More & More Love!

So a few things have happened since I last updated here...

1.  I left my home of Kentucky (on a Thursday night)

2.  I spoke at a Ladies Retreat in Ohio... about 8 hours east of Bowling Green (Friday and Saturday)

3.  I hung out with my Aunt and Uncle in Ohio... another 2 hours east (Sunday)

4.  I drove over 20 hours to Texas....  very far west (arriving Monday)

I was very, very tired.

And never, ever, ever wanted to drive a car again.

But, for real.

It was a fun whirlwind weekend, but I was beyond thankful to be with Mister!

And that's not the half of it!

Mister and I got busy trying to find a place to abide after we wed this June (a roof over our heads seemed important).  So after searching and searching, we found the most amazing place to live!  

Mister knew this specific apartment had my heart, and has been more than generous for choosing this place as "ours"... he's even showed his handy-dandy skills with some painting (and his muscles have done a lot of the lifting and moving of the furniture!).

Until the wedding, I'm splitting my time between Texas and Florida, and the past few days I've been hanging out with the fam in the Sunshine State.  While here, I was blessed with a shower from the lovely ladies from the congregation where my parents attend worship.

These wonderful women are not only emotional and spiritual supports for my family, but they are true friends who demonstrated their love in overwhelming support of me.  Not only was I surrounded by their physical outpouring of love and hospitality, but I saw a glimpse of how connected we are in Christ.  The love and comradery we share is a blessing in and of itself.  How thankful I am for the saints here in Lakeland!

Surrounded by beautiful spiritual women!

The day started with a game - Four Bridal Dresses to choose from for a "Back Up Plan" on the big day!  How fun!

The winning team - Here's to hoping I look half as beautiful as you Kari!  Thanks ladies for a job well done!

A nifty collection of wisdom from all those in attendance, including some wit, practical sayings, and biblical principles to cling to.

 

Oh Daisies, how I love you!

Yummy Cupcakes.

Red Velvet... AND Funfetti... Because I am a child.

Too many blessings!  How wonderful are these women?

My favorite present:  A quilt my mom made by hand over the past few months.  Not only is it beautiful, but it was made with love and perfection.  Cue: Tears.

Love you Mom!

Fun to be on the "other side" of the ribbon/bow bouquet tradition!

 No Daisies, for real: I really, really love you!

Generations.  

Blessed with a wonderful Mom and Nana!

So thankful for all the hard work from these wonderful hostesses!  This fun event meant so much to me and was absolutely beautiful and wonderful. Y'all are an honor to you families, both spiritual and physical. Thanks for being so lovely, generous, and beautiful!

On a side note, if you are really nervous about being the center of attention, and paranoid about everyone looking at you... Fear no more.  Your family will deem it their responsibility to pick you up in front of the whole crowd and pose for a picture.

And you love them anyway!

Getting closer to the big day!

Showered with Blessings & Love

This weekend I was very, very, very blessed.  Six of the loveliest ladies I know organized a shower for me here in Bowling Green.  So many wonderful women came out to honor and love me.  Even my mom drove all the way from Florida to be here for the occasion!  All I have to say is:  I am loved!

Aside from being showered with so many wonderful blessings for my next stage of life, I was treated to a wonderful garden-esque party surrounded by beautiful women and girls whom I adore.  The weather cooperated beautifully with the sun shining, and a cool breeze.  It was such a lovely, girly, fun event!

  

 

 

 

1. Yummy Yummy Taco Bar
2. Fresh Fruit + Cheesecake Factory = Scrumptious Desserts
3.  Drink Station
4.  Yum!
5.  Pretty Pretty Ladies
6.  Matron and Maid of Honor.  Love Them!
7.  Words of Wisdom
8.  Jars and Vases housing Daisies
9.  Weird & Wonderful = New Name on a Beautiful New Plate
10. Quaint Decorations and Presents
11.  Laughing with Mom
12.  Wonderful Attendees
13.  Love my Mom!
14.  A Game filled with Trivia and Laughter
15.  Dislike Being Center of Attention, But Everyone Was So Sweet!

The Most Loveliest Hosts:

Alli
She happens to be my Maid of Honor, and I fell in love with her almost instantly when arriving to Bowling Green.  She's the best basketball player you can ever care to meet.  And a true friend.  In a lot of ways we did quite a bit of "maturing" together and have learned a few of those life-changing-lessons side by side. I will love her forever.

Michelle
Not only has she allowed me to reside in her house over the past couple months, but she has always loved me deeply.  She has an affinity for Disney that I didn't even know was possible. She really, really loves her some Disney.  She cares so much for all of those around her, and has one of the most amazing families I know. 

Lauren
If I could hand select a younger sister for myself, it would be her.  Since this is impossible, I'll just pretend we're related, and have her be a bridesmaid in my wedding.  She's too witty for her own good, and makes me laugh more than I should.  Also, we went to a Taylor Swift Concert together once.  I'm convinced we're bound in some sisterhood pact because of that.  

Karan
 The lovely lady who opened her beautiful home for the whole shindig, and also the spunkiest person in the world. No really, the term "spunky" doesn't do her justice.  She's simply delightful. I hope to have half of her energy when I get as young as her! She is determined, lovely, intelligent, and wonderful.  She supports me and loves me through and through.

Cara
My wonderful Matron of Honor.  She is single-handily the sweetest person I have ever met.  Her love for God is contagious, and her love for others is astonishing.  She has humbled me, motivated me, made me laugh, and has set such a great example of being a wife for me.  I can honestly say that without her guidance, Derek and I would not be where we are today. Love. love, love her.

Lorie
I'm fairly certain Lor would bend over backwards for me, three million times, in a hail storm.  Never have I felt so warm and welcomed into another family as I have with hers.  She took care of me when I broke my leg, and has dished out advice on practically every aspect of my life.  Also, she has not complained once at the brainwashing I've done with her daughter, whom I love beyond words, and have taught to do very ridiculous things.

I have no words to describe how much these ladies have done for me throughout the years:

Listen to me rant about how much I hate boys?  Check.  

Listen to me talk on and on about how much I love boys Derek?  Check.
Help me figure out "what I want to do with my life"? Check.

Be a spiritual example and help me grow?  Check.
Remind me to laugh in life?  Check.
Listen to me ramble about History and Politics?  Check.
Talk me out of very dumb decisions?  Double Check.

Thanks for all you have done for me, not just with this beautiful Shower, but in so many other avenues of my life.

Love y'all!

Ash

PS - 70 Days... and Counting!

One Orange Jeep Please

In case you missed it click here for the first part of our engagement story:

Just look at the Snow Ma'am (Engaged Part 1)

After Mister surprised me at the door (and a few hugs and kisses later) we went inside to warm up from the cold and snow.  I was beyond thrilled to see him, and my head was spinning from a million thoughts.

As we plopped down on the couch and began talking Mister was very tight-lipped about his plans for being here.  So I took it upon myself to begin grilling him for every detail about his visit.  How long had he planned this?  Why was he here?  How many people knew about his sneaky journey?  Did he rent a car to drive to my apartment? Most importantly I needed to know when he would be leaving.  I was convinced that he would hang out with me for a day or two, then ask that question the day he left.

"How long are you going to be here?!"

"For awhile."

"But for real, what day are you leaving?"

"On a certain day after today."

"Can you tell me when?"

"No."

Clearly, I wasn't going to get anywhere with this approach.  So I decided to just enjoy his company and wait it out, knowing in all my wisdom, glory, and knowledge that he would be asking me a very important question right before he left town.  Not tonight...

So I cozied up on the couch just content with getting to spend the evening with him.  Mister precariously walked into my kitchen, opened my fridge and scrunched up his nose.  "Are you hungry?  You have absolutely no food in here. I'm starving!"

I had plenty of vegetables and sandwich fixings.  Apparently that's not food?

"Let's go get something for dinner" Mister proposed.  Still feeling squeamish and wanting to bask in the moment of him surprising me, I suggested we wait and eat later.  He obliged and sat down next to me again. I started chattering away about happenings at work and how I spent the Christmas Holiday, when he interrupted me again, not even five minutes later.  "Ashley, let's go grab something to eat.  It will make you feel better.  And I'm really hungry..."

What?

Why couldn't he just let me enjoy my time with him?

Doesn't he know how happy I am right now?

I'm not even hungry.

He does eat a lot, maybe he really is hungry?

Think of a compromise, how can we get food quickly?

"Ok... Maybe we can go get Moe's?"

"Moe's?"

"Moe's."

"Uhhhh, No.  Not what I had in mind."

"What?  You said you wanted food and that's something quick we can go pick up!"

"Just go get ready, we'll figure something out on the way."

"But, you know Moe's is really good..."

""Maybe."

In hindsight, this was another one of those flashing-neon-lights that portrayed what was about to happen that night.  But instead, I could only focus on cheap Mexican food.  What is wrong with me?  Thankfully I had the foresight to curl my hair before we left for dinner so that Mister wouldn't be repulsed by my looks.

As we walked outside Mister made me close my eyes and helped me into the vehicle he had rented.  Laughing, because I love when he does these type of silly things, I followed his command.  I squeezed my eyes real tight, hobbled into the car, and waited for his word on when I could open them.

Three seconds later Mister had ran around the car, jumped in, and finally let me look at the car he rented.

AN ORANGE JEEP!

He knew this was my favorite car in all the world.  And this one was orange: bonus points! How lucky was I that he rented one?  And how cool was I to get to ride in one to dinner (which I still had my fingers crossed that we would be hearing "Welcome to Moe's" in about 10 minutes)?

We buckled and started on our way, my heart leaped as we started navigating... not towards the side of town with restaurants, but towards the Highway... Mister looked at me and said, "I have a better idea of what we can do tonight..." and with that, he turned onto the Highway, heading towards Nashville.   Moe's was not on the menu, and thankfully a much better night lay ahead!

Don't worry, I'll tell you all about Nashville next time!

ash

She Said Yes!

Mister and I had a very important task to fulfill this week.

We needed to ask Nat to be our flower girl!

Mister helped pick out some flowers for my favorite little girl, and we headed to her house.

When we got their and popped the big question she heartily agreed to be in the wedding!

Hugs and more Hugs went all around.

Having her be a big part of our day means so much to me, I love this little girl to pieces!

After she said yes, we got ready to take a picture, but Nat was adamant that she be as tall as Derek for the picture.  I think she secretly thinks he's cool.  Don't worry, he likes her just as much.  Just don't tell anybody.

As she was standing on her stool, she looked over... and up... at Derek... looks like she's gonna need another growth spurt or two to catch up.

Later, Derek asked her how tall she thought he was, she did some quick mental calculations and measuring with her fingers, and answered "20 inches".

The he asked how tall I was... calculations and measurements later, "20 inches".

How tall she was... again, "20 inches".

Hmmm, maybe we need to work on Math... Don't worry Nat, I'm no good with numbers either!

Love you Nat, so glad you'll be a part of our big day!

Ash

Blow-Up Mattresses

If ever you need to go to Target to register for your wedding, I have one piece of sage advice:

Don't wear a Red Polo.

Mister made this crucial mistake.

It's not just the Red Polo that did him in, it's the fact that he had to be the one to hold the gun.

It's not a scanner it's a gun.

Big difference.

Apparently.

Whilst deciding on a shower curtain for our future bathroom (thanks Mister for letting me get the pretty one!) I noticed a lady walk into our aisle.  

Walk right up to Derek.  

Really close to Derek. 

 He just looked down at her.

Then she simply asked, "Do you know where the blow-up mattresses are?"

He didn't even answer.  I think he was confused. Why was she so close to him?

After a moment she said, "Oh..." And began to back away.

Still, he said nothing.  Just continued to stare at her.

"I guess you don't work here..."

And she practically ran out of the aisle.

I wanted to tell her they were located in the camping aisle...  but I couldn't stop laughing long enough to be coherent.  I'm overly helpful like that.

Poor Mister.  Thanks for taking life in stride and letting me laugh along the way.

Just another reason why I love ya.

ash

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Every winter it gets cold (unless you're a Floridian, then this doesn't apply to you).

And every winter, about two weeks in, I begin to hate the aforementioned cold.

My winter jackets, scarves, boots, and sweaters no longer seem like appealing clothing apparel.

Well, except for maybe the boots. I like them.
And the Scarves.

I convince myself that this is all part of the "Circle of Life" and that it is necessary for me to enjoy all of the things I adore about the Summer. 

Like warmth.

And the Sun.

And warmth.

And the ability to go outside for more than 3 seconds without turning into an icicle.

And warmth.

Every winter as I'm tail-spinning into pure hatred for the shivery season, I do something that I'm sure a lot of people would reprimand me for.

I pray for Snow.

As in, ask God to make it snow.

And although I'd be content with a Blizzard, I commit myself to being satisfied with just a Flurry.

Growing up in Florida, the chances of seeing Snow were pretty slim (read: zero percent).  But then, living in Ohio spoiled me into thinking that anytime the weather dropped to 32 degrees it would automatically snow.  We lived close to the Great Lakes, so it was somewhat true for our area.

Then I moved to Kentucky.  And the first few Winters produced enough Snow that I was still able to go sledding, and have a few Snow Days, where I got to avoid classes on the hill and stay in my nice warm bed a few hours longer.  The snow was so good to me.  I was in harmony with winter.  Eventually however, winters have become less white, with the same amount of frigidness.  It truly makes me sad.  And thus, I began to pray for snow.  

I ask God to bless me with snow as a reward for "toughing it out" with all the cold.

Yes... I know this is silly.

Yes... I know some would say this is not what prayer is for.

Yes... I am an adult.

So now, every time I see snow, I thank God for this personal blessing He has given me.  His little way of saying "see, the cold is worth it" and "you can find beauty even in the ugliest of things".

At the end of last week, when I woke up, I looked outside and saw less than a dusting of white on the ground.  But still, it was snow.  My snow.  And I was so thankful to see it.

You can't even really tell there's snow... and my car is black. It should stand out.  Yet, I was over-the-moon happy!  It had snowed!  I wasn't going to be miserable and cold for nothing today, because today there was snow.

I took a picture of the "snow" on my windshield as I was waiting for my car to heat up.

I'm pretty sure this is just ice... Not snow.

I was too happy to care.

In hindsight, I might have overreacted.

But then, the next day, there was even more snow!  And this time it really was sticking to the ground!  And enough to see (without stretching your imagination!).

 The view from my window!  I know it's not as much as some people, in some areas were fortunate enough to receive.  But it was still so much more than I was expecting.  I was so thankful for this beautiful sight!

This morning my car actually looked like it had gotten in on the fun!  I was just overwhelmed with so much excitement!  The snow had melted within an hour of me leaving for the day, and it flurried for the remainder of the day, but I was thankful nonetheless for what little we got.

Want to know a secret?

There's a chance of snow tonight.

And it's supposed to accumulate.

So yes, before I fall asleep, I will be praying for Snow.  

And thanking God for the snow he already gave me.

Hope you and yours are staying warm!

Ash

A Week in Retrospect

 This week has been a whirlwind and a half.

The church I attend invited a preacher to come and to speak to us every night this week.  I love Gospel Meeting Week, ever since I was a kid I've loved this week.

 We went through the entirety of 1 Peter, one chapter a night.  Surprisingly, the end of the week not only left me spiritually nourished, but desiring to read Leviticus.  We spent the majority of the week focusing on how to be "holy" and Leviticus is the best place to learn these lessons!  I look forward to spending the next week diving deeper into this book of the Bible!

  

Confession:  I love Sonic Drinks.

There's just something about going to Sonic during Happy Hour, getting a drink at half price, and carrying on with your day.  I could live without their food, although I admit I have been tempted by their mozzarella sticks a time or two, but the drinks.  Oh boy, do I love them.

I have a signature drink from them too.  Sure, I'll branch out every once in awhile, but my staple is Strawberry Limeade, Light Ice.  It just works for me.

 On this specific day I was grabbing drinks for some friends and something terrible happened.  They didn't hear me say "strawberry" the crucial element of my Strawberry Limeade, Light Ice.  And somehow I ended up with just a plain limeade.  Ew.  What's the point?  Why is that even an option?  Was this an intentional act of hatred toward me?

 This week marked the "Quarter of a Century" Birthday for me.  I'm old.  Ancient.  But at least I get fun rings!  

Hmmm, people keep giving me rings lately...

 This here is my girl.  I love her to pieces and my heart is being ripped out of my chest every time I think of leaving her.  I'm in denial.  Who thinks she would like to move to TX with me?  Anyways, I had the honor of picking her up from school one day this week.  Homegirl JUMPED off the bus and RAN to me when she saw me waiting in the driveway.... Day. Made.

Since Mister up and took all of my belongings to the land of Texas, I've been staying with one of my favorite families here in town.  More on them later, for now let's focus on their canine.  Bailey is my favorite dog in the whole world.  The whole world.  Every morning as I leave for work, I'm greeted with so much love from her that it's impossible to not be happy.  Instant mood boost in furry form.  Maybe I can bring her with me to Texas too.

As a Florida girl, I'll admit I'm partial to the warm weather.  It's finally starting to warm up in Kentucky.  The days are longer.  The sun is brighter.  Pretty soon I'll be able to say sayonara to the heavy winter jackets!

They're here.  

Finally.  

Girl Scout Cookies!  

These bring back so many wonderful memories of being in Scouts as a kid, but most importantly they are beyond delicious.  Do-si-do's are a personal favorite, but I will never turn my nose up at a Trefoil.  Also, I'm the only human in the world who dislikes Thin Mints.  Sorry Girl Scouts of America.

I had the wonderful experience to take dinner to a sweet elderly couple from my congregation this weekend.  Thinking I was going to just drop off the food, and head out in about 10 minutes flat, I was instead warmly whisked away to look through the husband's extensive collection of WWII Material.  His wife wasn't feeling well, so we spent the afternoon looking through photo albums they had put together, and explaining to me many of the things he saw firsthand in the war.

To say I was humbled is an understatement.  This man, who is a true hero (and has more than enough medals to prove it!) welcomed me into his home and delighted me with his stories that I had only seen in textbooks.   Not only did he have a keen recollection of what it was like back then, but he also was sharp enough to joke with me (making me laugh more times than I can count).

I have two favorites from his collection:

1.  The Nazi Helmet he found after a Battle. He let me hold it as if it wasn't a big deal!

2.  His Bowling Trophies.  He has over a hundred more up in his attic.  When I asked why he kept them and liked bowling so much, he simply replied, "it's how I met my wife".  My heart almost burst with so much love for this man at that moment.  He is truly wonderful.

I went to fulfill a simple task  for them and instead left having been uplifted myself.  Such an amazing and unexpected experience.

 Confession:  I love Star Wars.

In a very nerdy fashion.

For my birthday I was gifted with a Darth Vader Alarm Clock.

My life is officially set. Forever.

Hope y'all had encouraging weeks as well.  

Thanks to all who have made it a blessing for me!

Ash

Movin' & a Groovin'

Guess who came for a visit this past weekend?  Mister Derek!  

Apparently when one decides to get married and move half way across the country, you either sell all of your things... throw all your things away... or spend a weekend packing your items into boxes and loading them onto a U-Haul that your wonderful fiance will drive to Texas.  

We went with Option C.  I like my shoes.

Derek and I hadn't seen each other since our lovely engagement weekend (that was over a month and half ago, not that we are counting).  Needless to say, we were very excited to see each other!  I picked him up at the Airport pretty late on Friday night, and we drove around downtown Nashville trying to find a place to feed Mister-I-Haven't-Eaten-In-Hours.  We settled on Lonestar because:

1.  Mister had never eaten there.

2.  Mister thinks Steak is delicious. 

3.  There was no available parking downtown. 

4.  You are allowed to throw the peanut shells on the floor.

We got back to Bowling Green well after midnight on Friday (a pit stop to our spot at the Parthenon Park and a few wrong turns weren't helpful).  While I spent the last night in my Apartment, Mister stayed the weekend at a sweet couple's house who are some of the most wonderful people I know.  Also, they decided to spoil Mister with homemade Banana Nut Bread and coffee, setting the bar pretty high with the breakfast options I'll have to provide to him in the future!

 About 7:30 on Saturday morning saw me outside of the U-Haul store laughing as the slightly ghetto-esque lady kept making fun of Derek.  For not wearing pants. 

"It's cold out here man, don't you have any pants?"

"You could have picked up the truck later if that would have given you time to put on some pants!"

"Let's go inside so you don't freeze without your pants."

Just to clarify:  Derek was wearing shorts, and it was pretty chilly, but he had prepared himself to be moving all of my heavy boxes.  But this ladies complete in-your-face appraisal of Derek's apparel, coupled with the lack of sleep from the night before had me giggling like a school girl. I mean he clearly was wearing pants.

We drove back to my apartment to find that I hadn't packed up all of my possessions yet.  Oops.  I won't even attempt to come up with any excuses.  It was just weird to pack my stuff for this move. The majority was done, I just had the extra ...stuff... left.  We spent the morning putting things in boxes, and the afternoon putting the boxes on the truck.

Guess how many times Mister complained/whined?  Zero.

Guess how many times I complained/whined?  Don't be nosey.

This move is kind of a big deal for me.  I'll be starting a new life, I'll be in a foreign land, I'll be living with a boy.  I knew I had to downsize some of my possessions, I just didn't realize how hard it would be.

For instance, that stash of stuffed animals I've acquired since childhood.  I bid adieu to some teddy bears that I just didn't need anymore, and kept the few that had significance in my life.  This one was pretty easy.

I also channeled my inner self and really, really was honest if I was going to wear certain clothing items again.  Five million Gator Hoodies were not a necessity.  Jeans that I sometimes wear Hiking weren't either.  Mustard Yellow flats with the bow?  I will never get rid of them.  Ever.

But when we came across my great-grandmother's suitcases, the one's she traveled from Poland to America with during the war, I might have had a meltdown.  Don't worry we kept the suitcases.  But what caused me to get overly emotional was these two suitcases were filled with all of my trophies and medals from sporting events throughout childhood. Derek very sweetly sat with me as I explained to him why I won each one, how i loved gymnastics but was too tall to be any good, how some of my softball trophies were just participation trophies, but some were for being in first place.  Basketball and Golf trophies were there too with memories of the banquets I attended and speeches given.

This was the breaking point for me.  I knew the wise thing was to get rid of them.  Yes, they would be cool to show my kids one day, but realistically, the memories I have are always there and the trophies weren't a necessity to keep.  After Mister hugged me for awhile and let me ramble on about my childhood, I knew it was time to throw them away.  I won't pretend I was an emotionally strong enough person to walk with him to the dumpster.  I couldn't be the one to throw them away.  So instead I insisted I needed to clean out the fridge right then.  Which wasn't a lie. Technically.

After church on Sunday, we dined at Rafferty's to use the balance of a gift card I had.  We left knowing we had a few odds and ends to load on the truck,  but Mister decided I needed a treat for being so cooperative the previous day.  Or, he wanted ice-cream himself and knew twisting it in my favor was wise. He's very smart. I love him.  I wasn't fooled Mister.

When it comes to our respective sweet tooth's Mister and I are quite opposite.  

He likes everything chocolate.  Chocolate ice-cream, with chocolate toppings, and chocolate sides, and chocolate all around, and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

I like a mixture of fruity and sweet.  Fruity ice-cream, with fruit topping.  And cookie dough.  And cheesecake. And Marshmallow Topping.  Ohhhh the Marshmallow Topping.  It's like pure wonderfulness.  I love it.

A long weekend of packing and general fun with my Mister (which might have included him getting a black eye from my furniture) had come to a close. He was leaving much more quickly than I preferred, but I was happy for the time we did have. I apologize in advance for the sappy comment I'm about to make:  Not spending our engagement together is making more thankful for the commitment we will be making in marriage.  I love having him around and getting to share in the small normal aspects of our individual lives.  

This is him beginning his voyage.  He stopped for the night and made it safely back to Texas.  I'm thankful for his help and his ability to love me despite my neurotic break downs.

I'll miss ya Mister... 116 days until our wedding! 

Ash