Loving the ups and the downs

Today in church we had a lesson on trials. Trials, one of my least favorite words in the dictionary, but the truth is everybody has them, churchgoers, non-churchgoers, old people, young people, people in Australia,  people in America, people who speak German and people who speak Swahili . It doesn't matter who you are or where you are or what you do, you will eventually have trials in your life. Is this a bad thing? In my own opinion no, I mean can you imagine a life where everything was hunky dory and perfect nothing ever went wrong? It would be like living in one of those freaky black and white happy valley fifties themed movies. So what I guess I am saying is that I am grateful for the hard times, the good times ,and the times that are just in between. Life is like traveling down a long road, it may not be straight and flat but we all know that somewhere the future is a little bit brighter. It's all about perspective. We have a quote hanging in our kitchen that I love when thinking about trials
 " HOPE is the ability to hear the music of the future, FAITH is the courage to dance to it today."

No matter where I am in life or what I am going through all I have to remember is as President Monson says is "the future is as bright as my faith" Wherever I am I hope I will always have the hope faith and courage to dance to the music of my future today.

The most important thing to remember though is that whatever you are going through that Christ will always be there for you, all you have to do is ask!
Love Ashley

What I miss the most about holidays

I have recently discovered that I have become sort of a Scrooge of all holidays. What has happened to me? I used to love holidays celebration. I pondered this and I pondered this until my sister brought up that she feels the same way about holidays. She then went on to explain she just hates how commercialized everything is when it's holiday time. And you know what I completely agree with her! Maybe holidays have always been this commercialized and growing up just made me realize it more or maybe as the years go on the more technology we get there are just more ways to commercialize them either way it puts me in a sour mood. This is my wish for my Fourth of July celebration. I want to wake up crazy early and go to a quaint little park in a quaint little town where they are having a little bike race, and then after the bike race (FYI I win the bike race in this day dream) we all settle down at the park pavilion and eat a good old fashioned American breakfast, preferably pancakes. Then we don't have to do anything, sure there will be other things going on at the park like coloring contests for the kids, and we can't forget about the cute little children s parade where they push around wagons all decked out with American flags. Oh and later in the day there may be a contest to see who can catch the greased pig and if you catch it you get to keep it. As for me I will be sitting and talking with my family with no other care in the world. That is my ideal Fourth of July celebration, I don't even need the fireworks. Maybe even my ideal day is a little to commercialized or seems a little to perfect but really that is how I had it growing up, it was simple. We didn't have to have anything big and fancy. That I guess is really what I miss about holidays, I miss the simpleness of them. Now I feel bombarded with all of these flashing signs saying FOURTH OF JULY SALE, Buy this today only and get the best deal of your life!!!!!! I am sure that is not true, it will probably be cheaper in a week when the stores are trying to get rid of the rest of whatever they are selling. Maybe right now though I will go take out a box of poppers and try to get some of my holiday spirit back because I really used to love holidays and I miss loving them.