Two Blondes, a Boston Terrier and a Wil

A Smile for today

2012-02-16T09:55:00.000-05:00

I love the Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp. I loved the story of the young couple who got a dog and spoiled it and then had a baby and the dog and the baby were friends. I love dog neighbors of Lady's - the Scottish schnauzer and the hound dog who talks about his "grandpappy Ol' Reliable". It's just a great story all around.

In fact, I told Matt shortly after we got married that we needed to get a dog because that was the right order of things: Marriage, Dogs, Kids. So we got Stevie. She's been an amazing dog. When I saw this video Disney released ahead of the BluRay edition of "Lady and the Tramp" I smiled and had to share it.

Too cute, right?

Happy Thursday!!

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hope you are all having a wonderful Valentine's day. Here's a shot of my desk at work from this morning....notice my sweet Valentine gift from my best Valentine?

My sweet hubby left this for me in my car this morning. Made by hand. He's such a sweetie!

Hope you get surprises from your Valentines today as well!

May 2011

2012-02-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

In May we went on a Crockett family vacation to a resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It was a great week spent with family enjoying delicious foods, the beach and relaxation.

On the beach. Gorgeous water, sands and sun.

Gray was a fish. He loved the water.

The guys spent a lot of time jumping off of this high dive area.

And playing Frisbee.

It was incredibly relaxing and replenishing to be there. Can't wait to go back in July!

Catching up: April 2011

2012-02-08T23:46:00.000-05:00

Time to play "catch-up" with the lives of the crazy Crocketts. First up: April 2011. What exactly happened that month? I blogged about my birthday (which happened in March) and then I blogged about sushi (which was delicious). Let me dig back in my memory for what happened the rest of that month.

First, good news! I had been unemployed since October 2010 due to some cutbacks at the job I got when I moved down to Tampa. This was a huge bummer. I enjoyed that job, liked the location and especially liked the steady paycheck. We had been cutting corners and praying a lot since October. After many interviews and job applications, I was offered a job at the University of South Florida in April. What a blessing that came just in time.

Before I started working at USF, I baby sat this sweet puppy, Lily. She belongs to a good friend of ours and I was more than happy to stop by his place everyday to take Lily for a walk.

I went home for my birthday and had some delicious sushi with Matt's family and was named the official "Queen of Aunts". Thanks Gray!

While I was home for MY birthday THIS little dude had the audacity to continue growing and turn one. We had a frank discussion and I asked him to stop turning into such a big boy. No luck, now he's talking and calling me "Ashey" - I melt. Seriously, I melt.

He turns two this month. This has GOT to stop.

Celebrated my day a little early with my favorite birthday treat. Strawberry cake.

And my favorite birthday guests, my family.

Took some photos of this awesome family. Little dude kinda cooperated. Hard to look back at these photos now and see how much he's grown.

Goofed off with my sister in my Pawpaw's 1950 Ford. We joked about taking a photo of us laying on the hood of the car like in automobile magazines. Andrea was reluctant as she didn't want to hurt Pawpaw's car. Daddy assured her it was ok. She hopped up, posed and then we heard a thump. I cracked up and Andrea turned red and slid down. Luckily she did no permanent damage - unless it was to her ego.

Enjoyed delicious food off the grill along with my strawberry cake. Doesn't get much tastier. My mouth is already watering thinking about my dinner at home for my birthday this year.

Hmmm...most of those photos are actually from February. I looked through all my old photos and could find NO photos from March or April of last year. Bizarre. Normally I'm always snapping away. Guess I took a photo taking break when I started the blogging break.

Anyways, back to the April updates, I started working at USF and was relieved to get back into the swing of working. When I'm at work I romanticize being at home all day and getting laundry, cleaning, errands and other household stuff done. I imagine all the crafts I could do. All the thrift store shopping and clothes making I could be doing. But in reality, when I HAD to be at home all day I was bored. I had no extra money to go to the thrift store or the crafts store. There's nothing like losing a job to make you grateful for a 9-5 gig. Even if it does keep you away from your home way too long.

We also settled into our new rental place in Tampa. We finally had enough space to move ALL our belongings down here and completely empty our house in Tallahassee. Another blessing came: we were able to place the Tallahassee house up for rent. We had it on the market to sell for a year with no bites. We had it on the rental market for less than a week. It was a month for us to be incredibly grateful.

Long Time - No Blog

2012-02-07T18:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, my last blog was April 7, 2011. I haven't blogged in 10 months. Why? I really don't know. I guess I just lost the desire to post things on here. Was it lack of time, interest, topics? I really can't explain it.

2011 was an awesome year in some ways and a challenging year in others. I plan to do a quick recap of what's been going on in our little world since last April. Those will come later. Baby steps that will get me back into this blogging thing. It's funny that I need them as I really do enjoy writing it.

Ok, to get me back in the spirit of writing and blogging. Here's a little questionnaire I pulled from the Pink Pistachio's About Me page. These questions made me laugh when I read over these questions her husband wrote for her about me page and thought it would be fun to answer them myself.

Here goes.....

If you were an animal what would you be?

A pet dog. Hopefully belonging to me or one of my friends or family. I must gravitate towards pet folks. Especially dog folks. There are some fortunate canines that I know of that are completely spoiled and loved. Plus, I could sleep all day and bark at stuff. If I were a dog I'd also want to be a small one that folks put those cute outfits on. That way when people saw me they'd go, "Awwww... LOOK!", and I'd just priss around like I owned the place. Because, let's face it, as a pet owner myself, I know who really owns the place.

What is your favorite color?

My favorite color is blue. Blue like the ocean. Blue with a bit of green. Blue like the sky during a sunset. Blue like the pale gray blue paint on my kitchen walls. I am a fan of pretty much any variation of blue. It's my favorite color to wear. I'm Blue da bu dee da bu dah.

What is your favorite drink?

Hmm...I love milk and sweet tea. Milk would probably be my favorite, though, as I can drink milk with just about anything. Milk and PBJ? Heavenly. Milk and leftover spaghetti? Yes, please. Milk and Doritos? Aw, yeah. Milk and a turkey burger? Of course. I love sweet tea, but I have to actually make it. So I def. drink milk more as it comes in these ready to go gallon containers...then again so does tea, but that's neither here nor there.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Since I went to the grocery store yesterday you will find some boring things like margerine, yogurt, lettuce, cucumbers, eggs, milk, and cheese. You will also find a TON of condiments, marinades and other tasty add ons. Blue Cheese dressing, Dale's sauce (my kitchen is never without this), buffalo sauce, mustard, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lime juice, BBQ sauce and tons of others. I'm bad about forgetting what I have and buying duplicates.

What was the last movie you went to see?

The last movie I saw was Moneyball with Brad Pitt. But that doesn't count as we rented it from the Redbox. It was good. I'm not sure if it's best picture quality...but it was def. fun to watch. I guess the last movie we actually went to see was the new Muppet Movie. I loved this movie and have always been a big fan of the Muppets. This movie did not disappoint. Great acting, great use of the Muppet puns and gags that have been used for years and great songs written by my favorite Flight of the Conchord, Brett McKenzie. He's actually up for an Oscar for best song (Man or Muppet) so I will be cheering for him later this month. "Man or Muppet" was nominated as best song, but Matt and I think the best song from the movie is "Life's a Happy Song". Great lyrics. Watch it:

How many gas stations would you say there are in the United States?

Ok, I will try to work this number out like Matt would. 50 States, I'd say at least 1 million per state. So I say 50 million? Not scientific, but easy enough math, which is not my forte.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Probably Melissa Joan Hart. My whole life I have been compared to Clarissa from Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains It All. Plus her voice sounds exactly like mine. And we have similar mannerisms. She probably wouldn't have to act all that much, come to think of it. I smell an Oscar.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I'd want to fly. I'd fly home for visits all the time. I'd fashion a harness for Matt and Stevie and Wil to come along. I think I'd probably need to be pretty strong to hold all them up, but that's doable too since I'm a superhero and all. I'd fight crime for sure, but mostly I'd fly around and visit all the places I've always wanted to see, dragging Matt along with me.

If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?

I think I'd fly around, but in a plane, visiting all the places I want to see and dragging along all my loved ones with me for the first 3 months. Then I'd relax at home and try to enjoy every second, every laugh, every tear and every conversation. I'd spend a lot of time with God and find a hideaway in the mountains.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

Probably something southern or Italian. Those are two foods that I love. I'm a people pleaser, I like helping and I like to think that I'm classic and elegant in my own way. My first thought is chicken and dressing. I also like the Italian classic Spaghetti and Meatballs. Reliable, simple, crowd pleasing and comforting. I don't know if I actually come across that way, but that is the way I would want to come across to friends and family.

If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?

Ranch. It's my favorite. It's classic like a white oxford or a little black dress. It's simple. It can vary things up with buttermilk, jalapenos or chipotle. Just like me.

How would you design a spice rack for a blind person?

I first think of Braille labels on the bottles. I'd also do different shaped bottles for different types of spices so they could tell by feel which bottle to pull down and read the braille. I'd also make it long and narrow so the bottles can't get too deep and fall over when they reach for a bottle.

What makes you angry?

People who think too highly of themselves. I'm a fan of modesty. People who talk about themselves too much, which I realize is ironic as I have a blog to talk about myself on anytime. Whatever, I'm not making you read this. :-) But, I think you understand what I mean. People with a sense of entitlement. And the biggest is people who take themselves too seriously.

What’s the most important part of a sandwich?

Bread, sauce, cheese.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you?

I'd say any given day I'm around a 8 to an 8.5. When I'm at work it's probably lower, but it shoots up when I come home to my puppies and my hubby. Weekends are def. higher, especially when we go to DisneyWorld, shopping, beach or do just about anything that isn't going to work.

What’s your favorite article of clothing? Makeup product?

My favorite article of clothing has to be my jeans. I love them. They are comfortable and work well with any shoe or top. My favorite makeup product is mascara. I usually buy the cheap stuff and I actually never wear it that often. But when I do bother with makeup I do my eyes up nice and all purty like. Mascara is a great tool for a light haired person like myself.

Finally, tell me about the love of your life?

He's funny. He's great looking. He's a nice dresser. He's kind-hearted and affectionate. He's smart and well rounded. He has cool hobbies that surprise people. He's musical. He reads. He loves his family. He loves the dogs. He makes sacrifices for the good of our family. He's the nuts to my fruitcake. He laughs at the same things I do. He watches college football. He cooks. He takes care of himself. He gives great hugs. He knows me better than I know myself. He loves me anyways.

Homemade Sushi

2011-04-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

Sushi is a food I have come to love. It's a light, flavorful meal that is something Matt and I really enjoy treating ourselves to. I decided to try my hand at some homemade sushi rolls. My favorite rolls always have some form of cream cheese in them. I love the different consistencies in the textures and flavors and cream cheese always brings out the best to me. I made a Philadelphia Roll and our own Mango Roll creation.

I used fresh mangoes, avocados, cream cheese and smoked salmon. We purchased the sushi seaweed wraps from the grocery store. We had jasmine rice at home already and that made for the perfect, sticky sushi rice.

You start out by laying out your seaweed on a plastic wrap sheet. There is a special bamboo mat for wrapping sushi, but I couldn't find one so I made do without. Since then I found one at Publix for $2.99 and now it's got a special place in my kitchen.

Spread your rice out on top of your seaweed piece. I went a little thick on the rice since it was my first time, but the rice should be stick and stick together on top of your seaweed.

Then flip the rice/seaweed over so that the rice is facing down. I lined my fillings up along one side of the square piece. This roll was our mango roll. Pieces of fresh mango, avocado and smoked salmon.

Once your fillings are in place, start rolling up the seaweed/rice square. The plastic wrap helps you tuck in the rice so it stays in place without it sticking to your hands.

Keep rolling....

Once it's rolled, you have the option of sprinkling on a few sesame seeds. I toasted mine for extra flavor. Now find your SHARPEST knife. (I had to sharpen one, I found out the hard way that sushi doesn't cut easily.) Start cutting the sushi into slices.

The rolls are huge! But so so delicious.

Serve with chopsticks and a side of soy sauce.

Such a fun project. It was really easy and we were lucky to get the rice perfect on the first try. It's better to buy specific sushi rice because other rices won't stick together as well. From the research I did before I started cooking, it seemed like getting the rice to the right consistency was the biggest challenge. You've got so many ways to experiment with this recipe as well. You can do rolls with fried shrimp and fried fish. I'll probably steer clear of actual RAW sea foods when I prepare them myself. You could include all sorts of fruits and veggies to make some tasty veggie sushi. We'll probably be trying these again this weekend. Happy sushi eating!

My 30th Birthday

2011-04-05T09:49:00.000-04:00

I celebrated my 30th birthday this March. It wasn't too bad. I think I had a worse time of feeling old when I turned 26 than when I turned 30. Matt planned the weekend out for me using my suggestions. He did wonderfully. It was very relaxing and fun. I had been home the weekend before to celebrate with family so it was nice to have some fun birthday dates with my sweetie.

On Friday night, we made homemade pizza on the grill. It was very tasty. We're going to try it again using woodchips to add flavor.

We had a bonfire in the yard and made S'mores.

Stevie thought the marshmallows were delicious.

Pizza and S'mores makes for a pretty awesome Friday night. It was like having a spend the night party in elementary school.

On Saturday we went to Cape Canaveral to tour the Space museum and launch pads.

This is in the Appollo mission area.

You could go inside the space shuttles.

Looking up into the reflective materials inside the space shuttle.

Rockets on display.

There was a unmanned rocket launch that afternoon so we watched from the parking lot.

It was really cool to actually see a launch. It was loud and you could see the rocket in the sky for a long time.

Matt and I are space nerds so it was really cool to see in person all the equipment and facilities we had read about or seen on TV. The visitors center at Cape Canaveral also has 2 wonderful 3d IMAX movies: Space Station and Hubble. Probably one of my more favorite things to see was the movies.

On Sunday we headed to Orlando for some outlet mall shopping and to the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT. HGTV is one of the main sponsors of the Flower and Garden show and their TV hosts are leading design classes throughout the festival. The first weekend was the best (to me), Genevieve Gorder, from Dear Genevieve and Trading Spaces spoke on creating vignettes for your space. She was really informative and smart and funny to hear speak. I was really excited to see her in person.

We had a delicious dinner in Mexico.

Thanks for making my birthday so great sweetie!

Part of the fun of the Flower and Garden festival is seeing the topiary creations they make out of the Disney characters. I really loved this Pooh Bear.

It was really a wonderful birthday. I got to shop, go to Disney World, eat tasty food, spend time with Matt and just enjoy the weekend. I couldn't have asked for a more blessed day. Happy Birthday to me!

Prayer request

2011-03-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

I've been praying for the family of Kirill in the hopes that they are able to bring him home to Alabama soon (if you haven't read this story it's pretty heartbreaking, but I am trusting that God will do great works through this boy.) This adoption issue hits me close to home as Matt and I have been praying for a family of our own and exploring options. Which leads me to this prayer request:

We're facing some upcoming medical decisions and other fertility related issues in the next few months and I want to ask for your prayer help as we move ahead. I'm still feeling a little private about all the details, but I would appreciate you remembering us. God knows the specifics.

I am inspired and given hope by the stories of Hannah and Rachel in the bible. (Hannah - 1 Samuel 1:19-20 and Rachel - Genesis 30:22). God remembered them and blessed them each with children. Please ask God to remember me and Matt.

Thank you so much for your support and love.

Love from the two blondes.

Rental house in Tampa

2011-03-25T09:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted to get photos posted of our new place in Tampa for friends and family to see. We moved in January and have been working pretty steadily to get the place decorated and arranged the way we want it. It's so nice to be in a house again. We have a yard and more room for our belongings. We have space for guests and space for our hobbies. We have a laundry room that is attached to our living space and doesn't require a stack of quarters! I can wash things whenever I want! Matt has his office/man room back. We have a nice bonus room for storage and a place for the dogs to stay. The house is in a great location with a park down the street that we go to daily to run or ride bikes. There's even a super nice dog park for Steve and Wil. We were extremely blessed to find this house. It's really making Tampa feel more and more like home.

Living room before

Living room After

Living Room Before

Living Room After.
(We've since added Matt's Gramma's hutch along the back wall next to the palm tree art. It really fills in the space nicely. I just don't have a photo from this angle since we brought in the extra furniture.)

More Living Room

Living Room

Living Room.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

We moved our kitchen table into this corner. Love the pegboard for storage. Saw it in Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me.

Master Bedroom Before

Master bedroom after.

I made the blue and white pillow. The yellow one came from Target and the duvet cover was my birthday present from Matt's parents. The curtains that line the walls are from Ikea.

Master Bedroom

Matt's Office Before

Matt's office after.

Matt's office before

Matt's office after.

Matt's Office

Guest Room before

Guest room after.

Guest Room After

Bathroom

Front Door

House and Front yard.

We're so glad to have this space to live in. It's an old house with some old house challenge, but they are worth it for the space and location we're enjoying so much.

Happy Friday everyone!

2011-03-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I posted here. I was sick and then home for a week and then celebrated my birthday so I've been very distracted and not keeping up with blogging like I should. I was blessed to be able to go home the week before my birthday to celebrate my newphew's first birthday and to throw in a little celebrations for me as well. Matt's parents took us to Umi for sushi to celebrate and I got to enjoy some great company, great sushi and ice cream with a song after dinner. Look for my photo on the Birthday wall!

We're getting more and more settled into our new rental home. It's nice to have all our stuff in one place. We'll still catch ourselves thinking about something we own and still thinking it's at the house in Tallahassee. But it's all here and it's so nice. I'm slowly getting some extra decorating done. I made a pillow for our bed and I"ve still got lots of work to do in the guest bedroom. Perhaps someone needs to come stay with us to give me the kick in the pants I need to get started? Any volunteers?

This weekend the weather should be super nice and we're planning a trip to the beach. This is pretty unusual for us. I admit I am not a huge beach fan when I'm not staying in a condo right on the water. Since living in Florida I have dealt with a lot of sand being brought home with me that is such a hassle. But I'm totally ok with sand this weekend. Can't wait to get some sun and smell the clean smell of the ocean.

Rainy day today in Tampa. I'm heading off to the library!

2011-02-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

We went to Gatlinburg for our 7 year anniversary trip earlier in January. We rented a cabin in the mountains, only about 5 minutes from Gatlinburg's city center. I can't wait to go back. Staying in a cabin high in the mountains was incredibly awesome. We had a fireplace, 2 hot tubs and all the privacy and quietness of being up in the mountains. There were cabins all around us, but they did a good job of building each cabin so you felt like you had your own private place. Having the kitchen was great because we cooked all our suppers in the cabin. Lots of popcorn and spaghetti. It was super relaxing and a wonderful way to start 2011.

Our view from the porch of the cabin at sunset.

We spent a lot of time playing in the park and shopping downtown.

Strolling along one of their "scenic trails" - there were tons of families all over the park playing in the snow and building snowmen.

My handsome date for the trip.

The snow was just gorgeous and literally covered the ground like a sparkling blanket.

More hiking and posing for photos.

We hiked up to Laurel Falls to see it in the snow. We've been up there before a few years ago when it wasn't covered in snow and ice. The icicles here were amazing.

Matt the unicorn.

Ashley the unicorn.

Cabin in Cade's Cove.

Exploring the cabins.

More exploring and talking about how it would be to actually live in these cabins.

Snow piled up in the parking area.

Cade's Cove, 2011.

Goofing around in Cade's Cove. I found these sunglasses in an old drug store in Pigeon Forge. I was killing time while Matt used the WiFi at McDonald's to do a little work. They are Jordache and I'm pretty sure they're an original 80's item. Totally awesome to wear and are super comfortable.

Matt got some air, me...not so much. :-)

Goofing off with the self timer.

He can jump pretty high.

I'm getting there. Had to bring back the old Jr. High Cheerleader arm swing to help my momentum.

Church in Cade's Cove

Me and Matt.

Love this view. Such a peaceful place.

Cars kept slowing down so people could take photos of these deer. I was laughing at that since I see deer everywhere in rural Florida. But I joined them in snapping pictures to practice with my zoom lens.

Frozen waterwheel at the Cade's Cove Mill.

Our cabin at sunset.

Driving up to Clingman's Dome.

Piles of snow at the top of the mountain.

I hiked a small portion of the Appalachian Trail

Smoky Mountains in the background.


Playing on the rocks at the Chimney's.

I couldn't have imagined a better vacation. We rented a sweet Buick Enclave with heated seats and 4-wheel drive. Not cheap but a nice splurge. It was mainly to keep up safe and I'm pretty sure without it we would have been hiking to our cabin. The roads were pretty icy and slick that first night and we slid around even with the 4 wheel drive. Luckily I drove it up the mountain at night. I had limited sight on the sides of the road and that was a good thing. I think if I had seen the steep drop-offs on either side of the road I would have been much more nervous and not as careful of a driver.

Gatlinburg is one of my favorite places. I love the campy tourist traps and shops, I love how even since I was in middle school the place hasn't changed very much. I love the mountain air, the trees and the bluegrass music we always listen to when we're driving out to Cade's Cove.

It was good we had such a relaxing vacation because as soon as we got back the craziness started. Matt got sick with a bad cold/flu, we started packing for a move, I got sick with the same crud and we tried to empty an apartment and decorate a house. Before and after photos coming soon!

Captial One Bowl - 2011 - Alabama vs. Michigan State

2011-02-04T09:01:00.001-05:00

How could one not have their photo taken with these guys? Totally awesome.

As soon as we learned Alabama might be playing in a bowl game close by I asked Matt if we could look into going. He started looking for tickets as soon as it was announced they were headed to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. I hadn't been able to see an Alabama game for the past 2 seasons so I was VERY excited to see this one. Football and enjoying 80 degree temperatures in January is pretty awesome.

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day. We toured all the bowl game booths and fan stuff they had at the game.

The good guys heading into the locker room from warm-ups.

Million Dollar Band spelling out B-A-M-A. in the pregame show.

Here they come! They even played the pregame video they usually play at Bryant Denny. Almost felt like a home game.

I snuck my telescopic lens into the game so I could get some good shots of the players. Here's McElroy handing off to Ingram in the fist drive of the game.

I believe this is Julio running here.

Touchdown formation.

McElroy hands off to Ingram. (Off camera to the left.)

Ingram runs around the left side.

Breaks a tackle....and...

Boom goes the dynamite! - in for a touchdown. Roll Tide!

Celebration.

I was really happy to be there.

The Capital One folks gave all the fans these noisemakers in their team's colors. I was proud to make some noise for Bama. I also grabbed extras of these for gifts for family members. :-)

Coach heading into the locker room at the half.

Matt and I enjoying relaxing during halftime. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Not too hot and not too cool.

Alabama running backs congratulating Eddie Lacy on his TD.

:-)

Even the biggest Auburn fan I know sported some red today. Thanks sweetie for the tickets and going with me! You are a great sport!

Post-game celebrations. The Bama side is still full (left) the Michigan State side is empty but for the pockets of Bama fans.

I always knew I liked Santa. Turns out he summers in Florida and he's a Bama fan!

Finishing up Christmas 2010 -(It's about time isn't it?)

2011-02-03T08:59:00.002-05:00

Ugh, moving = no internet = no blogging for two weeks. I figured it's about time I finish up my record of Christmas 2010. I have a Bama bowl game and an amazing weekend trip to Gatlinburg to get posted on here as well. On to the photos!

So where was I.....oh yes, after we played in the snow for an hour. Andrea had a bruised hip from going over Matt's snow ramp. Actually it was more from NOT making it over Matt's snow ramp. I had a runny nose and we were all a little out of breath from running up and down the hill. We decided to head inside for warmth and presents. I think this is the first time ever my parents sat in the living room with the piles of presents and waited for US to get ready. It's always been the other way around before.

Andrea received an awesome canvas from me and Matt that featured a deer looking at her and saying one of her favorite quotes from the Best of Will Ferrell. All in a pink gilded frame. I hope she has it hanging in her swinging apartment.

Daddy got a Bama jersey with his name and high school number on it. He had a non-personalized #22 that we gave him years ago and it had seen better days. He wore it for the Capital One bowl game and Bama won so we saw that as a good sign for the new jersey's good luck potential.

Matt was proud of his awesome Metroid mousepad from Andrea and Robert. Andrea always does a good job at getting Matt presents that his coworkers think are cool. A few years ago he got a PacMan belt from her and he gets compliments whenever he wears it.

Daddy got the boys remote control cars. Robert got a monster truck and Matt got a Ford GTO. Very fun.

Here's the monster truck in action. A few seconds before this shot the GTO was also visible but Matt ran it under a table before the photo could snap. They really had fun with these.

Momma got some beautiful pearls from Daddy. A long strand so she can loop it however she likes.

Steve was hoping more of the presents held treats.

It was a wonderful Christmas celebration with all my families and it was absolutely wonderful to be home for so long.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

2011-01-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas continuted:

My parent's house on Christmas Day.

This snow isn't such a big deal now, considering there's been a lot more to fall since this. But it was a HUGE deal to us on Christmas Day. I have never seen a white Christmas quite like this one and considering how rare snow like this is down south, I may never seen it again.

Andrea and Robert are chasing each other with snowballs on the way in the door.

I could NOT WAIT to get out in this snow to play. We played in the snow before we opened presents.

Wil was not a big fan of the cold, wet, white stuff all over the place. I think he was ready to get back to Florida.

Feeling like a little kid again.

Making a snow angel.

Sledding down the hill on a box top.

More sledding.

Laughing until we were out of breath.

And enjoying the beauty.

It was an absolutely beautiful Christmas Day. We headed in to warm up and open presents with my family.

Christmas lunch and more snow!

2011-01-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

After presents with Matt's family, we headed back across the river to my Grandma's house.

We had chili for lunch with all the trimmings. It was delish!

There was a little more snow in Colbert County than in Lauderdale. I was so happy to get these photos of the house with the magical winter weather all around.

Robert got a super nice DSLR Canon camera for Christmas so I had a competing photographer.

So fun to compare shots.

Jeremy brought his sweet little dog, Ginger.

She's adorable and her personality is awesome.

After lunch we headed to my parent's house.

Luckily we had Robert's big four-wheel drive to get us up the mountain.

I'm including this out of focus shot just because I think it looks cool.

Sometimes accidents look kinda cool, right?

Speaking of photos I think are cool, I've started a photography blog. This was on my list of things to do before I turn 30. Right now it's just experiments and Photoshopped edits, but it's a fun hobby and I wanted a place to share and save the pictures. I've added a link to it in the bar on the left.

Christmas morning breakfast and presents....

2011-01-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

After taking pictures of the snow outside, I was ready to come in and warm up by the fire.

Martin and Gray had the same idea.

Gray was a champ at taking presents out of his Christmas bags.

We went with kid friendly wrapping for him.

Ed got a Vandy Santa hat and wore it while opening presents.

Gray helped him open presents.

Michael showing off a new shirt.

Margret showing off her angel gift which has become a running joke in the family. She's gotten that same angel in some for years. We always find where she's hidden it and rewrap it.

Gray got a little tired during the present opening but he was happy to snuggle in my lap and play with his peg board and hammer.

He also really liked playing with his blocks. Ikea toys have been great for us as gifts this year.

I got some beautiful candlesticks, Steve Martin's new book, the Miranda Lambert CD, and some other great treats. Very fun Christmas celebration.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

2011-01-07T17:53:00.003-05:00

Early Christmas morning I heard my phone buzz with a text message. It scared me because I couldn't imagine someone texting me at that hour with good news. It was my mom and there was a photo attached....I downloaded the photo, feeling relieved that she wasn't sending me bad news and I saw my parent's front porch covered in snow. I woke Matt up to show him the picture and then I jumped out of bed to see if there was snow in Florence.

The actual phone message photo!

There was! I ran out to the front porch with my camera and started snapping away. I think I woke the whole house.

I have never seen snow like this on Christmas. It was amazing. Just like that moment at the end of White Christmas when they open the barn doors and everyone sees the snow and there's this huge gasp. It was a moment just like that. Absolutely magical.
(of course I called my mom back and started singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas". Bing Crosby would have been so proud.)

I love that you can see the snow with the Christmas tree in the background. A rare sight in North Alabama.

Matt and Ed braved the winter weather to head straight to the hot tub.

The Crockett's house.

There's snow in my hair!

My snowman. With M&M eyes and a baby carrot nose.

So fun to wake up to such a fun surprise on Christmas. It was absolutely beautiful and made our breakfast and family time that much more cozy.

Christmas Eve with the Willinghams

2011-01-04T20:42:00.001-05:00

After dinner and stockings with Matt's family we headed across the river and up the mountain to celebrate Christmas with my dad's side of the family.

The first great grandchild in the family. This is my cousin's little boy having a blast with his Pop, my uncle. I gave him the hammer and peg board. He's such a cutie and was so well behaved. He just played and played.

More playing and hammering. We had such a fun time watching him.

I made a photo book for PawPaw of all his carvings and creations. He's extremely talented and so creative. I have a couple carvings of his that I am very proud of. He made a little Stevie and Wil that are so awesome. He also made Matt a wooden truck filled with watermelons (painted pecans) our first Christmas.

He seemed proud of it and I was proud he liked it. He sells some of his stuff so I'm glad I got photos of it to save for him.

We headed back to Florence so we'd be there Christmas morning for breakfast with Matt's family. I'm still such a little kid when it comes to Christmas Eve. It takes me forever to get to sleep. It used to be because I was excited about Santa, but now I'm excited about the present we're giving people!

Christmas Eve at the Crocketts

2011-01-03T23:23:00.002-05:00

We spent Christmas Eve afternoon and early evening with the Crockett's at Matt's parent's house. They have a tradition of seafood for dinner each Christmas Eve. So it's always a really tasty meal of fresh shrimp, crab cakes and salads.

This is my nephew, Gray's, first Christmas. I think he was sufficiently excited.

This kid is hilarious.

Our stockings laid by the chimney with care.
From left to right: Ashley, Gray, Martin, Michael, Margaret, Tyson and Matt.
(It's not hard to spot mine or Matt's if you know us)

It's quite an honor to have this stocking at my in-laws. They are Auburn and Vanderbilt fans.

I have always wanted party poppers for the holidays and Dale found them for our stockings this year. We had so much fun popping them open to find the toys, paper hats and jokes inside. Probably one of my most favorite stocking stuffers ever (besides the Chick fil A coupons.) I'm going to have to continue this tradition.

A merry Christmas Eve was had by all. Delicious food and great company. Wish I could go back in time and do it all over and over again.

May your holidays be merry and bright

2010-12-22T16:21:00.000-05:00

Whether it's....

St. Patrick's Day...

The Fourth of July...

Thanksgiving...

Or Christmas...

May all your 2011 holidays be MERRY AND BRIGHT!!

love, matt and ashley crockett

(Couldn't get our Christmas card in a PDF or JPEG format to post this year, so I'm posting the photos from the card.)
Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Happy 7 Years, Matt!

2010-12-20T16:14:00.001-05:00

Today I celebrate 7 years of marriage to my best friend. We've been together since 2001 and I almost don't remember what my life was like before him. It's like he's been around all along. Happy Anniversary sweetie. I am so happy and blessed to share my life with you. You make it better everyday.

We decided to see each other before the ceremony. I was so glad for this because I was extremely nervous, but I was fine as long as Matt was around.

This is right as the grandmothers and mothers of the bride are being seated. Matt came over to say hello before he walked his mom down the aisle. I was very nervous/excited and this little moment with him really calmed me down. I'm so glad the photographer got it on camera.

The Kiss.

And another kiss as we left the reception and headed to Tuscaloosa.

An absolutely wonderful day! Here's to MANY MANY more!!

Auburn vs. Arkansas - October 16, 2010

2010-12-17T21:30:00.000-05:00

I am a lifelong Alabama fan. I remember watching the National Championship in 1992 and feeling the emotional roller coaster that football can be. I remember that same Christmas I got a #7 Alabama jersey (for Jay Barker) from Santa. A jersey I still wear on gamedays today. I remember when I decided to transfer from UNA to UA. My loyalty and love for the University of Alabama is not just about sports, it's about the feeling I get when I remember waking around the quad to my classes and hearing Denny Chimes ring the hour. I love the school and I always support our teams. I'm proud to be an alumna.

Having said that, I also love my husband very, very much. He is a lifelong fan as well....for Auburn. One of Bama's biggest rivalries. His birthday falls in late September and for the past 4 years he has purchased tickets to a game as part of his birthday present. He always takes me with him. This year we headed up to Auburn attend the AU vs. Arkansas game. We met up with Matt's brother and one of his high school friends for the game.

Matt and Chris enjoying some Gameday treats.

I do love my husband very much. If not for him I'm not sure I could tolerate all the orange and blue tigers walking around. It's not that any fan was ever rude to me, it just feels like you're at someone else's party or family reunion. I always get homesick for Tuscaloosa at these games.I'm not obnoxious enough to wear an Alabama shirt to these games because I hated to see AU fans take up ticket space at Bama games. I keep to a neutral white.

Matt is really happy to be there. We always have to be in the stadium to see the eagle fly down to midfield.

It was hot in the stands for an October day so I spent a good part of the first half watching the game on the monitors in the shade. It was a tight game and was really fun to see. The guys were having so much fun, I kept my cheers for AR silent. Like I said, no one likes an obnoxious fan that isn't really for either team.

I just enjoyed seeing the boys have such a good time. Plus I had my super nice camera lens and had a ton of fun snapping photos.

I think I'll be able to pull for AU in the National Championship. I'd love to keep that title in the SEC, but I know part of me is still going to be cheering against Auburn. It's ingrained in me. I think that's what makes the sport so fun and our rivalry so awesome. Good Luck Barners and ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Graby Bay

2010-12-16T05:01:00.000-05:00

I am excited to be home for Christmas next week. This is my nephew, Gray's, first Christmas. We got him some sweet wooden toys from Ikea, but I imagine he'll be happy just playing with the paper and boxes the toys come in. Being and aunt and uncle is really fun for Matt and me. We like to shop for toys and stuff we think he'd like. We love to laugh at his crazy antics and messes because we can. We're not his parents. haha.

He's a good kid and very fun to play with. He likes my camera and has started reaching for it whenever I'm taking photos. He also likes electronics - he loves to play away on my laptop or push buttons on my cell phone. (I normally have these things turned off when he plays.)

He gets called "Baby Gray" a lot...he'll probably hate us for that eventually....and last week I was talking about him and accidentally called him Graby Bay. It stuck in my head of course. So here's my nephew, Graby Bay. He's getting so big, I wanted to get these memories on here before he's walking, talking and doing people's taxes. Plus right now, he still thinks I'm pretty cool.

Gray and Pop.
I think Gray was trying to swindle his Pop out of some money here with this trick memory game.

His teething toy is his green blankets. These blankets are never far from his side. He reminds me of Linus from Charlie Brown.

Love this face and smile.

Merry Christmas Graby Bay!! See you very soon!

Burns Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-10T21:56:00.000-05:00

Our Thanksgiving festivities were very nice this year. To start the day, my mom hosted the Burns family breakfast for the first time and did a wonderful job. The food was delicious and the company even better. We feasted on delicious breakfast foods. The company was delightful and we ended the meal by sitting around and talking and playing Rook. This was our first holiday without Grandpa. I was sad that he wasn't there in person but I know he was there and enjoying the day with us. I know he'll always be there with us whenever we're together.

Momma preparing the feast. She was a GREAT hostess.

First time we've had a table big enough for the whole family to sit in one room together on a holiday. Definitely a fun new experience.

Andrea and Elizabeth sang a verse of "All Things Are Ready" while waiting for everyone to arrive. They sang it in perfect harmony as us Church of Christ folks do. I was cracking up.
"All things are ready, come to the feast. Come for the table now is spread.
Ye famishing, ye weary come and thou shall be richly fed."

The breakfast spread: Grandma's biscuits, sausage pie, scrambled eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, grits souffle and fruit. My stomach is rumbling as I type this.

Having a Thanksgiving breakfast has been a great alternative celebration in our family for years. It makes for a lot of food in one day, but really helps spread out the festivities and gives us more time together to enjoy each other company. I'm looking forward to Christmas!

Crockett Thanksgivng 2010

2010-12-09T16:58:00.001-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is so close. It's actually felt like Christmas down here in Florida this past week and weekend. The days have been blustery and chilly. Kinda feels like it did in Alabama when we were home for Thanksgiving.

Place setting for Thanksgiving lunch at the Crockett's

Fresh flowers picked from Dale's greenhouse for the table.

Here's someone I'm always thankful for.

My Girly Day

2010-12-09T16:55:00.001-05:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving was my one of my more "girlier" days. I started the day curling hair with a curling iron and listening Petula Clark and ended it watching a Hallmark movie. It was a FABULOUS day.

The ladies in on my mom's side of the family got together on Saturday morning for a tea party. My aunts, cousins, mom, sister and grandma all got dressed up with fun hats and enjoyed petit fours, pink lemonade, mint and apple tea and several other delicious foods. Aunt Tina made a delicious chicken salad. Aunt Nancy's cheese straws were delicious. My mom made one of my favorites: Candied orange and grapefruit peels (these are DELICIOUS) and Grandma made some super tasty toasted pecans.

Here's the spread. The petit fours came from the Victorian Tea Room and they were scrumptious.

Me and my hat. This is actually Matt's grandmother's hat and I added the feathers and bow.

Grandma and her granddaughters.

After the tea party we did a little shopping and then I headed over to meet Margaret and Dale for a ladies night at home. We picked up this DELICIOUS sushi from a place in Florence and ended the night watching a Hallmark Christmas movie lounging on the bed. I couldn't have asked for a more fun and relaxing day.

I recommend a ladies' day of tea parties and sushi for everyone.

Christmas and holiday cards for 2010!

2010-12-01T11:36:00.007-05:00

It's officially the Christmas season! Thanksgiving has been celebrated, the turkey has been eaten and the leftovers are still hanging around. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holiday season. I've had my house decorated for a week or so now. I always decorate before Thanksgiving so when I come home my house is all ready for the holidays. My own little corner of Christmas wonderland.

I've also got to get to work on our Christmas cards this year. Every year we seem to come up with something more and more elaborate. We've used Yearbook Yourself and last year we went back in time and to the future for our Christmas cards. Stevie and Wil have endured all sorts of photo taking torture as I strive to capture that perfect moment or family photo. I always order my prints for the cards online and I have to recommend Shutterfly for their high quality prints and service.

They have so many Christmas photo cards to choose from: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards.

Love the colors on this one.

Shutterfly also has great options on holiday cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards Love the song White Christmas and love the phrase "Merry and Bright" -
Plus these colors are awesome.

And these great photo calendars caught my eye. What a great way to enjoy your photos all year. A friend of mine had one of these on her desk at work with family photos mixed in with landscape photos of her hometown. Such a great Christmas present! http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Wouldn't these make great gifts? They are also very reasonably priced.

I won't give away my Christmas card here just yet. Planning and sending out our Christmas card is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I love getting them to so put me on your list! Leave your address in the comments so I can be sure you get a card from the Crockett's and be tell me which Shutterfly cards YOU think rocks!

p.s. If you're a blogger and would like 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly click here to take advantage of a great promotion: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

May your family photos be full of smiles!

Count your blessings

2010-11-23T09:33:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. This has been a crazy year for us, full of changes and transitions. I am thankful for my blessings big and small this Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for God who loves me and my faith that keeps me secure. I'm thankful for Matt, who is such a great best friend, partner, love and constant source of humor in my life. I'm thankful for my parents and their support. My in-laws and the way they always treat me like the 5th child. For Andrea and Margaret who support me and always know the right things to say. I'm thankful for my grandparents and for the example my Grandpa was to me. I'm thankful for Michael and Martin. I'm thankful for my extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who are like family. I'm thankful for the ladies of the Burns family and SO SO excited for our party this weekend. I'm thankful for Stevie and Wil. They are good companions and a source of entertainment and comfort. I'm thankful that I'm blessed enough to have 2 roofs to choose from for shelter. I'm thankful my pantry is always full and the good health of myself and my family.

Now for the not so serious, but still things I'm extremely blessed to have. I'm thankful for my air conditioning, Michael's craft store, weekend escapes to Disney World, college football, my camera, my dishwasher, the ability to fly home for holidays, down comforters, DVR recordings, Netflix on the Wii, my netbook, blue skies, changing seasons and M&Ms.

There are so many other people and things that bless my life and I am truly grateful for them. One of my favorite movies is "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. They sing a great song in that movie called "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep":

When I'm worried and I can't sleep. I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

I hope everyone falls asleep counting blessings this Thanksgiving.

After you've stuff yourself with turkey and dressing! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 5 - Mariposa Sequoia Grove

2010-11-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

None of us wanted to leave Yosemite without seeing some sequoia trees, so on our way out we stopped by the Mariposa Sequoia Grove. We walked 2 miles down to the grove and 2 miles back. Add that into the almost 4 miles we did that morning and you've got an eight mile day! Totally made me work for that steak dinner I had planned that night.

These photos just don't do these huge trees justice. They are enormous.

Me and Matt in front of a great sequoia.

As you can see, I'm about 5 feet tall - so this tree is probably at least 7 feet wide. Amazing.

And the pine cones are humongous. So cool to see something like this in person.

This trip was a wonderful once in a lifetime experience for all of us. I had a great time despite the physical exhaustion and fatigue. Matt, Martin and Maggie were perfect hiking companions. We laughed, talked, ate and spent a lot of time together in close quarters (and without showers, I have to add). I couldn't have asked for better companions. I'm so glad I let Matt talk me into going on this trip. I love looking back on these photos and still being in awe of myself for climbing that 3.5 mile hike up 4,000 feet. I honestly didn't know I had it in me and I was so proud of myself for accomplishing that feat.

Yosemite is a great vacation spot. There's a lodge and campsites if you're not into the wilderness camping we did. The hikes are strenuous but the views are completely worth it. I can't wait to carry my kids back there someday.

Yosemite - Day 5 - Heading down the mountain

2010-11-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

We finally started heading down the mountain. The entire way down we had amazing view of Half Dome. We got started early to avoid the hot sun and I am SO glad we did. It's a good thing we were excited to be heading down the mountain because that adrenaline was much needed. Going up was rough, but coming back down requires an entirely different set of muscles. We were basically doing deep knee bends over and over again while balancing on rocks and carrying 40 pounds of extra weight. My knees are still not the same.

An idea of how steep the trail got on the way down. We are all so lucky not to have twisted an ankle or worse.

Finally made it down below the tree level. The folks who built these trails are hardcore, y'all.

Finally made it down the mountain to Mirror Lake which was kinda marshy, but still lived up to it's name. As we rested here we were pretty close to the more touristy areas of the park and folks kept walking by talking about how gorgeous it all was. We felt pretty awesome because we had actually been up there and walked around where these tourists were only pointing and talking about it.

We headed back into the Camp Curry area of the park where our car was parked. We loaded the car, emptied our bear canisters and got some lunch. No Diet Coke has ever tasted quite so good.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 5 - Martin's Birthday

2010-11-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

Day 5 - Martin's Birthday! We've been with Martin during his past 4 birthdays! We've been camping in Florida, sightseeing in Tallahassee, partying in Orlando and now camping in Yosemite. We carried birthday candles, a banner and a birthday breakfast surprise up the mountain for his birthday celebration.

Matt lights the candle on our blueberry muffin crumble.

Great cold morning for a warm tasty breakfast.

We pack up camp for the last time. Matt's attending to some blisters on his foot. His shoes broke in on the first day and we repaired them with duct tape. The duct tape made his shoes a little tight and gave him a couple blisters. But it was nothing a few strips of moleskin couldn't handle.

We were incredibly blessed as we suffered no health problems or injuries on this trip. I believe the only problems we had were Matt's blisters and Martin cutting his toe on a rock in the water the day before. We were so lucky that nothing serious happened. We were well prepared. But so glad to see most of the medicines and supplies in our first aid kits were never needed.

Me keeping warm. Loved those chilly mornings. I was excited to start down the mountain.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Turning in for the night

2010-11-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

How could a day of playing in the water and napping get any better? By sitting around a campfire that night! Martin did a great job with our campfire. It warmed us up and was absolutely wonderful to sit around on our last night in the wilderness.

Martin, Me and Maggie keeping warm.

Matt and I walked over to the ledge again to see Half Dome at sunset. Love this Ansel Adams replica I shot!

Love these nighttime photos of the fire. Warms me up just looking at them.

Me and Matt snuggling by the fireside. Absolutely wonderful end to a great day.

Tomorrow morning we're waking up bright and early to head down the mountain!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Afternoon

2010-11-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

The afternoon of Day 4 we settled in and relaxed.

Found this huge swimming hole. Matt was the only one brave enough to actually swim in the water (though I think Martin had gone in earlier). He also jumped off of that ledge you see with the waterfall. Scared me to death.

I made him sit out of the water and warm up for a while.

After a nap, we headed a little farther on and made it out of the woods an onto the edge of the mountain with a beautiful view of Half Dome.

Wonderful day and it actually got better!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Told you he was crazy....

2010-11-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Water (Part 2)

2010-11-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

As I said before, Day 4 was definitely everyone's favorite day. Here is one of the major reasons. Snow Creek. We set our packs down and just had fun.

The crew before the guys stripped down and started looking for more water slides.

Matt doing a toe touch into the water.
(no, that water isn't very deep)
Yes, my husband is crazy. Let me refer you to his actions last Christmas.

More sliding and fun.

Even MORE sliding. We laughed and enjoyed the water for hours. Totally relaxing after all the crazy hiking. And nice not to be wearing our heavy packs for a while.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Meadows

2010-11-07T12:23:00.001-05:00

After playing in the water and eating some lunch we got back on the trail. We passed through some beautiful terrain. Meadows of butterflies and tons of trees.

Probably one of my favorite photos. The butterflies fluttering around the flowers was like something out of a story book. Absolutely magical. Something I was glad to kinda capture in this photograph.

Tall tall trees leading the way through the trail.

A great photo of Matt and I with all our gear. Everyone's pack weight about 40 pounds. Unbelievable.

Heading down the trail to Snow Creek. More water fun is soon to follow!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - WATER!

2010-11-06T21:22:00.000-04:00

I think everyone agreed that Day 4 was their favorite day. We finally started heading down the mountain and were SO excited to be going downhill again. Then we came upon these gorgeous cascades. Awesome rock formations, water and rapids. They were begging to be played in. So we did!

You can see Matt standing on the top of the flat rock in this photo. Kinda puts the hugeness of the rocks and the water in perspective.

Love this view. Brings back such good memories.

The guys immediately started enjoying the water.

Matt sliding down the rock slides. That big rock in the left hand corner catches his fall.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 4 - Finally heading downhill

2010-11-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

We got up on Day 4 and were SO ready and excited to know we were finally going to start heading downhill. Turns out, the downhill portion started just a few feet past where we made camp the night before. I think we all practically ran down the trail. We were so happy not to be using the same muscles we used for climbing up the hills.

Me checking the map and hoping we'll start moving downhill soon.

Me and Matt - We had a wonderful time together. Living in such close conditions without proper bathing facilities really brings you closer together. It's almost like couples therapy.

See that downhill incline? I was so excited to see it I took a picture of it.
(Sad, I know.)

Gorgeous mountain wildflowers greeted me on the way down. They probably greeted me on the way up too, but I was way too tired to care about taking photos of them.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 3 - Making Camp

2010-11-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

After several breaks and continuous climbing up, up, up we decided to just camp for the night while we were close to water. Our camp was actually just to the left of the trail you can see at the top of the photo below.

We had fun exploring the woods that afternoon.

Found this little pool. Perfect for a sponge bath to get the nastiness of the trail cleaned off.

Our camp for the night. Cozy and comfy.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 3 - Over the ridge and into the forest

2010-11-05T18:14:00.000-04:00

We set out for the day and were disappointed when we realized we still needed to climb UP. Blah, my muscles were tired of climbing up steps. Also along this rocky terrain, it was really hard to figure out where the trail was. We ended up wandering around a little off the trail, but we had Matt's awesome GPS to guide us. He had programmed in all the points of interest and so all we had to do was find the next stop on the map and head that way. We probably go there a little quicker than by following the trail. We simply went as the crow flies. :-)

We entered the Alpine Forest. The trees were incredibly tall and so so beautiful.

Yeah, we were still pretty tired from the hiking the day before. We stopped here and filtered fresh spring water to drink with our lunch. NOTHING tastes better than fresh ice cold mountain water. It was amazing.

So yeah, like I said. We were pretty tired....we made camp for the day shortly after this photo and took a much needed nap in our tents.

Yosemite 2010 - Day 3 - Breakfast

2010-11-05T15:12:00.000-04:00

We slept late this day. We deserved it after hiking up that mountain the day before. The sun rose bright and early on our mountain ridge. It went from being chilly to scorching in a matter of minutes.

You can see how bright the sun is.

Our little piece of ground for the night.

Matt enjoying reading his map and sipping some instant coffee.

Me, way up in the clouds. Half Dome in the background.

Sore, but ready to start hiking for the day!

Yosemite 2010 - End of Day 2

2010-11-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

After stopping for a swim in the creek we headed a little further on to our campsite for the night. This campsite was simply gorgeous and we had an amazing view.

Here's Matt boiling the water for our dinner. Served at 8,000 feet.

Here Maggie and I are discussing the massages and pedicures we plan to get when we make it back to civilization.

Pretty amazing place to be eating your dinner, huh?

Our view from the campsite. Matt and Martin are in the corner eating dinner. Gorgeous night and I can promise you I never slept better than after that day of hiking.

At the TOP

2010-11-05T14:02:00.002-04:00

I wanted to throw in these pictures so you can see the sheer joy we had in finally making it to the top. This was after 6 hours of hiking and climbing.

Matt and Martin went for a swim in Yosemite Creek. This water is FREEZING cold as it's actually melted snow runoff. This water runs down the creek and eventually becomes the Falls.

Yosemite 2010 - Day Two - Part Three

2010-11-03T21:44:00.001-04:00

We finally make it to the top of the Lower Falls and the bottom of the Upper Falls (not confusing at all, huh?).

We stop for lunch. Martin and Maggie found this nice shady spot with lots of rocks sitting and resting. Lunch consisted of trail mix (mixed nuts, craisins and M&M's - My specialty), peanut butter and cheddar crackers and cool water from my Camelback (best purchase ever for hiking - keeps water close by and easy to reach. I could drink and not stop walking).
Not exactly the Four Seasons, but it was delicious.

Upper Yosemite Falls. We're half way there!

Me taking another rest. We can't get over the sheer enormity of the rocks we're climbing on. Just amazing.

I''m pretty proud of this photo. Yosemite Falls with Half Dome in the background.

The view from the top!

We spent the night down there last night! I still can't get over how high we climbed.

Yosemite 2010 - Day Two - Part Two - Starting up the trail...

2010-11-03T19:29:00.000-04:00

Did I say 2.5 miles? I meant 3.5...which really makes no difference since it wasn't the length of the trail that was killer as much as the ALTITUDE GAINED. Yes, that's right I used the word ALTITUDE. Because saying we were up pretty high just doesn't do it justice.

Let me give you a little perspective: Tampa is located at sea level, Tallahassee is located as sea level. In fact, I've lived at sea level for the past 5 years. We'll call sea level "0" (this is supposed to be a zero, but for some reason this font makes it look like a fat lowercase 'O' - but I assure you I hit the zero number key and I also assure you I'm way to lazy to mess with the font.) San Jose, CA (where we flew into from the east) is also at sea level. Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 feet. So we had basically gone from 0 to 4,000 vertical feet on our drive from San Jose to Yosemite Valley. By the end of our hike today, we will have gone from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. This means that in 3.5 miles, we will have climbed 4,000 vertical feet. My knees will NEVER be the same, that's all I'm sayin'

That up arrow is actually pretty accurate.

The start of the switchbacks. I took this picture in the beginning when I still had the energy to care about photos of switchbacks. I was naive enough to think that I would need a picture for my memories. Ha. These switchbacks are burned into my brain. I will be 100 years old and won't be able to remember my own name and I'll still be able to describe the shear horror of the switchbacks on this trail.

It wasn't all horror, though. Our views just got better and better. See those pine trees? They're about 200 feet tall when you're standing underneath them. Just a little perspective. And that's a gorgeous view of Half Dome in the background.

yeah, I was tired and this rock held up my pack for me. Plus it was in the shade. I think I sat here a while. Also, I don't normally wear a baseball cap up on my head like that. The stuff on my backpack was so high it kept pushing my hat up on my forehead like that. I was too tired to keep fixing it and just went with it.

Coming Up: WE SUMMIT!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 2 - July 30 (part one)

2010-11-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

Hmmm...perhaps we can just ignore the time between this blog being published and the last one. Sorry about the delay, I know you ALL must be on pins and needles to see if we make it out of Yosemite in one piece (hint: we do). I'm just behind on documenting these things. Forgive me. On to DAY TWO!!

We started the morning by getting up early and packing all of our food back into our backpacks, putting away our tents and heading over to the Wilderness Camping office to pick up our Bear Canisters (special holders for your food in the back country that bears can't open). Then we unpacked our bags and packed all our food into our bear canisters. We each ended up carrying one canister a piece which added about 3 pounds to your pack. Can't say that any of us were really happy about the extra weight, but we also didn't want to lay out a buffet, as it were, for the bears to feast on our meager rations. (I say meager because it was mainly dehydrated food and bears have no clue how to boil water in order to cook this food.)

Maggie, Martin and Matt heading to the Wilderness Camping office as Yosemite Falls looms overhead.

Once we were finally packed with all the things we weren't carrying up the mountain stowed in the car, we hopped on the bus that goes around the park and headed over to the trail head for Yosemite Falls.

I was totally ready to tackle this trail.

Doing our final equipment check and packing the bear canisters.

Matt pointing out our route while we waited for the bus.

Next post: The longest 2.5 miles of my life!

Yosemite 2010 - Day 1 - July 29

2010-10-13T11:08:00.003-04:00

Yosemite Falls - Upper and Lower Falls

Day One - July 29, 2010

We got up early to catch a flight out of Orlando. We actually flew over Disney World in the early morning hours. It was so cool to see the Magic Kingdom from overhead. We also flew right along the Florida gulf coast so I'm sure I could have seen our house in Crawfordville. I actually DID see Apalachicola, St. George Island and St. Joe's Peninsula. Very cool. It was like looking down at a huge map. Poor Matt had the middle seat and he slept most of the way. After a layover in Dallas we headed farther west to San Jose, CA.

Once we landed in San Jose, we met up with Martin and Maggie and started the 4 hour drive out to Yosemite. We had fun talking and listening to music. We were so excited when we finally started seeing mountains. After a little detour when the navigation lead us to a closed road, we made it into the park. We stopped at the first pull-off we saw and headed down to enjoy the mountain stream and fresh mountain air. It was so exciting to finally be there and experience the hugeness of the mountains and the trees. It is an incredibly beautiful place.

Me, enjoying the first stream and finally being out of a car or plane after about 9 hours of traveling.

We headed farther into the park and we finally came up to Yosemite Falls. This is what we were climbing the next day. I got a real sense of how far up we were going to have to go.

Click on this photo so you can see my comments.

You can see the line of tiny cars at the bottom of the screen. (Between the green grass and the darker green trees.) That sort of puts the size and height of the falls into perspective. We were already at 4,000 above sea level inside Yosemite Valley. We were going to climb another 4,000 feet the next day to the top of the falls which is at approx. 8,000 feet. Pretty wild.

We also got our first glimpse of Half Dome. This mountain was so beautiful. We had great views of Half Dome our entire hike, but I have to say that this first image with the afternoon sun practically glaring off the rocks really took my breath away. Absolutely gorgeous.

There is a special campsite for backpackers to use on the night before and after their actual hike. We were right underneath Half Dome. The camp was kind of hidden behind another camping area and with the sun going down it was difficult to find. We finally found it and set up our camp. We headed over to Yosemite's Camp Curry for our "last supper". It was late and our only choice was pizza which was fine by us. We filled up on pizza and headed back to camp.

Home Sweet Home

We were super excited to finally be in the park. I think this excitement was a good thing as I found out the next day that I really needed that extra adrenaline.

Day 2 - starting our hike up the Falls starts tomorrow!

Finally...Yosemite 2010

2010-10-11T10:59:00.005-04:00

So I have been a terrible blogger this month. I missed a week of work to be home for Grandpa's funeral and just as I was finally feeling caught up with all the work last week, I was called in for a meeting on Friday and was told the company was taking a different direction they did not foresee when they hired me and now my position was being cut. Effective immediately. So now I'm once again looking for employment in Tampa. Not at all how I would like to be spending my time.

Anyways, now I actually have the time to blog about our trip to Yosemite. About 2 months later.

Matt loves to be outdoors. He's an Eagle Scout and has been camping and backpacking around the country for years. He spent 3 months during the summer in college working for a youth corp. that built trails for hikers in the 4 corners area of Colorado. He's spent WEEKS living out of a tent and eating camp food. He has all the equipment for wilderness survival: the subzero sleeping bag, the tent, the water filter, the camp stove and tons of other stuff. He's one of the most fastidious people I know normally, but when he gets out in the woods he's totally OK with dirt, sweat and not showering for days.

Matt, breathing in the fresh Yosemite air. Mmmmm, pine-scented.

I, on the other hand, am not really ANY of those things. But I adapt well. My family went to the beach for vacations. We did not sleep on sleeping bags on the floor or eat outdoors unless you count the patio at Sea N' Suds in Gulf Shores. The first time I ever went camping or slept outdoors was with Matt.

Me in Yosemite.

Matt has wanted to spend a vacation in the wilderness for years. So about this time last year he started planning and looking at different hiking options. At most National Parks, you have to apply for a back country permit before you are allowed to hike. You can't just show up with your backpack at the park and expect to park your tent wherever you please. In order to apply for these permit, you have to detail your entire trip including what trails you plan to take and how many days you will be camping. Matt worked for hours and hours on a schedule for each park and put in our applications for several different parks. Our trip was accepted at Yosemite National Park in CA. Martin and Maggie joined us and our team was set. We were California bound!

Day 1 to follow tomorrow.....

Grandpa

2010-09-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

Grandma, Me and Grandpa at my wedding in 2003

My Grandpa passed away on Monday this week. Matt and I have been home spending time with family and attending Grandpa's memorial service. He had a beautiful service. Exactly like he would have wanted it. We sang all his favorite hymns and the music was so beautiful and praise-filled. I have never been able to sing at a funeral like I did at his. But it was easy to sing out because I know that's what he wanted me to do.

He never let me leave from visiting with him without telling me how proud he was of me and how much he loved me and Matt. I called him when I got the job here in Tampa and he and I talked about God's plan and how good He was and how blessed we all were. He loved God, his wife, his daughters and sons-in-law and all us grandkids so so much. I know this without a doubt. He was funny. He gave good hugs. He was solid. He was supportive. I was proud to be his granddaughter.

Grandpa was a leader in his church and when I want to hear his voice it's easiest to pull the memory of him leading singing at church. One song in particular sticks out. It's called "A Beautiful Life" - I've thought of this song so much this past week and imagined him leading it. I thought we sang it at his funeral (it was one of the choices, but we didn't end up singing it.) The first verse is:

Each day I'll do,
A golden deed
By helping Those
Who are in need
My life on earth
is but a span
and so I'll do
the best I can.

I love that I can hear his voice sing this song in my head. My Grandpa had a truly beautiful life loving God and his family. And I believe he did the very best he could and is reaping those rewards in heaven today.

He was 88-years-young and had been feeling sick and tired for a while. I got to visit with him on the weekend before he passed away and he had a great weekend. I know where he was going and while I'm sad he's not here with me, because he was a REALLY WONDERFUL Grandpa. I am comforted knowing he's up there in heaven with old friends and new friends and looking out for us down here. He's probably got a garden growing and he's making rocking horses, dollhouses and trains for the kids in heaven just like he did for us. He's also probably fishing in a river where the fish are always biting. And I bet while he's doing all of it he never stops singing.

Because...

2010-08-26T10:05:00.002-04:00

Because it's Thursday and I'm ready for Friday.
Because I'm ready for my visit home to Alabama.
Because my Friend of Fowl blog will NOT allow photos to appear.
Because I found this photo on the internet.
Because I'm tired of messing with the HTML.
Because I'm ready for the weekend and Matt has promised some thrift store hunting (he rocks).

Today...I give up. I can't get those moorhen photos to load. So I found this photo on the internet and it will have to do. I give you, FINALLY, a baby moorhen:
Granted, this little guy is a little smaller than the babies I rescued, but, this is what they looked like when they were first born. SO adorable. And totally worth saving.

AshleyandStevie

2010-08-25T19:39:00.000-04:00

Steve has started her flight training for the trip home on Labor day. She's very excited as you can see. She's currently sleeping in the plane carrier...(Actually, she really is. We tricked them into climbing into it with soft blankets. These dogs will do anything for a fleece blanket and some bacon....of course, then again, won't most people?)

Got the Moorhen blog updated with photos. I had to delete the comments, so if you left a comment, leave one again. Bless you.

Yosemite National Park

2010-08-24T15:08:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: I got the comments working again on the ol' blog here. I'll work to fix the photos of the baby moorhens on the blog below as soon as I can this afternoon! Blogs about our amazing summer trip to Yosemite are in the works!

Friend of Fowl

2010-08-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

This is not a moorhen, just some birds.

We live in an apartment complex that has several large ponds. These ponds attract all kinds of animal life. We've seen huge frogs as big as your fist and tiny frogs about the size of my fingernail (which is small since I usually chew them short.) There are turtles who come out to sun on the side of the pond. There are ducks, herons, ibises, moorhens and all sorts of bird life.

I mentioned in one of my posts earlier this summer about Mr. Moorhen. He had moved into the pond beside our house and called and called until one day a Miss Moorhen moved into the pond and became Mrs. Moorhen. We were so happy for Mr. Moorhen. He didn't do his annoying cry/call anymore as he had found his partner.

Then Mrs. Moorhen made a nest on the unused fountain equipment in the middle of the pond. Matt and I were so excited for the cute little birds. Mrs. Moorhen sat on that nest and never moved for the entire summer. I'd say at least 2 months. She was out there in the rain, in the heat, in the wind - it didn't matter, you could always see her little head snuggled in with the branches she'd used to create her home. Mr. Moorhen stuck close by during this time. He'd bring her food and scare away the animals that were close.

She sat on that nest for a long time. Long enough that Matt and I were skeptical as to whether there actually were any eggs there at all. I was sad, I just knew her eggs hadn't worked and she's sat and sat and sooner or later she'd figure out nothing was coming out. That dumb bird was going to sit out there all summer.

Then one day we had just gotten back from a weekend trip and lo and behold, there were little black, fuzzy, TINY baby birds cheeping and swimming around in our pond. I think I cried. I was so happy for that little Momma bird. Her patience and nest-sitting had paid off. She had SEVEN baby birds. SEVEN! I should have taken a photo of them. They were so tiny and fuzzy. Imagine 2 of those puffballs used for crafting and put a little neck connecting them with a beak on one and you'd have a pretty accurate representation. They were adorable.

So over the past month or so, I've been looking for these babies every day. I check on them when I walk the dogs, when we get the mail, do the laundry or walk to the car. Every time I count them. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. It's almost like an obsessive compulsive thing (which is funny as I'm not really OCD in anyway.)

The drain. You can see a glimpse of the baby gate.

The pond right outside our apartment has a drain that collects any overflow and sends it out down the pipes. This keeps the pond from flooding the apartments around it when we get a lot of rain really fast or hurricane type rains where it just pours for days. This ditch has top, but the sides are just open. One day last week while walking the dogs, I heard some cheeping coming from that ditch. I knew there were some baby birds down there. I quickly scanned the pond and counted. 1-2-3-4-5......only 5 babies were in the pond. There were two babies in the drain!

I quickly took the dogs inside, put on my galoshes and ran back to the drain. Momma Moorhen was standing on the edge of the drain looking down. She swam away when I got close, but it just confirmed my worst fears. When I peeked in the drain I saw two little heads, but they quickly ducked into the pipe so I couldn't see them, but I could hear them.

By this time, Matt had gotten home. He was standing at the edge of the pond in his work clothes calling suggestions. We decided to lower a basket full of bread attached to a dog leash into the drain. We'd entice the baby birds into the basket with the bread and then we'd pull them out. Looking back, this probably wasn't the best idea. These moorhens are the most cautious birds I have ever seen. They don't come near people and when people come near them they quickly find somewhere else to be. The babies chirp like crazy when they're separated from their parents. There's a lot of vegetation in our pond which can hide the birds from each other. I've seen one of the babies just chirping and cheeping away looking for his momma and the she is right beside them, they just can't see her from the leaves.

So these skittish birds would have nothing to do with my bread basket. I whistled and they'd answer me, but the wouldn't come to my basket. I've never been a patient fisherman so sitting there and waiting and praying those babies would climb in was so hard. (I don't' know why I thought the birds would just jump in the basket. I mean, like the birds were suddenly going to trust me and the strange thing that just dropped in. They were scared enough already).

After about 45 minutes of unsuccessful fishing, Matt and I started to weigh our other options to get the birds out. I was realizing that as long as they could sense people outside, they would never come out. We thought about just climbing down in the ditch to grab them, but I seriously doubted the would come running to us in gratitude. They wouldn't even eat the bread pieces I threw to them. Plus the drain is about 6 feet deep and getting out would have been really difficult.

We decided to use our baby gates to make a ladder for the birds. Wil had recently chewed holes in in the plastic of the baby gates so we couldn't use them anymore to contain the dogs. He had actually chewed the largest hole that day so it's like God knew we'd need them. I lowered the gates in the ditch, got them set on angles and we secured them with 2 dog leashes. Moorhens are water birds, but they don't' have webbed feet so we figured they'd be able to climb out. It was getting dark so we left them, prayed they'd figure it out and went to make dinner.

A baby moorhen...see his long claws on the white pole?

I worried ALL NIGHT about those baby birds. I didn't want them to die down there. We went to check on them later that night and didn't hear any noises coming from the drain. I even whistled to try to wake them up. It was silent. Matt and I prayed they'd figure out how to climb out and went to bed. I didn't sleep well.

The next morning I was so scared to take the dogs out for a walk. Scared of what'd I'd hear or wouldn't hear. I got outside and started counting...1-2-3-4-5.....6...so at least one of the little guys had made it out! I was so thankful. I thanked God for helping the babies and figured that the 7th must have gone on to bird heaven. God had other plans for him. I redid my count just to be sure. 1-2-3-4-5-6...and 7! There they were! ALL SEVEN BABIES! I ran in to tell Matt! We had helped those little birds! I honestly couldn't believe it. I was so grateful. We're leaving our baby gate “escape unit” in the ditch for a while. We don't want to hear anymore little cries coming from the drain.

If you've read this entire story, you probably think I'm weird for going to all this trouble for some birds. But I've been looking after these little birds for a long time and my heart broke when I heard their scared little cries coming out of the ditch. It was never a question of IF I could save them, it was only HOW. And I can't tell you how grateful and happy it makes me to come out everyday and do my count. From 1 to 7.

Disney

2010-08-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago, we had a little weekend getaway to Orlando. It's nice to be so close to get our escape over the weekends and feel like we've really been somewhere even though we only drove an hour.

Here's Matt in one of his favorite places, the Land Pavilion at EPCOT.

Here's one of my favorite places: the Mexican Pavilion. So cooling and soothing to come in to after the hot sun. Plus this is where you can ride the Three Caballeros ride. I LOVED the Three Caballeros when I was young. I think I rented that VHS almost every time we went to the rental place.

Our favorite pose.

Riding the Steamboat over to the Magic Kingdom. A really nice, relaxing night.

Once upon a time....

2010-08-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

There once was a Princess who had a blog. She put all sorts of fun things on her blog. She talked about her Prince Charming, Mattias and her loyal royal pups, Stevius and Wilius. She told of her travels across the lands and of her fearless adventures. Her blogs were funny, poiniant, witty and extremely well written. Words flowed from her fingers as she wrote. She took photos of all her journies and shared them with her loyal readers.

But then one day the Princess was too busy to blog. Her royal duties were especially demanding that day. She had to clean up after the royal pups and feed her Prince Charming. She decided her blog could wait. Alas, this lead to further problems for the royal blog. The Princess was too distracted by her royal duties to remember her blog and it's readers.

Then one day the Princess learned from the Royal Matron Karenias that Good King Burns was looking for some afternoon reading and a new post from her blog was just what he needed. Another Royal Matron, Nancias, was forced to bear him the bad news. "The Princess has no blog updates, sir." The Princess learned of this travesty and vowed to begin blogging anew!

"Never again!" said the Princess. And so it began.....

Ok, I'm back to writing. I just needed a break.

On my theme of Princesses and Prince Charmings here are some photos from the special fireworks show at Disney World this summer.

The show started with music and colors from all the Disney Princesses. They were coming to the castle for a Princess Party. (note: this should always be capitalized. If I had a girly-er font, I'd use it here)

Then Captain Hook came and attacked the castle!

It was so cool to see things actually exploding off the castle. The pirates even brought a cool spotlight with skull and crossbones to project onto the castle.

But soon the Blue Fairy came, turned everything a beautiful shade of blue and saved the day. I'm not sure exactly how the pirates were defeated. But it was a happy ending and that's what counts, right?

More photos to follow tomorrow

Tampa Aquarium

2010-07-23T11:33:00.000-04:00

We decided not to go out of town over the 4th of July weekend. The city we actually live in is a vacation destination by itself. So we decided to explore some of what Tampa has to offer. Exploring EVERYTHING that's here will take much longer than one day, so we started with something we both enjoy, the aquarium.

This aquarium is really nice, it's not as big as the aquariums I've been to in Chattanooga or New Orleans, but it's still got some cool stuff.

There was a whole area on Florida native fish and wildlife. We laughed because most of the birds there are birds we see in our pond every day.

Fish.

Diver in the large tank doing a show for the kiddos.

Jellyfish.
(there is a billboard in Tampa that says: "Our Jelly doesn't go on a sandwich...visit the Florida Aquarium". That sentence really cracks me up...they're really stretching it there.)

There's so much more to see in do in this humongous city. While I enjoy all the amenities and fun that come with living in a big city, I'm beginning to realize that I prefer small towns. I guess my roots can't be denied. :-)

The Good Wife

2010-07-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

Have I ever bragged on here about what a good wife I am?

Well I will now :-)

Ironed My hubby's shirts so he'll look really professional at work.

Tampa Bay Fan Day

2010-07-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

It's no secret if you know Matt and me that we LOVE football. On Saturdays in the Fall there is only ONE place we will be and that's in front of our TV watching the games, the analysis and the fanfare that go along with college football.

We decided we needed more football in our lives. So we bought half-season ticket to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football games!

I'm sitting in our seats! We got to pick them.

Matt can't wait for the games to begin. First game is a pre-season game Vs. Jacksonville in August!

Carnell "The Cadillac" Williams.

He was excited to see an Auburn fan and spoke with Matt and posed for some photos. Matt was really excited and I was glad he got to meet the player he's been talking about since this guy was a freshman in college.

Star Wars Weekend

2010-07-06T23:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have been a terrible blogger. But I promise to get back on track. Matt and I have had some adventures this summer and I want to get a record of it all.

In June, we got up early and headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for Star Wars weekends. (Ok I admit it, I LOVE Star Wars. I've loved it since the 7th grade when I used to think Luke Skywalker's blue eyes were the DREAMIEST...that's right...in 7th grade I didn't pine for the men of 90210, I wasn't allowed to watch that show anyways...I pined for Mark Hammill circa 1977.)

Storm Troopers guarding the entrance.

Inside the Star Tours ride. One of my favorites.

Mickey leading the parade.

Goofy as Darth Vader wearing Mickey boxers.

It was so fun to see all the characters and funny jokes. The parade had storm troopers and all the characters. Matt and I were completely nerded out. haha.

More blogs to come this week!

Giveaway WINNER!

2010-06-25T13:58:00.000-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-06-25 17:57:51 UTC

That means our winner is comment #2.........JULIE!

Congratulations Julie! Send me your email address to ashleycrocks@gmail.com and the gift certificate will be sent to you.

Please don't forget to visit the bedroom vanities website and all of the CSN.stores while shopping online!

This week...

2010-06-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

This week I'm:

Getting adjusted to my new job. Starting to like it more and more.
Excited about our weekend plans in Orlando. Always fun for a little get-a-way and make the weekend seem much longer.
Enjoying watching 6 little ducklings grow up in our pond. We saw them first when they were tee-tiny and they're growing bigger each day. The Mama duck is a good mama. She clucks and her little ones come running. I'll post some photos soon.
Glad some rain came and filled up our pond again. It was getting so low and I was worried for all of our fowl friends.
Happy also to see the little moorhen that used to wake us up with his cries (he sounded just like an injured dog) has found a wife and they have built a nest. Mrs. Moorhen is dutifully sitting on it and Mr. Moorhen is keeping all the others away. It's precious.
Realizing that I sound like such a birdwatcher. I'm not really. I don't go looking for these things, but when they happen right outside your front door they're hard to miss.
Excited to begin my extra training for our hike in Yosemite this July.
A little homesick for family and friends in Alabama. Sure wish I could spend a day out on the river.
Glad to hear IKEA is having a sale this weekend. I'm in need of some shelving and storage bins. We've filled up this little apartment!
Glad my hydrangea that Matt gave me years ago survived the transplant to the pot and down to Tampa and is blooming cute little blue blooms all around.
Thankful for my awesome dad who got 2 cards for Father's day! One from me and one from Stevie and Wil.
Excited for the upcoming 4th of July weekend. My favorite holidays all come right in a row. 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS!
Excited that I'll have plenty of vacation days left in December for a long visit home over Christmas!
Excited that so many people have entered the giveaway! There's still time if you haven't - I won't post the winner until Friday!

Happy Wednesday! We're on the downhill slope to Friday and I couldn't be happier!

Bedroom Vanities and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-06-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

GIVEAWAY UPDATE: I will post a winner on Friday, June 25th. That gives you a little over a week to spread the word! Good luck!!

Now that I'm slowly getting into the swing of life at a new job, Matt and I are setting our sights on the next thing we want to do while here in Tampa. Find a cool place to live. The apartment we're in serves it purpose, but we're already looking at nicer locations and apartment options to move to as soon as we sell the house. It may take months for the house to sell, but it's a little too tempting not to go ahead and look around.

Tampa has some very cool condo options for renters. You can get great amenities like granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, front loading washers and dryers, industrial type apartments with floor to ceiling windows and views of the city. These apartments are SUPER cool and as a result, I've been keeping my eye out for super cool furniture to add to our collection - things that will work with our existing furniture and also fit well in a condo. I'm talking things that serve several purposes. I was browsing this site with choices for a bedroom vanity and discovered this beauty:

The Lea Elite Rhapsody Pedestal Vanity/Desk

I love this vanity because it matches the stain on the other furniture in our bedroom. I love that it serves as a vanity/desk because I need both and when space is premium in a condo it helps to have furniture that serves a dual purpose. So I'll be adding it to my Christmas list or at least on to my "someday" list.

Now on to the exciting part...I have been asked by CSNstores.com to host a GIVEAWAY for all you lucky readers out there. I'm so excited to be offered the chance to pass on this "happy" to you. All you have to do is leave a message on this blog and the randomly selected winner will receive a $40 gift card to spend at any of the CSNstores. They have tons of options in all price ranges. You can find anything from a wedding gift to something special for your pet. So leave a message and let me know what you would buy with your gift card!

The first week

2010-06-11T18:18:00.000-04:00

I've made it through the first week of work. SO far everything is good. I'm not really involved in a lot of projects right now and I've still got training to do, but at least I'm not brand new anymore. It's never fun being the new gal. It wasn't fun in elementary school and it's not fun now in the workplace. Everyone at the company has been super nice and welcoming.

This weekend Matt and I are heading to Orlando on Saturday for Star Wars weekends at Hollywood Studios. It's a pretty neat special event where all the Star Wars characters are there and they have a parade led by storm troopers. Matt and I are geeky and we will thoroughly enjoy taking pictures and seeing all the characters.

Should be a busy weekend. I'm in the market for a new laptop, my old one keeps burning out, overheating and shutting itself off. This makes me sad. Any advice on a new one?

I got a job!

2010-06-04T11:48:00.000-04:00

So happy to announce that as of Monday I will officially be employed in Tampa. I start work with Progressus Therapy in their marketing department as an Communications and RFP Specialist. I'm excited, nervous, thankful and tons of other emotions all put together right now. Progressus Therapy is a company that hires and places Speech Therapists, Physical Therapists and other therapists in school districts to work with students. This company seems like a good fit for me and I'm excited about the work I'll be doing. I'll describe my job description more in depth as I go along. A lot of people have asked me what I'll be doing and right now it's hard to explain, but I hope as I work there I'll be able to be a little clearer about my duties.

I'm so ready for our lives to return to what we call "normal". Going to work, coming home, fixing supper, etc. I am so thankful for this month off. I was able to visit Alabama for an entire week, go to Orlando with Matt's family, and be home during the day enough to get tired of it and be ready to go back to work. I never thought I'd be ready to work like I am now. ;-) I'm so fortunate to have been blessed with all the opportunities I prayed for. As I said before, it was a leap of faith to quit my job in Tallahassee and move down here without one, but God took care of us as he always has and always will.

Just wanted to share my good news. I have a feeling that I'll be able to get back on a better blogging schedule too now that I'm back to work. It's a good feeling. I'm going to meet Matt for lunch and comic book shopping. He's refrained from buying them a lot since I've not been working and now he needs to make up for lost time. :-)

Happy Monday

2010-06-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

Stevie and Wil, ever vigilant.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful past few weeks. We have been BUSY at the Crockett house. Traveling, friends in town, family vacations and laundry. Hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

Stay at Home Dog Mom

2010-05-19T12:37:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to enjoy my days of being home with no employment. I know a job will come soon enough and then I'll wish I could be home doing exactly what I'm doing now. But, I can't help but feel a little guilty about not having a job. Matt has been wonderfully supportive. It wasn't easy for him to let go and trust that we'd be fine. Moving me down here was certainly a leap of faith into the deep end of a pool.

So now I'm home with Stevie and Wil. They LOVE having me home all the time. They curl up next to me on the couch, beg for treats when I'm fixing my lunch (and usually get them), and just generally seem to bask in my constant attention. Their favorite sleeping perch is on the top of the loveseat in front of the living room window. I guess so they have a good warm place to nap and have a good view of the sidewalk outside in case they need to bark at someone (everyone.)

I'm enjoying apartment life again. We've been utilizing the workout room and the pool. Although I have to pay for laundry now, it's nice to get all of my loads of laundry done in the time it took to do only one at home since I have 6 washers and 6 dryers to choose from.

Tampa is a fun city. It has lots of shopping and fun restaurants. We're enjoying exploring new places and finding new favorites. We've found a pretty tasty sushi restaurant and are looking forward to discovering more places when friends come into town (Yay Vander and Suzy!) It's already feeling like summer down here, and has felt this way for the past few months. I've definitely got to increase my shorts wardrobe (thanks, Momma!) and tank top wardrobe. I'm wearing skirts more than I ever did before because it's so hot outside.

On the job front I've got some good leads, a Dean of a College of Education here in Tampa called last week and wants to meet with me about a job. She's out of town until June, so I'm waiting a few weeks for that. The job I've had 2 interviews for (both went extremely well) will be making a decision next week so please be praying for that. I couldn't have asked for better interviews so I just hope I made a good impression on the folks I talked to. I'm doing my best not to worry about it too much and to leave it all up to God. His plan is best anyway. :-)

I'll be posting pictures soon of my trip home to Alabama. A week at home was WONDERFUL. I had time to visit with everyone and never felt like I was rushed. I really felt like I was able to spend quality time with BOTH my families. The only thing that would have made it better is if Matt could have been there with me. He's working extremely hard and making GREAT impressions at work. I'm so proud of him.

Happy Wednesday to all y'all out there! The countdown is on to the weekend!!

In Alabama

2010-05-12T10:58:00.001-04:00

Spending a week with family has never been more lovely. I'm in beautiful North Alabama and will be back to attempting to be a better blogger next week.

Until then, enjoy this peony from my Grandmother's yard.

The reason my car is yellow:

2010-04-28T15:31:00.000-04:00

Matt and I bought 4 azaleas when we first bought our house two years ago. We didn't get any blooms the first year and only one of the plants bloomed last year. FINALLY this year all four plants bloomed and they are lovely. As much as I'd like to have the house sold. I'm glad we were here to see them in all their glory. To anyone looking for a house in Crawfordville, these beauties are only going to grow and become more lovely!

And the reason I mentioned my car being yellow in the title is, of course, all due to the pollen. You can actually SEE the grains of pollen on these plants. This is also why my nose is running.

Infertility Awareness Week

2010-04-28T14:14:00.001-04:00

The week of April 24th through May 1st is Infertility Awareness Week. This is something that is very personal to me and I wanted to mention it on the ol' blog. I found this poem over a year ago and I think it really describes infertility from someone who knows:

The robber of childhood dreams,
The thief of wifely desires,
The take of the assumed.

Cry, scream, yell,
Feel alone even with the arms of your husband around you.

The monthly reminder,
The fallen hopes.

Dreams gone,
Shattered like a fragile glass.

The ever-empty arms that ache and hurt with the sounds of children laughing.

The hidden pain at baby showers,
The ignorance of people asking you, "When is your turn?"

The failure.

The child who walks by looking like the one you dream of, long to hold.
The ever-present deep knife in your heart.

Trusting that He will never leave us or forsake us

Knowing that "[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:39 NIV)

Believing that "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

Hoping that "You and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Romans 1:11 NIV)

I'm not really comfortable sharing my journey just yet. I guess I want to wait for my happy ending before I tell the tale. :-) Because I know I'll have one. I really just wanted to raise awareness for something that is important to me. Something I know effects a lot of couples. I think it's fitting that they scheduled this awareness week to be held just before Mother's day, which can be a very difficult holiday for folks who are still waiting.

I love the verses that are mentioned in that poem because these are the verses that help me every day. In ALL aspects of my life (job, moving, house, etc.)

Mommies: Be thankful for your babies every single day even the bad days and Mommy wannabes: Our time is coming!

Things I'm loving:

2010-04-20T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today feels like a day for a list. A list of things I am currently loving:

1. Your Love is My Drug by Ke$ha. Love this song.

2. Saturday Night Live on Hulu. I can watch skits over and over and still crack up. Here's one of my favorites:

3. Genius on iTunes. Creates a cool playlist for me while I'm working around the house.

4. Zoning out on the treadmill. Love that my phone is also an mp3 player.

5. Books on CD for those drives to Tampa.

6. Mabel's House - one of my blog friends. She has gorgeous photos and amazing insights. She'll be a famous writer someday. Well she practically already is with her blog.

7. The Anthropologie Vernal Festoon Necklace

Ain't she a beaut? Too bad my birthday has passed.

8. Netflix on the Wii. You can watch all of the Netflix instant view movies on your regular TV. Matt and I are addicted. It's such great entertainment. We watch a different episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 every time I visit Tampa.

9. Taking showers at night and then just using the straightening iron on my hair in the morning. I am not really a morning person. Especially if I don't wake up on my own. Waking up and not having to do the whole washing and drying on my hair routine is wonderful. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

10. The old-school Polaroid camera I just bough on Ebay for a few bucks. The film will cost a little more but it will still be a super fun toy.

Bonfire thoughts

2010-04-19T10:52:00.000-04:00

Our friend Chris, who worked with Matt at DOR had a bonfire one weekend. It was so nice to sit outside and chat with friends and watch the fire.

Matt kept his feet warm.

I have been a horrible blogger this month. This blog is sort of a semi-diary for me and this past month has been full of stress, traveling, praying, interviews and just plain being TIRED. So much so that I just really haven't had anything to blog about. I haven't even carried my camera around with me like I should. We have so much going on and are looking forward to being able to tie up some of our loose ends like selling the house and finding me a job in Tampa. We pray about it each night and I will be moving to Tampa at the beginning of May. It's scary to be without a job, but I have full confidence that God will provide for us and we will be fine. I feel sort of weird having this secure feeling when it feels like life is literally swirling around me in confusion, but I'm in the eye of the storm and the sun is shining and I feel really good. Thanks to all of your for your praryers, love and support. They're making a huge difference.

Swimsuit Season

2010-04-02T12:36:00.001-04:00

My internet friend Katie over at www.marriageconfessions.com (go visit, she's hilarious) recently posted about the search for the perfect bathing suit. She's been living up north for the past few years even though she grew up in Florida and has just moved to Orlando. I call her my internet friend even though we've never met in person. I don't think we've even emailed, but I comment on her blog and she acknowledged me once on Twitter so by internet standards that makes us buddies.

Anyways, she was lamenting having to try on bathing suits which is something I think ALL women hate. Even if you're a skinny minnie. No one likes trying on a suit and trying to visualize what it looks like on without panties underneath. (I understand the purpose for wearing underwear when you try suits on but that doesn't mean I have to find it comfortable. And that little sticker in the crotch isn't fooling anyone.)

She was also worrying about which suit was best for her. One that would accentuate her positive and eliminate the negatives. So I had to share a secret that has made me feel SO SO much better about my body in a bathing suit. I gained this confidence after Matt and I made our first visit to a Disney water park. I was wearing a tankini and feeling a little self conscious about all the skin I felt I was showing. Within minutes of walking in those fears disappeared. I almost felt OVER dressed in a tankini. Tons of tourists and vacationers were walking around, floating around and sliding down water slides in miniscule bathing suits. Bikinis and speedos were all around and I can assure you not one of the folks wearing them was a Sports Illustrated cover model. Not even close. These people had ALL body types. I'm not saying there was any indecency. No one's unmentionables were showing (though I did see a bit more "cheek" than normal.)

The point for me was that these folks didn't care what other people thought of them. They were just excited to be on a vacation with their families at DisneyWorld. They were enjoying the sun, the water, the sights, the sounds, their kids, their friends, their grandmas, their pawpaws and everything that comes with a family vacation. They laughed, joked and were completely comfortable in their skin, even if some of it jiggled or hung out a little bit. I quickly learned that no one was looking at me. No one cared. I also learned that it was a lot more fun to be comfortable in my skin and run around a water park with Matt than it was to worry about whether my stomach was as flat as it could be or if my love handles were showing if my suit moved up a few inches. Because I was the only one that cared.

So my advice to you folks as bathing suit season approaches. Just be comfortable. And remember the only person that really cares is you. Don't let worrying how you look distract you from enjoying your time in the pool, on the river or at the beach with you loved ones.

and HAPPY SWIMSUIT SHOPPING!

(Katie, if you read this....the good news is that once you find some good bathing suits, they'll last you a few years and you won't have to go back and try anymore on for a while! Also - grab some good solid color tankini bottoms and then just mix and match different tops. Gives you twice as many bathing suits and lots of choices. I have about 3 black bottoms and 6 or 7 tops to mix with them.)

Stress

2010-03-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

Stress does funny stuff to you.

Right now, I am stressed.

I am trying to find a job in Tampa, sell my house here and not go crazy missing Matt.
My house is empty of furniture except for the guest room furniture we moved to the Master for me to use.
I'm even short on kitchen supplies as I packed most of them for the apartment in Tampa.

I realize in the scheme of things these stresses are not that important. I have some close friends who recently and suddenly lost their father. I can't imagine what they're going through, so I feel a bit dramatic when I lament the stress I have. I'm lucky to have these problem. I'm lucky I have a sucessful husband who was recruited for such a great job. I'm lucky to have a house to sell. I'm lucky we have enough furniture to furnish my and Matt's needs. But I'm not perfect and it gets stressful to me.

So on that note, it's good to use this blog to remember the blessings I have, to help relieve the stress I'm feeling right now. Like the one's I mentioned above.

It also helps to remember the fun things that keep the stress away:
Watching Fantastic Mr. Fox that just came out on DVD. Great movie and it makes me smile. Taking pictures. Eating whatever foods I want for dinner because Matt's not here. Easter candy. Being reminded of the hard work I've done and graphic design I've created as I prepare my resume. Watching TV shows on my laptop -I'm enjoying Parenthood, The Office and Modern Family.

Parenthood, the movie from the 80's is actually the basis for the new TV show. I love that movie. Stars Steve Martin and lots of other cool actors star with hilarious/honest family stories. In the movie the sweet little grandmother describes life as this:

You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride! I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing.
I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

I'll take the roller coaster.

My Nephew!

2010-03-09T18:57:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger again. We've been in the midst of moving, cleaning and preparing our house to be put on the market these past few weeks. Big stuff going on!

Announcing the arrival of Baby G! I went home to celebrate my birthday and his arrival this weekend. He's adorable, precious, cute, cuddly, smart, handsome and probably extremely athletic. He's a doll.

Born February 28, 2010

2010-02-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, Matt's roomate from college (also named Matt) stopped by Tallahassee on his way home to San Francisco. We enjoyed a cold afternoon at the beach and a delicious seafood dinner.

Friday afternoon sunset

The water and lighting were beautiful.

Helland and Crockett.

They went for a walk. I was too cold. I love the pink colors of the sunset.

SO SO glad it's Friday and looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Matt and I have lots of plans: dinner, firepit, movies, packing and some touch up painting. We're calling a real estate agent this week!

Apartment Hunting

2010-02-22T20:37:00.000-05:00

The weekend we went to Tampa to find our apartment we actually stayed in Orlando so we could visit Disney.

I was happy we found an apartment and flew around the room like Superman. Matt was able to snap this picture despite my flying around the room "faster than a speeding bullet".....

Wil and Steve were excited we found a place as well. Wil was especially relieved to find out it had lots of space for walking, sniffing, peeing and barking. Stevie just wanted to be sure she could eat and sleep there on her normal schedule.

Epcot on Saturday night. We went there and had dinner around the world. Guacamole in Mexico, a warm and spicy drink to fight the chilly air in Germany, and fish and chips with vinegar in the UK. It was a wonderful way to wrap up our sucessful trip to Tampa.

On Sunday morning we went to the Magic Kingdom. It was gray and cold. We rode the Speedway as the line there was relatively short for once. Matt was excited to get behing the wheel of our awesome red, white and blue speedster.

Showering for Baby G.

2010-02-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

I am SO behind in journaling life since Christmas. Matt's new job, while great news, has really thrown our regular lives for a loop. In mid January we traveled up to Birmingham to visit family and for yours truly to help host a baby shower for the arrival of my first nephew, Baby G.

Elizabeth did a great job with the decorations. These aren't technically "boy colors", but they're pretty and the orange is good for Baby G's parents who are Auburn fans.

Bunny hat handmade by Grammy.

Baby blanket that says "I Heart Aunt Ashley". What every child needs. I'm all about providing the essentials to parents-to-be. I plan to present the happy parents with a tattoo gift certificate for Baby G when he's born. The only requirement is that the tattoo have something to do with how awesome I am....haha. I kid, I kid.

Me with Katherine, Elizabeth and Maggie.

That little baby is very loved already and we're all ready to welcome him to the family!

Ch-Ch-Changes!

2010-02-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

From Crawfordville, FL to TAMPA, FL!!!! So, there are some big changes coming our way. Matt recently accepted a position with Ernst and Young in TAMPA!!! After I got over being totally overwhelmed with the idea of moving, downsizing to an apartment and finding a new job I got excited. We're now packing up our house, preparing it to sell (hopefully sell quick!), and searching for that perfect job for me. I ask for your prayers for us during this crazy time. I have to admit it's been a HARD transition for me, and all along I thought this was something I wanted. :-) Be careful what you wish for, huh!?

I had some rough days with worry and panic, but I'm feeling more positive now. I'm excited about the cute little apartment we've rented with one blue wall (we picked the color). I'm excited about living in the middle of town instead of 30-45 minutes away. I'm excited about the Super Target and Whole Foods that is just down the street from our apartment. I'm excited about the Tampa Ikea, the Tampa Buccaneers and all the other cool news stuff we're going to find. I'm excited that SouthWest goes from Tampa to B'ham so I can get some good deals on flights home instead of driving eight hours. I'm excited about the opportunity of a new job and the possibility of a job offering more creative opportunities. I'm excited for Matt and this new job. He's SUCH a hard worker and too often that hard work is something that a state department just doesn't recognize. (Of course he's won about every worker award they have to give over his past 4 years (yeah, I'm a little proud of him.)) He's always been willing to work the extra hour and go the extra mile for someone calling him for help. He's always sympathetic, respectful and ALWAYS works to make the best decision for each situation. He talks about tax in the car, over dinner and before we go to bed. He worries over cases, meetings and letters. Not because they stress him out, but because he wants to be absolutely sure he's doing the right thing. Ernst and Young is very fortunate to gain a worker like Matt.

So wish us luck and remember us in your prayers as we start this new chapter in our lives. I know this is all part of God's plan for our lives and I'm excited to see what happens next. I'm going to enjoy life in the BIG CITY! (And only 45 minutes to DISNEYWORLD!!!)

(Matt's office is in the building on the right with a pyramid/triangle top.)

The Big Apple

2010-01-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

We welcomed 2010 with a trip to New York City. We weren't there for New Year's Eve. The city is crazy during that time anyways. We arrived on New Year's Day to a cold crisp NYC. We had some COLD days walking around the city, but from the weather reports it was just as cold in Alabama and Florida that week. In fact, I think at times it was actually COLDER in AL and FL. Crazy. Looks like we must have picked a good time to travel north?

Went to an awesomely fun piano bar called "Don't Tell Mama" with Loftin (Matt's friend from high school, who lives in NYC). We had an awesome night enjoying the piano player, singers and regulars to the bar who were "karaoke" singers. Some were really good and some were just plain hilarious.

Matt and I in Central Park.

Matt, hindering me from getting the artistic shot of the stonework in Central Park.

There, that's better.

The New York Public Library reading room. Very cool. Made me almost wish I had a paper to write so I'd have a reason to work in there. (Thought of you a lot while there, Tiffany)

Empire State Building

5th Avenue. I love this picture. I can hear the cars, smell the subway and feel the cold on my nose.

Matt and the Statue of Liberty. We rode the Staten Island Ferry so we could get some good pictures and a closer look. I used my new telephoto lens. I was able to get some great shots.

Me and the Statue of Liberty.

Haha, from those previous pictures I bet you thought my telephoto lens wasn't helping much. You can see from above how far away we were. I actually have some closer pictures than this one, but the sun wasn't shining as brightly then.

It was an amazing trip. We saw South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. Amazing seats on the first row of the balcony. We saw The 39 Steps with Loftin. Hilarious play, and again, amazing seats on the first row of the balcony. We saw The Rockette's Christmas Spectacular at Radio City. We were up high in the top balcony but that was a good thing as we could see the entire stage at once plus all the stuff they projected on the walls and ceilings. It was spectacular! (no surprise) and we finished our whirlwind weekend with a trip to the Met to see Turandot. We had standing room seats in the first row at the back of the orchestra. Great play and breathtaking set pieces.

Every trip we take up there just gets better and better. I've got some great tips for flea market shopping and getting around town if y'all ever head up there. It's a WONDERFUL town!

Long time no blog

2010-01-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

Ok - I have been a horrible blogger as of late. I guess the biggest reason for that is up until this past Saturday I have done nothing. Nothing but go to work and come home. Nothing but cooking dinner, working on projects for the event on Saturday. Nothing but watching TV with Matt and snuggling with the dogs. Normally I blog about places we traveled, people we saw, etc. Since we didn't go anywhere or see anyone I failed to blog and that's bad. I need to blog about my mundane life so one day when I show the archival footage of my blog on my great grand children's hologram 3D TV/Computer/popcorn maker/cellphone they can marvel over what normal life was like back in 2010.

Thoughts for today....

1. Happy belated Birthday to my sweet boston terrier, Stevie. She was born January 16, 2004, which makes her 6 years old. She's still active, loves to play and has never met a stranger. She is tied with Wil as the best dog EVER. She rocks. She loves treats, she always comes when I call her, she loves to sit right beside you (prefers to wedge herself between you and the arm rest), she loves to cover her face with paws or a blanket when she sleeps, she loves to play tug'o war, she likes to dig the plastic sqeaky part out of her stuffed toys, she will chew apart a rubber toy into hundreds of tiny pieces that spread out in a little circle around her and as she does this she couldn't be happier. She watches us, gauges our reactions and LOVES to hear "Good Girl, Steve". She is very intuitive, she's loving and she's pretty much the most awesome dog ever. She loves to snuggle with Wil and tolerates him when he curls up to sleep, literally, on top of her. She barks when it's time for dinner and howls like a hound dog. She loves car rides, going on walks and fleece blankets. If you are lucky to find a dog that is half as great as Stevie, you've got yourself a pretty awesome dog.

2. The cold weather is gone and Florida is back to it's 70 weather in January and all is right with the world. My feet are no longer constantly cold, even with socks.

3. We saw Avatar in 3D/IMAX and it was a pretty amazing way to see a movie. The 3D/IMAX preview for the movie about the Hubble telescope repairs got my and Matt's nerd blood going. The way the tools were floating off their suits as they worked in space...it was amazing. The 3D effects in Avatar were pretty cool, but nothing when compared to the realism of the astronauts just working, which makes sense considering the astronauts were REAL, not computer generated. I liked Avatar, the visuals were amazing. I wish the forests really glowed like that. It was like the stars sprinkled part of their sparkle down on the jungle. The story was a little predictable and I admit getting a little cynical during the movie as the natives with loincloths and arrows planned an attack on some serious military equipment....I mean, you know the natives are going to triumph in the end. How can they possibly pull of a legitimate win against that machinery without even armor to protect their blue flesh? I was doubtful and was afraid the ending would be cheesy, but I was pleasantly surprised. It got violent, and was intense for sure, but I enjoyed it when I wasn't sure I was going to. All in all, a fun event.

4. Saturday was Marg's baby shower in B'ham. I was a hostess along with some other very fun friends' of Marg's who have become by friends as well. Her son, Gray, is set to arrive very soon (late Feb. or early March). She and Tyson were showered well by family and friends. I made some blankets, we bought him a killer outfit in NYC, and Matt got him an awesome Pirates of the Carribbean nightlight. It was very fun to hang with friends and family in 'Bama, even for a quick weekend visit. Pictures to come!

5. Love going to Alabama Walmarts for their rockin' cheap Alabama and Auburn gear. Got a sweet National Championship/Rose Bowl pennant. Roll Tide!

Thinking of things warm...

2010-01-13T11:40:00.000-05:00

In this amazing cold snap I am keeping warm looking back on pictures from this past summer. Here are some pics I'm not sure I blogged at the time. As part of our Disney pass we can golf for free at their 9-hole walking course. I'm not a huge golfer, but I've grown up around it so I'm pretty familiar with it. Matt and I had a blast and just looking at these pictures reminds me of how hot it was on the golf course that day.

Me and Matt in the Disney tram in the parking lot.

Matt at #1

Me at #1 on my second shot, heading for the green....this was the best I did all day.

The rainbow over DisneyWorld as we heading back to the clubhouse.

It was an amazing day, the intense heat and the heavy humidity that day were something I never thought I'd look back on fondly...it's amazing what a couple of 14 degree mornings will do to a Southerner. haha. Sending you all summer breezes. Spring is just around the corner, right?

Roll Tide

2010-01-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Coach Gene Stallings, on campus

I remember watching the 1992 National Championship game. I was 11 years old and in the 6th grade. I think it was the first Alabama football game I had ever really sat down and watched the entire way through, or at least it's the first I can remember. My dad had gone to a friends house to watch it with his buddies. Me, Andrea and Momma watched it in our living room in the house we were renting on Locust Shores while our new house was being built.

It was amazing. I remember the touchdowns. I remember George Teague ripping that football out of the Miami player's arms. I remember being unable to believe we won and being so excited and so happy. I was a Bama fan way before then. I was sporting Bama gear from the very beginning, but by age 11 I had decided on my own who to cheer for. During that game I remember for the first time the emotions (excitement, nerves, fear, pride, etc.) that I have felt for the team ever since.

I'm proud to be an alumna from the University of Alabama. Not only am I proud of our athletics, but also of the school. It has a great campus, great teachers, great atmosphere and offers a wonderful education.

Me and Bear Bryant, on campus

So I'm excited - nervous - proud - and tons of other emotions as the game tonight gets closer. I wish I was in Alabama to experience it all with my family and friends, but it will just be me and Matt tonight grilling burgers and bidding our favorite sports season adieu until September.

So ROLL TIDE ROLL! I'm so proud of our team this year and I can't wait to celebrate tonight!!

Happy New Year!!

2009-12-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy,
prosperous and safe new year.
Blessing and love to all of you!

p.s. Keep us in your prayers as we'll be traveling this weekend.
Heading back up to NYC for a long weekend of good food, shows, shopping and FUN!
I especially need the prayers as I am a HORRIBLE flier. Thanks.

Camera Boredom

2009-12-31T10:23:00.000-05:00

I bought some little mini animals at a toy store and had some fun putting them around the house and snapping pictures....

The horrible dragon has attacked my 70's era plastic Christmas decor church. He's like King Kong.....tis beauty that will eventually kill this beast.........

This poor penguin is lost....

This is R2D2 looking lost as well on a lonely, icy planet (Hoth?)...A space creature lurks in the background of the mountains...

Disney Anniversary Trip

2009-12-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

We went to DisneyWorld to celebrate our 6 year anniversary in December. We had a delicious dinner at the French restaurant in EPCOT. We mainly just enjoyed looking at all the amazing decorations Disney has for Christmas. We tried to go to the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT this year but it was just too crowded. We'll have to get special tickets next year.

I can't believe it's been 6 years! They've been great and I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for a wonderful trip, sweetie! I love you!

Selecting my dinner items.

We were pretty excited to be there.

In front of the huge Christmas tree at the Wilderness Lodge.

I finally got a great picture of my favorite part of one of my favorite rides. This is from Spaceship Earth, the ride in the big ball at EPCOT. This is around the time when the narrator is talking about the "first backup system"....Matt and I love this guy with the onion hat. He rocks. If Disney sold this hat as a souvenir we would have 4 or 5 in different colors.

Willingham - Christmas Night - SANTA!

2009-12-29T06:49:00.000-05:00

Our last Christmas celebration was Christmas night at my parent's house.
We had a huge surprise for my dad and I was so excited for him to open it!!

Here he is, we hid it in the basement and sent him on a short scavenger hunt because this would have been to obvious under the tree.

It's a Flat screen LCD TV!!! Me, Matt, Momma, Andrea and Robert went in together on it.
I think Daddy is pretty proud of it.

Momma got a photo book of me and Andrea.

Andrea got a Magic Bullet, but disappointingly, she did not break it out to fix us breakfast the next morning.
"Breakfast, it's always such a production!"- Lady from the Magic Bullet infomercial.

This was the Year of the Snuggie. Here are my parents sporting their matching blue snuggies.
I think they can join the same choir Ed and Dale are in. Could be interesting.....

Ok, That's all my news on the Christmas front. I hope all of you had as much fun as we did.
2010 - HERE WE COME!

Willingham - Christmas Morn - Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-12-29T05:48:00.000-05:00

After breakfast and presents in Florence we headed to my Grandma and Grandpa's for a little lunch and presents in Tuscumbia.

Grandma got the coffee maker she's been wanting.

All of the family watching them open. They look like a wild crowd don't they?
Haha. I think they were all a little worn out from Christmas festivities by then.
And a huge lunch.

Grandma with her warm blanket I made her and Grandpa with some dress pants, which I did not make.

Crockett - Christmas Morn

2009-12-29T04:47:00.000-05:00

After the polar bear swim we got dressed and opened presents with Matt's parents, Grandmother, Martin and Michael.

O Christmas Tree

Matt and I gave Dale a book of pictures of her kids and a framed photo of a picture of the 4 siblings. (Which can be posted online now that Christmas is over!)

I got a fisheye lens for my camera. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one.

It SNOWED on Christmas. You probably can't see the snowflakes in this photo but they're there. It was really pretty and heavy for a little while. I can't remember ever seeing snow while opening presents on Christmas morning. Makes me want to sing the SNOW song from White Christmas....(I think only Andrea can join me on this one. I probably just got that song stuck in your head, right Andrea?)

My Husband is Crazy

2009-12-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

Ever heard of a Polar Bear Swim? I think Matt may have started a new (insane) tradition on Christmas morning this year. Here he is on the pier. It's Christmas morning. It's 7:30. It's incredibly windy from remnants of storms and wind the day before. It's probably 25 degrees on the water. It actually snowed later that morning. (Have I sufficiently reminded you of how cold it was yet?)

Did I also mention he is crazy?

Matt in his festive green swimsuit and Christmas message emblazoned on his chest.
7:30 a.m. Christmas morning, 2009.

The jump.

The aftermath.

He said the water was so cold the air actually felt warm. He immediately ran up to the house and got a warm shower.

And I did not join him on this jaunt in the water. I only bundled up and grabbed my camera.

Willingham - Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

After dinner and presents with the Crockett's we head out to Colbert Heights for presents with my MawMaw and PawPaw.

PawPaw always ends up with a lap full of presents.

Bradly tries to help PawPaw with his new hat...it was hilarious.

Matt and Robert (Howard) marvel over the amount of note taking space in their notepads/satchels.

You think that looks like me on the back of the Doritos bag?

Crockett - Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's time for the blogs of Christmas festivities!!

Our first Christmas celebration was with the Crockett's on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed attending the Christmas Eve service together, having some wonderful seafood and opening presents with Marg and Tyson as they would be with Tyson's family on Christmas day.

The entire crew:
Shannon, Michael, Marg, Tyson, Dale, Ed, Martin, Grandmother, Matt and me

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

Marg and Tyson gave me the movie UP! I love it!

Dale and Ed got snuggies for Christmas and Tyson got a Christmas poncho...a long story that I will probably tell later....

More to come!