The Last Year...

...of my life has been a whirlwind. I just recently turned 25 and since I've been sitting in class all day with my mind wandering, I started writing down how my life has changed in a year.

"I've learned so many things throughout the last year of my life. I've made mistakes that have hurt myself and the ones I love. I pushed people away and held on too tightly to others. I've been so misunderstood and have struggled to understand others. I have been so hurt and confused, and now have found myself on the opposite side of that. I have realized that people you've just met can understand more about you that someone you've known for most of your life. I've learned that being open to relationships fills your life with more joy than is describable. I now know that sometimes it's ok to not know what tomorrow will bring. It's ok to sit and cry. Or laugh and cry. Or look into someone's eyes and break down in tears.

Sometimes all you need is Dad's embrace or Mom's smooch on the cheek.

Or Matt's hand.

And all is well if those three things are with me."

Please Excuse My Absence...

...but I'm busy cramming 8 weeks of a Master's class into 4 days of pure and solid hell. Literally, from 9-3 all day, every day this week. Mother of mercy, this stuff is bonkers!

And I am so completely bummed that I'm letting all of my TiVoed shows and Blog reads pile up. It's driving me crazy that I can't get time to watch and read. It hurts my heart. BUT I must put school first (at least for the next 4 days) so thanks for your patience. I promise promise promise to get caught up on Sunday...when I get some time to breathe, and sleep, and function as a normal human being with no work or school for the day.

Love you!

Up Too Early

It's 3:36am on Friday morning. I was so tired last night before I went to bed...but for some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't turn my brain off.

Today is my last day of work at my school. While I was an absolute mess in February when I found out that I wouldn't be returning next year...I grin from ear to ear about it these days. I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. I have bigger and better things to be doing than what I was doing in this teaching position. I keep replaying things in my head, wondering how I got to this point in my life. I'm turning 25 on Sunday. And while part of me wants to freak out...I've decided that I'm going to embrace it. I don't feel any older. I just feel more experienced in life than I did at this time last year.

Last year, we were still trying to get organized from moving into our first home. I was getting married in a few months so that was completely taking over my brain. These days, I'm lucky that our life has calmed down quite a bit. We have a very swift direction that we're going in together.

So instead of freaking out that I don't have a teaching position lined up right now for next year, I'm smiling (: I'm excited about the unknown, which is a huge change for me. I'm usually so worried about what's going to happen next and planning out every little detail and making lists to make sure everything gets taken care of. But I'm at peace with my life right now, and its future. I can't wait to see where things will take me by August. I could be going to school to complete my Master's program full time. I could be working in a completely different line of work, perhaps something a bit more creative. I could be teaching somewhere. Who knows? Not me! And I like it that way, for now. (We'll see how I'm doing in a month or two!) But I trust that things will all work out the way they're supposed to. And I'll be enjoying the ride!!!

Wordless Wednesday...almost

These little quackers greeted me in the school parking lot this morning!

Happy Wednesday!

Yes, I've Officially Lost My Marbles

Volkswagen came up with the brilliant idea to have a baby maker on their website to promote their Routan. This is a very cruel thing to do to a mid-20's wife who knows she wants babies...in the future, not now. And we prefer boys, so our luck is that we'll be drenched in pink.

So guess what I've spent all morning doing.

Here's Auggie P. Martin

This is Jack D. Martin - somehow the program registered that we both have predominantly
red-headed families, despite our dark brown features. I think Randall will love this one!

Hope you have a great Thursday!

Matt and I are going to the Cardinals game tonight - woo-hoo!!! They have won their first two games against the Cubs, including a complete game shut out for the first game, and our awesome pitcher Carpenter came back last night to pitch 5 shut out innings for his first game off the DL. Go Birds!

On the Contrary...

Matt and I have been together for almost 5 years. So when we got married, I really didn't think there was much else to learn about my husband. We moved in together 6 months before we got married so we ironed out most of the housework struggles and new togetherness as co-habitators. I honestly thought there wouldn't be much changing when we got married.

I was wrong.

I am learning that we are even more opposite than I originally thought. Despite the fact that we have very different eating habits and sleeping habits, we've managed to get around those things just fine...for the most part.

But because I'm the way I am...and Matt's the way he is, there are some very significant conflicts in our household. Matt is a very relaxed, laid back person. I, on the other hand, am always going going going. When I know that something needs to get done, it becomes a priority for me and I won't stop until it's done. Prime example: Laundry. Oh, how I loathe you!

While Matt has no problem putting clothes in the washer and dryer, and then shoving them in the basket, he can't manage to make it to the folding and putting away part of the cycle. So the laundry sits in a basket for days. Days! All crinkled up on top of each other, just begging to be folded or hung up. So please imagine my frustration on Monday, one of Matt's days off, when I get home from work and school to see that the clothes I've managed to get folded fresh out of the dryer haven't been put away. Do you want to know why they haven't been put away? Do you? Well either way, I'm going to tell you. Matt was too busy golfing allfreakingday to get around to any of that. Because he's a chilled out, "I'll get around to it when I can" kind of person. And I...am not. Deep breaths, Ashley. DEEP breaths.

I love my husband. Even when he's the relaxed (Not lazy, right? No.) one in the household. Even when I get mad at him for golfing all day on his day off (I don't get days off!) instead of sitting at home doing laundry. And especially when he spends his entire next day off doing yardwork and shoveling mulch. Just one lesson learned of many. We're opposites and that's okay. Deep breaths.

(: Happy Hump Day!

The ABCs of Me!

Some of my StL blog ladies have been doing this...so I thought I'd hop on their bandwagon (:


A - Age: 24, almost 25 (May 31)
B - Bed size: Queen, we couldn't even fit it up the stairwell to get to our bedroom without my dad having to tear out some of the ceiling!
C - Chore you hate: Picking up dog poop! Isn't that what husbands are for?
D - Dog's names: Gracie and Gunner
E - Essential start your day item: Water
F - Favorite color: Green
G - Gold or Silver: Silver...but it usually ends up being white gold
H - Height: 5'5
I - Instruments you play: I play air drum like crazy!
J - Job title: Teacher
K - Kid(s): None yet!
L - Living arrangements: First home with husband and pups
M - Mom's name: Dixie
N - Nicknames: Ash, Muffin, Pistachio
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Never ever ever...knock on wood
P - Pet Peeve: Stupid drivers, ignorant people, sports analysts
Q - Quote from a movie: "Close you eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, there's no place like home.” - Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: I have three step siblings who are all married, in addition to a sister-in-law and brother-in-law thanks to Matt!
T - Time you wake up: Which time? I wake up multiple times throughout the night...but I usually get up around 7
U- First word that comes to your mind for "U": Underwear!
V - Vegetable you dislike: Almost all of them...except that I haven't tried most of them!
W - Ways you run late: Stuck in traffic
X - X-rays you've had: Back, sinuses, and knee (and dental...do those count?)
Y - Yummy food you make: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese! And Fiesta Ranch dip!
Z - Zoo favorites: Prairie dogs, hippos, and polar bears