Ashley's Annual Abash

Every year the day after Christmas my parents drive to Louisiana and leave the "kids" home alone. At the age of 16 or so I decided that I would throw a party with some close friends, but I needed to name it. My bff Brittany and I found a dictionary and started looking at "A" words because I knew it had to be Ashley Annual something... well, I found the word Abash and thought it was close enough to sounding like some sort of shindig and it just stuck. It used to be themed, but the past few years we've dropped the theme. Past years included Pretty, Pretty Princesses, Shrek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 50's Rock-n-Roll, etc. Haha. We'd go out and buy the cups, napkins, plates, and even invitations that we'd place in our friends mailboxes ourselves. I look forward to this event every year and this year was very relaxed and filled with friends, Apples to Apples, and Sangria! Zach was at a hockey game and the party had ended by the time he got home - LAME! lol. Most of my friends have real jobs so staying out later than 10 just isn't really an option, but I'm so thankful to those who did show up - some of them I hadn't seen like 7 months!

I received my teacher's license in the mail that afternoon and was totally excited!

Apples to Apples never gets old!They help me set up! Love you Britt and Lobe!
The whole group (minus Chris!) lol. Turned out pretty darn good actually! :)
-Ashley

My Grill Sgt.

Every Christmas it's tradition for my family to eat steak and lobster for dinner ... Obviously Z and I missed this last week since we were in NC with his family. (Although we did have a nice steak dinner on Christmas Eve - Thanks guys!) My dad decided to buy extra steak and lobster tails and let Zach cook them since he and my mom have been out of town since the 26th. This was Zach's first attempt at cooking these amazing pieces of meat (I don't, however, eat lobster) and it turned out pretty darn good! I called my dad and got step by step directions in hopes that we could come close to his amazingness... and I think we we're almost successful. My steak was still mooing, but that's how I like it! lol. My dad has had a lot of experience and I know as Z cooks more and more he will one day be just as great! lol. I had some green beans and a potato with mine, but Z just ate the meat! lol. He also invited over his friend and we all enjoyed the meal!

The steaks!

Brushing the 1000lb pan with olive oil!

Putting on the steaks.

Ta-da!

-Ashley

Gridiron Gala

Last night we attended the Outback Bowl's Gridiron Gala. It used to be called the Outback Bowl's Presedential Reception, but I guess they changed the name this year! lol. Anytway, this was my third year going and Zach's first. It is all you can eat AND open bar! The food consists of Carraba's, Bonefish, Outback, and Flemings and it is SO delish. You stand in each restaurants line and it's buffet style. We were too full to get Carraba's, but there is always next year. There is also a dessert and cigar bar. I didn't hit up the cigar bar, but you know I took some time in the dessert room! Every year is a different theme and this years was "Rock On" so the music played was mostly from the 80's and there were "rockstars" on stilts walking around and dancing all over the place.

Britt and I rocking out!

Krystal, Me, and Britt!
The Outback Bowl - Auburn vs. Northwestern!
Zach is actually going to the game and cheering for Auburn!

My love and I! :)

Thanks for the good time and the invite, Krystal, can't wait to do it again next year!

-Ashley

Welcome Home!

That seems to be the motto at the apartment complex we're 99% sure about. We've been approved and put the 100$ application fee down already and we have to move in on or before Feb. 1! I didn't expect us to find something so quick that we could afford, but it will be good for us to have our own place. My parents were willing and able to have us here for however long it took us to get on our feet, so I think they were thinking more like June like I was, but I'm very excited! It's only a 1 bedroom/1 bath so it's pretty darn small, but the lease is only for 7 months so if come August we have saved up enough to move into something bigger and better - we will be able to do that instead of waiting a whole year!

Our specific apartment is on the first floor and close to the dog park. That will be nice for us! Parking didn't look like a problem and it's gated at night. Of course I forgot my camera so I only have the pictures from the website of the clubhouse/pool/gym/etc... It's only like a 5min. drive to my parents house and everything we could ever need or want is super close (i.e. Target!!!) lol.

Leasing Center Clubhouse.. with 24hr gym/business center.

I hope I find the time to spend time here...

I will definitely find time to spend time here... :)

-Ashley

Christmas in North Carolina!

December was quite the CRAZY month! So much happened and I feel so blessed to have spent it surrounded by family and friends! I graduated, got a job, moved, and I'm now a Army Reserves wife... not an Active Duty one, and overall just have a brand new life about to start in 2010! I am so excited!

I got back to Atlanta on the 17th and hung-out there with Zach and his family until we left Monday the 21st to spend Christmas with his sister, bro-in-law, and our little cute nephew Caleb in NC! It had snowed the weekend before and was so pretty! Snow everywhere!! We didn't get to see any fall, but I enjoyed the ice anyway! Leigh Anne, his sister, had everything planned out and we just really had a fun week...

We had a gingerbread house contest (mine a is the far left, Z did the middle one with his mom)!
A tacky Christmas sweater party!

Played a fun game of Dirty Santa!A Christmas Day filled with lots of laughs, memories, and gifts!
Went hiking at Hanging Rock in the snow!
Went to church on Christmas Eve and got pro-pics done! (this isn't one! lol) Sadly Josh was working and couldn't join us :(

We decorated cookies, celebrated my graduation with a chocolate, chocolate cake!, had a Happy Birthday Jesus pizza party, shopped, shopped, and did some more shopping, ate so many goodies and home cooked meals by LA, and just enjoyed everyone's company! Thanks so much to LA and Josh for hostessing such a wonderful time!

-Ashley

Congrats Part 2!

On Christmas Eve my older brother Justin got ENGAGED to a wonderful girl! I'm so excited for them and can't wait for Melissa to join our family! I've never seen my brother so happy and in LOVE! hehe :) Zach and I are going to their house for dinner tomorrow night... it's going to be so good to be HOME in Florida! Yipppee...

M and J!

My soon to be sis-in-law and I!

Wish us luck dealing with the CRAZY traffic tomorrow driving from ATL to TP.

-Ashley

Merry Christmas!!

We are enjoying our time in NC with Zach's family this holiday season! It has been a fun filled week and we're sad to leave tomorrow morining, but our journey home must continue!

Tacky Sweater Partyyyyy!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and got to spend it with family and friends!



-Ashley

All Coked Up!

I thought for sure Z had been to the Coca Cola factory being that he has had family in the ATL area for the longest time.. but I was wrong! Every time we come here I tell him I want to go to the museum, but we never do - except for this time. We had such a nice afternoon together downtown! The Coke museum had a 4-D show, a lot of rooms with different artifacts/history, and even an all you can drink tasting room with 64 different sodas! (I was brave and tried every single non-US one!) It ended up being about 40 samples... my stomach hurt after! If you ever get the chance to go I don't suggest trying "Beverly" from Italy - EW! Seriously SO awful!

Anyway, here are a few photos from our day out!

Cheers!

The Coca-Cola tree!

Thought this was kind of cool...
Another cool thing... Zach is holding one of the torches used in the 2008 Olympics!

Excited about the glasses for the 4D show! lol

We leave tomorrow morning for North Carolina. We are spending it with his sister and her family and I couldn't be more excited! She has so many fun things planned for us to do! :)

-Ashley

CONGRATS!!!

To my bff Heather aka LOBE!! Her and her now fiancee have spent the last two weeks in Hawaii and they are now ENGAGED (well, they have been since they got there, but I'm a bad friend and I'm just now posting - lol)! :) I am so happy for them both and can't wait to PARTY and CELEBRATE this fabulous time in her life! After almost 4 years I'd say it's about time because they are so perfect for eachother! The week before she ran in the Space Coast Marathon (26.2 miles for those non-runners) and finished first in her division and qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:36! She is absolutely amazing and I'm so proud of her!

The pic she first sent in a text:

"I'm in Hawaii and ENGAGED!!!!" (I couldn't stop smiling!)

Nice work Todd! :)

Love you Heather!

-Ashley

Tampa Trip!

I'm really bummed I can't seem to find my camera cord to upload the pictures we took on Tuesday night at dinner (and the memory card of the camera I used doesn't fit in my media hole in the laptop - boo)... but I guess it will show up at some point! This whole moving half our stuff on a big truck, but keeping the rest is making my head spin! I feel more disorganized than usual (and that says a lot!) lol. What went on the truck? What didn't!? No one knows...


I do, however, have some random pictures from my phone to describe my 5 days in Tampa! I got back to Atlanta yesterday afternoon, but I had such an amazing time with family and friends and it went by so fast because I was so busy doing SOMETHING each second of the day!

HOTTTT Bucs game Sunday afternoon w/ Krystal
Grabbed some TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt, Kelly!) with a friend!

Spent lots of time with Lace, Lua, and Mom!

I got PINK luggage from my parents!

(Happy graduation to me)
Dad cooked one of my FAVORITE meals...

That sauce is homemade and includes at least 6 different cheeses! haha.
I kicked butt at my interview and got a job - love the bathroom pic?!

(I have since then cut 2 inches off and dyed my hair DARRRRRK brown)

-Ashley

The Interview

I had an interview today for a tutoring position at the school my mom works at. I was pretty nervous, but she kept telling me I'd do fine - and she was right! I got the job!!! It isn't a full time teaching job like I would have liked, but it's something to "get my foot in the door", a great experience, and a way to add new references to my resume! I appreciate all the hard work my mom put in to looking around and talking to people - she's amazing!!

Speaking of my mom... she took yesterday off and took me shopping! I got some new clothes and we just had a great time bonding (it had been over 6 months since I had seen her last). I took us out to lunch and I really enjoyed my day and I think she did too! Love you mom!!

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with the girls to celebrate - I haven't even seen most of them since I've been home! and during the day I'm doing something secretive that Z won't know about until a later date! hehe. So excited!!

-Ashley

The Great Road Trip

Two exciting events happened yesterday:

• Zach and I started our move back to Tampa!
• I GRADUATED!!! I'm finally done with classes and I'm ready to have one of my own! :) So exciting!

Anyway, the 16ish hour road trip has finally come to an end! We left yesterday afternoon after my last class ended and we made our way through Arkansas and stopped in Memphis, TN. While in Arkansas we were on the lookout for a Duggar, or 20, but unfortunately we didn't spot any of them. Sad, I know. In Memphis we decided we'd look for Elvis, but we had NO luck whatsoever! We woke up and started the 2nd half of the trip and went through Mississippi, Alabama, and then finally Georgia. We're now at his mom's house about an hour south of GA and we're enjoying family time!

Crossing into Alabama, I believe...

M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i!
We didn't see one darn Duggar!!
Pretending to be happy!
My driver!

Glad to be going home soon.. I fly to Tampa on Saturday for an interview on Monday! Wish me luck!!

-Ashley

Festival of Lights

In a town about 45 minutes north of where we lived (we are no longer living in OK, but that's a whole different blog!) there is a city called Chickasha. Each year they do a special event called "The Festival of Lights". Zach and I had hear about it last year, but never made it, so we decided we'd go this year. I posted it on Facebook and my friend Holly said she was planning on going with her hubby and son and we were more than welcome to tag along... and we did! It was so much fun and so pretty! There were SO many lights and it was a great way to spend our last weekend in Oklahoma.

Holly and I!

Cody, Luke, Holly, Me, and Zach!

This tree can be seen from all over the city!

The Thrasher family!!
Luke is the cutest little boy EVER! So funny and energetic!
The Sechrist family! :)
Miss you already Holly!! You better keep in touch! We definitely had a great time and enjoyed ourselves in your old stomping grounds. :)

-Ashley