..A. Olsen's Blog..

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Music is good for the soul

So part of my 101 in 1001 is to make a playlist of all of the songs I love and that make me happy..in no particular order here we go...the 1st 2 are from our wedding - the rest is alphabetical from my phone..and then randoms I'm sure.

1. Into Her Arms - Kyle Bennett Band - Josh & I's first dance as a married couple
2. Later On - Kyle Bennett Band - Josh & I walked back down the aisle to this song
3. Adios - Kyle Bennett Band
4. Alabama - Cross Canadian Ragweed
5. Angels & Outlaws - Aaron Watson
6. Anywhere in Texas - Kyle Park
7. Ask Me to Stay - Casey Donahew Band
8. Back in Your Arms - Ryan Turner
9. Bad Habit - Cross Canadian Ragweed
10. Barbed Wire Halo - Aaron Watson
11. Can't be a Cowboy Forever - Aaron Watson
12. Constantly - Cross Canadian Ragweed
13. Crazy Like You - Josh Grider
14. Slow - Josh Grider
15. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
16. Dancin' Tune - Brian Burke Band
17. Depression - Ryan Bingham
18. Donelly Drive - Kyle Bennett Band
19. End of a Dirt Road - Josh Abbott Band
20. Fallin' With Style - Jason Boland & the Stragglers
21. Fools Love Song - 80 Proof
22. God Forsaken Town - Reckless Kelly
23. Grow Old With You - The Wedding Singer
24. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
25. Honey Bee - Blake Shelton
26. Heyday Tonight - Aaron Watson
27. I Can Love You - Gary Allan
28. I don't know - Ryan Bingham
29. I guess it's time - Josh Abbott Band
30. I'll Be Here For You - Randy Rogers (orig. Robert Earl Keen)
31. If It's Love - Train
32. Jimmy & Josie - Kyle Bennett Band
33. Let It Go - Randy Rogers Band
34. Like it Used to Be - Randy Rogers Band
35. Lit Up - Buck Cherry
36. Louisiana Boy - Kyle Park
37. Love Makin' Song - Aaron Watson
38. Love Song - No Justice
39. Marry Me - Train
40. Off Romancin' - 2 Steps Back
41. Off the Record - Aaron Watson
42. One more goodbye - Randy Rogers Band
43. Pull Me into You - Fat Dixie
44. Right where I need to be - Gary Allan
45. The Road - Aaron Watson
46. 21 - Corey Smith
47. Maybe Next Year - Corey Smith
48. Run with the Devil - Bart Crow
49. Forever - Bart Crow
50. Not Going Crazy - Bart Crow
51. Save Me, San Francisco - Train
52. Shut Up & Dance - Aaron Watson
53. Steal You Away - Randy Rogers Band
54. Time to Switch to Whiskey - Kyle Bennett Band
55. Kentucky - Thieving Birds
56. Hey, Leigh - Thieving Birds
57. Tommy Jackson - Randy Rogers Band
58. Unbelievably Beautiful - Aaron Watson
59. The Weary Kind - Ryan Bingham
60. Your Winter - Sister Hazel
61. Yours & Mine - Kyle Park
62. Dragon Fly - Matt Powell
63. Little Bit of Luck - Bart Crow Band
64. Daughters - John Mayer
65. I'm Your's - Jason Mraz
66. Rhythm of Love - Plain White T's
67. This Life - Curtis Stigers
68. What a Wonderful World - Alison Mosshart & The Forest Rangers
69. Drugs - Corey Smith
70. End of the Summer - Theory of a Deadman
71. Fever for the Flava - Hot Action Cop
72. Find Yourself - Brad Paisley
73. Knee Deep - Jimmy Buffet & Zac Brown Band
74. Live, Laugh, Love - Clay Walker
75. Love you til the end - Pogue Mahone
76. Modest - Jeff Hardy
77. Resurrection - Jeff Hardy
78. Payphone - Maroon 5
79. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heros feat. Adam Levine
80. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Come Off - Joe Nichols
81. Hey, Leigh - Thieving Birds
82. Kentucky - Thieving Birds
83. Too Young - Thieving Birds
84. Stuck in Memphis - Thieving Birds
85. Red Bird - Thieving Birds
86. Chasing My Tail - Thieving Birds
87. Born Under a Bad Moon - Thieving Birds
88. Home - Thieving Birds
89. Tryin' to Rain - Thieving Birds
90. What Happened - Corey Smith
91. The Baseball Song - Corey Smith
92. You've Got a Friend in Me - Toy Story
93. A Whole New World - Aladin
94. Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Lion King
95. Belle - Beauty & The Beast
96. Drink in my Hand - Eric Church
97. Beauty & The Beast
98. Kiss the Girl - Little Mermaid
99. You'll Be in My Heart - Glenn Close
100. Go the Distance - Roger Rabbit
101. Hakuna Matata - Lion King

Yes I know I have some Disney tunes in there but they're classics to me.

Josh & I with the Thieving Birds at their first show.

Me & Jason Boland

Me & Stoney LaRue

This blog has taken me forever or I'd post more pictures.

{Louisiana Baby}

So I know it's been forever since I blogged last. June has been a crazy month! Our first week of June, I went with my husband and mother in law to Louisiana to see some family. It's by far the longest drive of my life but well worth it. We left the morning (5:30 a.m. yuck!) for Stephenville, Texas to meet our new niece, Josey Grace at James & Shannon's. She was a doll! Here are some of my favorite images - I hope I get to see her again this fall for some holiday photos :)

After visiting with Josey, Shannon, and James - we headed to Whataburger for our very late lunch/dinner. It's Josh's favorite. I'm afraid our home will always be divided, not with sports teams, but the Whataburger/Jack in the Box feud. I've been a Jack in the Box girl ever since I was 11 and my cousin Mark took me, Whitney, and Matt there for dinner while the adults went somewhere else for the evening. Flashback of that night - I wanted a cheeseburger and strawberry pop. Well, they have both. We ate there, rented games - Mario Party and went back to my aunt and uncle's in Clear Lake. Later that night my cousin Miller set off a stink bomb. We all gagged and laughed so hard. Anyways, back to our trip...from Stephenville, we headed over to Sulphur, Louisiana. That was a good 6 hours again on the road. I didn't drive a single mile this trip - I was the navigator the entire time. We arrived in Sulphur around midnight. Kohl & Angie were still awake to greet us. Josh & I headed straight over the cabin to go to sleep. It was so nice to finally sleep. I'd been up since 4:30 - and only slept about 4 hours of the trip. -Another side fact, this day was also my parents' 41st wedding anniversary! :)

6.6.12 - First full day in Louisiana.
Well, just like last year, we went the store. I give Angie crap about going to the store because we went about every day last year. And well, that part of our trip didn't change.

Headed into Kroger :)

Me with my Louisiana nephews, Kohl & Coy

Coy absolutely loves his Uncle "Gosh"

That afternoon I took their family photos before Justin left for Wyoming. This year Coy was an absolute ham when it came to taking pictures.

The next couple of days we didn't do a whole lot - just bumming around the house. And of course eating some delicious food!

On Saturday, June 9th - we did our annual trip to Holly Beach. Not the prettiest beach in the world, but it's a beach, with shells and waves. Here are some of my favorite images from the beach.

The next evening (Sunday) I wanted to shoot the boys in their "cowboy" outfits. We send them shirts every Christmas. Here are some of my favorites of these two goofballs.

On Monday - our last day there - I turned 25! We didn't do much, but I did jump on the trampoline, blow bubbles and fly kites with the boys. Josh took me to my favorite, Jack in the Box for an early lunch. We did a little shopping, and we even stopped at the store.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

{Kentucky}

I figured I'd better get this part of my blog finished before summer consumes my life. It seems like it's already been forever since my mom & I went out to Kentucky to see Amy & Jeremy's family. Since Kylie was born on the 4th - we decided to wait a few days before heading out. Since this was the first time one of the kids didn't have to go straight to ICU we were so thankful and had a little bit of time before heading out. I left Manhattan at 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8th - meeting my mom at my friend Katie's in El Dorado and then taking off from there at 7:30. And then we were off. We stopped for lunch in Columbia at Jimmy Johns and then headed on east towards Kentucky. I-70 East was fun the first time and then oh my goodness BORING! I didn't drive on our first trip out there so I didn't really know the speed limits. When you hit Illinois it's 65. Snails pace when you're trying to make it to baseball games. We finally arrived in Owensboro at 5:45 - thanks to our gps we were headed for their house, not the ball fields. Which were on the other side of town. So we made it to Cole's game after the 1st inning. All things considered, we made good time. Cason's game was canceled because the other team didn't want to play them. Cole's team won 8-3 - he got to play short stop, and then catcher. He got the last out of the game and also scored. He had a double play which was AWESOME!

Here's a poster I designed for him for this year's Reds team ---

After Cole's game we went to Rally's for a quick burger before heading to the hospital to meet Kylie and see Amy. Amy was admitted to the hospital the night before for high blood pressure and headaches. Thankfully they weren't there long - til Thursday afternoon. After loving on Kylie, we took the boys home for the night. I had to take them to school on Wednesday & Thursday mornings. And then mom & I went to work on their house some more. I had printed 9 - 10x20" prints for the boys room. I had the frames shipped to them so I knew I had to get those hung up. They looked AWESOME upstairs in their room.

Bad camera phone picture.

Wednesday (5.9.12) - mom & I went to the hospital to see them again. And then we had "Pizza by the Guy" with the boys that night.

Thursday (5.10.12) - after taking the boys to school Amy texted me that they were going to get to come home - that was exciting. It took about 2 hours before they got dismissed but it was still exciting.

Friday (5.11.12) - GAME DAY! Cole & Cason both had baseball games. Since I got shoot Cole's game on Tuesday, Mom & I took Cason to his game as Jer took Cole to his. Cason played short stop. He did awesome! He had a triple and scored twice.

Cason (#7-Yankees) & Cole (#22-Reds) 2012

Saturday (5.10.12) - Cole & Cason ran in the International BBQ 5K. They did awesome!

And then Cason had a soccer game that after noon - he ran about 6 miles for the day. He's the best one on his team.

We left on Mother's Day so mom could get back to work. It was so hard leaving them. I love them all and miss them so much!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

{Miss Kylie}

I've been slacking on my blog but I've had a perfectly good reason. Last week I went to Kentucky with my momma to meet my newest niece, Miss Kylie Ann Troutman. She was born on May 3, 2012 at 10:06 in the morning. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and 20 inches long. She has blonde & brown hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. Oh my gosh I am in love with this little princess. Like everyone else, she has stolen my heart and I can not wait to watch her grow up.

Anxiously awaiting her arrival we didn't know when we'd go out to Kentucky. Well after waiting 5 days I couldn't take it any longer. My mom & I met in El Dorado and we made our way out to Kentucky. I left the house at 5:40 in the morning and we arrived at Cole's baseball game at 6:05 - missed the first inning but otherwise good timing.

I'll post more about our trip in the next post, the rest of this one is dedicated to Miss Kylie!

This was her hospital picture, isn't she the cutest?

After Cole's game, we went to the hospital to meet her. Her & Amy were released from the hospital on Saturday, but Amy had high blood pressure and a headache so she went back in for a few days. Our first site of Miss Kylie was a glow worm. She was wearing a light blanket for her jaudice/belly ruben. It was still above 15 but the next day we were there it dropped to 11 point something. It was so exciting! Amy got to come home on Thursday and then it was photo shoot time.