happy 'versary

First and foremost, I have the best husband in the world! Second, I have the best parents in the world!

Before you have a child you take for granted all the alone time you get with your husband and since Jared works full time and goes to school full time, time is lacking. So we snuck away from Tren. For our anniversary and birthdays this year we got the privilege of going on a cruise. 7 Nights on the Disney Fantasy. It was nothing short of amazing. (Tren stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Bingham for the week living the farm life. So he had a great vacation too.)

There is simply too much detail with Disney. You cannot take it in at first glance or even second glance. It was a good thing we had 3 days at sea so that we could explore everything. Our ship had a water slide, a mini golf course, several pools, 3 dining rooms, different hideouts for any mood that suits you, characters galore, and a quiet spa to relax in. And we tried to do it all. Jared was only able to beat me once at mini golf, reigning champ! We did the water slide each day we were at sea. And soak up the sun is an understatement. Although we only got a little red on our shoulders and foreheads.

At our dinner table we were surprised to be eating with a couple from China and a couple from Russia. The conversation did not always flow due to language barriers but we talked as well as we could. Our waiters were Zsolt from Hungary and Budi from Indonesia. They were awesome. They entertained us with tricks and games, brought Jared 3 different desserts each night, and sang "Happy 'versary" to us.

There was a pirate night on the ship where the crew and everyone else dresses up in pirate attire, eats pirate themed food and watches fireworks over the open ocean. We had a blast! Especially at the dance party up on the deck. We made quite a few new friends who worked on the ship. They would stop and talk to us the rest of the cruise because we are "party animals".

One night we decided to check out the adult club and got picked to play Match Your Mate aka The Newlywed Game. It was very difficult answering the "adult" questions. But it all worked out in the end because we won passes to the spa the next day.

Our first stop was St. Martin. And it was beautiful. We had signed up to ride "rhinos" (boats) and then play at a beach. Little did we know that it was a European beach and there was a very proud old man standing butt naked at the edge of the water. I am scarred for life but it makes for a great story.

The next day was at St. Thomas and we took a boat over to St John, which is a smaller island next door. We went on a hike and learned all about the plants and animals on the island and then stopped at Honeymoon beach. It was beautiful! We were very sad to leave that beach. Curious little Jared had to stick a blade of grass down the tarantula hole to see if he could get one to come out. Thankfully it didn't come out to play, it just tugged on the grass to let Jared know it was there. I definitely did not stand next to him though.

The last day was at the Disney private island Castaway Cay. We spent the day swimming and eating. It is very clear that Disney owns this island from the cleanliness to the cute buildings. Disney never disappoints. We swam out to a sandbar and found some starfish and a sand dollar. Jared wanted to keep it but I made him leave it. As we swam back to shore we saw Captain Jack Sparrow on the beach and so we hurried as fast as we could to catch him for a picture.

It was a great week and we are so grateful we were able to do it!

spring has sprung

After a very very long snowy winter, the first warm days of spring are highly anticipated. We were all waiting for a chance to get outside (without our snowsuits) and play.

The first outdoor activity for the year was a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Tren got the hang of it and picked up his share of the prizes. There was quite a turn out and it was fun to be part of the action this year instead of just watching.

Then there was actual Easter and our own indoor hunt followed by riding a new Mater.

It took a while to figure out how to hold down the button, but now there is no stopping him. Now if only I could convince him to run errands for me.

And of course, last but not least, was the Gilbert Easter party.

It was a cold, windy day but we still hunted our eggs and killed the pinata. Tren even got to help Grandpa make orange julius.

All in all we had a great kick off to spring. Now if we could only talk mother nature into warming up again.

are my thoughts worth a penny?

I don't usually blog about my feelings or get into intimate details about our lives. It seems like I'm crying for attention, so I avoid it altogether and probably sound like a robot. I will give being real a shot. Lately I have had a lot of time on my hands for thinking, which is usually not a good thing. I want to start up my career after being a stay-at-home mom for 18 months. Being home with my child has been the most wonderful opportunity of my life but I am starting to feel like I want to try something different. I can't decide if I could really leave Tren without crying the entire car ride away from the house or not. But I do know that I want to keep improving myself and helping others in the process. I envy my classmates who have found jobs working in hospitals, interacting with people who can benefit from their knowledge. And so, this is dilemma numero uno.
I also have a new problem with reading too much. And yes, it is a real problem because now I live in fantasy land, telling Jared about every crazy idea that could happen to the world. We could be attacked by mythological creatures, terrorists could destroy our society, there truly is one ring to rule them all, I might be a descendant of the Grimm brothers and meet fairy tale characters. The list goes on and on. The most interesting of my recents reads is a series by Chris Stewart called The Great and Terrible. It is LDS fiction about pre earth life and what happens next. Reading it terrifies me and strengthens me all at the same time. It's an odd feeling. IF you are looking for a book that makes you think further than werewolf versus vampire. I would definitely pick it up.
And last I need to complain to the unseen internet community about a recent issue that is giving me a lot of grief. I have recently decided to finally take care of myself. This is in the sense of seeing doctors about some of the things that have been bothering me lately. One of these trips to the doctor was for a cyst on the palm of my hand. It causes me quite a lot of pain and I can't do something as simple as a pushup anymore (bringing me great sadness as I used to be able to do quite a few). Anyway after two consultations with different doctors I have been sent on to a third, a plastic surgeon to have it surgically removed. Now I know that it is not a major procedure and my life is not on the line but I am quite annoyed with it all. I know in the end I will be glad that I have full use of my hand again but I'm a stubborn lady who likes to use her money on things other than doctor visits. So wish me luck that all goes according to plan and that this thing is gone soon. Then the pity party can be over.

the annoying catch-up

I have really let my blog go. I just kept telling myself "tomorrow, I'll feel like it tomorrow". Well, the time has come, my friends, to suck it up and update the people in my life. NOVEMBER (yeah, its been that long) was a wonderful month. We went on a Bingham family road trip to California. I super loathe car rides but it was worth it. Trennon loves being with his cousins. Even though he is smaller and can't run as fast or jump as high, he sure does try. Disneyland was a magical place, per usual. We hit as many rides and shows as possible. And used Layton's wheelchair pass to its limit. We have a pretty good system set up and I don't think anyone walked away disappointed. Jared's favorite ride was The Tower of Terror, Tren's was It's a Small World, and mine was good old Splash Mountain. I always feel like a kid there and it reminds me that life is not all about money and chores and work.

We also hit up the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Sea World. We spent Thanksgiving day at Sea World and then had dinner in the restaurant next to the hotel. It was a lot of fun! Obviously not full of tradition and Grandma's cream of cauliflower, but we had a good time being together.
DECEMBER we spent traveling as well. We went to Idaho for Ali's 18th birthday. Our little baby is all grown up! And then we headed out to Colorado for an Ash Christmas. Can I just say that I love Durango? It is a beautiful place. And of course the people there aren't too bad. Again, Tren had a blast playing with Averi and Sienna. He followed them everywhere and taught himself how to do everything they were doing. Like climb a ladder to get into the playroom (That little daredevil scares me on a daily basis). And us adults had fun playing games and eating tons of food.

We were also able to visit Jared's grandpa who had recently had some health scares. It was great to see him again. He always makes me feel so good about myself. He tells me I'm beautiful and asks about the farm and just plain won't stop complimenting me.

For New Years we drove back to SLC and stayed near Temple Square. It was slightly disappointing compared to the last time we were there, but we definitely still had fun.

JANUARY didn't bring anything too new or exciting. Jared and I were split up at church. We no longer teach Sunday school together. I am with the 4-year-olds in primary and Jared has a new partner with the 14-year-olds. We are both having a little trouble adjusting but I guess we will make it. It is so stinking cold outside that we only venture out when we need to or the snow is piling up again. Tren does not like playing in the snow. But we forced him to try it.

My parents, Ali, Layton, and Kristina came for a quick visit. That was fun until everybody got sick (sorry guys, my fault). Trennon is now running around the house, climbing everything, and figuring out how things work. I have to know where he is at all times because the second I lose track he colors on the wall, falls off a chair, or turns on the shower, etc. I love that little trouble maker and he gives me a good workout. I don't know what I would do without him.

These pictures are from the October Ash family photo shoot.

harvest

It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. Although that is at the top of my "wonderful" list as well. I think I learned my love for fall from my father. I have so many memories of truck driving and tractor riding. And now I get to pass that on to Trennon (although I'm pretty sure Jared was the one who enjoyed it most this year). We drove up to Jerome just to check it all out. Tren loved the tractor. He could have stayed in there all day if Layton would have given up his seat. He kept trying to push all the buttons and take over the operation. This year Jared took the reins and learned how to drive my mom's truck. He did quite well for his first time. Look out, we might be moving to the farm. 

 Everybody has to take a spin in Uncle Layton's wheelchair from time to time.

It was getting close to dinner time and it is hard to wait for Grandpa to come home from the tractor. All the boys gathered around like little birds to steal Layton's mac n cheese. It was pretty funny to watch them all "chirp" for their fair share. Poor Tren got stuck in between Layton's legs and got pushed around a few times but that didn't stop him from getting some food.

the big ONE

My little baby is no longer a baby; he is a toddler. And while it is sad, we are having so much fun together. I love how he plays and cruises around the house. He is mischievous and knows how to get into everything. I am very glad that he is still my little cuddle bug and always takes time to come sit on my lap or curl up next to me. I'll be sad when he no longer does that. But anyways, his birthday was wonderful. We celebrated early with the Bingham clan after Calvin's blessing. He opened his presents from Grandma and Grandpa (with Keegan and Oliver's help) and then dove into an ice cream cake. Although it was probably not the best idea to make him eat ice cream with his hands, he still enjoyed it. Thanks to all those who helped make his day special.

 I like the old school feel to these photos. It makes Keegan look a lot like Cody.

Then we got a special treat and the day after his birthday Grandma Ash came for a visit. Trennon was so lucky to see her! We had a lot of fun shopping and eating and making a Halloween costume. We were sad that the festivities had to end so soon.