February: the best of my days

 Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's already March!

February marked my 26th birthday, 

the start of softball season,

and some intentional time spent with people I love

The best of my days were...  

1. Bo-Beau brussels with my family to celebrate my birthday

2. Our first softball practice of the season

3. Birthday brunch at Snooze with my in-laws

4. Celebrating my birthday with the mister

5. Getting to work with the pitchers at practice

6. Booking a spontaneous weekend in SF

7. My first private pitching lesson since college

8. Spontaneous hangout time with my sister

9. Watching Hallmark movies with Papa

10. Being home and relaxed during the evening

11. A great, long, life-giving chat with my co-worker

12. Getting to pitch batting practice (for the first time since I was in high school :))

13. Finally finishing the implant process for my new tooth.

14. A Valentine's Day that looks just like any other day - extra-special

15. Wearing a new dress on a sunny day

16. Scrimmaging

17. Dreaming and planning with Jeremiah

18. A fun and spontaneous day off work

19. A productive night at home

20. Our first game

21. Crafting. For the first time in a long time

22. Getting Lavendar Honey Gelato with my sister

23. Encouraging the girls before our first win

24. A hot date with the mister

25. Goofing off in the batting cages

26. Coaching 1B during our game

27. Spontaneous adventure

28. ZERO commitments after work today

Archive

January: the best of my days

It's insanely simple, but I didn't keep up with this discipline in 2012

and I missed it dearly

So Ashley's Best of my Days is back for 2013.

How does it work?

Just take a minute each morning 

to reflect and thank God for the best part of the previous day.

It's a great way to foster a thankful heart

 and to keep your eyes open to little pennies along the way.

1. Spending quality time with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law while the boys slept in

2. Getting back to Bible Study after the holiday break

3. Coming home to a clean house and getting to talk wedding plans with Lyssie

4. Working from home

5. Day 1 of operation nutrients

6. 24. All. Day. Long.

7. A sweet birthday lunch with my co-worker

8. A meeting-free afternoon at work to be productive

9. Nordies' tomato soup

10. A PRD issue resolved quickly and smoothly at work

11. Talking travel with Jay over lunch

12. Trying a new restaurant with good friends

13. Celebrating my father-in-law

14. Meeting Stacy for coffee and life-giving conversation

15. Daddy-daughter lunch date

16. Not wanting to get up from my morning study time

17. Finally booking the hotels for our UK trip

18. Staying up past my bedtime and meeting new friends

19. Restaurant week date with my best friend

20. Being able to help in the nursery at church

21. Snuggling with Jeremiah

22. An encouraging pep-talk

23. Getting a surprise morning call from Jay on my way to work

24. Chatting softball

25. Watching softball games. All. Day. Long.

26. Family time

27. Seeing the Vegas strip at night

28. Getting to sleep all day

29. Date Night with my cute husband

30. Yummy snacks at Bible Study

31. Jeremiah stopping by my work mid-day for a kiss in between clients

November: the best of my days

I'm well aware of the fact that bloggyville
has been a bit of a ghost town these last couple months.

And while there are countless things
that I'd like to take the time to document and to share,
I have been enjoying how full my days are.

Full of work, full of friends,
full of family, full of adventure,
full of grace and full of joy.

Here are a few highlights:

1. A great workout
2. Catching up on Revenge!
3. Celebrating the McDougals
4. Spending time with Alana + Erin
5. Snuggling by the fire for a quiet morning
6. Crafting with my sister
7. A Pomegranate-Blueberry tea latte
8. A way productive night
9. Even though Girls Night was a bust,
Erin + Lyssie still came over
10. Forgiveness + Honest Communication
11. Feeling proud to work for Qualcomm
12. A no-commitment kind of Saturday
13. Holding sweet little baby Averie
14. Canceled Meetings
15. A great workout
16. A perfectly productive night
17. Seeing Andrew + Amy at Bible Study
18. Celebrating Mr. and Mrs. Pistotti
19. Christmas decorating!!
20. Singing one of my favorite songs
21. Faux-Thanksgiving Dinner with Danny
22. A Head Massage while hearing stories of how good God is
23. Getting off work early to go see Papa
24. Celebrating Thanksgiving with family
25. Walking through downtown Sonora #socute
26. Having lunch with Jacob + Christin in the midst of a long drive home
27. The start of Advent
28. Appetizers for dinner. #nomnom
29. Reconciliation + Encouragement
30. Celebrating Jakey's Birthdayyy

And seriously, does December start tomorrow?
That's nuts.

It's not necessarily the
"oh-my-gosh-Christmas-will-be-here-in-a-flash" stress that gets me,
but more the fact that this year FLEW by.

It's time to celebrate the Christmas season
and start thinking about next years goals.

Archive:
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

October: the best of my days

My goodness, I just can't believe that October is already over.
October was full of absolute fun:
trips to NYC and Hawaii,
visits to the pumpkin patch
and lots of fun with friends and family.

Here are the highlights:

1. Shopping in SoHo with Ma and Lys
2. Seeing Anything Goes on Broadway
3. Snuggling with Jeremiah after being gone for too long
4. Catching up with the Hubs over dinner
5. Getting a bonus at work
6. The sunset from Point Loma
7. Girls beating the boys at Marbles. Shabooya!
8. Watching the sunset with Jeremiah after getting massages with Mom
9. Having lunch with new friends on a lazy Sunday
10. Peppermint shampoo after a good workout with Miah
11. Jeremiah calling another one of my recipes a success
12. Having dinner with Jordanna
13. Revenge. I love it!
14. Getting my new iPhone 4s in the mail
15. Bates Nut Farm with good friends
16. An afternoon walk before family time
17. Hanging out with Mike and Tina
18. Hanging out with the Unfrieds visiting all the way from the East
19. Talking to Daddy about work
20. Jeremiah booking a spontaneous little winter weekend for us
21. Staying up way past my bedtime
22. The warm Hawaiian weather
23. Spending the morning with Desoree and Miss Emma
24. Sea Turtles
25. An around-the-island tour to see waterfalls, volcanoes and the like.
26. Watching the sunrise from the top of Mauna Kea
27. Catching fish and crabs with Emma
28. Date Night with my mister: Beach, Sunset, Shopping, Romantic Dinner and Ice Cream
29. Seaside Couples Massage + Kua Bay + Shaved Ice. Nuff said.
30. Empty seat next to me on the long plane ride
31. Halloweening with our sweet friends @ the Schanaker's party

Here comes Novemburrrrr

Archive:
September
August
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September: the best of my days

September has somewhat surprisingly
marked the start of Fall in San Diego.
Although this month is normally still filled with warm summer nights,
the air has began to crisp,
our crock pot has come out of hiding,
and our home is filled with all things Fall.

I love it.

1. My car door magically opened after being broken for a week
2. Purchasing new yummy fall candles on sale
3. Spending time with our grandparents
4. Date day by the bay
5. Paid Holiday - 'nuff said
6. Pushing through a workout when I felt like giving up
7. Our friend Justin telling me he appreciated the dinner
that I cooked for him while his wife was away
8. A romantic candlelight dinner during the Blackout
(yes, it gets capitalized these days)
9. Crafting with my sister
10. Playing in the annual Qualcomm Softball Tournament
11. Hanging out with my Papa, his sister and her husband
12. Reading in bed after a long day
13. A great workout
14. A head massage after an unplanned Mikovits family dinner
15. Another great workout
16. Holding sweet baby Jacob at the Zion Golf Tournament
17. A quiet and productive morning alone
18. Spending time with family
19. An insanely productive day
20. The smell of pumpkin muffins fresh out of the oven
21. Girls Night In
22. A successful team building event at work
23. Having coffee with Katie and little miss Elle before their big move
24. Working on Christmas cards
25. Watching the football game with the Kookers
26. Getting a handwritten letter from my Grandma
27. 10+ hours of sleep the night before. Amen.
28. The way spontaneous family dinners fall into place
29. A simple garden salad in the grandeur of Times Square
30. The beautiful quaint streets in the Village

And while September was absolutely wonderful,
I think October is going to be just as lovely.

Cheers to the Pumpkin Patch,
Rainy Days, and a Hawaiian Vacation.

Archive:
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

August: the best of my days

August was absolutely full of fun, fun, fun at our house.
We spent a lot of time with friends and family,
and a lot of time soaking in the rest of summer.

These are the days...

1. Delicious Mac N' Cheese Recipe
2. Catching up on Sleep/Rest
3. Mani/Pedi... mmm
4. A Happy Half Birthday text from the Twinner
5. Hanging out with the family
6. Spending time with Kristin on her wedding day
7. Laying in a hammock by the pool
8. A 4-hr triple date after lunch with a good friend
9. Dinner and Dessert with the McGoverns after meeting miss Elle
10. Spending a relaxing night at home
11. The SYTYCD Finale
12. A Double Date BBQ and a game of Marbles with J + C
13. A Triple Date BBQ followed by good conversation
14. Sunshine and a new book
15. Double-dating with Lys + Joe
16. Watching Kristin's Wedding video footage
17. Girls Night In: Movie Night
18. Crafting + Getting Jeremiah a new bike
19. Date Night in Little Italy with the Hubs
20. Playing Cards with the Lowells at my parents' house
21. Good company and good conversation with the Kookers
22. Dinner & Drinks with the Schanakers
23. A good phone conversation with my friend Alyse
24. Chatting with my Sister on the drive down to Burger Lounge
25. A Gorgeous Sunset at Village Pizza
26. A Lazy Day of my Favorite Things
27. Bikes + Beach
28. A Nighttime bike ride on the bay with D + E
29. A Delicious Dinner at Il Fornaio
30. Sunset Frizbee with the Fam at Bayview
31. Getting started on another one of my goals for 2011

September brings many lovelies
like the QC Softball Tournament,
Crafts, Crockpot Recipes, and Fall Candles.
And of course...
a trip to the Big Apple!

Archive:
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

July: the best of my days

I am absolutely shocked that July is over.
Doesn't it feel like summer just started?

This month was full of weeknight dinners with friends,
weekend trips out of town,
and plenty of summer,
but I think my absolute favorite parts
were what felt like Date Nights In with Jeremiah.
We didn't call them dates or anything,
but each one of them felt so special.
They reminded my soul what an absolute privilege it is
to spend every day with my best friend.

1. The sunset from the Padres/Mariners Game at Safeco
2. The view from Gas Works Park
3. Surprise: spending the whole day with my family
4. Spending the sunny holiday with so many friends and family
5. Going for a walk in the warm rain
6. Having dinner with Jordanna
7. A yummy Pizza recipe
8. My entire evening. Priceless.
9. Planning our Hawaii trip with the McDougals
10. Shopping with my sister after church
11. BBQing with the Schanakers
12. Crafting after dinner
13. The head massage I got when I got my roots touched up
14. Seeing my sister and Joey on SYTYCD
15. A late night bonfire on the bay
16. Having zero plans all day with Jeremiah
17. Lyssie's face when she opened her birthday present
18. Jeremiah hanging my new curtains
19. A great night hanging out with Jeremiah
20. Girls Night In!
21. Playing Softball at Lunch
22. Getting off work earlier than expected to skip traffic
23. Celebrating Kristin Marie
24. Coming home to the hubs
25. Another one of those seemingly-date nights with Miah
26. Celebrating Lyssie's Birthday!
27. Catching up with Brie on a long-awaited phone date
28. Getting to sleep in a little bit. #mustgetmoresleep
29. Staying up past my bedtime to walk the Vegas strip
30. Spending the entire day in Vegas with good friends:
pool, shopping, yummy food, and an amazing show all with good company
31. Frozen Hot Chocolate, without the 5 hour plane ride

What am I looking forward to in August?
Spending time with family and friends
Hopefully having some spare time to craft and play in the pool
and spending a few normally-work-days in Coronado.
August has always been one of my favorite months EVER.

Archive:
June
May
April
March
FebruaryJanuary

June: the best of my days

June zoomed by like a race car.
Seriously, we're half way through the year?

Despite the whole June Gloom thing,
we actually got some decent weather this month.
and June = WCWS which makes me a happy girl.

Here are a few of my favorites from this month:

1. Spending the evening with Jeremiah
2. Heath Bell's autograph. Thanks, hubs!
3. Watching the Women's College World Series all night
4. A great conversation with my mom
5. Having lunch in the sunshine with my in-laws
6. ASU vs FLA Game 1
7. ASU vs FLA Game 2
8. Meeting our neighbor, Terri
9. Being silly with Jeremiah
10. Staying up til the wee hours with the McGoverns
11. A long {and much needed} afternoon nap after MarriageCon
12. Surprise Dinner with the Schanakers
13. Yummy appetizers at home with the hubs
14. A super relaxing evening
15. Sleeping with our new fan.
Can't hear the neighbors alarm clock anymore :)
16. Jeremiah joining us at Bible Study
17. Date Night with the hubaroo
18. Picnicing with miss Aubrey before she moves too far away
19. Celebrating Dads <3
20. Spending the evening in Del Mar with my fam bam
21. Planning a surprise
22. Picking up Jeremiah from the airport!
23. Playing softball at lunch
24. Dinner and cards with the Lowells
25. Spending the whole day with the Schankers
26. Wedding Crafts.
27. WFH
28. Sleeping in my own bed
29. Exploring Seaaaaaattle!!
30. Food Tour, for sure.

Archive:
May
April
March
February
January

April: the best of my days

Jeremiah and I talk frequently
about how gosh-darn fast this year is flying by.
We can't believe it's already May!!

What I loved most about this month though
were the quiet moments and the quality time.

We spent a lot of time investing in relationships this month
and it really warmed my heart.

When I look back on my days,
the stand outs tend to be big events or yummy meals,
but the times my deep felt most satisfied,
those are the little moments.
The little moments where you feel your soul take a deep breath
and feel utterly and completely at home.

1. A Quiet night at home. Good weather. No work.
2. Going downtown with the Schanakers
3. Spending time with Jake before he moves
4. Jeremiah telling me he prayed for me when I had a rough morning
5. Feeling known and loved <3
6. Only having to pay $40 for the locksmith instead of $100+
7. Starting a new Bible Study
8. Family Dinner with Papa
9. Crafting, Cuddling, and Conversation with friends
10. Another quiet day with pretty weather and no plans
11. Shaved ice with the Hubs and DanSchan
12. Padres Game with Miah
13. Girls Night In: Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Tasting
14. Girls only night at Bible Study
15. A really good conversation with Miah on our car drive
16. Spending the day in Morro Bay/SLO with the Kruegers
17. Hanging out with our cousins
18. Crafting in bed while watching ABC Family shows. #Heaven
19. A surprisingly wrinkle-free production deployment at work
20. Sweet words from a sweet husband + a daddy/daughter lunch date
21. Communion service on Maundy Thursday with our new church family
22. The Tenebrae service at Zion with my mother and brother in law.
23. Fantastically yummy bread sticks at Dad's 50th Birthday BBQ
24. Getting to celebrate the Risen Lord with both families
25. Stretching out sore muscles as I crafted in bed. #loveMondayNights
26. The Padres Game with Dad for his 50th Birthday
27. Dinner with my dear friend, Erin28. Spending part of the work day outside,
eating lunch and walking to meetings29. Laying on the couch, watching the Royal Wedding, eating Mexican food.30. Helping the Kookers move into their new house.

Here's to an absolutely lovely May.
A May filled with many celebrations:
mothers, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries
and all the little moments in between.
Archive:
March
February
January

March: Best of my Days

This month was all about finding joy in the little things.
There were some exciting events like
Birthdays, Weddings and Business Trips,
but on most other days
it really felt like I had to strain my eyes to see the highlights.

1. Post-work out pains
2. Cute words the hubby muttered as we fell asleep
3. Fondue date for Miah's 27th Birthday
4. Chatting with my sister-in-law and cousin at G&T's rehearsal dinner
5. Gary and Teresa's Wedding
6. A good conversation with my mom over lunch
7. The sites and sounds of San Francisco
8. A romantic mother/daughter dinner on the bay. Nom Nom.
9. Finishing my first CUA class
10. Dinner with V - gosh I miss that girl!
11. Seeing Jeremiah after a week of being gone
12. Dinner and a movie date. [with the Kookers]
13. White Peach balsamic from Coronado
14. Family dinner for my brother-in-law's 20th Birthday
15. Snuggling with Jeremiah before work
16. Lunch outside at the Noodle Company
17. A quiet, romantic and healthy dinner at home after a long day
18. Car ride with Mom and Miah
19. Spending time with our grandparents
20. A fire in the fireplace after church
21. Another quiet dinner at home, no plans
22. Practicing Minute-to-Win-it games with the hubs
23. Girls Game Night. So fun!
24. SDSU Game with Miah
25. Planning Trips
26. Spending time with people we love
27. Cleaning out my closet. Gosh it feels so good.
28. Laying in new sheets, watching ABC family
29. Taco Tuesday at the brig before Miah had to go back to the office
30. Grilling burgers on a sunny day,
with Jeremiah home before 8p and not working the rest of the night.
31. Since I'm posting this before the end of the day, I'd say:
warm enough weather to wear a skirt,drink iced tea in the morning,
and pretend I'm at the opening day games!!
If I posted this later, I'd probably say:
meeting old college friend(s) for dinner on the beach.

Dear April, I know you're going to busy.
We're already booked for half your weekends,
and I have about a gajillion chores to knock out.
Plus, husband is busy at work.
Please be kind to us. Please, please.
Thank God Easter is coming.

Archives:
February
January

February: the best of my days

I can't believe February's over. It F-L-E-W by.But just because there was a shortage of days,
doesn't mean there was a shortage of beautiful moments.

In fact, at the end of each day,
it's often that I struggle to pick out a highlight
not because the day was dull or awful,
but because there were so many things that made my heart feel full.
It's kind of cool. :)

Without further ado...
1. Re-watching season 1 of 24. Gosh I miss that show.
2. Carpooling home with Jeremiah
3. A productive day at work
4. Pancake breakfast to celebrate my birthday. Thanks, hunny.
5. Spending time with my family after a long [satur]day of work
6. The hospitality of a friendly man at church
7. Receiving two unexpected compliments at work
8. Girls night: Card Making
9. A Building K lunch date with Jeremiah
10. A good phone chat with my mom
11. Getting a little extra money back on our tax return
12. Having no plans all day long. Beautiful!
13. Washing each others' feet for Valentine's Day
14. Getting a massage
15. Ruth's Chris with the McDougals. (Thanks, again!)
16. Reading in bed all day long
17. Being invited to a dear friend's home for dinner
18. Ladies lunch at work
19. A completely unscheduled triple dinner-and-a-movie date with friends
20. Meeting new people at church
21. Paid holiday. Enough said.
22. Cuddling with the hubs. My favorite.
23. Catching up with my high school best friend over happy hour
24. Candid conversation on the floor of my craft room with a good friend
25. A challenging and encouraging quiet time
26. Staying up way past my bedtime. Is it weird that I got a rush?
27. Pillow talk with the hubs
28. Dry shampoo. Saved my life today.

From the looks of the calendar,
March is going to be rather full.
I'm looking forward to finding highlights in the little moments.

Archive:
January 2011

January: the best of my days

Ashley Ann of Under the Sycamore Tree is a darling
and uber creative mother of four.
A few weeks ago, she featured a diy notepad
that she put together for some folks at church.

I loved the idea and printed out a year's worth for myself.
I figured I'd share the best of my days at the end of each month.

1. Being productive around the house - great way to start the year off!2. Our anniversary dinner at Peohe's, Coronado. Quality time + delicious food3. My first Flavia drink: Milky Way Latte. What a great Christmas gift that keeps on giving4. Having absolutely zero plans after work5. Finding Kelle Hampton's blog6. Crafting. alone.7. Being upgraded to a suite in Palm Springs with the mister8. A 2 hour long bubble bath9. Snuggling in bed. I love those precious moments10. Shrimp and Crab fondue with the McLeods for Mike's birthday11. Starting on Jeremiah's secret project12. Eating lunch in the sunshine. I could feel the warmth kiss my face. Heaven.13. Driving down the coast to pick up my Disney Dianas!14. Havarti cheese with the Schanakers. What great friends!15. Life-giving conversation with the Kookers16. Prayer time with Jeremiah before bed17. Having a romantic dinner with the mister18. A new blog follower (Thanks, April!) :)19. Dad came running when I locked my keys in the car. #soselfless20. Sore legs after a good run21. A free afternoon at work to do whatever I wanted22. Running at Lake Miramar with Jeremiah. So pretty.23. Sleeping in and the smell of warm scones in the morning24. Jeremiah telling me that I'm doing a good job to support him through the busy season at work25. Dinner with the girls from Bible Study. I miss them!!26. Hanging out with my sister. Nuff said.27. A surprise love note from Jeremiah in Spanish #lovethelatin28. Family dinner29. Spending time with friends and family at our housewarming party30. A lazy Sunday afternoon, complete with 2 romantic movies and 6 episodes of 2431. A raw and authentic prayer time on my way home from work

Happy end-of-January! Can't wait to see what February brings.With my birthday, Valentine's day, and President's day off of work,February is definitely a favorite around these neck-of-the-woods!