Buh Bye 2008

Well, I haven't had alot to blog about the last few days. I am sure I am not the only one who can't stop blogging one day and the next day I got nothing. I just wanted to take a few moments to reflect on 2008. We have had many highs and lows: two sweet new babies born into the family, I knocked 25 pounds off my bod, gained a mini-van, Chandler had another surgery, and I got a hot new haircut... just to name a few. I reconnected with a ton of old friends (thank you MySpace and Facebook) and let's not forget we went from being pet-less to acquiring 2 dogs, a cat, and 3 fish.
I am thankful for all the new people I have met through blogging, and of course through the boundary change at church. I am super curious, excited, and a little nervous to see what 2009 holds for me and my family. Here's to a Safe and Happy New Year!! Be careful, plan those resolutions smartly, and be healthy and prosperous. Thanks for reading, commenting, sharing, and most importantly : friendship.
**** Happy Freakin' New Year! ****

It's Official...

I am no longer as cool as I once was. I almost got sick on the Titan. And, I got dizzy during The Polar Express at the Omni yesterday. I used to have no fear about roller coasters and stuff. But, over the years I have developed slight anxiety over things that used to never have any effect on me. Like when Jon drives the boat fast or being on an elevator. I even got majorly wigged out when we were on the 4th floor in our hotel over Thanksgiving. So, I should have known that the mother of all roller coasters would get to me and it did. I should have known when my friend Erin told me she got dizzy during her last trip to the Omni, but no. I was determined to go see that movie. We left after 40 minutes... So, I am embarrassing myself even more by posting the picture of me on the Titan. Yes, I did try Lamaze breathing as the picture plainly shows and no it didn't work.

everyone else looks cool, while I look retarded....

I do have something to blog about....

but I can't!! I REFUSE to blog about my weekend without photos and for some wacky reason I can't get my pictures to upload, so you'll have to wait until it's cooperating. Which may be never... In the meantime here's all I have.

I saw two awesome movies: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Marley and Me. Both were sooo good. I laughed AND cried during both movies.

I dropped my cell phone in Coke. On the way to the movies. I was practically in hysterics because Chan was babysitting. Not that he can't babysit but it was gonna be for over 5 hours. Thankfully everyone survived and I have a new phone. Now, I just need to re-program all my numbers.

I rode the Titan.

I finally got pics to load... see below for our fun-filled family outing!!!

Holiday in the Park

Saturday we headed to Holiday in the Park with Jon's mom, sisters, brother, and niece. None of us had ever been before, but for sure we will go back. We had a blast!! The only downfall was that none of us Myers' dressed warm enough. Jon told us it wasn't that cold, and we all wore short sleeves and hoody's. Jon and Chandler didn't bring jackets at all. Next time we will wear layers, so we can unwrap ourselves if we get hot as opposed to freezing to death! Anyway, I think I love Six Flags at Christmas way more than I do in the Summer. It was just so festive and the food offerings were better. Something about greasy food during the heat of Summer and of course the $5 sodas... I much prefer a cold sunny day and things to eat like: soups, cinnamon apples, kettle corn, and my favorite: baked sweet potato. Let's not forget the 1.99 hot cocoa. Yum! We all really enjoyed ourselves. Except, take my advice: Lamaze breathing does nothing to calm your nerves, fear, nausea, and dizziness when you are riding the Titan. I tried and I looked like an idiot (yes, they got a picture.) Enough gabbing- I know you wanna see the pics and you should definitely go if you can. They are open til January 4th and it's half the price it normally is. So worth it. Thanks Ginger and family, we will definitely do it again!

Me and Chloe


Sarah and Ginger (Jon's mom and sister)


Hayden and Cadence holding hands, so cute!


Chloe and Cadence


group shot, minus me and Ginger


Cadence and Hayden checking things out


SuperChan...


and the rest of his prizes


the boys in the old-timey cars


Chloe behind the wheel


Chloe!


the kiddos waiting on us to ride the Titan


Atalie and Cadence (mommy and daughter)


Myers family


mother and son


FROSTY!


Jon and Chloe. He was super cold so she offered her daddy her accessories...


and, what to eat after a cold day at Six Flags?



SALTGRASS!! (yes, I scraped off the extra butter) That was probably the best steak I have eaten in awhile. Probably because we were starving and cold. The fact that we got a gift card that helped cover the tab might have had some influence as well.

Merry Christmas, in you guessed it: a nutshell

Was awakened after 4 coma-like hours of sleep to open gifts. Kids loved their stuff. I am amazed, as they get older their pile of presents get smaller but my credit card bill gets higher... Made a giant breakfast, pretty sure the eggs were bad, we skipped those. Which is super annoying, I just bought them yesterday and do you know how long it takes to scramble eggs for 6 people?!?! Took a nap, cleaned house, picked up trash and put away toys like 20 different times. Made an awesome dinner: shrimp, bread, salad, and other fattening stuff. Drove around and looked at lights. Blogging. Fixing to take a well deserved bubble bath. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday. Merry Christmas to you and yours. And remember, just say NO to New Year's resolutions. You're just gonna break them by January 15th anyway. Oh yeah, I got an honest to goodness spin bike, ya know spinning, the scary exercise class!? And, an Ipod Touch. Basically I think Jon is ready for me to lose the rest of this weight. So, he got me a fabulous piece of exercise equipment and something to occupy me while I use it. The End.

the living room and all the goods


Jon's stuff and my little pile (Ipod in stocking, spin bike in garage)


Chloe's presents


Chan's stuff (sweet 12 string acoustic, his 3rd guitar)


Hunter's stuff (we hid his Ipod Touch under his hat, he was kinda sad til he saw it)


Hayden's goodies (yes, he got Heely's and a skateboard, cross your fingers for no ER visits)


cupcakes for Santa (what? I forgot cookies...) and carrots for the reindeer


Chan serenading his family


my fave slippers


Chloe looking tired and annoyed


Hunter and his new BFF


Hayden just plain excited

Christmas Eve: in a nutshell

Parents came over, sisters and their kids came over. Bummed that my kids aren't babies anymore, but also kinda glad. Ate too much. Didn't get in bed til 4:30, am amazed at how long my kids lasted.... I was on the blogs and Facebook at 3 in the morning to pass the time. Here are a TON of photos, and I do mean a TON!

me and Chloe


Jon and Hunter playing chess (waiting til the food was ready...)


me and Hayden


me- self portrait and Hayden an innocent bystander


my dad and his fave gift of all. Not really... let's just say this was a gag gift and my dad wasn't for change this election


me and the babies


Jonah and Corgan in an extreme closeup


sisters, daughter, and nephews


Chan doing a darn good Grinch impersonation


Jonah and Chloe


Chloe and Jonah

11:45 on the 26th

**I am not pre-buying tickets online, they won't let you at that theatre for matinee shows. So, I am gonna get there early. I can still purchase your ticket when I get there, let me know. Next time, if there is a next time I am doing this different...**

Sorry, but this has been harder than I thought, ugghh!


Ashley- yes
Sarah- yes
Cheree- yes
Shannon- maybe lunch only?
Margie- yes
Lois- yes
Kelli- lunch?


For those of you that can't make it this time, FOR SURE we will do it again, SOON!!

Happy 'Twas the Day Before Christmas

Cook and clean your hearts out!!

Have some crackers and cheeseball for me...

Kiss your loved one under the mistletoe.

Be good, Santa is still checking his list!

Have a great Christmas Eve and remember what this special, magical holiday is really all about.

Love y'all, Ash

Final # for the movies

Who can DEFINITELY go? I am gonna order tickets late tonight while I up twiddling my thumbs waiting for the kids to fall asleep.

Is 11:45 ok or would you rather do 2:45? The earlier one will allow Sarah to be able to go but she has graciously said she would skip if this time didn't work for everyone else. Sarah- can you contact Cheree and see if she will call or email or comment please?

I am gonna pre-buy the tickets on Fandango and you can pay me back. I will also get to the theatre EARLY to hold spots.

Lois- do you know anyone else that wants to go? Can you contact Becca? I misplaced her number.

Ok, that's it. Crossing my fingers this goes off without a hitch.

Brad Pitt and Cheesecake Factory, here we come!!!

Santa's Lil' Helper

I just received an email that contained a photo of a pretty cute little elf, Jonah Anderson Fain. He has grown so much and is pretty darn squeezable. I can't wait to see him and his cousins tomorrow. We have pretty good genes if I do say so myself...

Dinner and a Movie

I am trying to get a group of girls together to go see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. At some point (before or after) we will make a stop at Hoffbrau Steaks or The Cheesecake Factory for some food and conversation. So- let me know if you are interested in going, what day after Christmas is best for you, and a vote for which restaurant you would like to eat at. I was looking at late afternoon on the 26th or 27th or the following week if necessary. Maybe Monday? Anyway, we will be going to the AMC theatre at the Parks Mall. And, for those of you who are familiar with the area, there are tons of nice restaurants if you would like to vote for a different spot. Let me know, via the comments section obviously. Come on girls, the more the merrier!!

Look at HIM!! You know you wanna go see this movie!

On Cleaning...

Well, the sun came out. And, I cleaned. Nothing like fresh air and sunshine to get you "in the mood." I started cleaning rather late (4:00) but today was the beginning of Christmas break, so we had pizza for lunch, watched movies, and read books. You would think that we would have gone outside... not sure why we didn't?
I have spent the first 2 weeks of December looking for clothes for pictures, baking, and shopping for teacher's gifts. It wasn't until this week that I started doing my important Santa Claus shopping. I have neglected my housework, badly. And, with rain and freezing temperatures the dogs have been in alot. So the house was in it's usual disarray and then some. Namely dog hair and mud. Yum. So, I got on the Mother of All Cleaning jags. I won't list all the cleaning I did, instead I will list all of the interesting tidbits that occurred while cleaning. And, the only reason I got so much cleaning done is A) I think I am crazy and B) my husband isn't home yet. Otherwise I would have been shopping and then watching TV afterwards. Anyway, here's what you are waiting for:

The Tidbits

I found three DVD's I forgot we even owned under Jon's dresser. One was The Polar Express, which I have been wanting to rent or buy. I saved myself some $$.

After having a mini-nervous breakdown the other morning over our *#@^! sock basket I finally did something about it. I got rid of a black trash bag full of socks. I folded the rest and now for the first time in many years my kids and husband have folded socks and we now have about 1/4 of the amount we used to. Felt very liberating. My kids will probably be in slippers or barefoot the next 3 weeks, but we have folded socks.

I rearranged my living/dining area. I even moved the Christmas tree. It fell over. I caught it. Nothing broke. Yay me! I couldn't stand the previous set up for another day. It looks SO MUCH BETTER now. Seriously. I am liking my house again today.

I found three of the largest dust bunnies I have ever seen. They scared me so bad I almost had to change my undies. Really, I think they were breathing. I am stunned that I never saw them. Probably because they were busy hanging out under Jon's dresser watching The Polar Express. It's Jon's fault they were there. It's his dresser.

And last but certainly not least, (and this one's a whopper) I managed to knock out power to the whole house. Let me explain. So, it's Christmas and I have alot of stuff plugged in. And, whenever I plug in the iron, hair dryer, or vacuum cleaner while all the holiday crap is plugged in, I trip a breaker. Well, I was vacuuming our game/media room which used to be our garage and I lost power. I knew Jon had crammed the closet which contains our breaker box full of junk. It also holds shelves of linens, a few hidden gifts, and a hot water heater. Remember, it used to be our garage. The closet was built strictly for some storage and to hide the hot water heater. Well, when you are "well endowed" and you are trying to reach an object (the breaker box) in a too tight space, "things" sometimes stand in your way. So, I grabbed a spatula and started whacking the the little black switches that were causing our power outage. Which didn't work. So, we had a little black-out. After calling my friend's husband to come rescue me, I knew I needed to tidy the closet quick and make room for him to fix the problem. And then, I managed to fix it myself. Which I could have done all along if I hadn't been in such a hurry to clean. If I would have taken the time to get the stuff out and just real simply flipped the switches, I could have saved myself 45 minutes of darkness and drama. No, instead I had to play Wack-a-Mole with a breaker box and a rubber spatula.

So there. I am done for the night. It's 1:30 and Jon should be home soon. I am going to take a much needed bubble bath.

Enough is Enough!

I am so dang tired of cloudy dreary days. I get it, it's Winter. But it's also a Texas Winter. Would someone please tell the sun?? I am ready for a sunny Texas day. It can be cold, I really don't care. I just want to be able to feel the sun on my face and maybe wear a pair of sunglasses. If tomorrow's forecast of sun and 70 degrees is wrong I am packing my bags and moving somewhere warm. Like Arizona. For sure I can't go to Vegas, it freaking snowed there this week!!

First Time Homebuilder

Today the kids and I went to my friend Joy's house to decorate gingerbread houses. Since I was busy working on Christmas cards I let them do our house. Let's just say I would have done things differently... Joy was nice enough to let me have an extra house (that had already been "glued" together!) all for me to decorate. And, boy did I! Let me know if you likey. This was my first ever attempt at a gingerbread house!! I think I would have given it up if Joy had given it to me un-assembled. That made it so much easier.









P.S. I used: chocolate chex, gum drops, mini Hershey kisses, red hots, Christmas marshmallows, red & green peppermints, candy canes, Lifesavers, M&M's, red/green sprinkles, Heath bar door, Kit Kat chimney, Rolos, giant Nerds, colored decorator's icing, ice cream cone tree, and powdered sugar "snow". I think I got a cavity just from breathing in all the sugar...

Bah Freakin' Humbug!

I am tired of Christmas already.
I despise cold weather, really alot.
I have a ton of shopping to do still.
I am spending too much $$.
I have had a headache for 3 days.
I have spent entirely too much time on Facebook.
I have a dilemma...
Somebody hold me and feed me chocolate.

Hey Santa-

So, I've been good this year... sorta. And, I thought I'd do a blog post of ideas just in case you are still making your list and checking it twice. So, here goes.

I would like in no particular order:

someone to come over and dust at least twice a week. I don't like dusting and I am not good at it.

it would be great if the duster person was a good cook and didn't mind throwing together a few meals once in a while. 'Cause I am not good in the kitchen either, unless you count Lean Cuisine and Kraft Mac~n~Cheese.

a personal trainer. This requires no explanation, you have seen my butt and thighs.

for my boys to learn how to pee in the potty without getting it on the floor, walls, or seat. We have gone over this a million times and nada. Arrgghh!

for Hayden to eat something different once in awhile. He has been eating the same 10 foods for years and frankly I am getting bored preparing them.

for Coco and Daisy to please stop barking before 6 a.m. yes, we know they are hungry but really. I never bark at them when they are sleeping, but I might start.

for Pedro to stop drinking from the faucet while I am washing dishes and standing in front of the toilet after we flush. I PROMISE I will get him the largest bowl ever and constantly keep it filled.

for my hair to grow long and my body to shrink in all the right places...

if someone would HELP ME figure out what to do with all of our socks. We are starting on another ginormous basketful. (duster person are you listening?)

So, Santa- I leave you cookies and stuff and you see to it that I get at least one thing on my list, right? We have a deal or what?

Smooth as a baby's butt

Well, I gave in. I let Miss Chloe shave her legs. I was planning on holding out as long as possible, but when we were in Oklahoma I noticed: armpit hair. I about died. So, I told her it was time. And, she began protesting BADLY! I couldn't believe it. She has been begging me to let her shave for almost a year. A few days after we got home I bought her one of those Intuition razors with the soap already attached to the blades. She refused to even look at it. Then, one morning when I was making her bed I noticed she had opened the package and read the instructions. Good sign, it meant we were one step closer to smoother legs. However, not a smart idea for someone who has never shaved. Tonight we had a spa day if you will. She tied her hair in a bun and climbed into a big bubbly bath. And, then she yelled my name. It was time. The Intuition is a good idea for maintenance shaving not for that ever important first time. It was like using scissors to trim back a field of corn or something. She was so cute and nervous. And, I was teary eyed. I couldn't help it. She is gonna grow up whether I like it or not. She can be a turd, but tonight she was freakin' adorable, it must have taken her 20 minutes per leg. If I had continued to shave that slow all these years I might have saved myself from countless cuts and scrapes from shaving too quick. I sat on the bathmat and coached her along. Eventually persuading her to use a Daisy Plus and shave gel. She asked me several times if she was doing good for her first time... aww!
Anyway- I am proud to report that my daughter has hair free, cut free legs. And, she is wearing tights and a skirt tomorrow... Which, might seem odd. But, only if you have ever worn tights or pantyhose and were badly in need of a shave. Those pesky hairs will find their way through those ittie bittie holes in your stockings. Super embarrassing if you are wearing black tights and have blonde leg hair.

Family Pictures

For the first time since before I had Hayden we actually had pictures taken as a family. And, this wasn't Sears or Target. This was with an honest to goodness photographer with an amazing camera, fancy lenses, and lots of patience. Missy, who is good friends with my sister Kelli, was able to snap lots of pics AND see the Myers' family at their best behavior! Hah! They did do better than I thought they would, we only had a few instances of gas passing and one little shoving poking match between Chandler and Hunter with Chloe being caught in the crossfire. Aww, what lovely children I have...

Really though, the drama started before we left. And it was with ME! Due to my recent weight loss I am between sizes in jeans, and being desperate for the same medium blue wash of jeans as everyone else, I bought the smaller size and some Spanx. Well, let's just say that my Spanx squished the excess Ashley up out over the top of her jeans into what resembled an extra row of breasts. I could remedy that by pulling the offensive undergarment over my real breasts and walking slow. Which, with red pumps on caused me to bring to mind images of Peg Bundy. And, I didn't dare even eat a cracker- there was no room. The girl at the store told me they had stretch and would loosen considerably after a few hours. And, they did but I'll touch on that in a moment... So, we go get our pictures taken on what was probably the windiest day I have ever seen. I really thought we were gonna get blown into the nearby canals. But, we managed to get some shots with everyone cheesin' for the camera in between wind gusts. A BIG thank you to Missy for putting up with us and to Chan for providing comic relief (dancing with his shirt off). Sorry about that Missy!

And, now for the rest of my story. After pictures we stopped to see Kelli and her family (thanks to Corgan for even more comic relief which put Aunt Ashley on diaper duty!) which was fun. I wish we could see them more but both of us get super busy what with 7 kids between us! Anyway- we tortured our children further by making them go to Red Robin (unlimited steak fries) for a late lunch. I had only been in that booth for about a minute when I decided the Spanx needed to come off. So, Chloe and I headed to the ladies room where she helped her Mommy go potty, and yes I did need her. She helped me get my jeans off! How fast the tables turn... Then I took off the girdle-y thing and went to chow down. I know how women in corsets must have felt, it was blissful to get it off and be able to eat! Really, I think the Spanx weren't needed after all. I should have just worn the jeans for an hour or so the day before and I would have been fine. Oh well... Fast forward to after lunch and us getting in the van to leave. I suddenly remember my Spanx are still in the booth! So, I make Jon run in after them because I had my shoes off and my pants unzipped. And, there they were dangling between the busboy's pinched fingers.

P.S. go to Missy's photo blog for a sample of today's shots

Friday night at the Factory

Tonight Chloe and Hunter had hair appointments with my friend Israel. Since he is a stone's throw from our new favorite restaurant- The Cheesecake Factory, we stopped there afterwards for a late night dinner and some dessert. We had a ton of fun, cracking up and being goofy. We were all annoyed by the warm bread and frozen butter, which is pure cruelty. So, Chloe stuck her pat of butter in her bra and Hunter put his in his armpit. Yes they were still in the foil and no it didn't work... but it was a good idea. And, did you know it only takes about 4 minutes for 3 people to devour a serving of the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake? I kid you not, I think I took 3 bites. Those 2 kids have their daddy's sweet tooth and their mommy's appetite. DANG! That cheesecake didn't stand a chance. It was fun to hang out with my little pre-teen drama king and queen. They can be stinkers, but tonight they were dare I say it, normal?


See, we like each other- sometimes


Me!


Smile! Mom's got her camera out, again!


me, waiting on my 3 whole bites of cheesecake to arrive


DESSERT! Don't ya love the big "30th" in cinnamon?


where do we begin?


checking out the different layers and marking their territory


2 minutes later...


4 minutes later...


Holy Cow, we're full!


P.S. I loooove Chloe's hair. She looks more beautiful than ever. She is growing so fast it's unbelievable. And, no I am not ready for it.