J+A Disc Golf Road Trip!

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It’s crazy to think less than a year ago… I had no idea what disc golf was. Actually the funny thing is, when Justin and I started playing, I kept calling it frisbee golf. But Frisbee is a brand name (kinda like Kleenex) so I think the proper terminology is actually disc golf!

Justin and I started playing on the regular after “competing” in the #JAMOlympics late last July. He was wrapping up baseball and thought it would be something fun to do together. So we brainstormed 3 days of play!

  • The 1st day = Putt Putt in Carmel
    We met up with a couple friends who live up that direction and had a double date night! Drinks + Putt Putt + Crumbl Cookies + Dinner at our new fave Crafters

  • The 2nd day = Duck Pin Bowling downtown
    I won a gift card from my dentist to the new Bottleworks Hotel and Pins right next door — we made a little staycation out of it!

  • The 3rd day = “Frisbee” Golf at Gibbs
    We borrowed a couple discs from a friend at church for our first outing at Gibbs and quickly fell in love!

Let’s just say… soon there after, we had our own discs and bags! It’s so fun to do this together because:
(1) we get outside, (2) it’s good exercise and (3) we spend good, quality time with one another!

Last Fall, I was in Ohio (honestly more than I was in Indiana) getting things ready for an estate sale at my Grandparents. It was nice that when I came back to Indy (or even when Justin came to Ohio), we had something fun to reconnect with! It also gave Justin something fun to do while I was gone. And not just playing either… he’s a big researcher and YouTuber (is that even a word? Lol) — so he learned a lot watching the pro players and the different discs. It honestly set us up for success with all he discovered!

We even took our discs with us on a family vacation to Tybee Island last September. We realized that UDisc (the app we use to keep track of our score), had this really cool map that shows the courses you played. We decided it would be super fun to play in all 50 states and made it a goal! On our way home from that trip, we actually stopped and played at a course in Florida and Tennessee. We were 3 states closer than before we left!

As winter was approaching, Justin talked about how he wanted to escape the cold and go somewhere warm to play. We tossed around several ideas but finally landed on going South! We put all the Christmas money we got together and started selling some baseball cards on eBay to fund our trip.

Fast forward to Thursday, February 2nd and we were HITTING THE ROAD!

*HEAD START — Stayed in Ashland, KY!
After dropping the doodle off at Granny’s in OH (AKA his vacation house), we drove a couple hours to a Hampton Inn in Ashland, KY. It was right along the WV border and meant we only had to drive 2 hours to the course in the morning!

Day 1 — Redeemer Course in Charleston, WV

PLAYED: 18 Holes on YELLOW
(Colors: Blue, White, Yellow)

  • Beautiful, up in the mountains! Literally.

  • Loved the first 8 holes. After that it was majorly uphill (AKA we were scaling the mountain) which was hard to our keep balance cause it so muddy. We def wished we had some trail shoes!

  • Saw a TON of deer! They were super close and probably the first time I saw deer move toward us and not run the other direction.

  • We made a friend! The GOAT Steve. Steve and I talked on the phone earlier in the week and it was nice to meet him in person! His shop had more than 9K discs (that was his goal and he finally reached it this year!)

  • It worked out that we were there the day the 6 claws and Simon’s discs came out! And the Fission Envy. Got first dibs at Noon! (Or a few minutes before ;) )

  • Lost my mini but Steve gave me a new one after I got my new bag! So it was a tradeoff LOL

  • Tried to use my new disc right off the rip going uphill and WOAH buddy. That went left and I almost hit 2 cars LOL.

  • J’s favorite hole: the ISLAND hole (He got a BIRDIE!)
    A’s favorite hole: the bridge hole (She got a BIRDIE!)

Day 2 — Diavolo at New Hope in Cary, NC

PLAYED: 22 holes on RED
(Colors: Blue, White, Red)

  • Holy smokes it was POPPING when we showed up! Almost every parking space in the lot was full. We found a spot and I went across the street to potty while Justin laced up (speaking of, the restrooms were super nice).

  • We had someone behind us and ahead of use most of the we were playing. But it was really cool to see people of all ages playing! From kids that were 2 years old, to teenagers in high school, mid life and older folks! With their pup that mosey’d behind them :)

  • Mainly in the woods! A little chilly but warmed up once started playing. Absolutely gorgeous!

  • Saw a two guys fishing for discs — pulled a Penny out of the pond! We didn't lose any discs!

  • One one of the holes toward the 1/2 way point, I almost stepped on a pair of Oakley’s. They belonged to a guy playing right ahead of us! Felt nice to return them to their owner!

  • We were both FEELING it after 22 holes!

  • J’s favorite hole: Water hole (#8)
    A’s favorite hole: The mountain hole (#10)

Day 3 — Winthrop at Rock Hill, SC

PLAYED: Easy course! Lakefront - 18 holes

  • Absolutely EPIC! Our favorite course we have EVER played so far!!!!

  • Older guy in the parking lot was trying to sell us discs out of his car.

  • We watched the 2022 USDGC the night before and it was so neat to see the holes in real life. That was neat because the holes “came alive” in a sense while we were playing!

  • MANDO hole!!! About died trying to through our discs in it. Got close but not in on first throw! ANTS

  • Baseball team was scrimmaging against themselves!

  • J lost a disc in the water on Hole 16 :( But he did a bean fling on 18 and even though it went in the water, he was able to retrieve! The guys behind us weren’t so lucky lol.

  • Seriously the COOLEST course!!!

  • Also drove to Innova factory after and they had baskets / discs outside. Got 1 for J’s collection and a smiley mini for me. Still shutdown for tours due to COVID :(

  • That night at dinner, we saw a USDGC special on ESPN but couldn’t find on TV after that. Ended up finding it on the Disc Golf Channel when we got back home!

Day 4 — Peach City in Clanton, AL

Played: 18 Holes on “The Peach” WHITE course
Colors: Blue, White

  • Super fun! Easier than others we’ve played recently.

  • J got 3 birdie’s and only 1 bogey.
    A needs to figure out her putting (STRUGGLING)

  • J’s drives are going so far! He’s really getting a good grip on which discs to use. Even threw his Wraith!

  • Perfect way to split up our long 8+ hour drive!

  • Used the claw to get my CRAVE out of the tree… it’s always that one! Lol

  • Had plenty of bathrooms which was really nice.

  • A’s favorite hole: Sunken ship! (#17)
    J’s favorite hole: The one with the shipping container bridge on the side! (#5)

Day 5 — *REST DAY*

  • Played “Glitch” on the Gulf Shores beach. The wind definitely made it a little tough to toss but it was so nice and peaceful!

  • Went to Flight Factory in Pensacola, FL! Awesome store. Crazy to see it in person since we’ve (AKA Justin) has ordered a bunch of discs from them online. We overhead a couple guys talking, saying they saw Paige Pierce at a nearby course earlier that day! How freaking cool!

  • Was gonna try to play at Calvin’s course but it’s in Clearwater… 8 hours way…. LOL

  • Pensacola Univeristy was near there so tried to play but it was SO busy and the course was in the middle of so many things going on (softball practice, soccer practice, kid’s daycare, strength and agility training, people just out and about walking to get some fresh air, etc etc etc) soooooo we played 2 holes and then decided to call it quits for the day!

  • Nice to take a mid-trip break to rest + reset!

Day 6 — Hiller Park in Biloxi, MS

Played: 22 holes on Red Tees
Colors: Red, White, Blue

  • Stopped here on our way to New Orleans for the night!

  • Met a friend who we played with the entire time! He works off shore so that was neat to hear more about his life. He told us we had to try Oooey Gooey bars which we actually found at the Kings Cake shop in NOLA! They were delish!!

  • We were gonna play WHITE but quickly learned those didn’t have tee pads so we shifted to playing RED!

  • Parts of the park felt run down (tennis court was falling apart) but other parts were nice! It was also super soup-y when we went. Lots of rain the night before!

  • Signage made it super easy to see the holes but some you didn’t know the best way to get to them because of the standing water.

  • We actually got a couple Flight Factory can toppers and used them on our AHA’s we got for free at our hotel. When we pulled Justin’s out in the sun after we were done playing, we noticed it CHANGED COLORS. That was crazy cool!

  • J’s favorite hole: Island Hole (#1) or (#6?) a fork in the road! Pick your direction!
    A’s favorite hole: Straight shot toward the end! (#19?) By the shopping container, across the creek!

Day 7 — City Park in New Orleans, LA

Played: 9 holes on Blue (short) baskets!
Let’s be real. This was the night after my birthday on Bourbon Street sooooo we weren’t quite feeling up for 18 holes hahah.

  • It was so WET — the first hole had a hugeeeee pond surrounding the basket so we ended up throwing to another color. It worked!

  • This course was also very FLAT compared to a lot of courses we played on this trip! That was nice!

  • Justin almost BIRDED a shot on Hole 8! It literally hit the chains and fell out. Even the guy playing on Hole 9 stopped us to tell us he thought that was going in!

  • Mando Hole 9 reminded me of Winthrop!!!

  • We stopped “early” AKA didn’t do the entire 18 holes but would LOVE to come back and play again!

  • J’s favorite hole: #9 with the Mando!
    A’s favorite hole: #6 cause I got a birdie with my Luna!!!

Day 8 — Persimmon Ridge in Greenbrier, AR

Played: 9 holes on Chillow short (yellow)! And a partial round (5 holes) on Sanders Loops Blue until it started to rain / get super wet.

  • PR = The Pinnacle!!!! An old golf course that Kim + her husband Steve turned into a Disc Golf course. We watched this Youtube video before we left for our trip that told more about their story / the history of the disc golf course.

  • Hands down, Justin’s FAV course we played ! A really enjoyed it too but Justin is obsessed ;)

  • They had an incredible shop and we met Kim! And her pup!

  • We also were able to rent a GOLF CART! That’s actually how we stumbled upon this place after the place I wanted to play in Branson (that had golf carts) shut down the month before.

  • Luke Humphries has hosted tourney’s here before. I got his patch with him + his pup in the shop! Also got a confetti disc that I can barely throw…. oh gosh it’s so stable LOL. But she’s pretty! J got a pink Toro he’s OBSESSED with!

  • Off the first rip, hit a sign (left from the old golf course) and split it half. Whoops again.

  • Left the freaking KINGS CAKE ON TOP OF THE CAR… what was I thinking?! Oh yeah, I wasn’t. Whoops! Haha

  • Looked into coming back to play in their tournaments! They have primitive camping you can camp + play. Might be fun! J is on their newsletter so we’ll be in the loop of all the deets!

  • J’s favorite hole: The hole back in the woods, throwing up the green on the Blue course! (#3)
    A’s favorite hole: The last hole (#9) on Chillow! Basket up the side hill in the trees!

    We both also loved the OG! (Hole #1) Across the parking lot down to the PR bushes!


When we got back home, we ranked the courses! Here’s where they landed!

ASHLEY:
#1 - Winthrop
#2 - Peach City
#3 - Persimmon
#4 - City Park
#5 - Redeemer
#6 - Diavolo
#7 - Hiller Park

JUSTIN:
#1 - Persimmon
#2 - Winthrop
#3 - Diavolo
#4 - City Park
#5 - Peach City
#6 - Redeemer
#7 - Hiller Park

We seriously had the very best time on this trip! We’re already talking about taking a couple mini trips later this year. Our 2023 goal is to play in 20/50 states! We ended with 12/50 on this trip… so we have 8 more to go!!

Really looking forward to see where the wind takes us next! Although please no wind while we’re playing ;) Hehe

Leaving Behind a Legacy <3

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Today would have been my Grandpa’s 82nd birthday. 

He was born on April 23rd, 1940.
He died on March 12th, 2022. 

One month before his birthday. Just like Grandma. 

There’s one thing we all have in common… 
We are all born into this world.
And sadly, one day, we will all die.

The life we live in between those years? 
That’s the LEGACY we leave behind. 
For generations and generations to come.

Grandpa sure did a lot of living in 81 years. 

Hours before my Grandpa went to Heaven, Mom and I spent the afternoon going through boxes and boxes of old family photographs. It was so neat to see my Grandpa in his younger years. It felt like the stories he told us from “back in the day” come were coming to life right before my eyes!

At his funeral, my Mom and brother came before everyone and said a few words. They shared stories of Grandpa. They talked about the incredible man he was (the WHITE hat cowboy!). The things he did in his life to help others. It made me smile to think about the impact he had on so many people. 

In the weeks I was back home in Ohio before my Grandpa passed, I started a note on my phone. The top half documented each day with Grandpa. The bottom half listed many memories I had of Gpa (and Gma) over the years. I knew I wanted to share those treasured moments, but also knew I couldn’t bring myself to do it right away. Too much happened in such a short amount of time, it was a lot to process.

But today, I thought I would write a little love note…
To honor Grandpa. To celebrate his life. And to document all the special moments we shared together <3

This one is for you, Grandpa. 
Happy Heavenly Birthday!

April 23rd, 2022

Dear Grandpa (and Grandma), 

Thank you for leaving behind a legacy of LOVE. I will forever remember all of the sweet (and sometimes stubborn) but mostly super sweet things you did for us while you were here.

GROWING UP

  • In the early years, we lived many states away from you. But that didn’t stop the two of you from coming down to visit us in Georgia! We would go to the Nature Center at Georgia Southern University and see the bald eagles. Nick could get us there without directions! Grandma had us stylin’ in matching outfits she sewed. Your arms were always wide open for hugs and your trunks were always full of goodies. You sure did spoil us kids!

  • Eventually, we would move back to Ohio. It was such a blessing living closer to you! That first summer back, you turned the upstairs into “our spot” while Mom was on the job hunt. I remember the day of her HCSD interview, we chalked your driveway full of fun drawings + messages for her when she got back home. Mom landed a 2nd Grade teaching job at Lincoln Elementary and we would soon move into our home on 204 N Washington!

  • You knew Mom had her hands full raising 4 kiddos by herself, so you did everything you could to help. I remember the days you would come over and mow the grass. We always had a cold Diet Pepsi waiting for you in the fridge for when you were done!

  • Speaking of houses, we like to call your house “the rents”. Where were we off to?! The rents!

  • Every birthday, you and Grandma brought every kid a gift. It was usually something small (like Beanie Babies…no wonder our collection grew so fast!). But one year (I think on Nick’s birthday) it was a really BIG gift… BIKES for everyone! We rode those things ALL around town!!

  • Nothing was better than the meals we shared around the table — Whether they were “out the road” OR at some of your favorite places to eat!

    • Bonanza (Way back in the day)

    • Skyline (Bring the cheese coney as you took the LAST bite of 5-way!)

    • Fazoli’s (On Saturdays — I always thought it was ‘so far’ away)

    • Cracker Barrel (Fish Fridays OR Double Down for breakfast AND dinner on Sundays)

    • Can’t forgot Golden Corral OR Texas Roadhouse (For birthdays and celebrations!)

  • The year you got me an “I Got an ‘A’ in Shop” shirt for Christmas! Not gonna lie, I was “too cool” to wear it back in the day, but now it’s one of my most prized possessions. Knowing “A” made you proud getting “A” in your favorite subject, carpentry!

  • Remember taking me (and Zack Getz) to Wilson Middle School in the winter when it was too cold to ride our bikes? Such a LIFESAVER!

  • When you built the 4-car garage, and the primer was PINK and people were worried that was the actual color. Hahah!

  • Nick falling off the scaffolding. Ok, so I’m sure this wasn’t the fondest memory! But y’all shared some really special times building together!

  • Going to “the shop” and making toys for the Children’s Hospital every Christmas when we were younger. One year it was various cars. Another year it was the Elephant Rings. One of my favorite years was making the “Cracker Barrell” game!

  • Taking me and Erin to the Miami volleyball games! Picking the player of the game. Watching us sit on the “couch on the court” eating Papa John’s pizza. Catching the mini volleyballs + T-Shirts that were tossed during the games.



THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS

  • It might have been Middle School actually, but I’ll never forget the day I was at your house. We were all lined up on the porch and I realized I was TALLER than you!

  • Y’all never missed any of our extra-curricular activities! You were at evert sporting game, performance, competition, homecoming / prom photos! That meant so much!

  • Do you remember Hurricane Ike? I mean, how could you forget. A massive tree fell down and almost hit your house! But you turned those lemons into lemonade and BUILT A BED out of it!

  • Thank you for helping me get my first car! A white LeSabre Buick with red, velvet interior. What we liked to call “The Tank.” I remember driving it out to your house and you taught me how to check the oil! (Make sure the car has been off for awhile, get a paper towel, pull the stick out, wipe off with the paper towel, then stick back in to see where the lines are at).

  • You and Grandma took a once-in-a-lifetime trip out West! To Medicine Bow! Shortly after you bought your new, red SUV. I loved hearing the stories from this trip! I’m so glad y’all went!!!


IN COLLEGE

  • After I graduated High School, you told me you and Grandma wanted to help out with college. You would deposit $100 into my bank account each month while I was in school. You said “it’s not a lot” but it really was! That meant so much!

  • Anytime I was home from school, you would coordinate when you could fill up our gas tanks. You racked up so many Kroger Fuel Points from not only grocery shopping but also buying gift cards (4x fuel points) at restaurants you and Grandma ate at, that you would have WHOLE DOLLARS OFF off gas. You learned “the system” on how it worked. How you couldn’t hang up the pump or else it would go away. But you could get 50 gallons for the price with the Kroger Fuel Points. So we lined our cars and you would pump away!!

  • Grandpa, your collections of HUNDREDS of piggy banks + cookie jars gave me something super unique to write about in one of my hardest college classes! So thanks for that because I think it was the only paper I got an A on in Ginter’s class that semester. He was so tough!

  • I started Nogatography (my letter art ‘business’) and you helped me immensely with my orders! The issue I ran into was I couldn’t find frames that had the # of openings I needed, so what did you do? Taught me how to make my own! You had a matte cutter in your basement. “Measure twice, cut once,” you would say. Once we finished cutting the mattes (some single, some double), you would make the frame to fit. You even taught me how to price the frames so they covered the materials and time.

  • You were such a blessing to ESA — the service sorority I was apart of. Making (and DONATING) hundreds of paddles for people to buy when I was the Ways ‘N Means fundraising chair. You also made huge letter cutouts that we painted and used for photos! And a couple corn hole sets, too! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!

  • And then you continued to support us… donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (one of ESA’s philanthropies), year after year. Both you and I wish they would stop sending promotional materials to us... that we would rather them keep the money they put toward printing / marketing / mailing. But they really are an incredible cause and I’m so grateful for your support!

  • Can’t forget the great hat debate — you wore hats all the time! One year from Christmas, Erin and I got you hats from the school we went to — Erin @ UC and me @ Ball State. You said you wouldn’t wear them unless they were Miami hats ;) Hahah.. Still can’t believe none of us kids went to Miami! (Where you and Gma went, and Grandma’s Dad started the Marching Band). But at our combined Grad Party, you brought and WORE both of those hats! And HHS for Nick! Taking shifts wearing them. It was the BEST!

THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED

  • When I started working for Qtego, you always asked about my “shows” (events) and if they made a lot of money. When I went to West Virginia for the WVU Children’s Hospital Gala, you told me to tell ‘Huggy Bear’ “Hi!” (You loved your sports! Including basketball).

  • My first couple years out of college, I couldn’t really afford a vacation vacation. But I took several “Staycations” and spent the first half of those at your house! Grandma and I worked on my T-Shirt quilt some. I also spent a couple days helping clean. That’s when I learned the table in your entryway came from Grandma’s parents as a wedding gift.

  • Do you remember the year you gave me a $200 GC to Panera for Christmas and Erin got one that had like $12 and some change on it? Hahahah! You made it “right” and did something extra for her, but I did think that was pretty funny.

  • You and Grandma were such big supporters of my Passion Projects. Especially the year I decided to write my book “365”. It had been many months since I wrote and you taught me a lesson on not giving up (when you asked for your $12 back). I got caught up and finished the year strong!! Writing 365 stories in 365 days!

  • You loved looking back through old yearbooks — showing us pics of you and Grandma and your former teachers! Sharing stories from the good ‘ole days.

  • You passed out Reese’s to the kiddos at Cracker Barrel. Buying them at checkout and then going back into the dining area and passing them out. This melted my heart when I saw you do this… the first time we went to Cracker Barrel since Grandma had passed <3 there was one leftover that day, I knew that one was for her!

  • Telling me about Grandma’s lakehouse in Bemidji, MN! Me going to find it on road trip home from Glacier. Coming home and showing you the maps / photos from my adventure!

  • The last couple years, you bought Diet Coke instead of Diet Pepsi. You said it tasted better. You’ll have to let me know what Uncle Frank said about that! LOL but the days where there would be cases stacked up, we could always get a Diet at your house. You loaded up when they were on sale!

 

WHAT MADE YOU, YOU

  • Your storytelling — one of my favorite stories was you flying an airplane! And your Mom not believing the noise she heard above the house on Bonnaker Ave was YOU in that plane!!

  • Your sayings!

    • “Hay is for horses. Straw is cheaper.”

    • “I’m gonna drive your toes into the ground and clunk you” LOL

  • Your stubbornness. We liked to say “It was your way, or the highway.” If a restaurant or store made you mad, you would stop going for a long, long time. I remember growing up we shunned Pizza Hut. I forget what they did. I imagine you did too LOL.

  • Westerns & Cowboys: The Virginian, Gunsmoke, Oklahoma! John Wayne, Annie Oakley. I remember you telling me you and Grandma had a Day Trip planned to go visit Annie’s grace. Oh and the Pinball machine. Yidee Up, Cowboy!

  • You were always ready to crack a joke! We rarely thought it was funny. LOL Just kidding, we sometimes did ;)

Bed made from Hurricane Ike fallen tree!

  • Your craftsmanship — For all the things! From craft shows, adding onto your house, starting Pen & Ink with Gma (I’m thinking about those name pencils), engraving trophies + plaques, gardening + creating the birdhouse tree, making Adirondack furniture + planter boxes… there’s not enough time in the day to share all the amazing things you made with your two hands over the years! (Oh gosh, and the time you lost a finger or two from the saws!)

  • Every year you made HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of Christmas ORNAMENTS. You gave them to everyone you knew! Friends, family, family’s friends. You inspired me to continue the tradition and I’ve been doing the same for 5+ years now.

  • And we won’t ever forget... to always turn around in the driveway! You’d walk us out to the door. Watch us leave. Turn off the light (if it was night) as we pulled away <3

 

Grandpa, life isn’t the same without you here. I mean, going down Memory Lane makes me wish I could go back in time and relive these days with you. They were some of the sweetest, most special times. I miss your laugh. I miss your stories. I miss you. I’m forever grateful for the time we had together. You taught me how to love well and love often. Thanks for being such an influential man in my life and wonderful role model.

Would ya give Grandma a BIG bear hug for me? 

Lots of Love, 
“A” 

The house from when your parents built it and lived there! Check out that pool :D

The house from when you bought it + made it your own! Check out that 4-car garage and garden! :D :D

2021: Holiday Gift Guides!

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Y’all! I’m so excited to share with you my first ever set of HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES. I’ve been wanting to do this for several years now…but it’s honestly probably best I waited ‘til now because I’ve built up so many ideas over the last couple years!

Almost all items on here are things we especially LOVE. Things we have either bought ourselves, been graciously given and adore OR have given to others!

I’ve always enjoyed looking at other people’s gift guides, to get ideas and spark inspiration. I’m hoping these might just help you, too!

There’s 9 categories:

  1. A Few of my Favorite Things (Ashley’s Faves)

  2. Great Items for Guys (Justin’s Faves)

  3. For the DOG Lover (Manny’s Faves)

  4. For the World TRAVELER

  5. For the Runner

  6. For the KIDDOS

  7. FUN + GAMES

  8. The Greatest GADGETS

  9. For that “Hard to Shop For” Person OR the Ultimate WHITE ELEPHANT Gift!

I plan to make a Vlog to go into more detail on a bunch of items, but wanted to release the links ASAP in case there’s any good Black Friday / Small Business Saturday / Cyber Monday deals.

ENJOY! Happy Shopping!!

And if you find something you like, totally leave a comment and let us know what you’re buying :)

  1. Ridge Wallet

  2. YETI Cooler on Wheels!

  3. DICE Sweatshirt (Craps, anyone?!)

  4. The Lawn Mower 4.0 - Manscaped Trimmer

  5. The entire KEN GRIFFEY collection at Baseballism

  6. Guy Fox Cologne Starter Kit + 1 Big (50ML) Bottle

  7. Sonos Beam Soundbar

  8. MeUndies (Monthly Boxer Subscription) NOTE: They have Women’s Undies, Bralettes and Socks, too!

  9. Sasquatch Soap (Star Wars Collection)

  10. Hat Rack

  1. Light Hound VEST (Matching Human vest linked in “For the Runner” Guide)

  2. The BEST Leash

  3. Gorilla Grip, Absorbant, Chenille DOG DOOR MAT

  4. The FUNNIEST Poop Bags

  5. Pet Pillows

  6. Bully Sticks (Manny’s Fave)

  7. DIY Howlidays Paw Print Ornament Kit

  8. OPERATION: Pet Scan

  9. Where’s _______ ? (Search + Find Book)

  10. Airtight Food Container

  1. Airplane PANDORA Charm (Find the Bracelet in “Ashley’s Faves” Guide)

  2. World Shot Glass Display - Holds 52 shot glasses!

  3. Passport

  4. TSA Pre-Check

  5. “See America” and “America’s National Park” PUZZLE (The box is the CUTEST travel suitcase)

  6. USA Photo Map Frame (A photo per state)

  7. National Parks Annual Pass

  8. Packing Cubes

  9. Reusable Laundry Bag (This is a real game changer!)

  10. Bright, YELLOW, happy LUGGAGE!

  1. Handheld, Insulated WATER Flask (Fits wonderfully in Legging Pockets below)

  2. MACE Pepper Spray (Easily velcro on the Leash found in “For the Dog Lover” Guide)

  3. Tracer2 LIGHT UP Vest (Link to matching Pup Vest found in “For the Dog Lover” Guide)

  4. Puffer Vest (For those cold days!)

  5. The best running LEGGINGS (because POCKETS)

  6. Dr. Teal’s Bubble Bath (They’re all AMAZING but my personal favorite: Shea Butter & Almond Oil)

  7. Clif BLOKS Variety Pack

  8. Copper Fit Socks (The best socks, lots of cushion)

  9. Anti-Chafing Body Glide

  10. BROOKS Running Shoes - Cookies & Cream Color (NOTE: All feet are different but these are one of my feet’s favorite shoes)

  1. BOOK: Betty Confetti (Autographed & Personalized) with MATCHING DOLL

  2. MagnaTiles

  3. THROWBACK: Spirograph

  4. THROWBACK: Rainbow Scratch Paper

  5. KiwiCo Monthly Membership (Kid’s Project - all varying ages)

  6. Kinetic Sand (Ice Cream Treats)

  7. Let’s Explore! Camp Play Stove

  8. Food Face Plate

  9. THROWBACK: Lite Brite

  1. The ONE MILLION Dollar PUZZLE

  2. DIY (Paint Yourself) - Vintage Truck Welcome Sign

  3. PUZZLE: Yard Sale

  4. New Phone, Who Dis (The card game that will keep you laughing!)

  5. The Studio: Masterpieces & Memories (in Hamilton, OH) - Get your Gift Cards to use at their new location in 2022!

  6. RUSH HOUR: Traffic Jam Logic Game

  7. Euchre “What’s Trump?” Blocks

  8. Happy Salmon

  9. Cinema Letter Light Box

  1. RING Doorbell

  2. RING Indoor Cam (Battery Operated)

  3. Keurig Duo Coffee Maker (12 Cup Carafe + Single Cup) - so nice to have both options!

  4. The best Dehumidifier (Even changes colors)

  5. Dyson V8 Cordless Stick Vacuum

  6. Heating Pad (You know you’re getting old when this makes the list…. LOL)

  7. Mavic DJI Mini 2 Drone

  8. BOSE Speaker

  9. Echo Dot “Alexa” (Pairs perfectly with the next item: Hue Lights)

  10. Hue Light Starter Kit (AKA - you can go to bed without having to get up to turn off the lights! I mean, come on)

  11. Ninja (2 Basket) Air Fryer (The double basket = Such a time saver!)

  12. USB-C Hub Adapter (Connect any imaginable device / card reader with this dongle)

  1. “Today is Going to be a Great Day” - Daily CALENDAR

  2. Anker Portable Charger (Seriously, this a great gift anyone could use! And a gift that keeps on giving!)

  3. Color Changing TOILET Night Light (Pair with a Roll of TP! LOL)

  4. YETI (Check out the NEW 26 oz Rambler - includes Straw!)

  5. Smiley Face Spatula :)

  6. Productivity TIMER (15, 20, 30, 60 minutes)

  7. Fridge Storage Organizers (Could totally pair with any of THE HOME EDIT books)

  8. A bottle of the infamous Chick-Fil-A Sauce paired with the “All She Wrote Notes” SAUCY Carfetti Condiment Clip

  9. The perfect Pistachio dish

  10. BOOK: The Mommy Shorts Guide to “Remarkably Average Parenting”

    (Illana totally inspired me with her Gift Guides. If you haven’t had enough shopping here, visit her Blog to check out even more Holiday Guides!)

Wedding Update: 1 YEAR Until the BIG DAY!

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Today is November 7th, 2019 which means there are 365* days until our wedding day!
That’s, right, we are getting married in ONE YEAR on November 7th, 2020. 
*Actually 366 days instead of 365 because not only is 2020 a new decade, it’s also Leap Year! 

If you were to ask me how the wedding planning is going, here’s what I’d tell ya!

WEEKLY WEDDING MEETINGS

Justin and I meet every week to plan our wedding. This was actually Justin’s idea and wanna know something? I absolutely love it. 

FirstWeddingMeeting.jpg

When we first got back from Florida (where he proposed to me), my mind was racing with thoughts and ideas. I was spending every waking moment researching venues, thinking about the what if’s, wondering what he thought. I wanted his input. After all, when you’re getting married, it’s not only all about you. It’s about the BOTH of you. 

But Justin did not want to spend every waking moment talking wedding. And at first, I didn’t understand why not. But me, now I totally get it. It’s a lot! So instead of talking wedding 24/7, we do two things at each wedding meeting:

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  1. Cover a Topic!

    Topics so far: 

    • General Location (IN or OH) and Time of Year (2019 or 2020)

    • Our Top 5’s

    • The Bridal Party

    • Wedding Venues

    • Wedding Dates

    • Guest List and Food + Drink

  2. Answer Each Other’s Questions! 

    If we think of questions during the week, we’ll save them for the meeting! I’ll jot mine down in the Notes section on my phone or the Excel spreadsheet I’ve started with all things wedding related. 

These meeting are great because not only are we super productive for a solid hour or two, but we also bond with one another even more as we plan this special day together. 

EACH OTHER’S TOP 5

I can’t take credit for this idea — I got it from my BFF Alex! She told me she did this exercise with her now husband at the beginning of their wedding planning and it helped tremendously.

And that’s this — Each person gets a sheet of paper to write down their Top 5 things for the wedding. It’s important you do NOT do this together, but rather separately so you each have a voice. Once you’ve both written down your 5 things, share your answers with each other! 

The purpose of this is for later down the road when you’re making all the decisions, you’ll know what your top priorities are to decide what things really matter!

Here’s what we came up with: 

Justin’s Top 5:

1. SWAG

2. Pals 

3. Drinks

4. Good Food

5. No Driving 

Ashley’s Top 5:

1. Photographer

2. Videographer 

3. Grandparents are there

4. Do NOT go into debt 

5. Involve RICE somehow! 

PICKING THE VENUE + DATE

What comes first, the venue or your date?

If you have a date in mind, just know your venues may be limited. In my opinion, your venue kinda picks your date! Depending how far out you are, you may have plenty of dates to choose from, or you have just a few left on their calendar. 

For us, the venue came first! We knew we wanted to do Fall 2020, but decided once we found “THE” venue, we’d look at the dates! And that’s exactly what we did. 

THE VENUE

So how did we land upon The Benison? Great question!

1st — I actually heard about it from my sister and brother the Monday after Justin and I had returned from our engagement weekend in Florida. I was back home to Hamilton to pick up our puppy Manny (he stayed at Justin’s grandparents). While I was in town, my mom offered to have a family dinner at my Grandpa’s house. I said, “Count me in!” Not only would it be good family time, I could also catch up with them and the exciting news in-person! 

At dinner that night, Erin and Alex were asking me if I had any venues in mind. I told them we honestly hadn’t thought about it. We decided not to worry about the planning until we got home from Florida! (Guess what, Ashley? You’re home now! Haha) My siblings told me about a couple new event venues in Hamilton. One of those being The Benison — an old bank building that my brother Alex actually worked at! 

2nd — Y’all. I did so much research. I mean, I was up late every single night for at least two weeks researching venues and thinking “what if this” or “what if that”. Part of my issue (which wasn’t really an issue) but I had no sense where Justin wanted the wedding (IN or OH). I was really all over the place until we finally sat down and talked it through at our first wedding meeting. 


3rd — During all that research, I stumbled upon a Bridal Expo at The Benison! It was two weeks away on a Sunday afternoon — I text my Mom and asked if she would go with me! Two weeks later, her and I drove up to the beautiful building downtown and got a tour of the space. (You could tell I was more so there to check out the venue than I was to attend the bridal show — Hahah). My mom really liked the space, and so did I! I brought the folder of materials + a ton of photos / videos back home so Justin could review it, too. 


4th — Once we decided Ohio was the location, I got more serious about venues + scheduling site visits. Justin and I would he back home (in Hamilton) the 3rd weekend in October (for a wedding actually), and I thought, that would be the perfect time to do a couple venue walkthroughs! On October 19th, that’s just what we did. 

Though I should have thought through that more…I had a feeling Justin might kill me because there were 3 spaces to check out throughout the day, on top of going to a wedding that night. I thought by the end of it, he may be sick of wedding planning. Haha. 

But oh gosh, that wasn’t the “mistake” I made. The “uh oh” was when Justin found out I made 3 site visits on college football Saturday. Hahah — I thought I was toast. Luckily, the timing worked out! We were able to get lunch after the first visit, squeeze in first half of the Gators game right before our 2nd visit, and leave and finish watching the game before the 3rd wedding visit. 


VENUE WALKTHROUGHS:

1. Lodge at Veteran’s Park

2. Houston Woods Conference Center

3. The Benison 

5th — You know that saying, when you know, you know? 

After seeing all three venues in person, we just knew The Benison was the one! One thing Justin really wanted was to make sure of was that I (or really anyone) would not have to worry about much of anything the day of the wedding. And The Benison would ultimately take care of everything for us! They had the help that the lodge didn’t provide, and organization that seemed a little lacking at Houston Woods. I especially love the venue because: (#1) it’s super unique, (#2) it’s right in the heart of downtown Hamilton, (#3) there’s ALL KINDS OF NATURAL LIGHT, (#4) there’s a bridal suite and a man’s cave, (#5) like I said…when you know, you know! 

THE DATE

When we knew the venue, we asked Yvonne for the dates it was available Fall 2020. Then, we went through each date. We wanted Fall for a couple reasons (one I just love this season, but two so we would have enough time to save up). 

The other thing that happens during Fall = Football. So after navigating the open availability with that, birthdays, already planned weddings….there were only a couple Saturday’s left. Mainly early August or November. We went with November and picked the first weekend so it wouldn’t interfere much with the holidays! 

And while I’d love to have the wedding earlier cause I’m that ready to be married to my man, this will give us enough time to save completely. Cause that’s another thing….we are NOT going into debt for this wedding. Every last penny will be CASH FLOWED! 

November 7th, 2020 is the day!!! 

ASKING MY BRIDESMAIDS + MOH

Y’all! I had so much fun coming up with packages for the Bridesmaids and I’ve been dying to share them with you. 

Since I’m the Queen of sending snail mail, I knew I wanted to ask my bridesmaids by mailing them a package. A few Pinterest scrolls and suddenly I had a vision! I would send them a BALLOON and a safety pin! And a note that instructed them to POP the balloon. Once they popped it, a note would be inside asking them “the” question.


Now when I get an idea in my head, I run with it!
I stopped at the Dollar Tree the next day to get: 

  • 6 Boxes

  • 3 Bags of Decorative Shred

  • A Pack of Balloons

  • Safety Pins

  • 6 Frames

  • 8 mini cube containers


When I got home, I started making my boxes! I love a good craft and this was right up my alley. I found a really neat washed paper that my Grandma actually gave me from their old business, Pen and Ink. I used that to write the notes to each Bridesmaid + my Maid of Honor.  The notes read:


I also put rice in the little containers, cause I feel the need to involve rice in everything since that will be my new last name ;) Lol — inside those containers of rice was a note that said, “Get ready to throw the rice…” and then on the back had one of our hashtags (#JAndAWeddingDay) and the date + city!

I shipped the packages out on a Tuesday and by Thursday (the night of our wedding meeting that week), my Bridesmaids started getting their packages! I got YES’s from all of them! It was so fun getting their texts / phone calls / FaceTimes / photos!

The next day, my sister sent me this ADORABLE video of her saying YES to being my MAID OF HONOR
<3 <3 <3 

I’m so lucky so have such amazing women standing up by my side!

Side Note: I asked Justin if he wanted me to ask his peeps ;) Hahah he’s just going to text them! 

OTHER RANDOM THINGS WE’VE DONE SO FAR:

  • I asked my pastors if they would officiate our wedding!

  • We started a guest list because the venue needed to know an estimate # of people. We aren’t having a super HUGE wedding. Justin’s goal was 50-80 people, but after I added my peeps, it looks like it will be closer to 100.

  • Put a budget together. It’s very rough and needs a bit of cleaning up. More to come soon, there.

  • Got a little bit of photography information!

  • Inquired about a wedding cake (and other sweets) from one of my old softball friends growing up, Jesi! She made the cake for Justin’s dad’s wedding and it was tasty. Plus, we love Jesi and how sweet she is <3

  • Updated our Wedding White Board!
    IN or OH? (INDIANA)
    2019 or 2020? (NOVEMBER 7th, 2020)
    Plus our Top 5 so it’s still fresh in our minds!

NEXT UP:

  • Firm up the budget!

  • Decide on wedding colors!

  • Schedule our food tasting!

  • ….and whatever else I discover is important (right now) that I haven’t realized yet! LOL

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!!!!! 

And the planning commence!

<3 <3

Life Update: Covering (ALL. THE. THINGS.)

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Holy smokies — Life has been FLYING by!

SO many BIG exciting things have happened in the last couple months — literally one right after the next. It has honestly been hard to slow down long enough to soak in each event and savor the moment. I’m hoping with this update, I’m able to pause long enough to process much of what’s happened. 

You see, the beginning of the year was incredibly slow and rather difficult for me. A friend reminded me about this recently, because somehow in all of the excitement lately, I had forgotten how lost and motionless I was earlier this year. 

I lost my Grandma back in January. She was the first person I have lost that I was close with, and to make matters worse, her passing happened rather unexpectedly. I really didn’t want to do much of anything after that. I didn’t want to leave the house. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to post on social media. I was in a season of keeping to myself, sleeping when I wasn’t working and watching Netflix on repeat (if you know me, you know how not like me that is — I never watch TV). 

But the one thing I did do during my “down time” was create a Vision Book for 2019. And I’m telling you what, that’s where everything changed. This vision book took me weeks to complete, but it allowed me time to grieve as I filled the pages. I dedicated several pages to my Grandma, and the rest?

They are filled with thousands of magazine clippings that relate to one of twelve goals I set a couple days into the New Year. The goals I created were challenging but realistic (for the most part). I didn’t just put things on the list to put them on there, or because I thought they looked cool, or because I thought they might impress someone else. I did it for me, myself and I. 

You can read more about the entire process here, but to recap, this is what I came up with:

  1. I paid off Pearl! (Bonus: I tackled my FedLoans)

  2. I documented 2019 with 1SE (the “one second everyday” app).

  3. I found #FoodFreedomForever.

  4. I spent more time with Him <3

  5. I earned $10,000 in additional income.

  6. I loved on others <3 like they have loved on me.

  7. I learned my Enneagram #.

  8. I read 12 book.

  9. I did exercise I enjoy.

  10. I learned how to curl my hair. (Bonus: I figured out how to REALLY do my makeup)

  11. I created a bullet journal.

  12. I launched “A Day in the Life”.

You’ll notice each goal is written in past tense. I was once told by the brilliant Rachel Hollis, you are more likely to make a goal happen if you’re in the mindset you’ve already accomplished it. Your brain will figure out a way to actually make it a reality. 

And you know what happened? Life started shifting. 

My body awoken from its winter hibernation and come Spring, I started making movement. One day at a time, I took baby steps, and before I realized it, I was out of the slow season I was in. Hallelujah! 

If my Grandma were to look down from the gates of heaven right now… 

First off, “Hi Grandma!”

But secondly, she would want to hear what I’ve been up to lately. So Grandma, here’s what’s been going on. Pull up a chair because this may take awhile! 

THIS MONTH: NaNoWriMo

I’m currently sitting at Platform 24 on the night of Halloween. Well actually, it’s now November 1st. What am I doing out past midnight?!? (I’m normally in bed by 9PM these days). Well, I am participating in NaNoWriMo this month!  

You see, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write 50,000 words within the 30 days of November. If you do this, you WIN! 

My co-worker, Rachelle, is the ML (municipal liaison) for NaNo. She’s talked about it the past couple years, and this year, I decided I would give it a shot!

While most of the participants work on one project or novel, I’m actually working on several pieces:

  • Replacing some of my 365 chapters with things I’ve learned since I finished the passion project in 2016

  • Writing quite a few blog posts — I have many things I’ve been dying to document!

  • Creating content for two digital courses — (1) Finding Financial Freedom and (2) Finding Food Freedom

This is one of the reasons you’ll see me writing a ton more this month! I’ll also be posting more than my bi-weekly blog posts (‘cause #50K words) 

;) 

PAYING OFF PEARL: No more car payment! 

On October 18th (payday), I made my final car payment! And this Friday, I received the title in the mail. Pearl is all mine! 

My original goal was to have Pearl paid off by the end of the year, but after successfully completing Dave Ramsey’s $1K challenge (LINK) in August, I made a stretch goal: I would have Pearl paid off BEFORE I go to the RISE Business conference in November!

Guess what?!  I will be driving down to Charleston, SC this week with a PAID FOR CAR!

It’s crazy — I’ve been working toward this for SO long now and to see it finally happen…there’s honestly no words! Just pure happiness. (Oh, and I totally did a photoshoot with Pearl to celebrate. I mean, would you expect anything less?) 

NEXT UP: RISE Business Conference

Speaking of RISE, in less than 24 hours, I will be hitting the road to go South! 

I’ve been a Rachel Hollis fan since before she became famous ;) 

Back in the days of RachTalk, the Chic Site and her cookbook launches. Back before Noah and Austin and the extensions in her hair. Back when the Made for More Facebook group was created for the first Last 90 Days. Back when I was on her book launch team for Girl, Wash Your Face, received my first ever “Advanced Readers Copy”, went to her book tour in Chicago, saw her “fail” making the NYT Best Sellers List when the book was released and then see it explode later down the road! 

I also have been following along her conference journey. From her going to Tony Robbins, seeing it spark a fire in her, Dave being scared crap-less what this conference did to his wife, her creating her own conference, it being a total financial flop the first year (not even selling 300 tickets), and then coming back and making the next one bigger and better! To where the third conference that she hosted in Minneapolis (the one I was planning on going to with a couple of my best girlfriends) sold out in 27 minutes. To THOUSANDS of people. 

When she launched the RISE business conference and I saw it had ALL of my favorite people, I just knew THIS WAS THE CONFERENCE I WOULD BE GOING TO! I wasn’t going to get bamboozled like I did with RISE x Minneapolis when it sold out in 27 minutes. Haha!

The night the conference was announced, I emailed my bosses to ask for those dates off. When the tickets went for sale days later, I was one of the first people to purchase! Gosh, this was back in June and here we are…almost six months later…and I’m ready to learn all the things!

You may ask, Ashley, you have a business? And the answer there is no…not yet. Yet being the keyword. I have had an entrepreneural mindset for as long as I can remember. Heck, entrepreneurship was even one of my minors back in college. I absolutely love my current job and have no plans to leave anytime soon. In fact, I think I’ll be to bring a lot of what I learn from the conference and apply it to the position I am in today! But as I was explaining to a friend, I also want to take some time now to see “what else” I can offer the world! I feel a passion deep down to help other with their goals and dreams…which lets me to…

COMING SOON: Digital Courses + Life Coaching 

At the beginning of October, Justin and I finished another round of Whole30. I’ve been on a mission to find my #FoodFreedom since last June. I’ve realized that this is so much more than weight. It’s a lifestyle, not a quick fix. I’ve found many things that I have found helpful over the past year and a half to make me FEEL GOOD with my relationship with food, and while I’m not perfect and never will be, I feel like I have a bunch of knowledge to share with others. 

The other things I’ve learned a ton about lately? Paying off debt! I owe it to Dave Ramsey and the practices he preaches. When I paid off my car a couple weeks ago, I did a little photoshoot. Looking back at those photos, I realized just how proud I am of my financial transformations within the last couple years! I mean, three years ago I had more money in my piggy bank than my bank account. And now, I have a good sense of my finances and working toward becoming financially free! Some people me messages recently, asking what the “secret” is. 

Truth be told? There’s so much I have learned and know, but it’s really hard to give someone ALL THE THINGS in an Instagram message. I did a poll on Instagram and asked if people would be interested in one of two of those topics, and then if they would consider taking a course / life coaching from me. I got good response!

It made me realize what I’ve been thinking about all along: I want to help people set, work toward and achieve their goals. I’ve had people tell me before I should be a life coach, and got a lot of positive feedback. The things is, I have no idea what I’m doing, but what I’ve learned with everything I’ve done in the past is you don’t need all the answers. You just need to begin. 

WEDDING UPDATE: One Year Until the BIG Day!
November 7, 2020 — Justin and I will be getting MARRIED!

Since becoming engaged in August, we’ve made a bit of progress toward our wedding next year. I’ll share all of these details in my next blog post, cause it’s a lot!

But here’s a quick summary of what’s happened:

  • Weekly Wedding Meetings

  • Choosing a Venue

  • Picking a Date

  • Asking the Bridal Party

  • Other Random Things :)


Stay tuned for that! 

TRIBE: All. The. Things.  

I’ve shared a lot lately on the blog about Tribe. The past year and a half has been hands down, the most life changing and life giving experiences I’ve ever felt. You can read more about my recent 5 for 5 talk and baptism moments here!

Two other things that have happened recently:

  1. Women’s Retreat 

    Planned by the one Tribe comedian and lady with a heart of gold, Hilary Grady! What started as an idea to get together to have a sleepover and do each others hair / makeup, turned into an overnight retreat that was amazing in more ways than one. I am forever grateful for bonding with a community of women, growing with Jesus and learning how to “Be Still and Know.” 


    (PS — staying in a hotel that was less than 2 miles away from home, was honestly an awesome feeling. Getting away but being close enough where we didn’t have to travel super far!) 

    Also, staying up until 2AM chatting with friends…it never gets old…no matter how old we get. 


  2. 1 Year Anniversary = Performance of Seasons of Love

    Something I don’t think I mentioned that happened at Tribe’s 1 Year Anniversary was a special performance of the song: Seasons of Love. You see, LOVE is the basis of everything that happens at Tribe. 


    We’ve got shirts that say…“Loved People Love People” (And even dog shirts that say “Loved Puppies Love People”). We end every service by saying…“Love is the Best Thing We Do”. We carry these thoughts and sayings with us through the week. We act with love!


    LOVE. 

    LOVE. 

    LOVE. 


    Love is something that has been on my mind lately, especially with the engagement and all!


    And you know how every year I come up with a new passion project? Well friends, I decided, that the song that was sang that day would be the basis of my 2019-2020 Passion Project! 

SNEAK PEAK: 2020 Passion Project

As I mentioned, seeing the performance of “Seasons of Love” at Tribe’s one year anniversary really resonated with me. I recorded part of the production when they were on stage and went back and watched it later. I immediately downloaded the song. I’ve been playing it on repeat for weeks. 

Since all of my Passion Projects have involved time in some way / shape / form, I had this thought…SEASONS. That’s one I haven’t done yet! I’ve done weeks, days, months, seconds. But seasons! That’s something unique AND I could tie it back to the 2020 wedding!

I have NO other framework for it other than I know I want to love on people, and I’m thinking I start it in December 2019 and go to November 2019 (the month J and I will get married — to wrap up the ‘seasons of love’) . If you’ve got any other ideas, please send my way! I’ll be getting the details down here soon!

That’s All…For Now!

Okay, while I’m sure there’s way more I could talk about, I’m going to wrap it up here! I’ve got a puppy to take on a walk before I pack the car, head into the office and hit the road for Charleston after work! Stopping in Lexington tonight to visit with my Dad and get a head start on my drive down South!

RISE BIZ, here I come!

5K Training + St. Jude Fundraising

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Last month, I set a goal to run a 5K without stopping. It may seem difficult for some, and others may think it’s easy breezy to achieve. But for me? It was the perfect goal. (That’s the thing about goals — they shouldn’t be about anyone else but you!)

I had been hitting the roads almost everyday since the beginning of summer. I started out walking and getting in the habit of moving my body every morning. And now? It was time to take it up a notch. At the beginning of September, I ran for as long as I could without stopping to set my 5K training baseline. I barely made it to 1 mile without stopping. But each day, each week, I kept training. I would get faster and I would go longer.

I remember sitting on the couch a week before the race and thinking, “Ashley, your running is impressive! But girl, your fundraising is lacking…you’ve got to do something more.”

You see, I had been so focused on the training for the 5K that I didn’t focus much on raising money for the cause. The cause? It was for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is a cause near and dear to my heart <3

In college, I was in ESA, a service sorority at Ball State. One of our three philanthropies was St. Jude. We did a lot for the hospital over the years! And then toward the end of my Junior Year of College, I was actually asked to become the Executive Director for Up ‘til Dawn. A new organization on campus that would host a fundraising event, specifically for St. Jude.

That summer before Senior Year began, St. Jude flew me down to Memphis for a leadership conference, to tour the hospital and also do a mock run of the new event. In the past, the event had been a letter writing campaign. But that became boring and outdated. Now, though, it would be a series of challenges where you would get texts throughout the night on where to go and what to do. Essentially, a huge scavenger hunt…which was right up my alley! We raised a record breaking amount that year and far surpassed our letter writing totals out of the water. It was incredible!

So here I was, sitting on my couch, thinking….what could I do?

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For those of you who aren’t aware, my day job is working with a company that helps nonprofits with their fundraising events. One of the features we offer organizations is what we call a Heart Crawler. Essentially, it’s a tool they can use the night of the event to help raise donations. Groups will set a goal (say $10,000) and then as people donate, the heart will fill and the names of the donors will scroll on the right of the screen. Every single time it’s used, it’s incredible seeing how people respond to it. The response? People LOVE to see their name on the big screen.

I thought….that’s what I’m going to do! In my own way! Only for me, the “heart crawler” would be a blank shirt. And as people donate, I would write their name on my shirt! That Sunday after church, I went to the Old Navy in the outlet mall and bought a light pink, purple-ish tank top. I just needed a couple fabric markers, and then I would be good to go!

What happened next is far bigger than anything I could have dreamed….


I started talking about my goal. People started donating. I first set the goal was for $100. Very quickly, that goal was reached. I set a bigger goal. We met that one! And then a bigger goal. And we met that one! Until finally, I knew we could get to $1,000. Justin thought I was crazy dreaming that audaciously, but I KNEW it was feasible.

Together, we raised $1,020 for the kids and families of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! And on that morning of the race, I wore my shirt proudly, knowing that 61 people would be running “with” me as we finished 3.1 miles together (WITHOUT STOPPING) <3

Fundraising 101

If you have a cause you’re raising money for, here’s some tips I have for ya!

  1. Make this Bigger than You — Invite Others to Participate!
    You are only one person and can only do so much. Get others involved! If you never ask, you’ll never know.

  2. Add Your Own Personal Touch
    I tied my fundraising efforts to the 5K I was training for and back to my love for St. Jude / the work I did with this incredible organization while in college. Make sure people know why it’s close to your heart! People want to see you succeed and reach your goals, especially when they see why it’s so close to your heart.

  3. Ask. Ask. Ask.
    I used to think people would be bothered by the fact that I would keep asking, or they thought I was super needy. What I’ve learned though, is every time you ask, you make an impression. Make a final call. And then, make your FINAL final call before time is up!

  4. Keep Your People Involved
    Update them on your progress! Talk to them! Keep them in the loop of where you’re at. It makes it so much more than you!

  5. Set a Goal. Reach it? Set a bigger Goal.
    Don’t stop just because you reach one #. Keep going until you’ve exasperated all of your resources!

  6. THANK your Donors!
    Send them a special message soon after they donate! Give special shoutouts during your fundraising campaign! Thank them after the event! It’s never too late to say ‘Thank You!’”

Tribe Church: 5 for 5 + Baptism

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Back in July, I received this text from Pastor Matt:

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Me?!? Was he really asking me?

I was excited to be thought of for this role — but also a tad nervous! I hadn’t spoken publicly in a longgggg time. Then I thought back to I something Rachel Hollis said that she actually heard from Oprah, “Nerves are a selfish emotion because you're making the experience all about you.” It should be about the AUDIENCE. Not you.

Duh! The answer was laying right there in front of me. After giving it the night to think on, I text Matt back the next morning, “Count me in!”

Later that afternoon, I took an afternoon stroll and started to think about what I would talk about during my five minutes. I had just finished an application for a Christian book publishing company weeks ago — and one of the questions I answered I thought would make the PERFECT outline.

(It’s funny how life works out. I actually withdrew my application — decided to go another route to publish my book — but it’s almost like I “needed” to apply to get my layout for 5-for-5.)

Little Reminder: No work that you do is ever wasted. It will eventually help you in some form or way!

This was Question #19 of the application that I was referring to:

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This is what I came up with for my outline:

How Life Has Changed Over Last Year

  • What brought me in? Branding (Ha!)

  • Tribe Gathering: March 18th, 2018 (Review story from above + Important note: SIGNS)

  • Pastors Matt + Carrie: “Give Tribe 1 Year of Your Life and You’ll See How it’s Changed”

  • Me: “Life seems pretty good right now as it is — we’ll see!”

  • What kept me? The people!

  • Used to travel a lot for work. That changed at the beginning of 2019. Could come to church more regularly on Sunday’s!

  • On January 9th, 2019 — my Grandma passed away. It crushed me.

  • Matt was in the parking lot when I broke down crying (Note: How important the Welcome Team is!)

  • Joined several Life Groups (FPU led by Travis + TribeHer with AMAZING women I call friends)

  • 1 year at Tribe? Matt + Carrie were right. Completely changed me!

  • Now I’m outside, holding the signs I saw at the Interest Gathering, greeting people as they come in the door!

A Thing I’ve Learned About God

  • Little things happen that I can’t begin to explain. But I know I don’t have to, because it’s the man upstairs.

  • It’s all part of a bigger plan. Far greater than anything we could ever imagine. Thank God!

And this, my friends, is that outline put into action:

PS - My best friend Jessie from college and Holly came that morning to surprise me! Thank you, Jess, for recording this. You’ll never know how much it meant to me — driving 45 minutes to be there to support me on this special day!

After service, I came home, speechless. What an incredible morning! All 5 speakers did AMAZING and I was truly moved after hearing from everyone.

During my 5-for-5 talk, I actually went over the 5 minutes (just a tad!) and didn’t completely finished what I wanted to say. And that was this:

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about God over the past year... It’s that things happen everyday we can’t explain. Things that blow our mind. Good things. Bad things. Big things. Small things. I used to think we needed a reason. An explanation. An answer. Or maybe thought, it was a coincidence. 

But what I’ve realized — we don’t need an answer at all. Everything that happens is part of a plan bigger than any of us could imagine. It’s part of His plan. And for that, I look up and say thank you. 

Dear Lord,
Thank you for today. Thank you for the past year. Thank you for bringing me to Tribe. Thank you for this incredible community of friends I call family. Thank you for creating a place I call home. Thank you for moving me in ways I didn’t even know were possible. You are the reason behind all of this and I owe it all to you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Tribe, 
Happy First Birthday!!!! What a year it has been! I am so grateful for Pastors Matt and Carrie. I’m also incredibly thankful for the community of people I’ve met along the way. Y’all are the thing I didn’t know how much I needed in my life. I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by each and every one of you. Not only on Sunday’s, but throughout the weeks and months and now years. 

Here’s to Year #2! I have a good feeling...the best is yet to come. ♥️♥️

Speaking of the best is yet to come, something else that happened that day:

Tribe announced they were planning to do a Baptism Sunday on 9/29/19.

I was sitting next to Hilary — she was the first 5-for-5 speaker that day! Hilary leaned over to me and asked, “Have you been baptized yet?” I told her no (well technically yes, when I was a baby but not as an adult), but I had been thinking about it. She had been, too! She mentioned we should totally do it together.

I saw this as a sign from God. Pushing me in the right direction to take my faith to the next level!

You see, for the longest time, faith has been “fuzzy” to me. It’s not that I didn’t believe in God, but I almost wondered why should I? I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it. The thing I love about Tribe is you feel like you BELONG before you BELIEVE.

And after a year at Tribe, I began to feel something. I could FEEL His presence. I could FEEL Him moving in my life. Things kept happening that I couldn’t explain. My only answer: It’s the man upstairs doing what he does best! I began to BELIEVE.

On Sunday, September 29th, I was baptized.

I made a decision that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior — and I don’t plan on looking back 💛💛💛

MADE NEW — What an incredible feeling. I am so grateful for Pastors Matt + Carrie for launching Tribe. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

And to top it off? After I was baptized, I walked out of church and it started to sprinkle. I’d like to think God opened the gates of heaven for my Grandma to say hello, proud as could be.

How He Asked <3

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THE LOVE OF MY LIFE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!

And of course, I said YES! (After a bunch of XOXO’s)

I still can’t believe it!
We are finally ENGAGED!!!!
Definitely on Cloud 9 over here :)

You see, Justin and I have been together for SEVEN years now! Over the last couple years, we’ve taken several BIG trips. During each of those trips, I thought he MIGHT just ask me “the question” (Vegas, Gainesville, Nashville). But the trips came and went, and no question was asked. We totally had a blast!!! But I decided to stop thinking about when it might happen so I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

It’s funny….you know how the saying goes…
”Sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect it.”

I shall continue 😊

THE “DAY”

My only rule: Please don’t ask me on a holiday!
(So if he listened — I knew Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day and birthdays were out of the question)

I selfishly wanted our “own” special day. And that’s what I got!!!

On August 23rd, 2019 <3

But before I tell you about this day, let me backtrack to our first FL trip together!

2018 TRIP TO FL (Gainesville)

Last year, Justin and I went to our first Gators Game in Gainesville (UF vs. LSU). Justin loves college football and I love a good adventure — so needless to say, we had an amazing time! It was one heck of a game and the Gators won, too!!!!

We found some of our favorite “spots” in Gator-land:

  • FOOD: A burger place called Relish! The best chicken ZINGERS you’ve ever tasted at Miller’s Alehouse. Biscuits for Breakfast at Maple Street Biscuit Company!

  • DRINKS: Swamp Head Brewery was AMAZING. They had awesome beers and had a sweet setup! Miller’s Alehouse also had margarita pitchers that were on point!

  • GEAR: Alumni Hall had ANYTHING you could ever want in terms of Gators Gear! We went a couple times on our trip and bought everything from shirts, a bottle opener, a Loki bracelet, a collar for Manny, a UF YETI-like bottle. All the goods!

And a couple of my favorite “things”:

  • THE ATMOSPHERE: The campus was full of school spirit (and scooters). Hahah. I’ve never seen anything like it! People in the South take both of these things seriously! And I’m allllll here for it!

  • THE TRADITION: Gators’ Walk! Albert and Alberta! CHOMPING! Chanting “It’s Great to Be a Florida Gator”. A blue out (this time). A Tim Tebow appearance! Singing “I Won’t Back Down” with all the Florida fans in the stadium between the 3rd and 4th quarter!

I remember Justin saying we should get season tickets. I told him, “Until we can afford that, let’s instead try to go to one game every year” 😉). And that’s what we were doing this year — the weekend before Labor Day! Going to our annual Gators game!

2019 TRIP TO FL (Orlando)

This game was special because college football season technically hadn’t started yet. It would be the first game to kickoff 150 Years of College Football — the Florida Gators vs. Miami Hurricanes at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.

Since the game wasn't in Gainesville, we needed to come up with a new list of fun things to do in Orlando :) The Tuesday before we left, Justin pulled down his whiteboard from the wall and we mapped out what we planned to do! I was actually in Orlando for work back in May, so I had seen / eaten at a couple places I thought we should check out!

Here’s what we came up with:

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FRIDAY, August 23rd

As you can see, we had an EARLY flight on Friday! Our morning started at 2:30AM when our alarms went off. We caught a Lyft at 4AM to catch our 5:45AM flight. Before you knew it, we were in Florida!


First Thing First: Get the rental car
We got a Versa. It wasn’t the most luxurious car ever. It didn’t have a backup cam. But it got us from Point A to Point B. It also cost less ($19) than the tolls we had to pay ($25) — so I’ll consider that a win. Thank you, Qtego for the Hertz points I’ve accumulated over the years :)

Then: We had some time to kill before we could check into the hotel. Justin had hear about a place called Old Town that looked neat! (But he wouldn’t let me listen to the song “Old Town Road” on the way there hahah) We headed that direction. When we got there, we learned we were there about 45 minutes early. We left to get breakfast at Holler & Dash and went to the Nike Outlet! When we returned, the shops were starting to open. It’s basically a long strip full of “touristy stores”. They also had outdoor rides (but we were there a bit too early for that) Haha.

Next Up: About this time, Justin realized he left his sunglasses at home! It’s tough being in Florida (of all places) without sunglasses. We decided to leave Old Town and go to the Florida Mall to look for a pair.

Justin also wanted to check out the Dick’s Sporting Goods down here to see if they had any FL gear. I also wanted to get some THIN socks because I realized the only socks I brought were thick ones and I didn’t want my feet to be super sweaty all weekend in my tennis shoes. (Funny story, if you’re familiar with Nelk and their shenanigans, this is the Dick’s where one of their pranks was filmed!)

I got my socks! J got a GREAT deal on a pair of Oakley sunglasses at the Sunglass Hut! We split an Auntie Anne’s pretzel! (Well, the bites!) By this time, were getting closer to hotel check-in time. We both desperately needed a NAP. We left the mall, got lunch at Rock & Brews (across the street from the DoubleTree we were staying at) and then it was….NAP TIME!

We took a two-hour nap! Just what we needed to re-fuel before getting ready to go out!

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1st = Played Putt Putt at Pirate’s Cove

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Last time I was in Orlando, I drove by this Putt Putt place and it looked AWESOME. I told Justin we should totally check it out!

Plus, I think the last time we played Putt Putt together was in Gatlinburg about 4 years ago! We were due for some friendly competition ;)

It definitely lived up to its appearance. We played the Blackbeard’s course! It was SO FUN!!! Justin got THREE hole in one’s! I got ONE! He beat me by just a few points. It was super close!

While we were playing, it began getting dark. We noticed The Wheel down the street was starting to light up! What do you know?!?! The colors were the colors of the teams that would be playing the next day! Blue + Orange for the Gators and Orange + Green for Miami. (So! Freaking! Cool!)

2nd = Ate Dinner at The Whiskey

Justin found this BBQ joint with a ton of fine whiskey when we were doing our Orlando research! It was just a couple miles down the street, but in reality, it seemed to take FOREVER to get there with all the traffic / construction. Once we got there, I’m pretty sure we snagged the last parking spot in the lot! It was in a little strip mall which was SUPER PACKED.

It was crazy busy inside, but we found a place to sit. Justin got the tallest burger I’ve ever seen! The onion rings on top made it stack SO HIGH haha. I got a burger with pimento cheese (my favorite to order when I’m down South) plus a Caesar salad. I’m telling you what! I think that Caesar salad wast the most delicious Caesar salad I’ve ever eaten.

The service wasn’t the best. At this point, we’ve either had GOOD food and OK service. Or OK food and GOOD service. Justin told me I needed to pick the next restaurant because he was striking out on getting both at the same time 😂

3rd = Rode The Wheel at ICON Park — AKA WHERE HE PROPOSED!!!

After dinner, we went back up to International Drive to check out ICON Park. This is where The Wheel was! The Wheel is basically a HUGEEEEE Ferris Wheel that you can stand up in! It doesn't have seats, but there’s a ton of standing room for up to 15 people!

We walked up to pay for our tickets — Justin asked the guy about getting our own cabin. The guy working told him he’d save us some $$ and still give us our own because it was super slow. We just had to pay for admission for 2 instead of renting out the entire car!

Then we went through security and into a room to take photos on a green screen. It’s so funny looking back, because in the photos, Justin had the tickets / receipts / cash in his hand. That’s because he had taken his wallet out of his pocket to put the ring box in there! Haha! The photo lady had us take three different photos (one sitting with our hands up, one standing and one looking up). They put together a photo package so after the ride, you could see your pictures!

Before you went up into the sky was a bar! I asked Justin if he wanted a drink for the ride. I got a mango White Claw and he got a Coors Light! We were soon stepping into our own cabin and up we went! Slowly! The entire ride takes 22 minutes.

I remember walking in and thinking, this thing is really big on the inside! If you wanted to sit, there was a little stool in the middle. On each side had a video board where you could scroll through to read about the different attractions you can see from up above. Though at this point, it was dark, so it was hard to make those out.

HOW HE ASKED!

Justin and I were nearing the top and I remember thinking, holy smokes, we are high up here! He had made a couple comments like “I love you lots” in which I replied “I love you too”. I figured once we got to the top we would kiss!

Well ladies and gentlemen! Justin had other plans 😉 I turned around to kiss him, and he got down on one knee and asked to marry me! The next 11 minutes coming down seem like such a blur. I was so excited!!!!! Later Justin told me after he asked, all I wanted to do was give him a hug and a kiss (Haha — sounds about right). He finally got me to a place where he put the ring on my finger. It is absolutely beautiful!!! Literally everything I could have ever wanted and more. The ring was perfect. The “spot” he proposed was perfect. My man is perfect! He did amazing and made it such a special night.

  • When we stepped on The Wheel — we were boyfriend / girlfriend!

  • When we stepped off The Wheel — we were each other’s fiancés!
    Still so crazy to say!!!!!

Once you walk off the ride, you walk into a room that has your photos they took in the beginning of the ride. I immediately told Justin (without even seeing the photos), WE HAVE TO BUY THESE!!!! I never say that with those photos but this was too special to pass up. Justin agreed, but told me I couldn’t post on social media. Hahha. Fine :) Then we asked the lady to take a couple photos of us in front of the backdrop there :)

I also like to collect shot glasses — so before Justin went to pay for the photos we grabbed a couple shot glasses! They had some with different colors on the inside and that’s what we got! One orange and one blue! Just like the golf balls earlier in the night, just like the Gators colors.

Simply PERFECT <3 <3 <3

TIME TO CELEBRATE = Drinks at Bar Louie

We were both EXHAUSTED and thought about just going back to the hotel to crash, but it’s not everyday you get engaged! Near our hotel was Bar Louie. We wanted a place that wouldn’t be super loud and obnoxious. This was a great find! We got celebration drinks and an appetizer — and I stared at my ring THE WHOLE TIME.

This is also when we decided all wedding planning would be saved for when we got home! We were going to ENJOY the weekend :D

Instead of turning to post anything to social media or immediately call or text family / friends, I decided to wait. It was our little secret we held onto for the night <3 Soaking up every minute as our first evening as an ENGAGED couple! Plus! It was like 11PM when it happened, so I figured I would also wait because it was late.

That night before bed, I had two thoughts:

  1. The first day down here has been AMAZING but the BEST PART?!?! The weekend is just beginning!

  2. Wait, do I sleep in my ring?!?!? After a quick Google search, I realized I probably shouldn’t sleep in it all the time. But I decided while we were down in Florida, I would <3 <3 <3 I “held” it like a baby all night long. Felt so amazing! Felt so complete!

SATURDAY, August 24th

The next morning, I woke up before Justin and went downstairs to get coffee. The DoubleTree we stayed at had an AMAZING pool area. I grabbed a coffee for me, and decided to go outside and soak up the sun and take a couple moments to myself. (The introvert in me needed some solo time to recharge). I decided it was a good time to make a couple calls! I called my Mom, my Dad, text my siblings and a few close friends <3

It was a moment I will forever savor. Sitting in the cabana. Sharing the story with my loved ones. Seeing my ring sparkle in the sun by the water!

While I was downstairs, I decided to take advantage of probably one of my last trip’s this year as a Hilton Diamond Member (OMG, GET IT! DIAMOND. HAHA — Ashley sit down). This meant using our Free Breakfast coupons! I asked the hostess if I could get breakfast To Go and she said yes! She handed me two boxes and I went to the buffet to build us a nice little “breakfast in bed”.

J had SportsCenter on when I went back up. They were live at Disney! After breakfast, we both showered and got ready. First stop would be Miller’s Alehouse! It was our favorite place for chicken ZINGERS in Gainesville and we discovered there was one less than a mile away from our hotel. SCORE! They also have awesome pitchers! It was time to Pre-Game!!! Because today was the day!!!! The day of the game!!!!

We ate and drank, and then caught a Lyft to the Dr. Phillips Center in Downtown Orlando. This was the “official” location for the Gators tailgate put on by the school. We got a couple beers (one from a lady that kept calling everyone DUDE — Justin’s pet peeve haha). Walked around a bit! Found a spirit shop!!!! Got our hands on some Jordan hats — including a new bucket hat for Justin! Got a couple ‘free’ “BEAT MIAMI” t-shirts in exchange for a small donation to the University. And then headed to the game!!!!

The game was at Camping World stadium. When we got down there, I really had to pee. I saw some guy that looked like he knew what he was doing and asked him where the closest bathroom was. He pointed me in the direction to the stadium or the porta potties — but the funniest thing was Justin actually followed that guy on Twitter! Hahah! Totally crazy he “knew” the stranger I asked.

Then, we lined up for the Gator Walk so we could see the coaches + team when they arrived. The marching band was also there! Of course while I waited, I took pictures of my ring. If you haven’t been proposed to yet, one day you’ll know ;) And if you have, you know what I mean! I swear all weekend I would just STARE at my hand hahah.

Soon after, we were able to go into the stadium!!! We learned they sold beer inside. SCORE! Justin made friends with the nice, fun old lady at the concession stand. He told her he’d buy her a drink if she wasn’t working but said he’d make sure she’d have enough $$ in tips by the end of the game to by herself one 😉

Then we found our seats! It was one section over from where they were filming the SEC Nation. That was fun to watch — Tim Tebow was down there! My favorite thing about it was they kept bringing these long tubes that looked like dryer ventilations but I’m pretty sure it was cold AC to cool them down for TV!

The game began, and we all stood to our feet! There was a flyover and three people in parachutes that jumped down — one with the football and the other two with flags for each team.

The game was fun! The teams didn’t play very well BUT the Gators pulled out a win! Man it was close!!! Now Justin and I are 2-0 for our FL trips!!!!

So a couple things about Camping World stadium:

  1. It’s kind of near the ghetto

  2. When there’s THAT many people (like 50,000 people) leaving the game at once, your cell phone service won’t work

Which wouldn’t be a big deal if we didn’t need a ride home!!!! OMG we learned our lesson — never take a Lyft / Uber down there because getting one back home will take FOREVER!

You were suppose to go to Jones High School nearby for the Ride Share pickup. But we couldn’t get any service to even request a ride. So we kept walking…but that meant we were getting further and further in the ghetto. Finally we stopped at a Wendy’s, hoping for a ride to come through with what little service we had. No luck. Eventually, I told Justin we needed to walk back to the stadium and get on the Free Shuttle that would take us downtown. Then when we got downtown, we could figure it out. That’s what we did.

I’m pretty sure we made it on the last bus of the night. Traffic was so bad downtown, the bus driver actually pulled over and dropped everyone off a few blocks early. Justin and I started walking toward downtown. We both kept requesting rides on both our phones. It was a waiting game. (Oh, and the surcharges were insane. There were totally too many people needing rides and not enough people to give them). We had gotten to the point where we almost bought a hotel room downtown so we could sleep. We were exhausted and ready for bed!

By the Grace of God, Justin got a ping on his phone! Seriously, we had been waiting for 2+ hours so it was such a relief when we stepped inside the Uber’s car.

But wait! The rock! The Gators #KindnessRock I painted…..we almost forgot to hide it! Justin set it on a large planter and I quickly snapped a picture before we hopped in the car. It wasn’t how I envisioned we would hide the rock, but golly I was happy to be “hiding” it quickly so we could get back “home” to our hotel!

SUNDAY, August 25th

Our last day! Wahhhh! Totally bittersweet.

Justin and I had originally talked about going to the beach on Sunday, but the more we thought about it, the drive there and back didn't seem worth it. I told Justin I could get my water fix by going to the pool! So that morning while he slept in, I got my suit on and went downstairs. It seriously felt like a tropical oasis out there!

Only one couple was there when I got there. I took my ring off, dipped my feet in the pool and then dove in! It was so refreshing and felt so good to wade in the water. I swear, deep down I am a water bug! (Like our doodle, Mister Manny)

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After I got my water fix, I went back up to the room to shower (Ha, more water!) Justin and I discussed what we should do the rest of the day! Our flight wasn’t until later that evening. On our original list was Lake Eola. We read it was a neat place to check out, and I was also intrigued because I had a client that hosted a very large walk there every October!

I did some research and guess what I found?!? Lake Eola also had a Farmer’s Market going on Sundays from Noon-4PM. Seriously PERFECT!!!! Justin made the comment I was in heaven because today would be filled of my two favorite things: Brunch and a Market (LMAO — he’s so right).

We had originally talked about going to get brunch with a mimosa bar at Café Tu Tu Tango, but I decided I didn’t need all that. But what DID sound good was a smoothie! There was a fresh smoothie bar on the way to the lake that looked delicious and had great reviews. We stopped! The guys running the store were so sweet. And the tops of our drinks were so cool, too. Instead of lids, they actually seal them with plastic and a heat press!

Lake Eola was so neat! We parked on one side and then walked halfway around to the market. On the way, we saw a PIG ON A LEASH. Haha. Justin and I got a couple beers to enjoy while we walked around. We tried some hot sauce from a hot sauce truck, bought Manny an embroidered Gators bandana for his collar and checked out all the cute shops.

We were getting hungry — there was a restaurant nearby called Graffiti Junction. It had awesome reviews and I know why! Their food was delicious. Justin and I ordered an appetizer — Buffalo Chicken Bacon Tater Tots. Literally to die for. The chicken pieces were so good! I honestly filled up on this, I couldn’t even make a dent in the salad that came out after.

We definitely needed to burn some calories after that meal! We went back to the lake and walked around the other half to go back to the car. Probably one of the coolest things is they have these swan paddle boats you can rent!!! I totally wanted to do it, but we were super full, hot and exhausted. Maybe next time!

We got back in the car, and had a couple more hours to kill. We decided to go back to ICON Park one last time! There’s a place there called The Sugar Factory. I’ve actually wanted to go to the one in Chicago, but the timing never worked out. We decided to check it out!!!

We ordered one last celebratory drink: a watermelon goblet. They bring a glass of dry ice with the candy inside + a glass of your drink and pour it right in front of your eyes. This was, you can see the smoke come off the dry ice. We also got a cookie dessert! Literally HOLY SWEETNESS. The treats were good, but I’d say my all-time favorite part of the entire experience was when the crew came out and sang birthday songs. Apparently, if it’s your birthday, you can pick from a list and the entire restaurant will sings / dances with you! We saw performances of everything from In My Feelings to the Baby Shark song.

The other thing they have at ICON Park is this GIGANTIC swing set. I really wanted to do it! Justin wanted no part in that though haha. I almost went and did it solo, but unfortunately, we were out of time. It was time to head back home! (Well that is, after I ran back to the Sugar Factory to get the car keys I left behind — whoops — thank goodness they had them).

We caught one last glance of The Wheel before we went bye bye! Such a special place. Such a special weekend. (Babe, I hope you know, Ferris Wheels are totally “our thing” now and I’ll want to ride one from now on, wherever we go on our next adventures!)

And that’s a wrap to our engagement weekend!

Justin and I both agreed that while we LOVED our weekend getaway, nothing beats being back home with our boy, Manny <3

Side Note: Justin did get Manny’s approval of the ring + asking me! ❣️ (It was super cute, when I went to pick up Manny from his Grandparents’ house, he immediately jumped on me and sniffed my hand. He totally knew! How do dogs always know?!?)

Anyways, I’m super stoked for this next chapter!

Let the wedding planning begin!!! I’m sure I’ll update y’all more with that, as it gets underway :) But probably the thing I’m most excited for, is that soon (probably Fall 2020) I’ll finally be able to call Justin my HUSBAND. XOXO

(If you know me, you know I like to document everything so I can vividly remember it later down the road! I took SO MANY PICTURES while we were down in Florida and I WROTE DOWN ALL THE DETAILS because I never want to forget these special moments <3 )