more?

i had to say more goodbyes today. NOT FAIR. 

seokhee's mission farewell is my first of a close friend. all i've been to is a random friend of friend's farewells. 

242 4 LIFE!

even though a lot will change in two years, i still can't wait until we're all reunited.

hope your easter was filled with what's important. 

i had to return keys for to my aunt while she was at church and as i walked out i heard my uncle (who is the bishop) say this:

"on my mission we often had to respond to the comments that we were not christians, because we did not have crosses around our churches and in our homes. but the reason for this is because we don't focus on the cross because we believe he still lives."

it gave me food for thought on my drive today. hope you think about it a little as well. 

happy sunday :)

the year of 'perfect ten' in review- day two.

the most important ten of 2010 #2

i turned eighteen, and fell in love.. with a city.

on the day of my eighteenth birthday my parents flew me away to washington dc. the hours leading up to my birthday and most of my birthday day was miserable. i got ditched at a dance within thirty minutes and watched as that dance that i planned was abandoned for parties/alcohol. needless to say i was ready to leave all about march 5 (friends, south dakota, immaturity, high school) and move on to march 6 (my eighteenth birthday!).
well, i was exhausted and fell asleep right when i got on the plane, but when i woke up we were still at the airport at our gate. i called my parents to ask what was going on, and eventually got the answer (they were closer to the front of the plane) that a tray table wouldn't go up properly, so we had to wait for it be fixed. well. they couldn't fix it, so they duct taped it, after hours. then of course we (my parents were with me) missed our connecting flight and i was stuck in the airport for my connecting flight that was supposed to be in dc. so. we ate at an overpriced chili's and had some ice cream. finally late late we got to dc and got settled into our hotel.
dc was amazing! we toured the sights with my aunt suzanne and cousin tenny and my friend brynley joined us as well. everything in dc felt important and historical and blew me away.

we even met my senator- senator thune at the end of our tour of the capitol. along the way we also saw john mccain, and many other senators. we even saw a senate vote :)

i loved dc and hope that some time soon (like 2012) i can do an internship there, possibly with senator thune :)
after a great time in dc, my parents flew home and brynley and i took the train with suz and tennyson and met my uncle jeremy in new york where he had to work for a couple days. we stayed right across the street from ground zero! the weather was horrible, rainy and windy, but we tried to make the best of it. we saw wicked which was amazzzzing, walked through way too expensive stores, got ice cream at trump tower, were on tv as one of the crazy people at the today show, and learned to navigate the subways.

First Post, First Explanation

today, by definition of any dakota valley student, is a snow day.

the weather outside is truely frightful, and this makes my mood somewhat the same.

productiveness has been minimal, but i did manage to create this blog, complete with way too much time considering which background and banner to use.

yesterday, by definition of me- was a scary day. overwhelming actually.

hopefully most high school seniors, or ex- high school seniors, can relate with me when i say it was one of those days where everything scares you- you feel like you have to make so many big decisions and there is SO much to consider and you feel like no matter what you'll make the wrong decision.. but still you really want to make the decision.. and ASAP.

i'm not exactly in love with this phase of my life.

i once said, with close friends agreeing, "i suck at high school."

is this true? that's not exactly for me to decide but sometimes that's how it feels.

everyone has their insecurities, and insecurities are on steroids in high school. but i don't feel like that's exactly my case.

i love my family, my support, my interests, myself, and have what i need to make me be pretty confident.

and i am confident.. but right now i'm more confident that i don't need high school as much as high school might need me.

college is the next step, and i have now less then four month for that to be the step i'm in.

(high school graduation = may 15th)

so.. now what does this have to do with my blog.. entitled stay beautiful (crafty right?)

well first of all i love taylor swift, so please take that into consideration. that is something that makes me your pretty normal high school girl. i almost idolize tswift and her lyrics, specifically.

my inspiration for this blog? kate clark- cousin, writer, college student, and role model :)

one day, maybe even soon she'll read this, i'll be a little embarrassed but i must give credit where credit is due.

sometimes no one can give you the answers you want or need no matter how much they understand you or how long they listen, this is because.. for me atleast, i don't really want an answer.

stay beatiful could become my best friend.

do i like to write? not too much, but it does really help get my thoughts out of my head so i don't have 2 am nights like last night (thank goodness for this snow day)

so.. here goes. here i, ashley, am in the raw. sometimes this could get scary, but mostly i think it will be really exciting.

you may be amazed at my wittiness, but most likely not. i'm okay with that.

stay beautiful may not answer back, but you can with your comments, and i'm okay with that.

stay beautiful, ashley ann.