Fitness activity

For Youngs Womens, with my new Laurels group, the girls decided they wanted to go hike up to a water fall for our fitness lesson. Water falls are so beautiful. No matter how little a water fall you just can't go wrong.

Crazy girls stayed under the fall for 30 seconds!

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Bridal Veil Falls

Checked out the falls in Provo with the fambam today.

It was pretty awesomespice.

Troy, Mikayla, cousin Emma, and cousin Zach

This looks awesomespice!

It's a spiderweb but it looks like broken glass to me.

:)

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Adventures of the Ball Buddies

Meet Eldon (Left) and Cledus (Right). These are my buddies. There are two other balls in this collection but they currently reside in Oregon; Mini Me and Rocky. You know the story of the traveling pants? Well, this is the story of the traveling balls... and it's awesomespice ;)

How is the possible you ask?! It's simple. My best friend Jolie and I started traded our ball friends when we first found Eldon in Fred Myers. Then Rocky was random found on the road, and so on... we seem to have found all our random ball friends randomly! It's great!

So, what we do with the balls is take them where we travel and then sign the ball with the place and year so when we get older we can look back on them and see where we have traveled. Then after a period of time we switch our Ball Buddies.

Anywho, I took this picture on the last night I lived in Oregon. They are looking down my ridiculously step, almost illegal, fall on my butt, drive way.

Here's a better view:

It's a LOT steeper than it looks in this picture.

I'm so glad I won't ever have to drive down that again!

WHOOP! :)

That's it for now. Expect more adventures from the Ball Buddies! :D

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Bluff Forts

On our way back to Utah from Arizona we stopped by to visit my Grandma Betty for a few days. While we were there we went to Bluff and had the chance to visit the forts there.

It was pretty awesome actually.

The Twin Rocks!

Back in the day this is what a church looked like.

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Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is hands down one of the coolest and neatest places I have ever been to! :)

Don'tcha love my sunburn legs? Yeah...it's great :/

Those are people on the bottom rock.

They look like crums compared to the canyon.

Love it!

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Arizona Stroll

I went to Arizona a few weeks ago for a family reunion and to visit my Grandparents who have been out of the country the last year and a half on a mission.

During that time I took a few pictures right as the sun was going down.

Does someone want to make sense of the above photo?

No standing?! Haha, it even tells me when to begin. Great.

I'm in love with this photo.

One of my favorites I've taken.

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Sad Day...

Today, July 8th, is the day the NBA's free agents could officially sign with the team they choose to play with for next season. Phoenix Suns Amare Stoudemire, now a free agent, has decided to sign with the New York Knicks after 8 successful seasons with PHX. This is a huge bummer! I'm sure Amare will do well anywhere he plays, but man, it's going to be weird watching a Suns game and not seeing him on the team anymore. Just like it was strange when Shawn Marion got traded to Miami. The only cool thing I can think of that comes out of him signing with the Knicks is him getting the chance to have Mike D'antoni as coach again!

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Words of Advice

I was talking to my church Bishop about some topics I had questions to relating to the Mormon church, my church. My questions were related to doubt... in a way. I don't doubt my religion is true. In fact, I know I'm a part of the true church! I've prayed about it and felt a calm and peaceful feeling of assurance - I know not all will agree with me. There is a lot of controversy concerning the LDS church. But that doesn't matter. There is controversy with practically everything. Controversy can't prove something wrong, neither can proof always truly prove something to be wrong. The answer I got from my bishop is something I want to share with everyone.

"I must admit, I spend more time searching out ways and reasons to why the church is true and why I need it in my life than trying to prove it is not true and that those that have come before us have been leading us away from truth. I am sure there will always be those who plant seeds of doubt. Its just a matter of what seeds you choose to take care of and ultimately harvest. If you continually water seeds of doubt, they will grow. So will seeds of truth. The important questions is which will you grow? You will never be able to prove something right or wrong to something that is attached to faith and has occurred in the past. It's like trying to prove dinosaurs really roamed our planet at one time... Yes there is evidence, but is that evidence here from our planet or was it brought to our planet when "matter was organized by God" and became the foundation? Stay true to yourself, seek answers through prayer and not people. It's always good to question, just don't get caught in driving yourself crazy trying to get answers to what can ultimately be unanswerable questions."

Find your own message in that. Whether you're Mormon or not, believe in God or don't, his advice can pertain to anyone.

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Think About This...

A friend of mine gave me a fairly large sheet of paper about taxes. It was interesting actually. I think it's only appropriate I share it. If you recieved one of these large papers I'd love to know about it. Just leave a comment :)

The paper reads:

"Think about this the next time you VOTE!!!

This might be funny if it weren't so true. Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table,

At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.

Tax his work,

Tax his pay,

He works for peanuts

Anyway!

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink

Tax him if he

Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries

Tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his "butt"

Tax all he has

Then let him know

That you won't be done

Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;

Then tax him some more,

Tax him till

He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid..

Put these words

Upon his tomb,

Taxes drove me

To my doom...'

When he's gone.

Do not relax,

It's time to apply:

The Inheritance Tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL License Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)

Gross Receipts Tax

hunt Licnese Tax

Incentory Tax

IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Personal Property Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service Charges Tax

Social Security Tax

Road Usage Tax

Sales Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimun Usage Surcharge

Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Water Craft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What the heck happened?! Can you spell 'politicians?' And I still have to 'press 1' for English?!

I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times!! You can help it get there!! GO HEAD -- BE AN AMERICAN!!"

Hmm... with ALL these taxes why on earth are we in debt?!

That is all.

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Meet Ashlee

I'm 18 years old and still trying to define myself. I'm LDS and yes, it's the best thing in my life! I was born in California of '92. Surprised? Seems like everyone I talk to was born in Cali too. It's the cliche birth place ;) Anyway, I'm the oldest of 3 siblings. I would say "and the smartest of the 3" but that's pretty evident since there is a 9 and 13 year difference. Currently, we live in Southern Oregon and have been for about 10 years. Although I grew up here, I still don't feel like its actually hit me that I'm an Oregonian.

I don't have any amazing talents. No, I don't speak 8 different languages and I can't make my body turn into a pretzel, BUT I am a creative little monster. I spend a lot of my time working with PhotoShop, drawing/painting, taking photography, etc... I've been yearbook editor since my sophomore year which is pretty freakin' awesome. Usually you can't become an editor until your junior or senior year. I've proven I'm definitely worth working with. I'm a perfectionist, have a great eye for detail, and I thrive on stress. Yes, stress. It keeps me busy. I don't get bored. :)

I used to be pretty athletic. I played volleyball and basketball in middle school and did swimming over the summer a few times. I quit volleyball and basketball when high school started because all the girls were brats and wouldn't respect me because I wasn't some amazing player like most of the girls thought they were. They took the fun out of the sports for me. And swimming, well, I'm about 99.99% sure that I'm allergic to chlorine, which really sucks. In my dreams I totally want to be the next Michael Phelps! Now, instead of playing sports I watch them. Everyone should know I'm a huge Phoenix Suns fan!! Almost everything I do in someway revolves around them; colors, theme, my name (NASHlee STEVEns = Steve Nash). Yeah, It's kinda weird how much I obsess over the Suns but it's a good obsession, I think. Basketball is the bomb!

After high school I plan on going to Arizona State University. Since I'll be living in Utah for my senior year, I might have to settle for a Utah college instead because of the cost. I would love to study history in college but it seems like it'd be a bit complicated. I'd have to get my PHD and teach classes... not my thing. I figure becoming a graphic desigher should do. I can work from home and do what I love.

Random Facts:
- I have horrible vision. I have both glasses and contacts
- I love sleeping with flat pillows
- I have one ear stuck to my head from ear surgery when I was 5
- I've been a huge Avril Lavigne fan since her first album
- I LOVE Glee!
- I have a celebrity crush on Nicholas Cage. I'm a sucker for facial expressions and he has the best. I know, weird, but whatev
- I have a scar on the back of my head from falling off a swing when I was 12 or 13. Had to get 7 staples :/
- My favorite movie is Xanadu. It's a cheesy musical with the best music, ever!
- If i could, I would eat nothing but mangos and pomegranates all day everyday
- Scary movies are the best. I just wish the scariest lookin' ones weren't R rated
- I think gauge ears are sick, but not in the cool way.
- Cartoons growing up were so much cooler than the ones now
- I collect tiny spoons
- I love the smell of nail polish remover
- I hate soda unless its flat and slightly cold
- Chocolate is gross plain, but I'll still eat it
- Milk is the greatest thing, ever!
- I strongly dislike the Spurs and Lakers!!

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