High School Musical

This past weekend, my sister Amanda and I took her 4 kids to see High School Musical on ice! It was GREAT! Here is just a glimpse of the amazing job these skaters did!!!

Easter Pictures

I know this post is quite overdue, but the days have been crazy lately. Here are some pictures from Easter. We went to our church Sunday morning and Brant sang in the ensemble. Then we went to mom and dad's house for lunch with the whole family, and of course a huge easter egg hunt. It was fantastic!!!

Me and Brant

Grabbie, Ethan and Kate

Ethan and his eggs!

Thank you Dallas PD

So I read this story this morning and was truly touched on how generous the Dallas Police Department was. Read Kyle's story below! Way to go DPD!!!!!

DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ― A seven-year-old boy was heartbroken when someone broke into his family's car and stole his backpack Tuesday morning. Not only did they get away with Kyle Spriggs' video games, they also stole the medicine he needs to treat his brain tumor.

"I'm just wondering when this dark cloud is going to pass along. You know, we've been through a lot these last several months," said Trish Spriggs, Kyle's mom. It started last July when a flood destroyed nearly everything they own. It got worse in September when the Spriggs took Kyle to a routine eye exam and found out he has a brain tumor. "It was about the size of a golf ball," said Trish.

The family has been driving from Oklahoma to Dallas regularly so Kyle can get chemotherapy treatments at Children's Hospital. "It hurts me, because some of the medicines burn my nose," said Kyle. Kyle and his family were at a Denny's restaurant in Dallas when someone took off with his backpack. "It had my homework and my medicine in it," said Kyle. "I needed to take it, but I couldn't."

When some Dallas police officers heard the thieves also stole the video games Kyle plays on the road, they raised money at the police department. Then they returned to the hospital with gifts in hand. "They got me a PSP and a PSP case and games," said Kyle. They also gave Kyle's parents a card with $1,200 inside. "I cried. I did. There was nothing else I could do," said Trish. "So many people that didn't even know us."

It looks like that dark cloud is finally passing. Not only is Kyle's tumor shrinking, but tomorrow he will celebrate his eighth birthday.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Tasty, and EASY Easter Treat!

A friend of mine named Jenny made these and brought them to our office today, so I came home and made my own batch. This is a wonderful, yet easy Easter treat - Easter Basket Cupcakes.

Begin with just a simple cake mix - make your basic cupcake just like the box says. I used a golden cake mix.

These are you basic ingredients that you need.

• coconut
• Twizzlers
• A candy "egg" (I used jelly beans and Whopper Robin Eggs)
• And your choice of icing
  

Once your cupcakes are baked and cooled, ice with your preference of icing. I used cream cheese icing because its my favorite.

Then make your "Easter basket grass."

• Put about 2 cups of coconut flakes in a bowl
• Sprinkle about 3 crops of green food coloring into the flakes
• mix it up!

Once your iced and the grass is ready, cover half of the cupcake with the grass. Be sure to pat the grass down so it stick. Then curve your Twizzlers and stick both ends into your cupcake to be the basket handle. (be sure not to put it too close to the edge because it will push out of the cupcake.) Then add your eggs. To make sure your eggs stick, you can put a tiny dab of icing on the egg and its stays perfectly. Here is a close up of some of the baskets!

Sorry

I'm know - another new layout - I'm sorry...but all the lines on the other one were beginning to make me dizzy. So I began to think I just needed something plain and simply - so here ya go.

Other than that, there isn't much to say today. This week has almost been boring, except for the fact that my best office buddy got fired on Monday morning. That was not a fun day...and it wasn't that she was bad, her area that she manages was just beginning to fall apart, so they let her go. It's hard working in the "grown-up" world where people come and go. Melissa was literally my very first friend at this office, so it's hard after seeing her on a daily basis for 3 years to not have her here anymore. So Monday wasn't a good day.

Tuesday was boring and Brant was out of town, so I was home all by myself. It was actually kind of nice, so I won't complain. I got home from work, ate dinner, took a hot bath (while Dax proceeded to drink half my bath water), shopped on the Internet, and just RELAXED! I have to admit that I am addicted to Coldwater Creek's online outlet - they just have some GREAT stuff, so go check it out when you can. And for other awesome online deals, check out the Bargain Shopper Lady - she always has the best stuff.

Wednesday, I worked, then my sister and her family came home from a little mini-vacation in St. Louis. So, I went over and spent some time with the kiddos. It was tons of fun! Then, went back home, spent some time with hubs, then went to bed.

Today has been completely boring, but Brant's community softball league begins tonight, so that will be fun. He loved playing sports - and I love watching them...we're a good fit.

Ok, so that's it folks - not a whole lot happenin' here.

Much Love,
Ashley

Weekends of Fun

READ THIS POST FROM BOTTOM TO TOP!!!!

This past weekend, we went to a baseball game at DBU on Friday night. DBU was playing Northern Illinois University. We spanked 'em 11-2!!! Go Patriots! Saturday, Brant had to go back to DBU because of another game that afternoon, so I went shopping with my sister and Ethan. Then, Amanda and Michael took the 3 older kids and went to Six Flags, so lucky me...Ethan got to come to Grabbie's house again! Once Uncle B came home, we all went to dinner with our friends The Grimes and The Erwins. Ethan was perfect, as always, and loved getting to meet new people.

Sunday, was pretty calm. We went to church, then came home and relaxed awhile. At 4, Brant had a choir practice, so I cleaned the house - it needed it!!!

There isn't a door to our Master bathroom, so we have a curtain.

(can you spy someone asleep on my bed?)
This is our Master bedroom, but I'm still trying to find the perfect curtain.

On Sunday, we went to church, then had lunch at Joes' Crabshack for Mom's birthday. On our way home, Brant's sister Kristie called and wanted to come hang out while her house was being painted. So she and her son Aeson came over to play. We had so much fun. The pictures above are Aeson and Dax playing in our backyard.

Grandad and Ethan
Granda and Ethan

When we got back to Granda's house, Ethan and I had some more cuddle time. He is so sweet.
Kate got her face painted at the Peddler Show.

Saturday morning, Ethan and I played at the house for awhile, then Granda, Kate, Ethan and I went to the Country Peddler show in Arlington while Grandad (my dad) took the two boys to the lake.

(This is Ethan in his Bumbo chair at Grabbie's house)

After dinner, Grand (my mom) and the kids made M&M Cookies. This is Kate, Ethan and my mom cookin' away!
So, I accidentally put these pictures in backwards order, so you have to read from the bottom of the post to the top in order to really understand the past two weekends. These pictures are actually from last weekend, not this past one. My sister and her husband celebrated 11 glorious years of marriage and Michael (my brother-in-law) wanted to take Amanda (my sister) for a nice stay at "The W" in Downtown Dallas. So to help with the kids, my mom and I split them up. I'm much better at getting up at 4am to feed a 5 months old than my mom is, so Brant and I took Baby Ethan while my parents cared for the older 3. So Friday night, Brant worked at a basketball game and I went to have dinner and play with the all the kids. We had tons of fun, then about 8, Ethan and I made it back to my house and just had some cuddle time before Uncle B came home.

TAGGED!!!!!

So God's Grace in Practice tagged me...so here we go!

What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with?

I honestly have NO clue!!!

What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind?

I would wish that every soul would know the POWER of the God- His might, His strength, His all-sustaining power, His truth! And not just that they would know it, but that they would BELIEVE and TRUST it!

What if I could travel anywhere in the world?

I would LOVE to go to England - spend the day relaxing in the English hillsides, and touring enormous castles!

What if I could live in a period other than the present, for 24 hours?

I would go back to the 1800's - the era of the Southern Belle! I would have a green dress and straw hat just like Scarlett did in Gone with the Wind and I would ride in a horse-drawn carriage to the town bar-b-que.

What if I could make over three areas of my body?

My stomach, my thighs and my stomach! Listen ladies (for those of you not married) I killed myself to lose weight before my wedding, and put all of it plus 10 back on after the wedding!

What if I could become an animal for 24 hours?

A sweet little yellow lab, maybe one a lot like my Daxie Boy!

What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours?

I agree with Heidi on this one that I don't know it would be a close person because I would just have to say "goodbye" all over again. However, I might bring back Jon Benet Ramsey and ask her who really killed her. Or maybe Lee Harvey Oswald...did he really kill Kennedy?

Ok, now I tag:

Caroline

Baby Bangs

Jessica McCash

Tears for Rebecca

For those of you who live in metroplex, you might have seen Rebecca Miller - Channel 5's best meteorologist! I have watched Rebecca's morning weather report since I was in high school - she had become a tradition in my household. Well, I terribly sad to report that Rebecca Miller was let go from the Morning Team at NBC-5 - read this article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram to learn more about it: And Now Rebecca.

For some this may seem like a silly thing to be upset about, but she honestly was my favorite weather-woman: an intelligent, polite, and poised lady on camera who would "tell-it-like-it-is" with the weather. In the article she is quoted as saying "I am so thankful to not be there when it's snowing,"(she wasn't there this morning in the inches of snow here) she says. "On snow forecasts, they like to make you really push it, and make people realize just how terrible it is, and sometimes it's not so terrible." This is why I loved her, and watched her every morning.

So here's to you, Rebecca Miller, for many GREAT years of weather reporting. We will miss you, and we will miss hearing the "truth" about the weather. Best of luck in all you do, and may the blessing of the Lord be with you and your family!

There's a saying...

...here in Texas that if you don't like the weather today, just stick around until tomorrow. If you're not familiar with weather in Texas, then the only thing that never changes is that the weather always changes! On Saturday, I was out at the ballpark in capris and a short-sleeve shirt in almost 80' weather, and last night, we had snow!!!!! Here are a few pictures of Saturday, and last night!

Delicious Dishes

Well...maybe not dishes, but two great party foods: Baked Potato Bites and Stuffed Jalapeños. I had a group of girlfriends over to the house the other night and I made both of these great party dishes and they were a hit!!! They are so easy and the only "time" it takes to make them is the baking.

Baked Potato Bites (this is a modified version from my Pampered Chef Baking Stone cookbook)

• Start with 2-3 large potatoes and slice them in thin rounds (about 1/4" thick). I used my scalloped slicer from Pampered Chef to make them a little more "fun."
• Brush both sides of potato slices with vegetable oil and place on non-stick cookie sheet (I used my Pampered Chef baking stone)
• Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes (or until soft throughout)

• In a mixing bowl, combine:
• 2 cups of Colby-Jack cheese
• 4 diced green onions
• 6 strips of cooked bacon - crumpled
• After the potatoes bake through, cover the slices with the cheese mixture and bake for about 5 more minutes!
• I served these on a platter with a bowl of sour cream so it was really like a stuffed baked potato! They were delicious!!

Stuffed Jalapeños - I have made these several times for guests and they are always a huge hit!

• You need about 20-25 fresh jalapeños, one lbs of sausage, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and one brick of cream cheese
• Slice the jalapeños in half and clean out the seeds
• In a skillet, ground sausage
• Add brick of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to cooked sausage
• Stuff jalapeño halves with sausage mixture
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes