The Life, Love, and Faith of Ashley

New Blog

2010-03-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Long time, no post! I have a new blog that I have been posting to for several months. SO if you used to enjoy this blog I have merged everything with my new blog. If you subscribe to me in an RSS feed, my new address is http://bktantabt.blogspot.com . I will not be posting to this blog anymore. All new stuff will be at the new address.

Hope you enjoy the new blog.

A case of the blahs

2009-07-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has today been a "blah" day. I'm not sure what constitutes a blah day but today certainly feels like one to me.

I worked this morning until about 12. I had some things going on that mom thought I should call and ask the doctor about. He wanted me to come in and be checked to make sure everything was alright.

Mom went with me just in case I would be sent to Labor and Delivery. (I am not going into details because it's kind of gross and involves the words leak and cervix). Not everyone wants to read about that kind of stuff lol.

In the end, everything was fine. They examined me and I am not dilated at all and everything looks good. They did an ultrasound to check the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby and said that it looked perfect. I love getting to see her precious face on the screen. And she is definitely a girl! There is no mistaking that.

The only concern that they had was that my blood pressure was up when I got there. My blood pressure is never high so they checked in again in about 10 minutes. It was still high. They made me lay on my left side for a while and the doctor told me that if it wasn't down when they checked it again that he was going to send me to L&D to be monitored. Thank goodness the last time they checked it it had started coming down.

Mom and I think that it was up due to me worrying about possibly having the baby early or something being wrong with the baby. He just told me to stay off my feet the rest of the day and to keep an eye on my blood pressure at home. He said if it gets above 140/90 then I need to call and let them know.

I checked it when I got home and it was perfectly normal. Even lower than when I left the doctor office. I am positive it was just stress and worry.

Moving on. I talked to Brandon this evening. They did their qualifying today with their guns. He said that he did qualify on everything so that is really good. Tomorrow is the day that we get long phone time so I can get more details from him then. I love Wednesdays for that reason. It's also hump day and puts me a little closer to getting to talk to him.

It's raining here right now and making me sleepy so I will probably go lay down for a while. Talk to you all soon.

Today and Family Day

2009-07-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today has been a much better day than yesterday. I was just having one of "those" days. For the most part I do well with Brandon being gone, but ever so often it really gets to me. I am sure pregnancy hormones have nothing to do with that :-).

I had to work today. Have I mentioned what a blessing my job is? I couldn't ask for better bosses. It's not hard job so that is good for being pregnant. Work also gives me something to do to keep my mind off of missing Brandon. That's the main reason that I have continued working since he has been gone.

After work I went to Mamaw's to let dad start cleaning my old car. Since we bought ours and mom and dad paid for my Cobalt, they are going to sell it. It has to be cleaned up before people can look at it though. He got a pretty good start today but it still needs quite a bit of work.

I called and booked a room for Family Day at the Academy. Family Day is September 11. My due date is the 19th. We are really just praying that I will be able to make it up there and back. The way I look at it is that there are plenty of hospitals between here and there if I do go into labor.

I just want to be there to see Brandon and support him in every way that I can. Family Day is where they get to "strut their stuff" for their families. I am just so proud of Brandon and can't wait to see him up there. I told him that I can't stress enough how proud I am of him for doing this. He is doing something that I could never do.

I guess that's enough for tonight. Hopefully I'll post again soon!

Sundays

2009-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

I really hate Sundays. What should be one of my favorite days of the week is definitely my very LEAST favorite. Brandon leaves after church and a quick lunch to go back to the Academy. It marks the beginning of one week without him. I can't stress how hard it is and how bad it sucks to go for a week at a time without seeing your husband.

I know that lots of people are military wives and they would give anything to see their husbands every weekend so I try not to take it for granted. I still can't help but complain. He really is my best friend and my favorite person to be around so being without him just stinks.

Usually after he leaves I go to my mamaw's to visit all of my family. This usually keeps me occupied and happy for the evening. I love to visit family. But when I go back home and mom and dad pack their stuff to go back to my mamaw's for the week it just sinks in that it's just me here all alone for another week.

Today has just been a really hard Sunday for me. It's been rainy and stormy all day and I have just wanted to cry because I miss my husband so much. Not all Sundays are this bad, but it helps to whine about it haha.

On to happier things. Brandon and I went vehicle shopping yesterday and we bought a new (used) vehicle. It is a 2008 Pathfinder. It is in excellent shape and only had 23,000 miles on it. We needed a good family vehicle for when Allie gets here.

We love it! We knew we couldn't afford a brand new Pathfinder and it just worked out wonderfully that we found a used one with very little miles that we can afford.

My mom asked me if I was happy that I got it. I told her that I was happy and sad at the same time. Very happy that I got it. Sad that I have to pay for it lol. She said that was the completely normal way to feel.

Well, I am going to surf the net and kill some time before bed.

Ketchup

2009-07-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? It's only been forever since I last updated. I figured I would do a post while I am waiting on Brandon to get home tonight. He should be home within the next half hour or so. YAY!

So, I guess I left off with moving to mom and dad's. We got moved in and have been living here since April. It is going really well. I do much better staying here by myself than I think I would have done staying in Wise all by myself.

Brandon started the academy on the 27th of April. Does he love it? No. Does he look forward to being a trooper? Very much so. Basically, from what I gather from him, no one really enjoys the academy. You are not supposed to enjoy the academy. You are there to learn and to be trained, not to have fun.

He gets to come home on Friday nights. He usually gets home anywhere from 11:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M., depending on what time they are released from the academy. I am usually asleep by then, but he wakes me up and we usually spend a couple of hours talking before falling asleep.

He goes back on Sunday right after church. This doesn't leave us much time to see each other but it is so much better than nothing. We also get to talk every evening on the phone for at least 5 to 10 minutes while he is there. This also helps and is an answered prayer. When he went up there we thought that they weren't allowed to call home at all.

He is doing well at the academy. He has to work and study hard but it is paying off. We are both just ready for January when he graduates and we get to be together and have a "normal" life again. (Although life will never really be that kind of normal again with having to move to another part of the state, having a new baby, and a new job.)

As for me and the baby, we are doing great! I am 32 weeks pregnant tomorrow. That means only 8 more weeks until the baby is here.

We found out on May 1st that we are having a GIRL! We have decided on the name Allie Brooke. Brandon picked out Allie and I picked out Brooke. I think they go really cute together.

I am officially huge and stretch marks just aren't my friend. I told Brandon I would never have a pretty belly again. And then I remembered that I have never had a pretty belly so it wasn't that big of a deal haha.

The baby shower is going to be August 15th. I am really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see all the cute girly stuff.

I have to admit that I am ready for the baby to be here. I am trying to enjoy being pregnant but it seems that I just keep wishing it away. I want to hold our baby girl so bad. I can't wait to see what she looks like and to smell that sweet baby smell.

Well, I guess I have written a novel. I am going to try to start updating more regularly. I really want something to document this time in our lives and I think this is the best way to do it.

Punta Cana, D.R. and other stuff

2009-04-18T04:38:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! We are just now getting caught up from vacation so I hadn't had a chance to post anything. I'm not going to put any pictures from vacation up because I think the people that read this are either a)married to me or b) friends with me on myspace.

We had a wonderful time! I am so glad that we got to do a "big" vacation before Brandon leaves for the Academy and before little baby T. makes it's grand entrance. It will probably be a VERY long time before we get to do something like this again.

The Dominican Republic is a BEAUTIFUL country. The people are very poor, but they are some of the nicest people that I have seen. I mean from the maids to the waitstaff, to just the families that we met while we were deep in the DR on an excursion, they are all nice.

The weather was perfect. It didn't rain one single time while we were down there. I ended up coming home with some sunburn and about a million new freckles.

In other news, Brandon's last day of work at Mullican was yesterday. In October he would have worked there for five years. That is so hard to believe. He definitely isn't going to miss the job, but he does have a few friends that he is going to really miss. One of them took him out to eat at Monterrey yesterday for lunch. I thought that was really nice of him.

This week I have plenty of things for him to do. As most of you probably know, we are going to move to mom and dad's while Brandon is gone. Mom and Dad live with and take care of my Mamaw during the week so they are only home on weekends. My brother graduates law school on May 1 and then he is moving to Kingsport so that house will be basically empty all week long.

We haven't boxed up anything, so starting today we are trying to get that done. Brandon will have to continue to work on it this week while I am working. He leaves for the Academy next Sunday and we would like to be out of this house by then. I dread moving, but I am also kind of excited about it.

Well, I have lots more to update on, but my belly is really growling so I am going to go wake hubbs up and ask him to go to Hardee's for us :-)

I will try to post a few more times this week to update you on how things are going. Don't hold me to it though!

Where are the Turners?

2009-04-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Guess where we are? We are leaving for vacation today.

We are currently at the airport waiting on our flight directly to the Dominican Republic!! We are both excited, just a little nervous. Well, I am much more nervous than Brandon.

I don't know if we will have internet access once we get to the Dominican Republic or not. If we do I will try to update periodically on what we are doing.

Also, Brandon did get the news that he is definitely in the Academy. There was once small concern with his medical exam, but everything was finally cleared.

He put in his two weeks notice at work yesterday. He will be taking one week off before going to the Academy so that we can get all of our stuff moved and so that he can get ready to leave.

I had a docotr appointment on Tuesday. It went really well. They told me that I could stop taking metformin. They also did a quad screen. What that basically is is a blood test where they check for warning signs of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, and they screen for downs syndrome. The nurse called me yesterday and said that my test results were normal!! I go on May 1 for my ultrasound to find out what the baby is. The ultrasound is scheduled for a Friday so Brandon will be able to go. I think we are also going to take my mom and Brandon's mom with us.

Well, I guess that's about it for this time. I might update another time this week but more than likely it will be next week!

Apple Bottom Jeans

2009-03-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Just a funny little story for you. Several weeks ago, Brandon wasn't feeling well so he was lying down. It was late at night and we both wanted something sweet to eat.

For Christmas, a lady at church gave us the stuff to make an apple crisp. I decided that would be easy to throw together and it looked really yummy.

I got it out of the oven and it smelled and looked delicious. I was going to be nice and let us just eat in the bedroom since Brandon wasn't feeling well. We don't normally eat in there, but I know when I am not feeling well I like to just relax.

I dipped us each a plate of the apple crisp and came to the kitchen to pour us each a glass of milk. While I am pouring the milk I hear a cry of "HELP!" I was wondering what in the world happened.

When I walked into the bedroom I seen this.

And yes, I took a picture before I would help him, just so I could blog about it.

I couldn't stop laughing to help him get off of my plate of apple crisp. He was afraid to move because he didn't want to get apple crisp all over the covers.

The funniest part was when he told me how it happened. He said he didn't know that I had left my plate in there. He was trying to move to make more room for me. He said he felt something warm on his bottom and though "shew, she has left the heating pad on." Then he said he thought, "Man, this heating pad is really hot." So, he moves his hand to feel of the heating pad wondering why it was so hot. It was only then that he realized that he had sat in my plate.

I don't know if this makes sense or is even as funny as it was at the time, but it provided much laughter for us for the next several days.

I'll have a post soon about the newest developments on the Academy. Hopefully it's all good news.

2009-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I am at 14 weeks! This picture was taken Sunday before church, but I really turned 14weeks on Saturday.

I'm home from work sick today. I didn't feel good when we got home last night and I went straight to bed. I was really sick when Brandon left for work and it hasn't gotten much better. I have used some phenergren which has made some of the nausea go away.

I have been doing much better so I am not sure if this is just leftover morning sickness or what. I am just glad that I have really understanding bosses.

Anyways, this weekend Brandon and I went to Johnson City to get me some new clothes. All of my clothes are getting really tight. We went to Motherhood Maternity and bought a few things and I went to Baby Depot and bought a pair of shorts. I will still need quite a few things, but I think I will order them from Old Navy.

At Motherhood they have these fake bellies that you can try on with you clothes so you can get an idea of what you will look like. So, here is a glimpse into the future!

Here we are eating at Pratt's.They were taken from my cell phone, so they are not the best quality. I had Smoked Chicken Nachos and Brandon had to try the ribs. I love eating at Pratt's. The waitstaff is some of the friendliest that you will find and you always get great service. Plus, it's not very expensive!

13 weeks

2009-03-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Guess who's back? Yep, me! I have had a bit of writer's block lately. Sorry to all the ones of you that read this. My husband has been complaining for a month that I need to either do a post or give up on Mr. Bloggy.

I am officially 13 weeks pregnant today. The baby is the size of a peach. I am starting to get a very small baby bump, finally! I can't wait to watch it grow! Forgive the duds in the picture. I have been helping Bran clean today.

I have been so very sick. Since I found out that I was pregnant I have lost a total of 26 pounds. It has not been fun at all. I told Brandon it's really making me rethink how many children I want. I am sure when I meet the little pumpkin I will forget about it though.

Brandon's sister and my best friend both recently found out that they are expecting as well! I can't wait for my new neice or nephew! And I love the fact that our baby will get to grow up with Nicole's new baby.

Also, Brandon should be leaving the 27th of next month for the academy if nothing changes. We made the trip to Richmond Thursday for him to do the drug test and the medical exam again. He should receive the offer of employment before too long. We are going to move back to mom and dad's house until he graduates, which will be January 8.

We are leaving on the 4th of next month to go on our babymoon. We are both really excited. I am trying not to be too nervous. I think it will be a blast!

Well I just wanted to update everyone. I promise I will try to update more than once a month!

Quick Update

2009-02-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do a quick update for you all.

This past week has been rough. Monday I picked my mamaw up from the hospital and took her home. That was the easy day.

I woke up really sick on Tuesday and just thought that morning sickness was kicking in. Well, I was right, but I didn't realize how bad it would be. I didn't keep anything down from Tuesday until Friday. I had to go to the hospital on Thursday and receive some IV fluids because I was dehydrated. After I received the fluids I started feeling a lot better.

The past two days have been better. I have actually been able to eat without getting sick.

I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday to be worked up as an OB patient. I don't know if they will do another ultrasound or not. I hope they do because I would like a video of the baby's heartbeat.

I can't wait to start getting a belly that way people will know that I am pregnant!

I will update again after my next appointment.

We have a baby!!

2009-01-27T12:19:00.001-08:00

The appointment went really well this morning. We got to see our jelly bean and listen to his/her heartbeat. It was beating 120 bpm. It was surreal. Brandon was in awe. It definitely makes it real that there is a little somebody in there.

The only bad part about today is that I have been sick. The doctor gave me a prescription for some medicine to help with the morning sickness, but I haven't had it filled yet.

Oh, in more good news, I have two job interviews this week. One is at a call center and the other is at an attorney's office. So hopefully I will be able to land one of those jobs.

Well, I am going to lay back down. I just wanted to let you know that everything is good with jelly bean.

Progress

2009-01-26T17:31:00.001-08:00

Oops! I am a little behind. I told you I would update after my doctor appointment and I am just now getting around to it.

The appointment went really well. I had made progress from the last time. Last ultrasound they couldn't see anything. This time they seen the gestational sac and the yolk sac. We still couldn't see the baby, but I go tomorrow for another ultrasound. The doctor said that tomorrow we should be able to see the baby and the heartbeat! We are excited!

Mamaw has already bought a crib, stroller and car seat. Dad had already bought a little blue pedal tractor for it. I'm telling you this will be one spoiled child. We definitely won't be able to say it doesn't have anyone to love it.

Okay, I promise I will update tomorrow after the appointment and post a picture if we can see the baby.

Blood Test Results

2009-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

First of all, thanks for all of the prayers. They definitely helped.

I called and got my results of my blood work and it was really good. The HCG levels in my blood a little more than tripled!! That means that more than likely everything is going fine. This is a huge relief. Now I just hope that they can see something in the ultrasound on Wednesday.

I will only be five weeks and four days on Wednesday so they might not be able to see it yet. Brandon is going to go with me in case we do get to see it. It will be our first glimpse at our little jelly bean.

If they don't see it this week then I go back in another week to have another ultrasound. They should definitely be able to see it by six weeks.

That's about all the updates I have for now. I'll let you know Wednesday if we got to see little jelly bean.

Surprise!!

2009-01-15T12:14:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I found out last night that we are expecting!!!!

This is such a huge blessing because we honestly thought it would be really hard for me to get pregnant. We haven't been trying very long at all and it has already happened! God is so good.

I do need to ask for your prayers though. I had an appointment this morning with the OB/GYN. It was a regularly scheduled appointment for an ultrasound and it was scheduled before I knew I was pregnant. Anyways, I am only four weeks and five days along so they couldn't actually see the baby yet. They said that is perfectly normal for so early in pregnancy.

The thing that concerns them is that there is a cyst on one of my ovaries. I had to have blood work today and then go again Sunday for more blood work. My doctor wants to make sure that the cyst is not actually the baby trying to grow in the wrong spot. They will have a pretty good idea from the blood work, as my hormone levels should increase greatly in three days. I also go for another ultrasound on Wednesday of next week to see if they can see the baby yet. He said that it may take two weeks to be able to see the baby.

He told me not to leave too concerned because the last ultrasound that I had showed that I had a cyst on an ovary so it is probably nothing to worry about. He told me he feels like I will be just fine and that it was just way too early to see the baby.

So, my prayer request is that the baby is healthy and is growing in the right spot and the cyst on my ovary is just that, a cyst.

Other than that, Brandon and I are super excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can't wait to meet our baby. Our estimated due date is September 19. A lot of people in my family have birthdays in September so we are just keeping up with the tradition.

Job and Summer Plans

2009-01-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

I don't have any news on a new job right now. I have put in several applications, but I haven't heard back from any of them.

At the office today we did get a quite large check in the mail today from a case that we have been working on. This will increase my chances of not being laid off. That would really be good for me and Brandon. We have to have both of our incomes right now, so me not working is not an option.

Brandon took his polygraph test again today. He did fine. Now we just have to wait on a letter letting us know when he needs to do his medical exam. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long on that letter.

Friday we booked a trip to the Dominican Republic. We are going in April. We are both really excited. It looks absolutely beautiful. And we will have our own private butler for the week :-) We want to go on one trip before we have kids and before Brandon will leave for the academy. We said that this will be our real honeymoon.

Our summer will be really busy this year. We are going on our trip in April, Brandon leaves for the academy in April, Brandon's best friend is getting Married in May, another one of Brandon's friends is possibly getting married in May, Andrew and Tori are getting married in July so we will travel up there for that. It will be a lot of fun though!

We have decided to save ourselves a lot of money that we are going to move in with mom and dad when Brandon leaves for the academy. They live with mamaw during the week so they are not home. My brother graduates law school in May and will be leaving soon so he won't be there anymore. Plus, he isn't really there that much anyway. Not that we would mind if he was. Most of the time it will be just me there by myself. I think this will work out really well for us. It will give us time to save up money for living expenses and possibly a new vechile. We will need something bigger for when we have little ones!

Well, I am at work and suppose that I should actually do some work.

Good News and Bad News

2009-01-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

This week has come with some good news and some bad news.

Brandon got a call from the State Police yesterday. He goes January 21 for his polygraph test. After that, he will get a follow up letter from the state letting him know whether or not he passed and then he will have to go for his medical exam. He will probably have to go to Richmond again since that's where we had to go for the medical exam last time. That was the good news!

The bad news is that Friday, the 16th, is my last day at my job. He was forced to do some layoffs from feeling the affects of the economy. By the way, he and his wife are traveling to Paris at the end of this month. For the FOURTH time since the beginning of last year. That's how bad they are feeling the affects of the economy. Yeah, ok. It isn't the first time they have done me wrong, so in a way this could just be a blessing in disguise. He said that since I will be leaving in several months anyways and the other girl will be there longer, he decided to lay me off. I knew this was coming, but it still stinks. Right now I am in major job search mode because I have to have a job. I have put in two applications and the local University here and I have an appointment at the employment office tomorrow to take a typing test and a Windows 2000 test for another job. Hopefully I will be able to find something soon! We need two sets of income for the time being.

I would love to just stay at home and take care of things here, but that is not an option for us right now.

It snowed last night so I can't get out of my driveway right now. I have to wait on the snow to melt some so I don't just sit and spin.

Maybe next time I post I will have found another job.

New Year and Vacation

2009-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a good New Year. We went to the church and played games. I played a game of Rook with Nick, Jared and Leona then played Boggle with Bran. We had a blast. We prayed the New Year in when that time came around.

We went shopping on New Year's day. I ended up buying a pair of heels that were on clearance sale for $13.00 (STEAL!) and a wireless mouse for my computer. When we got back to home I went to our Wal*Mart and bought myself an iPod with my Christmas money. I love it!!! I have been downloading music for it on my iTunes. I am glad that's what I decided to spend some of my money on.

We went to AAA today to talk to them about planning a trip. Brandon and I would like to plan one big trip before he goes to the Academy and before we have kids. We had a trip to Cozumel, Mexico planned for last October when he was originally supposed to go. When they changed the academy we had to cancel that trip.

We talked about going to Barbados. That is about the most expensive of several places to go. We still aren't totally opposed to it, but it is a little high. We are also looking at the Bahamas, Anigua, or even Cozumel again. We have also thought about going on a cruise. The lady at AAA priced a cruise for us as well. It is a seven night cruise that leaves out of Puerto Rico.

We are still considering all of our options and waiting for another letter from the State as to when Brandon has to retake the polygraph and medical exam. Once we get those letters we will know for sure when we will be able to plan the trip. We are both excited!!

Also, Brandon hasn't been feeling too well today, so everyone keep him in your prayers that he will feel better!

I think that's about it for this time!

A wise person once said..

2008-12-31T07:26:00.001-08:00

"You shouldn't dance sexually to Christian music."

I agree.

I'm ready for the New Year!

2008-12-29T17:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was terrible. I woke up not feeling too well. While I was in the shower to get ready for church I started feeling sick. I got out and ended up just laying on the bed for a while. My wonderful husband brought me some saltine crackers. I thought that I might just need to get something on my stomach. That didn't help.

I ended up staying home from church while Brandon went with his mom and dad. I slept until Brandon called me when church was over to see how I was feeling. As the day went on I did feel better.

Today was the first day back to work after a long Christmas break. It was nice to have a five day weekend for Christmas. We also get Thursday and Friday off of this week for New Year's.

I am really excited about New Year's. Our church always has a New Year's celebration. It starts at 8 and will last until midnight. We always pray the New Year in. We also play a bunch of games and eat a lot of good food. It's just an overall good time.

Until next time!

Random Things

2008-12-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today has just been a "lazy day" for me. You know the kind where you don't really do anything at all all day long.

My wonderful husband let me sleep until 9:30 this morning. That is so unlike me. I am almost always awake by 8:00 or 8:30 at the very latest. I got up and made us pancakes and stayed up for a little while. Brandon's uncle called to see if he wanted to go 4-wheeling since the weather was so nice outside.

I fell asleep on the couch for a nap. Again, while I do love to take naps, I normally don't sleep this much at all. I don't know what has got into me. I could have just slept all day long and been perfectly fine.

Brandon went four wheeling for a few hours. While he was gone I played on my new laptop for a while, put away some Christmas gifts and read my new Nicholas Sparks book that mom got me.

Tonight, Brandon is watching Survivorman while I do this and then I am going to read some more on my book.

Since I got my laptop I have been wanting I plan on doing more blogs. I feel like I am not completely neglecting my husband by being on the computer so much because I can sit beside of him and do what I like to do.

He always jokes with me that I need to find a hobby. I always tell him that my hobbies are all lazy hobbies like watching tv, playing on the computer and reading. He says another hobby of mine is sleeping.

Ok, this post has been completely random. Maybe I will actually have something interesting soon!

Christmas

2008-12-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I know Brandon and I certainly did. We got more than we possibly deserve, as always.

I do have to tell you though that I am blogging from my new laptop. Brandon really surprised me this year. I had no idea that he had bought me a laptop. I was so excited.

I could never put into words how much I love that man. My love for my husband seems to grow more and more everyday. I'm sure that's how it is supposed to be though.

We went to the movies today with Josh D. and his fiancee Sara. Josh is Brandon's best friend. We went out to eat at Smokey Bones in Johnson City. The food there is really good. Josh and Sara are getting married in May and Brandon is in their wedding. They seem to be a really great couple.

Again, I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I just wanted to do a quick post from my new computer! YAY!:-)

Quick Update

2008-12-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Our computer has died. We think that we have a really bad virus. When we turn on the computer the screen is just blue and it won't do anything. That's why I haven't been blogging or doing anything really on the computer.

I just have time for a quick update since I am at work right now. I just wanted to fill everyone in on some things.

Brandon got a phone call at work yesterday from the State Police. The firm starting date for the academy is April 27! That is very good news. He has to re-do his polygraph test and his medical exam because those have expired. We are not too worried about that because he has already passed everything once, so it shouldn't be a big deal the second time around.

I had a job interview this week and got called for a second interview. I was really hopeful that I would get the job, but I just have a feeling that I won't. It would be a better job with benefits.

I am pretty frustrated with my current job situation. Here is an example of why. We got our Christmas bonuses yesterday. I got $100.00. The lady that I work with got $150.00. I have worked here much much longer, and did it by myself for 10 months of this year. I don't know how they can justify that. If I don't get the job I interviewed for I am definitely trying to find something else, ANYTHING ELSE!

And finally, for those that don't know, Brandon and I are trying to have a baby. There is a long story behind this decision, but the short of it is this.

I went to the doctor for some pain that I had been feeling for about three months. He did an ultrasound and blood work and diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women.

The doctor told us to try for six months on our own. If we don't get pregnant in those six months he will start me on a fertility drug called Clomid. He said that should do the trick. He also started me on a medicine called Metformin to bring the insulin level in my blood down. A side effect of have PCOS is becoming insulin resistent. Bringing the insulin level down should make it easier for me to lose weight. He said that most women with PCOS gain weight very easily and have a very hard time losing weight. That explains a lot!

We originally thought we would wait until he started the academy before we would start trying to have kids, but faced with this we decided that we would go ahead. We both really want kids and we want more than one, and if it takes a long time to get pregnant with every child we have we thought trying now would be the best decision.

So, if everyone would be praying for us we would really appreciate it. While this diagnosis doesn't mean that I CAN'T get pregnant on my own, it does mean that it will likely be very difficult.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Random stuff

2008-12-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

Grrr...I just typed a huge entry that was magically deleted.

Anyways! I hope everyone is almost ready for Christmas! I know Brandon and I are ready. We only have one more gift to buy and I think we will be completely done! I am just so ready for Christmas to be here this year. I love spending time with our families.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It is a close tie as to which holiday is my favorite, Christmas or Thanksgiving.

We bought a real tree again this year. We loved the one we had last year so we decided to do it again. We got a really good deal on a very pretty tree at a local greenhouse. I would definitely rather give my money to someone local than a chain store.

I wrapped a few presents tonight. I am really working on taking my time while wrapping presents. I get in too big of a hurry most of the time and Brandon makes fun of me when I am done. They are usually lop-sided and really ugly. He actually does a better job than I do. This year they actually look pretty decent.

I am also working on my patience. It seems like I have a hard time being patient with anything. I guess this is an example of where opposites attract. I joke all the time that Brandon should have been named Job. He is absolutely one of the most patient people I know, about everything! It is also something that I admire about him.

Also, I am trying to diet. I weigh a lot more than I should. I just found out that there is a medical reason that I am overweight which sort of made me feel better. I know, that's weird. But, it made me feel a little bit better because it means I didn't just "eat my way" to being this big. I always tell Brandon that I don't eat all that much but I can't lose weight. Now I know that I really DON'T eat all that much and I am still gaining weight. I am waiting on the blood test results from the doctor to see if there is anything that can be done about it. I should find out soon. I will go into more detail about this soon, but right now it is something that I don't really want to share with all the internet.

Finally, Brandon and I ask for your prayers right now. I won't go into detail, just know that we really need all of the prayers we can get for the next little while. Again, this is something that I will share when I am more comfortable sharing it. It's not that big of a deal, so don't jump to any conclusions! hahaha

Ok, I am going to go spend some time with my man.

Ashley

I have a fever...

2008-11-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Baby fever. I just wish someone else in this household would catch it!

I'm just praying it's contagious.

Kids and Play-Doh

2008-11-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday after my Sunday School lesson I let my kids play with play-doh. My mother in law brought it and told me that if I wanted to let them play with it I could. I decided that it would be a fun treat for the kids. Holding their attention for a 5 minute story completely drains all of my energy, then I have to keep them entertained for another 40 minutes. I was thinking, "hey, this will be an easy rest-of-the-day for me." Little did I know, I ended up being the one that was entertained the rest of the time. T came up with this creation. (I did a little bit of coloring for privacy.) Enjoy!

T never did tell me what it was. But I didn't have the heart to ask. I just asked him if I could take his picture with it. He was so proud of it. Whatever it was.

Diaper Bag

2008-11-11T17:28:00.001-08:00

So I found the perfect diaper bag for whenever Brandon and I have kids. He HATES it. I LOVE it. What is your opinion? I am in love with the giraffe print right now.

John 3:16

2008-11-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

I only had one little one yesterday at Awana. She wanted to have snack with the other kids so we sat in on the Sparkies class. My aunt and uncle teach the Sparkies. The kids are in grades K-2.

My aunt had extra candy left over from Halloween so she was asking the kids questions and for each one they got right they could have something from the candy bowl. She asked them "who can say John 3:16?" A bunch of them raised their hands so she said that she would give them each a turn to say it.

I promise that each and every one of them started it out just like this, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son..."

I was trying so hard not to laugh at them becuase they were trying so hard.

Have I mentioned that I just love kids and the things they say?

Our First Snow

2008-10-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show everyone what it's doing here tonight. I love this weather!

No, Not One

2008-09-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

A little tale from my Awana class this evening at Church.

For those of you that don't know, I teach an Awana class at my church on Sunday evenings. I teach the 0-5 year olds. Right now I only have two kids. A three year old, C, and a four year old, D.

I was working on our memory verse and having them repeat after me. The conversation went like this:

Me: "There is none"
D: "There is none"
Me: "That doeth good"
D: "That doeth good"
Me: "No, not one"
D: "No, not one...piece of candy before dinner."

Yes, D. That's right. Not one piece of candy before dinner. God totally doesn't want us to spoil our appetite.

I just can't make this stuff up!

Ahhhh...Fall!

2008-09-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I just love Fall? The colors of the trees, the cool crisp air, the warm clothes, the pumpkins, the hay, just everything. I would be 100% happy if it were fall all year round.

Today has been a tough day for some reason. Today has been the toughest day emotionally on me since papaw's funeral. I've been thinking about him a a lot.

I had a dream about him last night. I think that's probably what is making it a little worse today. It just sucks to miss somebody and know that you aren't going to get to seem them again in this lifetime.

Sorry, didn't mean to be all down there.

I have been trying to talk Brandon in to letting me get a lap top. I told him that I would just ask for money for Christmas and save my recent birthday money towards the purchase. Of course, if I pay for it he doesn't mind.

I have been trying to decide what kind I would want. I LOVE my Dell desktop that I have at home. I have never one had a problem out of it.

BUT, I like blogging. And I don't do much other than blog and surf the net on my personal computer. I have considered getting a mac but I know absolutely nothing about them. All I know is that a lot of bloggers use macs. Anybody have any good opinions?

I don't want to make a blind purchase and be disappointed in the end. Which I will totally do without some help because I hate to research things. I think I've mentioned that before.

We are supposed to go to The Creeper Trail biking with the church tomorrow. Brandon and I love to ride bikes. We got new ones for Christmas and have not yet had a chance to ride them. We usually ride about 17 miles. We are just hoping that it doesn't get cancelled due to rain. But that isn't looking good with about a 50% chance of rain tomorrow. Plus it's mostly been raining all day today.

If we do go, I'll try to post some pictures.

Alright, this post is going nowhere fast. Maybe the next one will be better.

Ashley

Makeshift Tray

2008-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

This cracked me up this evening. We picked Brandon up some Wendy's for dinner this evening and brought it home for him to eat.

I came to get on the computer to check blogs. What else?

When I came back into the living and busted out because this is what I saw.

That's right. Your eyes do not deceive you. That is a baking pan serving as a tray.

Don't say my man isn't creative.

And just becuase I promised you pictures. Here are the beautiful flowers Bran got me for my birthday. Forgive the table being messy. I told you I needed to clean.

Spring (er, Fall) Cleaning

2008-09-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

I have a full day of cleaning ahead of me. Oh yay!! Actually, we haven't been home enough recently for me to really clean the house and today is my day to do that. Brandon is going to help seal his grandparents' porch so he will probably be gone all day.

I find that I can clean so much better and much, much faster when he is out of the house. I'm not sure why that is. When he is here he does help me with the cleaning. But then again, I have to tell him where every single thing goes. Maybe that's the root of the problem.

We thought we might get to go to Red Lobster and The Halloween Store with my brother and his girlfriend but it's looking like Bran will be gone pretty much all day. I wish we could though. I miss hanging out with Derrick.

I have realized that life just isn't the same without my papaw in it. I am going to really miss that man. And I'll really miss his cooking. Papaw could cook like nobody's business. He loved to have me and Brandon over and cook a meal for us. This was Christmas a few years ago.

He gave me a sewing machine a couple of months before he passed away. I started making a little blanket but I haven't finished it. Now one of my goals for the next year is to learn to sew on it.

Sorry for the complete randomness of this post.

I am off to clean.

Ashley

Another Reason I Love Him

2008-09-18T05:04:00.001-07:00

I have the sweetest husband.

A couple of nights ago we were laying in bed snuggling and watching tv. We were playing around and I started tickling him.

Well, he wrestled away from me and proceeded to enact revenge.

I kid you not that he tickled me for about 5 minutes straight despite my desperate cries of Stop! STOP! STOOOOOOOOOP!

When he finally did quit, I asked why (a little perturbed, I might add) why he didn't quit when I asked him to.

He replied, "Becuase I like to hear you laugh."

And that, folks, is why I love him so.

In the Storm

2008-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

This past week was not a good one. That is putting it mildly.

On Wednesday morning my papaw passed away. He is the first grandparent that I have lost so it's been extremely tough. It was fairly unexpected which makes it a little more painful.

Then Friday was my 21st birthday. It was also the day that we had to bury my papaw. Let me just say that I have had better birthdays.

When we got home on Friday night, Brandon had bought me a beautiful bouqet of flowers (pictures to come later) and a card. He said he knew that I had a tough day and was trying to make my birthday a little better. He is so sweet.

That good feeling didn't last long.

We received a letter from the State Police. We were excited because we figured it was his offer of employment letter that we had been waiting on.

Brandon opened it and we read it at the same time. It actually was not what we were hoping for at all.

The Academy has been changed from October 25, 2008 to February 25, 2009 becuase of the budget problems that Virginia is currently having. This February date is only a tentative date, so even that might be changed.

When Brandon started the whole State Police thing, the Academy was supposed to start in February 2008. This will mean that the Academy has been delayed for a whole year.

Needless to say, we were both very upset. I know that there is a reason for this and we need to be patient, but at the same time it just makes us upset.

We have to cancel our trip to Cozumel that was set for next month. PLUS it delays having children for a while longer.

This has just been a really bad year so far. All I can say is I hope it gets better. I'm not sure I can handle it getting any worse.

In other news, this weather gets me excited. I LOVE FALL.

I will update later. Hopefully with a happier post next time.

Ashley

New Addition

2008-09-06T04:27:00.001-07:00

Brandon and I are happy to announce the new addition to our family!

Morris is his name. Brandon named him because I had never heard of Morris from the cat food bag. Everyone seems to think that is strange.

He is an outside cat. We just had him inside the night this picture was taken while he was getting used to us. We didn't want him to run off!

We have had him for a couple of months. He got along so well with our cat, Oreo, that we decided to put Oreo out as well. We were just getting tired of hairballs and cat hair in the house.

I didn't know how well Brandon and I would adjust to being in a house with no cat, but we actually like it a lot better.

Just wanted to let you all meet Lil' Mo as I affectionately call him.

I'm what's for dinner

2008-09-05T04:51:00.001-07:00

A couple of nights ago I was laying in bed when I felt something biting/stinging me. I looked down and I couldn't find anything but my arm was all red.

The next morning Brandon and I found a spider IN OUR BED. This is just one of the bites. There is another one on my arm as well.

Soo, the hypochondriac in me has been really freaked out.

Where is my brain?

2008-09-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Blogger is not being my friend so I can't post these photos the way I wanted to. Here is the story:
So, today I was driving home from work. I was in a hurry becuase I was tired and hungry. I just wanted to get home and get dinner cooked so I could relax.

Well I look in my rearview mirror and the first two pictures is what I see! Can you see what is out of place? It's really hard to see.

The next two pictures are what was actually wrong. I drove half way home with my gas cap on the back of my car and the lid open.

I bet people that seen it thought I was nuts.

I don't know what is worse. That I actually did this or that I stopped and took pictures of it before I fixed it.

I just wanted to show everyone how dumb I am today.

Car Salesmen, HAH!

2008-08-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to update for some time now and just haven't had the time.

First things first. The video on the previous post that some of you may or may not have watched, I feel like a big dope. Turns out it's making big news right now for not very good reasons. Mike, the guy who wrote the song and is singing in the video, he way lying about his cancer. He lied to fans, friends, and even his own family. He is currently seeking psychiatric help. This is very sad. However, we are all human and we make mistakes. It is easy to judge people with such a platform in a harsher way than we would "regular" people. But when it comes down to it, this man is just as normal as the rest of us. It just so happens he lied to millions instead of just his family and friends. I just pray that he gets the help that he needs.

Brandon and I have been so busy here lately we haven't had time to do very much. His papaw gets to come home from the hospital today. He is so excited. He is doing so much better.

In VERY EXCITING news, Brandon and I are going to Cozumel in about two months. We are going to fly down for about a week. It is hurricane season, though, so hopefully we don't get wiped out while we're there! We'll be sure and take plenty of pictures. This is going to be our big trip before having kids/starting our "real lives."

On a side note, I hate dealing with car salesman. No really, I hate it.

We decided on a whim last night after dinner that we wanted to stop by the local ford store and look at the Ford Edges. We thought they would be closed which would give us a chance to look in peace without being pressued. WRONG.

They stopped us at the front gate, "HELLO! Are you here for the HUGE sale???"

"Well, no, we are here just to look, that's all." We say, staring at each other wondering why in the world they are open at 7:30 in the evening.

"Well, that's great," he says, "I have just what you are looking for, go test drive this!! You know you want it, it's completely perfect for you people. I can tell."

Ok. So maybe I exaggerated a lot. Well, more like very little. That's almost what it was like.

We both want an SUV and will need one when we have children. BUT WE ARE JUST LOOKING. They don't seem to understand that.

We want to pay off Brandon's truck and then save up for a downpayment. Why yes, I would love to buy a vehicle today. But we can't.

So, don't ask me how, but we ended up driving one away last night.

No, we didn't buy it. They wanted us to test drive to make up our minds. Mind you, we DO NOT want to buy yet. And besides that, this is a used vehicle.

We are both spoiled and like them brand new. So today we have to go back and take this vehicle and tell them no. How sad and disappointed they will be that they didn't get to pull one over on a young unsuspecting couple.

It's funny how bad they wanted us to buy it on the spot. They knew if we didn't get it then we would probably go home and talk to mommy and daddy who would tell us that it was NOT a good deal. Which is exactly what we did.

When we got to doing the math, we would actually pay more for this used vehicle than a brand new one of something else.

Blah! But it comes straight from their mouths, they won't give you any bologna. Haha, yeah!

Anyways, that was my rant about the car lot.

More later,
Ashley

Long Time No Talk

2008-07-09T09:54:00.003-07:00

So, I guess everyone basically knows we made it safely home from vacation. We had a blast.

I haven't been able to update like I wanted because our lives have been so hectic since then. We got back from vacation on Saturday. On Sunday, my papaw Yates had a stroke. Then on this past Thursday Brandon's papaw was in an accident when he was cutting a tree and now he is in intensive care at Holston Valley. That was VERY scary. They weren't sure if he was going to make it at first but now it looks like he will but it will be LONG road to recovery. Everyone just keep our families in your prayers and it will be greatly appreciated.

Monday after work Brandon and I left to go to Richmond. He got a letter from the State Police about three weeks ago that the last phase of the hiring process would be held on July 8. We left after I got home from work and ended up getting into Richmond at 12:30 at night. That was an experience. We had reservations at the Super 8 there on Midlothian. We called them to let them know that we were going to be arriving really late. They asked when and we told them 12:00 or 12:30. They said thanks for calling. So we get to the hotel at 12:30 on the dot. Brandon and I go in to check in and there is no one at the front desk. We call the hotel and we can hear the phone ringing but no one is answering. We ring the little doorbell thing for service. Nothing. No one. We wait 15-20 minutes and decide to drive down to the Comfort Inn down the road a bit. I walked in and asked the lady working there for advice. I told her what was going on and that we had reservations but no one was there. She called the Super 8. No answer after about 5 minutes of letting it ring. She got online and looked up their 800 number. We got a lady and she let me speak with them. After having me on hold for about 10 minutes they say that they finally got someone at the hotel and that we could go and check in. Brandon got to go to sleep at 2:00 in the morning. He had to be up at 5:00 in the morning. He got three hours of sleep! I was furious. I have the business card for the manager and I am going to let them know that they have lost my business to the Comfort Inn down the road.

Also, don't go to a large chain store to get a haircut. So, most everyone knows that my mom is a beautician. She always cuts mine and Brandon's hair. Well, with everything that has happened lately Brandon hadn't had a chance to get his haircut. He needed one very badly before we went to Richmond. On the 4th we took him to a large chain store that shall remain nameless that happens to have a salon in it. A simple clipper cut is all he needed. You have to remember that I have never paid for a haircut in my life. But it came as a shock that a clipper cut cost me $14.00. I just about hit the floor. Yes, I know that some places can charge up to $50.00 but for a clipper cut that should have only taken about 10 minutes. The lady that cut his hair was SLOW! We were in a hurry because we were going back to the hospital and it took her forever. Then I noticed that she cut around his ears wrong. It is pointed! Then at the hospital Brandon's uncle asked who cut his hair. I told him that certain large chain store to not be named. He said, well they messed up the main back of his hair. One side was squared off and the other was rounded. Let's just say I am glad it was Brandon's hair which is easy to fix and not mine.

Okay, enough with the complaining. The trip to Richmond (aside from the Hotel deal) went really good. Brandon finished up the process with a drug test, physical examination, and psychological evaluation. We should hear from them soon as to whether he passed everything (which he should).

If everything went well, the academy starts at the end of October. He will be gone 4 days a week for 8 months.

I am excited because this means that possibly by the beginning of the year we can start trying for a baby!!

Alright, I suppose this one is WAY too long.

Until next time,
Ashley

And we're off

2008-06-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

We are leaving in the morning for the beach! We are going to Folly Beach, SC. We will be there for a week. I am so ready for the vacation.

I will update better after that. Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been super busy!

You live and learn

2008-06-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

So...Anyone want to donate to the "Ashley and Brandon are going to have a ginormous water bill" charity? Yeah, I didn't think you would.

Brandon and I feel stupid today. We went to Wal*Mart on Monday and decided to buy a swimming pool. We got one of the easy inflate ones. It is 18' x 4' so it is pretty good size. We decided to use the government refund check (well, part of it) to get this pool. We both love swimming and thought it would be nice to have. We get home Monday night and put the box in the garage as it is too late to start working on it.

Yesterday, when I got home from work we started putting it up. We hadn't really thought about the fact that we have a completely UNEVEN yard. Mistake #1. So, we read the directions and it says it needs to be on flat ground. We are thinking "how important could that be? It'll only be tilted a little." Mistake #2. A light bulb should have went off in our heads that we should go by the directions and not our thoughts.

We start filling it with water. At this point it is late. Yeah, the water is basically running to one side but starts to even itself out. We leave the water on and go to bed. BIG MISTAKE #3.

Brandon wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to go to work. He checked on it and the pool is basically full but running off one side. grrr. Who knows how much water we wasted by leaving it on all night. We turned the water off.

NOW, we have to drain the pool. Go buy some sand to make the ground level then refill the pool. This is going to be sucktackular.

In the end, though, we will have a nice swimming pool to enjoy this Summer.

Brandon and I could both slap ourselves for being in a hurry to get it filled up and not listen to the directions. But we learned from our mistake(s) and now we know.

We will still take donations on the water bill :-)

And one final note, my dr. appointment went fine. Thanks for all the prayers. They said that I do have some nodules (whatever that is) but it is nothing to worry about. So I am worry free until my next dr. appointment! lol

Always follow directions,
Ashley

Update

2008-06-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I had a wonderful anniversary. As planned, when he got home from work he took a shower and we headed to Kingsport to eat at Texas Roadhouse.

Dinner was delicious. We each had a steak. yummmmm

After dinner we ran in the mall real quick to get a pair of shoes that he had seen in there on Saturday when we were out shopping but we didn't purchase. He needed a new pair of shoes to wear to church desperately.

Yesterday I had a routine doctor appointment. I told him about my heart rate being abnormal and he listened and said "your heart is as regular as a Timex." So, thanks to you all that prayed for me. I am glad it is nothing to worry about.

BUT, now I have another problem. I am going to quit going to the doctor because they keep finding new things for me to worry about! The doctor is sending me on Monday to have an ultrasound done on my neck. He was looking at me and started feeling of my neck and said that he thinks I might have a goiter. This would be caused by some sort of thyroid problem so he wants to look at it to see if it looks enlarged. If I do have a malfunctioning thyroid I will have to be put on medicine. The good news is that if I do have goiter then it is caught really early before you can really even tell I have one. Maybe it's just that I have a fat neck :-) Actually, I said that to the doctor and he assured me that I wasn't fat. I wasn't really looking for assurance about being fat, I was hoping to not have a goiter :-/. So, all that said, your prayers are appreciated.

Lily is going to be in the pageant on Saturday morning and Brandon and I are going to go watch her. I will post pics of that after Saturday.

I guess this one is long enough!

Ashley

Happy Two Year Anniversary

2008-06-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today Brandon and I are celebrating two years of marriage. When he gets home from work we are going to our favorite restaurant - Texas Roadhouse - for dinner.

I can't believe it's already been two years. I love him more now than I did the day I married him, I can only imagine how I will feel in 10 or 20 years.

Yesterday, Brandon's dad asked if I would do it again and I can honestly answer without hesitation "YES!"

I love you, Brandon.

The Texas Pictures

2008-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mike, Corrina, and Dad - the reasons we went down
Mom, me, and Brandon at the airport (the wind was terrible and I look fat!)

Dad and Johnny

Me and Allen
Brandon and Allen

Me and Brandon
Kendall and Corrina (dad's sister)

Paula (dad's brother's wife)

Brandon
Corrina, me, and mom
Me and Krystal singing while playing Rock Band
Me and Kendall singing
Dad and Allen

The gang minus mom at Ft. Hood

Brandon and me at Ft. Hood
Dad and Allen
Now the whole gang

(Back row L to R: baby Michael, Mike, Dad, Johnny, Kendall, & Ryan. Second Row L to R: Me, Brandon, Corrina, Heidi, Krystal, Ezra, Charliann, and Brandi. Front L to R: Allen, Kaylee, and Lexy)
Everyone enjoying Rock Band

I can't wait to see all these guys again!

We Made It!

2008-05-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I will have a chance to post some pictures tomorrow. I have been so busy since getting back from Texas that I haven't had a chance to take the pictures off of my camera.

We had a really good trip and I am so glad that we went.

For those that don't know the story, I will back up and tell you why we went.

Most people don't know this but my Mamaw Yates (dad's mom) was married before she married my papaw. She had two kids with her first husband, one being my dad and the other one being my uncle. He was in the army and all I really know is that the marriage didn't work out. Mamaw remarried my papaw and papaw adopted my dad and my uncle and raised them from the time my dad was about four years old.

My papaw is an absolute wonderful man. He was the best papaw I could have had and also a great dad to my dad.

Ever since Brandon's grandpa passed away I had been wanting to see what became of my dad's real dad but the only information I had was his name and that he might now live in Texas. I got on the internet and looked it up on a free white pages search.

I typed in his name and the state of Texas and there came up several matches. I was drawn to one certain name hoping that it might be right. It also happened to have a list of relatives. At that point there was a name, phone number and address and I wasn't about to call someone that I had no clue who they were and say "hey, I am your biological grandaughter that you have no idea about."

I decided that almost everyone has a myspace so I started looking up his relatives names on myspace becuase other than that I was stuck. The very last name that I tried was his daughter and there she was. I opened up her profile fully expecting it to be private but it wasn't. I looked at her picture and immediately knew that she was kin to us. She looked like my dad.

I proceeded to send her a message explaining who I was and the rest is history. It was the right family. They were ecstatic that I got in touch with them. My dad has a half-sister and half-brother.

They began to keep in touch on the phone and we made plans to go down and visit them. We left on Friday morning and drove to the airport in Charlotte, NC. Our flight left at 11:20 a.m. I had never been on a plane before and I have to tell you that my legs felt like jell-o as I was walking the terminal to get on the plane. However, I LOVED flying. If I could afford it I would fly everywhere that I went for a long trip. We flew from Charlotte to Dallas, TX. We had a three hour layover in Dallas. We got some lunch there and then Brandon and I walked around to all the different stores in the airport. That airport is enormous.

We left the Dallas airport and were headed for Killeen/Fort Hood airport. That flight was really short. It only took about 25 minutes.

Everyone met us at the airport and we went and checked into the hotel then spent time visiting with everyone.

We stayed until Monday just enjoying being there with family we had never met. And honestly, from the time we stepped off the first plane we felt just like family. We were so welcome there.

On Monday we left the Killeen airport and flew to Atlanta, GA. We laid over in Atlanta for about 2 hours and then flew from Atlanta to Charlotte. We drove home after that and made it back to our house about 1:30 a.m.

For those of you that have never flown anywhere I highly recommend it. It is an experience that you should have at least once in your life.

We can't wait for them to come and visit us here in Virginia and show them how pretty it is here.

Tomorrow I should be able to do pictures but don't get mad if it takes a day or two, I still have lots of stuff to do.

On another note, I ask for your prayers. I went to the Doctor today and he said that I had an irregular heart beat. He didn't think that it would be anything to worry about but that I needed to mention it to my family doctor. It's probably no big deal but your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Love,
Ashley

Leaving Soon

2008-05-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

Texas is fast approaching and I am really excited. We still have lots of stuff to do tonight. I just wanted to post becuase I am excited.

I will be sure and post with stories and lots of pictures when we get back!

Ashley

Camping and Brandon's Birthday

2008-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Ahhh. This weekend was so much fun. We went camping at the Breaks with Bradon's mom and dad. I LOVE to camp. As I mentioned before, I love to sit around the campfire with everyone. I love it so much, I took a picture.

Brandon popped us some popcorn over the campfire. It was delicious. I just love everything about camping. The outdoors, the food, the smell. I also loved getting to spend time with family.

Brandon was proud of his popcorn. He will kill me for this picture.

Nicole, Andrew, and Lily went with us as well. Of course, I had to put some pictures of the kids on here. Here is Miss Lily with her wild hair.

Andrew has discovered a new part of his body. I would show him this picture on my digital camera and he would laugh and then go back to where he was standing and put his finger back in his nose. Aren't they just too cute?

Brandon and Lily. They are both so cute haha.

Brandon and I get such a kick out of this. All you have to do is tell Andrew to smell your foot and he will. Here he is smelling Brandon's foot.

I was playing gameboy and Andrew had to see what was going on. I look awful but I love this picture.

Brandon's birthday was Saturday. I got him a cake from Food City. I thought it was cute and he liked it as well. It also tasted great!
Here is the birthday boy enjoying the festivities.

As you can tell, we had a blast this weekend. Brandon and I went for a walk on Saturday. We ended up walking probably two miles. My mom and dad came out to visit that evening. I love when they come over and spend time with us.

I really am going to dread when Brandon is a Trooper and we won't get to go camping with the family like this until we are back in this area. That's just one of many things that I dread.

I do have some good news abou the Academy though. We are hearing that they are telling the instructors that the Academy will definitely start in October. Yay!!

I think this one is long enough. We're really looking forward to Texas. If I don't update before then I will update after!

Ashley

Ouchie

2008-05-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I laid in the tanning bed for the second time last night and we laid too long. We both burned. He is worse than me. It's all on our backs though. Nothing else really burned. It really hurt last night because whenever I would roll over in bed it made it hurt. I think a tanning bed burn hurts worse than a real sunburn.

We are going camping this weekend at the Breaks with Brandon's mom and dad. I LOVE to go camping and I have been looking forward to going. I love sitting around a campfire and talking. Not to mention eating s'mores. I love those things, especially with a little bit of peanut butter on them. Of course, peanut butter makes anything taste better.

Saturday is also Brandon's 23rd Birthday. So, happy birthday honey.

23 Reasons I Love You for your 23rd Birthday:

1. You are so good to me
2. You give good back rubs
3. You are sooo cute!
4. You make me laugh
5. You always hold my hand
6. You pump my gas
7. You still give me butterflies
8. You always tell me when you think I look pretty
9. My days are better when I am with you
10. You have a good heart
11. You always smell good
12. Your teeth are gorgeous :-)
13. You like to go shopping with me AND you pick out my clothes
14. You have to have a hug when I get home from work
15. You love God
16. You help me cook and help do dishes
17. You are a hard worker
18. You make me a better person
19. You buy me pretty stuff
20. You are always there for me
21. You still love me after two years together :-)
22. I can't imagine a life without you in it
23. You are simply amazing

In just about a week we will be leaving to go to Texas. I am really excited about this trip. We will be flying in to Killeen, Texas. I have never been to Texas and I have never been in an airplane before so it's excitment times two. I just hope the flight plan goes as it is supposed to --- especially for the return trip. We all have to work the next day and Brandon gets up at 4:45 a.m. We should be back at home by 11:00 p.m. We are hoping. If not, we will have to sleep on the way home. I can't wait to meet all these new people either! And we just might have to pick Brandon up some real Texas BBQ since BBQ is his favorite food. I keep wondering if we will see anybody famous while in Texas. It seems like lots of famous people are from there. I think it is just wishful thinking! A little peek of Tony Romo would NOT hurt my feelings one bit :-)

Well, I just wanted to do a quick update and some complaining about my sunburn..as I've told you before, I like to whine. I will probably update after the weekend camping trip.

Until next time,
Ashley

Mostly pictures

2008-05-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Last week was great. The revival went really good. Bob had a really good message all three nights.

Papaw's 71st birthday party was the weekend before last. Here is a picture of the birthday boy and my mamaw!

I love my grandparents. Here is a kind of decent picture of me and Brandon enjoying the festivities.

I don't really have much to write about in this post so here are a few fun pictures!

Maybe I will have something better to write about later. I just love my husband and wanted to post some pics!

Love,

Ashley

The Joy List

2008-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Lisette tagged me to do a Joy List. By the way, if you haven't had the chance to see Lisette's awesome phography do that now at her blog. Really, she is an amazing photographer.

Anyways, this is how the Joy List works:

You make a list of anything and everything that you can think of that brings you JOY. Then you give it to all the people in your life that you love and spend time with. That way they can do things that bring you joy! Anyways it sounds so simple, but it really helps people connect and do things that make someone else's day! So let me hear your Joy List and then post it on your blog and tag some people to share their Joy List!!

So here goes with my Joy List!

1. Jesus
2. My husband
3. All of my family
4. Weekends. I love to not have to work
5. Staying up late with Brandon and watching movies
6. Children
7. Back rubs
8. Myspace (too much)
9. Reading blogs
10. Reading in general
11. Shopping
12. Perfume and Make up
13. Receiving cards in the mail
14. Long phone calls where there is a lot to talk about
15. Food (again, I enjoy this one too much)
16. Making cakes/cookies
17. Going to the tri-cities with Brandon
18. Going to the movies.
19. Ice Cream
20. Slushies
21. Compliments
22. Looking at pictures
23. Watching Home Videos
24. Taking pictures
25. Shoes
26. Fishing
27. Swimming
28. The beach
29. Sunny days
30. Fall
31. My grandparents
32. Jewelry :-)
33. New clothes/shoes
34. Flossing my teeth
35. Flowers for no reason
36. Going to Church
37. Listening to Bob Ferguson preach
38. Playing board games
39. Twister
40. Snuggling
41. Camping
42. Cookouts
43. Painted Toenails/fingernails
44. Getting my hair done
45. Dressing up

I think I should probably end there but I could go on and on. That was fun! What brings you joy?

We have been having revival this week at Church. It has been great so far. Tonight is the last night. It's also the night that we have the big dinner so that just makes it even more exciting. I made a cake and some cookies. I hope they are both good. I made Brandon try the cookies but we couldn't exactly cut into the cake so I will just hope that it is good.

With joy,
Ashley

Andrew

2008-05-05T20:24:00.001-07:00

Andrew had his tonsils and adnoids taken out today and tubes put in his ears. I just wanted to ask everyone to say a prayer for him that he does well through his healing process. We went and seen the little kiddo at the hospital this evening and he was doing much better than I expected to see him doing! Maybe now he will start talking and eating more. I sure do love my niece and nephew. I tell Brandon all the time that I didn't realize how much I would love those two kids and it makes me wonder how much I will love my own kids. Well, it's late and I have to get into bed so I can stay awake at work tomorrow. I just wanted everyone to say a little prayer for Andrew that his throat won't be too sore.

Love,
Ashley

Big Adventure

2008-04-30T18:03:00.001-07:00

So today was a big adventure for Tittlekins and as promised, here are some pictures.

He had a blast. At first he wasn't sure whether or not to go outside seeing as how he would normally get in trouble. Once he realized it was ok he was very curious. Two years of captivity and staring out the window and he finally gets to see what it's really like. Sorry that the tags are on the leash and harness in the pics but we were being cautious. If he hated it we were going to take them back :-) It was $20.00 after all. In the second picture he is eating grass. He had never gotten to do that before and he loved it. Every time a car would go by Brandon would pick him up and hold him. I think it was mostly because he was embarassed that we were "walking" our cat, not so much so he wouldn't get scared and freak out on us.

I didn't get to go out for the girls night like I thought I was going to. I realized I had way too much stuff to do here at home and that I really did need to go to the gym instead of skip. I really do want to lose weight.

Ok, I just wanted to show you these pictures like I promised I would.

Random

2008-04-29T18:26:00.001-07:00

To all those concerned, I am feeling so much better now! No need to feel sorry for me anymore.

This weekend was a ton of fun. Saturday Brandon and I didn't have any plans so when we got up we decided to go to the Tri-Cities. I love no plan days. We hardly ever have them. Brandon is such a planner and I am not. I don't have the patience to plan something. If I have to sit down and make plans it stresses me out and it makes not want to do what we are planning on doing. I know it sounds crazy but I am like that. Here is an example. Mom and I were booking flight tickets to go to Texas next month. We were looking for the cheapest, closest airport. That took a long time. After comparing prices, how far we would have to drive, etc. I was ready to get it over with. I didn't care how much it cost. THEN we had to pick which flight we wanted. This involved deciding how long we wanted to layover in certain cities to guarantee that we had plenty of time to catch our connecting flight. Finally, we decided. I thought all the decision making was done (after most of my hair gone due to me pulling it out). I was wrong. We had to decide where to sit on the plane. Out of all those empty seats we had to choose which ones we wanted. I finally said I didn't care if I had to sit in the bathroom. Just pick me a seat. Any one of them was fine. I guess it is a good thing I am surrounded by planners. It simply drives me nuts. I like to do spontaneous things.

I digress. In Kingsport we bought Fuzzy Lumpkins (our cat whose real name is Oreo but answers to "Kitty," "Fatty," "Mr. Tittlekins," or my current favorite, "Fuzzy Lumpkins") a harness and leash so we can take him outside. We haven't got to use it yet but we tried it on him and he didn't like it at all. I have a feeling once he realizes he can go outside he will love it. I will be sure to take a picture. This is him being lazy.

We didn't know it was tax free weekend when we went or we wouldn't have gone. It was super busy out there. We did get to eat lots of good food. For lunch we had Pratt's which is Brandon's favorite. He loves BBQ. Then for dinner we had Salsarita's which is one of my favorites. By the way, to all you local people, you have to eat this place. It is great. It's like a mexican food Subway but tastes like sit down mexican restaurant food.

Brandon and I started back at the gym yesterday. It wasn't too bad considering we hadn't been in about two weeks.

I think Nicole, Ang, and I are going to have a girls night tomorrow. We plan on going bowling. It will be fun. I just have to talk Brandon in to letting me out of working out so I can have fun :-)

Weight Watchers is still going well. It's getting a little easier everyday to follow the plan. As of now, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking to lose some weight.

Ok, this post was really random. My next post I plan on being a special post to a woman who I really admire and looke up to.

Until next time,

Ashley

Cheese and Whine

2008-04-25T11:58:00.001-07:00

So, I have a nasty cold. Brandon has taken to lovingly calling me "whiney." Isn't that so nice? Really, it's pretty funny because when I am sick I want everyone to know and everyone to feel sorry for me. So now I am whining to all of cyberspace :-) Please feel sorry for me. It makes me feel better haha.

So, we are on the VI Star Wars and I fell asleep again last night. I don't think it's so much that I don't enjoy the movie and fall asleep, I think it is I don't feel good and just want to sleep. I have been going to bed about 9:30 and my body thinks it's funny to wake me up around 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. and not let me go back to sleep. That has happened the past couple of nights. I have even been so desperate as to count sheep. I counted all the way to 300 this morning...very slowly. My mind just wouldn't quit wandering so that I could rest. I finally went to sleep about 4:00 a.m. and then Brandon woke me up to let me know he was leaving to go to work around 4:40 a.m. Don't get me wrong, I would be upset if he didn't hug me before he left, but this morning I just wanted to sleep! But, he didn't know that I had been awake. And I would have regretted it if I had told him that I didn't want him to wake me up.

I am the kind of person that thinks way too much. I always have to have a hug because anything could happen. One of us could be in a car accident, something to could happen at work, or someone could be lurking outside the door waiting on him to leave to come in and shoot me. And yes, these things go through my mind. Even the last idea. My family says I am paranoid.

I have tons of paranoia stories. It is the one thing that I don't like about me. I watch too much CSI or Cold Case Files I guess. And they all stick with me.

Anyways, I have been doing Weight Watchers. I joined on Sunday. So far, I have lost about 6 lbs. I am chalking some of it up to being sick and not feeling like eating much the past couple of days. I am afraid that once my appetite comes back the pounds might too. The first few days I felt like I was starving but since I have been sick it is easier. I would like to lose about 45 lbs. total. That is going to be really hard but I know I can do it. When I get to feeling better Brandon and I are going to start back at the gym. We haven't went in about two weeks for some reason or another and we both need to start going again.

Ok, I think I have run out of things to talk about. I will write again in a day or so.

With love and a stuffy nose,
Whiney

Star Wars

2008-04-23T17:48:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that I have never ever seen Star Wars? I know all you George Lucas fanatics just had a small stroke. I am 20 years old and have never once watched Star Wars. Well, that is about to change. Brandon has decided that I can't be a well-rounded person without watching them all at least once. He is even making me watch them in the order that they came out. So far I think they are good, but I have fallen asleep twice through the first two. We are going to finish V tonight and then start on VI.

I am having some strange cold/allergy trouble right now. That is the reason for not updating since my first post. I went to bed at 9:30 last night because I have a sore throat and felt awful. That is definitely not like me. I usually have to force myself to go to sleep by 11:00. I am feeling a little better today but not much.

Brandon and I had a dentist appointment this morning. Neither one of us have any cavities, yay! Our next appointment is in October. That is very exciting because hopefully it will be right before Brandon leaves for the academy. That means him leaving is only six months away!!!! Yes, I know, I should be sad, right? WRONG! This is all great news. He will be gone for eight months which will be terrible but at the same time wonderful! We can't wait to start our lives together with each of us doing what we want to be doing. Please pray with us that we will hear something from the State Police soon. I also need prayers for my patience because it also wears thin from time to time and my wonderful husband has to put up with me :-)

Well, we are going to go finish the V Star Wars and start on VI.

May the Force Be With You,
Ashley

Hey everyone!

2008-04-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hey there! My name is Ashley and I live in a small town in Virginia. This is me. I am a secretary/paralegal at a small law firm.

I am married to Brandon. We have been married since June 2006 so it's almost Happy Anniversary to us! This is Brandon. We certainly were made for each other. Brandon currently works at a hard wood flooring plant but is in the process of becoming a Virginia State Trooper.

I figured I would do this introduction post to get me started. I have been reading blogs for the past few weeks now and decided that it is something that I would love to do. Please forgive grammatical errors that you may find, I tend to not edit my writings!

With this blog I hope that you readers get to know about Brandon and I, our love for life, our love for each other, and most importantly, our love for God. I will especially be turning to this blog to write while Brandon is gone to the State Police Academy for eight months. I will need something to do!!

Ok, thanks for listening to this nonsense. You will hear more from me within the next few days.

Blessings,

Ashley