Getting Closer...

Hello reader!

Should I insert my cliche "Wow, I haven't updated in a long time... blah blah blah." spiel or do you guys know the drill by now? ;)

I am currently sitting at my desk in my empty dorm room listening to the Wind Symphony concert's recording while reviewing this past year in my head. Holy cow. I feel like I just walked off of a freaking battle field with my shirt covered in dried blood and my flag held high. It was hard, but somehow I made it and I am officially halfway through my undergraduate experience!

Here's a (not-so)brief synopsis:

Move-In Day:
Crystal and I show up and have been moved from the room we switched to to another floor. Most of our friends were on that hall. *Cue bummed, grumpy mumblings*
HOWEVER, I am SO glad we were moved to the oh so special 129 West. I started off fairly bitter and grumpy from the mishap, but quickly found it absolutely impossible not to love the crap out of my hall. To start off with, it was supported by a phenomenal RA, Alina. I didn't know it was possible for someone to maintain a role of authority without causing that awkward "You're in charge and we can't really be friends" barrier, but holy cow, she blew that misconception out of the water. There is something amazing about stepping in to a new situation with new people and being automatically greeted with warmth and genuineness, which Alina and the others did. Our floor was one-of-a-kind; whether it be quirky messages on whiteboards or the weekly hall tea, my hall mates never failed to put a smile on my face and keep a sense of life in our hall. They were all also exceptionally neat when it came to our bathroom, so that was a plus. :)

Band and Schtuffs:
The Wind Symphony went on tour to California this spring break... it was awesome! We were there for 9 days, played 6 concerts and even squeezed in a trip to Disneyland where I once again met my favorite childhood bear, Winnie the Pooh. I did not anticipate the amount of appreciation I would have for this trip, and holy cow... what a blessing. It was incredible to me how quickly a group of 50 can bond. Towards the last portion of the trip, I was at the point where I felt I could move to any seat next to anyone on our bus and feel comfortable-- that just blows my mind. I am really happy with the community that was built over the duration of our trip and that I was able to make music with so many talented and loving people. It truly was a wonderful experience. I also performed in the Whitworth Symphony Orchestra this year and have gained a whole new appreciation for classical music. It was really cool being able to step in and participate with a totally different musical experience than I've ever had and having the opportunity to play side-by-side with the Couer d'Alene Symphony was an unforgettable experience.

Schoolwork:
I have spent the past hour or so tracking down every essay I wrote this year and was able to sort out some fun facts about what I have been doing this semester...

Fall Semester and JanTerm:
Essays Written: 18 
5 short (1-2 pages) and 13 long (3+ pages)
Total Number of Words Written: 13,270

Spring Semester:
Essays Written: 41 
28 short (1-2 pages) and 13 long (3+ pages)
Total Number of Words Written: 27,086

Overall:
Essays Written : 59 
33 short (1-2 pages) and 26 long (3+ pages)
Total Number of Words Written: 40,356

I have realized this semester how essay-oriented the psych field is... it's a good thing I enjoy essay writing.

Other than that, I passed all of my classes (I am willing to admit and be proud of the fact that yes, passing was a concern of mine) and am on track to graduate with lots of empty room in my four-year plan.

Social Life:
This year was really weird for me. I think I have felt more rejection this year than I ever have before. However, the concept of rejection isn't quite the same as what I once thought it was. When I was younger, being rejected was being bullied or excluded, but as I've grown up, I've discovered that there is much more to it than that. This year I have felt very out of the loop and like people who I thought I was close with started to veer away from me. That is something that really took a toll on (and quite frankly exhausted) me probably more than I should have let it but there is something about lacking reciprocation in a friendship that can really put a damper on things. HOWEVER, those feelings really encouraged me to reach out to others more and I have gained so many new, amazing friendships this year, so it hasn't been all that bad! (I'm sorry if that felt like a downer of a paragraph, but this is my annual update and that's been a huge part of this year for me)

On top of everything, I have been so blessed this year to have my very special roommate. I am not kidding when I say that this girl has been my go-to and has not once left me hanging. I love the fact that no matter where we are or when it is, we are always having fun. There is something truly special about having a friend who you can just click with 100% and roll off of each other's punches all the time.  But, on top of all of that, she is also the type of friend who will listen to you as you walk around the room in circles, flail your arms in the air aggressively, yell obscenities while ranting about something that probably doesn't even matter. Crystal doesn't have a middle name so we've made her random, funny ones in the past, but I swear her mother should have named her Crystal Reliable Perez, because that is exactly what she is. The room feels empty without my partner in crime and the summer looks bland without her, but I am just thanking the heavens that we will be housemates next year and will be running full throttle in to Round 3!

Aha! That reminds me:

Next Year:
A lease has been signed and cookies have been consumed. I will be sharing a house (well, rather a duplex) with 5 wonderful women: Crystal, Savanna, Nicole, Mara, and Tori. I am really stoked to get settled in and to adjust to a whole new phase of adulthood. I think we're going to have lots of fun. PLUS, we have a booth in the kitchen, so that's pretty cool.

A Thought Which I'd Like to Share:
Not many people know this, but last April (2013) I started treatment for Bipolar II and it has been a true blessing. Before then, I had forgotten what it was like to be content (and stable, really) and as time goes on, I feel that life just seems to get better and better. I am sharing this because I have noticed something about society and it irks me.

I hate how issues like depression and anxiety are starting to run the lives of more and more people every day, yet we act as if the epidemic doesn't exist. Why is it that when you pass someone and ask how they're doing the automatic response is "Good." And why is it that it feels weird on both ends if anything else is said? I hate living in a world where we all feel the need to conceal our struggles and try to take them on on our own; because quite frankly, sometimes you truly do just need someone-- anyone to be there for you and help you lift off some of the weight of the world. It does not make you weak to admit that you're struggling.
I hope that you really truly think about this, because I feel that it is a very important issue that society seems to overlook too often. Living in the dark by yourself is miserable, but it makes it a whole heck of a lot better if someone's sitting next to you until the sun comes up.

With that said, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read up on what I've been up to.
You are truly wonderful!


-AT

P.S. Instead of pictures, I have attached a short video highlighting my sophomore year of college!

Peace!

"Promptness to go to a friend in adversity is appreciated."

Hello reader,

You are probably reading this and the only thing occupying your mind is:

"What is up with her title? They're not usually of any emotional context... Besides, that sounds like something you'd get from a fortune cookie. Lame!"

Well, my dear reader friend, you are quite correct in a couple of aspects.
1. Yes, that did indeed come from a fortune cookie.
2. No, my titles don't usually have any deep, emotional context... That you are aware of...
Let me give you a bit of a back story.

On Tuesday nights I have a night class which is three hours long. This class is called Intro to Public Speaking... scary title, I know. This Tuesday was the first night of class which meant that we spent an hour being informed of class expactations, rules, blah blah blah, the second hour in a lecture about common misconceptions and whatnot, but the third hour was strange. My professor held up two bags and said "Fortune Cookies!" he then outlined a two minute improv speech which would be orchestrated within the next hour. We were to grab a fortune cookie, go into the hallway for two minutes, come out, and tell the class audience what our fortune was and what spoke to us about our fortune. I do not like speeches. I do not like talking to people that I don't know... let alone larger groups of people, so naturally, I was nervous.
When I went into the hall, I busted open that fortune cookie-- I needed every second I could get. I was actually in such a rush that I may/may not've ripped my fortune in the unveiling process...
My fortune said: "Promptness to go to a friend in adversity is appreciated."
As I stared at this fortune, with a blank stare, I started to think about myself and the past week or so at Whitworth. I started to note that adversity is currently surrounding not only myself, but my friends, acquaintances, and classmates as well. I took this fortune in two ways:

1. I realized how incredibly important it is to free yourself from your secluding walls and reach out to others when you need them. Not many people have the ability to see through others-- especially others that they aren't incredibly close to. Not many people are going to know, despite your assurance that you are doing okay, that you are actually dying inside. And not many people are going to see how severely whatever you're dealing is affecting you. You are signing yourself up for a longer ride on the sad-wagon by secluding yourself or putting up false fronts and there is absolutely no good in that.

2. How incredibly important it is to try to not be a colleague/cousin/acquaintance/floor mate and rather be a friend-- a true friend. The friend that is the exception to the "not many people can see through your walls" concept. A friend that you truly know and care about them-- but more importantly a friend who makes it known that you care about said friend(s). This will change someone's life. But, more importantly, this could save someone's life.

I don't know why I'm blogging about this, really. I guess because it was a mind-molder in me and I blog about significant life changes-- but maybe also to encourage you as a reader to look deep in yourself and stretch this part of you. Allow yourself to be you around others-- to trust them. And most importantly, to make sure others know that they can trust you. This is something that we can all work on for the rest of our lives.

Thanks again for reading. You really are great.
-Ashley

P.S. I always post pictures, so here is my fortune...


I told you it may've ripped, didn't I?

Lots of work, lots of play.

Hello reader,

I apologize it's been such a long time since I last wrote to you. When I left off, the school year was wrapping up and I was telling you how happy I was to be with such amazing people here at Whitworth. Finals week came with a smash, bang, and a POW! but somehow, I survived. I am incredibly proud to say that last year, I did not fail a single class and managed to earn 35 credits towards my degree! I also said goodbye to many lifelong friends for the summer-- I didn't like that part. But with school wrapping up came summer and I was too excited for that.

When I got home, I had a job in mind which I was later hired at as a waitress at Tim's Kitchen. (Although it wasn't as much of a job as it was a blessing and a good time.) Tim's Kitchen opened up on May 25th and I got to work on opening night... holy cow. It was definitely an... interesting night. For most of us, it was our first time ever in the restaurant workplace so we definitely had no sense of a system or anything but we made it work and most importantly, we had fun. Even though it felt like a big ball of chaos, we made it through the first night and people were happy with the restaurant. This was great because this excitement from the Orting community led more and more people to come see us (in a lot of cases, even regularly). I have absolutely loved waitressing and the Speakman's are a blessing to work for. I doubt I will ever have a job in which the management truly looks after their staff the way that the Speakman's do.

So with the new job came some income. Typically, it's not kosher to talk about making money but I'm actually really excited because I was able to save up and buy myself a new(to me) car in July! Her name is Padme (I would add the accent to the "e", but Blogger doesn't like that...) and we are basically best friends. I really wanted to buy a car with all-wheel drive this summer so I could cart home over the holidays/winter season without having to buy plane tickets so I am really happy to have my little Subaru Forester.

This summer, I was also blessed a visit to see my good friend, CeeJay. I don't even know how to express how amazing this getaway was for me. All I know is that it's really nice to spend a few days with someone who you can just sit with. No tension. No obligations. Just spending time. Maybe going paddle boarding? Or geocaching? Or hiking? Or to see an overlook of beautiful Salt Lake lights. I don't know. I am so thankful that CeeJay and I have been able to keep that calm, adventurous friendship that we have despite the distance that separates us. He really is a blessing.

I also went to a family reunion at an awesome cabin-like resort in Montana. It was on a lake where we had access to canoes, kayaks, and rowboats so that was fun. Dad, Marcus, and I were able to go fishing on the rowboat which, if you can imagine, was an adventure with a three year old... We also had a campfire every night in which my dad and two uncles (Brad and Jason) attempted to charm us with their guitar and banjo playing... It was definitely interesting. The last night I hopped onto the bandwagon with one of Uncle Jason's harmonicas and basically fell in love. I also felt like the trip was very strengthening for the relationship that I hold with my parents. It's been a while since the three of us have had time to just sit and chat about life. It was really nice.

Oh yeah! Also, Chrissy had her baby this summer. His name is Lucas and he is basically HUGE and ADORABLE. I am definitely stoked to have a nephew number two! I love him lots and lots.

Now, I am sitting at my desk in the new room at Whitworth pondering life. Like the beginning of last year, I'm not really feeling the love for college but hey, it's only been a day. Plus, once you hit bottom, there's nowhere to go but up, right? I am looking forward to being around some really, really great friends but I honestly just want to be at home sitting in my favorite spot while watching The Big Bang Theory with an Alaska Roll to munch on. I don't know-- I'm sure everything will be just great. But in the meantime, if you feel inclined, prayers would be appreciated.

I think that's all I have for you for now... Sorry this posting is so long!! And really, seriously, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy life to read about mine. I really appreciate that.

Love you,
Ashley


P.S. You didn't think I'd forget pictures, did you? They're posted below!

In case you were wondering, this is my ideal setting.

I do this quite often, actually.

Ma and I went to sushi when I got home. It was awesome.

Chrissy and I spent some time bonding over pedicures this summer, too.

Luke Smith took me to the Paul McCartney concert in Seattle.

It was a once in a lifetime experience spent with a great friend. Priceless.

Marcus, Makayla, and me on the slide at the park. We had fun.

I love being an aunt.

CeeJay and I spent a lot of time geocaching. This is one that we made!
The first, but definitely not the last!

This is CeeJay and me during a freaking exhausting bike ride on Antelope Island.

There were bison roaming free around us and we were expected to 

bike a mountain up a sandy pathway.
Bike Trail: 1   Ashley and CeeJay: 0

This is CeeJay and me on the beach of The Salt Lake on Antelope Island.

After our tiresome day of biking and hiking, we spent a day in making fresh salsa. Yum.

The day I got home from Salt Lake, I bought this hot mama.

The license plates will soon say "SENF". :)

This is what fishing with Dad and Marcus looked like. Pure fun.

Jason and Dad practicing guitar before performance time. ;)

The new dorm room. Crystal and I have eight puzzles hung up (on the left) as do Tori and Sam.

We did LOTS of puzzles last year... Those are my favorite part of the room.

I"m still waiting on my new comforter to arrive, but I'll post a video tour after everything is complete!

Thanks for reading! I'm going to go back to my weird college-kid antics now!

Opening Doors While Closing Eyes

Heyyo!

I wish I could start this blog by asking how YOU as a reader are doing but that would be awkward because I wouldn't be able to hear your response and that would be no fun, now would it?

Anyways, hello reader, I hope you are doing well. :)

When I left off, I was headed to Chrissy and Cameron's house for New Year's Eve and a lot has happened since then! The rest of my Christmas break flew by and I headed back to school on the sixth of January. Whitworth functions on two semesters (Sept.-Dec. & Feb.-May) with a JanTerm in the middle. JanTerm lasts for the month of January and you basically take 1-2 classes for three hour increments every day of the week. For JanTerm I took Psychopathology and Film and Snowboarding. I absolutely LOVED both of these classes and the entire month of January, actually. With only one academic class, I had very little homework thus giving me lots of time to hang out and have fun with the lovely ladies of Cornerstone (in case you're a first time reader, that's my dorm). JanTerm was very big for me because over Christmas break I was unsure if I would be coming back to Whitworth for Spring Term because I hated it so much. JanTerm was a blessing because I feel it was God's way of saying "Keep doing what you're doing, Ashley. This is where you need to be right now." I love it when He does stuff like that!
I got to go home for a week between the end of JanTerm and the beginning of Spring Semester and it was kind of weird to me to be home and feel "alright" with the fact that I would be returning to Whitworth. That was a new concept to grasp.

So with the end of the wonderful JanTerm came the beginning of Spring. Holy cow. I started the semester with 18 credits (one above the max limit) and was fighting the realization that I bit off more than I could chew for about five weeks until I finally allowed myself to drop a class (last week). It was tough decision because I do not like quitting but I have full intentions of retaking the class so I had to cut myself some slack.

As you may know, my birthday was in February and I was so blessed to have Mom, Dad, Chrissy, and Marcus come to Spokane to celebrate it with me with Grandma, Papa, Pete, and Lora the weekend beforehand. It was great to be able to spend time with everyone together and I was so thankful that everyone took the time to spend with me. It was somewhat heartbreaking to see Mom, Dad, Chrissy, and Marcus leave because my time with them was so scarce but I was so glad to have the time with them at all! As for my actual birthday, I was surrounded by many wonderful ladies who made me feel special all day and it was just a great day. :)

I have been having tons of fun with some wonderful people here at Whitworth. A few Cornerstone ladies and I took a beautiful Sunday hike a few weeks ago which resulted in me falling into a river while attempting to pretend to jump in... oops. We've made a SICK karate music video (posted below), hung out in downtown Spokane, watched Wreck-It Ralph (such a good movie!), gone on late night walks, played Broomball (lots of fun and lots of ouch), and even performed tons and tons of pranks on each other. We watch a lot of movies here on the weekends (typically Bridesmaids, Mean Girls, or Pitch Perfect) and I love that not only because those are all American classics (<-- yeah, I said it) but because it is time that I get to spend with some amazing people. I guess all I can say is that we just have fun whether we're watching a movie, going to Walmart, or fighting crime-- it's just fun. I don't know how in the heck I keep getting so lucky but God just keeps blessing me with wonderful people in my life be it my lovely parents, family, or dorm-mates. There are some amazing girls living here in Cornerstone and I am so lucky to be blessed with their presence on a daily basis... it is safe to say that I am developing some highly cherished friendships here.

So, to sum it all up life is basically swell. I am content with where I am currently at and who I am currently with.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to catch up on what's going on with me, I love that.
I hope you have a blessed few months and that everything in your life is feeling great.

-Ashley

P.S. As always, here is some visual aid for what I've been up to for the past few months.

P.S.S. If you caught what I did with the title, here's a virtual high five for you! *Cue virtual high five*

P.S.S.S. I know it's supposed to be P.P.S. and as follows, but I'm an individual and like like S's more than I like P's... fight me. ;)

This is the karate video I referenced above.

You're going to want to turn your volume up to get the full effect of the video. Enjoy!
Filming credit goes to Allison Maus (first girl dancing with us at the end) and the video features Sam (purple bucket), Tori (black bucket), me (orange bucket), Nicole (girl with headband that dances at the end), Taylor (runs in at end).

While I was home in between JanTerm and Spring Semester,  Mom, Chrissy, and I went and got pedicures.

                 

Dad driving me back to school for Spring Semester.

Opening new doors. (New room key)

The hiking clan.
(From left to right
Top: Me, Tori, Sam, Hyeon, Jessica, Micah
Bottom: Crystal, Maria)

After I fell in...

Marcus and I hanging out at Grandma and Papa's during their visit for my birthday.

The girls decorated my room for my birthday.

One of our weaker pranks...

Some girls wrapped everything on my desk in newspaper.

Sam and me.

College is stressful.
This is my new roommate, Crystal, by the way.

Tori and me.

Mom, Dad, and I got some ridiculously good sushi in downtown Seattle over Spring Break!
The restaurant overlooked the ocean!

Cam and Marcus at Marcus' birthday party at Chuck E Cheese .

Marcus and I had a lot of fun over Spring Break.

Some puppies came to visit Whitworth's health and wellness fair the other day as a therapy mechanism.
They are indeed good therapy dogs.

                                 

This is what Winter looks like at Whitworth.

Home for the Holidays

Well hello there!

I guess I'll start where I left you guys off... Have you ever seen the show Survivor? I have recently decided that that is the only way I can describe the past three and a half months at college. Except it's kind of twisted because instead of competing for a million dollars, I'm paying an arm and a leg to make it to the finals. While I love the academic side of the school, there's not much I can say positively in regards to the rest of it and quite frankly I'm ready to be voted off of the freaking island. But, the good news is, I made it through my first semester and even managed to pass each of my classes with a fairly good grade in each!

As for home, it has been great. I got home on the 14th of December and have been catching up with friends, family, and sleep for the most part. The day I flew home, Mom and Dad flew out to Texas to catch Binky's graduation from Hardin-Simmons University with a B.A. in Psychology (Good job, Bink!). While they were gone I had my annual Christmas party with a few close friends and emphasized on trying to regulate my sleep schedule while catching all of the Christmas movies on Abc Family. I couldn't wait for Mom and Dad to get home because those two are basically my two best friends in the whole wide world! (I'm not being sarcastic, they really are!) Once they got home, we were tuned into full force "Get Ready For Christmas Shenanigans" mode. Two days later we had our annual Ornament Exchange with a group of family friends which was tons of fun! Chrissy, Cameron, and Marcus even made it out to the party so I definitely got my Marcus fix in too. The next day, Grandma and Papa came to celebrate the holidays with us. Chrissy (and family) had to leave on Christmas Eve so we had "Christmas Morning" with Chrissy, Cam, and Markie on Christmas Eve morning followed by Mom and I venturing out to Auburn to spend the afternoon with Shirley and Grandma Staudinger. After leaving Auburn, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Papa, and I hit up a Christmas Eve service at Calvary. It was a beautiful service that really got you in the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas (sometimes, when all of the Christmas chaos hits a reminder is helpful). Then came Christmas which was a day of practically nothing aside from opening the gifts that Santa had left us and pigging out on Christmas dinner. (We did a whole lot of lounging around!)

The day after Christmas, Mom had her tonsils removed and we were told by the surgeon that her left one was "horrifically infected" he also said that she should have gotten them out years and years ago (we're talking when she was around eight years old) and that she wouldn't want to even move for the first three or so days of recovery. His estimation was... incorrect by far. While she was in quite a bit of pain, I found her sweeping the floors and doing dishes on day two. (Needless to say, I put an end to that really quickly!) But anyway, she is recovering well and what seems to be quickly but prayers for more success in healing without complication are still appreciated!

Tomorrow (Dec. 31st) we head out to Chrissy and Cameron's house to celebrate 2012 and welcome in 2013 as a family. I head back to school on January 6th and quite honestly would rather have my teeth pulled out one at a time than go back there but I am going to keep telling myself that it'll be worth it in the end. Besides, for Jan Term I am taking a Psychopathology in Film and a Snowboarding class, it should be a fun month!

I hope you as a reader are having a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year with your friends and/or family. Thank you for taking the time to catch up via my blog!

Much love,
Ashley

Here are some pictures I've taken since my last blog!

This is a small part of my dorm all decked up for the dorm Christmas party.

Top left to right (Tori, Me, Sam)
Bottom left to right (Katie, Me, Tori, Andrea, Emily, Sam)

The week before finals Pre-Stress.

Exhausted Mid-Finals week.

Tien standing next to my truck, "The King", and Grandma and Papa's car at the airport.
(She was on my flight to SeaTac!)

Reunited with my Pinnacle Peak Crew.
a.k.a Cuddle Puddle Time!

Emily and me watching Christmas Movies and waiting for Mom and Dad to get home.

I baked cookies while I waited for Mom and Dad to get home.

He's a photogenic little stinker!
I love being an Auntie!

Alexia and I went on a sushi BroDate.

Best friends by the Christmas tree!

Gobble-gobble, meow, grumble.

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. People weren't kidding when they told me how busy college would keep me!

I decided that I was going to go home for Thanksgiving about a week before the break and I'm very glad that I did. It was great to be able to catch Chrissy and Cameron right before they left for their late honeymoon to Hawaii. Chrissy and I were able to go see the last Twilight movie (Breaking Dawn Part II) on Thanksgiving morning which was nice because that's kind of been our thing since the first one.

I also got to spend an entire day with a handful of my favorite friends sitting around talking, taking silly pictures, and even getting some pancakes from Denny's. I really missed them and it was great to be able to pick up right where we left off.

To top it all off, I scored a few days with just Mom, Dad, and Marcus. I am so thankful to have been blessed with probably the greatest couple of parents on the planet! And in terms of Marcus, you all probably know how lucky and happy I am to have him in my life too. (In case you were wondering... We played with trains a LOT!) Mom and I went shopping, got Panda Express, and the three of us even had nachos after Markie went to bed two out of the four nights I was home(big surprise, huh?). It was great after I got over the "stranger in your own home" feeling and got back into the swing of how it felt to be home. I really didn't want to leave.

Grandma and Papa did us all a big favor by meeting Dad outside of Spokane to make the drive a little shorter for him (and Mom on the way back). That was pretty cool too. It's amazing to me how quickly people are willing to jump up and help you if you just simply ask for it. Dad, thanks for driving me, Mom thanks for riding back with us, Grandma and Papa, thanks for meeting us!

I'm  not going to lie, the past couple of months have been very up and down for me and they most certainly have not been easy but I have been blessed with a great group of family and friends that have helped me get through the adjusting period of college and it's actually starting to get a little easier. So, thank you family and friends for you wonderful prayers and encouragement. I am truly blessed.

Other than that, I've been busting my butt trying to get my homework/studying out of the way (while setting some time aside to practice the tuba of course) so I can enjoy the bright side of college (the random, fun adventures and ice cream runs).

Oh! Before I conclude, I should probably say that our first band concert is tonight! So there, I said it.

I hope you, as a reader are doing well and had a good Thanksgiving with your friends, family, or whomever you decided to be with during the holiday. And I wish you a blessed and pleasant 2012 holiday season.

Love,
Ashley

P.S. In case you're a visual person, here are some pics.

                                          Dad and I cruising on one of his visits to Spokane.   

                                               Mom and I the day before Thanksgiving.
                                             

                                          My girls reunited over Thanksgiving break.

                                                We painted up for a basketball game

                                                Chris and me in the theatre.

Markie giving his Auntie Ass his best smile.