The Swan Brothers Sing *Dannys Song* On The Voice 6/10/2013

A song Charlie and I love to wake up together with...

I hate hate hate....waking up to a loud annoying sound, so Charlie and I wake up to either the radio or when we travel we set the below song to wake up to. Waking up with your husband singing the lyrics to you can't get more romnantic! Its so incredibly sweet. I LOVE IT! Enjoy!!

30 weeks and counting!

Hey Everyone! Yes we are still alive...just busy trying to get things ready for baby, and Charlie has been doing alot of traveling lately. BOOO!that's my feeling..lol The crib is ready and we have stuff to bring baby home....I am ready for this sweet thing to be out of my belly and in my arms. They say you will miss the movement inside of you, however, its a chance I am willing to make.. : ) I am still meauring 3 weeks ahead of schedule so I am hoping that means we are going to have this child early! Woot woot...no worries I am not holding my breath..hahaha just praying that I will. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving as we will be in Pennsylvania visiting my Grandma Judy. It should be lovely. : ) Talk to you all soon....I hope.

Remembering when your sick...

Oh Man! So this week I got a major sinus infection..Totally bites! Being pregnant I am not sure what I can or can't take and I'll be the first to say no to any medication..knowing the consequences it could have on my baby. Well, after spending 2 days feeling like I was dying..can't breat,sleep, and everything hurt! (We wont talk about coughing and sneezing while pregnant) I went to see my nutritionalist who gave me an aromatherapy treatment and oil and a herb that has near kicked my old. Last night was the first night I was able to sleep comfortably and not wake my poor husband with my tossing and turning. I highly recommend Theives oil. You can get it on Amazon. Its a bit pricey but so worth it. I put it on my neck before bed and used it in a difuser. IT opens your passage ways and kills the bad bacteria/viruses in your nose! Its wonderful and it isn't harming the baby. (even better) My nutritionlist also reminded me of Chicken soup! (how could I forget!) The important properties that chicken soup has besides being yummy and a comfort food (for me anyways) is very healing. When you take a chicken (whole;with bone) and boil it making your own stock is very important. The minerals and vitamins you get from the chicken stock helps fight off colds and builds your immune system! So if your not feeling good make a pot of old fashion chicken soup! You'll be feeling better before you know it!! All I do is boil a whole chicken then add all kinds of veggies. Don't forget the garlic! and let it boil together...then enjoy!! adding noodles or rice is ok but your body is trying to heal and if it has to break down a carb it has to focus on breaking that down too.

Being Prego...

Oh the joys of being pregnant!! I am now 24 weeks..woot woot! The baby moves ALOT...especially at night. All well, the good thing Charlie can now feel the baby all the time! And the baby responds to his touch; which is sooooo cool! Being pregnant for me has been up and down.The first trimester was miserable so we dont talk about it. OK maybe a little...I had morning sickness all day. I tried to do what everyone told me to try and nothing really worked other than just waiting it out. At week 20 I'd say I started feeling much better! (there is hope see) My energy is up..dont be fooled by that statement I still need a midafternoon nap, and the sickness is gone.Yeah! I have not had any cravings where I just had to have ______. I have had different "seasons" of bizzare things like: orange juice and coke. I still can't really take any of my vitmans but the doctor says my levels are exellent so Im not gonna worry. 2 more weeks and we get another check-up to make sure baby is ok. We are counting down the days till our bundle of joy can come home! And we still have ALOT of things to do before the arrival of baby...so with that said I need to go and organize the closet upstairs. : )

South Dakota

A Good Book for all Girlfriends

Hey Everyone, This past weekend we got to stop in and see some of my favorite girlfriends! It was so nice to see them and made me miss them ALOT!! Anyways, Lindsay recommend a book for me to read its called "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy or Everything YOur Doctor Won't Tell You"....its fantastic! The book "What to Expect When You Are expecting" is good but this is better...let's be honest we all want to be told straight up what our bodies are like during pregnancy or what to expect. Well The Girlfriends Guide is all about that. I should buy a huge box of them and anyone who is expeting should read this book and then pass it to her closest girlfriends. Its a fun relaitable book. :) So go check it out! Its great!

Back at it...Getting caught up!

Hey Everyone, I noticed it has been quite awhile since I have written and there is alot to catch up on. My mind has been spinning with a ton of thoughts,questions,and a good "Ashley" sermon or two. I thought the only way to get everything organized was to start blogging and I have decided that I will blog once a week at the least. I work part time for crying out loud! Whether it is a recipe or a thought I shall post it. Since, I last wrote Charlie and I have been on our honeymoon, a vacation,added another kitty, and got pregnant. Yes you read right. Charlie and I are expecting the end of January. We are both very excited and can't wait till the baby is here. Since we have to wait we are enjoying the different stages of pregnancy. I am 21 weeks now and our favorite thing right now is feeling the baby move around. It is an amazing feeling...(most of the time) lol So, I guess that is our biggest news...on the small news front we have a new kitty that joined our home the beginning of the Summer. His name is Zeus and he is a little orange striped kitty that loves to chase his tail, eat and catch large bugs, and yell when Zoey takes off. They (the cats bring great entertainment to our lives) We are still adjusting to living so far from family and friends. Don't get me wrong we have friends up here but there is nothing like your best girlfriend living 20min away and now she lives 2 hours away. It has taking some getting used to but we are slowly trying. We like routine so if its not on the schedule we dont tend to jump up and go somewhere. Charlie and I have signed up once again for volleyball. A good excuse to get out and get some fun exercise. I do mean fun...lol Planet Fitness just doesn't cut the "fun" exercise part.We also decided, actually, we were forced to cancel all volleyball back home. Our team kind of disbanned and we couldn't find replacements. Its for the best I think. Being as far along as I am it wouldnt be wise. (so we tell ourselves...) Let's see what else...Charlie is doing wonderful at his job he loves it. We have traveled to Cancun for our honeymoon; which was FANTASTIC! I wont bore you with the details...I'll post pitures. :) We also took a trip in August to Grand Rapids, SD with my in laws. We drove out there with the motorycles and got to see alot of the cool sights out there..(It was bike week; need I say more.) Right now...we are canning our mini harvest and/or whatever veggies and fruit we can get. So far, we have salsa,tomato sauce, and applesauce.Yummy! We are also tryig to figure out freezer meals for when the baby comes...but thats not for awhile.. I love preparing and storing for our little family..maybe its nesting kicking..I dont know but I love it... I guess thats it for now. I shall post some pictures of our Spring and Summer and then you shall be caught up. We aren't that exciting....

Homemade toothpaste success!!

Bennonite Toothpaste!! Well we are 2 weeks into our homemade toothpaste and we are loving it. It is fantastic!! We also have given alot of our toothpaste to friends and family who are enjoying it as well. It is more refreshing and healthier for you then traditional toothpaste! It looks nasty but our breath and teeath are fresher and whiter. Below is the recipe... : ) Bennonite Toothpaste: Take a handful of cinnamon sticks 1/4c whole cloves 1/4c stevia leaves 3c. water Put all of this in a pan and bowl for 30min. (Your house will smell amazing!) After that has boiled for awhile strain it. Either strain it in a cheese cloth or a paper towel. I didnt have cheese cloth so the next best thing is a papertowl. You just want the liquid. After that is done you will need: 1T Celtic sea salt 1T baking soda Dissolve into above liquid. (it is ok if its to salty..next time use less salt.) To thicken your toothpaste you need bennonite clay. You can find this at any health food store. Usually in their bulk food area. You will need 1/2 lb. I recommended buying extra just in case you need extra. You add enough to make it thick. Put your toothpaste in a jar or a plastic container. You can not have your toothpaste touch any metal. The clay will absorb the metal and thast would be terrible to brush your teeth with. If you have any questions just ask. : )

2 weeks into changing our eating habits...

Hey Everyone! I hope all is well with everyone! So its been 2 weeks into our drastic changing of eating habits, and I can report that it is going very well! My symptoms are pretty much gone! Yeah!!! My energy levels are almost back and I am losing weight quickly...(Thank God!) It has been a really good change and I have to say that it was fairly easy. I say that because I have done this particular diet change before; i just didnt have the allergy....or I didnt know I did at the time. I allow Charlie to eat whatever he wants and I am not opposed to making 2 different meals if he doesn't care for what I am making, but for the most part he has been so very supportive! I am very grateful for this.Having the support one needs to eat better in order to have better health is important. Our new adventure is making homemade toothpaste which I will be doing this weekened. Yes you read right I said "toothpaste"....Charlie and I are both fed up with the politcs of dentists and the terrible reports that come with them. We both take good care of our teeth and to go in and be told that you need another root canal or you have a bunch of cavities is so discouraging. It didnt make sense to me that we allow our bodies to heal from all kinds of cuts,bruises,sickness...but we can't heal cavities?! So I did some research and low and behold you can! Having sensitive teeth,cavities, and bleeding gums are a sign of our teeth having the mineral striped away. What we eat and drink are all part of the health of our teeth. It is true so if you dont eat alot of "good food" and you eat alot of proceesed food it destroys our enaml on our teeth. From my research by implanting mineral back into our good diet our teeth should become stronger and heal the cavities....I'll keep you informed of our process, but we both are excited to be able to strengthen our teeth and remineralize them as well. : ) Well, that is what we are up too...not much as usual just work and play. We are ounting down the days till our Honeymoon, but thats still 6 weeks away...hahaha

A few more...

Some of our favorite wedding photos!

A couple LA Pictures

New Challenges that are turned Resolutions...

Greetings Everyone, As some of you may know I have been struggling with an annoying health issue. I went to a MD and they were confused by my sysmptoms, so they sent me to get a CT scan. My CT scan showed my insides were noraml; I decided instead of being sent for all kinds of blood test; to go to my nutritionist I went to back in 2008. Low and behold I have a severe allergy to gluten. I had a suspicion that it may be that but no real evidence. Well, after my appointment my suspicion has been made real. I am not scared but realived that thats all that my problem is. Starting tomorrow I am on a strict diet/cleanse to get my bad back to working health. I am blessed to have alot of friends who are in the same boat I am and so we can encourage,support, and share our ideas and problems. I am excited to receive my energy and body back. I had been wanting to go gluten free but hadn't because I didnt see the importance of it...till now...1st resolution going 100% gluten free. Our second resolution is making all of my own lotion,shampoos,laundry soup, toothpaste...etc....Charlie and I both struggle with the idea of putting chemicals into our bodies. We both are sensitive to different chemicals and so by going all organic with the lotions and stuff we will see itching,rashes,dry skin disappear. I have been doing alot of research and am excited to get started. My mom and I are huge coconut oil/butter fans. It is wonderful for you...eating wise and topically. The Bulk Herb Store has been a huge help in getting recipes and such together so we can start a cleaner living experince. I think these two resolutions are huge and I am excited to start this cleaner form of living. Not only will it help Charlie and I get healthier but by gaining these healthy habits we can help others and some day establish good cleaning living on to our children. If you need ideas,help, or support in starting in this way of living by all means get a hold of me.

Annoying blogger....

Its been awhile since I have posted...its not my fault! The blogger is giving me issues.I can't post pictures right now either, so Ill write you a lovely post so that you have an idea of what is going on in our lives. 2 weeks ago I made my way to the wonderful city of Los Angeles to see my sweet friend Katie. It was wonderful to be some place sunny and warm! We got to sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in, and its February!! Katie and Angela took me to see alot of the cool sights in L.A. I also got to see my cousin Vinny breifly. I wish I could have spent more time with him but my trip did get cut a day and a half short due to a winter storm...grr...Tis the season. hahaha Charlie is leaving next week to spend some time in Canada on a business trip. He is going farther north..hahaha...so no plae warm for him. We both are counting down the days till our honeymoon! April 14th cant get here fast enought. In the meantime, I start a new job on Monday! Yeah!! Ill be doing secertarial work in a Onocology office. I am looking forward to this. It is only part time and that works great for our schedules. Other than that we are waiting for Spring to arrive, and we know it is. The sun is rising earlier and the nights are getting longer...oh and I have a daffidol coming up!! Thats a huge sign of Spring! yeah!! Well, thats it for now..I will continue to try and figure the posting issues so you can see pictures...I promise.

My biggest annoyance...

If you ask anyone of my family members or closest friends they will tell you that dentists are the biggest thorn in my side. I take care of my teeth for the most part...I brush everyday...I floss a couple times a week...and i have a waterpic...so why is it every time And I do mean every time I go to the dentist its a huge list of bad news....you have cavities, you need your wisdom teeth pulled, you have gum dieses You need a root canal.....the list goes on and on! When you finish my appointment with "but you have a great smile"....that my friend doesnt create WARM FUZZIES!! All good feelings left at hello...sorry... So where am I going with this...im a huge advocate for your body can heal itself. It was created to fight off dieses, and yes why not tooth decay? Its a dieses And therefore should be able to be healed. I dont like to have oral surgery its not fun...and shouldnt be my only option! Today I want on a search for why our bodies cant heal our teeth...and guess what? They can! Gasp!! Tooth decay like any other dieses is caused by ?...wait for it.....poor nutrition!! Or not getting the proper nutrition for our teeth. Makes sense.., put good in.,.then your body is happy. :-) I just ordered a book called "Cure Tooth Decay:Heal and Prevent cavities with Nutrition." I am going to see if I can get a better report from the dentist...my next appointment Isnt until August so stay tuned...if it works you will know! Im excited and I cant wait to see my results.

A short visit...

Denver came up this past weekend to ski with Charlie. I was to chicken to go outside and take pictures so youll have to trust me when I say...."They had a super time!"

It's my birthday....

Thats right I am 2-9 today! I cant believe it....where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday my siblings and I were doing school, working the farm, or trying some way to get together with friends. Now most of my friends are married, have either moved away, or had/having children, or just busy with l life. My wonderful friend Courtney came up this weekend and brought a new friend for us to meet. Charlie and I enjoyed the company and the visit that we had...thanks Court for taking the time. :-) Since, its Monday im just puttering...we are going out to dinner later to celebrate. Charlie has already giving me my gifts; our bookcase! And a trip Los Angeles to visit a dear friend! Im so excited!! Ive never been to the west coast. I cant wait!!!

My wonderful kitty Zoe....

Finally a bookcase

My husband blessed me with a beautiful bookcase last night. My books have been in bins for several years and ached to once again be diplayed! To add my husbands touch to the bookcase I added our crazy sovk monkeys. :-) I am blessed!

Starting up again....

Greetings Everyone,
Its has been a very long time since I have blogged,and since alot has changed its time I start again.
By now most of you know I married an amazing Charles Gilmore in December 16,2012. Our ceremony/wedding was wonderful!It was full of our loving family and closest friends.
 After our ceremony i moved to Watertown NY. We have a wonderful town house with an extra bedroom, so any time you want to visit or stay we have room. yeah!!
 Im currently not working and I am enjoying my time just being a wife. I love taking care of Charlie and our kitty Zoe who is a handful....lol our kitty is very social. :) As soon as i can figure out how to add pictures from my tablet you will have the chance to see glimpses into our lives....