Accepted!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The seller accepted our offer! :) After some negotiating back and forth (and pretty big sacrificing on our part) we are finally under contract! We asked the seller to include the washer and dryer (which we can tell was recently purchased) but because of her financial situation, she was not able to include them since she is renting and not sure if her rental will include those. She also excluded the home warranty (which we asked her to include) but again, because of her situation, she was unable to include that. But we are not worried about that because the house is still young and if something were to happen, we definitely would not ask her to front the funds, anyway. No chance! We have some kind of heart! :) But we are so relieved about finally getting the show on the road. Now, the only things that need to be done are the home inspection and having an appraiser come to the home. The tricky part is that with an FHA loan, the house must appraise for at least the purchase price . . . if it doesn't, the seller must lower her asking price to the appraisal value or we walk. Boo. We are praying that that doesn't happen. If all goes well, hopefully we will close in about 30 days! Eeeeeek!!!! :)
We have already picked out all of the paint colors, too! That was probably the easiest thing Josh and I have done. Don't most couples have a hard time compromising with paint? We had more issues registering haha!
And just for kicks and giggles, I am going to show you our house! There are 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, living room, family room, dining room, and unfinished basement.
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| The front of the house |
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| Here is the formal living room |
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| And the dining room |
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| The kitchen |
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The family room and fireplace! :) |
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| This is one of the guest bedrooms (future nursery hey!!) |
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| This is another guest bedroom (future nursery #2 heeeyyy!!) |
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| This is the view from the kitchen/eating area to the backyard |
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| And this is the backyard . . . big enough for our reception! ;) |
Posted byAshley C. at 5:57 PM 2 Love Notes
The offer
Monday, May 16, 2011
Josh and I have been house-shopping the last few weeks and finally found one that we could really see ourselves (and future family) in. It's so beautiful! It has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a living room, family room, dining room, unfinished basement, and really nice, big backyard. The funny thing is that when that home was first scheduled for a walk-thru, I asked Josh and the realtor if we could just skip it; I didn't want to see it because the acreage that was listed was "too small;" but I'm beginning to think that that was a mistake because it is rather large! :) I am so, so glad that we actually went to see it (twice!). The first walk-thru, Josh whispered "this is the one" to me as we were walking up from the basement . . . that didn't happen with any other home.
So, here we are three weeks later and we finally have been able to put our offer in. The first offer we put in was Friday and was pretty low because we wanted to see what the seller would counter-offer. We got a call back on Saturday morning from our realtor saying that the seller's husband recently passed away and that with her financial situation, she cannot go any lower than the listing price; we don't believe that for a single second. Who lists their home at the lowest they are able to go? On top of that, we have a paper saying that she refinanced her home about 5 years ago at $16,000 lower than her listing price. We know that she is able to go that low. So . . . Josh and I offered $5,000 lower than her listing price. If she doesn't want that, we will walk away and find something else.
Obviously, we are really praying that the seller accepts our offer. :) We'd love for that house to be the one that we raise a big family in. ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 12:16 PM 0 Love Notes
Forgetfulness
Friday, May 6, 2011
We landed in Hawaii and I realized that I forgot my dress. My wedding dress. How in the world did I forget that? Well, must improvise, right? Good thing I had a cute bathing suit that I could wear to the "alter" instead. Although it was something sexy that I planned on wearing for the honeymoon, I thought that maybe I could pull it off . . . cellulite and all. Oh well, I know that my soon-to-be husband would find it to be the best thing I've worn yet. Then I looked down at my toes. What the heck? Chipped, pink toenail polish?! What kind of bride forgets to get a pedicure especially with her wedding on the beach?! It's okay . . . I'll just dig my toes in the sand while remembering to suck my tummy in and creatively hide my not-so-toned bottom.
I am so, so glad that my alarm went off at the moment. I didn't think this was something I would have been able to pull off anyway. At least this would have been easier to recover from than forgetting I had a newborn baby and not feeding it for a whole day!
Posted byAshley C. at 3:01 PM 2 Love Notes
Sweet moments
Thursday, May 5, 2011
I am throwing myself back into the blogging world because I have done some thinking and realized that the highlight of my life (since the last time we caught up) was that I was finally engaged. When I first began my blog, I wanted to be sure that I was able to document that part of my life and for those of you that know me, you know how big that was for me! :) But, I need to remind myself that every day is worth celebrating and documenting. Every day is full of sweet moments; ones that I am going to love looking back at and laughing at. Not to mention, it's amazing to be able to watch yourself transform into someone/something that you never thought you would be.
With that being said, I'm back. I want to be able to look back at these crazy days ahead of me. I am in the middle of finding a home, planning a wedding, dreaming about a big family, welcoming another nephew into my life, getting my photography business off the ground . . . moments that I never want to forget. I guess this is when it is proven that "it's not about the destination but the journey getting there." :)
Well, since it's Cinco de Mayo, I've got someone to talk in to going to our favorite restaurant, Tacos el Norte! Yum!
Posted byAshley C. at 4:10 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
Doin' it big!
Monday, January 31, 2011
I don't believe I ever mentioned that the hope I had last week for getting my photos back, yeah that it gone. Josh finally got his computer unlocked from LoJack and the first thing we see is a big ol' picture of a baby on his desktop. Oh, heck no! That is like worse than actually stealing the computer! Putting your own photo on someone else's computer is like a dog peeing on a tree! So, the first thing he checked was my computer>photos . . . nothing. Well, no, I'd be lying is I said nothing because there was a lot of nothings. The same woman standing in the same doorway using the same pose wearing a different outfit was a constant reminder that we didn't have that computer for several months. Then, we checked my computer>videos and again, lots of nothings. There was a 6 minute video of a woman recording herself in a van along with the driver, the no-seat back seat with like 3 kids and an older man along with 2 huge flatscreen TVs and laptops. The woman was going on and on about about they have two homes, and "doin' it big in 2010! Yeeeeaaahhhhh!!!!!!" She was so excited that she was going to be sleeping in her own bed that night and that she has no money at all but kept reminding the passengers that they were "doin' it big! Thank America for this one!" I was becoming more and more irritated watching her talk and seeing all of the cavities in the back of her mouth and smoke filling the screen from what I am going to guess was not from a legal substance.
By the end of the video, I wanted to yell at this woman for being so ignorant and umm . . . selfish? But, I have to admit that part of me wanted to say you know what, this is okay. She was obviously in need of things more than Josh and I were. If she found so much joy in being able to sleep in a bed that night, she was definitely not well-off. But then again . . . she was not eating stolen food or using stolen money (the necessities in life), she was using our stolen computer and had huge flat screen TVs in her home; she did not need those things! Ah, whatever. I guess it would awesome for us to see one of our computers again, but it stinks that we were able to see who actually used it. :/
Posted byAshley C. at 3:26 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
Organic Product Review
Friday, January 21, 2011
Josh and I went on a little field trip the other day to my new favorite store: Whole Foods Market! I have been researching all-organic cosmetics and beauty products because I know that the chemicals that are in the products that I am currently using are not good for me. I have been checking my beauty products for quite some time and seeing things like propylparabens, methylparabens, urea, perfumes, etc and have tried my hardest to just dust it off; I knew they weren't good but I was too used to those products that I wanted to ignore it. Also with me working at a hair salon and using expensive, name-brand hair products (at a discounted price), I was treating my hair so well and did not want to sacrifice healthy hair for those bad chemicals (I know, it sounds bad!).
The last piece of makeup that I purchased was made by Urban Decay; it was a loose powder that worked fabulously! The catch: the only 2 ingredients listed were methylparabens and propylparabens, both chemicals linked to breast cancer and infertility issues. Not something that I should have put near my face, but it worked so well and I spent nearly $40 on it so I had better finish it. Every time I used it, I felt so very guilty and was hoping that I would accidentally drop it and lose all of those nasty parabens. Finally though, my Urban Decay powder is finally on it's last leg and I will be out of it probably by next week.
For those that are wondering, I will share what I am replacing my beauty products with. I'm going to say now that if you somehow stumbled across my blog through a search engine looking for reviews or whatever else, I am not the person to ask about organic products nor do I claim to be some kind of organic, all-natural guru; I am still new to the scene and hope to gain more knowledge about harmful ingredients, etc. My list is not a list of the "good and bad," it is simply a list of my personal preferences . . . and fears! :)
I have traded . . .
-Secret deodorant for Crystal Deodorant stick. From what I have used so far, I can say it works. At first I was a little skeptical because it literally is a rock-hard, dry stick. To use, you must wet the "rock" and use. There are no perfumes, so there is obviously no smell. I have not noticed any musty smell or moistness. So far, I would say that I recommend this deodorant.
-Cetaphil and Dermalogica Facewash for Avalon Organics Lavendar Cleansing Gel. I have only used this facewash a couple times (since I have purchased it) and it works fabulously. I love the smell and that it actually "suds" up. Prior to this facewash, I was using two washes that were either mild or a clay wash so there were no bubbles. This smells great and leaves my face feeling clean. BUT, it does leave my face feeling rather "tight" when I leave the shower. Would I recommend this product? Not exactly sure yet, but so far, so good.
-Dermalogica Active Moist facial moisturizer for Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil. This. Stuff. Is. Amazing. This brand's philosophy is that "likes treat likes;" I have an oily face, so it is apparently better to moisturize with an oil. Sure, it seems counterintuitive, but trust me on this one. After my tight feeling face (from the facewash), I put half a dime size of this oil on and it immediately gives me relief and gives my skin a glow. Oh, and I go through the whole day without any nasty shine. Recommend? Absolutely!! It is a little on the pricey side but worth every penny.
-Redken Shampoo and Conditioner for Neuma products. This was a hair product line that we just launched at Omni and I was thrilled to use something totally organic that smells delicious and leaves my hair feeling better than it ever has before. They currently have 3 now 4 sets to choose from and although I have only tried 2 of them, I can guarantee you will never switch from it! My hair feels and smells great and I know that I'm treating it with one of the best products out there so it makes me feel more confident! Recommend? Definitely, definitely!
-Moroccan Oil to Argan Treatment (from Neuma). I am still using the sample packet (now on week 3!), so that alone says that a little goes a long way. I was in love with my Moroccan Oil; the smell was great, I felt like it reduced my drying time, made my hair extra soft. But, because I could try the sample Argan, I did. I like this stuff because it is colorless and has no perfumes. I feel that it also does everything that the Moroccan did. Which do I like better? Moroccan. Which am I going to use? Argan . . . it is better for my hair so I will stick to that mentality. Would I recommend this product? Yes, but only because it is an organic alternative.
-Vaseline hand/body lotion for Avalon Organics Lavendar Hand and Body Moisturizer. I love, love, love this lotion! It is to rich and creamy and makes me smell like I just left a spa. Not to mention I got a huge 32oz. bottle for about $12! :) This brand does not claim to be 100% oragnic (only 70%), but it does not have parabens, sulfates, fake perfumes, or pthalates. I would highly recommend this product because it is organic, cheap, and works amazingly.
-Covergirl, Urban Decay, Bare Minerals make up for Afterglow Cosmetics. I do not know whether or not I will be completely in love with it, but I sure hope so because I have replaced my entire makeup regimen. The most important thing to me in my makeup is the foundation and since my foundation only lists parabens and was way too expensive, I was ready to try something new. I will let you all know what I think of it after I use it all.
-Spearmint Chapstick for Whole Foods brand Peppermint "chapstick." Anyone who knows me knows that I am addicted to Chapstick in the same way that people are addicted to nicotine. No joke. Let me explain why I am so picky with Chapstick. I loved my Chapstick brand because: 1) it tasted, smelled, and felt like spearmint, 2) my lips never, ever felt chapped, 3) my lips never got red from irritation, 4) it was light enough for me to layer it on the 75 times a day like I did. Now, while standing in line at Whole Foods, I thought I'm going to replace it. No, I'm not. Yes, I am, No . . . OKAY! Fine! And honestly, I haven't used a lick of Chapstick (brand) in more than 24 hours. I have not done that in more than 5 years (and I'm not exaggerating!). This new stuff does not taste like peppermint, but it definitely smells like it and leaves a cool feeling on my lips. It is also a little thicker so I use it less often. I also notice than when it "rubs" off, my lips still feel conditioned as though the new stuff actually settles in my lips and is not only surface like my Chapstick brand was. Would I recommend it? Sure, but I have a feeling that there has to be something better out there. But for now, it is by far good enough to get me off of that other bad "drug."
I am still researching and would love to replace my toothpaste, bodywash, shaving cream and face lotion (for night time). As of right now, I don't really find it a necessity to change my perfume or hand sanitizers. Those two things will come in due time. Plus, would you have really wanted to read 2 more of my boring reviews? ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 2:42 PM 0 Love Notes
Best birthday thus far!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Happy almost-half-way-to-fiftieth-birthday to my Lover! I asked him where he wanted to eat for his birthday and he told me Portillo's. Not The Cheesecake Factory or a nice steak place but a fast food burger/hotdog place. When I told him no and to choose something nicer he told me, "I don't want to sit down and eat fancy; that's you." Well, I'm glad that he knows my style then! :) So, we went to Portillo's, got 2 slices of their chocolate cake with our order and I role-played that I made it. I know that those days of surprises are gone now . . . we are together too much for those things to play out (and living together will just make it even harder!). No birthday cake (or candles, of course). No birthday gift (he didn't want anything, okay?!). :( I hope he doesn't think that I've given up on romance and surprises. Baby, I promise that if you wanted the moon, I would bring you the moon. But you didn't ask.
After we got home from lunch, there was a message playing on the answering machine from the local police department saying something about laptop and recovered and burglary. Josh tells me, "Did you hear that? They found our laptops!" Yeah right, that was 6 months ago. Press replay so we can hear the whole message. And believe it or not, the man on the other end was saying that the laptop that was stolen in July has been recovered and they have it at the department. I called him back, left a message to call back. While waiting, we were debating about whose laptop we hope it is (mine, his, or my mom's) and whose laptop would be more important to have been recovered. He called within 5 minutes. While I had him on the phone, I asked him, Sir, we actually had three laptops stolen, could you tell me what color it is? "I have a blue Dell XPS." Babe! It's yours! They have your laptop! Josh is just yelling back, "Nuh uh! Don't lie!"
Within 15 minutes, the detective delivered the once nice, now beaten up, raggedy, scratched, holding onto life by a single strand computer back into its owner's hands. Fortunately, LoJack was activated, the computer was locked and Josh was on the phone with the company getting it unlocked. I'm still waiting to hear from Josh whether all of his files are safe and untouched. The one thing that I try to block from my mind is that all, and I do mean all of my photos were taken with my computer. BUT, all of those photos were also on his computer so hope remains! ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 6:13 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: birthday, Josh, lesson learned
Mature Decisions
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I just finished doing something very grown womanish. Something I should have done about 5 years ago. Yes, Josh and I just budgeted our money! We sat down, listed all of our bills (gym membership, credit cards, phone, Netflix subscription, etc.) along with our monthly income and our monthly savings deposit goal. We have plans to pay certain bills off along the way and that money (previously spent on a bill) will be directed to the next bill that needs most attention. I even have little virtual post-it notes on the desktop of my laptop with all of our bills and their due dates with astericks next to the ones that are "mine." This is going to be a constant reminder of where our attention needs to be. I feel really good about the this! You all probably know how spontaneous me and Josh's spending (and eating out, and random splurges!) are, so this is going to be huge!!
What caused us to do something so . . . mature? Well, we decided that it would be very silly to spend so much money on apartment rent while saving for a down payment on a home so we are just going to cram (and budget) our money as much as we can before the wedding and see what we have in our savings and hope that we have enough for a decent down payment on a starter home. :) All of a sudden, I'm that much more excited about getting married!
Today I also made another step into the "paraben, preservative, harsh chemical free world!" I want to share more on that so I will save for another post ASAP. ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 8:00 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: finances, Josh, makeup, wedding
Happy New Year!
Monday, January 17, 2011
I haven't been here in a while and quite frankly, I hate admitting that . . . it's pretty obvious that this old thing needs to be dusted off every once in a while; wish I could blame it on busyness but I think it all comes back to laziness or lack of interesting thoughts to share.
With that being said, Happy New Year! ;) I brought in the new year with a single resolution. I will lose 30 pounds before our wedding (go ahead, stomp and beat on that resolution one more time!). But, the good news is that I have been doing pretty good. I've lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks but am not sure if my stomach flu is partially to blame for last week's loss. Either way, I'm doing it. I'm sticking to it and have to admit I feel like I'm lookin' good and feelin' hot! :)
I've also been thinking about changing this blog up a bit. It needs a facelift. Big time. :) I am thinking about changing the name to something that I will be able to change through the years but will hold that same feel, you know what I mean? Our Love Like A Finger Print? I don't really know what I was thinking. I mean, it is pretty cute (and true), but the name suggests that I talk about me and the Lover (and he's becoming less of a focus on here! Oops!). I want this to be a place where I can direct photography clients and showcase some of my work. The name is hindering me. Speaking of "place," I'm also thinking about whether or not it would be too difficult switching to a new blog host (Wordpress?).
Eh. We'll see. I've done so much talking and so little acting that you are all probably rolling your eyes right about now saying "Yeah right, you ain't doin' nothin'" under your breath. But, dare I say watch out! ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 12:20 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: blogging, New Year, random
Shabby meets Cottage
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Forget the 15 bridal magazines that I've subscribed to; just give me some shabby chic meets cottage interior design magazines. I've been spending 4 of the last 7 days in Barnes and Noble and let me tell you, this place sucks you in like some kind of vortex. Even though I've got my nose in a series right now, I just have an impulse to buy more books. I don't like to borrow or rent books . . . there is something about the smell of a brand new book and to know it's only yours makes it that much better.
Anyway . . . where was I? Oh! Interior design magazines. Yes. I. Love. Them. I forewarned Josh in a nice way. I said, hey babe, when you're done playing your video game, can you come look at these magazines to see what I really like and what you're getting into? He never came. I took that as a sign of "Honey, I trust you." Score! :) I have finally nailed the look that I am going for. That shabby chic meets warm cottage. Think it can't happen? Oh, it can. Just you watch! ;) I even convinced him that as long as I can gather things from thrift stores, antique shops, and barn sales, he won't have to spend much money on "real" furniture. Again, he didn't respond so I took that as a big "Yes! You're too cool and I love that you save us money all the time!" *clears throat and bats eyelashes* ;)
I will have to post some photos of what I'm talking about another time!
Posted byAshley C. at 10:19 PM 0 Love Notes
Pile pickin'
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Because this was my sister's time of custody with her son, we decided to open Christmas gifts this morning so that he would have time to play with his toys before going back to his dad's tomorrow. This year was more fun with him than last; he's 2 months shy of 3-years old, so he's all about opening his Christmas gifts (because he already opened a couple and knew what they were so we had to tape them back up!). It's always fun to hear and feel a kid's joy during Christmas time.
My sister and I . . . well, we enjoyed it, too. Every year, it's fun to see what kind of odd things my mom gets us. This morning for example, as soon as my mom left the room, my sister's pile grew larger because I regifted. Yes, regifted while opening gifts. :) She inherited a colorful array of bobby pins and a rather hideous (sorry, mom!) pair of red and black fluffy sock/slippers. I also fought her for her awesome pink keychain for my similar blue one until mom stepped in to tell us that they were are birthstones. Oops! When my nephew was preoccupied opening his Chuggington train set, tinkertoy, and VeggieTales DVD, I was picking from his pile. Hey, don't judge me! The reese's bites and bubble gum were so good! ;) Next year, I will be married, beginning my own Christmas traditions, so it will be interesting to see how next Christmas will be different. Really, I can't wait to wake up next to my Husband on Christmas morning laughing because we were too excited and opened our gifts Christmas eve and have nothing to open that morning. :)
Well, here's to you and your family's CHRISTmas peculiarity. ;) Enjoy it!
Posted byAshley C. at 5:08 PM 2 Love Notes
Labels: Andrew, Christmas, family
2010 Christmas List
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
1: a great big house
2: lots of furniture for that great big house
3: a brand new car (bow on top, too, please)
... and last but not least ...
4: a cute little baby (yes, I said it!)
Okay, okay, maybe I'm being a little too hopeful, but he does love me, right? ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 3:12 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
Labels: Christmas, family, Josh
Loyal readers
Monday, December 20, 2010
*Frantically looking around* I really hope that my two readers haven't left me abandoned like I have them. No? Good . . . Glad that I'm not the only one that isn't the most punctual when it comes to updating their blogs.
With Christmas right around the corner (really? It's that time?!), I've been busy and yes, not feeling like blogging but instead Christmas shopping, focusing on photography (and ways that I can grow in 2011), reading new books that I've stumbled upon. But, I am grateful that I know I have at least 1 loyal reader . . . I think.
Oh and because I'm actually pretty proud of myself (after 2 weeks) that I discovered I was blogging under the wrong tab which was why I wasn't able to load photos, or italicize my photos. Both of which are very important in blogging, so I'm back! :)
Posted byAshley C. at 2:40 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
What happened
Sunday, December 5, 2010
I have no idea what made me think that I would be able to log onto this thing and share my "daily photo" with you anyway, but I did! LOL I hope you all are having a great weekend and for all you local friends, hope you're enjoying our first snowfall. :)
And . . . I came to share my photos, but it seems that the "add photo" button has disappeared, can someone help? :/
Posted byAshley C. at 10:02 AM 0 Love Notes
Labels: random
Project 365 initiation
Thursday, December 2, 2010
After having recently written a blog about commitment (or lack thereof), I've decided that it would be in my character to go ahead and make another! Because people aren't really diggin' cold photo shoots, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to do the Project 365. You know, that project that you have to do to enter to photog world? Since falling into peer pressure is a rather new thing for me (all good, I promise!), I thought why not? Here's what I'll be doing: every day, for the next 365 days I'll be taking a photo. Could be a random photo with no purpose (or maybe no beauty) or could be someone that I've had scheduled for some time. I will challenge myself, step out of my comfort zone, and establish my style more. So, this means that at the end of my blogs for the next year, I will be posting a photo . . . and it may have not a single thing to do with my blog post, but it will be there for your enjoyment (or whatever). :) Oh, and by the way, today is day three, so I will flood you all the next time I blog.
Posted byAshley C. at 4:31 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: photography
Feeling your heartbeat
Monday, November 22, 2010
In memory of Andre, we did a lot of worshipping this weekend . . . that's everything Andre's life was about. If Andre wasn't worshipping with another church, he was at his home church, walking the halls with his guitar, praising and worshipping his audience of One. So many people shared that they saw Andre as one of the closest things to Jesus and I have to agree. One of the songs that we sang on Saturday and Sunday was a song called "The more I seek You;" this was one of Dre's favorite songs. This song was one of those that immediately draw an image in your mind and bring you to the Savior in tears and reverance.
Posted byAshley C. at 11:13 AM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
Andre's homegoing
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Yesterday, Josh's family lost an amazing, godly, gentle-spirited, young man. Andre was one of the most kind guys that I have ever met. Although I was not close to Andre, we were friends (would have been cousins, too!). I can recall some good memories that we've shared and it seems that many of the friends he had can do the same. I can promise that not a single person could ever say a bad thing about Andre and the life that he lived.
As I've mentioned before (like, a hundred two hundred times before!), I do not handle death well. It's one of those ginormous struggles of mine but also where I can find peace knowing that it is a strength that Josh has. I knew the day would come where I would have to hike up my britches and comfort Josh for a loss in his family and I was sooo scared about it. But, like always, Josh surprised me. The way he thinks of it is that Andre is in a much better place, without pain or sickness. Josh said that every single memory he has of Andre was a good one so that's where he finds his comfort. Me, on the other hand, thinks in an earthly manner; But, Thanksgiving is next week, his brother's (and best friend) birthday is next month just like Christmas. What is the church going to be like without his praise and worship? He never had the chance to share an intimate love with a spouse, he was so young. But here's the key: Andre does not care! He is worshipping face-to-face with his Creator! How amazing is that?! I think where I get caught up on my sad thoughts is for the individual; for the things that they've missed out on. But, Andre was here for God's purpose and it is clear that he served his purpose and then some! His time here on earth was temporary and he made the most of it. All of his family and friends will be reunited with him before Andre's day is over in Heaven.
Yesterday, I asked Josh to share with me one of his best memories with Andre and this is the story he told:
When they were younger, Micah (Josh's brother) and Josh were in boxing and Chuck (Andre's brother) and Andre always teased them that they didn't know how to fight and that they were better than them. Chuck dared Josh to punch him and Andre in the stomach the hardest that he could to see if it would hurt. Josh told them "no way," but in the end, Chuck was able to talk Josh into punching them under one condition: they had to take turns in the room so that the other wouldn't see how hard Josh could actually punch and cause the other to "wuss" out. First, it was Chuck's turn. WHAM! Chuck fell to the ground holding his stomach, grunting. Micah scraped Chuck off the floor and made him leave the room. Second, Micah brought Andre in the room and WHAM!. "That's all you got?" Andre said, standing confidently with a straight face. Josh said that when he punched Andre in the stomach, all he felt was his hard abs and it was no wonder Josh couldn't hurt Andre! Andre said, "Your fist hurt my skin, though. I know for sure I'll be sore tomorrow" and kept repeating himself. I'm going to go out on a limb that Andre would still like to tease Josh about how he punches like a sissy. ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 5:53 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: family, Josh, memories
I'm just preparing myself
Monday, November 15, 2010
I'm beginning to feel like I'm talking to myself on here. People always tell me that they read my blogs, but no one comments and I haven't had a new follower since day one. I can tell you that one reason for that is that most of the blogs I follow are the ones that I cannot yet relate to: the stay-at-home, crafty, money-saving, photographer, mommy blogs. What interest do they have in a girl like me? I'm kind of in limbo right now. I've tried the whole money-saving thing and as I mentioned before, I really stink at balancing. I'm not yet a mom, I actually have to go to work, and try to become a photographer on the side. I love reading the blogs that I read because I have learned a lot and I can honestly say that had it not been for following the blogs that I follow, I would never had started clipping coupons, became interested in photography, or have a strong opinion for breast-feeding (and cloth diapers and baby-wearing!).
Who am I you might ask? A 22-year old that is engaged and planning a wedding for next July. I am still living at home, but mostly buy my own groceries so I attempt to save as much money as I can in the process. I do not have kids, but want a handful of them ASAP and when I do, I will try with all I have to solely breast-feed. I would like to call myself a professional photographer but the truth is that I haven't even found myself or my voice. Kinda funny that I'm reading the blogs that I am, huh? No, I am not trying to become something that I'm not but I don't think you have an idea how badly I want to be at the stage in my life where I can say I am a stay-at-home mom that only breast feeds, uses cloth diapers, and carries my baby in a sling while I am balancing blogging, photography, and loving my husband with my entire heart. I'm just preparing myself. ;)
Posted byAshley C. at 3:40 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
Labels: marriage, me, photography, struggles
D90 desires
Thursday, November 11, 2010
It was a glorious day when I got my long-awaited DSLR. I waited and waited for it . . . and my Lover made me a deal and said that if we could leave the mall, I would have my camera in 15 minutes. Deal!
But . . . I am now selling the body so that I can upgrade to something a little more "high grade." The awesome thing is that I am still sticking to my philosophy of only spending business-made money on business desires to keep me clear from debt. I am going to put my other lens purchase on hold until I am able to purchase a new body. Wanna see the new body I want?
Posted byAshley C. at 8:32 PM 0 Love Notes
Labels: photography, shopping
Our first year
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Josh and I began dating about a week before he left for his first year of college about 3.5 hours away. I was still at home finishing up my senior year of high school. Our love was sparkly and new . . . and we had no choice but to be sure that it was strong, too. He was attending school to major in computer science and still fulfill the duties he had since receiving his full-ride scholarship to play baseball. We knew that we wouldn't be seeing each other more than once every other month so we talked on the phone. A lot. When I got home from school, I waited by my phone until he got home from practice and we talked until the wee hours in the morning. And did it all over again the next day.
Until his dad stepped in.
What?! Only 1 hour a day? He has got to be crazy!! "I know babe, we'll just have to talk more online, I guess." Yeah, that kinda sucked. It was much more different than actually hearing his voice and being able to hear about his day, how practice went, what new schemes his evil roommates plotted that day. We thought of almost every idea in the books: chatting via webcams, leaving each other looong voicemails until it beeped (hoping that wouldn't reflect used minutes), text messages, surprise letters. He wouldn't let me drive to visit since I hadn't had much experience driving on the highway since the nightmare. But, along with his not-often-enough visits back home, I was able to visit twice that year with my soon-to-be roommates.
I suppose it was more than enough to get us through our first year apart. We spent every moment of every day that Summer and into our first year of school together. Being 3.5 hours away from home was all the more reason. But, that's another story for another day.
Posted byAshley C. at 5:07 PM Post a comment (1) Love Notes
