I am a Procrastinating-Lazy-Sleepy-Grumpy-Sick-Lying-Impatient Grandma/Lady

I am not posting my weekend happenings today like I said I would in my last post. Reasons are listed in the above title. Goodnight Lovers

It is Almost Vacation Time!

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of 2pm. At 2pm I get to leave work and never see it again. Just kidding. I wish. Instead I get to leave for a stay-cation. I am off until Tuesday and I do not have to go in until 2, so I have a total of 5 days off. I need this so very badly. With how rough this last week has been I am hoping to catch up on some sleep, some housework, some fun time with the hubs, and some cuddles from Audrey, Brandon, Roxy, and Kat. It is going to be a wonderful weekend!

So dear blog friends, do you have any plans for the weekend?

One of the best parts about this weekend is that it is Brandon's birthday. He is going to be 28 years OLD. Yes, I emphasized old. Right now I am only 23 and I think 28 is old. Not old as in old person old, but old as in scary age old, when you start thinking you are old old. When I am 28 I will no longer think it is old. I will also be staying 28 for several years.

He has made plans to keep us busy all weekend. It is going to be fun and you can bet I will be posting all about it come Tuesday. For now I am going to post some new super cute pictures of my sweet little girl.
She is getting so big and her vocabulary is too. She sure spits it out and it is so much fun to listen to. I love to hear her 'read' and if I can get the video to upload I will post it. You will think it is cute too, I am sure.

She also does things that are not so cute, she sure looks cute doing them though. Like here, I caught her standing on the toilet trying to get wipes off the counter. This is what she does when she gets caught.

She got her wipe even though she was naughty. Her face was dirty and it is so much easier if I just let her do it herself.

Please forgive the background in these pics. Her bathroom is being repainted at the moment.

If you are wondering how Audrey's toddler bed training is going, well, it is going. It was going wonderfully up until the last 3 nights. Out of nowhere she is having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. I have had to get up with her every 20 minutes or so. It is awful. I do not know if it has anything to do with the bed itself or not. Either way, I pray this phase ends as soon as possible. Tonight would be good..

Other than nights naps have been going very well. She even puts herself to sleep if she is feeling very tired. She was in her room and the first time I checked on her she was reading books on her bed. I went back about 10 minutes later as I had realized there was not a single noise coming from her room. She was laying there with her eyes open on the verge of passing out. It was really cute, I was proud of her for being a big girl. 

Sometimes Audrey will ask me for things that she may not have. Such as, candy for breakfast, pens, permanent markers, my glass and whatever contents are in it that she would like to drink, forks, toothpicks, and cotton swabs. I only say no because I have to, but do you know how hard it is to say no to a face like this?

My little quail.

 It is very hard. Even though I do not like to, I still have to tell Audrey no when it comes to her safety and the safety of my walls and furniture. Sometimes there are exceptions to the rules. Like when she is at the counter coloring, then she is allowed to have a pen. Or, when she spots Mommy eating a Starburst she found by the coffee pot, then she is allowed to have a tiny piece. Rules are made to be broken right? As long as these things are done in moderation I will have a content child I am sure.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! Be safe and do not drink and drive!

May Maddness

What a rough weekend! Of course, Audrey softens everything up a bit. It is impossible to be miserable when something this cute occupies your home.



This is a cell phone pic from my hubby. She insisted on putting her boots on.

 Even with her super cute moments I still had a crazy weekend. I had to work last Friday lucky for me it was in the morning. Friday afternoon I picked up Aud from daycare and we went shopping for ingredients to make yummy treats like this,

This is where I had my first run-in with trouble. I was baking goodies for a yard sale to help raise money for the Joseph City Ball Program. Just as I went to put my first batch in the oven I realized it was not hot, but there was an overwhelming smell of gas. Oh great! Just my luck right? Turns out the pilot light had gone out. I had to have my Father-in-law come over to help me figure this out.

Back to baking I went! I made a batch of these, which I forgot one of the pans in the oven so it cooked a little longer than it should have, oopps. The cookies remained unharmed though, ask Brandon.

I also baked a bag mix of brownies just to have some without nuts.

When Brandon got home from work he looked like he had just walked in to heaven when he saw all the baked goods. I had to break the horrible news to him that he was not allowed to have any, unless, I needed a taste tester. He looked like he was going to cry. The rest of the night I had two tantrum-throwing toddlers to deal with.

On Saturday morning I woke up at 4am with the worst pain in my side. It hurt so badly I could not lay down, much less sleep. Brandon woke up 45 minutes later for work. He thought I had lost my marbles or something, he knows I would never sit in bed that early in the morning on my own. I told him I was having a lot of pain in my side and it was making my lower back hurt. I did not know what it was so I tried to just ignore it most of the morning. 

I headed over to JC at 7:30 for their annual community yard sale. There were 29 yard sales! I stopped at Rachelle's to drop off the goodies and pick up a map. I hardly used my map really, I did not plan on planning. I would just stop here and there, wherever looked most interesting. After about 10 yard sales I was in so much pain I had to go home. Audrey was sleepy and I could hardly move. 

We went home around 9:30 but since it was so early I had to do fun things to keep Audrey awake until nap time. We played outside in the water and I tried pulling weeds. She helped me cut down suckers and water my flower beds. She finally went down for a nap at 11, and by then I was bound to be in bed all day.

I thought that if I sat down and ate something I might feel better, I did not. After dealing with it for so long I finally smartened up and took a bunch of Tylenol and soaked in hot water. To make a long story short it turns out I have a kidney infection. Not fun. After the Tylenol and tub I was feeling a little bit better. Well enough to go to Show Low and let my hubby spoil me.

Brandon got home from work and we left for Show Low to go do some shopping. We bought Audrey some Cowgirl boots from Boot Barn. They are too cute and she just loves them. Then we went and bought all kinds of different flowers for the yard. He bought us whatever we wanted, it was a  very fun trip. He also spotted something at Wal-Mart that he liked very much....

Can you tell he is a proud Daddy? 

After all of that we did our usual stop in Snowflake at Arby's. I know Arby's may not be everyone's number one choice for food but, it is ours because it is a ritual of sorts. When I was pregnant with Audrey we had to drive to Show Low for my doctor appointments. Every time, on the way back, we would stop and eat at Arby's in Snowflake. It is so funny to think she used to be in my belly when we started it, and now she is almost two and we are still doing it!

On Sunday I had to work so planting my new flowers had to wait until after. It also had to wait until I was no longer in pain, for a few hours at least. We worked in the yard until 7 that night, it was not enough time to plant everything we had bought. There also was not enough time in the day to do any housework. By Sunday night, my house was trashed and my garden only half planted..... Today I am nearly caught up. A few flowers left to plant and some laundry that needs tending to.  A Mother's work never ends..........

P.S.  If you would like to read more about our gardening stories, baking and cooking + recipes, and yard sale deals check out my other blog

There is a time to write and there is a time to read

Today I am going to spend some time reading blogs instead of writing on my own. Everyday I check the usual blogs that I read, I read the ones I follow, and I read a few here and there just for fun. Occasionally, on days like this, I will click the 'next blog' button over and over until I find a blog I have something in common with. Keep in mind, I work the front desk at a hotel. I have hours and hours to do whatever I can to entertain myself, so I am sorry if my reading your blog everyday seems "stalker-ish." I assure you, I am not. I just get so bored here!! :) Then again, if you do not want people to read your new posts, then why do you blog?

Some blogs are super interesting, the lives people lead can be so intriguing to a boring-ol-mommy-housewife. I love craft blogs, beauty blogs, life advise blogs, and mostly blogs about people just like myself. I love reading about new things people try and their reviews. Reviews are the best, I am always researching product reviews online and to read them on blogs is even better. A few of my favorites are here and here.

Hopefully today I will find some more interesting blogs to share with everyone. Happy Thursday!

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It rained today! I love the rain. Rain makes me a very happy lady. I want to sing songs, cuddle with Aud, and bake all day long. Today I did all three of those things. It was not raining yet when I did them, but it was overcast which is good enough to put me in a rainy day mood.

First, Audrey combed Mommy's hair. I tried to get a good picture but she is always distracted once she sees my phone.

After Audrey was in bed napping, I made these.



They are delicious! This is only the second time I have ever made chocolate chip cookies and I am so proud of myself. They turned out so great.

So besides cuddling with Audrey, baking, and enjoying the rain, it has been a pretty typical day. It is almost time for me to go home and wrap it up. I cannot wait to hit the sack!

Night night everybody!

The things that happen on Saturdays

Saturday's in our home are never boring. There is always something brewing, something new going on, or some project that is being worked on. Since yard sale season has started I have been busy getting my early morning shop on. This year has been full of purchasing goodies for Audrey. Seriously, almost everything I have bought so far has been for her.

I am not going to post about my yard sale goodies here. I am saving that for my other blog. This week's purchase is so special, and has so much more to do with Audrey becoming a big girl, than a simple yard sale purchase.

At a yard sale downtown I stumbled upon a toddler bed that matched Audrey's crib and dresser set perfectly. They are obviously from the same collection and I could not believe my luck! Not only was the bed only $25, it came with a mattress as well! Under normal circumstances a used mattress would bother me, however, since these mattresses are vinyl covered I figure a good disinfectant spray should put my soul at ease, I was right.

Before making the purchase I wanted to consult with my husband. In fact, I was not going to buy the bed unless he wanted it, because I was not ready for her to transition in to a toddler bed. Since he would not answer his phone I went home and asked him what he thought. He was really excited. I did not think he would care much, boy was I wrong! We went back right away and bought it. I gave it a good scrubbing and placed all of the bedding from her crib onto her new bed.

Audrey LOVES her new bed. She sits on it with several pairs of shoes to try on, she relaxes on it with a sippy and a few stuffed animals, she reads on it, and she covers the cat up in her blankets on it. I had no idea she would enjoy it as much as she does, she even tries to play on it. I have to be very diligent in disciplining her when she plays on her bed. She needs to understand her bed is for sleeping or relaxing, not jumping. She is doing pretty well.

So far sleeping has been a great success as. Tonight will be her fourth night as a big girl. Once she is in her bed for the night, she stays put. We have not had any issues with her getting up and playing or doing things she is not supposed to. I am sure things will not always be this way, but I am thankful for her being as wonderful as she is while in this transition stage.

Before you all believe that this milestone was accomplished with happy smiles and proud parents, I want to make it very clear how difficult this was for me! As I said, I did not really want to purchase the bed. I could not believe how lucky I was to find it, and though it seemed the right thing to do, I was trying my best to rationalize not buying it.

See, being a mother is full of bittersweet moments, this is one of them. I am very excited for my daughter to grow up and do 'big girl' things. I am so proud of her for doing so well with potty training, expanding her vocabulary, and mastering even more difficult motor skills, but I also miss my "teeny, teeny, tiny baby." I am excited for her to move into a toddler bed, but it is just one step closer to her being a big girl instead of my sweet baby.

I cried the first night she slept in her bed. I cried because I was so proud of her for falling right asleep. I cried because she looked so darling cuddled with her stuffed animals, but most of all, I cried because she is not a baby anymore.

And now I have nothing left to say because I am teary-eyed and seem to have lost my train-of-thought.

Weekend Fun and Little Big Girl Stuff

Hey there! I had Monday off so my weekend post is a day late, I hope my 5 followers do not mind.... But more likely, they will not even notice.

On Friday Audrey and I went to the park and ran a few errands. Audrey made a little friend at the park, it was adorable. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera (WHAT WAS I THINKING?!) so I only have a few pictures of her play time. I do not have any of her and her new friend, sad face.

After the park we went to Papa's and visited for a little bit. She colored on the sidewalk with chalk while Earl and I chatted about roses. Yes, it makes me feel old to talk about gardening. Then we headed home so little Aud could take her nap.

Audrey and I like to take pictures of us together. She likes it because she can see herself in my phone. My phone makes it so that you can see what you're are taking a picture of on the screen (hard to explain sort of), and she gets so excited to see our reflections. I like taking pictures of us because one day she is going to graduate high school, get married, and have babies ( I think), and when she does, I will have a whole bunch of pictures to look back  and remember when she was my baby. *tear

Right after this.......

SHE did this!!!!! And I was lucky enough to get a picture of it! Sort of..

Love her smile in this

While I wash my car I let Audrey play in the puddles that accumulate on the driveway. This time, she decided she would rather help instead. What a great help she was!

On Saturday we had some Daddy time and went yard selling. We got some great goodies at the yard sales. Unfortunately, I am out of time (it is time for me to go home so it is really not all that unfortunate for me). I have more pictures to post and I will share a great story of another milestone in Audrey's life. I have a few scraggler pictures so here you go.....

She loves Daddy

She also loves Mommy's Carmex.

Sunday Survey Says........!

I am very lazy and tired today. I woke up at 4:45 with Brandon this morning, made his lunch, and quite foolishly, went back to sleep. I had to be to work at 6am so I did not get much extra sleep in. The only thing I accomplished was making myself even more tired than I was when I woke up earlier.

So today I am going to post some fun little surveys. Maybe I will do this every Sunday? This just seems a whole lot more amusing than posting pictures and stories, I'll save that for tomorrow.

Happy Sunday everybody, I hope your weekend has been wonderful!

About the Blog Owner


Name:  Ashley
Nickname: Ash
 Birthplace: PhoenixBirthday: September 18, 1987
Righty or Lefty: Righty

** your looks **
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 124lbs
Shoe size: 9.5 - 10. Yes, I know, my feet are huge considering my height. I am beginning to wonder if  maybe my growth was stunted.
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Hair Length: Long
Eye Color: Gray-Green
Tattoos: One, by my hip. I am wanting to cover it, it's stupid.

** fashion **
Where do you shop: Everywhere. I love Forever 21
Do you wear a watch: I recently started wearing a bright pink watch. I love it. I want the white one that is just like it.
Color you never wear: I do not think there is a color I NEVER wear. I hardly ever wear black though, it is too depressing.
Color you wear at least once a week: Green
Something you wear everyday: Jeans
Do you wear make up everyday: Yes, I love makeup
Make up essential: Bareminerals foundation
Most cherished piece of clothing: Black slacks, they are very versitle.
You wouldn't be caught dead wearing: Punk rock clothes, eewwie
Do you wear belts: Yes, nearly every day.
Do you wear hats: Not as often as I would like. Mostly because I do not own any... I need to buy some.
How many pairs of shoes do you have: Oh boy, last time I counted I was at 73.

** music **
Favorite kind of music: I love all music. The playlist I have been listening to for the last few weeks contains: Adele, Foster the People, Blake Shelton, Fleetwood Mac, music from Glee, Priscilla Ahn, My Chemical Romance... See how diverse my single playlist is?
Least Favorite: Heavy metal. I appreciate it, yet despise it all at the same time. I had to listen to it growing up and now it just fills me full of bad memories.
How many CD's do you have: Entirely too many considering I never listen to any of them, thanks to todays technology.
Last CD you bought: Miranda Lambert's newest. I bought it for my husband. Who FYI, is not up-to-date on the latest gadgets.
Whats in your CD player right now: Miranda Lambert. I stole it from my husband...... :)
Do you download music: See above.

** Favorites **
Color: Salmon pink. I think that is what it is called. It is that really pretty peachy-salmon-honeysuckle-pink... and I love it. I also love yellow and teal. Those are my favorites.
Number: 18
Season: Fall
Website: Glamour.com
Band: Journey. Unless the Glee Cast counts.
Singer: Mariah Carey
Song: Always be my baby
Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Actor: Ben Stiller
Actress: Audrey Hepburn
Kind of movies: Happy ones
Restaraunt: Not El Rancho
Fast food place: Wendy's
Boy's name: Teagan
Girl's name: Audrey ;)
Candy: Laffy Taffy, unless it's Easter, then it's Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies Sweetarts

** love and relationships **
Boyfriend or Girlfriend: Husband
Do you believe in love at first sight: No, just lust.
What do you look for in a guy/girl: A kind heart
Best physical feature: Hair and Eyes
Best hair color: Dark Brown
Best eye color: Green or Blue. My Husband's eye color is amazing. They are a dark blue-ish green.

** randoms **
Do you paint your nails: Yes
Do you have any pets: A cat and a dog
What time do you go to sleep: I go to sleep at 10:40 every night, unless it was my day off.

I know, I know, this first picture is gross. This is where I found Audrey after the brief two minutes it took to make my bed.

Rockin out with her "ackack (backpack)", a book, and a wheat thin. She is so undeniably cool

Parenting takes patience and a sense of humor

I had to make sure she knew not to tell Daddy that Mommy was in the wagon

Sick day! I have been really sick since Easter, so we did a lot of vegging.

She loves me

The first outdoor wagon ride

I love this picture. She is so adorable!

Bed head!

She loves jumping

I just love this! They are too cute to each other.