Happy Memorial Day 2012

Well Memorial Day has come and gone! WE had a FUN, FUN weekend with Family and Friends! Addie Kate got to go to the Zoo with Pops and MiMi and Mommy! Lets just say we did the Zoo in record time! She had us running through the Zoo! She had a BLAST!!! It was lots of fun to see her get sooo excited about the animals! We also got to swim and hang out in the pool alot! Miss. Addie Kate turned into a FISH!!! Yes..my child LOVES the pool and we are in trouble!!! She could not get enough of it! We got to watch our friends dog this weekend while they were at the Lake! Tessie LOVED AK and YES AK loved "My Tessie"!! They had the best time! We also had fun blowing bubbles outside! We just had a GREAT, FUN outdoors weekend!!!!

Happy Memorial Day from Addie Kate!

Addie Kate was the Pool Noodle Collector!

Will Brenner!!!

AKA..My adopted Son!!!

Allie Brenner

AKA..My adopted Daughter!!!

My LOVEY!!!

Can we say Pool DIVA??!

A girl must have her sunglasses!!!

Blowing Bubbles!!!

A Bubblin Fun Day!

Bubbles...Bubbles...Bubbles!!!

Kisses for "My Tessie"

Tessie Girl!

We LOVED having Tessie for the weekend!

Addie Kate at the Zoo!!!

Happy Girl!

Baaaa's Mom!

Sheep

Sheep at the Zoo!

Horsey!!!

Addie Kate's FAVORITE animal these days!

Makenzies Graduation ~ Class of 2012

Well Kenzie has graduated! MY has time flown by I can't believe my Baby Sister will be entering College in the Fall of 2012! Kenzie is wanting to become a teacher so we wish her the BEST in her College Career and want her to fulfill her wishes and dreams as we know she will be the best at whatever she decides!!!

MANY HATS......

So....someone told me this past week...you don't seem that busy and really don't do anything besides work!!! EXCUSE ME...............DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO???????AHHHH.....now that I have that off my chest!!! So for those of you that know me know that I run from Sun UP to Sun down!!! So I decided to share an example of my day...keep in mind this is just a day NOT A WEEK!!!!

5:00 AM - Get up and get myself ready for the day and possibly the evening depending on what is to happen after work and school hours!
5:50 AM - Get AK up and ready for school!! A CHORE I must say!!!!
6:00 - 6:10 AM - Try to get AK and I both in the car and on the road headed towards school! If we leave the house later than 6:10 we will be LATE!!!
6:30 AM - Drop AK off at school for a long day!!! :( She likes to talk to YAYA every morning on her way to school and see the Horses on the way in! God help us if we ever live in the city..she won't know what to do without horses!! LOL
7:00 AM - Get to work and start my LONG day of my job!!! Some days are stressful but all in all I leave with a SMILE! Some days you just have to LAUGH it off! :)
3:45-4:00 PM - Leave work and head for AK!!!
4:00 - Pick AK up and the FUN afternoon begins!!!
After getting AK we usually have stops in between school and home! Target, Grocery Shopping, YaYa's, Dr. Appts, Medicine pick up, Scentsy Deliveries/Pick Ups and WHATEVER ELSE might be thrown at us on any given day!!!
5:30-6:00 - Get home from the LONG day we both had! We like to go walking, go the park, go to neighborhood friends houses and have fun together!
6-6:30 - Dinner Time! We either eat a yummy big meal or we get a quick meal! Just depends on whats going on!!

Oh, Have I mentioned this is just a sample becuase there are many days that Miss. AK is attached to my hip, or having a BAD day and is fussy, or mommy is fussy and tired and we adjust as needed!!!!!

6:30 - 7:00 Bath and Bed time for AK!!! Addie gets a bath and we get her ready for bed! Every now and then she lasts till 8:00 but not often! She is usually exhausted from the day! We like to read books, watch elmo or mickey and we love to facetime before bedtime!!!

BEDTIME: WE must have our YaYa, PaPa, BB and KK picture to be able to go to bed!! This is a MUST! We say our prayers and she has to get comfy and then shes out! :)

MOMMY TIME: Well some nights I am right behind her in crawling in bed bc I am so tired from the day...other nights I enjoy watching TV, Cleaning (not enjoyable but a must), doing laundry and whatever else that has to be done!!!

Then it starts over again the next morning....all the while I am doing all of this ALL BY MYSELF AS A SINGLE MOM!!!!!

So...next time you tell a mom that she does NOTHING you had better think again!!!

I found this picture and this was perfect....If I only had this many hands! LOL

RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY.......TUESDAY MAY 22, 2012

Well I sit here not soo busy and think...and think...and think! By the way Thinking can really hurt your brain some days! I just have to wonder why and how my life has changed in the ways it has! There have been lots and lots of negatives in the past year and half, but there have been some positives as well!!!

Having gone through the MAJOR LIFE CHANGES I have learned lots of new things, met new people, re-kindled friendships, learned more about myself and who I am! It has tested my patience and strength each and every day!!! All I have to say is watch out bc I am pretty strong willed these days! :)

What I still don't understand to this day is how someone that you LOVE so much and spent so many years with could treat you the way that they do and furthermore treat a child the way they do! I have always dreamed of having a husband forever and a father for my child forever! I didn't grow up with the father daughter bond you hear about and wanted that so much for AK! I had a wonderful step dad that no one could ever replace! Most people don't even know its my step Dad!!! When you give this person the opportunity to spend extra time with their daughter and they turn it down! When you try to work with them to arrange things so you can still do some things you want to do its not good enough. When you get the phone calls from them saying that they are headed out of town and dosen't have time for their daughter on their weekend you need to keep her. What do you do...Well I flew off the handle bc I couldn't belive it!!!! I simply try to be human and ask him to watch her for a weekend so I can enjoy myself and he goes crazzzy!!! I don't want her 2 weeks in a row!! Shows what a father you are!!!! And then he tells me I am unreasonable! REALLY???? I'm sorry Mr. wanting to be 18 again and party, and have relationships with more than 1 woman, and eat my cherrios too!!!! LIFE DOSEN'T WORK THAT WAY!!!!

My prayer is that AK grows up and makes her own decisions! I pray that she sees all the good I have done for her and appreciates all that I have done for her!! I strive to make sure that she is okay and has everything that she needs and more!!! SHE IS MY LIFE!!!

I even pray each day that GOD will give us a man that has family values and morals! Someone that will LOVE me for me and LOVE AK for AK!!! I want a STEP-DAD for her like the one GOD gave me!!!
I pray that I can have patience to wait for that person as GOD has a plan and this is one of the things that I am learning everyday.

So today I am praying for STRENGTH because its just been that kind of day!!!

"With GOD all things are possible"

HAPPY 2012 BBQ FEST

HAPPY 2012 BBQ FEST......

It's that time of year again...our favorite Memphis in May event! Addie Kate got to go to BBQ fest on Thursday night to watch the Miss. Piggy contest and I must say she was the cutest PIGGY there!!!

We had lots of fun seeing all of our family friends and dad's clients! Addie Kate sure did steal the show in the tent! She was BUSY...BUSY..BUSY but lots of fun to watch!

Watch for more pictures from the weekend!

Papa and Addie Kate ( 2 years old)

We found a horsey to ride!!! ( 2 years old)

Addie Kate taking a water break! (2 years old)

Addie Kate loved Mrs. Wendy's music!!!

Go Addie Go!!!

(2 Years Old)

Addie Kate and Mommy at the Miss. Piggy Contest!

Addie Kate put her own sunglasses on!! Such a DIVA!!!

(2 years old)

FUN PICTURES FROM MAY 2012

Addie Kate and Mom at Kyler's Birthday!

2 years old

Addie Kate playing at Kyler's Birthday Party!

AK - 2 years old

Addie Kate riding her horse on Mother's Day! 2 years old

Addie and Mommy hanging by the pool! 2 years old

Addie Kate laying out by the pool! 2 years old

Addie Kate playing outside! 2 years old

Addie Kate blowing bubbles! 2 years old

 

Our Future SOCCER PLAYER! 2 Years Old

Mothers Day

Well today is MOTHERS DAY! AK and I had a really good day together..pretty laid back! It was a quiet day and I got through it! It would have been better to share our my child's Mothers Day with her father. Maybe one day we will have that father.y love in this home. Anyways...we went to church together in our matching pink...enjoyed another day at Highland Church of Christ and then left early to go and have dinner with family! Addie Kate napped and BB was able to watch AK this afternoon while Mommy got pampered with a pedicure! I just live my sisters and I love that they are here to help me and enjoy their niece! I don't know what I'd do without them! Today was a restful day and I must say it was super nice due to its a crazy month in our house! Here's a poem that I found that I really liked about mothers! A Mother's Love by Michael O. Adesanya   There are times only when a Mother's love Can understand our tears, Can soothe our disappointments And calm all our fears. There are times when only a Mother's Love Can share the joy we feel When something we've dreamed about Quite suddenly is real. There are times when only a Mother's faith Can help on life's way And inspire in us the confidence We need from day to day. For a Mother's heart and a Mother's faith And a Mother's steadfast love Were fashioned by the Angels And sent from God above...  

Mommy and AK at the Easter Egg Hunt

Mommy and AK at her Birthday Day Party!

Addie Kate sporting her new Sunglasses that BB got her on her actual Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my LOVEY!!!!

A LITTLE CATCHING UP.....

Well needless to say we LIVE a VERY BUSY BUSY life!!!! But we wouldn't have it any other way! Since I have posted last we have had a 2nd birthday filled with family and friends! Addie Kate had so much fun at her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Party!
The Easter Bunny visited Miss. AK and left her lots of fun goodies! Her favorite was the BUBBLES!!! We are having a Bubblin fun! :) AK got to go on a Easter Egg Hunt at our new church that we have been visiting and we had such a wonderful family day with Me, AK and YAYA!!! She loved running for all her candy...and yes she wanted to eat ALL the candy as she picked up her eggs.
April brought spring or what I should say is Summer here in Memphis TN!!! It has been a VERY..VERY HOT SPRING here!! We have done spring cleaning around the house and I must say it looks AWESOME!!! We moved AK's room to a BIGGER room because she is turning into a BIG GIRL and not a baby anymore! She has out grown her nursery! Mommy has been busy selling Scentsy! I have had several fairs this month and I am LOVING my SCENTSY business and AK is loving it too becuase she gets lots of fun new things becuase we have extra FUN money!!!
May is here...WOW does time FLY when you are having fun and enjoying life! MAY will be over before we know it becuase we are soo busy this month too! We have BBQ fest coming up next weekend and AK is excited about seeing everyone! They are going to be excited to see how BIG she has gotten! Aunt KK graduates from Arlington High School on May 25th! and then it's Memorial Day! And Guess what???? Then it's June!

A Little AK Update:
She is growing like a wild weed! YES she is TALL as a WEED!!! LOL
She is loving her school, friends and teachers...and did I mention becoming smarter each and every day!! She is telling me all the time, "Mommy I 2" and hold us 2 fingers!! **SMART GIRL**
Heres a better one...when I put her to bed at night she says, "Mommy I 2" as if she dosen't have to go to bed! LOL
She is talking more and more everyday! I am amazed everyday as to what she says and how much she talks!! She is in LOVE with horses! So we have to see the horses when we leave Oakland and when we come home every time!! She looks for them and then gets upset if they are not out! She went to our family friends house a few weekends ago to see their horses...well lets just say up in person that wasn't her cup of tea! LOL
I just love my AK! What I LOVE more than ever is she LOVES to Pray...she folds her hands at dinner and says" Pay Mommy..Pay" so we Pray and then when we are done it's "More Mommy More" so I amnot going to tell her no, we pray to GOD more!! I love that she LOVES to pray to GOD!!!

All the while we are staying busy and living life to the fullest which is the title of this blog we are doing good! Things are starting to become more "normal" in our lives and Mommy is adjusting better and better everyday! I am not going to say that its any easier because that would be a lie! However, I am adjusting to this life in which God has handed me and moving forward with it one day at a time! I am filling my life with the memories of family and AK! I pray that GOD knows what his plan is and he is in control. He will bring a loving husband in my life and a loving father figure to AK when he is ready and when he thinks I am ready!

I leave you with this.....
I have been visiting Highland Church of Christ here in Memphis and they have a song that we sing that I have really become partial too...and it is Our God is Mighty to Save! It talks about God being there and he is the one that will move the mountains and he will help us through it all!

You should look it up and listen!

I will post some pictures soon of all the fun the past few months!

Lots of Love!
Ashley and AK

Addie Kate's 2nd Birthday Invitation....

Addie Kate is Turning 2

Addie Kate is turning TWO!!! EEK...Where does time go??

She is going to have a Miska Mooska Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Birthday Party!

She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so I found her a Micke Mouse Dress

for the Special Occasion!