its only been a week?

what a long week. like long long. this week i started two new classes for Moody. this week i worked 6 days straight. this week a couple moved into our guest bedroom. this week i missed out on yet another lifegroup hangout. this week...this week drained me. im so tired. im feeling so alone. i felt so much weight this week from hearing so many sad stories from many around me. im a tradition girl and today is halloween...that tradition is unfortunately not happening this year and all i think is "could not have asked for a better way to end this week." hear the hint of sarcasm? yes im struggling. so in the midst of struggle i need to remind myself that:


GOD IS THE GOD OF just enough

Hey God...it's me Ash

God thank you for the opportunities you have placed me in to shine you (work). Give me the words to say and the confidence to display you in everything that I do. I pray for my friend who is searching for something greater right now (you)- open her heart today as she sits next to me in church. May our conversation afterwards be glorifying. I'm running low on energy and I'm ready to crash- give me some energy (for i dont want to resort to energy drinks..ewww) Thanks for this great fall day :)
Ash

kenna and caleb

so i have always liked kids-like im good at watching them and i think most of them are cute- but they took a lot of energy out of me and it wasn't a hobby or anything. well i decided to expand my horizons and try nannying out. yes i fell in love.

kenna-2yrs old-is a crack up and super amazing. she loves to dance and has to do everything on her own (typical oldest sibling) she loves running around with as little clothes as she can get away with. she loves dora and im growing quite fond of the show myself after watching the same episode more than enough times.

caleb was the first baby i have taken care of outside of the church setting. he is soooo cute and im excited to watch him grow up and start crawling and talking.


I LOVE THEM BOTH!! It's so fun and although i am tired by the end of the day im thankful that me staying here for the year gives me this great opportunity to be with them :) i have like my own family outside my family. :)

an Ashlyn adventure...

whoops i guess i didnt post this in october...when i say "lets go to starbucks or lets go on a road trip" that automatically means that there will be some sort of adventure involved. This weekend was no exception. Me and my childhood friend decided to drive 6hrs north to a town i had never heard of before until this year, to visit a friend attending Simpson University in Redding, ca. Boy what a trip. First off....i have driven 3hrs...max at a time....so 6hrs. 14hrs total-was a very different experience. California is flat. Why does everyone love this state so much...like there are pockets of nothingness-come on wagon trainers, california is not all that amazing from sacramento up to redding.

i learned a few things:

-its easy to speed when the road it flat for hours on end. then when you see that you need to go the legal speed limit, 70mph feels like 15mph.
-there are many big dead dogs on the side of the road or in ghetto neighborhoods (we got lost quite a few times)
-a GPS is a lifesaver! until it sends you in the wrong direction when trying to get home. "GPS do NOT tell me where i live!"-yes i argued with Jezebel (thats my GPS's name)
-there is no point in cleaning the windows at gas stops- those bugs are just drawn and have no respect for my beautiful car
-i don't like driving alongside huge trucks on bridges- i feel so enclosed- so i talk to myself aloud to calm my stresses
-make tons of CD's but make 2 sets (one for the trip there and one going home) the same songs that used to be my favorite are now the culprit of headaches
-make sure your passenger puts their seatbelt on...never assume they are smart enough to remember :)

it's a humble brag....i have the best family

meet my family. they are my life. they are that "one thing" i would grab if the house caught on fire (if for some reason my dad couldn't put it out with his manly skills). i have shared so much with them- most all my best memories in life have them involved in some way or another. Not many families get the opportunity to go to kenya together and serve. not many families have strong solid relationships with one another. not all families have environments where yelling and fighting are not in the "family vocab". not many families have lived in the mountains for 13yrs where kids' imaginations are so big; where they would watch our parents serve people daily. not many families have a home that is not only a safe place for them, but for floor builders, neighbors, mutual friends, and close besties. not many families would pick their siblings as their first choice to hang out on a friday night. not many families can walk into conflict in a healthy manner. not many families enjoy highs and lows at dinner. not many families are as blessed as i am. i could not have asked for any more or any less family. we are the perfect number-perfect age difference. ok so im not saying we are the perfect family- disfunction is found in every single family in some form or another but i think its safe to say we work daily for building relationships and showing grace that a super healthy environment is established.



my father. daddy is his name. Bri-no if he's not listening. Papaya.
He is like the wisest person ever. He is constantly serving his family and like everyone else. As i am writing this he is fixing my car- like im not having to pay for anything and he is spending his day off serving me....wow. after a school friend came to my family in the midst of rebellion and struggle i got to see firsthand how caring yet fatherly he truly is. every word was thought out and spoken in love and grace. im so thankful to grow up learning from him.



momma. momsie
oh she is insanely amazing!!! like i cant think of one person who doesnt like her. and you know....its because she is firm in who she is with Christ so whoever runs into her sees Him in her and not only falls in love with her personality but the very root of why she is who she is (Jesus). She is my like highest role model. She's my friend, mentor, and is constantly challenging me to grow. i lOVE LOVE LOVE her to death!!!



Kylen. kyky. ky-leen. brutha
it hasnt been till recent that i have really gotten close with my amazing caring and funny brother. our bonding moments seem to be because of our green car. yes we are those people who turn the music up loud (we have our spanish song) and belt out our voices, off key of course to spark magic. although we have very different interests and views in this season in life- we are close and i love him to death...just like my mom...i love them ALL to death haha




julianne (when im mad) juju butt. ju-belee. juju bee. ju-belini. ju.
shes one of my closest friends. we are exact opposite but because of shared experiences with friendships (lack of) we have def bonded. she is one of the most hilarious people i know and im not being biased- i only speak truth :) she is so good at art, keeping her closest looking like the rainforest. thanks to her i am more lighthearted.

8 weeks. 2 months. after my final test today i will have completed 2 of 8 classes for my first year of school online. boy what a bumpy ride it has been for me. i have been seeing that PERSPECTIVE has affected my journey in this season of life and what i am deeply struggling with is CONTENTMENT. i just can't be happy with all that im blessed with....sounds downright ridiculous. so i want to make a list of why im thankful for THIS season in my life.

-i do not have time to invest into many people so its ok God's only placed a few people in my life
-I get to walk alongside Godly people like Kim Feil and Ashley Brannan and my mom
-I am learning what it means to be a Godly friend with very diverse friendships i have been placed in
-I get to live with my family for another year and some of my closest friends are now my sister and brother
-Fresno in the fall (fog, cold)
-Going to the Well Community Church
-Working at Bath and Body Works
-I have a car
-I get to go on road trips


Even though the list is not as long as other seasons in life- when i take a step back- im blessed beyond belief and if i focus, not on what i don't have, but God has blessed with me, i feel like i will have more energy, have a teachable heart, and looking back in years to come say "that was such a great learning year" whether or not its an easy season in my life.

cozzied up... finally :)

hello fall- you have finally come! yes im all snug in a red sweatshirt, my legs happily warm in a soft blanket- am sitting at the kitchen table staring out the window. its my weather. this is my happy place.

overcast. almost about to rain. rainy day music playing.

yes indeed. this is just what i needed after a hard week. i saw this on http://justlittlethings.net/ and felt it was very much appropriate