Chicago

1. Celebrating my own Labor Day on Friday, while the rest of you actually labored. Ha ha, I had an extra day off to burn from working Labor Day.
2. Southwest Airlines: Unlimited snacks, drinks, no baggage fares. And they're fun too!
3. Stranger gave me a pass to get on the train for free.
4. Riding the Orange Line train into Chicago, amazed by my surroundings, lookin like a real tourist snappin pics of everything.
5. Reuniting with sweet friends from Branson- Kate, Jessica, Scott, and Lauren.

1. My new friend Brenda!
2. Finally being cold and getting to wear beanies, scarves, and tights.
3. Coffee shops on every corner- gotta have coffee and tea to keep warm!
4. Dinner with cousins Zoe and Eddy.


5. Laughs about how crazy our family is. Crazy and fun. The best combination.

1. Scott McSwain. You will see him on American Idol soon.
2. The Bean, Grant Park, Sears Tower.
3. ABC news with big glass windows literally right next door to Lauren's dorm. I'm a nerd and think it's so cool to watch them film the news.
4. Borders bookstore left next door to Lauren's dorm. I would die if I lived right next to a bookstore. ahhhhh love it.



5. Finishing two books while out of town.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Places
by Don Miller

The New York Regional Mormon
Singles Halloween Dance
by Elna Baker

(maybe I'll give Book Reviews later...)


1. Whole day off to relax before going back to work.
2. Lux CoffeeBar.
3. Roommate Reunion. I missed her.
4. TNDC first gmail group chat post dinner conversation with Mandy and Steve.
5. I got a Boss' Day card at work today! How cute is that!?!?

(I almost cried. For real.)

America's Friendliest Airport

I love airports. I took Steph to the airport last night, inhaled a deep breath of Airport Air, and thought, "See ya tomorrow, Sky Harbor." (And really, could there be a cooler name for an airport? I remember like 5 or 8 years ago, when it clicked in my brain why our airport in Phoenix is called Sky Harbor, and I just thought it was so cool. Like a boat harbor. But for planes. Sky Harbor. Yep.)

Fast forward 16 hours later. *Katie* takes me to the airport, and we chat about how it's sorta a pain in the butt to take people to the airport, but it is totally worth it cuz you get to see them for a little bit. And, I mean, it's really helpful. Knowing she has to drive back in traffic, and is already planning on picking me up Monday morning, I am just so thankful for her dropping me off.

Now, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Sky Harbor is known as America's Friendliest Airport. Not quite sure who decided this, but I would have to agree, and I like to do my part in keeping it that way.

On the way in, riding up the escalator to security, I found myself standing near a girl, maybe 17ish years old, and her father. She had on a Young Life t-shirt, so I made small talk with her, asked her where she led. Her father quickly discovered we were headed towards the same final destination- Chicago.

I soon met up with my friend Mandy, who was flying out of America's Friendliest Airport to...you guessed it...Texas. How cool that our gates were literally right next to each other. We got our Frosty's (Mandy was double-fisting them) and Chinese Food and waited for our flights.

SWEET DEAL: My flight was overbooked. Long story short, I was offered $320 in travel vouchers to fly out tomorrow. Um, YES. I thought it would be easy breezy until I realized that Katie, and only Katie, would need to be the one to pick me up, since I had left my keys in her car an hour earlier.

Lovely *Katie* came to my rescue again, this time with Mindy, but not before I made friends with the Borders employees, did a little shopping, talked to some sweet friends on the phone, and ate my delicious Chinese Food. What a great night at America's Friendliest Airport.

Can't wait to go back in the morning. :)

*name has not been changed, cuz she is awesome and I want to express my gratitude again.

mmmhhhmmmmm

1. Entertainment book 2010. Yay for early Christmas gifts.
2. Dinner made by the Roomie. Great conversation included.
3. The smell of the airport.
4. Clean laundry.
5. Packing light, I never thought I could do it.

BONUS: CHICAGO TOMORROW!!!

red cups

1. Chino Bandito and Tuesday Night Dinner Club
2. We got the Holiday 09 promo book in at work...so much cool stuff to come.
3. Dreaming of that first peppermint soy mocha that I'll drink from a red cup.
4. Laughing from the gut.
5. Brainstorming with other partners on a way to give back this Christmas...perhaps a pajama drive??

free furniture is the best

1. Double-recliner-loveseat-lazyboy-sofa FREE, courtesy of Granny and Papa.
2. My dad and brother using their Florine Family muscles to bring it over. They love me.
3. someecards.com <-- laughter.
4. Getting a voicemail from my sweet friend Emrie. We haven't talked in nearly a year, she has been exploring the world with YWAM. Discovered yesterday that she quit Facebook, and has a new phone #, thank goodness for her Blog, I was able to get back in touch with my sweet friend. :)
5. Feeling really really sore from the 5K yesterday. But the good kind of sore.

Saturday

1. Having absolutely no plans today.
2. Drinking my french pressed coffee from while sitting outside on my new patio furniture.
3. Checking "go and see a movie by myself" off my lifetime to-do list.
4. Dinner with Walker and Blane, loved it.
5. Banana chocolate chip loaf. Yum.

"P as in Phoebe, H as in Hoebe, O as in Oebe, E as in Ebe, B as in B, E as in...Ello, Matey!!"

1. Joey.
2. Rachel.
3. Chandler.
4. Monica.
5. Ross.

1. Dinner and errands with Mom and Beansy. Good to know that at age 23, my brother will trust Mom and Sisty to pick out a shirt for him to wear to a wedding. :)
2. My textbook came! Now I can pretend...errr I mean DO...homework with Katie.
3. Writing letters.
4. Cancelled plans and unexpected quiet time to myself at home.
5. Listening to the song you just need to hear over and over and over again.

Scones

1. Bought Don Miller's new book today- A Million Miles in a Thousand Places (read the first two chapters here...you'll be hooked!)
2. Hanging out with the Roomie at Border's.
3. Splurging on some new Colored Pencils, and a new Moleskin.
4. Tara and Mike's One Year Anniversary!
5. Fresh baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones.

How He Loves Us

1. Sitting around a campfire, uncontrollable laughter.
2. Setting Random things on Fire...Haaaa.
3. Funny voices courtesy of Shey and Shane (not the band).
4. Trying new foods (Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler- WHAT!?!!).
5. Sleeping in a tent with 9 of my friends. Why don't we do this more often?

Fifteen!

1. Driving with the windows down.
2. Singing Brad Paisley songs off-key and at the top of my lungs with my Best.
3. Wearing a sweater to work.
4. Feeling so proud of my partners at work, seeing their passion about our new product and watching them encourage each other.
5. Heading outta town with sweet friends for the weekend.

How He Loves Us

1. At last- a Name for this Series. And a blog about it to come...
2. Dinner on the patio at Babbo's with Bash and Katie. The talking and laughing didn't stop for hours. <3
3. Einstein's finally has Pumpkin Cream Cheese. I have been waiting for months.
4. Jordan is ENGAGED to The Boy. Read her Blog.
5. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” Timothy 4:8

Wednesday

1. Our store did really well last quarter = Ashley gets a bonus!
2. Laughing at crazy (literally!) customers instead of letting them get us down.
3. America's Taco Shop for Tuesday Night Dinner Club. This place is a gem, check it out!
4. Gelato with my TNDC family.
5. Affirming text messages.

shorty

1. Reading this.
2. That is all for today.

...sunday...

1. Seeing my nieces and nephews for the first time in 4 months. Yay family time.
2. Hearing the wonderful news that some friends from church got to finally bring their new born baby home from the hospital. Praise God.
3. Hearing my sweet friend's heart in a voicemail she left me. Can't wait for the phone convo to follow.
4. Opening and closing at work today, and still loving my job. (don't worry, had some time off in between)
5. It's Krislyn's! birthday...we have some amazing friends that through her a special Surprise party! Wish I could have been there, but Happy Birthday to You, Krislyn!!

Saturday

1. The feeling of a fresh, new haircut.
2. Starbucks/Einsteins with Katie- she gets me.
3. Corey Smith <-- check out this guy's music.
4. Every time Steph or I come home, we greet each other with, "Hey roomie!" and are excited, no matter what.
5. Quiet evenings in.

...I forgot to post this last night...

1. Fancy new file folders = organization at work. Now if only I could do something about this mess called my room...
2. Good catch-up conversation with the roommate. She listens to me go on and on and on so well.
3. All girl crew at Starbucks this mornin.
4. Realizing again and again how special my mom and my relationship is.
5. Staying up waayyyy past my bedtime for a night out with the girls. :)

... :) ...

1. Grey's Anatomy with my roommate and a glass of wine.
2. Starbucks School today! I love this stuff!
3. Reunion dinner with Sarah
4. Being excited to wake up at 3am (am I for real?! yes.)
5. Audiobooks.

...1 week, going strong...

1. My dad has started texting. It makes me laugh.
2. Checking things off the to-do list.
3. YogurtLand, and the fact that every time we go there, we see an NBA player. Grant Hill tonight.
4. Bike rides to used bookstores.
5. Short-work days.

...yesterday...

1. Tuesday Night Dinner Club!
2. Spontaneous sleepover with Shandy Mey.
3. Store Meeting at work, getting everyone excited and on the same page for VIA next week!
4. Trying out new recipes- Blueberry Cobbler!
5. FALL IS HERE <---I hope it's not a trick. :)

...steph is my fave...

1. Feeling 100% supported by my boss.
2. The smell of bookstores.
3. Sharing a pint of Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream...that we didn't pay a dime for!
4. Learning new things about the roommate everyday. She can't eat cold things with a metal utensil.
5. Laughing really hard after she shared that she didn't get the memo at school that Spirit Week is next week, and showed up in her pajama pants.

weekend edition!

1. Our Home is now warm thanks to our lovely friends stopping by last night.
2. Stitch 'N Pitch- Baseball and Knitting, what a great combo!
3. Celebrating Katelin's life and upcoming wedding with a poolside lingerie shower.
4. Photos that capture joy.
5. Feeling right at home while checking out a new church this morning.

...today...

1. Celebrating Rosh Hashanah for the first time.
2. Perfect sunset as we learn about why we observe this holiday.
3. Spending time with old friends and roommates at Kiley's birthday party.
4. Top Shelf salsa. Nothing better.
5. Getting an email from a sweet older man who was a former customer of mine, telling me how much he misses me. Seriously, how precious is that!?

How He Loves Us II

1. Getting a mix CD in the mail from my favorite friend in Tennessee.
2. Shey! starting a blog.
3. New friends.
4. Catching up over lunch with BFF in Tempe.
5. Exploring Grad School options online (Who am I?!)

You don't have to believe me...

...and you probably shouldn't. But I'm really going to start blogging again.

Ha!

Today I was sorta cranky. Ok, really cranky. I just felt weird, I knew what was off. I have been go go going for a while and just needed to rest and be still. I was too antsy, I just couldn't. Even in the past week, I would get in bed at night and think, "There is no way I'll be able to lay here for seven more hours." I would think of things I need to do, errands to run, people to call etc. Finally, this afternoon, I decided to take a walk to the grocery store to get some baking ingredients for our Housewarming Party this weekend. It was so great, I found myself finally calming down. I started to humm the David Crowder tune "How He Loves Us," and think about the ways this love is demonstrated to me daily. I want to look be able to look back and remember the "small things." This led me to think about my blog, and how I want to be committed to it. I'm sure years down the road it will be cool to see the ramblings of my 25 year old self. So here it is. I plan on jotting five things down daily. I'm sure some days will be more "boring" than others, but all will meaningful. Well, to me, at least. :)

Note: Definitely didn't come up with this idea on my own. Check out my friends Jordan and Katelin.

...catchy Title to come...

1. Mid-week days off.
2. Walking to the grocery store- and purposefully leaving my phone at home.
3. Checking the mail first and finding a $3 off Fresh & Easy coupon!
4. A much needed long catch up phone date with my favorite former roommate/co-worker/friend.
5. The smell of pumpkin baking.

3rd Time's a Charm?? I hope.

Ok let's be honest. Blogging didn't go so well the first time around. Or the second.

Ive been selfish. I love, I mean LOVE, reading people's blogs (and have my google reader all set up to tell me instantly when a new one comes up) but I just haven't been motivated to post any blogs. I've been lazy.

But now that I have a super cute background, (Thank you, Katelin. And soon I will figure out how to make your name click to your blog), I feel inspired again. So silly. :)

Wordpress wasn't cuttin it anymore. I guess I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to get that blog in here, but if you care to look at my past posts:

justlivinthedream.wordpress.com

or mine and Katie's roadtrip to Colorado last summer (my first real attempt in the blogging world)

washnkt.blogspot.com

Enjoy :)