April 7-8, 2003

My oldest daughter Mindy will be 9 on April 8, 2012 (Easter Sunday). I have been thinking about the day she was born.

Then...

1. On April 7, 2003 as I was in full active labor, Syracuse beat Kansas in the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship 81/78.

2. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown was on the New York Times Bestseller List.

3. #1 Movie in the Theater The Core.

4. #1 on the Billboard Top 100, In Da Club, 50 cent

5. In the early morning hours of April 8, 2003 as Brian and I held our new precious baby in our arms. The United States of America bombed the Bunker thought to be the hiding place of Saddam Hussein. He would be captured December 2003.

Now...

1. The NCAA Final Four decided Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas.

2. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James is on the New York Times Bestseller List
(However I feel it should be Everneath!)

3. #1 Movie in the Theater is Hunger Games.

4. #1 on the Billboard Top 100, Stronger, Kelly Clarkson

5. 9 years later the war in Iraq is coming to an end, However war still rages on as many countries are unsettled. Many Countries demanding freedom.

It's been awhile!

I have not been up on blogging lately... I have been busy with 3 kids and everything life has to offer. Good and Bad.

After two years of searching for a diagnosis, Josh was diagnosed with abdominal migraines. Since being on the medication I have seen a huge difference in everything he does. He no longer screams in pain, or sleeps all day and night and he wants to leave the house!

Josh started Kindergarten this year and loves it. Mindy is in 3rd grade now and is excelling in her ballet & Tap classes. Lily is growing up too fast! She loves her baby dolls and likes watching sprout.

Josh also had his Tonsils and Adenoids out this past Tuesday he is recovering well, eating all the ice cream and jello his little heart desires. Lily is jealous because Josh has wanted to snuggle with mom more than usual and she wants mom for herself.

Best of Friends!

Lily finally caught the cat and they play so cute together.

Miss Lily

Lily had her 2 week appointment today and is growing nicely! She now weighs a whopping 7 lbs 4oz and is very healthy!

Unfortunately this was not the case for her brother Josh who woke up this morning crying his ear hurt. So while we were at the Doctor we had him check his out to find he has an ear infection.

I am feeling a lot better this week. My back is still a little sore but getting better!

Lily Elizabeth Ashton

After Laboring for 7 weeks they had to induce me. The joyful smile on my face tells how happy I was to be finished with this pregnancy.

Dr. Yama broke my water Feb 1st at 9:30 AM and at 12:08 PM I delivered Lily Elizabeth Ashton she weighed 7 lb and 19 1/2 inches tall.
Having babies with lots of hair is lots of fun. Mindy had a lot of hair but Lily's is longer and thicker.

Mindy and Lily

Josh and Lily

Due to the hospital restrictions my kids could not come see me in the hospital they did come on Tues afternoon and was able to see me and the baby thru the nursery window. They were very excited to have me home.

This is my first baby to take a binki I am really excited!

Delivery went very well. I unfortunately got a spinal headache from the epidural and had to have a blood patch yesterday. I am feeling much better, although my back is quite sore. All and All I feel really good!

Happy Halloween!

We had a lot of fun dressing up this year Mindy was Silvermist from the Movie Tinkerbell and Josh was Batman!

We went to our neighbourhood park and did trunk or treat. Both kids had fun with their friends and got a lot of candy!

We are very excited for baby girl to come ! Here I am yesterday November 15, 2009 at

28 weeks!

Where has the time gone!

I have been very busy with a sick little Josh. He still has days where his stomach hurts and has a extreme lack of energy so for any of you that know my kids know that they never stop running, jumping, climbing etc... They did test him for Celiac and the test results came back inconclusive so he will be seeing a Gastroenterologist on 10/27 to have a look at him and most likely they will schedule a small bowel biopsy not fun but necessary.

I have now reached 23 weeks in my pregnancy AKA 6 months! Baby Girl is growing very well! I am hoping these last months will go by fast. So far things have been great not quite as well as being pregnant with Mindy and gratefully nothing like Josh (he was a horrible pregnancy) Other than some common aches pains and headaches I feel well. I am starting to slow down and get tired a lot easier than I did a month ago but that is normal too.

There has been a few times that I have fallen asleep and Mindy and Josh didn't want to wake me so Mindy took care of Josh. She did a great job they read books and had a messy snack but that was OK she was very proud of herself!

Mindy is getting to be a very grown up and will be a big help when I have the baby!

A New School Year!

Well Aug 24th met 2 milestones one big one for Mindy!! She started 1st grade at Diamond Ridge Elementary School. For her this means 2 extra recesses and lunch at school. For me this means 8:40 am to 3:20 pm with one child (well until Feb). The second milestone belongs to me, I hit 16 weeks! It is exciting because I was able to schedule the all important all knowing 18 week Ultrasound! This will take place on Sept 11th. Everyone asks me why would you schedule a test on such a somber day? Well I will tell you- I would like Brian to be there and that was the day and time that worked for his work schedule. We have one of each so we don't really have a preference. We will be happy with a health baby!

13 weeks and counting

We are so excited to enter the 13th week of my pregnancy. I am starting to feel a little better and my belly is looking more plump. I took the kids with me to my last OB visit so they could hear the heart beat! Mindy shouted out "It sounds like a sister"!! I am trying to prepare her for possible disappointment in case it is not, but she is confident that it is a girl. We should be finding out the first part of Sept so stay tuned!!

Bear Lake 2009

This past week was our annual Asthon Family vacation to Bear Lake. Unfortunately Brian was unable to get work off so I took the kids up on Wed July 8th and Brian joined us on Fri July 10th. A great time was had by all!! We hit the beach Thurs, Fri and Sat. We played all day in the sand and the surf. Daddy was there on Sat to take the kids on their first Wave Runner rides!!

All Smiles!!

Josh took a nap!

Mindy needed a nap!

(MOM DON'T TAKE MY PICTURE)!!

Josh loves to wear goggles

Wave Runner rides with Daddy!!

A public glimpse of my Baby Bump!

Baby due February 21, 2010

Sea World

I have finally had the time to sit and post pictures from our trip to San Diego. Here are pictures from Sea World. We had a wonderful time and if I could fly back today I would!!

Mindy and Josh met the pilots before we took off!!

Josh was so excited to be at Sea World he could hardly contain himsef.

Shamu!!

Trees!!!

We planted 4 trees. 1 in our front yard and 3 in our side yard I love it! And wanted everyone to know!!

Sleepless Nights!!

As of late we have been having an increase in the occupancy of our bed at night. Mindy and Josh currently share a room they like to play on the bunk beds they just don't like sleeping on them!

Generally the night goes like this Josh rolls over and hits the wall which triggers a night terror causing him to cry hysterically about odd things. For example "who ate my taco" and "wear are my pants". These crying episodes can last up to an hour sometimes longer. The crying wakes Mindy and well we end up in bed with two kids and a cat!

Brian and I thought of a creative way to keep the kids from hitting the wall at night. He thinks it was his idea but I am pretty sure it was mine.

Monday I went out and purchased two large very soft body pillows which I put on the kids beds against the wall. We are happy to say that it has worked so far. Two full nights of sleep!!!!

Here Kitty, Kitty.

In October they told me that my sweet kitty Tiger only had about a month to live. Well it has been 6 months and I am just not sure the diagnosis was accurate. His favorite pass time trying to get the snake through the glass!

The snake was shedding at the time, so it was a lot more fun!!

Crazy Cat!!!

(We did get another snake. We have not named him yet it is down to two names Skeeter or Mr. Nibs)

P.S. San Diego Pictures coming soon!

The Ashton's are back!!

We are back from a very fun and relaxing trip to San Diego with the kids. I will post pictures soon. We had a great time. We visited Sea World, San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park, what an amazing experience, I didn't want to leave. There is so much that I wanted to see.

We thank our new friends the Strows family for lunch on Saturday and inviting us to Easter Services on Sunday. We would also like to thank the Horizon Christian Fellowship for the kindess shown to us. We will definitely return to visit San Diego again!

Mindy age 4
This picture will most likely be shown at Easter for the rest of this poor childs life. It's funny because she look like she is laying an egg.

In Loving Memory

Jaws passed away yesterday afternoon. We will miss him. Jaws 2 should be making an appearance in the next couple of weeks.

Stupid questions anyone?

I have been through a lot in the past 3 years. Maybe it is because I might be in somewhat of a bad mood today. Here are a few stupid questions I have been asked in the last week.

Are you afraid all of your scars make you look ugly?
Why do you think I'm ugly?

Do you mind if I ask you what happened?
Yes. Yes I do!

And my personal favorite!!!

Has your right breast always been smaller than your left.
What kinda Dumb *** questions is that?

Swimsuit Season

As some you know I have not been my self for several months. After many Doctor and Er visits and an ambulance ride later finding out that I had Mono was somewhat of a relief. And since recovering from the Mono I was able to have the knee surgery that I needed. However because I was recovering during the holidays, so many of my friends and family comforted me with delectable food items that even on a day when you have the most will power you can't resist. I ate and ate and thought to myself the other day that I can take the weight off by swimsuit season until remembered that we are going to San Diego in 4 weeks and decided I will just buy a mu-mu.

I was cleaning the "Lair" (Brian's office) and I found a letter that I wrote to myself as an assignment in an English class my senior year of high school. I was supposed to write about where I wanted to be in 10 years.

My life is nothing like had imagined it would be.

Like every teenage girl I was totally in "love" with my high school sweetheart and was positive we would end up together forever, well most of us know how that went. (love meaning? do you really know what love is, when you are still in high school?)

I wanted to be a Midwife, that didn't happen either.

Although I didn't marry my high school sweetheart and I didn't go to college and become a Midwife like I had planned.

My life is much more than I had ever imagined. I married the love of my life in the Salt Lake Temple, became an ABO certified optician and had two beautiful children. I am very lucky to be able to be a stay at home mom.

Even though I was married at barely 19. Sadly I and been in enough relationships to know that Brian was the one for me. It was truly love a first sight. It was the first relationship I had been in that I knew he cared about me and treated me the way a human being is supposed to be treated.

I had very bad taste in men before I met my husband, actually 2 of the guys I dated before Brian are in prison. I had REALLY bad taste in men. Although, I did date one police officer and a my high school sweetheart is currently a police officer so that evens things out. Right?

People have asked me on occasion how I could have possibly done everything I did before I was married my response is "You can get a lot done in a day if try hard enough". Ha Ha Ha