Sorry, the pictures are a little fuzzy because I keep forgetting my "real" camera and I had to use the camera in my phone. I'll try to remember my camera next week. The picture above is Ashley on the sideline with her teammate Cassidy. They usually talk a lot during the game.
She's not happy in the top picture, but she does like her hair. I think she may have been a teeny bit sad that her long hair was gone, and understanding that it was because of her actions that this had to happen. But, she's okay now. So she now has a stacked A-line, and it is SO CUTE! She got some compliments on it from friends and teachers at Primary and school, and I think that went a long way towards her being okay with it. And...She looks so much older to me! And taller, too, if that's possible. For those of you who haven't seen her in person lately, she is about 4 feet tall already! She definitely takes after her daddy!
This day said, "Hmmm... The twins were good at the meeting yesterday, and it was a pretty good day, so today I'm going to let Crystal have it!!" Really. It started right off. Ashley WOULD NOT get out of bed to go to school. (And, yes, I'm pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the kid that has been picking on her at school. She has told me numerous times today that she was just tired. I've asked many different ways at different times, all non-threatening.) I'm talking full out fit with kicking and the works. Bryan was able to get her to go, but she was late. Bryan took her to school on his way to work and she had to go into the office and say she was late. Unfortunately, it sounds like the school was all "Oh! That's fine! Just go ahead to class!" No, it's not fine. But, anyways, I get calmed down and by noon I'm doing okay. It takes me a little while to get calmed down after getting so stressed out. Then, at 2 o'clock (15 minutes before school gets out) I get a call from Ashley's teacher saying that Ashley cut her hair at school!!!!!!! I'm not talking a little trim, there is a HUGE chunk taken out of the back of her hair clear up to her hairline. Like 3 inches across! I thank Mrs. Marshall for calling and leave to pick Ashley up at the bus stop. I'm very calm (really!). I'm not even mad, I'm just really sad and disappointed that she would do something like that, and she also lied to her teacher about it saying that I let her do that sort of thing (!!!) which of course her teacher saw right through. So, I don't say anything about it when she gets off the bus, don't want to get into it until we can sit and talk, but Ashley brings it up as soon as we get home before I have a chance to ask about it. And lies again saying that another girl did it to her and she didn't notice until it was already done. Wow. I sat her down and very calmly explain to her that her teacher called me, so I already know what happened, and I know that she was the one who did it. She knew she was busted. We had a good talk. She said, again, that she didn't want to go to school that morning because she was tired, not anything else (and I asked her specifically if she was scared or worried or bored or anything). She also told me that she cut her hair, essentially, to get back at us for making her go to school this morning, and that she lied both times because she didn't want to get in trouble. No big surprise. I asked her if she knew what would have been easier, and she said, unprompted, that it would have been easier to have not done it in the first place (Right answer!! Maybe I'm not a total failure, although I feel like it today.). I'm drained, and now I need to figure out a cute haircut that we can give to Ashley that is short enough to fix her hair. Oh, and did I mention that pictures are in a week and a half? Yeah. At least it's not tomorrow, right?
...since I've posted. Time has definitely gotten away from me. Ashley started first grade and loves it. She is doing really well. The twins are growing like weeds. I can't believe this is their last year before kindergarten!
Our ward split about 3 weeks ago, and it really was time. We had over 600 members and two elder's quorums! (Although our new ward still has 2 elder's quorums and 4 nurseries!!) So we are now in a newly created ward and everyone is getting new callings. Bryan got a doosie! He is now officially the Sunday School President of the Traverse Mountain 6th Ward. We were both a bit shocked. But he is going to be great, I just know it.
Ashley had her very first soccer game last night, and she had a lot of fun. She played a lot of the game, and even got her foot on the ball a few times! And, I know winning isn't everything, but....WE WON! He he.
We are now officially licensed foster/adopt parents! We are so excited! We had our safety check with our licensor this morning, and at the end she said we passed on the first try (which is rare) and that we are now licensed! We should meet our case worker sometime this week or the first of next week and then we will be waiting for our first placement. Woo Hoo!
Hi all! Yes, we did fall off the face of the planet for a while, but we made our way back. The kids and I went to Hurricane in hopes of being there when my sister Angie (Matt's wife) had their 4th baby. We ended up staying for a week and a half, and no baby. So, we had to come back home. Samantha Helen Excell was born on July 19, 2008 (a week after we came back home). She was 8 lbs 6 oz and 20 in long!!!! I can't wait to see her in person, but in pictures she is a cutie, and looks just like her big sister Amberli.
