i have moved!

to accommodate my google e-mail and this keeping in touch technique i've moved to
http://ashleydawnmiller.blogspot.com/

thanks my lovely little love bugs... hope to keep reading about you!

downer of the week...

I just came to the realization that I no longer have a choice, I must start taking the metro... what's the point in having a car up here anyway???

Aloha!

No i'm not in Hawaii... but it would be nice :)

So Holly (from El Paso) has just moved up here... she lives on the north end just out of Seattle city limits, but only 20 from my house, so it's nice to have a little piece of home near by :)

Work is ok, but i need more shifts... loans are stressful

I'm currently working on how i'm going to attend all these weddings in the first 3 months of 2010... actually, scratch that, 1st i have to figure out how i'm gettin home for thanksgiving (christmas will be in seattle)

All is great, i'm having fun and enjoying life. I need to go hiking again soon! no boy news... i like my roommates, they are nice. haven't gotten to know them all that well yet, but in good time. miss y'all dearly

Oh and a large transvestite asked me repeatedly to play pool last night and after i said no twice (the second time i realized (s)he wasn't asking the entire table but instead just me) (s)he asked somberly "are you sure?" and i said "yes, i'm sure"...
gotta love seattle

<3 ash

I'm Back!

So I just got back to Seattle after 12 weeks at Camp O.

Just moved into my house, I live with 6 girls and then 6 boys live above us... it's a 4 story duplex. We live in the north part of a neighborhood called capitol hill. I'm just a mile from the University of Washington, so I'm almost in the U-district (back in college setting, basically).

My room is roughly the size of the room i lived in on George Bush, BUT i have a closet!! :) I pay less than $400/month all inclusive AND i'm in the city... can't get much better than that!!

Miss ya'll madly... hope life is crazy and wonderful

xoxo
ash

Do ya'll still read this??

Hey girls!! Figured you would want an update since I left Seattle!!

I flew to Denver 2 weeks ago and drove to Houston with my friend Nick (also from camp). I got to see my sister and the kids for a few days and then we headed to camp!!

This past week is what they call work week... and it is exactly that. We meet in the mornings and one full time member will give a talk on the word of the day (integrity, commitment, attitude, recognition, or enthusiam)... usually they are pretty entertaining. Then they basically just delegate jobs to everyone and you do that job until you are done. This week I helped clean out A/C units, made bulletin boards, painted posts, cleaned, etc. I did help catch a snake that we found in the softball shed and it's been fun being able to catch up with all the old friends. All the new counselors come in on Monday so I'm excited to meet some new people. This weekend is boater's inservice, so i'll be out on the lake all day today and part of tomorrow. (YAY!!) Other than that i can't think of anything too interesting.. how are ya'll??

<3 ashley

last leg

almost back to TX! I'm excited, but i feel like the months of anticipation have hindered me from really getting rooted here. guess that will have to wait until august.

grey's anatomy is at an all time AWESOME right now... i sob every episode. i know none of ya'll watch that anymore.. but i love it

Countdowns...

5 days until Jessica gets married?!?!?!

15 days until i fly to Denver and start that monstrous drive to Houston

20 days until my summer at camp starts

151 days until the Austin City Limits music festival :)

??? days until I begin nursing school... ugh

SO April wasn't very fun...

Good thing it's almost May!!

April's highlight however, was my trip to TX. The only way it could have been better is if it had been longer. Good thing I go back in 3 weeks :)

This song has really reflected my life these days... you've probably heard it out there on Christian radio somewhere...

HOPE NOW -- ADDISON ROAD

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours

I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

Refusing to dry my hair...

SO instead I sit here and write to you my precious girls!! :)

It has been some time since I've updated you sweet ladies on my life, so I thought I would use this little down time to do it.

Currently I'm packing for Dallas... I leave in 6 hours!!! I wish all of you would be on the other end of that plane... but alas I shall survive!!

This past week i've just been working and anticipating the trip. I got to go shopping for some cute summery stuff, just to find out there are isolated thunder storms the entire weekend i'm there... what are the odds?

I went hiking on monday on Mt. Si. It is part of the cascades and a great trail. It is eight miles (4 up 4 down) and the top is awesome. On one side you have a great view of Mt. Rainier and the other you can see Bellevue and Seattle in the distance. Totally worth the 4 up (after the fact). The first 3 miles were dry and warm and then we hit snow and ice the last mile up... it was still hot though. Who would've thought i would be in shorts and a t-shirt in the snow in april.

Life here is great :) i am loving it and making friends... i hope my time away from here doesn't change that.

miss you
<3 ash

i'm being stalked...

by the Bachelor...

seriously Jason Mesnick has now come into the coffee shop twice (yesterday was the 2nd time for a Grande drip with room for him) and then tonight low and behold he walks into Boom Noodle... haha

Girl Power, Local Celebs, and other stuff...

So I was at the gym yesterday and Beyonce's "Single Ladies" came on the tv... you know what? that video just emphasizes the confidence that is in that song. It oozes girl power from every pore... you should watch it when you are down... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

In other news, i guess my coffee shop is the official location to interview our most recent bachelor from the ABC show... i've now served him his grande drip coffee with room...

I'm going to TX in 8 days... so excited :)

this is getting out of hand...

ok so does anyone else think that the confirmation to send a comment or payment or whatever over the internet is getting a little out of hand. Not only do they use 9 letters that don't spell a word but then they distort them to look like they are in one of those crazy circus mirrors. sometimes i even mistype them because i can't actually decipher which letter it really is!!

just for you Talleen!

So the weather here has been outstanding the past few days (better than Texas from what i've heard!) We have had 3 solid days of sun, almost 70 degree weather, no rain, clear skies. So, to say the least everyone has been outside, except for me that is...

I got to be outside some on sunday, but was sick all day monday and today. I did happen to have some of that time off, and got most of the rest of it covered...

I am anxious to go to dallas in the next few weeks!! Can't wait to see some of those wonderful people there and then of course to go to the camp retreat!! Ya'll know how much i love camp!!

I have made a few friends up here through work, but alas we do not get to hang out a ton b/c one of us is always working!! I was supposed to go hiking on monday with one of the guys that is from ft. worth, but the sickness took over! oh well, there will be more days to hike!

The coffee shop and I just don't seem to be meshing well, i don't feel like it is my 'cup of tea'... no pun intended :)

However, I love the restaurant, it is definitely more my speed!!

I do have a lot going on up until summer hits, i think this is my longest waiting period right now (probably why i'm so anxious!) but after dallas i come back and watch my nephews for a couple days (which means i have to have some nights off of work), then a couple weeks after that my friend holly and her sister ashley are coming to visit from el paso!!! i think i'll have an easier time showing them around since i already got to practice with all the girls who came in march!

i hope all is well in your neck of the woods (wherever you may be!) and i hope to get to see some of ya'll very soon!

<3 ash

Oh and apparently i have no "love line"... christen and i heard this once before from our friend Nicole (Nai Wei from Taiwan)... so I live in Seattle, the hostess at my restaurant was saying how she read palms (no i don't believe this but i have this really strange line that goes all the way across my hand, so i wanted to get her reaction)... her eyes get really big and then she says "where is your love line?? here is your life, and this line that is all the way across is success, but no love line... you will be very successful. it makes sense really, because those who are super successful don't have time for love." thanks valerie, there goes your tip-out... haha

A Better Update

I am going to DALLAS in 3.5 weeks for a leadership retreat for Camp... I am SOOO excited because i get to see
-- Amanda Brock and Vivien Ingram
-- Camp Friends
-- the H.S. boys
-- hopefully the Walkers!!!

It shall be a good little break from work work work.

Also, I have applied for my passport and think i'm going to purchase some tickets for the U2 360 tour in Vancouver, BC this october... i think it would be pretty Bad A.

Otherwise, there have been some very ironic coincidences recently, but nothing to post all over the internet :)

The Seattle Times

-- Jobs are going well
-- Camp retreat in Austin in 25 days
-- i love Seattle more and more

i don't know... nothing really to update on

The past week in the life of Ashley

Things that have happened in the past week:

-- i've learned a lot about Japanese cuisine
-- finally got paid from both jobs
-- ordered/received my birth certificate so i can finally get my WA license
-- planned and re-planned the visit for the camp girls coming up from Texas on saturday
-- walked up and down a hill of snow to commute from my car to my house


In other news, one of my friends from high school passed away about a week and a half ago. It saddened me to know that I wouldn't be running into him any more. I was a cheerleader with his twin sister and was affected by his death more than I thought I would have been. I realize that this happens to me often, mainly because I ache for the family and friends left behind. It was a freak accident really. Someone did an illegal U-turn on I-10 on the NM/TX border about 10 miles from my house and caused a head-on collision. The woman was only charged with reckless driving, but Pierre was 5 months away from becoming a dad for the first time. Please drive safely and be cautious of others, but also follow those traffic signals and rules... sometimes you just don't see what's literally right in front of you.

Snowing

So it's has been snowing for the past few days and is supposed to continue through tomorrow. Thus, I have been forced to park at the bottom of my hill and hike to and from my car. It is not that bad except that the incline is as steep as if you were on approaching the first drop on a roller coaster.

All else is good. I have very few hours as compared to what I am used to as far as work goes this week. That's also good so I can get cleaned up and stocked for the girls that are coming in town!! I hope that the weather gets it's act together and isn't so nasty for them.

Last night I went to a 100 year old Catholic church and listened to the priests sing the scriptures. It was awesome, and the acoustics in the building were incredible!!

Miss ya'll. <3 <3 <3

Sorry Talleen, I know how you feel...

Haha, I agree Colleen, I wish everyone would update some more!! I think i check for updates as much as I check my e-mail!

I have been trying to spare you the boring details of my also somewhat monotonous life, but I figure at least Talleen will read it, so i shall write it.

I work Tues-Sat at the Coffee Shop (Tully's) usually 6:30-1 (saturdays I get to go in at 5:30am)

I have worked 4 shifts at BOOM NOODLE, and it is great money. I paid my rent with the tips I made from those shifts, so that's a plus. The training/management difference from Cheddar's is unbelievable. I like BOOM so much better.

Thus, due to my hours, I have been spending a lot of time in my room resting, but not always sleeping, due to my recent addiction to LOST. Yes, I know we are now in the 5th season, but i started watching maybe 2 weeks ago and am in the middle of the 3rd season... so I still have some catching up to do.

The weather is getting better and better, today it is warm and sunny. I hope to go to the Bellevue Art Museum on friday (b/c it's free the first friday of the month) and then if i can find someone to go with me then I might go into Seattle to an art walk that night... you know, get some culture!

Some friends are coming in about 12 days, so i'm super excited for that. Oh and U2's new album comes out tomorrow, so that's pretty awesome as well.

Miss ya'll! <3 ash

HEY

Hey Ladies!!

So work has completely started. Tully's (the coffee shop I work at) has very nice people and the tips are pretty good for a coffee shop. Then I'm working at Boom Noodle some nights (right now I'm just in the Seattle location, but hopefully the Bellevue one will open soon??).

I have some friends (girls from camp) coming up to visit March 14th!! I'm going to sign us all up for a St. Patrick's day dash (like a 5K that you don't have to run and you dress up REALLY goofy for)... we are gonna go see the space needle, zoo, aquarium, cruise around the harbor, etc. You know, all that touristy stuff. Probably go up to Snoqualmie Falls too for a little hike and a great view of the waterfall!!

I'm making some friends at work. We aren't really friends outside of work yet, but that's OK because I mostly clean and sleep when I am not at work.

I really like the church I go to, ya'll can check it out if you go to marshillchurch.org (they post all their sermons on there, and this past sunday's was very entertaining).

OK, I gotta dry my hair and head to the coffee shop... miss you girls!

Gold's Gym

So at the gym they have an individual tv attached to every single cardio machine... this may be old news to some of ya'll, but i've only frequented the rec in the last 5 years, so this was like technology at it's greatest for me (especially since i don't own an ipod).

Also, this place is weird, because you would think people who want to work out go to the gym... so WHY do they have FREE VALET? because people are too lazy to walk from their car to the door? i'm telling you, this is not a very big parking lot. But whatever, I just thought it a little silly.

You know what is also silly. I have to go to train for the coffee shop in seattle today. I needed some white polo's for the uniform, so I went to target (because we don't have wal-mart) and got some for pretty cheap. Well i put it on this morning and it was like a suction cup... therefore I had to forage in closets for one that would work for today until I can exchange them. SO, I'm wearing my 10 year old nephews white school polo... classic.

Update

So things are looking up since the last post.

I started working at Boom Noodle (just training at the Seattle location). I interviewed and got a job yesterday at Tully's (a coffee chain here, almost as big in numbers as Starbuck's) and that training will be the beginning of next week.

Other than that, nothing interesting. My life is Gold's Gym, catching up on Lost episodes, and reading, but i love living here.

anyway, have a happy valentine's day weekend with your boys :)

Gross...

Today i buckled under the pressure of continuous advertisement and a cheap offer...

That's right, I ate a $3 mini-meal from McDonalds and if you know me at all, you know that I really don't like that place. I mean it tastes good, but I'm a nutrition major, and it goes against all that I've paid good money to learn.

Never-the-less, I'll be spending my morning tomorrow detoxing and exercising the devilish food right out of me.

Gross.

As I sit here enjoying my cup of coffee...

I will give you a play by play of last night's awkwardness...

When you are new in a City/Town/State/Etc. you gotta work at it to get yourself out there and meet people, especially when you are new and all alone. So to say the least I have been in and out of informational after informational from nursing school to volunteering to jobs to churches... and you know what? it gets old walking into that big room all alone. But you learn to mask it, you just put on a cheesy smile and whisper in someone's ear "Is this where I'm supposed to be? What do I do" Because obviously:
1. you are a few minutes late, only because the other option was being 15 minutes early, which opens you up to a whole new world of awkwardness
2. you really aren't sure if this was where you were supposed to be

Hence, last night's awkwardness... Now let me brief you, i actually didn't feel that awkward, I have learned to find these situations quite entertaining because I have come to the realization that these people don't know who I am, and if I wanted to, I would never have to see them again.

OK, so here we go. I have had a cold the last few days, but yesterday I was feeling good... REAL GOOD. So I go to the "new people" class, and I am a little excited but a little reluctant.

Then I get there and about 20 minutes into it (after being late) I start to feel that tickle, you know the one that comes on before a coughing fit. So I immediately start to chew my gum and suck on the spit to try and immitate water and ease the itch... no dice. So i start coughing and have to get up and get some water.

Then I come back and my nose starts to run. So i'm sniffling and trying to avoid wiping my nose with my hand. Then i succumb to pinching my nose to ease the tingling sensation.

THEN my left eye starts to water uncontrollably as the sniffling continues and the cough makes a reappearance. Thank YOU mr. cold for making a roaring introduction right in the middle of my awkward "i'm a new kid at church" class...

Anyway, it wasn't that bad, but in my head I was cracking up. I also felt like the youngest person there because I am not yet a "professional"... nursing school couldn't come fast enough, so i at least don't feel like a bum...

Girls:
Please pray for my job situation, I am still currently unemployed and am becoming increasingly discouraged. I got hired at a new restaurant that wasn't scheduled to open until later this month, but when I inquired about the actual date it was to open and we were to start training the girl never responded. It has been a month since my interview and still no response from her, besides the initial hiring. So after 2 weeks I started applying again, but these restaurants told me that they had JUST finished their hiring and were done... basically telling me i have the worst timing ever? I just can't believe it. SO please please please keep this in your prayers, i'm sweatin bullets over here (and it's NOT HOT HERE... lol)

Once a cheat, always a cheat...

Dear Dr. Pepper,

I have been cheating on you with Coca-Cola (classic, that is)... however, today, in the very act of tasting Coke's sweet sweet nectar, I realized something was missing... it's you

I miss you, can't wait to buy you again at the store.

see you soon DP,
<3 your old friend,
ashley

Church

I've been trying out several churches since my arrival to the NW. Today I tried one in downtown seattle (about a 20 minute commute from my house w/o traffic). I thought there would be traffic and horrible parking, but it actually turned out great. The church was awesome. One that all my friends FROM TEXAS have been urging me to go to. It's a very 'young' church (lots of young people there) which was nice, since my life has been consumed with under 10 and 35+... The best part, however, was the drive.

As I crossed the bridge into Seattle (and that alone is pretty, with all the water) I could see the space needle directly in front of me amongst all the buildings downtown. Then I exit and come up right between Safeco and Qwest Fields (where the Mariners and the Seahawks play, respectively)... plus just the excitement and life of the city (even on a sunday morning, there was some life to it)... I'm still so glad I live here, even if it has been tough moving up here alone... and my relationship with God grows each day, with increasing dependence on Him. It is awful, it is wonderful, it is new, & it's necessary

You should read...

Into Thin Air -- Jon Krakauer (for adventure seekers)

The Twilight Series -- Stefenie Meyer (for those who like love stories and could overlook the realization that it is about vampires and written to target 12 year old audiences)

All Harry Potter -- J.K. Rowling (because if you don't, you are totally missing out on the best series known to man kind... maybe not best, but still)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- Jonathan Safran Foer (i found the 3 different story lines quite confusing, but avid readers claim this their favorite book... thus they have inspired me to read it again when I can apply more concentration and appreciation)

That's all I've read since graduation... but i plan to delve into the works of C.S. Lewis beginning with Screwtape Letters (which i have heard is quite "freaky" so I have decided to not read it at night, or alone in the dark...) and Problem of Pain (< started this one and found it profoundly difficult when watching over a cabin of bouncing, bubbly 11 year old girls... probably needs some intense concentration and use of study habits...)

Update on me for you girls:
I've decided to save my money on TP and use less squares.
I have found the perfect way to eat goldfish and attain as much of the "flavor blasted" powder as possible into my mouth
My job has yet to start so the previous statements are a direct result of boredom

This may be a double for some of you...

Figured I hadn't posted in a while and I typed this whole darn thing for Facebook, might as well copy/paste it here...

1. I like my ice cream warmed up a little with an obscene amount of rainbow sprinkles

2. I have a strong love for Coffee, Hot Tea, and Skim Milk

3. When I get dogs I want them to be muts off death row at the pound...they need saving too...

4. I am completely and utterly in love with Camp Olympia and all that it has done and who it has brought to my life. It is currently my "happiest place on earth"

5. I want to speak Spanish fluently (I hope the Rosetta Stone is all it's cut out to be, and MORE)

7. I have 5 people visiting me this semester, and I can't express how special and loved I feel... it makes me so so happy

8. I want to make rock climbing my new life-long hobby... no Mt. Everest or 7 Summits, just like Mt. Rainier or inside... :)

9. If I moved to another state right now, it would be Utah (perhaps Salt Lake area), and I have NO IDEA WHY

10.favorite color is Blue (any shade, but preferably navy or cerulean)

11. I have shared a seat with my dad in the back of a police car (after we were both frisked)

12. I want to go overseas to help people so many times that those in small villages know my name year after year and look forward to my visit

14. I love home-made gifts and snail mail

15. I want to be sure that my entire family is going to Heaven, like no doubt

16. I have commitment and trust issues

19. iI am absolutely, positively not a small town girl. Unless I'm overseas...I think I could handle a small village of wonderful, Jesus-seeking people... as long as I had a buddy

20. I thought I was independent before, and then I moved to Seattle and became SO MUCH MORE independent...

21. i LOVE pictures of friends... esp. funny camp pictures

22. I learned to walk in Hawaii, my first time talking came out in full sentences, and I slept in my parents bed until I was in middle school

23. I love acoustic music, my favorite artists include Jack Johnson, Ray LaMontagne, and Coldplay

24. I am closer in age to my nephews than I am to my sisters

25. I dream of camp almost every night and miss my friends back in Texas, but can't imagine still living there

Generation Y

I attended a church service tonight in Seattle that catered to my age group, finally. For the first time since I've moved here I heard a message given directly to (and for) 20-somethings. Not to newlyweds, families, or 3-10 year olds... no, this time it was for me.

The challenge the pastor left us with was this:
What is your well? Find it, and give it to God (and don't secretly ask Him to take care of it but then go and try to take care of it yourself... as we all do)

To clarify, someone's well refers to something that is leaving them thirsty (i think i'm explaining this right) and they go to their well to quench their thirst. However, this is not the living water we truly long for, these are our own desires.

Examples of wells:
- if i could just be a little skinnier
- i just need to get that next promotion
- i could win this race if i just kept doing this or that

It may seem easy to define your well, but it is only half the battle. Once you define it you must give it away and pray for it to be taken care of. Then we must not expect it to be solved as we imagined because it could appear in a way that we would have never believed.

"...For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

Unveiled Beauty

My adventure to Seattle has been remarkable. I've had space, time, family...

I just started rereading Captivating and came to a realization. Stasi talks about the heart and desires of a woman, one of which is to be part of a grand adventure. Of course, within context, she refers to an adventure with Christ.

There is opportunity to unveil your beauty, be the star of His adventure, and learn what it means to have a woman's heart. My adventure began long ago, but I've been leaving my hero hanging. I haven't acknowledged what I have already gained: the opportunity to venture with Jesus and be the heroine in OUR adventure.

Of course there are things I long for, including Africa, South America, Taiwan, Southeast Asia... Nursing, marriage (yes i admit it), heaven... and I pray that these are part of the adventure He has planned, and if not it must be so much better.

"Then the time came when the risk it took
To remain tight in a bud was more painful
Than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin

J-O-B

Finally, I've gotten a job!

After my 2 1/2 week constant search for a measly serving position, I have finally found one! It will be at a new restaurant that hasn't quite opened yet. It is local to seattle and they are just now opening a second location in my quaint, ritzy suburb. The girls that interviewed me seemed very down to earth, fun, and young!

I also think i'll be taking a very small part-time position helping at the church with kids while their moms are in bible studies. Easy chump change I suppose.

Hope all is well in your respective worlds and that you are encountering daily adventures that you wouldn't trade for anything!
I miss you girls like crazy.

I love music

One of my favorite artists has this song that I thought was appropriate with the new climate I am experiencing...here are the first couple stanzas

I Love The Rain The Most:

Well, I love the rain the most when it stops
We can see the big white houses, yeah, and the docks
And we can jump in the river, don't know if the water or sky is clearer
But I know that I love the rain the most when it stops
Yeah, when it stops

No more grey today, we gonna celebrate
You know Miss Sunshine, she starts to paint a perfect picture of this river parade
And I know that I love the rain the most when it stops
Yeah, when it stops

haha, today it didn't rain. mark it in the record books ya'll

Dreams

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” -- Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens

Dreams Come True:
Graduation
Seattle
Blessings
Camp Olympia

Still Dreaming:
Africa, Asia, South America, etc...
Nursing School
No More School Loans... haha

North West Knowledge

Necessities:
scarves
coffee in the morning
hot tea in the afternoons
windshield wipers

They weren't kidding when they said:
it rains
there is a starbucks on EVERY corner
it is beautiful
the seafood is awesome

So, when I got up here it was layered in snow and ice and the entire area was recovering from their worst snow since the early 70's... but it soon melted away from the rain and I was able to drive my 2WD not equipped for snow vehicle...

I have somewhat learned my way around, but I still get lost everyday. Some days it is frustrating, other days it makes more sense and I learn from it.

There is a "post-college singles group for 22-30 year olds" at the church my roommate and sister attend that they think would be fun for me to get involved in. (I'm still getting used to the idea of post-college and the grouping of me with 30 year olds...)

I have been desperately job searching for a little over a week with no success, but i shall persevere and hopefully find something to last me through may.

I'm relinquishing some baggage from Texas and really focusing on God's little idea he has for me. It's exciting and fun, but i'm anxious to know what's ahead, who my friends will be, and where I'll be working...

Hope all is well in Texas, Virginia, Florida, Peru, etc...

Advice from an old friend...

Find a good church so you can have fellowship and encouragement. Guard your heart, stay in the Word, and stay close to Jesus...