Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Addicted.


(For my birthday)



(My favorite so far, made with my cousin)


(Made just because... coconut...)

Addicted.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Menard the Duck



Meet Menard, a little metal duck that dreams of being a warrior at our home:


As my mom would say, "Boldly going where NO duck has gone before!!!!"
Happy Snowy Days everyone (:

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Meet the Family

Lately at the Woods home, everything has been breaking. And no, I'm not talking simple things like water glasses or pencils, I'm talking the big important stuff... Enjoy.

#1: The Dishwasher
A few weeks ago, my dad on a Saturday morning was finally persuaded to check out the dishwasher that had not been washing well at all.

(Tyler and I eating cereal one Saturday morning)
Me: EW! There's a piece of food on my spoon!
Tyler: There's a piece of food on my spoon too!
Me: This is just nasty mom!
Mom: It's because of this cheap soap I bought.
Me: Well start buying the good stuff woman!!

With our amazing luck this month in appliances, my dad concluded that our dishwasher was actually the problem. After some deliberation, my mom and dad went out to buy a new dishwasher. In a day, they picked it out a brand new, shiny dishwasher. The catch? We had to wait a week til it could be delivered to our house. So for a week, we all had to pitch in and take turns hand washing every dish we used. After several break downs from Tyler and long frustrating discussions on who gets to do the "good job" (drying) and the "gross job" (washing), Friday we received the beautiful new dishwasher. As my mom would say, it looks like it belongs on another planet, definitely not our kitchen.
(The dark, dark days when we were hand washing!)



#2: The Cuisinart
Less than a week later, I was watching TV when I heard a sigh from the kitchen.

Me: Whats the sigh for?
Mom: (another sigh) Why is everything breaking?!

As the band Queen would say.. "Another one bites the dust!" Unfortunately, our Cuisinart had broken after 25 years. (Yes, I keep count of all the years our appliances last). A few days later, still taking the long and hard road without smoothies, Garrett and I found ourselves at Macy's with my mother searching for a new cuisinart. Again, time was not on our side and we had to wait another week til the one my mom wanted was on sale. Eventually though, my mom purchased the cuisinart a week later, and now we have two aliens in our home. Oh well, at least this one provides us with smoothies!


#3: The Printer
Okay, so technically the printer didn't break. It just didn't work well, but it was just as frustrating:

Me: Dad? Can you print this paper for me? It's due tomorrow.
(1 hour later)
Me: Is it printed yet?
Dad: Almost, I'm still trying to figure it out.
(2 hours later)
Me: Dad I really need this paper for tomorrow.
Dad: Hold on..
(1 hour later)
Dad: Done! Does it look okay?

I cannot tell you how many times this event has gone down, so when my dad announced he was wanting to buy a new printer, I jumped at the idea. That Sunday morning after church, we headed to Costco where our new printer was awaiting us.
Although I love my dad, I can't stand to shop with him. (Some of my most tortuous days during my young childhood life was being stuck at Home Depot for six hours with my dad, feet hurting, my stomach growling, the tears flowing, and my dad repeating over and over that he's "almost done".
So, while my dad was checking out the printers, Tyler and I tried to entertain ourselves. Our best choice we decided was to stick Tyler at the bottom of the cart and roll him around. It was quite humerous until we almost ran into a nice young couple. Game over.

After about 25 minutes (record time for my dad to be buying something this cool) he had picked out the one he wanted (which ended up being the one he was looking at in the first place) (sigh). When we brought it home and my dad hooked it up, I swear I have never been so fascinated in my life with a printer. It has a touch screen on it, and I can even check out the weather on it without going on the computer. First thing I printed out you ask? The weather for the week and a Barney coloring book page of course! All with the touch of a button (:

Friday, January 21, 2011

Random, Random, Random. And Late. VERY Late.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!
(21 days late, I know... tisk tisk!)

It has been way too long since I've blogged! For all my readers (my mom and probably 2 other people), I apologize! Life has taken it's toll on me these days, but I have random pictures! Enjoy (:

What you are currently looking at is our Christmas night dinner table! Unfortunately, my Grandpa had to spend his holidays in the hospital. We had originally planned to spend Christmas dinner together at my grandparents house, but instead we had to move the dinner to a hospital in Mindin. My Grandma (bless her heart) did the best she could do in the nurses relaxation room. (I'm pretty sure there's a fancy word for such a room, but Tyler and I just decided to call it what we wanted to). It was pretty much awesome to spend time together like that, and the turkey was yummy! I'd like to make a special thanks to the nurses who helped us make the dinner possible, you made our Christmas dinner a memorable one! (Just a little piece of advice though... you really need to make the mashed potatoes by hand and not have instant ones.. if you keep on chewing it, it starts to feel like your eating play-doh!)

( Very blurry picture, but I love it (: )

Lately, I have been craving two things.
One: Panda Express (Aka: Here's A Plateful Of Delicious Food That WILL Kill You)
Two: Onion Rings
(Yes, I know, I'm not fooling anybody. Of COURSE there are more foods I'm craving, but hey, you don't have all day do you?)
Anyways, my mother and I a week ago decided to go shopping and eat some lunch. I remembered this place we used to go to all the time when I was a kid, BJ's, so we went! Turns out, they had the most amazing beer battered onion rings... EVER! And mine just happened to be in the shape of the Target symbol... yum-o! Picture worthy? You bet.

(Is your mouth watering yet?!)

Last but not least, I'd like to introduce my two little sea creatures!

Opie (the Octopus is to the left, Garrett Jr (the Great White) to right

Once again, Garrett and I have found another plush sea creature for me to adopt! Opie is the newest addition to my collection, thanks to Garrett and his craziness. About a month ago, Garrett and I were eating lunch at school and we happened to find this little TY animal in the lost and found. I waited a whole week for somebody to claim him, and when Friday came I was so excited to take him home after much argument with Garrett that Opie is a octopus, not a Squid. (I may be blonde, but I was right about this one!) Much to my disappointment, Friday morning Opie wasn't there.
My day went on, crushed, until I realized I knew who had taken him! Garrett had just so happened to hide him in his locker (ha, and he thought I wouldn't find it, guys, they never learn lol). I decided to make a game out of it, and hid Opie in the guard room, where I was sure nobody would find him. That day after school, Garrett held me hostage while his friend Kurtis searched and searched for Opie until he found him. Like a little school girl would, I chased the two of them in hopes to get my Opie back... Two teenage guys vs Ashley.. yeah I know, at least I tried! Sadly, Garrett took Opie home with him and held him hostage for a couple days until he caved and gave him back to me a few days later.
I have no idea why I have such an attacthment to Opie, but as my mom would say, "I guess he's a cute kind of ugly!" I love him none the less.

PS: Kurtis and Garrett, I will get my revenge..... (:

Friday, December 17, 2010

Mr. Boob, I Graded Your Papers.

Today is Friday. That in itself for most teenagers at this time, is like heaven, including me. I've been so stress out these days, especially since Thursday. Why might you ask? Well, now I just have a lovely story to tell.

It all started Thursday morning... I was going to my 1st period, where I grade papers for my Geometry teacher from last year, Mrs. A. Well I just so happened to walk into the classroom that day and found two MASSIVE stacks of papers (and when I say MASSIVE, I mean Eiffel Tower big). I chuckled to myself for a moment, praying that this was not my job to accomplish... but as you can guess, it was.

"Is this my Christmas present?" I asked Mrs. A. She laughed and explained that the sub who's been filling in for another math teacher, hasn't graded any papers for TWO MONTHS. And Mrs. A being the lovely teacher she is, offered to pitch in (and as in "pitched in" I mean do all the grading). I really don't have any idea why she would offer to do such a big favor for him, considering the fact that she recently just had a baby, has one other kid and not mention, the poor woman has to not only deal with teenagers, but teacher them.

Although I didn't understand why she was helping this sub out, I said I'd help her on the grading. I swear, after 10 minutes I was already needing Advil and a bubble bath. Not only were these homework papers horribly done by the students (making them take waaaayyy longer to grade), but they were a complete mess. I had papers strewn everywhere, trying to get as many done as I could. I barely got a small class's papers graded that morning, and I think Mrs. A realized I needed some assistance.

The next morning, I walked into her class room again and she informed me that other girls were going to be coming in to help me. Although this was a great relief on me, Mrs. A informed me that I had to teach them and show them everything on what they needed to do. When the girls finally came in their reactions were just priceless, but they helped me out none the less (THANK YOU!). We got about a little more than half of them done, so I offered to Mrs. A that I'd come in at Lancer Learning Time and help grade some more. Naturally, she took me up on the offer.

Three hours later it's LLT time, and I walk in to find almost all the papers done. Apparently, some more students had come in to help grade. At first I was SO thankful, but then the bomb dropped. Everything they had done, was completely done wrong. I had to fix everything they did, and still get the papers done on time. You guessed it, I was loosing my mind. Again.

At this point and time, the teacher who I'd been grading papers for walked in. He came up to me, handed me four more packets of work to do, and said "Here's some more." This, is when I decided to call him from now on, "Mr. Boob". Now Mr. Boob had completely crossed the line. Not only was I grading papers for HIS class that he was too lazy to do, he had now handed me MORE work for him, and didn't say one thank you. I was flabbergasted. Actually, I still am. If it wasn't for the chance of me getting suspended, in that moment I would've said "ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!?!?!?" or "WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK I AM?! YOUR ROBOT?!" Mind = completely lost.

Thankfully, the papers were finished by some other students who came in and helped out that afternoon. Mrs. A also appologized for the chaos, along with a real Christmas present this morning. So to Mrs. A, thank you for being such a good person, and for Mr. Boob... you're just a boob. Learn to correct some papers dude.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Here's To Wonderful Friends

Lately, I've been thinking about how blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing people, and I know it sounds pretty lame, but I feel like I need to let each of these people know that I love them dearly in my blog... so here I go!

~Cody Clark:
A few years ago, Cody came to my church and struck the Woods family's hearts, epically my mother. Not only is he caring, sweet, and a great listener, he is also HILARIOUS! This quality is what my mom and I especially love about him, and even though this summer he left for Las Vegas, we still love ya Clark! You're welcome to stay with us anytime you like, and next time you visit I promise I won't freak out while I'm driving! (:

~Mueni Mutisya (aka: MOO!):
This summer, I met an amazing girl who I must say has stolen my heart in such a big way. I never truly knew what I was missing out on in my life until I saw her dance! I don't think I've ever gone a day with seeing Moo and not seeing her dance. This girl is just full of love, kindness, and she is just plain amazing. I love her SO incredibly much... YELLOW BIRD! :D

~The Rossetti Gang (aka: Gene, Bob, Mason, & Patrick):
The best class I have ever been in in my life was back in 8th grade with the worst Spanish teacher ever. These guys have made me laugh so hard, and made such a wonderful impact on my life.
Gene: I think your laugh has been forever engraved into my brain! lol We have have had so many good laughs together, and hanging out in the hallway with you when we both got in trouble was so much fun! You'll always be in my heart (:
Bob: You're a boob. And I love ya!!! We are practically siblings, considering the fact that people think we are anyways (WOOD and WOODS people, come on!). Even though you drive me crazy, I'm always here for you and I know you have my back.
Mason: You never fail to amaze me Mason. You've always been somebody that I have admired, especially because you are just so witty! You come up with the funniest things that can make laugh so hard that I cry, and you know it! "Well, dads do know breast!" (Still laughing about that one! :D) I'm so glad we have Alg. together this year, it's great to talk to you again!
Patrick: You're still crazy, weird, and very very tall. You haven't changed a bit! I hope you know I think you're a smart, funny kid who's going to go far (:

~The McClelland Family (aka: Alex, Broden, Kyle, Kody, & Vada)
This family is one of the best! If I had to go live with another family, I'd pick this one. And here's why (: :
Alex: You're creative, funny, adorable, and such a good mother. I love how I can relate to you, and even though you're married, you're still pretty cool!! :D You're somebody who I definitely look up to, and I'm glad you're there to keep Kyle in check lol JK. But really, you're awesome!
Broden: Bro- Boy! I know you can't read this, you're one, but maybe your mom might read this to you. Even if she does, it will have no effect on you, and that's ok! I still want you to know I love you kid, you're so adorable!
Kyle: You never fail to drive me or mother crazy, but we love you none the less. You're such a strong guy with a great heart, and I love how treat God and you're family. OH! And you also make some pretty good jokes at the end of service, and I'm curious, do you pre-plan those?
Kody: We have for sure had our ups and downs, but I've know you since my day 1 and I'm glad we've grown up together. I wouldn't have anyone else I'd rather grow up with. I still remember the day our mom's did our hair up into Mohawks, or the parties you'd have at your old house and watch those lame remakes of Scooby-Doo. Anyways, you're are great guy, and I know you're going to go far.
Vada: You are the cutest, most wonderful curly blond haired girl I know. I always love the big hugs you give me every Sunday morning and I love you! You never fail to make me laugh and surprise me. You're also very funny, I could listen to your jokes all day!

~The Church Clan (aka: Amanda, Austin, Barry & Kristina):
These four people have forever changed my life. And I know that I would not be who I am today without them. Even though I don't get to see them as much as I'd like to, they still are a huge part of life.
Amanda: What can I say?! You're my Boob, and you always have been. I've never laughed so hard in my whole entire life, and we have so many inside jokes that I can't even keep track of half of them! I love how you can always make me smile and cheer me up. I wish I saw you more, and I know it's been awhile since we've seen each other but I still value our friendship as much as I did at SBC. You are AMAZING and beautiful in your own, unique way and God has truly created an angel.. you (:
Austin: Every time I see you, I just never want to say goodbye! You're so sweet to me, and you've always been there for me. There has never been a time where you've not made me feel special, and I can't thank you enough for being the amazing friend you are to me. You've helped me throughout my life, and I have no idea what I'd do with out you. I mean it when you are one of the most amazing guys I know.
Barry: Oh Barry! You've had my love since day one! You're sweet, kind, and always caring. You have a love for God that I admire so much, and I love how you can always cheer me up. AND not only do I love that about you, but I also love how you treat Kristina. I'm so happy that you two are together, I seriously could just pee myself. (: Oh! And you also smell seriously amazing.. best cologne ever!
Kristina: To you're Peterson ears to you're sweet voice, you never fail to touch my heart. You're beautiful, smart, and I'm so glad that you've pulled through your hard family times. I've watched you become a broken, lost girl, to a wonderful, happy, and amazing girl. I know I haven't known you as long as Amanda and there's no way that I can compare to what you guys have, but I love you no matter what and I am so proud of you.

~Sam & Christine O'Malley:
These two women are two of the most wonderful people I know. They are an amazing pair, and I love them both so much!
Sam: I've known you for almost two years now, and let me tell you, you have just blossomed before my eyes. You're are beautiful, independent girl who I just adore dearly, and I hope you know I love you SO much. I'm always going to be here for you, through breaks up, or even through guard drama. I hope you know you can always count on me to help you, and again, I love you. Oh and by the way, you still owe Sam M & I cupcakes!
Christine: I'm so glad that I got to meet you last year. You' re just an amazing mother who has raised two amazing kids. You have a wonderful home which I always feel welcome at, and you're husband makes some pretty good steak! I know that I can always come to you with my problems, and you're an amazing guard mother! I love you and you're family so much.

Friday, October 8, 2010

High School Hallways: I Dislike You Greatly

If you've ever been in high school, you'd understand that the hallways are honestly something to dread. People can just be so oblivious at times, and it honestly has been driving me crazy lately. I'll be walking in the hallways to my U.S. History class and people will just stop right in front of me. I honestly just want to scream: "UUHHHH HELLO?!?!?! SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT GETTING TO CLASS ON TIME!!!!" and I'd then stab them brutally with my pencil. Unfortunately though, I have no time for that either so I just find myself huffing and puffing my to class these days.
Recently though, it's been getting just plain ridiculous. After first period on Monday, I was waiting for my friend Gina (who I usually walk with) outside my classroom. After a few seconds I found her in the crowded hallway and she started to walk toward me. Suddenly, this tall blond guy right in front of her just stops. Literally, he just stops walking and stands right in front of her. He wasn't even looking for anybody or talking to anyone and he just stops and poor little Gina just stands there with a look on her face like "Seriously right now?!" We both just started busting up laughing and she actually had to walk around this odd ball thinking he rules the hallways or something. We both gave the guy a little look who was still standing there, literally just doing nothing, and went on our way.
The worst incident happened to be this Thursday. It was the end of the school day and I was walking to the band room (I know, I scream geek) with my friend Maddie. The hallways are always just ridiculous where we walk, and I just so happened to notice this girl who was walking really fast to catch up with her friends. I'm going one way, she's going the other, and I don't know how it happened but our hands totally collided and we held hands for about .25 seconds. The weird thing was that she didn't even say "Sorry!" or "What the heck?" or "Uhh excuse you." or "Want my number?" like I had expected. She just walked right on her merry little way, and I was in total shock, but mostly laughter. My friend Maddie just busts up laughing and says "What the heck just happened to you?!"
I must say, even though my "hand" friend provided me a decent story and a really good laugh, I felt a little violated. I don't know if she'll ever read this, but if for some reason you're reading this Miss. Seriously, keep your hands to your side when you walk.... Please?