Remember the days?

Ok so we went to The Children's Place yesterday and got a few things for Gavin. One of the things we got was a pair of those 1-piece pajamas/sleepers that you put babies in. I couldn't resist getting one for Gavin because they seem like they would be so comfortable, and not to mention it would give us a laugh when we saw Gavin dressed up in it. Well it didn't disappoint, I think we laughed so hard that Gavin is now embarrassed to wear it. He just takes it off everytime we put it on and he says that "it is Tanner's, I don't like it", and "it is too little for me" even though it fits him just fine. That's just funny he recognizes Tanner's type of outfits. In the pictures where he is laying down, he is actually throwing a mild tantrum because he wants it off. Then by the time he let me take the last picture he thought it was a game and started enjoying himself enough to smile for the camera. We probably got a bigger kick out of it than anybody else will just because we're his parents, but I thought we would post a few pictures. To tell you the truth, I wish they made these in adult sizes, I would get myself a pair.

We also got him his Halloween costume...he loves it...in fact he wanted to sleep in that instead of the sleeper. I will wait to post any pictures of that though until Halloween. Then watch out...because he is fierce.

Look who's 1 year old!

Tanner's Birthday was yesterday! I cannot believe that he is already one year old! It boggles my mind! His Auntie Holly made a little crown for the birthday boy, and he looks so cute with it on.

This picture is where he finally decided he was done getting dirty and he started reaching for me because he wanted me to hold him. It was so funny. Not only did he have his first birthday cake, but he also had his first piece of pizza for his birthday dinner. He loved it.

Christmas Cards for Sale!

The snowflakes are made out of glitter.


You can't tell in this picture, but the santa's hair is glittery and really is pretty.



Here is one that i made for welcoming a new baby boy to the family.
If you send out a lot of Christmas cards then consider buying my handmade cards. They are $3.00 a piece. They come with envelopes. I can make as many cards as you need. I am making more cards and will be posting them on here in a few days, so keep checking it out! I make lots of different cards for B-days, weddings, graduations, Births, get well cards, just to say hello, friendship, etc. I can make them for all occasions.

Patterson Farm Adventure

Today we went to Patterson Farm. What a beautiful area it is located in. You can pick your own apples, drink cider, eat a yummy apple fritter, take hay rides, go through a corn maze, get pumpkins, and the best part of it all is the kid fest area. In that area they have face painting, pumpkin painting, a lot of really cool slides that are set back in the trees, a tree house, little barns, and tractors to ride on. They also have a hay area where kids can go play in the hay and throw it as they please. It was really fun. Gavin loved it and so did Tanner! The weather was beautiful. They had these strings where kids can hook an apple to and try to bite into it without using their hands. It is like bobbing for apples. Gavin tried it, but didn't quite get the hang of it. :) I gave Tanner an apple and for about a whole hour he chewed on that thing and would not let go of it. By the time we left he had eaten the whole apple! I even tried to put him on a little tractor so that i could take a picture and when i attempted to take away his apple for the picture he got so mad at me. I just let him keep it. :) Gavin was running wild as if in candy land! They just had a blast!

Tag, I'm It!

My friend Lauren tagged me...

1.) what i was doing ten years ago: I was 16 years old. Being a teenager...a difficult teenager! Yes, i was....don't try to tell me that you think ashlee can't be difficult. You don't know. :) New to driving. Just started my junior year in highschool, which was a horrible year for me. Boy, i am soooo glad those days are over! .2.) five years ago: Just broke up with my boyfriend of one year who was not nice. I moved back home to Oklahoma from Logan, Utah. .3) one year ago: I was preparing to give birth to Tanner in about 8 days, which felt like forever. I was big and miserable and couldn't wait to get him out of me! 4.) yesterday: Me and the boys went over to Lauren's house and had some lunch, went to the park, and chatted. 5.) 5 snacks i enjoy: I love strawberries... chocolate graham cracker sticks, candy, fig newtons, cashews. 6.) 5 things i would do if i suddenly had $100 million: Wow. Be in heaven because we wouldn't have to worry about money anymore! I would start my own charitable fund to help kids and education somehow, or to help research of a certain cancer so that they can find a cure. I would get a whole new wardrobe. Get Shane and the boys a whole new wardrobe, get an escalade SUV, a denali or something like it, get a new house and completely furnish it, take my entire family on vacation(my family and Shane's family), take just my boys and husband on vacation, Shane and i would do a lot of traveling, give gifts to all my family, buy an awesome boat, get a tummy tuck, and never worry about money again. 7.) 5 locations i would like to run away to: Bora Bora, the east coast, The caribbean, Egypt(only if it is safe), and Rome or someplace near it. 8.) 5 bad habits i have: bad at calling people back, procrastination, biting my nails, putting things on the steps of the staircase if i don't feel like going upstairs, and holding things inside until i blow up. 9.) 5 things i like doing: scrapbooking, making cards, working out, being outside, and bunko.10.) 5 TV shows i like: LOST, American Idol, Dr. Phil, Primetime Crime, and 20/20. 11.) 5 things i hate doing: the laundry, cleaning the bathroom, grocery shopping, making the bed, and talking about finances. 12.) 5 biggest joys of the moment: It is beautiful outside, my house is clean, Gavin is being cute right now, Tanner is taking a nap, and i am enjoying the peace and quiet. :)

I am tagging Kristy and Trisha and anyone else that reads this that has a blog.

Boys and their toys

Once a guy is set on getting something he wants you might as well not try to talk him out of it. It won't do any good. That is the case with Shane and his new motorcycle. You might be asking, "didn't he just buy a scooter?" Yes, actually he did! But it was only a few weeks later that he was already looking at motorcycles. Three weeks after buying his scooter he turned around and sold it. One day after selling the scooter he got his new bike. His scooter was a 150 cc. His new bike is 700 cc's. He is so giddy everytime he gets on it. He took me out for a 10 minute ride yesterday and it was a lot of fun. He loved showing off how fast it could speed up. I must admit, motorcycles do scare me, but at the same time it is fun and thrilling. I can't turn down something fun even if it is somewhat dangerous. WHY didn't he decide on a motorcycle in the first place?! Who knows?! But these are the reasons why he told me he had to sell the scooter and get something bigger. 1.His buddy can take his scooter on the highway. Shane can't. He wants to be able to cruise with his buddy on the highway. 2. He saw my best friends husband's motorcycle. He loved it and decided he needed something more manly. 3. He starts saying that he doesn't trust his scooter. He needs something that will hold up longer and better. It is good for driving to school, and it gives him something to do when he needs a break from school and responsibilites.

Just blabbing

So, my sister and my husband find my blog "aahhh" very funny....maybe weird even. I was in their presence when they read it and both of them laughed at the way i wrote it. Holly thinks that it sounds like an essay about why i like the fall - which i don't really disagree with. I have always liked writing essays. That is the style of writing i am best at so i guess i can understand. :) It was fun laughing with them about it.

Now, Shane wrote his first blog last night..."moomy i pooped my pants"....yes, that is by Shane. When he was done he had me read it and we both just laughed. As soon as i saw the title, and Tanner's face, i couldn't help but laugh and laugh. Anyway, i think he needs to write more of these. I think he might b/c he seemed to enjoy typing up this one last night.

Okay, now i need an opinion. I have been considering, for like a month now, cutting my hair just

like this picture shows. yes, it is the beckham bob. I guess some people call it the A-line cut. I was going to do it, but then chickened out because i finally grew my hair back. It is long again. It's actually a lot longer than i realized...i saw it the other day as i was walking in the store and was like "holy cow, i didn't realize my hair was so long."Anyway, but then a friend of mine i just saw yesterday actually got her hair cut just like this picture and i am thinking i can't cut it b/c she is going to think that i copied her and i don't want to look just like her. Now i am thinking maybe i will keep my hair long through the winter for extra warmth and when the spring and summer comes next year i will chop it off real short. What do you think i should do?

Make sure you read our blog regularly b/c we have some upcoming events and news to tell you about.

For those of you who haven't done this before and haven't noticed, right under this post there is a spot you can click to leave your comments. :)

"Mommy I pooped my pants"

Seeing this desperate face just makes me want to run for the diapers and wipes. Tanner just hates having a messy diaper and he doesn't waste any time telling me to help him fix it. I just am so glad Gavin is pretty much potty trained except for his occasional accidents....phew. His poops were getting a little too big for me to want to mess with. So one day I just went out and bought him underwear and that was the end of the diapers. There was quite a few messes right at first but within 3-4 days he really started getting the hang of it. Shane feels lucky he was at school for all of the worst accidents. So he missed all of the excitement. I can't believe he's almost 1. He's experienced so much in his first year of life. Now lets just hope his 2nd will be a little more relaxing for him...and us.

What a little man

Gavin is so cute with some of the things he has been saying lately. Gavin really likes to help me cook. He gets on a chair and helps me make dinner. Well, i recently had to climb up on the counter in order to get something. He said, "Careful mommy, careful," with his hand out as if telling me to stop. It was so funny how concerned he was for me! Another one he said was so funny to me. He sneezed and i didn't say bless you to him. He looks at me and says, "say bless you to me mommy." How so darn cute and watchful he is! He loves playing with his little people...thanks to my best friend Lauri! :) Lately he acts out conversations with them. He acts out his life story... "stop it. no. oh okay. kiss it better. thank you. welcome. help me. thank you. oh, ahhhh". It is so funny. Okay, another one he is doing....he loves to play catch with the football. I throw it to him and obviously if he doesn't catch it then it is going to hit him. Well, if it hits him he looks at me as if i hit him on purpose and says, "don't hit me!" haha! You probably have to see it to laugh at it! And now for my favorite one. He loves to say the family prayer before bed. This is how he said it last night.... "heavenly father, thank you for this day, thank you for church, thank you for friends, thank you for my Avery(his girlfriend), Jesus Christ, Amen." Honestly, i could go on forever telling all the things he says throughout the day, but i am not going to. These are just a few of my favorites.

Aaahh...

Autumn is finally on its way. Tonight the temp. is supposed to be in the 40's, and on Saturday it is going to be 59 degrees. Other than that, the rest of the week is going to be in the 60's and low 70's. Now is the time to open the windows to let the fresh cool autumn breeze in. The air almost has that autumn smell and feel to it that brings a feeling of peace and contentment. Soon we will be going to Patterson Farm where we can pick our own pumpkins out of the patch, go on hay rides, pick our own apples, drink some fresh cider, and soak in all that fall has to offer. In my home i will be playing Enya, Josh Groban, and George Winston type of music, and cooking foods and burning candles that accentuate the autumn smell and feel. Fall brings a different feel, which brings out a different mood and motivation in me. I love this time of the year, but unfortunately it doesn't last long enough. Here in Ohio, we have tons of lush trees around us, and when the leaves start changing their color, it is a beautiful sight to see. We are surrounded by many different shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. I have never seen so many leaves on the ground in my life, which is a pain when the time comes to rake, but the beauty makes up for it.

Pillow Fight!

Last night we had a fun and eventful evening. Auntie Holly came over and we all ate dinner together. We had cranberry chicken, which i absolutely love. Well, i think i love the smell of it cooking more than the taste. Don't get me wrong, it really does taste good, but it just makes my house smell soooo good! Anyway, back to the original story. After dinner we had a pillow fight and just played around. I don't remember how it began, but Gavin and i started it. Gavin was being hilarious. It almost seemed like he had agresssion he needed to take out on me! After awhile of laughing and teasing Shane decided to join in. Gavin and Shane start throwing pillows at each other. Gavin threw a pillow at Shane, Shane picks up that pillow and throws it back at Gavin. But Gavin started throwing the pillow so that it wouldn't hit Shane, but would land a few feet away from Shane...Gavin would then bolt to the door, run around the corner, expecting that daddy couldn't throw the pillow in time to hit him. But then Shane tried to outsmart Gavin and started throwing the pillow right as Gavin came back around the corner. Suddenly, Shane throws the pillow, it hits our lamp, and goes crashing down. It is now broken. In this picture, you can see he is trying to fix the lamp, but learns that it isn't fixable. It was only a ten dollar lamp...i guess that is why you never have nice things in your home when you have young kids.

Bumps and bruises

Gavin gets plenty of bruises all over his body....many of which we have no idea where they come from. Recently, we noticed a big carpet burn on his shoulder-how that happened, i have no idea! Well, on Saturday he fell and hit his head on the corner of the bottom step of our staircase. He got a huge goose egg between his eyes! He looks like he has a third eye. Tonight(sunday) we noticed that the coloring is going from red, to black and blue, and it is spreading around his eyes! So, maybe tomorrow he will look like he has two black eyes. Goodness gracious. Poor kid.

Where has the time gone?!

I have been thinking a lot about this past year-mainly how fast it has gone by. I cannot believe that Tanner is going to be a year old this month! It boggles my mind. I feel like it was just yesterday when he was this little. He was so tiny, so fragile, so needy. When i think about how he was in the NICU for a month it almost seems surreal. I do remember the hardships from it, but when i think back it is as if i am watching someone else go through it. I am so grateful that all the doctor visits, surgeries, and blood tests are over with. We've had enough of those to last a lifetime. He is now perfectly healthy. He is big, into everything, happy, cuddly, curious, determined, and loves his big brother. Gavin is getting so big too. They both love playing together, taking baths together, and playing hide-n-seek. Gavin likes to feed Tanner his food. He likes to shake his bottle and put it in his mouth for him. Gavin just loves to help out any chance he gets. They are so fun to watch, and i cannot wait to see their friendship blossom as they grow. I wish that i could slow down time. I wish that i could keep them this age until we feel ready to let them grow. I have learned something: Live in the moment. So many times we yearn for the next stage in our life. But when we do get to that next stage we always look back and wish we could go back to the stage that we wanted to move on from. As hard as it is sometimes being a stay-at-home mom, i wouldn't trade it for the world. I have the most rewarding and the most important job ever to exist. I am a mom. And i am proud of that. I am proud of my two boys, and i hope and pray everyday that i can be the kind of mom they need me to be.

Our fun-filled Labor Day weekend

Friday evening Shane and i went on a date! We have some friends that we take turns babysitting with-they watch our kids once a week and we watch their kids once a week. It is nice! Shane received a gift card for Outback Steakhouse so we went there. After dinner we drove on the scooter out to Chagrin Falls. It is a cute little quaint shopping area that has some falls. It took us about 30 minutes to get there. The drive was beautiful. We drove through beautiful green, hilly, tree-filled country. Beautiful houses are set back in the trees with plenty of privacy! Oh my, it was gorgeous. I would love to live like that one day. Our drive back home was a bit chilly, but it was so much fun!
Saturday we went with a few of our air force buddies and went to the air show right on Lake Erie. We saw the airforce Thunderbirds and a few of the old time planes. It was so cool to watch! I had no idea of the capabilities of some of those planes. It was beautiful that day- about 75 degrees-and we didn't think to put on sunscreen and as a result we all got burned! Besides that, it was tons of fun! Some of the planes were soooo loud and it scared Tanner a few times. Gavin and Shane and his buddies just LOVED it! They were so excited to be there! It really gets their adrenaline going! After the air show we walked to a restaurant, Macchu Picchu. It is peruvian food and it was pretty good. One of our buddies served his mission down there and said this food is pretty authentic.
Then on Monday i ran in another 5K...it was fun! I ran it in 24 minutes and 52 seconds-12 seconds slower than my last run. Oh well. I have a lot of fun running so it doesn't matter. Shane and Gavin and Tanner were at three different locations during my run to cheer me on! I was a proud wife and momma. Shane and i both agreed later that he should have just ran with me because at the end of the run he was sweating from running and meet me at those different points to cheer me on!
Later that day we went to Headlands Beach with our good friends. There were a lot of people there. We went swimming in the water and really enjoyed diving into the waves. It is just like the ocean in California. Gavin and Avery filled there buckets with sand and dug up holes and buried each other. It was really cute. Tanner loved the water and loved putting his hands in the sand. A few times he attempted to eat the sand, but only succeeded one time. We came home, ate, put the boys to bed, and Shane and i stayed up and watched a movie.
We really had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.