Glacier Blue

We have gone "glacier climbing" while geocaching the past few days. This is when we have to use our Glacier Blue Honda CRV as a way to get high enough to find the cache. What Honda you ask? This one -
One of the many changes over the past few weeks was the process of selling our 2 vehicles in order to get 1 reliable car for Alaska. The car and the van had 115,000 each and were over 8 years old and we didn't feel like taking them to Alaska for Murphy's Law to take into effect when Jon gets deployed next spring. So we got a Glacier Blue all wheel drive Honda CRV as our only car right now. So far the week that we have been a one car family hasn't been so bad. This weekend we moved into our friend's Adam and Lisa Sealey's guest bedroom. We will see how being a one car family works living farther from where we both work. We might break down and use Adam's truck that he has offered if we are unable to manage and get along.
(SIDENOTE) The Sealey's have been some of our best friends in Waco these past 4 years we have been in lifegroup together. I have managed to break a few things at their house - I seem to become more clutzy at their house than anyother time. So far I have managed to only explode ketchup all over the kitchen and Adam. Even knowing that they are letting us live with them for a month - my goal is to leave not having broken anything (or at least repairable).
Back to Glacier Climbing - Adam has gone with Jon and I on our caching this weekend all over Waco. We have a goal of finding more than 100 before we leave Waco as of tonight we have 46 under our belts with 19 coming in the past 2 days. The caches can be anywhere not just in Waco. This is just a fun goal we set for ourselves and will do all in our power to reach it!!!
(for your viewing enjoyement):
Ashley under a bridge and Jon in the woods finding caches.

Pictures from our Camping in AK

Starting out - 4 happy campers prepared to hike through mountains and rivers.

Our first water crossing to take off our boots and test out the water shoes. Still fun at this point. I ate some moldy beef jerky - who knew the stuff could mold? Especially since we just bought it - way to go Jon - but maybe it was penicillin I needed to keep me going???

Yep - this was our source of clean fresh water for the weekend! Yummy - don't worry we only got water from the faster moving areas where dead fish were not just laying around.

4 happy campers again!! Showered, done hiking and on our way to On the Border for chips and salsa.

While this was really the misadventures of the Miller's and McPherson's I really wouldn't trade it for anything. It was rough and bad but the memories are worth it!!! It is nice to have friends that don't hate you after you talking them into a "sermon illustration" weekend. That is what I like to call bad/rough things from know on b/c I am sure Jon will be able to use it in a sermon somewhere!!

Off to make some more "sermon illustrations" tomorrow as the military packers come and take away all our things.

Baylor and Geocaching

What does Baylor have to do with geocaching you ask? - A lot - like 9 logs in one night!! There are a ton of caches around the campus and we went and found a few on Monday.

We have challenged Thomas Roten and Katilin McPherson (soon to be Roten) to a geocache WAR!!! The first to geocache in 50 states will be getting a nice (to be decided) prize.

Well we also decided to have a few mini-wars with them also like most geocaches, most over-seas, etc. so that we can each win in at least one category!!

This past weekend we all got Texas and Oklahoma together so the Roten's are winning since they also have gotten a few in Virgina but NOT FOR LONG!!! We go to D.C. to visit family next weekend and if I have my way we will get some more East Coast Caches under our belts.

Geocaching is a nice way to find random hot spots in towns you visit - they try and hide them in places that people should visit - we have seen some fun places since we started and I can't wait to start in Alaska. It is amazing to think these were hidden all over campus while I was at school and didnt' even know about them.

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday - Jon and I are going to Chipotle's tonight b/c in Waco it is a sneak peak and they are giving away 3,000 burriots today!!! Who can pass up a burrito with 1,200 calories for FREE????

Our Last Houseguests at 620 N 30th

Kaitlin and Thomas have come to visit and will be the last house guests we have while living at 620 N 30th. Kaitlin is Jon's little sister and Thomas is her fiance - they arrived last night. Today while Ashley gets to slave away at work they are geocaching around Waco with Jon.

Luckily they were able to take a break from their busy schedule of goecaching to meet up at D's Mediterranean Grill for some Falaful and gyros- yum!! Tomorrow we head to Oklahoma for a fun trip to Grandma's!! Jon's big sister is there on vacation so we thought we would all drive up. His cousins and aunt and uncle are coming down so it will be a very full house!! I am just afraid of how much food there will be to eat - his grandma is like most who prepare enough food for a small Army when her grand kids come into town!

Graduation Anniversary

It has been one month!

Air Hockey Champ

Jon and I are a tad bit competitive so many times we go on dates where we compete against each other. One of our favorite dates is Air Hockey games at Peter Piper Pizza. So last night we went for one of our last battles at PPP in Waco. It is best of 3 games and we are usually pretty even with it coming down to the last game - BUT not last night. The first game was very even with each of us scoring one right after the other - but alas Ashley won that game 7-6. The second game however wasn't even close Ashley pulled ahead with a 4-1 lead and ended up dominating 7-3. I am open to any challengers but let me just warn you I will have no pity on anyone and the puck occasionally flies off the table because of the fear of my power :)
In case you were wondering Jon did beat me in skeet ball and some other jumping game but who cares - I am the Air Hockey Champion!!!

Camp

This is what happens when you send Jon to camp - he turns into Petey. This is an alter-ego that was created for our trip to Germany 2 years ago. He and our friend play Timmy and Petey two boys who cause mischief and always mess up what we are trying to teach the kids.

Camp was great!! We had tons of fun, sun and food and the kids really responded to God this past weekend.

I had a blast with my 14 second grade girls and there was never a dull moment - or a moment without a question of some sort. Luckily they are not of the age to think of pulling pranks but man do they like to talk. I think some of them talked non-stop from 6:45 am - 11pm yep they got up at 6:45 - all the other campers seemed to sleep in but my cabin - lucky me!

Try-Athlete

While Jon is known all over the place as a gazelle, cheetah, speed demon or crazy person who runs way to fast - it is a little known fact that Ashley also has some names. Mostly a try-athlete. You may be thinking I thought that was supposed to be tri-athlete - well it is if you are good and you train. For me I feel it better describes me to say try-athlete. I will try anything at least once, sometimes talked into a few things more than once.

In college I participated in a marathon b/c Jon told me I would never understand what "the wall" was when running. All you have to do is tell that I will never... and for some unknown reason I feel required to prove people wrong. So I set about "training" for that marathon my last semester of college - let's just say I finished it wasn't pretty or fast - actually 2 times as long as it takes Jon to run but I proved him wrong!

Then came the bike ride - or did it come before - who knows but I rode 25 miles on my bike with Jon for the Waco Wild West - he has sense gone on to ride the whole 100 miles with our friend Joel.

Two years ago my friend Lisa asked me to run 1/2 marathon with her - I did b/c I am always up for doing random things but I bet at mile 10 when I was crying Lisa was wishing she didn't have me as her partner - yes tears - I was in pain and the people running the full marathon were beginning to pass us.

Well this year was the triathlon that is right - swim, bike and then run. Once again I finished nothing amazing but a finish is good enough for me. Jon does things to win - me just to finish. This phenomenon is probably b/c he has the ability (and discipline) to win while I am a bum and don't put in enough hours of training to win - but I am ok with that! Here are a few photos of the amazing event. My friend and college roomie came to cheer me on!

Since we are moving to Alaska maybe I should start preparing for the Iditarod!!

Or maybe just stick with teams sports - but that wouldn't be a fun story now would it

CAMP

This weekend Jon and I have the privilege of being counselors for church camp. We are taking 114 kids from our church to Camp Buckner to meet up with kids and counselors from 2 other churches.

I, Ashley, am going to be a 2nd grade girl counselor with my co-leader Ashley. Won't that be fun the 2 Ashley's in camp have the same grade - but hey at least the kids will only have to remember one name. We have 14 girls that we will be responsible for. I am so excited because these are the girls in my small group (Sunday School class) that I have hung out with on Sunday's for the past year.

Jon lost his co-leader yesterday to work but hopefully they will find him a new one b/c he has 9 4th grade boys! Jon's group has some inner city kids going to their first camp ever!!! We are so excited for those boys - one of them is a boy Jon has hung out with for the past 2 years - he comes to the Feast and Journey with us each week - please pray for God to get ahold of this kid during the trip!

Please being praying for these kids!! Last night at our prayer time we really sensed - Joy, Salvation, and Life Changing Times for these kids.

I will keep you posted as we get closer and afterwards!