Well, I can check another new thing off my list - although this one, I didn't want on there at all....Traffic Court!
Yes, that's right, I got a ticket. I was driving through a neighborhood here in town and didn't come to a "full and complete stop" at a stop sign, or the official wording on my ticket disregarding a stop sign. No, I didn't stop completely nor did I run right through it, I did the famous "rolling stop" and I got caught. The cop was hiding in an unmarked vehicle up a cul-de-sac, parked outside of a house. Sneaky if you ask me.
Today, was my court date. I had no idea what to expect. I had all intentions of pleading "not-guilty" mainly because I was mad at the cop and thought the judge should know how sneaky he was by hiding. On Monday night, I called my dad and we talked through things, and he talked to me about what I could expect. Later that night and the entire next day, I had this terrible feeling, I didn't have peace about going to court and I couldn't figure out why. I knew I had to go to court, and if I had to go, I didn't want to be terrified, but I didn't have peace. So, I asked God...Point Blank. "God, why have you not given me peace about going to court? I have prayed for it, and none has come!" And He so clearly said:
I will not give you peace, because you are not doing what you know is right.
Well, crud! Definitely not what I wanted to hear! Deep down, I knew He was right (as He always is). I needed to plead guilty because I was in fact, guilty. I had convinced myself that a "rolling stop" was good enough, when it's not what the law says. This was not my time to get on my soap box and tell the judge my thoughts on the cop and why I thought he shouldn't have been there. None of that mattered! I would never have known a cop was up there if I had come to a complete stop a the stop sign. So I decided to do the right thing and plead guilty if I needed to.
So today, my mom (who I asked to go with me) and I went to the courthouse. I was nervous, my heart was pounding. We walked into the courtroom and were there for about an hour. My cop, was not the nicest guy on the face of the earth. He was rude and talked down to me. Thankfully I didn't have to appear before a judge, which I am very happy about, and the cop did reduce my fine since I showed up. It definitely was not a fun experience, I do not want to go back, and have stopped at every stop sign since that day.
So, there we go, my first visit to Traffic Court, and while it was an experience, it is one that I do not need to go through again.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Ben!!!! (technically, I'm a day late...) I am so very lucky to have you as a brother in law. You make me laugh all the time, and look out for me. So glad that you found Sarah and have been such an example to me! Thanks for all that you do, and have done! You are the best, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thoughts
Well, it's Thanksgiving weekend, and there are so many things that I am thankful for. I am thankful for my amazing family, my friends, upcoming things in my life,so glad I am not the same person that I was last year, and many many more. Among these, is that I'm thankful for my job, and that it gives paid holidays! These past three days have been really great! I have gotten so much accomplished, but most of all, I have had time to think.
I am a thinker by nature, I ponder, wonder, scrutinize, scenarioize (yes, I made that word up, means I come up with multiple scenarios for different things). Unfortunately, I do this at times that I shouldn't, like when I am with my family at dinner, or in a long car ride with the family. I go into "Ashley Land" where I shut down and go into my own world. Little things can set it off, and sometimes I ponder things of no consequence. I just start thinking and playing things in my head.
Now, let me say that this can get me into lots of trouble. Sometimes, it is great, for instance when I want to arrange furniture, or if I need to come up with a game plan. I can see things in my head and come up with about 4 different routes/ideas/suggestions for doing one task. God also teaches me a lot during these thinking moments. He reminds me of things, He puts ideas and thoughts into my head that I wouldn't have thought of. He teaches me so much about life and about myself during these trips to my own world. That is helpful, when it's not however is when insignificant things become massive and I can't stop thinking about them. There is a Friends episode that can describe what I'm talking about. There is an episode where Rachel and Ross get locked out of the apartment with Emma locked inside, and here is the scenario Ross comes up with in order to mock Rachel's nonsense.
Ross: " . . . a pigeon! No, no wait, no, no! An eagle flew in! Landed on the stove and caught fire! The baby, seeing this, jumps across the apartment to the mighty bird's aid! The eagle, however, misconstrues as an act of aggression and grabs the baby in it's talon. Meanwhile, the faucet fills the apartment with water! Baby and bird - still ablaze, are locked in a death grip, swirling around the world-pool the fills the apartment!"
Rachel: "You are going to be so sorry if that is true"
I know that is hilarious, but it is also true in my head. I can go from one insignificant thing to the most obnoxious, impossible scenario. I know that it is crazy, but have a hard time convincing myself that it isn't true because I can actually picture the insane happening despite it being impossible. I can also go into deep thoughts about life, about situations, about work, and I can focus on things for hours. I can sit and think on one subject, reliving a recent encounter, remembering little details, fixating on certain things, and analyzing my responses and thinking of ways I could have responded better. This has helped from time to time, as I can learn from past mistakes, but it also can be just time wasted fixating on something that is in the past. I can't change it, so why analyze it just to drive myself crazy.
I am very thankful for my family who helps me talk through things, who bring me out of "Ashley land", who bring me down from the insane scenarios and bring me back to reality. As I said, I have learned a lot of things from the Lord during these moments, and have given me insights and revelations that I know only He could have put in my mind. I only pray that He will help me with the insane and absurd thoughts that I waste so much time on. I pray that He will help me overcome these insanities and use my time to focus on the things that He wants to teach me.
I am a thinker by nature, I ponder, wonder, scrutinize, scenarioize (yes, I made that word up, means I come up with multiple scenarios for different things). Unfortunately, I do this at times that I shouldn't, like when I am with my family at dinner, or in a long car ride with the family. I go into "Ashley Land" where I shut down and go into my own world. Little things can set it off, and sometimes I ponder things of no consequence. I just start thinking and playing things in my head.
Now, let me say that this can get me into lots of trouble. Sometimes, it is great, for instance when I want to arrange furniture, or if I need to come up with a game plan. I can see things in my head and come up with about 4 different routes/ideas/suggestions for doing one task. God also teaches me a lot during these thinking moments. He reminds me of things, He puts ideas and thoughts into my head that I wouldn't have thought of. He teaches me so much about life and about myself during these trips to my own world. That is helpful, when it's not however is when insignificant things become massive and I can't stop thinking about them. There is a Friends episode that can describe what I'm talking about. There is an episode where Rachel and Ross get locked out of the apartment with Emma locked inside, and here is the scenario Ross comes up with in order to mock Rachel's nonsense.
Ross: " . . . a pigeon! No, no wait, no, no! An eagle flew in! Landed on the stove and caught fire! The baby, seeing this, jumps across the apartment to the mighty bird's aid! The eagle, however, misconstrues as an act of aggression and grabs the baby in it's talon. Meanwhile, the faucet fills the apartment with water! Baby and bird - still ablaze, are locked in a death grip, swirling around the world-pool the fills the apartment!"
Rachel: "You are going to be so sorry if that is true"
I know that is hilarious, but it is also true in my head. I can go from one insignificant thing to the most obnoxious, impossible scenario. I know that it is crazy, but have a hard time convincing myself that it isn't true because I can actually picture the insane happening despite it being impossible. I can also go into deep thoughts about life, about situations, about work, and I can focus on things for hours. I can sit and think on one subject, reliving a recent encounter, remembering little details, fixating on certain things, and analyzing my responses and thinking of ways I could have responded better. This has helped from time to time, as I can learn from past mistakes, but it also can be just time wasted fixating on something that is in the past. I can't change it, so why analyze it just to drive myself crazy.
I am very thankful for my family who helps me talk through things, who bring me out of "Ashley land", who bring me down from the insane scenarios and bring me back to reality. As I said, I have learned a lot of things from the Lord during these moments, and have given me insights and revelations that I know only He could have put in my mind. I only pray that He will help me with the insane and absurd thoughts that I waste so much time on. I pray that He will help me overcome these insanities and use my time to focus on the things that He wants to teach me.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Drywall Is Up!!
The drywall is up! I went on Tuesday with my realtor, and it was so much fun to see everything defined just a little bit more. You are used to seeing through the walls to the other parts of the house, but now you get a better idea of how rooms are going to look. I can't believe how far it has come in such a short time. I mean not too long ago, my realtor was showing me how compacted the clay was so they could lay the foundation. Not too much longer now! All the finishing touches are going to come in now, cabinets, painting, lights...can't wait to see it all completed!!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Pre-Drywall Meeting
On Friday, I had my Pre-Drywall meeting. What is this you ask? Well, it's a meeting at the house before the drywall goes up! :)
My realtor, Zack, and I met the builder at the house and we walked through the house making sure everything was in place before they put up the drywall.. The builder pointed out every outlet, light switch, light, smoke alarm, thermostat, etc, and make sure that it is in an ok place. All was well except for one light switch that I asked them to move because it was awkwardly behind the railing of the staircase. The builder said it was an easy fix, so problem solved! We also had an issue with the stairs to address, but that was taken care of as well! Overall, it was a very productive meeting. I was orientated with the ins and outs of the house more, found out how my attic stairs were going to come down, what size AC filters I would need, my closet in my bedroom is 100 square feet by itself, and most importantly found out my closing date hasn't been delayed!! whoo hoo!!
So in little over a month my house will be completed! So hard to believe, and yet so exciting! I can't wait to see all the finishing touches put on. Each step has become more of a reality to me. At the beginning I bought something that I hadn't even seen, and now I have walls and insulation, and this week, drywall!
Now the fun really begins...packing! Trying to figure out when to start is the hardest part. You don't want to pack too far in advance, because if the stuff can stay in a box for 6 or so weeks, do I really need it, and do I want to live with boxes around, yet on the other hand, you don't want to wait until the 11th hour. I hope to start packing soon though. It's going to be a crazy few weeks, but oh so exciting!!
My realtor, Zack, and I met the builder at the house and we walked through the house making sure everything was in place before they put up the drywall.. The builder pointed out every outlet, light switch, light, smoke alarm, thermostat, etc, and make sure that it is in an ok place. All was well except for one light switch that I asked them to move because it was awkwardly behind the railing of the staircase. The builder said it was an easy fix, so problem solved! We also had an issue with the stairs to address, but that was taken care of as well! Overall, it was a very productive meeting. I was orientated with the ins and outs of the house more, found out how my attic stairs were going to come down, what size AC filters I would need, my closet in my bedroom is 100 square feet by itself, and most importantly found out my closing date hasn't been delayed!! whoo hoo!!
So in little over a month my house will be completed! So hard to believe, and yet so exciting! I can't wait to see all the finishing touches put on. Each step has become more of a reality to me. At the beginning I bought something that I hadn't even seen, and now I have walls and insulation, and this week, drywall!
Now the fun really begins...packing! Trying to figure out when to start is the hardest part. You don't want to pack too far in advance, because if the stuff can stay in a box for 6 or so weeks, do I really need it, and do I want to live with boxes around, yet on the other hand, you don't want to wait until the 11th hour. I hope to start packing soon though. It's going to be a crazy few weeks, but oh so exciting!!
Mandi's Wedding Weekend
I just got home from a whirlwind weekend to Pennsylvania for my friend Mandi's wedding. Ben, Sarah and I left Friday after work and drove up to Lancaster only to return home today. We arrived Friday at 2 am, slept for about 5 hours and then Saturday we were hanging out with friends. We started the day at Shady Maple for breakfast - it is an Amish run restaurant and it is amazing food! This is the first time we have been there for breakfast. After breakfast, we went to the park with Ray, Sara and Lily and hung out with them until the wedding.
The wedding was beautiful!! It was held in a country barn that was converted to a wedding/reception venue. The wedding was everything Mandi. It was simple yet elegant. She had great music! Most of her music came from movies, she had Disney, Pirates, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter...it was so much fun! It was a typical Northern wedding with seating charts and a full sit down dinner. At dinner time, the DJ said "I would like to introduce you to our dinner" to which our table said "introduce?" with questions marks on our faces and then we saw what he meant. Two guys walked in carrying a big that had been barbecued. Yes, the entire pig face and all. It was quite disturbing to walk up to the pig and the guy pull meat right out of him. Phil leaned over to me while eating and asked me if I wanted to know the pigs name...I quickly told him no! I did not want to know the name of the pig that I was eating. She didn't have a traditional cake, instead she had 4 flavors of whoopie pies!! Oh my stars they were amazing. We had fun filling out the MadLibs at the table, and they had an ornament in the shape of a star for everyone at the table to sign. We also got to see friends and hang out for awhile.
Even though it was a short weekend, it was well worth it to go up for the wedding. We have traveled those roads so many times that the 9 hours don't seem that bad anymore. It's fun to see everyone if only for the day, and I love going home!
The wedding was beautiful!! It was held in a country barn that was converted to a wedding/reception venue. The wedding was everything Mandi. It was simple yet elegant. She had great music! Most of her music came from movies, she had Disney, Pirates, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter...it was so much fun! It was a typical Northern wedding with seating charts and a full sit down dinner. At dinner time, the DJ said "I would like to introduce you to our dinner" to which our table said "introduce?" with questions marks on our faces and then we saw what he meant. Two guys walked in carrying a big that had been barbecued. Yes, the entire pig face and all. It was quite disturbing to walk up to the pig and the guy pull meat right out of him. Phil leaned over to me while eating and asked me if I wanted to know the pigs name...I quickly told him no! I did not want to know the name of the pig that I was eating. She didn't have a traditional cake, instead she had 4 flavors of whoopie pies!! Oh my stars they were amazing. We had fun filling out the MadLibs at the table, and they had an ornament in the shape of a star for everyone at the table to sign. We also got to see friends and hang out for awhile.
Even though it was a short weekend, it was well worth it to go up for the wedding. We have traveled those roads so many times that the 9 hours don't seem that bad anymore. It's fun to see everyone if only for the day, and I love going home!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Fulfilled Life
My brother wrote a blog on contentment and ever since it has gotten me thinking. How content and I in life right now...am I content? I have been thinking about this for a few days, and I have to say that I am very content with my life. I know I have written before that last year I wasn't content with life, but this year I am. The only thing I can attribute that is to God's work in my life. I used to be so afraid of my future, worry about things that could happen, and I would allow myself to go through the "What if's" in life. I have to say that ever since God did a 180 on my life I haven't worried about my future, or focus on the things that could happen, I have been able to focus on the things of today. I am able to enjoy the days, the processes of things.
There is a quote that says "Wherever you are, be all there" and that reminds me to live in today and not in the past or the future. To be content with where I am.
There is a quote that says "Wherever you are, be all there" and that reminds me to live in today and not in the past or the future. To be content with where I am.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
House Update
So things moved fast this week! This time last week, I only had a slab of concrete and today I have an entire house framed!! It was so exciting to be able to walk around and see things up close and personal! As you know, this is the first time that they have ever built this floor plan, so it was exciting to be able to see it life-sized, and not just on paper. So without further ado..here is a picture of my house!
There is a funny story here....as you can see those are my stairs that my dad is looking at and inspecting....so if my stairs are outside, how did we get up to the second floor you ask? Well, when we were there on Saturday, the framers were still working and we saw one guy climb up the wall via a make-shift ladder to the second floor. This ladder was built into the existing wall frames, basically horizontal steps put up between two vertical 2x4's. So, today, being the adventurous family that we are said "we can do that" so up the make shift ladder we went! Yes, we are crazy, but it was fun! The hardest part was coming back down, but no worries for us - we all went up and back down without a hitch.
The house is more than I expected! I am so very glad because it could have easily gone the other way, and not lived up to the image in my head, but it went way beyond! Now all the fun really begins and the planning can get underway!! I am so excited!!
There is a funny story here....as you can see those are my stairs that my dad is looking at and inspecting....so if my stairs are outside, how did we get up to the second floor you ask? Well, when we were there on Saturday, the framers were still working and we saw one guy climb up the wall via a make-shift ladder to the second floor. This ladder was built into the existing wall frames, basically horizontal steps put up between two vertical 2x4's. So, today, being the adventurous family that we are said "we can do that" so up the make shift ladder we went! Yes, we are crazy, but it was fun! The hardest part was coming back down, but no worries for us - we all went up and back down without a hitch.
The house is more than I expected! I am so very glad because it could have easily gone the other way, and not lived up to the image in my head, but it went way beyond! Now all the fun really begins and the planning can get underway!! I am so excited!!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Year
On February 16th of this year, I decided that 2011 was going to be my year...my year of adventure and I am proud to say that so far it has been! So far, I have done more than I ever thought I would. I have stepped out of my comfort zone several times, I have learned and realized a lot about who I am and about myself, and I have made some huge decisions.
God has taught me so much about myself so far. I have realized that I am stronger than I ever thought I was. I am more capable than I believe, I can handle more that I ever thought possible. Honestly, I always thought that I was going to need a "guy" in my life to do things with because I never thought I had the abilities to do them myself. Boy was I dead wrong! I have surprised myself in more ways than one. What we can't do on our own, we can do with God as our partner! I am so thankful that He has been there for me this year to guide me, to encourage me, to strengthen me, and to show me areas where I needed to change.
You know what the best part about this is? It's only November! I still have 2 months left - and as I am typing this, God pricked me and said "Why does it have to be just 2011?" Why do I think that at midnight on December 31, 2011 my year of adventure is going to end? Why can't it flow over into 2012? So let's just say that I think God has some things in store for me that I can't fathom yet, and I have to say I am very excited about them!
God has taught me so much about myself so far. I have realized that I am stronger than I ever thought I was. I am more capable than I believe, I can handle more that I ever thought possible. Honestly, I always thought that I was going to need a "guy" in my life to do things with because I never thought I had the abilities to do them myself. Boy was I dead wrong! I have surprised myself in more ways than one. What we can't do on our own, we can do with God as our partner! I am so thankful that He has been there for me this year to guide me, to encourage me, to strengthen me, and to show me areas where I needed to change.
You know what the best part about this is? It's only November! I still have 2 months left - and as I am typing this, God pricked me and said "Why does it have to be just 2011?" Why do I think that at midnight on December 31, 2011 my year of adventure is going to end? Why can't it flow over into 2012? So let's just say that I think God has some things in store for me that I can't fathom yet, and I have to say I am very excited about them!
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