To blog or not to blog?

I have been reading so many blogs lately and it's making me want to start blogging again! I must be crazy. I get about 10 free minutes in my day, do I really want to spend those few minutes blogging? We will see :) I will take it one day at a time, and since there is a blogger app, that will make it a little easier. 

This weekend we took a trip down to Myrtle Beach for a 'mini vacation'. It was much needed and we enjoyed ourselves so much! We stayed at my aunts condo, which is oceanfront=perfecto! I decided before we left that we would stay in the entire weekend, and just enjoy each other, and relax. Do beach days and spend good time with each other. We headed down Friday morning and arrived around lunch. We swam in the pool for a little while and then headed out to the beach just for a quick walk before going in for supper. 

This is the only picture I snapped with my phone from that day, the rest are on the camera and that is too much work for now. Baby steps people, baby steps. :) Keely was not a fan of the sand or the cold water, she is also not a fan of her sister when she gets touchy feely--which is often, ha! We had enchilada casserole for dinner-yum! And too many cookies for dessert. 

Paislee enjoyed the views for a while after dinner and then headed to bed. 

The next day we took off to the beach pretty early. The girls enjoyed it and so did we. The condo is at the end of the beach so there is so much great beach that is perfect for kids. When the tide is low, there are 'water holes' which is great because I'm terrified to let them play in the ocean. 

We went in for lunch and then my wonderful hubby stayed in with Keely while she napped and let me go back out with Paislee to get my tan on. We came in and I made spaghetti for dinner, and we enjoyed another night in.

On Sunday we enjoyed another beach day, and came in a little early to get ready and go to the outlets for just a little bit of shopping. Mama was starting to get a little cabin fever and needed to find a new outfit to go with my new red wedges....turns out I didn't find anything which is a good thing because I got home today, the UPS man greeted me in the drive way with them and unfortunately...they looked like hooker shoes :( which made me sad...so I'm going to order them in tan and hope that makes it all better because they are sooooo comfy and I heart them! Below is the picture I sent Jason who was waiting in the car with the girls. I was trying on the shirt but had to put on a pair of white pants to see how the entire outfit would look (with MY white pants that were at home). He responded "you look like a granny"....I didn't buy the shirt. 

Monday was rainy and gloomy so we went to barefoot landing and walked around the little shops and had lunch at Joes Crab Shack-which was yummy :) 

We came home, had leftovers for dinner and started cleaning so we could head home in the morning. Jason and I were in a cleaning frenzy when we heard the sweetest giggles ever. We ran around to the other side of the bar to these two sweet girls playing--not fighting but PLAYING. It melted my heart <3. 

We had an eventful trip home today, maybe I will blog more about that tomorrow :)

Sorry for the boring post, getting back into the swing of things!

Recipe Blog

Hey Ya'll!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Just wanted to let ya'll know that we have a new blog for recipes now. We are down in NC visiting and Jason's family has a family recipe book and we decided to put it all in blog form so it would be easier to update and keep up with. Hope you guys follow and enjoy :)

The Name Game

Ya'll, naming this second baby has been a pain in my @$$!!!!! We cannot agree on anything, and the few we can agree on, I'm not in LOVE with. Jason wants to keep the "Lee" sound in the name. I need some opinions:

1. Keely Reese
2. Analise
3. Analee

Jason doesn't like the spelling in 2 & 3 because of 'Anal'. Really? Do ya'll think people will REALLY make fun of her for that???? I don't want to spell it Annalise because I feel like people will be more inclined to shorten it to Anna, and I don't want it shortened to Anna. If WE decided to call her something shorter at home, like we call Paislee "Paise"--(Pays)--we would call her "Lise" (Lease).

Our other option is Keely--(Key-lee). I like Keely. Don't necessarily want to spell it that way, but it seems like every other spelling looks weird, or can be mispronounced. I've even seen people think it's Kelly. Weird, but whatever.

We had Brynlee on the list-but I'm not crazy about Bryn, and it's getting too popular. We also had Britlee, a name Jason chose a loooong time ago--before Paislee was born, and I HATED it, but over the last couple of years it has grown on me. Everyone seems to think it's super weird though, maybe it will take a couple of years for it to grow on them too? :)

If we have to go with another "lee" name, I don't want it to be too 'out there' and like we are just trying too hard to find another lee name. I think it could get tacky and with Analise and Keely it's not too out there and they also go well with Paislee.

Jason, Ashley, Paislee and Keely
Jason, Ashley, Paislee and Analise

What do ya'll think?? And if you think Analise--any middle name suggestions??

Thank you bloggy friends!!
XOXO,
Ashley

Lindsay's Visit to Maine

Lindsay got here last Saturday around noon and leaves Sunday. We only have one more day to adventure out and explore Maine. And of course, tomorrow it is supposed to be 75 degrees out and B-E-A-utiful! All week it has been cold--in the 50's, and the first 3 days she was here it rained :( Here is a summary of her trip so far in pictures :)

After we picked Lindsay up from the airport, we took her downtown for a 'Welcome to Maine' meal at 'Portland Lobster Co.'. None of us had Lobster though ;)

Sunday it rained a llllll day. We sat around for a while, then me and Lindsay went out shopping for a little while. Monday it cleared up for a little while so Lindsay, Paislee and I drove up to Freeport to the outlets. While there we shopped, ate lunch at Johnny Rocket's and had to get Whoopie Pies, the official dessert of Maine, at the famous 'Wicked Whoopies'. Lindsay meant to get the chocolate chip Whoopie, but got the vanilla bean instead, and I got the peanut butter. Yum!

Then we went to L.L. Bean--just because you have to go to L.L. Bean when you come to Maine. Lindsay made some friends while we were there....she fits right in!

Tuesday we had yet another lazy day because it rained alllllll dayyyyy. Wednesday we got a super early start but not because we wanted to :) Jason was presented an award at work so we got up to watch him get that, then his boat left--with him on it :( So we headed to Ft. Williams to see the Portland Headlight. 

Love this picture that Lindsay snapped!

After the lighthouse we headed to The Lobster Shack so Lindsay could get her some Lobster. She ended up with Lobster stew...

...and then climbed down the rocky Maine coastline for some pictures.

Yesterday we were going to drive up the Maine coast to a small coastal community. Then we changed our minds and decided to drive to the mountains to do some leaf peeping. Then we changed our minds again, and decided to have yet another lazy day...do you see a pattern here? We LOVE lazy days :)  This is Lindsay and her favorite member of the Mozingo family...

and the yummy dinner we cooked--Ranch House Porkchops, with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes and green bean casserole--YUM-O!

Today we had lunch at the Portland Pie Co...

It was DELISH!

Then we ventured over to downtown Portland and walked around and checked out shops and food. Mostly food. We stopped here...

and had some of these. Lindsay had the vanilla with blueberry icing and I had the red velvet with cream cheese...

Less than 10 minutes later we stopped here for ice cream :)

Then we finished our walk with a stop in front of the harbor to see all of the yachts and sailboats. We headed home, had a very light supper--since we ate ALL day, ha! Now we are going to bed so we can get up early and head to the beach for our last day--this will be a Maine first for me too :):)

XOXO,
Ashley

Since I can't be there....

I'll just pretend..

Happy Labor Day Weekend, ya'll!

XOXO,

Ashley

Hello Fall

I welcome you with open arms! I thought I would never want to see summer come to an end by the time I FINALLY got down to NC to real summer weather, but after 2 months of that--It's easy to say that I am happy to see fall coming :)

We are already enjoying perfect days here in the mid 70's and cool, crisp nights--the ones you want to leave your windows open on--when your husband is home and you're not too scared :)

I'm looking forward to my good bud Lindsay coming up in October! I'm going to show her as much of Maine as possible and she is coming during the perfect time! This is Acadia National Park--one of the places we plan to visit while she is here!

 This is the fall wreath I am working on :) This isn't 'mine' but one I am using as inspiration--isn't it cute? Minus the ugly owl ;)

 This is what comes up when you google "Fall in Maine". I wasn't here last October, when all of the leaves changed so I am super excited to see it this year--isn't it BEAUTIFUL??

 And this, my friends, is who my darling baby is dressing up as for Halloween. No, not Minnie the Witch, just Minnie Mouse :) Ordered part of her costume yesterday ;)

Is it too early to start putting up Fall decorations? Too bad, mine are half way up! You can do that when no one ever comes to your house :)

Fall also brings easy cooking. Jason is a huge fan of soups--Vegetable, 15 bean soup and chili are usually served weekly or every other week in our house through fall and winter!


We officially have less than a year left here in Maine, and I want to make the best of our time left here, and also the few months I have left as the mother of just one little angel :) So we have lots planned, to make the most and best of our time together as a family of three :) :)

What are your favorite fall traditions? Foods? Decorations? Happy Fall, Ya'll!

A message from Paislee..