Ashley is thankful for...

(A collection of "thanks" during the month of November, leading up to Thanksgiving.)

Day 1-Grant: How could I do math, check my truck's clock for daylight savings, or follow directions without him?!?

Day 2-A home: In Austin, Texas!

Day 3-My Melson & Qualley family: Getting ready for the holidays makes me feel so blessed for amazing loved ones. Goofy as they are, I love 'em!

Day 4-My job: I get to laugh a lot and hug kids all day. Not only does my job pay the bills but it truly makes me happy.

Day 5- Our armed forces: They are the definition of sacrifice and courage. Thank you a million times!

Day 6- God's comfort during times that we don't understand: He is so faithful!

Day 7-Tex & Maggie: They may "just" be dogs, but they make our little Qualley family complete. Life is much more colorful with those two around!

Day 8-Our Small Group Friends: They are truly our Austin family and God's hand was so evident in placing us together.

Day 9- My sister, Erin: No one makes me laugh as hard as that girl does. God knew what He was doing when He made us sisters!

Day 10-Fall mornings: So beauitful!

Day 11-Coffee: Simple, yet much-needed when you work with kiddos all day!

Day 12-My parents: The example they've set for us kids and for Grant & I in our marriage is one of the biggest blessings in my life.

Day 13-Date nights with Grant: They are never dull and it reminds us of all the reasons that we fell in love seven years ago. :)

Day 14-Our incredibly comfortable bed: Sometimes I take it for granted but it is where I can re-charge after a long day.

Day 15-The opportunity to serve others: It is good for others and great for your heart.

Day 16- The truck that I've wanted since I was 16: God cares about the desires of our hearts, even the small ones. A drive in my truck with some country music soothes my soul!

Day 17- My Fam: These best friends from college has been a huge part of my life. When I look back on my life, I am brought to tears from the memories and love I have for those girls.

Day 18-Laughter: One of my all-time favorite hobbies.

Day 19-Rainy mornings: Sometimes a morning like that helps to slow down and just enjoy.

Day 20-A good workout: It helps to calm the crazies!

Day 21-HEB's chocolate granola ceral: Another simple one, but very much appreciated!

Day 22-Blessings: Even on a bad day, I can sure make one long list of things that I can be thankful for!

Day 23-My Dad: On his birthday, I can honestly say that if every dad loved Jesus like mine does, this world would be a much better place.

Day 24-Excitement: Not everyone can say that they look forward to spending the holidays with their family. I'm so glad it's not only a good thing for me but a total blast!

Day 25-Kindness: Hearing a compliment on the work you do and being told that it's obvious you enjoy it is the fuel you sometimes need to keep going.

Day 26-My life in Jesus: Thank you, Lord, for saving me and giving me a long list of things that make my life so wonderful.

More Kids & Their Thanks

With as funny as yesterday's answers were to my question about what kids are thankful for, I had to go for round two today. This must be why I enjoy my job so much...

"My bed cause then I can eat in it" -Jack, 4.

"Bridges" -Chase, 3.

"Chinese dragons" -Zander, 3.

"Yuck, they make me eat gross food at Thanksgiving. Peanut butter and jelly. With the orange jelly. Or the yellow jelly" -Joshua, 4.

"Fire" -Aidan, 4.

"All my toys" -Ethan, 4.

"The rain" -Maverick, 2. (It was actually raining at that moment.)

"Ummmm...this truck" -Zac, 2. (He basically grabbed the first thing in front of him.)

"I just told my mom what I'm thankful for, you have to ask her." -Luke, 4.

"Actually, all the fishies" -Lleyton, 4.

"Barbie and Snow White" -Caitlin, 3.

Kids Give Thanks...

Today, since Thanksgiving is a mere week away, I asked my Thursday swimmers what they were thankful for. Here are their answers:

"Hearts"-Cale, 4.

"My mom & Dad" -Amelia, 3.

"Nof'n"- Dylan, 2.

"Twick 'o tweeting" -Darby, 2.

"Christmas trees" -Nathan, 4.

"Christmas trees...oh Nathan said that. I'm actually thankful for snakes"- Rice, 4.

"Baseball" -Brynn, 3.

"Jack" -Jack, 2.

"My dancing" -Ryan (female), 3.

"My sister's dancing" -Ian, 3 (Ryan's twin brother).

"My sister's dancing" -Tessa, 3 (unrelated to Ryan & Ian).

A Tribute to my Mommom and Poppop Melson

I don't know how to begin this blog. I've typed and erased. I've looked at pictures for inspiration. The words mulling around in my head just don't seen to encompass the feelings of loss, grattitude, and lessons learned that the death of my grandmother, Mommom, has left with me. It has already been two months since she died and I feel a great need to honor her memory in the best way that I know how. But paying tribute to Mommom means also honoring her husband, my Poppop, who died almost three years ago. My true-life example of peanut butter and jelly, those two go hand in hand.

In my life, grandparents symbolized a childhood of happy memories, laughter, and more love than seems humanly possible to share with just one child. I remember eagerly waiting with my brother and sister in our drive way for the bi-yearly visit from those two. The familiar "Ashley Baby!" as Poppop would climb out of the car and hug me like he honestly didn't want to let go. Mommom's eyes teared up at the sight of us, just as they would upon their departure a week later. There were the many "shows" that my sister and other cousins would put on for Mommom and Poppop. They would sit patiently and watch us dance and sing in front of the fireplace to New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, and MC Hammer. The look on their faces would've made you think they were watching a Tony-nominated show on Broadway instead of their grandchildren flailing about in a tiny living room. In fourth grade, I was suprised with tickets to an MC Hammer concert, courtesy of Poppop. While Mom could've done without being the chaperone for "Hammer Time", going to that concert was the biggest thing my sister and I had ever done. My Poppop kew his audience!

Mommom's love was outpoured in smaller ways. Like brown bags filled with treats for us to munch on during car rides back home after a visit to their house. Encouraging words shared over bowls of mint chocolate chip icecream. Paired with Poppop's boisterous nature, Mommom was a quiet and kind listenener. She was the supporting role that made her family shine.

And my Mommom and Poppop had seven grandchildren! Each of my cousins received the same personalized treatment that I experienced. Those two were just meant to be grandparents. Like a New Jersey native born with an affinity for loud conversation and the Philadelphia Eagles , they were meant to love and dote on their seven prized joys. Mommom and Poppop took their role as grandparents seriously and none of us doubted their love for a second.

Sometimes with Poppop his love was a little too evident in his brash ways. He was once known to look up my older cousin's driving record while serving as a volunteer at the police station. He then called her and wanted to give his two cents about her past speeding tickets. He posted himself ON the field at my brother's football practice several years ago and shouted his opinion of the plays they were running. It was my unfortunate responsibility to pull him back onto the sidelines. After getting married, I quit my job and refused to call Poppop for our usual chat until I found a new position almost two months later. I knew I'd get an earful on "networking...not just on the damn computer" and probably receive a package in the mail full of newspaper clippings on tips for job hunting. Poppop took a great ownership for the sucess of his grandchildren. In his own way of loving us, he forced himself into the nooks and crannnies of our lives and made sure we were doing what was truly best for ourselves.

With Mommom, we regarded her constant stream of questions about the goings on of our lives as "Question Bonanza". She had questions about our school work, friends, jobs, hobbies, and all other manner of things one could question. As a child, I loved the questioning because it put me in the spotlight. I got to talk about my friends, my boyfriend of the day, who my favorite singer was at the moment. As I got older, I became a little "too cool" and was less willing to divulge what was going on in my oh-so mysterious teenage life. I thought of Mommom's questions as annoying and exhausting. Now I see that she truly wanted to know her granddaugther. And she did. Last May I visited her at her assisted-living home in Virginia. The last time that I would speak with her in-person before her death. I told her that I had just bought the most beautiful red Dodge Ram pickup truck. The first words out of her mouth were "You finally got your truck! You've been wanting one since you were 16." I was touched at the fact that she'd remembered such a seemingly trivial desire I'd had as a teenager. It makes me wonder how much information about her family she'd be able to keep tucked away, thanks to all of her questions. While back in Virgina last month for her memorial service, I found a picture in her desk. It was of me at my college graduation with my best friends from college. On the back, I found the words, "Ashley and her family". Both Mommom and Poppop never forgot my best friends from Stephen F. Austin University and how we'd called ourselves "The Family". That picture was the simplest of reminders that I had something very special in my grandparents.

Anyone who has had the honor of loving a grandparent knows that their passing is a fact of life and that time is never our friend. It can sometimes be anticipated, yet when it happens, it crumbles the grown-up hat we each wear and our inner child comes out crushed. It is our childhood that suffers the blow of a grandparent's death. But the adults that those pillars of the family have helped us to become are able to say thank you. Thank you for putting your hands to the mold of my life. Thank you for your unconditional, often times undeservering love. I can see part of you in the person I am today and I am far better for it. Thank you.