Part 4: H'sBP - Dinner

After H unwrapped gifts and and we popped the champagne we went downstairs to take the hotel van to a little upscale Mexican restaurant. It wasn't too far away and when we got there the other Ashley joined in on the festivities! We started with some yummy chips and salsa... and 3 other delish dips, a drink or 3, and then ate some yummy food. I got some chicken/cheese quesadillas! Very good, but pretty small portions... and usually I'd have an issue with that, but it was not to not feel overly full at the end!

Anyway, dinner went well and it was nice to go out somewhere pretty unique and different for once!

Posing with some weird statue in the background!

The restaurant in downtown St.Pete..

My side of the table!

The bride's side...minus Britt!

Isn't she lovely?! :)

-Ashley

Heather's Bachelorette PARTY! Part 3: Presents/Games/Hotel Fun!

After decorating Britt and I hopped in the shower... not together, of course, but one in each of the rooms we had (lol). Soon after Heather and her sis arrived and we ended up all doing hair/make-up in different parts of the room together. She loved all the decorations and the room itself. We had a nice view of the water from the THIRTEENTH! floor. We also got a lot of good laughs out of the fact that a Sci-Fi/Horror Film Convention was going on so there were HUNDREDS of people dressed up in weird outfits with swords/guns/etc. walking around - pretty freaky actually.

Anyway, we popped the champagne, played a few games, H opened her presents, and then we headed downstairs to have the hotel van take us to dinner... and that's where I will start for Part 4!

Britt and I... and I woke up that morning with a NASTY sore stye in my eye. EW!

The bride and Britt!

We bought her a big light up ring! :)

Pinning my kiss on the "stud"! :)

In the lobby... All the girls (minus 1)!

-Ashley

Heather's Bachelorette PARTY! Part 2: The set up!

Zach checked us in around 3 and helped us carry our things up and headed home. We had adjoining rooms so we decided to set up in the room that Heather would be sleeping in! It was a lot of fun shopping together and getting to put it up for her. She loved it!

Caution!!

Her main color is purple.

Popping bottles all night! :) lol.

Kiss the Stud... just like Pin the Tail! lol

We baked some yummy goodies!

-Ashley

Pre-Heather's Bachelorette PARTY!

Last night I celebrated my BFF bride-to-be Heather with 7 other amazing woman! Z, Britt, and I left Tampa Saturday afternoon and headed to St. Pete (only a 30minute drive!) to check in to our hotel and to get some sun before the bachelorette got there. Z drove us around and we checked out restaurants/bars and ate lunch ... since our room wasn't ready we got a pool key and headed to it. The weather was absolutely amazing! Zach even took a nap...

Sleeeeepy hubby!

Britt in the sun!

Our view!
Trying to be artistic! LOL
I decided that I'm going to do this in parts... so this was part 1! lol. The time before the party! :)

Smoke and a Pancake?

This morning I woke up, walked the dogs, and came back inside and realized Z was still sleeping. It was breakfast time and I remembered we bought pancake mix at Publix yesterday... so I was going to be the good wife who surprises her hubby with breakfast in bed. It went a little something like this:

Step 1: Get out the pancake mix and read the directions carefully.
Step 2: Google "bisquick shake n' pour pancake directions" to see if anyone gave a more detailed explanation.
Step 3: Google "greasing a pan" to see if Pam would work.
Step 4: Grease the pan with Pam.
Step 5: Add water and shake the container like a Polaroid picture.
Step 6: Pour... and set timer for 3o seconds.
Step 7: Have a really hard time flipping the pancakes and start to get discouraged.
Step 8: Reset timer and take off first batch.
Step 9: Regrease pan with Pam.
Step 10: Pour... and reset timer again.
Step 11: Beeeeep, Beeeeep, Beeeep... oh DANG the smoke detector.
Step 12: Grab closest book and wave the air in front of detector while watching Z move around in bed... skip a few steps.
Step 18: Tell Z to get back in bed and pretend to be asleep/surprised.

I failed miserably, but at least they actually turned out decent. Nothing a little syrup can't fix! Man.. I need a lesson on cooking breakfast (or 40!)

My mess!

My masterpiece!

-Ashley

The Night of Knights

I'm going to preface this by saying I was at a training this wonderful Saturday from 8:00-3:00. I didn't shower that morning because I figured I'd go home and shower and finally relax. Well, during the training is when Z decided he'd surprise me and take me to dinner in Orlando RIGHT when I got home...

So I get home and he has packed most of my things... clothes/makeup/shower stuff and was rushing me telling me he wanted to leave now and get into O-town at a decent time. I told him we'd have to shower before dinner and he agreed, but he lied! lol. As he got off the exit NOT toward the Disney hotels I started to complain that now we would have to pay for parking and that in itself is crazy and why didn't he get us a reservation there ... etc. Well, he had made us reservations at Midieval Times for a 7pm show! I had never been, but I was so surprised when we pulled up and he gets all excited and tells me "we're here!" Although I was upset I looked reallly gross - I was looking forward to the experience!

We walked up and paid and ended up getting the green night hat, but then he decided to upgrade us and we were switched to the yellow knight's table. We walked around the property, had a few drinks, and eventually went and took our seats. Dinner consisted of soup, bread, chicken, a spare rib, a potato, and some sort of apple filled pastry... with ZERO utensils. I found it quite hilarious. Our knight ended up winning the whole thing and we had such a fun time!

After we left dinner he took me to a Disney hotel and all was well! :)

Gathered around.. GO YELLOW!

My chicken I ate ... with my hands!

My lover and I! :)

I can barely look at this picture... lol

When we were still going for green.. he placed 2nd!

Thanks for always thinking of new and exciting things to do Z! We always have so much fun together! :)

-Ashley

Oh, Lacey!

The past year our beloved beagle has suffered from sudden violent shaking, super dialated pupils, the inability to control her bladder, and clenched teeth for a little over a minute or so. During this time when her parents are around her mom is freaking out and trying to comfort her while usually crying a tear or 30,000. The vet told us if it wasn't frequent she'd be okay, but if it got worse to let him know... Well, we've been having issues with her more frequently and took her back into the vet today. With the symptoms she has the vet had decided our dog has EPILEPSY! He then told Z that she isn't in pain when it's happening.. she pretty much checks out mentally... but still! :( They drew blood and sent it to the lab and we should know for sure by Monday. My poor baby! She has pins in her leg from when (I think) she was hit by a car before we bought her (for $15) in Kentucky... she is highly allergic to fleas... has crazy allergies... and now EPILEPSY! Luckily there is a way to stop the seizures through medication that we will have to give her daily for the rest of her life!

Lacey Anne... you are a mess, but I love you my sweet pup!!

My first dogter! (The good one!)
She is so pretty!
I mean really..who wouldn't love that face!

-Ashley

Mad Scientists!!

The other new 4th grade teacher and I decided yesterday that we were going to do Science together today and make it a Fun Friday! The topic in Science this week was Matter... the three states... measuring matter... etc. Well, teaching density wasn't the easiest concept so we decided we'd do some experiments around that concept and the kids LOVED it! I feel like they actually learned a lot and got something out of it!

One of the labs was water vs. rubbing alcohol - which is denser? They had a cup of each liquid, a penny, and a dropper. They had to predict the amount of drops they thought it would take to cover the surface on both and then figure it out... thankfully everyone figured out it took more drops of rubbing alochol! :) These some of my students busy at work! (Yes, I have identical twins in my class and the only was I know which one is which is because one has a freckle on his neck!)

The next lab was sink or float? We had 8 objects that they had to make predictions about... some of the items surprised them! :)

Their favorite seemed to be the layering liquids activity... We had corn syrup, colored water, oil, and rubbing alochol. They were in awe when they just sat on top of eachother!! It was such a great feeling watching the kids so into it and wanting to watch again and again. Some of my students come from pretty low income families and this I know will be something they will remember! :) Check out their smiles!

(I hope the blurring them out thing is enough/appropriate for privacy??)

I guess Science isn't SO bad!

-Ashley

The Happiest Place on Earth!

A couple of weeks ago I was at a Saturday training from 8:30-3:30! (ickkk!) Anyway, while I was there Z decided right after we should head to Orlando to go to dinner, spend the night, and then use another day on the passes he got me for my birthday in April because they expired on Sept. 30! We ended up going to The Magic Kingdom bright and early and we got to ride EVERYTHING we wanted! :) The lines were not long at all - score! After we headed to Hollywood Studios and just rode The Tower of Terror and the Rock-n-Roller Coaster! It was an amazing Sunday, but we had to head back early to get to our double header kickball games! Very fun idea! Sadly we did end up throwing one of our days away... :(

Z and the other love of his life... COKE! lol.

So hot/sunny that day!

Driving...

Actually on Space Mountain! hehe.

My ticket was old and not working so I had to wait on the other side while they got me a new one!

Until next time Mickey Mouse!!

-Ashley

Kicking and Screaming!!

Wow... a whole month and no blogging! I have so much to catch up on!! I still have the same teaching position I did from the beginning of the year - another whole post in itself! Time is flying and my life is crazy busy for the first time in a long time! Work keeps me on my feet practically 24/7, but at least I have time for fun still! On Sunday nights we've been playing kickball with an adult league! It has been so much fun! We are 2-1-1! 4th place out of 8... and slowly getting better. Yours truly is the captain, but I'm not a fan of it! haha. I send out weekly emails and make the lineup/positions for everyone and can't take people complaining about not playing every inning! Z pitches and I play first base :) Anyway, here is our team picture from the website! All of the girls now have matching socks! Britt, Ash, Janelle, Chris, Kyle, Byron, and I signed up together and then they built a team around us... 17 players!

Goo Kicking and Screaming!

-Ashley

Bowling Beauties!

When I was in high school my 2 BFFs and I would go bowling all the time! Sometimes it would just be the three of us.. other times we'd have our current boyfriends or just a big group of girls. Well, it had been awhile since the 3 of us had done anything together with just ourselves and our boys, but last night we all went out. Yesterday morning I texted a bunch of friends asking if anyone wanted to go bowling and Ash and Britt replied that they would definitely go... so we made plans to meet at 8! We had so much fun bowling, laughing, and having a few drinks!!! We did boys vs. girls and although the boys kicked our butt the first game.. the girls came back and won big the next game! :) Ashley's husband Chris has actually bowled a perfect 300 score before so the boys definitely had an advantage! Even Zach did well for Zach which helped them win that first game ... hehe.

Ash, Ash, Britt!

Zach, Chris, Kyle

The girls score from game 2! (Ash and I tied!)
Loser Boys score... hehe :)

Today we are signing up for a kickball league that will play on Sunday nights starting on the 19th! I'm SO excited to get some friends together and see each other all the time!!!

-Ashley

Go Bulls!

Zach and I went to the Stonybrook vs. USF game on Saturday night. We sat in the student section which is general admission meaning we got front row seats since Z showed up pretty early!! We had a great view and enjoyed watching the Bulls kick major butt! ;) I went to USF for a year and did 1/2 of my teacher education there and absolutely LOVED the teaching program, but then left to go to Oklahoma when Z came back from Cuba... so I have small ties with the school! Z plans on going there next year to study secondary ed. so he will be a student soon! Both of my parents graduated from there as well so even though the Noles (who play OU next week!!!) will ALWAYS have my heart... I do still enjoy some green and gold too! ;)

Did a little tailgating with a friend of mine from the school I tutored at!

Z looking SO enthused! haha.

At our seats... waiting for the sun to go down!!

Before the Bulls got their act together... 7-7?!

Rocky!!! The mascot Z likes to call Bullwinkle... haha

I'm SOOOO happy football season is back!! Yayyyyy! :)

-Ashley

Losing a Unit

Yesterday while my students were at Art I was going to make a few copies and was stopped by my principal to join her for a chat in her office. Uh oh! What the heck did I do this time?! lol. I wasn't really nervous because I knew I hadn't done anything wrong in my first 9 days of teaching, but I went in with her and she shut the door... After the 5 day count the county looks at the numbers and sees which schools have too many teachers, or too few. We ended up having FOUR too many because our numbers were so low. She was able to "buy" back 3 of those units, but had to let the last one go. Which is me. I was the last permanent, not temporary, employee hired. This means that if Tuesday at 3pm rolls around and no one volunteers to go.. I have to leave my students/school and go into a pool. I am guranteed a position somewhere, but it could end up being a lot further... or closer to home - just depending on what's left at the bottom of the barrel. The pool is also by hire date so being that I wasn't processed until August 2 and school planning started the 17th.. I'm pretty low! :( She was very kind and sympathetic towards me and said she'd help me along the way when the pool schools are shown and what not. So who knows what will happen, but that is where I'm at! The thought of having to take down my classroom and make a new one is overwhelming, but if it comes to that I will do what I have to do!

-Ashley