Catch up

Blogging has taken a back burner this past year. I don't feel I have much of anything insightful to share with you, but I think I am going to try and get involved again.

New house: Not so new anymore. We still don't have furniture for all the rooms and we still have lots of to-do projects, but we love it.

Pippa: most fabulously cute puppy ever. She is a hooligan. The end.

Jeremy: Work and grad school. That is all he does. He is working on his masters of youth and family ministry and has about 1.5 years left. He works so hard.

Kelly, who has worked with Jeremy since with beginning is now gone as of September 29. Him and his wife Kelci are moving the Brazil to be missionaries. We are so happy for them.

Jeremy is more than capable of handling the work on his own, however, I do not feel that he should have to. It is still being decided if they will hire someone else. We are praying they will, or else I won't ever see my husband!

RN world: Work is always challenging and rewarding. I feel like I have grown a lot this last year as a nurse. I am currently studying to take my CPN test (certified pediatric nurse) with some girls from work. I find that it is hard to get back into the groove of studying. It confirms to me that I am not interested in going back to school at this point in time!

I got honored this year by our doctors by being selected their inpatient Nurse of the Year at Children's. I was both very surprised and honored.

And Finally..... And Most importantly.....

VACATION

Jeremy and I just got back from a fabulous week in Marathon, Florida with my family. It was restful and relaxing. However, I needed another month or two to fully recover and get rested up.

I plan to try and update more regularly again!

So this is long over due, but I feel like it is time for me to come back to the blogging world!

I realize that my life if probably not the most exciting, but I feel as if I need to update you to what's been going on!

Lets see:

New House (first house!)

The previous owners had literally painted every room. UGLY colors! Who likes burnt orange, brown,mustard puke yellow, and green walls?

Seriously? No one. 

I sure like my neutral tan now. EVERY SINGLE WALL. It took FOREVER. Thanks to my mom, Danielle and mom-in-law Vicki for helping out!

The previous owners also were gracious enough to paint all the doors and baseboards black. Who knew that painting them white would not be possible?

Thanks to Dave Ramsey we are being smart and not financing the new ones we are planning on buying.....So I am being patient while we ever so slowly save up the money to replace them.

But seriously. I hate the black.

We did get to put new carpet in and let me tell you. I LOVE new carpet. It makes the house feel new.

I feel like I should have told you this before, but we bought a "fixer up-er: house. 

While at times I wish it were just done. It has been fun to fix it up and make it what we want. 

My newest project has been doing our cabinets. They were painted black. (Go figure right? What was up with these people and their obsession with black??) So I decided that they needed to be chalk painted and antiqued. I have officially finished our bathroom and the guest bathroom. My next project will be the kitchen. But that will be a huge project to attack...so it will have to wait until after thanksgiving! Don't judge the ugly black doors and baseboards. I can't do anything about them yet!

Needless to say, both bathrooms are looking better.

Also new, and really lets be honest, this is awesome...
We got a PUPPY!! Her name is Pippa and yes, she is the most adorable puppy ever. You can say your puppy is cuter. But it really is a lie. Pippa is adorable.
How can you not love this little face?

Like I said. I realize I am partially biased seeing as how she is my puppy baby and all. But seriously. We could win awards with her cuteness. She is a Cock-a-Poo. Totally cute and totally spoiled. I don't even care. I love her.

Jeremy is still a fabulous, drop dead gorgeous husband. Who doesn't love a guy in a tux?

We have been happily married for almost 2 1/2 years! I can't believe it!

I am still a RN at Children's hospital. Believe it or not, I am what you would call and "experienced nurse" now! I am thankful for my job!

Anyway, I suppose I have updated enough for one night. I am sure there is plenty more to tell you about. But I will make you anticipate my next entry!

I do promise to try and be more consistent. My poor Dell has bit the dust though and Jeremy is having to share his Mac with me. 

Have a fabulous week :)

Oh So Good Brownies!

Moist...Delicious...Just plain Yummy!

Apple Sauce Brownies courtesy of Susan Fulks

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs, unbeaten
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups apple sauce

Combine all ingredients and beat. Pour into greased 9x13

Sprinkle over top:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional, I left them out)

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Fabulous!

Yes...I had to take a bite. I should have waited for the picture...but who can say no to warm brownies??

Summer Time!

Summer time means Pool time!

I am happy to admit I have been spending hours at the pool, re-reading The Harry Potter Series.

No....the pool at our apartment complex does not look quite like that, but it is what I would like to imagine!

I am currently on book three and must read much quicker if I plan to finish before the last movie comes out!

We have been so busy since the beginning of March. It is beginning to wear on me. No joke or exaggeration: We have been out of town every single weekend that I have not been working. Only to rush back home Saturday night for church.

June/July/August is full of great stuff for the youth group. However, that means Jeremy and I have zero free nights together to take a break; between camps, VBS's, mission weeks, lock-ins, sleep overs and my work it's a high anxiety time for Ashley!

Jeremy does a lot better with the busy schedule than I do. I get this horrible suffocating feeling in my chest if I think about it too much!

I am looking forward to this summer, but I am going to need a lot of prayers to not completely freak out and lose it!

In the meantime, I am going to dream of the beach, and getting away from everything for a nice long break. Maybe dreaming will make it real!

Anniversary

Well it's been a year now! I cannot believe how fast it flew by. 

What a wonderful blessing to be married to my best friend. We could not have had a more blessed year together. God has given us so much.

Things I have learned about being married:

1. It is so comforting to come home to someone you love. 

No matter how bad the day was, they will make it better.

2. Just because you can eat only a grilled cheese for dinner doesn't

mean he can.

3. It is hard to agree on what time is a good bedtime, especially if he is a night owl.

4. There is such thing as life without cable and Internet, and it is survivable.

5. You don't have to do the same thing. You can read your book, while he watches sports.

6. There is someone there to finish the wet load of laundry that always gets left in the washer.

7. You can both do chores. Splitting them up makes cleaning faster!

8. Boys CAN cook. Despite what they try and tell you. My husband can make a mean omelet. 

9. You don't have to look pretty all the time. You can go to bed with your wet hair in an ugly bun and they will love you no matter what. 

10. Being married is the most wonderful time of your life. 

Please forgive me as I do a little reminiscing of the wedding. It was the most wonderful day! 

Royal Wedding Dress

I don't have much to say about it, and I just watched a few clips here and there.

But let me tell you I LOVED her dress.

It was beautiful. I guess I am a dress snob. When I go to a wedding, that is by far what I think is most important!

Obviously the actual marriage is the most important. But I am talking about the physical/unimportant but fabulous wedding "details".

I loved my wedding dress.

I thought I would never find "that" dress. I looked everywhere, and found stuff I liked, but I nothing that I loved. I guess I had been expecting the earth to move or something when I finally found it. That feeling never came, months of trying on dresses, store after store. I was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me.

Until I found my dress. Now, don't take me for a crier. I did not cry. In fact, I did not even get the dress right away. But I came back, a few times, and kept trying it on. Until I knew. This was it!

Now, don't get me wrong. I could not have been happier with my dress, with my wedding, or with my marriage.

But sometimes I am sad that I will never get to pick out another wedding dress again.

It is still fun to look!

Here are some of my new favorites:

After the Royal Wedding, what do you bet sleeves come back in on Wedding dresses??

Happy Wedding Dress looking!

Lately

So a lot has been going on at the Robertson household as of late.

Most impressively, Jeremy completed his first marathon!

And although he was not thrilled with his time, he did very well! He ended up with a pulled hamstring on mile 18 and some other severe leg injuries/leg bleeding that really slowed him down. He was going to break his goal time of 4 hours until the injuries. He still finished, but had to walk the last 8 miles due to the injuries.

BUT HE FINISHED.

Not to mention, he still finished faster than 1/2 of the other marathon runners!

(Allow me to brag a little)

My stubborn man is already looking for the next one to run because he was so upset with his last time.

We picked up motorcycle riding

Just kidding! We stopped at the Harley Davidson store in Dallas. He knows I would never allow him to get on a moving motorcycle. I would kill him faster than the motorcycle would.

This is as close as he will ever get. Sorry sweetie.

I have also been reading through a Christian book series call "The Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers. WOW. It is so fabulous. I am currently working my way through the last of the 3 books and I am in love with all of them!

It really gives you a peak inside what the world was like for Christians in the time right after the death of Christ, during the reign of the Roman Empire. Reading it makes me understand more about the persecution the New Testament talks about. They are fictional books, but they have given me a little bit more understanding related to what those in the New Testament faced daily for their faith.

I highly recommend them.

Work has been going....nothing really new with that. I highly anticipate my days off!

Spring Retreat with the youth group was awesome! We took a group of over 80 students and talked about what it is to have your life Remade by Christ. Jeremy and Kelly did a great job reaching out to our students. It is so encouraging to see the youth group finally starting to take a hold of the ideas that they have been teaching all year. God is allowing them to do great things at the EYG!

OH!

Guess who was right about my car starter being broken??

That's right. ME!

Take THAT Mr. rude car man!

He should have done it for free after all that!

Just so you know, I was very nice when we picked it up.

Retreat and Car Problems

Spring Retreat is this weekend!

I am so excited to actually get to go to a youth event with Jeremy!

Sadly it is a rare occasion.

I don't get to stay the whole weekend, I still have to come back for work Sunday, but at least I get to go for a bit!

We had to take my car in yesterday for "periodically not starting"

Stupid Honda dealer didn't believe me the last time I brought it in for this....and this time we took it in, the VERY SAME RUDE MAN was the man we had to deal with again!

Used to, if it didn't start, it would eventually start in about 2-3 tries. This time, if it doesn't start it is taking a few hours to days between. That's really not working with the whole me having a job thing!

So Mr. Rude man, he says "Well we can't run any tests unless it actually doesn't start while it is here"

Well Mr. Rude man, the problem is "periodic not starting! It is probably going to start for you!"

So what good are you to me?

Then he tried to argue with me that they had not already seen it for this problem.

Yes Mr. Rude man, you HAVE seen it for this problem and I am back because it is happening again. Therefore, you did NOT do your job well!

Jeremy and I tried to explain to him that it is my starter. We know this because as soon as you tap on the starter with a hammer, guess what? IT STARTS!

Mr. Rude man says "Well, that is probably just a coincidence"

UGH!

I realize that I am not the best "customer," I tend to get irritated easily.

• If you don't let me use my coupons.
• If you don't know what you are talking about.
• If you treat me like I don't know what I am talking about.
• If you are a telemarketer for the Daily Oklahoman and you call me 3-4 times a day.

I might shout at you.

Just to clarify though, I will not pay for this unless they actually fix it this time. I am serious.

I try to be nice. I know I should be nice. I am working on that.

Redeeming Love

I just finished re-reading Redeeming Love.

I loved it as much this time as last time! I would highly recommend it if you have never read it.

I couldn't help but wonder if maybe the people that lived in the 1800's had it a little better than we do now. Sure, there were no modern conveniences, no blow driers, hot showers, medications, or coke zero. But they seemed more content.

I realize it was only a fictional book, and there were many hardships that people faced in the old world, but the idea of the "simple" life sounds so appealing when we live in a fast paced world. It is impossible to get away from the stress of the business of life. It is expected of us here. If you are not working 2 jobs, taking care of a house, kids, pets, and running to four million activities then you are not living the "American Dream."

Since when did the "American Dream" become the "Stressed-out Life?"

Laugh all you want about me living on a farm (I am laughing at the thought) but seriously. I love the idea of living out in the middle of nowhere and having no one to rely on except God, your family, and if you are lucky, maybe a neighbor family.

I realize that they worked from daylight to dark, but they got to work together. They didn't all go their separate ways and only reunite for an hour for dinner time and then split up again to go do their separate evening activities.

They did not spend their evenings in front of the TV, at back to back sports activities, or at weekly events. They read the bible as a family, they danced with their neighbors, sang songs, and ate dinner together.

You have to wonder, did they have it better than we do now? I love the simplicity of it, even if there is no way I would ever survive like that now. I would have been just fine if it was all I ever knew.

The modern conveniences we have now are wonderful. Trust me, I am very thankful for doctors, nurses, and the new medications we have discovered to increased the life span. I am thankful for hot showers, and that I can just turn on a faucet and hot water comes out. I am in love with zero coke and my hair dryer.

But, we could all survive without these things. (Modern Medicine, maybe not as much, but you  can't have everything!)

Anyway, on that note, I am very thankful for where I am today and the wonderful blessings that we have in this world. Instead of day-dreaming myself back into a simpler time, I need to try and make my life less stressful now!

I realize that stress is a choice. So apparently I just need to choose to not worry, and choose to allow my life to slow down a bit.

Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Great Songs

Best Going to Bed Song:

When the Rain Comes: Third Day

Best Christian Song:

Audience of One: Big Daddy Weave

Best Revenge Song:

Better than Revenge: Taylor Swift
Before he Cheats: Carrie Underwood

Song Stuck in my Head Right Now:

Airplanes: B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams

Best Love Song:

Love Story: Taylor Swift

Best Dance Song:

Get Low: Lil John

Best Couple Song:

Better Together: Jack Johnson

Best Boy Band Song:

Tearin' Up My Heart: N'SYNC

Best Twilight Series Soundtrack Song:

Flightless Bird, American Mouth: Iron and Wine

Best Soundstrack Song:

At the Beginning: Anastasia Soundtrack

Happy Listening :)

Home Sweet Home

I have come to really love our apartment.
It is my first home with Jeremy- how could I not love it?

I am really starting to feel like the decorations are coming together (minus a few things still needing help)

I feel like I have finally got it clean enough, considering how filthy it was when we moved in.

Do apartment people ever ACTUALLY clean before you move in? Or is that just what they tell you to make you happy?

Bleach has become my best friend when it comes to cleaning here. I mean honestly, you just never know what could have been here before you...GROSS!

Anyway, on the note of finally feeling like home...I am in desperate need of a puppy.
I don't think you understand just HOW bad I want a puppy

I am that person that stops on the side of the road whenever puppies are for sale...

Stupid apartment complex will not let me get one.

I could have a puppy here and my apartment would be ten million times cleaner than ANYONE else's!!

I'll clean up the poop too!!

Just PLEASE let me get a puppy!

I have some justification....I only work 3 days a week, so I am here...all alone 4 days out of the week (excluding the very few weekends I am off).

I need a puppy friend to keep me company while I am home alone.

I need a snuggle buddy to sit on the couch and read a book with me while I wait for my sweet hubby to come home!

What about when Jeremy is out of town and I am all alone and scared?

I bet if I had a puppy I would not have to sleep with the bathroom light on, my contacts in and fear in my heart of a burglar!!

So, in light of my super convincing argument: May I please have a puppy?

How can you turn down that face?
PS: I will move somewhere new, ANYWHERE that will let me get my puppy Murphy.

Yes, his name will be Murphy by the way.

7 Random Things about Me

So in response to Amy's request, I find that I must share 7 random things about me.

I realize that most of you won't care. But I am banking on Amy reading them all, taking notes, and asking questions later.

1. I sometimes wonder what I am going to be when I grow up.

2. I could live on Ice Cream and Pepperoni Pizza

3. I want to write a book. Scratch that, I want to write multiple books and be good at it. We like to call it an Author.

4. I don't really have any good ideas for this book I want to write.

5. I think about how much I weigh, way too much.

6. I am very stingy about my time with my husband. Don't mess with it!

7. I eat ice cream out of the carton throughout the day. I will open the freezer and get a spoonful with my breakfast in the morning, then I will do it again later in the day. It's a bad habit. Don't tell.

Well I hope this was insightful! I have a few other things I thought I might share though!

My homemade pizza is the best. Sorry Alyssa, Kitty, and Bradleigh. I know you guys miss it. Come visit me and I will cook for you :)

Also, who knew I could make for real Chinese Chicken Fried Rice? I am not going to lie. This is possibly the best thing I have ever cooked. The recipe is on allrecipes.com under Chicken Fried Rice. It is the first one that pops up.

Warning: You will use almost every single one of your pots/pans/dishes in your home to make this Chinese wonderland!

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day!

My first married Valentine's day was spent at the hospital taking care of sick little kiddo's.

I was so un-festive, I even forgot to wear red! However, Purple is a Valentine color though right?

My sweet Jeremy came home after work and starting slaving away in kitchen making us a very yummy dinner!

He made Anniversary Chicken, which he renamed "Valentine's Chicken"

It required Jeremy to learn 2 new words: basting and sauteing!

He also made boxed mashed potatoes. This was my first experience with boxed mashed potatoes! Who knew such a thing existed?? I was pleasantly surprised that they were pretty good!

Jeremy's meal turned out to be very good! I was a little nervous when I heard he was cooking because his cooking only includes frozen pizza, hot dogs, and a new one for him: Tacos!

So you an imagine my anxiety when he decided to make a real meal!

Now the only issue for him is that he has showed me he CAN cook! So when I get home from work I will now be expecting a little more!

Maybe one day we will actually get to go out on our Valentine's Day date like we had planned!

But it's looking like as long as we have the youth group and my job mixing: that is NOT going to happen!

Either way, I was very blessed to spend the evening with my super chef husband!

My life on Call

Working as a Nurse gives me the opportunity to experience a lovely thing called "On Call" twice a month...

Let me give you a run down of "On Call"

• Anxiousness. The entire day before you wonder "am I going to get called in? Will they need me?" The entire night before you lay awake wondering "are they going to call me at 5 am in the morning? What if I don't hear my phone"

Xanax anyone??

• Hopefulness. The entire day before you hope "just this once, please don't let them call me in," "just this once, please just let them call me in later in the day and not 5 am, if I even have to be called in at all!" The entire night before you lay in bed awake, hoping "just this once, I can feel it, they wont call me in, they have 14 nurses scheduled...just this once, this will be my turn to stay home." The entire time you are at work on call "maybe just this once, I will get my turn to be sent home early!"

• Bitterness. In the morning at 5 am when you get that dreaded call "Ashley, we are going to need you today" you lay in bed and cry to your husband. Please don't make me go!

• Tiredness. 4 days a week, of 12 hour shifts, non-stop on your feet, I don't care who you are, it's exhausting!

• Prayerfulness. Dear God, please take away my anxious/hopeful/bitter/tired feelings so that I can serve these little children who need me.

Snowed In

Jeremy and I have literally been snowed in for 2 days!

And they have been the most fabulous two days ever.

I can't lie, I am a home-body. I love nothing more than being at home with Jeremy. I would much prefer to stay here then ever go anywhere ever again.

Judge me, call me unsocial. It's all true.

I am slightly devastated at the thought of returning to work tomorrow. The roads are still bad, the cars are all buried in our parking lot and my dear, sweet husband, is going to have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive me into work. AND I am going to freeze ALL day!

I realize how grateful I should be that I was not working Tuesday and therefore did not get stuck at the hospital away from home like so many did.

I would have cried. Plain and simple. Bawled my eyes out and hated my life.

So on that note, I am grateful that I was stranded at home and even more grateful that one of the stranded nurses was willing to switch me on call days so I did not get called in on Wednesday.

So it is with a heavy (yet grateful) heart that I return to work tomorrow.

Away from my warm house, away from watching really good (and 1 really awful) movies, eating taco soup and drinking hot chocolate. Away to the hospital to take care of sweet little kiddos who don't want to be there anymore than I do!

How I wish I could work from home :)

Movies to watch:

Movie that I am trying to convince Jeremy to watch tonight:

Steak and Shake

Warning: This post, is an irritated post!

Dear Steak and Shake:

Do not tell me I cannot order off the kids menu. I am your customer, and therefore, can order anything I want to order!

I will pay extra money, I just do not want the million pound greasy hamburger and fries that are offered in every other big person sized menu item.

This is not a matter of me being cheap. I realize that I can be cheap at times, I like my coupons just as much as the next person. But I will pay you extra money, just let me order WHAT I WANT!

Did you know there are starving Children in Africa who would love the other half of my big person sized meal that I cannot finish on my own because my stomach is not the size of your BIG, EGOTISTICAL HEAD?

Did you know that you are contributing to the obesity problem in America? Why are you wanting me to get larger by not allowing me to order the normal sized person meal?

If more people ate the kids meal size we would not having an overly large fat people population because the kids meal size is the correct portion size!

Sincerely,

Angry Customer

After this unfortunate incident at Steak and Shake, I vowed to never return and give them my business.

My dear husband was there at the time, he did not agree with my anger, but I adamantly tried to make him understand how seriously WRONG this was.

I just found out he went to Steak and Shake for lunch this week.

So much for the Robertson family boycott of Steak and Shake.

Jeremy may give into their greasy, unforgivable ways. But I will not yield.

I will never eat at Steak and Shake again.

(And you shouldn't either!)

There are a few of my favorite things...