Poems anyone?

Lately I can't sleep--probably because my bed is basically just the springs without the mattress and it's pretty much an oven in my room--so I've been writing poems. Nothing like sleep deprivation to get the creative juices flowing! This is my favorite, but if you like it than I can post the other one (but it needs to be worked on a little). So send in your comments, be they good or bad!

Romance

When he pulls your hair in the playground,
And tells all his friends that girls have cooties and that he would rather die than play with you,
But then he picks you first to be on his team for Red Rover.

When you glance across the classroom,
And he's just staring at you, without even realizing it.
When he talks with you at your locker until the warning bell rings,
Then walks you to your next class even though his is on the other side of school.
When he holds your hand for the first time and your whole arm tingles.

When he picks you up from work after a long day,
And he just happens to have your favorite smoothie with him.
When he signs up for classes that he actually hates
Just because he knows you will be there.
When he stays up all night to help you study for the one exam that doesn't make any sense.
When he sees you without makeup for the first time and tells you that you're beautiful.
When he pulls out that little black box and all you can say is "Yes!"

When the wailing of that beautiful baby wakes you, but he gets out of bed before you can.
When he feeds the kids and then cleans up the mess.
When he buys you little presents because he saw them and thought of you.
When you come home to find the kids in bed,
And the formal dining room table is set with candles, paper plates, and pizza.

When you're sitting on the porch,
And he sits next to you, taking your soft, weathered hand in his,
And together you watch the sunlight fade away.

Miracle of Miracles

I'm very excited because today I went horse-back riding and almost nothing happened! For those of you who are confused, I'm allergic to most animal hair, and it's the animals that sleep in hay and stuff that give me the most trouble. When I ride horses, I usually get hives all over the place, my nose is constantly running, my eyes get all red and puffy, and I can't breathe. I love riding horses so much, and I do it as often as I can, so sometimes my allergies can affect me terribly. But none of that happened today. It was awesome! It made me really happy.

Dear Heather

Dear Heather,
Mom, Dad, and Kiera are coming down to Guadalajara tomorrow, and I'm really excited for them to come. But I'm also pretty sad too. Want to know why? Well, you and Danny and Brayden won't be there with us! I think you guys would have so much fun down here--and not just because you would be with me. It just makes me sad that you won't get to experience Guadalajara with us.
We've had some rough times, Heather my dear. I know this, you know this, pretty much everyone knows this. Even though we have had some rough times, we're getting better every day. For one thing, we don't fight nearly as much as we used to, and those rare moments that we do fight never come to blows now, ha ha. Not everything is peaches and cream, but we're working at being the best sisters we can be. That's why I love you so much!
I love hanging out with you and Danny. We have a lot of fun together, and I love our discussions that we always end up having. Not to mention, I LOVE playing with Brayden. He's just adorable! So, even though we are having fun here in Mexico, just know that it's not quite the same without you.
I love you lots!
Ashley

Dear Kiera

*It feels like a good month to write letters to my family. This next letter is for Kiera because I stupidly forgot to write a shout-out to her on her birthday, which was August 3rd.

Dear Kiera,
Baby girl! You are growing up so fast. I can't believe you're already nine years old. Sometimes it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago that you were crawling around our house in Australia, looking for the candy cupboard. Even back then you stood out from the crowd. We Barnes girls have always been something special--not your average cookie-cutter girl--and you were no different. Not only were you twice as big, physically, as the only other baby in our ward (poor McKenzie Jones was just a tiny little thing), but you also had a huge heart. You were so happy and loving, and everyone noticed that. You were always willing to let other people hold you and love you, and you would love them right back. Not much as changed, Bubba. Now, there are times when you are terrible spoiled and naughty and you don't do as you're told, and you can throw terrible tantrums, but inside we all know that bubbly, happy baby has just grown up and she's still in there.
Kiera my dear, you are a beautiful, smart, and talented little girl. You've got a wonderful life ahead of you. Don't ever be afraid to do whatever you want to do--and don't be afraid to change your mind about what it is you want to do. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.
Love,
Ashley

Dear Chelsey

Dear Chelsey,
I thought about you and Aaron last night. The hotel that I'm staying at in Nuevo Vallarta (which I have to say is way cooler than Bear Lake--sorry) had a karaoke night last night. It was pretty awesome to hear drunk Mexicans singing karaoke. I kept thinking, "Chelsey and Aaron would love this. I should get up and sing in honor of them." And I really was going to get up and sing, I promise! I actually wanted to sing. I even told everyone that I would. But then I looked at the song list, and I honestly didn't know any of the songs on the karaoke list--even the English ones. So I watched a couple of my friends sing karaoke and then went out to the beach. Oh Chels, you would love it here. It's definitely got the summer vibe going on. It's perfect weather for swimming every single day and there are kayaks and boogie boards and bikes to rent out every day at the hotel front desk. It's pretty awesome.
I just wish you and Aaron could be here to enjoy everything with me!
Love,
Ashley

Two More Days...

In two days--actually it's only a day and a half!--I get to go to an all-inclusive resort in Nuevo Vallarta. We get buffets and virgin margaritas/strawberry daiquiris/piña coladas all day every day. There are two gorgeous pools and a volleyball court. And the best part: the resort OWNS A PRIVATE BEACH! Heck yeah, this next week is going to be awesome.

Want to see a picture of the resort? Of course you do!
This is just one of the beautiful pools.

This is their private beach! How lucky am I?!