Lloyd Christmas goes on vacation

Zach and I decided to do a little something different for vacation this year. Instead of always taking pictures of just the two of us, (which we did as well, oops!) we chose to build-a-bear to have something a little different! His name is Lloyd Christmas. :) (His name comes from Zach's favorite movie and goes along with where we decided to go on vacation, Aspen.)

We would carry LC in our backpack and people thought it was the cutest thing ever. If Zach was a single man, he would have picked up so many girls! LC was just like a brand new puppy, ha. We thought it was funny when an older gal said, "Well, now I can say I saw a bear on our hike today!" but when we heard it for the 40th time, the joke was kind of dead. But we still laughed along with every person anyways. It was a great topic starter and people loved how adorable he was. Definitely a tradition we will keep up for many vacations to come. And we decided that someday, we would pass LC on to our children to do the same thing. :) 

 --> Here's LC at the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado.

--> Here is LC at Hanging Lake. He had quite the time hiking up the trail, but was thrilled when he made it to the top. The view was impeccable. 

--> Lastly, here's a picture of LC with Zach and I at Hanging Lake again. :) 

Mid week date nights are my love language.

Yesterday after a long day at Adventureland yesterday with my A & D, I really wanted to do something relaxing for the evening so I asked Zach to go on a date downtown. We had already planned a date night, but I decided to switch it up a bit. We were walking around the East Village trying to figure out where to eat. We've eaten at a few places down there but just couldn't decide because we weren't that hungry. We finally decided to go to Miyabi 9 for our sushi fix. If you've never been there before, I highly suggest you grab your significant other and go as soon as possible! Definitely a must do in Des Moines. After we ate our wonderful sushi, we walked over to UpDown. (It is a new bar-arcade in the East Village next to Wooly's. A barcade if you will.) We met up with Missy and Nate while we were there as well. We played on a few different pinball machines, life size Jenga, connect 4, MarioKart on the big screen, Ms. PacMan, Frogger and 4 vs. PacMan. It was a really great time, we will most likely be going there again in the foreseeable future. They even had Not Your Father's Root Beer and I got to try it last night. Now I see what all of the hype is about, it's good stuff!
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their week!

A look back on the past few months..

Hi ya'll! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. A lot has happened and quite frankly, I kind of forgot about my blog. This summer I have been working 50-60 hour weeks, my baby sister got married, I moved into a new apartment with Zach, my bestical got married, and I've been spending a lot of time outside with A, D, and J. (My nanny kids initials for the sake of privacy.) Yes, I still have my braces on and my teeth are starting to really straighten out. It's crazy how much they have moved in 5 short months. I'm excited to see what happens in just another month!

 -I got to throw a bridal shower for my baby sister.

-I had the most handsome date at the Schultz/Rust wedding.

 -I got to be the maid of honor at Maddie's wedding.

-Zach and I had a lot of fun at the Schultz/Rust rehearsal dinner.

-Zach and I got to go on a fun date at Jordan Creek.

-My baby bro got to walk me down the aisle (as well as Maddie).

-I got to throw my best friend's bachelorette party in Downtown Des Moines.

-Zach and I got to go on a super fun date night at Proof.

-I have the world's most adorable siblings, ever!

- My best friend of 16 years got married!

-I was lucky enough to be the maid of honor in her wedding!

-I got to see some old friends on the 4th of July. (And one of them got engaged on this special day!)

-Once again, I had the most handsome date at the Gunion/Duncan wedding!!

It was a wild, crazy summer but it was all worth it. I can't believe it's all coming to an end though. So many things Zach and I have on our to do list before the year ends. 

I promise to write more often on here, sorry it's been so long! I hope you enjoyed my life update. Love you all!

xoxo - ash

Girls, if you're going to settle, settle for more.

Hi guys, sorry it's been so long since my last post. My computer charger died again so I've been waiting for a new one to come in the mail. Anyways, here we go with a new blog post!

Growing up with a single parent, I've always wondered what true love looked like. I watched a lot of romantic movies and watched couples fall in love on screen, but never anything in real life. All throughout high school I was on a "mission" to find my high school sweetheart and failed miserably. I "dated" a few boys in high school but it was never anything serious because I wasn't willing to settle. I wanted that can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, World Series kind of stuff. Hey, a girl's got to have her standards, right? Well guess what folks. I have found that feeling with Zach. I can't imagine my life without him and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve someone so out of this world, but I am SO thankful for him. He gives me butterflies EVERY time I see him and I get just as excited to see him as our first date. I never thought I would find this feeling, but it is here and I can feel it deep in my soul. But this is not the reason for my blog post..

I don't understand why people settle. Be patient, God will provide.

As of late, I have noticed more people getting into relationships, getting engaged, and getting married. I am so happy for each of them but I just want them to know that they don't have to settle. In today's society, people are dating because it's convenient and they don't want to be alone. I totally know the feeling but I want to have that blown away, swept off my feet, head over heels feeling with someone. I want to meet the one who makes it hard for me to breathe. I want to be lost in love. I'm willing to wait, but I'm not willing to settle. Girls just think that they can date until someone better comes along. Which is true, but you're hurting more than yourself in that situation. I know it's hard, but good things come to those who wait.

Another thing that girls seem to be doing more of, is being in relationships where they are putting all of the effort into it and not getting much in return. Don't make things work, let them work. If you don't aim for the best, don't be surprised when you get less than you feel you deserve. If you constantly have to question his intentions and feelings, MOVE ON. Someone else would die for the opportunity to give you the world. If he's worth it, you shouldn't be chasing him. He should be chasing you. Girls, you should never chase a man, you're worth being pursued. I could go on and on here, but the bottom line is - eventually one of two things will happen: he will realize you're worth it, or you'll realize that he isn't.

Lastly, a topic that really bothers me is girls who feel like they have to stay in a relationship because they don't know what else to do. If he's cheating on you, there is a reason he's cheating. If he's sharing his emotions with another girl, there's a reason for that. Never love anybody who treats you like you're ordinary. You are worth your weight in gold. If you think your boyfriend is cheating on you, always, always trust your first gut instincts. If you genuinely feel in your heart and soul that something is wrong, it usually is. If you know he's cheating on you, why stay in a relationship where he has a physical connection with someone else? I know it can be hard to get out, but in the long run, it's definitely worth it. Don't tie your heart to a person that has nothing left to offer you. Like Elsa says in Frozen, let it go. It might hurt for a while, but when you get over it, you'll see that it's better. Never settle for having feelings for a feeling. The right person will make the wait worth it. If you don't feel it, you don't feel it. Simple as that.

Me? I'm refusing to settle until I find a man who gives me butterflies with just a look and I can't imagine going a day without kissing. And I have found him. It has been a long and lonely road, but he has made the ride worth the wait.

You should be with a man..

1. Who promises to make you laugh, even when you don't want to.

2. Who tells you how proud of you he is every day.

3. Who puts your happiness on the same level as his. If not higher.

4. Who uses positive, kind words when describing your relationship.

5. Who uses "when" not "if" when talking about his future and where you fit in.

6. Who does things out of his comfort zone (sometimes) just to prove to you that he loves you.

Well, this post was much more lengthy than I thought it was going to be but now it's out there. I hope every single one of you women find the man of your dreams and never settle for anything less than your best. He is out there! Sometimes you have to be patient, but the wait is worth it!!

Enjoy your Thursday all.

xoxo.

I seem to have lost all my wisdom...

Hello all. I hope everyone is enjoying their (humid) month of May thus far. The first 3 days of May for me, were spent in my bed.

On April 30th, I went to the Oral Surgeon to get my wisdom teeth +2 taken out. I was very nervous for the weeks leading up to this day, but I knew I had to get the surgery. That morning, I went to work as normal and tried to not think about how the rest of the day was going to go. As I was driving to drop the kids off at school, my hands began to get a little clammy and I started to think about how much pain I was potentially going to be in. So I went home, got everything together, waited for Zach to come pick me up, went to the orthodontist to get my top wire taken off, walked around Target to kill a little bit of time then arrived at the Oral Surgeon's office. We checked in and waited about 10 minutes before they called me back. I walked back to the first room, the gal put the laughing gas on my face and put the butterfly IV needle in my arm. It all happened sort of fast. I will have to say the worst pain I felt that day was in fact the butterfly needle. I talked to the nurse for a little bit, she put a blanket over me and in walked the surgeon. I had met him before at my consultation so we chatted a little bit then he said he was going to give me the medicine. I tried as hard as I could to stay awake and remember everything, but within 3 seconds, I was out cold. I have no idea what time I went back for the surgery and I have no idea what time I woke up. I remember waking up in the waiting room, talking to the nurses about morel mushrooms???, then waking up again when it was time to go. I kind of remember talking to the surgeon, the nurse, and Zach. I also remember getting into Zach's car but after that, I was out again until we arrived at Walgreen's. Apparently while driving to Walgreen's, I was telling Zach the wrong directions and just being very stubborn. (Shocker, right?) I woke up at Walgreen's to go in and fill my prescription. I walked in with the ice pack around my face, went to the Pharmacy, sat down for a few minutes, got dizzy, went into the bathroom and got sick, pulled out the gauze a few minutes early, and we left Walgreen's. After driving a few blocks (from what I remember) I had Zach pull over so I could get sick again. It was not fun but I figured it was going to happen.

After doing all of that, I came home and took a nap (or two) while Zach took care of me. The rest of the day, I kept on top of the pain pills (1/2 of a hydrocodone every 4-6 hours) and felt pretty good. The next day (Friday) was okay because I spent a lot of the day in bed eating vanilla yogurt. That's it. Saturday was the worst day yet. I was in a lot of pain and the pain pills just didn't seem to help at all. I had no energy to get out of bed to get anything to eat and Zach was at a basketball tournament. I spent a lot of my day just laying in bed, crying (I know, what a baby!), and trying to sleep. When Zach got back, he made me chicken broth and I could finally fall asleep. Sunday was a lot better. I wasn't in as much pain, I was able to get out of the house with Barb and Tommy, and I only took one pain pill in the morning. It was incredible.

Today, I got to go to work and only took ibuprofen a few times throughout the day. The only thing that causes me any discomfort in my mouth is the upper right side where they took out two teeth, but other than that, I feel pretty great. Just another step in getting the straight teeth. :)

Have a good rest of the week everyone and thanks for reading! :)

xoxo.

Life happens.

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I've written a blog post so I figured it was time to whip one up.

Since my last post, I have had something really big happen in my life. Something I've wanted for a long time but never thought I would actually attain. No, I'm not getting married, yet! I GOT BRACES!! I had been going back and forth about how I was going to afford getting braces (they are just so darn expensive!) and I finally came to terms that I would just have to wait until I could really afford them.

A week or two later, my boss told me that she wanted to PAY FOR MY BRACES!! SAY WHAT!? How is this possible? I had discussed it with her one time and said I was just going to wait until things got more settled. (I found a new apartment, paid all of the deposits, got moved in and what not.) Never did I EVER ask her to help or mention that I would need help! God sure knew what he was doing when he made her! So, here I am a little over a month into my braces and it's something I never thought I would get to experience. Getting the braces put on was not painful in the slightest, but it was that evening that was the worst day since getting them on. I had to get biting turbos put on my back molars to help correct my overbite and they make it so I can't bite down all the way. For the first week or so, I was slurping most of my food & it was really painful. But I've gotten pretty used to them now, only a few things really hurt when I eat them.

Next up on the teeth list is getting 6 teeth pulled. Yep, you read that right. 6! I will be getting my 4 wisdom teeth removed, one of my 12 year old molars that never came in and a tooth from the top row. My surgery is scheduled for next Thursday, the 30th. I am very nervous, but I know this is the next step in the process. Hopefully all goes well and everything will be looking better for Maddie's wedding and Missy's wedding! Well, more to come soon!

Thanks for reading! xoxo.

p.s. Here are a few pictures of me with the braces on. One with D, (one of the boys I nanny for) two with Zach, and one with my beautiful sister, Emily.

 

I found love in a soapless place.

I'm sure some people may know this but I'm sure there are a good amount of people who have no idea. I have been dealing with hair issues for the past 5ish years or so. I would get out of the shower and immediately my hair would be oily [almost greasy feeling]. At first I thought I just wasn't getting all of the conditioner out of my hair. But after weeks of scrubbing and trying different remedies, I realized it was something completely different. Sometimes my hair would cooperate, sometimes I wanted to just rip it all out. I have tried almost every shampoo & conditioner on the market ranging from cheap Suave products you can get at Wal Mart for $1.99 to expensive products that cost $60-75 dollars a bottle. I know it sounds crazy and a little extreme; but isn't it if you are having a bad hair day, your whole day is thrown off?

I would go to different salons to try to see if anyone had the answer and most of the time they would. "Try this $35 shampoo, it will change your whole world!" "You have to try this at home treatment, my sister-in-law had the same issue and it cleared it right up." "Oh, you just need to use apple cider vinegar and all of your hair issues will be solved." This was all very simple advice that I would spend $40-100 dollars on when they would just give me a simple haircut/color. I tried everything. Nothing seemed to help my scalp. I even went to the dermatologist for it and she said she had never seen anything like this before. So I started praying, "God, what is going on with my hair? I see all of these girls in the magazines with long, beautiful hair and here I am stuck with this oily, greasy looking hair that just does not grow." There were days that I would cry and cry because I just didn't know what to do. I know that seems silly as well, but I hate wearing my hair in a ponytail and I didn't want people to think I didn't shower because my hair looked so oily. After years of trying different shampoos, I realized maybe I just need a water softener. The family I nanny for in Des Moines have the top of the line water softener so I decided to try it. HOLY MOLY. It worked!! Now I just had to shower at their house everyday. (Which was hard on the weekends because I didn't want to bother them.) So I would shower everyday at their house and on the weekends, I would shower with a shower cap on. I could usually go a day or two without washing my hair, but sometimes it was just a pain in the butt. I HATE wearing my hair up in a ponytail so I would avoid it at all costs.

I finally decided to take the leap and get a water softener of my own. (with the help of Jen.) I was SO excited to try it out and get the same results I was getting at the Liss house. The first time I used it, IT WORKED! Hooray! No more issues. But after a few times, it didn't seem to work anymore. So that evening I had an emotional breakdown. Why couldn't I figure out what was wrong with my hair? What was I doing wrong? Everyone was giving me tips on what to do and I had tried them all. Now what? Do I just shave my head and get a wig? WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!

Well... one day I was looking at random beauty blogs (for some much needed inspiration) and I found that someone kind of had the same hair issues and they tried a bar of shampoo from Lush. I didn't understand bar shampoos but I was willing to try anything. I went into Lush and asked for advice and the gal working was so wonderful to help me out. I left with a shampoo bar and a bottle of conditioner. I went back to my apartment eager to try it out. My hopes were really high and Zach told me not to get them up because he didn't want to see my get upset. But it was too late for that. So I used both products..and...THEY WORKED!!!!!!! I was over the moon excited that I FINALLY found something. But then I knew things have worked before but after a few times, they slowly stop working. But guess what folks? It's been 2-3ish weeks and both work WONDERFUL!!! The shampoo kind of dries my hair out a bit but the conditioner helps to get the moisture back in there. I will recommend Lush and ANY of their products to anyone. Anytime. I want to buy stock in the company so they never close because I'm afraid to start over if anything bad ever happens to their company.

So if you have any of the same hair issues as me, definitely go to Lush and they will help you out. (They had a store in Jordan Creek mall and they have a website where they can ship you the products you need every month-6 months.) Everyone there is so wonderful!!

Moral of the story is: no matter how hard the trials are that are placed in your life, you can find the answers if you keep trying and trying!!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone. [and sorry for such a long post!]

My superhero, my best friend, my mom.

In lieu of my Mom's birthday today, it seems like a good idea to write a post about her. As some of you may know, my Mom raised all four of us kids by herself. I would say that in and of itself is a feat not accomplished by many. Four kids, by yourself? I can't imagine raising one by myself. This is why she is a superhero. My superhero.

Along with raising four kids by herself, she also went to school, worked full time and had a social life. Things were different for my brother, sisters, and I compared to everyone else. Everyone else had their Dad to coach them in basketball, their Dad to teach them about sports, their Dad to be the "discipliner" and their Dad to spoil them. We did not. But that didn't matter to us because we had someone who loved us more than we could ever imagine. My Mom did everything for us. She gave up her bed to let us all sleep with her, (And yes, all 5 of us did sleep in my Mom's waterbed for a long time. Waterbed.) spoiled us rotten on our birthdays, Christmas, and every other day just because she loved us so much.

Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if our Dad was in the picture, but then I remember we wouldn't have experienced half of the things we did if he was in our lives.

All in all, I'm trying to say that my Mom is the greatest woman in all of time and she deserves the world for her birthday. The gifts that I gave her will never show my appreciation for all she has done for my brother, sisters, and I.

I love you, Mom. No one deserves to have a better day than you.

2014 in review

I can't believe how fast 2014 came and went. It seems like just yesterday that we were ringing in 2014 with some close friends in Boone. How is it that we went to bed at 10:15 on New Year's Eve this year and completely missed the countdown? I guess that's what happens when you get older. :)

Here are some of the highlights of my 2014:

In January, we welcomed Abram Lee Murphy to the family. What a handsome little guy he has become!

In February, Zach and I celebrated Valentine's Day and our 1 year anniversary!

In March, my sister Emily and I got to go to the Matt Wertz concert at the M-Shop! It was so much fun to spend the evening with her and be front row listening to our all time favorite singer.

In April, Penny turned 4! It still baffles me that I've had her for so long and she is still the best dog I could have ever asked for!

In May, Zach graduated from Iowa State University with a major in Kinesiology and a minor is Psychology. As a part of his graduation present, we went to Kansas City to celebrate at Fogo de Chao!

In June, I started nannying for the Wakefield girls again. Little did I know it would be my last summer with them. We had so much fun going to the pool, Adventureland, the park, and on many lunch dates. I miss these girls so much!

In July, Zach, Jordan, Jon, Alex, Barb, and I all headed off to Colorado for a week long vacation. This trip is what has sparked Zach and I's interest in moving to Colorado in August. This is the same month that I got my new car!

In August, my baby sister and her long time boyfriend got engaged! This has been a dream of our family for many years and it was wonderful news to get on that warm August day. Another big thing that happened in August, is that I moved to Des Moines to be closer to Zach. Along with moving, I started a new nanny job with the Liss kids.

In September, one of my best friend's from high school got married, my sisters came back to attend an engagement party I threw for Maddie and Ethan, Zach and I went to the World Food Festival with his family, and I moved into a new apartment in Urbandale. September was quite a busy month for us!

In October, Zach surprised me with a trip to the High Trestle Bridge, we tailgated at a few Iowa State football games, and enjoyed the fall weather.

In November, Zach and I celebrated our birthdays. I turned 26 and he turned 25. Penny had a bit of a rough patch this month. She had a hot spot on her backside & had to go to the vet. Thankfully we got it solved and she is back to normal now!

In December, my sisters & Ethan came back from Kansas to celebrate the twin's 20th birthday and Christmas. Zach and I attended a housewarming party with some of my high school friends, got to spend Christmas Eve with his family and my family, and got to spend New Year's Eve with one another. (Even though we were in bed and asleep by 10:15. Party animals, right?)



All in all, I would say I had a pretty great year. The only bad thing about 2014, is that it's over. If 2015 is anything like 2014, I'm ready! I hope everyone enjoyed my year in review.

xoxo thanks for reading!