He spent the rest of the weekend singing the happy birthday song though, so he must have had an okay time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpRyldAnGhyphenhyphen1cvKDSXzX6f7w_UFWOMnwHZYH82TpkRGdIH2zc1TeP5yFfYBcnhUkqXAIukK9xLaY8YySNK4jpsRqHQWuoKsAiMOMUIN61oLlMSa6E3MP_REhA-Hp1MsMLJXTn0g/s1600-h/birthday_zeke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpRyldAnGhyphenhyphen1cvKDSXzX6f7w_UFWOMnwHZYH82TpkRGdIH2zc1TeP5yFfYBcnhUkqXAIukK9xLaY8YySNK4jpsRqHQWuoKsAiMOMUIN61oLlMSa6E3MP_REhA-Hp1MsMLJXTn0g/s400/birthday_zeke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235696014969672482" border="0" /></a>"<span style="font-style: italic;">Stoic Zeke"<br /></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-2135593889188862102008-08-17T20:16:00.000-07:002008-08-17T20:31:47.943-07:00Backwards NickSometimes, I play a game with the kids to get them dressed. I get out clean underwear and instead of telling them to put it on, I just ask, "Do you want this on your head or on your bum?" I do the same thing with each article of clothing. The sillier the choices, the more fun. Well, Nick decided to take me at my word!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruIlpPuRnCX2c4A64_VRREBim1W6AkKGP3MKO4T4JponTkyYBs_knkvZw_rMdaeR6qok0YKPy7t4pjyXZ2Bdws9MrZVJc1Yg-lIrk4RTeeUcmBS7pTi2pgVp6R8DeShOfJha5cQ/s1600-h/backwards_nick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruIlpPuRnCX2c4A64_VRREBim1W6AkKGP3MKO4T4JponTkyYBs_knkvZw_rMdaeR6qok0YKPy7t4pjyXZ2Bdws9MrZVJc1Yg-lIrk4RTeeUcmBS7pTi2pgVp6R8DeShOfJha5cQ/s400/backwards_nick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235694779019286466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nick with his clothes on "backwards?"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-17202042133981987722008-08-17T19:46:00.000-07:002008-08-17T19:53:20.967-07:00It's a GIRL!Life has been very exciting lately, and especially this week. I didn't mention before that in the midst of all the chaos, I got pregnant again (surprise!) This is our fourth and last. Anyway ... I've always wanted a girl, but I didn't know how much until we went to our ultrasound. When the ultrasound technician said it was a girl, I felt tears welling up inside my eyes!!! The doctor confirmed that our new little one will be a girl. I'm so excited. I'm already having dreams of making her a blessing dress. <br /><br />We've had her first name picked out forever. Aleza. We still need a middle name ... hmm. Aleza Ashley? Aleza Suzanne? Aleza Marie? Pepto Bismal pink has never been quite so attractive before!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-178519261091236962008-08-10T20:26:00.000-07:002008-08-10T20:31:37.296-07:00Bat BoyMark bought me a new digital camera as a belated Mother's Day gift. I think that's one of the catalysts of this blog starting again. Anyway, it's been fun to take pictures.<br /><br />Our little Nathan has such an imagination. He loves to dress up. When he's at Grandma Olga's house, he'll be batman even during mealtimes. I think this picture sums up our "Nate-a-kins".<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWiaZjN82ILTOSd0jFUknpRkDoRbrsBTpaaf1bDpmmK7FhTF2njffB4ny_4rGQoK6KLmyPvBYG5yOGPJ6vC403SnqhQ2JyTYuCqc2DT-hPjyv52u-PHiuU7A1nf8jwl6M2TSWcw/s1600-h/batman_nathan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWiaZjN82ILTOSd0jFUknpRkDoRbrsBTpaaf1bDpmmK7FhTF2njffB4ny_4rGQoK6KLmyPvBYG5yOGPJ6vC403SnqhQ2JyTYuCqc2DT-hPjyv52u-PHiuU7A1nf8jwl6M2TSWcw/s400/batman_nathan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233097538945114146" border="0" /></a>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11783664.post-31298418555886637402008-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:002008-08-10T20:25:07.275-07:00Our Beautiful Baby BoyOkay, so he's really a toddler now. He'll be two on Friday ... I can't believe it. Here are some pictures of him.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyL2yS47wX6kUKZ_BYguOMn18dm7AAhFoz0-9sFXfU9mmp3MXq-eVjl45ty_MNOmQ4a9Vp7GHssFNOEE04f-sD_xwX6kVNgBBVQvXbK3NSoxGKzJ53vgpZxambL747V5TvHu0ZA/s1600-h/zeke_before_surgery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyL2yS47wX6kUKZ_BYguOMn18dm7AAhFoz0-9sFXfU9mmp3MXq-eVjl45ty_MNOmQ4a9Vp7GHssFNOEE04f-sD_xwX6kVNgBBVQvXbK3NSoxGKzJ53vgpZxambL747V5TvHu0ZA/s400/zeke_before_surgery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233092498965286418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">My niece Maviny and Zeke shortly before Zeke's first surgery<br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Speym2gdxvOHKwqUBiRu2jzWm-Pu5WEtT7cHkS_WMyxLIec70xPviTywtoRYOzafjufTQ3CYPEzQ7yNLDEx8qEeSuSh-la25PmpqplUnyRv5NQcW0UpNRUtI4MtBQjVpnr1ryw/s1600-h/zeke_after_surgery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Speym2gdxvOHKwqUBiRu2jzWm-Pu5WEtT7cHkS_WMyxLIec70xPviTywtoRYOzafjufTQ3CYPEzQ7yNLDEx8qEeSuSh-la25PmpqplUnyRv5NQcW0UpNRUtI4MtBQjVpnr1ryw/s400/zeke_after_surgery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233093237987628290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Zeke right after surgery</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-S1W6aOlLvD_qCHFgGWl9G00n1T3R3wSbOyxF3dJJgRlVmG2vv-5Tu4BqZjJuCj_S1tX0Q3aMbJwqiFLWC4E-Ekpg9k99a_WDGKGjU4rY9DCuw5ZYqTdMeBF7MGryctiRbrcdA/s1600-h/zeke_after_logans_bow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-S1W6aOlLvD_qCHFgGWl9G00n1T3R3wSbOyxF3dJJgRlVmG2vv-5Tu4BqZjJuCj_S1tX0Q3aMbJwqiFLWC4E-Ekpg9k99a_WDGKGjU4rY9DCuw5ZYqTdMeBF7MGryctiRbrcdA/s400/zeke_after_logans_bow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233093408941968050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Zeke two weeks after surgery</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoju0BjGyuiE0UwxnJ0gD9yxxvAC_UnOMifIxSD0rKeN2FUd0huu9EWh5j2NEpqee2BKH4FO9JWHnLJV1Bt9I89DU2xcQDgfqMIM3dqoqHKdjuVwm_0GSHcSusc6b7brn26k34Q/s1600-h/zeke_current.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoju0BjGyuiE0UwxnJ0gD9yxxvAC_UnOMifIxSD0rKeN2FUd0huu9EWh5j2NEpqee2BKH4FO9JWHnLJV1Bt9I89DU2xcQDgfqMIM3dqoqHKdjuVwm_0GSHcSusc6b7brn26k34Q/s400/zeke_current.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233093648559812434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"Dr." Nathan checking Zeke's heart on Friday night</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">As you can see, Zeke looks incredible. He still has some surgeries left, but not until he's a few years older. The outside of his mouth is repaired, but the inside is still open. So far, he's been a real trooper. He's such a tough little kid.<br /></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10627481411504225154noreply@blogger.com1