Sunshine, Grading, Mexican Food, More Grading, Pool, and Still More Grading

Hi Friends,

So I have officially survived Grading Period 1 and Legacy Traditional School in the first grade! WAHOO! School has been in session for one month, and boy what a month is has been! I have dealt with more behavior issues, then I ever thought possibly, I have had quite a few kids have "accidents", and I have gotten more hugs than I know what to do with!! I love my kids! Each one of them is such a unique little person! Sometimes it is hard to have patience with them, but when I really sit down and think about the little things they do that annoy me, I have to laugh! I feel really petty sometime, I get sick of their stories, and their owies, and the tattling. But then I have to remind myself that they are 5, 6 and 7 years old, and they really don't know any better! God has definitely been teaching me how to have patience, and I have learned a lot in the last month! I have had days when I really question if this is where God wants me, but every night as I lay in bed and think about my day, I feel more and more confident that I am in the right place, and that I have a definite purpose here right now!

Life outside of school has been good too! Me and Becky found a church that we really like, and we attended our first small group meeting the other night. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it! We also have made a lot of friends at school that we really enjoy hanging out with! I am definitely a social person, and it is nice to have people to hang out with on a regular basis!

I got some sad news from my dad the other day, my kitty Kiki died. This was really hard for me to take. I already missed my kitty since I hadn't seen her since July, and now to think that I won't have a chance to see her again makes me really sad! I loved my kitty very much! My parents think that with the tornado and all the construction she went through this summer, it was just too much for her to handle, and she had a heart attack. I have not experienced a lot of loss in my life, and even though she was just a kitty, she was a big part of my life, and I will miss her very much!

To end on a happier note though, I would have to say that life overall is really good! It has been super hot and sunny here still, we get to enjoy the pool often still, and we found a great mexican restaurant named Eva's that has AWESOME food!

Hope you are all doing well! I miss you all very much! Love, Ashley

Things are Looking Up

Hello friends!

It's been awhile since I've written, but life has been super crazy! School is going MUCH better! I have a super challenging class, but I am learning to handle them! I have lots of little stinkers, but I really do enjoy each and every one of them! They make me laugh so hard sometimes! Today we had a great conversation about forests! I got to tell them all about what a forest is, because they've never seen them before! It's so cute that none of them know what an Oak true is...maybe a little scary too, but oh well!

So school is definitely on the upswing, and I am feeling more and more confident in my ability as a teacher. I feel like I am gaining so much experience from all of this, and it is an awesome feeling!

I actually had time to have a little fun this last weekend too! Me and Becky, and our friends the Light family went to Irvine, CA for Labor Day weekend! Marvin and Stacy, their daughters Lexi (7) and Reese (4), and me and Becky all piled into their big truck and made the 6 hour drive out to CA! It was an awesome weekend! We laid by the pool, swam, got grading done, ate good food, went to Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, and did some shopping! It was an awesome trip! Super hot, and super relaxing! Me and Becky love playing with the girls too! They are so cute, and tons of fun!!!

It is hard to be away from home though! My parents just bought a house, which is really exciting for them! I wish I could be there to help with the move, and decorate and stuff! It will be so wonderful for them to be out of the rental house! I love it here, but talking to my family, and friends from Crown makes me wish that I could be there too! I really wish I could be in two places at once! Oh well though, I am loving life down here, and God has been teaching me soooo much through everything! It amazes me to think that less than two months ago, I had no idea where I was going to be living or working, and life seemed really uncertain and scary! God was right beside me through it all, and he definitely provided, and for that I am so thankful!!

I do miss you all though, so don't be a stranger! I love getting texts, fbook messages, and calls! I am not always the best responder, but thank you for all your kind words and support!!!!