Going mobile?

This is my first post from my phone...maybe this means I will keep up with my blog more if done by the device that I basically live on Stay tuned :)

Bittersweet Ending

It's official, as of this Friday I will no longer be a Flagstaff resident.

I will be moving what I need for the summer back home to start my summer job while dealing with the anticipation of being a student teacher.

It is crazy how fast college came and went. It feels like just yesterday I was dreaming of becoming a NAU Lumber(jill), but now it is coming to an end. Yes, I still am enrolled as a NAU student while I complete my student teaching, but it won't be the same. I will no longer be laying my head down at night in my adorable little apartment, waking up and determining what the weather will be like so I can decide how many layers to wear, tiredly driving to class or walking and enjoying the beautiful scenery. I will no longer get the view of the gorgeous San Fransisco Peaks after they have been lightly dusted with snow. There are so many little things that I have enjoyed while living up here, that it will be a struggle to get over.

I remember having this same battle when the situation was reverse. When I first moved to Flagstaff I had to deal with not seeing my family and at the time boyfriend on a daily basis, the luxury of certain restaurants that Flagstaff lacks, a stable income, my routine that I had created was flipped upside down. Now, I have to face the facts and move back home to create yet another routine that will again change once I become a student teacher. But isn't that what life is all about? To get from point a to point b, change is required.

 Yes, I am sad to leave Flagstaff, but I gain so much when I move back home that it is worth it. Flagstaff was not a permanent move, it was a chapter in my life that lasted for two years and is now coming to an end. Now, I get to move home and see my nephew on a regular basis, see the baby in my sister's belly grow and kick, come home and sit on the counter while I tell my mom about my day, be able to hug and kiss everyone goodnight. Being able to do all those things is making the transition back home 100x easier.

Thank you Flagstaff for being such a beautiful home to me for the past couple years. I will miss you! But you can't get rid of me that easily...I have to graduate in December :)



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It's May!!

I know that May is my birthday month, but I have just always adored this month! Yes, in Arizona it is usually already 100+ by now, but there are just so many positives to me personally!

Birthday, end of school, time for relaxation, Memorial Day, etc!

AND

I personally have always loved MAY DAY. The tradition where one leaves flowers on someones doorstep. Knowing you made someones day by ding-dong ditching them to leave some beautiful flowers is a small gesture that can go a long way!

I LOVE THIS MONTH!

NEW CHAPTER

As of today, I only have a total of FOUR (YES FOUR!) classes until I am officially a Student Teacher. Can you tell I am excited?! Of course I am feeling a million other emotions, but I am trying to focus on the excitement of this new chapter I will be starting in my life. I have not officially received my placement, but a little birdie might have spilled the beans! Supposedly, do not quote me on this, I will be student teaching in a first grade class at Mountain Shadows Elementary. This is a blessing because I attended Mountain Shadows from k-6th, as well as, my siblings. It was my goal to student teach there, and hopefully one day I will be working there too. 

It is crazy to think that I will soon be the teacher in the classroom, when it feels like yesterday I was counting down the days to graduate high school and begin this journey to achieve my teacher goal. I need to remember to breathe, stay focused, think about how blessed I am to have this opportunity, and take every day as it comes! Thank you God for giving me this opportunity and to all my loved ones who have supported me through this! I love you all!

<3 Ash

Mini Tribute

I have done a few posts about individuals who I have lost in my life, usually when that difficult time comes rolling around in the year. Since I had been slacking on my blog, I am a few days late with the one for my grandma, the most important person in my life who I lost way too soon. I find it hard to get words out without breaking down into a puddle of tears, so I will keep it short and to the point, using what I said on Facebook.

Today while I was doing some spring cleaning, I had GAC on in the background...I mean who doesn't like to clean with country music blaring?! Well first, Garth Brooks' song "The Dance" came on...which gives me chills every time and I tear up. THEN, Martina McBride's song "I'm Going To Love You Through It" came on right after...talk about pulling at a girl's heart. Both make me think of my Grandma and I just lost it and had to text my mamma. She simply responded with "I love you" and it is all I needed to make me smile.

{From Facebook, March 25th}

"15 years ago, yesterday, my grandma passed away. She was beautiful inside and out, making friends no matter where she went and willing to do anything for others. Her laugh was one of the best sounds to ever fill our home. I wish she was here to see the great parents her children are, the great accomplishments her grandchildren are making, and her adorable great-grandson. She has missed a lot, but I know she is looking down from above, sending us her special love. I love and miss you SO Much grandma.

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH"

<3 Ash



Pilot or Firefighter?

This cute little boy has become obsessed with planes recently. Maybe he will be a pilot and ignore the "firefighter blood"??

Play time with Auntie!

It is NO secret that I am absolutely in love with my nephew! It is such a blessing to be an aunt and I love to spoil this little boy! I mean, look at him, who wouldn't!

 Told you he loves me....BIG SLOPPY KISSES!

Hey Auntie! Can I join you in MY toy?!



New Ink

For those of who you don't know, I got my first tattoo the spring break before I turned 19. It says "Live, Laugh, Love" on my foot and I got it for my grandma. That was the saying that we all knew her by and I had adapted as my own (if you see my apartment, almost all the decorations consist of this saying).

People say that once you get a tattoo, you will just want more. I didn't think this was true, but now I do. You constantly become more aware of tattoos and think of things you would like to permanently mark on your body. I do believe that tattoos should have meaning to them and a personal rule is I have to want it for at LEAST 6 months before I actually go through with it. As soon as I got my foot tattoo, I fell in love. I loved the cursive used and everything about it. I wanted to get something that represented my faith, but I didn't want to get a cross. I began searching for different kinds of cursive and thinking of places that I could put it (being a future teacher, I don't want anything in an inappropriate place).

FINALLY...after TWO YEARS...I found the perfect cursive and went through with it. The week before spring break, I went into a tattoo shop that was recommended to me by a friend in Flagstaff, made an appointment, went back the next day and 25 minutes later I have a beautiful new tattoo! It is not completely finished...eventually I would like to add a trinity knot below it that will become a "never-ending faith" representation.

SPRiNG BREAK!

I spent my last spring break {as a college student} by enjoying a week home filled with family, relaxation, laying out, and friends.

Let me tell you, this was definitely needed!

While others enjoyed vacations away from their homes, I was as happy as can be spending as much time with my adorable nephew as possible.

With another one coming in August, I want to soak up as much time with Jax one-on-one as I can. Even though he won't remember these events when he is older, the bonding time is so rewarding and that he will never forget.

Jax and I got to have some fun nephew-auntie time at Miss Anna-Banana's third birthday party! I have watched Little Miss Anna since she was a newborn at TT and then started to nanny for her & her brother, Liam, last summer.

Liam is exactly one month younger than Jax, so they are little buddies!

Along with the birthday party, I babysat Jax a couple times and enjoyed a spring training game with the whole fambam {minus Jaime & Matt, they had to work}

St. Patty's Day was spent enjoying the company of friends I had been missing!

James, Bryce, Ashley, my brother and James' roommate all enjoyed a few drinks at Tim Finnigans {sp?} and then the girls headed out to Mill Avenue

Sadly...Mill was filled with some creepers, as well as, Ash and I were not "feeling" it so we decided to head home and spend some time with my Mamma & sister

Overall, it was a great Spring Break and I wouldn't have done anything differently!

<3 Ash

I'M BAAAAAACK

I could probably come up with a million excuses as to why I have been neglecting my blog

{but}

I will stick to the truth...

I have been consumed with what I call life {friends, family, school, etc.}

and taking a few minutes out of my day to blog just didn't seem like a priority.

Sometimes one needs a vacation in order to get back into the swing of things!

So, I can't make any promises that I will be blogging daily or even weekly, but I am going to try my best to find the time to post about blog-worthy things!

<3

Ash

My Apologies

To say I have been a slacker with this blog is an 

{understatement}

Let's just say that life has caught up with me!

Trips home, getting sick, keeping up with schoolwork, being a nanny, and more have been keeping me busy and creating a 

{slump}

in the blogging world for myself

ALSO, I am now managing TWO blogs because one is required for my Educational Technology class.

This blog focuses mainly on reflections, education, technology, etc. so it is not THAT appealing unless you are interested in stuff like that!

I am hoping that life with calm down a little bit as I get back on schedule, but spring break is right around the corner which means....MIDTERMS!

So I am not making any promises, but don't worry, I am aware of my slacki-ness! 

For now, just keep checking in and I am sure a new blog or two will pop up here and there!

xo

Ash

Me Want COOOOKiESSS!

My Auntie M has been visiting my Grandpa for the passed week

{she lives in Cape Cod, JEALOUS!}

Anywho...

She makes these AMAZiNG cookies that are just way too hard to describe. They are light, sugary, filled with jam (Apricot) and covered in powdered sugar.

{who wouldn't want to eat that!?}

Well guess what!

I had the privilege of learning how to make these babies this past weekend from the wonderful lady herself! To my surprise, it was NOT as easy as you would think, but she told me I did an AWESOME job {especially for my first time}

I will NOT share the recipe

{hehe :)}

but I will share pictures of the wonderful and memorable event.

It was so nice to be able to bake with my Auntie M considering we do not get to see each other as I'd like. She is a one of a kind lady and I love her so much!

 {Ta Da} pose

The finished product! YUM!

Relay For Life



Dear Family & Friends,

I am a member of Kappa Delta Pi (Honor Society for future teachers) and one of our many spring activities is Relay For Life. Last year was my first year participating in it and it was truly an amazing experience. Sadly, if I asked you if you know/knew someone who has/had cancer, most of you can say yes. Last year, I did it in honor of my Grandma who had breast cancer and passed away when I was little.

The point of Relay For Life is to raise money and awareness to find a cure for cancer. How Relay works: there are teams of people who come to the Skydome on April 21st from 6pm until 6am (yes it is a 12 hour event), there is a track throughout the Skydome and at ALL times there has to be at LEAST one individual walking on the track from each team. Throughout the event there are specific activities, speakers, each team has a spot that we decorate based on the overall theme (this year it is DISNEY), there are items people have made that can be purchased and put forth to the teams overall total, etc. Luminaries can be purchased and dedicated to whomever you choose (I purchased one for my Grandma) for the Ceremony of Hope. The lights get turned off, the luminaries are lit, everyone walks (slowly) around the track, and music is played. It is VERY emotional, but brings people who were strangers, closer together. I was lucky to have some amazing ladies by my side last year.

That is just a little overview of the event. What I am trying to get at here is...I would LOVE if anyone of you could donate to support this wonderful cause. There is a $5 minimum and if that is all your wallet can allow you to do during these rough times, it is $5 more than they had before. The event is April 21st...so there is plenty of time to donate! I will attach the website for those of you who would like to explore more about this event (you could get involved!) and a specific page for me and my team. I have set a $100 goal for myself...please help me achieve it!

THANK YOU!

http://www.relayforlife.org/index?cons_id=19523788

(Relay For Life Homepage)

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12National?px=19523788&pg=personal&fr_id=40384

(My personal page - can make donations on my behalf to reach my $100 goal)

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/?team_id=1091162&pg=team&fr_id=40384

(Kappa Delta Pi-Beta Chi's page)

CLOUD NiNE!

SO...

Remember all my gibber-gabber earlier in my blog about how nervous I was to take the AEPA because, oh you know, it was just a test that would reflect the last four years I have spent as a student working my

{booty}

off to become the best future teacher I possibly can be. No big deal.

WELL...

I PASSED!!!!

{perform happy dance here}

I cannot thank the ones who have supported me throughout this process enough. You all know who you are so...

THANK YOU

My Role Models

Every year we celebrate Mother's and Father's Day, but I don't think that those should be the only days we acknowledge how wonderful our parents are. I have been blessed with phenomenal parents and I couldn't have asked for more.

My parents are my biggest supports.

{My backbone}

They have been by my side through heartbreak, loss of loved ones, when I was unsure about my path in life, and when I have been scared.

{My shoulders to cry on & arms to make me feel safe}

They push me to pursue my dreams, reach my goals, and be the best person I can be.

{My cheerleaders}

When I am unsure or need time, they are {patient} and always willing to catch me if I fall.

They have never pushed me to do what THEY wanted, they guide me and lead me to a path to make my own decisions, whether it is different from theirs.

I have seen my parents become amazing grandparents to my sweet little nephew. My mom and dad are willing to drop whatever they are doing, give whatever they have, and love unconditionally for their children and family. They are the true definition of what it takes to be an amazing parents and grandparents.

{they have three awesome children so they obviously did something right, haha}

There is SO much more I could say about my parents, but I am becoming a teary eyed mess. So I will leave it at that and let you ponder your relationship with your parents. If it is strained, it's not too late to fix it. If you haven't talked to them in a while, pick up the phone. If you have amazing parents like I do but don't tell them enough, tell them.

<3 Ash

Play It Sweet In Heaven

Tomorrow will mark the 2 year anniversary that a very close friend to the family passed away. So this blog will be somewhat emotional if you would like to refrain from reading.

I was in the shower getting ready for work and usually I was the only one awake. My mom came in the bathroom and asked me a weird question, considering I was in the shower, and then proceeded to tell me when I am done to come out to the family room. I knew something was wrong and instantly felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I demanded her to tell me what was wrong, I didn't want to wait until I was done. A thousand thoughts started rushing through my head; my dad had left that morning to go to work could something have happened to him, was it my grandpa, etc. She finally spit the words out that Marty had passed away. I immediately didn't want to believe her, fell to the shower floor and started crying. My family wasn't going to tell me until I had gotten home from work because they weren't sure if I would be able to not go in that day, and working after you hear news like that would have been unbearable. After many minutes of crying, I had to work up the nerve to call work. It was one of the hardest phone calls I have ever made, spitting out the words that a very important person in my life was no longer there, was torture. Thankfully I had an amazing work family and they were all by my side throughout the whole ordeal.

I have known I wanted to go to NAU since I was in about 7th grade. If you asked me then why I would have said because it was a beautiful campus, it has a GREAT teaching program, and I could experience going away to college while still being close. If you ask me why I chose NAU now, those reasons are still valid, but I have another to add; Marty went there. He always seemed happy that I had chosen NAU as my college of choice and I wasn't going to let him down. A certain song was played at Marty's funeral and ironically that song came on my iPod the very first day of classes at NAU. I knew it was a sign from him, telling me he was proud of me.

"Words cannot do Marty justice in describing the wonderful man he was. He was an inspiration to others, loving, caring, giving, funny, full of laughter, and so much more. He was not just a friend of the family, he WAS family. I considered Marty as a second dad; he always cared for me as if I were his own. He made me feel special and proud to be who I was. I loved how he treated my family and the amazing friendship he and Bev had with my parents. I loved seeing how happy my dad was to have a best friend, a brother and how he was my mom’s “second” husband. Marty left a permanent imprint on my life, my heart, and my future. He encouraged me to go after my dreams, achieve my goals, and was willing to help me any way I needed it. He opened up his home, his cabin, his life, and his heart to my family and that will never be forgotten. Marty is everywhere. I see him when I see a deck of cards, when I watch the drag races, when I drive to Flagstaff, when I see a beautiful sky and know it’s his way of reminding us all that he is watching over us and loves us. I miss Marty more and more each day. Life has not been the same without him, but I know he is still watching over me and wants me to continue to succeed and achieve my goals. I love you Marty!"

{a letter I wrote for Marty's book}

I love you Marty and miss you dearly.

Love,

Little Ashlee

"Cryin' For Me"

Got the news on Friday morning
But a tear I couldnt find
You should me how I am supposed to live
Now you should me how to die
I was lost til Sunday morning
I woke up to face my fear
While writing you this good bye song I found a tear

Im going to miss that smile
Im going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
Im not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I am cryin for me

I got up and dialed your number
Your voice came on the line
That old familiar message
I have heard a thousand times
It just said, sorry that I missed you
Leave a message and god bless
I know that you think I am crazy
But I just had to hear your voice I guess

Im going to miss that smile
Im going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
Im not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I am cryin for me

Oh

So play your upsidedown, left handed
Backward bass guitar
Ill see you on the other side superstar

Im going to miss that smile
Im going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
Im not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I am cryin for me

 

ON A ROLL

I stated earlier in my blog this year that I wanted to {get fit}. I am HAPPY to say that for the last week and a half...I have stuck to making better eating choices and working out EVERY DAY! I am feeling {AMAZING} about myself and am already seeing results. Even if they are minimal results right now, they give me the boost that I need. I am proud of myself for sticking with a goal I set for myself {one of the greatest feelings ever}.

Along with my little workout that I have created for myself, I downloaded an app for my phone called MyFitnessPal. With this app I am able to keep {EXACT} track of what I eat and the exercises I complete. One of my favorite things about this app is I was able to put in my info and my goal {losing weight, maintaining the same weight, etc.} so I know it is personalized to me. Tracking the food that I am eating helps me continue to make better choices when I hear my tummy growl! I hope to continue the good work...spring break is right around the corner!

 Bent Leg Lift {booty and thighs}

Squats {booty, calves, upper thigh}

Abs

Push Ups {I couldn't resist this adorable picture!}

<3 Ash

Hmmm?

So my roomie and I were enjoying our Tuesday night ritual {watching Teen Mom}. However, she was taking homework breaks during the commercials for her religion class. As I was staring off into my phone reading a text message, I hear her ask "How would you describe Jesus?" I continued to stare at my phone, but then slowly turned my head towards her direction only to realize she was staring {RIGHT AT ME}. Of course we burst into laughter, it's just what we do. Together we came up with a pretty awesome answer.

The point of this post is {even if it was silly how the question came about}...how would {YOU} describe Jesus?

<3 Ash

"HEY, HE TRIPPED YOU!"

Last night the roomie, friends Danielle and Shane, and I ventured downtown Flagstaff together for the very first time! It was a night to {remember} for sure! We started off at Charley's, then headed to Collins, then Maloney's and finished the night off dancing at San Felipes! Talk about bar hopping. Throughout the night we had many moments of {silent laughter} because we were just having such a good time! I won't get into the nity grity details, but some of these moments were: walking into a bar stool, tripping leaving the bar resulting in a skinned up knee for me {hence the title of the post}, some hilarious voxers and a cold and memorable walk to our friend's house. Let's just say my roomie and I had a fun time laughing about them again over lunch.

I am happy to say that we have spent the majority of our Saturday on the couch watching movies. It has been rainy/wet snow all day, but we were greeted by a fresh blanket of snow this evening. It is BEAUTIFUL and makes it feel like winter {it has been in the high 60's/low 70's in the valley}.

I am so excited to see what this semester will bring and can't wait to have some more crazy nights with my rooms!

<3 Ash

Out With The Old & In With The New

This past week has been full of personal obstacles, challenges, and a test of my personal strength. There have been some major changes to my life. They will take some time to get used to, but I know that in the end they are the right choices. For so long I have been putting others before myself and neglecting one of the most important people in my life, myself. I feel like if there is a time in my life where I can be {selfish} the time is now. I am not married; I do not have children, so why not focus on me? It is time for me to stop holding back worrying about what others think and enjoy my life the way I decide to spend it.  I have a few more months at NAU and then it is time to be a big girl in the {real world}. So here is to making new memories, not looking back and enjoying what is to come. God has a plan for me; it is time for me to let him lead the way.

“Even if you stumble, you are still moving forward.”

<3 Ash



Obsession?

Living in Flagstaff my main place to go is...TARGET. I think I frequent the store about once, sometimes twice, a week {just ask my mom, I'm usually on the phone with her}. Usually I make a list of all the things I NEED or am going to run out of soon, so I will try to just make one trip. But as soon as I get home I realize I forgot or missed something, so one trip turns to two.

Target is NOT a store I can just run in and out of. I always like to wander the aisles and see what cute things they have at that time. Sadly, I came home from winter break and had to put all the Christmas decorations away...BUT...pulled out the Valentine's Day decor. I absolutely {LOVE} when the apartment is decorated. For some reason I feel like I had more decorations last year, but I just must be mistaken. So in the section when you first enter a Target, I always skim to see what cheap deals they have. {BOOM!} I found a glitter "Be Mine" sign that just fit perfectly on the bar in the apartment for only $2.50! Who says I'm not a good shopper :)

<3 Ash

'Nough Said

One of the many reasons why I love pinterest. I have finally updated and added some new boards. Go check out some of my neat finds.

<3 Ash

Vroom Vroom

I had the awesome opportunity to go to Supercross on Saturday with my Brother and our friend Brett. Brandon's girlfriend was supposed to attend, but she had a prior softball commitment in Tuscon, so I was the lucky one to scoop up the extra ticket! I was excited to enjoy a night out and see what they hype about this sport was about. Don't get me wrong, I have watched it here and there on TV with my brother, but I have never had the urge to put some bucks down on a ticket. Boy was I WRONG!

It was amazing to see the racers. Everything is SO unpredictable and the vibe of the viewers is intense. So many people are rooting for different drivers, but there was never once conflict. When it comes to sports, I tend to only favor baseball. I grew up with it, I understand the game, and who doesn't love to stare at an attractive man in tight baseball pants?! Supercross is pretty simple to follow, it's face paced, and again, the riders are very attractive. I think I have found a new hobby :-)

 BROTHER<3

 The start of the Main Event

 Ryan DUNGEY - the winner of the Main Event && Brandon's favorite

Serious pictures just ain't our thang :-)

 

This is my FAVORITE rider :-)

Mike Alessi. He is GORGEOUS & shares my birthday :-P