leaving...

so i'm heading to JFK in about an hour. A team of 10 and i will be leaving for Jamaica at 130pm. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for us.

so pray for the team throughout the week. We return to the States on the 3rd of Jan.

will update when i return home!!

10 years..."live like you were dying"

So its been 10 LONG years since my mom passed away from a brain tumor. She never complained of being in pain and lived life to the fullest everyday!

some memories...

~helping in the kitchen, baking, cooking, or just watching her

~shopping, which today i'm not a big fan of, just bc she's not here to spend quality time with

~going to the store

~her teaching me how to sew

~being at all of my softball games

~going for walks

~just plain out talking about life

~her sense of humor

~getting a puppy when my dad didn't know it! lol

~making some fabulous sandtarts, no one can make them like her, lol


wish i had pictures on my grandma's computer to upload here. My mom was amazing and she will never be forgotten. I know she is up above looking down on my sisters and i,smiling because of how well we've done in life so far. I wish she were here to see the nephew.


Well on the 21st of dec my grandfather, my dad's dad, passed away 2 or 3 years ago, also from cancer! the doctors caught it way too late!! Miss him as well, but he was a great man and he will be missed as well!!

Pictures to come after i get my laptop back from NC! :(

new laptop...

well i am shipping my laptop to NC for my cousin to fix!!

here's why...



my grandparents dog broke it! My cousin found a replacement screen and he's going to fix it for me!! I owe him big time! Love him so much, just wish him and his family lived closer!

so no laptop for a few!

What I've been up to....

So i just found out on saturday that Rob, who helps out with 56 on satuday nights, his dad works with me! Its a small world!

I've been running like no tomorrow. I run in town and out in the country. I'm joining the Army national guard.
My goal is to swear in at MEPS before i leave for my missions trip to Jamiaca and i leave Dec. 27th till Jan. 3rd. My other goal is to leave for Basic Training sometime in Jan. or Feb. I just have to get my BF down 5% and then i'm clear to go to MEPS. I'm so ready to do this.
I've been on a diet for 6 months or so and I'm ready to eat normal food again, lol but thats going to happen until i get back from Basic!

I'm determined.
I'm focused.
I'm willingly to work hard.
I want to push myself farther than i've ever gone.

Great weekend...

It all started on friday night when Christina, dan and i hosted a mystery dinner for our 6th grade girls. They loved it and they thought that they were just coming for a dinner and then go home. We told them that we have different games that we have planned for them. They all wanted to have a sleepover and we're not tonight!! lol

Saturday night at 56, the girls were finally getting the idea of them doing something BIG even though they were 6th grades. They don't need to wait when their older to do something BIG!!

~One girl wanted start raising money for endangered animals...
~Another girl wanted to raise money to find the cur for cancer bc her cousin who is 7 has a year left to live, atleast thats what the doctors told the family!! i don't believe that bc my mom lived longer then what the doctors told her!!

The girls are amazing and i learn so much from them!


Then the gathering at church was amazing!! I loved the video of Eliot. He was so adorable and precious. I don't think there was a dry eye in the service this morning!!

new laptop...

this is my first video for the first time ever!! I recently got a new laptop and i am having a blast using the webcam.

i hope u get a kick out of the video!! i promise they will get better!!

A site to see....

Why did the cow cross the road??
Bc he wanted greener grass, bc its true; THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE!
^^^^
So as i was running out the country i came across a big black animal from afar. I thought it was a dog, but as i got closer i realized it was a cow. So I saw this farm near by and ran down the mile long driveway and asked them if they owned the cows in the field and they did. I told them there was a cow across the road. He was just enjoying the grass because it was greener on the other side of the fence! The other cows started to MOO really loud and just went crazy because they knew that the cow on the other side wasn't supposed to be over there! As i was running and saw the cow cross the road a truck almost hit bc apparently he was in a hurry!!
The mom and son drove to the place where the cow was and he just casually walked back across the road like nothing happened.


So that was my adventure yesterday evening!

Eyes...

I well this afternoon i went to my eye appointment and Dr. K told me that i have a astigmatism in my right eye and a cataract in my left eye! I felt like an old person bc i'm having eye problems and i'm only 23! After Dr. K told me i was like "sweet, i have a cataract just like Dan," but she has one in each eye! I'm wearing a contact lens with something in it to fix my astigmatism. I will be able to see clear in 4-5 days and a normal contact lens in my left eye. Dr. K told me i was probably born with the cataract, "thanks Dr. K, makes me feel even older!"

I've been running in the country a lot more lately because
1)Gas
2)its more challenging

i run for about and hour or so, thats how long it takes me to run around the "block" in the country. Yesterday i went running in the rain and it felt so good and refreshing all at the same time!

Not sure...

I'm not quite sure what to write on here right now. I get to watch my nephew, Hunter on Sunday. I can't wait for that!! Hunt will be 2 months on the 8th of this month.

I got contacts after a very long time wearing glasses!! I should have gotten them a long time ago. I love them.





more at a later date...
just finished up i am not but I KNOW I AM by Louie Gigilo. great book, more on that later

its been awhile...

this is Maddie, my grents puppy, she's a little over a year old. She just got her female parts taken out earlier in the week so no puppies for her and now she can run around and chance rabbits and birds. Wednesday night i decided to have her sleep with me, we went to bed around 930pm. She decides to wake up at 130am, yes 130am! i was so tired at the time, but i got up and we went upstairs and chilled, gave her a little bit of food and watched infomercials on every channel!! lol. I never went back to bed after that bc i had to be at work by 6am!!

well I've been trying to focus on God more these last few weeks and its been really hard. I'm still dealing with my dad and our relationship. As of right our relationship stands still. Since my older sister, Kristen, had Hunter"Hunt" my dad and step-mom has had her, Hunt and her husband over for dinner twice in 2 months. I feel like i need to go and get pregnant to get my dad's attention, but you know what, its not worth it!! I just don't know what else to do.

On a lighter note, i was out for my run yesterday and some lady came up to me and handed me a pamphlet on how nothing is too hard for God such as relationships, illness, disappointments, forgiveness, and fear in our lives. I actually read it last night. This lady, i can't even remember her name, goes to Christian Life Center just outside of Manheim. She asked me if i go to a church that i went to and i told her LCBC and she knew where that was at. After that she told me all that matters is that i knew Jesus. That was the end of our conversation. It was kind of awkward having some random lady come up to you when ur running!

So I'm trying to focus on God more and how I'm going to live it out.


I'm going to try to have a bonfire at my grents house sometime. We have plenty of yard to play like 4 games of volleyball and other games. we'll see what goes!

new blogger, for now...

I have a new blog for now, bc i'm having issues uploading photos here! I wish i was smart when it comes to things like this!! lol if anyone can try to help me that'll be great!! lol


ashsinger.wordpress.com

here's the problem...
when i post a photo, the link shows up as words, not the photo!! please help!
thanks

What's happening...

^just mountains on my drive to OHIO









^trying to figure out with these are for! i was behind him on the turnpike.



Well i got home from the great BUCKEYE state last night and i was exhausted! I had a great time visiting friends that i got to know while i was out there! I visited this church, New Hope Community Church, all i can say I love this church!! The people are so welcoming, as i found out Sunday morning.

Highlights from the trip...
~staying with an amazing family
~seeing the kids again that i used to watch
~going to New Hope
~finally meeting Pastor Charles Hill!! huge highlight! lol there you go Pastor Hill, that one
~going put-put Sunday afternoon with Matt, 20, the son of the parents that i stayed with
~driving home in the pouring rain, not so fun, going 35 mph on the turnpike!!
~Ash, the dog, sleeping with me during the night
~getting away from everyday life here in PA
~the long drive to OH and back to PA, worth it though
~wishing i took an entire week off to go to OH! haha

AUNT ASH!!!

Well this morning at 5:04am HUNTER DOUGLAS MARTIN (HUNT) entered the world at 8lbs 1oz and 19 inches long!! I've seen my gma's pics and he looks so adorable and i can't wait till they bring him home this weekend!! I'm going to see him tonight bc i can't wait any longer. ha

Mom and baby are healthy and doing well. Both are very tired!

Sadly i will be in the BUCKEYE state for the weekend.

I'm finally an aunt, its about time, ha.

i will post pics of "Hunt" next week!

stay posted!!!

UE CAMP 2008!

So UE camp was amazing! I had a blast getting to know the 6th grade girls that i had in my cabin/trailer!! here are a few of my many pictures of UE camp that i took.
I had a time and I'm so glad that i was asked to go to this camp bc if i wasn't asked to go then i probably would have gone!!

I told the girls where I've been and what I had to go through when i was about their age.

I just started to cry as i told them my story bc it was so amazing how the 2 girls' mom came and drop them off bc they live in York and their moms looked around the cabin and saw the screens on the windows were torn off at some areas and they taped them up so the bugs wouldn't get inside!! thats love! they also flipped the mattress' over for the girls!! thats love! As i was telling my story about how i lost my mom to cancer the one girl, Micaela wrapped her arm around me and as i was looking around i saw the other girls crying! After i was done, i was like "ok, i wasn't planning on telling u all that." One girl shared with me that she knows someone going through cancer and after she shared just about everyone else shared someone they knew that had cancer or someone survived from it!! I think me sharing my story and how its made me a stronger person, made my relationships with the girls closer then i thought they were going to be!!


I've learned so much about the girls.

Friday night after the leaders meeting, Christina and i were walking up to our cabin and the girls were getting ready for bed, by 1am they were asleep, except for 4 girls Kelsey, Lexi(i forget the other two), bc they wanted to learn how to make the hemp bracelets that i made for the girls! The 2 girls went to bed after learning and kelsey, lexi, and i stayed up till 5am on saturday and i had to get up for an 8am leader meeting!! I was dragging all morning! But i did it for Kelsey and Lexi, who wanted to make hemp bracelets! then kelsey and lexi feel asleep in my sleeping bag and i was to the point where i was resting my head on my suitcase, YES MY SUITCASE, bc i was very tired and i realized that there was an open bed bc kelsey was sleeping in my sleeping bag and i went to sleep on her bed, but i didn't sleep very well. I was back up at 6am or 630am and then feel back to sleep then Christina came in and tried to wake me up, since every morning we prayed together for the girls, chad and everyone else, well i got up 5 minutes before our leader meeting! I don't know if anyone could tell that i was very tired, but i was!

I got home and found out that my step-cousin was a leader for CBC, Dana. I didn't even recognize her at camp until i got home. I feel bad bc i could have talked to her throughout the week! I feel real bad, but she's changed so much since the last time i saw her!

Enjoy!!


more pics to come later!!

UE CAMP HERE I COME...

So I'm heading out with other middle school leaders on Monday evening to UE camp in Conestoga, Pa. I'm so excited and pumped because the last time i was there i was on camp team and now i get to be a leader, the ultimate leader!!! ha, yea right!

When i return from UE camp, I'll post some pictures of the week.

Until then, have a great week!!

10 YEARS.....

So today would have been my mom's 47th birthday! I can't even imagine her being gone for 10 years this year in December. I miss her terribly everyday.
I've been thinking about her lately and if she's on Heaven bc I'm not even sure if she was a Believer when she passed away! I'm hoping that she was. She always lived her life to the fullest, even if she was sick with cancer. Everyone that knew her said she was kind and giving towards other people.
Memories:
~being in the kitchen all the time
~running errands with her
~she was always at my softball games since the 1st time i started playing
~going to Florida
~working in the flowerbeds in the spring and summer months
~walking to VBS at my old church, when i was younger
~getting a golden retriever without my dad's OK, and we ended up keeping him

I miss her
I miss the memories
I miss her hugs
I miss her "I love you"'s
I miss seeing her face to face
I miss our talks, that i never get to have anymore, or not as often
I miss seeing her face to face
I miss having my female role model, my mom!!
I wish she were here right now

I hope some day that i'll get to see her again, in Heaven!

PASSION: Atlanta...

Passion was amazing! I've learned a few things that'll help me along with my relationship with God!

~the Bible is ALL about God, Not you and me!

~why does God need me, if He's big enough.

~What did your flame do in the last 5 minutes of ur life?

~the flame of the Holy Spirit will never die ever again!

~Make the flame about Jesus and not about me.

There's 2 choices u can make: 1) take the flame and use if for me or 2) have an encounter with God

~ most of us had more encounters than we know of.

~I need to have faith in God again

~God is in us through the Holy Spirit

~None of our stories end with bows on the end!!

~God paints on a very big canvas

~God is bigger than the trouble in our lives

~The cross is the center/anchor of our lives

~God still loves you and God allows freedom but maintains control

~Whatever people have done to you to hurt you, God KNOWS!!

~God can take the worst and use it for His glory

more to come later!

PASSION!!!

4 others and i are heading to Atlanta, Georgia for the PASSION conference on thursday evening!! I got my hair cut yesterday and I'm getting new glasses on Thursday before we leave so i can see David Crowder better, LOL JK!!

I'm hoping to get something out of the conference and develop closer relationships with the people that are going!!

So pray for us as we drive down that the driver stays awake, that we all get rest while we're down there and for our safe return home on sunday late at night! That means i'm not going to work on monday. We're getting home at midnight or 1am!! Not fun!!

I have a new look coming!!


Leave some love for me when i get back!!

sick....

So since wed. of last week I've been sick and I'm still sick today! I just wish i could get better and I've tried everything and nothing has worked. I've never been sick like i am now and just need to rest all weekend and take it easy. I've lost 2#(pounds), that's the symbol we use at work for pounds, this week alone! I haven't had much of an appetite all week.

Here are a few pictures from the week.....

He looks gentle and sweet, but he's a crazy goat.


I don't know what this face means!

He's being nice now, but wait for it!

My grandma's goat in action!!

This face means he's going to the bathroom! I love his face.

This dog belongs to my neighbor, she's a wolf dog, Deva, that's her name. We're not aloud to pet her, but she lets me!

Every time the goat jumped, Maddie jumped too!!

Watch out, he's on a mission!!

The goat rams his head into the fence.

Sunset in the country!

Moving on...

How do u react to a parent, ur only parent that is still alive, but got remarried and doesn't reply to ur emails, phone calls, or letters? I've been struggling with this issue for sometime now and just don't know what to do. I've emailed my dad recently, last Sunday, about getting me a ticket for a conference down in Georgia. My friends and i are driving down to Georgia for the PASSION conference. I really want to go but i haven't heard from my dad yet and i probably won't go then. I don't understand why he has to ignore me.

What did i do to him?

Its all my fault, i guess!

I've tried emailing, phone calls, writing letters, and going for dinner and nothing has worked.

Should i just keep trying and getting myself stressed out over it or should i just move on in life??

I'm just worried that this isn't what God had in mind and WANTS me to have a relationship with him.

So I'm doing something for me and to prove to my dad that i can make something of myself and i joined the Air Force! I'm almost to my weight goal and then i can call my recruiter!! My dad will probably careless that i did that!!

I just wish there was ONE person here with me......

and that PERSON is my MOM!! Everything would be great if she were around! Can't believe its been 10 years!!

LONG WEEK....

So this week has been terribily long and the only reason for that is because my one co-worker called off on monday and hasnt been back to work yet, which means i have to do double duty ALL week!! I do my job and then i slice meat the rest of the day and i'm getting better and better everyday!

Right now I'm temp. full-time but yesterday my boss talked to me in the office and told me there might be a full-time position available real soon and asked if i'd be interested and i told him "duh, i'm so glad u asked me!" lol So i'm going full-time there and i might slicing everyday bc the one kid might be getting fired bc he calls off all the time!! Lets just say my arms are going to be buff, LOL. Slicing meat from 630am-230pm!!

I also had an interview at The O.G. on monday and i might have a part-time job there in the evenings and weekends. God has answered a few of my prayers bc i was hoping i was going to get a FT job at Masonic village and going to happen and i've been searching for a PT job and i'm going to get the job at The O.G.

So i've been running/walking everyday and its paying off, i just wish i had a running buddy to keep me motivated!! lol I'm also on a diet and watching what i eat. I've lost 9lbs!! Yay!!!

Pictures from Blizzard......

Here are some picturees from Blizzard. More to come later!!!

For the Mentos Challenge, my group came up with a name, the Hoondune Tribe!!