A Tribute to Ashley (that went all rambly)

Bless my little niece Ashley's heart, she read my Snelgrove post and called me today to tell me where I could get my traitorous Dreyer's Swiss Orange. Plus, she told my sister Megan that she would willingly go to the cemetery with her before Halloween (something I had told Megan this very day that I was sure Ashley would be more than willing to do since Megan knows full well that I couldn't for even the slightest fraction of a moment entertain the idea), but that is the kind of thing that little niece of mine is willing to do -- buy Oreos when you need them, tell you where to get your ice cream fix (though she still didn't actually bring the ice cream, so it is not too late for one of you out there to "one up her"), and even risk her very soul by prowling in places where man should not go (let alone young mothers looking for a scare). And actually, she is not really truly that little, she is practically a full grown woman (or so she must have thought when she got herself married to Hirum and became nearly as pregnant as I am). Her sister Kristen aint half bad either, and she also thinks she's all growed up because she is having a baby soon as well, and it is her third!! My kids get so confused when I try to tell them that these girls are not really their aunties, rather, their cousins -- that I was their aunt (at about one day old) myself and that their kids are not really their cousins, but their first cousins once removed. I suppose it isn't necessary to explain these things, but that is the way it is. Anyway, it is very fun being home again and not only having my sisters around, but these fun grown up nieces (and Kristen should have been given far more credit initially in this post because she has faithfully stopped over to visit and to let our kids play and to bring BBC movies to watch -- and she could probably be talked into bringing a treat with very little effort). Kristen and Ashley aren't the only ones, there are loads more of these girls that I used to babysit who are now all grown up -- Jessica, Tessa, Ryleigh, London (and maybe even Karin will leave her parents as Ashley and Kristen wisely have done to come and live here soon). Sometimes, when enough of them are around they will stop by and play games til late at night, and it is like I have been given an entire new gaggle of sisters (I just read a book to the kids about a "gaggle" of geese, so . . .) . . . and of course, there are the older boys too who are certainly good for somethin' -- what with moving all my stuff into storage for me and what not. Anyway, I wish that all my pics weren't locked up on my "real" computer or that I would take some more, but it certainly is a fun, happy, and slightly insane thing to be a small part of this family of eleven children, eleven spouses for those children, the 55 grandchildren they have produced (I think -- if I haven't miscounted), and the spouses and great grandchildren some of them have added in! Plus the many more on the way (there are three nieces and two of us girls pregnant at present). And that is only my side of the family . . . Mike didn't come from no small family neither, but really, that is enough for one night. Obviously we don't get everyone birthday presents. Oh yah, and back to what this post was about -- a thank you shout out to you, Ashley.