Time is Money

I need to start charging a lot more for my time. Today I actually had a day off where I wasn't so overwhelmed with the thought of returning to work that I got out of bed when I woke up the first time. Ran to the dry cleaners to drop off my suits, made my 9:30am appointment 25 minutes early and as a result was done with my appointment at 9:34am. Went to the YMCA, swam for 30 minutes and basically crawled to the long-chair to soak in the sun for another 30 minutes. After I could walk again, I came home washed both my poodles, shaved Cortez, did a load of laundry, did the dishes and took a shower.

Now, at just 3pm I feel happier, successful, more relaxed, more accomplished, and stress-free about my day then I have felt ever working for someone else. So I figure....$$$$$$^(per hour)*(less work) = More Me Time :}

Working for anyone that brings you so much stress and anxiety that you can rarely enjoy your days off aren't worth it! Do what you want, love what you do, and live HAPPY! :}

I Step on Cigarettes

Ever have things you ALWAYS do? Almost like OCD rituals that appear to be random to everyone else, but it always seems so purposeful to you? For example, I step on cigarette butts - but not all of them, just the ones that look like they could be used again. I also avoid cracks in the streets - not because I'm afraid of bad luck, but because of the movie Land Before Time :}

Thanksgiving and Free Shipping

This year I was in charge of stuffing - this is a family tradition on my dad's side of the family. Every 'kid' (my dad and his siblings) gets an assignment for food/dessert and their kids (my cousins) also get assignments for sides and such.

I've never made stuffing before so when I looked on the back of the Stove Top box I got a little nervous when it was calling for things like sour cream, frozen mixed vegetables and diced chicken - but hey people make stuffing every year, and I have never heard of someone dying because of it, so I got all the necessary ingredients and headed for home. What I should've REALLY been nervous about is my reading comprehension.

Stove Top Stuffing is far too simple. I realized after I got home and filled a pot full of water and oil, waited for it to boil, and then dumped my package of stuffing into it; that THAT is stuffing...and all the chicken and sour cream stuff is for a stuffing casserole. In that moment it hit me that THAT is why it said 'stuffing in 5 minutes' on the front of the box, because - to be honest - until then I was super confused that it said 5 minutes on the front of the box, but then it was going to take 30 minutes for the recipe on the back of the box....soooo....yeeeeeah...

Um, I love getting stuff in the mail. It's like Christmas and my birthday wrapped into a sweet little package or card AND when I order things online I feel like I'm being a very good citizen because I use the mail system. :} Another thing I love is Costco. I love everything about Costco, but to be honest I have never ordered anything from Costco.com, until now. Today I bought myself a blender, an air compressor and a fruit basket (hehe) all online and all without shipping and handling (which isn't entirely true, the S&H was just added to the original price so it feels like it's free shipping - which I think is almost better). With all this free shipping I feel like I'm shopping from Amazon.com without having that $25 limit - heaven! :}

I guess

If a baby can learn to walk, then I can learn to move on.

Have You Thought to Pray?

This is the song that is in my heart tonight:

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain...

The tune came to me suddenly this evening when I was praying - I didn't even plan on praying... I had just finished bathing Bleeker (which was an ordeal), dried him off and was getting myself ready for bed; when this overwhelming feeling hit me. 


I didn't know what to do or where the feeling had come from, but suddenly I found myself kneeling by my bed but then I didn't know what to say, so I started thanking my Heavenly Father for my friends and family and my dear little puppies that love me no matter what. And then this  emotion came up again and I just started crying - I prayed for Travis and as I knelt there sobbing with relief and sadness, the song came to me.


I know my Heavenly Father loves me. I know he knows me. I am so grateful for the unexpected humility I felt tonight and for the chance to express my heart to the one person who understands it the best. What a beautiful life this really is, and I am so grateful for the prompting. I have never been brought to my knees like that before, but it was exactly what I needed to do.

My Therapy

Writing is good therapy. Therapists usually suggest writing down your feelings and significant life events...typically nothing extraordinary happens externally (unless you're Mike Birbiglia), but that emotional connection that occurs when pen meets paper is priceless and 100% intrinsic. So here I go, but I am pre-warning you that I will probably ramble and not make sense at times.

A while ago, when I had a moment of clarity, I wrote about the importance of knowing yourself: how you think, how you feel love, how you give love, and how events affect your individual perspective. But I think I left off one important piece we need to find personal understanding with and that is our intuition and how to act on it.

My intuition is a complicated feeling of peace. It has a compilation of emotions and memories from my childhood. In an instant it takes me back to Washington in the rain, it has a smell that I can't quite place, it has an anticipation and excitement that I used to feel when other people were opening their gifts and I wanted to help, and the laughter from when my mom or dad would tickle me silly. This intuition is so familiar and powerful that it shakes me a little when I feel it unexpectedly. It has only been recent that I have tied this feeling directly to personal decisions. It's not like a 'yes/no' answer to some random question. It's something I feel when I have been pondering something important to me. I think the reason I am only just starting to act on this feeling is because I have kind of given up trying to fully understand what the prompting means. I have had too many experiences where I knew what I should do, but didn't act on it because I didn't trust that my intuition knew what the ending would be.

But you know what? Whenever I act on it, I am more at peace even if the decision was harder. Since I know who I am, how I think, how I feel and give love, I need to start trusting my intuition with my most sincere and important needs. I'm not going to settle on something else because I don't know what the outcome will be, I'm going to start holding myself to the standards of my intuition and cry through the hard times, and hope for the best times.

So when things don't feel right, I am going to start listening to those promptings.

Duck, duck, goose!

I'm a good citizen, for many reasons, but this post has been inspired by a recent act of goodness. My neighborhood roads have been getting re-surfaced this week and so there are all these reflective barriers in the middle of the streets. Today on my way home from work after the sun had gone down, these two little girls were out in the middle of a dark street playing with the reflectors and waiving at passing cars. So I rolled my window down and said strongly, 'get out of the middle of the road it's dangerous!' I probably saved those girls lives and I hope I scared them enough to make them never do that again.

I feel so blessed to come from a family and religion that puts family first. I was able to share a little bit of the testimony I have in families tonight with a guy  I am working with to move his mother into our community. He was asking me if the transitional time was for the elderly to get acclimated to the new environment was 2 weeks and if he should plan to visit after 2 weeks to make sure it's easier for her (she's not all there and doesn't recognize him half the time any more). Immediately, I was responded with, 'No. I think family is the most important thing to her right now. No one would be better suited to help her with this transition than her own family. No one knows her better, has your family smell, tone, and attention. Transition will be hard enough with the support of family." I felt just a great sense of comfort between him and I for that moment. Like he was thinking about a concept he had never considered before, but something he probably believed in his heart without realizing it. It was a cool feeling.

Some cute stuff from work (I work in an Assisted Living for the elderly):

A couple times a week little old ladies chatting in wheelchairs smile and say hello to me as I pass them in the hall and turn to one another and say loudly (because they are both going deaf) "Wow do you think she could get any taller?"

Mary is a lady I say hello to a couple of times a day, take her to meals and help her find things that she has misplaced.
Mary: Excuse me young lady you have very good posture. I used to be a therapist so I can tell and you do*smile*!
Me: Thank you Mary! My mom always told me to stand up straight.
Mary: How do you know my name*concerned face*?!
Me: Mary I work here.
Mary: You do?!

What's New Baby Boo?

Yay! I got a new job. One that I actually think I could make a career out of. I have a company cell phone and my own office (with a door), I interact with people, and it's just up the street from me! The change of pace is something for me to get used to still, I have never worked in a position where I couldn't leave my work at the office. The cell phone and interaction with people make my position a little more demanding on my time, but I'm adjusting and I'm grateful for the change!

Outside of work life is as normal as I can make it. Though my house has been neglected since I am finding I have even LESS time to do necessities like laundry and general house-keeping. My laundry is so overwhelming, that I don't even have enough baskets to contain the piles. Bleeker (my standard poodle) is highly fascinated with my dirty laundry - so much so that Travis and I found ourselves giving him hydrogen peroxide the other night to induce vomitting after he swallowed my panties!

Gross as that may be, it has definitely raised laundry and house-keeping to the top of my priority list. What I really need is someone to come over and oversee my organization in each room. I did that once with Amy and she sat there while I organized. I have discovered something about myself - especially as I get older...I am co-dependent when it comes to cleaning or shopping. I rarely ever go shopping alone and when I do it's only because I have put it off so long that I will either starve or run out of toilet paper. Cleaning is simple to do, but deep cleaning and organization seems to be much too hard for just myself to concur (or even start). :}

Life is good, when I get stressed Travis takes me to get a pedicure and we watch a funny show or go see a movie. Recently he expressed interest in clipping coupons and starting to shop more and eat out less. We still eat out, but we are starting to collect tons of coupons so we can get things super cheap and maybe we'll eventually transition dining out, to staying in. If anything, we'll always have toothpaste we got for free on hand! I'm so glad Travis wanted to get into coupon'ing, 'cause it's kind of a dorky thing, but he is ALMOST too cool for me, so I think with this little bit of dork he's got going, levels the playing field quite nicely ;}

Until next time!

Kisses,

Ashley

Being Tall is a Disorder

I would like to point out that if you are 5'9" you're still 'short' - I'm on the short end of who this applies too, and maybe I wouldn't apply at all except I have exceptionally long legs. I'm sure there are many short people out there who wish they were taller...but you never hear of people growing taller as they get older...no, the only direction is down.

Since this is the case I wanted to share with you an epiphany that came to me today as I entered the ladies' restroom. Toilets are not all built the same. Sure they all have the same function, but can anyone tell me what the most significant difference between the handicap stall and 'normal' stall is? Seat height! I walk into the restroom at work this afternoon and some shorty is occupying the handicap stall so I try out a 'normal' stall... I mean, seriously girls use those stalls all the time so it shouldn't be too bad right? Wrong, when I squeeze into the stall and shut the door I felt like I was looking at my niece's potty. You know, that small plastic thing that is a foot off the ground?

I take a deep breath, turn around and start to sit. After my knees start to reach my belly button I start to get nervous...did I miscalculate?! Quickly I turn around and simultaneously my cheeks hit the seat. Well, (I think to myself) this is comfortable - as my knees are almost level with my boobs! How any woman taller than I could have managed such a position I don't know, but I have definitely decided I can’t do that again. I needed the help of the toilet paper holder as leverage to get myself into standing position. I bounced off the stall walls like a pin ball, as I maneuvered my way around the door and freed myself from the stall. I have never felt more handicap than when I was using the ‘normal’ stall. Which must mean I too am handicap.

So, to all my short friends: remember me and my story before you take the handicap stall in a public restroom. Remember the power you have to help others; it is, and always be through simple yet profound choices. Choose the normal stall and you may just save a life.

Seat Belts and Economics

So I haven't been wearing my seat belt as much lately. In fact I didn't even notice that I wasn't wearing it as much until tonight when I was driving home. You see, the connection to my car battery is loose and instead of taking 10 minutes to tighten it, I just wiggle the wires under my hood when the car shorts out. Well, for a couple of weeks my check engine light was on, then my windshield fluid light came on too, they would beep at me, but all of a sudden the check engine light went away, and there's no more beeping. There hasn't been for almost 2 weeks...and it just hit me this evening that I haven't been putting on my seat belt as much because my car isn't reminding me to do it when I forget!

I decided that my brain was shrinking, so I signed up for an Economics class at UOP. It's a part of my MBA program so it's not some random class, but I'm a little nervous because Economics is intense. Wish me luck over the next 6 weeks (since the class started this week), I'm gonna need it!

Three Days in One: My Trip to the Great Lakes

Let's start this day off with a trip to the zoo. Minnesota has been BEAUTIFUL so far and the zoo at perfect weather. The clouds in the sky toned down the sun and was the perfect back-drop to the tall trees and green grass. We went on the Minnesota Zoo Monorail, and lucky us, it was the Dr. Seuss edition so the whole time the tour guide was reading in rhymes. Scoti (Travis' niece) was really good during the monorail, but didn't actually take much interest in the animals. Whenever I go on 'explorations' like that, I always anticipate a dinosaur jumping out of the trees and eating the train - though no such thing happened on this trip, but most of the animals were just as scarce as the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Right after the monorail tour the Dolphin exhibit put on a show, it was SO fun!!! There was a boy dolphin that was 48yrs old, a momma dolphin that was 24yrs old, and her baby dolphin that was just 10 months old. Super cute family and very talented. We visited the grizzly bears after that and I have never seen bears this active. One bear kept swimming back-n-forth in front of the glass with a curious expression. At one point two bears started to rough-house a little bit and the third bear came over to regulate, slapped one of the bears on the shoulder and growled - it was pretty cool.

We came home after spending the morning at the zoo to take a nap before we headed out to a Minnesota Twins game. I don't know how long I'd been asleep, but all of a sudden Travis is shaking me awake and telling me Prior Lake, MN was just given a tornado warning. Not much longer after that did we hear the sirens. That was a pretty eerie sound, not like the movies, but not something I've ever experienced before. The storm passed us, but it got pretty intense there for a minute. You'd think 'oh we have a tornado watch, so the game is SOL' but actually the sun came out, the sky cleared up, and we were off to the ball park about an hour after the storm passed.

Baseball in Minnesota is NOTHING like baseball in Arizona. Minnesotans actually cheer for THEIR team and there is definitely a strong sense of spirit in the air. The park was huge and had some tasty food! Travis went to town on the most amazing nachos I've ever seen, and I enjoyed a foot-long hot dog - yummy. The umpire ejected the Twins coach in the 7th inning but other than that, the game was pretty eventless. We left at the end of the 9th still 0-0. On the radio we were able to enjoy the final minutes as the Twins win the game 1-0.

This day felt like 3 totally separate days. Probably because each event was separated by a nap and each event was so different. I love Minnesota! The people are nice, the scenery is beautiful, but I love the weather most of all. Rain, clouds, cold breeze...sign me up!

Summer Time and the Livin's Easy...

With summer just around the corner I thought I'd jump in and say a few things.

Travis and I have at least two fun trips planned. At the end of May we are going to Minnesota to do some sight-seeing and general fun! :} Travis' oldest brother lives there, so lucky for us we have a place to stay and people to do things with! On May 1st they had a snow storm, so we are looking at semi-cold weather (when compared to AZ's mid-to-upper 90s) when we are there at the end of the month.

Our next trip will be in June when we go to Disneyland! Travis' parents are taking the whole family to Disneyland, and I'm super excited. As I was cleaning out my office today, I found my VERY OLD Disney autograph book...and I think when we go in June I'm going to bring it and get as many autographs as I can. I have a few from when I first bought it, but not enough.

Some other exciting news, I got moved to a different department at work - same old role, but new environment and management so I'm excited to see how this helps. With the change came a change in schedule and attitude. I get off earlier, and I'm a lot happier - which is fabulous.

Bleeker is set to have his man-hood removed early June and no one is more excited about it than me. He runs around like a crazy-dog and humps anything that will let him - it can get pretty embarrassing when I have to carry my niece around so my dog won't continue to trip her up trying to get the best position...

I have blue in my hair, as extension pieces - it's a new thing and takes a little getting used to, but my hair dresser does a great job at making the pieces peek-a-boo through my hair so it's very subtle. My hair is getting longer, and I LOVE it!

Pandora

I love Pandora, because it gives me that window into a different world. I get to listen to Big Band and swing music whenever I want...well, as long as I have wifi and the best part is that it's free! Amy Winehouse Radio is my favorite station as of late - she may be crazy, but I love her voice and the variety of music that plays with her music.

Check it out if you can.

Kisses!

Ashley

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Today has not been the best of days. And as I sit here with tears in my eyes trying to decide why I feel this way, a series of unfortunate events flash in my mind.

I know this is pathetic, but it all starts with being laid off from University of Phoenix. Some might say "it's just a job, you'll get another one!" "You have so much to offer, don't worry about it - it's just one of a million jobs." But it was so much more to me than just a job. Besides the fact that I was amazing at it and loved what I did. University of Phoenix was my first real job after I got divorced. UOP saw me through 3 heart breaks, a Bachelor AND Master degree, countless friends, disappointments, successes - for the last five years my life has changed drastically, but my one constant was always UOP. So to be thrown to the curb when my life is now in the process of changing again and making big decisions, I feel like the carpet has been pulled out from underneath me. The sure confidence I once had is injured. What's worse is I got a job in the same field doing the same thing, and I hate it. It's seriously like I just went through a traumatic divorce (UOP) and instantly jumped into another relationship that is exactly the same, except worse (new place).  :{

Earlier this week (Tuesday) I was rear-ended. The line of cars ahead of me stopped quickly so, as I quickly slow down, I automatically look in my rear-view mirror and was shocked to see and instantly comprehend that the car behind me wasn't going to stop in time. I quickly looked forward and let go of my break petal, in the next instant she hit me and I slammed on my breaks. Luckily I didn't hit the car in front of me and my car is okay for the most part besides a few scratches that will get fixed through her insurance. But now my back and neck hurt and - again - I am reminded that the health insurance that had been so easily accessible through UOP is no longer around and the COBRA insurance hasn't processed. I go to the ER by myself on Wednesday night to get an x-ray and some medication.

Today, the trainers at my new job let us go an hour early, and I'm thinking "Life is good!" but as I'm merging lanes on the I-10 a truck changes his mind about letting me in and slams into my back tire wheel well. His bumper gets stuck on my wheel well and separates a chunk of my wheel well from the body of my car.  He doesn't stop, I can't get his information because he changes lanes and is behind me...lovely.

So, where am I at? Oh right, no job, no insurance, got hit, hurt my neck, got hit again, hurt my car - oh and did I mention that it took almost a month and a half to get my severance (which was supposed to process in no more than 30 days) - that one was my fault, but due to mistaken information relayed to me on the day I got laid off.

I know that sometimes I'm a cynic, but I would like to think that I'm genuinely a good/fun person. I guess right now I just don't feel secure. So what does one do when you feel this way? Vent through a blog? Go see a movie by myself?

I hope something works.

Kisses to all who got through that mess of a post.

Angry Birds

I started this week off with three chickens; but now I am down to two. Chicken #1, #2 and #3 were great layers in their day, but it has been months since they have earned their keep. I have been keeping them around any ways because killing chickens is serious business (mess-wise) and I just can’t bring myself to kill a perfectly healthy animal. Chickens #1 and #2 somehow escaped the coop while Bleeker and D.O.G. were outside.

At the time the terrified SQUAK from chicken #2 rang out, I was chatting with Travis. When I ran out to see what the matter was, she was huddled in a pile of her scattered feathers. Bleeker alert to my arrival ran up to me, excited to show me what he had discovered. He was quickly shuttled into his crate so I could evaluate the damage done. I couldn’t see much because it was dark so I ran back inside and shuffled through my rooms looking for my flashlight.

I couldn’t find my flashlight so Travis came over with his. #2 wasn’t doing good, there was a large chunk of feathers missing and she wasn’t going to heal so Travis and I were left with the responsibility to stop her pain. I felt so bad for her, and the last thing I wanted to do was botch her execution…so Travis and I threw some ideas around trying to determine which would be the best. I don’t have a hatchet, so we used a scraper I had.

The scraper was on the end of a 5ft pole; so I held the pole in place while Travis took a heavy swing with my rubber mallet…unfortunately, his first swing missed the pole entirely and instead fell on my hand. OUCH!

Travis was able to carry on without me and I am happy to say he did a clean job of it. I think this was Travis’ first ‘farm-life’ experience, but he was a natural :} Chicken #1 disappeared for a day but was roaming around two days later, so I’m just assuming she was in hiding.

I hope I don’t have to do any more executions for a long time! They are not fun! But I’m glad Travis was there to help me, he was fun to watch – since it definitely freaked him out a little, but I think he was trying to be brave for me :}

Sorry this was so long!

Kisses!

Family

IF there is one thing that I have come to appreciate more and more as I get older, it's family. I love knowing that my parents are there for me - no matter what - and I am so grateful for the sacrifices they have experienced so I could live life with opportunities and confidence. I can always rely on candid opinions and thought provoking words of advice. Even though my parents have both supported and protected me in their own ways, I am so grateful for their consistent level of love and respect for each other, that has probably made the biggest impact on me.

At this time of thanksgiving and quality time with family, I just wanted to express my gratitude and love to my immediate family and the family I have gained over the years through my friendships!

Love you all!

Kisses,
Ashley

Justice

This is quick - I just wanted to say, thank goodness November is over and taking Justice with it! I welcome December and my new virtue: Chastity.

Disneyland!

Travis and I ventured out to Disneyland a couple of weekends ago - it was sooo much FUN! Here's a candid documentory of the trip:

Driving!

I drove to CA and Travis took over from there - I'm so glad too, because CA drivers are crazy and the freeways are even worse, but he knew what he was doing and where he was going.

At the park!

Yes, we consecrated our trip with the purchase of Mickey ears...I mean, could we really say we were there if we hadn't?

Christmas!

The second day at the park all of a sudden there was this HUGE tree - like 15 stories high! - at the beginning of Main Street. So we snapped a picture with our Mickey hats. 

Rides! 

Autopia, here we come! Travis let me drive - so sweet but he ended up pushing on the gas peddle - there was too much resistance for my little legs - and I steered.

Boats!

We went on the Mark Twain steam boat! I've never been on it and it was SO much fun!

Tron!

The event we came to see! California Adventure has been putting on a party for the new Tron movie that's coming out soon, so we got in on the action.

DJs!

We had to get a picture with the DJ in the background - my boyfriend is cute.

Try as we might...

We didn't get it out...

This is our 1 picture with the characters. Every time we saw one there was a huge line to just get a picture, but we caught Goofy strolling around Tomorrow Land and grabbed a picture - so cute!

Let's end the post with a dance!

Kisses,

Ashley

Pondering

I wanted to check-in with a few life updates. Life is going great – I‘m still working on my list of virtues, but I have to say this month’s virtue (Justice) is kind of hard to conceptualize into a working virtue for me. I’m not a liar and I don’t find that I commit injustice to people – so unless I’m supposed to wear a mask and run around in a bath robe at night helping people, I’m not too sure what I’m supposed to be doing.

As always, I’m working on my humility and (surprise surprise) I’m having a difficult time with it. :} Something that my dad said to me a while ago keeps coming back to me when I get in moments where my stubbornness is trying to take over. He said, “Everyone has their limits, and sometimes your limits will exceed those of another person. And the way to live in harmony is to recognize that usually it is easier to taper back and meet that other person’s limits, than expect them to hyperextend their own.” At the time my protest to this was, “Well, then I’ll ALWAYS have to be the bigger person who has to make the sacrifices! That’s not fair.” But now that I’m looking back on that conversation there’s a balance in life, and to make those people, who I love, feel unnecessary stress because of my own conscious selfishness, or stubbornness isn’t fair. Not the other way around.

I’m not perfect, and I will probably have selfish or stubborn relapses, but I know I will get better, because I want the people I love to be happy, not stressed.

Kisses,

Ashley

Halloween

I have never spent Halloween this way. Firstly, I had a costume, and while some of you may raise an eyebrow to the idea…I rocked it!

My friend Erin did my make-up and this picture doesn't do it justice - she did an amazing job!

Short story…when I was on my way to Erin’s house to get my make-up done, I was wearing the head stuff (because it was so amazingly realistic!) and I was on the US-60. Well, I get level with this VW Jetta and look over; this guy, about my age, is driving and he looks over at me and half smiles before he takes in what he’s looking at and then in a split second his eyes triple in size and his mouth drops. I can’t imagine what was going through his head, but that was by far the funniest thing I have seen in a while! I laughed so hard in the car tears came to my eyes…haha…okay. Moving on...

When I was done with my make-up I ran to the Mac store to pick up an adapter for Travis before I headed over to the party.

I went to the San Tan mall and for some reason, I couldn’t for the life of me parallel park! I finally just gave up and parked straight, but like…2 yards away from the curb (good thing I didn’t take too long because I was definitely in-line for a ticket).

Anyways, by now I had my whole get-up on. Make-up done, do-rags and scarf in place, and of course dress on (which I made by the way). When I walked into the Mac store I drew an eye from everyone. One guy pulled out his iPhone and snapped a picture of me and whipped around to look at speakers when I looked over at him. It was so funny…

The party was…HUGE. I helped out in the front and there was a non-stop line from 10pm – 12:15am, people were saying they were waiting 45 minutes just to get to the door! What an experience! Travis and his buddies were terrorists and we were all definitely the most original group of costumes there.

I didn’t get home until 5am and it was definitely the longest day of my life. Almost a week later and my body still hasn’t recovered completely.

New Project

I've been wanting to redo my bathtub area in my main bathroom ever since I moved into my house, so today I started the demolition! 

Sorry I don't have a true 'before' picture but this is about 30 into the demo

Two band-aids and a few smashed fingers later...

Taking down that tile was WAY harder than I had anticipated! I'm SO tired and sore I need to clean out the tub before I go to bed and sweep up the floor to get all the dry wall off the floor. I wore eye protection, but didn't wear a mask and I think I'll be tasting dry wall for a while! *cough cough*

Kisses!

Ashley 

Camping!

So I was invited on a camping trip last weekend! A group of people went to the rim (about 2 hours out of Phoenix). It was a lot of fun, but Travis had to leave early to get the camp to set up and I couldn't go with him because I was still at work, so I had Jon come with me so I wouldn't have to drive up there all by myself (yay for cool little brothers!)

Jon and me on the Rim.

That's about as close to the rim Travis would get. :}

Travis and me on the rim

Oh yeah! I live on the edge!

Banana boat -  we made these on Saturday night. They tasted great, but maybe needed to be cooked a little more. You basically slice open a banana (without peeling it) and you stuff it with peanut butter, marshmallows, M&Ms, nuts, etc. wrap it in tinfoil and cook it on the fire. Yummy!

(Hurley and Max)

Travis brought Hurley and another girl brought her dog (Max) and they were like peas and carrots! So cute - we also observed Hurley's unique appetite for tree bark and dirt. It was all fun and games until he had an explosion in his crate later that night...poor puppy.

I brought my dad's quads up and we had a lot of fun riding those around. I'm not a huge camper, but this was a fun trip!

Kisses,

Ashley

August

Here are some more pictures from Charla's birthday dinner:

The whole group!

Some weird girl, Charla and me - Gavin thinks he's being cute sticking his tongue out and that girl is just creepy...

Dave, me, Charla, some girl...

me and Charla

I know it doesn't look like it, but we are actually on a saddle from the restaurant, it's a part of their 'birthday' celebration thingy...

Man if I wasn't so freakin' tall I could've just stood up normal! But maybe I should've any ways, because I look awkward in this picture.

July

I got some pictures from Charla that we took back in July...so here they are:

Yes, I like sushi, and here's proof! Me and Boyce

Smile for the camera!

After sushi we all went back to Charla's house and played the card game 'golf'

I wasn't ready!

Shaun, me, and Ryan

Another day later in the month we made a Pizookie with Ryan and his friend Shaun.

The pizookie was fabulous!! and these were the pictures from July!

Kisses,

Ashley

Games and Toes

I went to a baseball game with Jody and Anthony Gross, and their little girl Francis. The D-Backs won, which is typical when Becca or I go to a game without each other.

In other news, I hurt my big toe on the right foot a couple of nights ago when I went to a dance with Charla. It was dark, I was wearing flip-flops, and I wasn't paying attention - bad combination. Any ways, I ran into a guy and stubbed my toe on his shoe. But of course I continued to dance and jump around all night. Then for church today I shoved my toe into a pair of high heels so I could look cute (pain is beauty) and now my toe is all discolored and it's kind of freaking me out a little bit. But I will see how it goes. It only hurts when I walk on it, touch it, or try to move it. Other than that It's just fine.