Hello, Good morning...

don't you?

i'm soooo happy to welcome Friday with open arms. if only...five o'clock could get here sooner.

this was my breakfast this morning! yummy, right?

 jealous? yeah, me too because clearly i woke up to realize it was just a dream :(

the dream was so real, i think i even drooled a little bit...attractive, eh? ha ha

oh, Kate! you made such a stunning bride!

"THE DRESS"...i have no words. i've always been a huge fan of lace when it comes to wedding dresses...i will definitely have a lace dress of my own (:

how's that for motivation to get out of bed? i need that in my life some days...

but, now that i have a trainer... 

who has a body like this...yes, he really does!

its not hard to see him twice a week! 30 minute workout lessons with him are just way too short sometimes! kidding :) okay, not really. if he didn't make me do hard stuff...i might actually like him...he's hard core!

tomorrow morning, i'm running in my first 5K since running the half marathon eariler this month. why, am i nervous? 3.1 miles versus 13.1 is a piece of cake, right?

anyhoo, hope you ladies have a wonderful weekend :) enjoy!

tornados.

Right now the southern states of our country are getting hit hard -

Praying for those affected by these awful storms.

As I’ve stated before I work for Volvo. We have several Volvo and Mack dealerships across the southern states. A young man (one of our dealers sons) attends the University of Tuscaloosa, luckily he made it out safely without a shirt on his back and with his cell phone as he helped others get to safely. He had to stay in a shelter last night due to the mess caused by the storms last night. This is just one of the stories, I’ve heard about the awful damages caused by the tornado's. According the the Associated Press, dozens of tornado's have killed at least 200 people in six Southern states and there are a million people without power in the state of Alabama. I'm praying God watches over these people and gives them the strength to get through this tough time.

Please keep those people in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_severe_weather

randomness...

i don't know about you, but i use my camera phone wayyyyyyy to much!

i'm pretty random and take pictures of random things, so that explains why i'm easily amused.

here are some pictures captured by my lovely iPHONE... 

{left} laying (frying) on the beach day after half marathon.

{right} sign i made for myself for the race. haha. 

collection of random pictures of yours truly.
i promise i'm not conceited. def, looks that way! lol

most of the pictures are from sitting at my tiny cube. (gotta entertain myself somehow)



...i promise i'm not an alcoholic.

{1} pretty cactus flower at my desk.

{2} my beautiful and crazy god-children. they just got done playing in mud! kids!

{3} me and my god-son in the pool. okay, don't judge the plastic cap. i just got my hair done and didn't wanna mess it up, and the kids begged me to get in! that's my story and i'm sticking to it! (last year)

{4} i work for Volvo and i went to the Dublin,VA Volvo plant.

maybe, i'm the only one who does this. but, when i'm in a huge dilemma and need some advice...i try it on, take a picture and send it to my bff or sister. so that's what i was doing here. i actually ended up buying both dresses! :) who can pass up the great deals at forever21? love 'em!

{1} bumper sticker: pirate girl lookin' for booty...
one of the girls i run with loves anything pirate, so i had to take a picture and send it to her.

{2} yummy chocolate cake made by my mommy!

{3} my husband Derek Jeter. perhaps you know him?

{4} beer shopping.

i probably have way over 60 pictures on my phone, but i figured i save you from veiwing a bunch of random pictures. lol. it just made me laugh to look at all of the random pics i've collected over the years.

hope you have a great hump day! :)

you blog? but...why?

A lot of my friends and family don’t know I blog… And, I kind like it that way.

Sometimes even the closes people to you can be the most judgmental.

The people in my life who know about my blog…ask “What do you blog about?”….

For me…my blog is my personal “PUBLIC” online journal.

Of course, I don’t expose my whole life story with all the nitty gritty details, but just offer a little peek inside my world.

One thing I love about blogging is…. That I’m able to look back at old posts and see how much I’ve grown and I can laugh at me!

At first I thought blogging would be difficult. Expressing myself has always been one of my biggest challenges. Why?

I tend to be an emotional person. Not the over dramatic type, but I’d like to think God has blessed me with a very big, loving heart.

Seriously, I cry at the drop of a hat.

(i get picked on allllllll the time for this)

Especially when it comes to talking about my faith, family or very close friends….those three things are my life.

They make me…well, me!

Rewind...let me go back…I can express myself, but maybe in not the best way others can understand. When it comes to certain people I have a hard time expressing myself.

Okay, fast forward....

For the most part I try to blog about happy, uplifting, positive, funny, cute kinda stuff, but this doesn’t mean I don’t have my off days. Have you met my evil twin? Kidding!

Although, my blog is for me and my personal growth…I also try to inspire others with encouraging words or pictures.

Sometimes, when I’m having these off days, I come here and read all of your posts and my spirits are instantly lifted. I mean really...it doesn't take much to make me happy...food, fashion, vacations, babies, and did I mention food?

I’m sure there’s not one post of mine, where I don’t talk about my faith, God or gratitude. And, it’s not to come off as the Christian, bible bearing person in your face, but because those things have helped me get to where I am today. They helped me get to this place...where I'm suppose to be. I look around and say, “So all of that stuff had to happen for me to get here?”…I can only picture God looking at me shaking His head, saying… “Yes, Ashley. I don’t know why you thought you had all of the control”. All I had to do was let him take the steering wheel...simply amazing!

I blog because self expression is healthy not matter what the topic is. And, blogging for me is refreshing.

why do you blog?

don't just stand there. the spot light is on you...whatcha gonna do?

this article just kinda spoke out to me. well, actually it screamed at me...

its a good read...mainly for me because i can relate. too often when chasing a dream or trying to fulfill our needs and wants, when faced with challenges, we tend to give up or make excuses why something just isn't working. i'm guilty as charged. i never considered that maybe those challenges were signs i was getting closer and closer to achieving that goal. i guess the saying, you can't appreciate the good times if you can't learn and grow from the bad ones...is true. anyways, just thought i share.

*****************************************

A lot of folks tend to think, when they are pursuing their dreams, that when things aren't going the way they "want" or the way they "planned", that they should give up. Many of my clients and readers want to give up when things get a little tough. And it's interesting to me to see how easy it is for people to BELIEVE the negative voice in their head, far more than their positive and neutral voices.


It's almost like we are so afraid of getting our heart broken by our dream not coming true that any sign of setback, let down or unmet expectations are an excuse to stop trying.

But see, the thing is, walking on The Path will very rarely ever meet your "expectations". The Uni-verse speaks in paradox. What looks big, is usually small; what looks scary is usually joyful; what seems impossible is very much achievable and what seems hard can be easy. It's just being able to understand the paradoxical nature of The Uni-verse as well as having the emotional fitness and humility to not have to buy into the thought that everything has to go "your way".

Instead of judging a situation as "bad", a "setback" or a "quitting point", look at it this way: see GRACE.

You have no idea how protected, guided and looked after you are. When you look back at this moment in a few weeks, months or years, you very well will look back and see a blessing instead of a setback. So train your mind to refrain from judging a situation. Believe in grace. Instead of running away from your dreams, just sit with the uncomfortable feelings, meditate, take care of yourself and let them pass through you.

Do not run away because it is uncomfortable. Stay BECAUSE it is uncomfortable. Let your fears be purified by facing them. Let your judgments fade by not reacting to them and seeing how they play out over time. Humble yourself and know that things don't have to go YOUR WAY for you to be happy. There could be a way that is being guided from The Uni-verse that is much greater than you could ever imagine.

Emotional fitness, humility and a grace-filled mind will take you where you need to go. Let go of the judgments. Let go of the expectations and just show up fully with whatever you are feeling today. But do not turn back. Stay in the fire. You are not being burned - you are bring purified.

Love,
Mastin

hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

no matter what...it will ALWAYS be about Him.

 Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.

~Charles M. Crowe

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.

~S.D. Gordon

Where man sees but withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing.

 ~Albert Laighton

 This is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.

Bible, 1 John

The great gift of Easter is hope -

Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God,

in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake.

~ Basil C. Hume

This is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.

- 1 John 2:25

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Bible: John 3:16 NIV

The spirit of Easter is all about Hope, love, and joyful living.

~ Anonymous

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise.

~ Carl Knudsen

He is risen; he is not here.
- Mark 16:6

On Easter morn, we celebrate our Savior;

Whatever people seek in Him, they find.

In history, there has never been another

So holy, sacrificial, good and kind.

His resurrection makes us all immortal;

In heaven, we’ll be together with our King.

Eternally we’ll share in all His blessings;

Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is everything!

By Joanna Fuchs

i hope each and everyone of you,

your family and friends

have a very wonderful and

blessed Easter holiday!

the people we call...family.

it took someone very special in my life for me to realize how blessed i truly was...when it came to my family.
its very easy to take the people that love you the most for granted, because that just our nature. everyday, i remind myself how lucky and blessed i am to have such a wonderful family...we may not be perfect, but we are us. and, that's what i love the most. God certainly knew what He was doing when he created my family. He knew they were perfect just for me. family is so important and too often we fall short of making time for them because of our "busy" lives. if some of us put half the effort into our family that we do with our work or other activities...can you imagine how truly happy you're home would be? or how much happier you would be? family is one of the greatest gifts. at least on my list it is...at the end of the day, you only have family...the one you're born into and the one you create. and, i look forward to creating a family of my own one day. god-willing. i'm a firm believer...happy family + love = happy home. anyone can buy a house, but it takes a family to build a home.

cherish this wonderful gift of life...

cherish you're family...

and don't forget to remind them how much you love them. (everyday)

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

~Desmond Tutu

Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.

 ~Anthony Brandt

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.

Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

~Jane Howard

have a wonderful hump day :)

commandments to follow in life.

Someone has written these beautiful words.  Must read and try to understand the deep meaning of it. They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.


2] So a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small?
Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.


3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.


4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.


5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!


6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!


7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.


8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?"
 He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"


9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.


10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE.

have a great Tuesday :)

everyone needs a lil' south in their mouth ;)

savannah, ga

15 girls

bachelorette party

does that sound like trouble to you???

{dinner at Paula Deen's Lady & Sons}

{it's the bride} 

{me and the beautiful bride C}

{me and the wonderful MOH N, and she's the brides sister} 

{me and lovely L} 

{the name says it all} 

{decisions...decisions...hmmmmm} 

{even the groom showed his face this weekend} 

{the blushing bride...she def emjoyed herself} 

 {and, we did just that...}

{our t-shirts...cute, huh?} 

{chocolate covered strawberries and penis cupcakes always hit the spot...lol} 

{and they lived happily ever after....hehehe :)}

you can't put a price tag on happiness.

In the past couple of weeks, I feel like I finally found the keys to open my heart, mind, body and soul. God has defiantly humbled me beyond words. The feeling I have is unreal and I just can’t describe it. It’s a blessing, knowing certain people come in and out of you’re life for all the right reasons. Sometimes, the reasons are not always given to you at first, but He always reveals himself at the right time. I’ve been truly blessed to have the best of friends, meet genuine new people, and experience true love. I could never thank certain people enough for everything they have done. I’ve been inspired to become a better Christian, daughter, sister, friend, runner, employee and person.

I know; I speak a lot about happiness and being positive on here. I guess you just had to know me a couple years of ago or even early last year. My world has changed dramatically because of my choices and having faith. I’ve learned patience, love and gratitude more in the last couple months than I’ve ever known in my twenty-six years of life. I’m grateful for all the bumps on my path; I had to overcome to get to this place. A place of happiness and joy… I think I’ve finally found my purpose here…not only to inspire myself, but to inspire others as well. Nothing makes me happier than seeing others around me happy and finding their purpose.

I realize life isn’t perfect, but life is what you make it. Everyday, God reveals His love for me and makes me love my life more and more. I use to be one of those people who would look at the positive, happy, go-lucky person and grunt. I often wondered why they are so happy every single day. And, now I know….because I’m that person. I’m not striving to be perfect because I know that’s not possible. I’m just trying to enjoy my life and not take for granted the simple blessings we’ve been given. I’m the kind of happy only He can intensify. I'm grateful for my past, present and all the future blessings...thank you.


Lastly, thank you for reading my blog. You're comments make my heart smile everyday :)

13.1

i'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy!

what else is new right??? lol

the flying pirate half marathon was awesome!!!

i cannot even put into words....

the pictures speak for themselves...take a look :)

{bibs are herrreee} 

 {all smiles at mile 3}

{we did it!!!} 

{post race party...still lookin' fly} 

{arrrrrgggg, matey} 

{BIG moment} 

{its official, baby!!!} 

{best day eva...lots of laughs, few tears, some cheers and too many pictures...}

i've missed you guys...playing catch up with you're blogs now :)

hope you've had a good week so far!!!