Passions

1. BYU Football

I love BYU football games! Seriously, the BYU vs. UCLA game made the $100 All-Sports pass totally worth it. Today BYU played UCLA. Last year we lost to them during the season, but then beat them in the bowl game. The game was amazing! 59-0. UCLA fumbled several times, allowing us to score 3 times in less than 5 minutes. We blocked one of their field goals, and they kicked the ball too high on their second field goal attempt. BYU has the longest winning streak in the college football world right now!

p.s. I was one of Austin Collie's TA's!!

2. My Family

Just for the record, my family is more important to me than BYU Football, but football was just on my mind! I have the best parents a girl could ever ask for. They have supported me in all my goals in life, and they have really pushed be to be all I can be. I can talk to them about anything and they are my best friends. My older brother is one of my heroes and he is hilarious. He is good at everything I'm horrible at. Art, humor, being cool, sports, ect... Everyone in our high school said he and I are like night and day, which is so true, even though we look so similar. I'm so proud of him for his accomplishments and I know he will go far! My little sister is good at everything I'm not good at (art, being cool, sports, cute clothes) and she's good at everything I'm good at, piano, school, ect.. She's amazing and the cutest and I love her! My little brother is the sweetest boy I know. He is full of energy, he loves to build things, and he is probably the next einstein. He'll build rockets or robots when he's older. And I can't forget my niece. She's adorable, and I'm sad I'm 2000 miles away from her because she'll never get to know her Aunt Ashley as much as her other aunts! My family is seriously the greatest, and I can't wait for the future when I have a family of my own.

3.The Outdoors

(It's hard to tell, but this is a picture of me spelunking in a cave this weekend!)

I love camping, hiking, swimming in the ocean, the mountains in the fall, climbing trees, running in the crisp morning air, and looking up the stars. Oh, and I really love thunderstorms. I think the earth is gorgeous, and one of my dreams for the future is to travel to all the places that I think are beautiful, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, and everywhere else I can.

4.Running

I'm eternally indebted to the Taylor girls who got me to run in high school. Running has changed my life. It is so healthy and good for me. When I'm having a bad day, I love to run off the stress and think about my blessings and happy things in life. I also love running buddies. Some of my running partners in college have been Cassandra Perry, Angie Self, Holly Anderson, Blake Tsuhako, Jonathan Drysdale, and Kellie Steinbieggle. Running buddies make each run a little easier, not to mention safer! I can't run as well as I did in high school, and I didn't even run that well then, but running is a passion that I never want to lose because I want to live a healthy lifestyle my whole life.

5. Ice cream

This seems opposite of my previously listed passions, but I had to include this one! Ice cream is my favorite food. Yesterday, my friend Heather and I went to the creamery to get ice cream and a miracle happened! They had a special for a single scooped cone with a free scoop. I ordered and the girls gave me the biggest scoops she possibly could. The ice cream was so high above the cone that she had to get a bowl to put it in. She basically gave me over a pint of ice cream. Heather and I couldn't believe it! It was glorious and disgusting all at the same time...

6. Princess Books and Movies

This is really random. My favorite princess story is Cinderella. This passions started when my best friend Amy gave me the book "Ella Enchanted" for my 12th birthday. I now own about 4 different versions of Cinderella, a version of Sleeping Beauty, a version of Beauty and the Beast, a version of Snow White, and several others. I love the movie Ever After and Beauty and the Beast. One of my all time favorite movies is A Little Princess. My favorite line from that movie is "All girls are princesses, even snotty two-faced ones like you, Lavinia!"

7.My Friends

Not only do I have the best family, I have the best friends. All of them somehow like me despite my ridiculousness and my faults! Two of my best friends are Amy Thurber and Liz Mullins. These girls know me better than anyone and they have always been there for me. I love that Amy lives next door to me, and I hate that Mullins is 2000 miles away! I love my next door neighbor Holly. She is the funnest girl and she always builds me up. My friend Heather was in my Freshman ward, and we weren't that great of friends then, but now we have the greatest times together! Everyday we find something else that we have in common. My old roomies Kellie and Mary are amazing girls. They were so great with going to the Temple with me every week and having girl's nights frequently. Lets see.. My 328 study buddies were awesome. Erin, Chritsy, JJ, Derek, and Andy. I love them all so much. We are like family now because we spent so many hours together in the library studying. They are all going to change the world someday because they are smart and talented and motivated! I love all my past roomies, Jessica, Ash Wads, Mollie, Katie, Coli, Eryn, and Stacie! Stacie and her best friend Paige are the crazy-funnest girls to hang out with! I can't forget Jeff-wey and Spencer. These two guys got me through summer, two summers ago. They are such fun, righteous boys who I'm glad I've gotten to know so well. I love all my old friends like Erin McRae, Becca Shepperd, and Ann Mai who I hardly ever get to see, but who have influenced my life for the better.

8. Music

I'm minoring in music, and it's amazing. My favorite is piano, and I love violin, and I'm learning guitar! I can't sing at all, but I love listening to musicals and Disney music, country music and classical, pop, ect... Music has a way of bringing the Spirit and touching my life. It doesn't even have to be church music. The music in Lord of the Rings, one example, seriously makes me cry! I have a problem with hiding my talents and not sharing music, but I'm getting better! I practice piano and guitar every couple of days in my apartment (My roommate Natalie bought a piano!) and I don't even get nervous about it anymore. All my kids will definitely learn some sort of musical instrument!

9. Politics

Political science is my major, so it's a good thing I'm passionate about politics! This passion started in middle school when I had to do a report on the 2000 Presidential election. It furthered in 11th grade when I went on several field trips, one to D.C., another to Monticello. In 12th grade I saw the movie, "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" and decided that my dream is to be a senator! Now that I've gotten more into my major, am getting ready to do an internship, and getting ready to graduate, I've decided that the most important thing I do with my life is to serve the Lord and to serve others. I think with the education I receive in political science I will be able to do just that. I love America and even though the government isn't perfect, I can always help to improve it! Even if I don't go far as a politician, I can raise children who learn to serve their country.

10.Missionary Work

The Gospel is the greatest of all the passions. The church means everything to me, so I wish I was better at sharing it with others. I love getting in conversations about the church with people on airplanes or with work friends in Virginia. No one ever really listens to me or seems to care, but it makes me so happy to share what I know and love. I really, really want to go on a mission in two years, and I always have wanted to go on a mission. When I worked at the MTC my freshmen year, I saw the missionaries getting on the bus to go to the airport one morning. I started crying because I was so happy for them, and I thought, "I can't wait for my turn someday!" Even if I do not get the opportunity to go on a mission when I'm young, I will definitely go when I'm older, and I will strive to teach others throughout my life.

Now you all know a little more about me and what makes me happy. <3>

Quote of the Day:

"Like the polar star in the heavens, there stands the Redeemer of the world, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our comfort, our strength, the very focus of our faith. In sunshine and in shadow, we look to Him, and he is there to assure and smile upon us."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley