Post 7 - What I would find in your bag

Ashley:
1. Keys
2. Pen
3. Work badge holder that I am not using
4. Lotion
5. Pen drive
6. Change
7. Mail that I need to put stamp on and drop in the mailbox
8. Claritin
9. Excedrin
10. Hand sanitizer
11. Gum
12. Inhaler
13. Vaccination schedule for Connor
14. Sunglasses
15. 3 more things of hand lotion
16. Another pen and a marker
17. Wallet with all of the regular things you put in your wallet: credit/debit cards, pictures, ID, and so on.
18. Work badge
19. Chapstick

Ryan:

Ryan opted out of this one! ha ha.

Post 6 - A picture of you a year ago and a picture of you now. Explain how you've changed.




About a year ago...

   
 Ashley:


Now!



Well, I'll state the obvious. I am about 30 lbs lighter than I was a year ago! ha ha. I was pregnant with Mr. Connor at the time, so therefore I have become a mommy, duh!! I think my views on everything have changed in the past year since becoming a parent. It really isn't something I can explain other than I look at things differently. 

Oh...and my definition of a "good night's sleep" has changed considerably!:)

Ryan:

My outlook on life has definitely changed!  Seems like everything I do now is to try to make a better future for our family, no more living day to day!  Oh, and the 30 lbs that Ashley lost through child birth....I found them over the past year! (Ashley interjects -- no he has not!!!)


Now!



Post 5 - Nicknames you have and why you have them

Ashley:

I have not been called this one for years, but growing up I had the nickname 'Pooh Bear'. I am told it came from my cousin's mother, and I guess it stuck for awhile when I was a baby & toddler!

I sometimes also get Ash, but not very often. Some other nicknames in middle and high school were Schell (maiden name) and Frosty (because I got my hair highlighted).

I guess I don't have a nickname that has stuck for my entire (almost) 26 years!

Ryan:

Britty

Post 4 - Someone you wish to switch lives with for a day and why

Ashley:

This was a hard one for me!! But, after much pondering and asking Ryan for ideas, I've decided that I would want to switch lives with my Pop when he was in his teens/early 20s! I love to hear stories about how things were "back then" and about the prices of things compared to present day. I think it would be neat to see how much things have changed in the past 80 years.

Ryan:

This is easy!  I'd love to switch places with Connor for a day.....so that I could experience what it is like to be carefree and without stress.  Except, of course, when you have to worry about who will change your diaper.  We always wonder what he's thinking and it would be cool to actually know for once.  Maybe the vacuum cleaner really is his arch enemy?? Maybe eating the carpet really does satisfy some taste that he's craving??

Post 3 - Short term goals for this month and why

Ashley:

1. As the weather starts to warm up (hopefully), take Connor outside for more walks and fresh air. We've been spending too much time indoors because of the cold, windy weather.

2. Sign Connor up for swim lessons. He LOVES bath time and I want to get him in the pool before this summer when we take him to Meme's pool.

3. Try to not be so negative at work. This is going to be tough because it is easy to fall into a rut. Being negative is not going to change the circumstances at work, but maybe being positive will make them more tolerable.

4. Make more crockpot meals on the days that I am home so that Ryan doesn't have to cook as much (I hate to cook).

5. Cut back on my ice cream consumption (see prior post) by (not to) one bowl per week. :)

Ryan:

1. Have a safe and fun trip to Vermont with Connor and Ashley!

2. Finish my first MBA Class - this 20 page final paper is going to be killer.

3. Eat healthier.....when work and school create stress I tend to eat more or eat the wrong things.

4. Help Ashley cut back on her ice cream consumption.

Post 2 - A habit you wish you didn't have

Ashley:

This one is easy for me .... my love affair with ice cream! I am in the bad, bad habit of eating a fairly large bowl of ice cream every night right after Connor goes to bed. And, not the low fat kind..oh no... the full fat Turkey Hill brand. YUM! Lucky for me, I am still nursing Connor and I can afford those extra calories, but as soon as I stop nursing, I am going to have to be more careful. For those of you that are confused and don't know what I am talking about, nursing burns an extra 500 calories per day! Woo hoo! Although I don't have to worry about calories right now, I should probably worry about all of the fat that is in that ice cream!

Ryan:

All too often I take a pessimistic viewpoint on situations before I have the chance to evaluate the big picture. I have a tendency to jump to these pessimistic conclusions and stick with them…no matter what others say or do. Luckily, Ashley keeps me on track and always has an optimistic view to counter mine! She’s the yin to my yang! haha

Post 1 - Introducing ourselves...

I thought it would be fun for both of us to write in this post and compare our different viewpoints.

From Ashley's point of view:

I am not really sure where to start...but here it goes..

I have lived in PA my entire life...I was born in Myerstown, spent most of my childhood in Lewistown, went to school in Huntingdon & State College, and have now settled with my family in Hummelstown, PA. Do I like it here?? Most of the time... Other times I feel like we need to experience other places in the world. This is all we know. Don't get me wrong... I like living close to family and having the support, but I still feel a pull to try something new...Maybe some day?

When I think about my childhood, I remember how painfully shy I was (Ryan has brought me out of my shell)!! I grew up dancing... oh, how I loved ballet, and oh, how I miss it now. Cheerleading competitions also took up a big chunk of my life growing up. I also remember the fun memories I shared with my good friends Jenna, Chrissy, Heather, and there were/are many more. I remember how much I just wanted to graduate high school and start my adult life...not realizing how simple and easy things were! I would never go back, but life was easy!

Ryan and I started dating when we were freshmen in high school. I know it sounds silly, especially back then, but I just knew he was the one. If one of my nieces were to tell me that they met "the one" now at the ages they are at (17 and 18), I would chuckle and think they were crazy. But, I really knew that he was the one. He is my best friend, and I would be 100 percent lost without him. We dated throughout high school and college. He proposed to me on my 21st birthday and we were married when we were 23 years old. We just celebrated our 11th Valentine's Day together and our first Valentine's Day as parents.

Connor Thomas entered our world and turned it upside down on 6/27/10 which makes him 8 months old right now. He is the absolute best thing that Ryan and I have ever done. He is such a sweetie pie and he melts our hearts every single day. He absolutely LOVES his daddy and looks just like him.

We want more babies, but we don't know exactly when. I guess we will know when the time is right.

I went to school to become an ultrasound tech and that is how we ended up here in Hummelstown. I work at Hershey Med part-time. Ryan followed and got a job with The Hershey Company as a Supply Planner which means lots and lots of sweet treats for me.

Right now I am enjoying messing around with photography. My only subject has really been my son, Connor. I am loving it and hoping it is something I could possibly make money off of in the future.

Well, I guess that is us in a nutshell!

From Ryan's point of view:

Our small (but growing!) family consists of Ashley, Connor, and Ryan. Connor is our 8 month old son who, at 18.5 lbs, seems to fill up every room he is in with smiles and laughter. He is quite possibly the most curious little boy in the world and now that he is becoming mobile we are surely in for some chasing around the house. Since June of last year Connor has been the center of our world and he’s made every day and everything we do more enjoyable!

Ashley is the calm, cool, and collected mommy who could win mother-of-the-year hands down. She has embraced motherhood with open arms and always sees the best in each new thing that parenting brings. Her devotion to her family makes life much easier for both Daddy and Connor! But, she is more than just a mommy….she is a wife, a daughter, and a friend. Everyone who knows her would tell you that she is someone that they trust and confide in. She’s the best friend anyone could hope for!

Ryan is the logical and practical daddy who keeps everyone on schedule and within budget! He is looking forward to teaching Connor everything that little boys need to know (and maybe some things they shouldn’t, too!).


..Post 2 coming soon!