SNOW in Utah...

While spending Christmas Vacation in Logan Utah with Dustin's parents and Brothers and sisters we got to plan in the snow. Some of my kids have never experienced SNOW. It was fun for them all, a few tears of frustration, crashing into tree's, and then to hear I did it mom! Was it worth it?? All the crying a little stressful... the kids had a great time! We soon realized why we love warm weather here in AZ!!
We had fun making snowmen in 9 degree weather, having snow ball fights, snow angles and even a day of sledding. We soon realized that we didn't have the best snow gear and thanks to our dear family that live there, knew how to keep us warm. A little duck tape and gloves goes a long way!!Thanks to everyone, we had so much fun!!! After a few days in the cold we had enough until next year!

Salt Lake Temple Lights

Over the holidays we got to go see the beautiful Christmas lights at temple square! I try to make this happen every year! We met up with my parents and two of my bothers Adam and Lee. It is starting to be a family tradition that I love!
Dustin took some cool pic's of the Temple as the sun was setting just thought I would share! It was truly amazed how much Mason and Chloe knew about the temple. I guess they have been listening while we have talked about it! Chloe my smart little girl, reminded us that Dad and Mom were married here 8 years ago. She was telling us about how she remembered that it took 40 years to build. Then little Titan who can't say much but has an opinion of his own..kept pointing at the temple and saying LOOK, LOOK. Even at a small age they seem to have an idea of what's important! Oh it made me smile!

The Mighter HUNTER...from BAD to WORSE!!

As we all recall we were so excited for this trip to UTAH to visit many family and friends over the Christmas holiday. Dustin was super excited to go Coyote Hunting, I'll try to make a long story short...but to leave out many exciting details..oh I'll try.

After the first day trying to take out the snow machines for this amazing hunting trip with the new gun and all, they traveled over an hour and a half and found that the snow was too light to even unload them. Soon this day had been shot and ran out of sun light. Starting earlier than 12 noon might have made a difference!!

On to day two...They had scoped out the best spot the day before. While loading the sleds Dustin got the truck stuck in the field of snow, they have to make a quick stop in Tremonton (what they thought would be a quick) turned in to 3 hr delay and a few hundred dollars later...and a few new parts. They got out to the spot and unloaded the sleds, started out for a coyote. Hit a rock, after a short outing, broke the back two track rollers and wouldn't run. The sled was all jacked up! He was now letting me know he was going to be late for dinner...Yikes! I knew it!! It always happens...an excuse for everything! Things were not going as planned!

It only gets better...brainstorming what to do with this snow machine, weather to leave it behind or...??? Dustin turned it down hill and milked it down the hill. Then calls to tell me that the only way to get it out of the revine was to cut the fence down. Who knows who's property it was or was going to be mad...But who cares you can only imagine what I'm thinking at this point...right?

Jace his brother in law, who he is with is trying to find a way to bring the truck and trailer over to where he is. They get them loaded, heading home and they get a flat on the trailer. Jace states keep going...so Dustin keeps going. Then he see's all kinds of sparks flying, keep going...so he kept driving, lost a tire and now the rim was gone. They couldn't go any further. WOW!!

They meet us up for dinner(1 1/2 hrs late), leave right after to only run into MORE problems! They go and find replacement/spare tire parts (45 mins/8pm) make the drive out to the trailer(45 mins) to try to repair it. It wouldn't keep any pressure. Come to find out that the spare had blown out and had a major hole in the side wall.

The sleds are worth too much to leave them out overnight!! Then there was a another trip out and back to get a another trailer tire, and it's after 1am and he is still NOT home and DID NOT GET ANY COYOTES!! All they got was an expensive day of not much fun and many headaches to go with it!

Oh I still love him and hope he can still find the lost love for Coyote Hunting again in the near future...no more this year for Dustin Ashton! Good night!

Our Christmas Dance...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND...

Our Thanksgiving was a pretty good one some of our high lights were my 10 mile run, having family in town, Mason and his school feast and seeing the Temple lights! Fun times, good food and family! What can I say...We do love it all!


Arianne Pearce and I running 10 miles... Turkey Run!!

Hugs at the Temple lights...

HAPPY TURKEY DAY to all and hope that your hearts were as grateful as ours!!

10K (6.2 MILES)

Over the past few month I have decided to take up running. It had been a long time sense I had ran any thing over a few miles but I started while in CA this past summer. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to train for a 1/2 marathon in the near future. So with that in mind I have signed up to do a few trial runs. Last sat I ran a 10K run and it was fun. I did it...I was a little nervous but this being my first race and all but koddos to my best friend Ariann she has pushed me and motivated me when so many times I have wanted to quit! I would think of every excuse in the book to not go running, like Dust had to work early sat morning, I just need to sleep in and you name it i probably ran it past her. She doesn't buy it!!! I owe her big time! I really do love it when I get out and run but with back to working full time and so MANY long days on my feet, the last thing I want to do is come home go running!

We ran it in 55:15! Now we are upping it to run a 10 mile run Thanksgiving morning!

Then to some more training and planing on doing a 1/2 marathon in February. Yikes...Yikes
Here are a few pic's of our fan club!

30 TUBS??

He didn't....did he??

This is what i found when my ever so thoughtful hubby came home this last weekend with 30 tubs of ice cream! Yeah I SAID 30!! Only a Ashton would do this...right? I guess if you all knew them as well as you think you do..well they eat ice cream like it's going out of style!

$48.00 dollars later and a truck full of ice cream...needless to say my kids were so happy too! How am I going to keep myself out of the ever so tempting Breyers Ice cream...??

Notice that the kids were in the P.J.'s well it was about 7AM when he went to the store to buy it...not a midnight run, just thinking of us for breakfast.?? He stresses me OUT!! I told the kids that they had to help him put it away and they were so excited!

Yes we have had ice cream every night for the last few days and MANY MORE to COME!!

All Dustin could say was I was thinking of you too...I got you like 4 cheesecake kind. It really was a "GOOD DEAL" only a $1.50 when you bought 10! Then he told me he wants 30 more...I put my food down on that one! Even though it might only last us for a month and 1/2 any way!!

I'll keep you all posted...

*To make things better he even brought me a new victoria's secret bra and panty home today!!!

In the DOG HOUSE!!!

Friday was a topical day with it being my day off, i got to the gym, ran Chloe to pre-school, ran picked up dry cleaning, stopped here and there, got groceries and all my running around done while I only had two kids.
I was home doing dishes catching up on laundry, and cleaning bathrooms, bedrooms and everything else that I can cram into my day off to catch up when I got this funny... oh I say funny phone call that suddenly turned my day upside down!! This is how it went...
April: Hello...
Richard: Hi this is rich with White Feather gun Smithing Co. and I'm who Dustin placed an order through last week???
April: I said wait..who are you?
Rich: I sold Dustin a gun last week and I have lost his cell number...
April: well...I can give him a message and let him know you called...
Rich: Did you not know about this????
April: NO!! Not at all, but I'm so glad that you called!
Rich: Oh I hate to be the one to break the news to the wives...oh I'm so sorry!
April: I'll let him know that you called...

Being the good wife that I am I decided to text him and ask him about this one?? He soon knew he was in TROUBLE and he couldn't get this one past me!! Let's just say that he kept talking about how he was so excited to be going to go see our family in Utah over the holidays and now it all makes sense to WHY he really excited! He'll have his new gun and get to do some hunting while in the Utah mountains. It has been a few year sense he has gotten out there and really go to hunt but still I'M NOT JUSTIFYING IT! We have our differences on this one for sure!
If this happend to you would you have been mad or what!???!!!

Time out for couples...

Not sure if any of you have ever heard of this but it's put on by Desert Book. I have gone to Women's Time Out before and thought we would try this one. Well it ended up being a lot of fun! Some of the speakers were Mark Mabry who was the photographer for the exhibit called "Reflections of Christ." Here is a link... http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/ kind of long but so good!!
What a average Guy and how he came down to out level make it so real to feel what he had gone through in the making of the special exhibit! It did bring me to tears. I loved how he shared in detail what it took to capture all the right moments and how he had is trails and fears with weather and all. But in the end he shared a great weather story and how he prayed for great weather. He gave him one day to shoot in Mexico and he really thought that it was going to be a wast of a trip but the clouds cleared and he got the photo! What a story of faith!!

Then we also got to hear from Peter Breinholt...Oh so good! I do love how he can share stories and just reach out and touch anyone! During the break I saw a few more good favorites! Jenny Froggly and Hillary Weeks!! Just had to get a photo with them! They were performing on Saturday and I was so sad that I didn't get to go.

What a fun filled night! I would so do it again!!

HaLloWeEN...

This time of year is always so fun and especially for the kiddos! We got a chance to go to a local pumpkin patch, bring home pumpkins and then carve them with friends, a ward Trunk or Treat and even got dressed up a second time...for trick or treating around the neighborhood! We were quiet the party with a little mixed company...A witch, Drag queen, Batman, Cinderella, a ladybug and a green fuzzy monster! WOW what a fun time we had!
Even though all the stress and commotion falls back on me to keep everyone on the same page with costumes and stuff I really do love it all! I just love seeing my kids having a great time and enjoying the moments! Here are a few pictures for you all to enjoy! AprilPumpkin Patch with the Prices...Caring the Pumpkins...The family...


Ms. Ashton....?!!!??



Sassy "Witch"...





Hope you all had a great time too!!

My girls Beds...

So it took him less then a week!!! He truly is amazing...What can I say I have been waiting for this for a long time and planning on how i wanted to design my girls room...paint, bedding and all. We have it almost put together! Let me know what you think.

A few of you have asked about having something custom made...well he his now open to the idea....just ask??!!

***THE GOAL****But I needed two!!!

THE FINAL PRODUCT.... I DO LOVE THEM!! Much Thanks goes out to my dear hubby and Mason for all their hard work!

We got accepted!!

After a few years of trying to get into Paridise Education Center (a local Charter School) we got a phone call yesterday with our acceptance! Mason will transfer tomorrow and is pretty excited! I'm not trying to be braggy but only looking for someone who would be interested in car pooling. With both Dustin and I working now it does make things a little tricky! Please let me know if you know of anyone who is interested!! April

Happy Haunting...

This picture doesn't do our scary porch justice in the day light but this is what we have been up to with fall here and Halloween right around the corner. "Mr. bones" as we call him is as scary as we get with the little ones! It's pretty cute every time we pull into the drive way if it's not Chloe reminding us it's little Ryya saying...there is our oh so scary porch again! I do love how the little things bring them such excitement too. Last week the kids and I had fun putting up Halloween decor, trying on old costumes and talking about fun things we want to do this year for Halloween! I do love this time of year and all the fun that goes with it! I'll post more as we get out to our pumpkin patch this week!

*** I hope this year doesn't end up like this for our little ones?? ***

This weekend I did sell the girls beds and we are in to another project...more to come!! April