Hello everyone! 😊 

It has been a while since I have updated this blog and for that I am sorry. When I started this blog it was because I felt a lot of peer pressure. You see, all of my friends at college had blogs and they would talk about them often and write these really cute posts… and I just wanted to be like that. However, I quickly found out that I am not very good at English, or making things sound fancy and cool. So it became more of a chore to write and update things. When I created this blog, aside from becoming cool like my friends, I also wanted to help others come to know that they are cared about and that they are loved. That desire is still deep inside me as well as the desire to share my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and of His gospel. 

So with that let me give you a little recap of the past two years! 😊

I finished fall and spring semester at SVU- it was an experience I cannot forget. I made the best of friends, took some great classes that kicked my butt sometimes, went through a hip and knee surgery that really humbled me, cheered my teammates on from the sidelines (which was even more humbling), spring breaked it in Florida, listened to some good tunes, had some awesome adventures, packed my things and headed back to Utah. During that process, I also spent time preparing to serve the Lord. I submitted my mission papers and received my call.

Now during this time, I told the Lord that I was willing to go where ever He needed me to go. My brother was serving his mission in South Korea and I had gained a love for South Korea while he had been gone. So, although I told the Lord that I would go anywhere He wanted, I would have really liked to go to Korea like my brother. When my mission call came in the mail it was the most stressful few hours of my life as I waited to open it! When the clock finally struck 7pm I ripped it open and found out where the Lord wanted me. And that was South Korea. I was shocked… I cried for joy. At that moment, I couldn’t even begin to 

understand how much my life would change or could change in only a few months. I was scheduled to report to the Missionary Training Center on October 7, 2015.  In the following months my love for the Korean people grew, my desire to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with them grew, and my love for The Lord and my Father in Heaven grew. It was an incredible 18 months. I will never forget the experiences I had and I will share some of them a little later. I am grateful for my time in South Korea. I am grateful for my family and friends who supported me daily. I am grateful for the guidance that I received from the Lord.

On April 27, 2017 I had to say goodbye to my home in a foreign land. That was the hardest day and happiest day of my life. I am so grateful to be home with my family again. Since returning home every day has been hard in a way I didn’t expect it to be, but it has helped me rely on the Lord even more. I hope you all remember that He is there for you! He is there every second of every day, just waiting for us to ask for help or look to Him for guidance. He is the light and the life of the world. When we are close to Him, we can find joy amid the trials and troubles in life. I know this to be true.

Until next time, remember that Attitude is EVERYTHING, The Lord loves you, and you are strong.

Love, Ash 😊 

Good Things

All the time we constantly hear 

"Pick the best choice!"

"Make the right decision!"

"Choose the right!"

Usually it is easy to decide whether something is right or wrong.

Which makes those decisions a little easier.

But what if you are choosing between two good things?

This is where things get tricky.

What will be best? How do you know it's best?

This is where I am especially grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who can lead and guide me.

Decisions are important.

They determine our destiny.

Our Heavenly Father knows us. He loves us. He wants to see us succeed and be happy.

But

“It isn’t until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are that you can begin to take control of yourself. As you learn to control yourself, you will get control of your life. If you want to move the world, you first have to move yourself.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

We must put in the work if we want the Lord to help us.

We must first understand that we are of worth.

That we do deserve to be happy because we are select sons and daughter of a King.

Making decisions, especially ones that can change our lives and the lives of others around us are difficult and stressful to face.

But one thing that we can always count on is that-

“Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential. He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves. He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence.” (Dieter F Uchtdorf)

However, living in this world can make it hard to follow those promptings and to trust in the Lord's timing, especially when we do not know the end result of the decision that we are making.

"Readjusting our desires to give highest priority to the things of eternity is not easy. We are all tempted to desire that worldly quartet of property, prominence, pride, and power. We might desire these, but we should not fix them as our highest priorities.” (Dallin H Oaks)

Sometimes decisions aren't just about us.

“There are lives to brighten. There are hearts to touch. There are souls to save.” (President Monson)There are people who need us.

There are people counting on us.

The Lord is counting on us.

Each one of us has a specific purpose and if we do not inquire of the Lord when making decisions we may not be able to fulfill our purpose.

***

So... We have this decision to make...

We inquire of the Lord.

We receive an answer to the decision we should make.

and we don't like it.

Here's the thing---  

“We cannot foresee what the Lord has in mind for us. Our only course of action is to be prepared and worthy for whatever he requires. We must govern our actions every day with our future in mind.” (M. Russell Ballard)

So we must trust in the Lord

and in His timing.

We will receive blessings

and ultimate happiness

even if at the time the decision is made, there is pain.

That's what happens when we have to choose between two good things.

Life is full of good things.

But we must remember that the best things come from God

and they come in His own due time.

So...

“Don’t be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’ Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life.” Pres. Hinckley

 

Here's to the Hard Things in Life

Being in College is hard.

Meeting new people is scary

Putting yourself out there can make or brake you

Trying to connect with people can end in rejection

But

 Being in College is fun

Meeting new people is great

Putting yourself out there is better than hiding

and trying to connect with people is worth every minute...

***

College is about growing up, learning who you are and who you want to associate yourself with, and discovering what you love.

There are so many roads you can take, decisions that can be made, and adventures to happen.

If you aren't willing to find that joy that comes with putting yourself out there because there could be some pain that comes as well, then you need to rethink.

***
In everything there is a lesson to be learned,
a heart to be touched, an adventure to happen, and a soul to grow.

You don't know what will happen.

And that's okay.
But it doesn't make it okay to give up or not even try in the first place.  

***

Stepping into the unknown can be the biggest challenge of your life.

But it can also turn out to be the greatest turning point in your life.

"Each day is a day of decisions, and our decisions determine our destiny."-Russell M Nelson

***

 So here is to
the unknown.
to trying.
to getting out of your comfort zone.
to  facing your fears.
to success
and failure.
to being yourself.
to getting to know people.
and to making memories.

 

 

My Eternal Family

Family:

So I think my family is pretty great...

They are my very best friends- which I know might seem weird but if it came down to it, I'd rather spend time with them than anyone else.

One thing that I love about my family is our crazy relationship.

Because of the "quality family time" my parents brought into our lives I grew up saying "Taylor, Bostin, and Kenzie are my very best friends!"

Sometimes we didn't get along much... But the fact at we were able to forgive each other and "hold hands till we stopped fighting" (thanks mom.. and it legitimately happened.. more than once) made our relationship even stronger!

We were fortunate enough to have the time and ability to go lots of places as a family as well which helped strengthen our relationship.

The many road trips my parents made us take when we were growing up allowed us to quickly became comfortable around each other.

When the time came to take those road trips I often complained and rolled my eyes because I didn't want to be stuck packing for my little sister and making sure we had enough food and then sit in a squished car for 13 hours...

But now that I am older, and living away from my family, I wouldn't have traded those moments for anything!

It was awesome to be able to make such great memories and look back on those memories now.
I owe a lot to my family.
I know I wouldn't be as successful without them.
I love them with all my heart.


So this is my dad... Oh how great and wonderful he is.
He is my biggest hero.
He has always pushed me to be better.
Without him I wouldn't be the girl I am today.
I wouldn't have the values, strength, or drive.
He has always been there  for me.
Whether I needed a laugh or a great big hug and some encouraging words, he is always willing to take time out of his crazy busy life to help me.
 I love him for his sense of humor.
I love him for the work ethic he has taught me.
I love him for coming up to girls camp every year to go on the hike with me.
I love him for running with me so many mornings and always beating me home.
I love him for his support.
I love him for his words of advice. 

I love him for the way he honors his Priesthood and leads our family.
I love him for the great example he has been to me.
If I could marry someone half as great as him I would be pretty darn lucky!
Thanks for always being there for me dad!

 
 This is my beautiful mother but I like to call her my best friend.
I have learned so much from this woman and I am so blessed to have her in my life.
I know I wouldn't have made it this far without her.
Being a mom and working full time was definitely time consuming.
But despite her crazy busy life she was at every sporting event no matter how much work she had. Instead of staying at work during the day she would stay up late to get it done just so she could come  support me
I don't remember many games where I couldn't hear her yelling-
 "Go number 3!!" and "Play hard Ash!"
and even being 2,000 miles away she still finds time to support me whether that is sending me surprise packages or talking to me on the phone for hours. I don't know how she does it.
She is a miracle worker.

For her sacrifice and support I will forever be grateful.
I want to be like her one day.
She is such a great role model for me to look up to.
I'm so grateful that I got the chance to not only be a daughter but a best friend to my mom. It has truly been a blessing in my life to grow up with a great mom.
I love you!





Now for the greatest siblings in the whole wide world!! :)

This is my handsome brother Taylor.
Taylor is two years older than me and the best big brother a girl could ask for.
He has always been right by my side helping me find my way.
Even though we have had our fights we always end up hugging it out and go
back to loving each other. From the moment I was born we were best friends.
Growing up with Taylor was anything but boring.
I remember waking up on Saturdays smelling omelets because Taylor was kind enough to make his brother and sisters some breakfast.
I remember him staying home to watch movies with us instead of going out with his friends.
I remember playing soccer and lacrosse together.
I remember being at school and having him come up and ask me how my day was going and then he would give me a great big hug. Not many siblings acted like that in high school.
I remember double dates and late night adventures and staying up talking all night.
I remember going to our cabin and him teaching me how to snowboard.
I remember hearing him play the guitar and letting me sing along even though I'm not a good singer.
I remember him coming to games and supporting me.
I remember him helping me with homework.
I remember eating a whole box of otter pops in one day as we turned the garage into a skate park so we could rollerblade.
I remember all of these things because I have a big brother who was willing to spend time with his sometimes annoying little sister.
I am so grateful to have these dear memories.
I love my big brother so much!
and I'm definitely the luckiest little sister in the world!!

 So then comes my little yet not so little brother Bostin :)
Oh what a joy he is in our family.
He is one of those kids that you love so much and yet you want to strangle half the time because he is so darn stubborn!
He is an amazing example to everyone around him.
Even though he is my little brother I definitely look up to him, and it's not just because he is taller than me. :)
Before Taylor left to college Bostin and I weren't very close.
But when I became the oldest child in the house things started to change. I relied on Bostin like I relied on Taylor when he was here. I started to have to spend time with Bostin because of different chores and I was the only driver at home. I remember taking Bostin to practices and school events or to friend's houses. Every time we would get in the car we would fight about the music and whether the windows should be rolled down or which way to get there, but as we spent more time together the songs didn't matter because we both could sing to them and the windows were rolled down only on certain roads, and we would take the long way so we could listen to more songs and spend time together. :)
I began to form a bond with this little brother of mine and soon we were best friends. He was someone I could count on and who would support me in everything. We soon wanted to hang out with each other and we wanted to be at each other's games and we wanted to acknowledge that we were related and we liked it. :)
Going away to college made me scared that we would lose touch or go back to how we used to be but, our relationship has only grown.
I'm grateful for the softening of both our hearts so that we could gain the relationship that we now have.







Say Hello to my mini-me, Kenzie!
She is my favorite person in the world.
When I was little and my mom was pregnant with Bostin, I cried when I found out that it was a boy instead of a girl. All I wanted was a little sister. And one day I got one. My life has been forever changed because of Kenzie. Not only did I have the privilege of taking care of her, spending time with her, and helping her become the best she could be, but I got to find a best friend.
We spend time doing each other's hair, painting nails, talking about boys, and trying on clothes, going to dinner, watching movies, singing in the car, and constantly laughing with each other. :) She definitely is a little princess and much more girly than I have ever been but we balance each other out nicely.
Kenzie is one of those people that has to sing everything... and by everything I mean everything!
What she is eating, what her homework says, where she is going, how she feels, the weather, the way she looks, the way she thinks others look, and the list goes on.
But she has an amazing voice so it makes it okay.
She is so talented with a kind soul and a happy attitude. I'm grateful for all the things this cute girl has taught me over the years.
I love this girl so much and I'm so glad that I get to be her big sister. There is nothing quite like having a sister who is your best friend.

I really love my crazy family