The End of Another Year....

It's always fun to review the past year...I have the tendency to focus on the all the bad things that happen in a year when first looking at it however the good slowly begin to pop up. This year has definitely had it's ups and downs as is to be expected--if you had told me last year that I would be back in Alaska willingly I would have laughed hysterically. And even now that I am here I wouldn't say it was my first choice, however I know I am where I'm supposed to be. So let's review what 2013 had to offer me.....

In January I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Seattle for a week of training with HAP Alaska-Yukon. It was incredible to meet new people that shared my passion/love of Alaska and see what Seattle had to offer on a tourist level. I was able to see Jodi and Gil (my mom's cousins) while I was there; I think it had been almost 7 years since I had last seen them so it was really nice! I was able to go see the gum wall, go to Hard Rock Cafe for the first time and see what shopping was like in a big city. I remember absolutely loving the architecture downtown and getting to see the underground tunnels that they had when Seattle was first founded. For those of you that don't know...I do love history so it was neat to be able to take some of that in.

After that I spent a few weeks in Provo, spending time and saying good-bye to many of my friends. I had no idea when I would be back through there again. And then it was onto my next adventure in Arizona. While I was in AZ Daniel and I broke up. It was hard, but definitely for the best. I was able to soak up the sun poolside in between working for HAP Alaska-Yukon. I was able to re-establish some friendships that had been neglected due to distance and I was able to make many more new friends. I'm so grateful for all of my friends that I made while in AZ...I don't know when I will be back down there or if it will ever be a permanent move, however I LOVED every second I was in Arizona and what it had to offer me. I frequented the zoo on several occasions and even made a spontaneous trip to Mexico for the day...that was so much fun!

My cousin Zach ended up getting home from his mission about a month before I was supposed to head back up to Alaska. During one of our conversations I happened to mention that I would be driving back up to AK the beginning of May and that if he wanted to he was more than welcome to tag along....I had told mom and dad that I would have other people driving up with me...but most of them ended up bailing on me because they had to get to AK before I could leave. So unbeknownst to me Zach said yes but didn't actually plan on coming up BUT when I made it to his mission farewell before heading up he packed his bag and away we went. The trip was so much fun! Haha we were able to catch up with each other and get to know each other better. Zach ended up staying up here for the summer working with a hunting guide outfit. It's sounding like he'll be back with them again next summer which will be awesome! His family ended up coming to visit this summer; I took a couple of days off and we made a mad dash down to Homer (that's 10 hours away for those of you that don't know Alaska...) and spent a couple days down there. We had some fun fishing adventures!

This summer was a whirlwind of activity--many new faces to meet with HAP and many old faces to catch up with. I was so busy though--in years past I have worked 40ish hour weeks as the reservation agent, however this year I took a different position as a Transportation Supervisor. Almost the whole summer I was working 6 days a week and between 65-80 hours within that week. I may or may not have broken down into tears at some point, however I did love my job. While working this year I ended up getting my Commercial Driver's License...ever since I started working for HAP four years ago I have wanted to get my CDL. It was a lot of hard work and very stressful, but I felt so accomplished.

When I left Arizona in the spring, I had every intention of coming back come fall. However, as the summer progressed I just had this nagging feeling that Arizona was not the place I was meant to be...I felt the urging that Alaska was where I needed to be. I was praying and fasting about the decision but I wanted to be sure that it was the right decision. During that week I ended up getting an offer to work at a local Oral Surgeon's office (see one of my previous posts for the full story). I finished with HAP and started at Dr. Sutley's the following Monday. Within a few weeks I moved from the Receptionist to the back as a Surgical Assistant/Technician. I absolutely LOVE my job and the office that I work for. The Sutley's are so generous and with the clinic family comes first.

Thanksgiving came...it was nice to spend that with my family this year--it was the first time since I was a senior in high school that I got to spend with my family. Then came Christmas! My mom and I were able to be apart of the Fairbanks Symphony Chorus this year...we had our Christmas concert. It was so fun to be able to do something that both my mother and I love. We had so much fun and are looking forward to singing Verdi in the spring.

And to top off the year I decided to send it off with a bang...by getting into a car accident. I have been house-sitting for the last couple weeks and was on my way to work last Friday when I slid over into the opposite lane and crashed into a semi-truck head on....I was driving my mother's car (mine wouldn't start the previous evening) and it was totaled. However I have no doubts that there was a reason my car did not start the previous evening, some people call it luck, others karma...personally I know it was divine intervention. I was able to walk away from my accident with a minor burn on my wrist from the airbag, a couple bruises from the seat belt, and a very stiff back. All in all I am so grateful just to be alive!

As the year is winding down, I have had a chance to take a look at what all I have accomplished and what I was hoping to accomplish. I may not be where I thought I would be right now, however I have no doubts that I am where I am supposed to be. I'm so grateful to my family for allowing me to stay with them so that I can pay off some bills and get some money put into savings. I'm excited to see what 2014 has to offer, I'm sure that there will be many fun adventures.

Have a happy and safe New Year's eve and day!

Lots of love from the North Pole!

Ashlyn

The End of Another Year....

Well this year seems to have been a difficult one for me to remember to blog....I think I only had three blog posts for 2013...I'm sorry for that but it was a bit of a busy year. Since I was last on a few more things have happened. When I was hired at Dr. Sutley's it was as a Receptionist with the hopes of moving to assistant eventually. When that eventually was going to be was kind of unspoken...well within threeish weeks of working as a receptionist, there were some more job changes and I was asked if I wanted to move to the back as an assistant. I was thrilled beyond belief, this was the field of work I wanted to be in to build a career.  These last few months have been crazy as I have been learning how to assist Dr. Sutley, reading the x-rays better  It's been great getting to know the girls at work better and the Sutley's are truly amazing people. At our clinic it's very family oriented--they are really understanding if something comes up. I am truly blessed, this job literally fell into my lap and then the people are incredible.

I've also recently been called as the Relief Society president...round two. I'm excited to get to know the girls in my branch better and to be a little more involved.

This is a pretty short post, but you know what...it is what it is sometimes! Haha I have to go help mom get the house ready and bake cookies for Santa.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ashlyn

I'm A Big Kid Now

So as a lot of you know, I completed my Dental Assisting Certificate this past year when I was in Utah, however I was offered a position with Holland America and Princess that I could pass up right after graduating. The Dental Assisting has kind of been on the back burner since then, however I am so excited to say that I GOT A JOB! The big shocker isn't that I got the job (although to some of you it might be haha) but rather where I got the job....I took a position as an Oral Surgery Receptionist/Assistant at Dr. Sutley's office in Fairbanks, AK. 

This wasn't a decision that was made lightly; I know most of you are probably a little bit shocked because of how adamant I was that I was moving back to Arizona. I have been talking with my parents since coming home, slightly bemoaning the fact that if I went back down to the states I would be doing an unpaid internship (I really should complain about that, I know...but). So I talked with my mom and said that I was interested in applying at a local Orthodontist office (the same one I went to when I had braces) because they had expressed an interest in hiring me the previous summer. However I wasn't sure if I really wanted to live in -40 or colder...aka I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to living in Alaska for a permanent job. So I began to pray and fast, I even expressed my concerns to my Branch President and asked him for a blessing to help. After praying and fasting, I had come to the decision that Alaska was/is where I am supposed to be right now. I went in and submitted my application at Dr. Wentz's office and I waited...and I waited...and I waited. They had told me that it would probably be a few weeks before they got back to me as Dr. Wentz was out of town, but that they were excited with the prospect of hiring me. 

Three weeks later, I still hadn't heard anything from the Orthodontic office. I was beginning to doubt that I had made the right decision in staying in Alaska. I wasn't quite sure what to do, but I figured if it was meant to work out, the Lord would provide a way. And boy did He!

I had a wisdom teeth consultation scheduled last week; I called in the day before asking for the time of my appointment and chatted with the lady for a few minutes, getting details of what I would need for the appointment, etc. The next morning, however we had some crap hit the fan and I was needed to drive a group to Denali...normally this wouldn't be an issue except I had my appointment at the exact same time I was supposed to be leaving Fairbanks! I called in before the office opened, asking if there was any chance they happened to have an opening earlier in the morning. They called me back as soon as the office opened, I explained the situation, and the lady was so nice and told me to come in at 10 AM because she thought there would be an opening for me. So I scrambled over to the appointment, walked in and checked in at the desk. The ladies there were oohing and ahhing over my Minnie Mouse bow (I wear it with a sock bun almost every day) and saying that I looked adorable, especially considering I had been up since 3 AM. They gave me the necessary paperwork and I went and sat down to fill it out. 

When I was done filling out the paperwork, I went back up to the window to give it to the lady (I'm so bad with names...I have completely spaced on hers). She looked over everything and then asked me if the job I had listed was a seasonal position, I replied that it was indeed, however that I was waiting to hear back from Dr. Wentz to see if he was going to offer me a position. She kind of perked up when I said this, so I told her that I had just completed my Dental Assisting Certificate, and then joking threw in there "Hey are you hiring? Haha just kidding." To which she replied with, "Well actually we are...and you would be perfect for the job!" I looked at her in shock and she told me to have a seat while she went and spoke with their hiring manager. I ended up interviewing for the position and then went in to see the doctor for my consultation. I walked out of the office with my Wisdom Teeth extraction scheduled and a job application with the request that I return it filled out and with my resume the following day. 

So I turned in my application, complete with cover letter, resume, letter of recommendation, and a copy of my certificate in a folder. When I dropped it off the next morning, all of the ladies were so excited to see me and said they hoped I would get the job. This morning I received a phone call from the hiring manager, asking a few more questions and then said that after checking my references and getting glowing reports (Thank you so much everyone for that) she wanted to offer me the position. I immediately accepted it and we discussed the hiring date, process, etc. 

I am thrilled beyond belief to finally be starting my career. I am sad to be saying good-bye to HAP Alaska-Yukon (I may go back part time next summer, but as you all know, anything can happen in a short space of time), however I know that I am doing what I need to be doing. I am so grateful for the support from my family and friends as I was going through school, and I am grateful for their continued support through this decision making process. I also want to say thanks to everyone at HAP Alaska-Yukon for all of your help and keeping me motivated, I have learned so many skills because of this company. 

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! 

Lots of love, 

Ashlyn 

Summer 2013

Well hello everyone! No I have not died, I am still alive and kicking! As usual, it has been awhile since I have had time to write. My adventures in Arizona were a lot of fun. I met great people, enjoyed the wonderful sunshine, and had just an all around blast. At the end of the training program, I drove from Phoenix to Utah (picked up my cousin Zach) and then made my way up to Alaska. We made it up in 2 1/2 days....the sights were incredible (I kind of can't wait to do it again) but oh boy were we excited to make it to North Pole and see the family!

Since returning, I have been working as a Transportation Supervisor for HAP Alaska-Yukon again. I turned 21 (woot woot), went through the training program myself and received my Commercial Driver's License within 3 weeks of starting the program. Driving the motorcoaches was REALLY overwhelming at first, but now it is an absolute blast. Because we are short on driver's, I've been working 80 hours every week, one day off, and a majority of those days I have been giving tours locally, or driving to Denali. I ended up having the opportunity to overnight in Denali and went into the park for the first time (I've lived in Alaska all my life, but this was the first time I've ever been in the park, CRAZY!). We didn't end up seeing any animals, but oh boy were the colors BEAUTIFUL! People say that Alaska doesn't have the pretty fall colors, well they are wrong! There were beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, and greens (pines). I felt truly blessed to say that I live in such a beautiful place.

Last week, my Aunt Terri made the trip up from Wyoming to help move my Grandma Koele up from Anchorage to North Pole. We are so excited to have her closer to us, it'll make life a little less stressful for mom who is constantly worrying about her. She lives right across the street now from my siblings school, so they will get to spend time with Grandma when they get out of school.

Seth has gotten so big, he's only a half inch shorter than me now (it's so crazy, I remember holding him when Mom brought him home from the hospital). He is really excited for wrestling season to start. Leah has turned into quite the little beauty too. Her talent for singing has gotten even better, she astounds me with her talent! Mom loves her job at my old high school. I haven't had much of a chance to see or hang out with my Daddy this summer, we've both been working opposite shifts but he's up to the same ole same ole.

I have enjoyed working for Holland America and Princess immensely this summer, but I'm definitely ready for a break...it's been a lot of hard work but I've met so many more great people, both employee's and guests. The people all make it worth it.

I can't help but feel so blessed for having this job, and being able to see my family. I feel like I have so many paths to choose from for my life and it's a little overwhelming. I am so grateful for the support that I have received from my family and that I am sure I will continue to receive. There are definitely changes on the horizon for me, so keep looking for more posts!

Lots of love,

Ashlyn

Arizona

Hello Everyone!

As usual, it's been a while since I posted (I'll get better eventually...I hope); I've been busy with the new job and moving from Utah down to Arizona. It seems like the last few weeks were only a few days but I'll see if I can get you all caught up!

So I went back down and helped Daniel and the boys get moved into their place (it was pretty gross when they first got there but we got it all under control. Then I bought.....A CAR!!! My Aunt and I talked it over and felt like she looks like a Lucy....so meet Lucy:

The next morning I took her (as well as Daniel, Sidney, and Dan) up to Fruit Heights for the weekend to visit the Cragun family before I flew up to Seattle for job training. It was so great for Daniel to get to spend some time with the Cragun family--they seemed to really like him (that makes two sets of parentals now).

Come Sunday afternoon I was zooming up to Seattle for training. It had been six years since I had visited Seattle (I have family that lives on an island just across from Seattle). For the most part I was really busy with training, but I did have a chance to see some of the sights. We were in a hotel in Pioneer Square; the architecture was BEAUTIFUL!!! We went around; I ate at Hard Rock Cafe for the first time, went out to dinner with Jodi and Gil, and took a tour of the Seattle Underground (HIGHLY recommend going to everyone).

The infamous Seattle "Gum Wall"

This is one of the "lights" for the underground; it's magnesium in a grate;
the light shines through. It does provide a lot of light...but only
in the day time.  

Wouldn't you love to take a bath in this tub?

Close up picture of the sky light

Old time bathroom!

Once I got back to Utah, I had another full week of training AND I helped out with Utah's first classroom session! It was so hectic; Daniel was such a sweetheart and didn't try to keep me up TOO late while I was there. I then stayed and worked for almost two weeks there in Utah before going to Arizona. Getting to spend so much time with Daniel before leaving for three months was really, really nice (I miss him so much!)!!!

We ended up going to the Cragun's house again to see the Superbowl (I watched, Daniel slept once the lights went out...he ended up missing the best part of the game). It was great to see everyone and to say good-bye...pretty bittersweet!

I then spent my last couple of days with Daniel, we played volleyball, watched movies, cuddled (A LOT), and just enjoyed each other's company. I broke away from him one night and went out for a girls night with Tavane and Sidney; my Dental Assisting school did a girl's night Valentines Day party--that was a lot of fun! Then on Thursday morning I got up and headed on down to Arizona. I bawled like a baby when I left Daniel. He was so sweet, he gave me a kiss and then pulled me down and cuddled me until I had calmed down (he had been sleeping, and if you know Daniel, then you know that sleep is sacred to him...so this was a pretty big deal). He would ask me if I was calmed down, and if I wasn't then he squeezed me tighter and kissed my forehead. Eventually I did get myself calmed down and actually headed out. The drive down was GORGEOUS! I took the route that went down through southern Utah, down through Page, Arizona and all the way on down.

I couldn't believe how pretty it was! Seeing the red rock, as well as the variety of rock formations was sooo cool, I had to take pictures!

So I finally made it to Arizona; I went and surprised Momma Jo, Ciera, and Brian. It was so great to see them all and catch up! Then I made my way over to Nic and Jacey's. I am so happy to be here in Arizona--yes I do miss Daniel, but you have to do what you have to do!

Love you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well I hope y'all have had a lovely rest of the week! I wonder if you're still writing 2012 on everything like I am! I always have the worst time trying to remember to do that when we go into a new year, but hey that's what happens with change. For me this week has been really relaxed which has been so nice after having been so busy these past few months; I am finally able to take the time out for the important things.

Tomorrow Daniel will be coming to pick me up and I'll go back down to Provo for another week before zinging of to Seattle for a week and then eventually Phoenix. This will be one of the last weeks of "rest" I will have for quite some time. But I am really looking forward to this wonderful opportunity. I get to be with family friends, I get to buy a car (finding one has been BLEH), and I get to be someplace WARM!!!! Saying good-byes with some will be really difficult but I know that I am supposed to go to Arizona; I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me!

Lots of love to y'all wherever you may be!

Ashlyn

P.S. I am thinking I might need a vacation after the end of all this (I'll be working for HAP from mid-January until the end of September). Comment below or on Facebook with some suggestions of your favorite vacations spots! XOXO

"Through a Rapist's Eyes"

I found this on Pinterest and definitely thought I should reblog this! But first, I have a little personal story as to why this is so important to me:

 My freshman year at BYU (Mom I don't know if I have told you this story actually). I was closing at Wendy's, my boss asked me if I could run down to Smith's and grab him a couple of Rockstar's to keep him awake for the rest of the evening (he had to do inventory). He let me borrow his car and I ran into Smiths. I parked in one of the front rows that happened to have a car on the passenger side with a gentleman in it; I didn't think anything of it and ran inside. 

As I was in the check out line, one of the managers and a bag boy from Smith's approached me and asked if I had come by myself to Smith's. Puzzled that they were asking, I shook my head and told them no, I had come by myself. They looked at each other and said "That's what we thought, we are going to escort you out to your car to ensure you get out of here safely." Apparently after I had walked in, the gentleman in the car next to me had come inside and inquired as to whether I had met someone inside the store or if I was alone; he said he was my older brother and was keeping an eye on me while my parents were out of town. This raised major flags with the workers at Smiths. I am so grateful that they were there and that they took it seriously; when we walked out the gentleman in question was waiting outside the exit doors. As soon as I walked out with the workers from Smiths the guy immediately went inside of Smith's. I have no doubt in my mind that if I had not been escorted outside something bad would have indeed happened. 

Every young woman (or young man for that matter) needs to know how to handle themselves when they are placed in situations where their lives could ultimately be in danger. Please read this and share with other people so that they can be aware of what to do when these situations arise!

"Through a Rapist's Eyes" (Please take the time to read this; it may save a life.) It seems that a lot of attackers use similar tactics to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a situation. FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER (written by the original blogger):

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:

can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

 2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .b. If you! u are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

As one Chapter ends, Another one Begins!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful end of the year. The past month or so had definitely been full of fun and exciting memories. I figure now is as good of time as any to do a wrap up and give a "shortened" version of what all has happened this past year (some of which has already been mentioned and some of which you will now learn of now).

In February one of my best friends was married to the love of her life in the Salt Lake City Temple. I was one of the lucky girls that was able to be her bridesmaids as well as a few of my other friends. I was sad that I was unable to be in there for the ceremony, however we were all out there waiting for Sidney and Dan to come out. We took lots of pictures and had a wonderful evening with many family members and friends.

Then I whizzed off to Arizona to spend some time with Momma Jo, Kaitlyn, and Ciera (not to mention the little munchkins and GG). We had so much fun spending time in the sun, swimming, seeing the progress on the Gilbert temple, going to the zoo, and watching Kaitlyn win state at a Cheer competition. Lots of fun memories, but my favorite thing that I did while in Arizona was attend the Mesa, Arizona temple. I have been to a few temples to do baptisms for the dead, but never have  I felt a connection with any place as I did when I was in this temple. There were murals inside that were GORGEOUS! I can't wait to be able to go back again!

Then from Arizona, I flew to Florida and met my family for some fun adventures in Disney World. I was there for a week and crammed in many magical moments! I watched Seth have to keep a sugar packet held against a wall for five minutes as a punishment from a waiter at one of our restaurants, sang and dance in the rain to Disney music, received a magnificent sun burn (ouch), and had an all around blast with my family (thanks again Daddy and Mom, that was the best Christmas present EVER! Although I do love my new sewing machine...)

While in DisneyWorld, my parents and I decided that since I was not attending BYU (oh yeah, I am taking some time off from college for right now until I decide what it is that I want to actually get my degree in) that I would come back to Alaska in mid-March instead of the beginning of May so that I could get my knee checked out by Dr. Wade (he is the one that did my shoulder surgery my Senior year). So I spent some time with my friends, got all my stuff packed up and flew back home. When we met with Doctor Wade, he informed me that because I was tall and skinny/gangly my knee was experiencing patellar-maltracking. I could do specific exercises for it however it would should I stop I would experience chronic pain or I could have a lateral release done which would most likely be more effective. So I went ahead and had the knee surgery and did 6 weeks of physical therapy.

While recovering from my knee surgery, my boss from HAP Alaska-Yukon allowed me to come back to work earlier than my contracted date. So I was able to make money, recover, and meet lots of new friends. One of those friends was Daniel...you all have heard about how we met (if not then see one of my posts from July or August). Daniel and I have both been in Provo for the past two and half years but it took us both going to Alaska to meet. We both worked lots to earn money for school, pay of debt, and live off of. It was by far one of the best summers I've had!

I stayed in Alaska until the end of September; Mom, Leah and I drove down to Anchorage for me to catch my flight to go to Salt Lake City...or so we thought. My Grandma is a retired airline employee so I was flying on a standby ticket and now that Salt Lake is Delta's central hub it is virtually impossible to get out of Alaska on a Standby ticket to Salt Lake. So instead I surprised Daniel by flying into Las Vegas. I spent a few days there with Daniel and his family before coming back up to Provo.

Once I got to Provo, I moved in with Nic and Jacey (they were married in July, I was supposed to come to Utah for the wedding but tickets ended up being too expensive), got a job and started Dental Assisting School. The next few months all I did was work, study, and miss my family and Daniel (he was in St. George for almost two months). For Thanksgiving, I went down to St. George again and spent some more time getting to know Daniels family. This was the first Thanksgiving that I really got to help out with the preparations, it was a lot of fun!

In December I was able to go Christmas window painting with Daniel and his siblings. I never knew just how much work went into those paintings! It really is impressive the effort and time that goes into them. This was also the first Christmas that I didn't go home for Christmas, instead I went down to Daniel's family again. We drove down on Christmas eve, wrapped the remaining Christmas presents, and then I cuddled with Daniel. Daniel and I ended up falling asleep on the couch until Daniel's mom came out and said "It's five a.m., I'm going to bed so it's time for you guys to go to bed...in your separate bedrooms...now." Haha it was pretty funny. Since Daniel's family doesn't have any little kids, we ended up sleeping in until noon the next day and then leisurely got up and made breakfast before opening our Christmas presents. Then we drove down to Vegas, ate dinner with, and then went to see the floral exhibit that the Bellagio. After getting out fill of the funfilled Las Vegas strip we drove back to St. George to go back up to Provo. We left Vegas at 11 but did not end up leaving St. George until 3 a.m. Tavane's starter on her car died so we ended up taking David's truck back. What is normally a three to three and a half hour drive ended up being a 6 hour drive because we were driving in a white out for over half the trip. Poor Ben; it was an absolute nightmare!

The next day David's 4-wheel drive broke on his truck the next day (I was supposed to take Tavane to the airport the next morning). So we ended up going up to Sidney's parents house that night. I've been up here spending time with the Craguns ever since; it has been a fun/much needed break. We went and saw the Hobbit yesterday and then had some Costa Vida afterwards. Later on in the evening some friends came over to play games until we celebrated the New Year. Sadly Daniel was going to come up and surprise me last night but something came up so he couldn't make it, but we exchanged texts until midnight (he even sent me kiss over text message at midnight).

It truly has been a year of trials, excitement, and for me lots of love. I hope that this year ends up being just as good if not better. I am beginning yet another chapter of my life, for those of you that don't know, I will be moving to Arizona for a couple of months. Shortly after Thanksgiving I was offered a job with the company that I work for in Alaska, HAP Alaska, over the training programs for our driver guide. While there I will train for my CDL and possibly try to intern at a Dental office inbetween my work schedule (we'll see how much time I do actually have though). I hope you all have a wonderful new year!

Lots of love,
Ashlyn