Put my Ipod on shuffle- the first 10 songs

I don't really listen to music. The only times are when I am running and I like to turn on church hymns when I'm stressed or need a lift. All my music is old lady lame!! Instead of listing the random selections of the ipod, I'll just give you a few I like to listen to.
I currently like Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away". Even if it is about domestic violence and murder!! I usually like her stuff.
I always like Eminem. I do have to get the edited version though, I swear enough with out his influence!!
I like Elton John, even if half of his lyrics are indiscernible, so I make them up!! (i.e Rocketman!! 'Burning all the shoes I've ever owned!!')
I like Garth Brooks. He's always been a favorite.
I like Aerosmith. My dad and I have always wanted to go see them together, you know before they DIED!! But Steve Tyler's getting pretty shot!!
And as mentioned above, I love church music. Especially primary songs. I sing them to my children to put them to sleep every night. At some of my hardest times I have looked to the music of the church to soothe me. I think it's because my mom served in primary for so many years. She always had deep roots in primary.

Somethings I wonder "What if?" about

I wonder:

“What if I had started beauty school earlier?”

What if I had moved to St. George instead of Cedar?

What if I started having children earlier?

What if we hadn’t moved to Vegas right after we were married?

What if I had seduced Brent in high school like I wanted to!!

It is always easy to ask what if. I try not to, because it doesn’t change anything!!

What stresses me out?

My weight

my children

My husband

My life!!

I’m adult!!

Most of all: doctor's appointments.

My dream wedding

I have been married over 7 years now. I had a lovely wedding and don’t really think about (or worry about) another one!! I think planning weddings is for young, unmarried women. And I am neither. But in the spirit of blogging, I’ll share some ideas I had when I was unmarried!!

I always wanted a lavender and gold wedding. All the decoration would be gold but the flowers would be purple roses with NO baby’s breath. I HATE baby’s breath. I think it’s little more than a noxious weed. Bridesmaids would be in gold, flower girls in lavender. I would have a whole posse of bridesmaids too!!

I would have dancing. I always wanted to dance at my wedding and have it more of a party than a stuffy reception.

Anyways!! I can’t even think of any details or anything else because, like I said, I think my time for wedding planning has passed!! Not something I think about!!

What I don't leave the house with out

Before I leave the house I always make sure I have my phone and the diaper bag.

Every mom knows that when you have a baby, you have to have snacks, diapers, wipes and a bottle!!

I'm not usually a phone attached to my hand kind of person, but when Brent is at work, I have it at all times. I don't live paranoid that he's going to get hurt or anything. I just like to make sure he can get a hold of me if he needs to.

Something I am proud of

I am deeply proud of my husband.

Brent works a very stressful job that could easily effect his life, but he doesn't let it.

He is good at what he does.

He is brave. When everyone else is running away from a threat, he is running toward it.

He is calm and commanding.

He has a soft heart for children and he shows it every day.

Brent doesn't let the horrible, evil side of his job hurt his testimony. He knows the Lord must allow things to happen so that the blood of the innocent can cry out to Him from the dust.

I am grateful that I have Brent as my husband. He honors his priesthood and has a deep spirit that I love.

Brent is my soul mate. I believe in those things. I don't believe everyone has a soul mate, but I believe I do, and that I have found him. 



Things I would say to someone who has hurt me

I wouldn’t be nice. I would tell them off!! I wouldn’t want closure or an understanding of why that person chose to act that way!! I would want to tell them how stupid they were and then I would read them a pre written list of all the stupid crap they should fix, because I know better than them!!

What do I want my future to be like?

 

 

 

Peaceful

 

Safe

 

 

 

Full of Love



Something I am looking forward to....

I am looking forward to winter. I love cold days. I love curling up in front of a fire (or heater) and reading. I love bundling up and feeling cold air rush into my lungs when I take a breath. I love the grey days and the weak sunlight. I LOVE Christmas and the lights sparkling in the dark. I love all the opportunities to be grateful or surprise someone with holiday treats. I love snuggling with my kids with blankets and stuffed animals. I love flannel pajamas and fuzzy socks. Sigh….Too bad winter only last a couple of weeks around here.

Something I Miss

 

 

 

I miss my granny.

My granny let me indulge in bouts of self-pity without reproach. I miss her hugs. I miss her wisdom. I miss her evil, old lady ways. She was direct and encouraged me to speak my mind. Hopefully I have refined the art to also include a little bit of tact though! She was educated in a way that did not include books. She didn’t graduate high school but knew everything about plants, animals, general ailments and I don’t think she was afraid of anything. I enjoy history and nature and she gave me a connection to those things. She has a deep pride in family and genealogy. I loved that. I have her eyes and my daughters has her mother’s hair. She lives on in us all and I can’t wait to see her one day.

 

I see a little of Ella in this picture!!

 

On her wedding day.

 

 

*These pictures are poor. They are scans of a scan.

Something I Have Learned

I have learned to not expect much out of others.

I have learned to rely on myself and no one else.

I have learned that Parenting books are not rules and should only be considered guide lines.

I have learned that a woman knows her body better than anyone else.

I have learned that a woman knows her children better than they do.

I have learned that anything worth having has to be WORKED FOR.

Favorite Movies and TV Shows

My favorite moves are:

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

The Santa Clause

Santa Clause 2

The Emperor's New Groove

 

My favorite shows:

Big Bang Theory

Frasier

The Office

Ghost Hunters (although I don’t know how I feel about Grant being gone)

A picture of me last year- How have I changed?

I think it’s obvious how I have changed!! I am no longer pregnant!! I now know how to handle hospital personnel. For the record: do not ask at the hospital. TELL them. I have learned patience beyond my greatest measure. I learned to listen to my own instinct regardless of what the tests say!! I learned to love deeper and greater than ever before.

This is a horrible picture. I have something like 12 IV bags of fluid in me. If you were unaware, that's A LOT!! I carried Scarlet in MY FACE!!
I had laid in the hospital for 4 days, was emotionally drained and terrified of the C-section that was minutes away.

I'm glad this picture is only a memory and no longer my current reality.

Something I'm Afraid Of....

BATS.

I. Do. Not. Like. Bats. At. All.

The unpredictable swooping. The rabies. And they’re ugly.

Kidnappers.

It is my WORST nightmare to have my children stolen from me and suffering at the hands of strangers. The chance of  never knowing what happened to them magnifies the fear.

Bears.

I am terrified of being mauled by a bear, especially if I had my children with me and knew I had to protect them from a ferocious animal. It makes me sick to think about it.

 

 

Goals

1.      I want to be more involved with my kids. I want to spend more structured time doing activities that nurture and develop something with in them.

2.      Find more time to contemplate spiritual needs and connections.

3.      Lose weight….again.

4.      Nurture my own talents.

5.      Try to curb my temper. I know I won’t ever entirely eradicate it, but maybe just tamper it a bit.

6.      Listen better.

7.      Try to be more selfless.

 

Death Row Meal

 

 

 

I would request rib eye steak, lobster, king crab legs, wild rice and a side salad with ranch.

And since I'm being sentence to death for what I am assuming was a horrific crime, I might as well seal my fate and order some kind of fruity, alcoholic drink!!

If I blew Celestial glory by finally going on that killing spree I've plotted for years, a little bit of liquor isn't going to make it worse!!!

MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

 

 

 

Makes you a little nervous, doesn't it. :)

Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it

This post is supposed to be farther down the line but I thought it would be better to post about it now. My feelings about my body actually affect other posts and answers to questions in the future.

I struggle with my body. I am in a constant state of either losing or gaining weight. I can never just maintain it. Not very many people understand this and I have been met with great disdain if I openly talk about it, so I don't. I work hard to lose weight and then hormones or fatigue get in my way and I gain again. One week of slacking off for me can result in 5 pounds of weight gain and my pants are too tight. I'm very short, so just a few pounds or a fraction of an inch gained affects me!!

I'll leave it all at that, because I don't really like to talk about it. It's a very raw subject.

I guess I should say my body is a project!! If I found a genie lamp, changing my body would be my first wish!!!

Favorite Quote

 

 

 

A picture of your best friend

 

 

Sisters are both your best friend and your worst enemy at some time in your life.

We have been able to get by the jealousies and frustration of adolescence and have formed a close bond in adulthood.

I truly pity the individual who dare insult one of us in the others presence!!

I love my sister and would be lost with out her. We have our own friends and our own social lives, but first and foremost we have each other. She's the only one who thinks I am as hilarious as I do. She also has access to a back hoe when I need one!!

 

 2003

St. George Temple

 

 2002

Graduation

We do not look like one another....at all.

 





 2004

We did not choose the thug life, the thug life chose us.

 

 

 Approx. 1985

 

 

Approx. 1986

Places I have been and where I'd like to go

I have been to the neighboring states, Utah, Arizona, California and Idaho. All to see family or go to cheer camp. I've also been to Disneyland and Seaworld. I had the opportunity to go on the back east trip after I graduated. I was nervous to start this trip because 10 days seemed like a long time to be on a bus, away from my comforts of home. I'm fussy that way. But it was an amazing trip. My testimony was strengthened and I felt a deeper connection to Joseph Smith. I had always know him as a prophet and revered him as such. But on this trip I got to know him as a man. A man with a wife, children and weaknesses. I saw parts of the country that were so beautiful it truly ruined the desert in its ugliness forever!! My favorite part was the rural areas of Pennsylvania and New York. So beautiful!!

I would like to one day go to Alaska. I don't really have the desire to go anywhere tropical. It's hot here and if I am going to pay a lot of money to go somewhere I want to be COOL.

I would also like to go to Spain. I'd like to go see if there are Alderetes somewhere.

I have no desire to go to any part of Asia, Mexico or Africa. I don't think a war torn or unstable country sounds like a fun vacation spot!!

Things That Make Me Happy

This is a very interesting question!! I am actually very easily pleased!! The traditional answers are: my husband, my children, my family, and those things do make me happy but I will branch away from the normal and share  some of the simple things that make me happy.

1.      When the peacocks are out and about when I go on my morning walk. A family who lives on my route has several of them.

2.      Winter days

3.      Rain storms. I like the long drizzly winter ones that can go on for days.

4.      Body wash

5.      Socks

6.      Ironing. It's very peaceful to me.

7.      Reading

8.      When my cat lays in my lap after the kids have gone to sleep and I get to read and pet her. Very relaxing.

9. When I feel like I've helped someone or made them feel better.

10. Unasked for kisses from my children

11. Surprise mail. Like invitations or birthday cards.

 

Pet Peeves

1. People who think they are better than others.
2. People who just can't stand it when they think you might have something that they don't.
3. People threatened by others. Get over yourself.
4. Smoking
5. People who drive slow in the fast lane.
6. Old people at the post office.
7. Wet towels on the floor.
8. Uneven, ragged finger nails.
9. When my contacts slip around.
10. People who chew with their mouth open.

This is merely the top ten!! :)

My Parents

 

 

 

My mom and dad started dating when they were very young. I think they were around 14 and 15. They have had a relationship a LONG time!! Like all young love, they broke up and reunited on probably a yearly basis. That's high school!! But they have made it nearly 32 years!!

 

They were married December 27th, 1980.

 

I remember I read an article in the Ensign by President Hinckley when I was in high school. It was about how to help your children understand love. (I paraphrase this article, as I do not remember it in its entirety.) He stressed there wasn't a need to over talk about love and relationships into a deep extent. The concept is hard for children to understand at such a tender age. He said the way to teach your children to love is to SHOW them. Show your children how to love by openly loving your wife. Show her respect and kindness. Listen to her. Say 'I love you'. Hold her hand.

 

I feel like my parents always taught this way. Never with a loud voice, but with a quiet example. No, they weren't perfect. Yes, we fought. Yes, they made mistakes. But we were loved, we KNEW it and we were happy. It didn't need to be a big broadcast, just a simple, quiet reassurance of love by example. I love my parents very much and I know with out a doubt I was supposed to be their daughter.

 

My parents have never had it easy. They married young, had children young, and had their fair share of hard times. Most people in the same situation have not made it. But they have. My parents were officially sealed in the temple on January 31, 2003. We were sealed as a family the same evening. I will always include that day in one of the greatest in my life. 

It was supposed to be the color test

I was supposed to do the color test and share its results. But I couldn't find one that was free!! So instead I am going to share a few more little things about me!!

My genealogy is something I am very proud of. It's interesting and diverse.

My mother's ethnicity is regular white person!! She comes from pioneer stock and her relatives were some of the first in this country and this valley. She had an ancestor on the Mayflower!! Her blood lines come from England, Denmark, Canada and a little bit of Scotland. My granny was always very specific about the 'little' part when it came to the Scottish!!  I don't know why. One of my great-great-great grandfathers was a polygamist and had 8 wives and 54 children. I think he almost single handed populated the Bunkerville area!! They have been members of the church as long as it has been restored.

My dad's family is hard to trace very far because he has several ancestors who were adopted. This was back when babies were left at the orphanage in a basket on the front steps. The lines we can trace originate in Spain. My dad looks like the stereo type of a Spaniard. Black hair, green eyes, high cheek bones. I have done some of my own research and there is actually a village in Spain named Alderete. It was named after a Lord Alderete, who had 15 children, 14 girls and 1 boy!! He had 3 wives, not all at the same time. 2 died in child birth. Not really a surprise as 15 children is A LOT!! The main export of the village is sheep and wine, and it was founded in the early 1500's.

I love history. I think of it as a mystery to be solved and the more layers you peel off the more interesting it becomes. I like discovering things and learning more about where I come from.

Nick Names

I have a few nicknames but mostly people call me Ash. Very few people call me by my full name. Very few indeed!! I have never liked my name. It’s common and I feel like it’s associated with blond homecoming queens or other equally vapid women!! Plus it doesn't have any kind of special meaning. Ashley means- ash tree.

My dad calls me peanut & my granny called me lady bug. Brent calls me turtle dove or sweat pea sometimes.

I call Scarlet my little chicken. When she was little she made a funny squawking noise that sounded like “BOCK!”

I call Ella Missy Prissy or Missy Duck. When she was a newborn, Brent’s aunt had given me a ducky towel. She was all wrapped up and so cute and her cry sounded like a quack.

I call Brent muffin.

I call my brother “Little Buddy” from Gilligan’s Island. When we were little we spent a good amount of time at my granny’s and she watched a lot of classic TV!! My sister and I also called him Bubba Clubba, from a Donald Duck episode that had a cave duck in it. This was a looonnnggg time ago. I think he was around 2!!

 

I call every one either sweetie or honey. I started doing it when I was doing hair in Mesquite. I would forget names and clients would come in and I wouldn't have time to look at my books to refresh myself with who they were. It made the men feel special and most of the time the women called me the same thing. Now it's just kind of a habit!!

30 Day Challenge!!

So I have decided to copy cat my SIL Chelsey and do a 30 day blogging challenge!!

Day 1: Introduce myself, recent picture, 15 facts about me.

I am Ashley Alderete Bowler

1. I am 5'1"
2. I have brown eyes
3. I have brown hair. Yes it is my natural color.
4. I have 2 daughters.
5. Every one in my family has a summer birthday. They are within 8 weeks of each other.
6. I married my high school sweet heart, but there was some drama in between.
7. I love cats.
8. I am a hairdresser
9. I love cheerleading.
10. I enjoy fitness, although I don't think you can tell!!
11. I think I'm hilarious, but I also think my sister may be the only one who agrees with me.
12. I have a large vocabulary.
13. I have a sweet tooth.
14. I am easily pleased.
15. I am also easily irritated.

SO on to the challenge!! I think it will be fun!! There criteria is already laid out for me so I don't even have to come up with topics!!