Happy New Year!

Well, 2012 has been quite a year for the Elliotts! A lot of ups, and some downs. I'll try to cover the highlights. Right now we're being super boring. It's 8:37pm, I'm in my PJ's watching Netflix while Ryan is doing homework. We plan to go to bed around 10... My mom says we're way to young for this, but I'm totally okay with our 'exciting' New Year's Eve :) We had a really fun dinner with Jon, Courtney, and our adorable nephew, Orry! So on to my summation of 2012 -

We began 2012 by sending Calvin out on his mission to Berlin, Germany. We got to skype with him last week and it was so great to hear him and see him. He's had struggles, but he LOVES the country and the mission. We pray for him daily, and love to read his e-mails. He's so busy all the time!

What a handsome guy?!

From January to May I did my student teaching at Harrison Lane Elementary and I LOVED IT! I built a lot of great relationships with my mentors. I busted my butt and graduated summa cum laude from UTA in May. It's so great to finally be done with school!

I took a break during the summer, and did a lot of job hunting! I found a position as a special education paraprofessional with Bell Manor Elementary in HEBISD (can't believe I've been in the same district - school, student teaching, and career - since I was in 2nd grade!). I really love it here. The staff is so great; I love the ladies I work with in our special ed room. I do hope to work up to getting my own classroom next year, but this has been the most educational and rewarding experience I've had thus far.

Ryan is expected to graduate in a little over a year from now. He's continuing to do well at his job, and he's really finding his stride as a supervisor. I'm constantly proud of how much time and effort he puts into motivating his team.

Over the summer we had a bit of a low... and in hindsight I'm so grateful that I didn't work during this time. Ryan was rushed to the hospital after multiple doctor's appointments. We were too late, though, and his appendix had already burst. I had lots of time to stay at the hospital and take care of him during recovery. It took quite a while for the infection to be eradicated and for his fever to break. Needless to say, I was exhausted, but I walked away knowing my husband much better - and loving him more for it. After a nice week-long "vacation" in the HEB Texas Health hospital, he came home and has recovered very nicely since then.

 

On a positive note, Ryan started an intense work-out system over the summer, and the surgery helped him jump start his weight loss. As of today, he's lost over 60 pounds! I'm so proud of how hard he works! Lots of people ask his secret - hard work -> a lot of cardio and dieting. He looks so great (and now I need to get my act together :P). 

In November we got to witness the sealing of my brother to my new sister-in-law, Michelle Donner! She's such a great addition to our family -there's no one in the eternities who could possibly be better for Parker. I'm so excited all the fun we'll have as family. And, to be honest, it's nice to not be the only girl! We're so happy for them!

<3

We had another low this fall - one that has been coming on for some time. It's hard to put into words sometimes, though I have no qualms being open about our situation. For now I'll spell it out in pictures:

And after 3 different medical opinions...

Of course there is still faith and hope; as Neal A. Maxwell says:

Starting this next year we'll be embarking on some new rounds of aggressive fertility treatments, so that'll be fun (*spoken with optimistic sarcasm). I haven't decided if I want to blog about it in detail... but I figure we've been married long enough that most people are expecting us to have children by this point. I know it's helped me to go and read stories of other women in my situation, but I know it's also opening the floodgates to potential unwanted advice. I want to give a big thank you to our families and friends who are very loving and supportive (especially all my girlfriends who patiently listen to "ovulation this, and Clomid that" all the time). We're hopeful that 2013 will bring us a bundle of joy!

Okay, that's a big downer, so I'll have to close with the BEST NEWS OF 2012! As of TODAY, we are officially HOMEOWNERS!!! (but let it be known that I hate this picture and no, I'm not high)

We just closed today and it feels super cool to start out 2013 in a house. We'll be officially moving in at the end of January (so I can get my pretty white cabinets right now) and we're so thrilled! It's a 4 bed, 2 bath house in Fort Worth (only about 5 minutes away from Jonathan and Courtney). I'll definitely post pics once I've painted. 

This concludes my post - so Happy New Year! I hope 2013 brings you all of your desires! I'll end with pictures from Ryan's MEGA DATE

The Hobbit @ AMC

Sea Life @ Grapevine Mills

trapped in the tank!

Favorite shot of the day!

I could stay in this room forever! (Also, can I say Ryan is looking super fine?!)

blurry, but oh well

Ryan made me homemade tortellini soup - so good!

MEGA DATE part 2: Nutcracker at the Bass Hall (with Grandma Elliott)

such great seats!

Crafting and Organizing!

I've been getting things together lately! And feeling good about it! Last week Kai needed helping making his homecoming date's mum, so I took that on... I got away only spending $40.00!

This is before the flowers were added and the stuff on the front (unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the after)

Later in the week, I decided the cabinets under my bathroom sink were DISGUSTING! Seriously, I hesitate to even put the before picture. I'll preface the "after" by saying that I also want to make a wooden shelf to put the pink razor basket on top of, so that I can put towels underneath. This poor cabinet is our ONLY bathroom storage. Ahhh, gotta love apartments!

Before. (Gross, I know)

After (- the shelf on the left)

And in another effort to be a good homemaker this week, I went to the dollar store and got supplies for 72 hour kits! I'm lacking some beef jerky, some cans of soup, and some beanie weenies (my personal fav!) When they're finished, there will be a 3 day meal plan typed out and all of the food will be divided up into the 2 canisters. One for me, and one for Ryan. My plan is to buy a 1-gallon container of water each week until the cupboard above our fridge (the one that I can never reach without a kitchen chair) is full. It's not much, but it's a start. I think my next project will be a killer first aid kit.

I'm also trying to think of a cute way to send Calvin the Euros we got him for Christmas.... any ideas? I'd love to hear some comments. I'm in charge of collecting all of my family's gifts for him and making sure they get there in time. I'm thinking of making this stocking and putting all of our things in there (because all he wants is money :-)!


Ta ta for now!

Summer 2012

Summer is almost over, and I'm happy to say that I found a job! Added bonus = it's in my ideal district, where I grew up, graduated, and student taught! I'm going to a Special Education Paraprofessional at Bell Manor Elementary! When I graduated, I'll admit that it wasn't what I set out to get, but I'm actually very excited about this opportunity. It will give me a year to get used to being part of a school, in addition to getting highly-valued special education experience.
I've gone up to the school a few times, and I've helped arrange the classroom (which is gigantic, by the way). Each time I do something pertaining to this new position, I get more and more excited.


Today, I got a fun surprise - Ryan and I went to Hobby Lobby and he told me I couldn't be with him (in the store, that is). Then he picked up my custom-framed diploma that he had previously snuck away from our mail box. He refuses to tell me how much it cost, what a cutie?!  He did such a great job picking it out!

Our biggest event this summer was Ryan's appendectomy, which used up any time and money that could've gone to a vacation. However, I think we grew stronger and closer together through that experience than we ever could have achieved on a vacation. It all started with what felt like the flu:
After a few days of stomach cramps and flu-like symptoms, Ryan went in to see my step-dad (our doctor) to see what was wrong. The pains weren't that bad that day, and it could've been attributed to many things. He was given some antibiotics for the next week, and we thought that would fix everything. Unfortunately, the day he finished the antibiotics, the pains started coming back. They weren't super intense or sharp, it was more of just a "I don't feel good" type feeling. That weekend we called Ted to see what we should do. He said, "Go to the hospital." However, after hearing that, Ryan decided he didn't really feel THAT bad. (haha!) I tried to get him to go, but he said he was sure it would go away. After receiving a blessing and missing work and church and still not feeling better, our doctor sent him in for a cat scan. Tuesday morning Ryan gets a call saying he has to go the hospital to have his appendix removed. He figured he'd finish up what he had going on and then head home, but then they called back a second time and basically said to go NOW. Ahhh! This was the hectic part. I took the quickest shower ever, packed what I thought we'd need for a couple of days, and hurried out the door as soon as Ryan got home from work. We drove to the hospital with our bags and everything; all the while thinking how much cooler this would be if we were getting a baby taken out of MY body, not a useless organ taken from Ryan's... haha, oh well. 

Check in, surgery, blah, blah, blah. A few hours of sitting in the waiting room later, the surgeon came in to tell me that his appendix really did burst, but his body contained the infection very well. I can happily report that they were able to complete the surgery with minimal invasion. Ryan spent 6 days in the hospital and is still on the road to recovery. He spent another week out of work, and is now working up to his normal activity level.  

I have to say, I gained a greater love of service through this experience. Sure, I thought I did a LOT for Ryan before, but during this 2 week period I constantly was thinking about his welfare and nothing else. Everything about my needs/wants went on hold, and I was in super-wife mode. And ya know what? I loved every minute of it. Ryan has been very sweet about thanking me, but I would be happy to do it all again. I think it was a good experience to have before having kids (and much easier without children, frankly). Here's a few pictures of our summer "vacation"!

Ryan with all of his gifts! Yes, that's a shark on his shoulder and a foam sword in his hand (the kids gave them to him for strength)

What a princess?! Haha, I bought him the only sleep mask I could find and it just so happened to have silk flowers all over it (for when the nurses are in and out all night)

View of the roof post rainstorm - we thought it looked like  the ocean

Since he couldn't go see Dark Night Rises, I brought the laptop and speakers and we watched the first 2 movies.

Parker's birthday was yesterday, and here's the cake I made! I loooove making cake pops!

Ta ta for now!

Spring 2012

I would start off by apologizing for not updating, but I really don't think anyone reading this would've been that offended.
I am absolutely loving this weather! It's got that cool breeze and the budding of leaves and the air seems to be singing "Something's Coming" from West Side Story. I actually feel this way every spring, and I'm glad to have that feeling renewed. Though I'm very anxious about what the future holds, I am also really enjoying life right now. We moved a month and a half ago, and Ryan and I love our new apartment. So I guess I need to figure out how to change the name of this blog, though I think 'A Day in the Life of the Creek on Park Place Apartments' is a less exciting title. If I did that, I should be paid by them or something. Anyways, it's... cozy... but I find that I prefer it's size to a larger space (which only means more square footage to clean)! May I also say that you need to go stand in front of your washer/dryer and kitchen and say "THANK YOU!" After 3 years, I finally have a real kitchen, and it's encouraged me to stretch my cooking legs. I've had a few opportunities to plan full menus from scratch for family and friends, and it's quickly becoming my favorite thing. I have always felt that food brings people together in it's own special way; some of my fondest memories involve family and friends gathered around a table. We did part with Albus, but he's close by at the in-laws. He seems very happy there and has a nice backyard to play in, though I do hear he likes to tease their cat, Jack.

Lots of exciting things on our horizon. Ryan will be picking an official school to attend and declaring his major, and I will graduate 8 weeks from yesterday! I am excited for this milestone to pass, but nervous because I don't know exactly what's going to happen after it... every semester, I would just look forward to the end of the following semester, but now that there's an end to that road, I'm not sure where I'll go next. I'm sure anyone who has ever graduated has felt this way! However, I know the Lord has always placed people or opportunities in my path that keep me progressing.

Calvin is really loving his mission and he ships out to Germany tomorrow! He's spent 9 weeks in the MTC learning how to teach and how to speak German. I look forward to his letters and e-mails as he continues to progress. We're so proud of him and all the hard work he's doing.

Ryan and I are Primary teachers at church and we love it. I have to mention it, because I finally made a breakthrough in my lesson planning, of which I am rather proud. We have a large group. Due to our small primary, we don't need many teachers, but our class roster has over 20 students. Each Sunday we'll have an average of 9-14 kiddos. And if you've seen those small classrooms, you understand the challenge. For kids ages 4-7, sitting in a chair for 3 hours straight and having to be quiet most of the time is REALLY BORING! I said it. And I totally understand! Sometimes, when I was in Relief Society, even I would get so antsy because I'd been sitting quietly for so long. Small room + lots of kids + burnt out attention span! All together, it really started to make me feel like I wasn't engaging them enough for anything to actually sink in, thus negating my purpose as a Primary teacher. Then I stumbled on this AMAZING website. . I seriously could kiss this woman for doing this. She has gone through every primary manual lesson and added extension activities/handouts/etc. I read through them and started using ones I thought would be engaging (in addition to the lesson given), but then I realized I had so many, there was no way I could do all of them in that short time. So now here's the secret: STATIONS! Stations, stations, stations! They use them all the time in school (because they're amazing), so the kids were already accustomed to how a station works. I put a few 5-7 minute activities together and BAM! you have a well-planned, engaging lesson. In this new schedule, we take the kids for a walk outside, to utilize this great weather, have a 10-15 minute whole group mini-lesson over the topic, and then break into stations for the remaining time with a short re-cap before the prayer. I usually do 3 stations; one manned by me, one by Ryan, and the other is a self-managing station that usually involves coloring and writing (*always looking for ways to incorporate literacy). It has been a lifesaver, and it makes me love this calling even more. It's not changing the curriculum (because I still use the manual) so much as changing the group size. It's easier to manage those lessons and activities with smaller groups. I definitely notice the changes in their attention from my old method. The kids are so insightful, especially when you're able to access their interest and get them engaged in the learning. They have so much to share and give - it's a treasure to see it every Sunday!

Gratitude

Oh my goodness, I haven't posted in forever. So update! I am re-starting P90X with Ryan, because I put it on hold for reasons which are known to some. But I still want to get in better shape, and Ryan is joining me - so we'll embark on this path together. I'm signed up to do the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving, and I've been running/ellipticalling periodically to train for that (though I really need to buckle down and make sure I'm ready for it)!

School is almost over. I have 9 more assignments due this semester and my goal is to have them all done before Thanksgiving. I'm thinking 1 a day between now and then (except Sundays) and I should be good! I cannot believe I'm almost to graduation. 1 semester of student teaching and I'm done! It's been a long, difficult road, but I'm so glad that I stuck through it. Paying for your own education definitely makes one appreciate it more. I'm so grateful to my husband and family for giving me support and encouraging me in my endeavors. Now we just need to get Ryan through his degree!

But now to what I really wanted to post about (as I avoid that homework pile). Thanksgiving is seriously my favorite holiday. I do love Christmas and what it represents, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I get frustrated with the materialism that our society shoves down our throats at that time of year. Thanksgiving is still relatively untainted by that. It's such a beautiful time to reflect on all that we have been blessed with in our lives, and if properly observed, I think it prepares our hearts to be open at the season of giving which shortly follows. Also, my love of Thanksgiving could have something to do with food, let's be honest. Truly, I think nothing brings family and friends together better than a delicious meal. I guarantee you that at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, I have a moment where I sit in an almost out-of-body experience and watch the group at the table and think to myself how wonderful it is. I love it so much; planning the meal out beforehand, getting up early to cook while the boys go to the turkey bowl, getting dressed up to go to dinner, enjoying the meal with friends and family, relaxing after we eat, and planning for the upcoming holiday! I suppose that explains why my House of Dreams in my head has a beautiful kitchen and a large dining room. I want the space to entertain - to be able to open my house to all my family, my friends, and especially those that don't have anywhere else to go for Thanksgiving.

I haven't kept up with a daily gratitude journal, which I usually like to do. But I want to devote this post to the thing I'm most grateful for: my dear family. I'll start out and work in:
I've always loved and cherished the relationships I have with my extended family, the Anderson clan. Though they may be far away, I'm grateful for their love and friendship in my life. I love our family reunions so much! I only wish we could be closer to spend more time together, but when we do get together I feel as if we are able to pick up where we left off. I'm especially grateful to my aunts and uncles who, when my parents were separating and times were tough, stepped in from 1,200 miles away and offered their love and support. What a blessing they were and still are today!
When it came time for my wedding, I don't think I've ever felt more love from a group of people. My Aunt Cheryl did so much to help me get a beautiful dress, my dream dress! And she and my grandmother were by my side the whole time as I went through the temple. My Aunt Carmie and cousin Hollie put together a wonderful shower without even hesitating or asking anything in return; what a great act of service! My grandparents offered so much help and support and enabled us to have beautiful cakes and a perfect honeymoon. Everyone gave so much attention and wanted to get to know Ryan so eagerly when we visited - it still brings tears to my eyes. Truly, without them my wedding would have been... well, far much less awesome.

I also love getting to know my new family. My in-laws have also been very loving and supportive and have welcomed me into their family as one of their own. They have us over for dinner bi-weekly, and I look forward to it every time! I get regular e-mails from Ryan's grandma that always make me smile. She makes me feel like I've always been her grandaughter :) I am also really grateful for my brother and sisters-in-law. I feel as if we've been family all along!

My brothers hold such a special place in my heart, and I'm grateful for the struggles we've faced together because I know that without them, we would never be so close. They are some of the goofiest, loud, loving, most fantastic men I've ever known and I love having them so close. I espcially love the bond that they have developed with Ryan. I say this all the time, but you would seriously think I was the one who married into the family. They are so close, it blows my mind. It's like you can see that they knew eachother before this life, and there was just a 24-ish year break in their brotherhood. (Though I'm sure they're a lot more immature than they were in the pre-mortal realm... ;)
I'm thankful for my parents; they've helped me become who I am today. I love that they've never hesitated to tell me how proud they are of me. They are always forthcoming in their affection, and it's helped me be confident in myself and know that I am loved. I'm grateful to them for raising me in the Gospel and directing me to the temple.
*Here's the gooey part*
Lastly, my dear Ryan. Words cannot express my love (and sometimes exasperation, let's be real) for this man. Through friendship, courtship, and marriage, he has been my rock. He has never failed to be there for me. He makes me laugh every single day, and makes me fall in love with him even more often than that. I'm grateful to have been blessed with someone who gets me so well, who makes me want to be a better person, and who will be a wonderful father someday. I love being married, and I especially love being married to Ryan. It's a fearful thought to think of where I would be without him - I conjure up a picture of Mary Bailey, when George sees her as a librarian who never married and lives alone. He is so giving and makes me so very happy. Ryan, you are my world.
I'm daily thankful for the blessing of a temple marriage. It is such a comfort to know that I'm sealed to my best friend for eternity. Through thick and thin, we keep that perspective and strive for our marriage to be celestial on a daily basis. I'm so grateful for this blessing and for the promises it gives to our future children.

Well... I'm crying now and I've put off homework for an hour, so I'm going to go. I only wish I could give more than a few sentences to the people who have done so much and mean so much to me. I truly do have a wonderful life, and I've barely scratched the surface with the above list. Goodnight!

P90X update

Okay, I have a confession. Week 3 sucked for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a wonderful week, but one full of friends and eating out - not hXc work-outs. In leiu of that, I decided to repeat week 3's schedule before continuing. I'm happy to report that I'm back on track! I'm also noticing a lot of changes. Small though they may be, they are still significant.

Things I've noticed:
1) My endurance has increased by leaps and bounds!
My heart and lungs can keep up with my workouts far longer than before I started. I've actually reached that point where my muscles tire out before my lungs do; a difficult task when you have exercise-induced asthma!
I can get through the workouts without wanting to puke, and I even started doing the "bonus" part last week - a clear sign of success.
2) Muscle Toning!
Though I haven't lost poundage yet, I've noticed my muscle tone changing. I have sweet little biceps now, and my tri's are more defined. I also have noticed more strength in my calves and hamstrings. All good stuff.

I'm still debating if I want to post my pics... I haven't noticed a lot of visual changes yet, and that's why most  people who quit the program stop around day 30. I will not be giving up, though, because I feel the difference - and that's the most important. The visual will come later, I'm sure. For now, I feel great when I work-out and afterwards.

Gonna keep bringin' it!

(P.S. I suspect that Tony Horton has definitely hooked up with Dreya - anyone else whose seen the videos notice that? Just sayin')

First Day in the Classroom!

I geared up for my first day by finishing Anne of Green Gables (where she goes to school to teach) and then reading the first few chapters of Anne of Avonlea (which will probably be the name of one of my future daughters)! It's so cool to me that L.M. Montgomery wrote those in 1910ish and yet the feelings are still the same - so timeless! I read and re-read when Anne is about to be a "schoolma'am" for the first time. "Marilla, what if I fail!" - will be a constant plea of mine, I'm sure.


I was a very good girl; I went to bed early and woke up at 5:15. Albus seemed very confused as to why we were waking up when it was dark outside. I cannot begin to describe the fluttering of my heart in anticipation occumpanied with the feeling of foolishness at my extreme nervousness over a relatively small event. Something told me to check my e-mail before I bolted out the door, so I pulled it up on my phone. Nothing was there from my mentor, but I got a very surprising message from the College of Education Program Director.

"Good afternoon Ashleigh,

I'd like to invite you to represent the EC-6 program on the Dean's Student Advisory Group.
***blah, blah, blah about scheduled meetings****As soon as I hear from you, I'll give your name to the dean's office.

Thanks so much!"

WHAT?! Sweet! Yeah, it means extra work, but I'm really touched that she would choose me out of hundreds of students in the program. That helped me rally my spirits a lot!

 

School time: I just have to say I have the most fantastic mentor teacher. She's so understanding, and yet willing to throw me in the middle of the ring. I'm glad she thinks I'm ready. The first rotation came and she set me in a station to do running records and fluency/comprehension tests. By the end of the day, after 3 rotations of students, I did over 55 tests. I sent up a prayer of gratitude that my most recent class was all about running records. It took me back to days of pretending to be a teacher, when I would keep notebooks of my fake classroom and organize grades for my fake students. What was once my playtime is now my reality. I'm sure one day it'll just be busy-work, but for today, at least, it was exciting.

Questions I was asked about myself today:

"Are you a Miss or a Mrs?"

"How old are you?"
"Are you 50?"

"Are you 29?"

"Do your kids go here, too?"

I came home feeling very enthused about life. I wish I could go full-time already!

Wish me luck!