End of the school year 2015!

Caleb had kindergarten round up and is all signed up for kindegarten! I can't believe it but he so ready and will have such a great time going to school with big brother! 

When bubba gets home from school they are both equally happy to see each other! 

We've had record breaking rain and flooding here in Texas! I'm so over it! I feel like I'm living in Seattle again except the rain here is like a monsoon and the lightening and thunder at night is so loud and crazy and wakes up the kids, boo. Caleb loves jumping in the puddles though and playing outside with his umbrella. 

Caleb's favorite show is paw patrol and this is his dog chase from the show. He informed me the other day that it was his fifth birthday so I made some cupcakes and we sang him happy birthday. We also got him a present, a new collar.  :) 

After dinner the other weekend the kids saw a splash pad and dove right in, fully clothed. It was so humid so I don't blame them. 

Caleb finished his baseball season! His team was in the playoffs for first place! The lost by one point, such a bummer but the kids didn't care and were still so proud of themselves, minus a couple kids who were in tears because of their parents scowls! Yikes. It was a great season and Caleb had so much fun and improved a lot! 

Little slugger :) 

Caleb's last week of school, they had a petting zoo come visit the kids! Bella was happy siblings could come. 

Jonathon had a field trip to the bureau of printing and engraving, one of two places in the whole U.S that prints money! One in Fort Worth and one in Washington DC. It was so neat as they were able to watch and learn how it all works. He had a great time and loved the gift shop too where everything had money printed on it. 

Caleb graduated from pre K last week. All the preK classes had a song performance, talks by the teachers, and then all the kids were handed their certificates. It was so adorable and Caleb was proud of himself. He worked hard this year and learned so much. He knows all letters and their sounds, colors, shapes, and numbers through twenty. We are working on sight words now and math skills over summer. 

After his graduation he had a pizza party in class, this is his buddy Grant and my buddy Lisa, they are from Clovis! Yay for hometown friends! 

End of the years teacher gifts! Bright summer baskets :) 

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I had a very special Mother's Day this year, as they always are! The sweet gifts came all week from my boys. Caleb made me this beautiful tea cup with flowers planted inside. I love his art work and how he writes his name. 

He was so excited to give it to me when I picked him up from preschool :) 

Jonathon had a picnic for moms at his school, the littles and I brought him lunch in our picnic basket and we enjoyed it on the lawn outside his school with other families. 

Mother's Day morning started early since we had 9 am church, with Jake's famous French toast brought to me in bed! 

The kids followed with all of their surprises, it was so special. Post-it notes all over my door and the walls of my room with all the reasons why they love me, flowers, a new smoothie blender, and cookies for later :) 

Homemade Pop out card from Jonathon, melts me!

My four babies who've made me a mother! Missing Ryan as always, but always feel him near when I need him the most! 

Motherhood has transformed me. I used to worry that I would lose myself in motherhood and forget who Ashley was. Instead of feeling swallowed up by motherhood I've chosen to be changed. Being a mother is the hardest thing I've ever done and will do. It has brought my greatest sorrow but also my greatest joy. It is so much more amazing than I ever imagined. On monotonous days when everyday seems to be on routine I remind myself not to parent on auto pilot. Each day as their mother is a gift to me not to be taken for granted because I know firsthand how quickly it can be taken. So I thank my father in heaven each day for these tiny people, for their love, smiles, laughter, and for all they have taught me. In turn, I hope they grow into adults who will be such a light to the world. For my job is the most important out there, I'm making a home, one of the most important places on the earth. I'm changing the world through them because they will make their generation even better!

Mother's Day for me was about this woman, my mother pregnant with me! She is everything to me. It's hard to put down in words all that she means to me because she is beyond description. Her strength and example to me is worth so much. She has been the light in my life, her joy, excitement, positivity, laughter, smile, and fun has made my life so happy. She makes everything come to life. She had taught me how to overcome any obstacles that come my way with joy, she loves the Savior and was and still is a big supplier to my testimony. I hope to be more like her as I get older. She's my best friend. 

Likewise, my mother in law is the sweetest lady on earth. She has always been SO kind to me, helpful, loving, giving, and thoughtful. She is a woman of so much strength and courage as well. Her example through her own trials has taught me so many invaluable life lessons. She is so talented and full of grace. She is a wonderful mother and grandmother and we are blessed by her. 

May 2015

Another busy month has passed and amongst the normal routine of our days; finding fun dinner recipes, baking with the kids, pre k, second grade, play dates, running errands, work, young women's, church, scouts, cleaning, refereeing  between wrestling boys, busy busy toddler shenanigans, here are some special moments:

Caleb's pre k spring performance was adorable, at first he folded his arms and wouldn't  smile, sing, or do any sign language ...

We thought it was pretty funny but then he changed his attitude and got into it. I was surprised because he would sing the songs he learned during music time and show me the sign language everyday. 

Little man after his show :) all of their songs were Easter related and so sweet! 

Some play time with mom in the tee pee while sister naps...

Visiting our local fire station on a Saturday, Caleb was in heaven. 

He was able to squirt the hose, climb in the fire trucks, press the siren, wear the fire outfit and the boots! I had a hard time trying to get him to take the clothes off afterwards... We love firemen 

Squishy nosed girl looking out the window from the fire truck, I love this picture. 

I love Sunday's 

Family night dessert, chocolate fountain with fruit! 

Jonathon's first pinewood derby! He had such a blast building his car with daddy and racing it with his buddies. It was fun watching him. He won the most creative design :) 

Park days and baseball evenings 

Missionaries for dinner, I think they were pretty entertained by the wild kids after tacos, hopefully they took something from their lesson on getting along and speaking kind words to each other... 

Cinco de mayo family dinner date! 

Career day at school for Jon boy, he wants to be a professional basketball player! 

He also started piano lessons! He's not extremely excited but hopefully he'll thank me later. His teacher is a darling young mom down the street who majored in music theory :) 

College Grad!

I finally did it, I graduated from college back in February but received my diploma in April. Yes I am 29 years old and have four kids, but I'm so glad I finished. Receiving a bachelors degree has always been a top goal of mine and my educational path had many different pauses and pathways, yes the road was long but worth it. I love my major because it encompassed two things I love doing, reading and writing. English literature is so important and I loved learning amazing things from all of my courses. I don't know where my next path will take me with it, but now I feel like I can write and read whatever I choose now and incorporate what I've learned. When the kids are all in school I would love to pursue a career in this field. I feel I have so much to share with all the experiences I have had in my life up until this point, and would love to deliver those messages through the written word for many people to read and relate to. 

When my diploma came in the mail it was a surreal moment. Holding it in my hands was empowering for me. Though I already celebrated on the cruise, Jake wanted to celebrate with the family that night so we went to one of my favorite places, the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Fort Worth. We had a fun night together celebrating and walking around beautiful downtown at the art festival. 

The kids were so cute because they acted so proud of me. The boys kept saying good job mom! And they clapped for me on several occasions at the dinner table. They make me feel special, they were my motivation to finish. I want them to see how important education is, how important it is to finish the goals you make for yourself, how to never give up, and how to keep dreaming! 

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter weekend celebrating at church with an Easter egg hunt and brunch, general conference watching, and many egg hunts at home as Caleb would hide the eggs everyday and call on us to find them :) Such great memories. 

Little photo shoot with my girl in her darling pink and lace Easter dress :) 

Kisses for daddy always 

Caleb had fun at his school Easter party! 

They played games, had an egg hunt, and a chick fil a lunch. 

Dyeing Easter eggs with my handsome boys 

The bunny cake! The kids did a great job decorating it. 

It was wonderful to hear the words of conference on Easter Sunday, the words I could hear that is with three little ones around :) the boys did good watching some of conference, Isabella on the other hand only wanted the candy from the bingo game I had for them and then became hyper woman. 

The Easter bunny brought baskets full of goodies and mommy made empty tomb rolls for breakfast, a pot roast with veggies and homemade rolls for Easter dinner. 

Trying to get an Easter picture with three was a circus, with Jake in the background making silly noises and faces to get them all to laugh. Isabell was not impressed. 

I love Easter, I love decorating spring, the goood weather, fun activities with my kids, and the family time. What I love most is the reason we celebrate. It truly is  something I celebrate the most. Because my Savior died for me and for you, death is not the end. How horrible life would be if this was it! What purpose would we have? He overcame death and He lives! I am so thankful for all that Jesus of Nazareth did for me and my family. We can be forgiven and perfected in Him as we draw near to him. We can be a family forever, not until death do us part. And we will see our son Ryan again, who passed away at four days old in my arms. Though our arms might ache for those we love and miss, how sweet is the joy in Him that makes it possible to see them again.