I am not skilled to understand...

From Grandma

2012-02-10T11:58:00.001-06:00

Remember the letter I told you that my grandmother wrote for her funeral?
Here it is... it's beautiful:

On This Day: the Celebration of my Eternal Life
Things I would like Remembered

Because I had a special Love for my Children, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. My Brothers and Sisters were the best I could have ever hoped for. I had a wonderful childhood. My growing up years were some of the best times in my life. We as children always had chores to do. We had our share of scuffles, mama usually took good care of those. As you know Daddy didn’t whip or spank too often. We were a loving had working family. We chose to sing songs to make our chores or whatever to get done faster. We sang all of the way to school and back home. We played games.
__________________________________________________________
To my children: I am so proud of all of you. I know your Daddy would have been really proud of you had he lived to see all of your accomplishments. You all had to work so very hard in your childhood days. I look back now and I see just what has caused you all to advance and achieve the goals and careers you are in today. I want you to know I love and appreciate you for all the love you have all returned to me in my latter years after your Daddy passed away. I knew all I had left were my kids. I have held on to your love for 31 years now. I remember all of the fun times we had while you were growing up. We all had to pull our share of the work and most of the time then some. But we made it. I am so glad you all have the love for one another that you have. I want you to promise that you all will keep that love strong for the rest of your lives. Love will never fail you. Love will keep you strong. Love will see you through good, bad, hard, and easy times. Even through this day. I know it will be hard. Just remember I Love you! Most of all God Loves You! To my extended Daughters & Sons, I have tried to show my unbiased love and affection to you never to show partiality. My children chose great mates to have their children with. All 18 of you are the “GREATEST NEST OF CHILDREN A MOM COULD HAVE” I want to tell you about a group of grandchildren; 58 TO BE EXACT. You all know just how much grandma loves you. Remember I have told you so many times, and my Love for you had not nor will it ever change. It will just continue to grow stronger. Take this as if I were telling each of you individually by Name I Love You.

To my family and friends I want you to know how Much I Loved the Lord. How I want to see everyone in my family in Heaven one of these days. Some of the Songs I have chosen for today are for each of you to Remember me by. I want you all to know that I love you with all my Heart. I have always tried to share my Love with you. I don’t want you to weep over me. I want you to Rejoice With Me Because My Name was written down if The book of Life. So you know where I will spend Eternity.

I want you to know that “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. Than any of the pain and suffering I have had the past few years of my life. Tha I am “Sheltered Safe within the arms Of our God”. That I am in his “Green Pastures”. That “My Precious Lord has Taken My Hand”. “Oh and MY! My! My1 “What A Day” This is I’m having Here with your Daddy. My Daddy & Mama, My 4 Brothers (Wm F. I call him, some of you called him “Bill” others “Uncle Buddy”) “Jimmy”, “Claude” & Tommy. We have been catching up on all they have done before I got here. And Oh! “My Little Sister Tootsie”. We are singing all over Heaven. You know how we love to sing. Our voices well My! My! My! You will have to make reservations so you can hear us. “We all have new Bodies” (OH There Fit and Trim Light as a Feather) All of my Family is here they have been waiting for me! Because they Knew There “Aint No Grave Gonna Hold OUR Body Down”. “Just wait till you see my brand new Home” OH! Guess what it is true “Jesus was the First Face I saw when I left My Life on Earth” Oh, How Beautiful Heaven is! I want to see you one day here with me! (Mom, Grandma Renigar, Sister Renigar, Cousin, or Friend)
Because I LOVE YOU Remember:

John 3:16 for God so Loved the World that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life.

Make a commitment Today to:

Joshua 24:15 Choose you This Day Whom Ye swill Serve…as for Me and My house We will Serve The Lord.
Love God and serve him. Do it with all of your Heart.

I’ll see you later I Love you!
P.S. The Feast The Lord had prepared for me is even better that all for the family reunions, Christmas’, Thanksgiving and so on you can ever imagine. I know you will be eating there today. So every bite you take imagine you are here eating the fine feast the THE LORD HIMSELF PREPARED JUST FOR ME! CAN YOU IMAGINE ME!!!!!!!!!

Yes and He will do the same for you! ou have to allow him to! You have to accept him!

Love, Mom

Homemade Laundry Detergent!

2012-02-03T19:47:00.000-06:00

I've heard of people doing this, so I decided to give it a shot! That's right ladies and gentlemen - I made my own laundry detergent! I found the recipe at:

http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/

A TON of people commented on her post & it seems that they all love it! It's really easy to make and it is supposed to last forever (or close to it!) Here's how:

You will need:

(ALL of the following items can be found in the laundry detergent isle. I bought everything at WalMart!)

1 - 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) $3.38

1 - 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) $2.12
1 - box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) $3.24
3 - bars of Fels-naptha soap, found in the detergent isle $.97/ea = $2.91

(you can also use pink Zote soap instead of Fels-naptha (sources say it can be found at Home Depot).

1 - 3lb tub of oxi clean (I used Green Works) $6.97

Total Cost: $18.62

Next: Grate the Fels-Napthan soap using a cheese grater or a food processor, whichever you have! I used a cheese grater using the largest grate to speed things up! ....

It looks like cheese!

I wanted to make the soap a little finer, so I put it my processor (its tiny, but hey.. it's all I've got!)

So then it looks a little like this: ( it does dissolve in cold water, so don't worry about it not being super fine. Though, I'm sure the finer it is the better!)

Mix everything together in a large bucket or bowl. Be carful because as you mix it powdery dust will fly everywhere! I did it in a large mop bucket that I had, but it might be a good idea to mix it in a large bucket lined with a bag (to keep the dust from flying everywhere) OR do it outside. The plus side of mixing it inside: it makes your house smell fantastic!

Then put it in a container of your choice!

This bowl is 2.5 gallons. (found in the food storage container section of Wally!)

Add one to two tablespoons for one load - and TAH DAH! The blog above recommends 2 tablespoons just to be safe - AND it just so happens a scoop that size came in the Oxi Clean container!

I will try to keep track with how many loads this will wash. The originator said that she washed 8 loads of laundry per week and this lasted her 9 months! $18.62 = 9+ months. WIN.

Some things that the Being Creative to Keep My Sanity Blog answered:

-It is safe for HE machines (added to the drum)

-The scent is mild, so you may be able to add some laundry crystals for scent OR use fabric softener for a stronger smell. Someone recommended adding one bottle of Purex laundry crystals to the mixture.

-Safe for sensitive skin

**Check out her blog for comments and other trouble shooting! **

I'll keep you posted on what I think of it!

Celebrating the Life of my Grandma...

2012-01-30T11:47:00.001-06:00

On Monday, January 23rd (one week ago today), our family lost a great love. My grandmother, Annie Renigar, died at the age of 89. It is a loss that has been extremely hard on my family. She was the only grandparent my siblings and I have ever known & was one whom we loved dearly. There was no one quite like her - she was as smart as a whip... even in her old age... and loved us more than life itself! I flew home on Tuesday to be with my family and stayed all week. Her visitation was held on Wednesday evening & her funeral services were Thursday (both at Oak Hill Church of God in Forrest City, AR). On the evening of her visitation we pulled as many photos of her as we could get our hands on so that during her service we could remember her life as it was - full of joy!

Her funeral was the most beautiful service I have ever seen. She planned her own funeral! She even picked out her own dress. She chose her songs & even prepared a letter for her children and grandchildren. Ive never really considered my grandmother to be a "godly" lady. I knew that she knew the Lord & she read her bible on occasion - but we rarely talked about the Lord. Her entire letter was filled with Jesus! She shared some fond memories and charged her family to cling to one another.... and to the Lord. She was very descriptive in her writings and wrote from the point of view as if she were in heaven... the things she was experiencing.. but mostly her desire for us to see her again one day. At the end of her letter she challenged my family to accept Jesus as their Savior so that they could see her again one day. It was the most beautiful thing she's ever done. She shared the gospel with our family... at her own funeral!!
AND PRAISE THE LORD A FEW WERE SAVED that day!!!

The service concluded with a gospel song called "Aint No Grave Gonna Hold This Body Down" - and I was sure that the roof was going to blow off of that building! It was a perfect celebration of her life!

My grandma was a special part of my life... and I will miss her even more than what I know. I am so thankful to have had her as my only grandparent....

Annie Louise Renigar
October 16, 1922 -
January 23, 2012

Ash Heap - January Edition

2012-01-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

For starters: we got a new blog title. The motto for West Virginia is "Wild & Wonderful" - so I thought it was fun & appropriate!

Moving on:
After a very crazy 1.5 months, I am still playing catch-up!

Steven & I travelled to Arkansas (Yes! We flew this time & were there in 2 hours! GLORY!) over Christmas and were able to spend 10 days with my family. I dont think we have ever had such a great visit. My heart was heavy going in & the Lord completely blessed my time there. (THANKS GOD!!) I hope to share a bit more about our visit at a later date, but for now... I'll just stick with telling you what the heck is happening in this Wild & Wonderful world of ours:

Steven & I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on December 17th! We spent a very classy evening with some friends of ours at an intimate church gathering/meeting about the church's vision for the coming year! We got to dress up & spend our night with some of our favorite people on the planet! I cannot believe it's already been 6 years. I am still clueless as to why the Lord continues to allow me to be married to that guy. He is more amazing than I could ever begin to tell you.
ALSO - On Dec. 17th my drug study ended... which gave me the freedom to enjoy chocolate! Best anniversary gift ever. Will I ever do another study? Doubt it. It was great for what I needed the $$ for, but I dont think its for me :)
Steven wrapped up his 3rd semester of college with a (drum roll please.......) 4.0! Cumulative GPA thus far? 4.0. He's a star.
Steven starts his LAST SEMESTER next week! AH! Where has time gone...
Speaking of college - b/c of our drug studies, we were able to pay for his final semester, meaning we have put him through college 100% DEBT FREE on basically one salary.
God has been phenomenal to us in the area of work & money. I just pray that he continues to show us how to use this gift wisely & not for selfish gain & glory. It has been a great joy to see how He has provided for us since we've been in West Virginia.
We spent 10 days with my family... but I said that already. My nieces & nephews are growing like weeds. Makes me sad that Im missing out on so much of their lives. Gosh, they have the greatest personalities and are some of the funniest people I know.
I hate that I only get to see my mother twice a year.
My grandma (which is the only grandparent I've ever had) isn't doing very well. Through various hospital stays & doctor visits... it seems that she has some form of leukemia/blood disease where her platelets are being attacked. After a few weeks of having to get blood/platelets 3 times a week, my family has decided to stop the treatment. Doctors say it wont help & every time she has to go she comes back weak and miserable. She is now on hospice & she is slowly fading away. This is super hard on my mother and my aunts who are caring for her. Its hard for me too b/c I'm so far away & I adore her. It was great getting to spend so much time with her while we were home... and as "off" as this sounds, it was good for me to see how much pain she's in. It helps letting go a bit easier.

So, in closing - pray for my family. The loss of my grandmother will be hard on everyone - especially my siblings and I. Once she goes to be with the Lord, we wont have anymore grandparents :(

Christmas with Marcus & Meredith

2012-01-06T23:07:00.001-06:00

Steven and I went to Arkansas for Christmas! Usually we stay at my mom and dad's house, but this time we slept at my brother's! We were able to partake in their Christmas celebration and watch the kids open their gifts! We were both so excited about it and really enjoyed watching Caleb (3) and Emma (7 mos) open everything!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Ugly Sweater Party!

2011-12-16T21:30:00.000-06:00

This semester of community groups (study: The Gospel Centered Life) wrapped up last week with a Community Group Christmas Party! Everyone from all 5 community groups got together for one big bash! We were hoping for an ugly sweater party this year - and what greater opportunity than this!

SO, we did it! That was our theme! We played games, ate sweet treats, and we also had an ornament exchange (and played dirty santa... or as West Virginian's call it... a chinese gift exchange or a white elephant gift exchange. Where I come from - its dirty santa)! Towards the end of the party everyone shared how this study impacted their lives & how the Gospel Centered Life has changed them. It was so great to hear how the Lord used this in the body of Crossroads! It was SUPER fun and we had a lot of fun sweaters! Here are a few photos of us! (for more go to www.facebook.com/wvcrossroads)

My sweater had gold beading all over - and the all-classic shoulder pads. Thanks Goodwill! Steven's sweater was purchased at Gabe's... in the women's section. It was awful.

This is my sweet little friend Jazmin! She is the youngest daughter of my bestest friend (besides you Melanie ;) Amanda! When I walked into the party Jazzy (as we call her) says "Miss Ashley! You're beautiful!! Your sweater... it's so ugly!" I adore this little sweetie!

Me and my favorite baby boy - Liam Rountree! We're going to be great friends.

Me, Nikki Rountree (Liam is one of her twins!) & my West Virginia adopt-a-sister Becka!

This is my bestest friend Amanda (aside of course, from Mel!) God has SO blessed me with her & I cannot tell you how thankful I am for her love and friendship! Aren't we great together? Oh.. and then there's the creepy guy in the back. (aka... Adam!)

Faith

2011-12-16T20:57:00.006-06:00

"Many people are willing to believe regarding those things that seem probable to them. Faith has nothing to do with probabilities. The province of faith begins where probabilities cease and sight and sense fail." - George Mueller

"Faith is dependence upon God. And this God-dependence only beings when self-dependence ends. And self-dependence only comes to its end, with some of us, when sorrow, suffering, affliction, broken plans and hopes bring us to that place of self-helplessness and defeat. And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance." - James McConkey

PURIM

2011-12-02T12:53:00.003-06:00

Purim is a Jewish holiday typically celebrated on the 15th of the month that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman (in the book of Esther). Two years ago I did a study on the book of Esther where we talked about this Jewish holiday & for the past two years I have found myself celebrating within my heart my very own PURIM, though mine is celebrated during this time of year. I celebrate within my soul how God has delivered me from a life of destruction.

I've made many poor decisions in my lifetime, decisions that had the Lord not intervened.... would have forever altered the course of my life. I have experienced moments when the pains of life hurt so badly, that I felt like there was no way for me to bear the load. I've hurt people and people have hurt me - hurts that cut so deeply I can still feel the scars. I've forsaken my God and have helped nail him to the cross again and again.

Yet through it all, God still loved me. He still calls me His own. He picked up my dry bones and made them live. The cuts have healed, but the scars still remain (consequences stink!). Words cannot convey my thankfulness for God's grace. Not only my thankfulness towards his grace, but my sincere appreciation for it. I've experienced it. I've lived it. I've wrapped myself in it and I have clung to it. When there was nothing else holding me together, He did. And I continue to live it. Wrap myself in it. Cling to it. It's enough.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

Nope, not even me.

Happy 26th Birthday ME!

2011-11-29T14:38:00.004-06:00

This year Steven and I were in Missouri visiting his family for the Thanksgiving holidays on my birthday! We spent the majority of the day shopping in Springfield with his sister Cassie, though we didn't really buy much. I had two $10-off coupons for Victoria's Secret that I used & I think I may have bought a shirt at Charlotte Russe. I also got Just Dance 3 for the Wii (which is SUPER fun!)

Steven took me out to lunch - and the in-laws made me a delicious dinner! Dad made smoked BBQ baby back ribs - and since I dont eat pork, he made me a filet mignon! (**YUM**), complete with baked potatoes & veggies! The birthday cake - or cakes - were mini molten chocolate cakes (**YUM**) & mom made homemade ice cream (**YUM**)! By far the best birthday dessert in the history of birthday desserts.

I was surprised with a gift from Mom & Dad (Pampered Chef) & Cassie got me two shirts from Girlie Girl! Steven's older sister Jenny was sweet enough to pick out a birthday card & was so excited to give it to me (pictured below)!

Though I was away from my family on my birthday, my mama sent me a super cute apron that she handmade!! (See photo below!) THANKS MOM!!

It was a great way to spend my 26th birthday - and I am a little taken by the fact that I am now considered to be in my upper twenties...

Drug Study - Dosing and Beyond

2011-11-14T07:33:00.003-06:00

I got dosed at 8:24am (this time is important, b/c that's what time all of my blood draws have to happen). It was a bit of a horse pill, but nothing to bad. AND I got to drink water, which was glorious. I got 600mg of... the medicine (cant remember the name) that helps with HIV.

An hour later, the side effects hit. Headache and extreme dizziness. We had to sit still for 4 hours ( to prevent people from passing out, etc). The rest of the morning was weird... I felt loopy & I was sleepy from not having slept well & getting up at 5:30am, but sleep was not allowed.

They drew our blood a lot. I became more and more thankful for the hep lock in my arm - and as the day progressed I got used to it.

We got lunch at noon & by that time the side effects were mostly gone. I still had a bit of a headache. The rest of the day was followed by hourly then bi-hourly blood draws... and a lot of sitting. A Lot. Of. Sitting.

Dinner was at 6 and we got to go to sleep at 9! Our hep locks came out at 8pm, so our 12am and 4am blood draws were done normally... getting stuck in the arm. Ouch.

We were awakened at 7am and I was out of there (after getting vitals & one more blood draw) by 8:25am!! From here... I get blood draws Monday - Thursday at 8:24am by way of a good ol' fashioned stick in the arm. After that... nothing until December 3rd!

Minus the lack of sheer boredom, it wasnt so bad :)

Drug Study - Pre Dose

2011-11-12T06:50:00.003-06:00

For those of you out there who are wondering what it's like to participate in a drug study... today is your lucky day because I am going to tell you :)
As I previously mentioned, this study is for two drugs - one to help lower cholesterol and another to help treat HIV.

I checked into the clinic at 4:30 yesterday. There is a lot of down time and I am thankful for a laptop :) A guy actually brought his 64" tv and his Xbox for entertainment. (He has played non stop since we got here - minus sleeping). So, here's what I've done so far:

-4:30: blood draw/pregnancy test/ urine sample

-Vitals: temperature, blood pressure, breathalizer

-We did a lot of sitting and were able to eat at 6:30. We had a turkey/bacon sandwich, pretzels, and fruit. The sandwich was pretty large. We were required to eat 75% of our food. I made a happy plate.

-After dinner we sat around some more until we were allowed to go to bed at 9pm. I've connected with a few girls here - so we ended up chatting until 10:30.

SLEEP.

-Woke up at 5:30am

-6:00am - no water until 10:30

-We got an IV catheter (which I have never had before). This has been my least favorite part. it's weird having a needle sticking in your arm all day.

It's 8:02am and I've had my vitals checked and pre-dosing blood drawn. (through the course of the study we get our blood drawn 38 times. Woa.

AND now I'm just sitting here - waiting to be drugged :) This is a fasting study - so no food until noon. Or water until 10:30. I'm hungry and parched and my IV thing stings. But if this is the worst that happens to me, I'll be ok ;)

Lab Rat!

2011-11-10T15:29:00.005-06:00

That's right ladies and gentle people - I have been accepted to take part in a drug study through INC Research! What does this mean? I get paid to take drugs.

Now, now - I realize that there are potential risks involved. Don't worry I've been warned of all of the possible side effects and I will be closely supervised by a doctor should anything go horribly wrong.

The Drugs:

I can't remember the names... but one is to help lower cholesterol and the other is an anti-viral med to help treat HIV.

I get to spend the weekend at the clinic getting a lot of blood drawn... I will spend about 36 hours there & come back every day for a week for some more blood work. In December, the process will repeat! I'm hoping to use this time to get caught up on some mega photo editing! I have another photo shoot with a local talent agency on Sunday... 15 people!! Woa.

What else does this mean? No baby-making until March. Sorry folks.

Stomach Virus - Oh no.

2011-11-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

Our friends The Hill's have had a bout with a stomach bug. It has spread through all 5 of them over the course of the last week. We were at their house on Sunday... and guess what struck my husband this morning around 5am? That's right ladies and gentlemen. It has reached our house. Steven was in the bathroom about every 20 minutes for 4 hours straight. Nothing has come out of him since about 9am, though he is still in pain & finds that laying in the fetal position serves him best.

Our dear friends did bring some Gatorade over to him since I had to work today - and he seems to be feeling a little bit better. They are sweet aren't they? Getting him ill... and then nursing him back to health. Amanda said to me, "Hey, we're just trying to apply Biblical principles in every day life..'All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had' (Acts 4:32" HAH. Funny Amanda.

So far it hasnt reached me, but I fear that it's on its way. I'm a little scared b/c I should be accepted into Kendle for a clinical trial... and if I get sick, this virus could end up costing me $2200. Steven is in the middle of a trial right now & I hope this wont affect his study. If so... he could lose $2500... and we cant afford to do that. SO - pray for us :)

Can't Get Over You

2011-11-03T09:12:00.002-05:00

This is the song I'm completely in love with this week

Weekend Report Part 2b (Brittany & Jeremy)

2011-11-03T08:08:00.005-05:00

Brittany and Jeremy are engaged!!!
These two have been dating for 3 years now I believe - and he finally put a ring on her finger :) (For those of you who dont know them... they go to my church!).

They aren't planning on getting married until 2013 once she finishes school (and coming from a gal who is married to a college student... I think this is a brilliant idea). I had the honor of doing their engagement pictures Saturday Oct 29th (immediately after Josh & Kimber's session). We went to Friendship Hill in Point Marion, Pennsylvania to take them. It's a historic site & is beautiful! The colors weren't quite as vibrant as they were at Cheat Lake - but it was still gorgeous none the less! Two years ago I took a few pictures of them & they were completely awkward (sorry guys!) - but they weren't comfortable and seemed very "stiff." Saturday they were so much fun! They joked with each other & enjoyed the time together! They are such a sweet couple & I look forward to seeing them grow in their relationship with each other & in their relationship with the Lord as they begin this new journey in their lives!

Weekend Report - Part 2a (Josh & Kimber)

2011-11-03T07:53:00.008-05:00

Considering that it's already Thursday - I figure its time to post part 2 of the weekend report!

I had three photo sessions over the weekend - which kept me really busy. I haven't had a day off in... forever. I work a 40hr a week 9-5 job (which i enjoy) - and every moment that I'm not doing something church related is spent editing photos. Every. Moment.

On Saturday (Oct 29) I did a shoot with Josh and Kimber. I didnt know these two prior to photographing them - Kimber found me on the web (which is pretty cool I think). They are a sweet couple who moved here from CO together when he transferred with work. They've been together for 5 years & it was so sweet watching them interact with one another. Sometimes when I photograph couples they are completely awkward - not knowing how to stand or how to pose or what to do... but not these two. They were completely comfortable with one another & just interacted as they would had there not been a camera in their face. I took their photos at Cheat Lake - and MAN, it was beautiful!! There were big purple flowers growing along the bank & the fall colors were exploding. I took some photos of the scenery that I'll have to post a little later. I found myself just basking in the glory of the Lord in awe at His creation!

Weekend Report Part B of Part 1: Night Mode

2011-10-31T11:21:00.012-05:00

Friday. Night Mode.

Our greatest pals Amanda & Chatto had a slammin' halloween/costume bash Friday night! Originally we were supposed to rent out a venue - but due to lack of feedback, decided just to have it in their home. We had SO MUCH FUN! There was a lot of festive treats (photo below) & a whole lot of Just Dance 2 & 3 going on. Amanda did a great job of decorating their pad to look pretty spooky - complete with a fog machine & strobe light.

My favorite part: Amanda and I surprised everyone with our Thriller dance! Trish took a video of it, but because of the fog machine & strobes, I'm not sure how it turned out yet. However, everyone said that it looked pretty cool with the effects :) This had to be the funnest dance I've ever learned. AND now I know the Thriller and am prepared to do it at any given moment.
Such a fun party!!

Our Costume! Get it? Wison & Heidi - Home Improvement

Chatto = Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

Amanda = Flo

Chris & Laura = Jack & Jill... get it?

Trish = Pumpkin Smuggler (she's 37 weeks pregnant)

Adam = A creepy cop that caught the smuggler

Sam & Kathryn = A pair of blue jeans.

The festive snacks I made!

Weekend Report (Part A of Part 1): Day Mode

2011-10-31T11:09:00.005-05:00

Woa Nelly! What a weekend!! I don't think us Alexanders have seen so much action in such a short timeframe! I will start the weekend report with part a of part 1:

Friday. Day Mode.

At work, my boss let us dress in "Festive Attire" in the spirit of Halloween. Most of the people I work with didn't dress up, but a few of us did!

Noah was a freakishly scary zombie man
Garth, the new guy... was the new guy
Val was a vampire edition of Snow White
and me... I was simply festive.

Work was so completely laid back & we spent the majority of the day cracking up. We had lunch on our company & even got to leave 2 hours early!

My friend and I have been learning Micheal Jackson's Thriller dance for about 2 months now (for the night mode - part b of part 1) - and after telling my coworkers about it, they peer pressured me into dancing for them. Thats right. One me in front of 14 of them. I was completely embarrased & felt like a total dork - but it was a great practice run for the performance that would happen later on. I think there are a few videos of me floating around the office (oh geez).

Here are some photos:

Office Shenanigans

2011-10-27T11:59:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in an episode of "The Office" when I'm at work. (though, our boss is not nearly as cool or comical as Micheal) **cross your fingers that he doesnt stumble upon this! HAH**

For the most part, I enjoy the people I work with. Everyone has such fun and quirky personalities and I grant you there is never a dull moment at the office. I actually ENJOY coming here 5 days a week.

Yesterday some carpenters came to install some cabinetry that we ordered. Each piece came secured in bubble wrap...

Cevin does a lot of graphic work and builds online presentations. He is very quiet... but stealthy nonetheless. A few months ago after Val pulled a prank on him, he paid her back. She has been waiting for an opportunity to seek revenge... and yesterday was the day.

Now, you have to know Val. (Im certain she will see this, so I will guard my words ;) You can just look at her and know she's up to something (and no Val, you can't blame your Asian eye...). She is the queen of shenanigans & laughter seems to follow her. Add Amanda to the equation and havoc wreaks all over the place.

Ok, so, we have this bubble wrap... and it can't go to waste, so Val decides to bubble wrap Cevin's entire office. As much as I would love to claim innocence, I have to admit that I helped (which I might regret seeing how Cevin is going to seek revenge on me now). He is working from home today, so we are still waiting on his arrival & for him to see it. Hopefully he'll be in this afternoon and I can do a follow up post :) Until then... we are all waiting in anticipation....

Note that everything in the overhead compartment is wrapped, including the pad of post-it-notes.

We even got his pen

Challenged

2011-10-24T11:44:00.003-05:00

I find myself being so completely challenged by the book we are going through in Community Groups: The Gospel Centered Life.

This is a very good thing! My walk with the Lord has been seemingly dry lately due to lack of intimacy. I am 100% to blame for this, for my God never changes! I posted on this a few weeks ago - but our position in Christ and the fact that God is completely satisfied in us... the grace of Jesus... it blows. me. away. A few years ago I experienced God's grace in the largest way possible. I never thought that I would understand grace more than I did during that moment of my life. However, the longer I am with the Lord, the more He teaches me about it. It's beautiful.

I feel like I am waking up from my slumber and am so excited at what God has been doing in my life lately. In the last week I have been presented with several opportunities to share the love of Jesus! It's amazing what God can do when you allow him to move.

Be praying for an individual in my life who seems to be seeking. This person is very close to me and I rejoice... and shudder... at the opportunity to speak with them about the Lord. Pray that God would continue to draw them & that he would give me clarity of speech - that I would not hinder the gospel, but help to advance it!

Family Heritage

2011-10-21T15:19:00.013-05:00

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him" - Psalm 127:3

Two weekends ago I was able to photograph my friend Natashia's family!
Her sister Heather wanted family portraits for her family of 4... and then I did the BIG Thomas family... which consisted of... a lot... of people.

I have to brag on this family and how incredible they are. I don't know much about them, but that's the great part - I don't need to know much about them to know the most important thing about them. (Hang in there, this will make sense!)

The Bible repeatedly talks about the importance of family heritage... about how parents are to bring their children up to love and fear the Lord.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says: Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

While photographing them I was able to see generation after generation of what it looks like when you obey this command. What it looks like when a mother and father raise their children to love Jesus. It produces little disciples who grow in grace and truth and then produce more little disciples who grow in grace and truth.... who produce more.... (I think you get the pattern). It's absolutely beautiful to see how Jesus has been passed on through each generation.

It's so encouraging to see parents who have raised their children to love God - and then to see the fruit that it produces. This really challenges me, as one who looks forward to being a mother one day. The importance of godly virtue and how my relationship with the Lord will effect my children and generations to come. Because as great as this is... there is a flip side. The Bible warns against leading your family astray and contains countless examples of generational sin. Oh Lord may you guard my life and my family and help me and my husband to train our children to love and fear you!!

A Father's Love

2011-10-07T11:42:00.004-05:00

My dear friends Ian and Nikki welcomed their twin boys - Liam and Brayden on September 21st! I had the privilege of documenting their new beginnings on October 5th (2 weeks old). The session was not an easy one since baby Liam seemed to be dealing with colic. As long as you held this baby boy he was [mostly] calm and collected, but the moment you moved him or sat him down his mood changed dramatically. Brayden, on the other hand - well he slept through most of the session. My husband and I have no children of our own yet, so watching and holding these baby boys was a joy in an of itself. It's such a sweet thing for me to see a new mommy and daddy with their new baby...or... babies... in this case. I've been told that once you become a parent, your view of God changes - you seem to be able to relate to Him more as a father (since you are now a father/mother responsible for little loves) instead of some far off being who lives in Heaven.

Out of the 50 some-odd photos that turned out from the session, this one seems to capture my heart the most. There is something perfectly beautiful about a daddy loving on his babies. To see how much love a father has for his children is alluring to me.

No matter how much a father loves his children... that love cannot even COMPARE to the love our Father God has for us. I mean, He loves us enough to call us his children - and he treats us as so. Not as some orphan who he has to care for... but his own children. He loves us with a CRAZY love that cannot be broken and cannot be shaken.

Another thing - is the amount of trust and faith tiny babies have in their parents. They might not even know it... but they do. Their entire lives depend on their parents. They can't do anything without them. They rely totally and fully upon Mommy and Daddy for everything. If God is our Father & we are to treat him as such... why do we not fully rely on Him to provide all that we need? Most of us trust our earthly fathers to give us good things and good advice and to provide for us - so how much more should we trust our heavenly father with these things (see Matthew 7) who knows us far greater & holds everything together?

I feel like the post I wrote about a horse and his girl was similar to this one... but perhaps its a lesson God is still trying to teach me :/

When I look at this photo - I see a representation of our Father God. He holds us close and will lead us and guide us... if we just cling to Him and trust him with our lives.

P with a P

2011-10-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how much my photography has picked up since I bought a real ".com" website! I'm a little overwhelmed at the amount of sessions that I have scheduled through the month of October. Fall seems to be a super popular season for photos - especially here in West Virginia. I mean, have you seen this place in the fall?! It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever laid my eyes on. When fall arrives, my brain immediately goes to scripture:

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
-Psalm 19:1

"May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD"
-Psalm 104:31-35

The Lord did an excellent job in displaying his glory here in the mountains of WV! It is a joy to be able to partake in his handiwork!! Seeing the colors of fall also reminds me of Luke 19 - where Jesus tells the pharisees that even if his followers ceased to cry out praises... that the stones would! Nature would cry out! And during the fall... it is SCREAMING!

One thing I want to do is use the talents God has given me to make much of him. While there are MANY far greater at this thing than I, I do believe that the small amount of talent I posses comes straight from Him... and we are to use ALL gifts for His glory. I wrote a post last year about a horse and his girl - about obedience and trust. I want to use every opportunity to grow closer to my Savior, and so I hope as I continue to conduct photo sessions... that the Lord would open my eyes to new truths... and that he would make much of every opportunity. With that said - the goal is to approach every session in that way: God, what can I learn here? How can I further the kingdom through this? So keep an eye out for photo session blogging: Photography with a Purpose. (hence the title P with a P)

Passive Righteousness

2011-10-05T11:15:00.003-05:00

In our community group we are studying "The Gospel Centered Life" by Bob Thune and Will Walker. It is a short 9-lesson study that is intended to help us understand how the gospel shapes every aspect of our life. Each lesson of it is self contained and requires little work outside of the small group setting.

I find myself extremely challenged by this week's lesson "Believing the Gospel." It primarily speaks of passive righteousness which is:

"the biblical truth that God has not only forgiven our sin, but also credited to us Jesus' positive righteousness."

Martin Luther writes "It is called passive righteousness because we do not have to labor for it...It is not righteousness that we work for, but righteousness we receive by faith. This passive righteousness is a mystery that someone who does not know Jesus cannot understand. In fact, Christians do not completely understand it and rarely take advantage of it in their daily lives...The person who wanders away from "passive" righteousness has no other choice but to live by "works" righteousness. If he does not depend on the work of Christ, he must depend on his own work..."

The whole concept of passive righteousness completely boggles my mind! The fact that we have to do NOTHING to be righteous. By default we are nowhere even close... and it is because of Christ that we are made righteous... not by what we do, but by what HE has done. It's so crazy that we continue to live as though we have to earn God's favor. The world teaches us that we have to "earn" everything - popularity, status, worth, acceptance... so we base our lives by our works. Even as Christians we do this... always "trying to be better..."

"We must cling to the gospel promise that God is pleased with us because he is pleased with Jesus."

In my head I know all of this stuff... but I find myself thinking, can God really be pleased with me as I am?! I'm a sinner... and unworthy - how is that even possible?! The truth is, it's not... but in Jesus - it is! That's what He did on the cross! I am learning that what He did on the cross was so much BIGGER than my little brain can fathom. It wasn't just to "take my sins so i can go to heaven." I now bear his righteousness! I cant wrap my brain around it!!

"When we embrace the gospel in this way, seeing our sin is not scary or embarrassing. It actually leads to worship because Jesus has died for all of it, and it is liberating because WE ARE NO LONGER DEFINED BY IT! Our righteousness is in Christ. The good news of the gospel is not that God makes much of us, but that God frees us to make much of Jesus!"

I feel like I'm quoting almost the entire lesson - but this stuff is too good not to share!

"We live like orphans instead of sons and daughters. Rather than resting in God's fatherly love, we try to gain his favor by living up to his expectations (or our mistaken view of them). We live life on a treadmill, trying to "be good Christians" so that God will approve of us. .. Jesus righteousness has been credit to us apart from works (Rom4:4-8). WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO SECURE GOD'S LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE; JESUS HAS SECURED IT FOR US."

"At the root of all our visible sins lies the invisible struggle for righteousness and identity....as we realize our tendencies towards pretending & performing - our attempts to build our own righteousness and identity - we must repent of sin and believe anew in the promise of the gospel!"

Woa. Just let that sink in...

FLASH MOB!!!

2011-10-01T17:43:00.006-05:00

I got to participate in my very FIRST flash mob on Friday! For those of you who dont know, a flash mob is a group of seemingly random people who assemble suddenly in a very public place and perform some form of act - most typically a dance - and then disperse. I've seen them on YouTube & find them to be hillarious, so two months ago when I was invited to be a part of one - I couldnt say no!

I have no idea how this group of people came to be. My friend Seret invited me b/c she was invited. I didnt know anyone else in the group except her - though I had a great time meeting new friends. We did the flash mob before the WVU Homecoming Parade on High Street! Steven captured the video as it started... so you dont get the full effect of the music just popping in out of the blue - or the faces of the crowd when they were a little confused as to what was going on. However, the fact that our shirts said "Flash Mob" probably gave us away:) Anyways, it was a BLAST!!

Too Legit to Quit

2011-09-13T21:29:00.004-05:00

I officially have a real live website for my photography!!!

www.aalexanderphotography.com

I took some maternity photos for some dear friends of mine last weekend (Trish & Adam Williams)! Trish is SO stinking gorgeous! You should go see her photos:

www.facebook.com/aalexanderphotography

The Ash Heap - Summer Edition

2011-08-02T11:56:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it is already AUGUST!!! Where has the summer gone?! I dont even remember May... Life is such a funny thing. It moves so quickly. It seems like the first summer we moved here - we were able to actually ENJOY summer - we went to the lake a lot, were out and about a lot... though I contribute that to the jobs we were working - so much flexibility. This summer we've hardly been able to do anything. Between me working & Steven going to school and working - the most exciting thing we've done all summer is... uh... Hm.

Things have been good for us. Fast paced, but good. Here's what's been going on in our lives lately:

CHURCH:

Crossroads has MEMBERS! Our pastor just started a membership process... and this is exciting.

The summer has been hard on the church, but we've been averaging 70-80 the last few weeks... and school hasnt even started yet! There are TONS of new faces & I feel awful that there are so many people I dont know. Our college crowd is increasing - and this is also exciting

I take care of the Crossroads website - and am loving the new design and features! It's such a fun task for me! Go - check it out. www.wvcrossroads.com

We are going through the book of John - God has used this series to speak to us.

WORK:

My office moved locations! It now takes me...40 minutes to get to work (and again, the students are not here). I hate the location, but am adjusting to the new space. I like my new area... more privacy, easier to focus but despise the drive.

NEW DRESS CODE ALERT: With the new move comes a new dress code. We were not too happy with it b/c we were given a short time to purchase new clothes (you know, b/c we all have spare money hanging around). However, despite our grumblings, we are all digging it. It is a business casual (more heavily enforced) - and I feel like a bombshell. Ok, maybe that's vain, but its true! Today I happen to be wearing white banana republic pants (which are awesome) and a sleeveless pink ruffled LOFT shirt.. with some heels... and lets just say my husband could hardly keep his hands off of me this morning ;) There's just something about looking great that makes you feel great. Everyone here agrees

Steven is still working at Advance... still enjoying it

SCHOOL:

My love breezed through the summer term with .. that's right... straight A's.

The fall semester starts in 3 weeks - I cant believe he only has 2 semesters left!! We've been careful with our money, so we are still able to pay his tuition on our own, debt free. Praise Jesus.

OTHER:

I hate to put God in the other category.. but I cant write a heap without including Him! It still amazes me how much my Jesus loves me and pursues me. The summer has been rocky, but he has pursued me through it. Our relationship is beginning to blossom into something quite beautiful. I'm learning to run to Him first... instead of trying to solve life's problems on my own. He is so faithful.

I am married to the greatest man on the planet. I cannot brag on my husband enough. He is such an amazing man who loves and cares for me beyond imagination! I am so thankful for Him and blown away that He's mine!!! I become more and more attracted to him each and every day! He's an awesome husband - and is going to be a great daddy one day.

Geocaching

2011-07-04T22:43:00.007-05:00

Steven and I have recently gotten into geocaching! We have a friend in Europe who Facebooks about it all the time, so i always thought it was a European thing. A few weeks ago some of our friends started talking about it - and that's when we realized it was worldwide!!

Rather than explain what the heck geocaching is... you can look here to find out:
http://www.geocaching.com/

In a nut shell it is a treasure hunt. People hide things, other people find them using GPS coordinates. Sometimes the hiders will throw in a hint or two, but you mainly find them using the coordinates. They are not valuable... and range from the size of a 35mm film canister to... larger things (that we have yet to discover.) It's a great thing to do - gets you out of the house & you get to explore places that you problaby wouldnt ordinarily go to! To date we have done two geocache hunts. Our first was super fun. We had to go to 5 different locations to collect clues which lead us to the final location. We ended up finding a film canister (which was not easy to spot). Two friends tagged along, which made it even more fun!

We went to Morris Park on Saturday and found a medium sized one out in the middle of the woods. We were caught off guard when we looked down and saw it laying on the ground. Our friends Alisia and Amanda (the ones I mentioned above who started talking about geocaching) were the ones who found it before us... which was kind of cool... and swear they hid it under the rocks (see photo!)

Anyhoo - here are some photos of our find

The geocache is the box on the left. It should have been under those rocks..

The contents inside of one of the ziplock bags that were inside of the container! You can take things out as long as you replace them with something of equal value.

There was even a little train!

Every geocache comes with a log book for you to sign! Our friends Alisia and Amanda were the last to find this one!

Steven & I at the end of our adventure!

The Cycle Test

2011-06-08T11:17:00.005-05:00

I went to the doctor on June 2nd. If you all remember, I stopped taking birth control at the beginning of February to test my cycle and see how things were working. My doctor did some ultrasounds & some lab work. I went back on the 2nd so she could follow up to see how things were going & talk about the results of the tests. This is what my chart reads:

Yeah. Not something a girl wants to read on her charts. I dont ovulate. To have a baby... you kind of have to do that.

The good news is: This is probably the best fertility problem to have... b/c it is a relatively easy and inexpensive thing to overcome. They make drugs (Clomid, etc..) that induce ovulation... so my doctor assures me that I have nothing to worry about... unless of course those things dont work, but when that time comes, we'll take it one step at a time.

So, there you have it. I do serve the great physician... and know that His plan will come about in His time, so Im not worried!

Sweet Savings

2011-05-07T20:36:00.003-05:00

I watched a show the other day - I'm sure you all have seen it (and if not, you should because its ridiculous) - Extreme Couponers. People walk into a store, fill up 9 shopping carts full of stuff totalling over $1100 - and pay $20 for it. I mean... really??? Is that even humanly possible? I figure these people have to have a crazy addiciton - and have a ridiculous amount of time on their hands. Or... they are just that good. (I vote the first option). Granted I will never in a million years be that (nor do I aspire to be that) - but I do know that coupons and bargains exist... and have decided that I should pay a little closer attention to the Sunday paper.

With that said, I found a few deals this week and tried my hand at couponing. This is what I came out with:

(Kroger)
10 Boxes of "Mom's Best All Natural" cereal
10 Boxes of Whole Grain Pasta
4 bags of Boulder Canyon all natural chips
1.75lbs Organic Apples
2 packages of Turkey Bacon
2 packages of Nathan's hot dogs (which are typically 5.75 each)
Milk
1 container of Land O Lakes spreadable butter w/ canola oil
Some oatmeal raisin cookies (for Steven's work)
1 pint strawberries
Cottage Cheese
1.5lbs of Organic Pears

And what did I pay for this shopping list you ask? $35.58
That's right. Over $100 worth of food for a whopping $35

Win.

Insanity Report - Day 15

2011-05-05T17:50:00.009-05:00

With insanity, you do a fit test every 15 days... which is when I will update you all on my progress!!

What I've learned:
-This is by far the most challenging exercise regimen I've ever done in my life.

-It is impossible...ok, extremely difficult... to exercise 6 days a week (which is why it has taken me 25 days to make it to day 15. (Which now makes me think - woa, 10days off? really?) But hey - life happens and all you can do is keep going, right

-It is not feasible to follow the food plan. During week 1 I spent 2 hours a night in the kitchen. Not to mention it was getting a little expensive. We are keeping with the general idea of the plan though - eating 5 meals a day... but we're eating whatever healthy things we can/have.>

-I am so out of shape its not even funnY

-I lack discipline and motivation. You would think the fact that I've gained 6lbs in a year and a half would be motivation.

-It's forcing me to think about why I am doing what I'm doing. Is it just to look hot for my husband - or is there greater motivation? My brain is beginning to shift from a "wanting to look hot" mindset to a "God calls us to take care of ourselves" mindset. I could be wrong (and Im not) but I feel that this is where my motivation is lacking. Insanity should be done for the glory of God first, and the good of my husband second ;)

RESULTS:
I have to admit I was super nervous to do the fit test tonight. I mean... 10 days off is a lot. Not to mention I dont really feel like I've made much progress. These workouts are kicking my "you know what." The fit test works like this: you do each exercise as hard and fast as you can for 1 minute. Here are the results:

First number = Day 1 / 2nd number = Day 15

Switch Kicks: 90 / 110

Power Jacks: 50 / 50

Power Knees: 79 / 85

Power Jumps: 22 / 30

Globe Jumps: 7 / 8

Suicide Jumps: 12 / 14

Push-up Jacks: 16 / 20

Low Plank Oblique: 35 / 50

MEASUREMENTS:
Everything was the same except:
-Waist: lost 1/2 inch
-Hips: lost 1/2 inch
-Weight: lost 1.4lbs!

What It Means to Follow

2011-04-27T18:04:00.003-05:00

At the end of March, my very best friends moved to Asia. (They will be there for two years serving our Father.) I spent a lot of time helping them clear out their apartment before they left - and was able to take a few photos once the task was complete. These photos speak such a beautiful story to me. Regardless of how great the quality of my photography is.. the pictures depict a story that words simply cannot. This is what it looks like to leave everything you know for the sake of your King. This is what it means to sell everything you own (literally) and follow. To deny yourself, take up your cross... and follow your Father to the ends of the earth. To take the message of His cross to the nations. I was so moved even as I edited these. I mean - can you imagine selling EVERYTHING you own to move completely across the world? To a place where everything is unfamiliar - the people, the language, the culture? No family, no friends?... everything is different. Packing all of your material possessions in four suitcases and travelling over 30 hours all for the sake of making HIS name great among the nations? This, my friends, is the kind of stuff our Maker calls us to. THIS is what it means to follow.

The Ash Heap

2011-04-26T15:41:00.001-05:00

• Spring has sprung!! I wish I had accurate words to convey how stinking gorgeous Morgantown, WV is once it has bloomed! It is gorgeous all year round – but specifically when the mountains are green and everything is in bloom. I cannot help but to praise God when I drive to work everyday! The beauty is unspeakable.

• With Spring = WARM WEATHER! It’s almost May and I’m just now breaking out my summer clothes!

• I have two friends here that are pregnant (one with twins!), one that just had a baby, and a niece that’s due any day now. Fever is increasing, but I am honestly content. We’ve decided that we’re just not ready yet. Next year = different story. I wrote a few months back about the “cycle test” that I’m doing – but I’ll post about that once I go back to the doctor on June 2nd. The Sneak Peek: It’s not looking good :/

• My brilliant husband has straight A’s for the second semester in a row! So glad this semester is almost over. School is FLYING by.

• Steven was awarded the Pratt & Whitney Engine Services Scholarship! He will be presented with a plaque and his $1000 this Friday at an awards banquet. This is SO exciting!!!

• I have my first “business” meeting this weekend with the education board. Luckily it’s in town so I don’t have to travel, but I’ll be in meetings on Friday and Saturday. Im working… on a Saturday. I think Im excited… :/

• I am so completely in love with Crossroads Church! We now have a full time pastor who is incredibly in love with Jesus! We are blown away and challenged by the words that the Lord speaks through him each week. It’s beautiful. To listen: www.wvcrossroads.com. The body of believers is growing and changing – we’ve had so many new people around it’s ridiculous! So thankful to the Lord for the work that he is doing there!

• We are attending (when we don’t have other obligations) a Christian Beliefs class (Based on the book) on Sunday mornings that’s awesome. Learning Doctrine. Sweet.

• Speaking of church, I’ve been in the process for a few weeks of building a new website! (Now, now, I’m not that skilled – it’s a cookie cutter site… I’m just plugging the info in and uploading the sermons, etc..) BUT It’s super sweet!! I’m just waiting on the domain transfer and then it will be up and running. Check it out sometime next week: www.wvcrossroads.com

Finally: Insanity. Need I say more? I wanted to share a photo from the video that I did this morning: PURE CARDIO. It made me laugh so much that I had to take a picture of the screen. At this point the workout portion just ended and we are getting ready for the coo ldown and stretch. I’m certain it says a lot whenever the “people on the video” are on the floor. The instructor is on his back somewhere too. Now… take that – and imagine me. Yeah.

Insanity Week 2... Take 1

2011-04-25T05:37:00.002-05:00

This morning I restarted my week 2 of insanity. Last week I did about 3 videos and started getting a random pain in my lower back. It's on the left side and it was pretty sharp - made my back, the side of my lower leg, and the bottom of my left foot hurt. Super weird. It doesnt really feel like a pulled muscle - maybe a nerve something. Anyhoo - I decided that it was best to let it chill out for a few days (not to mention I was MORE than welcoming a rest!).

This morning I did Day 1 Week 2 and made it through the entire thing without the pain. I was super conscious of my form, making sure I engaged my core through every power jump and every globe jump! The second I finished working out the pain seemed to reappear - but its not in my leg or foot this time, only one little spot in my back, so maybe it's going away! Good thing I have the rest of the day to take it easy!

One thing I noticed: Taking almost a week off from insanity = not a good idea. I was TOAST this morning. Who knew someone could produce so much sweat?!

Insanity - Week 1 Report

2011-04-20T12:41:00.004-05:00

Don't worry everyone, I'm still alive!! I have decided that there is no name more appropriate for this workout program. Before I popped these videos in, I did not preview them. I woke up every morning at 5:30am, put the appropriate one in the player - and did my best to keep up. I was full of fire for the first few days. I could hardly sleep because I was so anticipating the workouts! However, I found myself dreading them as the week went on.

Now that I know what the workouts are... I find it harder to make myself do them, because I know what I'm getting myself into.

For those of you who are interested/curious about what it is... it is 40 minutes of pure cardio. You do about 5-6 minutes of exercise, take a 30 second rest, repeat those exercises faster, take a 30 second rest, and then repeat them for a third time as hard and as fast as you can, take a 30 second rest, and then repeat that with a new set of exercises. Some videos are harder than others. There is one: pure cardio - where there are hardly any rests... its just pounding out as many exercises as fast as you can while praying and repenting because you are certain that you are fixing to die. Another: Cardio Power & Resistance consists of jump squats, push ups, and that sort. It still kills you cardio wise, but its harder b/c of the muscles it works!

Steven did day 6 with me and has agreed that the P90X is CAKE compared to this workout! I am finding that I really enjoy it, even though it is beating the life out of me.

Things I have noticed:

Its amazing what you can force your body to do

I had no idea a person could be so sore. I have never been in so much pain from exercising in my life. Well, that's not true. I felt about the same (or worse) than I did when I hiked 50 miles on the Appalachian Trial. There were a few days where I couldn't stand on my tippie toes... and it was difficult to drive my car b/c I struggled to push the clutch in due to sore legs.

Good News: 1 week later - The soreness is gone! (Praise the LORD!!!!)

Something wonderful is happening with my metabolism. I am eating 5 (300 calorie) meals a day. At first I thought that this would be a lot, but I am finding that when meal time comes, I welcome it with open arms! I am super hungry by the time its ready to eat again!

I do not feel like a slug anymore!

It is very difficult to wake up at 5:30am, but is completely worth getting my workout over! Once the workout is over and a few hours pass, the pain/tiredness leaves.

My stomach feels a little flatter. I havent done measurements so I dont know if this is true - but it doesnt feel as bloaty!

Oh... I forgot to mention: I have been refined sugar free for 3 weeks. The only thing I really miss is good ole southern style sweet tea....

INSANITY - And so it begins!

2011-04-10T19:24:00.004-05:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen! Insanity starts tomorrow!! So what is insanity one might ask?

Yeah. I'm exhausted just by watching that video!! I have a horrible track record of not completing exercise programs, but I'm super excited (and motivated) about this one. I plan to follow the diet that goes along with it which is just super healthy foods: lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies, and complex carbs. 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat. Based on the scale, I'm supposed to eat 1700 calories a day!!!! That's a lot of food. Steven is doing the P90X while I do insanity - and he has to consume at minimum 2800 calories. We went shopping today - and you should see our fridge for one week!!! Better yet - take a look yourself!

Now obviously some of those things will last more than a week, but for the most part - that's what we are supposed to consume this week! It's a lot... but its so delicious and healthy!

I wont bother posting before pictures until there is an after picture to be seen, but i will post weekly updates on how it's going and the things I notice changing. I am happy to report that I am 10 days refined sugar free!! I made it through an ice cream party without a single drop (I'll post photos a little later).

Tomorrow morning insanity begins. Wish me luck!

Almost One Week!

2011-04-04T15:09:00.013-05:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen! I have been [refined] sugar-free for 5 whole days!! It has been a struggle, but the choice to say no has been easier than I thought it would be. I don't do well in the areas of self-discipline. You probably have noticed that through my [many] failed attempts at at exercise regimen! (Speaking of - I think I got a little bored with P90X... so Steven bought us another one- should be here soon! But I'll tell you more about that later). BUT I am quite proud of the fact that I've almost made it a week considering:

Friday: we had a 70s themed office party with an assortment of delicious treats, including one of my favorite candies: STARBURST!! (And my favorite soda: CREAM SODA) After the party the delicious goodness sat out in a common area to taunt me all day. I resisted their calls.

Saturday: Birthday party for a friend held at the bowling alley. This one was fairly easy to resist, because I was distracted, but there was a delicious cake and sodas present. I made a strike!

Sunday: Lunch with some friends. Chocolate chips were present. I prevailed. (I even had dinner at Olive Garden and said no to the delicious chocolaty mints they give you when you leave. AAAH!!)

Today: At work with leftover goodies from the party Friday. I think I hear the starburst calling me again. Wait. I'll settle for my whole-wheat honey cookies. Win.

As I venture down this [refined] sugar-free, I will share with you, from time to time, some delicious (and super healthy) things I have discovered. As time goes on I hope my sugar tolerance goes down... so that I will find not-so-sweet things perfectly fulfilling. I made a cake (had the texture of a banana bread or something similar) that was delicious! (my husband even thought so!!) I got the recipe from the Whole Foods Market. But it was great.

Sweet Potato Apple Cake

Ingredients
Natural cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sucanat (can also use brown sugar)
1 egg 1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 (3/4-pound) sweet potato, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an (8-inch) baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside. In a second large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg until well combined. Stir in apple, sweet potato, vanilla and walnuts and then add apple mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until cake pulls away from the edges and is deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Set aside to let cool and then cut into squares and serve.

I made an icing to go on top too to give it a little more pizazz. I found the recipe online somewhere and it was made to go on cinnamon rolls. It tastes kind of like vanilla yogurt.. but is tasty on this cake!

1/2c light sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp vanilla

(Mix all ingredients together!)

Quitting Stupid, Cold Turkey Style

2011-03-31T11:55:00.004-05:00

My sweet husband sent me an email yesterday with the subject line "Quitting Stupid, Cold Turkey Style." (Yes, our week has been INSANE and so we've reverted to email to communicate!) We have been discussing lots of life changes - things that we just need to better ourselves at and stop (or start) doing. Areas that we feel we are not being good stewards in. We truly want to glorify God in our lives and we both feel like there are three areas that we are lacking in. We need to make changes in these areas of our lives, but we haven't because we are simply being stupid (defined: foolishness, senselessness). And so we have decided to quit being stupid - cold turkey style.

Area One: SUGAR I have read countless articles on how awful refined sugar is for you! I was going to make a large list in this post of all the reasons why it is bad... but it was simply too long, so I decided against it. If you want to know why it is so bad... just google "why refined sugar is bad for you" and you'll be reading for days.

So, today is DAY 1 of no processed/refined sugar.

NOTE: I didn't say "no sugar." I get smarty pants remarks sometimes like, "well, there's sugar in fruit" but that is a different form/type of sugar. It's natural. Honey, Agave nectar, brown rice syrup, sucanat.... all forms of ok sugars.

It is typically a pretty easy thing for us during the week because we don't eat bad things. I cook a healthy dinner (which makes for a healthy lunch the next day), and so forth and so on. I don't buy junk food, so it is not at my house. However, I did discover that my favorite spaghetti sauce contains bad sugar, so I will have to reevaluate that - along with other everyday items that I have in my fridge/cabinets, including cereal. The tricky part will come at social gatherings (which occur OFTEN). And in sweet things when we get a craving.

There are lots of things that I will have to learn about cooking with natural sweeteners and finding healthy alternatives, but I am completely up to the task!! It helps that we have some great friends who are treading through this as well, so we can share resources!

We are both so excited about taking a step and being obedient in this small (but very large) area of our lives... So here's to DAY ONE!

A Great High Priest

2011-03-16T11:47:00.004-05:00

Ive been reading through the book of Exodus and have come to the point where the Lord lays out his groundwork for his tabernacle. Typically when I read through the Bible, I do so with a pen and paper in hand - searching for anything that intrigues me, anything that stands out, that will help me get a better grasp of who God is, or what he wants for my life. This is how I do Bible study best. I read as though Im about to make a blog post (hehe). If I can verbalize thoughts (or write them on paper) then they sink in better and in turn, I learn. If I have nothing to write down... then I have learned nothing.

As I was reading through the very specific details that God laid out about his tabernacle, I got extremely lost in the words - "have them make this and that to be this many cubits long and this many cubits wide. Lay this and that on top of these and those; overlay them with this and that and insert these here and those there." So many details!! I am usually one who is in love with details and wants to hear every step that happens, but I found myself getting completely lost in these! I then started searching and searching for something to "learn" from my detailed reading. There must be something on these pages that I can take away with me today.

2 things:
(1) God is ALL ABOUT the details! I couldn't help to think of two dear friends of mine who are leaving at the end of the month to serve our Father in Asia. The details that He has worked out to get them there blows me away! The details that he works out in our own lives day in and day out. He doesn't just focus on the broad pictures, but the little tiny snapshots that make up the big picture. God cares about the details!

(2) The holy place - the place where God's presence dwelled. Only the high priest could enter the holy place and petition for the people. They couldn't go there themselves. I am so thankful that we have full access to our Heavenly Father at any given time and any given place. We don't need a high priest to intercede for us. We don't have to offer sacrifices to atone for our sins. Jesus did that when he died on the cross for us! He has made the atonement for our sins.... forever! And he intercedes on our behalf at every moment we ask. We serve a God that is approachable! Let this roll around in your brain for a moment... it's powerful stuff!! As I was rolling this over in my mind, the song "Before the Throne" came to my mind. So powerful.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hand
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin

Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah
Praise the One Risen Son of God.

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of grace

One in Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

Waiting in Limbo

2011-03-09T12:32:00.009-06:00

I feel like Steven and I have been living in limbo. Right now he is going to school full time with the end goal to graduate and get a job in the aviation industry. As for me - I am working... and waiting. Just waiting. I have really struggled with this. Steven is living his dream - he is going to school for what he wants to go to school for - to obtain a job that he wants to work. As for me, I'm just waiting. Now, I cant even begin to tell you how excited I am for my husband! We both have worked super hard for him to be able to get to this point in his life. Going to college at the age of 29 is no picnic!

I should also let you all in on "the goal." The goal is for Steven to graduate, get a job (wherever that might be... we're pretty open to anything at this point) and for us to become parents. We want children so badly, but we also want to give them a mother who can stay at home with them and raise them. In order for this to happen, Steven needs to have a full time, secure job.. and for that to happen, he needs to graduate.

So here I sit - waiting on that to happen. I have to admit that while he has only been in school for 2 semesters now, but I am getting impatient. I am surrounded with people having babies and my baby fever is increasing by the second!! We have talked about just throwing out the plan and going for it, but we also know that it is not worth sacrificing the goal for the sake of impatience. I would much rather wait and be able to give my children my all - than to not wait and send them off everyday. The very thought of that makes me cringe. I know that a lot of moms do it, but I know with everything in me that God has called me to stay at home to minister to my little ones. To be on mission for him... in my home.

So in my struggle with impatience, I prayed for patience. As I prayed, Philippians 4:6 came to mind "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." So I asked God to give me direction during this time. He did not create us to live in a state of limbo, but in action. And just as He said He would - He gave me a direction. Rather than sit waiting - I need to be proactive in pursuing Him and what it means to be a godly wife and a godly mother. Ive never been a mom before, so I have no idea what this life change looks like. I do know that there is MUCH to be learned. So, I am to use this time of limbo to seek and learn His word, to read anything I can possibly get my hands on that will help me gain wisdom and insight into what it looks like to be a godly woman, wife, and mother.

I just started reading the book "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp and in it he says,

"The central focus of parenting is the gospel. You need to direct not simply the behavior of your children, but the attitudes of their hearts. You need to show them not just the "what" of their sin and failure, but the "why." Your children desperately need to understand not only the external "what" they did wrong, but also the internal "why" they did it. You must help them see that God works from the inside out. Therefore, your parenting goal cannot simply be well behaved children. Your children must also understand why they sin and how to recognize internal change."

I had to put the book down when I read that statement. The weight of that responsibility weighs heavily on my heart and terrifies me to the core. It only confirms the direction God has given me. Parenting is not a joke - it is a HUGE responsibility. Not just in the area of raising "well behaved" children, but raising children who love and fear the Lord. The quote above only proves that I have much to learn before I can even possibly do the task of being "Mom."

I am officially no longer in limbo. I'm using this season of my life to learn. And to grow.

What a Weekend!

2011-03-05T20:43:00.006-06:00

The "Act Like Men"Conference was this weekend in Columbus, OH. My husband - along with 10 other guys at our church got to attend, thus leaving 10 women without wives...

I HATE when my husband has to go out of town... but I have to say that this was definitely the weekend for him to go! There was so much going on and it kept me completely distracted from being miserable! Last night our church had a "Ladies Night" and one of our friends did a Pampered Chef cooking demo for us! We cooked, laughed, talked... you know, lady things! We also celebrated Suzie's birthday and got to pray over a dear friend who is leaving at the end of the month to go to Vietnam for 2 years! I love the women in our church so much and I so enjoy getting together with them! Afterwards Mel and I had a slumber party at her house (since our husbands were gone...) which was a blast!!

This morning we got up and went shopping with 4 other girls and literally shopped til we dropped! Then Melanie and I spent the afternoon hanging out and watching movies!

As much fun as I had this weekend, I cannot WAIT until my husband gets home!! Ive missed him like crazy!! The good news is... he'll be here in an hour!!

A True King

2011-03-04T15:54:00.003-06:00

One of my former pastors (who is the pastor at Wynne Baptist in Wynne, AR) posted this on his blog today. I thought it was definitely worth a repost.

The quote comes from the book " Kings Cross: The Story of the Word in the life of Jesus" by Tim Keller:

"Jesus says, 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!' What is the good news of the kingdom of God? In the book of Genesis chapters 1-2, we see that we were created to live in a world in which all relationships were whole - psychologically and socially perfect - because God was the King. But Genesis chapter 3 tells the next part of our story: that we have each chosen to be our own king. We have gone the way of self-centeredness. And self-centeredness destroys relationships. There's nothing that makes you more miserable (or less interesting) than self-absorption: How am I feeling, how am I doing, how are people treating me, am I proving myself, am I succeeding , am I failing, am I being treated justly? Self-absorption leaves us static; there's nothing more disintegrating. Why do we have wars? Class struggle? Family breakdown? Why are our relationships constantly exploding? It's the darkness of self-centeredness. When we decide to be our own center, our own king, everything falls apart: physically, socially, spiritually, and psychologically. We have left the dance. But we all long to be brought back in. This longing is embedded in the legends of many cultures, and though the stories are all different they all have a similar theme: A true king will come back, slay the dragon, kiss us and wake us out of our sleep of death, rescue us from imprisonment in the tower, lead us back into the dance. A true king will come back to put everything right and renew the entire world. The good news of the kingdom of God is this: Jesus is that true King."

Rebecca St James!

2011-03-03T11:12:00.003-06:00

Last year our church hosted a benefit concert for Labor of Love Ministries (www.lolministries.net). Aaron Shust, Laura Story, and Downhere came and we got to meet and hang out with them - which was pretty awesome!!

The time has come for another concert!! While our church will not be hosting it this year, the beneficiary is still the same! Rebecca St James will be in Morgantown at CMA Church on May 17th! The concert will of course, benefit Labor of Love Ministries. I am super excited that I was invited to the initial planning meeting, which is on Monday. I had such a blast helping out with last year's concert, so I am really excited and honored to be a part of the planning committee this year!

I have heard great things from Judy, the executive director at Labor of Love - about Rebecca St. James style. She will actually spend a day at the maternity home hanging out with the residents... and other things of that nature!

Be in prayer for this event - that in addition to raising money for this ministry, that hearts and lives would be changed for the glory of God!!

(Also, as a side note - please pray for two 16 year old girls that Judy is currently counseling. They both have abortions scheduled for Monday, March 7th - so be on your FACE for these little babies! That God would change their mothers hearts!!)

Forget the How

2011-02-17T11:58:00.003-06:00

Before Moses was even born, the Lord knew the kind of man he would be. He knew that as a baby he would be placed in a basket and put into the Nile river. God knew that Pharoah’s daughter would find him and that he would be reunited with his birth mother. God knew he would be raised as Pharoah’s nephew. God knew that he would murder… and that Pharoah would try to kill him. God knew ALL of these things before this little guy was ever born. Yet, he was born.

And God chose this Hebrew to rescue the people of Israel. God knew the task he would present to Moses … even when he was a baby. Even though no one at the time knew it, Moses life was spared as a babe for a great purpose.

As an adult, God appeared to him and told Moses his plan… that HE would deliver God’s people.
I find it interesting that God chose him before time for this task… God chose to use a murder to DELIVER his people. God can use even the most sinful people to accomplish his great purposes!

I’m sure prior to this occurance Moses would have never in a million years imagined that God… THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE would verbally speak to him through a bush (of all things)… and ask him to plead for his people.

I also find it interesting that in this moment Moses didn’t question God… he didn’t ask “how” .. he just said OK. And after he submitted in obedience, God provided the way and gave him the "how."

How many times do we fear doing the things God calls us to because we cant see the “how?” We need to forget the how… just OBEY. God already has the how.

Here Goes Nothing

2011-02-16T12:02:00.002-06:00

I am officially NOT taking birth control anymore!! I am really excited - and really nervous at the same time.

I have been on it since I was 18. At the time I was having abnormal cycles, which ultimately lead to ZERO menstrual cycles in 11 months. I went to the doctor - was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - and have been on BC every since. Fast forward 7 years... and I'm still on it.

Ive been reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" which describes how to use the FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) for birth control, pregnancy achievement, and reproductive health... and I have to say that I am digging it!! This method uses charting your waking temperature and other natural signs your body gives you to determine when ovulation occurs. Now.. most people crack the joke "You know what you call people who use Natural Family Planning?...PARENTS" - but this method is slightly different. Of course risks are always involved... but Im ok with that!!

So Ive decided to give this a whirl! Not to mention I will get to get rid of the drugs in my system (which I absolutely HATe) and hopefully get a handle on what my body does by default!! This will also be extremely helpful next year when we start trying for a baby!

There are concerns though with me having PCOS. Doing this will help me to see whether or not Im ovulating, which will again be very helpful next year! There is a chance that I'll end up on BC again (7 years ago I was not having menstrual cycles at all... no cycles = no good. BC forces them)... but at least I'll feel better knowing what my body does by default... without the help of drugs.

So... here goes nothing!! (eek!)

Baby Lucas!

2011-02-07T19:04:00.003-06:00

This little darling is the grandson of a dear friend of mine, Michelle Overton!! I did photos of baby Lucas a few weeks ago at my house, which means he was 2 1/2 weeks old at the time! He was not a very happy baby during our shoot, but I managed to snap a few good ones! There are some naked photos that we did... that I was not prepared for. This little guy ended up peeing all over my couch. I guess I'll be more prepared next time!

http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/

The Ash Heap!

2011-02-02T12:09:00.002-06:00

Hm... so whats been going on in the life of the Alexanders?!

It's February!! How the heck did this happen? Seems like we were just in Arkansas a few weeks ago (we went in November).
Steven started his second semester of college - and is even MORE in love than he was last semester. He has lots of interesting classes - including an electronics class, which he greatly enjoys. Its so much fun watching him build circuits on the dining room table! So far he has taken 3 tests and has Aced every one of them. I have a feeling he will pull off a 4.0 AGAIN this semester. He is such a good student!
I am really enjoying my new... or... not so new anymore - job! I have been here for a little over 3 months now (woa). I'm still learning so much. In January one of my coworkers quit and so I have absorbed her job. I am doing my job... and hers. I stay busy, but I love busy. I also enjoy the people I work with. They are hilarious and there is never a dull moment around this place. (Im actually writing this on my lunch break... so when I say this place, Im actually here at the present moment)
My baby fever is still really high. I have read several parenting books and am now in the process of reading a book lots of my friends have recommended "Taking Charge of your Fertility" to learn a little more about my body so that next year when we start trying for a baby... we will have immediate success (HAH). I have only made it through a few chapters but it is proving to be extremely educational. One of the friends who recommended it has three children and they have all been perfectly timed. (She's great at having babies. She's actually planning getting pregnant with a 4th in September)
A lot of people keep encouraging us to not wait and go for it, but it is extremely important to me to be a stay at home mom, so there will be no babies until at the VERY least summer of 2012.
We've had quite a bit of snow this winter, but we haven't had any HUGE snows like we did last year and I'm a bit disappointed. Last year I was STOKED to see 2 inches - and now I dont get excited unless there are at least 4-5 on the ground (which has happened a few times). I love snow. I also love spring. And summer. And fall. I just love WV - point blank.
My dear friends Ira and Mel will be leaving for Vietnam next month if everything goes according to plan. They could be pushed back a month, but either way... they will be going very soon and will be gone for two years. This is very exciting, and very sad.
I made Steven and I a sticker chart to help give us a visual reminder of the goals we want to accomplish. It is working well. In fact, we got up at 5:15 this morning to exercise to be sure we earned our P90X sticker for the day. (we are starting over... again at week one). I want to be 10lbs lighter. And I will be.
Our church is doing great!! As a one year old replant, things are really looking up! Our pastor is looking at coming on full time in April (which will be awesome) and he has so much vision for it! Steven and I are fired up about it and where we are heading! We love Crossroads Church and we love the people there. I mean, after all it's why we moved to WV in the first place. The church has had a rough year so it is amazing to see the work that God is doing in the hearts and lives of our leadership - and the body!! I am so thankful to be a part of it.

Maternity Portraits!

2011-01-25T12:29:00.003-06:00

I shot some maternity portraits for a friend of mine on Saturday!! Natashia and her husband Chad are expecting their second child! They have an adorable 2 year old girl, Hannah.... and are getting a baby boy this time around!! Because of the weather we weren't able to go to the location we originally intended, so I built a studio in my living room out of SHEETS! HAHA. I wasnt sure it would work, but it turned out great!! I spent $27 on this studio... and it was worth it :)

I did some bare belly photos of her too that are adorable - but those are private, so you cant see them. You can see the others I did at:

http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/

(Click on the Gallery tab)

BLING!!!

2011-01-16T18:31:00.008-06:00

Steven and I have been discussing me getting a diamond band to go with my solitaire (Ok, so IVE been discussing it... he's been listening). Ive looked at a few here and there, but I haven't really found anything that looks very good with the cathedral setting that my solitaire is in now. That is... until today!!

I found an enhancer (that provides a "band" on BOTH sides of my ring) - and I am in love. And... get this.. MY HUSBAND BOUGHT IT FOR ME!!! I showed it to him in the store... and without me having to beg or even break out the pouty face he said, "ring it up!" I almost fell out of my chair. The sad news is - it didnt fit so they had to send it away to be sized... and they had to send my solitaire away to get rhodium plated (so it would shine like the new enhancer) and to be sure they would fit together nicely. It'll be gone for ten days!! So I have all this bling... and I sit here wearing a plain ole band.... though it is a band that I love.

So YAY! Happy Valentines day to me!!!!

(Steven got a new titanium band too - so Happy Valentines Day to him!)
Oh.. and ignore my dry-looking hands. I attacked them with lotion shortly after this was taken.

Since this beautiful set-up wont get here until around Feb 1st, I am wearing my original wedding band... and my bubblegum ring! A few months after we got engaged, I decided that I wanted my ring to be a 1/2 size smaller. It took our local repair shop about a week to size it - and since we were newly engaged, Steven wanted me to have a ring on my finger! We were at Walmart & he bought me a bubblegum ring to wear while my rock was away. I have kept this little bubblegum ring for 6 years!! This morning when I woke up, I put my wedding band on and right before I left the house Steven said "WAIT!! Your bubblegum ring!!" And so from now until my sparklies get here... I'm wearing this:

What is man?

2011-01-14T12:48:00.002-06:00

"What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?
-Job 7:17-18

Baby Fever!!

2011-01-13T13:00:00.004-06:00

I think today shall consist of two blog entries in order to keep one from being a mile and a half long.

Lots of revelations have hit me this year (you know, this year that's only consisted of 13 days)... I have baby fever out of this world!! My amazing husband and I have been married for a little over five years, and we have no children to show for it. It is so very important to me to be able to stay at home with our children, so we are intentionally waiting until he graduates in May 2012 before we pursue this step in our lives. Nonetheless, the fever is still there. Since this is a year away, I have decided to make the best of it and do as much preparation as I possibly can. I ordered the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" that deals a lot with natural family planning using the method where you take your temperature everyday and monitor other signs your body gives you. I am taking my temperature everyday to make sure I can see the trend.

I am also reading lots of parenting books! I cannot tell you how many times I have had people tell me, "Oh you can't parent by books..." I have to admit that statment DRIVES ME CRAZY!!! It's so arrogant. Especially when it comes from first time mothers who have never even picked up a parenting book (which is about 99.2% of the people who make the statement). Not to mention their children's attitudes and actions tell me "My mom doesnt know what shes talking about."

I think books are a GREAT resource in parenting!! I realize that I am not one yet, but there are tons of people - of amazing, godly people **godly is the key here** - who have been there, done that.. and yes, they wrote a book about it! How arrogant of me would it be to say that these people have no idea what they're talking about and that I know more than them! Now, before you get hasty - as an elementary education major, I realize that every child is different and that there is no one "right way" to parent... but there are books about that topic too ;)

I've only made it through three, but for a girl with no baby... not too shabby! So far I've read Baby Wise, Parenting with Love and Logic, and Creative Correction. Actually, I'm still in the process of reading Creative Correction. I highly recommend this book. I love it! It gives such a God centered approach to discipline - and how discipline shapes our kids' views of God... and the most important task we have as parents is to spur our children on towards a relationship with Jesus.

Through reading the last mentioned book, it has hit me that my aim as a parent isn't just to raise good kids who are obedient, respectful, and successful, but to raise children who are absolutely in love with Jesus. Obviously Ive known that is true - but this truth hit me so hard this week! My job is to raise little people who desire Jesus!! This has challenged me greatly in my walk with Christ. I can't raise kids to have a great relationship with Jesus if I don't have a great relationship with Jesus. To teach I have to know. And to know, I have to learn.

So I prayed to the Lord that He would give me a great desire for him - that He would grow me in wisdom and in truth to love Him and fear Him to the point that it will overflow into the lives of my children. Not only for my sake (and sanity) as a mother, but for the sake of my children - and for the glory of His name!

An Alexander Christmas!

2010-12-29T11:52:00.005-06:00

Steven & I drove 14 HOURS to Missouri to spend Christmas with his family! It has been about 2 years since we have seen them, so it was soooo wonderful being able to spend time with them! We had such a great Christmas. The insanely long drive was worth it :)

Steven got a welder!!!

He also got a super sweet welding helmet? Mask? to go with it!!

Cassie got us the movie Despicable Me!

I got a Pampered Chef deep dish baker, a cookie press,
and other Pampered Chef things!!!

Me & Steven with 2 of his sisters (the other one is in TX)
Jenny & Cassie

The Alexander family!
Steven, Jenny, Cassie, Mom, & Dad

Final Grades

2010-12-20T13:26:00.002-06:00

Steven got his grades for this semester today!! Now, before I tell you what they were.... remember that:

We're talking about a guy who works 20 hours a week, was enrolled in 18 hours of his FIRST semester of college. Not to mention that he still maintained his status of the most amazing husband in the world by being a great leader in our home & making sure I was completely cared for... never neglected. Granted we have not had much of a social life in 3.5 months, but who needs one of those when you have a...

4.0 !!

That's right ladies & gentlemen! Steven got All A's in all 6 of his classes this semester!! My husband rocks!! I am soooo proud of him!!

The Heap

2010-12-08T11:43:00.006-06:00

I feel like I need to blog... but am not sure what to specifically blog about, so I'll blog about everything! Here we go...

Ive been sick for a week. Steven got a bug 2 weeks ago and of course passed it on to me. The good news is: I always get the mild form. Sickness doesn't hit me very hard - if it hits me at all! He had a stuffy/runny nose & has been coughing like crazy. Ive just had a stuffy nose/runny nose, no cough. Ive not been functioning at 100% and will be glad when this thing goes away... I'm tired of buying Kleenexes! Everyone in my office seems to be sick too - which is good I guess...at least everyone is sick at the same time, right?

Because I haven't been functioning at 100%, I've missed a little P90X. No worries though, we started again last night & are continuing on with the process. I feel fatter... but I dont think I am. I think the fat feeling... or BLAH as I call it - is a result from the yuck I've had.
The snow has arrived!!! I am pretty sure it has been snowing every day since December 1st. We havent had much accumulation. An inch or so will stick, melt, stick, melt, etc. If Steven and I ever move (which is likely) - one of our requirements is snow. We love it and I think its one of the most beautiful things ever!! A lot of people here complain - and to you I say... You live in the wrong state. Its WV and it snows here.

at the end of my street in Fairmont!

Steven's 1st semester of college is almost over!! Cannot believe how quickly it has gone by! His grades are great (I'll post final results when we get them!). Only 3 more to go!
I got an external flash for my camera... so I can now take decent photos indoors!! I am doing my first Christmas photo shoot on Saturday.. inside, which means I get to use the flash! EEK!

Steven & I bought an audio bible. 79cds worth of scripture!! We spend a significant amount of time in our vehicles everyday... and have decided to make the most of it! Love it!
I accidentally packed my nephew's jacket in our luggage when we were in Arkansas ... and I discovered it the other day! He has been looking all over for it. Every time I go home I tell him that one day I'm going to pack him in my suitcase and take him home with me. So my mom told him, "Hey - Aunt Ashley packed your jacket in her suitcase. She said when she opened it the jacket was there, but you were gone... so I guess she's sending it back." He got a big kick out of it! I mailed it back today

Thanksgiving Week = FAIL

2010-12-01T14:58:00.003-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas this year! It was SO great seeing all of my family again. I love them all so very much. They were super excited to see Steven! With the exception of the three that came to see us in July, they havent seen him since January. Its so great to see how much my family adores my amazing husband!!

We had over 100 people at our Thanksgiving dinner, which exhausted us all beyond measure. Even after dinner was over people stayed at my mom's house until midnight or later.... for three days in a row. On Friday we had company show up.... and Steven & I were still in our jammies. I have never been so immersed in family members.

I treasure the time I get with my parents, my siblings, and my nephews and niece! I miss them so much. There is talk of moving closer to them. (Now, before you get excited, we will probably not return to Arkansas. We now require snow and large cities.)

THE FAIL.

So... I didnt do the P90X the entire time I was there :( Actually, that's not entirely true. We were showing my dad some of the DVDs and we did a demonstration of the Ab Ripper. But 16 minutes in a week doesnt really count. Since we both practically skipped week three, we decided to give it another go... so we are on Week 3 now instead of week 4. I think before I can see any results I have to burn off the weight I gained over Turkey Day. 100+ family member style potluck = dangerous. Very Dangerous.

Oh There's No Place Like Home..

2010-11-23T14:40:00.002-06:00

FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

That's right! Steven and I will be heading to Arkansas for Thanksgiving as soon as I get off work tonight!! Last year at this time we were in the Dominican Republic sweating and shoveling dirt in the Bateys. I don't think there will ever be a Thanksgiving that can compare to that one!!

We have just about everything packed up and ready to go - we will just have to throw a few last minute things in the car & change into our comfy travel clothes before we hit the road. It was ridiculously expensive to fly this year, so we opted to drive. 12. Hours. AH. We only have a short amount of time to spend there, so we are driving all night. We have lots of caffeine and sugary snacks to help us along! If things go as planned, we will arrive around 6am tomorrow.

I have a lunch date at 11:00 and a photo appointment at 2:30, so hopefully I will be able to run on a few hours of sleep. Someone at work told me earlier, "You're young... You can do it." I turned 25 yesterday, which means I'm getting older. And young or not, I'm the world's biggest sleepyhead. I require 9 hours of sleep... but I suppose by force & the power of God I'll be able to function on 4 tomorrow!

I'm excited about my photo shoots: I am doing a photo shoot for my cousin Charlotte - of her 5 grand kids tomorrow. The leaves are still on the trees there, so it should be gorgeous!! I'm also doing one for my Grandma on Thursday since all 9 of her children will be in town. THEN at some point Steven is going to do some of me and my family (of my parents/siblings) - we haven't had a family photo taken since I was 8... and I was missing my 2 front teeth! EEK!

I'm also stoked about seeing my family again! And they're excited to see my hubby - he hasn't been home since January!!

So pray for us as we set out on our long 12 hour journey!

P90X!!!

2010-11-18T12:29:00.003-06:00

My great friend Angie and I decided a few weeks ago that we were going to give P90X a shot! I don't know how many of you remember, but Steven and I started this program last year, but with our trip to the Dominican Republic and the holidays, it went downhill :/ (Oh - and for those of you who don't know, P90X is a hardcore 90day workout guaranteed to make you ripped! You work out 6 days a week for at least an hour (sometimes more) per day... so of course your body will change)

ANYWAYS. I would like to weigh less than what I do - and Angie has some baby weight that she needs to drop & we both want to be healthier/more fit... so we decided to go in on this thing together. We live 20 minutes apart, so we do it individually at our own houses... but we hope that at some point we can get together on a Saturday or something and work out together! Most importantly, we challenge and encourage each other through it - and hold each other accountable to doing the workout!!

We are coming up on the end of week 2 and there are days where I have to take an ibuprofen because my muscles hurt so badly. One of the days consists of lots and lots of pull-ups, which i cannot do - but I use a chair to help me so I can build that muscle. I am looking forward to the day I can do pull ups without a chair assistant. Since this is only week 2, I am not seeing any major results, but I'll keep ya posted as I see them! Prior to beginning this program I took body measurements & weight & before photos... so I can measure my progress! I think after week 4 I'll do a post about what I've seen change.

Colossians 2:6-23

2010-11-16T15:13:00.002-06:00

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised byChrist, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Children of God

2010-11-11T14:15:00.003-06:00

I realize my last post was about a song, but I spend a decent amount of time in my car driving to and from work! Heard this new one from Third Day a few days ago & it FIRES ME UP!!

How awesome is it to be called the Children of God!!

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called Children of God! And this is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears , we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." - 1 John 3:1-2

You Are More

2010-10-28T15:12:00.014-05:00

I heard this song on the radio the other day and it moved me to tears.

I have made some pretty lousy choices over the years...and I'm sure at some point in your life you too have made choices that you're not proud of. Praise be to our Father God that HE is so much bigger than our choices. Romans 8:28 says "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." All things = good and bad. This song served as a powerful reminder of the work He has done and is constantly doing in me and who I am in HIM... Perhaps it will be one to you as well... God is so much bigger than we are.

P.S. I am a HUGE fan of Tenth Avenue North)

Tenth Avenue North - "You Are More"

Woo Woo and Poo Poo

2010-10-20T11:00:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I went to ARKANSAS October 5th - 10th during my one week of unemployment. My Granny was so sweet to pay my airfare...apparently she really wanted to see me!

With the exception of my mom, Grandma, and nephew Chase coming to WV over the 4th of July, I havent seen my family or been home since January. That's 10 months without seeing my family - which is way weird for me. Steven wasn't able to go with me due to school, so I travelled there alone! It was so good to see everyone - I miss them so much....especially my baby brother!! (Yes I still call him that)

He refers to himself as my "little big brother:" He is younger than me, but towers me. I can't believe how tall he is!! I love my brother so much - and this boy is so dear to me...he always has been. A few years ago we came up with a little song that we sing to each other. Its completely silly, but completely ours! I used to call him "Nicky Poo" (only because he hated it)... and I used to tell him that I loved him all the time (which he hated)... so one day I sang him a song (I wish i could give you a melody to go along with it, but its completely original)! So i sang"I love you Nicky Poo Poooooo...." and at complete random he responded, "I hate you Ashley Wooo Woooo" (because he used to tell me that when we were kids, not that he did, but it was the opposite of what I said to him, so it worked). We both cracked up so hard (because we were in our 20s's) and made it an official "Woo Woo and Poo Poo" song. So my nickname is now Woo Woo and his is forever Poo Poo. Sometimes I even call him Poopie. Though it's completely silly, I hold this little song and those little nicknames so dear.

The entire time I was in Arkansas, this sweet brother of mine spent EVERY ounce of his free time with me. There wasn't a moment that passed that he wasnt with me - if one of us were going somewhere, the other went (with a few exceptions when I couldnt go with him). My family has some "quality time" issues - so this time together was very special to me. When I look at Nick, I can still see that annoying little kid that i grew up with and although he annoyed the fire out of me when we were teens, I have always loved him with a special kind of love. Now that we are older, I can also see a man starting to form. He hasn't always made the best choices in life, but then again, who has? He is the father of an adorable little girl (who i will blog on later) and is making great choices for his future. He is a hard worker and has such a sweet spirit. For a guy who was always put down and rarely encouraged, he has turned out to be something else. He brings me great joy and I am so proud of him. I pray for him everyday, that the Lord would take hold of his heart and mold him and shape him to be completely His. God has great plans for this boy, I know it... and so I pray that our Heavenly Father would open Nick's eyes and show him His glory.

I love you Nicky Poo Poo!!!

I HAVE A JOB!!

2010-10-18T18:13:00.003-05:00

Whew, so the last 2 weeks have been a little bananas... which is why I haven't blogged about this exciting news!! I lost my job with Supreme Industries on Friday, October 1st. I had a job interview on the following Tuesday - and when my interview was over I hopped on a plane to Arkansas! I'll write more about my trip later on - because there is plenty to tell there.... but for now I'll stick with the subject at hand. SO. Had an interview Tuesday morning...and was offered a job on Wednesday afternoon!! So praise GOD I am no longer unemployed. I had one week off (which was actually pretty needed) and started work the Monday I returned home from Arkansas! October 11th was my first day at AACE International. (Association of the Advancement of Cost Engineering). My buddy Amanda, who works for AACE, called me and told me of an opening they had a week and a half prior to my interview. She was moving positions within the company and so now her old position was open! They had to revamp the job duties a little because they were doing away with a lot of what she did. I gave her my resume and she forwarded it on to her boss. A week and a half later I had an interview and the next day I have a job. So I want to give a BIG thank you to Amanda. Thank you for thinking of me and thank you for trusting me enough to recommend me. Providence of God? I think so.

SO you are now reading the blog of AACE International's newest Administrator of Education. That's right folks. I am no longer an "administrative assistant." I don't have to answer the phones or open the mail. Not that I mind, but its nice that it isn't my primary responsibility. I have a title and a "real" position... and that is exciting! So what exactly do I do? Well that's a great question - because I have no idea! haha! I am still in the learning process so I can't fully answer that question - but I deal a great lot with the membership department and with the education department of my company. I've mostly been working with membership, but when it comes time for our company to offer distance learning courses... I'll handle most of that. I am still the "new guy" but I'm really digging the job! I think I'm really going to like it once I move past the awkward new guy phase into the "know what I'm doing" phase.

And that's that. If you're even more curious as to what AACE International is... you can check it out at: http://www.aacei.org/

The Ash Heap!

2010-09-28T13:45:00.004-05:00

Things have been CRAZY. Absolutely CRAZY around the Alexander house. Ok so maybe not that crazy...but still - you get my point. I love blogging... a lot, yet I dont seem to have enough time to do it. I'm devising a plan to fix that though. I just glanced back over the past year of my life & I just love being able to see what God has done in me. That's the whole reason I started this thing... so yeah. I can't promise when, but at some point in the near future I plan to start blogging more about God things.

For now I will stick to the Ash Heap - a random pile of stuff that's been going on! Are you ready!? Here we go:

I am so in love with Steven Alexander. In December we will have been married for 5 years ... and it feels like year 1. Words cannot adequately express how dear that man is to me. God has so opened my eyes to the greatness that is mine - the gift he has given me and the priceless covenant I possess with my knight in shining.
When I read profound statements about who God is and what He desires from me... I fall to tears - every time. I am so completely blown away by the grace the Lord has given me in my life... when I think about all that He has saved me from... I get completely overwhelmed. As I write this the song"Undone" by FFH is on. I love the lyrics: "It's true what they say, love must be blind that's why you're still standing by this sinner's side. You're still by my side when all the things have done have left you bleeding." Those words are so powerful to me.
I have the fever. You know... baby fever. I think I've said this before, but it hasnt gone away. We are still waiting until Steven finishes school (May 2012) - but I am beginning to read books by godly people to perhaps gain insight from those who have been there & done that. I know you can never be ready.. but every little bit helps, right?
MY JOB ENDS FRIDAY! I still can't believe it - its so weird. I have spent many boring days in my office, but ultimately I have a great job with great perks... I get to leave whenever I want, we have office parties every week... not to mention fantastic pay. I'm going to miss this place. And NO I still havent found another job. I have gotten a few offers, but the pay was tooooo low. I have a few leads - so we'll see how that goes.
I love Crossroads Church & I love serving there. We have been without an AC all summer long (AR people can you imagine?!)... and people still showed up. We have recently raised $9800 to fund a new unit! Praise God!!!
My enthusiasm and passion for photography is growing, growing, growing!! My favorite part of the process is whenever my clients see their proofs... I am ridiculously anal about photos of myself - so I know what it feels like to have a great photo taken... I love seeing people experience that feeling. It is an honor to me knowing that I made that happen. I have several sessions scheduled for the fall and I can't wait!! I even have a few people from home making appointments with me while I'm there for Christmas (dates are still in the working)
My husband is still crazy about school! He has immaculate grades & is sad when the weekend comes b/c he doesnt get to go to school. This makes me happy. Because of his schedule - things are crazy around our house. Time seems to disappear far to quickly!!

Steven's 29th Birthday Surprise!

2010-09-14T10:50:00.008-05:00

Steven & I went to an airshow over Memorial Day weekend at Jones Beach - and he LOVED it. For weeks after he talked about how much he enjoyed it and how he would love to go to another one. Immediately I went online to see the schedule and found that the Air Force Thunderbirds would be in Pittsburgh during the weekend of his birthday (sept. 10th)! So, I started planning this thing three months out! This past week when he found out that he was off Saturday (I called his boss and told her about the plan and asked if she could schedule him off) - he was so excited and told me exactly how he wanted to spend his birthday! We invited some friends to come along and he was stoked!

Saturday morning rolled around and I woke him up at 6am saying, "Oh by the way - we aren't doing that thing that you wanted to do. I'm taking you somewhere else!" With his sleepy eyes he looked at me and said, "Huh?! Is it raining?!" (this is the only thing he could think that would cause us not to do what he wanted to do.) We got ready, drove to Morgantown to get our friends (who knew about the surprise all along) and headed out! The whole way there, Steven had no idea where we were going! He tried to guess everything possible... Once we got closer he saw the sign that said "AIRSHOW PARKING THIS WAY" and he became extatic!!!! He was soooo excited!!

This airshow was really cool - we were right next to the runway so we were able to see the planes take off and land (and were pretty close to them) - and they had planes EVERYWHERE that you could walk through and touch. It was fantastic!! It was also a great way to spend 9-11...

Keeping a surprise from him for 3 months was the hardest thing ever... next year - I think I'll do a "not" surprise party for his big 3-0!

Me and My Birthday Boy! I love him - a lot!!

Our great friends - The Weed Family!

Ross, Scott, Jeanna, Chelsie

(the Saturday of the airshow was also Jeanna's birthday!)

The Airforce Thunderbirds!

More Thunderbirds!

The Golden Knights

Our best friends - Trish & Adam Williams!

An F-18

The Golden Knights

Staggers Family Favorites

2010-09-07T10:08:00.007-05:00

For a complete gallery visit: http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/

The End.

2010-09-03T13:55:00.002-05:00

When I started my current job in May of last year - I was made aware that whenever our company was finished with it's project, my job would end. I took the job anyways b/c the pay was double what the normal rate for my position is in this area - and quite frankly - it was well worth the money :)

I work as an office assistant for Supreme Industries, Inc. Our company is currently working on the TrAIL project (http://www.aptrailinfo.com/index.php?page=overview) - subcontractors for Kenny Construction - who works for Allegheny Power. This project is an $820 million gig...

Well, the time has come! Supreme's part of the deal is almost complete. There is a little left to do here and there, but the lay-offs have started... with me. That's right. September 30th marks the last day of my employment with Supreme! It is something that I knew was coming, but didnt quite expect so soon. Yeah it was supposed to happen months ago - but things keep getting pushed further and further back - you never know what's going to happen.

This doesnt come at the most opportune time - especially with Steven in school & me being the primary provider. No worries though - I'm very optimistic. Though I was unaware of the date, my God was not. He has known this day was coming - even before I accepted the job - and I know that He has a plan! He knows exactly what we need & so we are clinging to Him to provide!

Over the last week I've submitted a ridiculous amount of resumes ... the good thing about Morgantown, West Virginia is ... there is work EVERYWHERE. The job market is ripe for harvest! I am just waiting on God to show me the right one... with the right salary!

So pray for us as the countdown begins... pray for us to have faith that our God can (because He can) & to wait on Him!

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT

2010-09-01T11:11:00.003-05:00

That's right.. I'm going to be an aunt AGAIN!!!!!!!

My brother Marcus and his wife Meredith are expecting a baby on May 8th!! My sweet Caleb gets a brother or sister! I'm so excited, but this yet again reminds me how much I miss my family!!! Ive missed so much of little Caleb's life - and I'm sure Ill miss a lot of the new baby's life as well. I don't miss Forrest City, Arkansas in the slightest - but I do miss the people that I love so dearly!!

The Barn

2010-09-01T08:27:00.003-05:00

Here are some shots I took of an old barn while doing Chelsie's photo shoot!

A Horse & His Girl

2010-09-01T08:17:00.005-05:00

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with Chelsie Weed- and her horse Merril. It's the first time I've ever done a person/animal shoot - much less in motion! It was a rainy kind of day and even started pouring towards the end of our time together, but I managed to complete the shoot!! It was dirty and smelly - but I had a lot of fun doing it!!!

Watching Chelsie with Merril was such a blessing to me! To see the love that this girlie has for her horse - and more, the love he has for her! He was so relaxed and calm. When dogs started running around us, Merril remained calm. He didnt freak out, he just simply followed where Chelsie lead. When she told him to do something, He did it without a fuss. He was so obedient and trusted every movement Chelsie lead him in. I couldnt help but think about our relationships with our heavenly father. The love he has for us. Why do we have issues trusting him? Mistrust= "to regard with doubt or suspicion; lack of faith; lack of confidence." Do we really think that God will lead us astray? Why do we doubt our God? Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." And in verse 31 "If God is for us, then who can be against us?" God has our BEST in mind - even when we think differently.

Think about that this week - about a horse and his girl... and the trust he has towards her. When she tells him to turn to the right - he turns. When she tells him to turn to the left - he turns. When she tells him to go or stop - he does. And he is merely a horse. How much more should we trust our Father - who holds all things together?

To view the complete gallery, visit: http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/

Hannah Priestley!

2010-08-16T11:40:00.006-05:00

I did a photoshoot with the adorable 2 year old Hannah Priestley on Saturday! It's the first time I've ever photographed a 2 year old... boy was I in for a surprise! 2 year olds are very busy people...especially when they're in a park-like setting! It wasnt easy, but I had a blast following her around and playing restaurant with her! Here are some of my favorites:

(For a complete viewing, visit my website at: http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/ !!

The A Game - Part II

2010-08-14T19:22:00.005-05:00

A few posts ago I talked about my physical state of being - so now I will talk about the spiritual state! The summer has been very odd for me. Lots of changes have taken place over the last year. It's already August and I sit here now and cannot recall where the summer has gone! It's been an interesting summer... we've moved twice within a months time and we watched many of our friends move away. Every single person that we were once close to has moved away. It's a weird feeling... having to start all over. Again. I believe this has been the biggest... I dont know the word... creditor - to my weird crappy spiritual life. I have watched everyone leave... and I once again find myself wondering who I am and where I fit. I have felt very alone and very lost. Abandoned. More...I have neglected my relationship with an almighty God who loves me more than can be expressed - It just dawned on me as I typed that out how God must feel. Thinking back on the summer and how I felt - is this how God feels when we neglect him? When we abandon him? Yeah, you're right... it's probably worse.

So here I sit - I feel very dry. Numb, in fact. Apathetic? Maybe. As I have said in posts before - I know that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit exist. I have SEEN them and I have beheld the wonders of their hands. I am a walking testimony of grace - and what God is capable of doing! I have been the worst of sinners... I have been broken and bruised - and God lifted me out of the slimy pit and set me on solid ground. God is good. That is not a feeling - that is a truth. That even when I feel like I'm all alone - the truth is - God is. He always is. I KNOW this in my head and in my heart - but there seems to be a disconnect somewhere... sin of selfishness? Maybe.

I'm sick of being so BLAH. My physical self has made me BLAH - but more so I believe the majority of my BLAHness is contributed to my sucky spiritual life. I was listening to the radio a few weeks ago while I was cleaning & a song - oh I cant remember the name of it came on. In it there is a dialogue that talks about the validity of the Bible and how there is no way that a book of events can be put together over such a long period of time... and still line up. At that moment God grabbed me and said, "If you REALLY REALLY believed the Bible was true - AND IT IS - then why don't you live like you believe it? Why dont I live as though Jesus is my everything - as if my very life depends on Him. He is - and it does, ya know.

So I have been having regular "Quiet times." My prayer life is still on the mend, but I am investing in my Jesus - and our relationship is on the mend. I praise God that He never lets go. That He always is.

Brittany - Senior Portraits

2010-08-13T14:14:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I did a senior photoshoot with Brittany - who also goes to my church! This was such an adventurous one that involved playing in the road, rock climbing, dangling from rocks, and crawling into caves! I had a blast - and was pleasantly surprised with her photos! Here are some favorites:

Janie - Photoshoot!

2010-08-13T13:50:00.004-05:00

I realize that I gave you all the link to my website, but I also wanted to share with you a few of my favorite shots from Janie's photoshoot! Janie is a friend of mine that also goes to my church! She and I hung out for a few hours on Saturday... then decided to go and do a photoshoot down on the rail trail! She was such a good sport and we had a lot of fun with this!

The Ash Heap

2010-08-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

Lots of things... all at once:

I LOVE my new camera! I have done 3 photoshoots since I got it including a senior portrait session & a parade for a politician! I get to do a session with the adorable Hannah Priestley (age 2) this Saturday and am really excited about it! I've always enjoyed "taking pictures" - but photography is a blast! I love it and am addicted.
I have a website: http://www.aalexanderphotography.shutterfly.com/ - you should look at it and share it with your friends.
Workouts are going well - I am finding that on some days it is almost impossible to get 2 workouts in a day, so I am trying not to beat myself up for not working out twice when things are crazy. Ive been working out for a week and havent lost a pound... I have lost 1/2" off my belly though - which has to count for something
I will have access to Fairmont State University's rec center in 2 weeks... which gives me a full gym + pool+fitness classes. Im looking forward to this. I LOVE group exercise!
Steven starts school in 1.5 weeks!!!! We have paid his tuition & ordered his books! We go to orientation tomorrow. He is so excited and I am so excited for him! I'm so proud of him and am looking forward to this season of our life. The next 2 years will be hard and exciting all at once - but totally worth the end result!
My hair is growing
Steven Alexander is the world's greatest husband. Gah I cannot begin to tell you how much I love that man. God could not have designed a more perfect mate for me!!
Crossroads is good - remaining steady! We had to redo our entire preschool area - water was coming in ...in a major way! flooring had to get replaced and walls had to be repainted - but it is almost finished and is gorgeous!! The AC/heater is out right now and we are working towards raising money to get this repaired! We can sweat for Jesus... but we can't really freeze for him. Well, I suppose we can if we want to hurry up and see him!
We love our little place in Fairmont. It's amazing how much cheaper it is. Our rent + all utilities... is cheaper than what rent alone was in Morgantown. However, we do miss living in Morgantown and look forward to moving back one day!
God is good - even when I cant feel him.

Sidekick

2010-08-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

Last year we bought a 96/97 sidekick and got a pretty good deal on it! It had some rusty spots and some paint issues... but my husband is awesome. I just wanted to show the whole world how stinkin' cool he is! Here is the sidekick... before... and after!!

BEFORE:

Its hard to tell just how bad this is - the gold part is pretty washed out... especially on the other side - you can see through the paint. And the back has lots of rust spots.

AFTER:

sweet.

I've Decided. Time to bring the A Game.

2010-08-02T13:21:00.002-05:00

This has quite possibly been the craziest year of my life. So much has happened and so much has changed... I could go on and on about specifics, but I'll spare your eyes and not do that. I have neglected myself - both spiritually and physically - and I've decided that I am not pleased with either.

Today I will talk about the Physical:

I have gained 6-7 lbs (depending on the day) this year & that disgusts me completely. Even with these 6-7lbs I still weigh less than 130, but I am pushing it close (I weight 128-129 depending on the day). To some of you... I know what you would give to weigh 130lbs, but for me... it is far too much. And I'm not even just concerned with the numbers - I can actually SEE these pounds on me - and I can feel them. I have neglected exercise and I can feel the effects of that. I feel like a slug and I have no energy. I have rolls...And I dont like it. I have tried to give myself little pep talks all year - but have given excuse after excuse as to why I can't exercise or I can't get motivated ... this year has been rough & to top it off we've spent the entire summer moving from place to place. Excuse after excuse has poured in and has conquered - but no more. I am not this girl.

My motives for exercising and getting into shape were once self-centered...but God did a revisioning in me and so I have decided. I am turning into "Maniac Ashley" as we refer to me at my house. Not for the mere purpose to look great or be attractive (although I so want to be attractive to my husband) - but for God's glory!! God has given me this body and calls me to be a good steward of it!! I am not my own.

It starts today. So here's the plan: I'm going to workout like a maniac until I shed 10lbs. I realize I've only gained 6-7... but the goal is to lose 10. I will workout twice a day (this may seem extreme... but I have to have extreme. Moderate doesnt work for me.) Cardio before work & sculpting after work. I will beat myself ragged until these 10lbs are gone. After that - I will return to "Normal Ashley" and I will workout consistently 4-5 days a week.

So.. time to bring the A game! For God's glory... and Steven's benefit ;)

NEW CAMERA & pictures!!

2010-07-30T14:23:00.009-05:00

Alas!! My new camera has arrived!! My sweet husband walked with me around downtown Fairmont to try it out! I think he loves it just as much as I do! He was such a good sport - letting me take his picture for practice! We took lots of pictures - it seems as though Fairmont has a ton of character. I had a blast using my new equipment and can't wait to schedule some portrait sessions! I already have a sweet 2 year old scheduled - as well as a senior portrait session! I'm stoked! Anyways, here are a few of my favorites that I took in downtown Fairmont:

Arizona 2006

2010-07-24T14:13:00.006-05:00

I thought it would be fun to share some shots with you as I develop my mad skills as a "photographer." I took these the summer after Steven and I were married (2006) while we were in Arizona visiting his grandparents. I think at this time I had a plain jane Sony Cybershot (which was top notch at the time...)

P.S. - what do you think of my "signature/logo" that I made for my work!? Kind of cool...

PHOTO MANIA!!!

2010-07-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

I've liked taking pictures ...always. I've always loved it... but have never gone as far as to actually do "shoots" for things/people - you know, other than just wherever I happen to be at the moment. It seems like everyone around me is trying their hand at "professional" photography - not setting up their own studio or starting their own business... but doing photo shoots and gaining experience. Enhancing their creative abilities. Steven and I have talked about upgrading to an SLR camera for some time now - we have just had somewhat of a difficulty paying the price. After doing Trish's wedding we decided that in order for me to do the quality work I'd love to do, that I need to upgrade - and so thus the journey begins! I hate spending money (God has done this great work in me!)... so we spent some time debating. We have decided to shop on ebay in hopes to find a bargain. I never pay full price for anything. Ever.

And so the journey begins. Im trying my hand at photography. I even made a flickr account so all of you could see my stuff! It seems as though they have a monthly limit on how many photos you can add... so I have to wait until next month to keep posting. You can see what I've put up so far:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aalexanderphotography

DR Update

2010-07-13T12:33:00.004-05:00

Since Steven and I will not be able to go to the Dominican Republic this year, there is not much more I will be able to update you on in the coming weeks. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, we only raised $500 out of the $2200 -2400 we needed. As disappointed as we were, we know that God is sovereign and that His ways are higher than ours, so we are rejoicing with those who are getting to go! Our team is very small - but praise the Lord a sister church in North Carolina is partnering with us!! The team leaves on July 27th - which is only 2 short weeks away!!

In addition to asking you to pray for our team - I wanted to share a photo with you! A friend from church, Amanda - had the opportunity to serve in the Dominican Republic as a short term missionary this summer. She spent last week in Batey Cuchillo (which is where we are building) and took this photo.

This is the feeding center that we are building. As you can see... we are not very far along in the process. We have spent a total of two weeks in the Dominican preparing the foundation for the center. This is exactly the way the center looked in November when we left... well, minus the grass - that part is new. I share this picture with you because as you can see - if we are not there, this place does not get built. Nothing has changed (except for the grass) in 8 months. This is how we left it - and this is how it will stay unless we go back to do some more work!

We go to the Dominican not just to have fun or to have a vacation. We have a great time - but we work like dogs! THIS is our calling. ThIS is our purpose. When this thing is finished it will feed 50 children 1-2 times a day!! Families will look at this (which will be a ministry of the church there) and see Jesus in the flesh. They will see that the Lord is providing physical needs for them. That He is who He says He is. I praise HIM that He is using Crossroads Church, in Morgantown West Virginia to be his vessel!!!

Here is a random thought I just had - doesnt have a lot to do with the feeding center - but it does with meeting needs: When we go to the DR we each take 2 bags with us: (1) for our things (2) we pack clothes, shoes, anything we can squeeze in to give away to the people there. The first trip - 20+ people went... so we had 20 suitcases of things to give away! (Well, maybe less.. we use some of those for supplies we need for VBS). The 2nd trip - 11 people went... so we had 11 suitcases of things to give away (again, maybe more like 9 b/c 2 were used for tshirts for VBS). This time we have 5-6 people going... which means we only have about 3 suitcases of things to give away. That saddens me.

MY FAMILY CAME!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-12T07:56:00.008-05:00

My mom, grandma, and nephew (Chase) came to visit me July 4-8th!!!!! I was so surprised that my mom came - much less my grandma!! It was such a blessing to have them here with me for an entire week!! I have not seen my family in over 6 months. I have gone from seeing my mom EVERYDAY to every 6 months. That's still weird for me sometimes, but I'm beginning to get used to it. It was so great to have my family see where I live and to see where I drive everyday and the sites I get to see... Although time was too short, we had a wonderful week filled with lots of activities!

Saturday: Valley Falls

Sunday: Church at Crossroads followed by a picnic at Chestnut Mountain Ranch (Granny really enjoyed feeding the fish!)... then FIREWORKS on the Mon (some of the prettiest I've ever seen)

Monday: A great friend took us out in her boat on Cheat Lake! It's been years since my grandma got on a boat - and my nephew had NEVER been on one! When we were finished, I took them too Cooper's Rock. This was one of our favorite days!

Tuesday: lazy day/dinner at Olive Garden & Toy Story 3 in 3D. My granny has never seen a 3D movie! She loved it

Wednesday: Photo shoot with Tay / tour of Morgantown / Shopping!

Thursday: to the airport!

Here are some shots from our week together:

Mom and I at Chestnut Mountain Ranch - July 4

Grandma at Chestnut Mountain Ranch - July 4

Fireworks over the Mon

Chase and Elaine Riffle tubing on Cheat Lake!

Granny in her new hat & shades sitting on the boat!

Grandma loves when I do her nails - so this time she got the full treatment! Pedicure and a manicure!!

Mom and Chase at Cooper's Rock

Me, Grandma, and Mom - by Tay Jones

Me & Mom (By Tay)

My nephew Chase! (by Tay)

Wedding Photographer

2010-07-12T07:43:00.003-05:00

On June 18th I had the amazing privilege to be my best friend's (Patricia Williams) wedding photographer!!! Nice camera equipment is expensive... and seeing how I don't own the proper equipment to do a wedding, my great friend let me borrow some of hers!!

Here is a link of the photos that I took - for those of you who are interested!!

http://s811.photobucket.com/albums/zz33/taynjones/Williams%20Wedding/Ashley/

Not too shabby for a first timer!

Patricia Smith & Adam Williams
June 18, 2010

DR Update

2010-06-28T10:17:00.003-05:00

The Good News: A team from our church is going to the Dominican Republic in less than a month! The Bad news: We will not be going.

Unfortunately we were not able to raise enough funding to be able to go this time. Steven and I sent out over 100 support letters, and less than 10 people responded. With the help of those few supporters and the help of those in WV who "hired us" for work, we raised a total of $539... which is $1861 short of what we needed to be able to go.

It seems as though life has been going 90-to-nothing for the last 6 months. Things never slow down. We are constantly on the move, doing something...We are both exhausted. We have given everything that we have to give - and we have nothing left. Honestly, I'm not sure that we would have served effectively in the DR if we would have gone. We are both drained physically and emotionally. I believe that God is a great God and that He could empower us to do the work He has prepared for Crossroads in the DR - but He has chosen instead to keep us here and allow us time to recuperate.

We would have LOVED to have gone to the Dominican Republic... we are really bummed that we are not going - but we know that our God is sovereign and we are trusting that our Father knows what we need far more than we do!!

Thanks for your prayers and thanks for your support!! For those who have given financially - we will be contacting you soon to discuss options of things to do with the monetary support!

Please continue to pray for those who are going...

What a weekend!!!

2010-06-21T14:35:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was one of the most exhausting ones I've had in a while....

Our great friends Trish Smith and Adam Williams got married on Friday! Trish asked me to be her photographer (EEK!)... and I agreed. Thursday night was rehearsal... and Friday was the wedding! I spent 12 hours with her, holding a 10lb camera the majority of the day. I dont care what you say..."taking pictures" is no easy job when it comes to a "once-in-your-lifetime" event!! By the end of Friday I was exhausted, my feet hurt, and my hands were crampy. (I'll have pictures up.... sometime. I took over 1,000!)

Saturday our church had a yard sale in order to try to raise some more money for the Dominican Republic trip. Guess who was "in charge?" I woke up (after having a looooong day/night) at 5:15am and did the whole yard sale thing until 1:15... once the sale was actually over we had about 2 truck loads of thing to box up and donate. Not to mention the sale was inside... which means we had to clean up and put all the chairs back so that it would be ready for church the next day. I did the yard sale thing for 9 hours - and headed home to pack. Our moving crew came at 3:30 and we spent the next 2.5 hours loading our moving truck. Because the week had been crazy we didnt have our bedroom stuff packed up - so that took a while. We loaded stuff up, drove to our new place, and unloaded. By the time we finished everything up, took the Uhaul back... we spent 6 hours on this.

We had to put our bed together, dig through boxes to find shower stuff... we went to bed late... only to wake up early Sunday for church, followed by a day of unpacking.

I'm really tired. I cant remember a time I've ever been so tired. My mom, grandma, and nephew come in 1.5 weeks, so I have to have my house 100% in order... which means the next week and a half will be crazy, so i doubt there will be time for naps :/

The Ash Heap:

2010-06-10T14:00:00.003-05:00

As a means to update you all without writing a book - I'm going to start posts called "The Ash Heap" - I used to follow a pastor in Georgia's blog - and he would do a "Sunday Night Dump" and just spill his thoughts from the week. So this will be mine: a collection of random things in no particular order.

I'm beginning to rethink our decision to take this apartment. The land lady is asking for rent and we havent moved in. They have yet to finish the windows and want a check tomorrow. FYI: I'm not paying rent until I get a key to a finished apartment. Steven called to bring the smack down on Mr. Land Lady today. We'll see how that goes -
My pal Trish is getting married next week. I'm her photographer and I'm a little nervous. I can do this, but I'm still nervous. I have to find something to wear...
Money for our DR trip isn't coming in as we'd like. We need $1200 by the end of the month & another 1200 three weeks after that. To date, we have $432
Life seems too busy. I never have enough time in the day.
Im ready to be a mom. I want to stay at home and be the wife God has called me to be. We still have 2 years to go -
In addition to birthing my own children, Steven & I want to adopt a few. He's going to be a fantastic daddy one day.
I've gained 4lbs since December and I can't seem to kick them. I haven't been working hard enough. Time to step it up.
I havent been very disciplined in the last 6 months. That ends today.
I got a haircut. It's short. I like it... but I'm ready for my long virgin locks again. (no dye)
The enemy has been working overtime in my life lately - lots of attacks. Satan, you have no victory here.
I'm learning more and more about who my God is and what that means for me as a believer.
I'm glad I'm not the person I used to be.
Life is hard.... but God is good.
I love my husband. A lot. Sometimes I want to cry at the amount of love that man has for me. Second to God, he is my treasure.
My mom, grandma, and 11yr old nephew are coming to see me in three weeks!!!!
I miss my family... but I do not miss Arkansas -West Virginia's beauty never gets old.... it still takes my breath away
I miss Leasa

House Update

2010-06-08T10:24:00.004-05:00

We were supposed to get the keys to our new place on Friday. That didnt happen. We were supposed to get them yesterday. That didnt happen. We are a little bummed, but its for a good cause:

The land lady had intentions of replacing 4 windows before we moved in b/c they were old and a little drafty. Being the OCD person she is (praise God) - she couldnt have 4 unmatching windows, so they went through the whole place & replaced every window!!! Brand new windows in the entire place! Not only will this make or place look great - it'll also help keep the utilities low b/c they are very air tight! No draftiness! (Not to mention this will help a great deal with dust!!). It rained this past weekend so they were not able to completely finish.

They have decided to completely get rid of the 2 smaller windows on either side of the fireplace - they're odd sized & they are having trouble finding replacements - and in the layout of the house it'll look better if they arent there - (This is what they didnt finish).

They gave us the option to either go ahead and move in - or wait a little longer and let them finish these windows. We decided to wait b/c in the long run it'll be better if those windows arent there (theyre a little drafty... and odd sized, so it'll not only save on utilities - but make decorating way easier!!)

At this point we still dont have a date - but I hope it comes soon... the next 4 weeks are SO busy with Trish & Adam's wedding, DR Fundraisers, and my family coming to see me!!!!!! But...No complaints here :)

Psalm 145

2010-06-07T14:35:00.003-05:00

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name forever and ever.

Every day I will praise you
and extol your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O Lord;
your saints will extol you.

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds those who fall
and lifts up those who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and loving towards all he has made.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
forever and ever.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-04T11:41:00.011-05:00

Steven and I enjoyed a MUCH needed getaway over Memorial Day Weekend! Things have been
beyond crazy for us - and we spent months trying to figure out where we should go. We have our DR trip coming up - so we didnt want to go anywhere too expensive, but we really needed to get away.

My husband has a... CRAZY passion for aviation. I cannot even express to you how much he enjoys it - everything about it!! He is starting school in August to work towards a career as an Aviation Maintenance Technician! (I am so incredibly proud of him!) As we were talking about this one night the idea hit me - an AIR SHOW would be perfect!!! Not only would he enjoy this beyond measure - but it would get him even more pumped up about school!! So the next day I researched "Air Shows" nearby and found one on Memorial Day weekend!! Not the greatest time to attend one of these b/c of the crowd - but we both had three free days off... so neither of us would have to request a day! So I decided to go for it & I booked our hotel! Later that I day I shared my surprise with him & I thought he was going to have a heart attack!

So Friday after work we set out to JONES BEACH, NEW YORK! (Jones Beach is on Long Island). We missed a turn and ended up in DOWNTOWN NYC 11pm on a Friday night. Talk about crazy!! This was the first time either of us had been to NYC - and here we are in downtown on a Friday... wow. We were both stressed beyond measure because the traffic was insane! We moved through it well, but it was still crazy! I have never in my life seen anything like it - there were cars EVERYWHERE. At 11pm!! People were all over the place, cabs were whipping in and out, parked cars were all over ..... we now know why we see so many people calling for cabs in the movies. Its almost impossible to drive a car through there. It wasnt bad for us b/c we were passing through - but man!! I cannot imagine what NYC looks like at 5pm on a Monday... nor do I ever want to find out. We were so amazed at the city life and blown away by how hopping it was so late at night. It really is the city that never sleeps! We have never been more excited to have a GPS - Im not sure we would have navigated through the crazy streets without it!! It was stressful, but in the end we were so excited to have taken that wrong turn!!

We had an amazing weekend at the beach - that was so crowded on Sunday they stopped allowing people in b/c it reached capacity. I wont even begin to go into the details of this... but I have decided that the crowded beach scene is not for us. Way too many half nakeds for us!!

Steven and I both really enjoyed the show - it was so awesome to see the US Navy Blue Angels fly 4 planes only 18 inches apart. Talent!

On the way home we took the scenic route and drove through downtown Manhattan - which was not nearly as bad as NYC on a Friday night. At one point we were driving through a construction area & I pulled out the map and discovered that construction area = GROUND ZERO!! We didnt get to spend a lot of time there since we were just passing through... but words cannot express how awesome it was to be there on Memorial Day. To see it in person. Almost 9 years later and it's still a mess... wow....

We also got to see the Brooklyn Bridge & the Statue of Liberty while we were driving through...
Later in the day we ended up in Philly - which was cool - and by the time we got home we had driven through SIX states!!

It was an amazing weekend and I am so thankful to have had the best travel mate EVER. I love my husband so much & am so thrilled to have gotten to spend 3 uninterrupted days with him!! Oh - and after this trip I have officially been deemed the best wife ever!

A Flag that was flying on the beach - cant have Memorial Day without the flag...

Steven watching 4 blue angels fly F-18's only 18" apart!

Blue Angels!!

The Navy's C-130 (I loved how HUGE this plane was!)

Jones Beach, New York

Me at Jones Beach

Us :)

My ridiculously handsome husband!

Leaving Manhattan

Going through the Holland Tunnel on the way out of NYC

Ground Zero

See, I told you we were in Philly!

Quiet Time Ramblings:

2010-05-26T13:41:00.004-05:00

Picking up in 1 Samuel 7 verse 4:

It says, “So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.”

Just like that huh? They just decided, “Oh, Samuel – you’re right.” And dropped their idols… just like that. Was there not a fight or a war within their souls? Fleeing temptations and fleeing worldly idols is HARD stuff. It’s not easy to break away… it’s not easy to let go of earthly things that we hold so dear. However, often times I have found that when I obey the Lord and release them, it’s not as hard as I anticipated it being. Is it a constant battle? YES. Is it totally worth it? YES!

Sometimes letting go is rough. It hurts, in fact… but the reward God bestows cannot even compare to the pain ... It is worth every single moment – to let go of the things we once found so dear & to rest in the knowledge that HIS grace is enough. The grace of God and the power of Jesus is so incredibly freeing. Giving up idols and letting go is worth every tear, worth every heartache and pain. Does this mean we say, “Oh geez, thanks God” and start the process over again so that God can free us yet again? We all know what Romans 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? BY NO MEANS!” NO!! Yes letting go of idols is incredibly freeing & the grace Christ lavishes upon us is beyond words, but the pain that we experience… the tears we shed… how great would it be if we could stop that process all together! STOP THE SIN. STOP THE IDOLS before they ever start. Nip it in the bud.

God has taught me some pretty hard lessons through sin in my life. I have even learned things about the characteristics of God that I might not have ever known without my sin – but there’s a different way to learn these things… A way that is far less painful ! That is to TRUST in the Word of God. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. There is a reason he tell us not to make idols and to guard our hearts and to flee… he’s not making this stuff up. God is so capable of healing even the most broken of people. I have seen him do it and can testify that HE is great… but why go there if we don’t have to? We don’t have to… you know. Christ freed us from the grip of the chains. We are no longer slaves to our sin. We are free. So lets do as the Israelites did in this verse and put away our idols… and serve the Lord only. This verse makes it sound so easy for them – and maybe it was – or maybe Samuel chose to not disclose the details. Either way – God can help us let go. All you have to do is ask…

If you read the next few verses you see that the Israelites repented of their sins, Samuel cried out to the Lord during battle... and the most beautiful verse occurs, "and the Lord answered him..." God thundered with loud thunder & threw the Philistines into a panic which ultimately led to their demise. Samuel later set a stone and named it Ebenezer because the Lord helped them. This reminds me of a beautiful verse I found in Psalm a few months ago... it is actually a headline on my blog.

Ps 81:7 "When you were in trouble, you called and I saved you, I answered you with thunder."

AAAH that verse blows me away EVERY single time I read it. There was a time in my life where I was in trouble... where I needed God's help in a major way.. and HE ANSWERED ME! He didnt just answer my cries in a small way - he answered it in a very very large God sized way.. He answered me with thunder. He shook my world & turned it upsidedown....

God hears our cries for help.... and He answers with thunder... Listen...
Can you hear it?

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!

2010-05-26T09:58:00.019-05:00

Well, an apartment... but close enough!

As you are all aware, Steven & I moved out of the house we were renting from the Suiter's on May 8th (almost 3 weeks ago). We have since been staying at Duane & Leasa Brouillard's home while they are away in North Dakota. The Brouillards finished up their stay in North Dakota today and are headed to do some sight-seeing & then on to Iowa to visit family. They have been praying that God would show them the next step of their journey - where they're supposed to go, where they're supposed to work.... and although there is no definitive answer to this, there are lots of options. The Brouillard's have decided to move their things back home to Iowa (unless God points them in another direction) - because right now they are paying their mortgage & a lease... THAT'S 2 HOUSES! There is potential for Duane to travel for different jobs throughout the summer, and there's no reason to make 2 house payments - which i 100% agree on!

So keep that in mind.

Last week I casually looked through the classifieds online in the Fairmont paper. Steven and I havent been hard core searching for a place, but we do check the papers daily. I ran across an ad that I thought could be either really good - or absolutely horrible, but I figured it was worth the effort to call... so I did. I talked to the land lady for 25 minutes & she told me I could go over & peek through the windows.... I did this & really liked what I saw, so Steven & I made an appointment to take a better look inside. We met with her on Friday & LOVED the place!! Now, it's downtown Fairmont which means that its not some ritzy neighborhood - but its perfect for us. It's far enough away from the college students where we won't be surrounded by parties and naked people all the time, but close enough to where i can literally be downtown in 1.5 minutes. It has all the space we need inside.... and A 2 CAR GARAGE!! Not to mention a nice deck on the back!! After some talking we decided to take it. It is not our dream home... but WE ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS. College students have to pay for college.... and our goal is to do it 100% debt free (which if we stay on track, will be cake). It would have been nice to find a cozy little house in a great family neighborhood, but that isnt really where we are in life right now. So we took this place.Why? BECAUSE IT'S ONLY $450 A MONTH!!

OH- and going back to the whole Brouillard thing. The day we found this place is when Leasa & Duane decided that they needed to put a notice in to be out of their WV place by July 1st - but they were so worried b/c that would once again make us homeless. They had no idea at this time that we had found a place! The coolest thing is - we weren't even really searching for a place.... God just kind of dropped in in our laps. God's timing is so crazy awesome! We are moving in 1.5 weeks... which means we will have moved twice within a month's time. Not the most convenient thing, but we can see God's hand upon the entire situation, which is of greater worth than any inconvenience. God doesn't always do things that are convenient to us - He knows what's best & works everything out for the good of those who love him :)

Check it out: (it's actually a duplex, but they are remodeling the upstairs so it will be vacant for a long time...) - I took these through the windows... so I'll post more once we move in and get things all set up!!!!

(They are in process of replacing the siding around the garages - it will be finished before we move in)

Quiet Time Ramblings -

2010-05-25T07:24:00.002-05:00

I’ve been doing the study of “Daniel” by Beth Moore. The first part of the study introduces a key character and some key history: Samuel. Because the study is focused upon David, there are parts of Samuel’s life that Beth Moore skips, but out of curiosity, I have decided to read through these parts on my own.

The Bible is a funny thing. Actually, it’s not.. I’m just a funny person. Sometimes I see the Bible as a book you read at church. I mean, of course it’s the Word of Life – but is it really that interesting? Answer: YES!!! When choosing "quiet time" material, we have been encouraged to find a topic or a character that interests us… and study it through. I've always found the character of David to be interesting - and so I decided to study him. As I have read even the story of Samuel – I find myself cracking up over the tiniest details. Did you know how Eli (the priest that raised Samuel in the temple) died? A messenger came to tell him that his sons died in battle and upon hearing the news he fell backwards out of his chair and broke his neck. To say that is funny is stretching it, I know… but can you just imagine?! I have to admit I giggled a little bit. There is a similar story in the new testament I believe where someone who came to hear Jesus falls out of the window.

Anyways: today I had to do a little studying on my own because Beth Moore jumps from 1 Samuel 6 to 1 Samuel 16. There has to be a lot in 10 chapters that I will miss… so I started in Chapter 7 today and only seemed to make it through the first 5 verses:

In verse 2 it says, “and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord.” 20 years have passed since the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to the Israelites. Why in the world are they mourning? Verse 19 in chapter 6 says that they were mourning because of the heavy blow that the Lord had dealt them whenever he killed 70 men because they turned the Ark into an idol. Were they still mourning 20 years later?!It says in that verse that they sought after the Lord, but in verse three Samuel tells them, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only.” After seeing what happened to the 70 people who worshipped the Ark as an idol… something that God himself told Bezalel through the words of Moses to build..why in the world are they still worshipping idols? After all that we have seen the Lord do for us – why do we still worship idols? Hm…

The people were hurting. They thought God had forsaken them. Had he? NO! God was there all along. It was not God that moved… it was the Israelites. Samuel says in verse 3 “If you are returning to the Lord” which implies that they left. To return somewhere you have to leave it first. We do this all the time, don’t we? We start to stray away from the Word, we live our own life and do our own thing – and when calamity strikes, we start shouting curses at God asking him where the heck he is. God never leaves us. Ever. We are the ones that leave. Not him.

Moving on: The people were seeking after God, yet they were still worshipping false gods. Can this happen? NO! God is a very jealous God and he says that we must choose. In Revelation 3 he tells the church of Laodicia that because they were neither hot nor cold – because they were lukewarm that he was going to spit them out of his mouth. He was sick and tired of their wavering. It disgusted him. When we constantly run to things of the world to satisfy us – God is disgusted. We cant chase after our idols and chase God too. We have to choose. Just as Samuel told his people, we must “commit ourselves to God and serve Him only.”That means: we don’t chase after earthly treasures and possessions. We chase after God. We don’t chase our dreams. We chase his. We aren’t focused on our agenda. We are focused on His. We don’t focus on what We can do or how WE can make a difference [pride], we focus on God. He wants all… or nothing.

Rev 2:4-5 is one of the greatest verses in the bible to me. It says, “Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first…” The church Paul was writing to in Ephesus was doing great things! They were working hard and were persevering. They didn’t put up with any crap and they endured suffering for the name of Jesus. BUT they lost sight of their first love.. that is, the love of Christ. I can remember when I was first saved, the joy and fire that came with being a new believer. Where is that fire? Does it fade with age? I don’t think so… It’s so easy to forget where we have come from. Verse 5 says “remember the heights from which you have fallen.” Where has God brought me since I was first saved? He has redeemed my soul: rescued me from the grave… and more than that (though, I don’t think there can be any greater gift) – look at what he has done over the past ... however many years... in me! Wow. God, may I never forget.

1 John 2:17, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” I saw this modeled in Eli’s life. A prophet came and warned him, “those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.” God was serious… hence: the death of his 2 sons and his own death. What if we actually believed God & took him at his word. Would it change the way we lived? What if He sent prophets and messengers to tell us things like He did Eli – would we believe Him or heed to his words? Because God does. He warns us and he sends messages to us all the time – through His word and through the Holy Spirit. Why don’t we believe Him? What if we actually took God at his word. Would it make a difference?

Answer: Yes.

Dominican Update:

2010-05-19T08:59:00.003-05:00

As we get ready to head to the Dominican Republic in TWO MONTHS, we have started step 2: RAISING MONEY!! We mailed out our support letters 2 Fridays ago to friends and family members all over the place in hopes that they will partner with us!! Out of this letter, there are two ways to partner:

1. PRAY! We can NOT do this thing on our own! We need the power of the Holy Spirit to work and move! We need God to provide the means necessary for us to go - as well as strength and patience as we are in the Dominican. We need HIM to start working in the hearts of the nationals so that they can receive the words that He would have us or the Batey Pastors speak to them... We just need faithful partners to cover us, our church, and the Nationals in prayer!!

2. FINANCIAL SUPPORT - It costs money to be able to GO and build this feeding center. Not only does it cost money for construction materials, it costs money for us as individuals: plane tickets, lodging, food... we have AMAZING cooks that travel with us who prepare the most delicious rice you have ever tasted!! Pastor William (he is located in a neighboring batey - where we actually sleep) offers our cooks the use of his kitchen ... but the DR is a poor place & therefore we have to pay for this rice & other things we eat... they cant offer it as a hospitality. Because there are TWO of us going... we have to raise anywhere from $2100-3000. (The price has not been 100% set in stone yet.. it depends upon pricing of plane tickets)

Right now our biggest concern is financial support... We have a lot of people who have agreed to pray for us - and we are SO thankful for those individuals!! Steven & I cannot come up with 3 grand on our own. We need the power of the Lord - and the help of willing partners!! When you give, you aren't just giving us money to take a vacation... you are partners in the gospel!! There are people all over the world who are hungry & who need Jesus. Not everyone has an opportunity to do this... but we do!! We have the opportunity to be Jesus in ACTION! To provide tangible needs to hungry children... to show the love of Jesus by our actions. While our "job" is to build the feeding center... that is not all we do while we are there. We spend the days working like horses - and the evenings building relationships with the Nationals. We have translators that help us communicate to the people- and even when we cant communicate through words - our actions speak loudly. After all, LOVE is an action - it is a choice... not a word.

So - in efforts to help raise support - we want to continue to ask you to pray & give as the Lord leads you. If you are interested in supporting us or want more information... email me at: asalex1217@gmail.com!

In addition to letters, Steven & I are "renting" ourselves out!! Faith does require action & we know that sending letters & sitting around waiting on money to come in the mail isnt enough... so we have agreed to provide services in exchange for donations. If you need your yard mowed or your dog washed... your house vacuumed or dusted - we can do it!! My husband is phenomenal and can do ANYTHING from electrical to plumbing... to automotive! We already have a few "renters" & are so excited about the opportunity to not only raise money for our trip, but to serve our brothers & sisters in Christ!

(Oh - and we have received $50 in the mail already from our letters!!!)

Adios Amigos!

2010-05-18T08:09:00.004-05:00

My dear Amanda Hildebran has been accepted to go to the Dominican Republic for three months as an intern for G.O. Ministries! (G.O. Ministries is who our church partners with in the DR for the feeding center...) We will actually get to see Amanda when we go to the DR July 27-August 3.. as she will be our team facilitator!!!! Sunday after church we had a picnic at Granville Park to say our goodbyes to her - and to John Adams, who is going to North Carolina for three years to finish up his schooling for Emergency Medicine! (He's almost a doctor!!!)

Here are some pictures:

Amanda!

ME & STEVEN! (he had to leave early for work)

Me & My West Virginia adopt-a-sister... Becka!

MISSION: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!

2010-05-12T09:19:00.008-05:00

The time has come once again to start making preparations to go to the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!! Steven & I are so excited to get to go back and see Pastor Francisco, his family, and all of the other people we have started to build relationships with! How thrilled we are at the opportunity to continue work on the feeding center our church started over a year ago! To be the hands & feet of Jesus to a community that has nothing! (Trip Dates: July 27-August 3)

We shared in our support letter (that we mailed out on Friday) that while we were there in November, we learned that just our presence there makes an impact on the nationals! They consider Americans to be the WEALTHIEST people in the world. We are by the way... in case you doubt that. We are. So they see us as being able to go anywhere in the world we want! We have "unlimited" money in their eyes and can do absolutely anything - so it raises their eyebrows whenever they see a group of Americans in their batey shoveling dirt, pouring concrete, and sweating like crazy! It makes them curious as to what in the world we are doing there! Why are we working in dirty, hot conditions... when we could be somewhere else. Pastor Francisco uses this as an opportunity to share the gospel with them! They see Pastor Francisco as a lowly pastor that has no resources.. yet.. somehow he talked a team of Americans into coming to the DR & getting dirty!! How?! He is able to share with them that it is not HE who does this.. but it is the Lord who is providing! It is GOD who sees the needs of the people and is providing this feeding center! He uses our work to point the nationals to Jesus!! How awesome is that?!?

So, to get ready.. we mailed out our support letters on Friday in hopes to raise funding for this trip!! We didn't raise as much as we anticipated last year and ended up having to pay $2,000 out of our pockets (this also included passport fees). God blessed us with the resources to be able to do that last year & we were so thankful! This year however, with all that has been going on, we will not be able to shell out that kind of money! We know that the Lord has called us to that and so therefore we are claiming 1 Thess. 5:24 which says, “The one who called you is faithful and He will do it.” We are trusting that the Lord will provide!

So as we begin the process of raising funding and preparing to go, we want to invite you to tag a long with us! Be praying for our team as we assemble & start prepping! Pray that above all else GOD would be glorified & that HIS name would be made great!! Pray for us as well - that the Lord would provide!

And if you are interested in supporting us... feel free to email us & we'll give you some more info! (asalex1217@gmail.com)

Steven & I with Pastor Francisco, his wife Yolanda, their three children & their niece (from the November 2009 trip)

Steven and I in the DR (Nov. 2009)! We're ready to do this thing!!!

Afternoon Ride!

2010-05-11T07:34:00.002-05:00

One of the perks of living in someone else's house is getting to play with their toys!! Steven took Duane's bike out for a ride yesterday afternoon... and of all places he could have gone, he came to see me at work!! Steven used to have a Ninja... I think he misses it!

House Update

2010-05-10T10:30:00.008-05:00

To follow-up on my last post, lo and behold.. the Lord DID provide housing for Steven and I!! It is definitely not conventional nor is it the most ideal situation, but we do not serve a conventional God either!!

The Lord used a very dear friend of mine, Leasa (who is also my accountability partner) and her husband to answer our prayers. Duane (her husband) is an inspector and the job he was working at only lasted 7 weeks. Their prayer was that God would provide a job for him upon the completion of that one and that He would make straight their paths. Duane's job ended 2 Wednesdays ago. That SAME DAY the Lord provided him with a job... In North Dakota! So, Wednesday he got this job.. and their family (they have 2 children) left on THURSDAY (yes, the next day) for North Dakota! They will be spending a total of three weeks on this job and afterwards plan to return to Iowa to sell their house and spend some time with their oldest daughter. All in all they are looking to be away for at least two months.

Steven and I have temporarily moved into their home! We finished up our moving this past Saturday and are 100% OUT of the Suiter's. We have a VERY large room to ourselves upstairs at the Brouillard's and our own bathroom :) Actually, we have the whole entire house to ourselves, but you get it! haha. And for now, all of our "stuff" is stored in their attic and their garage! It's so cool how God intertwined our stories!! If it would not have been for Steven and I moving in, they would not have been able to take the job nor travel to Iowa! And if it would not have been for them, Steven and I would be out of a place to live! As I said, it is not the most conventional way to do things nor is it the most ideal situation. Ideally Steven and I would have loved to move straight into a place of our own, but God is not an ideal God... nor are His ways conventional! We know that God knows exactly what we need exactly when we need it. Regardless of how we see things, our God sees the bigger picture!

So, not only does this provide us a place to live, but it also provides the Brouillard's the freedom to pursue God's calling on their lives. It also gives us more time to find the perfect place. Perhaps the Lord has a place in mind for us already... we just have to wait a few months for it :)

So thank you all for your prayers and we ask that you will continue to pray for us as we continue the pursuit for a place of our own!

So this is where we are living for the next 2+ months! We have this HUGE house all to ourselves... well, for a few months anyways :)

Trusting

2010-04-23T12:39:00.003-05:00

In May of 09, Steven and I moved into the Suiter's house... which we are currently renting. Due to lots of circumstances that surround their lives, they have been trying to sell it for the past 3 months or so. A few years ago they put this house up for sale - but after being on the market for over a year, they took it off. God is so crazy cool - words cannot even begin to express. Steven and I have had the joy and privilege of watching the Lord work and move! We have had numerous phone calls from the realtor who has shown the house at least twice a week for the past three months! I'm not sure I've ever seen that much activity on a house (especially having sold one in Arkansas). In three short months of being on the market, the house has SOLD!!

When the house was first put on the market we were assured that we would have 60 days from the time a buyer signed a contract until the time we had to move out - so we were told not to rush to find a place b/c we would have plenty of time!

However, that has not been the case! A few weeks ago we were informed of the exciting news that an offer was made on the house!! At this point it was tentative so we were encouraged not to hurry b/c of the thousands of things that could fall through. God, in his awesomeness pushed this thing through and the Suiter's are closing on the house MAY 15TH! Yes, I am aware that is only 22 days away. Steven and I have 21 days to be OUT of our house.

21 Days to find a place to live. 21 Days to pack. 21 Days to move. Are you overwhelmed yet... because we sure the heck are. We have to be out by May 14th so that the new owners can take over on the 15th. We have been FRANTICALLY searching for a place to live for over a week now and we have come up very short. NOTHING that fits in our price range is available. Actually, there are a few things in our price range but they are completely trashed. We have searched in Fairmont (a neighboring city) and in Morgantown and have yet to find anything. Our goal is to have a place secured by the end of next week - so that we can pack up and spend our final 2 weeks moving there. I know a lot can happen in a week, but we are starting to freak out a little bit.

As we were packing last night my husband said to me, "It's really weird packing up your house when you have absolutely no idea where you're going next." It's an interesting thought. We have absolutely NO idea where we're going.

In the midst of our frenzy... the Lord has had to remind me a thousand times over that He is in control. HE is completely aware of our needs. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has answered the prayer of his children by selling their house in 3 months. He knew the Suiter's needs. And just as he knew their needs, he knows ours. Matthew 6 tells us not to worry about tomorrow & Psalm 9 encourages me to Trust in the Lord because he never forsakes those who seek Him.

I KNOW that the Lord will provide. I know beyond a doubt that He is so completely capable of so much more than I give him credit for. It's trusting that's the hard part...

As we are on our knees over the next week before the Lord Almighty, we would like to ask you to do the same. Pray that the Lord would help us to trust in Him & pray that He would provide a home for us.

LIFE ROCKS!!

2010-04-19T12:39:00.007-05:00

As many of you know, our church (Crossroads) held a benefit concert for Labor of Love Ministries on April the 14th! The concert featured Christian Artists: Downhere, Aaron Shust, and Laura Story!

It was INCREDIBLE!! Steven & I were given the honor of being the "host couple" for the bands - which meant we got to hang out with them all day! Granted we worked our hineys off - but it was worth every drop of sweat!! Steven & one of the lead singers of Downhere (Jason) hit it off really well! They both have an interest in aviation & RC aircraft... so they talked all day long.

We are not the type to get star-stricken... but it was pretty cool hanging out with people you hear on KLOVE all the time!! We rode in the car with them, went to lunch with them, helped set up equipment, hung out in their green room, went backstage with them, got to attend the meet and greet with them... it was AWESOME!!!!

As far as money goes - we aren't sure yet how much money was raised for Labor of Love Ministries! We should know more at the end of the week!!

Aaron Shust, Me, and Laura Story

Steven with the lead singers of Downhere: Jason & Mark

Me, Steven, & Leasa with the bands:

Left to Right:

Downhere (Jason, Mark, Glenn, Jeremy), Aaron Shust, and Laura Story

Me & Steven sitting in on Downhere's practice session

Aaron Shust & Steven

Me, Steven, Leasa, Kim & Andy with the lead singers of Downhere (Jason & Mark), Aaron Shust, and Laura Story

Leasa, Me, Kim, LAURA STORY, and our coordinator: Robyn

Hair Addiction

2010-04-06T20:12:00.003-05:00

So, I have concluded that I am addicted to haircuts. I absolutely LOVE them. Recently I have switched hair dressers... due to the fact that I cannot rationalize paying $55 for a cut. It has not been as bad as I thought it would be.

I have never been willing to experiment with my hair - mainly because it was always so long. It takes time and care growing your hair out to the length mine was - so the wrong cut and KABLAMO - it all goes down the chute. However, I have found that since my hair has been shorter, I am more open to experimenting!

I usually get mine cut every 2 months (I probably need it every 6 weeks, but I make it work for 8) - especially when its short. They layers grow out and then it doesnt fix very well! The concert is coming up next week - and since I'll be spending the whole day with some rock stars, I thought I should look decent. So, I went ahead and got it cut... even though its only been about 6 weeks since my last cut. Not to mention I've been wanting to add some more layers in the back to make it puffy! So.. here it is! A side shot of my latest fix.

Reason to Celebrate!!

2010-03-25T11:55:00.002-05:00

Steven and I moved to Morgantown, West Virginia ONE YEAR ago today!!! It's amazing as I think about it how vividly I remember this day a year ago! The 16 hour drive here... unloading our moving truck in the rain... living with then-strangers for 8 weeks... moving into our first WV place, beautiful spring blooms, amazing summer weather, a crazy snowy winter.... A lot seems to happen in a year!! I know it definitely did for us. It's crazy how much change took place in our lives. Some for the better - some for the worst, but God works out EVERYTHING for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose - and I believe that. He doesn't work out just the good things... but the bad too. We are so very thankful for the last year and are looking foward to many more West Virginia years to come!!

On another note - STEVEN GOT ACCEPTED AT FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY!! This is a HUGE praise for us!! We found out today and are thrilled beyond measure! There wasn't a doubt that he wouldn't be accepted - but it's always exciting to know that he has been!!!!! This is just the beginning of the next step in our lives - a new direction! Steven is stoked! Finally - after many wasted years... he gets to pursue his passion. I am so excited for him I could cry. I'm so proud of my husband! He's an amazing man!! I'm lucky to be called his bride!