Happy Birthday, Ashley!

It seems like yesterday I was heading down to Oregon for the birth of my girlfriends daughter.  If I remember correctly (which isn't very often and then it is sketchy at best), I got the call on a monday for a scheduled c-section on tuesday.  I grabbed my then 17 year old sister (childbirth is an excused absence!?!),  my Alanis Morissette CD (don't judge), rolled the windows down (manually) and headed for Aumsville, OR.  Shai and I had the best road trip...laughing and singing at the top of our lungs the whole way.

It was surreal, my girlfriend and her husband were having a baby.  She didn't seem old enough. She was, but she was the first of my friends to start a family so for me it was a little crazy.  I had watched her belly grow, boy did it grow, for the last nine months .  And the moment was finally here...  

Ashley Darlene Balck

April 30, 1996

9 pounds, 11 ounces   21 1/2 inches long
(Did I mention her mom is only 5' 2"!?!)  

She was perfect in every way.  Fresh from the heavens.  

A bit of dark hair, ten little fingers, ten tiny little toes and she looked just like her daddy.  I was one of the first people to hold her.  Even before her mom - she was still in recovery.  I cried the second they laid her in my arms.  One of my best friends became a mom and I couldn't have been happier.

Welcome to the World, Little One.

4 years old - coloring at my parents house

She was a flower girl in our wedding.  Age 7

Holding Allie for the first time.  She was 11.  

Happy "Sweet 16" Ashley!

We love you!


Congratulations Toni & Greg, you are the parents to a 16 year old!
XOXO

Out of the mouth of a four year old...

All within the last week.

Me:  Allie, what kind of milk do you want with dinner?  Almond or Rice?
Allie:  Ummm....Almond.  You know, just like we say at the end of our prayers in Chapel - Amen Almond!


Allie:  Here mom, smell this...This is super stinky.  It must be from Daddy.
Me:  What does it smell like?
Allie:  I don't know, but it must be from Daddy's socks.


Allie - I don't ever want a baby!!!
Me:  Why not?
Allie - 'Cause I would have to wipe poop!  Yuck!  And besides, they are too much work!


Me:  I thought you said you cleaned your room!?!
Allie:  I did.  Kids clean it different.  They clean it the way they want to.  Not the way that Mommy's do.
Me:  Well, if you want to play a (an Allie shuffled i.e. ice cream cone card will be on top and shockingly it will be her turn to go first) game of Candyland later, I think it would be a good idea to clean it the way that Mommy does.
Allie:  Oh yeah...okay!


Erik made the made the mistake this morning, while trying to be funny, of asking Allie who was cuter -  him or Justin Beiber.  Her answer without hesitation was Justin Bieber.  Jump to an hour later, while they are busy pulling up our old baseboards, this conversation happens.
Allie:  Daddy, I love helping you with projects.
Erik:  I love you.
Allie:  Well, I love you.  But, Justin Bieber is the cutest!

Love you, Miss!

It went a little something like this...

Allie:  See these wrinkles that I drew on Tinker Bell mom?  (As we sit coloring at the counter together)
Me:  Yep
A:  They are just like the ones you have on your back.
Me:  What?  Huh?  I have wrinkles on my back?  Where?
A:  Here let me show you as she lifts up my shirt.  See right here...look at all those wrinkles.
Me:  Huge sigh of relief - Oh you mean freckles,  those are FRECKLES, not wrinkles.
A:  Oh, okay, well then that is what Tinker Bell has too.  Freckles.

Later that night:

Me:  Hey Erik, I have to tell you a funny story that happened with me and Allie.
E:  Okay, sure.
So I proceed to tell him the story.  And when I get to the point about wrinkles on my back.  He says:
E:  Ha-ha, did she mean to say fat rolls!?!
Me:  Uh - NO, but thanks for that, she meant freckles, but obviously I know how you feel.  (All while flipping him off!)

Awwwweeee...the innocence of a 4 year old.  And the idiot-ness of my husband!

Best Craft Ever.

Well, that is what she said anyway.  Here was my inspiration.  http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/embroidery-floss-easter-eggs.html. And here is what she did.

p.s.  yes, she made a wardrobe change in the middle of the "craft".