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Showing posts from 2007

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Version (Paraphrased)

This version of 1 Corinthians 13 was sent to me in an e-mail and I thought it would be great to share with you here. It illustrates so well the common mindset of women during this busy holiday season. I pray that you won't see yourself reflected in its lines! Merry Christmas, Everyone! If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not love my family, I'm just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity,but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. I f I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. Love

Christmas is almost here! Fa la la la la, la la la la...

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Here's a fun little Christmas Meme that I got from Becky's blog. I just love this season when everything looks so warm and inviting! I've decided my new favorite color is red and my new favorite smell is a fresh Christmas tree, or a candle that smells like one *wink*! Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. For family presents that have to be mailed, definitely paper Real tree or artificial? We had both growing up but if I had my choice it would be REAL!! My hubby's and my first tree is real, we had a great time decorating it together! When do you put up the tree? Not 'til December is actually here, but only because I can't usually get it in gear to decorate the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving! When do you take the tree down? As late as possible. I think we've left it up 'til mid-January before. Favorite holiday theme? Snowmen and penguins, jingle bells, and JESUS!! Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm...I suppose it would have to be the fluffy white

Love and Leftovers

Another WONDERFUL Thanksgiving has passed. Once again I was reminded of just how much I love this holiday! Truly, it's my favorite! It was even more special because Nathan and I were able to share it with my family who drove down from Tennessee. My sweet aunt who has never been able to visit us even got to come! And the dinner was at our house this year. I couldn't wait to welcome my family into the home that Nathan and I have made together. I wanted everyone to feel right at home and cozy in our little nest. The day began with me frantically trying to finish up a curtain I had started for the kitchen door's window. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I thought I was done I realized that I had made a pretty big "uh-oh" with the straps! That little mistake only set me back about 30 minutes though. After the curtain was pressed and hung, it was on to the cooking! Yay! I have found a new love for cooking and baking since getting married and I couldn't wait to co

Bits and Pieces

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Since it's been so long since I posted, I have several little things to show you all. The first is the "Perfect Tote" that I made a few weeks ago. My Sis and I went to another class at Fabric Boutique but this project was so involved that we ended up having to finish the bags at home. Of course, it didn't help that I experienced multiple technical difficulties with my machine before I ever even got started! I probably could have gotten much farther on the bag in the class if not for all the speed bumps. But, I just chalked it up to being a patience builder and got over it! So, here's a few pics of the bag. It's made using "fat quarters," which are 1/4 yard pieces of fabric. Quilters most commonly use fat quarters to make their quilts. This bag is HUGE!! In the pic above it's holding 3 fleece throws and still has room to spare! I can't wait to use it for a weekend bag or something! Next, we have a turkey cheese ball that I made Monday night fo

Ashlie & Nathan sittin' in a tree...

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I am so blessed! God knew exactly what He was doing when he caused mine and my husband's paths to intertwine. We had the best weekend just spending time together and I couldn't help but be reminded of how blessed I am that God gave this WONDERFUL man to me to keep forever! I just sent my Sweetie off to work a little while ago and I'm already eagerly looking forward to his homecoming! I know, I've got it bad...but I wouldn't change it for the world!! I thought I'd share our love story with you this morning. I had written it out over at The Knot , a wedding planning website, when we were engaged and I thought it would be neat to post it here too. If any of you are engaged, or even hope to marry someday, it's a great website for getting ideas. Granted, many of the suggestions are quite costly, but if you just use a little imagination & creativity, you can come up with frugal and cute alternatives. I had a great time looking at all the pretty pictures when I

It's a Wrap!

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Ta Da! Here it is...the bath wrap I made in a class I signed up for when I bought my sewing machine. You can read that post here . My sis and I both went to the class on Monday and it was so much fun! We were both a little cranky towards the end and it took us way too long (about 5 hours)to make this thing, but hey, we had worked all night before the class AND we're beginners! Well, I'm definitely a beginner anyway...my sis has sewn several different things over the years so she's a little more "with it." This wrap was so much fun to make and I know it'll go together much quicker next time I make one. The first time is always the slowest, right? If you're not familiar with the fabric, it's that really soft minkee-dot stuff that's often used to make baby blankets. It's the kind of fabric you find yourself absentmindedly stroking until you notice the amused glances others are giving you. :) The ribbon is just your typical grosgrain and I sewed i

YUCK!!!

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That was the word that kept running through my head last night at work...YUCK! For those of you who don't know, I am a Registered Nurse and work in the Newborn Nursery of my hospital. Most of the time, I enjoy my job but last night truly tested my patience. First, a little background...our hospital's main population of patients consists of low-income, minimally educated, unmarried women. That's not our only type of patient but it's the vast majority (in the women's center, anway). These women, and sometimes young girls, usually choose the state's Medicaid program as their insurance. This, then, usually means that the mom will rely on the WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) Program to help provide for their babies. Well, beginning on October 1st, the WIC program changed the formula it provides from Similac Advanced to Enfamil Lipil. As we all know, everything usually comes down to the money issue, and Enfamil just so happened to have the best bid this time aro

Sleepy Head

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Today was way too early of a morning for me. It began at 5 am (on my day off!) because my sweet husband was getting ready to go deer hunting and I just couldn't stay in the bed while he was rustling around. He has been so excited to go hunting and get started on this season! Bow season actually started October 1st but he's been so busy with school and work that he hasn't had a chance to go before now. Well, he was dressed in his non-scented camo gear and safety harness waiting on his buddy to show up 20 min before his friend's expected arrival time. He was so cute sitting there in the chair all excited like a kid waiting to go to the park or something. While he was waiting, I made him some toast with butter & raspberry jam (homemade, but not by me) which is what he said he wanted for breakfast. I guess it's not a good idea to eat a heavy breakfast like pancakes & bacon before you have to go traipsing around in the hot, humid woods. Could be hard to get out

She did WHAT?!!

I was driving home from work this morning listening to K-LOVE (a syndicated Christian radio station) as usual when I heard the most amazing, startling, & mind-boggling news report. Apparently, there is a 51-year old mom in Brazil who recently gave birth to her own GRANDCHILDREN!!! Yes, grand children , as in TWINS! This selfless woman offered to carry her daughter's children because her daughter was unable to bear children. At first I thought, "What was she thinking?! She's 51 years old!" But, the more I thought about it, I decided that her actions are just about the most sacrificial thing I've heard of anybody doing in quite awhile. Think about it. The lady is not exactly a spring chicken, which means that this pregnancy probably took a major toll on her body. And, not only was she pregnant, but she was carrying twins! My nurse's mind can immediately think of at least a dozen health issues she could have faced and maybe even did face (they didn't giv

Winds of Change

Can you feel it? The wind is stirring, the leaves are waving, and there is the slightest odor of smoke in the air. I'm not speaking of the weather, mind you, but of my spirit. Lately, I have felt the Lord stirring in me...changing me...igniting within me a desire to be more receptive to Him. He is gently prodding me to change the way I see the world around me and especially to change the way I treat & react to the people around me. For the past several weeks I have felt a driving need to learn more about what it means to be a godly woman and how that godly woman should make her home a haven for her husband and children (if God blesses her with any). I have felt a need to do something to bring myself closer to God...things like memorizing Scripture, reading the Word more, and making a conscious effort to be kind in my thoughts and words. Much of this inspiration is due in part to the many blogs of wonderful, godly women that I have found over the past month or so. There are li

Sew Excited!!

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I'm SEW excited!! I got my very own sewing machine! It all happened Tuesday afternoon... My mom, sister, and I went to lunch at Posados (Mexican restaurant) and decided to go across the street to the Fabric Boutique to look at sewing machines. My sis and I have both been wanting a sewing machine for some time now and so we just went in to look around and see what the store had to offer. Well...the first thing that caught our eye was the cutest bath wrap made out of that pink minky dot fabric that a lot of baby blankets are made of. The store is offering a class on making these wraps and that got us really excited so of course we had to sign up for it! It only cost $15 (plus materials) and it was on a day that we're off so we just had to do it. Never mind that it's at 11 am and we have to work the night before. We'll wear thimbles on every finger if we have to just to keep ourselves from sticking sharp pins in our sleepy digits. Who cares if we'll be squinting at

Finally! A Wreath is Born!

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It's been a REALLY long weekend at work. Babies coming out of our ears (and other places) and dreams of screaming, pooping, burping, brand new people. So it's a good thing I finally got around to putting my fall wreath together Friday afternoon before the craziness began. If you remember, I blogged about buying the makings of this wreath at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago. Yes, sadly, I did say a couple of weeks ago. But, in my defense, I have stayed true to my nature and procrastinated once again. I don't think I'd know what to think of myself if I actually did something I set out to do the day I set out to do it. Anyway, I had woken up way early Friday afternoon and my Sweetie was at home doing homework so I figured I might as well be productive and get the wreath done. Hubby had been asking me almost every day, "Are you going to do the wreath today? I can't wait to see it hanging on the door!" And, I, being the procrastinator that I am, had a guilty

Bathtub Blues

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Aaarrrggghhhh!! It's happened again. Our bathtub has decided not to drain. AT ALL...or, at least very slowly. Now, I like to take long, hot showers and this clog business is seriously cutting into my shower enjoyment. I just can't relax under the steaming hot water when I'm standing ankle deep in bathtub backup! This is not the first time the bathtub has acted up. Oh no. A couple of months ago we had to call out the plumber because the bathtub and the toilet had indigestion. The toilet had overflowed and the tub kept burping up trash from the drain. Can you say "Gross!"? The memory alone makes me shudder! That time we spent a whopping $95 to have our clean out access in the front yard snaked. Well, it looks like we're gonna have to call out the nice plumber man once again. Yes, we've tried the liquid clog busters you can buy at the store. They're just no match for our circa 1950's/60's pipes and the clog that's no telling how old. My Dear

Fun That Makes You Think

This is a fun little tag that will make you stretch your noodle! Thanks, Anna These are the rules of the tag: Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the questions. Your answers must be real places, things, names... nothing made up. If you can't think of anything, skip the question. You can't use your name for the boy's/girl's name question. If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry, you can't use my answers. FAMOUS SINGER: Allison Krauss FOUR LETTER WORD: Alto STREET: Audobon COLOR: Aubergine GIFTS/PRESENTS: Afghan (the blanket, not the middle-easterner) THINGS IN A SOUVENIR SHOP: Albums BOY'S NAME: Aarron GIRL'S NAME: Abigail MOVIE TITLE: Apocalypto DRINK: Apple cider OCCUPATION: Astronaut CELEBRITY: Ashton Kutcher MAGAZINE: Allure U.S. CITY: Austin, Texas PRO SPORTS: Anglers (fishermen) FRUIT: apple REASONS FOR BEING LATE FOR WORK: Agoraphobia SOMETHING YOU THROW AWAY: Animal droppings (yuck!) THINGS YOU SHOUT: Amen, Si

Happy Labor Day!!

Happy Labor Day to all you hard-working folks out there!! Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a busy corporate executive, you deserve a day that recognizes your efforts. So, even if you don't have official plans to celebrate the day, try to take a little "you" time. Brew a pot of coffee & use the special creamer, read a few chapters of the book you've been wanting to start, or just relax on the couch for a power nap. Whatever you do, I hope your day is wonderful from start to finish! Me, I'm gonna go crash until I have to get up & cook supper. My Honey is coming home today! YAY! I wanna have something yummy waiting on him when he walks through the door. I haven't seen him all weekend and his homecoming can't get here soon enough! Sleeping will make the time go by faster, right? Anyway, I hope everyone has some kind of special moment today, either at work or at play. P.S. I have a big box of Hawaiian leis leftover from my rehearsal dinner if

20 Questions...or more like 46 :)

I got this from Destiny's blog and I'm a sucker for these question & answer thingy's so here ya go! Copy it to yours if you'd like and let me know so I can snoop on ya! Betcha didn't know this... :) 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sort of...my mom liked the name Ashley (I spell it Ashlie) from Gone With the Wind so that's where my first name came from & my middle name (Gayle) is after my aunt 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? a few weeks ago when I got some bad news from my parents 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? most of the time...depends on whose handwriting I've been looking at :) 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey & ham 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? nope, not yet 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Of course! I'm fabulous Dahling! and humble too 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? What do you think? :)ha ha couldn't resist! But yes, I do 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS ? Yes 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Only if I

Ready or NOT!!

I work 12 hour shifts. At night. Yes, that's right...7 pm to 7 am...and usually longer than that depending on how big the baby boom is at the moment. I think I'm pretty used to it after a little over 4 years and I even enjoy my job... most of the time. Sometimes it can be pretty nerve-wracking if you have a particularly needy mom (no offense ladies) or a couple of babies who think they need to practice their operatic scales ALL NIGHT LONG. Anyway, 12 hour shifts make for a long night, as you can imagine. So, at the end of my night I'm usually ready to head straight home & decompress for a little while before hitting the sack. However, a few of my co-workers have recently decided that it would be great fun & very motivational for us to all go walking together at a track down the road when we get off. Now, since I am all about hangin ' with the girls and even slightly eager to shed a little of the junk in my trunk, I have been participating for a couple weeks. An

Patience, anyone?

Thank you to all of you who have already left such nice comments on my little blog! It is so exciting to get new comments! I guess I need to get out more, huh? No really, it's neat to know that people are actually reading my blog. :) Yesterday was a study in patience and perseverance for me. My day started at 8 a.m. (for those of you who know me well, you know that is WAY too early) with a trip to Holmes Honda for some scheduled maintenance on my Pilot. Well, first of all I do not particularly like to have continuously bubbly conversations in the early morning. Apparently, the lady sitting next to me was not very adept at reading body language. She was limitlessly interested in the book I was trying to read, my job, where I live, and the cost of my vehicle's maintenance. After each question & answer, I would lower my head and pretend to be reading. There was no stopping her though! She just kept coming with the big smile and energetic questions. Finally, when the service t

Beginner's Blog

So this is my very first blog. Ever. I'm still learning all the neat things you can do with your very own web page so please forgive me if this blog is pretty basic. I can't wait to figure out how to put all those cool slide shows and videos and such on here! Actually, the whole idea of having a blog is exciting to me. I guess because it's something new. Anyway, this blog is mainly for friends and family to keep up with Nathan & me and our day-to-day doings. If any of you out there have good (meaning easy ) tips for sprucing up my page, I'd love to hear from you. If not, well then, leave me a comment anyway. :) Have a great day and don't forget...hit your knees and PRAY!!