Happy Birthday to me!!!

So my birthday was a coupla days ago but I just wanted to post about all the festivities that happened! This last Sunday my sister-in-law Amy was so kind to let me invite my roommates and I over for my birthday dinner!! My uncle and three cousins also were able to come! It was a party for sure. Amy made BBQ pork, mashed potatoes, rolls, a salad, and my uncle brought over my favorite kind of rice! So delish. For dessert we had CostCo cake (my fave) and ice cream!! My roommates finally got to meet my nephew and niece and I was so glad they did! Zan and Mya are pretty much the cutest things ever. 

That night I had a dessert party to celebrate my birthday with my friends! There literally was so much dessert. 70 cupcakes (a good friend of mine from back home, Rachel, graduated from culinary school and made all these cupcakes! They were the cutest!) CostCo cake. Apple Pie. Two pans of brownies. A cookie platter. Snickerdoodle cookies. Another cake. In my head, that sounded sufficient for the amount of people coming. WRONG. IT WAS WAY TOO MUCH! I mean, a lot of people came, but what was I thinking!? Little did I know I was setting my roommates and I up on a, "How to Get Fat in Less Than a Week" diet.* (I'll talk about this later). Anyway, the party was way fun!! I got to see friends I haven't seen in a while, friends I work with, friends from the ward, and other friends I wish I'd see more often! At the end of my party after most people had left, the only ones remaining were Clark, Landon, Austin, Andy, and my roommates so naturally we played a game that my roommates and I are obsessed with! Everyone writes down about 4 song names on a piece of paper and puts it in a bowl. Then we divide in teams! The first person to go up draws a piece of paper, and can only hum the song! A person on their team has to guess and when they guess they have to be the person to go up and draw a new song! Each round is 1 min 15 seconds and it just goes back and forth until all the papers are gone! It was way fun!!!

The next day was Monday and this is when the dessert craze began. So we already had a ton of leftover dessert from the party, but that night my Visiting Teachers came over and brought me a plate of cookies! Usually I'd be stoked (and honestly I was because it was such a sweet gesture) but I was like ahhhh more dessert!!! I just laughed and moved on. Well get this. Tuesday someone rings my doorbell and when I go answer it, I see two cupcakes wrapped in plastic wrap with a note for me saying Happy Birthday!! Strange because last week there was a mysterious note for me. No one knows who it was from, but it was a way sweet note. I'm gonna pretend it's a secret admirer because that makes life more fun. Wednesday, my actual birthday, my VT got me a cupcake!!! Thursday in my English class our professor brought us TONS of cookies!!! Guys. My life this week. Too sweet!!! Pretty punny eh? Haha. But really. So crazy!!!!

Backtracking a bit, my actual birthday was great! The day before I had gotten my hair thinned and layered by the one and only Brittney Edwards! 

So of course my actual birthday I felt beautiful with my new hair! I had to dress up for school because I was giving a presentation so I overall just felt GOOD! The day was pretty busy. On MW I have 4 classes, so I didn't get to do too much throughout the day! When I got home though I had a couple of packages in the mail! One was from my ward back home! The Relief Society/Young Women all wrote me notes and sent me candy! It was the cutest thing ever! 

My grandma sent me birthday things and I opened my birthday package from my family! I love all those people so much. Then my roommate Kylie told me she was going to make me dinner that night...... my favorite food LASAGNA!! It was so delicious and literally I just wanna say I have the coolest roommates! That night I had to work, but it was fine! I officiated intertube waterpolo so it was a chill night and kept me laughing! My co-workers all sang me happy birthday after work was over and it was a good reminder to me that I really love my job and the people I work with! After work I got my ting ting dance from Brit and more happy birthdayness from the roommates before the day was over! It was overall such a good day!!!

And to make things even cooler...... GUESS WHO IS GOING ON A ROAD TRIP THIS WEEKEND!? If you guessed me.... you're right!! I'm going to Arizona today with some friends and we are going to be there until Monday! First college road trip during the school year! I'm so stoked! 85 degree weather, Gilbert Temple Open House, bonfires, longboarding, LoLo's, and sight seeing are only a few things of what I have to look forward to!! My life is pretty awesome not going to lie!

Thanks everyone who made this week so fun! And thanks for all the happy birthday wishes! I literally have the best people in my life and I love you all!

*Clarification: We actually didn't get fat, but we just ate a ton of sweets haah

So I have an Awesome Family!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my family. And I miss them. Tons. More than usual. Not like I'm homesick, but I just genuinely miss them and am kinda bummed I'm missing out on all their day-to-day things. My sister is doing band, taking private voice lessons, student council, and participating in the musical. She is one busy girl who yet is still rockin' in school. Aaron is doing soccer and student council. Recently he's had a lot of health issues, whether they be injuries or his hypermobility issue. I wish I was there to help support him and continue to give him encouragement.
This past weekend was Homecoming for both my brother and sister. It was both of their first times going, but my sister is 14 so she just went with her freshman girl friends and my brother went with a date! Here are some pictures of them!

Soon my brother, Chris, and my sister-in-law, Amy, are going to have a baby girl! She's due in five weeks! It's so crazy to me the time has flown by so quickly! I remember when they first told me they were expecting and now baby Mya is almost here! Chris and Amy are the best! I'm so glad I get to live by them and see them! They've really become more than siblings to me, but actual friends. From playing RISK with each other to just talking about life, I appreciate the time I do get to spend with them. 

I've also thought a lot about my parents this week. They are truly amazing. Looking back on life I see they were always trying to make me happy. Always looking out for me. Always had my best interest in mind. I remember going to Disneyland and Disneyworld as a kid and not really thinking about why my parents took us there. They did it because they loved us and wanted US to have fun even though they probably didn't want to ride the spinning tea cups. I remember them warning me certain friends probably weren't the best influences and being upset with them thinking they were trying to control my life when in the end they were right. I am grateful for giving me opportunities to have private lessons for violin, piano, and voice. I took for granted the opportunities they gave me. But mostly I'm so grateful they taught me the Gospel. The Gospel has been my rock in my life. Without it, I would be nothing. 

I love my family. They are great. The end. 

Things That Make Me Happy

So lately I've been really happy. Life is just great. Here are some of the things that have made me happy recently.

1.) I saw this lovely lady on campus today. It brightened my whole day!! I love Markie!! :)

2.) My job. I love my job. And the people I work with. I just got added to be a soccer official too. I'm way pumped about this. I love sports. And learning new skills. And did I mention I love these people? Because I do. This day we decided to have thug names as Rachel introduced the officials before every game. SO FUN.

3.) My sister-in-law is having a baby NEXT MONTH!!! Loved going to her baby shower. And love that baby Mya is going to be here so soon!! Too excited about this.

P.S. She's so cute being pregnant. Hopefully I'm this adorable when I'm pregs!

4.) This adorable little boy! I had so much fun with him this weekend! Zander is just too cute for words! I love my nephew!

5.) Fun snapchats from people. Recently I'd have to say I have gotten the best ones from Chris. They make me laugh all the time!

6.) My beautiful roommates! They are just amazing. And hilarious. And every time I post I will mention how much I love them and think they're better than your roommates. These aren't all of them, but still this captures our adorableness. Syd and Stef are missing, but other than that this  picture is complete. Hannah and I always somehow talk about how we are so blessed to have such amazing roommates. It's true.

7.) Found this song that I'm OBSESSED with. Love Andy Grammar. And this new song. 

8.) Last, but not least, the fact General Conference is THIS WEEKEND!! Can't even express how excited I am about this! 

Life is good people. Never forget to find reasons to smile. Reasons to be happy. I promise there are many. It's a great time to be alive.

Thoughts on a Rainy Day

It's raining today and I have thoughts. So I was like oh my goodness PERFECT DAY TO WRITE A BLOG POST AND NOT DO HOMEWORK. If you're looking for a funny, cute, or crazy post, this is not the one. If you want an opportunity to get in the head of Ashley for a small moment and see what she's been thinking, then this is a post you want to read. It's def on the more serious of sides compared to my last post. Yep. Well, I've had a really interesting last coupla days. They've been busy, exciting, stressful, fun, pensive, reflective, and evaluative. I've thought a lot about time. This week, this weekend mostly, I've asked myself: What am I doing with my life? What am I doing right now to be the best person I can be? What am I doing to increase my knowledge? What am I doing to make the lives of those around me better? What am I doing for my family? How am I making my testimony grow? Etc, etc. But I also asked myself a question very late one night that is really the inspiration for this post: How have I changed in the last year, for the better? This question brought a flood of emotions. The last year and a half I would venture to say was the most difficult time of my entire life. It was a lot of changing, refining, improving, allowing myself to be humble, accepting the help from others but especially help from my Savior Jesus Christ. Few people know exactly what situations I'm talking about.  Some people ask me how on Earth I endured it. Some people sympathize. Some people judge. Other people have literally been, in my opinion, angels sent from Heavenly Father. He knew I needed them. My view on trials has completely changed. I used to think trials were to make us stronger or something we had so we could learn. I still agree with these things 100%, but I add another point to trials: we have trials so we can humble ourselves and recognize/remember who is in charge, which is our Heavenly Father. This week I was watching a Mormon Message, one of the new ones Elder Christofferson has. Here is the video for it. I encourage you to watch it.

In this video he says something that at the time of my trials could have been very applicable to me, and even now in general is good advice. He said, "I think what we have to do when the pressures are there and the clouds are dark and threatening is take life one day at a time." Which brings me back to the thoughts about time. Time can go by fast or it can go by slow. But time is time. There are always 60 seconds in a minute or 24 hours in a day. What we do with this time is what defines us. The last year and a half has defined me, but it's defined me for the better. All that time has refined me. It has allowed me to learn and grow. It has increased my faith in the Savior, the Gospel, and the Atonement. It has given me the confidence to love myself regardless of my appearance, talents, or past. It has given me experience, and allowed me to help others who have had similar struggles. 

I am at such a good place in my life right now. I am so incredibly happy. A year ago, I didn't think I would be this satisfied with myself and life. But time has past. What is incredible to me is the love God has for us. He knows us individually and in times of doubt and difficulty He always knows the light will come. I am here to testify that the light always comes, whether it be soon or whether it be long. I know without a doubt when we cannot put our trust in anyone greater than God. I am a living testimony of that. 

These are my thoughts on a rainy day. 

Roommate Love

So a lot of people recently have asked me how life is going! I will be the first to admit that I have become a not so great texter the last month or two. Everyone don't take it personal! For some reason I'm just not really into texting people all that much. BUT. Don't worry. I will use my blog to tell you a bit of what all has been going on in my crazy life!
Well first of all can I just say.... I LOVE MY ROOMMATES. They are the best.  Here we all are on our first Sunday together.

Let me tell you about them.

• Sydney is the one of the far left. She is from Idaho and is studying Public Health! I just love talking to her, whether it be something funny or something serious. Also she is way genuine. Every time I come home from school or work she always asks how my day went! I always super appreciate that. I admire that she goes running a lot. That's dedication I wish I had! There is always a smile on her face! Syd has an amazing voice! She is a member of the Women's Chorus and just recently made the Folkdance Team! Syd is such a babe. So glad she is one of my roommates. Love her!
• Next is Brittney. She is from Draper, UT! Oh my word. This girl is flippin' hilarious. Every time she goes to the bathroom, whether to shower or what she always sings. It's so funny! Also she does random things like make noises that gets everyone laughing! I'm taking an Art History class with her this semester and I'm so glad I have her with me! Brit is also taking a Polynesian dance class this semester and is going to participate in a Luau this Novemeber! Also small world. Her brother, Bryson, served his mission in Independence (Bryson just made Divine Comedy too!) Moral of the story: Brittney is so so great and I love having her around.
• Stef is in the middle! Stef is from Canada. She's not from a state, she's from a province if anyone was wondering. Stef is literally the sweetest. I love talking about the Gospel with her! She's my temple buddy... we are going every Friday morning together! I really look to her as an example. She is so studious and driven and is always working so hard. Stef loves Korean dramas and I love seeing how animated her face gets when she is watching them, even though she doesn't speak Korean. She loves anything (or anyone) ethnic. Eating pumpkin out of the can is completely normal for her. Stef is going on a study abroad to India next semester so we are all gonna miss her so much! 
• Welp then there's me. Hopefully if you're reading this you know me! If you don't, totes awk. But hello, welcome. There are some new things about me though. For those of you who don't know, I am studying advertising! I am applying to the program this winter! I used to be kinda bummed it was taking me so long to figure out what I wanted to do, but ya know what? I'm super pumped about this and it's something I enjoy so it's okay if I'm behind the times. Also, I'm now employed as an intramural referee for BYU! I'm reffing volleyball this semester. So I get to blow a whistle. A lot. And wear a super attractive black and grey ref uniform. It's the best. I really do love it though. 
• Next is Hannah. She is from Gilbert, Arizona. Hannah is my actual roommate. She is so so funny! Literally almost everything she says is quote wall worthy. She is the perfect roommate. We work so good together. We can totes sit in silence while we're working on things and it not be awkward. Or we can sit there and chat and laugh for ever! I love how close she is to her family! Her family is also beautiful. Like really. I love her style as well. Hannah always thinks she doesn't look cute, but it's totes a lie. I love doing nice things for her. Especially since they always catch her by surprise. She always responds, "Why are you so nice?" I love her so much and I'm so glad we are actual roommates. 
• Last is Kylie. Goodness gracious what to say about this gorgeous human? Well she is the whole reason why we are all together. She is the literal link in this apartment and I'm so glad she brought us all together because we work so well. Kylie is also from Gilbert, Arizona. I met Ky through EFY (we were counselors together.) and we just became super fast friends! We talk about EFY... a lot. But seriously our life is still EFY. Like it doesn't escape. Things happen to us that we can always trace it back. I can literally talk to Kylie about anything. We've had some pretty serious conversations...... and then we've also had the most absurd, hilarious conversations. She too has awesome style. Every day she looks stunning. Even if she's doing the whole sweater thing. Kylie is like the definition of a homemaker: she loves to cook and is super crafty. She did this in our living room (below)! It's where we are all from! I could say a ton more but then she'd awkwardly have a lot more than everyone else. So that's all about Kylie... for now.

Welp, those are my roommates everyone. One night we decided we needed a hashtag and we decided on #thenunnerylyfe (this is because we live at Regency. Which is an all girls complex. Which is also known in Provo as the nunnery). So if you see this hashtag anywhere, this is why. Love these girls and so excited about this year! The end :)

Back to Reality-- Ready to Embrace Change

So I am done with EFY and it is so weird. After going to California with some counselor friends this past week it really hit me it was over. I know I say it all the time, but literally I had the best summer of my life doing EFY. So so so many amazing memories I will never forget.

The thoughts that have been on my mind recently is change. Life is constantly changing. People are always moving forward or backward. Some people are starting college for the first time. New relationships are forming, while some are ending. Some people are getting into the programs they've been working so hard toward, others are still trying to figure out what they are doing with their lives. A lot of my friends are getting married, engaged, or going on missions. And then..... there is me. There was a time I was a bit bitter. Especially after getting the subtle but firm no when I anxiously asked Heavenly Father if I was to serve a mission or not. BUT I have learned so much. (Don't worry, totes not bitter anymore). 

I was reminded this summer the Lord has a plan for each and everyone of us. My plan isn't the same plan as Kylie's. (Kylie, I hope you're reading this because this was totally an unintentional shout out. Promise Kylie was literally the first name that came to mind. So, hello.) It's easy to look at others and maybe envy where they are at in their lives. I came to the realization though that everyone is in a different season in their lives. Some are in summer while others are in winter, but we have to remember seasons are a continuous cycle. Our winter isn't permanent and spring showers will pass. But summer always comes. While we are in the difficult seasons of life we must see the good in them and learn from them. We must also be happy for those who are in different seasons and trust God knows what is best for us.

One of my favorite quotes describes this realization perfectly: "Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late. Some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in Good Things to Come." - Elder Holland

The end of the summer was amazing! My last week of EFY was so good. Right after that week I started a job at Chick-fil-A! So many good, amazing people work there. Although school hasn't started, I was reminded how much I love my university and the people at it!!! After a week of working I went to California! If I'm being completely honest, initially I wasn't excited for the trip. The California trip was with a bunch of EFY counselors and as it got closer all of the friends I had been planning on going with couldn't go anymore! I was way bummed, but I decided to still go. It would be an opportunity to become friends with new people and also it was so dang cheap I just couldn't say no! Well let me just say. It was an EPIC trip! The people I spent time with in California I knew, but I didn't know well. They seriously are such amazing individuals! I grew to love them so much! We spent three days at California adventure and Disneyland (we had park hopper passes) and went to Laguna beach. We made some super great memories. Jake might have stuck his head in a trash can. We might have rode Space Mountain 2 times in a row even though there was a huge line. Talk about day made. We might have rode Splash Mountain 4 times in a row our last night. And got completely soaked. It might have been due to the fact we splashed water all over each other. We might have made the Nauvoo temple out of sand at the beach. We might have played the game signs in the ocean. We might have not been able to say a prayer together one night because of uncontrollable laughter. We might have gone to Del Taco after midnight one night and Benji asked if it was still Thursday so we could get the taco deal. That didn't work out too well. Let's just say it was an amazing trip. I learned the importance of being open to new people and embracing change. Because sometimes change is good. In this case, change was super good. I love this group of people. Here are a coupla pictures from our trip!

After this summer I now know with a perfect knowledge that good things come. They always come. For me, some already have. I feel I'm at one of the first points in my life where I am 100% confident with my choices. "And at last I see the light and it's like the fog has lifted." Yes. I just quoted Tangled. Not ashamed one bit. Something about this year feels good. Really good. I am excited to embark on this new change. I'm so excited about my roommates. I'm excited I'll be living so close to campus. I know what I'm majoring in finally. I have a job. My parents bought me a car. I'm gonna have a niece in 3 months and I will be there when she's born. Life is good. Change is good. I'm ready for more change. Can't wait! The end. 

Happy

Life is just so good. I can honestly say I've never been happier. Sometimes in life when we are going through a difficult time, we think we can never attain happiness or never reach what we once had. Well, I am here to say that it's possible. I learned a very important lesson this last year: You cannot spend time moping around and trying to fix the problem. You have to wipe the dust off your hands, get back on your feet, and BE HAPPY. Eventually everything falls into place. Sometimes the things we think are best for us actually aren't. God has a plan for each of us. When we are humble enough to submit to His will we find the treasures He has in store for us.
A big contributor to my happiness has been working for Especially for Youth (EFY) this summer. I've taken a lot of the time from focusing on myself and changing it by focusing on serving the youth and those around me. This job has been close to one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Not only has my testimony strengthened, but I have the pleasure to see the changes the youth make when they apply the Gospel in their lives. Each week I personally testify to them how much their Savior loves them and how they can change, no matter what things are going on in their lives currently. I teach them about the Atonement, and how much they are valued by their Father in Heaven. It is overwhelming to see each week the youth in my groups change. It is the most rewarding feeling to know the power of the Spirit worked on them. When I first started my job at EFY I was so stressed and concerned with saying exactly what they needed to hear and plan the perfect lesson or play the perfect song during devotional. I learned a very important lesson though my first week: The Spirit speaks louder, more clearly, and more perfectly than anything I could ever think or say. As I've been able to teach by the Spirit and create environments where the Spirit can dwell, I've literally seen miracles happen. There are a couple youth that have been in my groups who have had such a profound impact on my life, whether it be their examples or willingness from some to change and apply the Atonement in their lives.
Although being an EFY counselor is all about the youth, along the journey I've also been able to make such good friends. I really do not think it was a coincidence I met the people I did. They've seriously been exactly what I needed. It's been so so great. Technically I only have one more week to work. I really hope it won't be the last week because it will be so hard to say goodbye to one of the best summers of my life.
While life has been so great the last coupla months, I have so much more to look forward to. This summer has allowed me to figure out for real what I'm going to be doing with my life and for once I'm 100% confident in my decision. I know it's what is right for me and I am so excited for what lies ahead. Life is good. Be happy and don't waste time away wishing for something else. Rather, make it happen. Take control of your life and go for what you want!
Also, here are some pictures from my adventures this summer :)