SB 2010

Spring Break has been lovely this year. Despite the whole burnt hand/totaled car aspect, I have thoroughly enjoyed being home. I worked out almost everyday and even brought my brother along a few of the days. Running is so much more enjoyable when you have a buddy to encourage you! I was able to cook quite a bit which always puts me in a great mood :) Other than that, not much else happened. On Thursday, I went shopping with my grandma and got a few more cute items of clothing. Thanks Deeda! I got a navy tank and black (feaux)linen shorts from Old Navy. They did good this year! I also ordered light tan linen pants from American Eagle. I had to buy them online due to the fact they do not sell "short" lengths in the store...thank you Mom for blessing me with severely short legs. Hal and I went shopping at Gap and they had scarves on sale. Despite the voice in my head telling me not to buy ANOTHER scarf, that darn little bird told me otherwise. Can you guess which one I listened to? :) I went out of my comfort zone and bought a spring green scarf. I decided to change my ways and not buy the navy one, shocking I know. It was time though. If you were able to see the amount of blue items I have you would set up an intervention. What can I say, I like blue! I was able to meet my new cousin, Tenley Kay Kunkel. Oh. My. Gosh. I have never seen a more beautiful, precious baby. She has dark brown hair (almost black) and gorgeous navy eyes. I just held her for hours talking to her while she stared back listening. It was heavenly. I have always adored babies, and this little newborn only heightened my adoration for babies. I definitely want to work in the NICU!



So all in all this was a wonderful spring break! Tomorrow is my birthday so tonight my family and I are going to dinner (Benihana, yay hibachi!) and Hal & I are going to watch New Moon! We just bought the 3-disk DVD...can't wait! Tonight's gonna be a good night. Tomorrow my family and I will go to lunch then drive back to UMHB with my parents and Nicole. It will be so great to see everyone again!

I hope you all ahve had a fantastic break! I pray the Lord will keep you safe as you go drive back to school. Enjoy your last night!

And Once Again, Reality Hits

So Spring Break did not start off the way I originally planned. Approximately 40 minutes after leaving Belton, Nicole and I were involved in an accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt. It was a four car chain reaction and I was the 3rd car back. My car and the one behind me were totaled. We're still waiting to hear from the insurance company whether or not my car is repairable. I did say my goodbyes to her on Friday just to be safe...it was tragic, let me tell ya. After three wonderful years, we went our separate ways. I'm still praying that the people will be able to fix her, but have not allowed myself to get my hopes up, given Colbie looks like an accordian. Hopefully we will receive a call tomorrow telling us if she will be spared. We shall see. I really am praying that they can fix her because a new car is definitely not an option. I would really appreciate all of your prayers that Colbie will be repaired (p.s. Colbie is my car's name).

It truly was a miracle that no one was severely injured in the accident! After reflecting on exactly what happened, there should have been more injuries. God definitely had a few angels watching over everyone that day. We were just very sore for the next few days and had seatbelt burns, but we were all very thankful that we did not endure anything more serious.

Now it's time to enjoy Spring Break! Hallie and I did a little therapy shopping and treated ourselved with Gooey's. We had some great conversations and drove around for hours with the windows down listening to wonderful music. There's nothing like sister bonding time :) If you're looking for cute spring/summer clothes, Gap, Old Navy, and American Eagle are the places to be! My bank account has endured a little damage over the past few days...but every purchase was absolutely worth it!

I have loved spending time with my family. Despite the fact that they are all mentally unstable, I love them dearly and feel abundantly blessed to have them in my life. When we get together, the noise level increases exponentially as does the constant flow of bickering. We love each other so much, but choose to express that love through raised voices and harsh comments. That's just how we roll.

I plan on reading a few books and catching up on movies and TV shows. It will be so wonderful to just relax and not have anywhere to be or any priorities. Another plus to this week is that I finally get to work out again!!!!! Can you sense my excitement? ;) I have decided to once again pick up running and it has been so great. Today, Kyle and I ran together and it was a blast. Normally, I enjoy working out by myself, but it was actually nice to have someone there to encourage me. Plus, it was nice to have a little brother/sister bonding time.

Well, I must go. Hal and I are watching an episode of CSI: Miami. I must say it's rather intense! Oh boy, a suicide bomber just showed up. And there's the sunglasses guy. I pray that you all have a fantastic Spring Break. Be sure to soak up a lot of Vitamin D and enjoy the relaxation.

Oh one more thing. If you need a little encouragement, read Psalm 55. It will help :)

Life Unexpected

This week has been one of the toughest, most chellenging weeks at UMHB thus far. I have received several unexpected announcements that really challenged my faith, but, at the samw time, have made me wake up and truly understand the power of prayer. I won't go into any details, but please pray that God will bless my loved ones and myself with peace and understanding.

Now, onto a happier note, how 'bout that snow y'all?!? Can you believe it snowed in Belton, TX, especially because it was 75 degrees two dayr before...nothing like some good 'ole bipolar Texas weather :) My friends and I spent the day playing in the beautiful snow, participating in a rather extreme snowball fight, and "sledding" at the conference center. I use that word cautiously because it was more like sitting on fast food trays (as in the plastic ones from Taco Bell, Whataburger, and other various chain restaurants) while someone pushed us down the hills. For those of us who were born and raised in the Lonestar state, this was a thrilling expereince, given we barely see an inch of snow annually. It was a day to remember. Plus we didn't have school! After a fun-filled afternoon, we all went our separate ways. Some took naps, some watched movies, but we all made sure to drink some delicious hot chocolate and thaw our hands :) Later that night, we all met up once again and headed to IHOP for free pancakes! It was National Pancake Day, so in celebration of the holiday, IHOP gave away shortstacks completely free...it was wonderful! What a great way to end a beautiful, memorable day :)

Songs

I apologize for the lack of blogging lately...school is pretty hectic right now, but I promise to update as soon as I have two seconds to sit down. I pray that you all have had a great week thus far and thoroughly enjoyed the snow :) Here are a couple of songs I love and I hope you enjoy them as well. May God bless the rest of your week and continue to provide you with peace and joy.

In Him,
Ash

This is my favorite song in the entire world! Sorry for the random video...it's the only one I could embed here. Remember to pause the music at the bottom of the page.




This is a song from Robbie Seay Band's next album.

To All My Wonderful Friends...

Make sure you pause the music at the bottom of the page. Love you all! :)

CLC

Over the weekend, I attended CLC, which stands for Crusader Leadership Conference. Here, we discussed each individual's strengths and talents using the program Strengths Quest. You take an assesment where it asks you various questions about your personality and daily life. As a result, it tells you your top five strengths. There are 34 total. It was so interesting learning about everyone's strengths and how each one exactly fits the person. Some people were surprised by their results, but when dissected, realized that each strength has so much more than the tital suggests. For instance, my top five are developer, achiever, responsibility, belief, and restorative. Over the course of two days, I have learned that each of these are embedded in my DNA. This is how God created me. These strengths are innate and part of who I am. I enjoy making to-do lists and crossing off each completed task. People can depend on me to accomplish every job, hopefully without making any mistakes, which is where my perfectionism and slightly OCD personality comes into play. I see great potential in each person and enjoy helping them with their troubles. I like to solve problems and in return, enjoy assisting my friends and family solve theirs'. And finally, I have high morals and values and choose to not go against them.

One of the most interesting parts of the conference was during a small group meeting. Our leader gave us a scenario and each person told how they would approach the situation. Not one person had the same approach, even those who had several of the same strengths. This is what makes us human. We all have our own ideas. Not one is better or more significant than the other. God made each of us our own individuals. It is up to us how we use our strengths and talents.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Remember that this day is not intended to be about the candy or stuffed animals or silly gifts, but to remind those around us that we love them for who they are. So, tell your family, your friends, your loved ones that you love them and thank them for everything they have done for you.

May your day be filled with grace, mercy, and love.
Ash

Vintage Shopping

This post is seriously overdue but the past two weeks have been very long, difficult, and filled with lots of studying and emotions. Thankfully they are complete and this week will be relaxing and stress free...I hope :)

This weekend was lovely. I slept in and relaxed and did nothing that required extensive brain activity. On Saturday, Mary and I were productive and exercised. We rode our bikes around UMHB while speaking in a British accent. I must say it's quite amusing and becomes rather addictive after a couple of hours. We then decided to stop by Sonic. Why you may ask? Because it was happy hour of course! There's nothing like that first sip of a large diet coke. It's a moment filled with pure bliss. Some may regard my love for DC as unhealthy and altogether quite silly to consume that wonderful dark brown, carbonated product, but I say they can get over it. It keeps me sane on impossible days. When 2-4 in the afternoon rolls around you know where to find me 

Next, Mary and I figured we should browse through the antique shops given it is now February and we still have not been shopping in downtown Belton. This is where the real adventure begins. The moment I stepped into the first quaint little shop, I knew I was hooked. I immediately began to observe all of the various articles and furniture. I decided then and there that I am an antique lover. With that said, I have decided to change my room at home over the summer. I will do so with a vintage look but still keep a modern feel. I purchased a green vintage suitcase and a Rick Springfield album on vinyl. (He is one of my favorite artists!)

Upon rummaging through all of the knick knacks, I was in an alternate reality, one which consisted only of euphoria. Dramatic much? Who cares. With a large DC in my left hand and my wonderful finds in the other, I gladly handed the shop owner my debit card, which had been reimbursed just days before. Despite the fact that I spent the aforementioned compensation, I do not regret purchasing the items. They belong in my soon-to-be vintage room. Their destiny is now complete. Again, dramatic, I know, but let’s face it, vintage shopping is my drug. Well, that and large diet cokes during happy hour at Sonic.

I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and pray that this week will bring you joy and happiness as Saturday did for me.

Peace and love.