Asays

Pomp and Circumstance

2011-07-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

So I failed to mention in my previous post, a VERY important event that I was privileged to witness. On the way to Tennessee, we took a detour down to Florida to see my brother Tyler graduate from High School.

Tyler, pictured below, is a goof ball to the extreme. He has ADHD and I LOVE IT! That kid is constantly cracking me up and has the most random sense of humor. I didn't have the opportunity to grow up around Tyler (we have different dads). The only time I got to see him was on the once a year trip to my Mom's house for a visit. So it is only natural that his growing-up seemed impossible to me. Earlier this year I found myself thinking "Whoa, Tyler is graduating! He is too young to go to college. He isn't ready to take on the world! My little brother can't handle being a grown-up!" Then I snapped to reality. He is 18. He is no longer my "little" brother, but a man. He will always be the goofy, crazy, nerd that I love. I am so proud of him for graduating and starting his "real" life now. His grown-up life...because sadly, that's what he is now, a grown-up. Right?

I really suck.

2011-07-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am terrible at this. Obviously. I have never been goo

d at writing in a journal or diary, so why did I think I could do this? I am on the computer a lot. Not JUST Facebooking and messing around. I take online classes, print of coupons, do research, order things, watch Netflix etc. Why don't I just take some time and blog? I'm lazy. There I said it. L A Z Y.

Give me a break, okay. I have people and a dog to take care of.

Anyways, We obviously move to Tennessee. How do we like it? So far, so good. However, there are some things I would like to complain about. Such as: the heat, the bugs, the spiders, the humidity, the traffic, the spiders, my neighbors dog, the mail man comes at 6pm, the spiders, Cole works nights only, did I mention the spiders? I think that is it. I am sure I will find something else to complain about, just give me some time.

I do like the house Cole found for us to live in. It was build in 1

943 and has hardwood floors and lead paint. We have a fenced yard, which is

just lovely. The dog and children can run free with out the threat of escaping into the street.

What else is new? I started couponing. Not like the extreme ladies on TLC, but only because I don't have the time to dedicate to it. I do, however, get some smoking deals. This pic is from my first trip and I saved almost $90 bucks! All of the things I get for mere change that my family doesnt use, i.e. the pull-ups and extra tooth brushes, are going into a collection box for the local homeless shelter.

Being in Tennessee is also great because I am closer to my side of the family. My dad is only 6 hours away in North Carolaaaaanuh. We recently paid him a visit on Fathers Day.

Part of the appeal of visiting my dad, aside from my dad being there, is what is in his backyard--a LAKE!! Now when I say "backyard" I mean that quite literally. He even has a private little beach area with sand and good ol Carolina red clay. We had such a great time swimming and are looking forward to going back...you know, to see my dad...

In other news...Cole's little sister, Maggie, got married this past weekend in Denver. We had the opportunity to attend the festivities.

To me, one of the BEST parts of the weekend was spending some much needed time with my best friend, Ayzlynn. She is seriously the greatest. We text/call each other every day, but you can't beat good ol' face time. It was wonderful.

So we flew to Denver, which took about 4 hours total travel time. On the way home, we drove the new van we scored from a newly retired Radiologist. The drive took us a total of 20 hours travel time. Ask me which one I prefer...

The kids actually did a great job. The first half of the trip was at night so the kids, and myself, slept. Once the sun came up, it was my turn to drive, at which point the dvd player went on as did my audio book.

All-in-all, things are pretty good for the Asays. Now let's hope I can keep up with this blog and continue to entertain you with my wit and literary personality.

Major Catch Up

2011-05-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so once again I have failed at updating my blog regularly. Sue me. I am a busy person with little persons to take care of. I am really wanting to try to keep up on this, especially since we are getting ready to move to Nashville. Thats right, the time has come.

Since it has been a while since I have entertained you with my wit and happenings, here is what has been going on the last few months:

-Hannah sang in the Stars of Tomorrow competition and did an AMAZING job. She sang Landslide by Stevie Nicks, and was nothing short of totally awesome.

-Lilli turned 2.

-Lucas snapped his glasses in half. (don't worry, they're fixed now)

-I have been working on my BFA degree, slowly, very very slowly, but still working on it.

-Cole came to visit in March, and April.

-I got an iPad and Lilli can work it better than any adult in the house, including me.

-Glen, Cole's oldest brother, got married.

-I made an awesome cake for the event above.

-My husband spoiled me and bought me a new wedding ring. It is gorgeous.

In more recent news, I became an Auntie to the first Hooper baby!! His name is Carter Wayne and I am totally in love with him. He is so tiny (only 6lbs) and so perfect. It makes me a little sad that I have to leave.

Also, Cole finished his BSN!! Not only does he now have a bachelors degree, BUT he graduated with honors and was on the Deans List every semester. Am I proud of him? YES!!! I know he worked his buns off to do well and with how chaotic our life can be, I think its saying something.

Lastly, this past Saturday, Lila and I jogwalked a 5k for breast cancer. It was not a planned thing, I just saw a poster for it at the grocery store and sent Lila a text. It went something like this:

Me: Hey, would you be interested in a 5k on Sat?

Lila: Watching one? Sure :)

Isn't she hilarious?! It didn't take much convincing, and she was game. SO we did it. We walked at a brisk pace and jogged off and on. Overall it was a great time to visit and get some exercise. After the 3.2 miles were complete, I felt GREAT! I think that I am going to make it a regular thing? Maybe...

Ok, thats all for now. I have a longer post I would like to do, but I have a 2 year old who is trying to sneakily steal my iPad and watch Netflix.

Lucas Bieber

2011-03-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I put this song on and Lucas started getting down with some sweet moves. I immediately got the camera and restarted the song. I freaking love my kids.

I promise I will sit down and write some stuff later. I know there are SO MANY people who want to hear what I have to say. I have been busy, okay.

A Few Things

2011-03-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

I am too lazy right now to write my regular length of a post. I am not feeling well, again, and I want to get back to watching mindless internet videos while I wallow in my sick self-pity. So, that said, here are just a few tidbits.

Lucas said today that he wants to draw a picture of himself as a superhero, take it to Walmart, and there have them make it into an action figure to be sold. He then informed us we could purchase 10 each and they do a lot of things like fly, fight with swords, and watch cartoons with you. Another cute little thing he said was "Heavenly Father put a crazy bone in me, that's why I'm so silly." What a clever kid. He is still on his fruit salad kick too.

Oh, and this is the face Lilli has been making EVERY time she goes pee.

Family Fun Times

2011-03-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

Soooo guess what we did on Saturday? That's right--Sledding.

Lucas and Hannah loved it! The wind started to kick up and it was only 11 degrees outside, so we called it quits on the sledding venture. The kids were still wanting to do something fun so we found our way over to Cody and hit up the Dairy Queen drive-thru. It's never too cold for an ice cream cone!

Remembering Kevin

2011-02-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today, my Uncle Kevin committed suicide. He struggled with drug addiction for many years and was trying to find the help he needed to get better. After weeks of calling rehabilitation centers, and finding no room for him, he decided he couldn't get help. Kevin felt he was a burden and a disappointment to his family, and took his own life. There was nothing in his system at his time of death, except sadness. I wish so much I could have told him how much he was loved and cared for.

If someone close to you is struggling with addiction, tell them you love them and get them help. Don't be afraid to make them mad or offend them. It is much better to have the ones you love angry with you, then gone forever.

We miss you Kevin.

Swimming, swimming, in a swimming pool.

2011-02-24T12:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I decided to take the kids swimming at the new aquatic center here in Powell. When Hannah got home from school, I said "Hey guys, how about we go swimming?!" They were very excited and Lucas said "Awesome, we get to stay at a hotel!" Apparently we have been living in winter towns too much. My kids think if we're going swimming, we are staying at a hotel in another town. I explained to them that we were going to a pool in town, and they were still just as elated. I grabbed my camera and took a few snapshots...

Hannah always has to pose!

Lila met us there and really helped me out with the kiddos.

THEN, Jake, his girlfriend Kelsey, and her son Tristan came and we had ourselves a little pool party! (Jake came right from work so you can see the contrast from his dirty/wind burnt face and his under-clothes skin)

We had a way good time and I think I might just make it a weekly thing.

The Past Few Weeks

2011-02-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

So, I've been sick. Not sniffles and mild cough. I'm talking, hacking, fever, headache, vomiting, you name it. I thought my amazing immune system could fight off the sickness, however, it proved to be less than worthy. $180 dollars later and a large regimen of pills later, I feel somewhat normal again. I'd say I am running at about 92% now as opposed to 11%. What better way to celebrate than blogging?

Ok, here we go. So the last few weeks have gone by like a blur. Valentines day was CRAZY hectic. I had to deliver about 14+ bouquets of Cake Pops AND help with Hannah's school party AND you know, still do all of my normal everyday mom stuff. Needless to say, I was spread a little thin. I shouldn't complain tho, I do it to myself. Anyways, Oh, Nashville was great. I had such a good time with Cole! We saw the sights, ate tasty food, and enjoyed one another's company. It was a great way to spend our 6th anniversary. I miss him so much!

In little people news: Hannah has decided to do Stars of Tomorrow. In case you are unaware of what this is, it is a local talent competition put on by the Kiwanis Club. If you win the upper division classes you move on to regionals, state, etc. I competed when I was 15 and totally won. Clap clap for me! Ok, enough of that... Hannah will be competing in the K-2 division where everyone wins and gets a little medal and certificate. She is going to be singing a song of her choice which happens to be....wait for it....Landslide. You know, "I took my love and I took it down, climbed a mountain and I turned around..." This pick was all on her own and I fully support it. I will try and post a video of her practicing.

It has been so strange not having Hannah around all day this year. However, I do get to hang out with Lucas and Lilli so I am not too bored :) Lilli has completed potty training! What a freakin relief! She was actually the easiest to train. She's to the point now where accidents are minimal and she tells me when she has to go. I wouldn't say she's 100% ready to turn lose on the world, but each day gets better and drier haha. Oh another thing, she has a new favorite toy: a cell phone. Imagine that. It is a cheesy little princess phone that makes noise, but she pretends it is real. She will hold it up and say "say cheese! Awe, looks so cute. I'm going to send it to daddy." I think maybe I take too many cell phone pictures??

Lucas is pretty much the same. He is 100% boy and 100% wild. I think that taking care of him should count for any exercise I might need. I also think he is sustaining the Crystal Light company with his daily beverage intake. That kid will never have a problem with dehydration, thats for sure.
Today, he said "Mom, can I have a treat." This can mean ANY food product so I said "Well, go pick something out and I will tell you if you can have it." He came back in the room and said, "I made myself a special treat mom!" Nervously, I looked in the bowl he was holding and found peeled segments of a clementine orange and grapes. "See mom, I made a delicious fruit salad!" I am so happy my son considers fruit to be a delicious treat. Now if I could only get him to eat his dinner....

Nothing better to do...

2011-02-02T03:58:00.001-08:00

So, here is sit, in the Charolotte, NC airport. Almost 24 hours past when I was supposed to land in Nashville. It is 4:58 am, Wyoming time. I have been awake since 3 am yesterday. Granted, I took the occasional uncomfortable snooze whilst in the air, but I am very very tired. So why not update my blog?!

So here are some things that are happening in Asay town. Or as I like to call it, AWESOME town. Sorry, cheesy tired joke. You know, because I am tired...anyways.

Things in Powell are going pretty good. It is freezing cold there, actually colder than freezing. I am reminded once again, I hate winter. With a passion.

Lilli has shown interest in going potty so I'm rolling with it. She has the #2 business down pat. When I get back from my trip to TN (if I ever get there), I am going to be hard core and get it done. High-five for no more diapers! Side note, she thinks that toilet time is also a time to take in a good book.

Lucas is doing well in preschool. Lucas is, well, Lucas. He gets annoyed with all of the pictures I take of them (the kids) unless I'm taking a picture of Lilli. Then it's, "Hey mom, take my picture! [click] I wanna see it!"
Hannah is a kindergarten star. Or at least I think she is. They recently celebrated the 100th day of school and she had to dress like a superhero. She chose to be "Teddy Bear Girl". She had the power of flight and her teddy bear had laser eyes. So watch out Powell, there is a 5 year old girl saving lives with her bear! She needed a haircut very badly, so I made her an appointment at the salon. She insisted on keeping it long, so we added layers. Isn't she so cute?!

Soooooo. I miss my husband. That is the whole point of going on this trip. It is going to be our 6th anniversary on Friday. Guess what? We still LIKE each other! I mean we love one another too, like, a lot okay. I think it is equally important that you like your spouse as well. This is a pic I sent him, one late night at the Cody Wal-Mart:
I have been keeping myself very busy lately. I have school work, kids, chores, errands, AND cakes. Whew. The good news is, I just took my midterms so I'm halfway thru my Economics class. This is GOOD news people. I am not a fan. However, I am enjoying the ease of my Graphics class. They wouldn't accept the credit from one of my NWC classes, so I am in a somewhat beginner class. Needless to say, my work is a little (Okay a lot) more advanced than that of my peers. This is my favorite project so far:
Sweet Ace Cakes has been BUSY! This past week, I made 3 birthday cakes for people. I have been experimenting with some other design methods to expand my portfolio. Still, no fondant. I cant convince people to order it, so I am still lacking in that department.
This was a cake for my brother's girlfriend's mom. She is a girly girl to the max, can you tell? I am pretty happy with how the roses turned out. Oh yeah, those are hand made. WHAAAAT?!
I also made a cake for my sister-in-law Mandie. Her favorite colors are green and yellow. This was my interpretation of her and her personality. She loved the cake. OOH, side note, the cake was sugar free almond cream. My first time doing a SF cake. It was DELICIOUS! I am in love with Splenda. Seriously. L-O-V-E.
I also introduced a new product...CAKE POPS! These things are exploding in the cake world. (Yes, there is a world of cake. Shut up) If you don't know what these are, it is basically cake and frosting, rolled into a ball, and dipped in chocolate, then decorated. Are you saying "Mmmmmmmmmmm!" ? Well you should be, because they are freaking delicious.
I made 50 Red Velvet and 50 German Chocolate for the local coffee house, Parlor News. They had them for their "Tunes on Tuesday" open mic night event. I also made 50 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup for Hannah's class. Yeah, I am a pretty cool mom. What can I say.
Business plug time. I am selling bouquets for Valentines day. Interested? Contact me at: sweetacecakes@gmail.com

Lets try this again....

2011-01-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, So I really suck at this. A lot has happened since I last visited this blog. A LOT. Too much to type, so lets start fresh with a recap of the past couple of weeks. I think that anyone who is reading this, pretty much knows the rest of the story.
So, December brought my best friends wedding! (good movie) I had the privilege of being her Maid of Honor and I had an absolute blast. She married a wonderful man, and as cliche as this may be, he completes her. I couldn't be happier for Ayzlynn Hammond :)

Also in December, Cole was offered a job in...

...at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. So, looks like we're going to be saying y'all and Howdy a little more.
We decided that instead of blindly moving to TN, I would go and stay in Powell for a while with the in-laws and he would go ahead and move to start his new job. The plan is for him to research the area and find a good suburb for us to live in. When he does, we will find a house and head on out. He left January 1st and it has been a very very long 3 weeks so far. His birthday is Feb 1 and our anniversary is the 4th so, guess who has a ticket to fly to TN?? That's right, ME! I am so excited to go and spend some time with my husband. I think this will be the first time in years, just the two of us have spend some time together.
So, here the kids and I are, in Powell, WY. We are doing pretty good. At times, things can get a little crazy without Dad around, but we are managing. I have been trying to stay busy to pass the time, and let me tell you, it is working. These kids keep me on my toes!
Lillian is now 21 months old. She is such a little shining star. I find it hard sometimes to get her in trouble because she has such a sweet little face and a tiny little speaking voice that just melts my heart. She is so smart too! She has started to bring me a diaper, wipes, and desitin when she has a dirty bum. She then says "Change my diaper, I poopy." I see potty training in our very near future...

Lucas...oh, Lucas. This kid is such a wild little man! His toys of choice are swords, guns, and action figures. From the time he wakes up, til the time I wrestle him to bed, he is going 100 miles an hour. I enrolled him in preschool here and that seems to be doing wonders for him. He loves getting ready with his sister and going to his own school. As wild as he is, I have to give him credit for being a good protector of his sisters. He would do anything to keep them safe and he has a very kind heart. Just when I think I can't take any more of his wildness, he gives me a hug and says, "You're the best mom".

Hannah Marie is so grown up! She is in Kindergarten this year and already is starting to read. She is so smart and talented. We have her in piano lessons and dance class. She is definitely a performer! You can constantly hear singing in the house because everywhere she is, she is singing some kind of tune. Hannah has also become very independent lately. She gets up, makes her own breakfast, and has insisted in walking herself to the end of the driveway to meet the bus. She is very responsible too. She always does her chores and is usually very willing to help me clean up. I am so blessed to have her in my life and I am grateful for her presence every day. What a beautiful child.

On top of everything I do for/with the kids, I have started working on my Bachelors degree. It is going to take me a while because I take 2 classes every 8 weeks, but I am in no rush. So far, I am enjoying it, despite the fact that it is ALL online. I am looking forward to getting in to more advanced design projects. The 7:30 bed time my kids have is lending a huge hand to my success as a student. I have become quite the night owl. If only my kids would sleep past 7am...
Final thought--Cole and I are going to be celebrating our 6th anniversary on the 4th. I am so lucky to have him in my life. I can honestly say that I am married to not only the love of my life, but the best friend that I have ever known. I hope that everyone gets a chance to experience a love like we have :)

Tiny Kitchen

2010-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Oh, I wanted to show everyone my "work station". I live in this great big house, but it seriously has the kitchen fit for a camper. This is all the counter space I have. Crazy right?! I do the cooking here, but I decorate on the kitchen table.

Sweet Ace Cakes strikes again!

2010-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, this week, it was a mini-wedding cake. All the client wanted was white, white, white. SO, Not too much creative freedom as far as color goes. However, I did try out some new things. Here is the final result:

I also made gum paste flowers for the first time ever. I got a book that came with a little kit and went to town. You can definitely tell which was the first rose, but I am very pleased with how they turned out! I am going to try and color the gum paste and make some other flowers for an upcoming order.

More Cake

2010-02-07T08:22:00.001-08:00

Guess what I did this weekend? Yep, made a cake. This time it was for my Bestest Friend Ayzlynn. She turned 25! Old woman haha! Her mom threw her a party and hired Sweet Ace Cakes to feed the crowd! Again, I had creative freedom to do whatever so I decided I would keep experimenting with different recipes and decor.

(Below: Maggie, Ayzlynn, Me at the party)

So, here it is: white chocolate raspberry cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and fresh raspberries on top.

Yes, it was super delicious. SO here is another plug for my tiny little business - if you want cake or know of someone who does, let me know! The only way for me to get better is practice, practice, practice!!

Family pet and Melting Pot

2010-02-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Well, we took the plunge and got a family pet! We can't have dogs or cats here so we went with a Guinea Pig. They are pretty docile creatures and they are great to have with kids. SO, everyone, meet Mokey:

Hannah and Lucas are so excited and just want to hold her all the time. I am not going to lie, I am pretty happy myself. She is such a sweet little thing. She is only 9 weeks old so she will get bigger.

In other news, Cole and I celebrated out 5 year anniversary this past week. Cole got me some awesome cake/recipe books and I got him concert tickets (B.B. King). We went out to dinner, just the two of us, to the Melting Pot in Fort Collins. It was DELICIOUS! We were there for almost two hours eating as much fondu as we could take.

It has been a great past 5 years and I look forward to the next 5!

Oh, Children.

2010-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Lately, Lillian is on this "do it myself" kick. Tonight, it was while she was eating blueberry applesauce. I have a nifty little self-feed spoon that keeps babies from being able to gag themselves. All I had to do was dip it in and she did the rest. She was pretty pleased with herself!

"Here Mom, want some?"

In other news, Hannah and Lucas are about to the point where they need to have separate bath times. Hannah is seen below demonstrating her modesty, Lucas is showing his sarcasm.

Many Sorry's My Dear Friends.

2010-02-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have been a really crappy blogger lately. My excuse? December was a busy month! THEN my power cord to my Mac broke and I had to order one. All is fixed now, and I promise to be much better from now on!!!

Okay so, Christmas. We decided it would be fun to drive up to Powell early and surprise Cole's family. We had the kids hide in a big box that we wrapped and jump out. Everyone was very surprised and our plan worked perfectly. We spend Christmas in Powell and came home the Tuesday after for Cole to work. Santa visited us and the kids were more than happy with the results. One of the gifts that is worth mentioning are the electric guitars they got. Lucas no longer has to play the pillow and can REALLY rock out with his daddy in the garage.

This was also Lillian Belle's first Christmas. She obviously didn't care, but we had fun spoiling her and dressing her up. Isn't she just the cutest thing EVER?!

Oh, and it was Noah's first Christmas too! We got them matching outfits and they looked super cute, that is, until Noah had a little accident and had to change.

While we were in Powell, we crammed in as much as we could. That 7 hour trip does not come easy for our family! Anyways, during the weekend, Mandie went to the Temple for the first time and it was a really great experience for everyone who got to go. I am glad that I was one of the lucky few :) AND we had Noah's baby blessing. We were able to snag a nice family picture too!

This is a picture of me with my beautiful niece Preslee (Dusty and Amber's daughter).
Lucas' Birthday just so happened to be while we were in Powell also. He has been telling me for months now that he wants a Batman cake with Joker cups. So that's exactly what I gave him.
He loved his cake, and his party. There were a lot of people who came to celebrate his turning 3. Our friends who were home for Christmas came as well and we had a blast!
So how are the Asays in 2010? We are great! Hannah is loving preschool and all her friends there. She wakes up every morning and asks "is it a school day mom?" She can now write her name, in order, consistently. She is working on letter recognition and letter sounds. She is so smart and such a drama queen!

Lucas is a wild man! He cant get enough of swords and Nerf guns. That kid wares me out. Talk about a test of patience. On the other hand. He has such a big heart and tells me every day that I am the best mommy. He still has his lisp and we are planning on working on that here in the upcoming months. Cole does not want our little man going to Kindergarten with a speech problem.

Lillian is still just a quiet observer in our house. She is now 9 months and still has no teeth! However, she does not let that stop her from enjoying whatever food she can get her hands on. She is working on crawling and I know it's going to happen any day now! For now, she just scoots backwards to wherever she wants to go. I am fine with this plan. When she starts crawling, that means baby gates go up, and I have to start vacuuming 3 times a day!

Cole is doing great as well. He is very busy with work and his online classes. He is happy with his job and is in the middle of taking his turn rotating the night shift. He works from 7pm-7am. It is so hard for us when he is working nights because he sleeps during the day and we have to pretend like he is not in the next room. The kids have the hardest time not going in and waking up their daddy to wrestle. Cole's school work is going good too. He is done with one semester toward his BSN, and he managed to get on the Dean's Honor Roll!! We are so proud of his hard work for our family! He just celebrated his birthday too. He had to work so we just had some dinner and cake on Sunday with some family that lives here in Laramie. Here are some pics from our get together:

Lilli eating a graham cracker.

Lucas: "Yeah, Yeah, I know I'm cute. Take the picture and get me some dinner."

Me and Ayzlynn

The fire is just going to keep on getting bigger and bigger from now on.

Cole and our Hannah Banana.

So, Cole had to work on his birthday. Naturally, I made him some cupcakes to take to work :) I found a recipe I wanted to try and this was the perfect occasion. They are peanut butter cupcakes filled with chocolate cream and topped with chocolate ganache and peanut butter chips. Were they delicious? Um, hello?! It's chocolate AND peanut butter. Of course they were delicious.

Anyways, I guess that leaves me. Not much new here. I have been dieting for what seems like forever. Still trying to get off the last 15 lbs that have been there since I had Hannah. Since September, I have lost almost 30 lbs. BUT I am not finished yet! I started going to a step aerobics class on W/F and it kicks my butt! (but in a good way) I am so sore I can barely walk, but I am excited to go every time. In-between I am doing yoga and other forms of exercise. Hopefully by Lillians 1st birthday, I will have a new physique. Also, I am still trying to get into the whole cake making business. I will hopefully have some orders coming in in the next little bit. I am really hoping to be able to go to Chicago this summer and take the Wilton Master Course. It is 10 days of Cake, Cake, and more CAKE! It gets me excited just thinking about it. They teach you everything you need to know to get a good base of knowledge and skill. The cost isn't too bad, but I have to shell out some money for the lodging. SO, if you want to make a donation I accept PayPal, check, or cash HAHA!

Anyways, thats about it. I will try to be much better from now on so everyone isn't reading a novel when they check out my blog. Bye for now!

Trees, Cookies, and Good Times

2009-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I LOVE the holiday season. There is just something about the feeling of Christmas that just warms my heart. The kids are getting old enough to feel it too and that makes me really happy!

So a few days after Thanksgiving we decided to put up the tree. Cole always gets the decorations out for me and puts the tree up. Then it's my job to 'fluff' the tree and direct the decorating. I always let the kids do their thing first. I have slight OCD when it comes to the tree so Cole always has to restrain me while the kids decorate. Of course they did like all kids do and put most of the ornaments at their eye level and on a total of two branches. But they had fun and had no idea that I moved the ornaments around after they went to bed :-)

Things are good here at the Asay house, aside from the holidays, not a whole lot is happening. Cole started working nights and I am not a fan. He works from 7p to 7a! So he leaves after dinner and comes home at breakfast and crashes. Then he gets up around 2 or 3 and hangs out for a while before starting it all over again. We dont get to see him very much on work days...boo. The nice thing about nights is the pay is better...thats about it.

The kids are doing good. Hannah is going to start her last week of school til the new year this week. She loves school. She asks me every night if its school the next day.

Lillian is teething so she is kind of a bear lately. She has been struggling with fevers and diaper rashes for almost 2 weeks now. Still, she keeps a smile on her face.

Oh, so it has been very cold here in Laramie the past week or so. Our house has been cold as well. I thought because its an older house maybe the house couldn't keep up with the -30 wind chill. So I have been sitting around the house with blankets and electric heaters. I even attempted to start a fire in the fireplace. Nothin was working. Yesterday morning I went to get in the shower and the hot water wouldn't work either. So we were freezing all around. Turns out our boiler is broken and needs a new starter? The whole heating system in the house is water based, which explains the cold. We are currently waiting on the part to come in and the guy to come install it. Until then, its showers at Ayzlynn's house and sleeping in the living room with electric heaters.

We started our holiday baking! So far we've just done the gingerbread men, but Thursday I am going to bust out the good stuff!

Aren't we cute?

Thanksgiving Weekend and a House Full!

2009-11-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

So, Thanksgiving...I was so nervous. It was our first time hosting, and my first time cooking a turkey for such an event. Cole invited his friend Kizzy from work and her new husband Tom. He is from the Philippines so this was his first Thanksgiving...EVER! I spent the week cleaning up the house and researching recipes. I found a delicious roasted turkey recipe where you make a compound butter (butter with herbs, garlic, etc.) and you shove it under the skin. I had to baste it every 20 min for 3 hours, not to mention, it barely fit in my tiny oven...

But after 3 hours the turkey was done, and it was beautiful! Did I mention the aroma? I wish there was a scratch and sniff feature on my blog. Wow.

I did a huge no-no and tried recipes that I have never made before. Fortunately, I am a decent enough cook to pull it off. I made some Brie en Croute for the appetizer, it was delish! Cheese, nuts, and bread. You cant go wrong with that combination.

We set the table before our company came and Hannah made us all our own turkey hand place cards. She colored them and Cole helped her cut them out. She was very proud of her work. When meal time came no one was saying a word; this is a good sign in my opinion. Their faces were stuffed with food! It was so good! Kizzy and Tom brought the traditional items I didn't make, like mashed potatoes and rolls. Tom also brought some native dishes like Lampas and some delicious chicken soup. Cole was happy to just have his turkey leg!

Lillian didn't get to eat the same food as us, but I made sure she had some Gerber Turkey and Sweet Potatoes. She was just fine with it. Oh, I found this super awesome spoon at Albertsons of all places. You put the food in the handle of the spoon and just squeeze it out into the end of the spoon! It's great for when we are out places or even at church.

This is a picture of our company, Tom and Kizzy. Oh yeah, and Hannah :-)

After dinner, we cleaned up and our company left, just in time for more company to show up! Cole's family came to visit us for the weekend after they ate in Riverton. With Cole's parents came presents for the kiddos. Such gifts were: bunk beds, a dresser and night stand, clothes, and super hero costumes with muscles. Lucas immediately put on the costume they got for him and didn't take it off until he had to bathe the next day.

Maggie came with them, which was great because I hadn't met her baby Noah yet! He was so tiny. My kids were still in the womb when they were his size. You forget so quickly how small babies are. He loves his Auntie Manda.

Here is a picture of Ayz, Me, Mandie, and baby Noah in my kitchen.

It was so nice to have a visit from the family. Cole spent time playing guitar with his dad and the kids played downstairs with Mimi (his sister Mandie).

On Saturday we took a trip to Fort Collins Colorado to do a little shopping and eat at Rodizzio, a delicious Brazilian restaurant. We went to a baby boutique/toy store that was extremely over priced! They had the coolest stuff there, none of which I was willing to pay for. I did see a really cool baby carrier called a Maya Wrap that I wanted and made a note to save up for it or find it on eBay. When we left the store, Mandie handed me the wrap and said Merry Christmas! It was super nice of her, and I LOVE it.

After that we then went to the mall. When we got to the mall there was a Holiday Train for kids to ride, so of course my kids had to ride:

Lucas thought it was super awesome. Lillian didn't get to ride, but she liked hanging out in her wrap and watching her brother and sister. We walked a little further down the mall and guess who we ran into? That's right: SANTA!! The kids were ecstatic. Hannah jumped right into his lap, Lucas was hesitant. Like any good mother around the holidays, I forced him to sit on Santa for a picture. He warmed up to him but got off his lap to tell him he wanted a "costume sword".

Cole's family left on Sunday morning after a delicious breakfast at Perkins :-) We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying what was left of the holiday break. Cole doesn't have to go back to work until Wednesday so we are going to put up our tree and do some things as a family until he has to go back.

Denver, Sewing, and Night Life

2009-11-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

So, sorry about the long break from Blogg-age. I have been busy finishing unpacking. I figure there is no longer an excuse and I just need to quit being lazy about it.

Anyways, last weekend we took an overnight trip to Denver. It is only 2 hours away so, not too far of a trip. Cole, Glen, and Megan went to the Black Crowes concert at the Fillmore, so me and the kids had a night-in in the hotel room. We were starving by the time we got there so I decided we needed to order some room service. Now, I was super excited because this was in fact, my first experience with room service. I got the kids a pizza and ordered myself some fabulous sounding pasta... Well the kids' pizza was AMAZING! My food was lacking salt and tasted pretty bland.

BUT to compensate for the lack of flavor, the hotel kitchen included a mini bottle of Tabasco.

It was a pretty good evening all in all. The concert was good according to Cole, and they got me a T-Shirt (not that it made us even). So, I need to find myself a concert to go to and it's Cole's turn to watch the kids, any suggestions?
We got up the next morning and chilled while everyone got ready. We then treated ourselves to an amazing breakfast at IHOP. Might I recommend the Gingerbread Holiday Hotcakes...

So when we got home from Denver, Cole and I had a reception to go to for his preceptor at work. It was a small, very personal event, so we had Ayz come over and watch ALL 3 kids! It was nice to be an adult for a few hours, and not just someone's mom.

Oh yeah, so in the downstairs living room there are 4 windows that look right out into the front yard. They are ground level so you can see right into the play room. This has been a problem, especially at night when the inside lights are on. We don't want any creepers looking in on our kids. The solution? Discount fabric from Wal~Mart, and me using my limited sewing skills. I specialize in two things when sewing, pillow cases and baby blankets. Curtains are pretty much a combination of the two. Hannah helped me out by handing me pins and putting the used ones back in the tomato cushion.

As you can see, I am getting very bored with making the curtains. But the turned out great and you can no longer see in, or out, of the downstairs windows!

Okay, I read the Twilight books just like every other woman in the world, and yes, I loved them. However, I hated the first movie. I thought it was a combination of cheesy effects, added dialogue, and poor acting. So when New Moon came out I had mixed feelings. I had the highest hopes that it would be so much better than the first. Ayz got us some tickets for opening night so I put the kids to bed when Cole got home and we went to the 9:45 show. Let me just say it was everything I wanted it to be. So much better than the first. It just goes to show what popularity and a couple more millions of dollars will do for a franchise.

Ayz and I tried to take a pic while she was stopped at a stop sign...she didn't get the memo...

There, thats much better!

Fall Leaves=Family Photo

2009-11-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today was such a fun day! The kids wanted to make some cupcakes, and I just so happened to have some Rainbow Chip frosting and cake mix! Sooo while they were sleeping I made the cupcakes and when they woke up I let them decorate.

Lucas was more interested in eating the sprinkles...

Hannah was being very meticulous about her decorating. She took her time decorating one while Lucas decorated 3.

Lucas was super pleased with himself. He decided he was done decorating and just wanted to eat.

Here is our tower of cupcakes!!

When Cole got home he asked if we wanted to go outside so we put coats on and headed out into the back yard. There were piles and piles of leaves so the kids decided to get a rake.

Lillian and mommy. She loves going outside! You can see the kids behind us hard at work.

We made a huge pile of leaves and thought the kids would like to be tossed into the middle of it. Who doesn't have a childhood memory of jumping in leaves?!

Lucas thought it was crap. He didn't like being thrown into a pile of decaying foliage.

Hannah on the other hand thought it was AMAZING!

Lillian wasn't sure what to do about the leaves around her. She started to slowly sink in then decided she wanted out.We put her on the ground away from the giant pile. She immediately started to eat the leaves.

She is such a pretty girl! We feel so blessed to have such a beautiful baby girl in our life.

We even managed to snap a Family pic!

Letters and Sleeping All Night

2009-11-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

So Hannah has been working on writing her letters at school. She made what they call a 'bag book' and wrote words on papers and put them in bags. The words she chose are all of our names in the family. Here is how she wrote Lucas' name:

I have been wanting Lillian to sleep thru the night for a while now, and I think she is more than ready. She eats real food and nurses before bed, SO when she wakes up at night it is more habit than anything else. For a while I was just getting up and giving her the pacifier and she would go back to sleep. Well, I am tired of getting up. Cole and I decided it was time for her to cry it out...

It was very hard for me last night to lie in my bed and listen to her scream. It was about 30 min and she eventually settled down. I thought it wouldn't be too bad if she only did that once a night for the next week. Boy was I wrong. At some point she woke up again and cried for what felt like forever. Cole had to literally put his arm on my chest to keep me from getting up. UGH. So I am hoping she only cries for the next few nights and then gets the point. I am not sure what I will do with a full nights sleep.

Glasses, Ponytails, and Rock Stars

2009-11-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day in a long time I felt normal! I woke up with no headache and felt decent most of the day. Cole had day 2 of his Orientation at work and surprised us by coming home at 3:00! It was so nice to have some time with him.

Lucas has a well known fascination with swords. All types, all shapes, and all sizes. He finds it to be a personal threat if you touch any of his swords, especially without asking. Anyways, today I asked him to please pick his swords up and walked into the kitchen. As I was doing the dishes I could hear all sorts of sound effects coming from the living room. I walked in to find him having a battle with an imaginary foe. I didn't even get mad, I just went and got the camera.

Something big happened today for our little Hannah; she got glasses! The eye doc says she is almost as far sighted as Lucas, she just doesn't have the eye turning problem he does. Who knew! Apparently I can make cute children, they are just blind as bats. She got to pick out her own glasses, and picked a purple pair made by PEZ (yes, the candy). She looks like a smart little librarian. Once on, she said everything is bigger. She also has a little issue with depth perception. I am going to have to help her on the stairs for the next few days. Here are her before and after pics at the eye doctor:

Today I tried something new with Lillian...a ponytail. She surprisingly held very still. I couldn't do this to Hannah til she was about a year old. I am glad Lillian has a little more hair...even if she looks like bam bam...

Lucas was so excited to have his sister wearing glasses just like him.

Lillian is really pushing herself up. I think crawling is in her near future. She spins around when on her tummy, so it's only a few weeks before she is moving forward.

Cole went out to the garage this evening to do a little Rockin'...Lucas decided to join in on the fun

Sickness and a Soup Day

2009-11-08T18:29:00.001-08:00

Well this past week was Hannah's first day of Pre-K Preschool here in Laramie. She goes 3 days a week (MWF) from 830-2. That is a long day for a little girl who is used to taking naps! Good news is she loved it. There are 10 kids in her class and she has a wonderful teacher! It's a really great school too and I think it is really going to prepare her for Kindergarten.

After she was done on Monday we picked her up and went as a family to the rec center. It is a really cool place! There is a jungle gym and a lazy river. The kids thought it was great so we have made a plan to go at least once a week on the days Cole is off of work.

The kids are doing great. Lillian is continuing to grow like a weed! (A very chubby one :-) She loves to eat Gerber Chicken Noodle Dinner, and she is addicted to the banana puffs. She now sits up all by herself to play, AND she said MAMA the other day. I swear! Cole even heard it.

So on Tuesday I started to have a headache around 2pm and by the end of the day it was so bad I threw up and thought I was going to die (not literally). The headache continued the rest of the week. It was worse when I stood so I spent the last few days lying down being lazy to keep the headache at bay. Today I felt somewhat better. THANK GOODNESS! The headache is not completely gone but I think it is going away. Anyways, I felt like I needed some soup. So I made my favorite: French Onion! It was my first time making it and it was soooo good!

Halloweenie

2009-11-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

SO, It was Halloween on Saturday. YEAH! Or so I thought. We had this brilliant plan to go downtown Laramie and do Trick-or-Treating at about 2pm and then hit up some houses. THEN we would be home by dark and just chill and pass out candy at our casa. WELL we were given the wrong times for the downtown T.O.T.-ing. BIG PROBLEM. Hannah was straight up ticked. Everyone was in their costumes ready to go, only to return home, fully dressed, to wait for another hour or so. Well they got over it. Cole took the kids out with Glen and his girlfriend Megan while I stayed home to cook a fab dinner. The kids made quite the haul!

I WONT NEED CANDY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

Of course my kids were the cutest in the whole town...Just see for yourself:

Lillian the Sheep

Little Bo Peep and her sheep

Batman Boy

Family Photo Op!!!

Long Overdue

2009-10-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

YES! We moved!!

We are now residents of Laramie, Wyoming! This is our new house and we are super excited to be out of apartments!!!

It was a very quick and stressful move, but we are here and we're LOVING IT! Today I woke up to many inches of snow, so I am not too excited about the winter that is ahead of us, but I'm being optimistic. I think I will work on my snowman building skills.

The kids are doing great! Lillian just turned 6 months! I took her to the doctor and she weighs 17lb 15oz and is 27in long. BIG BABY!!

Hannah and Lucas are great too. They are so excited for Halloween!! I will be sure to post pictures ASAP!!

Cole started his job, and so far is liking it! He has had some tough hours since starting, BUT he has 5 days off starting tomorrow! I am super excited to have him home. Thats it for now! More to come later :-) I promise this time!

The Painting of the Nugget

2009-09-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today we painted the Nugget. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, let me fill you in.

Last year, Cole got on Craigslist and found us a gem of a camper. It is a 1968 Champion. And let me tell you, it looks like it is from 1968. Brown curtains, yellow/gold floor etc. BUT we scored it for $500 and it is perfect for our little fam. It has

a kitchenett, table, bunkbeds, and a small cabinet to store your crap.

This is what the Nugget looked like during our camping trip to the Big Horns last year.(Yes, that is a giant flag on the side. God Bless the USA!!)

We have enjoyed our little camper and have decided its time for a little remodeling. I found some cheap, stick-on linoleum flooring to cover the old stuff. I also am using a pretty nice bedding set that was given to me. Eventually we are going to take out the cabinets, sand them, and put on a nice coat of paint to freshen up the inside.

So, anyways, today we painted the Nugget. Just white, nothing fancy. But we made this a family affair. The kids put on Cole's t-shirts and some gloves and helped us out.

We are going to take the Nugget out tomorrow for a mini-trip. Pictures and blogging to follow.

Blogging...is it really for me?

2009-09-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, we have decided to start a blog. Life is moving on, well hopefully, and we'd like to keep everyone up to date on the happenings in our life. Here are things as of now:

Cole took his NCLEX a few days ago and PASSED!! We are very excited and are hoping to find a job soon after he gets his license number. I would like to move close to my mom in Florida, but we are also open to other places. It all depends on the job type and how good his paycheck is going to look. We have been living in the camper out at Coles parents house all summer and are very much looking forward to having a bigger place. I told cole that now our camper living can be an adventure and not a lifestyle.

As for me, I am enjoying my time at home with the kids. I just got back from a two week vacation out east to visit my family. What an adventure! Cole wasn't able to come with us so I flew on an airplane all alone with all three kiddos. This is not something for the feint of heart. We left from Denver on the 7th and took a 3 1/2 hour flight to Baltimore. During the flight, Lucas threw a screaming fit, Hannah cried because she couldn't have any more chocolate, and the baby spit up all over me. Longest flight of my life! BUT we got there alive. My Grammy and Mom met us at the airport and we spent a few days visiting in Virginia. Then my brother Jake came and picked us up so we could spend the weekend in Maryland. We had a lot of fun visiting the Vincent family! We got to have crab, shrimp, and some delicious crab cakes our first night there. The kids had fun playing with Kyle and Alyssa, and I had fun playing with my little bro :-) On the last day there, we went to Gettysburg to soak up some good ol' American history. The eastern countryside is so beautiful. I never get tired of all those trees.

When it was time to go, we got on another airplane and took a two hour flight to Florida to visit GiGi (my mom, a.k.a. TheTMorgan) . This flight was very pleasant...my kids slept the whole time. I even had to wake them when we landed. AND the plane had wireless! I spent the whole flight chatting with Cole and my mom.

Our FL vacation was tons of fun. We spent every day possible at the pool and even took a day trip to Daytona Beach. Hannah is a huge fan of the water. She has this awesome suit that has floaties built in the suit so she was free to run and play. I was not ready to leave at the end of the week but Cole was missing his family and we missed him too.

The flight home was pretty good. The only time I struggled was when Lucas had to go #2 and Hannah had to pee at the same time. It was quite a site; me with all 3 kids attempting to fit into the airplane lavatory... well we made it home and Cole was glad to have us.

Lucas is getting to be quite the little man. He is wild and sometimes quite crazy, but we love him all the same. He has such a sweet heart and can be the sweetest little boy, then turn around and punch you in the face.

Hannah is sad that she cant be in the same preschool this year. She loved going to school twice a week and being with her friends. I am going to do a mommy and me preschool with some ladies from church until we leave Powell. When we get settled wherever we go, I am going to do home preschool to get her ready to go to Kindergarten next year. She can already write most of her name and can recognize some letters. I think she will be plenty smart come next September.

Lillian is doing great! She is such a happy baby. I took her to her 4 month check-up and she weighs 15 pounds!!! The doc told us we can go ahead and start giving her cereal and try and get her to sleep thru the night. We did the cereal, and she LOVED it!! She ate the whole bowl I made her and I am sure she would have eaten more. As for the sleeping thru the night, I think I am going to wait until she has her own room. The camper is a little small to let a baby cry in the night.

Sorry this post is so long. I am hoping to make this a regular thing so I wont have to play catch-up like this every time.