The Ashby's

Crabs, crabs crabs to Eat

2011-06-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

Rachel loved the crabs but we had to crack them for her. She was proud that she was eating crab legs. The same girl who at the beach on our cruise last year refused to play in the sand in fear of crabs under the sand. Seems as if she was getting one up on them crabs!!!
Lydia refused to eat crabs and stuck to breaded fish and shrimp.
My first time to a crab shack and I loved it. LOW CARBS!!!
He's the professional.
She was ready for some grub. Of course all the hands were CRAZY sticky!!!! Wet Wipes all around!!!!

Sea World 2011

2011-06-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

Rachel and Lydia rode their first roller coasters. They had a blast!
Lydia had a scared face on the monitor. Rachel was screaming and laughing. Both wanted to ride again and again.
We had to do the ferris wheel. Lydia rode a dolphin and Rachel was a sea creature.

We had to bring home an animal of some kind. I bought Shamu whales at the Dollar Tree before we left so they would not get an animal. They wanted the animals over a t-shirt!

Seaworld 2011

2011-06-22T00:41:00.001-07:00

We took a family Fun Tour which put us in priority to feed/ touch the dolphins. It was a little scary but I tried to keep my cool for the kids. We touched a penguin. Avery forgot to take a pic of me touching it. We fed sea lions and sting rays too! Reserved seats allowed us to show up right before the show with perfect seats.We were as close as you could get WITHOUT being in the splash zone! Oh Avery got to ride "The Manta" also. You could see the girls looked scared just knowing their Daddy was riding a big scary ride. They seemed relieved when he came out safely.

Sea World 2011

2011-06-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

Seaworld was great! I HAD JUST AS MUCH FUN AS THE GIRLS!!!! All the animals were cool. I took 200 pics so you will only get a glimpse of the coolness. Literally! The penguin area got crowded as people came into the area to cool off from the heat outside. Everyone had a great time!

LOVE IS THE SAME

2011-02-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Top picture is Rachel at 1 year old. Bottom is Lydia at 15 months old. Bless my babies! Time flies by but love does not change.I pray that I continue to show them everyday how much they are loved no matter how old. They will always be my babies!Happy Valentines to all !!

LOVE IS THE SAME AS IT WAS BACK THEN

2011-02-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

Love is the same. It does not change. God talks about how important love is all through the Bible. Sometimes in our hussle and bussle of life, we forget the most important thing. LOVE! The kind of love that makes your stomach turn. The kind of love that grows sweeter with time. That is free for all who are willing to give it away. In order to be first, we must be last.

I love my family so much! I love old pictures of my family. Here are just a glimpse of LOVE!!

First Snow of 2011

2011-01-25T14:28:00.001-08:00

First snow of 2011 and it was a lot! The kids had a blast. We were able to stay outside for a long time because it was mid 30's and no wind the first day of snow! Rachel made the head for our snowman.Avery came home stating ours was the weakest looking snowman in the neighborhood! Glad when live at the end of a cul-de-sac! The cypress trees were pretty with the snow on them! Welcome 2011!

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

2011-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

We had a Great Christmas Holiday and hope you all did as well! Time surely flies you by whether you want it to or not. Looking back at Christmas past, we remember not the gifts we received but time spent with those we love. Remember that as you plan for 2011. What will people remember about you? Everyone has 24 hours in a day . Some use it for their own pleasures and at the end of your life, that will be all you have. The gift of love continues even after you are gone. It lives in the hearts of those you loved!

We welcome 2011 with great opportunities for LOVE!

Camping Fun

2010-11-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

We took one last camping opportunity before it got too cold! Enjoyed our time but was glad to be home! The kids are so so so excited to sleep in the camper that they are up at dawn...seriously and don't go down to sleep until midnight! That is not exactly MY idea of relaxing trip! Avery did kill a green snake that had made its way close to our camper( reminder... any snake should be a dead if it can bite me or my offspring)!

Rachel's Pumpkin Farm Trip

2010-11-03T00:56:00.000-07:00

One advantage of me being called off of work was getting to go with Rachel to the preschool trip to the pumpkin farm! It was loads of fun ! They had all kinds of things to do there! Petting zoo, playground areas, hay ride, educational things about chickens, concession with awesome lemonade, and all kinds of cute things! We had a great time but makes me not want to miss anymore fun outings!!!!!!!

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-03T00:46:00.000-07:00

Trick or treat! The kids do not understand that concept! They know they open their bags and get some candy! This year we did visits to Mimi's and Grammy and Papa's on Saturday! I attempted to carry the girls up to the square on Friday afternoon....it was so crowded we got around 1/4th of the square and I gave up! Not worth a little candy!
Now I had a "Jessie" from Toy Story 3 and a " Princess Kitty"! Lydia was going to be Princess Peach from Mario Bros. The 7/8 was too tight so I "assumed" the 10/12 would fit. I did not try it on until Friday afternoon only to discover it 5 inches too long and falling off her shoulders! She handled it well and was fine wearing the old costume from last year and just "tweeking it to be a kitty and a princess! Whatever works!

Cruising on a Sunny Afternoon

2010-10-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Lydia and Rachel are having fun riding their bikes! Lydia has got really good! She loves it! We are doing the school thing and just trying to keep up with that. I am being a Parent Helper on Wednesdays, AWANAS on Wed nights, working on Thurs and Fridays.I have taken on a new adventure of doing scrapbooks for people. I have 6 to do before Christmas not counting my own projects!! Busy busy...isn't that life!!!

Run To Me

2010-07-25T17:57:00.001-07:00

I loved doing these pics! Just have the kids run and you take pics as fast as you can! Now I know we don't have a cool , expensive camera but the one we have did the joB! The secret is they were getting exercise and did not even know it!

My Baby is Four Years OLd

2010-07-14T19:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby! Her birthday was July 3rd! Bless her, she wanted to go to Chucky Cheese! We went and hugging Chucky was the best thing! We did not do birthday party and now at hindsite i am feeling bad. Rachel deserves a birthday party with people invited just like Lydia! Even though she has a birthday on the July 3rd, I should not compromise for others convenience! Mistake #? on the " Mama why didn't you do this list". I will try to make it up... somehow! I love you Rachel...my 4 year old!

Fun Day at Sea

2010-06-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had fun days at sea in between our stops just so we could relax! The kids loved Camp Carnival and I highly recommend it! i was nervous about the activities for the kids but the staff made me feel very comfortable! Even Rachel, our shy child, went with no problem. The first day she was hesitant but loved it after that!

Grand Caymen, Caymen Islands

2010-06-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

We went to Tiki Beach Resort on Seven Mile Beach on Grand Caymen! Very relaxing. Rachel kept running from the water to her lounge chair thinking she saw a crab! Lydia played in the sand and water forever! She loved it! The waves were gentle due to the line of rocks off from the shore! lots of snorkeling! Don't you love Avery's sense of humor in the picture with the pirate!

Cozumel

2010-06-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Every place was hot but the breeze off the ocean helped! i saw a lizard but no one else did! Lydia got 2 small braids in her hair but wanted them out as soon as we got back to the ship!

2010-06-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Our 2010 cruise was great! The girls did great with the plane ride! They had so much fun being on the boat! Even the dining at night went better than I expected! We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ochos Rios! Seven days of go, Go, GO!!!!
Lydia had to try on a sombrero in Mexico , of course! Check out the next post to see Rachels!!!

2010-06-03T06:57:00.001-07:00

Rachel and Lydia's school has finally come to an end so we can enjoy the summer! Hopefully lots of fun in the sun! I find I am not a mother of babies anymore! Excited to see where life leads us now! Soon extra activities will begin and a hectic schedule will begin. This summer may be my last relaxing one.....but that's okay!!!

Stovall Christmas

2010-01-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

2010-01-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! Glad to get back to our routine. I am so blessed with my family! This is Christmas morning! Rachel got a bicycle! Lydia was proud of her Wee Alive husky puppy!

Ashby at OneTrueMedia.com

2009-12-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rachel Has Big Girl Bed

2009-09-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel has a big girl bed. Now that she has been potty trained I figure its time to have a big girl bed. I got a great deal on craigslist! The picture is before we got sheets on it! She HAS to thank God EVERY time we pray and gets upset if we forget. Thank you God for Rachels big girl bed!

Rachel Started Preschool

2009-09-25T00:39:00.001-07:00

Rachel has started preschool at Belle Aire Baptist Church. That is where Lydia went so she is very familiar with the process. She HAD to wear her Nemo shirt we got at Good Will. I was tying to pick my fights. That was one that was not THAT important. Needless to say that shirt has went in hiding since. I cant believe my BABY is in preschool!!! Time flies. This week has flown by and I look up and 3 months has went by. It will be Christmas time soon!!!

2009-08-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lydia is in Kindergarten! I am more upset than she is. on the first day the teacher wanted parents to stay for the first 15 minutes. Lydia wanted to say "Bye" at the door. She went for some 1/2 days but today was her first day ALL day. She was so excited about eating in the cafeteria!! The simple things in life! ( note to J. Pasalakis.... note the discontinued backpack pattern of Thirty-One sporting at first day)
Great news!!!!! Rachel suddenly is pee-ing in potty WITHOUT coaxing. Go figure it is same time Lydia started school!!!! Lets pray she sticks to it!! Its about time!

Happy 3rd Birthday Rachel

2009-07-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

My baby is 3! Time flies and I can see now when a mother does not want the baby to grow up!

2009-06-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Aquarium was nice but very crowded to be during the week. The girls were most excited about the shark and huge whale shark! I really want to carry them to Orlando Sea World next for sure!
The girls enjoyed The Cheese Cake Factory but I think I enjoyed it too! Avery has been several times with work so i was glad to enjoy it too! we had to take a picture!

Stone Mountain Georgia

2009-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Stone Mountain, Georgia was fun for all. it had great small kid friendly things. We got there on Monday and left Wednesday for Georgia Aquarim in Atlanta. We were going to stay wed night but decided sleeping girls in the car was a great travel atmosphere.
I am not a good car rider so know that any far trip will be flown to if possible! Both girls cried when we left. Had to make our official "goodbye mountain" , "goodbye duckie boats, " goodbye train"..etc.
Remind us to tell you about the 4D movie of "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Lets just say the sign that said"May be too intense for smaller children was not kidding". i had to pull Lydia from the ball she was in to get her out of the movie. Bad parents....I even pulled my feet up when something rubbed my leg under the seat...how can I effectively calm my child down if I am scared?
We had a great time none the less!!

2009-06-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Lydia had her graduation ceremony from Belle Aire Preschool. She was so happy. One pic is of her teacher Miss Melissa, another is her friend ,Anna! The pic of all 3 of us was our special Mother's Day picnic! I am so proud of Lydia she has got into the magnet school in the Boro. She will start McFadden in the fall! My baby is going to school!!!

Birthday sleepover

2009-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

The birthday sleepover was successful. Bayleigh could not come due to being sick. We had 5 girls under 6 there. I had all kinds of things for them to do to keep them busy! Thank goodness! They were wired up the whole time. We did homemade pizza Friday night with movie and popcorn. Sat morning was pancakes and making bead necklace. in between times were coloring, coloring and more coloring!! Sat morning was dress up thanks to the Grammy collection!

Camping Time at Seven Points

2009-05-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great time camping. We left the day all the rains started. Lydia had never rode her bikeso much and Rachel played with rocks and a cup for hours! Hope to go back soon!

Easter at Preschool

2009-05-11T21:00:00.001-07:00

I went to Lydias preschool to help hide eggs. Of course Rachel went too! It is so cute to see Lydia being around her friends at school and her personality! We had a good time! Rachel would hide some...pick up some....hide some...etc.

2009-05-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the girls on Easter.I have tones more.Sorry to the faithful bloggers!

2009-02-07T19:10:00.001-08:00

The girls are trying to pimp it out. Avery will play around the house with these. The girls fight over wearing them! Here they are trying to put their hand on their chin to look cool, this pic is how it turned out!!!

Hungry Hungry Hippo Fun

2009-01-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

Avery bought this for the girls on one of his Daddy-Daughter days when I have to work on a Saturday. As if the girls did not get enough toys, this game found its way in the shopping cart at Wal-mart. Figure out who's having the most fun in the picture.

My Babies

2009-01-18T19:00:00.001-08:00

I love this picture. They are growing up quick.

More Christmas 2008 Fun

2009-01-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

The kids have so much fun doing nothing. it doesn't take much to entertain them. Thanks to Aunt Karen for bringing the Easy Bake Oven. The Wii games were lots of fun for the adults! It looks like the Ashby's have a family tradition started. I can't wait for Gatlinburg!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2008-12-28T02:52:00.000-08:00

The 12 Days before Christmas My Babies gave to Me

2008-12-28T02:37:00.000-08:00

When Avery and I were dating, he started this 12 Days Before Christmas thing. He came by my house every morning and left a small stocking on my door knob each labeled with a number. It counted down the 12 days before Christmas with a small gift in each.
We have done this alternating doing it for each other each year since. This year it was his turn so the girls helped pick gifts for me.....Sing the son when you read it...it makes it more fun...
On the 12 Days before Christmas my True Loves Gave to me..
12: going to bed early
11:a beautiful ponsettia
10: a blue coffee mug
9: hawaiian smelling candle
8: Santa Christmas socks
7: Ironman movie
6: chocolate covered almonds
5: 5 car air fresheners
4: Mummy 3 movie
3: Christmas fleece throw
2: new faucet for the kitchen
1: and gift card for a Back massage!!!!!
Avery of course said Lydia and Rachel helped pick out the gifts which make it even more special!!!!

Christmas Parade

2008-12-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

It was so much fun at the parade. All the kids did so good. They got out some and walked while throwing candy. Joann did an awesome job on the clown costumes for the girls! Hats off to Josh and the Jaycees truck for picking up a Raggedy Ann who got away from the bus!!! Next year we can add Bert to the bunch!!

2008-12-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged!!!

2008-12-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

I got tagged. RULES: Go to your picture file. Choose the 4th file....then the 4th picture. POST it and explain the picture.

O.k. Deana....Here's the picture. It is Rachel in Sept 2006. She is laying on the chair and I'm taking the pic from above her. She is wearing shoes that Lydia wore. I loved those shoes!!

O.k. I'm tagging 4 people.

Mama

Jennifer Pasalakis

Sondra Stephens

Jenn Jacobs

Hope to see the pics soon!!!!!

Babies Growing Up

2008-11-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

Time flies. The girls love their feet pajamas. Lydia especially loves hers and wants to wear them every night. Our hardwood floors are finally finished. Thanks to Mama for letting our family stay with her for a couple of days. It felt good being in my old house and spending the night and getting ready there. It brought back lots of memories.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season!

Day at the Park

2008-10-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

The girls had a good time. Weather was perfect that day. They were acting silly! They are so cute. I guess I am partial though.

next week starts our hardwood floor installation. I hope it is a good experience. This weekend is rip up carpet and get it ready. The real hardwood with sanding , staining, sealing kind. it will be a mess but better than the sippy cup spill mess of a carpet now!

Brighton Emersyn Stovall

2008-09-30T15:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome baby Brighton to the Stovall family. We are so glad Misty and baby are doing well. Little Brighton's belly has been giving her problems but prayers that it is not too serious. I know Misty is glad to have her Mom and Dad down from NewYork to help spoil the baby. The jury is still out on whether she resembles Misty or Seth more. I think she is a perfect mix!

Camping Fun

2008-09-30T15:08:00.001-07:00

We were able to go camping. We hope to some more before it gets too cold. The girls loved it of course. I have found out that fire smoke keeps mosquitoes away! We will have a fire from sun up to sun down! Things went a bit smoother with knowing a little more what was needed and to make sure the camper was stocked. This about as much of roughing it as I want to get. The most fun was the visits from family. Mimi and Don came by and Grammy and Papaw came by in the bus and brought cool glow-in -the-dark night sticks! Having others to share in the fun was the best! Anyone who wants to join us in camping....let us know!!!!

Tumbling Class

2008-09-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

The girls are in Tumbling class once a week. Lydia is aBig Dipper and Rachel is a Little Dipper. They jump, tumble, flip, balance...etc. I tried to get Lydia into soccer....she said no....tried ballet/ tap....no...so this was a yes !

I tried to help Lydia with her cartwheels at home but only put a big scrape on her face. Oops!

Lydia is in the pink/ black bottom outfit!

DIXIE STAMPEDE !!!!!

2008-09-02T15:08:00.001-07:00

If you have never been to Dixie Stampede it is a must! The girls were so good the 2hours we were there. You get served in a different way and there is no utensils!! We got a ticket for Rachel so we would not have to hold her in our lap the entire time. It is money well spent!

Family Vacation

2008-09-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Gatlinburg for a quick get-away! We stayed at the Rocky Top motel. This motel is where I stayed at every year as a child. It was very clean but was obviously from another era.

The girls didn't know any different. They had fun at the aquarium but the best was Dixie Stampede.( a must go to in Gatlinburg)

Eatable Playdoh

2008-06-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe off of the Jon and Kate plus 8 show! I did not tell them it was playdoh. I don't want to associate playdoh with eating. We called it yum yum doh, lydia heard me say playdoh and strated calling it Playdoh. I did not realize how much I made and had to throw alot away.

Recipe:

equal parts: honey, peanut butter,and powdered milk. I liked to add some flour to make it not as sticky and easier to handle.

Water Park

2008-06-28T11:59:00.001-07:00

We met Jennifer and Molly Kate at the Smyrna Water park for some fun. Lydia took right off running thru the water. Molly Kate and Rachel were happy at the edge splashing their feet. We had a great picnic lunch. The best thing about it.....it did not cost a thing to get into the water park!!! Of course gas to get there....so it did cost an arm and a leg to drive there! Ha, ha. Now more than ever I wouldn't mind the compact fuel efficient hybrid car vs. gas guzzler SUV.

Picnic Fun

2008-06-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

We had a picnic outside. It is funny the simple things that get kids excited. Same lunch just eaten outside on the picnic table. I just wish we had more trees to shade the yard. Lydia and Rachel had a Fundip also. Do you remember those growing up.......flavored sugar and you used a candy stick to dip it!!! SUGAR HIGH!!!!

More of Paris

2008-06-27T10:39:00.001-07:00

There were so many beautiful things. There are stained glass in the Notre Dame 400+ yrs old. We really enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of the gardens. There were lots of people but was blocked off by trees making you feel like you were there alone. The night scene is of the Champ Elysses( Rodeo Drive of Paris) Lots of expensive designer brand stuff.

We loved the mass transit subway/ train system. We never missed a car while we were there. I could see myself living in Paris. The language barrier would be the worst.

PARIS

2008-06-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Bonjour(hello),

We are still in Paris . It is Sun at 6p.m.(11a.m. in Tn.) We are so tired from being on the go but the city is beautiful. I thought I would share some pics we took!!!

pic1: Notre Dame
pic2:Arc de Triumphe
pic3: Eiffel tower
pic4: the Louvre
Pray for our safe return and girls WE MISS YOU!

It's Kin foke!

2008-05-21T02:21:00.000-07:00

Don't you love it! Family fun! I was looking at some pictures taken recently and couldn't help but feel that these pics deserved some recognition. I won't give names to protect identity.

Love ya!

Anticipation!

2008-05-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Grammy called to see if she come get the girls to let them spend the night. I told Lydia and that is all she talked about the whole day! I explained that Papaw would get them after nap! Needless to say she took a great nap. When she woke up shoes were on in 5 minutes and she sat in the same spot for 45 minutes......Anticipation.....Patience.......Waiting.........watching....That's love!

The picture tell it all!

We got to see the new movie "Ironman", ate at Mim's Cafe, and strolled around at Barnes and Noble! It was a faun night for all!!

Pizza Party

2008-05-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday we try to fix homemade pizzas. I prepare all of the ingridients and Avery usuually puts the pizzas together with his 2 assistants. In this picture we got 2 small pizzas so each girl could have there own. The pizza in the picture has not been cooked yet. The dough is cooked ... all that has to be done is warming in the oven! Someone could not wait.

Big Girl Bike

2008-05-06T13:20:00.001-07:00

Lydia got her bicycle for her 4th birthday! She loves it! Rachel has got the tricycle hand-me -down! We hope this will be the fun stuff to do with camping! i can remember hours of riding the bicycle especially during the summer! Lydia had 2 falldowns within the first hour of her riding. She was turning the wheel too sharp!(she will learn)

She had Transportation day at preschool and got to bring her bicycle. She even had her driver's license made. Too cute!

Big girl bed

2008-05-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Rachel has been sleeping in her big girl bed for a couple of weeks. She is doing well and not trying to get up. We are transitioning her because Misty and Seth are going to use the crib for their "little one " thats on the way!

Time flies by so fast! I can'tbelieve it. I wish to had slowed down a little bit especially when I think of holding my babies and wrapping them up in the receiving blanket and giving them bottles. They grow up quick and don't wait for you to have time later! it's never too late to start slowing down to enjoy the moment. When it's gone...it's a memory or if you were not there....not even a memory. I am enjoying the time with just Rachel since Lydia's been in preschool!

FUTURE WNBA STARS

2008-04-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks Aunt Karen for the great prizes in Bert's birthday gift bags! The girls had a blast. They played with those for the longest! Rachel is a fan of basketball. She plays with the hoop that Grammy and Papaw got for Lydia all the time! It was a good toy since the weather was so yucky today!

We had a great time at Bert's 1st b-day party. Go to the Watts link to see Bert!!

QUSTION FOR ALL

2008-03-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

What is a special time you remember growing up about getting together with your grandparents or just spending time with family?
Remember: time is fixed , you can't get it back and you can ultimately change the amt of time you have in the future by what you do today.

Love to all!

EASTER

2008-03-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Easter was fun! The picture was of just the 3-5 yr olds with Avery's family. We decided to start alternating get togethers in order for us to enjoy ourselves and not be running! We hated not being at my families Easter. It looked like everyone had fun by looking at the blog spots.

YES that is a ride on toy that used to be common at parks. My father-in law found them at a junk yard, poured concrete and set them up for the grandchildren. There is also a squirrel but the horse seems to be the favorite!! Thanks to Colleen( Avery's cousin for the pictures)! They show only a smiggen of the fun the girls had playing with their 1st and 2nd cousins!

Avery got to do his paintball with Marcus!(the others couldn't stay) JOE/JOSH you need to show Avery the ropes of what professional "ballers" are!!!!

Lydia's Preschool Music and Art Show

2008-03-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Lydia has not been in preschool long but was able to participate in their program. She sang one song about Zaccheus in the tree! I invited the grandparents to enjoy this time. The one where Lydia is laughing hard was when she saw Grammy. They had to stand next to their art and we met them in the room. Lydia loves her preschool and she is learning and doing so much more than I ever could do. She has improved so much just in 1 month!

My favorite has to be the"self portrait " she drew. She said she meant to give herself the 1 huge foot 1 small foot!

Rachel still cries when she leaves her sister at preschool!

Easter Egg Hunt Practice

2008-03-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

We got together for our usual Sunday at Grammy and Papa's and thought since it was so nice, we would have a practice Easter egg hunt! Everybody had a blast. The kids even hid eggs while the grown-ups hunted for them. An accident took place between Karen and Avery. Avery saw an egg and so did Karen. They both ran for it. Avery knocked Karen down and stepped on her toe. Sibling love!!

We also flew kites courtesy of Grammy's dollar store clearance finds. Uncle B.W. was having a hard time with his kite. We blame it on a defective kite!!!

Sunday Dresses

2008-03-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning pictures happen rarely due to time constaints. You can see Rachel's scraped eye/ nose that happened on the GIRLS NIGHT OUT! I can't get over how fast Lydia is growing!

BIG GIRL BED

2008-03-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

This is Lydia's big girl bed. We were indecisive on whether to get twin or full size. We figured this would do well for several years. Then at some point she can get a nice bedrm. set that will hopefully last her for years! Rachel is just as excited about it. We will put her in a toddler bed hopefully by the time she is 2!

2008-03-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not updated...
Lydia and Rachel just finished up a round of antibiotics. Rachel had strepthroat and got pretty sick for a couple of days. Lydia's was caught early so not as severe.Both are feeling good now. Rachel has developed a runny nose as soon as we stopped antibiotcs.

I have been working alot. Every Mon/Wed/Fri. and soon to include weekends. Lydia started preschool on Tues. She said"mama there is alot of kids to play with". She loves it. She has a back pack and princess lunch bag!She will go on Teus/Thurs from 9a -1:30
Lydia also has a big girl bed with cute sheet/ bedding to go with it.

Rachel is saying lots of words. Hello is "lo" Water is "wa-wee". Aunt Misty has taught her "guitar". She is healing from her fall on the night we had girls night out. Scraped her face /nose/ forhead. Healing from that well.

Avery will be having oral surgery soon. no date set but it don't sound fun. We hope it will be soon so he can recover for our trip.....................to PARIS,FRANCE. We plan to leave the last weekend in May if everything goes well.

PICTURES SOON OF ALL THESE ADVENTURES!!

Q-tips,Q-tips, I love Q-tips !!!!

2008-01-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

Safety latches only work if they are ATTACHED TO BOTH SIDES.

(See behind Rachel in the picture)

I was wondering why she was being so quiet!

Jumpaline

2008-01-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Lydia has a new toy... a jumpaline as she calls it. She loves it and is real good at sharing! Good activity for winters inside the house. I think this would be a great gift for kids. It's really not that expensive $20. She got a kick out of seeing her pictures. She was showing off just a little.

Beauty Queen(a.k.a. DRAMA QUEEN)

2007-12-27T07:21:00.001-08:00

She got some Little girl make-up from Aunt Karen! We got dolled up and she was loving it! In the picture she is blowing kisses! I was snapping the camera fast and saying "work it girl". She loved it. Daddy got some glitter lip gloss too!

Christmas Morning!

2007-12-27T07:13:00.001-08:00

Sant Claus came to our house but if you ask Lydia she will say "No I was asleep". The girls woke us up but did not realize what was in the living room! Avery's mom let us borrow the video camera for Christmas morning. Rachel is not old enough to drive the jeep but she loves to ride!! Avery had Lydia pulling the wagon before it was over! I love the jeep just as much as they do!

We had a Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T06:59:00.001-08:00

We had a busy Christmas but it was good! Picture of the family was taken before church, this was the best we could do( I ran over to take the picture after a 10 sec delay from snapping the photo). The Ashby family got together in a cabin on Tim's Ford lake. We did breakfast and presents the next morning. We had a blast. Karen did a wonderful job on matching pajamas for the kids! The kids giggled for the longest before finally falling asleep that night. Lydia trading covers with Aunt Karen in the middle of the night while she was asleep. Grammy saw it!

God is good! We are blessed with beautiful little girls!

Lydia's School

2007-12-03T19:43:00.001-08:00

Lydia loves her speech class! This is her teacher Ms. Pennington! Lydia can say her teachers name better than she can say DOG. ( go figure that one) Good news was given to us! She is improving so well that by the time she starts kindergarten she may not need speech!! Yeah! Lydia has a friend that comes on Monday to speech with her. They hold hands as they walk down the hall!( too cute)

Family Night

2007-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

We did a night out to Rainforest Cafe at Opry Mills. We did the free parking there and scooted over to Opryland Hotel to see the lights. Little did we know that Santa would be there. Since the girls had not seen him yet, we had to tell him if they were good girls or bad girls. Lydia ran up to him. Rachel, seeing that Lydia wasn't afraid, went right up to him with no problem! We all had a good time!

Jennifer ..... do you remeber all the years that we would get together and go to Opryland Hotel ! It was tradition!!I have some pics of your Dad with a perm!Ha.....Ha!

Cookie Time

2007-12-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Daddy and the girls made cookies! It took two batches because Avery did 1 TABLEspoon instead of 1 TEAspoon. Lydia didn't care as long as she was with her Daddy! Rachel was running around opening cabinets!

The fun kids can have with a Box

2007-11-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

Lydia dumped all of her toys out and was using it as adog house. Of course Rachel is all up in the mix of things! Nothing like hanging around the house on a cold day!

Updates!!

2007-11-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Everybody is doing well. As it is getting colder it is limiting our outside time! The girls are enjoying every last minute!

Labor Day Weekend 2007

2007-09-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

We went on our vacation to Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge this past weekend! Lydia really got into it! I was glad we went away! it was last minute, we put the girls in their pajamas and hit the road! Little did we know that once we got in the room, the girls would be wide eyed and ready for fun at 1 a.m. Lydia got to mine for rocks with her Daddy( I think this is a long tradition with Avery). Lydia didn't want to leave, neither did we!!!!

Lydia cuts her own Hair!!!

2007-09-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

BEFORE AND AFTER!!! Lydia tried to cut her hair herself! Lydia cut one big side off and was starting on the other side when Avery came in to spoil the fun! Those scissors have always been there. It was while I was at work when this event took place. She told Avery " No, me do it. I'm a big girl, i promise!" It was too late to carry her some place , so she went to Sunday School with funky hair. We had it fixed right after church. they tried to layer it so we could keep some length. She is proud of her BIG GIRL HAIRCUT !!!!

Rachel Turns 1 Year Old

2007-09-06T20:20:00.001-07:00

Rachel turned 1 year old and kept going! She has grown up so fast. I feel like I have taken less pictures of her 1st year. I can see now why #2 children complain about the pictures! I am making an effort to try harder. She loved everything she got. Cousins: Cora, Mae, Bert, Michael, Bayleigh and Molly Kate came to celebrate her special day!

camera malfunction

2007-07-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for no updates lately but our digital camera has broke. We have to highly search for a new one, so any suggestions would be great. Maybe we will give Pasalakis papratzi( spelling) a call for some suggestions.

2007-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

We went swimming with Jennifer and Molly Kate. The girls had a blast. The kiddy pool is perfest for Rachel to walk around. Lydia had to be the big girl and make sure both girls did not get away too far from us. It took Lydia 5 min. to not want to hold on to me in the BIG pool. She of course had her little ring on too!!! It was a good cousin day!!

Tricycle tri-atholon

2007-06-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Lydia rode in a fun tri-atholon at the park. It was for 2-6 yr olds where they ran, rode their tricycles/ bicycles, and ran through the sprinklers to swim! She got to break the red finish line tape!! We played at the park after for awhile! Rachel loves to swing but loves to put mulch in her mouth even better!!!

Cousin Fun

2007-06-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

We got together with my brother, his family and Mama for a cookout and to let the kids play. Lydia had so much fun that she talked about it for days after! Rachel has got better about the water. At first she was scared but now I have to be careful with her! They are so cute in their bathing suits!!

Fun Park in the Back yard

2007-06-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

The girls got a new playset !!Lydia is getting more use out of it but soon Rachel will be up there too! We made sure it gets afternoon shade from our tree! Lydia loves to say "push me high" and Rachel just grins and laughs!

Spider Walker

2007-05-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Rachel can walk all the way down the hall without holding on to anything. She loves to walk and actually gets mad if you try to help her. She now has a 7th tooth popping out of her mouth!! There are 3 that are totally not out but you can see 7 already

Lydia turned the BIG 3 years old. We had a little party at McDonalds! She had a blast. Now she is talking about who's birthday party it is next so she can play with ballooons and eat cake!!

Rachel update

2007-04-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Rachel is doing well. We think she may have those seasonl allergies because the fever from Easter got better just as fast as it had come on. She is on the move. She can go anywhere with crawling. Avery has given her the first nickname as" spider crawler" because she went up the stairs(YES THE BIG, BIG STAIRS) half way before we knew it(scary thought). She walks with her walker hippo down the hall grinning from ear to ear the whole time!!! She can't walk without holding on to something. We have officially brought the safety gates back out and Lydia HATES it because she can't open them and move freely in the house.

EASTER FUN

2007-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Lydia had a great time hunting eggs. She did better the first time than the second. I guess she was just tired of it. At Grammy's and Papaw's house, her and Cora had just as much fun with the garden wagon. Rachel couldn't join us because she was sick with fever. Daddy volunteered real quick to stay at home all afternoon and watch T.V.

Circus

2007-02-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

Circus with Mimi was fun! It was a one ring circus in Shelbyville! Lydia really liked the white horses! They all got shirts too!! Lydia didn't like the cotton candy so I ate most of it! She did like the lemonade!!( pictured: Michael, Bayleigh, and my Lydia)

I LOVE Green Beans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-02-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Rachel makes the biggest mess with her eating. I know... she's just learning! I try to aim for her mouth but it keeps moving! We have tried lots of new foods! Lydia wanted her picture made with her sippy cup of choc. milk. She is already got that jealous streak as all siblings do at times!!

Hospital Stay

2007-02-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

Rachel stayed in the hospital for 4 days/3 nights. She had a typical cold that just got bad enough she had to have breathing treatments and was on oxygen temporarily. She was in good spirits considering what had to be done. Everyone is better now and doing great, THANK THE LORD!!

Six Months old Today

2007-01-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is Lydia at 8 months old!!!!!!!

These last two pics are of Rachel taken today!!

Happy six months birthday today Miss Rachel!!!

She is starting to sit up for brief periods then falls to the side . This outfit was taken of Lydia too!!! Compare the differences!! They both love to eat the dress. Rachel still has growing room in the dress though!

Christmas Eve

2006-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

We took pictures of us before church with the girls. Rachel had a dress that matched Lydia's but it was too small already. The other picture is of the cousins when we went down to Grammy's and Papaw's. They love to play with each other!! We can't wait until a little boy is thrown in the mix ( ATTENTION: for those who don't know, Karen (Avery's sister ) is due in April and just found out it is a BOY!!!!)

Gregory Christmas Dec 16th

2006-12-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

It was so fun seeing the girls open presents. Cousin Cora was tearing the paper too! It was fun and chaotic at the same time. I can see how number 2 children fend for themselves. You are trying to do for two at the same time and ultimately one has to wait. Miss Rachel decided to eat some wrapping paper when I wasn't looking!!

Rachel is so content when she's around her sister. Lydia is being more helpful and loving toward Rachel and I love seeing that!!

TEETH, TEETH, AND MORE TEETH!

2006-12-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

Rachel has 2 teeth on the bottom, all coming out within 2 weeks of each other. (first tooth was the first week of Dec.)Last night she was fussing and doing her grinding of her gums, so that means another one is on it's way. Hopefully it will pop out in the next day or so! Avery and I are betting where it will be next.

Can you see the shiny white pearlies on the bottom?

Warm weather Outing!!

2006-11-30T03:40:00.000-08:00

With the warm weather, we got both girls out. I couldn't find Rachel's other hat so had to wear the hospital hat. Lydia had to have her Dawg ear muffs and Grover. Rachel fell asleep in the warm sunlight. Lydia got out and played in the leaves I was trying to pile up for Avery to mulch up with mower. This was a fun day outside. Avery put up Christmas lights on the house while it was still warm.(plus with the France trip soon, he needed to get that done)

Sesame Street Live

2006-11-30T03:31:00.000-08:00

November 16th was the day that cousins got to see Sesame Street Live together and sported their cute shirts!!!!Believe it or not, this was a good picture considering the ants in the pants!!

Sesame Street was a blast! Lydia danced and laughed with her cousins!! To see more pics , go to the Watt website . Thanks Karen for driving us in your cool van( vans CAN be cool, thought I would never say that). Lydia loves her Big Bird and plays with it and Grover all day!!! I can't wait to do more stuff like this!!

Happy Halloween

2006-11-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

We girls went as Ragedy Ann's. It was raining so we did a Shelbyville trip to the grandparents houses. Rachel's first Halloween! Lydia really liked getting candy and wanted to open every piece! Rachel got fussy on the way back home because she is not used to riding in the car in the dark! As soon as I sat in the back with her she stopped crying! Lydia continues to be a good big sister and help me with her( she is still jealous though).

Rock a bye Rachel

2006-10-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Miss Lydia wanted to rock Rachel hard. i told her she had to be gentle, but you what gentle is for a 2 year old( not in vocabulary yet).

This is a picture of Rachel in my baby doll crib that was made for me when I was a little girl. My step-grandfather( Papa) made this for me. Jennifer had one very similar. Granny wanted to make sure I took some pictures of Rachel in it and Lydia rocking her in it. There you go Granny, pictures are coming your way! By the way, yeah Granny got to come home to Bedford Co. today to nursing home. She still has MRSA and is on isolation but breathing is good so far!! She's a tough old cookie!!

Rachel is raising her head up well and on her arms. This week she started rolling over from her back to belly!!! Time flies! She went to the doctor Monday for her runny nose and cough. She was fine and doctor said to just monitor. Lydia went to the doctor on Saturday and was given 3 different medicine. The doctor seemed concernedabout Lydia even on Monday when we went for Rachel. We have a follow-up in 1 week to see if she's better. ( Doctor said she was wheezing in her chest) We are just trying to stay in as much as possible with the weather getting cold now!! Avery's B-day was Saturday and he was treated to a take-out pizza he had to go get. We wanted to go out but the girls are sick. Things you do when you're a Mama and Daddy!.... The pizza was really good, honest!!!

Snoo-oozing!

2006-10-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

Rachel loves to lay in the corner of the chair. I can't leave her there since she is moving more now! She is so content. We went to Emily's Halloween Party on Saturday. Rachel did very well. Lydia had a blast of course!! She kissed one of their dogs is what I was told! Lydia is staring to get a cough I think from me!( Sorry Lydia) Lydia got to go over to see the Cunningham's on Monday and had lots of fun. Thanks Tim and Shonda!

At her Mother' Day out this week she sings Mary had a Little Lamb. If any of you have heard her speach, it sounds like, "Eddy had a yiddle yam!"

Plans are to go to a pumpkin patch this week and get Rachel's 3 month pics!