WHAT MADE ME CRY TODAY

1. World's Strictest Parents on CMT

2. Oprah interviewing Nie Nie (and I don't even read her blog)

3. My roommate bringing me a book to read because she knew I would be home sick all day and probably bored (which I am extremely bored)

4. How cute my medicine bottle lid is - its pink with a breast cancer ribbon on it

5. My grammie calling to check on me

6. My nephew Bennett (who doesn't usually care about me) talking to me on the phone and willing to say more than 2 words

7. Target commercial

8. Utter boredom and lack of seeing other human beings

9. Thinking about my friend Maria Law

I CAN DO IT ALONE...BUT I DON'T LIKE TO

Growing up as the youngest child is a blessing and a curse. I had so many different parents to care for me that I never really had to do anything for myself. Three examples:

1. My mom tucked me into bed every night when I was growing up and when I came home on weekends in college she would always do the same. If mom was gone, dad would do it. If mom and dad were both gone, one of my siblings would do it. None of the other kids got tucked in, just me.

2. I never walked to the bathroom in a public place by myself. Someone would always escort me to the restroom and wait for me to be done because I definitely couldn't walk there and back by myself.

3. I was carried by my parents and siblings for quite a while past toddler-hood. Case in point: I was carried out of my baptism.


Last night I truly realized how much I can do all by my lonesome. I got really sick and had to drive myself to the hospital. I was sitting all alone in the waiting room clutching that divine pink puke bucket thinking about the fact that my parents were not there, my siblings were not there, nobody was there. The doctors got me all fixed up in a few hours and I drove myself home. I wanted somebody to be there with me but it was okay. Yes, I know that I can do life alone, but I don't want to do it alone. I like my parents, a lot. I love that all my siblings live in the same state. I have really good friends. I like it this way. Just to spite the fact that I have grown up and have to actually BE a grown up, I am going to make my momma sleep in my bed when I visit her for Christmas. Suck it life because even though you are making me do everything on my own, I still have the best family and friends that will always be there for me. I guess that's all I need right now.

I FIT INTO A 5yr OLD'S COSTUME

Over Thanksgiving we played dress-up with some of my dad's extended family. Each group was given a box of random costumes and had to figure out a costume for a turkey, pilgrim, or an Indian. When I opened my box I saw this dress and knew that it would make me the best Pilgrim in the contest. Well the dress isn't just from a costume store! When the compound kids were much younger, my grandparents bought these dresses for all the granddaughters. This little Swiss beauty was worn by one of the girls when they were about 5 or 6. Holla because I got it (half way) buttoned up in the back baby! Yep, I felt slightly great and slightly sad that I could squeeze myself into this dress. But the best part of the whole day was just seeing this thing again after so many years because I loved playing dress up in it when I was a little kid. Thanks Aunt Lou for the dress up game and the stroll down memory lane. And just so you know, I did win the award for best pilgrim costume!!!

JUST SO PROUD

Dear Leslie,

I am so proud!! You did those connections really well. But you have got to help me out with something, who did Jim Caviezel play in Dejavu? Can't remember him at all. We should play a new version of the game where we connect Glenn to any celebrity. Lets try when you come back to Provo! I think it could be a great game. What do you thing?

Love, Ashley

EARTH'S GREATEST WOMAN: PART II

Its that time of year. No, not Christmas, its my mother's birthday. Way to go Aunt Liz! I love ya. I wrote about you last year and I was really nice. I don't think I can say any better. Click HERE if you want to remember all the great things I said about my mother because they still apply. And the best part of her birthday this year is that this is momma's last birthday on the mission.

MISHEARD PHRASES

You know how there are phrases that are common in cultures? Like, "its in the bag" referring to consider it done. When you hear phrases all the time you don't always stop and pay attention to what they really are. Well I am not perfect when it comes to understanding all of these correctly as you can tell by my post about some traumatizing Christmas lyrics. Well this is right along the same lines - but NOT ME this time. I was just grading a student's essay about culture and he referred to his religion and that sometimes "pure pressure" can make it hard to do what he thinks is right. I burst out laughing at my desk, stopped grading his test, and started blogging. This little mistake is so funny to me. Pure Pressure instead of Peer Pressure???!!! This is why I teach junior high ladies and gentlemen, for nuggets of laughter like this. Thanks.

NERVOUS NELLY BUTTERFLIES ARE SETTING IN

The BYU is playing that school north of us today. I am starting to get nervous sick. I love BYU so much, its insane. I am not attending the game today because it just means too much to me. I am recording it and watching it later so I can stay calm and collected. When I watch the cougars play in LaVell Edwards Stadium I totally feel the spirit.

I love BYU so much that I hate the color red enough to get physically ill when I see it. A previous boyfriend loved that other school. I remember walking home with him one night and we got into it over the rivalry. He just couldn't see why I wouldn't hold his hand walking up 9th East while he was wearing that awful sweatshirt in that awful color and that awful logo. I ended up walking home by myself - willingly. I wasn't about to compromise my morals and judgment or he would have won the argument. Obviously we broke up and as I was walking away, sobbing and lonely after the break up, the first thought that came into my head was, "well at least I don't have to marry a Ute fan now." Aren't I horrible? I mean the sadness was there big time but that glimmer of hope about marrying a BYU fan actually did help.

I just need to say how much I LOVE my BYU! I love everything about it. Not just the football team but everything. I love that I was able to go to school there. I love that I am from a cougar family. I love that my nephews know more about BYU football than most grown-ups. I just love it, okay?!!

THOUGHTS ON WORKING HARD AND PLAYING HARD

I work pretty hard. Not really hard, but pretty hard. I like my job and I make a bit of money doing it. I just had this revelation that I was raised in a household that worked really hard and played really hard but how am I ever going to be able to do this for myself? I have had some good playing in the last year but I want to go up it - a lot. I want to go to Israel and Egypt this summer. So in order to play that hard I have to work that much harder. But its not like the harder I work at Orem Junior the more they pay me. Nope, that's not how teacher salary works. If it did however, I think the social studies department would be the highest paid people at the school! So in essence I suppose I am just whining about being poor, missing when momma and daddy were home and spoiled the crap out of us, and wishing I knew how to get an extra $3000 so I could do my Holy Land trip. Any suggestions? Don't even try telling me to sell plasma, not gonna happen. And if your suggestion is to not shop for expensive things I don't really need and save money I will be the first to tell I have tried this and I am not very good at it (hence why I am typing on a brand new Mac I just bought). It's a skill set I was not naturally born with.

NOVEMBER 20

Its my birthday today. I turn 24 years old in just 47 minutes (because I was born at 1:07am). I just feel kind of weird about this. I don't like birthdays because there is too much attention on me. I am the personality that likes to sit back and watch things, NOT be watched. So for this reason I kind of dread November 20. But there is one major upside to birthdays. No, not presents. They don't hurt but that's not what I am talking about. I am talking about the "guilted-into-dinner dinner." I love my people, a lot. But there is only 1 day a year where I can make them do what I want and they have to hang out with me. That my friends, is why I love November 20.

Thank you to mother for wanting me enough to not get your tubes tied. Really appreciate it. Thank you dad for not leaving mother when you found out she was pregnant with me when you believed she had gotten her tubes tied. Love to all on this November 20.

JUST HIT ME TODAY...AT 23

I have my moments of ditsy-ness but I think today may have been a real low point. I like to think we can all hear songs and sing along with them and not really pay attention to what we're saying. Well this happened today, obviously. Here in the great state of Utah we have two radio stations playing non-stop Christmas music already. I was listening to "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus" by the Jackson Five which is a band I love but a song I hate. It always disturbed me that the little boy had to see his mom kissing another guy - and not just any guy, SANTA. Then the little boy decides he is going to find his dad and tell him the scandal he saw and just then in the song it hit me: SANTA IS DAD!!! She is not two-timing with dear old Santie. She is kissing her husband because really over zealous dads dress up as Santa!!! Wow!

Sadly, this is not the only misunderstanding of a song for me. I was 21 years old when I realized that "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" was referring to the beautiful springtime blossoms. My childish mind literally believed I was singing about real popcorn growing on trees. Must have been the fat kid in me.