Funny the Way It Is...

This post marks my first official one of 2011. Wow...can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday I was graduating high school and celebrating my upcoming collegiate freedom. Now here I am...and ADULT. Let me tell you though, I don't feel it a bit. I am not sure if it's my job, seeing as though I spend the majority of my hours weekly with teenagers, or if it's my husband, constantly making me laugh and try new things, but whatever it is - it's working. I think it's fun that at the age of 27, which is not old by any means, I can still feel 21, minus the stupid ideas and too many drinks of course.

With that said, it has taken me nine days, but I have developed some goals for the new year. (I have decided that I am against the term "resolution", due to the overuse and lack of attention these "resolutions" receive).




Might I add, these are in no particular order...

1. Try not to use my cell phone while driving : I am very against texting with driving, but I am now going to start limiting myself to how often I talk while driving. It's scary to think that I am operating a heavy, fast vehicle and holding an in-depth conversation at the same time. This might be toughest goal, as absurd as all this sounds.

2. Run more 5k's and work my way back to 10k's: I may just have to start sucking it up in this cold weather...minus tomorrow and the impending blizzard.

3. Try to take at least one yoga class a week:  Yoga has become a new interest for me, along with my husband. I feel like I have a knowledge and skill base, but I just want to up it a notch. A class or two might just do the trick!

4. Read, read, read, read....: I got a Nook for Christmas and even though I thought I was a traditional paper and cover book lover, I have to say that it is awfully nice to carry three books around with me at once and not feel the weight of it. Currently reading: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert (follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love), Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris( this is my easy, mindless read and it is in the series of books that the Showtime series True Blood is based on), and My Life in France, which is Julia Child's memoir.

5. Snowboard out West: this goal is kind of cheating because we planned this trip before the New Year, but cut me some slack...haha...In March, me and Mike, along with his sister and brother-in-law, our good friend Allie and a few others are heading out to Big Sky, Montana to snowboard and enjoy the amazing country for a few days. Here's what I will be dealing with...what a shame...

6. COOK MORE! : Over Christmas break, I got to cook a lot of new and exciting recipes. I am already craving extra time after coaching season is over to cook more and more and more! I am out of school and coaching tomorrow though, so I thinking about making these to start the day:

How good would those be with a warm coffee and season 2 of Dawson's Creek - thanks to my awesome sister!!!


7. Create a focus for my blog: while I enjoy my random postings, I would really like to have a focus that would keep me coming writing everyday, or at least as much as I could. Any suggestions????

8. Do more for others: Often I feel that I focus so much on me each and everyday that I get sucked into this terminal "Ashley" bubble. I would really like to do more for other people more often. Not anything major or earth-shattering, but I would like to keep the following in mind: be a better listener, help make my husband's day bright and cheery always, help others out more often, and so on...

I am currently also reading (non-Nook): 29 Gifts in 29 Days by Cami Walker - a true, amazing story!http://www.29gifts.org/

So there are my goals, for now. I will try my best to keep my small, but awesome audience up-to-date about how I am doing!

Till then,


Ashley