6 November 2012

I am thankful for. . .

Freedom to Choose

I am grateful for the chance to have the freedom to have a voice in who my Political leaders will be. There are many countries out there that do not have the chance to chose their leaders; we have Military men and women that fight for our freedom every day. For that, I want to say thank you to every man and woman that has ever served our country, whether it be in the military or in any governmental capacity. Your service to our country is very much appreciated!

5 November 2012

I am thankful for. . .

m|u|s|i|c

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I can remember growing up there would always be music playing in the car (Country for Mom, Rock and Roll for Daddy). You might say it was in my blood; Mom went to All-State for choir throughout High School and to All-Northwest as a Sophomore. In Elementary school we had music (I'm not quite sure I would call it music now though. . .) performances every year. When I was in High School, choir was a big part of my life; my Senior year I went to All-State as well (such an absolute blast). You could say I have been a little bit lost without choir, however I have found other ways to participate in musical things. At my old apartment complex we had several people that played the guitar and we would all get together and do sing-alongs. I also do Church choir as well. 

The thing that I love about music is that there are so many songs out there; they describe so many different emotions, events, and things in general. Many songs are even about the same thing, however what you feel can be so different based upon the song. It is sometimes the easiest way to express how you are feeling. When you are feeling down, you can listen to an upbeat song that will "wipe the blues away" or when you are cleaning the house you can blast the music as loud as you want, all the while dancing and singing at the top of you lungs. 

4 November 2012

I am thankful for. . .

Alaska

I was lucky enough to have a really unique childhood compared to others. I always had a white Christmas, I basically grew up on the rivers (yet somehow I still do not know how to prepare a rigging for my fishing pole), and had all kinds of fun adventures with my family and friends. There are so many things that I have learned from Alaska; how to appreciate nature and it's beauty, how to cook while camping, stop to smell the roses, etc. Of course there are the downfalls, such as flight costs to get out of there, life can be a little "small townish" and therefore too sheltered. But I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Alaska is such a beautiful place; you see things up there that you might only see in magazines or pictures any where else. The memories there are one in a million. I hope that when I start having kids, I will be able to bring them up there to see the wonders of Alaska. 

Lots of love to you all!

Ashlyn 

3 November 2012

I am thankful for. . . . 

PERSPECTIVE

I'm sure many of you will be able to relate to this, so that is why I chose perspective today. There are countless times that I haven't thought things through, or ignore the warnings that have been given to me by friends or family members (funny how this is following a post about my family and some advice they gave me haha). When I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a big kid so that I could stay up late, go fishing/hunting, do "fun" projects in school, etc. What I didn't realize was that while I was wishing for these things, I was letting precious moments fly past me. Unfortunately this didn't change as I got older; I would wish to be able to work so I could have money, be done with school so that I could move out of state to start the life of my dreams, meet Mister Right, etc. 

But this time I didn't let all  the moments pass me by. I enjoyed the memories that were made with friends and family, dated around, and documented a lot of them (thus all the pictures on Facebook). It wasn't until I started getting what "dreamed" of that I realized just how easy life was and that I had listened to everyone (especially my Mom and Daddy). Jobs aren't all they are cracked up to be; you have irresponsible co-workers, schedules, and people that are relying upon you. Then of course there are bills and school to pay, as well as being responsible with your time and school work. It's a lot of work. . .but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT! 

Again I have learned from my mistakes, instead of wishing for things to be like the past or waiting for the future I am learning to live in the moment. I cherish every moment that I have, no matter how stressful it is, because I know that I will look back on these days and have many fond memories. Life is what you make it, if you choose to have a crappy attitude than yes life is going to suck, but if you choose to put it into perspective and look for the good, you will find that it will be a lot harder to become depressed or upset by things. And remember that even when times are hard, they will get easier eventually. YOU have the power to change how bad things are in your life. Is it your life that sucks, or your attitude? 

Live in the moment and love life! 

Lots of love, 

Ashlyn

November 1st and 2nd

Since I missed yesterday I will go ahead and lump it in with today's post (disclaimer: there is no particular order in these posting; i.e. I'm not more thankful for something over another)

Family, wouldn't have it any other way!

I am thankful for my family. I know that this might sound cheesy/cliche however, it is true. I know that I would not be the person that I am without them. Being off on my own has really made me appreciate and understand everything that they told/taught me. As many of you know, I decided to take some time off from BYU while I try to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life. In the mean time I have been going to a small school to become certified as a Dental Assistant so that I have something to rely on education wise for a job.

My family has always been supportive of the various things that I have chosen to do, whether it be sports, church things, school, or even life. I have always known that if I need them, they will be there for me through thick and thin. All of my family is more than willing to impart words of wisdom to this sometimes flailing youth (which is sometimes less appreciated than others).

The Fitt and Dustin cousins

When I graduated from high school, my mom contacted all of my immediate family and asked them to each write me a letter with little bits of advice that was just for me. I absolutely love this book, I keep with with me at all times, even when traveling you will often find it in my carry on. I'd like to share a few of their words of wisdom with you if you don't mind.

1. "Studying is important. Value your education...knowledge is the only thing we take from this earth (Mom)." I wish I would have listened more to her on this one; I never realized just how hard school really was until I came to college. This is definitely one of the things I am most mindful of now.

2. "Find good friends and keep them close to you. The friends you make now will be lasting friendships (Mom)."

3. "Call your mother at least once a week...or she will hunt you down (Mom)." Mom and I have always been the best of friends, so this was the easiest one to follow!

Aunt Terri, Uncle Obe, Ethan, Grace, and Savannah

4. From everyone, they expressed how much they loved me and how proud they were of me. For those times when I felt like a failure, I would always go read this and it would usually make me feel a lot better hearing how loved I am.

5. "You can become whomever you want to (Papa Sossaman)." I have the freedom to choose!

6. "Don't go window shopping if you don't have the money (Aunt Terri)!" How very well my Aunt knows me. . .like any girl, I like to shop, however I have had to learn the art of budgeting and window shopping usually puts a big dent in that!

Aunt Shannon, Uncle Mark, and Wyatt

7. "Study hard, play hard, and enjoy this time!!! It will go by so quickly (Aunt Shannon)."  That is the key to this point in life is to enjoy it; life is what you make of it. If you have a crappy attitude then you are going to have a crappy life. Make the most of it :D

and finally. . .

8. "Remember to be prayerful and consult with your Father in Heaven and always Choose the Right. The choices you make now will impact the rest of your life, so choose wisely (Grandma and Grandpa Dustin)."

I love my family and am so grateful for them. I was lucky enough to be able to live close to all of my immediate family when I was growing up; my cousins and I had countless adventures down at my Grandparents house in Anchor Point; I went frequently on fishing trips all through out our area with my Aunt Terri, Uncle Obe, my parents, and Papa.

I know I wouldn't be who I am today without all of their influence in my life. Thank you for shaping me into the woman that I am today; I know I still make mistakes and that I will continue to do so, but it is the best feeling in the world to know that my family will be there to catch me when I do fall. I love you all dearly and I cannot express how thankful I am for everything that my family has done for me.

One big HAPPY family!

Hugs and kisses!

Ashlyn

I Am Thankful for. . .

Looks like I am a little bit late in starting this, however I am going to try to post something on here everyday of what I am thankful for. It will probably be a short little blip, however I know the importance of what showing what we are thankful for, especially as we begin this fun holiday season. My hope is that I will post something personal on this blog and then something more spiritual on my Simply Spiritual blog. I will also be posting a picture every day as well. Love you all and thanks for the support. !!!

Halloween Festivities

Hello Everyone,

I hope y'all had a FANTASTIC Halloween, be it with family, friends, or both. I myself went up to up to Fruit Heights with Sidney and her husband Dan, to go see her family. I hadn't seen Sid's family since they had gotten married last February. We all had an absolute blast!

Cherise and I caught up on all that had happened since February; she asked all kinds of questions about Daniel. She then told me that I had better bring him up to stay for a night or two so that they could meet him; in other words, Daniel has to be approve :D haha I informed him that we would be making a trip up and he seemed excited to  do so.

Anyways, back to Halloween. The Cragun's have this cool family tradition; instead of passing out candy they have a fire going and hot chocolate to give out to everyone as they go by. So not only did we get to see all of the fun Halloween costumes, but we were also able to chat with people as they came by. Sidney's Grandparents came by, as well as Alysha and her boyfriend Brett. Later on in the evening, Brett entertained us with some fire tricks. It was pretty sweet.

For Halloween, I decided comfort was key as well as modesty. And boy, let me tell you. Trying to find just a modest costume is RIDICULOUS; then try to add in comfort! Phew, it was like asking for the impossible...that is until I went to class last Saturday (we had to dress up) and two of the girls there were dressed up like people from the 80's. BINGO!!! I have never had anything to wear for 80's days or Disco nights at the Roller Rink here, so I decided that it would be worth the "investment" to get some. Not to mention that I needed to get some comfy athletic leggings. I had comfort, cuteness, and it was modest. I was pretty much in heaven all day yesterday! Dan and Sidney dressed up as a football player and cheerleader; they were ADORABLE! Unfortunately I was so busy that I wasn't able to get any pictures. . .sorry! I will have to remember to do a better job of that :D

Anyways lots of love!

Ashlyn