This is me.

So a friend of mine did a post titled, "This is me" a couple of weeks ago and I loved it! So, I am using her post as a template for mine today.  Honestly, go and read Tanna's blog - http://tcpreciousmoments.blogspot.com - her post was so raw and real and fun I just loved it.  Every day when I read her blog it makes me want to be a better wife, friend, Christian and mom (someday).  I just love her and miss not living close by anymore so I can soak up all her wisdom!  Ok enough about my sweet friend.  Anywho... After I read her "This is me" post,  I knew it was something I wanted to do on my blog so that I could look back and remember where I was at this point in life, and I just wanted to be real on my blog so that you all could see the real me. So here ya go - this is me...

My favorite color has always been pink and black, but when I went to TCU I fell in love with the color purple.
I met the love of my life when I was a junior in high school.
I have always had dogs my whole life, and absolutely hate cats- being allergic to them doesn't help either ;)
My favorite thing to wear is long comfy dresses or comfy workout clothes... I just love to be comfortable.
I absolutely love to sleep.  I can go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 10am... my body needs lots and lots of sleep- kinda worried about what will happen when we have kids and sleep is nothing but a memory!
I can usually lay down in bed and within 5 minutes I am asleep... I pray for those who struggle with insomnia... I would be miserable if that was my life.
I can easily entertain myself- give me a good book or recorded tv shows and I am good for hours.
I have a relationship with God and could not imagine what my life would be like without Him.  In this stage of life I am really taking to heart what grace is-- probably one of the most incredible gifts I have been given.
I love water... I drink probably 8 or more cups a day.  I hate soda... have never liked it.  The only thing I can stomach is ginger ale when I am sick.
Coffee-- yuck.  The smell is great... but the taste- not so much.  I would rather have tea with a splash of lemonade if I need some caffeine!
I love talking about our future family with Reagan... it gives me butterflies.  I cannot wait to have little ones to cuddle!!
My radio is usually set to KLOVE or Country music is blasting with the sunroof open.
The last time I cried was a couple nights ago.
If you looked at my nightstand right now you would find... an ipad, a bottle of water, the Jesus Calling Devotional, my cell phone and lotion.


I would much rather be hot than freezing cold.  Though my perfect day would be not too hot not too cold with the wind just slightly blowing... Texas seems to throw me those perfect days every once in a while.
I love to snuggle and just be close to Reagan... I get really lonely when he is gone on business trips.
I love to do group classes at the gym- it just helps me get in the groove and be more motivated... Cardio Kickbox and Step are two of my favorites!
I love shoes, and purses, and clothes.  Shopping is my thing and I love to do it with my Momma.
If you were to ask me to dinner and I had to pick I would probably pick Italian or Mexican... I love both so so much!
The one thing that I do that drives Reagan crazy is I worry all the time.  I am praying daily for God to help me with this... such a tough one! I am definitely making an effort to work on it.
I could not just pick one best friend... I have some amazing ladies in my life and I would not be who I am without them.
I struggle with trusting others at times because of things I have been through.  Though, I will love hard and it kills me to be hurt by those I love and care about so much.
I love worship music.  I feel most alive when worship music is playing- it is just me and God.
One chore I hate the most- cleaning the bathroom... I try to convince Reagan to do it every time we clean, but he hates it just as much as I do!
I hate to fight and I dread conflict. It makes me nervous - and because of it I apologize for anything and everything.
I have a really hard time with going to bed angry- I want to work things out before we go to sleep because life is just too short to go to bed angry at the ones you love.
Things that cause me anxiety: the dentist (and my mom is a dental hygienist), losing people I love, never being able to have kids, and conflict!
I sleep without socks on- my mom sleeps with socks on and I find that so weird!


I love frozen yogurt.  I could honestly eat it every day.  I like it plain or with lots of fruit and nuts.  I honestly work out so I can indulge in that sweet treat.
I have never run a marathon and really have no desire to ever run one.  The closest I will get to a marathon is probably cheering Reagan on at the finish line when he finally does one.
I have only lived in Texas, but people say that I talk like I am from Minnesota... don't know where that comes from!
I love a good taco salad, fajitas, pasta loaded with veggies and chicken, or my dad's hamburgers.
You will never see me eat crawfish... I hate the way they look, smell and taste.
I believe in spanking for certain things... but a "thinking chair" will also be something we have in our house when we have kids.
I love to swim- I miss my swim team days a lot and really wish I would have swam in college.
I wish I could take a nap every day after lunch.  Just 30 mins and I would be so much more productive the rest of my day.
My mom is my person.  I do not know what I would do without her. She knows pretty much everything about me and just gets me.
I write everything down.  Without my planner I would be lost!
I do not watch tons of TV, but when I do these are the shows I love: Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor, Modern Family, Revenge, Shark Tank, and The Voice.
I enjoy blogging but I feel like my life is not super exciting so I do not have much to blog about.  I feel like once we start having kids I will have a lot more memories to post for friends and family to see!


I love to read.  Give me a great book and I could probably finish it in one day!
I love peanut butter on toast... jelly not so much.  But if I do have some jelly I want it to be kinda tart.
Pregnancy scares me... I have so many friends that cannot get pregnant and I pray each day that God will bless us with children and I will not have a hard time conceiving.
I am very OCD... I like to have my house clean and in order.  Reagan is learning as the years go by that I am a much happier person if our house is clean! HA!
I have a hard time judging others- I always tell myself when I start to judge that I never know what their life is like and I need to try to love them like God does.
My marriage is something I treasure so much.  We have been through a lot the past years that has caused us to give our marriage to God completely. I know there is always room for improvement and we strive towards that daily... by no means are we perfect.
I love to sing but hate singing in front of other people.  Though, there are times in church when the Holy Spirit moves within and my friends next to me will hear my voice and tell me I need to sing loud more often!
I love bubble baths but never have time to take them.  I always end up taking a shower so that I can get in and out quick because I love my comfy pjs and bed!
I have no tattoos.  Somedays I say I want one- but I really think I am too chicken to get one... they are just so permanent and I am so OCD I would probably want it off the next day!
My biggest fear is that something will happen to Reagan or my parents- I do not know what I would do without them.
Bananas, milk, greek yogurt, chicken, mushrooms, watermelon (when in season), and peanut butter are always on my grocery list when I go to the store.
I love to cook and make up my own recipes.  I love cooking even more with my husband- it just makes it more fun.
My natural hair color is dirty blonde. Highlights are my best friend.
My eyes are blue and Reagan's are blue green- our kids are going to have beautiful eye colors!


I always have lil bruises or cuts on my legs... who knows where in the world they come from?!
I love giving gifts to people - the looks on their faces is what I love the most.
I can count on one hand the times I have laid in a tanning bed.  Ever since my mom was diagnosed with melanoma I am scared to death of them.  So I fake tan with tanning lotion... oops the secret is out!
Some of my closest friends are those I have from college... cannot imagine life without them. Even though we all live far away, each time we talk we pick up right where we left off and I just love that.
I do not like flying on planes but I would love to travel more- there are so many places and memories I want to make with Reagan and friends before we have kids.
My dream job would be working for Make-A-Wish Foundation.... I love how kids lives can be changed in an instant with just one wish coming true.
I have known Reagan since I was a junior in high school.  We dated almost 6 years before we got married.  He is truly my soul mate and other half.  I without a doubt believe you can fall in love in high school.
One thing I want the most in life- to be a mom.
My favorite season is summer - lots of time to make memories with friends and family!
I would be more transparent on my blog if I knew there were not people in this world that make comments without wondering how it would make someone else feel.
Speaking of the blog, I need to be better about posting.  I want to be able to look back and remember life when it was just me, Reagan and sweet Lyla girl.
The hardest thing for me to take is when I know I have disappointed someone... I try so hard to do my best and I hate to let others down.
I love to speed and cannot stand people who drive slow -- at least drive the speed limit! I have never gotten a ticket... knock on wood ;)
When I give birth I want to have a photographer capture those special moments.  I have friends who have done that and the pictures are absolutely incredible.
When I was little I could play dolls forever - I guess being a mom has been something I have always wanted even as a little girl.
I love the names... Reese, Remington, Ryder and Ryland for a boy.  For a girl, I love- Arden, Adley, Ainsley, Adaleigh, Rowan, and Raleigh. Reagan is not so fond of some of my favorites... it will be interesting to see what our kids names end up being one day.  Oh and if you can't tell, I have this weird obsession with A and R names since our initials are A and R... OCD -- maybe just a little!!!!


This is me... I love the Lord, I love my husband, I would do anything for my friends and family, and I cannot wait to see the plans God has in store for us!

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Love!

Today my hubby officially turned 25 years old.  He woke up this morning saying he felt super old! Haha... all I could say was that 25 looked good on him! This is the 8th birthday that I have been blessed with to spend with him and I am looking forward to many more birthday's!

Instead of just one day to celebrate, we have done a birthday week... talk about a special man!

On Sunday night, his momma spoiled him with a steak dinner and a french silk pie- to say the least he was in heaven!

On Wednesday, I threw a surprise birthday dinner for him with the help of sweet friends! He was definitely surprised... thank goodness I pulled that one off :)

My birthday man- Surprise Birthday Dinner

Sweet Friends who helped us celebrate Reagan!

So blessed to have these sweet friends in my life- thank you for helping me surprise the hubby! 

Today (his actual birthday), we started the morning off with presents, breakfast, a little putt putt, jamba juice, and tonight we will be having his favorite meal... steak yet again- this man could live on steak and baked potatoes! 

So excited that he got the YETI cooler he has been wanting for quite some time! 

Headed to his birthday breakfast!

Only in South Texas- you can get a beer with your steak breakfast burrito! :) 

A lil game of putt putt on this gorgeous day! 

Multi- tasking: talking to his momma and putting

Who is gonna win?! Reagan- green/ Ashley- lime green

That would be a HOLE IN ONE for ASHLEY! Sorry birthday boy! 

Ending his birthday outing with a yummy treat... Jamba Juice- our favorite :) 

To end the birthday week, we will be celebrating with his dad tomorrow night - TEX-MEX-  YUMMO!

All I can say is there are a lot of people who love my sweet hubby... so grateful for the friends and family we have to celebrate and love on him!

I am so in love with this sweet man and I am so blessed to get to spend special moments like this with him!

Much love,

When I grow up...

When I was a little girl, I can remember people always asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Most days my answer was, "I want to be a doctor."  Other days, I would say that I wanted to be a "Mommy and a Doctor"... so ambitious at such a young age! Though, I remember that every time someone asked me what I wanted to be, I would always say that I wanted to help people.  My heart has always been so big to serve and love on others... especially children- my heart explodes for them.

So, life went on, and I worked hard in school to get good grades so that I could get into a good college.  When the time came for me to leave home and go to school, I embraced TCU with open arms and was excited for that next chapter of my life as a nursing student. As a nursing student I knew I could fulfill my dream of helping people.  I was excited for the journey, but was not ready for all the unexpected bumps in the road that I would face.  My junior year of college came, and too many circumstances caused me to have to take a semester break from school and get my life back to where it needed to be.  At this time, I prayed more than ever and I just really felt like God was saying to me that nursing school was not for me at this time and that I needed to go and pursue my degree in child development and finish at TCU.  Once I healed and got strong again and headed back in the spring. I was so excited for my child development courses and what God was going to show me through this major.  In the four walls of those classrooms, I felt alive.   I loved learning about all things children and could not wait for the next semester and classes.  When I walked across the stage in May 2011, I was proud of my degree and who I had become and I was ready to work and help children.

Though, God had a different plan for me after I graduated and I ended up landing a job in the education system in San Antonio, Texas.  I was really sad to be moving away from Fort Worth and all my dreams jobs that were there, but I clung to the hope that God had a plan far better than I could understand.  As I sit here today, I am thinking about my time in the education system and how it has changed me and my views. I feel like I have helped people  along this journey, but have not made the difference God has called me to make. Each day, I feel like I am searching for more... but I am not quite sure what that more is or what it even looks like.

More times than none, I think about all the things I could be doing and the things I would love to accomplish.  I still have a heart to serve children but I am still wanting more.
There are many days that I pray about a direction and career for my life and I feel like God is calling me to go and finish the last semesters I have left in nursing school.  There are also days that my heart explodes when I am talking with kids and families and a light bulb turns on and I can see myself doing counseling and/or social work and I am alive.  There are also more days than none, that when I hold  sweet babies that makes me want nothing more than to be a mom.  I also have those days, when I search the Internet looking for the perfect job with a children's organization or non-profit because I have a love for that too. Through all these moments, when I hit the pillow at night, I ask God to give me a career that sparks my passion for Him.

As I sit here today, I have this feeling deep in my heart that in this next season of life I have to choose.  I have to make a choice to go back and be a nurse, to go and get my counseling degree, to go and be the best mommy I can be, or to go and work for an organization and give it all I have got.  With this choice comes so much fear - fear of failure, the unknown, what others will say or think about my decision, and if I have really heard God right and the calling He has for my life.  I do not want to have a spirit of fear, so that is why each waking moment I am giving this to God.  I feel I have so many big choices to make, and I do not want to make the wrong one.  Though, I know that God has not brought me to this season for no reason- there is a plan and a purpose for my life.  I have to continue taking it one step at a time and sooner or later I will see the magnificence of His plan for me.

At the end of the day, the one thing I know I want to do is help other people and love on them to the fullest.  Whether that be helping someone feel better physically or emotionally or helping my child when they cry out in the middle of the night... all I want to do is help others and give this love deep within my heart to those around me.  God has put me here for a purpose, and sooner than later I will find out why.

So, when I grow up, I want to be doing exactly what God has for me.  Here is to praying for clear direction and the ability to sit still and listen to what God has for me in the midst of this chaotic season. 

I would so appreciate prayers for this season of life.  I know God is going to do big things, and I cannot wait to see what He has in store.

With love,

Coalition Blowout 2013!

Every year there is a big oil and gas party to help raise money for scholarships for kids.  Last night was the annual party and it was such a blast!  This year, the party raised more money than it ever has for scholarships!! YAHOO!  Last night was filled with: lots of laughter, good food, lots of dancing, and sweet friends! After last nights festivities, I can definitely say I am sore from all the dancing I did.  One of our sweet family friends showed me how to country dance for "real"... flips, turns and all.  It was an absolute blast, and once I loosened up I was a dancing machine!   Last night was fun, and it was awesome to see everyone in the oil field come together for a greater cause! Thankful for all the fun we had and all the laughs we had throughout the night! Definitely a fun way to spend a Saturday evening :)

Happy Sunday! I am off the enjoy the lovely Texas weather! 

Love,