I still am here!

I promise that i am still here!

Although at times i feel as if i have fallen off the planet

Just trying to figure out how to balance my life.

Such as:

1. Working 40 hour weeks

2. Going to class Monday - Thursday till 10pm.

3. Being an active member of my ward

4. Getting my homework done

5. Studying for exams

6. Going to institute

7. Sleeping when i can

8. Staying in contact with friends

9. Reading the scriptures

10. Fulfilling my calling

11. Keeping up with my family

YES life is busy

YES i almost never have a dull moment

YES by the end of the week i am ready to be done

YES i am getting a lot accomplished and learning even more

& YES i am actually enjoying being busy!

JORDAN IS IN CANADA!

Yep! He arrived this last Wednesday! I cannot believe he has already been gone 3 1/2 weeks! As much as i miss my best friend, it has gone by so fast already. He is doing great though!

*Some friends from high school were in town this last week.... it was so fun to all go out to Applebees like we did back in the day! Crazy how lives change... GOOD though.

*MY HAIR IS BLONDER THAN EVER BEFORE. haha.

This last week i got a letter from my friend Travis Cook who is serving a mission in California. At the end of his letter he asked if i could maybe send him the Reflections of Christ soundtrack because he could not find it anywhere. So i went to the church bookstore... could not find it... so i got on Itunes...FOUND IT! And it is amazing. The artists that sing and play the piano truly are talented people. I am thankful that Trav asked me to get this for him because listening to this has already been a blessing in my life. It is the simple things in life that bring great joy i have come to find. If you have not listened to this then i encourage you to!

(i am not sure how to put the video on here of it so if you wanna watch it go to... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oteno81QzzQ )

Life

The life of me... Ashley... has been well, different lately!

How you might ask?

1. Working full time is keeping me super busy! I am enjoying working at Macdonald Orthodontics very much though. It is nice going to work every day learning something that will help in your future career. 

2. My family. I love them. Lately i have 

been going to T's practices and watching him. Yeah i will admit

sometimes practice is not too exciting 

but i love being there and able to support him. 

He is a good little player and is playing super hard for his 

position this year. 

3. Bubba is a SOPHOMORE! The first day of school i dropped him off and i will admit it was difficult for me to. I cannot believe he is already at Mountain View. I feel like he is still little. T is a 6th grader this year too. It amazes me how fast time goes by! They are two of my best friends. I love spending time with them.

4. I have been reading. YES! I know... ME reading? What am i thinking! I found a really 

amazing LDS writer that i absolutely love. More towards the younger crowd, well like my age, but she does have a talent for writing. So my lunch breaks and time when i get 

home from work has been dedicated to my book. It is amazing to be able to escape to anot

her world. I LOVE it! 

5. The call has finally come. The Lord wants him to go. The people of Halifax, Canada need him. Jordan received the call and he is reporting to the Provo, Utah MTC this Wednesday... yes August 19! It has been hard to have so many mixed emotions. I know it is where he needs to be and that he will grow so much it is just difficult. Life was not meant to be easy. I just have to remember it is only 2 years, 24 months, 104 weeks, 730 days. THATS IT! Then my best friend is home. I am so excited for him. We hung out for the last time, just us two, today. We were able to go to the Temple. What a great last time to spend together. I adore spending all the time i can with him. He is an amazing boy. 

Good Luck!

Behind all of this there are so many things that i am looking forward to... LIKE... 

having the day off work tomorrow

   melissa coming to town tomorrow morning

   being able to go to a movie with my parents tomorrow afternoon

Jordan leaving on his mission on wednesday

 having Jordans farewell on sunday

           && so much more

Thankful Heart

I have not written on my blog for quite some time. I realize that. Sorry that i have not been updating to often, life has just been super busy with working going to school and keeping up with the basic things of life. Hopefully you can all forgive me for that one. For one reason or another tonight is going to be a thankful blog. My heart is over flowing with thanks and love for so many things and so i felt the desire to do YET another thankful blog entry. So here it goes.

1. Friends- The Lord knows who we need in our lives and when we need them. I can show this in my life.

Jon, words cannot describe the friendship that has been created. I am so thankful for Kenzie and Nate introducing us. 

Kenzie and Nate! The wedding date is almost here. Two of my best friends. Answered prayers is all i can say. 

2. My AMAZING family- Yes at times the little boys do get on my nerves, but i love them to death. Life changes and you realize what is important. Family is something that i have realized means so much to me. I learn from each and every member of mine every day. I love t

he family i belong to.

3. A stable job. I am so lucky to have a job i enjoy and that is stable.

4. The opportunity i have to gain an education, yes summer school is quite aggravating at times but i am so thankful i am able to pay my way through school and gain the education that i have always wanted to receive.

5. A girl that has helped me through so much

 she cannot even comprehend. Kenzie... she's my best friend. Through the good and the bad, and even in high school when we did not talk very much she has always been there for me. I am so excited for her that she found the boy she wants to spend all eternity with. She is a huge part of my life and i would not be involved with many of the things i am today without her. I love you girl.

6. The gospel. Morning mid day and night it plays such a huge role in my life. 

7. Quotes that get you through the day. Simply amazing.

Yes, life is not perfect but it is what we make it. There will be the ups and downs but in the end it will be okay. 

I am still here. Alive, smiling and loving life. School gets out on the 23 so hopefully i will be able to write more after that.

Sunday Insight

well...

Today was kinda a different sunday it seemed. Why you might ask? 

1. It was fast sunday, so i had the opportunity to fast with a purpose. Our lesson today in Relief society was on fasting and how it brings blessings to our lives.

2. I decided that i wanted to attend my old ward as well as my new ward, so i was able to attend two Sacrament meetings and hear double the testimonies:)

3. I have not been feeling very well, so i was not in the frame of mind to go speak to new people or talk to my friends. I just wanted to think quietly to myself. This was nice because i got so much time just to ponder life.

4. Bryce is out of town, and the house is just not the same with out him. Sunday i notice this a lot more because everyone is home.

Now that i work full time, and am a full time student, i do not have much time during the week to just sit down and relax. Sunday has become a day for me to reflect on the past week and think of the upcoming but also think about what the gospel means to me in my life. I have given myself the goal to try not to do homework or studying on sunday. Yes at times this is challenging i mean it is a WHOLE day that i could do these things, but i have seen academic things happen in my life that i never thought would happen. I know not studying or doing these things on sunday has helped me get to this point. Sunday is a time i hang with my brothers. Catch up on my families lives. Write a few friends that are on missions. Or communicate with my family that lives in various parts of the country. I am thankful for the many things i have in my life and especially this month my family. They mean the world to me. 

**OH a little recipe too!! 

My mom for dinner tonight made chicken in the oven (350 degrees for about 40 minutes just in a glass pan). But this was not any NORMAL chicken. She put cream of chicken soup, salt, pepper, and potato chips! YUM! Don't but the chips on until the last ten minutes though! And when you put them on leave the pan uncovered for those ten minutes. It was fantabulous.

update!

I am still...

alive

   still laughing

     & working hard

 I am enjoying life

& spending time with the family

   Always sleeping when i can

      & laying in the sun

oh so happy it is summer 

Summer is here and the business is already kicking in! The family and i went to California this last weekend and had a blast! We were able to go to six flags for one e.n.t.i.r.e day and man was it heaven on earth! 

UPCOMING EVENTS...

THAT I AM THRILLED FOR:)

1. Seeing my best friend EVER this weekend

I never thought it would be so hard to live 14 hours away from 

someone you love to death....it is not any fun.

2. Spending many hours with two of my best friends... 

my mom and grandma

3. Brad's, my cousin, high school graduation. 

I am so proud of you brad! 

4. Starting summer school

5. My car to be paid OFF!! 

6. Getting tan and looking like a beach bum:)

SLEEP?? Man who needs it? Not me evidentially. I have been .p.u.s.h.i.n.g. on this week with maybe a few hours a night. But it has been a fantastic week! I was able to start a new job that I absolutely love. I was hired on at MacDonald Orthodontics on Brown and Alta Mesa. It is so fun to go to work every day and I work with some of the sweetest ladies of all time, and of coarse the doc himself Keith. Fun group of people! This week I started, my first day, on _Monday. It was a full training day and it went by so FAST! I really cannot explain how much I adore it. I am so thankful that I was able to receive this job and that I am able to have the skills necessary to keep it.

 

LIFE IS GREAT, BUSY BUT GREAT!

Play ball!

LETS PLAY BALL!

 

  VS 

  well mid afternoon i got a random text from Jord asking if i wanted to go to a baseball game with Grandpa and him. I replied saying it would be super fun. He ended up having an extra ticket so T was able to come along to. We had a lot of fun, although the outcome of the game was not what we desired. Thanks Jord for sharing your tickets!

TWO BOYS THAT MEAN THE WORLD TO ME

       

Easter Cooking!

Sundays seem to always bring the desire for cooking... so today being Easter I wanted to make something cute and "springy".  I decided to make cup cakes and they tuned out super cute!  I made the frosting and everything:) it was a blast and the colors turned out super super cute! 

GREAT cream cheese frosting!

3oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 Teaspoon butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 Teaspoon lemon juice

3-4 Tablespoons milk (I used 3)

3-4 Cups powered sugar (I used 3)

Combine cream cheese, butter and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl.

Add the milk and powered sugar to make the frosting the right consistency.

Spread on cake or cookies and ENJOY!

Egg Time!

Well, each year the family dies eggs so that the Easter Bunny can come at night and hide them.  Oh the traditions around holidays.  They are the BEST and sometimes thinking about leaving and not having those traditions with family is sad.  But none the less dying eggs this year was a blast with the boys and Jeremy, he is like a brother to me and i love that kid to death. 

PREP!

gotta create all the dye

 

BEFORE

the super white eggs

AFTER

the multi-colored eggs!

Dying eggs this year was a blast to see what decorations and drawings the boys would come up with.  It is always an adventure when you live with two little rascals! 

EXCITING THINGS:)

I cannot wait! There is so much going on, 

and so much to look forward to! 

I love it all.

1. 4 Year old birthday party

Mack, the adorable girl i worked as a habilitation therapist for, just turned 4 on March 1st. I got a message from her mom this last week about a cute little park birthday they are having for her this coming Saturday. I was so excited to be invited! This little girl, man she is a doll and i am so sad that i have not been able to work with her any longer. But i am so excited to see her. Tomorrow i am going to go shopping for something super cute for her for her special day:) i am so excited i cant even hold it in! 

2. Easter Sunday! 

I absolutely love holidays and they are so much fun when you are able to spend them with family. Easter Sunday we have all of the traditions of the kids waking up and then waking mom and dad up, going out into the back yard running back and forth searching from the ground to the sky for multi colored eggs. It is so much fun and when you are a little kid brings a huge smile to your face. But the older i get the more i realize the real meaning of Easter and how much it truly means to me in my life. I am so thankful for my Savior and all He did for ME and all he did for YOU. I know we couldn't make it without him. 

3. SUMMER TIME!

The joys of summer in Arizona. At times, yes, the heat is too much but the simple joys of the summer are so amazing. Sitting outside tanning, swimming in the pool, the late nights with friends, every night being a weekend, the trips on the weekends or even week long trips. Flip flops and shorts. Oh i am so excited. I cannot wait, yet i am so sad that winter is leaving! I love the coldness of Mesa. It is the perfect temperature and man it left so fast. But bring on the sun!

4. California Trip

The family, Jord & myself planned the perfect trip for this May. I am so excited i can hardly wait! We are driving as a family up to Laguna Beach, California to spend time with Grandma and Fred. I am so excited to see them it has been such a long time! Jord and i have been 

wanting to go on a little trip for a really long time, and finally have the opportunity too with some of our favorite people, my family. We decided that, because we have wanted to forever, we would go to Six Flags one of the days we are there. The family will not be attending, mixed emotions about that, but it will be so fun to go with just my best friend. YAY!

 

5. Utah 

It is amazing how fast people grow up and how life changes. My cousin, Brad, and i growing up were super close because we lived right around the corner from each other. Well life changed as it tends to do and his family moved away. We still talked but not as much. He is a year younger than me, so a senior in high school this year. This May he is GRADUATING i am so proud of him. It is crazy to think that he is already old enough to be at this point in life! MAN OH MAN where has the time gone!? 

6. December 

Last but FOR SURE not least I cannot wait for December to come already! Two of my best friends get home in December and it is going to be such an amazing thing to have them finally home! I have been so happy to see them out on their missions and growing so much but i am ready to see their faces around Mesa again! At least maybe for awhile. 

Friends & Family

Last night we had the opportunity to go to the Easter Pageant at the Temple. At first Jord and I were just going to go, but then after talking to my mom the whole family decided to attend. Jord and i went down a few hours before it started and just laid on the blankets we had out to make sure no one took them:) we had some time to talk about things that are going on in life, which we have not had lately because of the business of life. Later the family came with dinner and such and we got to spend quality time with them. It is C R A Z Y how at times you really do think that your best friend is meant to be in your life. He fits hand-n-hand with the family. I am so thankful for him in my life, he is my best friend. I tell him everything, and i never get sick of talking to him. The Pageant was amazing, just like it is every year. I just wanted to say a little thank you to Jord for all you do for me. The friendship we have i know will never leave. 

The Joys Of Life

This past week i was blessed to be able to go up to Utah and spend some time with family, friends and also attend conference. Utah was amazing! Seeing Melissa, my best friend, was amazing. Visiting my aunt and her cute family was amazing... but most of all sunday when i was able to go to conference was astonishing. You always hear things about conference but i have never been able to go before this year and i would not change that experience for anything. I am so thankful i could go and so grateful that i was able to find tickets. I was able to go to the Salt Lake City Temple on Thursday right when i arrived in utah and walk up the walk way to the statue of Christ and listen to the sweet words that the sisters had to say. Is this gospel not amazing? I am so glad i have it in my life! 

This week

WOW! Take a deep breath. This week is going to be a super busy, yet super fun one.. 

I have work all week, Monday through Wednesday that is... then nannying my cute little family on Wednesday THEN the fun begins! I am leaving Wednesday at 6:30pm on my adventure! YAY! It has been long awaited and it is finally almost here. I will be driving to Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday night...followed by close to no sleep and then continuing the journey to Provo, Utah Thursday morning:). 

Thursday: date with amazing boy and hanging out with my SUPER cute family! 

Friday: driving to Logan to see my all time BEST BEST friend. I am so excited to see her. Saturday: we get to watch conference together and just hang out like we did in the good old days. 

Sunday: We are going to attempt to get in the AM session of conference, if not then we are gonna just go watch it somewhere. But we have tickets for the PM session so i am so excited!! Then just going to be spending time with family and Melissa. YAY!

I am so excited and so grateful for the opportunity that i am going to have to go to conference. It is something i have always wanted to do and now, finally, have the chance. I know that it will be one amazing experience. :) 

Sunday insight

Wow, my heart is so full. Today i was able to go to my home ward as well as my singles ward, and it was a great decision. I haven't ever felt the power that was in those meetings today. It was simply amazing. Today was fast sunday, where members of the ward are able to get up and express their love and testimony of this gospel. In my home ward the main topic was the love that the Savior has for each and everyone of us. This is so true! In my singles ward the topic seemed to be the same, which is strange to have that happen. Then in sunday school, in my singles ward, it was on the Priesthood. This last week i have been in great amounts of pain and the thought that it may be from something harmful was on my mind constantly. My dad, who normally gives me blessings, was on duty and so he was spending the night in Casa Grande. I just had gotten home from the doctor and found out that i was going to go in for an EKG on my heart the following morning. I was able to receive a blessing from my sweet Bishop and home teacher. I went and got my EKG and everything came back normal. I am so thankful for the Priesthood and the Savior in my life. I love these pictures and decided that i would put them on my page. Everyone, remember how blessed we are. Do not take one day for granted. Love you all.

 

Update!

Well, i am going to just update this with the health stuff cause it is too hard to explain to everyone haha! I have been having pains on the left side of my chest and also my upper back. They are not sure what it is. I got a chest x-ray, it came back clean. I got blood work, everything came back fine. I got an EKG today and should have the results this afternoon. I am POSITIVE it is nothing serious!! Mom and i were talking last night and we were thinking maybe it is my back and something is being pinched and the pain is just carrying to my chest. Who knows. But no worries. :) The doctors will figure it out, that is why they have the degrees they have is it not? So there is the update! I was not going to say anything about it but man am i tired of explaining it many times a day! Haha. Hope everyone is doing super! Love you all.

Life

Well, i have not written anything for awhile and i really am going to try to start back up again. Life has been going well. This last week for my humanities class, we were asked to write a paper on a famous hero. The person that came to mind was Lance Armstrong for some reason. The thing that i did not realize was something that his mother told him all throughout his life that really has stuck with me "finish the race even if you have to walk to the finish line". I have been trying to figure out if i want to go to Utah for a dental assisting program this summer or stay here work and go to school. It has been a challenge but i have finally made my decision. I will be here this summer! I am still alive, I am still happy, I am surviving:) I will post some more things soon hopefully! Hope everyone is doing well!