Jump Gym Fun {More 2nd Bday Celebrations}

More birthday celebrations at the jump gym with her cousins Rio and Tegan and aunties Megan and Gabe!  Reese loves her jump gym, but she loves her cousins and aunties more.

Thanksgiving 2015

Oh my goodness gracious.  Where to begin.  I've actually been trying to find the time to write this post for a while.  I've had the pictures in a draft but kept wanting to find an adequate chunk of time with no interruptions to write down just all the little things that made Thanksgiving this year so wonderful.  But alas that perfect time has not come, so here I am just writing a quick little tidbit of what comes to mind, so that I can get this bizz done!  

This year my parents flew in from Tennessee to spend Thanksgiving here in Utah!  I was counting down the days for quite some time.  We spent a lot of the time up in Salt Lake City at Megan's place, and it was so fun.  The place was decorated for Christmas, and it was just magical.  Cozy.  Surrounded by people I love so much.  

We ate lots of good food, relaxed, snuggled, watched Christmas movies, drank hot chocolate, ate leftovers like 5 times, hanging, talking, and just enjoying everyone's company.  Todd and I really enjoyed ourselves, and we were grateful for a relaxing, beautiful Thanksgiving break.  

I am so grateful for family.  I take them for granted, but I truly have a wonderful family.  Nothing like it.

The Holidays

(Barrett Family Picture, October 2015...Roni wasn't feelin' it haha)

"A thankful heart is a content heart.  It is a peaceful heart.  It makes us calm...the opposite of anxious.  A thankful heart displaces unrealistic expectations.  It brings faith and optimism.  When we gratefully focus on what we have and are, we don't become distracted or discouraged with all that we don't have.  I invite you to develop a thankful heart.  As you do, I promise you that you will feel a deeper sense of joy and satisfaction, and your love and testimony of your Heavenly Father will grow."

Today I really needed to be reminded of this.  My brother sent this quote from his mission president (he is serving a mission for LDS church in Mesa, Arizona) yesterday, and I just got to read his email this morning, and that quote was too perfect.  A perfect quote as the holiday season is upon us.  I hope I can remember this message throughout the holidays this season.  

I've been seeking more simplicity in my life lately.  It's been a slow but steady process of refining what's important vs. what's not and what's necessary and what's not.  It's the battle of good, better, and best.  I'm learning that I get more satisfaction out of spending meaningful time with my kids, with Todd, and with good friends than I would get checking things off my to-do list.  Not to say that there aren't days when I get frustrated because my list of things to do somehow continues to get longer and longer and pushed further and further on the back burner.  But I'm learning more and more how to be okay with it.

I'm learning to let go of my OCD tendencies and that everything can't always turn out the way I want it to be.  Life is about being flexible.  I'm learning to get back to the basics.  I really want to focus on the simple beauties of the holidays this year.  I want to spend time with the people I love.  I want to build relationships and strengthen friendships.  

I want to get down on the ground with Reese and Riggs, playing with them, interacting with them, and soaking in their little personalities.

I want to fill my life with light this holiday season, and try to always remember the reason for the season.  My Savior.  

In efforts to have a more thankful heart, I'll try to get on here more this month and talk about things I'm grateful for.  Truly grateful for.

Some things to start off that I've been thinking about lately:

1. A husband who insists on watching the kids while I go workout in the evening because he knows how much I enjoy it.
2. A mother who's always willing to chat and just listen.  Even if it's about nothing much at all, it always means the world to me.  
3. Good friends to laugh with.
4. All the people who love my babies, Reese and Riggs.  There is nothing more comforting than knowing my babies are loved.
5. A wonderful ward family that I love so much.
6. Sisters.  Each one of you.
7. A car that gets us from point A to point B.
8. A mother-in-law that has always been nothing but sweet, loving, and understanding.
9. In-laws.  All the in-laws.  They're the funnest group of people ever, and I'm lucky to call them my family.
10. Christmas music.  It is the most peaceful, happiest, heart-warming stuff ever.  And the Christmas tree.  I'll be putting it up tonight because I just can't help myself.  I put it up early because for me the lights on the tree remind me of Christ.  One month is too short a time to have that green, happy beauty up in the house. 

That's what came to mind today.  I'll try to post some more specific things throughout the month.

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday.  I was seriously having a rough start to my Tuesday but writing out this list made me feel a lot better.  Cheers to trying to have a more thankful, peaceful heart!

♥, Ash

Mush and Memories {Parent's Edition}

Sometimes I'll have random memories surface from childhood, about my parents, about my siblings, about school, etc...  So often, I remember those memories and laugh or smile about them and always mean to share them with whoever was involved, but dang it all, I always forget to share!  I want to be better about that!  I was inspired this morning by NieNie's post yesterday about her grandma.  In efforts to record more for my own family, so they can look back one day and read these stories, as well as to just share with my friends and family now, I wanted to take a minute to write down some memories of the two people I've been thinking of the most lately...my mom and dad.  It's always been hard to be so far from my parents, but since having Reese, I think about them and miss them even more it feels like.  My parents always said I'd never understand how much they truly love me until I had kids of my own, and man oh man were they right!

Check out these hotties!  These are both of my parents' high school graduation pictures.  My sister, Courtney sent a bunch of old family pictures of our parents a while back, and it was so fun to look at all of them!  My dad's blonde locks get me e'erytime.

Madre: // 1.  In high school, the day after intense leg workouts for basketball, my booty was always super sore, and I would make such a scene about it at home haha.  One day I was sprawled out on the couch on my stomach complaining about my booty pains, and my mom came over and said she would give me a butt massage (as I'm writing this out, I know she's gonna kill me for telling this hahaha).  Well that woman can give a serious butt massage!! LOL.  We were laughing SO hard because it hurt SO bad!  My siblings would all gather around and be laughing their aces off.  She kept saying, "Pain is good, pain is good!  Gotta work out that lactic acid!"  So ever since then, she would always give me butt massages after hard workouts, and every time we would be CRACKING UP as she did. // 2.  Sooo my mom could care less about the Super Bowl.  Big whoop-dee-doo as she would say.  But she looooves the commercials.  There's this nacho cheese commercial from a Super Bowl when I was in high school that she thought was hysterical.  Whenever she started to tell us about the commercial or tried to explain it to anyone, she could barely get out the words she was laughing so hard.  She could never even get the explanation out because of her laughing!  And she would always end it laughing with, "You just gotta watch it for yourself!" // 3.  Toasted bagels with Kraft cheese smashed in the middle for lunch.  Don't knock it 'till you try it.  Those were the best home lunches. // 4. Mental health days!  My mom was infamous for these.  But there was a trust in them too.  I never felt the need to abuse them, but I always knew that when I really needed them, she would know.  She always knew. // 5. Color-coordinated cups, color-coordinated backpacks, color-coordinated school supplies.  I was red.  Todd was blue.  Paige was purple.  Hunter was green.  For as long as I can remember.  They were our "favorite" colors.  Haha!  We always give my mom a hard time that she picked our favorite colors for us to satisfy her need for organization, but to this day red is one of my absolute favorite colors!  I knew I always wanted a fall wedding with lots of red, and it's my favorite color to have on my nails. // 6. In college, my mom always answered the phone.  I'm not much of a talking on the phone kind of gal.  In fact, I hate it.  Anyone who knows me, know that.  It's a problem, lol.  But I could talk to my mom for hours on that thing.  Whenever I needed to talk, she was there.  She always seemed to answer when I really needed her to.  I want to be that way for Reese. 

Padre: // 1. Anyone want to keep me company on a drive to the grocery store?  My dad liked to have company whenever he had a quick errand to run.  He'd sometimes yell across the house, who wants to run an errand with me?!  I'd always take him up on it.  I loved those drives.  My dad likes to listen to his music in the car and belt out the songs he really liked (even if he wasn't 100% percent sure of the words hahaha).  I have always been the same way.  The car is a time for listening to your jams.  I like to think I inherited that from my dad. // 2. Coffee ice cream partner-in-crime.  I can always count on my dad to pick the right flavor of ice cream. // 3.  My dad (and I guess my  mom too) never really punished us growing up.  They weren't into the whole grounding thing.  But whenever I would get in trouble, he would always have a short conversation with me about trust.  It was his disappointment that was the worst punishment.  This sounds like a horrible memory, but it's actually something really special to me.  I really trusted and looked up to my dad.  I cared about his opinions.  I don't know how he did it exactly, but I always knew he loved me, even if I made a mistake.  He always made me want to be better. // 4. When we were little, my dad used to do this thing where he would take our ice cream bowls, and with the spoon, he would mix the ice cream up really crazy like (while dancing and spinning around the room really intensely lol), and we'd be left with soft-served ice cream.  We thought it was hysterical!!!  We would laugh so hard, and thought that he had just made the most delicious treat by simply stirring it up.  He'd act all out of breath after he'd do it, like he just ran a marathon or something.  Oh, that man. // 5. Working on my foul shot ever since I was little.  My dad would take me outside after he got back from work sometimes to shoot baskets with just me.  A lot of times I liked to just work on my foul shot.  He'd talk me through follow-through, bending my knees, and where to line my hands up.  I always loved that time with him. // 6. My dad was one of the principals at my high school.  Whenever anyone found that out about me my freshman year of college, they were always like, No way!  That must've been the worst!  I would've hated if my dad was at my school everyday.  But you know what?  I loved it.  My dad was cool.  He was goofy and funny and my friends loved him.  I was proud he was my dad.  I knew if I was ever having a rough day, I could walk to his office in between classes or during lunch, and he'd be there to give me a good laugh.  He really knows how to laugh and lighten a mood.

Those are just a few of the memories that I've thought about lately.  Bottom line, they're pretty great.  I'm one lucky chick.

♥, Ashton Tilton   

Christmas Morning 2014

Christmas Eve and Day!  We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Buns' family this year.  Christmas Eve dinner Buns' family has bratwurst and tamales for their traditional dinner.  I can't say I'm into the bratwurst haha (it's a Barrett thing), but I loooove the tamales.  Mix with some eggs, and you've got the yummiest concoction that's ever hit your tastebuds. 

After dinner, Bill and Hawley (Buns' parents) shared a Christmas message with us, and we hung paper ornaments on the tree that had Christmas scriptures on the back.  I'm so grateful for my Savior, and even though I know we should keep Christ close to our hearts all year long, I love the opportunity I have to reflect on His impact in my life every year at Christmas.

Click here for what we tried to focus on this Christmas.

The painting below is a painting I had never seen before by one of my favorite LDS artists, Greg Olsen entitled, "Take My Hand".  This painting totally set the mood for our Christmas this year.  Todd and I were walking through Deseret Books a week before Christmas, and I saw this painting on the wall.  I immediately fell in love with it.  It made me think about our son on his way.  It made me think about the relationship I hope our children have with Christ.  That they know how much Christ loves them and that he is one of their dearest friends.   

After the family devotional, everyone got the kids ready for bed.  It was so fun to see my older nieces (2,4,5) getting cookies, carrots, and lettuce for Santa and the reindeer.  Their excitement was contagious.  I can't wait until Reese knows what's going on, and we can share that excitement with her!  

Once the kids were all put to bed, we played some games (including Pit which was nice because that's a classic game in my own family) and got all the pressies and stockings ready for Christmas morning!  I have the fondest memories of Christmas Eve for many reasons, but one of which being that once the secret was out (shhhhh*) and I was a little older, my mom would let me help wrap all the gifts and stuff stockings.  It is seriously one of my favorite Christmas memories spending that time with my mom and getting all excited about the next morning.  She wrapped our gifts in our own special color ribbon.  I used to love that touch.  We didn't get a chance to watch It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve like we normally do in my family, but Todd promised we'd watch it Christmas Day.

Even though I missed my family horribly for the holidays this year, it was really cool to share in traditions that Todd grew up with.  To share a part of his childhood with him.  I'll never forget Christmas Day, he made a comment about how he hadn't been at his home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day since before his mission (almost 5 years).  I could tell he was so happy to be there, even though he was bummed I couldn't be with my family.  And the funniest thing happened.  I put myself in his shoes and found myself getting super emotional and happy that we were able to spend the night for Christmas Eve, and he was able to experience Christmas like he did when he was a kid.  I know it can't and won't always be like that.  Pretty soon here, we will do Christmas in our own home and start developing our home traditions, but it was nice.  Like I said before, really great to get a glimpse into his childhood Christmases.  Because I know how special Christmas is to me when I get to spend it with my family, and when we got to go home to Tennessee for Todd and I's first Christmas together, I was so happy to share that with Todd.  And I know he was happy to share his with me.  It really was a beautiful Christmas.

  

Christmas morning, Reese and Todd slept in until about 8:30, but I was up at 7:30 ready for the party!  Haha.  As soon as Reese made a peep, I shook Todd and told him Reese was up, it's go time!  So we went downstairs, and all the cousins were already up starting to open their pressies from Santa, and it was just wonderful.  Their excitement and sweetness was the cutest.  We let Reese "open" her presents first, which were some boards books, safari animal toys, and clothes.  She's obsessed with little figurines and trinkets, so the animal figurines were a hit.  She just likes to walk around with them.  And chew them.  Then Todd and I exchanged gifts.  Todd is the cutest when he buys presents for me.  Once I've opened it (and always love it), he reassures me throughout the whole day that if I don't like it, we can return it and get what I want (insert laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying emoji here).  He's a cutie. 

Then we had some leftover tamales and eggs for breakfast which was BOMB.  Did I mention I love tamales?  Throw a little hot sauce on those babies, and I can destroy a serious plate full.  And of course, we also had to have some of our favorite cereal from our stockings.  That's a tradition that Todd's parents did with them on Christmas morning.  They gave them their favorite sugar cereal and soda pop.  That's a tradition I'd love to continue.  So Todd got Cinnamon Life of course, and I got Berry Captain Crunch.  HOLLA.  I haven't gotten that cereal in YEARS because I can never justify getting it, but Christmas tradition was all the justification I needed.  I had 5 bowls throughout the day.  And I thought of my dad every time because whenever we went on vacations or it was a holiday or he asked me to go on a drive with him to the grocery store, that was his top pick.  We both agreed that tearing apart the roof of your mouth every once in a while was worth it!

The rest of the day Todd and I got to just hang and relax and watch lots of The Office.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  

Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!

❤, Ashton Tilton

Oh the Yin-Yang

WARNING:  Explicitly cheesy content of my love for my husband and his buns in this post, as well as the typical, incorrect use of grammar.

It has been foevvaaaaaa.  To save you a lengthy post (which this might actually end up being anyway), life for the past couple of weeks has been CRAY.  For no reason in particular, other than ever since getting back from Tennessee to visit my parents (more on that at the bottom of the post!), I have been utterly epic failing at getting back into the routine of daily life.  But man oh man was it worth it.  

For quite some time, I'd really been missing my parents.  I guess that's an always thing, but for the past couple of months it's been "bad real bad, Michael Jackson."  I wish we lived closer.  And that's that.  So Reese and I flew to Nashville (Reese's first flight! a.k.a. the flight from hell...only because wrangling Reese was exhausting, but at least she was all smiles!) and had such a great time hanging with her Grandma Lynn and Grandpa D!  More deets of the trip in the Weekly Yin-Yangs at the bottom of this post. 

If I had to sum up the past couple of weeks in one word it would be...progressive?  Thought-provoking?  Incredibly...ponderful?  Haha, idk, none of those are really hitting the nail on the head, but I guess I've just been continuing to learn about myself as a mother, wife, and friend.  Just tidbits.  Things that I feel that I'm good at.  Things that I really, really suck at.  Pardon my french.  

I've realized that I absolutely, 100% married the man of my dreams, best friend, and tell-it-like-it-is stud that gets my blood pumpin'.  

Todd and I went on a hot date to the Sundance Halloween chairlift this weekend, and words can't describe how much I needed that hot date.  Note to self though:  Bring a blanket!  Holy hellfire, it was chilly at some points in the ride!  But we got to snuggle, laugh at all the corny, scary Halloween scenes below, and talk about every stage of our relationship and life together from beginning to now.  We talked about a lot of fun memories that neither of us had thought about in a while, and it made me want to jump his bones buns (see WARNING at top of post).

Communication y'all.  Make it happen in your marriage. (Since I have such experience under my belt to be offering advice....HA ) It's one of those things I can really, really stink at sometimes, but whenever I take the time to talk things out (typically encouraged by Buns), it's usually always worth it.

>>Yins:  Unpacking // Not being able to take my parents with me back to Utah // Not being able to take Buns with me to Nashville // Wiggly, no-nap church on Sundays forcing us to take her out to the grass to get some fresh air // "judgementalness" // neverending dishes // neverending laundry // getting back into the routine of work and home life // trying to contain Reese on the plane (she did GREAT actually...it was me who didn't do so hot) //

>>Yangs:  Celebrating my brother Todd's 23rd birthday bowling with my fambam // Visiting my parents in Nashville!! // movies with momma // BYU football with dad // chats for daaays with momma // pizza date with dad // Martinelli's with momma // just spending time with them in general was much needed // Reese spending time with her Grandma Lynn and Grandpa D // Jakers pumpkin patch with Barrett cousins // happy baby girl // Sesame Street // pumpkin cake // Jakers take two with friends followed by the best cazookie I've ever had in my life // game nights with friends // our church primary program that always brings me to tears (sweet merciful, I'll be a mess when our kids are actually IN it) // shopping with momma // Sundance Halloween chairlift with Buns // tender mercies delivered in the form of laundry // newlywed sister and bro-in-law // in-laws // pumpkin decorating //  people that love Reese almost as much as I do // baby rolls // Reese's curly lips // "days that allow bras off, hair up, sweats on" // Roni baths with Grandma Lynn // workout music // coming home to find Todd's leg stuck in the window trying to get in because he was locked out (priceless! )...had to snap a shot before I released him // workout music // Claire Wilson // seeing Buns after getting off the plane // hugging the crap out of Buns after getting off the plane // kissing Buns after getting off the plane // holding hands with Buns after getting off the plane //

Have a great week y'all!
❤, Ashton Tilton