Happy Labor Day Weekend!

What are you doing this weekend?

I'm going...

Camping!

Hope y'all enjoy your extra long weekend!

summer at a glance...

I guess now that it is officially September, it's time to say goodbye to summer.

I have bitter sweet feelings about summer drawing to a close. We spent this summer just like I have spent every summer since junior year of high school (excluding the summer I was on my mission) - teaching Swim Lessons.  I love swim lessons because... I get to go home to Georgia and be with my family; I get to be in the pool all day; It's really good money; I don't have to worry about clothes or make-up for 2-3 whole months; I absolutely love teaching and seeing kids improve; My hair bleaches out and my skin gets tan; And this year, I got to do it all with Brian. :)  It was so great being able to spend all day, everyday together.

But all good things must come to an end, and there are some things I'm ready to leave behind at least until June like...sunburns and swimmer's ear and sharing a bathroom with so many people and going to bed hot and sweaty.  Plus change is good they say.  Brian and I are looking forward to having a little place for just the two of us to call home again, and we are above and beyond excited to have a full kitchen and a dishwasher. :)  We moved back to Park City now when the weather in my opinion is at its finest.  And although the start of school will have be discussed in greater detail in my next post, there is something to be said about new beginnings, fresh starts, and having a concrete schedule.

Summer and a cracked computer screen made me quite the lazy blogger the last couple months, but here are a few pics of what we have been up to...

So summer...I'll see you again in June.  I'm ready for the leaves to change colors and for hot chocolate and apple cider, but don't worry, no one will be ready for you more than me when I finally see you again.

Here is a look at our summer according to my camera...

 

  

 

just a little sneak peak...

So, I am officially excited to see The Hunger Games movie.  Maybe it's the fact that I teach 6th and 7th grade kids, or maybe I'm just a sucker easy, fun young adult reads, but I am right there with all my students when it comes to The Hunger Game Series.  I couldn't get enough of them (except for the last one, but that is a whole other topic for another long and bitter post.)

Anyway click here if you're ready to get pumped!  ...t minus 6 months-ish....

one year ago today...

...Brian asked me to be his wife!

I can't believe I have been lucky enough to wear this beautiful ring of my dreams on my finger for a whole year.  Yep, one year later and I still catch myself admiring it when I think nobody is watching.

I decided that it would be good to actually write our story down now while it is still fresh in my mind, as the details are already getting a little fuzzy after just one year.  So here it goes...

Our Story

    Brian and Ashley met at the single's ward Lake Powell trip in August 2009. Ashley was brand new to the ward, and first noticed Brian the second day of the trip when she saw him wakeboarding (he was pretty good.) Brian first noticed Ashley when Jenny, her cousin, introduced them (she had great legs.) They bonded over their shared love for water sports, especially wakeboarding. Brian also tried to teach Ashley how to airchair, but she was terrible.
     On the last day of the trip, Brian nervously asked for Ashley's phone number. That same night while Ashley was in the shower, Brian called. When she did not pick up, he called her cousin Jenny looking for her! Ashley called him back, and they went on their first date to watch a movie and shared their first kiss.
    That was the beginning of the end! :) One year later to the date, Brian asked Ashley to be his wife for time and all eternity at the top of Park City Mountain Resort. She, of course, said yes! And they lived happily ever after. The end.

The Proposal

   Brian and I decided to go on a marathon date for our 1 year anniversary (we decided to count our 1 year mark from the day that we first held hands...the next day, he kissed me) on August 28th.
He picked me up early for an amazing french toast breakfast at Kneaders (one of my favorites.) And then we just spent some time checking out the shops and the nature preserve and enjoying the beautiful weather.
   For lunch, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Szechwan Chinese Kitchen. Then we went to Park City Mountain Resort and took the ski lift up just to enjoy the view and hike around some. Brian had the ring on him, but hadn't quite decided exactly how or when he was going to propose.
We hiked around and explored some (I had just got a new camera, so I wanted to take lots of pictures.) Then we decided to go play on some of the park equipment that was all piled together for the summer.
Brian dared me to try to run and make it up to the top of one of the quarter pipes. He had already done it, so of course I had to at least try. Little did I know, he was secretly hoping that I would fail...which I did. As I grabbed the top of the pipe only to slide back down, I turned around to Brian down on one knee with the ring box open! He asked me if I would marry him, and I screamed YES! and took a picture of him on one knee before I would let him put the ring on me. :)
   After we came down the mountain, we went back to his place to show his family the ring, and then Brian also played me a song on the piano that he had written for me :), and to finish the evening we went to the drive-in movie and saw "The Killers" because I've always wanted to go to a drive-in movie and I had never been. Pretty much is was the most amazing day! :)

moving, moving, moving

I hate moving!  Brian was making fun of me the other day because this will be the 5th place I have moved to in Park City alone in the 2 years I have lived there.  Someday, I will be rich and will build my dream house and then I will never, ever move again...at least that's what I keep telling myself.

It's been a crazy week.  We had a verbal agreement to move into a small 2 bedroom basement apartment that fell through the day we wanted to start moving in.  So after a somewhat frantic search for a new place, lots of KSL and Craigslist browsing, several phone calls and emails, 1 very disheartening visit to a way too overpriced teeny, tiny condo, and 1 relief welcoming visit to the basement apartment of our dreams (as in move-in ready, reasonably priced, etc).  Really, we were at our house hunting end both literally and figuratively, so we counted the find as a miracle and answer to prayers. 

So now we are in the process of moving in.  I really can't complain too much because in reality Brian has done 90% of the moving by himself while I started work on Friday.  Still, I'll be grateful when it is all done and we are moved in.

Pictures to come....someday....

...mormons in the media...

It's that time again...that's right: election time, and with both Romney and now Huntsman showing interest in presidential candidacies, I've noticed once again an increase is media coverage about the LDS church and faith.  So far, I've been impressed with both the humorous and more contemplative pieces I've seen.  And as the church continues to grow and it's members continue through politics, sports, business, etc. to impact American and even global life and pop culture, media coverage will only grow if not only out of simple curiosity.

They say that all publicity is good publicity...and that may be true, but I grateful for the increasingly fair, accurate, and open-minded portrayal of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the media.  That's not to say that every media clip and article I've read has been enthusiastically "pro-mormon" or that all the stereotypes and misconceptions about the church have been erased from the public eye or that public opinion has really even changed much, but it is a step in the right direction.  That all being said, here are some recent favorites...

We're normal! After all those teenage years of worrying about fitting in and being accepted, Colbert gave me just the boost I needed. :)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Yahweh or No Way? - Mormons & God's Poll Numbers
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

The Washington Post seems to have a little thing for the Mormons...I don't blame them...we are pretty cool. :)
Is this really a 'Mormon moment?'

Mormons using the Web to control their own image

A Latter-day Saint view of Book of Mormon musical


This one is from Business Week
God's MBAs: Why Mormon Missions Produce Leaders


          

Six Flags

This summer Brian and I along with Lyndsey, Charlie, Travis, and Mayra all got season passes to Six Flags over Georgia.  Even though we frequently got season passes as kids, I hadn't been to Six Flags in years and Brian had of course never been ever, so it was fun to be able to enjoy some roller coasters together.  We went enough times to make it worth the pass, enjoyed riding Goliath the best (especially when we got to ride it in the very front without waiting in line,) discovered the world of sneaky free parking, and rode all the roller coasters at least once (including both the old wooden ones you pray the termites haven't gotten to first.)

And thanks to my sis-in-law Mayra, we actually have some pictures of our fun summer times at the theme park of my childhood. :)

take me out ot the ball game

One of my favorite things about summertime and growing up in Georgia is going to Braves games.   There is just something about America's favorite pastime that brings back fond memories of hot dogs, cracker jacks, fireworks, and all those years I thought the "Star Spangled Banner" truly ended with the line...and the home of the BRAVES. :)

This summer we only made it to one live game, and it was an adventure.  After a crazy thunderstorm, a power outage, and a 2 hour rain delay, we were ready to get the party started.  All in all it was a fun night.  And although the Braves lost in the end...don't worry, I'm no fair weather fan. :)

How cool is that sunset with the Atlanta skyline?!?!

Lyndsey and Charlie came too.

cow appreciation day

July 8, 2011

I love Chick-fil-a  so much, I thought I would share this song with you...

Helen and 4th of July posts coming soon...I promise... 

and i'm free...free falling...

There are two perfectly reasonable explanations for the events that took place on June 25th, 2011.

1.  Back when I first met Brian and we started dating, we used to like to play the "question game."  Basically we would ask each other all sorts of random questions all the time to get to know each other better.  Brian was more than enthusiastic about his answer to what superpower he would choose if he could have just one...HE WOULD FLY!  Over the past 2 years, Brian has brought up his desire to fly so many times that I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to. :)

2.  Every January, my best friends Renae, Amy, Erin, and I share our New Years Resolutions with each other either in person or via email and then report back to each other throughout the year on how we are doing.  It has really helped me thoughtfully pick realistic goals that make me (I think) a better person. And I actually keep them because I know that I will be held accountable to my friends.  Anyway, that is a lot of background information, but the point is that this year we decided to switch it up a bit.  On top of our regular New Years Resolutions, we decided the others would each pick a resolution (really more of a dare) for us to complete individually that would stretch our comfort zones a little bit ... i.e. we challenged Amy to accomplish a recent goal and run a marathon.  My challenge was to splurge on something that I've always wanted to do but haven't done because I hate spending money, and skydiving was specifically brought up.

So for Brian's 24th Birthday, I surprised him with reservations to go skydiving northwest of Atlanta.  Last Saturday we made the trip, and seriously had an amazing experience...check that off the bucket list. :)

Brian calling his sister Emily to wish her Happy Birthday before we jump, just in case...

Still on the ground waiting for our turn.

Ready or Not?!?!

Brian was ready to go.

Videos below...