Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!

From this...
To this...Wow! I can't believe that two years has already gone by! It's amazing how quickly they grow up and how much fun each stage is. She is such a good girl and I've loved being home with her. I don't know what we ever did before she came into our lives. Happy Birthday Baby!!

Ashlyn, here are the things about you and things you love and don't love at two:
1. You love the fact that you figured out how to climb out of your crib
2. You don't like naps
3. You love playing with friends and being a social butterfly
4. You are very caring and concerned about others. Thank you for always turning the fan on for me when I'm hot :)
5. You make Mom and Dad laugh every day
6. You say Yes when Mom asks you if you are trying to make her crazy
7. You love to dance
8. You don't like veggies very much
9. You love fruit
10. You love to ride your bike
11. You love to read books
12. You know all of your abc's and numbers
13. You are very smart and you watch closely to see how to do things
14. You love to call Bapa on the phone
15. You love to yell Mom!
16. You love Sesame Street and Signing Time
17. You say Thank You
18. You are such a sweetheart
19. You share with everyone
20. You love your couch
21. You love to help Mom clean (I hope this lasts a very long time!)
22. You love to go outside and swing
23. You love your baby doll
24. You love your mi mi and snuggly
25. You love to act like a doggy and drink water out of a bowl on the floor
26. You love to give hugs and kisses
27. You love to draw and color
28. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us


Happy Birthday! We hope you have a great day! Let's go get some balloons :)
Love,
Mom and Dad

Mommy Monday was great!

So for those of you who missed our first Mommy Monday or didn't know about it, we missed you! There were about 9 of us and I believe 15 kids if I counted right. I'm not sure who had more fun, the moms or the kids! Our next Mommy Monday is October 20 @ 10:00 a.m. at my house. Anyone is invited to come so bring your neighbors/friends and we'll play! Also, we are planning on doing a bow making day. Please let me know if a Saturday morning or afternoon would work best for you. :)

Bapa's Pumpkin Patch

So earlier this year I posted a picture of my Dad's garden and sadly, I haven't really taken many pictures of it over the summer, but today was the finally day of harvest. It has been really fun having the garden and I must say, I benefited more than I helped. I've got zucchini to last for a long time. One thing we learned this year is not to plant your zucchini and squash next to the pumpkins because they cross pollinate and become zucchinikins or pumpsquash. Or gourds.

Since it is, pardon my french, Butt Freezing Cold Outside, our garden is giving in to winter. My dad (Ashlyn calls him Bapa) came over this morning and we were off to pick the pumpkins. It has been so cute seeing Ashlyn follow my dad out to the garden regularly to pick tomatoes, baby cucumbers, zucchini, and squash. She just tags along behind him and pretty much picks whatever she pleases. He's so cute with her and doesn't mind when she yanks off the tiny tomatoes. I snapped a few pictures of the busy farmers and their last harvest.

Thanks for the pumpkins Bapa!! They look great!

Tag You're It!

Well, thanks to my sister-in-law, Lisa, I've been tagged. I've known about this for a few days and have been trying to think of 7 random/weird facts about myself and I'm racking my brain (what's left of it!) So I asked Cole for some ideas and he was of little help. So here goes...sorry if they are lame.

1. I have decorations for my house for every month. I've been lazy this year, but I usually change the theme every month because I get tired of looking at the same stuff.

2. I drink a TON of water every day. I have to have my water bottle with me at all times.

3. I can tell you where the bathroom is in many, many places around town. (see #2 if you aren't sure why)

4. If I don't put it on my calendar, I can't guarantee I'll remember it.

5. I love the little moment right after Ashlyn has woken up from her nap and she just lays her head on my shoulder.

6. I'm left handed and always in the right frame of mind! HA!

7. I am a social butterfly. I up for anything, anytime, with almost anyone. :) So...where are we off to???

So now I have to nominate 7 other people. So here goes...Holli, Kim, Vinnie, Michelle Nelson, Tonya, Tara, Apryle, and anyone else who wants to rack their brain! :)

Shhh....A little birdie told me...

Shhh....I'm suppose to be taking a nap but I climbed out of my crib and Mommy doesn't know that I'm playing with her computer again! If she did, she would get angry eyes which she says causes wrinkles. She talks about her blog and writing on it, so I want to play too.

I got a new shirt that I'm so excited about! It has cute little birdies on it. Birdies say chirp chirp...I like birdies. But when I wear this shirt people get so excited and say Congratulations! I have no idea what in the world they are talking about and then they ask me if I'm excited. Excited about what? I get excited about a lot of things. So sure...I'm excited. Here's a picture of my new shirt!! Maybe you can explain to me what I'm excited about! K, I hear my mom, I gotta go climb back in my crib with my baby and "mi mi" (binkie) Bye. Ashlyn

Ben and Jerry's...The Breast Is Best?!

Ok so I totally forgot that I was going to blog about this. Thank you Melanie for reminding me. A few weeks ago I was driving in the car to my Chiropractor appointment to fix the pulled muscles in my neck and back from playing Volleyball with the Young Women. And no it wasn't some hot spike move like you see on Top Gun and the Playin' with the Boys scene...pause...Hot Hot Hot Guys!

Ok back to me driving in the car. So I hear on the radio that the Vice President of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Tracy Reiman has written a letter to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Company urging......pause again, I am laughing too hard to even type. Urging them to to replace the use of cow's milk in their product with Human Breast Milk. Yes, you read that correctly and yes, I typed it correctly.

Here is a quote from the letter written:

"PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health. "

"The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn't make sense," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk."

Ok Psycho Sally...are you freaking kidding me? Isn't the whole point of a dairy cow's life to produce milk? Don't the milk commercials say that cows are happy producing milk? She doesn't think it is "fair" that the cow must continually be impregnated to meet the milk consumption demands. Honestly...doesn't she realize that the babies that come from the dairy cows that produce the milk for us also become the meat for us?

And "a favor to consumers"? I would say there would be a huge decline in Ice Cream consumption across the U.S.! I know I would be finding a new dessert!!

Is Tracy Reiman willing to be the first one to take a stand for all cows and pledge the rest of her life to continual pregnancies? $10 bucks says she has NEVER had a baby and NEVER experienced engorged breasts! Her mom must be so proud!

So here is Ben and Jerry's response:

Ben & Jerry's spokesman Rob Michalak said the company applauds PETA's creative approach to bring attention to an issue, but believes that a mother's milk is best used by a child.

My response: The Company laughed hysterically over this letter and couldn't wait to share it with the rest of America. We applaud PETA for another ridiculous suggestion that nearly caused us to either pee our pants or throw up.

See the whole story below:

http://www.wptz.com/news/17539127/detail.html

The Nightmare at Inn on the Creek

It sounds like it should be some horror movie to be released shortly, but no it isn't. It is the description of what should have been a nice relaxing weekend for our Anniversary. A few years ago we went up to this darling bed and breakfast in Midway. It was the Inn on the Creek. We had a great time just enjoying the mountains and sleep! For breakfast we had the BEST Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast. I was pregnant with Ashlyn and it was SO yummy. Ever since then I've wanted to go up there just for the breakfast. When my sister and brother-in-law offered to have Ashlyn come spend the night with them (That's a post in itself) we took them up on it! We decided to go back to the Inn. We were looking forward to sleeping in!
We went up to Heber and had dinner and then headed to Midway. Upon arrival we were greeted by a bleach blonde, pretend I'm still 29, lady with nasty long fake nails. She says, "Oh good, your here, I can go home now." Really...we're glad to be here too. She proceeds to tell us she doesn't know why we picked the room we did, but here's the key. Cole told her he just picked one online and that whatever room she had we would take. She kept us in the same room. As we are leaving to find our room, we mention that we can't wait for Breakfast! She then says, "Oh we don't serve breakfast anymore. We've got new owners and it was too expensive to staff it, so they closed it down, we only serve dinner on Friday and Saturday." So...when you say you are a Bed and Breakfast, what you really mean is your a Bed and...? Nice.
So off we go bummed that we won't be having the fabulous french toast. We pull up to the building that our room-G3- is in and are greeted with a "For Sale" sign. Odd. We go into what looks like an apartment building and proceed up to the top floor. We open the door and we've arrived! I turn the air down since it was only a balmy 76 in there and find a sign that says, Please wait 20 minutes for the air to turn on. Ok whatever. Then I really wanted to watch Juno so I go to put the DVD in and surprise! No DVD player. Online it states that there is one in the room. Ok no big deal. I find Legally Blonde II on TV, lucky Cole! So we are watching the movie and all of a sudden I hear this chirping sound. I asked Cole it he can hear it and he can't. It goes off again...did you hear it? No. So I'm up trying to figure out the source of the mysterious chirping noise. I'm out in the hall listening intently and it goes off again. It's in our room and it is the Smoke Detector. Nice...battery is dying! So I ask Cole to get it down off the vaulted ceiling by balancing on the arm of the couch and take the battery out. At this point I'm sure that 20 min has passed and still no air. Ok...we'll keep waiting and turn on the ceiling fan. Low and behold, the fan is clanking against the ceiling. Are you kidding me? I pick up the Guest Services book to see why the air isn't working. It says that room G1 has control of the air for room G3. WHY?? Well no one is in building G with us so we figure it must be turned off.
As if I hadn't had enough, I go into use the bathroom and notice a dark ring around the tub and the area that you can sit down too. All I'm picturing is a fat hair guy using the tub...gross. Then I pick up the bath towel and can see through it and it smells like mildew. Alright, I'm done! Cole calls down to the front desk and no one answers. Ohhh that's right, she went home. Who closes the front desk of a hotel?? So back to the Guest Services Book--I find a phone number to call in case of an emergency. Well in my book, this is an emergency. I call the number and a guy answers hello? I said, "Is this the number for Inn on the Creek?" "Oh yah it is, this is Ed, what do you need?" I proceed: "Well, I calling about the problems with our room and since no one is answering at the front desk, you get to help us." "Ok what's the problem?" "No I said PROBLEMS" I continue to tell him the above issues. He says to me, "What room are you in?" "G3" "G?" "Yes G, G 3" "G as in game?" "G as in great, gall, gosh, G!" "Why did she put you in G?" "I don't know, all I know is that this is not going to work for us." He tells me to go down to the front desk because someone should be there until 9:30. So we pack up and off we go. We go in and there is no one there...because she left. So the only person we can find is in the Kitchen and he doesn't speak any English. So to make an already long story not so long...here's the jist of it: No one is there, we are trying to communicate to the non English man to call Ed. He calls Elquardo...the cook. So Cole calls Ed and tells him that no one is there to help us. Cole tells him we are leaving and not to charge our card, the man agrees not to and suggests we stay at the Holiday Inn in Heber. Gee, thanks just how I want to spend the weekend. We contemplate going home but decide to see if the Marriott in Park City has any rooms. They do, we book it, it comes with Free Breakfast, we stop at the 7-11 and then check in. They have 1 room with 2 queen beds. Perfect. You get your bed, I'll have mine. :) It was wonderful and the breakfast was fabulous. So we get home and Cole pulls up his credit card account online a few days later and we have been charged for the room from Inn on the Creek. He's ticked and calls the bleached blonde trampy old lady and she says "Well we had to clean it after you left" Cole told her she didn't clean it before we got there! Anyway, I look up Ed's number off of our cell phone account and Cole calls and leaves a message. He never calls back. Surprising. Now we are in a credit card dispute and I'm out to make sure no one else gets ripped off! So as for the Inn on the Creek...THUMBS DOWN! Don't waste your time and money!