Well….the bucket list has proved to be a bit more challenging than I ever expected.  And it doesn’t help that I have two weeks cut off from my summer to try and get this all accomplished. 

So I decided that I’m going to take this list into August and September if needed, but there are still probably going to be some things that just don’t get done….this year. 

So here’s the break down so far….

1. Go to a baseball game and get on the kiss cam.

2. Take the littles to at least 3 different water/splash parks.

2 out of 3 accomplished and we had a BLAST!

3. Get a new tattoo.  Planning to accomplish on Fall Break.  Didn’t want to get one then have to cover it up in the sun. 

4. Make out in the rain, and preferably on the beach.  Made out.  Need to make more time to make out.  Need to make more time, in general, for my guy. 

5. Watch the sunset on the beach holding hands with my love.  Watched the sunset and ate pizza doing it!

6. Run an entire 5k.  The running has totally dropped off my radar.  Have you felt how hot it is outside?  I can’t breathe, let alone run. 

7. Paddle boat on the canal.  Too expensive. 

8. Bike with friends along the canal. Too expensive.  (Already making a mental note that next years bucket list needs to involve loves of FREE or LOW COST items.)

9. Golf with my guy and hope I don’t drive him nuts. Maybe the driving range next weekend?

10. Go horseback riding with my guy. Where can we do this?

11. Convince my niece that playing the piano is something she needs to start soon.  She says NO WAY.  Boo…

12. Take my grandma out to lunch. Went to dinner for her birthday recently but did not take just her out for her lunch.  This one probably gives me the biggest regret. 

13. Go to a winery with some of my wino friends. Went to a winery shop in St. Joseph, Michigan and did some wine tasting with Mike.  Ended up bringing two bottles home!

14. Go to wine and canvas with my sister and friends.   Planning this for August or September….whatever works best for everyone!

15. Read the “50 Shades” series.

16. Finish the “Hunger Games” series.

17. Ride a roller coaster. Didn’t venture to an amusement park this summer but I have two weeks over fall break and maybe we can conquer it then?!?  Are things like that still open?!?!

18. Feed the ducks at P park. Nope….maybe fit that in for my last day of freedom tomorrow?

19. Make homemade gifts for Father’s Day.

20. Go to a drive in movie theater. They really haven’t shown anything we were interested in seeing, but I guess it’s the thought of going and watching a movie in your car. 

21. Sit on the porch for dinner and watch the sunset together. Again, the heat.  Ridiculous. 

22. Camp out. Again, the heat. 

23. Take the littles to Conner Prairie. Came to the conclusion that I am the ONLY one interested in going to Conner Prairie and it’s not a place I want to go by myself.  So, maybe in a year or two Shai will have a little more interest?

24. Play in a sprinkler with the littles.      I technically didn’t play, but I observed the fun and took photos!

25. Draw with sidewalk chalk.

26. Have a bonfire and make a complete meal over it including s’mores of course!  With the heat and drought comes a fire ban.  Maybe this fall?

27. Have a water balloon fight with the niece and nephews (the littles). We did quite a bit of pool days but never just some good ole water balloons. 

28. Go on a picnic with my sweetheart.  Maybe as it cools down we’ll take our normal Friday night meal out and hit up a local park with some Subway sandwiches and just enjoy the fact that it’s cooled down!

29. Use my sewing machine to make something for myself.  I’ve got it ready to go!

30. Use my sewing machine to make something for a little person in my life. Again, ready to go…

31. Go to 3 spots at the state fair that I’ve never been to.  Not yet. 

32. Organize and clean up the office/sewing room.

33. Make melted crayon art with the littles.  Didn’t seem as interesting as it did when I first made this list. 

34. Lose 5 more pounds.  How about gain 5 back?

35. Get at least 20 Blogger followers.   HELP!

36. Make root beer floats with my oldest nephew.  We drank lots of root beer at the fair, but never made it a float!

37. Visit the new ice cream shop in town with the littles.  Yum, thanks to Bryce’s birthday gathering!

38. Visit and have lunch with my Aunt Mary.  Another major regret….

39. Have a picnic at the cemetery with my mom.  Cupcakes at the cemetary tomorrow for her birthday!

40. Play putt-putt. Again, the heat.  It kind of ruined everything. 

41. Buy a new silver long necklace with a little bit of turquoise. Bought some beautiful turquoise pieces in Michigan, just haven’t quite found the “one” yet that I’m exactly looking for. 

42. Blog at least 3 times a week.       I decided this was impossible if I was going to accomplish all 49 other objects on the bucket list.  It’s hard to have fun, unforgettable summer and write it all down!

43. Not worry about school until at least July 30th.   Instead of not worrying about it I decided to attack it full force and I was in the classroom early July getting a head start.  It has already done wonders for my stress level. 

44. Get a great tan.

45. Try 5 new Pinterest recipes.

46. Go to a concert.    Several!

47. Build a sandcastle. I’m pathetic at this, but I did get it accomplished in South Haven with Shai. 

48. Lay by the pool at least twice a week.    Just about nailed this one!

49. Find a new drink of choice by trying 5 new summer cocktails.  Instead discovered that Bud Light Lime just about always quenches my thirst!
50. Make every day count.     For sure.  It was a nonstop summer.  Just the way I like it!

I have dreams nightly.

Some days I wake up and can remember them vividly. Some days they are vague.

Lately I wake up recalling them vividly. And it’s the same scenario involving different people and different locations. I just can’t make sense of it and it’s really starting to bother me.

Every time it’s a dream of me seeing my mom somewhere. She ignores me. She acts like she doesn’t even know who I am. She’s still alive in these dreams and it’s like she’s living another life somewhere else and won’t let me be a part of it. It’s heartbreaking, I’m not gonna lie. It seems so real and I wake up wondering if it is.

After an hour or so of dwelling on it I talk myself down from the cliff and realize she is gone. And even if she were here she wouldn’t ignore me. She loved me.

Last night it was that M and I were at a restaurant and we saw her In the drive thru. She ignored me. I called out her name. She said nothing and drove off. That was it. Nothing too extreme. Just weird.

Don’t you think?

What do I make of that? Does it mean I’m still grieving and I’m just in a weird step of that whole process? I don’t get it.

Anyone out there with any knowledge on dreams?

Help would be great!

Lost in my dreams,
Ashley

Pinterest needs to write me a check.

It’s costing me (and my guy) a lot of money to keep up with all the amazing ideas I’ve found.

Hobby Lobby and Michael’s and Jo Ann’s is making out like crazy. Which, by the way, Michael’s and Jo Ann’s do give a teacher discount just FYI!

Maybe I should just buy stock in one of those stores and I’ll get my money back? Probably not.

It’s all worth it. I love the times I craft. Reminds me of 4-H days with my mom. Our home is a lot cuter. And, if my plan works my friends and family are going to love me at Christmas when they get these amazing gifts. I need to start now.

Another problem is. Everything I make I want to keep for myself. Anyone else have that issue?

I’ve got a lot of personal problems I would like to blame on Pinterest as you can see.

Anyone else having this issue?

Any amazing Pinterest projects you completed this summer? Recipes you loved?

Here’s one completed below. I took cute little Welcome signs from the Dollar store and spray painted over the welcome. Then with puffy paint I wrote my niece and nephews names on them. Then I put a layer of clear coat over since they will be outside. I placed them near my moms headstone to represent her grandchildren. It definitely brightens up her “place” a little. Though she never technically met any of them I know she would love them all dearly. I see a piece of her in each of them. I took the signs to the cemetery last week and had breakfast with her (picnic on the bucket list). I plan to go back in two weeks for her birthday and see if they held up outside or if I need to do some maintenance. I’m just going to leave them until winter and then bring them home. Maybe put them out next year.

The next project is more my sister but I plan to help. Hey, I bought the picnic table at a garage sale this morning! That’s helping!

The plan is to take this Little Tykes table and make it a little more appealing. I plan to follow a tutorial from this blog: http://caroline-frei.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you did anything Pinteresty during your summer!

Oh, and please become a “follower” of my blog. It’s on my bucket list to gain a few more. Help a girl out!

Crafty and Broke,
Ashley

I’m a planner. I like to know what’s going on all of next week before this weekend has even started.

I get easily stressed when there isn’t a plan. Or I’m unaware of it.

My guy is a perfect balance for me for that very reason. He is not a planner. He is a man. As my very wise 6 year old niece says, “He’s just a man all day.” He is very laid back and a go with the flow kind of guy. It’s frustrating most of the time Hell, its absolutely irritating and annoying at certain times But, I also know that it’s good I have him around. To remind me to slow down and enjoy life. Take it one day at a time. God definitely had a part in matching us up together. Him and a few friends with a wonderful idea.

Anyways. So I’m stressed on July 12th because my summer is quickly coming to an end. School starts back up August 1st this year as we go to a “balanced calendar.”

I’ve been in my classroom tons. Going crazy over implementing all these wonderful Pinterest ideas. Going nuts. I don’t even know where to stop anymore. I just have lists and lists of Pinterest ideas I want to do for both the classroom and at home. I need a publishers clearing house check. ASAP

I love being back in the classroom. I love the school supply aisles in the store. I love meeting a new batch of cherubs that I get to mold throughout the next year into responsible young adults. I love just about everything about my job, minus the paperwork part.

What I don’t love is the end of summer. I don’t love that I won’t get to lay by the pool everyday if I want. I don’t love that I won’t get to spend several days a week with my niece and nephews and sister. I don’t love that I won’t be able to stay up til 2 am reading and sleep in past 8. I don’t love that I feel like my freedom is flying away like a jet plane.

Summer was short this year. I feel like I have the right to be depressed. Just let me be.

Feeling blah,
Ashley

In one year I have watched my best friend go from my partner in crime to world’s greatest mother. 

Her arrival

In one year I have watched one of my favorite couples go from ex-roomates and newlyweds to incredible parents devoting all their time and energy into this little life.

2 months old!

It’s really no surprise to me that she can fill a room with laughter the way she does.  Her family has always done the same for me.  Laughter.  Joy.  Just plain good hearted people.

Always smiling!

I’ve really enjoyed watching my friend become the mother she is today.  I look forward to learning from her when I become one of my own someday. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are things I miss….like our late nights country line dancing, tailgating before concerts and barely making it in, pool days and naps on big green, or just plain shopping for no good reason.

BUT for all those things I miss somehow that little baby makes up for it….and then some.  She has made this whole “growing up” business something to look forward to.  Something to dream about.  Something to smile about.  Something to be thankful for…… a year of wonderful memories and giggles with one of the happiest babies I know.  Happy 1 Year WD!

Someone in our family is getting married! Which means a bridal shower and gearing up for her big day!

If I could quit my day job and do whatever I wanted one thing on my list would be “party planner extraordinaire.”. I really love throwing a good party….but at a minimal cost. It’s like a challenge. A thrill. I love shopping for bargains or making things to make the room look great as cheap as I can.

We decided on using her wedding colors and my sister found some great placemats on Zulily. If you don’t know Zulily…you need to. A good friend made a beautiful cake just from a picture we had given her that we found on the Internet. Each of the ladies in the family plus some bridesmaids brought a dish to add to the spread. This also saved on one person buying all the food. I borrowed mason jars from a friend and bought some simple daisies for cheap at a grocery the morning of. My sister got the paper goods and added a little bow to the silverware wraps for a little extra color.

As I’ve said before our family is big, but very close. I loved being a part of my cousins process to her big day and I look forward to planning many more bridal showers for the rest of my cousins and family.

Some pictures below from the bridal shower.

Little to no rain + strong winds =very sad corn

The Farmer (my love) seems a bit cranky and I know my family member farmers are also a little cranky and depressed.

We need rain and we need it bad. Sadly, it’s almost too late for anything to even help. I’m trying to stay positive but I’m not sure how much longer that will last.

At this point I also don’t care that it’s the 4th of July and we don’t get to set off our own fireworks. That’s very tiny in the larger picture of life right now.

But, happy 4th to everyone! We plan to be with family and make the best of this terrible drought, Fireworks or not.

Prayers for all my farming friends and family.

Lately my guy has done all kinds of little things that really add up. It’s the little things that can mean so much. And the little things that I probably don’t say thank you enough for. I’d like to think I’m appreciative but sometimes I think I just get comfortable and then forgot to say thank you to the one I love so much. He needs to hear those things. We all do really. While I was away on a girls trip to Florida he decided to set up a Wifi connection at home. Something I’ve wanted for so long but we had just done without. Now I really don’t have an excuse not to update this blog more often. He knew that would make me smile. He was right. He couldn’t even wait to surprise me with it when I got home. He just had to tell me over the phone. Love that about him. He can’t handle surprises just as much as I can’t. Tonight I came home to food cooking on his new charcoal grill, some furniture rearranged, and laundry all caught up. He was so proud to show me everything he’s done and I’m so grateful he cares enough to do all of those things. We may have our disagreements, though small, every once in a while but in the end we aim to make each other smile each and every day. Thats important to me. I want him to be happy. I know he wants the same for me. The card in my suitcase. Laundry caught up when I get home. Dinner being cooked. Random love texts throughout the day. They all add up.

Today and yesterday there have been these gorgeous rainbow sightings in the sky. Yesterday it appeared to be a rainbow stripe across the sky. Today was a halo completely around the sun that had an iridescent rainbow effect to it.

At first I was freaked out. Wondered what was going on that would cause these.

Then I realize it’s just my mom. Saying hello. Telling me to relax, have fun, and enjoy life. The halo around the sun today especially clued me in on her little plan to tell me she was here.

I wish I could have gotten a picture but nothing quite turned out. I don’t think it was something that was to be captured on film.

Just a moment for me in the gorgeous Florida sun.

Just a moment for me to remember she’s always with me.

Just a moment to remember that through all the pain and grieving there’s always hope for a better day.

Just a halo in the sky. Her halo.

My blogging buddy Heidi decided to create a summer 2012 bucket list.

So, naturally as bloggers do I decided to steal her idea and create my own.
1. Go to a baseball game and get on the kiss cam.

2. Take the littles to at least 3 different water/splash parks.

3. Get a new tattoo.

4. Make out in the rain, and preferably on the beach.

5. Watch the sunset on the beach holding hands with my love.

6. Run an entire 5k.

7. Paddle boat on the canal.

8. Bike with friends along the canal.

9. Golf with my guy and hope I don’t drive him nuts.

10. Go horseback riding with my guy.

11. Convince my niece that playing the piano is something she needs to start soon.

12. Take my grandma out to lunch.

13. Go to a winery with some of my wino friends.

14. Go to wine and canvas with my sister and friends.

15. Read the “50 Shades” series.

16. Finish the “Hunger Games” series.

17. Ride a roller coaster.

18. Feed the ducks at P park.

19. Make homemade gifts for Father’s Day.

20. Go to a drive in movie theater.

21. Sit on the porch for dinner and watch the sunset together.

22. Camp out.

23. Take the littles to Conner Prairie.

24. Play in a sprinkler with the littles.

25. Draw with sidewalk chalk.

26. Have a bonfire and make a complete meal over it including s’mores of course!

27. Have a water balloon fight with the niece and nephews (the littles).

28. Go on a picnic with my sweetheart.

29. Use my sewing machine to make something for myself.

30. Use my sewing machine to make something for a little person in my life.

31. Go to 3 spots at the state fair that I’ve never been to.

32. Organize and clean up the office/sewing room.

33. Make melted crayon art with the littles.

34. Lose 5 more pounds.

35. Get at least 20 Blogger followers.

36. Make root beer floats with my oldest nephew.

37. Visit the new ice cream shop in town with the littles.

38. Visit and have lunch with my Aunt Mary.

39. Have a picnic at the cemetery with my mom.

40. Play putt-putt.

41. Buy a new silver long necklace with a little bit of turquoise.

42. Blog at least 3 times a week.

43. Not worry about school until at least July 30th.

44. Get a great tan.

45. Try 5 new Pinterest recipes.

46. Go to a concert.

47. Build a sandcastle.

48. Lay by the pool at least twice a week.

49. Find a new drink of choice by trying 5 new summer cocktails.

50. Make every day count.