how fun is that?

So I got home from the library with my boys to find this cute cupcake pinata sitting on my porch! There was a card sitting with the pinata and I instantly recognized the handwriting. There was a note on the envelope that read Happy Birthday...Happy Friend Day...Happy Thanksgiving. How fun is that? Then the note told me to gently shake my pinata over carpet so things wouldn't break. The boys had so much fun helping me get to the items in my pinata. I told them we had to eat our way to the good stuff because it WAS a cupcake!
















The pinata was loaded with fun, girly things. The color theme was my favorite...RED. Most of the items in there were red. I loved it all. There was nail polish, gum, a notebook, cookies(choc. chip), a gift card for the movies, fun necklaces, lip gloss, movie tickets and fun socks(polka dot & argyle).

















This seriously made me so happy and put the biggest smile on my face! Thank you for sharing your Happy with me, Miss Mer!

for a GREAT cause

As most of us know, our schools are loosing the important funding that they need to keep our schools up and running. The important, inspiring programs for our children are being cut and it really makes me so sad.

My cute friend, Kristina is trying to help her nieces school. Kelsie (her niece) is part of a rocket club(how cool is that?) at her school. They could really use some extra funding to keep this program up and running. Please see Kristina'a blog post here. Clorox is giving a grant away to the school who generates the most votes. Kristina is asking that we help with the votes. To sweeten the pot, if you leave Kristina a comment, for each day that you vote for Kelsie's school, you have the chance to win a predesigned blog/personalized banner from Kristina. Let me just tell you that Kristina is the one who designed my fun blog :-). What are you waiting for? Go vote now. Please tell her that I sent you :-).

simply the best

She is the best! Meet my Grandma Shore. As many of you know, I adore my Grandma Shore. She is young at heart and always on the go. She is the one who invented Happy Monday's, Happy Wednesday's, Happy whatever. She would literally show up on your porch on a Wednesday, with some great item she had discovered. Well, she just couldn't buy one for herself, she'd buy you one too...making it a Happy Wednesday present. She is cute that way. When she had heard that I had dropped 60 lbs. (a few weeks ago) she sent me a very sweet note and a $60 check for the 60 lbs. I had lost. She figured I needed something new to wear. Boy was she right! It was so kind and so thoughtful. It was so very her. I have always been so grateful for her example, generosity and LOVE. She is simply the BEST!

for a flippin' good cause

We had a fun activity with the Young Women this week. We decorated about 15 pairs of flip flops with strips of fabric for young girls and women in Africa. Many of the women in Africa go with out shoes. These flip flops will not only provide protection for their feet, they will help keep their homes cleaner and lets not forget to mention that they are kind of cute :-).



These young women always impress me.





















They are super busy girls and yet, are always willing to serve and go the extra mile for those who are less fortunate. As we tied flip flops, it was fun to chat with them about their first day of school. Keep up the good work, girls.

she's at it again...

and I love her. A little note with a $20.00 bill arrived in the mail for me. It was from my Grandma Shore.













If you remember a few posts back, Grandma entered our entire family {all of the Shores} in a drawing {out of a brown paper bag} in honor of Grandpa. I was the lucky winner last week. Grandma sent me a sweet note. I knew exactly what I was going to spend my $20.00 on. I have had my eye on a fun, colorful set of bracelets.

I hope my lucky streak continues. I have had a good two months of luck...fun random winnings.

another GREAT cause to support

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If you are looking for another worthy cause to support, this is it. This family needs all of the love and support they can get right now. An auction is being held starting tomorrow in behalf of this sweet family. The mother of this family is a long time friend of my families. Our families grew up together and ran in the same circles (church, school, community). Here is a little bit of background information that I received from Jean's sister, Melinda.


Dear Friends!
Some of you already know.. and some may just learn of this through my message... my sister Jean's husband Kerry was in an ATV accident while on a trip with his sons down in Moab, Utah on April 16th. Kerry dropped approx 15 feet off trail, he and the ATV rolled down the hill. His son did not see exactly what happened but quickly got his Dad's side (Kerry wasn't breathing) and opened his airways. His other son and a family friend were able to move Kerry, stabilize his neck, and work on getting some rescue help to the remote area. Some hikers who had a GPS beacon were able to "beacon" their position for help and a rescue helicopter was able to get to them. The boys kept Kerry alert and as comfortable as possible until help arrived, this was a 3 1/2 hr ordeal in Moab. Kerry was life flighted to Grand Junction, CO where he had spinal stabilization surgery.

Kerry remained in ICU in Grand Junction with a spinal injury at the Cervical 6 & Cervical 7 level, which is up in the neck. He was able to get the ventilator out the morning after the stabilization surgery. Kerry received great care in Grand Junction but it was a hardship on Jean & the kids... the hospital is located 5 hrs from their home in Provo, UT. The timing was especially tricky since one son is leaving on a mission (tomorrow) and the other is leaving into the military (next Tuesday). They also have 2 other kids, another son on a mission in the Philippines and a daughter who is a junior in high school.

By what can only be divine intervention, the insurance company approved a transfer from the ICU in Grand Junction to the ICU at the University Hospital (Univ of Utah Med Center in Salt Lake City). Kerry was flown up to Utah last Thursday.

There are so many difficult aspects of this spinal cord injury. Presently Kerry has no feeling below the chest and he can move his shoulders, elbow, and wrists, but nothing from the chest down. He can talk, eat, breath, etc. The doctors have been dealing with the regular complications of dramatically low blood pressure, fluid accumulation, breathing problems, etc. He is not medically stable enough yet to be able to go into an inpatient rehabilitation program. That is the next step. Once he gets in to rehab, the anticipated stay is about 12 weeks of intensive therapy (physical, occupational, respiratory, etc). And then returning home and requiring modifications to the home, etc.

Jean is trying very hard to juggle the needs that Kerry has to be supported at the hospital daily with the needs of their children and family. Kerry has owned his own business & shop doing custom cabinetry and woodworking. Jean has been unable to work due to some ongoing health problems of her own. The financial issues are a huge concern, but ALL of the aspects of this difficult process are daunting... the physical, emotional, family issues... EVERYTHING!

**Starting tomorrow {May 3rd}, you can bid on items from various crafty people.

click on the Ashby Family button towards the top of my blog on the right hand side.
I know the family will appreciate your much needed love and support. If you don't win a bid on something you like, there is always the opportunity to donate "Just Because".
If you have any questions, call or email me & I can give you more information.

I am off to check out the site to see what catches my eye so I can get in on the auction.

for a great cause

Okay friends, as most of you know, my Mom is the Director of the Rape Crisis Center for the YWCA of the Silicon Valley. Each year, they hold their biggest fund raising event in April. This event is the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes. The idea is that everyone collects donations/sponsors and shows up at the appointed meeting place. All of the men are asked to wear a pair of women's shoes that are provided by the YWCA. It is a hoot to see the Santa Clara University & San Jose State University football/basketball players sporting their 3 inch heels while walking to support women and children they don't even know. Fire fighters, police officers, Fathers, Brothers, boyfriends and Grandpa's show up to walk to show their support. They then, all walk a mile to a determined destination in their flats,heels, pink flip flops, or sparkly stilettos. This is all in support of women/children who have been victims of sexual assault. All the money that is raised from this event goes to this program. It helps provide new sweat outfits for the victims to wear home after their S.A.R.T. exams(their clothes are usually taken as evidence). It also helps provide a new outfit and a stuffed animal for the children to snuggle while they are examined. It is such a worthy cause.

Each year, my Mom makes one of her fabulous denim quilts to raffle off. All raffle ticket proceeds go to the Rape Crisis Center to support these women and children who need love and support.

If you would like to support the Rape Crisis center and have a chance to win this fabulous quilt(I think it would make for an awesome Fathers Day or teacher appreciation gift)let me know. Each ticket is $1.00 and you can buy as many or as few as you'd like. I will collect the money and get it to my Mom. My Mom said I can call her with the names of those who donate and she will personally write your name on each ticket. Here is a peek at this years denim quilt.


























p.s. this years Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event is next week. The winning raffle ticket is picked that night!

kindness

i totally believe in this. i'm sending out a challenge to all who read my blog. find a stranger(or someone you know) today & do something nice/simple to brighten their day!
it can be anything...small or big!
ready...set...go!
p.s. if you take on the challenge, leave a comment & share your random kindness.

for a good cause

My friend, Patti invited me to join her to be part of the Tommy Apostolo shopping spree. Let me start of by saying that this is being added to the "yearly traditions" list. What a rewarding experience & a wonderful way to kick off my December. Patti & I headed down to Kohl's @ 5:00am this morning. We stood in line & at 5:30 am were paired up with a child in need. The parents waited out in the parking lot while all of the volunteers helped their children shop. We were able to help Daniel pick out $125.00 worth of items. We helped him find shoes, socks, jammies,jeans, and a couple of shirts. Daniel was able to sit on Santa's lap & pick out a new book & stuffed animal too! I had to hold back the tears a few times as I watched all of these volunteers run around Kohl's helping these children pick out some very basic items. I am so glad Patti included me in this event. Thanks Patti. I will never forget the way I felt & the joy in those children's eyes.

You can get more information by clicking on this Tommy Apostolo link. What I love about this foundation is that all of the money raised stays right here in our community. It helps the children who attend the schools in our neighborhoods. If you are ever looking for a good cause, a place to donate your money...this is a wonderful way to make a difference.

Of all places...

to find another happy quote for my side bar. I found this great quote on the packaging of the Daisy sour cream container at the dinner table tonight -LOL. The new quote reads:
"Little acts of kindness can add up to a lifetime of happiness".
I love this & truly believe it!

Speaking of little acts of kindness, look what John & I received in the mail this week.


















My ever so thoughtful friend, Free sent these items in a sweet little package to John & myslef. First off, I loved the beautiful hand made cards that she created. She not only created a card for me, but one for John too. She wrote us each a sweet note. While she was visiting with us in June, John had mentioned that the violin was his favorite instrument(he took lessons as a child). She sent him a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra CD for his car ride to & from work. For me, she included a darling little Trendy Trees stamp set from Stampin' Up. I love it & can't wait to play with them. Thanks for the sweet little act of Kindness, Free. You made our week! We love you!

Take a minute this next week & see if someone you know (or maybe even a complete stranger) could use a little, simple act of kindness from you!

This is why I LOVE helping out in my boys classrooms over at the school.
Do you see me on the right? I am on the step ladder wearing a red shirt(my fav. color)with a black stapler in my hand. Did you notice the flaming red hair to boot? I laughed out loud when I saw this little gem of a book. I guess I was on the step ladder a ton this year, hanging their works of art.


Mrs. Hawkins sent home the sweetest thank you note, potted flowers & the little book (above) of thank yous from the class. It totally made my day & put a HUGE smile on my face. I spent my Wednesday mornings helping out in Tanner & Carter's classrooms this year. Working in the classroom gave me little glimpses of what goes on during their time away from home. I loved getting to know their teachers & the children in their classrooms
.
Here are a few of my favorite notes from the kids!

I love that Carter is not only my son, but he is my friend too!



















I love that Logan thought that I spent ALL of my time in class with them & that he even invited me to come back next year.



















I love that Eli thinks I'm cool because I am Carter's Mom!



















I love that Faith used several colors to write her note...a girl after my own heart!



















Reading their sweet notes makes all of the time spent down at the school so worth it! I can't wait for next year!

another fabulous weekend...

it was, it really was. I kicked off the weekend by attending Scrappy Hour with good friends @ Green Tangerines. It is always fun to visit & get a little scrapbooking done. I got up to get a drink & when I returned to my seat, this little work of art was sitting on my chair.

































I know I have said it before & I will say it again...I have awesome friends who are so kind & thoughtful. My sweet friend Brandi made me this amazing little box(I love the polka dot gaffer tape around the lid) that houses about 80 photos/memories from our CHA Chicago trip last summer.


























She put a lot of love & time into this little mini album & I LOVE it. Thank you Brandi!

On Saturday, we decided to take sandwiches to the local water park & have a picnic dinner. It was a perfect summer evening. The boys had a blast running & playing. We were successful @ wearing them out. They hit their pillows and were out in no time.





























On Memorial Day, we enjoyed a BBQ & swimming with friends. Our friends, the Sugden's were the "hostess with the mostess". We enjoyed yummy grilled fajitas, homemade ice cream






























& lots of water :-). The kids jumped from the pool to the hot tub (& vice a versa) all day long. It was awesome! You know it was a BLAST when your kids are still talking about how much fun they had...a day later. Thanks Sugden family, we had a super time.









































What an awesome way to kick off our summer.

Garrett has asked me, just about every day for the last month if it is summer vacation yet. With preschool ending last week, he is all about summer starting. It is official...it is summertime for Garrett. He enjoyed his last day of speech today with Miss Erin. She has been a fabulous addition to Garrett's school career. He sure is going to miss her. I took these photos last week. This is where you could find Garrett on Tuesdays this past school year. We are so proud of the leaps & bounds he has made in regards to his speech.
{Garrett & Miss Erin}






















{we carpooled with his pal Timothy}





















We hope your week has gotten off to a great start & that your days are filled with sunshine.

Happy Mother's Day...

{my Dad, My Mom, & Me(2 months old.) Dec. 1974

to the best Mom in the world! I can't let the day pass without giving a shout out to my Mom. She is simply the best. She is my ROCK. She is everything to me. She is the glue that holds our family together. She always does the right thing. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She is the hardest working woman I have ever met. She raised 5 children with LOVE. She has 10 grandchildren who simply adore her. She has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ & lives her life in a way that patterns his. She takes the high road even when it's hard. She is a scrapbooker. She loves to read. She was there for each of my children's births(that means so much to me). She is a fabulous public speaker. She makes the cutest denim quilts & each grandchild will eventually get one. She makes the best sugar cookies in the world. She is a great pen pal. She is super crafty. She has been successful in a career that can often times make one feel sad & overwhelmed. She can sew & I am happy she shares that talent with me(it's not my favorite thing in the world to do). She made all 250 of our wedding invites, scrapbook style...before it was the "IN" thing to do. She gives great advice. She is a thoughtful friend. She loves good music. She is a talented writer. She makes the best homemade crescent rolls. She loves to shop. She is a great road trip companion. She has great faith.
I could go on & on...I just want my Mom to know that I LOVE her & think the world of her. I am so thankful for her constant example of how to be kind & how we should always treat one another with love & respect. I could have not picked a better woman to call Mother. I LOVE you Mom! You're the best!

happy monday...

yes indeed, it has been a happy Monday. The sun is shining. I got to play outside with my boys & we enjoyed blowing bubbles. A new scrapbook magazine came in the mail. It has been a great day! One thing you need to know about my family is that any day can be a happy day. For example, if my Grandma Shore were to show up on my porch with flowers on a Tuesday, she would say happy Tuesday. If my sister mails me a surprise in the mail, the note would say Happy Wednesday(she prays that the note from San Mateo arrives on that Wednesday -LOL). It is just a fun little thing my family does. I LOVE it. Grandma's random acts of happy days has totally rubbed off on everyone in my family. So...today I went to get our mail & there was a note addressed to me from my Mama. Inside was this sweet little note:




















Tucked in that sweet little note was a $100.00 Target gift card. WOW!




















How fun is that? Thank you so much Mom! When I called to thank her, I told her a $5.00 gift card would have made me totally happy! She is the best!!!So kind & so very thoughtful. She said it was her way of helping the economy, her stimulus package to me -LOL.

I hope you are finding the happy things in your world today!
Have a happy Monday!

pay it forward...and other randomness

I received my first pay it forward surprise today. If you remember my "Darn you Target" post from a few days ago, you will remember that I kind of bragged about how I am up & ready (each day) for my day around 7 am. Well, this morning I ate my words - LOL. It was about 10 am & our doorbell rang. My kids are scrambling to get their clothes on, I am still in my jammies and John is half dressed (hey @ least he had showered). We finally made it to the door & there stood my sweet friend Laurie.
Look at this cuteness she made for ME.






























You know how I LOVE aprons. This one is so fun & colorful. Thank you for my darling apron Laurie...I LOVE IT! What you can't see in the photo that john took is that I am actually doing a curtsy to show off my apron :). Thank you Laurie! You made my day!

Now let me explain why we were still in our jammies and half dressed @ 10 am. A nasty little virus is running through our house right now. Carter & Tanner have had fevers over a 100 degrees for two days now. Garrett
woke up with a fever this morning-uuugghhh! They have the shivers, then they are hot. Carter has a nagging cough & cold. Poor little guy is totally miserable. Brody & are are still healthy - knock on wood.

In other news on the home front/life, I won the Morty basket @ Bunko last night. The theme for our prize basket was "favorite indulgence". There were a ton of goodies in the basket. It was a great night to win that basket for the very first time. I have been playing Bunk for the last 5 years & have yet to win that coveted basket. Some of the prizes were: Costa Vida gift cards, a Sonic gift card, A Starbucks gift card, a People magazine, Truffles, a darling serving platter/plate(totally my colors), body scrub, Bath & Body Lotion, glass cleaner, Easter candy, & even a $10.00 bill. It was a fun win. Thanks for hosting Keri, I had a great time.

The Science Fair project has been turned in( and returned back to us) - YAY!!!





















Tanner did a nice job with his experiment & project board. The boy who loves to chew gum thought it would be fun to buy several different gum brands & test them to see which brands flavor lasts the longest. i am pretty sure it was just a ploy to get me to buy him several packs of gum at once :). I'm glad the Science Fair is over. Now we get to gear up for the 4th grade mission project -uugghhhh...not looking forward to that one.

I headed to Wal*Mart @ 11:30 PM on Friday night. I purchased my copy of Twilight & was home by 12:15 am.












Do you think I watched it that night,(ugghh I mean morning)? You bet I did. Then I watched it again on Saturday night. It is going to be one of my favorites for late night scrabooking.

Baseball in under way. I sat out @ the ball field on Saturday for 5 hours straight, in the pouring rain. The rain would break for a few miutes & then start up again.
















We kept waiting for them to call all the games because the rain was coming down hard. No luck. Both boys won their games despite the rain. They actually enjoyed playing in the rain.

Even with all the rain, you should know that Spring really is here. We are enjoying all of the popcorn trees around town. They look really pretty. John's allergies are full blown right now due to these beauties...poor guy.





















Spring weather = park days! Brody & I enjoyed our neighborhood park last week. Loved the weather & the smile that the park brought to his face.
















We hope you are healthy & enjoying your week!

Kindness-round 2

Long time...no blog. Life has been its normal, crazy self. I am trying to keep up with the boys & their homework, school projects, soccer practices/games, soccer pictures, cub scouts, play dates & work projects. And on top of that, I am trying to keep a clean house & maintain my sanity. Some days are definitely better than others. Last Sunday was not one of the better days. We went to church (like we do every Sunday) & Brody literally lasted about 10 minutes before the shrieking started. He is just so loud & doesn't stop once he gets going. John took him out to the foyer to see if he could get him to be quiet. So I am sitting there with Tanner, Carter, & Garrett. I noticed that Garrett has scooted down to the end of the pew & then I realized that the Sacrament tray was coming. I whispered to Tanner, asking him to slide down by Garrett(but not too close). Garrett was totally on to him & started to say in a loud voice "Tanner, I don't need your help & started leaning into Tanner like he wanted him to move. Again, he is not being quiet & he is starting to get louder at this point. Is that even possible? Oh, yes it is. The Sacrament tray(with the water) is @ our pew & Tanner is on stand by to help, just in case. The young man holding the sacrament tray continues to hold it to make sure that Garrett doesn't spill it. This clearly annoys Garrett & so he decides it is time to have a tug of war competition with this poor young boy & the Sacrament tray. I am pretty sure my face was totally red out of embarrassment. We finally get Garrett to back down & sit still. Two minutes later he is saying (in a totally loud voice) that he has to go to the bathroom to poop. Mind you, he has already been twice in a 10 minute period. I tell him he needs to wait. Well that wasn't working for his escape plan so he lays down & says in an even louder voice "I have to poop NOW". At this point, I am so done! I can feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I take Garrett out & decide to call it an afternoon. Well, while I was out in the foyer, with tears in my eyes. My good friend Kristin(who is also a Mom to 4 boys) had come out with one of her sons. She could tell that I was upset. She then told me that they thought Brody & his screaming was cute. She said "it always sounds louder to the parents." She was trying to make me feel better & at that point, I was really just DONE. John headed back into the meeting with Garrett. Brody & I headed home. Brody fell asleep one minute into our car ride home. Can you say tired.

The whole reason I blog about this little incident is because I wanted to share what my sweet friend Kristin did. Later that evening, Kristin showed up on my porch with a cute little bucket filled with candy.

She then explained that she couldn't find her fortune cookie recipe that afternoon but she had included some little fortunes tucked in with the candy. She had taken the time to print little thoughts/quotes out that had to do with motherhood. Reading those little slips of paper made me cry(cause that's what I do best)& realize how important my role in these little boys lives are. We are going to have hard days mixed in with the good days. I am so grateful for the chance I get to start over each new day...a do over. Kristin, thank you for thinking of me & making me smile. I will never forget your kindness & I may even attempt to try Sacrament meeting again next week :).

I'll share a few of my favorite quotes from the candy bucket.
"Being a full time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...since the payment is pure love".

"It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't".

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers".

"Raising children is like making pancakes. You mess the first one up and the rest turn out good".

Kindness

So I show up to work last night for a meeting at Green Tangerines. My cute friend(partner in crime), Brandigirl says to me "I have a surprise for you in my car"! I am thinking: "What? No way! I LOVE surprises"! She comes back into the store carrying this...

How stinkin' awesome is this? I honestly thought she had all of our CHA pictures on CD for me(don't get me wrong,that would have been awesome too)-LOL! She had created two of these pieces of art earlier this summer for her best friends weddings. She had posted them on her blog & I left her a comment telling her how much I loved them & that my 12th wedding anniversary was coming up in September. Okay...I was so joking. She totally surprised me. Brandi made one for John & I, for our anniversary! I LOVE it!!!! Brandi, I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me. I have had a smile on my face all morning. You made my day, my month, heck... you made my year :). I was so bummed that I couldn't blog about it last night. I couldn't get a decent photo of it with my camera. It was midnight-LOL!
Brandi, you ROCK! Thank you for being such a kind, thoughtful, creative friend! Love you!

So this has got me thinking...kindness & thoughtfulness really do go a LONG way! Leave a comment telling me something nice that someone has done for you. You know, something that left a smile on your face all day long. One lucky winner will in turn, receive something nice from me! Can't wait to hear all about your kind friends & family members.