The Ashby's

2011-02-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas I decided to surprise Joe and Candace with a trip to the happiest place on earth. I invited Candace's boyfriend Corey and really enjoyed getting to know him much better. Candace and Joe had now idea it was so much fun seeing the surprise on there faces on Christmas morning. We had a wonderful time the weather was amazing the only thing that could have made it better would have been to have Tyler there with us. I love being with family and the memories that are being made. It's going to be an amazing year and I can't wait to see what the new year will bring. Thanks Candace, Corey and Joe for a great trip.

Mission Fun

2010-11-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for the memory card from Tyler. I really look forward to seeing his companions and the area's he's serving in. Videos are the best I never though he would come up with this. It's a good thing he has taken piano from his grandma he put a smile on everyones face. Sit back get the popcorn and enjoy.Tyler bought a GPS when he arrived in Hershey. From the looks of the video he needs to get his money back. It's so nice to hear his laugh. I love being a missionary mom. Counting down the days until I can talk to him at Christmas.

Missionary Update

2010-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

The colors of fall are so amazing. Tyler always has such a positive attitude his smile is infectious.
What can I say he likes to dance whether is be in the middle of the street or on the dance floor yes he did get his dancing moves from his dad
Tyler is serving in Towanda Pennsylvania you may ask where is Towanda upstate PA right next to New York. Its a very small town it reminds Tyler of Telluride Colorado. He feels like he has now tracted the entire town. The pictures that he sends home are so beautiful the leaves are starting to change the colors are amazing. He wanted us to feel bad for him by telling us this was the house they were having to live in.

2010-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

Elder Ashby's first baptism if you can't tell by the big grin on his face a picture says a thousand words. They both look so radiant I can't help but be so proud of him. He has grown so much in the short 9 weeks he has been gone. He said in his email today it's not about the numbers its about changing someones life.
Elder Munn from Springville is his new companion. Tyler said they get along and have similar interests he said in his last email he is so lucky to have such great companions to serve with. Elder Munn will be coming home in 6 weeks so Tyler will be his last companion. This is Elder Ashby's first baptism his name is Ray I will have more to tell after I speak with him on mothers day. One hour a week is not long enough to get the entire story from him so excited to hear his voice in a few short days and to hear Ray's conversion story.
2 weeks ago Elder Ashby said good bye to his first companion Elder Worthen. Elder Ashby has loved serving with him and will always have a great friendship with him he is from Las Vegas Elder Ashby was worried that he wouldn't get another companion like Elder Worthen he has really enjoyed the training that he has received from him and as a mom I'm so grateful his first companion was so amazing.

2010-02-05T17:39:00.001-08:00

Elder Tom Ballard and Elder Tyler Ashby at the MTC ready for the big day

Elder Tyler Ashby this is it the MTC yes the day has finally come!Ashby family February 3 2010
Brian and Karen Parker with the kids just wanting one last hug from Tyler the night before he left. Mack told Tyler he can't wait to be a missionary.
Tyler with Eric Franson YM president and friend
Tyler with the Orchard Hills ward Bishopric, Bishop Rich Brother Brian Blackhurst and Brother Alec Clark a very great group of men that Tyler really looks up to.
Tyler and Nick Greer. Nick was Tyler's YM leader for 3 years before he moved away Tyler says if it wasn't for Nick not giving up on him he may not be where he is today. He's a great friend.
Grandpa and Grandma Parker with Grandma Davis
The Trospers we consider them family not neighbors Tyler is really going to miss Leah she would always put a smile on his face,
Nate Hiatt a great friend and YM leader Tyler has always had a special spot in his heart for Nate.
Tyler and Kyle Parker. In the Parker family we get together once a month to celebrate birthdays Tyler was the only February birthday until Kyle was born. Tyler was hoping to share a birthday with him, but no Kyle decided to come a day earlier Feb 2. Tyler loves to tease and wrestle with him I think Kyle kind of likes Tyler to.
Jake Barney Adam Derfler Shannon Summerhays and Mitch Nicholes great friends of Tylers Shannons uncle is going to be Tylers mission President she is so excited for him to be serving with him. It was fun to talk to her about her uncle and get to know him a little better.

What a wonderful week we have had. I can't say thanks enough to my family, friends , coworkers and neighbors we could not have made it through this week with out you.

Family

2010-01-30T18:31:00.001-08:00

The month of February holds a lot of change for the Ashby family. First Tyler will be leaving to serve his 2 year mission on February 3 2010. Then on February 22 2010 Joe's parents Dave and Bonnie will be leaving to serve an 18 month mission in Iceland. We are so happy for both Tyler and mom and dad Ashby to be serving they will be missed, but we know that they will be so blessed by serving missions. I am a world of emotions right now I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I find if I keep myself constantly busy I don't have time to cry. This next week will be very hard for myself and my family I remember putting my brothers in the MTC and the emotions that came along with having them leave. The last few days Tyler and I have been looking at the mission presidents blog and its been so fun seeing the other elders and sisters and the smiles on there faces in all of the pictures. I've joined LDS missionary moms a website based out of Lehi. Its been fun hearing from other moms that have missionaries either entering the MTC the same day as Tyler or have missionaries serving already in Pennsylvania. Its been a very positive experience so far. Thanks to all the family and friends that have helped in any way this past couple of months. Wish us luck ready or not here we go.

2009-12-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

Elder Tyler Joe Ashby has been called to serve for the next 2 years in Pittsburg Pennsylvania he will enter the MTC on February 3 2010 which is also his 19th birthday. He is so excited so teach and meet the people of Pittsburg. We are so proud of him and his decision to serve a mission. It will be hard to see him go, but I know this is the best thing he could be doing right now in his life. I look at his friends and what a great influence they have been in his life they are great young men. Best of luck to a great missionary.

Missionary Life

2009-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

What an exciting time of life getting a missionary ready to receive his call. Several of Tyler's friends are serving or leaving very soon. It just seems like yesterday he was out riding his razor scooter and causing all kinds of trouble in the neighborhood. We are so proud of the great young man he has become. The next month will be very exciting as he receives his call.

2009-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Tyler graduated from American Fork High School we are so proud of him and what he has accomplished. We look forward to whats in store for the next year. He is so excited to be done with school and relax for a month or so. We are so grateful for friends and family and what they have done for our family. Congrats Tyler Graduate of 2009.
Tom Ballard and Tyler graduated over and done so proud on you both!

Happy Birthday Tyler

2009-02-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

I was feeling pretty good when I got up yesterday worked out at the gym came home when to have our taxes done and on the way home from Provo I had a melt down. Tyler turned 18 which is not a bad thing, but I let my mind wander and we only have 9 months until he can send in his mission papers. WOW I teared up in the car and thought my time is flying by. Don't get me wrong I am so excited that he wants to serve a mission I am just not ready for it to be happening so fast. So after a good cry I pulled myself together and went on with the rest of the day. I hope he had a great birthday. Now for the next big event graduation if he can make it through the rest of his senior year. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER WE LOVE YOU

Great Friends

2009-01-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Meadowbrook ROCKS! Joe and I are so lucky to live in such a great neighborhood. This year for the Christmas party we went to play laser tag then had dinner at Los Hermanos. I consider this neighborhood my second family. The friendships that we have are priceless. Thanks for the great times that we have had and many more to come.
This year for Christmas Tyler just had to have this jacket he is the one in white. It's creepy to see him zip it all the way up although he says its great for removing snow it keeps your face really warm. Tom is sporting the multi color jacket.

I am so grateful for such great young men that Tyler is associated with. He has had the opportunity this year t0 meet Sam he is a foreign exchange from Brazil here for the school year. Adam (little derf) and Tom. They know how to have a great time and have such great standards. They were preparing to attend a school dance and all had a great time.

Family

2009-01-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

Wow Alan is now about 7 feet tall I guess eating your veggies even as adult you can still get taller.
On Christmas Eve the Ashby family will get together to have a wonderful dinner and then exchange gifts. Joe's mom has a wall at her house where everyone marks how tall they are every time we get together like the brothers are still growing. They hate the fact that Tyler is now taller than all of them by 1/4 inch. Notice in the first family picture to the 2nd Joe's brother Alan suddenly grew about 8 inches he just about cut his head out of the picture. We are so lucky to have such a great family and to celebrate the holidays with them.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving my mother has all 21 grandkids come to her house to decorate the Christmas tree. After they are done they all head upstairs to decorate gingerbread cookies. This is a highlight for all the kids even the big kids think this is great. Sugar overload is an understatement by the end of the decorating. That evening around 10pm the sisters the girls 12 and older head out to shop and will usually stay out until wee hours of the morning. Even if you don't buy anything you still have a great time. This year at the Parker Christmas party we decided to put items together for the House of Hope located in Provo instead of buying Christmas gifts for each other. What a rewarding experience it was for all the family to help with such an awesome project. Thanks to all my family members for making it a success.

On Friday night we headed up to Zoo lights it was very cold, but we had so much fun. My parents went and we met my sister and her family there. I think this could become a tradition to try and do every year.
We had the Scott family Christmas party today. I love going because there are some family members that I only see once a year. Tyler was so excited to sit on Santa's lap he told him all he wanted for Christmas was more hugs from his Grandma. The little kids thought he was so funny. You can never be to old to sit on Santa's lap.

2008-11-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

On Halloween we were so lucky to have a visit from Hannah Montana and her biggest fan. Can you guess which Doctor is that I work with ?I am so lucky to work with such a great group of people at Utah Valley Pediatrics. Shaylee, Polly and I decided to go all out and dress as M&M's the kids loved it. I am still silently laughing about the lunch visitor.

Jimmy Buffett or BUST

2008-10-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

yThis is the extent of our dressing up 2 beautiful lays. We missed you Marq and Sarah, but Jimmy will be back next year and I am looking forward to a fun weekend again with you then.

Very friendly he/she they were the hit of the pre-party and I am sure the post party also
Three grown men in there 50 dressed as blonde beach babes funniest thing I have ever seen I asked one of them for a picture and got the biggest hug of my life from him

Party held at Margaritaville starts at 11 am the day of the concert and people will hang out the entire day then attend the concert that night

Joe in the lobby of the MGM
On Friday we drove out to Hoover Dam its amazing to see.

This past weekend Joe and I were able to attend the Jimmy Buffett concert in Las Vegas. Originally Mark and Sarah were on board to go with us, but certain events took place in there lives and they were unable to go. We missed them terribly, but Jimmy puts on an amazing and fun show and its always fun to attend. They host a pre-party where all the "parott heads" dress up come enjoy food and fun and drinking. By the concert everybody is very happy and it turns into a giant sing along with Jimmy. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

Proud Parent Moments

2008-10-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

One step closer to getting her license Candace took her written final today with the state and PASSED! She has been studying so hard for the past few days she was told by several friends its hard and you really have to know your stuff. Joe and I are so proud of her for passing on the first try. She will take her practical on the 16th in St. George once she passes that she can apply for a job, until then she is still working at Parkers and will tend for any of the neighbors.

Tyler was in his first choir concert for the year. Miss Warby is an amazing choir teacher the kids love her and she loves teaching you can tell she loves what she does. It also helps that she is a member of the Tabernacle Choir or as the high school kids say Motab Choir. Yes he can sing even though you never see him sing in sacrament meeting. I am so proud of my kids its so much fun being a mom. All the sleepless nights when they were little are soon forgotten and now we have sleepless nights waiting for them to come home from dates. I treasure every moment with them, because they will soon be gone and starting there own lives and families.

2008-10-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Once a month I get the opportunity to spend some time with some very special women in my life. Yes you guessed it Bunco. This group of friends have been getting together for over 10 years. They are the best friends anyone could ever ask to associate with. We have been through tough teenage years with our children the joys of marriage of children and have recently been through some very hard deaths of family members. I know that I could call on anyone at any time for help or support. I am so grateful to have such great friends and sisters.

2000 hours and finally graduated

2008-09-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Candace finished hair school today and she is ready for the next adventure in life THE REAL WORLD! Joe and I are so proud of her and what she has accomplished in the past year. Her goal was to finish under her 1 year mark she made it by the skin of her teeth. We wish her the best of luck with taking her state boards. CONGRATULATIONS WE LOVE YOU

2008-09-14T21:02:00.001-07:00

Kayla always had a comb or brush in her hand wanting to do everyones hair. Watch out Candace you may have some family competition. Kayla loves hanging out with her older cousin
Uncle Brent heading out on a dangerous snorkeling adventure hopefully he will return safely
Grandpa Bob with a mow hawk after taking all the grandkids in for ice cream. The kids love their Grandpa and Grandma Thanks for a wonderful trip
This past weekend we headed down to Mesquite for our annual show at the Touchan we went to see Big River it was a wonderful production. So far I have never been disappointed with any of the shows that I have seen. Its always fun getting together with Joe's family we have made so many memories that I hope the kids will never forget. Most of the day was spent hanging out at the pool and relaxing. Joe made sure that anyone that was dry was thrown into the pool to cool off he is always thinking of others. I am sure his sisters really appreciate him picking them up and tossing them into the water. We enjoy spending time with family and hope to continue the fun trips and memories for years to come.

Good Bye Teenage Years

2008-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to a very special young woman. Candace celebrated her 20th birthday today.

Joe and I are so proud of what she has accomplished so far in her life. She is so close to graduating from hair school, and is so excited to be able to work in a salon rather than attending school. We love having her spunky personality in our home. She has a beautiful smile that is so contagious. She is always looking for a new adventure last year she tried out for Miss American Fork something that takes a lot of courage, and she did great it was a very wonderful and exciting experience for her. We are so proud of her and can't wait to see what the rest of her life holds in store. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANDACE!!!!!!!!!!

MY JOE

2008-08-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

According to Bella This is her Joe and she tells me this every time she sees me. She will look out her bedroom window to see if Joe is home and if he is she will come running. We are so lucky to live in an area where there are so many cute kids with several different personalities which make them so much fun to be around. Brian her father doesn't appreciate it when Bella tells him she is Joe's girl. Brian and Andra thanks for sharing your family with us.

Telluride Memories

2008-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

After dinner at Allred's located at the top of the gondola
Dotty and Casey downtown shopping in Telluride
We celebrated 3 birthdays while we were there Mikes, Candace's and Bernie's
Day of Jeeping
Halfway to the top of Imogene
The guys went jeeping up to the power house at the end of town while the women went into town to shop.
This house is at the end of town and yes someone does live in it. They call this Bridal Veil or the Power house.
Power house
This is an arial view of downtown Telluride
Downtown Telluride the only way out is the same way you came in. The mountain at the end of town is Imogene Pass I still can't believe we drove over it.
Mike and Joe at the power house.

Joe and Tyler playing a friendly game of golf.
Paul, Casey and Mike Girardi day of shopping in Ouray.Mike, Joe, Paul and Tyler exhausted after 18 holes of golf.

We were heading down the mountain and ran across a field of wild flowers the colors were amazing so Joe decided to set up the tripod for family pictures. We were laughing watching Joe run from the Jeep to the rest of us before the timer went off on the camera.

This was on of Joe's favorite pictures I wanted to take the bridge over the water, but no Joe insisted on driving through it.Tyler tiptoeing through the flowers.
Top of Imogene Pass elevation is 13, 411 it was so cold right after taking the picture a cloud came across the mountain and you couldn't see a thing the view was breathtaking. Getting there was very scary for me I like a paved road.
Imogene pass yeah we made it now we have to get down the other side of the mountain.

We had a wonderful time in Telluride. It was so nice to relax and enjoy time with friends from New Jersey. The scenery is amazing this trip we did a few jeep trail rides that were breathtaking the entire time we were jeeping on Thursday Joe kept saying I wish Nate could see this. As you can see by the pictures its amazing. Hope you enjoy.

Telluride Here We Come

2008-08-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah finally family vacation is here. We drove to Telluride Colorado today to meet up with friends from New Jersey. Its been a great day talking, laughing and catching up with the kids and there busy lives. We are so grateful that 13 years ago we met the Girardi family at Lake Powell. Joe will have to write down that story its quit entertaining. The weather is so beautiful its about 15 degrees cooler that at home it feels wonderful. The mountains are so peaceful if life could only be like this all the time.

Steel Days Celebration

2008-07-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

The annual Steel Days Celebration has come and gone for another year. As a family we enjoy sitting and watching the parade although this year what a disappointment it was! Then we spend the entire day swimming and visiting as grandmas house. The highlight of the day is waiting for the fireworks this year they started late so most of the little kids fell asleep before they started. We really enjoy getting together with family to spend time together to make memories for years to come. Thanks to my family for making another year of fun at Steel Days.

Happy Birthday Mom

2008-07-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Parker with all the grandkids

Brothers and Sister

I wanted to wish the best mom in the world a very happy birthday. My mom is one of those people that everyone wants to be around. I feel very lucky to have her as my mom and my kids are very grateful for such a wonderful grandma. Thanks for being such a wonderful example not only to me and my family, but to everyone that you meet. I hope you had a very special day. I am very lucky to have you as my mom HAPPY BIRTHDAY WE LOVE YOU!

My Favorite Neighbor and Letter....Q!

2008-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I, Joe Ashby, want to proclaim my intense admiration for my neighbor, Marque Trosper, aka "Q". He is a great guy. If everyone else in the neighborhood and ward truly understood what a swell guy he is, I could sell my house for over one million dollars to the highest bidder. That really says a lot because I have a great neighborhood and ward family and Marque is at the tops! Thanks, Q.

Family Fun

2008-07-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

The past few days we were able to head to St. George to spend time with grandparents. It was fun to get together to visit, relax and spend some quality time with each other.

Every morning we went swimming in grandmas pool play a game of volleyball and for some reason Joe and Tyler seem to think they are experts in pool volleyball.

Joe's favorite thing about St. George is seeing the Joshua trees that randomly grow everywhere he would have one planted in the front yard if it would survive through the winter.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Davis for a wonderful weekend we cherish the memories and fun that we share together. As the kids get older I keep wondering how many more vacations we will be able to enjoy together before marriage and mission. We cherish every moment that we have together as a family.