It's been over a year...

My last blog posting was under a different name and with an old email (of which I seem to have no memory). Ergo, welcome new blog! Just for kicks I'll include the text from my one and only previous blog post:

"2 days short of a year of marriage and we finally decided to start a blog. So, here goes!

I guess I should play catch up about all the things we've done over the last year. It definitely doesn't feel like a year, though. Time sure flies, and everyone tells me it'll only go faster when we have children.

We're both taking a break from school for the summer to work hard and save monies. In the fall I'll be at UTA, and Ryan will be finishing up at TCC and getting ready to transfer. UNT? Not sure yet... I'm trying to plug away so I can start teaching. Unfortunately there don't seem to be a lot of teaching jobs on the horizon, which is a little worrisome. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

We just finished 14 months of nannying/caregiving for our "landlady" (I suppose that's what you'd call her). She has 4 beautiful children that we adore and have come to feel like our own. It's been a nice crash course in parenting, to say the least. 3 boys and 1 girl, and the youngest 2 are twins = we feel moderately prepared. Though I'm sure the minute we become parents all the training will fly out the window.

My brother Parker is still on his mission in Mexico City. He's doing quite well as a Zone Leader and is working hard to meet their baptism goals. We expect him home sometime in September.

Speaking of missions - Ryan and I are taking a lonnnnng road trip this summer (in about 35 days) and we'll be visiting his mission, along with many other places. I'm excited to meet all the people that I've heard so much about. After we go through Colorado and Wyoming we'll head over to Idaho to meet the grandparents, some of which I've never been introduced to! Then it's to Bear Lake for my Anderson family reunion. Those are always a blast, and I haven't gotten to go to the last two, so I'm really looking forward to this one. All-in-all it's a 10 day trip; beginning July 9th and ending on the 19th. Our little car has some work to do! Let's all pray it makes it!

That's all the "posting" I can think of... until next time"

 

 

SOOOOooooo, A lot has changed since then! I've finished my Junior year at UTA and I am about to begin my "Field Experience" (Student Teaching) with HEBISD. I finished my hellacious summer classes with my 4.0 still intact. I can't believe I graduate next May as a certified teacher!

My brother Parker came home from his mission last September, and Calvin just graduated from high school and is preparing for his mission. Time really has flown.

Last Christmas, Ryan gave me a sweet little puppy.

Albus Severus Elliott (yes, we really like Harry Potter)

This was the day I got him!

 

 

And this was just the other day!

He has grown so much! I cannot wait until Fall semester; we'll be starting puppy training classes. It'll be exciting for him to be able to do more than "sit"! And I swear that we'll go to the dog park once this dang heat passes.

Since my last attempt at posting, Ryan has had 2 promotions. I'm so dang proud of him. When we got married, I had no idea what a hard worker he was - I just lucked out! He's now working as the supervisor over the Spanish-speaking phone bankers (nice when that mission language comes in handy, eh?). It came at a perfect time so that I can really focus on my last year of school without too much stress.

As the name of our blog suggests, we're still living at the dome. I guess I'll have to either buy a dome-shaped house or get a new blog when we move ;) We've loved living there and getting to be so close with the kids - they've taught us so much.

Weddings are also still happening all over the place, and babies! We welcomed our nephew 2 months ago (Happy 2 month birthday, Orry!) and we're so excited to see Jonathan and Courtney become parents. Subsiquently, Ryan has bottle-fed a baby and changed a diaper for the first time ever, so that's been good practice! (Though it was just a wet diaper, so it doesn't really count!) My mom will be getting married to her fiance, Ted, at the end of September. We're very excited for them to be able to get married and start their new life together. Hopefully, I'll be able to go to Utah for their nuptials. And our "landlady" (more like sister), Katie, got married in July. We were so excited to be able to attend and support her!



We hope everyone is able to stay cool this summer!

Love much,

Ashleigh