Just Call Me Miss Ashley :)

A lot has happened since my last post!  The months of job searching finally ceased when I was offered a teaching position at a preschool.  Yes, I have my very first, real life, big-girl job.

I'm the lead teacher in the toddler room.  Yep.  1 1/2 to 2 1/2 year olds... approximately.  It's stressful.  It's wonderful.  It's a blessing to be employed.  And I really do enjoy teaching the tiny tots.  

It's weird to have my own classroom... especially since a few years ago I decided teaching small children wasn't for me.  Looks like God had something different in mind.  And so far I'm pretty glad.

Here is the big carpet where we have circle time.  The walls are pretty bare.  I plan on decorating.  Sometime.  Soon-ish.  

Here are the cubbies.  I basically forgot these ever existed.  I haven't had a cubby since age 6.  They're pretty handy though.  Notice the random objects on the very top of the cubbies-- this space is a catch-all for things I don't want the kids getting into.  If they can't reach it, it's not a problem any more.  Bah haha.

Here are my toddler-sized tables, toddler-sized chairs, and toddler-sized bookshelves.  When it's time to learn Bible stories, ABC's, numbers, shapes or colors, I tell the tiny tots to "line up on the purple wall" over there.  And after chasing a few strays and everyone is sitting on the floor, we sing about twinkling stars, hip-hip-hip-hippopotamuses, itsy-bitsy spiders, and Alexander alligators. 

 

Here are my sweet kiddos lined up on the purple wall "reading."  They are precious. Absolutely precious.

And on especially hectic days, naptime is such a nice break.  And look how adorable they are on their little cots!!

JINGLE BELL ROCK. Judge me. Don't care.

This is what sitting at home doing nothing on a Friday night looks like.  And sounds like, apparently.

I. Put your iTunes on shuffle. 
II. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. 

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? 
"I'll Be Seeing You"
2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? 
"Boom Boom Boom" 

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? 
"Great Indoors" 

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? 
"It's Beginning to Get to Me" 

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? 
"Can't Repeat" 

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? 
"Sleigh Ride" 

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? 
"Maureen" 

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? 
"I Need Love" 

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? 
"Cure For The Itch" 

10. WHAT IS 2+2? 
"If I Die Tomorrow" 

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? 
"Disciplined Breakdown" 

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? 
"I Wish (Skee-Lo)" 

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? 
"Believe" 

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? 
"Wishing Well" 

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? 
"O Sacred Head" 

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? 
"Honey Please Can't Ya See" 

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? 
"This Is It" 

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? 
"I Dare You" 

22. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? 
"Two Cups of Coffee" 

23. HOW WILL YOU DIE? 
"Away From the Sun" 

24. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? 
"Hang em' High" 

25. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? 
"She Don't Know She's Beautiful" 

26. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? 
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" 

27. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? 
"Jingle Bell Rock"

I'm not so Casper after all

I am so not a fan of long distance relationships.  It's really not the easiest thing in the world, and it's just plain hard to go for long periods of time not seeing your special someone.  Thankfully though, the bf is only a few hours away and we get to meet up in the oh-so-wonderful town of Columbia, TN every now and again.

Last night we met at Cracker Barrel, which is one of my favorite places.  And the food, of course, was delish.  Who doesn't like to eat there?  If you don't, I'm going to assume you're a Northern loser of life and cross you off my friends list.  Jay-kay, homie.  Don't get yo panties in a twist.  As we were leaving the restaurant, I spotted one of my all-time favorite candies-- Candy Apple Sugar Babies.  They're fantastic.   And also only sold seasonally and I've only ever seen them at Cracker Barrel.  It's a shame.  So, you know I bought some.  On second thought, I probably should have stocked up.  Oh, well.   You should try them sometime.

Aaaaaafter that, we went bowling.  I don't know if any of you reading this have ever met me and bowling.  If you have, you know how ridiculously awful I am at it.  I have no technique.  And no follow-through...  but I promise you it's because the balls I have to bowl with (on account of my fat fingers) are always too heavy.  So I can't bowl the ball with any decent amount of speed.  And I'm sure your average on-looker thinks I just drop the ball in hopes it will hit a few pins over.   Which is partially true-- let's be honest here.  The athletic gene skipped me.  I think I got one spare.  The whole time.

The bowling alley was surprisingly very nice.  It even told you how fast you bowled the ball.  James would usually register around a 19 or 20 mph.  I think I was usually a 7ish, 8ish, and 9ish mph if I was lucky. 

We played 3 games and each game, the background of our screen would change.  After the cool galaxy backdrop, we had a sunset, then a waterfall.  It was pretty cool.  And yeah, yeah.  I know what you're thinking.  "Girl can't even spell her own name!"  Yes, I can.  They only let me use 5 letters.  The E had to go.  Sorry, E, it's a tough break.

Unlike me, James can actually bowl.  The above picture is what it looks like to "follow through."  Maybe I should have been taking notes.  It was fun to watch him.  :)

Before taking this picture, I said, "I hate taking pictures with people who are tan because I don't like to see how Casper I am."  Don't worry, James gave me a hard time about that one, so you don't have to.  But really now, we all know that's how I talk.  And in my mind, "how Casper (the Friendly Ghost) I am" equals "how pale my skin is."  Makes perfect sense.  You know it does.   And it seems I'm not as Casper as I thought I was, anyway.

This begins our series of crazy pictures.

This one is probably my favorite.  Because I love that our facial expressions are accidently exactly the same.

Scary.  Just plain scary.

In summary:  We ate.  We bowled.  We laughed.  And what a great night it was.

WAM Time

About a week and a half ago, one of my good friends, Matt, came to Huntsville to visit for a few days.  It was fantastic.  We went on many adventures, mostly unplanned, and dubbed our time together as WAM (Wacky-Ashley-Matt) Time.  We drove aimlessly around town listening to the best mix CD's ever.  You should be jealous.  Here is a pictorial blog of some of the things we did.  Looking forward to some more adventures with him in a few weeks!

Does this Jesus remind you a kitchen utensil?

Homemade pizza!  Yum!

You can sorta kinda maybe almost see Huntsville... through those trees.

Matt hates this picture because of his facial expression.  I love this picture because of his facial expression.

Glad there's someone else out there who's skin is as radioactive white as mine.  

This picture would be our Album cover, if we ever became musical artists.  We decided.

What is love?

What is love?  If you're like me, when you hear those words, the first thing you want to do is bust out into song, "What is love?  Baby don't hurt me!"  And what an annoying song to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day!  You're welcome.  But don't thank me, thank the 90's.

Seriously though, what on earth is love?  Most of us know God's definition of love and are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13.  It's an exhaustive list on true, unconditional love.  Love's patient and kind... it certainly isn't jealous or boastful.  Love does not keep a record of wrong-doing.  The best thing about this list, about God's love, is the ending statement, "Love never fails."  Never?  Hmmph.  So love is something meant to last forever?

I know there are several different kinds of love.  I want to focus on romantic love namely.  Most weddings have the scripture about love incorporated.  This is because God wants marriages to be built on kindness and patience.   God wants married folks to keep on forgiving and not keep a record of wrongs.  God wants marriages to never fail.  It's a great design-- God's design for love and marriage.  Don'tcha think?

So, we have a an outline from God about what perfect love is...  but love is still hard to define and everyone seems to have a different opinion on what it means to love someone.  Is love just a feeling?  Is love a choice?  What about chemistry and attraction?  I've asked several people today what they believe love is.


"It's completely undefinable.  You just know it when you feel it, and that goes for any degree of love."

"Your question is like asking someone to define pizza.  So many different kinds, all with different definitions.  The greeks had it right by breaking it up into different words.  Love is holding the door open for someone.  Love is giving your spouse the window seat... Love costs.  If it doesn't, it's not love.  It's giving without concern for getting.  The higher the cost, the purer the love...  Love is the most expensive thing on this planet.  It must be, because people who don't feel it from those around them feel poor and miserable and lonely, even among the wealthiest."


"Devoted selflessness to another person.  It's self denial for the benefit of a specific person." 


"Love is a choice, that's why God gave it to us as a command.  We don't inherently love, and we definitely don't fall in love 'at first sight.'  We choose to love people despite flaws, differences, and insecurity.  We chose to love people on good days and bad.  And, when it comes to the person we'll marry, we choose to love them and honor and respect them for the rest of our lives.  We choose to break down all walls and let that person become one with us, so much so that it isn't loving another person, but a fulfillment of loving ourselves."


"To care about someone so deeply that nothing can change your view of them.  To see someone in their best and worse state and still want to spend the rest of your life with them by your side." 


"Love is a bond that is cultivated between two people.  Each person is willing to put the other first and self last.  While it begins with attraction and compatibility, love develops over time into a committed decision-- a special promise-- from one to the other every day.  As the two mature, their love grows into a closer picture of perfect love described in 1 Cor. 13.  Love is always the appropriate reaction to any situation." 


One time my grandma, who was married for nearly 50 years, was talking to me about her marriage.  She said, "It never crossed my mind that we would ever separate.  When you love someone it's all about doing whatever you can to make the other happy."  I take anything she says about love and marriage for gold because she and Pop had such a successful and happy life together.


There are so many things that I agree with from these statements.  Love is most definitely a choice.  Love is work.  Love is expensive.  Love is a feeling.  Love is selfless.  ...Love is a command.


One of my favorite definitions of love comes from Shakespear's Sonnet 116.  I had to recite when I was in 9th grade and have loved it ever since.  In college, I was delighted again when Dr. Cargile allowed us to recite a Shakespearian sonnet for extra credit.  I guess you know which one I chose. :)
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no!  it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.


So, everyone has their different opinion of what love is.  I guess that's another reason that makes it so unique and special.


I've always thought a lot about all this love business, for as long as I can remember.  However, I find myself thinking about it more and more lately.  I know that, for me, love is something I choose to do.  Love is something I find difficult sometimes and something that is quite expensive.  It's not monetarily expensive, but it does take a lot of selflessness and giving.  A lot of the time it means giving and not getting much, or anything, in return.  Love isn't all sacrifice though.  Love is play and laughter.  Love is time spent with those that mean the world to you.  Love is being absolutely crazy about someone.  Love is hugs and kisses.  And.. love is basking in the sun and knowing there's a person out there who loves you, too. 

2.5 Update

Since I've stopped blogging... what have you missed?

The answer:  not too much.  But I'll give a quick update.

I graduated from college.  That's good, right?

Anna got married.  And she was beautiful.  :)

I moved back to Huntsville.  Still on the search for a job.  One good thing about this move is seeing my boy more.  Twice in one week even.  I know.  Insane.  But I love it.

Another good thing about living here is that Emily also lives here.  We may not be next door neighbors in the HRH anymore, but we're in the same city.  It's a comfort to have a best friend so close.

That's all, folks.

Dreamy.

I'm just going to skip over all the stuff about how I'm an awful blogger.  I just am.  Whoops.

In other news,  I have a new layout that someone else made and I've also renamed my blog after someone else's words.  Good then.  I like it. :)

You know, I don't put any stock at all into Astrology even though I find it fascinating.  I like to check my horoscope every once in a while when I'm bored.  It's amusing.  I also like fortune cookies, which are basically the same thing, right?   I've always enjoyed finding the similarities and coincidences between my current life and what the little piece of paper tells me is about to happen.

I think it's funny that the Leo (James' sign) and the Pisces (mine) are basically an awful match, according to the Miss Cleos of the world.  I would have to whole-heartedly disagree with that  astrological conclusion.

However, one thing I do agree with and/or find insanely interesting is the profile of a typical Pisces.  Here are some things that astrology.com has to say about little fishies like me:

You Fish are spiritual in nature and emotional in expression. Your intuition and imagination are at once your strengths and weakness.  So true.  I day-dream allllll the time.  If you see me staring off into the distance, I've probably entered my dream world.  I dream about everything.  What it would be like if I had made some different decisions in life.  What it would be like if I didn't go to Freed.  What I would have done if Trooper didn't die.  What I'm going to do when I move back to Huntsville.  I dream about what my future husband, kids, and family will be like.  I dream about my future home and Christmas mornings when the kids run into the living room to find that Santa had eaten their cookies and left presents under the tree.  I even dream about the day I send my last check to Freed-Hardeman paying off my loans.  


You are attracted to the mystical side of things, and herein lay potential danger, for when pulled beneath the currents of everyday life, the realms of imagination and the subconscious offer little structure.  True, again.  I do tend to get my hopes up about these crazy dreams.  And then when things don't work out the way I planned or dreamt they would, I feel hopeless.  At the same time, I would still say I'm getting pretty good at staying grounded and realistic these days.  


In conclusion, I think the new blog title is quite descriptive of me since I spend 90% of my days in some dreamy state.  Thanks, John, for the catchy song.  And for reminding us all to imagine.


Anyway-- enough with this Astrology pish-posh!


Hey, remember that time I graduate from college in less than 12 days??  Crazy.
Instead of ordering the expensive, boring, misspelled, text-only Jostens graduation announcements, I decided to order some picture ones online.  So last week (I know... how last minute can I get?), I made Timbo Slice go out in my grandparents' yard and take some pictures of me for said graduation announcements.  Most of them turned out ridiculous.  I'm going to share a few with you... since, regrettably, they will not be making it onto the announcement mail-out.  Just look at these beauts!

Oh, and these three aren't even the tip of the iceberg.  Thanks, Timmy, for capturing some of my cute-- real cute moments.  Hah.