Hey. My name is Ashley and I'm a procrastinator.

What else can I say? I haven't posted anything since February. I have great intentions of being a regular blogger, but something always jumps in the way. If you know me, you know that I am not the most punctual person in the world. I always forget things unless reminded by my friends, family or Blackberry calendar and even then I'm not guaranteed to follow through with plans. I misplace things, but have ever intention of becoming more organized. It is just who I am.
So, let's see.....the things that have gone on in my life since February.....

1. I went to Hilton Head Feb 11-13th. It was Aaaaaaamazing! The amount of stoopid money spent there is, well, STOOPID. It has breathtaking views, immaculate landscaping and wonderful places to shop. The only problem was this: Every business has to abide by the laws of advertising. Signs must be on the ground and neutral in color. This makes it VERY difficult to find places like the Harris Teeter. I'm looking for a big green sign marked with the familiar name, but ohhhh no. Not there. Not familiar and certainly NOT green and neon.
Fast food restaurants were the same way. We almost gave up on finding Wendy's. Our GPS said it was on the right, but for the life of us we couldn't find it. After circling the block 2 times, we finally saw the sign, partially hidden by spanish moss. It was a learning experience for sure.
We stayed at the Palmetto Dunes Marriot. Let's just say they spare no expense for any detail. I've never stayed somewhere so elegant. The doormen were wearing knickers and golf hats. It was adorable. Salty Dog Cafe was probably the highlight of the weekend. It reminds me of Duffy's at Cherry Grove. Open air place to eat with cold drinks and awesome t-shirts, all surrounded by the boatdocks. Very cool!

2.Tball! Jordan started t-ball in March. He enjoyed playing fall ball, but was very distracted, after all he's 4! He's more interested in dirt and grass than waiting for a ball to come his way. He's cute as a button though. When we went for the first practice, we learned that Zac's friend, Eddie Josey, was going to be coaching along with "Bubba" Rumburg. At least we would have some familiar faces at the ballfield this spring! Zac has really helped Jordan learn some key skills in baseball and it really shows on the field. Eddie has been a tremendous help most of all, encouraging and keeping Jordan in line when he needs it. He doesn't tolerate laziness or unattentiveness. Jordan loves him so much and just soaks up all he can from Eddie. How awesome!

3. My Scentsy business has been on a roll lately! I've had quite a few shows and given a lot of FREEBIES to my hostesses which is wonderful. I'm so glad that I decided to sell it last year. I do need to bump it up a notch or two though :-/

4. March 15th - One of the saddest days I'll ever remember. It started out like any regular Tuesday. I had a Scentsy show planned for my BFF's sister and Meredith was coming along to sell Thirty-One. We have fun just getting together no matter how many people show up at the party! 1 or 20, we make it a great time! I invited my good friend, Melissa Loftin to come since she lived fairly close to Missy. She was unable to make it but excited to order the new "Dotty" warmer for herself. We closed Missy's show and went home. I woke up to my cell phone ringing off the hook. It was my sister. I knew something was wrong because she had already called once. I picked it up and heard the sound of her screaming, "She's dead, Ashley. Melissa Loftin is dead". I couldn't make sense of it, so I calmly asked her what she was talking about. She told me that all over FB were posts of Melissa Loftin being killed in a car accident.
I thought she must be confused so I hung up and dialed Melissa's brother and mother's cell. No answer. I logged on to FB myself to read the posts. It was true.
Melissa had been killed earlier that day, around 4pm, on Old 52 in Davidson County. An 18 wheeler crossed the center line, hitting her head on, killing her instantly.
I was in shock. I couldn't cry. I couldn't do anything. I was numb.
I've known Melissa her entire life. Her brother, Brian, was my best friend since Kindergarten. Her parent's went on their first date with my parents. We were as close as could be growing up. She was like my little sister. As we grew older, we drifted apart. Having our own lives separated us, but I was so glad to reconnect with her after hosting a Premier Jewelry Show and watching her husband race @ BG. She is the most precious person. So loving, kinda, funny, sarcastic and witty. It was hard to imagine her gone.....forever.
She left behind a husband and 3 year old son. Her family will never be the same without her.
It's becoming easier as the days pass, but still hard. I do miss her and love her very much. I know we will be reunited one day. The peace that passes all understanding has surrounded us all.

5. April - Bowman Gray!
Woooo hooo....I was never so excited to get to see the Famed Quarter Mile again. I've only been to one race so far though, so I'm slacking! HAHAH!

6. May - Is it really May? Wowzers. Time flies when you're having fun. May's been a very difficult month for me. My pawpaw, Jack, was diagnosed with a rare type of bladder cancer years ago. Up until March, it was treated and he remained in good health and spirits. After experiencing some complications in March, the doctors discovered the cancer was spreading. Liver, stomach and kidneys were all becoming diseased by cancer and his health declined fast. Our family made it a priority to spend as much time with him as possible, knowing his days were numbered. Nanny has tried her best to keep him healthy and just doesn't understand why he refused to eat. We explained that this was just a progression of his disease, but she remained optimistic. That's Nanny for you! After losing my Papa Red in 1989 to cancer, you can imagine my awful attitude towards the disease. I watched one grandfather lose his battle and I didn't want to have to watch this rerun. Thankfully, God knew that we did not need to witness this for a long time so He called him home today, May 20th at 2:22am. He was surrounded by his family just hours before and we felt a peace in his hospice room unlike any I'd ever experienced. When my Papa Red died, I was only 11. As a child, I was shielded from much of the ugliness of death and as an adult, I'd not experienced losing someone so close to me to a progressive illness. I wanted to be there every minute. I wanted to witness the hand of God taking a loved one to heaven. I missed it by only 4 hours. We made a decision to take my Nanny home for the evening to rest, as she had not been taking care of herself over the last 6 days. My dad and uncle Eric decided to stay the night with Jack. My phone rang early this morning and when I answered, I heard the soft voice of my dad say, "He isn't suffering anymore, AshPash. He's in heaven." I couldn't even cry (and if you know me, you know I am a CRIER!) I smiled and told Daddy that I was so thankful to know he was resting at the feet of Jesus and told him how glad I was that he and Eric stayed. He told me that Jack's passing wasn't easy but once he took his last breath, the room was filled with the Holy Spirit and the peace & comfort only a Heavenly Father could give. Dad followed it up with the sweetest comment: "You know, it isn't everyday that a man has 2 wonderful fathers, but I'm blessed to have been one of those people who did."
What a wonderful testimony. Jack will be missed by many and was loved by all he encountered during his 84 years. He will never truly know what a blessing he was to all of us and how he filled a void that we thought no one else could. Thankfully, God knew and sent him just in time.