Joy... I Feel Joy!!!

Now you may say it is sleep deprivation because it is 4:45 in the morning, or exhaustion because the semester is over... but it isn't that...

I truly feel joy. It is wonderful and sweet and fills my heart. It is gratitude for the good people in my life, for great brothers who love their wives and family and me and my mother. For good friends near and far, in heaven and on Earth. For the blessing it is to study and get and gain an education so that I can help others. For the capacity to overcome hard things so I can better appreciate and aid others in their battles. For safety and peace and above all else--for a loving Heavenly Father who not only made all these things possible but helps me to see them with new eyes and experience the joy in them...

So many good things fill my heart right now... watching Prince Caspian with a friend all of the gospel parallels caused me to think of God and be grateful. When the little girl (once a queen) finds the Lion (the Savior) she says to him, sorry I didn't come to you, the others didn't believe--to which he responds--and why did that stop you from coming to me. She later proceeds to say longingly--but what would have been and he knowingly and assuredly reminds her that we can know nothing of what would have been, but what will be is an entirely different matter...

Each of us must come to Christ and cultivate for ourselves that relationship and we must trust Him, regretting nothing and doing our best to live today and each tomorrow a little better than today--full of love, patience, hope, and a desire to help others find Christ and the peace and joy that we have.

While there are many things in my life that have not gone as planned, and my heart has broken an hundred times over, I know that I am exactly where my Father in Heaven wants me to be and that I am more like Him because of the things I have experienced and I will use them to help others.

AND I'M DONE!!!

Aside from a few random assignments and some research--I AM FINISHED!!!

One More Left...

Just finishing up my last paper... finished studying for my last exam. The semester is coming to a close!!!

Almost There...

Ok... for those of you who have commented on my lack of blogging... today was the last day of class, my final choir concert, and my last step in the Jerusalem Center application! So... after finals are over... you may be hearing a little more from me :) Silly scheduled finals/make-up exams... 1 Friday, 2 Saturday, 1 Monday & 2 anytime.

Many great & humerus things have happened recently... but the favorite for today has to be my meeting with my new stake President. He is great. I got there about 7 minutes early--figuring it's easier for me to wait for them rather than me putting them behind all night and he was ready for me--amazing. He asked if I was Ashley, I said yes we went into his office, he asked if I'd mind if he began with prayer, again I said yes, and toward the end of a beautiful prayer he thanked the Lord that I was there and had prepared myself to go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity.

Whoa.

I was just there for Jerusalem.

Whoa.

He ended the prayer and I politely told him that he may have the wrong Ashley that I was finalizing my Jerusalem endorsement. He said--well, maybe you should be getting married.

To which I politely replied--nope--I tried that in December--it didn't work out so well and now I get to go to the land where we're asked to sign a no proselyting and no dating agreement. Life is good. Life is really good. [Trying to emphasize that so as to get the attention off trying to get me married...] Not proselyting will be much more difficult than not dating. I'm going to the Holy Land whether in the Fall or Winter. Going to Jerusalem is a dream I've had since the year Scott died when I was accepted into the program. I am finally moving forward with my life, pursuing goals. I am hoping to be done with these classes I was in that year and to finally be "unstuck" in school and in life in general.

As I left I assured him that he'd be one of the first to know when I do get married. He made me promise. It made me smile.

I think this is my favorite picture so far!!! Isn't she beautiful :)
So happy to finally have her hands...it's been a long time in those lil' mittens!
Who likes the toy more... daddy or livie? :)
Olivia laughing at her mommys comment that her hair looks like hammys!
It was a very long day for 'Livie... general conference, family dinner, having the missionaries over...after all looking so beautiful takes lots of energy!