Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I have to say that Sunday is one of my most favorite days. We are still extremely busy with Sunday School, church, etc. however, it is nice to remember in Genesis 2:2 that says, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work". I guess after 6 days of work we should be entitled to a day of rest. It is hard for me to have a day to relax as I have a 'go,go,go' mentality in every area of my life. There are many days, like today, where I need to just say, "Ashley, relax!"

Today's agenda encompassed a trip to TRBC for Sunday School then we came home to some homemade lunch and now we are sitting on the couch watching football---ESPN takes over about 95% of my life thanks to my wonderful husband:) We are debating going into town (Wards Road) in a little while to look at some desks at Kohls. We are looking to my desk and clean up the spare room and turn it into an office that is fully-functioning. With Peter head-first into his classes and same with me, it almost seems like the right thing to do. We will see what happens.

Yesterday, we went out to Target to look for some home organization items. For some reason, spring cleaning is coming faster than usual for me. I have done a terrible job keeping up my beautiful home over the past month, mainly due to a large amount of traveling for work and holidays. I am strongly considering hiring a lady to come clean our house one time a week just to keep up with everything I need to do. Our busy season at work is rapidly approaching, which means even more overtime for me and my employees and Peter is making some huge career changes, that I am will leave off of here for now, but all good things. Needless to say, year 2010 is going to be life-changing for us in more ways than one. I think it would be best if I could have some extra help around the house even if it is one time a week. Anyway, back to the organization ideas---we ended up raising our bed which will allow for extra storage under the bed. I know it sounds tacky, but since we have King bedding on a Queen bed it actually hangs at perfect length where you cannot even tell there is anything under the bed. It actually looks amazing and I am very pleased with the turnout! I am going to go through my closets---yes, that is plural---4 to be exact---to get rid of a large amount of clothes that are too big or things I never wear. If any of you reading are interested in looking at the clothes just let me know, I will willingly give them to you!

I am almost finished with my first book of 2010! 'Dear John' has been an easy read and the typical romantic novel. I am excited for the movie to come out in the next couple of months. I am not sure what my next pick will be---any suggestions? I really need books that will grab your attention within the first 2 chapters otherwise I am not going to be interested. Peter and I talked about the book reading resolution and he thought it would be a better resolution to build on how many books we read annually. He thought we should do 2 books per month each and then maybe next year we can raise to 3 books a month. It is too hard with our extremely busy schedules to do much more, unfortunately.

Well, I am going to sign off for now. We are going to head out and enjoy the rest of the day before back to work tomorrow. Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

Welcome New Year and Resolutions

Many people have made New Year's Resolutions for the coming year, as they do every year. Peter and I have had a very interesting year, to say the least, and I am ready for the new year with new events. Every year we receive many Christmas cards with families writing about their year in review. I told Peter that next year, I want to be able to look back and do the same. Here is my attempt to start blogging again to be able to have something to look back on for the coming year. Today as I sit at home with my dog, Deacon, I have been able to put into writing some of my New Year's Resolutions. Here is the current list:

1. Attend church every Sunday along with getting more involved in our wonderful Sunday School class
2. Continue to budget even better than last year---goal is to put $10,000 in savings by December 2010
3. Prepare our life and finances to start our family
4. Stretch my knowledge base at work
5. Read 1 book per week---currently reading "Dear John"
6. Have daily devotions and prayer time with Peter
7. Continue working out at the gym 3-4 times a week
8. Go on a cruise in September/October with Peter and friends

This list will continue to grow, but I believe this is a good enough list for now. We have made many changes in the past year that have stretched us immensely, but all that have made us who we are today. We both are committed to tackle these resolutions full-force in hopes to better prepare us for the future. Please continue to pray for us as we proceed into the new year with many things to achieve.

Spring is in the Air!

I am back to blogging again after who knows how long. It seems to be a good outlet for me to write about my life, feelings, ups and downs, and just whatever I feel like. I cannot believe we are halfway through March right now. Where in the world has the time gone!?! I absolutely love the sunshine we have had these past couple days. The constant rain was more than annoying this weekend. I have to say I absolutely despise rain. I know that it brings water to the plants, life, etc. but I hate being wet when I am clothed. That is what a shower is for!:) Anyway, it put a damper on our weekend with my brother because we wanted to walk around outside, but the weather did not permit us to do so. Oh well, I am so thankful for the sun that will be shining this weekend:)

Not much has happened since the last time I wrote. The litter we are getting our puppy from was born this past weekend. Actually, 2 days earlier than expected. I emailed the kennel on Monday to tell them how excited we were that they were born. Then I got the dreaded email of how it was a really chaotic and eventful weekend there. The mother of the puppies died after giving birth. She (Rosie) had fallen ill Sunday and they had to do an emergency c-section to save the puppies. The mother did not not survive this surgery. I was just broken when I heard this. I could not believe how terrible this must be. Needless to say, they had to move on and care for the 9 puppies that this mother just birthed. They are rotating the puppies every 3 hours in order to feed them properly and enough to live. They are so good at what they do and I know they will do a phenominal job with all 9 of them. I cannot imagine what a task that is for them though! Anyway, we are set to get a girl sometime in May once she reaches 8 weeks. We are more than excited, but we are also nervous about the thought of having something to take care of that young:) Guess it is good prep for kids someday! We are hoping to have pictures soon and as soon as I have them I will post!

Peter and I have started working out much more avidly now that the weather is nicer. We have been running, fast-walking, and lifting weights at the gym. Yesterday, we went over to Peaks View Park and ran for a little bit over there. It was so beautiful and warm. The past couple days prior we have been going to the gym and working out big time. It is that time to get in real shape not just 'ok' shape to get by. It is summer-time and bathing suit weather approaching us soon!! I know I am ridiculous, but I know that I feel better about myself when I am working out, having more energy, and doing something I enjoy with someone I really enjoy:)

It is Thursday already again and tonight starts another week of our wonderful Esther Bible Study. I love the girls that have decided to join and make this their Thursday night. Time is precious and I am so thankful that each of them decided this was something they wanted to invest their time in. I love this group of girls because all of them are so different, but we have one common thread running through us---love for God and His people. That is all that matters in life. When all else fails, God does not! That is the best promise to remember especially in times of tribulation and trials that this world is going through right now. I know it is easier said than done in a lot of situations, but it has to become a way of life and a habit. God is not someone that is put on the shelf until certain days of the week or when you feel like being Godly for that moment. It is something that is daily, continual, and on-going. I loved the past week of the Esther study because it talked about how Esther had to put the situation in God's hands. She realized she could not control the results, but God knew the divine and perfect plan. A lot of times that is so true in our own lives. We try to control the situation because we want it to work out OUR way because we know best:)...wrong! God is the only one who knows the results and the BEST results for YOU. That is a weakness of my own because I tend to be controlling of situations because I think I know best, but ultimately I don't at all. It is just something I have to continue to work on. Anyway, just a little glimpse into the life of Esther.

I am going to get back to work here, but have a great weekend everyone!

It's Friday!

T.G.I.F everyone! I am so happy to be having a weekend off to spend in the nice warm weather we are expected to have. What a great way to end a terribly cold week....75 degree weather:) Time to get out the flip flops and short-sleeves! My favorite type of clothing! I swear I am meant to live in a warm climate. My body just does not do well in cold weather at all. I can honestly say that I have no desire to see another flake of snow for a LONG time! I guess seeing that I was pretty much born in snow country and lived there for a major portion of my life it really is not fun anymore.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a particular group of girls over the past couple of weeks...my Esther girls:) I am blessed beyond measure with every single one of them and can't stop thanking God for bringing them into my life. They are amazing and all so different, which is what I love about our group--diversity! We went through Week 2 of the Esther study by Beth Moore and were able to sample beauty treatments, compliments of Amber:) I have to say...thank God for making me a girl! I sure love being pampered. Sometimes I take for granted getting my nails done, or my hair cut and colored every month, but seriously I could not imagine being a guy! They do not get to have all the fun that we do as women:) Now don't get me wrong, it sure can be a total pain in the butt being a girl sometimes too. I mean we do have to go through the child birth part and go through painful and rather annoying periods every month, but all in all we can still pamper ourselves. I really have loved reading the book of Esther and being able to dig deeper into this story and how God's hand has completely guided the story. Everything has been nothing short of a miracle! If you have never read the book of Esther or really have not done a good Bible study in a while--I recommend this one!

Tonight, Peter and I are heading to my favorite resturant of all times---Panera Bread---with a newly engaged couple Kristin and Tim! I have known Kristin for a couple years and Peter knows her fiance as well. I have to interview a SPED teacher for the last week of my class and she teaches in a SPED classroom so I immediately thought of her! It will be good to catch up with her and of course the wedding plans---and do a little school work on the side:)

No other major plans happening this weekend. My brother comes a week from today and I am so excited to have him stay with us for a long weekend. He has not seen our house since we moved in. Well, I am going to get back to work here, but I will blog later on next week. Have a great weekend everyone!!

The Past Couple of Weeks Recap...

I am definitely a terrible blogger. However, I have been extremely busy so therefore I have an excuse:) I have been working long days and nights at LU counseling students for the new grant program I have been put in charge of. I absolutely LOVE my job and anyone who knows me can attest to that fact. I have been blessed by my job here at LU and know that it has opened so many doors and opportunities for me.

Today is halfway through the week or 'hump day' as many people call it. I just know that I have still a long week and weekend ahead of me. I have my weekend intensive for my Master's degree on Friday and Saturday so that will take up the majority of my weekend. The class is a lot of fun and the professor is hilarious so that really helps pass the time. I have to work on a presentation for the class that I have on Saturday. I honestly need to figure out what I want to do because I know that I will not be able to complete my program with student teaching here at Liberty. I don't want to quit my job and there is no way for me to do student teaching and work full-time. I am considering getting provisional licensure through VA and going that route and then eventually getting licensed in the state we eventually move to (i.e. GEORGIA). That is my proposed plan then I can at least still teach, I just won't have full licensure.

Peter and I are supposed to officially close on our home this week. The refi's have taken over all 1st time homebuyers no matter how long ago they turned their paperwork in...lovely. So much for being the organized homebuyers who had everything today within 1 day. I guess that really does not matter anymore. I told Peter I am so ready to get this over with, I don't care what happens at this point. The builders and seller have been gracious enough for us to move in and live rent free until this all gets straightened out so I can't really complain.

Peter and I spent a wondeful weekend at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA. We had originally planned to get a massage here in town, but everything was booked so we decided to check with BHI as they have an incredible spa. We have been there once before, but have never actually stayed the night at BHI. We booked a room Saturday night and a massage for Sunday morning. It was so incredible! The room was great, we had our own private balcony, the service was impeccable. Overall, it was amazing. If you ever need a wonderful place to stay, this is it. I highly recommend it.

My brother is coming in 2 weeks to visit Peter and I for his Spring Break. Oh to be a college student with a week off:) He is coming Friday and will stay through the next Tuesday then head home to Michigan for the remainder of his break. We are so excited to have him come and stay with us. He is so easy to please and laid back so I know it will be a great time. We plan to do some different things and show him around the abundant city of Lynchburg:) Those who live here know that was sarcasm. Peter and I have some work to do in our spare bedroom so that my brother will have some room to live for a couple days.

Well, I caved in...I completely redid my bathroom. I knew that I wanted something different, just could not find exactly what I was looking for. I found an adorable shower curtain at Target..the best store on the face of this planet...that was light tan and ivory giraffe print. It immediately caught my eye and knew that was it. They also had the bath and hand towels to match that were a little darker brown so I picked up a few of those as well. Peter put together an armoire for the bathroom in white for me and we hung a large picture and some bath towel hooks. It looks a million times better and actually looks put toghether. I definitely found what I was looking for. I am contemplating the different things we could do with the spare bedroom. It has become sort of a dumping ground for things we are not sure what to do with and I hate that. I am way too organized for that:) The bathroom in there is Peter's bathroom that he uses in the morning and I absolutely LOVE the color scheme in it. Amazingly enough, he picked it all out. I know we want to keep our desks in the room, but if we are going to make it an office, I want it to look like an office. Right now we have clothes, Goodwill piles, Peter's work tools, etc. all over the place. We have looked at some ideas through IKEA for some wall units, etc. to make it more office-like. I would love to put a big brown leather chair in there and just make it more organized than it is. We will see. I might tackle that project next weekend.

I am going to get back to work here. Have a great day everyone!!

I cannot believe it is already Thursday. The weeks seem to fly by lately! Peter and I have been working on getting our spare bedroom organized as much as we can. I was able to finally get the 2nd bathroom completed and it looks SO amazing. We did a green accent and some browns in there. I am in love with that bathroom more than ours! I am reconsidering doing different colors in our bathroom. I am just not 100% satisfied. It looks just kind of pieced together and not like it actually works. I am going to see what I find this weekend. I might completely change the colors all together. I love brown anything so I might keep the brown rugs, just might find a different shower curtain or something less dramatic. I get on these kicks a lot when I want to change colors of things. I think we have gone through about 7 or 8 different bedroom sets all with different colors. I have taken a love for the robin's egg blue, but we will see how long that lasts.

I have our 2nd Bible study tonight with some wonderful ladies! We decided to do the Esther study by Beth Moore and so far it is wonderful. It is a very in-depth study and really makes one think about every point. She loves to skip around in the Bible and get your familiar with the whole Bible instead of limiting it to one book, which I love. I have not done this much Bible study since Bible class in high school. Anyway, I have heard some good reviews on the book from the other girls and I think we all are going to really like it once we get into it more.

Well, this weekend is Valentine's Day. I am not sure what Peter and I will end up doing. Everywhere is booked solid and we really do not feel like standing in line somewhere that does not take reservations. We were considering Shoemaker's but we did that last year so who knows. We may end up cooking together at home and just making it fun! I know we are for sure going to see the new movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. I absolutely love Isla Fisher. She is a great actress and of course, Sophie Kinsella is a great author so the movie is bound to be amazing.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

For My Sister-In-Law:)

Well, my sister-in-law has informed me that I have not updated my blog lately so I decided to write about all the happenings from the past week or so. Thanks Jennifer for reminding me:)

Peter and I are officially moved into our new home. God has been so good and unbelieveably faithful through everything. Peter and I had everything worked out perfectly, but God had a different plan and there were a few snags along the way. It really has taught us both that we need to completely trust Him through the ups and downs of the home-buying process. It can be an absolute nightmere at times. Tons of paperwork, tons of meetings, tons of phone calls and emails back and forth. Basically, if you are trying to buy a house just expect to be super-busy until everything is finalized and you have closed on your home. We are both so thankful for the most amazing realtor and bank that could every come across our path. We have been extremely blessed in that area and would not have been able to get everything completed in a timely fashion and with the smallest amount of stress possible when buying a house without them.

A good majority of guys from Peter's work came over last Saturday to help us move in. They got the truck around 9:30 and they were done by noon. It was so wonderful to have them there to help with all the heavy stuff. I also had a friend of mine help too and it was nice to have a girl's touch and help with some of the little things. Peter and I worked vigourously throughout the day on Saturday afternoon and evening to get the downstairs organized and unpacked before our big SuperBowl party on Sunday night. We were able to pull it off amazingly. We headed to Sam's Club on Sunday morning to get 6 pounds of hamburger meat, tons of chicken, fruit, soda, etc. We had about 15-20 people show up that night and had a blast! It was so great to have the fellowship and of course, to see the Steelers win!!!

Peter has gotten extremely sick with some sort of flu virus or food poisioning. He was home sick the past 2 days throwing up constantly, but seems to be on the mend today. We have a lot of work to do on the upstairs before my mom comes this weekend. I want to get the 2nd bathroom prepared for her so she will have her own space. The house has turned out wonderfully and it has been a blast decorating and making it a home. The knobs the builder put in for us on our cabinets makes a world of difference compared to what they were before. Just the little things seem to make all the difference.

Tomorrow is the official start date of my little women's Bible study. There are a total of 4 of us getting together every Thursday night at our home to start a Beth Moore study. I have not done this since who knows when and am really excited to have this group of women get together. I know some of them from college and one from work. I am excited to have the fellowship of other women...not that I don't love spending time with my husband...but it is nice to have some girl time every once in a while:) Can't wait to see you ladies!

Well, I have a lot to work on tonight before American Idol comes on at 8pm:) I have to work on the 2nd bedroom and meet up with our cleaning lady that is going to clean our apartment for us for final inspection. I am so thankful we have found her!! Have a great day everyone!