Ashley and Todd are celebrating her last birthday in her 20's with an overnight getaway. That means that I get her darling boys for the night and morning. That also means that this birthday blog may not be completed for a little while. I do not want to miss publishing this on her day. Check back soon. I love you Ashley, but your boys have worn me out, tonight and it hasn't been a "do ahead" week. Ashley commented that this was not one of her favorite looks. So here are the MANY LOOKS of my Ashley (I love her expressions and humor. I have always called her a "rubber face.")
2 Days Old
2 Months Old
4 Months Old
2 Years Old
1st Day of Kindergarten
First soccer team
Favorite dog, Chelsea
With her sisters, Sunny & L:indsey
Baptism
With Jade after Strikers' soccer
With Sam as he leaves on a mission.
El Toro High Soccer
At the beach
Engaged!
Married!!
Then came Toby
And Ben
And Chase...
Brought us up to now (sort of).
Here are some things I love about Ashley:
1. Ashley is a great mom. I wish I had played with my children the way she does hers. We came over a few weeks ago fairly early in the morning and found her having a water baloon fight with her boys. They think she is the coolest mom!
2. Ashley has always been a great friend. Consequently, she has many friends. She has maintained many of her friendships over the years and has many close friends in different parts of the country and world.
3. Ashley is a great wife. She and Todd make a great team. She has been a widow to his long hours of graduate work, supporting him through all the hard years of school.
They lived in Boston where she learned to live with the cold.
They moved to New York City where...
...she learned to navigate the streets and raised three active children in a small apartment as he started his career and many days away from home.
But Todd is a loving and involved dad and husband and worth all the effort. They make a wonderful team!
4. Ashley has great style. Her interest in fashion lead her to a fashion class while she lived in New York. She has had some opportunities to advise others on how to make the most of their wardrobes and enhance the look that will make them more successful and confident. Her changing circumstances currently let it benefit her own style and that of her family.
5. Ashley has a great sense of family. She loves her Harris family and is truly an important part of it as well as of the Dicksons./She works hard to stay close to all no matter where she lives or where the family lives. At great expense they visited Salt Lake so she can be with family, North Carolina, New York and California. She does a great job of balancing all the visits so no one feels slighted.
6. Ashley has a great sense of humor and can find many things to laugh at to get past the trials of the day. See the "Many Looks of Ashley" above. Her blog is a favorite because she finds so many funny things to add to it.
7. Ashley lives the gospel. She and Todd have been leaders and important contributors to every ward they have been in. I do not worry about them spiritually because they are where they should be. I have sat in on their family prayer and family home evening and admire their commitment to raising their children with faith.
8. Ashley is not afraid to speak up when she thinks you are misjudging or just judging someone. She values an open mind and is empathetic to others views. She stands up for what she believes. I will never forget when that little six year old told her upset father, "I am not afraid of you!" even though I think she was.
9. She has always been goal oriented. She makes a plan and moves toward it. This has helped in planning their lives and budgeting even when they have been so long in the unsettled student stage. She has planned when to have each of her children and has even tried this time to plan the sex of this next one. When she was in school, she knew what she had to do to get a good grade and studied accordingly, accomplishing the difficult task of getting in to BYU and also graduating in a minimum of time.
10 Ashley has moved close to me and I get to see her all the time and have her boys and husband part of my life. She has us come for dinner and games to her house sometimes. as well as contributes to the dinners I put on. We have gone to a baby shower already together and even gone shopping together in our busy lives. She is a joy to have close to us. Her boys think Papa is their hero. After all he is a "hunter and a cowboy!" I never thought she would even consider this close a proximity. So far it is pure joy, even if I did have to get up three times in the night last night with her boys!
In her backyard for Labor Day
Always a game to play!
ASHLEY, I LOVE YOU! HAVE A GREAT YEAR!
