TBT: Christmas

Throwback Thursday is Today. Today also happens to be Christmas Eve. Soooo, here are a bunch of links to some of my/our old Christmas stuff. Enjoy! Above are the pictures I posted during the 2013 Christmas Season.

Christmas Links
Click on the links to be redirected to our old media.

Dancing Lights of Christmas (blog post)

Best and Worst Christmas Movies (blog post)

Christmas Movie Madness Promo (video)

How to Make Puppy Chow (video recipe)

Christmas Photos from 2014

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas (Whistling Cover)

Popular Christmas Songs (Lip Sync)

#TBT Homemade Halloween Costumes

Well, my plan for this entry was to include old pictures of my halloween costumes I have used as an adult (or as a person too old to trick or treat). As it turns out.... I don't have many pictures that I could find... So... I'm just going to write about them.

2005: I was a pirate. I used an old pre-made costume that my dad had used many years ago. This costume was complete with an eye patch and a gold hoop earring.

2006: I was a tree and a friend was a lumberjack. I used a camouflage tshirt and brown sweatpants. I also attached some leaves to my shirt. As a single, the tree would have been a week costume, but with the lumberjack, it was pretty hilarious.

2007: Two friends and I were 3 crayola crayons. We bought red, green, and blue sweatsuits and attached black felt and spray paint to create the classic crayola look. We also used spray painted party hats for the pointy tip.

2009: I was a S'more. I think this is one of my better ideas. I wore white tights and and XXL white sweatshirt to create the marshmallow. I created the graham cracker with old pizza boxes. I used Styrofoam covered in brown fabric for the chocolate portion. It was great.

2011: I was Robin Hood. This one was pretty innovative too. I used a green flowy shirt, green tights, and brown boots that I already had in my closet. Then, I simply bought green fabric and a red feather to make the matching hat (and skirt). 

2014 (last year): I didn't really dress up for halloween, but we DID make a YouTube video showing 3 different costumes we came up with, without buying anything. CLICK HERE to watch that video... I still crack up on the 3rd costume....

Our Disney World Experience

You may have noticed that we've been slacking on the blog frequency, and to some extent blog content. Well, we've had quite a bit going on, with a major factor being preparing for our trip to Disney World. That's right, Disney World. We didn't publicize it on social media so that the robbers and stalkers out there wouldn't know. #SafetyFirst

Anyway, as I started writing this blog post, I realized that I have a lot to say about Disney World.... So, I've decided to start a short series on the topic! This first post will simply be showcasing the random clips I recorded on my phone aka the YouTube video

Note: This video is a little more scattered that usual due to the fact that I didn't want to have my phone out the whole entire trip.

Check out more posts about our Disney World trip!

Disney World Mania Series

Things to Do in Disney World (video)

Our Ride Pictures

6 Things to Take Advantage of at Disney World

Favorite Things from Disney World

The Annual Camping Video...

So, if you've known me for a while, you know that every year my friends and I go on a girls-only camping trip. Normally every year, I make a video to document the adventure, and try to add fun new things or jokes. Well, this fall was no different. We scheduled our camping trip, hiked throughout the woods, and recorded some footage for the annual video. 

The day after we got back from camping, my phone sadly had no service. As in, no data service and no calling service. Pretty much, it was a paperweight. So, off to the apple store Nathan and I went. After waiting an hour and a half for our appointment, 45 minutes to back my phone up to the iCloud, then another 15 minutes to reinstall my settings, we discovered that my videos from camping were MIA. So, to all of my fans out there... well you know, there's no video.

ANYWAY, so I decided instead that I would have a recap blog entry of all of our camping trips.

YEAR 1 - "Camping Camping Camping Camping Camping Camping Camping..."

Highlights:

• Rock Island State Park
• This trip pretty much solidified our friendship of four
• We sang around the campfire to the sound of a guitar (which we were thoughtful enough to bring)
• We practiced Katie's lines for an upcoming play using hilarious voices
• A toddler took a liking to us and hung out with us for over an hour
• We learned the importance of tent neighbors
• We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights

What we learned:

• Get to your campsite before dark to avoid car-sickness and setting up camp at 9 pm
• Do not rely on the nearby woods to give you the wood for your fire
• Make sure your tent has a cover and also no holes
• Make sure your sleeping bags are not only warm, but also waterproof
• Book early if you want to camp at a popular campground

Year 1 Video

YEAR 2 - "Camping with a Gluten Allergy"

Highlights:

• Fall Creek Falls State Park
• It never rained the whole time we were there!
• Katie was not able to come this year :(
• We extensively explored Fall Creek Falls
• 
  
• Whitney's wedding pictures came in while we were there....
• We stayed for 4 days and 3 nights

What we learned:

• Its not a good idea to walk through running water, even if its only 6 inches deep
• Its pretty darn hard to go camping with no gluten
• Do not leave your food outside, even if its secured inside a cooler. Those raccoons are pretty sneaky.

Year 2 Video

YEAR 3 - "Don't go Chasin' Waterfalls"

Highlights:

• Fall Creek Falls State Park
• Whitney was not able to come this year
• We stayed for 4 days and 3 nights
• Our video clips were probably the funniest this year
• We swam in the pool 

What we learned:

• We wised up and brought a canopy tent to help with cover when we realized it was probably going to rain pretty heavy part of the time. This kept us dry and kept us shaded as well.
• We brought a griddle to help with the cooking. This was a good choice.
• 4 days is a little bit too long, even for good friends

Year 3 Video

YEAR 4 - "Breathe in the Fresh Mountain Air"

Highlights:

• Fall Creek Falls State Park
• We ALL were able to come this year! This was the first time since the 1st year!
• We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights
• It rained some, but we stayed completely dry the whole time!
• We played catch phrase and didn't kill each other with competitiveness.
• Pretty much, we're master campers now

What we learned:

• Its best to bring a fire starter that you are comfortable with using and have practiced with before. This was the first year we made fire fairly quickly and successfully.

Year 4 Video might come to fruition as a Year 4 Slideshow. Better than nothing, I suppose....

The Smokies

Over Memorial Day Weekend, we took a family trip to the Smoky Mountains. It was great to relax and enjoy quality family time. Below are pictures from the weekend, and here is a video of all of our adventures!

A vacation family photo!

Taking the Sky Lift to the top of Ober Gatlinburg. Nathan not having fun.

A view from the top of Ober Gatlinburg.

Enjoying a day at Dollywood.

Standing in line for one of the 6 roller coasters we rode at Dollywood.

A drive through the Great Smoky Mountains National park.

Pitstop to take a photo.

A view from the top of Newfound Gap. Wow! God is amazing!

The Newfound Gap is also the Tennessee/North Carolina State line.

Click here to watch our YouTube video of this trip!!

Koba Turns 1

Friday was Koba's Birthday! To celebrate, we got him a "cake," some gifts, took lots of pictures, and gave him a birthday survey. The answers to his survey are first, followed by some of the pictures we took.

Name: Koba. Pronounced Ko-BA

Birthday: May 15, 2014. I was adopted on July 27, 2014.

Current Weight: Isn't this a little personal? But if you must know, 10.2 lbs. I'm a fully grown adult cat now.

Name Origin: Koba from "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014). He's the villain ape trying to rule over all of the apes. 

Nicknames: Mr. Grumpy Whiskers, Koby

Favorite Color: Green

Biggest Fears: Bath time, Yuki

Current Hobbies: Bird-watching, napping, EATING, playing tag with Yuki, dancing


Now for the pictures!!!

"It's my birthday! HEYO!"

"This tastes like regular food, but it must be different because of the candle..."

"I. Love. Birthday Cake."

Yuki getting ready to steal the rest of Koba's birthday cake with a sneak attack.

Birthday Presents!

Yuki trying to steal Koba's thunder.

A series of terrible selfies.

Right photo: Everyone tired of taking pictures....

Finally a good one, after a short break.

Happy Birthday, Koba!

All About Yuki

Hello! You may or may not have seen pictures or videos of our new kitten, Yuki. This is everything you need to know about our new ball of fuzz. Also, watch this video for some intense cuteness.

Name: Yuki. Pronounced Yoo-KEE

Birth Date: February 12, 2015. She was adopted by us on April 9, 2015. Supposedly, she was 6 weeks old when we adopted her, but the calendar dates don't line up. Plus the vet said she looked younger. Who knows.

Current Size: The same size as a women's 8 1/2 shoe. Small enough to fit inside pockets.
















Cat Breed: Domestic Short Hair, Gray Tabby

(Fully Grown) Size: Small

Name Origin: We have both really been into watching the TV show "Once Upon a Time." Our favorite character's name is Regina. Regina is no name fit for a cat, so we decided against that name. Our second favorite character is Snow White, but we didn't want our kitten to be confused by being named snow and not being white. Nathan happened to know that 'Yuki' means 'Snow' in Japanese. So now, she's not confused by her name, only by her nationality.

Nicknames: Yucky, Poopsy, Mrs. Grumpy Whiskers

Favorite Color: Purple

Current Hobbies: Sleeping, Climbing, Playing, Biting, Ambushing Koba, Cuddling

Here's the video, if you missed it!

Brown Paper Packages #5

Well... here it goes.

If you read last week's BPP, you know that my cousin, Kaitlynn, was competing to win a singing contest on Mix 92.9 called the Singing Star. Teenagers all over the Nashville area (within 60  miles of Nashville) submitted youtube videos to the radio station and they narrowed the submittals down to the top 10. Every day for the past two weeks one person from the top 10 has been eliminated. Well.... KAITLYNN WON! As her manager, I would just like to say, thanks to EVERYONE who cast even 1 vote! (just kidding about being her manager. I'm really her agent) All kidding aside, its exciting that I know a famous person now.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO WHEN MIX 92.9 ANNOUNCED THAT KAITLYYN WON!

We got our taxes done for the first time as a married couple. It was not very exciting, honestly, but it is something that happened. Shoutout for taxes?... (no real picture available, because it would be awkward taking your picture with your tax lady....)

The time change. It happened. My thoughts about the time change for the first 36 hours are hatred. But, I have to say, it has been really nice getting home before dark! Click here to read Nathan's view of Daylight Savings Time. Additionally, the cold weather seems to be leaving for good this year! We have been able to go on a walk around the block 3 days so far!

Last weekend, we had supper with the Logsdons. It was a good time because its never not a good time with them. #tower

See ya later.

Brown Paper Packages #4

**Vote for Kaitlynn** My cousin Kaitlynn has been entered in a singing contest on the Nashville radio station, Mix 92.9. She was chosen to be in the top ten finalists on Monday morning. People can vote as many times as they want from 7am to 7pm. Everyday someone will be eliminated. Kaitlynn has made it through the first few rounds, and we are all hoping she will win the whole contest. The winner gets $1000 for college and $1000 for their school! Everyone help, by voting on THIS LINK.

Here are some quick tips on speed-voting:
1. you do not have to capitalize or add spaces in the letters/numbers submittal
2. you can press enter, instead of clicking submit
3. if you have been refreshing the page, try F5 (on a PC) or "command, R" on a Mac

If you can get in a rhythm, you can get several votes in (I just speed-voted and got 11 votes in one minute). We want her to win!!!

Another Snow Day = Another Whistling Video. This was requested by some of my good friends! I had a fun time playing with the different settings that iMovie offers. CLICK HERE to watch the video!

Look out for Murray State! I saw a status on Monday afternoon that said, "Hey world, do yourself a favor and ask Siri who her favorite college basketball team is." Honestly, I didn't think much about it because I figured it would be something about UK and honestly, I don't care that much about UK.... or really sports in general, for that matter. Several hours passed, and I saw a screenshot of someone's iPhone. Check my alma mater out! HEYO!!!

Look at the T-Shirt Quilt my  mom made! In case you haven't heard (which is unlikely), my mom is retired. She taught at Olmstead School for 30 years and now she's got plenty of time to basicaally do whatever she wants. One of her new past-times is t-shirt quilt making. She made me one for Christmas (It. Is. Legit.) and she made the one pictured below for DanDan for the Chinese New Year (We miss you DanDan!!) She has got 3 more in the works currently, and another one on order! If you are interested in ordering a t-shirt quilt from my mom, CLICK HERE.

Net Neutrality Ruling. (Written by Nathan) Net Neutrality is a principle that all online data should be treated equally, without hinderance from Internet Service Providers, such as Comcast, At&T, and Verizon. The internet being considered a utility has blocked the ability for Comcast (for example) to be able to make companies such as Netflix pay high price in order to have speed priority to continue brining their customers streaming video at the same speed. This has essentially taken millions of dollars of profit away form monopolis giants that already charge and unrestricted amount to their subscribers.

(Back to Written by Ashley) Sort of confusing, but this is a good thing!

Highlights of Our Secret Honeymoon

In case you didn't know, or forgot, we didn't tell ANYONE where we were going for our honeymoon. It started as sort of a joke, but then we just kept on not telling people when they would beg and plead to know where we would spending a week after the big day. We went to Charleston, South Carolina, and, lucky for you, the time has come that we give you the highlights of our week in June. You're welcome.

Day 1: Charleston Strolls - city walking tour. We had decided to do this the first day to get an overview of the city of sorts. We are both so glad we did. It was fantastic! We got to hear about all of the most important aspects of history from a native Charlestonian. Despite his Confederate Pride, his knowledge and insight of Charleston was awesome! We got to see so many neat things in just a few short hours.

Day 2: QuickShot Indoor Shooting Range. They had a "ladies special" that day so we got a pretty good discount on shooting up a zombie. Good times.

Day 3: Fort Sumter. This was the location of the beginning of the Civil War. Not only was visiting Fort Sumter super interesting, it also involved right a boat to the fort. I mean, who doesn't love a good boat ride?! Actually... Nathan doesn't, however, I had a blast! And I'm sure he was secretively having a blast too ;) Additionally, visiting Fort Sumter has sparked our visiting other forts, battle field, and National Parks.

After we were done at FS, we went to the South Carolina Aquarium, which claims to be the best aquarium ever (or something like that). It was pretty fun, but I personally think the Georgia Aquarium is better. Thats just my opinion, though.

Later on that day, we got a couples massage. It was really awkward, but really great at the same time. We'll probably get more in the future. No picture available.

Day 4: Isle of Palms - BEACH DAY! We had a great day at the beach relaxing, playing card games, walking along the shore, taking pictures, patio lunching, and soaking up the sun...... Soaking up LOTS of sun. Too. Much. Sun. Needless to say, although we had a good time, we got really really really burned. Luckily, it was near the end of the week.

Day 5: Charleston Tea Plantation. Did you know that this is the only plantation in America that they grow tea plants! Most are grown out of the country. Did you also know that you can have unlimited tea samples? Yeah. So we were livin' it up with bellies full of tea and skin burned to a crisp.

After leaving the plantation, we went to see the Angel Oak. One word: HUGE. Below is a picture that someone took of us in front of the tree (shoutout to the guy in the red shirt). Yes, they cut off most of the top of the tree. Why can't people take decent pictures? Is it not obvious we want a picture of the how big the tree is? I mean thats why we're here, people... Anyway, if you want to see how big it really is, click on the link above. Thanks random guy. Thanks.

So, as you can see, we did a ton of stuff on our honeymoon. And its fitting because we both love to learn new things, and explore. And now you know. Hope that makes up for us keeping it a secret during the months before ;)

Click here to watch a video of our Secret Honeymoon!!

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