Be sure to watch this!

The Savior of the world, whom we are to prepare for His Second Coming.... Watch it in full screen if you are able (F11). The pictures are simply beautiful.

http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/2008/03/reflections-sli.html

Ashton's Blogging Debut

As I’ve been reading through Shanda’s posts I have noticed that the male population of our family has gone grossly underrepresented. In an effort to rectify this inequity I am taking matters into my own hands and will be, as necessary, the voice of the Call family minority.

OK really Shanda said that I could either update our blog or put the two year old to bed. I don’t know what kind of idiot she thinks I am, but as you all can see, I’m sitting here happily typing away, munching on a hot plate of chips and cheese, compliments of my sweet wife, while she is wrestling Aspen into pajamas.



So anyway, after 30 grueling minutes of furniture shopping today, I decided that we needed a break before Aspen had a complete meltdown about not being able to jump on every bed in the store. So we loaded up into the jeep and headed for the mountains, grabbing some DQ shakes on our way out of town. We went up Providence canyon to the waterfalls up at the quarry and I’m happy to report that our old CJ-7 made it all the way to the top of the quarry despite having to maneuver around the vehicles that couldn’t make it to the top… (You see the kind of important details that you miss out on when Shanda writes.)


Aspen was ecstatic about the waterfalls and played in them until she was soaked, at which point she announced that we could go home because she was cold. Shanda took lots of pictures of course and we even managed to get a family photo in the same spot where I purposed to Shanda, (the one by the waterfall, not the jeep. I’m not THAT big of a love dunce.)

Well Aspen is all tucked in and sleeping like an angel… ok really she’s locked in her room, screaming and kicking the door, Which means she’s been successfully put to bed, and I can stop hiding out at the computer. One last thing before I go. If you’ve noticed that Shanda is looking a bit hotter than normal, but you can’t quite figure out why, it’s because she just got her braces off.

Aug 20th Photo Session

This is my little niece again. i absolutely love her, she is so darn cute, so I took more pics in a location I've been wanting to try for a long time. I also got a shot of a pic I've been wanting to try for a while now too with my ring and the bible. Constructive critisism is always welsome to help me to do better! :0)





And I didn't sign my name to these pics...I have got to start doing that I guess. I just always hate taking the time. I'll do it next time.

Pictures...LOT'S of Pictures!

I am behind on posting pics, so here are a bunch. these first one's are from our ward party.










A Day with the Salisbury's! Charlotte has been my best friend since I can remember. We grew up together, and we've always stayed in touch. She is a TRUE friend. Someone I can lean on, trust, and someone I love! I stayed with her mom and dad while Ashton was in Iraq, and they are my second parents! They are the most generous kind people and I love them for always making me feel like part of the family!








Here are some pics of my brothers family I took. But by the time they made it for pictures, they were two hours late, and the sun was shining too bright, so I decided I better stick with evenings instead. I tried a couple different things with the pictures. I couldn't get my little niece to work with me much...she was grumpy, but it made a cute pic I think. Now remember...I'm a big time amature...so I know they aren't great. They will get better...i hope

Mama Mia!

I went to this movie tonight, and I really liked it. I really liked the music, and the storyline made me laugh. What a tangled web. I even got tears in my eyes at one part. Rarely do movies touch me strongly, but stories like this do, because to me, life is so sad, with a little mixture of happiness in it. I know some can look at life as Happy with a touch of sad...I guess I never have been one of those people. Not that I'm pessimistic...I think it came from growing up and having my father always tell me that I'd have a lot of sad in life, and a lot of "boring" so to enjoy the happy and "fun" moments when they happen. Guess it always made sense to me. But boy, when the happy "fun" moments happen, I really savor them now. Especially having my dad gone now...really reminds me to make the most of it.

I start school on Monday...it's coming quickly. I'm not quite ready. I'm sad I will be away from Aspen so much. I hope I get through it all quickly, so I can enjoy watching Aspen Twila grow up. She's a sweet baby. I'm lucky to have her.

Results

Well, the test results came back. After my many many tests and I have no idea how much money, they told me exactly what I told THEM I thought the problem was. It's just my "rapidly growing cyst" as they put it. They said I am a "champion cyst grower" which is why I haven't gotten pregnant, and why I've been so sick. So any of you that have the same symptoms and don't think it could be as simple as a little cyst...it CAN. Cysts can cause ALL sorts of problems I am told. And when they burst, they can cause even MORE problems that you just have to "let heal itself over time, and yes, it's not comfortable and can cause lots of other problems, so just take it easy..." that was the shpill I got today. They usually don't like cyst's to rupture because of the problems they can cause, but they don't like to remove them until they are around 10cm...IF you can handle the pain till it's 10cm's, AND if it doesn't rupture before then. Nice hu?

So now that I have had all these experiences. Next time, I'm going to tell them (once again) that I think it's just my cysts causing me so much trouble, and NO, I don't think I need to go for more tests to "rule everything else out" so that I can pay them lots and lots of money. I'll just junk up on more hormones next time. I guess the nuvaring she put me on wasn't strong enough.

Sick Sick Sick...

oh I am SICK! I have been really quite sick all month,but this week it got worse. Last Monday I ended up passing out - luckily I was at the Dr. Office. They did an ultrasound on me and found one cyst 4cm and one ruptured cyst. Then Sunday night I passed out again and started throwing up, my right side had a serious pain, so my mother in law took me to the emergency room cuz we thought it would be appendicitis. After 8 hrs there (till 3 this morning) they sent me home to check with my Dr. in the morning. They couldn't find anything. So I spent all day at the Dr. today. They did a Cat Scan. I never want to do that again. At least not rectally. It was the most horrid thing I have EVER done. I hurt SOO bad when they did it. All they saw on it that wasn't normally seen on a Cat Scan was a large cyst. It has grown in one week 1cm, so now it's up to 5, and it's leaking fluid, but they aren't sure that's all, so they are making me get checked again tomorrow for my gallbladder, if it's not my gallbladder, then it means it's my cyst causing all the problems, so they might need to drain some of the fluid so I'm not so sick.

It's been a terrible experience, and lots of tests, which means lots of money. Now I'm sick over that fact...ha. Not so much fun. I hope they figure this out soon. I haven't been able to do much but sleep the last few days. I feel like crap.

Count Down is on

One more week to go before Ashton comes home. It's sure been a long week without him home. It's been a year and a half now that he had to leave for more than 3 days. We don't like it much here. Aspen acts up more than usual. She's become something else. one day she is a princess, the next day the wicked step daughter. (ok, so she's not really wicked...but if you saw my house you'd think she'd cast a terrible spell on it - what with not being able to see the floor and all.)

We miss you Ashton! Come home soon!

It's been quite boring around here without him and my mom is in Arizona, which makes it even more boring.

Hopefully something great will happen or fun at least, so I have something entertaining to blog about. Right now life's pretty boring.

Cheesy? Probably...

Ok, so I know I'm a grown woman, and It's probably really cheesy that I'm using the new breaking dawn background, but first off, I REALLY do love the books, and I am TOTALLY excited to read the new one. It's sitting by my side, though honestly I have had no time to really open it and read it. And I kinda don't want it to end...so I know if I read it, it has an ending, and I hate endings...so I am putting it off. I know...I'm a little nuts.

Secondly, I really do like this background. I LOVE black and white, and I LOVE checkerboard things, so it fit me. I know it makes me look a little pathetic, but oh well. I'm sure it won't be the last time I do pathetic things.

On the side of this site, you will see that I added a new "She said it" link. Instead of keeping my journal boring you all with the things aspen says daily, that I want to remember but am oh so lazy to pick up a pencil and find a paper to write it on, I am going to just keep a running list of the things I love that she says. If you want to check it out, great. If not, that's ok too. It's really just for my journal sake. I like to remember what she does and says, because let's face it...these little ones grow up so fast! I can't believe how tall she is getting, how smart, and how sad it makes me to see it all. I miss having her be my little baby, but I also like watching her grow up and learn and how dang smart the girl is!

Shout out to my hubby! LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS! Bet it's dang hot in Mississippi...

My Husband

My hubby left for 2 weeks for army training. I of course miss him like crazy, cuz I know what it's like to be without him. Thankfully this time it's not for a year and a half. He's a quiet guy, who likes late night snacks and chocolate milk. He's also got a funny sense of humor that most people don't know anything about, because he's so quiet. But he can take you off gaurd and make you laugh right out loud. I'm thankful for him and the good father he is. I hope that he has a kinda good time. I know he wasn't excited for it, but he'll make the best of it knowing him.

Till he comes home, I'll be having what I call "lonely saturdays". Weekends just aren't the same without him.

Love you Ashton!

This is my favorite picture of Aspen and her daddy. I posted it as my very first blog post, but that was a long time ago, when they first met, so I thought I'd post some more pics of them together. Aspen LOVES her daddy. He is her very favorite person. Anyone else's kid not as good for you when daddy is gone? Aspen turns into a stinker. She gets very emotional when he is away...shows me how important the father figure in the home is.