Missions Sunday

July 18, 2011 By ashleylately 9 Comments

Hey y’all! After taking some much-needed time off, I’m going to try to ease back into blogging. I’ve missed y’all! I’ve had plenty of things keeping me busy, and I’ll fill y’all in about that over the next week or so.

What I want to talk about today is the wonderful service my church had yesterday. Every July, we have a service dedicated to the many mission works that we support. Instead of our normal two services, we have a joint service with everyone together. We are completely packed into our auditorium, and it is so cool to have everyone together. At the end of our Missions Sunday service, we take up a special collection to support those works.

Yesterday was our Missions Sunday, and it was wonderful!

Our church raised $649,000 as of 5:45 pm last night!

It was very inspiring to see our congregation come together to support our mission works. I can’t wait to see what wonderful things happen over the next year!

We sang several of my favorite songs, and while I’d love to share all of them with you, I’ll leave you with just one!

Taking a Little Break

July 13, 2011 By ashleylately 11 Comments

Hey y’all! I’m taking a bit of a blogging break this week. Just needing a little bit of time away. I’ll be back hopefully next week. Hope y’all have a great week!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

She’s Country?

July 8, 2011 By ashleylately 23 Comments

Several years ago, Momma and Daddy bought some land outside of town to build a house. A few months ago, they finally started work on the house.

Now, I may have been raised in Small Town, Oklahoma, but I’ve never really felt like a small town girl. I was more of a city girl trapped in a small town, which is one reason I moved to the city for college and never left!

Back home, Momma and Daddy still live in the house my brother and I grew up in. It is in the middle of town in a neighborhood. It may be a small town, but it’s not “country”. The area they are building a house in? COUNTRY!

Down a gravel road, out in the middle of nowhere, country.

I don’t really know if we are “country people”.

Daddy fits in just fine.

Momma seems to be adjusting nicely.

I’m trying.

I just don’t know if I’m cut out for this…

What I’m Playing Thursday

July 7, 2011 By ashleylately 8 Comments

Hey y’all!

I’m linking up with Sarah Elizabeth for What I’m Playing Thursday!

Here are the songs on my playlist this week.

“Hell on Heels”-Pistol Annies

“Barefoot Blue Jean Night”-Jake Owen

“Let Me Down Easy”-Billy Currington

“Not Over You”-Gavin DeGraw

“Moves Like Jagger”-Maroon 5

“She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful”-Sammy Kershaw

What songs are you loving right now?

Fun on the 4th!

July 6, 2011 By ashleylately 12 Comments

Hey y’all!

I’m finally getting around to my 4th of July weekend recap.

I had such a wonderful weekend with my family and friends. It was nice to get a long weekend home to relax.

Friday afternoon, I left work early and headed down to SE Oklahoma to meet Momma and Daddy for the Sammy Kershaw concert.

We had a really great time! At one point, while Sammy was performing a Lynyrd Skynyrd song, my Momma was fist-pumping Jersey Shore style! Definitely entertaining!

Momma’s ear bling

I was a big Sammy fan back in the 90s, so it was really cool to see him and hear some of those great old country songs.

I think there were about three people that I told about the concert that actually knew who he is, so I thought I’d include a couple of his songs in this post.

Good stuff!

Saturday, we all went out to my grandparents’ house for dinner and fireworks.

Banana split cake! Momma made a little section without bananas so I could have some! Yummers!

Mom-mom & Grandaddy

C & my Momma

Momma & K

My aunts Stacey & Theresa

The girl cousins

E and Momma

Two of a kind!

Sweet cousins

Pretty

Momma & Mom-mom

Sunday we went to church, then I went with Jessica, her boys, and her parents to watch a town firework show.

My little birthday boy! N turned 4 on Saturday!
If you missed the original picture, check it out here.

Monday, Momma and I took lunch to my Daddy out at their land where he was working. We took pictures, but I haven’t gotten them from Momma’s camera yet.

I drove back home Monday afternoon, then went out to Joyce and Wade’s for dinner and fireworks with some of our church friends.

Some of the kids getting the fireworks ready

What a sweet face!

She was very concerned about what was going on

Joyce and me

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! I’ve been a little absent from Blogland lately, so I hope to catch up on all of you this week!

I hope the rest of your week is just fabulous!

Keepin’ It Real

July 5, 2011 By ashleylately 7 Comments

N was loving the fireworks. Totally “digging” them!

I had a wonderful weekend at home with all of my families! I’m completely exhausted, but I loved it. The recap will come later when I have time to catch my breath.

Hope y’all had great holiday weekends too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweet Friends & Weekend Fun

July 1, 2011 By ashleylately 11 Comments

Hey y’all!

Last night, I got to meet Rebekah!

I met her and her sister Sarah at one of the best burger places in town.

We had such a great time! I have always loved reading Bekah’s blog because she is such a sweet, genuine person, and she is just as wonderful in person! Sarah is super fun too, and I just felt like I had known both of them forever! Sarah, I’m waiting for your blog to start! :)

Tonight, after work, I’m heading down to SE Oklahoma for the holiday weekend. Wednesday, Momma and I both entered a Twitter contest to win a pair of tickets to see Sammy Kershaw in concert.

Within minutes of each other, we BOTH won a pair of tickets! I was a big Sammy fan back in the 90’s, and I’m excited to see him!

Saturday is my little N’s 4th birthday!

I can’t believe that sweet baby is growing up so fast.

I’m not sure what is in store for the rest of the weekend, but I’m looking forward to a relaxing time at home with the family.

What are your weekend plans?

Also, I hit 200 followers this week, which is just CRAZY! Thanks to all of you who spread the word on the Twit! Of course, y’all know I like to celebrate things by giving things away, so look for a giveaway next week!

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe holiday weekend!

Random Thoughts Thursday: Photos

June 30, 2011 By ashleylately 12 Comments

Hey y’all! I don’t really have much to say today, so I’m going to share a few pictures and videos from my iPhone.

-Last week, the bro and I went out to dinner at a new Mexican restaurant. I ordered two enchiladas a la carte. They came to me like this.

Um…not quite what I meant.
One of them wasn’t done when the rest of the food was, so another waiter brought the second one out to me about 30 seconds after the first. He giggled a little when he set the plate down next to the other enchilada. When he walked away, I scooped one onto the plate with the other!

-I experimented with nail polish the other night.

I used OPI’s Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot, and then I put OPI’s Teenage Dream on top of it. Loving the sparkles!

-My latest project has been printing pictures to fill some empty frames. After waiting several days to get my 1 hour pictures printed (yes, I said days), I finally got several frames filled.

Picture frames are some of my most favorite things ever!

I think Jack approves of them.

Speaking of Jack…dear goodness, the little guy has been so crazy lately. I recorded a couple of videos over the last few weeks of his craziness.

He goes crazy when Colby lets the light reflect off of his iPod. He chases the light all over the apartment.

He loves playing with his mice!

-I’m excited for food dates with Lori and Rebekah today! Can’t wait to see them both!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

June 29, 2011 By ashleylately 14 Comments

Here are the things I’m loving this Wednesday!

I’m loving that I get to have lunch tomorrow with my sweet friend Lori!

I haven’t seen her in a couple of years, and we’ve kind of reconnected over the last few months, so I’m super excited to get to hang out with her!

I’m loving that tomorrow night I get to have dinner with Rebekah!

Y’all, Thursday is going to be a great day!!
I am so lucky to call Bekah a friend, and I cannot wait to get to see her!

I’m loving that I have a three day weekend this weekend! I’m excited that I get to go home for a few days and I get to go to my little N’s birthday party!

I’m loving that we had a large group at our new foster parent orientation last night!

It was so wonderful to see so many people who have a heart for caring for children in state custody.

I’m loving that as of when I wrote this post (10:45 last night), I was two followers away from 200!

When I do hit 200, there will be a giveaway! Tell your friends! :)