Bring on the Summer

I've always been a summer person. I used to lie to myself, trying to convince myself that Winter had wonderful activities making it bearable-that was a GIANT lie. Summer is the only season that should exist. Warm dry air, bright sun, a little bit of sweat occasionally. Oh how I love it. I keep patiently waiting for it to arrive but spring tends to get in the way. I put up with the April Showers in hope that May flowers would begin. . .negatory! I suppose May can have showers too. 

I didn't mean that to sound negative because life is actually going well. . .busy but well. :)
Here are some updates.

1.There is a spider living in my car. Yes, saw it while I was driving down the interstate. Tried to catch it. Almost died. No success. I'm always slightly terrified to crawl into my car.

2. Saw the San Fransisco bridge-pretty sweet. 

3. Velveeta Mac & Cheese-I've been converted. So much better than Kraft!

4. Saw Wicked after 4 failed attempts. It was amazing and I loved it!

5. I have no idea where I'm living after July. . .not even worried about it. 

6. I've developed a "like" for Yoga. . .not ot a "love" yet but I am appreciating the mind/body awareness.

7. I'm still bad at blogging as you can very well see. :)

8. I'm ENGAGED!

Yes you heard me right. Little anti-commital Ashlei is committing. Who would have thunk it? And who is the lucky guy you ask? The one, the only, Joseph Short!  It's the classic story: Boy meets girl. Boy asks girl out. Boy never asks girl out again. Girl accepts "just friends" role. Friendship continues for 5 years. Girl flies to Alaska. Boy and girl wonder if they are "more than friends." And 9 months later they were engaged. :)

If you want an abridged version of the engagement story follow my dear friend Alyssa's blog. She was behind the scenes. http://theveryhappypear.blogspot.com/2012/04/library-love-story.html  If you haven't read her blod before, you should!

One day I'll post my version of it all. . .hopefully before I'm married. :)

This is during Christmas and not my best picture. . .but man do I love him!



Happy Spring Everyone!

Balance

I know what you're thinking. . .What type of weird post is Ashlei going to make? Could it be some type of weird childhood memory, new celeb gossip, or just a yummy treat. Well, I'm here to inform that all of the above mentioned are incorrect. I'm instead posing a question and need input.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you feel as though something is off but you have no idea what? In reality, life is everything you have wanted it to be. I have no reason to complain. I love my job, I have fabulous friends, a wonderful boyfriend, a supportive family, a stellar apartment. . .(minus the needy cat), and planned trips for the future. I can't quite put my finger on why I feel like my qi is off. I realize that my exercise routine hasn't been where it once was at and my veggie intake has been low, but overall, I think that I'm trying to stay balanced within life. Not perfect, but definitely trying.

I don't know. Thoughts? Ideas? Am I the type of person that just constantly needs a change? (Yes, packing my bags spontaneously and moving to Arizona has crossed my mind). Is it post-holiday blues? Maybe some weird mood associated with PMS? (Wow, I just wrote PMS on my blog. That might be a first). What could be off?

Well that's enough of the ramblage out of my mouth. (Don't worry, I still like my made up words). Any thoughts, opinions would be greatly appreciated. But if not, I hope everyone's New 2012 starts off with a bang and know that this tall girl sends you love! And remember that it's Fast Sunday! :)

It's Been A While

In case you were speculating, it is not true because I am alive. This post will be short, but I wanted to give you a few reasons why life is great at this moment in time.

1. I moved out of Provo! (Yes, that has been a great thing for me). Draper is treating me well.
2. The new apartment I live in is wonderful. Complete with my own new furniture, fireplace and great friends. (Pictures to follow soon).
3. I LOVE my new job. The people I work with are great and I get to see some fun stuff. The only thing that would make it better was if I didn't have to commute to Provo. (I never believed that place could suck you in and never let you out, but in my case it has worked). :)
4. Trips, trips and more trips! (I could get used to this life).
5. The summer was so warm! I'm starting to freeze already, but Christmas is around the corner which will make up for the miserable weather.

Happy Halloween and Fall everyone!

Childhood Wonders

So I've been wanting to post about this for a while, but have not found the time. . .funny thing is the time to write about it, slipped into my work schedule. (I promise that most days I don't have time to do much more than work).

Point being, I went to Wal-Mart with my roommate a few weeks ago and ran into an old-childhood snack which I used to be obsessed over. I remember begging my mother to put them into my lunch. I absolutely loved them! I had forgotten about them until a few weeks ago, but when I saw them, I just had to get them.

What is this wonderful snack you ask?. . .

The one,

the only,

DUNKAROOS!

Yep, that's right.

Is it actually cookies with cheap chocolate frosting?

Yep! But it still tasted delicious.

Confession

I have a confession to put out open on the table.

Sigh. . .



Pretty sure that I woke up at 4 am to watch the Royal Wedding.

I know, I know. So cliche and completely ridiculous.

I realize that I could have been a normal human being and watched coverage later, but I felt that I wouldn't have time due to a busy day filled with graduation and travel. I couldn't handle the fact that others may have seen it before me. I wanted to feel apart of all the festivities. :)

All I can say is that I absolutely loved it. Is it the little girl in side of me that still believes in fairy tales? Maybe so. But either way, it was oh so perfect!

I loved watching Kate's father walk her down the aisle. . .
And her sister was beyond beautiful as the maid of honor!



I loved watching Prince William and Princess Kate ride away in their carriage.



And most of all. . .





I loved the Royal Kiss on the balcony.




Pretty sure that if I were British. . .

Nope, I wouldn't even need to be British. . .

Had I been in England, I would have been one of the crazies camped out for days in advance in order to get a close spot and be able to wave as the newly married couple waved back. Yep, I'm not even ashamed to admit that. :)

Okay, I feel better knowing that I could get that off of my chest. Happy Royal Wedding Weekend everyone!

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah

After much patience and waiting, the day finally arrived. . .
The one, the only. . .

Miss Jordin (aka "the deer") was able to enjoy the great experience.

We both felt very under-dressed for the monster ball. (As badly as we wanted to take pictures of all the crazies, we refrained and decided we should be more mature). ;)

Both of us entered with the opinion that Lady Gaga's music was alright, but we were more interested in the other people attending the concert and the fact that her performance should be entertaining.

Well, we were right! The people were a sight to see, Lady Gaga was completely crazy but very entertaining, and we made friends with the drunks on either side of us.

All and all, it was a very fun, entertaining night!

Throroughly Modern Milie

It's amazing where you find your life at. Did I ever think in a million years that I would be living in Provo and choreographing for a Middle School Musical? The answer would be no, in case you didn't know. My friend Jess is a Theatre teacher and asked me to choreograph for their annual musical. I wanted to say no after all. . .

1. I felt a little overwhelmed with school and work and didn't know how much time I could dedicate to this.
2. I had never even been in a musical, not to mention choreograph for one
3. 12-13 year-olds? Yeah, that's a time period I would never choose to go back to. . .

Don't worry, I returned. :)

And it was a great experience! Well, there are a few students that I wanted to strangle countless times, but I have been so impressed with how far the kids have come! After all, I was incredibly worried after auditions. There were many kids that struggled, and I mean really struggled. . .Getting them to walk on beat was a challenge.

There's only one more performance left, but I am still amazed with the work the kids have done! I couldn't have asked for more. I still think to myself "Wow, Jess and I just put on a musical!" What a perfect pair we make. I can't hold a pitch and Jess has two left feet. I won't even mention the fact that I still have never seen the musical but now feel that I don't need to. . .I mean really, do I want to tear my work down? I think not. . .Ha, ha. I will see the show eventually. I've heard that the movie with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore is quite excellent.

Well here is a quick preview of two of my favorite numbers from the show. Once again, they aren't perfect but the kids worked so hard and it really came together and progressed from where the kids started at. Sorry for the bad camera shots. I was directing lights and trying to do many things at once. (Yeah, now I know I really should have taken a lights class in college. I never thought I would be on the backstage of performances). :)




The girls especially loved this one! I could tell because they actually practiced it. I choreographed a part, then came back the next day and it was practically perfect. Maybe it's the title "Forget About the Boy!" Yeah, really who needs them?! "STICK IT TO THE MAN!" Haha.




Did I mention that our lead for Millie is phenomenal! Yeah, she's 13 and beyond talented and super cool! We really think she should audition for American Idol.

There's one more performance left on Monday night 2/28/11. Come bring your family, date, or friends for a fun night. Really, I wouldn't invite people if it wasn't a good show, but it really is! It starts at 6:30 at Dixon Middle School in Provo. Costs are $2 or $5 for families.

You will love it, I promise!