Auntie Ash

He's here! My sister had a oh-so-cute baby boy on Wednesday March 24th. He is such a little trooper even though he is having some health issues (his mommy is also a trooper...sick babies are not fun!) I sure hope the little one gets to come home soon so I can squeeze those newborn cheeks!

Adri Eric Wood Rose

PS- I have a huge, yet amazingly fun family. Here is just a fraction of us (The Cowley/Maughan side).

A Fun Day in Pictures

Today we left

WithPicked up these goofballs

(thanks for the pic Nat!)

Went to the Sportsman's Expo

and here for some delish wings...

and here to visit my cousin.

I laughed so hard I cried ALL DAY!

PS- This lovely sister of mine is going to make me Auntie Ash this week! :) :)

Back to Work

It's official- I have a job! We are very excited because this means that we will now be starting our house ASAP. It also gives me a little break, Ryker a little socialization and all of his grandparents some much wanted time with him.

I am now the assistant office manager at Legacy Dental in Wellsville. I work for Dr. Tyler Hunt and with three other fun girls. I will just be working 16 hours a week and have a schedule that is going to work well especially for summer. The flexibility is going to be great and since I am planning on staying for quite a while, I will be able to adjust as needed for preschool and school.

This job is going to be such a blessing. We have prayed for something just like this and I am very glad that I didn't jump on other opportunities I was considering. There is so much to learn but I can't wait until I am comfortable with everything.

The Holy Grail

After much searching, we have found it! A park, close to our house, appropriate for little ones. The search was long, but luckily not hard.

Park 1: Hyde Park where they have the pumpkin walk

Failed due to a foot of snow on the ground.

Park 2: Smithfield Elementary school

Failed due to the fact that there were a million other kids and the equipment was way too huge for mommy's comfort.

Park 3: Smithfield ball park

Failed due to being too large again

Park 4: (THE ONE!) Amalga Sugar Park

I know, Amalga?

Great points: 5 minute drive from our house, perfect for little ones, clean, newer equipment. It is perfect and the little one agrees. We spent a half hour in the car, another 15 minutes climbing on the bench...hey, something to climb on is something to climb on :) and 20 minutes of mom explaining that we can't just jump off the very top of the slide. It went something like this: "sit down, sit down...NO!" (catch Ryker midair as he leaps off the top) Ryker: hysterical laughing.

Spring To-Do List

Find a park? Check!

Find a way to keep stupid people on bikes away from the extremely wind-y roads in Benson before I pull my hair out? Still working on it!

Dear Health,

It has come to our attention that you have been tardy and/or truant in our home for the past 16 months.

Case in point:

• Ryker's ongoing sickness and your total lack of appearance when needed for him.
• Ashley's chronic "feeling icky"since Ryker's birth- how dare you leave a mother to deal with your nemesis (ie Sickness)
• Dustin's coughing attacks, back-aches and terrible headaches
• Ryker's recent RSV and double ear infections (where were you?!?)
• And your most recent case of sluffing (yesterday at 9 pm)- letting both Ashley and Ryker get the stomach flu resulting in this + crying all day:

As you may know, when you are absent, this affects everyone. Our bank account is terribly dissatissfied with your service (or lack-thereof), Ashley is just plain tired due to the every 2 hour puke-fest all night long and most offensive is your total lack of respect for our little man. Ryker is a sweet boy and the presence of your company is being officially requested at all times. (I really thought that was unnecessary, aren't you supposed to come standard on all models of babies?!)

16 months is long enough to be gone on your little vacation (is Hawaii nice?) In case you forgot, we are located in a little old house in Benson...not too hard to find. Is it the house? Do you need your own room? Let me know ASAP and that can be arranged.

We hope to peacefully resolve this situation but you and Sickness are currently on the list. Be warned.

Respectfully,
Ashley, Dustin and Ryker

PS- tell your friend Sleep that his presence is also requested. Since you are BFF, I assume you are vacationing together. Thanks!

Knock-Off Wood

If you haven't heard about Knock-Off Wood, you really aren't living! The second I have a garage (and a babysitter), I am whipping out the power tools...okay, Dustin will whip out our borrowed power tools, we'll work away and furnish our house b.e.a.utifully for thousands less than purchased furniture.

Here's our (future) dining table

And benches!
Anywho...Ana- the owner and fabulous carpenter at KOW, makes absolutely NO money for her hard work on her extremely detailed plans. She looks at the fancy-schmancy websites like Pottery Barn and West Elm {swoon}, and then gives us plans (for free!) so we can build our own.

Pottery Barn is mad now...she uses their pictures (stating that they are knock-offs) and she now has to take those pictures down. Imagine...a company who makes way too much money off of something we can make ourselves and we support them?!?! (I don't think there is one in Utah, but still...)

So, scurry on over and check out Ana, and spread the word. Us bloggers should have freedom of speech, or the press, or whatever.

Gibberish

I am so glad I have our wonderful brother in law as our general contractor. He knows how to speak gibberish. Reviewing our house plans with our equally wonderful drafter last night, I could have sworn we had been teleported to another country. "This can't be English" I thought- but I kept it to myself as to not look like a fool. (If you need either of these guys, let me know...he is beyond a perfectionist and does awesome work. She is super nice and by far the best deal around.)

Anyways, things are moving quickly now...a little too fast for me. I hate change, even though our new house is awesome. The lot, plans and mortgage will be rolling in the next 2 weeks...then it is a waiting game until I find a job...

Really, seriously? I thought I had credentials...*huge sigh* sometimes life just gets you down...I feel like a pretty big failure. Not that I ever feel supremely (diva-ishly) great about myself, but life.is.just.beating.me.down.

Alright...so we don't end on a bad note and you don't all think I am such a whiner...I saved 55% at Macey's yesterday. I am now getting good at this whole coupon thing most of the time (yay for success!). Best deals I found:
The whole coupon book they released, namely the $3 off meat (just look for "FP" after the name of the meat) Pick it up at the front of the store, most are good until the 16th, some until the 31st.
Stauffer's mac and cheese for $1.99 (same as the 1/2 pound!)- normally $3.49
3 liter water for 88 cents (normally $1.89)- Great for food/water storage.

Go here for more great deals and matchups!

Morbid decor and AA

I will try to be sensitive as I explain this morbid? thought I had last night. I was at Allen Hall Mortuary to attend a viewing for a great neighbor of my mom's. I walked in and noticed they had redone their decor. I was there to pay my respects and I did graciously, but...man! It is seriously beautiful! White details with a mainly brown and blue theme. Most awesome were the mirrored dressers and other details throughout. Anyways...I am morbid and I want my house to look like the funeral home. Don't worry, I refrained from taking pictures or asking for the name of their decorator. Anyone else covet decor in odd places? Nope...alright then, I will keep it to myself :)

Other happenings...

We are getting our house plans drawn up on Thursday! The lot should be in our name by next week. Then, we wait...and wait...while I try to find a part time job that I don't want to go to. I think it shows in my interviews that I really want to be home with my little man *shrug*

My name is Ashley and I am addicted to coupons. I don't think this requires a trip to AlAnon but I may have to pay the cashiers to go to anger management classes. They don't have a coupon addiction, more like a hatred. I have kept track of my purchases and just in the last 2 days (I shop at the beginning of the month) we have saved over $45 or about 53%. YAY! Last week I saved about 80% on my shopping trip. I felt like a thief.

Just so you aren't completely picture-less...I made these sun shades and decorated with Ryker's favorite things (horses now trump deer, I just can't keep up). Tutorial here.