Today is my wonderful Matt's 30th birthday. Oh, my!
I can't really believe that my dearest, peaceful-as-a-placid-lake husband has turned 30! Although, I assure you that he doesn't look it.
Aside from a minuscule number of white hairs (I claim full responsibility), he still has the same boyish look he had when I met him at 18. Yes, 18. And I was 17. Wow, we were young'uns.
So, to you, my dear Hubs, a tribute:
To you who dances to the beat of your own kazoo,
Who fills my life with heartache AND joy,
Regaler of ridiculously corny jokes,
The curious cat about all things techy and obscure,
My partner in crime (and in never-ending floor installation projects),
Happy thirtieth birthday! May you live to see many more birthdays and feel loved through them all.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
To Dear Ol' Dad (A Day Late)
Yesterday was Father's Day. I know that probably everyone in the free world knows this, but since I am the type of person who has been known to forget her own birthday, this feels like an accomplishment that I knew of this ahead of time.
Matt and I spent the whole of last weekend in the north suburbs of Chicago visiting family, eating Chicago-style pizza, watching terrible movies in our hotel room and seeing Julia Hamlin become Julia Harrington. (She looked every bit as lovely as a bride could have looked, by the way)
Before we hauled ourselves back downstate, we dropped in to see Nancy and Andy at the house and handed over his Father's Day present (divine chocolates from here).
Today, I get to stop, take a breath, and remember why Dads deserve Father's Day.
My own Dad passed away when I was a kid, but I still remember a lot about him.
Things I remember about my Dad from growing up:
He was almost always lighthearted and smiling, with a big grin on his face, a twinkle in his eye and joke just on the tip of his tongue. He loved to laugh. He took his coffee black and scalding hot. He was a Cubs fan. His favorite player was Darryl Strawberry. The first thing he would do when he came home from work everyday is throw me up into the air, catch me, then nuzzle his 5 o'clock shadow on my face. He taught me how to swim in the ocean, how to ride my bike, how to play stick ball, how to say 'sorry' to mom, and how to feel safe, warm and loved.
A great memory:
Dad launching me high into the air on his shoulders when we played in the pool. And how he would declare "Nestee plunge!" and everyone, including himself, would fall backward into the pool and make a great tidal wave rise up in the center of it.
Things about me that I get from Dad:
No matter how hard something got, he was never ever going to give up trying. I'm not sure I have that much optimism, but that specific kind of stubbornness I have is definitely from him! That, and how I pack the car like it's a Tetris game.
For Matt, I definitely see that he gets a lot of his looks from Andy (doppleganger, anyone?), his purposeful mispronunciation/misappropriation of common words and phrases ("Dance to the beat of your own kazoo"), his love of all things strange and unusual, half of his musical talent, his affinity for techy stuff and computers, his ability to take quotes from movies/online/youtube/tv series and make his own secret language, his desire to 'tinker' with stuff, and his strange taste in music.
I remember several years ago now, when the family came to visit Matt and I in our first apartment and Matt and Andy were standing in our kitchen. I was dumbstruck by how similar their mannerisms were, their manner of speaking, the words they chose. Matt is his own man, but I can definitely tell where half of his DNA comes from. And it is wonderful.
Thank you to the Dads, past, present, and future.
With love and laughter,
Ashley
Matt and I spent the whole of last weekend in the north suburbs of Chicago visiting family, eating Chicago-style pizza, watching terrible movies in our hotel room and seeing Julia Hamlin become Julia Harrington. (She looked every bit as lovely as a bride could have looked, by the way)
Before we hauled ourselves back downstate, we dropped in to see Nancy and Andy at the house and handed over his Father's Day present (divine chocolates from here).
Today, I get to stop, take a breath, and remember why Dads deserve Father's Day.
My own Dad passed away when I was a kid, but I still remember a lot about him.
Things I remember about my Dad from growing up:
He was almost always lighthearted and smiling, with a big grin on his face, a twinkle in his eye and joke just on the tip of his tongue. He loved to laugh. He took his coffee black and scalding hot. He was a Cubs fan. His favorite player was Darryl Strawberry. The first thing he would do when he came home from work everyday is throw me up into the air, catch me, then nuzzle his 5 o'clock shadow on my face. He taught me how to swim in the ocean, how to ride my bike, how to play stick ball, how to say 'sorry' to mom, and how to feel safe, warm and loved.
A great memory:
Dad launching me high into the air on his shoulders when we played in the pool. And how he would declare "Nestee plunge!" and everyone, including himself, would fall backward into the pool and make a great tidal wave rise up in the center of it.
Things about me that I get from Dad:
No matter how hard something got, he was never ever going to give up trying. I'm not sure I have that much optimism, but that specific kind of stubbornness I have is definitely from him! That, and how I pack the car like it's a Tetris game.
For Matt, I definitely see that he gets a lot of his looks from Andy (doppleganger, anyone?), his purposeful mispronunciation/misappropriation of common words and phrases ("Dance to the beat of your own kazoo"), his love of all things strange and unusual, half of his musical talent, his affinity for techy stuff and computers, his ability to take quotes from movies/online/youtube/tv series and make his own secret language, his desire to 'tinker' with stuff, and his strange taste in music.
I remember several years ago now, when the family came to visit Matt and I in our first apartment and Matt and Andy were standing in our kitchen. I was dumbstruck by how similar their mannerisms were, their manner of speaking, the words they chose. Matt is his own man, but I can definitely tell where half of his DNA comes from. And it is wonderful.
Thank you to the Dads, past, present, and future.
With love and laughter,
Ashley
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Beaming
When someone was having a hard day, my dad would say that "nothing was going right from the get-go." That was me one day this past week.
Tired from our marathon trip up north, Dash woke us both up before 6 a.m. with his classing roo-ing. I awoke to piles of dishes everywhere in the kitchen and even bigger piles of laundry laying on the floor downstairs.
Groggy from sleep and grumpy because of who-knows-why, I wanted coffee, except I couldn't make that darn machine run. After 30 minutes had gone by - still no coffee.
By then, I was tired, grumpy and caffeine deficient. Matt came, did exactly what I did in the same exact order and finally coffee nectar finally poured forth, but I remembered then that I was supposed to go to the store to get creamer and didn't.
Matt left for work and Dash was inconsolable, whining and crying for the next 30 minutes straight until I had to dash off to work in a hurry.
Ugh.
Later that day, I come home from work and see the kitchen all clean, with the dishes done. Matt drives up, gets out of the car, 1/2 and 1/2 in hand and a grin on his face.
Apparently, my white knight drives a white ford and wields creamer to keep the grumpy troll in me at bay!
Oh, my Dear, you make my grumpy days brighter!
With love and laughter,
Ashley
Tired from our marathon trip up north, Dash woke us both up before 6 a.m. with his classing roo-ing. I awoke to piles of dishes everywhere in the kitchen and even bigger piles of laundry laying on the floor downstairs.
Groggy from sleep and grumpy because of who-knows-why, I wanted coffee, except I couldn't make that darn machine run. After 30 minutes had gone by - still no coffee.
By then, I was tired, grumpy and caffeine deficient. Matt came, did exactly what I did in the same exact order and finally coffee nectar finally poured forth, but I remembered then that I was supposed to go to the store to get creamer and didn't.
Matt left for work and Dash was inconsolable, whining and crying for the next 30 minutes straight until I had to dash off to work in a hurry.
Ugh.
Later that day, I come home from work and see the kitchen all clean, with the dishes done. Matt drives up, gets out of the car, 1/2 and 1/2 in hand and a grin on his face.
Apparently, my white knight drives a white ford and wields creamer to keep the grumpy troll in me at bay!
Oh, my Dear, you make my grumpy days brighter!
With love and laughter,
Ashley
Friday, May 22, 2015
One for the Storybook
I started to write about my non-birthday event, but instead, I started writing about the best Grandfather ever.
We all were happy to see one another, but it was a somber time, too. The family had descended on Kalamazoo to honor Grandpa.
My own grandfather was a very stern man who didn't like kids much. Can you imagine my delight when I married Matt and three amazing grandparents came wrapped up in the deal?
He was such a wonderful person. I always describe him as the 'storybook' grandfather, full of all-encompassing hugs, beaming smiles and great stories.
I have heard from several people that Grandpa had a 'decicive' side, but I never saw it! (Enter in the story where angsty teenage Matt drives a golf ball through an enraged man's windshield. Grandpa stood behind Matt and simply said "Sir, you cannot speak to my Grandson in that way." Grandpa to the rescue!)
I just remember the hugs. And the beaming smile I always got from him when I walked through the door.
I look forward to one of those hugs when we meet again someday.
With love and laugher (and some tears)
Ashley
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Dash vs. Snow vs. Matt
For your viewing pleasure, the effects of 4 inches of snow on my already 'high energy' dog.
Matt walks out into the yard and hears something whizz by...
Charge!
Disclaimer: No Matthews or Dashs were harmed during this snow battle.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
The Convo Files: Minty Fresh
My advice to any engaged or married persons is always the same:
1. Boys are gross
2. Have a sense of humor in your marriage
I'll admit, that first jewel is usually spoken to the woman in the relationship. In a time honored tradition, it was told to me on my wedding day by a family friend and I also like to pass the news along to any unsuspecting wife to be.
I'll say it again. Boys are gross. To be continued.
For point #2, I'll just say that Matt and I get a jolly good laugh about some other nonsense just about every day.
Case in point - the conversation we just had:
Matt rubs minty gel stuff on his sore back...
M: I have succeeded in fullfilling one of my lifelong dreams...
A: Oh, really?
M: (Said with all seriousness) I have finally turned into an Andes Mint.
Dog jumps on M and tries to lick minty gel stuff off...
1. Boys are gross
2. Have a sense of humor in your marriage
I'll admit, that first jewel is usually spoken to the woman in the relationship. In a time honored tradition, it was told to me on my wedding day by a family friend and I also like to pass the news along to any unsuspecting wife to be.
I'll say it again. Boys are gross. To be continued.
For point #2, I'll just say that Matt and I get a jolly good laugh about some other nonsense just about every day.
Case in point - the conversation we just had:
Matt rubs minty gel stuff on his sore back...
M: I have succeeded in fullfilling one of my lifelong dreams...
A: Oh, really?
M: (Said with all seriousness) I have finally turned into an Andes Mint.
Dog jumps on M and tries to lick minty gel stuff off...
Friday, January 2, 2015
The Holidays: Whirlwind Edition
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We made it safely home yesterday from our travels up north and out west. Looking back, it doesn't seem possible that we visited everyone in just one week, but we did!
Here are a few highlights:
On Christmas Eve, Matt was a wise man. Note: I did not say "wise guy."
He was just as funny as he looks. I laughed out loud several times out of shear delight.
Then, on Christmas Day, we met my mom at my sister's house in central Illinois where we had our first holiday meal and opened presents. I think I ate three servings of prime rib.
And no, momma G is not really sleeping off her meal. She was purposely posing for the camera. Her dogs on the other hand, were.
After a few days, we flew out west and visited the Loen side in Phoenix. It was a blast seeing everyone! (The 60-70 degree days and sunshine were also a big plus)
I had more pictures of the cousins, but this is the only one that did not feature a blur-motion child.
I think this was the only moment that Penny was actually still.
We also got to celebrate Matt's cousin John's birthday! (Say that 5 times fast...)
On our last day in Arizona, we went sight-seeing and had dinner at The Resort (aka the home of the grandparents).
And now we are home. I spent yesterday watching season 6 of Big Bang Theory in my pajamas, however I managed to get Matt to run errands with me today.
We loved seeing everyone. It was my favorite part of the holidays!
With love and laughter,
Ashley
We made it safely home yesterday from our travels up north and out west. Looking back, it doesn't seem possible that we visited everyone in just one week, but we did!
Here are a few highlights:
On Christmas Eve, Matt was a wise man. Note: I did not say "wise guy."
He was just as funny as he looks. I laughed out loud several times out of shear delight.
Then, on Christmas Day, we met my mom at my sister's house in central Illinois where we had our first holiday meal and opened presents. I think I ate three servings of prime rib.
After a few days, we flew out west and visited the Loen side in Phoenix. It was a blast seeing everyone! (The 60-70 degree days and sunshine were also a big plus)
I had more pictures of the cousins, but this is the only one that did not feature a blur-motion child.
I think this was the only moment that Penny was actually still.
We also got to celebrate Matt's cousin John's birthday! (Say that 5 times fast...)
On our last day in Arizona, we went sight-seeing and had dinner at The Resort (aka the home of the grandparents).
We loved seeing everyone. It was my favorite part of the holidays!
With love and laughter,
Ashley
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