The Martin Harris Pageant, The man who knew.

This week I got to go with some friends to The Martin Harris Pageant.  I have been before but it was a really long time ago and I couldn't  remember all that much. I loved it, it was just the simple amazing story of a man named Martin Harris. My favorite song in the pageant was the closing song, it started "Of this I testify, this is the Lords work, I know it's true." If you want to listen to it here is a link to it on YouTube. So for the past couple of days I keep thinking about  Brother Martin Harris and how though out his life he may have gone down different paths then many people who belonged to the church back then he never ever denied that he new that it was true  for he had a personal witness of it. I hope that throughout my life whatever happens that I will be able to do the same, for I know it's true!

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.

I've been working on the Railroad just to pass my day away.....

Okay so I really haven't been working on the railroad....but that does sound like an interesting idea....me.....metal...railroad ties....a big hammer.....railroad spikes.......in rain, snow or sun........maybe I should try it sometime! I have been working super duper hard at a job cleaning lots and lots and lots of bathrooms!!!!! I know what you're thinking right now AHHHHHHH bathrooms run!!! Okay so that has been my exact thoughts while cleaning some of them but most of them are not that bad because they were supposed to at least wiped down by the occupants of the rooms before they left but of course some people decided not to do that and that is when I want to run out of that bathroom screaming at the top of my lungs and never ever return to work ever ever again!!!! I have come to realize that with  a cleaning job like the one I have you really have to like the people you work with to survive! Which I do! The girls I work with are pretty awesome and they never fail to make me laugh even when I feel like running away from those ucky bathrooms and hiding in my bed under a blanket and never coming out again.Work has been my summer so far. There have been up days and there have been down days and there have been lots of days when I come home take a shower to get all the bathroom cleaner gunk off of me and fall right into bed and sleep and sleep and sleep! I really need to stop doing that and be more social. I need to make more friends be with people not just working and sleeping all the time....even though sleeping is so nice!!! In fact I think I am going to go sleep right now!!! I love Sleeping and working on my imaginary railroad of course!!!! Yes I know I have a very over active imagination but I just can't help it. Anyways I love all of you wonderful people that actually read my blog and even if you only read parts of it or just the last line your pretty awesome too. Hmmmm you know what sounds good right now CHOCOLATE!!! But I probably shouldn't eat any right now so would you all please go and eat a piece for me!!!
LOVE You ALL
WE Can do hard things
Even if it is cleaning gross bathrooms for eight hours everyday!!!
Who knows maybe I will make a new friend while cleaning a bathroom!
I don't know how but anything is possible right?
Okay I really need sleep
LOVE Ashley :)

Guess What

Guess What, Guess What Guess What?

This is my first week of working at a forty hour job... I am not really sure how I feel about that. On the one hand MONEY but on the other hand I WANT A SUMMER! So you see I have conflicting emotions, but I guess it's time to grow up, work more and play less..... ugh that sounds so sad. I think I will be like Peter pan and never grow up even when I am ninety :). Anyways I am super excited about earning more money. So to celebrate I'm gonna listen to my favorite Lindsey Stirilng/ Piano Guys video....ohhhhhhh that gives me a great idea I should be a secret agent for my full time job instead.

Oh and it's Mothers Day this Sunday! I like this holiday. It is just such a great reminder to say thank you to all of the wonderful mothers in your life. And this Mothers day video tugs at my heart strings! Anywho I hope all of you fantastic people are having fun secret agentish adventures of your own.

We are Daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us.

Today I had the opportunity to give the lesson in Relief Society. I used to be so terrified of giving lessons and today I can honestly say that I wasn't even nervous. It's so weird how much I have grown within the past couple of years. I have been blessed with so many good experience that have helped me come out of my shell little by little. Though I am still insecure about teaching the gospel to others. Teaching history is totally different, well it seems different and less scary but in reality I am still teaching history when I give lessons in church it's just a different way of looking at history. Each day I live I get to be a part of history. I love history ( I thought I would say this just in case you couldn't already tell...). If I could have when superpower it would be to be able to take a single step and be in any place in any time period. How amazing would it be to experience things that we can only read about? Well today I got to teach on the history of Heavenly Fathers love for each and everyone of us!

I got to choose my own topic for today's lesson, which is always a little terrifying. When the lesson is already planned out in the book all you have to do is read it. So I was looking through the list of General Conference talks from just this last April and Sister Elaine S. Dalton's talk just popped out at me! If you haven't had the chance to read it or listen to it yet you can click right here and you can read all of it's amazingness. In her talk Sister Dalton related an experience  when she was struggling in life and she ran into the saying "What-e'er thou art, act well thy part". This saying helped her get through her struggles and helped her remember that her part mattered no matter how small.

I just wanted to share with all of you wonderful people some sayings and things that have helped me get through hard times.

"The Future is as Bright as your Faith" Thomas S. Monson

Sunflowers! I love them! Where I grew up

they grow wild everywhere in late summer.

Every time I look at a sunflower I am reminded

of Heavenly Fathers Love for me!

He loved me enough to know that I would look

at this sunflower and think of him :)

Always Remember Who You Are!

I hope you are all having a beautiful Sunday. I love ya!

Love Ashley :)

Cousins, the first friends you ever have.

So today  my cousin Lyssa got her mission call! I am so happy for her but man am I gonna miss her. Anyways so this blog post is a tribute to cousins, who really and truly are the first friends you ever have. Good Luck Lyssa Lou I love you!

Lyssa, Me, and Raili

New Years Day family movie

Cool sunglasses, need I say more?

 5k here we come

Yep we totally cleaned the sink at Angies

I think I missed the memo of the big sunglasses :/

tehhehehe, Yay we graduated in the art of making funny looks! I sure do love my cousins.

Wait...what? We are old enough to have friends our age getting married?

Oh look at us little musical geeks.

I love my family so very much! I don't know what I would do without them or all of the amazing friends that I  have made throughout my life so far! I love this gospel! I am so glad that families are forever!!!!!

With all my love 

Ashley