Show Us Your Life-Favorite Bible Verses

July 9, 2010 By ashleylately 5 Comments

I know, three posts in one day is a lot, but when I saw what Kelly’s topic was today, I couldn’t not participate! Today’s Show Us Your Life topic is favorite bible verses! It’s hard to choose just a few, but here are the ones I love!

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” – Psalm 100

“If I speak with the tongues of me and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

I really could go on all day, but I’ll stop there! Head on over to Kelly’s blog for more!

Favorite Friday-Summer Attire

July 9, 2010 By ashleylately 2 Comments

Today’s Favorite Friday topic is favorite summer attire! Dresses are my favorite in the summer!

Link up at Jen’s blog and tell us what you love to wear in the summer!

Friday Five-Favorite Blogs

July 9, 2010 By ashleylately 4 Comments

Today’s Friday Five is Favorite Blogs. This one was super, super hard to narrow down! I wish that I could list all of the awesome blogs I follow! I passed on blog awards last night, so check out that post for more blogs I love!

First of all, a favorite blog post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Beth! When I started blogging, hers quickly became one of my favorites! She’s great!

Here are my top five!

1. Kelly’s Korner

Oh my goodness, I just can’t even tell you how much I love this blog! She has such wonderful inspirational things to say, and she has managed to stay so positive throughout difficult times in her life. She is absolutelly my favorite “blog celebrity”! I just love her!

2. Bring the Rain

I have spent many hours crying while reading this blog. Angie beautifully documented their journey through baby Audrey’s terminal diagnosis during the pregnancy, losing Audrey, and life after. It is very inspiring how she clung to God and her faith in him throughout her difficult time.

3. Lauren’s blog

Lauren’s blog is one of the first blogs I discovered when I first started reading blogs. Her blog goes through her pregnancy with quadruplets and then losing them at 17 and 22 weeks. Her story is absolutely heartbreaking, but she, too, has mananged to stay strong through an extremely difficult time.

4. Pioneer Woman

Love this girl! She not only makes the most amazing food and takes fantastic pictures, but her stories of life on a ranch are just hilarious! I would love to go spend a few days at her lodge!

5. That’s Why Her Hair is So Big

Oh, I just love Tara! Her blog is also one of the first ones I started reading, and I love it! Her Target Tuesdays and Trainwreck Thursdays are awesome! Love her blog, and love being Twitter buddies too!

Also, she’s doing an awesome giveaway on her blog, but please don’t go enter because I really want to win! :)

Ok, so I can’t do just five! Only one more, I promise!

6. A Girl in Pearls & A Boy with Toys

Jen has got to be the busiest blogger I’ve ever seen! From Tool Tuesdays to Favorite Fridays to Wedding Wednesdays on the Wedding Stories blog to blogging about life, she’s always got something great going on her blog!

If you don’t read any of these awesome ladies’ blogs, you should definitely check them out! Also, link up at Beth’s blog to show us your favorites!

Blogger Awards

July 9, 2010 By ashleylately 9 Comments

I received TWO blog awards from two of my sweet readers this week! I’ve only been blogging for about six months, and I have just enjoyed it so much! I love getting to “meet” new people, and I’m so thankful for the new blogger buddies I’ve made over the last few months!

Lindsay at Lee La La gave me the Sunshine Award! Lindsay and I are new blogger friends, and I just love reading her blog! She is so sweet and has a stinkin’ cute little girl! If you haven’t checked out her blog, you must!!

Stephanie from A Day in the Life of a Grad Student’s Wife gave me the Versatile Blogger award! Stephanie and I are also new blogger friends! Her blog is really cute, and she has just started a new weekly post called Sweets for the Sweet. It’s going to be lots of fun! You should all check it out!

Ok, both awards say that I have to list seven facts about myself, so I’m going to just combine them into one list. I always have trouble making a random list, so we’ll see how it goes!

1. Sonic Dr. Peppers are my weakness.

2. I love dresses, jewelry, and all things girly!

3. I have scoliosis, and I have had two spinal fusion surgeries to halt the progression.

4. I am terrified of tornadoes…kind of a problem since I live in the middle of “Tornado Alley”.

5. I love music, and I love discovering new music. I have even gone to concerts with friends where I didn’t know the artist, just because I enjoy music! Two of my favorite concert discoveries – Raining Jane and No Justice…both bands are awesome!

6. In elementary school, I was on a nationally-ranked jump rope team. We won regional competition in Shreveport, Louisiana, and placed 7th at national in Disneyworld!

7. My blogging is kind of a secret. Less than ten people who know me in the real world know that I blog. I’m not hiding it, but I just haven’t really broadcasted it. Weird!

Now, time to nominate some of you awesome readers for these awesome awards!

I have to nominate seven ladies for the Sunshine Award, so I choose:

Christa at According to Christa
Erin at A Tiger’s Tale
Lindsey at Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Meghan at The Perfect Compilation Tape
Samantha at Sink or Swim
Stephanie at A Day in the Life of a Grad Student’s Wife
Steph at Flip Flop Chic

I have to nominate fifteen new blogs I love for the Versatile Blogger Award, and I choose:

Confessions of a 20 Something
Crazy Little Thing Called Love-my bestie Teddie
From Shopping Bags to Diaper Bags
Lee La La
Life, Love, and Puppy Prints
Live.Love.Laugh
Newlyweds
Our Journey from Iraq to the Altar
Synfully Delicious
Thanks for that Info Aimee
The Fabulous Life of Mommy-my bestie Jessica
The New Black
This is Katie
Traffic Jelly
Words by Katie

Finally, the 4th of July Post

July 8, 2010 By ashleylately 3 Comments

I have been wanting to get this 4th of July post up since Monday, but this week has just been so busy.

I had such an awesome 4th of July weekend. It was crazy busy, but lots of fun. The fun really started Thursday night when I hung out with my adoptive family from church. Their cousins from Japan were in for a visit, and some other church friends came out for fireworks. Because of work on Friday, I ended up having to leave before the fireworks :( . I was such a bad blogger that night because I took ZERO PICTURES!

Saturday morning I headed home to southeast Oklahoma. I ran into HORRIBLE weather and had to pull over three times because it was so bad! I made it home early enough to make part of my sweet little N’s birthday party.

Once again, I didn’t take any pictures. I know, terrible.

After the party, I went with the family out to my grandparents house for dinner. My uncle, aunt, and cousin came in for the evening.

I left before fireworks, but shortly after they got started, there was a huge downpour! They were down around the garden, so they had to run back up to the house!

While my family was getting soaked, Jessica and I took K to see Eclipse!

Jessica had already seen it, but it was my first time. It was soooo much better than the other two. K insisted on sitting between us, and Jess and I can’t see a movie together without talking about it, so we had to text through the movie. We were both VERY happy with the Taylor Lautner scenes! :)

Sunday, I went to morning church, lunch with the family, then evening church, followed by an ice cream dinner at church. There was lots of homemade ice cream and other desserts. I had chocolate and peach ice cream! So, so good! Again, no pics…

After ice cream at church, I went to Jessica’s parents house for their annual 4th of July party. There, I had more ice cream, and this time, it was shredded wheat ice cream! I know, it doesn’t sound good, and it took me YEARS before finally trying it, but it is A-MAZING! While I was with Jessica and family, my parents, the bro, and his best friend Marcel went to my grandparents house to shoot the rest of the fireworks that got interrupted the night before.

A few pics…

K and N with their sparklers

Me and my bestie!

My precious K!
My eyes freaked out and wouldn’t let me put contacts in, so I had to wear glasses. Forgot to take them off for the picture. I just can’t pull off glasses.

Ok, now, let’s talk about the food for a minute. I seem to always notice a change in my clothes when I come back from a trip home. Now, I definitely know why. Aside from all the ice cream, this is what the rest of the weekend looked like.

Saturday evening

Sunday noon

Sneaking chips before dinner when I thought no one was looking! Definitely no skinnies for me if I keep this up! :)

I had Monday off work, so after sleeping in a bit, I just laid around the house until time to make the drive back to OKC. I always look forward to the 4th of July holiday because it means lots of fun and time with my family and friends. I hope all of you had great holiday weekends too!

Two of my awesome blogger buddies gave me blog awards this week! Lindsay and Stephanie are so sweet, and I have really enjoyed reading their blogs. I’m working on a post about that, and I will hopefully have that up sometime tomorrow!

Top 2 Tuesday-Favorite Purchases

July 6, 2010 By ashleylately 4 Comments

Good morning ladies! First of all, I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July weekend. My weekend was insanely crazy, and the holiday recap post will be up sometime this evening. For now, here is my Top 2 Tuesday list-Favorite purchases made this year!

1. My iPhone!

I know, I have blogged about this stinkin’ thing so many times, but it has truly been LIFE-CHANGING! I don’t know why I waited so long to get one, but I’m so glad I finally got one!

2. Gap pants

As I mentioned a few days ago, Gap is the only store that has pants long enough to fit my giraffe legs. I was down to only one pair of pants to wear to work, so I went shopping and found THREE gorgeous pairs of pants like the ones in the picture. I got them in black, khaki, and grey, and I just loooove them!

What are your favorite purchases of the year? Link up at Taylor’s blog to play along!

For Freedom

July 4, 2010 By ashleylately 4 Comments

“Somewhere a trumpet sounds in the night
A soldier is standing there
It’s calling him out to the stars and the stripes
It’s calling him God knows where

He kisses the ones he loves goodbye
and leaves in the dead of night
For freedom he’ll heed the call
Leave all he knows
And for freedom he’ll stand and fight

And somewhere a man and wife
can’t believe they’re waving their girl goodbye
For gone are the days of pigtails and curls and candlelit lullabies
If they had their way she’d stay young forever
and never be far from home
But freedom has drawn her heart to danger shores
And for freedom they’ll let her go

And somewhere a thunderous crash in the night
It echoes all through the hills
Though many escape it’s wrath and it’s rage
A soldier lies wounded still
Remembering the land he loves, he cries
I’ve loved you with all my might
For freedom said I’m her son whatever comes
And for freedom I’ll say goodbye

And somewhere beneath the stars and the sky
Our flag is still standing there
She bled and she brought one land under God
Her colors still lead us there
She’s carried the lives of those before us
She’s buried the bold and brave
For freedom she holds our hopes and and hands up high
And for freedom she’ll ever wave”

“For Freedom”-Avalon

Favorite Friday Five

July 2, 2010 By ashleylately 3 Comments

Today’s Favorite Friday and Friday Five are both about 4th of July activities, so I decided to combine them into one post!

I have 4th of July traditions that I have done every year for…ever! My holiday weekend plans are brought to you by the letter ‘F’!

Family

Friends

Last year’s 4th of July picture
Jessica’s church has a big firework
display, and we go together every
year!

Food

Jessica’s mom and Gran make homemade ice cream!

Fireworks

At my grandparents house

Jessica’s church

And this year’s addition…

Fangs

We will also be celebrating this little cutie’s birthday this weekend!

What are your 4th of July plans? Head on over to Jen and Beth’s blogs for more!

A Day of Blog Silence

July 1, 2010 By ashleylately Leave a Comment

Wishful Wednesday!

June 30, 2010 By ashleylately 10 Comments

Today’s Wishful Wednesday is…

‘I wish’…I had Gap as my personal closet

and could shop from it daily.

I have always loved Gap’s clothes, and they have some really cute stuff for the summer! Plus, they are the only store I’ve found that actually has jeans long enough for my giraffe legs. Here are just a few things I’m lovin’ from Gap right now!