A Giveaway!

Hey Y’all. You know adoption and foster care are never far from my mind and I’m not shy about spreading awareness about God’s directive to us in James 1:27:
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However, God doesn’t say we have to foster. He doesn’t say we have to adopt. He DOES say we have to DO something; and these days. there are so many wonderful avenues in which you can DO. And in optimal situations, the word foster or adopt won’t be introduced into the family unit because resources will be used to provide families with what they need to stay together.
I’ve teamed up with @lovishly to gift this beautiful bracelet to one of you in a giveaway!
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The piece says “MAMA” and supports an organization called Abide Family Center Uganda. Abide is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to empowering vulnerable families to keep their children home and out of orphanages.

Over 80% of the children living in orphanages in Uganda have at least one living parent. These children are being raised away from their families because of poverty, not because they are unloved or unwanted. At Abide we believe children grow best in families and so we fight everyday to help families go from barely surviving to thriving and to prevent family separation. – From AbideFamilyCenter.org

 
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They do this by providing medical care, housing, food relief, and education; all for the sole purpose of allowing mothers to be mothers to their children.  This “Mama” piece was created as a way for @Lovishly to come along Abide, declaring with them that children belong in families!
To enter, go to my Instagram page @O.Happy.Daze and follow the directions there!
The giveaway winner will be announced Wednesday evening November 8th at 8:00pm.
Tomorrow evening their adoption and foster care jewelry line will launch! Tune back in tomorrow evening and I’ll announce the winner of this beautiful MAMA bracelet as well as share a special discount code for you to use to shop for some special goodies. Every purchase gives back.
love and give
XOXO,
Ashley
 

We have a walker!

Our little Peep continues to surprise us. This past week he’s started trying to say “cheese” when you take his photo, he started initiating peek-a-boo, and he is officially walking. We still have a ways to go with building his strength but I just love how proud he is when he is on the move. He’s worked so hard to accomplish this!
I wish you could see his sweet little face towards the end. It would MAKE YOUR DAY!
Also, less than 2 months until he won’t be able to wear this ‘one’ shirt anymore. I can’t believe he’s about to celebrate his second birthday. I’m hopeful I’ll get to hear a ‘mama’ before then… but I’m just as content to be the recipient of his carefully guarded snuggles.
 
xoxo,
Ashley
 
 
 

#PresentationRegrets

I’m a fast talker. I didn’t realize this until my husband took a video of one of our conversations. I can honestly say that even I had a hard time understanding what I was saying when he played it back for me to see. Why has nobody told me?! To be fair, the video was taken after I finished a really fun exercise class at the YMCA (#groupfight) and I was super pumped with endorphins and ready to kick some imaginary thug’s arse.
I digress. This revelation got me thinking about the times that I’ve spoken in front of a group and I’m really panicking now. Have I been speaking like an auctioneer all this time? Last week I had the opportunity to speak in front of about 80 students (AND some of my former professors and now colleagues…. ACK!) at the ODU chapter of the national student association for my profession (NSSLHA).
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I was invited to speak on the topic of beginning my own private practice (which I know barely anything about) as well as therapy for children with Autism (which I know a little bit about). I was STOKED! I could speak for days and days to anyone who will listen (and I often do, whether they ask me to or not) on therapy for children with Autism. However, I’m fairly certain my lecture was the least interesting thing those students heard all day and was fed to them at a breakneck, rapid-fire rate. I’m so passionate about the topic and discussing new research in the field makes my heart pitter-patter with excitement, but I forgot that not everyone feels that way and I SO wish I could go back and tone things down a bit. You guys over at ODU, don’t hate me! I swear there are better parts of being a speech therapist than what I showed you and I so wish I’d shown you more useful therapy tips! I was stressed and my mind imploded when trying to create those slides and you’ll just have to forgive me for whatever word-vomit you endured that day.
I kid you not, I have given that presentation over and over in my dreams every night since….. it’s now perfect and so full of completely relatable points and truly useful information. I wish you were there to see it. I speak slowly. I don’t go off on tangents with useless information. And I don’t say ‘like, like, like’.
I was gifted with a mug after speaking, so that’s something.   #likeaboss

Ninjas

Chris and I basically become ninjas each night right before going to bed. We take care of some last minute things (take Baxter out, make lunches, set out clothes. .. the usual), then meet at the top of the stairs in front of Charlotte’s room. There, we begin ‘stealth mode’ and slowly open her door, walk in, and stand for a few minutes just watching her sleep. I may be a looney toon for even admitting this (though I have a feeling quite a few of you do this too),  but when we take a moment each day to allow ourselves to just be in awe of her little life it helps us maintain perspective.  No matter how many screams, or hits, or diva-licious looks I’ve gotten that day, seeing her all snuggly in a state of peace and calm recharges this most fierce love that I have for her. I need this moment. She needs me to have this moment each night so I can be the best mom possible the next day.
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Occasionally she will roll over or stir, causing us to go into a silent panic and bump into each other as we scramble for the door. She rarely wakes up, and even then. .. so worth it.