Seeing Santa for the First Time at Riverwoods

Reese's first time seeing Santa, and it was a success!  I totally expected her to freak out because she's got a history with being freaked out by beards (i.e. initially Todd's brothers and brother-in-law), haha.  I wouldn't say she loved it, but she half smiled eventually.  Most of the time she just stared though.  Then we grabbed her before it could get too cray cray haha.  It was fun though.  I have to say that I never knew how much it would mean to me to share Christmas with her.  She made everything a million times more fun for Todd and I. 

Here's Reese with her cousins.  This was as successful as it was gonna get! Haha.  Reese just kept wanting to rip her hat off and her cousins just wanted to run around and see all the lights.

I mean...can I point out for a second how handsome Buns is?  Especially toting our baby girl in his arms.  Holy hannah.

Loved sharing this Christmas together as a little family.  We feel so blessed to have Reese in our lives.  Christmas time this year was so special too because this time last year, Reese was less than a week old.  I hope Christmas always reminds me of when Todd and I became parents, bringing Roni into the world.  This Christmas that's mostly what I thought about anyways.  It was wonderful.  

Hope y'all had the merriest of Christmases!

❤, Ashton Tilton

HelloSparrow Giveaway

Headband>>  Baby Bling Bows
Jean shirt>> Carters (similar>>only $9!)
Moccs>>  Freshly Picked (similar>> similar>> similar>> because let's be real, FP is expensive! We won these in a contest with <<Notes n Knots)
Leggings>>  Hello Sparrow

How cute are these leggings from Hello Sparrow?!  Well today I've teamed up with Hello Sparrow to do a giveaway, and the winner will win a pair of these Mint Floral Leggings!  See leggings in shop <here>.  They are the most darling shop, and I love their dresses for your little girls!  I can't wait for Reese to wear them paired with a pair of cowgirl boots.  

I'm all about the leggings these days for Reese.  We got her a couple pairs of denim jean shorts for the summer, and I can't even bring myself to have her wear them very often because they seem to cut into her little belly.  So most days I've got her in cute, comfy leggings (just like her momma haha).  I love these leggings because they are so soft and the mint and floral combo is adorable. 

Here are a few of the Hello Sparrow Shop's adorable dresses: (each only $25!)

 To enter the contest go follow Hellow Sparrow on instagram: @hellosparrow as well as myself: @xo_ashtontilton.  You will find further instructions to enter the giveaway on my feed!  Contest ends Sunday night at 11:59 PM.  Good luck!

XO, Ashton Tilton 

California: Zuma Beach

The beach. Words can't even describe how amazing it was to be back at the beach.  My parents and brother Todd drove from Tennessee to Virginia Beach this summer, and I had wished so badly we could have made it.  They sent some pictures from the beach, and my heart ached for my family and the beach.  I've really missed them this summer, and it sounds a little silly but visiting the beach in California made me feel close to them.  We went to the beach all the time growing up.  I grew up in Virginia until high school, and we always went to Virginia Beach.  We just hung out there all day everyday.  It was glorious.  Gosh, I'm getting all teary-eyed even writing about it.  We would bring our beach chairs up to the edge of where the ocean and beach met and would let the waves crash on our toes.  I remember being amazed at what the salt water did to the sand as it receded back into the ocean, leaving imprints in the wet sand.  My mom always says that two of God's greatest creations are the sand and sea.    

I remember throwing a football with my dad and brothers.  We would make runs and play defense on each other trying to swat the football out of each others hands or make a sweet interception.  The beach will always remind me of my parents.  I miss them.  Then we would walk up the boardwalk.  Walk and walk and walk.  I loved it.  We'd pop in on some shops and look at all the funny souvenirs.  And we'd always wrap it up with some ice cream.  Dad wouldn't have it any other way.  I attribute my love for ice cream to my dad.  

When we went to Zuma Beach in California with my sister-in-law Heidi and her family, needless to say, I thought of my own family.  A lot.  I missed them so badly but had a blast with Heidi, Ben, and their beautiful family.  Plus it was fun to create some new memories with my own little family.  

There's a picture of my dad with me as a little baby at the edge of the beach.  He's holding my hand and pointing out to the ocean.  In the photo, my head is just as bald as Reese's is now.  I thought of that picture, as I watched Todd carry Reese into the water and walk down the shore with her in tow.  It was really sweet to see.  I love my family.  I can't even describe how much I love to spend time with them and be with them.  Nothing brings me more joy than watching my baby girl and her daddy spend time together.  Todd was really cute with Reese, and it was fun for both of us to experience the beach with her.  Her very first beach visit!  And many more to come.  

Aside from my own family, we were in great company.  I couldn't have asked for more relaxing days at the beach with great people.  Ben and Heidi are hilarious, kind, and so easy to talk to.  I felt a bit of a connection to them as they busted out some speakers and a little John Mayer.  Oh how I love me some John Mayer.

Elsie, Teddy, and Maddie were really fun to watch too.  They play so well together and each have their own unique personality.  It made me so excited to see how our family will grow over time and how our kids will come into their own.  How they will grow and how their personalities will start to shine through.  I can't wait!

Everyday at the beach, Reese loved it!  Not one complaint.  She was soaking up the rays, playing with her toys, and eating sand.  When it was time for naps we walked her up the beach in the ergo carrier and she was OUT.  Once we came back though, we tried to put her to sleep in the pack n play under an umbrella on the beach, but she couldn't quite get to sleep again with all the excitement going on around her.  But we just left her in there to play with her toys, and she was happy as a clam.  Love our little girl.  She seriously was happy as can be.  She was constantly smiling and just happy to be there!  It made it such an enjoyable time, and we were grateful!  We were a little worried about being at the beach all day because of naps, but she was a champ. 

Man, just talking about it, makes me wanna pack up camp and head back to the beach for good.  Maybe one day!  

Hope y'all have a great day, and find time to enjoy the little things around you.  I'm trying to do that more lately.  Trying to make my days more meaningful and spend more quality time with the people I love.  

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

XO, Ashton Tilton

Living Intentionally

I'm back!  It's been a while since I've posted, but things have been crazy for our little family!  The best kind of crazy.  For most of July, Todd's whole family was in town, and we spent most of our spare time up at Grandma Hawl and Grandpa Bill's house.  I can't even recall (nor do I have the desire to because it's totally overwhelming to recap everything haha) all the fun days and nights we all had together while everyone was in town, but it was wonderful.  I truly love my in-laws.  I've said before and I'll say it a million times over, but I really lucked out with such a great crew.  The pictures above are from one of the last nights before people were leaving town, and I went around and snapped some shots.  

I specifically remember one of my favorite things that night was watching Todd play baseball with his nephews.  It gave me major flashbacks to growing up.  My dad would always play sports with us in the backyard.  My favorite was football.  He would draw plays on the football itself or just on our chests, and I always listened so carefully, ready to nail the play.  I looked up my dad so much in those moments.  I remember smiling from ear to ear with such excitement when it was my turn to go out for a pass.  I remember throwing the baseball with my dad too.  I always loved that even though I was a girl, he would still do "boyish" things with me.  I was all about proving that I could do things just as well as the boys could if not better.  Ha!  But all of those memories came flooding back when I saw Todd playing with his nephews.  I know Todd will be such an amazing dad to our kids, and I can't wait for the days of football, baseball, and basketball in the backyard, teaching them all the ropes.  Geez la weez, just talking about it is getting me all choked up.

I've been thinking a lot lately about creating memories for my children.  About creating a home that is safe and warm and full of love.  Todd and I went to California this past week for a little getaway before school started (lots more on that in posts to come!), and my sister-in-law said at one point in a conversation, that it's important to find out what your values are, what's really important to you and really focus on that.  It was one of those moments for me where I found myself "amening" and nodding my head profusely.  This concept of getting back to the basics.  The basics of who you are, what you believe in, and the values that you hold near and dear to your heart.  Eliminating waste in your life.  Eliminating things that are of no worth.  Making your days meaningful.  Living intentionally.   But be careful...making your days meaningful doesn't mean jam-packing them with activities and to-do lists galore.  Making your days meaningful means finding what makes you happy and fulfilled.  It means loving and truly enjoying the people around you that you love.  It means creating a safe place for your kids.  And when I say "safe" place, I mean a place where they are always loved.  Where they can "take risks" so to speak and learn from their own mistakes with your loving guidance.  Where they can be themselves.  Because unfortunately they live in a world that tells them they are not good enough.  And that's just not true.  Making your day meaningful means to cultivate an environment that your kids can be themselves.  A place where their confidence is built and nurtured.  But even if your not a mom.  If your single, divorced, a co-worker, a friend, or whatever you may be...this nurturing environment can be within yourself!  Create an environment within yourself that is accepting and allows the people around you to feel safe and loved when they're in your presence.  Be the person that cultivates "safe" relationships.  Relationships where confidence is encouraged and nurtured through love and truly caring for the other person's well-being.

Having said all this though, I hope you don't think I'm discounting the days that bottom-line really just stink.  The days where you're so down in the dumps that the thought of even trying to lift someone else's spirits is seemingly impossible.  The days where your outward thinking is non-existent, and it's really all you can do to get yourself through the day.  I get those days.  I understand those days oh so well.  And if it's one of those days, I pray you can find some hope in that you're not the only one feeling the way you're feeling.  And that tomorrow does come.  Geez it sounds so cheesy writing that out, but how true is it!?  Tomorrow does come, and there will always be the chance for a clean slate and a new start.  

This post kind of took itself in a direction I didn't plan on it going, but that's really what this blog is for me sometimes...helps me navigate my own thoughts! 

Thanks for all the support and love!  Y'all da best.  Have a great weekend!

XO, Ashton Tilton