Dakota

Here she is! Dakota is growing up so fast! She is about 3 1/2 months old now and is starting to get into things... I think the destructive phase is just around the corner...

Keep checking back for more posts coming soon!

Kota loves to climb around at Red Rock with her Daddy! :)

Going Private!

Hey all! We're making our blog private. If I haven't already added you on the list, please email me and i'll add you! ashleygrotefend@Yahoo.com
I will update soon i promise!! :)

whoa...

Let me tell you these past few weeks have been weird...
For one, my neighbor was murdered by his wife in front of our house. That is just a story in itself and I am still trying to get over it... Domestic dispute ending bad...apparently it happens alot in vegas.... I know, this place is full of the whack jobs.

Our puppy Dakota or "Kota" as we call her is doing well... growing every day. She's pretty much potty trained, but still has some accidents once in a while. Her ears are now standing all the way up, which i'm sad because they were so cute when they were floppy! Grass is her absolute favorite thing in the world so I guess we have to get on the ball and plant some in our backyard. She can be a real pain in the butt, but we love her to pieces!

We also celebrated our ONE YEAR anniversary last month by going to California for the weekend. We hung out at the beach, went to Hollywood and visited Grandma Moonpie for a little bit. We had both never been to Hollywood so we went to check it out. Its not all that I thought it to be. Its like a little Las Vegas. I'm glad we went though. We had lots of fun. A year has definately flown by! We love each other more and more each day!! :)

These next few days Nick and I will be helping our our sister in law, Sylvia. She works for POM Wonderful and they are doing a booth at the convenient store convention. We get to be the ones passing out juice to potential customers. Today was the first day and it was pretty fun. I'm learning a lot about POM just being there and having to answer peoples questions. It's also fun getting to miss work and be there with Nick. The best thing about convenient store conventions is all the free food!

4 weeks

Here's our little poopie (right) at 4 weeks old with her little sissy...She's growing so big!!! :) couple more weeks till we get her!

I'm addicted to Craigslist!

Its crazy...I'm constantly checking that dang website to see if anyone posted anything good. Our new favorite section on there is "free". There are so many people that give nice stuff away for free...its just a matter of seeing it right away and contacting them before someone else gets to it first.
So far, i've got a really nice light to hang over our kitchen table for $30 and this last week we got a dog kennel for FREE!

Our newest addition.....

IT'S A GIRL!!
NO...I didn't have a baby...
Ok, so we don't have her yet, but we only have a couple more weeks until we do! Our German Shepherd was born on August 4 and she is growing like a weed! I got to see them when they were 2 days old and just looked like cute little rats. The pictures are from 2 weeks old when they were just barely opening their eyes. They doubled in size in that two weeks and got lots of color! Nick and I took our nieces Dominique and Gabby to see them. Gabs absolutely loved the one she was holding until it pooped on her... then she wanted nothing to do with it. They're still cute no matter what. :) We're still trying to fugure out a name...any suggestions??

Dani Wani

As of this morning our family dog of 12 years was put to sleep. She had been suffering for a while with heart failure and having trouble breathing. It was time to go to a better place where she wouldn't have to be in so much pain. Dani was a wonderful dog who was by my side all through growing up in my high school years. I taught her every trick she knew... My favorite was "READY?" and she'd bark right back at you. :) Last night I had a dream I was just spending time with her and playing around. Little did I know she had been having a hard time all night long. I am grateful for that little chance I had left. Dani will be greatly missed by our family.

HOME sweet HOME!!

Well, it certainly has been a while since our last post. Its been hard to keep up with things since we had our apartment broken into and computers stolen, but we're moving along.

We finally ended the long, tiring search for our first home. Here it is! We moved in the last weekend in June. We love our house more and more every day. I look forward to getting in and decorating and really making it my place. It definately is a big change going from a small apartment to a 2200 sq ft house. It feels like our own mansion! The front yard isn't very big, but thats Vegas for ya. Our back yard really brings out the desert...dirt and rocks...so if you have any ideas for us, we'd love to see them. :) Inside we have a big kitchen, living room and bathroom downstairs and upstairs we have the exquisite master with 2 other bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a loft. We also LOVE having visitors!!

Last Day of March...already?!

I know its been a while...
I've been working on getting my photography business up and running. I've been busy shooting, editing, and brainstorming on what to do next with everything. I'm not looking for it to be like a full time deal, but just something I can do on the side. I really have been enjoying it so far!
Check out my latest at www.ashleymariephoto.blogspot.com
Other than that, We have been looking for a house! They are basically giving them away down here, and they are going like hot cakes, so you have to act fast! We have looked at so many they are starting to all look the same. There are a few though that still stand out.
I was also recently called to be the CTR6 teacher in primary in our ward at church. My class is so cute and very well behaved...unlike others i've seen... I am really excited about my new calling.
Things for the Vadney's are definately picking up. I'll try my best to keep everyone updated!

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my 24th Birthday and also my first day of my new job! Yes, I finally got a job and it is with an oral surgeon! I am now officially part of the 'Moxley Crew'.
So, my birthday was pretty good. It was a long day at work, but i'm glad to have a job in these times! Nick sent me flowers on my first day at work and everyone was so jealous! Nick and I went to Todai's for dinner (one of my favorite restaurants). I had lots of sushi, shrimp, king crab legs, and lots of other yummy japanese food! :) After that we walked around the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood and watched some cool laser and water fountain shows.
This weekend we are going to Seattle to see family and friends for my birthday. I am really excited about it!

Another great year!

I had to rub Budha's belly for another year of good luck!

Hoover Dam

This last week, Nick's cousin Jaimie and his Aunt Carol and Uncle Garth were in town from Washington. We had dinner and got to hang out with them a couple times. On Saturday we took Jaimie out for a trip to one of the Seven Wonders of the World! The Hoover Dam. We walked around and decided to tour the visitors center to learn a little more about this marvel. We still want to take the whole 'Dam Tour' but it is $30 a person! The visitors center was only $8 so we could swing that.

This is part of the new bridge they are building across the Colorado River. It is INSANE!

Nick and Jaimie were trying to figure out the energy generator game...they even had a race

Apparently people think there are 'Dam Aliens' at the Hoover Dam.... here's two of em!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by my friend Rebecca to post the 6th picture in my 6th folder. Since i'm on Nicks computer, there's not to choose from...So of course we have the lovely BYU football team doing their pre-game ritual polynesian dance. (whatever its called). This is from when we went to the game in November 08 with Jim and Kristin and just had a great time!!

Everyone who reads this is tagged to do the same thing...6th picture in your 6th folder. Its kind of fun looking back on the past!

Photo Blog

Someday I want to start a small photo business, so i'm starting out with a blog with some of my work on it. I put some of photos up, and hopefully I can get some more up soon.

Check it out!

www.ashleymariephoto.blogspot.com

Elder Grotefend

Yesterday my little brother, Dallin reported to the MTC (Missionary Training Center). My parents and sister drove down to Provo, UT to drop him off and say the last goodbyes for two years. Dallin called me right before he went in and told me he loved me and said sayonara.
I never knew how all my other friends felt when their brothers went on missions until now. Its crazy to think that I won't see him for 2 years! I've never been away from him for more than a few months. Dallin and I are like 2 peas in a pod! I know that he will be a great missionary to the people in San Diego. Maybe he will learn to live without his xbox or ipod for a while!

I know he will entertain all those missionaries well... Elder Shimmy!

Happy New Year!

This New Year's Eve we were able to attend Julie's New Years Party. Uncle Nick and I got to be Gabby's chaperone for the night! We ate a lot, hung out in the hot tub, and brought in the new year in style with the party hats that Julie, Troy and Gabby made us. We had a lot of fun, but man were we tired!

Gabby, Troy and Julie

Doing the New Year's Macarena

Gabs loves those cinnamon rolls!

5 Christmases?!

Just catchin up!
Here's a quick recap of what happened...

So this year Nick and I were able to celebrate 5 Christmases together-The Vadneys/Edingtons, The Vadney's, Ourselves, The Grotefends and The Grotefend's (extended). We got to celebrate a little with Nicks family before we left on our journey to Seattle. (pictures coming soon)

Nick and I at the cactus garden in Las Vegas

We flew out to Seattle two days before Christmas and got to spend a lot of time with my family. I wish we could have stayed a little bit longer and been able to see more people, but what can ya do? We went to Oregon to see more family and we also go to go to the temple with my brother for the first time. He's going on his mission to San Diego.

In Seattle with my brothers and sister

My puppy Dani... she's getting so old!

Seattle had so much snow the couple weeks before Christmas!

The view from my parents backyard. Mt Rainier is hiding between the trees

Our Christmas Eve with my family
On Christmas Day we drove down to Eugene, Oregon to have another Christmas with my extended family. We had a yummy dinner and opened gifts at Obaba's house!

Dallin and Obaba
Nicks new toy!

We thought it would be funny to take pictures of Dallin while we shook his head back and forth... You tell me!

All of us kids at the "kids table"...I think we will never be able to sit at the adult table!