NEVER TOO OLD TO NEED MOM

Everyday I am reminded that no matter how old you are - you are never to old to need Mom. They always come to your rescue.
A couple of days Ashleigh informed me that someone else had a prom dress like the one she was going to have made. Thankfully the only put out so far was the cost of a pattern (Did you know that a pattern for a formal dress is $33 these days - It's been awhile since I bought a pattern I guess) Well, when you've dreamed of your prom for so long to think you might knowingly have the same dress or one very similar is unheard of. So Ashleigh found a dress that she "LOVED" on-line. When I investigated it I found that the dress was not sold in Canada. Ashleigh wanted to pursue a seamstress to have it made. As she ran out the door Saturday morning I was a bit overwhelmed. Sounded so easy to her. I went back on the website where she found her dress and put our postal code in the zip code search - hoping that I misread the information given to me previously and that a store would have popped up locally in the last hour. But, that didn't happen. I then put in my mom's zip code and low and behold there was a store in her town. Not only was it in her town, but it was right by her house. I felt a bit releaved because I had a good idea that my mom would help us if she could. Ashleigh called her Nana and everything was put into motion to purchase the "PERFECT PROM DRESS". I looked on-line to find out to properly measure someone for a dress. I did it right - I just read the tape measure wrong. When Mom saw Ashleigh's waist size she e-mailed back and said that couldn't be, that was her size. So we remeasured and I was only off by 5 inches. Thankfully Mom caught that. The only glitch in the whole thing is Ashleigh had to decide on another color of dress but get this - if she wanted blue it had to be ordered and couldn't be guaranteed to be in before June 12 - Prom is June 18. Too tricky. But, if she wanted the red dress, they had only 1 dress in the store - it was Ashleighs size and red. Well, it was a no brainer - the red was just as gorgeous.

No matter how old or how far, Mom's will always be there for their kids! Thanks a bunch Mom for helping me out and making Ashleigh's prom dress come true!

IT'S BEEN AWHILE

I know it has been awhile since I've last posted anything. While I haven't been posting I was away for 2, yes I said 2, weeks vacation with the family. Ashleigh was away on a school trip to Paris and Barcelona for the same 2 weeks. She enjoyed the sites in Paris, didn't like the cold weather. She loved Barcelona and the people. She stayed the second week with our friends the Howards, who are there enjoying Stephens sabbatical. She had an awesome trip and flew all the way from Barcelona, Spain to Bangor, Maine via Munich, Washington D.C. and Detroit. Kind of a round about way but she made it.


While she was away we were all in Jackson, N.H. We were having a glorious time at one of our favorite places. There was lots of snow, sun, skiing, sunburn, soaking in the hot tub, sipping coffee, shopping, sitting, socializing, sleeping, and eating!!!!! The first week we spent in Jackson with our PEI friends. The second week the Austins spent alone in the mountains. We took one day and went to Stowe, Vermont. We visited the Trapp Family Lodge (You know the Sound of Music people - yes, they are real). We saw the youngest member of the Trapp family - Johann - who now runs the family business. There are a couple of the other siblings living close by that come to the lodge and visit and lead music in the evenings. We also went to the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory and learned all about their ice cream. MMmmm! Did you know if you work for them you can bring home 3 pints - a day! WOW - that's a lot of calories. Tried a new flavor - Creme Brulee - it is to die for. Our last few days away we spent in Portsmouth with our very dear friends - like family -The Carlisles. We had a great time while we there and hope to see them again soon.