The Power of Spring.

When I say this, I do not mean it lightly: Spring transforms lives! I know mine is inevitably brighter as over the past couple of weeks I have enjoyed noticing all this beautiful color I once remember existing a winter ago (green!) budding all around me. There is just something joyful in knowing that it is the season of Spring in our lives. And when Spring comes, you also have the reassurance that there will be two whole more seasons after spring before we must endure the winter once again.

Believe me, I thought I would be the last person who would be saying this, but give Iowa a break people. You North Carolinians up on your high horse who don't understand why there would be any reason to ever move to Iowa (and even Iowans who don't understand why we would ever move here from NC), I now have at least one whole reason: the joy of Spring. I feel that you cannot fully appreciate it until you really really experience the deadness that winter causes. I remember arriving with all the snow around and somewhere deep inside of me, I really enjoyed it. Waking up every morning to that peaceful snow sound outside our window, looking out onto the frozen tundra, and getting to experience something brand new! But then, something dismal happened. The snow began to melt. Everyone knows that there is a beautiful side of snow and there is an ugly side. The ugly side begins as the snow turns black from the pollution of our dirty world closing in around it. The melting process, really is, quite gross. No longer is the landscape beautifully white, but an ugly broken-down, melting gray/black color with jagged edges from the sun and the brown remnants of what used to be grass beginning to "shine" through. Then, once the snow is all gone, only two colors remain: gray and brown. How beautiful right? Oh yes...

Then, all of a sudden--green. This beautiful color really does want to make you GO green. Drive that Prius you've always secretly wanted (okay, maybe I've always secretly wanted), recycle your grocery bags into crocheted purses (a lady at our new church really does this), take your bottles to Wal-mart to be reused, plant a tree, you know, do your part for the environment. If we could only do something to make this color be a part of our planet for a little bit longer, it is so worth it. What a difference it makes! The people here, as welcoming as they were before, have woken up, come alive and really enjoy every second they can in beautiful Iowan sun. As I was driving through one neighborhood recently, I thought to myself, you know, this place really is beautiful. The day we moved here, I thought I would never think that, but there you have it. The power of Spring. I hope to get out and take a few pictures in the next couple of days so you too can experience this amazing transformation along with me!

The beautiful blue sky and green grass calls me outside to run. This is amazing as all winter I dread getting out and exercising. But now, once again, it becomes a part of the healthy lifestyle I really love and long for. Great news! There is a Sturgis Falls half marathon in Cedar Falls! At the end of June, I will be attempting my first 13.1 mile race right in our back yard. As some of you know, my new year's resolution for this year was to run a half and a full marathon in 2010. As of the end of June, I will (hopefully) be half way there! The Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis happens the first weekend in October. With prayer, dedication and good weather, I am hoping to complete this full marathon!! What a blessing to have the ability to get out and run. If anyone wants to join me on this training journey and come race with me, please do! I'd love the company!

In other news...we have found our church!! This is amazing news as we start to build a community here. We are so excited to get involved in a small group, get to know our pastor better and become involved in more ways this summer. This past Sunday, I'll be honest, we woke up a little early, so we started chatting and let the time run away from us. When we finally looked at the clock, we had about 25 minutes until the service was starting and neither of us had taken a shower (physically impossible for me to get ready at this point in 25 min....or so I thought). As we were laying in bed, all of a sudden I said to Graham, "Let's go. We need to go. I'm hopping in the shower--pick out something for me to wear!" After getting ready in a record 20 minutes we headed that way (we were only 10 minutes late for service that starts late anyway). Because of our lateness, we ran into our Senior Pastor, John Fuller on our way in. He stopped us on the way in, saying to me, I've seen you around here before but don't believe we have met! Then, after about a 10 minute relaxed conversation (before he had to go in and lead the sermon nonetheless) we felt like this was it. We had really found our church! It was amazing that God had lead us to not be lazy, to get up and get out of bed, and go form a new friendship with our soon-to-be pastor!

One more great thing about spring--Cedar Falls Farmer's Market! Starting this Saturday, May 1st through every Saturday until the end of October, local farmers and artists come together near main street to sell fresh and beautiful products for cheap prices. I feel like this is going to be the start of yet another beautiful relationship! Nothing is better than fresh veggies straight off the farm and a bouquet of fresh flowers to brighten our cave-like apartment. Keep bringing on the joy Spring...we can take it!

PS Congrats in advance to our dear friends Josh Navey and Amy Denton and Chad McGhee and Kristy Hendley on their soon to be marriages this Saturday, May 1st! We wish more than anything that we could be there to celebrate with you, but we are praying for you and are so excited to see all the wonderful things God is going to do through you as he strengthens you with the amazing gift of marriage! We love you!

Inspired.

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." 1 Peter 4:10

Guess what?? No, I haven't been ignoring this blog or you for the past week. Don't be offended that you have not heard from me. But I have some fun and exciting news! With a little inspiration from one of my roomies from college, Nicole, I have come up with my photography business name and have started blogging what I am up to! I have decided on drumroll please....Inspired. Photography by Joanna Ashe. I honestly don't know how long this name will last, and as most of you know, I haven't done enough photography to even call this a "business" quite yet. All I do know is that God has given me the gift of creativity and "seeing". I feel that when I take pictures I am inspired not only by God but by all of the beautiful moments I am capturing. I cannot possibly imagine a more fulfilling occupation. Not only will I be able to create a photo that will last forever, but also, by the grace of God, inspire them to fall in love with the Creator who gave me this love in the first place. I do not yet know which area of photography I would like to focus on, but I know I am FAR from having the equipment necessary from weddings. For now, me and my Canon 50D and basic portrait lens will have to be satisfied capturing families, children, engagements, and other smiling moments. I hope that you will be inspired along with me as I start this journey once again!

Visit http://inspiredbyjoanna.blogspot.com to take a look!

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

-Aaron Siskind

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

-Elliott Erwitt

Fabulous Las Vegas!

As you can see we made it to the old Las Vegas sign!! I am happy to say that Graham and I had an absolutely WONDERFUL weekend! We got to check off most of the things on our list and enjoyed a couple of surprises as well! First of all, if you haven't considered going to Las Vegas to see Garth Brooks, if you are a Garth fan, you need to put this on your bucket list. This was absolutely one of the best concerts I have ever been to (yes, up there with Coldplay)! Clad in work boots, jeans, a navy sweatshirt and ball cap, Garth was hilarious, charming and extremely personable. He took us through a journey of all the music and artists that influenced him and his family over the years including: Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Randy Travis and George Straight. It was so fun hearing him not only play his music but songs from all of these artists as well! We also had a big surprise and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, came out and joined him for a couple of songs including "She's in Love with the Boy", which is definitely one of my all time favorites! As if you even had to ask, of course Graham and I were wearing our boots. A definite must.

Other than the concert we also go to enjoy great food, SHOPPING (yay!), and sightseeing. One surprise? As I was making a B-Line for Michael Kors in Caesars Palace, we see a sign that says "Meet Pete Rose Today!!" Thinking that this was only a ploy to come in their sports memorabilia store, we walked by, curiously, to see Pete Rose sitting right there! Don't know who Pete Rose is? Well, embarassingly enough, I didn't either. I think this run-in with the baseball all time hits leader who can't even make it into the Hall of Fame, was the highlight of Grahambo's morning. Although we didn't get our picture with him, we stood about a foot away and felt the greatness.

We did make it over to the famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, hoping to meet the guys on the show, and sadly, they had already left for the day. The trip was not a super bummer however, Graham still bought a shot glass signed by Chumlee (close enough to my picture with him, right?) and we got to see some of the items in the shop that have been on the show. We also rode the NY NY Roller Coaster and visited the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. Two aquariums in one week = a VERY successful week for me. I love me some fishys! Surprisingly enough, Vegas wasn't nearly as crowded as when we visited the first time, and it made it so much more enjoyable to walk around and see the sights. One of my favorite moments was for about an hour and a half before we had to get ready for Garth, we went to the pool at treasure Island, drank the best frozen margarita I've had in a while from Kahunaville, and got some sun. And by got some sun, I do not mean changed my skin tone at all, I mean, just soaked in some much needed Vitamin D.

Knowing we weren't really going to gamble while we were there, we fell under temptation while we were waiting in line to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris. I looked down and saw a Wheel of Fortune 25 cent slots game. Anything to do with Wheel of Fortune or Amazing Race, forget about it, I've got to at least try. So, when we got back down from the Eiffel Tower, we headed straight for the slots with my high-rolling bill in hand. Yep, a whole $5 bill. Having onle 20 quarters to spare, Graham and I alternated pressing the spin button on the machine. To our surprise, with 14 quarters left, we see one bonus sign line up, then another, and finally the third one! Not knowing what this meant at all, we just thought, wow! We probably won an extra quarter or something. After realizing this meant we actually got to spin the wheel at the top of the machine, we gave it a go and landed on 75. Again, no idea, we were just excited we got something! We thought, maybe this means we get 75 quarters?? That would be awesome we would win like 20$! Well, the quarters available quickly increased from 14...to 302! I quickly told Graham to figure out what this was on his cell phone calculator (we clearly don't do math in our heads) and it came out to $75. 50!! Just as quickly as we hit spin for the bonus I pressed "cash out" and we ran with the money! I'm not to proud to say we didn't stick around for more action, we had won our taxi fares for the next day plus some in money and I was runnin'! Last time we were in Vegas, we lost $40 between us, so I'm thinking we are $35.50 ahead. Take that, Las Vegas!

What the Hail?

I think I am still laughing out loud at the title of this blog entry. Anyone from the South can appreciate the pun. ANYWAY. I'm guessing you can figure out what I'm talking about by seeing the crazy size of the HAIL we experienced here in CF yesterday afternoon! I was casually chatting on the phone with my mom when all of a sudden it was raining, then raining harder, then it got REALLY loud outside. Yeah, sure I know what hail is, NC has it too, but not like this. I thought the hail on my porch at the beginning of the storm that was the size of my big toe was big...then it just got crazy outside! These hailstones were WAY bigger than golf ball size. I had heard of this happening, but never before had I seen it. The sound of the hail hitting the sidewalk, roof, carhoods, etc. was deafening. I just watched in awe as the stones continually bounced off of my poor wittle car. I was one of the fortunate ones, though, as the roof of my car is glass. I guess now I will only have to repair the hood, trunk, and sides of the car...no big deal, right?

On another note, Graham and I were truly blessed to have spent this Easter with a visit from his family! His mom, dad and Brother made the trip all the way to IA for the weekend. We had a total blast! I wish I could say I was more fun though as I came down with some sort of bad stomach virus on Thursday night and was kinda pitiful through the weekend. But believe me, no stomach virus is going to stop me from participating in all the festivities! On Saturday afternoon, we all piled in the car and headed east toward the Mississippi. It is still crazy to me that we can be at the Mississippi River in a little over an hour. Weird! We were on our way to visit a cute little town called Dubuque when we just happened to pass through Dyersville, IA. All of you Iowans know this is the historic town where "Field of Dreams" was filmed! Of course we pulled off immediately and found the film site, baseball field and all. Graham says we are definitely coming back once the corn has grown up.

After our brush with fame, we arrived in Dubuque. I REALLY enjoyed it here! The steep hills that surrounded the city center really created a fun, San Francisco-like atmosphere, not to mention the beautiful weather we had. First stop--the aquarium of course! I am such a little kid when it comes to animals. I really enjoy zoos, aquariums and the like, no matter how big or how many animals they have. This one was a really great time! Price (Graham's brother) and I both got to pet these crazy looking fish and see a komodo dragon! Talk about one mean looking reptile. Thankfully, on the way out of the museum, I snagged this picture, which I think should win some kind of award. No, I didn't force them to do this, it was only a mere suggestion which they hopped on board quickly! Definitely a framer.

After the aquarium we proceeded to tour around the town's ups and downs until we made a wrong turn down 4th St. to find an old-school elevator that you could ride for $1 each way to the top of the hill! Although slightly rickety, this was well worth it as we got a great view of the city and got to experience the "thrill" of the ride to the top. If you're ever in Dubuque, I really recommend this "wrong" turn. Here's a view from the top. The nice man who was operating the elevator suggested the Star Brewery for dinner, and that's exactly where we headed. Rich in history, this old brewing site was a classy rendition of your typical brewery feel. I really enjoyed it and I know the food was fantastic (even if I still wasn't able to eat anything)!

I love Easter. I think it really may be my favorite holiday. What a beautiful picture of how God creates opportunity for a fresh start and new beginning every year. With the promise of Christ's resurrection we can live in the hope that we are here on this Earth for a purpose--how glorious! I just love the picture of the Earth coming alive through fresh blooms and flowers (more in NC than here, unfortunately) paralleling the risen Lord. What an amazing reminder of how loved we are! This Easter was special because I was able to host the family for the first time! Not only was this Graham and I's first Easter as a married couple, but our first one in Iowa as well! I know we would have celebrated just the same without them, but I am so thankful that we had the company of our wonderful family. Sharon helped me prepare ham, turkey, hashbrown casserole, Mamaw's green beans fresh from the garden (how could Easter be Easter without these?), deviled eggs, apple-cranberry crumb pie for dessert and of course, SWEET TEA!! Yes, I know you're jealous. Graham and I still have leftovers to enjoy! Sadly, Price had to leave later on Sunday afternoon and after a wonderful day together on Monday, his mom and dad had to head back on Tuesday as well. It is always sad to see familiar faces go, but I'm hopeful we will be able to visit again sometime in the near future!

So, as you already know, Graham and I are headed to Vegas tomorrow night! On the agenda:

1. Shop. Okay, I'm sure if Graham was making this list, this wouldn't be his number one, but he isn't making the list, is he?

2. Play at the pool. Although I'm enjoying Iowa, I seriously cannot wait to get a little sun on my white legs if you know what I mean. Here we come 80 degree weather!! Wahoo!!

3. Ride some of the attractions including the roller coasters at New York New York and the Sahara. If you know me, then you know a vacation just isn't a vacation without riding some rides.

4. Visit the "Pawn Stars" pawn shop. Seriously, if you haven't seen this show yet, you're missing out. My goal is to get my picture made with Chumley.

5. See and get a picture next to the old Las Vegas sign. It is a classic stop I feel like you have to make and one we didn't get to experience when we were in Vegas for the first time last summer.

6. Shark Reef at Mandolay Bay. Yep, as I told you before I have a weak spot for animals.

7. See the lions at MGM Grand. This one is actually Graham's addition.

8. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. I figure this is as close to the real one as Graham and I are going to get for a while :).

9. See the Bellagio Hotel fountain water show at night. We got to see it during the day last time, but I hear it is just breathtaking when it is dark outside and the fountain is lit up. PS the spelling suggestion for Bellagio is Beluga. Spell Check FAIL.

10. Go see the Ferarris at the Wynn Hotel. Also Graham's addition, but hey, who doesn't like looking at expensive cars?

11. Oh yeah, and how could I forget, see GARTH BROOKS!! Wahoo!

Hopefully next time I will be able to share a picture next to all of our goals. Wish us safe travels!