Sorry

I'm know - another new layout - I'm sorry...but all the lines on the other one were beginning to make me dizzy. So I began to think I just needed something plain and simply - so here ya go.

Other than that, there isn't much to say today. This week has almost been boring, except for the fact that my best office buddy got fired on Monday morning. That was not a fun day...and it wasn't that she was bad, her area that she manages was just beginning to fall apart, so they let her go. It's hard working in the "grown-up" world where people come and go. Melissa was literally my very first friend at this office, so it's hard after seeing her on a daily basis for 3 years to not have her here anymore. So Monday wasn't a good day.

Tuesday was boring and Brant was out of town, so I was home all by myself. It was actually kind of nice, so I won't complain. I got home from work, ate dinner, took a hot bath (while Dax proceeded to drink half my bath water), shopped on the Internet, and just RELAXED! I have to admit that I am addicted to Coldwater Creek's online outlet - they just have some GREAT stuff, so go check it out when you can. And for other awesome online deals, check out the Bargain Shopper Lady - she always has the best stuff.

Wednesday, I worked, then my sister and her family came home from a little mini-vacation in St. Louis. So, I went over and spent some time with the kiddos. It was tons of fun! Then, went back home, spent some time with hubs, then went to bed.

Today has been completely boring, but Brant's community softball league begins tonight, so that will be fun. He loved playing sports - and I love watching them...we're a good fit.

Ok, so that's it folks - not a whole lot happenin' here.

Much Love,
Ashley

Weekends of Fun

READ THIS POST FROM BOTTOM TO TOP!!!!

This past weekend, we went to a baseball game at DBU on Friday night. DBU was playing Northern Illinois University. We spanked 'em 11-2!!! Go Patriots! Saturday, Brant had to go back to DBU because of another game that afternoon, so I went shopping with my sister and Ethan. Then, Amanda and Michael took the 3 older kids and went to Six Flags, so lucky me...Ethan got to come to Grabbie's house again! Once Uncle B came home, we all went to dinner with our friends The Grimes and The Erwins. Ethan was perfect, as always, and loved getting to meet new people.

Sunday, was pretty calm. We went to church, then came home and relaxed awhile. At 4, Brant had a choir practice, so I cleaned the house - it needed it!!!

There isn't a door to our Master bathroom, so we have a curtain.

(can you spy someone asleep on my bed?)
This is our Master bedroom, but I'm still trying to find the perfect curtain.

On Sunday, we went to church, then had lunch at Joes' Crabshack for Mom's birthday. On our way home, Brant's sister Kristie called and wanted to come hang out while her house was being painted. So she and her son Aeson came over to play. We had so much fun. The pictures above are Aeson and Dax playing in our backyard.

Grandad and Ethan
Granda and Ethan

When we got back to Granda's house, Ethan and I had some more cuddle time. He is so sweet.
Kate got her face painted at the Peddler Show.

Saturday morning, Ethan and I played at the house for awhile, then Granda, Kate, Ethan and I went to the Country Peddler show in Arlington while Grandad (my dad) took the two boys to the lake.

(This is Ethan in his Bumbo chair at Grabbie's house)

After dinner, Grand (my mom) and the kids made M&M Cookies. This is Kate, Ethan and my mom cookin' away!
So, I accidentally put these pictures in backwards order, so you have to read from the bottom of the post to the top in order to really understand the past two weekends. These pictures are actually from last weekend, not this past one. My sister and her husband celebrated 11 glorious years of marriage and Michael (my brother-in-law) wanted to take Amanda (my sister) for a nice stay at "The W" in Downtown Dallas. So to help with the kids, my mom and I split them up. I'm much better at getting up at 4am to feed a 5 months old than my mom is, so Brant and I took Baby Ethan while my parents cared for the older 3. So Friday night, Brant worked at a basketball game and I went to have dinner and play with the all the kids. We had tons of fun, then about 8, Ethan and I made it back to my house and just had some cuddle time before Uncle B came home.

TAGGED!!!!!

So God's Grace in Practice tagged me...so here we go!

What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with?

I honestly have NO clue!!!

What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind?

I would wish that every soul would know the POWER of the God- His might, His strength, His all-sustaining power, His truth! And not just that they would know it, but that they would BELIEVE and TRUST it!

What if I could travel anywhere in the world?

I would LOVE to go to England - spend the day relaxing in the English hillsides, and touring enormous castles!

What if I could live in a period other than the present, for 24 hours?

I would go back to the 1800's - the era of the Southern Belle! I would have a green dress and straw hat just like Scarlett did in Gone with the Wind and I would ride in a horse-drawn carriage to the town bar-b-que.

What if I could make over three areas of my body?

My stomach, my thighs and my stomach! Listen ladies (for those of you not married) I killed myself to lose weight before my wedding, and put all of it plus 10 back on after the wedding!

What if I could become an animal for 24 hours?

A sweet little yellow lab, maybe one a lot like my Daxie Boy!

What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours?

I agree with Heidi on this one that I don't know it would be a close person because I would just have to say "goodbye" all over again. However, I might bring back Jon Benet Ramsey and ask her who really killed her. Or maybe Lee Harvey Oswald...did he really kill Kennedy?

Ok, now I tag:

Caroline

Baby Bangs

Jessica McCash

Tears for Rebecca

For those of you who live in metroplex, you might have seen Rebecca Miller - Channel 5's best meteorologist! I have watched Rebecca's morning weather report since I was in high school - she had become a tradition in my household. Well, I terribly sad to report that Rebecca Miller was let go from the Morning Team at NBC-5 - read this article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram to learn more about it: And Now Rebecca.

For some this may seem like a silly thing to be upset about, but she honestly was my favorite weather-woman: an intelligent, polite, and poised lady on camera who would "tell-it-like-it-is" with the weather. In the article she is quoted as saying "I am so thankful to not be there when it's snowing,"(she wasn't there this morning in the inches of snow here) she says. "On snow forecasts, they like to make you really push it, and make people realize just how terrible it is, and sometimes it's not so terrible." This is why I loved her, and watched her every morning.

So here's to you, Rebecca Miller, for many GREAT years of weather reporting. We will miss you, and we will miss hearing the "truth" about the weather. Best of luck in all you do, and may the blessing of the Lord be with you and your family!

There's a saying...

...here in Texas that if you don't like the weather today, just stick around until tomorrow. If you're not familiar with weather in Texas, then the only thing that never changes is that the weather always changes! On Saturday, I was out at the ballpark in capris and a short-sleeve shirt in almost 80' weather, and last night, we had snow!!!!! Here are a few pictures of Saturday, and last night!

Delicious Dishes

Well...maybe not dishes, but two great party foods: Baked Potato Bites and Stuffed Jalapeños. I had a group of girlfriends over to the house the other night and I made both of these great party dishes and they were a hit!!! They are so easy and the only "time" it takes to make them is the baking.

Baked Potato Bites (this is a modified version from my Pampered Chef Baking Stone cookbook)

• Start with 2-3 large potatoes and slice them in thin rounds (about 1/4" thick). I used my scalloped slicer from Pampered Chef to make them a little more "fun."
• Brush both sides of potato slices with vegetable oil and place on non-stick cookie sheet (I used my Pampered Chef baking stone)
• Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes (or until soft throughout)

• In a mixing bowl, combine:
• 2 cups of Colby-Jack cheese
• 4 diced green onions
• 6 strips of cooked bacon - crumpled
• After the potatoes bake through, cover the slices with the cheese mixture and bake for about 5 more minutes!
• I served these on a platter with a bowl of sour cream so it was really like a stuffed baked potato! They were delicious!!

Stuffed Jalapeños - I have made these several times for guests and they are always a huge hit!

• You need about 20-25 fresh jalapeños, one lbs of sausage, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and one brick of cream cheese
• Slice the jalapeños in half and clean out the seeds
• In a skillet, ground sausage
• Add brick of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to cooked sausage
• Stuff jalapeño halves with sausage mixture
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes
  

Fun-Filled Weekend

Well this was definitely a busy, but fun-filled weekend. Friday night, Brant and I got a pizza from Papa Murphys and stayed at home to watch Thursday's episode of Lost! Can you believe Kate has Aaron? It really makes me concerned about what happens to Claire. Saturday, DBU had a baseball game at 1, so Brant left the house pretty early to go to work on the field, and I cleaned the house. Then my dad called and he was going shopping for new patio furniture and since he knew Brant was working, he asked if I wanted to come along...so I did. Then Mason (my 9 year old nephew) had his last Upwards basketball games at 1 and 2, so we went to cheer him on (Way to Go Spartan for Winning BOTH Games!!!!).

After the games, Kate and I had some girl time. Let me preface this by saying that my sister was at a scrapbooking retreat all weekend, so the "girl-time" was to help Kate pass the time without her mom, and also to help my brother-in-law keep his hair (since he was attempting to "take-on" all 4 kids). So what better place to have girl time than the salon! We went and got our nails painted and had so much fun together.

After I took Kate home, Brant came and picked me up to go to another DBU baseball game. This time, they were playing at University of Texas in Arlington (only 10 minutes from our house) and we decided to go cheer them on. Praise God for Andrew Purttle who brought us back in the top of the 9th to win 4 to 3! Way to go DREW!

Then on Sunday, Brant and I joined our new church...SouthPointe Baptist Church. We feel so blessed that the Lord finally led us to the exact place He wants us to be. We cannot wait to jump-in and start serving. Brant's parents had come into town for the weekend, so they took us out to lunch Sunday afternoon - we went to Abuelos, my favorite Mexican restaurant! They also Aeson with them, Brant's nephew. He is s adorable.

Then we relaxed the rest of day and watched the Oscars last night. Well, I watched some of it, then went to bed at 9:30...Early to bed, early to rise! And that was our fun-filled weekend!!!

Much love,

Ashley

I've been tagged!

Caroline tagged me, so here we go.


The details:List 7 random things that people may not know about you. The rules are to link the person who sent this to you and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog.


1) I love to play the piano. I'm actually not that great at it, but I love it. My mom put me in piano lessons at the age of 4, and I took lessons until I was 17, so you think I would be goo,d but I'm only a little good. However, I absolutely love playing. When I get upset, or I'm angry, this is one of the best ways to calm me down. Becasue of my love of the piano, I can listen to piano music 24/7!


2)I am an actress at heart. In college, I acted with a small theatre and had the best time. I was the Pink Lady "Jan" in the production of Grease...you know, the one who loves the twinkies and wine! To me, acting is a way to become someone you're not and experience the world through someone else's eyes. I haven't done anything lately becasue with a wedding and getting married, I haven't had a ton of time.


3) I love real estate! Through high school and college I was an assistant for a real estate agent and I have had a love for houses and real estate ever since. I love to see the latest architecural techniques builders use. And I, like Caroline, love walking through homes that aren't quite finished yet...and then I think about what I would do to decorate if I lived in that house...and then imagine what my life would be like if I lived in that house...again, an actress at heart.


4) I love books and reading. When I was a little girl, I used to want to be a children's book author. During the summers, I would set up my mom's typewriter in my bedroom (because most people didn't have computers back then) and I would write stories - storeis about some of the craziest things - whatever my little mind came up with. Sometimes, I still think about writing - I made my best grades in school in English lit classes!


5)When I graduated college, I went to live and work in an orphanage in Honduras for 3 months. It was definitely an eye-opening expereince, and a difficult one at that, but I wouldn't take those 3 months back for anything in the world. Becasue of this "chapter" in my life, I truly learned what having the joy of the Lord meant.


6)I have an insane facination with tornados, but I FREAK OUT if I even hear there is a tornado touchdown close to where I live. I just think that tornados are one of the most amazing creations God has ever made, but I am really scared to death of them. Twister is one of my all-time favorite movies.

7) I wish I would have been born in the late 1800's. I would have LOVED to be a "true" southern belle - living in Charleston. I would have had a horse drawn carrriage and the biggest petty coat in town! I'm really a southern belle at heart, ya'll. Three years in a row, I was Scarlett O'Hara for Halloween!

Ok, now I tag,
Amanda,
Janelle
Corey
Krystal
Melissa
Kristy
Vonda

I'm Growing Up

Hey guys, this is Dax. I'm sitting here with mommy at the computer and I just thought I'd let you all know that I am growing. I think it makes my mommy a little sad because she can't even pick me up anymore. Mommy and Daddy took me to the vet yesterday and he said I weighed 44.8 lbs and I'm only 16 weeks old. He also told mommy and daddy that they should stop feeding me so much (I thinks its really mommy who feeds me so much because she spoils me), but other than that, I'm just getting big like I should. Here are some pictures of me now.

Mommy always says I'm so sweet when I sit like this.


I was tired so I took a nap, but mommy says you can see how long I am.

How I met the Love of my Life

My love story with Brant is kind of funny because I honestly had no intention of giving him the time of day. We both went to Dallas Baptist University, but we really didn't know each other during school - just kind of who the other one was. I was a member of First Baptist Church of Irving and content in my own little world: a college graduate, with a job in corporate America, loving my single life with just friends and family.

Brant, on the other hand, was not in church and struggling through some things in life. One night after going to a party, the girl he was dating at time ended up completely drunk on his bed and he on the couch. It was that night that he beggged God to give him a Godly Wife, not someone like her. But the Lord whispered to his heart and he knew that if wanted a Godly wife, then he had to be the Godly man the Lord had created him to be. So the next day, he was in the pew at First Irving.

Brant came to church several Sundays in a row before I really noticed him, but he was actually friends with one of my closest friends, Elizabeth. So every now and then, Elizabeth would invite Brant to lunch with our "group" and he and I would talk every now and then. Well one day while Elizabeth and I were driving down the road, she told me that she thought Brant and I would make a great couple and I told her she was out of her mind. I was lovng being single. A few weeks later, our chruch had a huge picnic and Brant and I ended up sitting next to each other...we hugged when he left and I thought nothing of it, but he did. So the next day (Monday) I got a voice mail from Brant saying that he and I should talk more than just on Sundays, and he told me to call him. So I waited until 9:00 that night, called him back, and we talked for over 2 hours. The next morning, he called and asked if I had plans that night for dinner, which I didn't, so he asked if he could take me to dinner...I said sure. So after a delicious dinner, and over 3 hours of conversation, "we" began.

It was a casual arrangement at first, and we actually got into an arguement a couple month into our dating. When Brant asked me how he could "fix" it, I told him I didn't know and I was very sassy about it. So, he took me by the shoulders, looked me in the eyes and said "Tell me how to fix this, Ashley because I will not lose you. I will marry one, just wait and see." My response, "Boy, you're not going to marry me, I'm going to break your heart." Interesting how things turned out!

After a year and a half of dating, one year ago this very day, Brant presented me with an amazing Valentine's present. He actually told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands. When I felt something in my hands, I heard him say "open" and there was a beautiful new leather-bound Bible with Ashley Williams engraved in it (My maiden name was Wages). He told me to open the Bible to 1st Corinthians 13, and there, tied onto the satin bookmark was a gorgous, princess cut solitare. It was one year ago today that I promised to marry this man and love him unconditionally for the rest of my life. And it has been the best 7 months of marriage!

I've posted a few pictures from the wedding below (all taken by my amazing photgraph Julie Robles). Enjoy, and have a blessed Valentine's Day!

Engagement Day!

Getting Ready

Brant looks a little nervous!


Walking Down the Aisle with my Dad

My best Girls: Me, Audrey, Sister Amanda, Sarah, Jessica, Elizabeth and Rachel

Decorate your house, or Decorate you?

Ok, so I am in need of opinoins from my dear friends!

I have been doing direct sales for only a short time and I love it! I have so much fun becasue it is basically just being the "why" to have a girls-night out! However, the company I do sales for is fun and exciting, but I have recently been offered a new oportunity. So, I thought I would just get some feedback from the women of the blogging world!

If you were invited to a friends house for a party, which would "strike your fancy" more: Jewelry or Home Decor

If you were going to host a party at your home, would you rather have someone selling jewelry collection, or entertainment serving pieces?

Which would you be more likely to re-order: new jewelry, or party foods?

Please help...I need to know what other women out there want: a company that has great, high-quality fashion jewely what continues to change with all the newest trends, or would you rather have a company that is 3 -in-one: Home decor (like Southern Living) Entertainment Food (like Pampered Cheff) and delicious foods (Like Homemade Gourmet). If you want to really take a look, go to these websites: http://www.jewelsbyparklane.com and http://www.swisscolonyoccasions.com. Let me know which type of product you would prefer!

A Pastor's Question

This Sunday, Brant and I visited a new church in Mansfield, South Pointe. The pastor is actually the father of a friend of ours, so we wanted to go and visit - we LOVED IT! As the pastor began his message, I have to admit that I was a little dazed an confussed becaue the church is currently meeting in the cafeteria of a school while their new building is being completed. I guess you could say I felt irreverant. So I said my little silent prayer and just aksed the Lord to help my hear concentrate and pay attention...He of course answered! And not only did He answer, He did a great work on my heart. Bear with me and all of my gibber jabber to see where I'm going.

So Bro. David continues on with the message - he is preaching on the Parable of the Sower - a parable that I know backwards and forwards and have heard a thousand times, but not this way. I saw in a new light, like I had never seen it before and have a compoetely new outlook on this parable. You see, when the sower sows his seed, it lands on four types of soil: the wayside, the rocky, the thorny, and the good. He knows that when he throws the seed out there, it is going to land on bad soil, but he still throws it. If the seed is the Word, we the sower, and the soil nonbelievers, then we should also sow the Seed regardless of where it will land. If there are four types of receivers, the Word says that only 75% will be good receivers, but the Seed must still be sown but the sower still sows his seed amply. This principle was Lesson #1 for me.

Lesson #2 - The sower doesn't bother preparing the soil when he sows it. When the sower throws out his seed, he doesn't go and try to pick up the rocks of the rocky ground, and he doesnt' brush away the thorns of the thorny ground - he just throws the seed. The sower knows that regardless of what the soil is, God will have His way and the Father will prepare the ground - that isn't our job - our job is to sow the Word so that the soil is penetrated! Why do I think that I have the right to decide who hears the Word of God - I don't. The right I do hoave however, is to simple sow the Word whereever I go, to everyone I meet. And yes, maybe only 25% will truely and fully come to know Him, but that is 25% that didn't know Him before.

Now, as I said before, 75% of the seed won't "get" it. And you might ask where I pick up this number: Well if there are 4 kinds of soil making up 100% of the people, and only the good soil "understands and comes to Him" then that leaves the others behind. If you devide these equally, then 75% don't receive, and only 25% do. So here is the perplexing question: Are the other 75% saved? Please allow me to elaborate. The Bible says that the wayside dont' receive the Word, but the Rocky and the Thorny are different. In Matthew, Chapter 13, it says that the rocky and thorny RECEIVE the seed with JOY, but because the roots are small, it chokes and does not produce the fruit.

I believe that to be saved, you receive the Word of God, believe that Jesus is the Son of God who dies for our sins, and ask Him to come into your heart and be the Lord of your life. Works aren't a part of salvation, they are a product of it. I believe ful-heartedly that the Bible and is true and living Word and that Word says that the fruit produced by us will be the testemant to our salvation. So, if the rocky and the thorny soil receive the Word, but don't produce fruit, are they ever saved? And aren't we as Christians often the thorny or the rocky soil? Dont' we receive the Word, but sometimes when the ways of this world fall upon us, and we have lust, and sin, don't we (no matter how long the periods of time are) not produce fruit? Please understand, I'm not AT ALL questioning my salvation, but I am questioning God's meaning here. Does He mean that the rocky and the thorny aren't saved? Or does He deal with them in His own way, like only He can? And are we the rocky and throny soil?

These are the questions that have plagued my mind over the past 24 hours. To see things in a new light has been incredibly refreshing...to be reminded that it is not my job to decide who "gets" to hear the Word of God, but it is my job to sow that Word regardless who it falls on. I am to be a light to a world of darkness.

Please comment and let me know your thoughts - I am very intrested in them. Let me know your thoughts on the salvation of the soils, on the sowing and the sower. Are you perplexed by the question of the pastor?

From the Intriguing Mind,
Ashley

Praise God for Books

This is from Ginger's Blog: From the Cocoon.

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)
"Just Married: What Might Surprise You About the First Few Year."

2. Open the book to page 123.
ok

3. Find the fifth sentence.
Ok

4. Post the next three sentences.
"This honesty in our marriage has rebuilt the trust that my omissions and deception initially tore down. Now I think she knows that when she asks I'll tell her the truth, even when it makes me look bad. One real positive twist to this has been that when she asks me what I'm thinking, i can actually just spit out whatever I'm really thinking."

5. Link back to the person who tagged you.
Ginger

Time for a Change

So my blog and I thought it was time for a change! This blog used to be for "The Williams" but it cuddenly occured to me that there was only one of the Williams using it...ME! I can't honestly even tell you if Brant, the dear hubs, has even looked at it before! So, now, this is my blog - just for me - I even changed the name! If you're a little curious about the name, check out the column on the right and you can see what "Grabbie" is all about.

Well since this is all about me, I thought I would give you a taste of me - a glimpse into the inner workings of my soul. I just turned 26 and I've been married for 6 months. I have four nephews and a neice: Mason, Connor, Ethan, Aeson and Kate! I love them all dearly. Brant and I live in Mansfield, Tx. For those of you who don't live in Texas, or don't know anything about Texas, Mansfield is just south of Dallas/Fort Worth. We love our little town of about 50,000 and we're really close to my family (although I don't think hubs always loves being so close to them...oops!).

Some of my favorite things in life are: shopping, spending time with hubs and being a wife, playing with Dax, kids, boating and tubing on the lake, being outdoors, playing the piano, working puzzles, scrapbooking with my mom and sister, playing with my sister's babies, road trips, sitting by a warm fire on a cold day with a great cook and hot cup of coffee, movies, and of course growing closer to my Lord each and every day.

I grew up in Texas in a loving, Christian home, but I've definitely turned my back on the Lord before. But Praise Him that He loved still and welcomed me back with open arms. He saved me from the pits of dispair and from the curses of the life I once led. He is truly my Redeemer and Savior. My biggest dreams in life are to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother - to serve my family as I serve my Lord. To me, success is measured by joy and happiness by laughter. My ultimate goal is stand before Him and hear "Well done, my good and faithful child."

Much love,
Ashley

Let the Budget Begin!!!

So, as the first day of the first budgeted month, we begin a new chapter in our live...a chapter of saving. At first I was not at all thrilled with this budget, but I knew it had to happen; however, I read an article this morning about a couple who retired at the age of 40!!! How? They lived a frugal life, saved wherever they could, and learned how to exist within their means! This mom and dad are there to cook a hot breakfast for their 3 children every morning and they greet them as soon as they jump off the school bus every afternoon. So the Lord really convicted me of how Brant and I live. We both drive decent vehicles (although I am begging for a new one), have a great 1800 sqft. house, have nice clothes, good food on the table, and we eat out A LOT and I shop A LOT!

Well it's no secret that I hope to either only work part time once we have children, or work from home. If that happens, which I pray it will, our income will be reduced drastically. So, I asked myself this question...If we can't live within our means now, how could we ever do it with a smaller income? So, I began my search into living frugally. And I just thought I would share a few website with you that helped me see small things I can change but that have a huge impact.

http://www.frugalliving.com/
http://frugal.families.com/blog/
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.budget101.com/

Call me crazy, but I am actually looking forward to how much money we can save! Call it a SAVINGS GAME!!!