We're back!

Alright, so I know we have been away for a VERY long time. (Or at least it seems like it to me) I promised pictures, so I will be sure to post some here.

This has been what has been going on since I last posted:

We got into a new home. It's a twin home, and we are just renting, but it's nice to be out on our own and try things out. I missed my mom a lot the first week. Let's face it...life is easier when someone else is watching your child for you...but we are getting the hang of things here, and Aspen loves her new room. And I think if my mom were to be truthful, she'd tell you she likes us out too, because now she has more freedom and doesn't have to feel like she has to watch Aspen ALL the time (Even though she has her a good share of the time while Ashton and I are at school)

After moving in, and unpacking MANY boxes, we have been busy back to school. Haven't hardly had time to breathe. I had no idea school would be so hard to go back to. It is a lot of fun, but I thought I was taking easy classes...think again...it is SOO time consuming. I go to school at 9am and rarely get home before 9 or 10 at night 3 days a week. I rarely get to see Aspen, which makes me sad, but now she gets time with her dad in the evenings, and I think it's good for them to spend some time together.

We didn't have internet for a week, all 3 of us got really sick with bad colds, and we still don't have a kitchen table (See pic below of where we eat...), microwave or shower curtain for our master bathroom (We ran out of money till next pay day) So it's been lots of fun this past week.

Ashton's brother Jon got married yesterday, and that was a lot of fun. The Gardners, some of our friends that use to be in the 41st ward with us came for the wedding since they were first Jon's friends, and we did get to spend a fun night with them and some other friends Wednesday night. It was good to see some of the people who have moved out of our ward! We miss you all!

Today I spent ALL day catching up on all the work I am SOOO behind on and getting yelled at for. It's been a LONG day in front of the computer, and I want to just go watch a movie...but I have more work to do. It never ends. I'll be glad when I can be doing what I enjoy and making money, rather than what I have to.

Aspen has been so fun lately and growing so fast. She talks in full sentences, comes up with things to say that have us bustin up, and she is FULLY potty trained! She did it in 3 days and is SO good about going to the bathroom. It was more me holdign her back. Once I made myself quit buying the easy diapers, she did the rest. I think it was MY security blanket...or laziness...kinda like I did with her binkie and bottle...ah!! I guess sometimes I'm a detriment to my own daughter!
Alright, enough talking. Here are the pics...

hip hip horray!

we are in our OWN HOUSE NOW!! Let's hear a big WAHOO!!! We don't have internet till Friday though, so I'll write more then.

The stupid things we do...

It's probably never a good idea to make decisions late at night...after being at the hospital with a baby...when you feel sick...when you are behind in school and feeling stressed...when work is piling up and you are getting yelled at...when you don't feel great about yourself...I of course never fail to make decisions under all these circumstances anyway (can't make them any other time...why not when things are bad?).

My most recent STUPID decision being my STUPID idea to cute my hair. Not just cut it. CHOP it. SHORT. Sad short. Cry myself to sleep short. It's terrible. It's a beautiful cut, because my mom did it, and she's the best hairdresser their is. But I dont' like it on ME! I seriously don't cry. When my husband and I fight, I never cry. When Aspen is being atrocious, and I'm having a horrid day, I don't cry. But of course when I chop off my pretty long hair that I've spent years growing out, I cry. Okay, I didn't really CRY...not on the OUTSIDE at least. Maybe only 2 tears were shed. But inside, believe me. I'm scream crying. And it's not a pretty sound.

Thus my reasons for NOT liking to make decisions. I knew I was right in not doing that! See what happens! And I'd post a picture...but seriously...I have to get feeling better before that will happen.

Pneumonia is NO fun!

Yesterday we went to Bear Lake with Ashtons family. Aspen had developed a little caugh in the night, but we didn't think much of it. We decided she'd caugh if we stayed home, or if we went to Bear Lake, so we went to have fun at Bear Lake. At first she just seemed tired, but played and laughed and was having fun. I had given her some caugh medicine, so I wasn't surprised when she fell right to sleep in her grampa Calls arms, but I was surprised that she slept for a LONG time, and would wake up for a little bit, then fall right back to sleep.

She slept all the way home, occasionaly waking to cry for a minute, then fall back to sleep. When we got home, she woke up more, but was very fussy. I put her in the bath with me, thinking she'd wake up a little bit since she loves baths, but she fell back to sleep, almost dropping her head in the water. I held her head in my hand and she stayed asleep, waking every now and then for a minute, but then her eyes would roll, and her breathing increased and her heart was beating fast, so we decided we better take her in to the Hospital. We got there and they did a chest xray and found that she has pneumonia. She was also dehydrated, so they were going to keep her overnight, but she ate a popcicle really well while we were there, so they said we could take her home and just try to get her to drink through the night. The pain medicine helped her, but when it wore off, she was not very happy because she just didn't feel well. So it was a long night for us, but oh well. Today she seems to be doing a little bit better, other than being fussier than usual, and tired. I hate when babies get sick!

Quirks

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Link the Person who Tagged you.
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Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
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Quirk #1 - everytime I see a hand sanitizer...at the Dr. Office, someone's home, anywhere, I HAVE to use it. I start obsessing about germs. I can't stand if I can't get to some, and think about it for a long time. Sometimes my OCD kicks in, and I have to use it a couple times while I am there. This drives my sweet husband crazy. He says that's why I'm always sick...because I'm obsessed with not letting germs "get me" If it's not hand sanitizer, I just have to wash if I pass a sink with soap. Or if I touch an animal...or anything...you get the picture.

Quirk #2 - I like to drink my herbal tea from a Mason Jar...ok, I like to drink most everything I drink from a Mason Jar. For some reason, the flavor is better coming out of a Mason Jar, then from a cup (I'm pretty sure Shanda comes from a proud line of moonshiners. -Ashton). This gets weird, because I can't stand the taste of water from a Glass cup...but I love it from a Mason Jar. What gives?

Quirk #3 - I wear Christmas socks year round. I LOVE them. I think a couple people know this about me. I don't know when it started, but I mostly only own christmas socks. I just like them.

Quirk #4 - My bum has to be on Ashton's side of the bed, pressed up right against him, or I can't fall asleep. When he was in Iraq, I had to put a pillow behind me, or sleep against the wall. I guess it's the support of something feeling secure by me...I dunno. (I estimate that Shanda's bum radiates about 75,000 BTU/H onto my side of the bed. In Iraq when the AC broke, I was the only one who could still sleep. Go figure. -Ashton)

Quirk #5- I get severe anxiety if I do not get my homework done on time...in fact BEFORE on time. I like to know what's expected, and when it's due, and if I don't get it done quickly, I stress about it.

Quirk #6 - I can't make decisions very often. This drives Ashton INSANE. He'll ask "Where do you want to eat" and then I begin having anxiety, because I can't stand to make decisions. I prefer when someone else takes the lead. I dont' know why its so difficult for me, but it really causes me a lot of stress to try to give answers right away. If you want an answer from me and don't want to stress me out, ask me a day in advance so I have all day to mull it over. I love doing things last minute IF someone else makes the plans, and calls me and says let's go. (Actually she knows darn good and well EXACTLY where she wants to eat, she just wants me to name every spot in Logan before I get to the one she's thinking and then she says, "Good idea honey, thats exactly what I'm in the mood for now that you mention it." It's a fun game we play. -Ashton)

I choose whoever wants to do this to...leave me a message and let me know you did it.

What a girl!

This morning my little imp comes down and tries to wake me up, and I grumped at her and turned over and tried to go back to sleep. She leaned over me so she could look in my eyes, and said in a "psycologist sort of way";

"Talk to me mama. What's the matter? Talk to me."

That was the end of my sleeping. I burst right out loud. What a silly little girl I have!

Wake up call...er ring...

So this morning bright and early, as usual, Aspen snuck down to our bedroom, and into our bed. She does this in a very adorable/not so adorable way. She comes down and stands so sweetly next to the bed, (My side of course) and stares at me until I wake up - with the nervous feeling that someone is watching me, and it inevitably makes me jump a little to see a face just inches from mine. So I let her climb in the middle, so that she will snuggle up adoringly next to Ashton, so that I can squeeze over to my side and go back to sleep, while she sweetly kicks him through the rest of our sleeping hours. And this is how it goes most every night.

Well, this morning, Ashton and I thought we'd be good parents, and suggested to Aspen that she "run up and see grandma, and give her big loves". See...there is advantages to living with your mother. Unless she gets some hairbrained idea to go swimming at the clubhouse in the early morning without your knowledge, and without locking the front door. Well, our darling baby thought she'd be good to us, and let us sleep in...which is all we wanted...hence the reason for sending her to grandma. She goes on upstairs to find grandma, and we drift back off to sleep, getting in some cuddle time like good parents should in this same circumstance. A little bit later, we hear the constant ring of the doorbell...uh oh...somethings not quite right. So in a sleepy stupor, Ashton like a good husband, goes running up the stairs and to the door to find a little 2 year old standing out in the rain, ringing the doorbell.

So much for great parents that watch there children closely hu? All we wanted was to sleep in and pass the babysitting buck to Grandma...how were we to know she was out having a life? We've always thought this whole year she's just been catering to our needs. Ha ha. Guess we'll know better then to try to send Aspen up to her next time.