Week(s) in Review

There has been so much going on since I moved home and almost all of it has been great fun.

First up - Bachelorette party for Audra! Clearly Al and I were super excited. So excited we had to give a "thumbs up" pic.

Then...

On my way to the rehearsal dinner a sweet little old lady ran into me. She thought she hit a curb so she drove off. Really?!? I mean REALLY?!? Does that look like she hit a curb? Yeah didn't think so. Don't worry...I chased her down. Maybe it's time for her to stop driving.

The best part is she called me a few days later all mad because the officer gave her a "unsafe lane change" ticket. She was shocked. She said "How was it unsafe?!? I had on my blinker!"

Lady you RAN INTO ME! That would be the "unsafe" part.

Then....it was time for Audra's beautiful wedding! What was my favorite part?!? Glad you asked. It was the ice cream truck that kept driving around with it's music on. I think it gave the wedding a certain something that no other wedding can now compete with.

Took the plunge and got highlights again! I know...you're squealing with excitement!

Went to an AMAZING concert...

Taddy Porter.

You should probably be a fan of them.

Just sayin.

Yeah thats a fully grown man in a leotard. It's time for LUCHAPALOOZA!

Not gonna lie...it was super weird. I thought "Hey its a festival..thats gotta be great, right?!?" WRONG. Country Music and Mexican wrestling...now why did I think this was a good idea?

It's time for the Tulsa State Fair!

I haven't been in years. I forgot how ginormous the fair was...and how stinky people can get. Highlight....Red Velvet Funnel Cakes with Icing. Mmmmmm....Mmmmmm...Good!

A little enjoyment for you (but mostly for my mom and I).

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

I'm Back!

So I've returned to my wonderful hometown...

I never thought I would miss Tulsa as much as I did. It's a wonderful place and it is home. It's great to be back around friends and family and just in time for Fall! The weather has been amazing ever since I came home. We have been blessed with storms and crisp, Fall weather. Add a Pumpkin Spice Latte and I am good to go!

I already miss Amarillo and the hospital. I have to get back into the medical setting! I'm going a little crazy...and it's been only 3 weeks. I'm currently a speech pathologist at a pediatric private practice in Owasso and the kids are great, but I really really miss my adults! I miss being able to work with pediatrics and adults - inpatients and outpatients. You can NEVER EVER be bored with all that going on!

I have made one goal since moving home (this is the millionth time I've set this goal)...to learn how to cook! I know, I know...you're thinking this is an impossible feat and you might be right. But so far so good. I immediately went out and purchased a REAL cook book!

And I'm obsessed with her. 60% because she is from Oklahoma, 40% because she is straight up the bomb. I'm only on week #2 of cooking but I'm 2 for 2 right now. Pretty sure the rents wouldn't tell me if it was bad. They don't want to deter me from this challenge!

Week #1:

Chicken Spaghetti

This dish is the super amazing and it gets better as you re-heat it. Pretty sure my step dad lived off of it for a few days...but that must mean its good, right?!?

Apple Tart

(Mine was not nearly this pretty, but it was sure delicious!)

I actually hate cooked apples. Well...I thought I did, until I had this. O my it is wonderful. And nutritious...well kinda. Come on it has apples in it!

Week #2

Cowboy Calzone

(Not gonna lie...I bought Pillsbury pizza crust. Don't judge me.)

This was great and for some reasons my calzones were ginormous (yes thats a word). This was great for dinner, but even better for breakfast! It's like super awesome sausage roles.

Hopefully this week I'll be 3 for 3!

One Side Note:

How about those Bears?!? Ranked 15!!!

Sic 'Em!!!

Random Smorgasbord of Sorts

Things I'm lovin at this moment...but hey it could change in a matter of seconds

My Scentsy Scents...O my goodness I'm obsessed.

My favorite scents are boy smells (go ahead and crack the single girl jokes....I can take it!).

Here are my top favs:

1. My Dear Watson

2. Simply Irresistible

*And I love this adorable warmer

My sweet friend Christie has opened my world to God's gift to organizationally psychotic people. The MAC 15-set palate. O my goodness gracious it's the best thing ever. I have officially filled up 2 palates and working on a 3rd. And they're only $10 at MAC stores. Now you can't get them from the MACs inside of Dillards. I know, bummer right?

And if you drop it....then...okay just don't drop it. I can't bare tell you what happens.

It's horrific.

For Easter I made my mom a Creepy C.D. b/c we both LOVE eerie songs.

Here are some of the best songs:

1. Hawaii by Meiko

2. Strange & Beautiful by Aqualung

3. The Funeral by Band of Horses

4. While You Wait for the Others by Grizzly Bear

5. Like a Song by Lenka

6. The Garden by Mirah

7. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. by Sufjan Stevens

8. Secret by The Pierces

9. Three Wishes by The Pierces

10. Grapevine Fires by Death Cab for Cutie

Just read this book and I'm absolutely in LOVE! Go read it. Seriously....go get it right now. You won't regret it. And come on....there is an Elephant in it! Now what could top that?!? You're right....nothing could.

Some recent CDs I've picked up and did not regret:

1. Vices & Virtues by Panic at the Disco

2. The Clarence Greenwood Recordings by Citizen Cope

3. Fate by Dr. Dog

4. Mine is Yours by Cold War Kids

5. 19 by Adele

6. Lungs by Florence & The Machine

7. Supply & Demand by Amos Lee

8. Crash Kings by Crash Kings

9. Miike Snow by Miike Snow

10. Night Train by Keane

Some recent CDs that I don't fancy as much and

I would NOT recommend buying:

1. My Best Friend is You by Kate Nash

2. Ritual by White Lies

3. High Violet by The National

This was just like Oprah's BIG gift give away episode except you didn't get anything.

I'm Thankful For....

So much to be thankful for I thought I would share...

1. Sleep...I love it. I do it often. Lets face it...I'm thankful for it.
2. That my sweet friend Emily Dupuis Powell has made it Full Term without any complications. God is Good!
3. That the Easter Bunny AND Santa still visit me even though I'm 25.
4. That I have 4 parents and they all offered me major HELP during my job search time just so I could relax and pick the job thats right for me without rushing into anything. Thanks rents!
5. Obviously Ruby...you knew that was coming.
6. That God has a plan and the plan is in His hands. Somehow it just takes ALL the worry off your shoulders.
7. Having the BEST best friends a girl could ask for.
8. Laughing...funnest thing ever.
9. Having the boss let me have Friday off so I could get home (Tulsa) sooner...15 minutes after I drove in a horrendous storm hit Tulsa. Thank goodness I just missed it!
10. Crushes...they make life REAL fun even though I'm incredibly awkward around them. For example (and this may or may not have really happened): seeing my crush walking down the hall in the hospital and literally running (yes running) down the hall in the opposite direction so he couldn't tell I was blushing. This also might have happened on more than one occasion. But like I said...this may or may not have happened :)

Still On The Hunt

I'm Back!

I know I fell off the face of the earth for a little while, but fear not I have returned.

Well I made one BIG decision and I honestly feel it was the right one. I decided not to take the job I was considering taking. It just wasn't sitting right with me and I thought that might be God's sign that it was a no-go. Sometimes He has to kick me in the butt to make me listen.

Now what I think I want changes on a daily basis and often times changes a few times within a day. As of now I want to work in a pediatric clinic in Tulsa and I'm really excited about that possibility! I miss Tulsa dearly and thats where my family (well most of them) are. As much as I love the BIG cities with all the excitement that goes on in them, family truly is more important to me. Hey I can always visit those places, right?!? Hopefully one of these days I'll meet a sweet little fella and will have a sweet little family and I want that family to be in Tulsa.

So for now I remain in Amarillo job hunting. Sheesh I hate job hunting. It's the pits. I really will miss Texas when it's time to go, but I'm ready to get back to Tornado filled weather and humidity that melts your face off.

Texas it was nice knowing you.

BIG Decisions....I don't like them

Ugh...I hate making decisions.

I am a very indecisive person...ask anyone. Where do you want to go to dinner? I don't care. What movie do you want to see? I don't care. What do you want to do tonight? I don't care. And the thing is I REALLY DON'T CARE! I just go with the flow.

My internship is over this month and I had made the decision a few months back that I wanted to leave Amarillo and get closer to home. Everyone knows job hunting is no fun. So I began that process. I'm trying to figure out the things I "want", but none of them seem to fit together. I "want" to live by my mom. I "want" to work in a rehab. I "want" to live by my best friend Jaclyn. The only problem is all 3 of those options are in completely different cities.

And then once I start looking elsewhere, I realize I've really grown quite attached to where I'm at. Amarillo I could live without. The hospital I work at and the people I work with will be quite hard to live without. Now I don't "want" to leave them. So add that to the "want/don't want" list.

And trust me...I've prayed, and prayed, and prayed...and prayed some more about this. And really the biggest feeling I've gotten about accepting a job has been "I don't care". Thats not the feeling you want when you're making a huge life changing decision! So I have to make a decision by tomorrow and I'm hoping my "I don't care" attitude will change and the decision God wants me to make will become clear. To take the job or not take the job...THAT is the question!

Does anyone want to decided for me?!?

Living up to the Wanderlust name!

#1 favorite thing to do of ALL time:

TRAVEL

I can't help it. The traveling bug bit me at the ripe age of....uhhh...well I was so young I can't even remember how young I was, so it must have been way young. I was so incredibly blessed that my parents allowed me to go anywhere and everywhere that the wind blew me. I always think "Why o Why did I pick an occupation where you don't need to travel at all?!?" So since I didn't pick an occupation where I can feed my traveling urge, I'm going with plan B (which has yet to work out)....marry rich so I don't have to work and I can just travel the world!!!

Don't judge me...you would do it too.

A few weekends ago was Dallas. One word - amazing. The weekend after that my brother and I joined my dad in Sin City! Lets just say there were some beyond awkward moments. O don't you fret - you will hear all about it.

On Friday night I arrived in Dallas around 8:30 to a welcoming crew who had started drinking the moment they boarded the plane from Dallas. Wonderful. They both tried to play it off but genetics are cruel and you could spy their rosy colored cheeks from across the airport!

Once we got to the hotel we had a fabulous dinner at a placed called the Red Door (or something to that effect) and then went to the House of Blues. Now this was by far Adam's highlight of the entire trip! We saw Steel Panther, which is an 80's Hair Band Cover Group. He literally did not shut up the entire weekend about feeling like this was his calling. Lets hope thats not true. Had I been with anyone other than family this might have been an enjoyable experience. But they really liked to talk about the P word....and the D word....and what the D word would do to the P word....Okay okay you get my drift.

AWKWARD MOMENT #1!!!

Adam and his future calling

Sleeping....at the concert.

Ready for awkward moment numero dos?!? That would be our lovely next door neighbors that felt the need to broadcast their sexcapades from 3:00 - 5:00 in the morning! We all pretended to sleep because we didn't want to acknowledge the fact that we knew what was going on. And we were also toying with calling the police because it literally sounded like she was dying/crying/laughing/hurting/etc. Awkward.

Below is just one of the shots from our frequent photo shoots. Adam called this

"Black Swan"

Myself - the movie was creepy

Adam - LOVED the movie & super excited

Dad - hadn't seen the movie so he was looking for it

The GQ men before we went to the Cirque show LOVE, which I LOVED!!!

(Side note: if you do go to Vegas, I would recommend the Cirque show KA - it's beyond incredible and action packed)

On Sunday we went to an Indoor Sky Diving place. AMAZING!

We don't have any pictures from that (rats!), but I have to say we were pros!

Sunday night we went to the Cirque show Zumanity.

AWKWARD MOMENT #3!

WARNING: Never EVER go to this with your family members.

Here is a brief preview: Your MC is a tranny (who was hilarious and I loved), you see so many body parts that you actually forget that you're seeing body parts, there is a flying midget (also a highlight), but the noises....o the noises are the worst part! Lets just say you could listen to what was going on and know EXACTLY what was going on. Ewww....

Later Sunday night the boys and I went to New York New York which was great fun. This might be my favorite part of the trip. Let me preface this story with the fact that Adam HATES roller coasters and heights. Well I was dying to go on the New York New York roller coaster and as a joke I asked Adam & dad to go on it. Without hesitation Adam said yes! I was shocked. I figured it was the alcohol that was giving him a brave buzz but I wasn't going to fight it. We got into the seats and began the ascent to the first big dive...

Adam: Holy Explicative....THIS IS A REAL ROLLER COASTER!!!!

Ash: What?!? Of course it is!

Adam: What the explicative...explicative....explicative....etc.

Turns out he saw a dinky roller coaster going throughout the casino that just takes people on little tours. He had no idea there was a real one! Turned out he loved it once it was all said and done. So worth it.

So clearly what happens in Vegas does not stay there and maybe it should, but I have a big mouth and thought you all should know. So there.

Dallas BIRTHDAY weekend!

This weekend myself and a few of my very favorite girls went to Dallas and it was one word - AMAZING! I'm pretty positive I would have fun with them in a sewer, but I rather not test that out. We had originally planned on driving down on Thursday after work to make it to an Amos Lee concert, but stupid weather got in the way (don't worry Amos - we'll hit you up next time). I'm shaking my fist (not to be confused with fist pumping...I do NOT fist pump) at winter right now! So we drove down on Friday in time to make it to one of my favorite things EVER.....

Dallas Stars vs. Chicago Black Hawks

It was A-MAZ-ING! Typically a game is just 3 periods...this one went into 5!

AND DALLAS WON WOOOOO!!!!!

And the games they play in between periods are just icing on the cake!

Yep those are grown men dressed up as beer bottles about to go thru an obstacle course.

Human Bowling!

Saturday we did what every girl does in Dallas....SHOP!

I made my dear sweet friend, Stephanie, be subjected to a MAC makeover and

she was quite the trooper!

The MAC lady was great...she didn't do the typical MAC tranny look at all!

VOILA! Doesn't she look beautiful?!?

Hmmm....what should we do next....

Tattoos?

Okay!

Christie and I tried to peer pressure the other two into joining us.

Didn't work....this time.

My new one is the wrist on the far right. It's a dove and I'm in love with it! It symbolizes my faith. And supposedly European Superstition believes the devil and witches can turn into any bird BUT the dove.

Good. To. Know.

Not gonna lie...this one hurt much more than the last! My other one (the wrist on the far left) is my favorite bible verse - Proverbs 3:5 & 6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

and he will direct your path.

Christie Lou had "dum spiro spero" on her wrist which is Latin for

"While I breath, I hope."

Why my wrist? It wont stretch when I'm pregnant. Yeah...thats pretty much it. And in case you were wondering, yes I know it's permanent.

Still smiling after its all said and done!

Jac got one too!!!

Okay not really, but she was close! This is what we sent her mom just to freak her out a little. I drew this on Jac's wrist as a trial run to see how she likes it.

Met some of my very favorite lovelies from Baylor at Fireside Pies in Dallas!

So SO much fun!

LOVE my bestfriend :)

Move to Dallas now, please?

Ladies and Gentlemen I have an announcement:

Christie Lou has not had meat in 4 1/2 years until

THIS VERY MOMENT!!!!

She had crab and LOVED IT!!!

The morning we had to part ways :(

A wonderful weekend surrounded by wonderful people...

8 Months of Enlightenment

8 months ago I started my Clinical Fellowship Year at an Trauma 3 hospital in Amarillo, TX. One thing about acute care - it's the toughest job imaginable. There is just a few months left and I started to think about all of the things I have been exposed to. Some of these things I swore I would never EVER try....but alas I gave in. Some things I had heard of, but never witnessed. Below are a few of my highlights.

1.

My first big girl purchase from my first real world paycheck - Cowboy Boots! Okay I've heard it all before..."You lived in Oklahoma and you didn't own cowboy boots?!?" They're not quite as popular there as they are in Texas. Well that night was the first (and the only) time I wore them. For some reason I just feel like a poser in them! I can't even walk naturally in them. I'll try to give them another joy ride one day.

2.

Finding a home for stray pups is a full time job! And to be honest I completely suck at it. Charlie now is a permanent fixture to my dear mom's hip. She now has 2 stray pups- one from my sister and one from me. Adam just needs to bring one home now.

3. Halloween IS a blast and sometimes having no plans leads to having amazing fun!

4.

The concept of ThunderSnow was completely foreign to me until I came to Amarillo. It is basically a Thunderstorm with snow instead of rain. It's crazy believe me! And actually kind of creepy but I love it. I always thought Oklahoma had crazy unpredictable weather and Amarillo totally trumped it. It was 60 degrees yesterday and this morning I woke up to this...

5.

Friends can make the most horrible weekend into the most amazing Monday! Stephanie is truly God's gift to me throughout these past 8 months. She has taught me so much about being a good friend. She is wonderful. If you're lucky, you'll get to be her friend too.

6.

No Christmas break really sucks. Missing Christmas celebrations with your family really sucks. Having to go home right after Christmas really sucks. Decorating the apt. for only your dog to see really sucks. Basically I wont be repeating this next year. Family is what makes Christmas special...not the decorations, or gifts, or the music (even though I did enjoy my Rat Pack music mix). This will not be happening again.

7.

Amarillo's Skies are absolutely breath taking! I can't even express how beautiful they are. Every morning and every night you get to see God's beautiful designs.

8.

Tumbleweeds ARE real! Honestly I thought Fievel Goes West made them up. Yeah there are lots of them. And I've been told (however, not witnessed) that they can be as big as cars! This also bring me to point 8.5 ...the WIND here is completely nuts. Seriously I thought I was going to lose Ruby a few times. Forget doing your hair....ever. Or wearing lip gloss. Or looking half way decent after coming in from outside. I went outside with my hair wet once and 3 minutes later I came back inside looking like Einstein. Yeah I couldn't pull that off.

9.

It's freakin cold here. Last week actually trumped this. It was -1 with a wind chill of -24. Who knew it could possibly get that cold in Texas?!? I was not informed about this. I now laugh at the fact that I thought I could withstand Chicago winters. Riiiiiiight.

10.

I, Ashley Holden, went to a.....wait for it.....wait for it....COUNTRY CONCERT! I can hear the gasp from here. And as much as it hurts me to admit this, but it wasn't THAT bad. We boogied. We people watched. We laughed. We were stalked by creepy old women. It was a blast. Now don't get carried away, I won't be tuning my radio to a country station anytime soon....or ever. BUT I have a small little confession that only Santa and me know. I might have asked for a very somewhat embarrassing CD to be placed in my stocking. No not Miley Cyrus. Gah what kind of girl do you think I am?!? I asked for the, geez I don't even want to admit this, the Taylor Swift CD. And I listen to it...a lot. Yeah I don't feel any better getting that off my chest.

11.

Doodling is the ultimate stress reliever for me. I might have tendonitis now and can't feel 3 of the fingers on my right hand, but I'm stress free!

12.

A little brother's heartbreak hurts real real bad. You hurt in your core just like he does. I never realized how much you can hurt for someone else. I realized my #1 love language is giving gifts. It seemed to work. And yes, those are The Flash underwear. Don't be jealous....have your heart broken and I'll buy you some too!

I have really learned SO much just in a few short months. I've learned a lot about myself as well. I would never take back this experience. I've met beyond wonderful people and I have learned more about my profession than I thought was possible. I could never thank my co-workers, friends, and most of all my family for getting me through this. It's been tough, but I know this was God's plan and he always gave me that light at the end of the tunnel that I needed. Now I'm just ready for him to fill me in on where I'm heading next!

Dance the Cold Away!

Yeah thats not me (I know the leg muscles totally had you fooled). However, she is doing one of my favorite things - Dancing around in underwear. There is just something freeing about dancing in your undies. Increased range of motion? Sure why not...lets go with it. There are certain songs that you just can't help but start to dance. I mean you seriously (and this may sound corny) feel it in your bones. Well today was exceptionally cold (wind chill of -24 people...thats NEGATIVE 24 people!) and I could not warm up. So I put on my Fancy Pants Dance Mix and warmed myself right up. Below are my absolute favorites to spaz out to. Feel free to borrow these suggestions b/c lets me honest...they rock.

• Forever by Chris Brown
• My Life by Billy Joel
• Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
• I'm Real by Jennifer Lopez & Ja Rule (O you know you loved this too back in middle school!)
• Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest
• Canned Heat by Jamiroquai (Center Stage anyone?!?)
• Ain't No Mountain Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• Beggin' by Madcon
• The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson (More Center Stage...such a great movie)
• Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake (Check out the So You Think You Can Dance clip with this song...it will blow your mind).
• Too Fake by Hockey
• You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates (Yeah make fun all you want...this is a classic)
• Nothin Ever Hurt Like You by James Morrison