30 Days of Thanks: Day 9

Today, I am thankful for my dear friend, Paula Truex - who is a true inspiration to me and countless others. I first met Paula when we worked together at Scotty's Brewhouse.

The inspiring Paula!

The moment you meet Paula, you instantly love her.

Her smile.

Her heart.

 Her laugh.

Her ambition.

Her compassion.

Her motivation.

Her love for Hanson.

Her love for God.

Her love for people in general.

I can't name a single person who doesn't love Paula.

She interned with an organization called Falling Whistles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving peace in the Congo. She actually received college credit for her work with Falling Whistles. I enjoyed following her journey while she worked with them. And today, she will have the opportunity to spread their story and cause to the Ball State Community.        

From the Falling Whistles Website, "Falling Whistles gives a small window into our world’s largest war. Originally just a journal written about boys sent to the frontlines of war armed with only a whistle, readers forwarded it with the same kind of urgency in which it was written and demanded to know –


what can we do?

The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response – make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Together we partner with local leaders to advocate and rehabilitate for those affected by war. Share their story and speak up for them.

Together, we’ll become the voice of a growing coalition for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo."

Paula organized an event called 1000 Whistles, in which she promised the founder (Sean Carasso) that she would get 1,000 people to come listen to him speak at Ball State University.

Tonight, I will sit at Emens Auditorium with 999+ people listening to this inspiring story- about following your heart to chase your dreams and make a huge difference in this world.

I'm so thankful to be your friend and I am honored to know you, Paula. I know tonight will be a great success.

Keep inspiring the world!

Much love,
Ashley

30 Days of Thanks: Days 7-8

Day 7

I am thankful for my fur son, Bandit, who brings me so much joy and happiness in life. I truly do not know what I would do without his kisses, high fives, hugs and running dates.

Our happy family, Christmas 2010

Bandit's senior picture

The best running partner a girl could ever ask for!

Bandit's 2nd birthday!

Day 8

Today, I am thankful for the people I meet at Starbucks. I walked into Starbucks this morning at the same time as an older man. We did the awkward dance where you can't decide who will go first...but being the gentleman he is, he kindly told me to go first.

"Well, thank you!" I said.

"You're welcome! I have today off, so I am in no rush," he said back.

"Well that is sweet of you!" I said back. "I hope you enjoy your day off."

I stopped for a minute and thought of the Random Acts of Kindness blog I came across the other day.

"Actually -what do you want to drink? I want to buy your coffee this morning," I said.

"Oh, no! I don't drink this stuff!" He said back quickly. "I just try to get this stuff for my wife when I can. She loves it! And I try to come in at least once a week when I have a day off and take it to her at work."

That made me smile.

"That's very sweet of you! I am sure she appreciates it. You are a good husband!" I said.

"Well, she is a good wife!" he said back with certainty in his voice and a smile on his face.

With that, my drink was ready and I wished him a happy day.

It's very easy to get caught up in the rush of the morning. But if you stop to smile and talk to complete strangers in line at Starbucks, you will definitely meet some great people. And find inspiration in even the littlest acts of kindness, like bringing Starbucks to a loved one at work.

Much love,
Ashley

30 Days of Thanks: Day 6

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That's what I hope to give you forever." - The Notebook

Today, I am thankful for my husband.

Who challenges me.

Who makes me a better person.

Who loves me at worst - and even more at my best.

Who cooks better than anyone I know.

Who smiles and melts my heart.

Who still gives me butterflies when he kisses me and says, "I missed you today."

Who was waiting for me at the finish line of my half marathon- even though he barely made it because traffic was so bad (he literally made it with 3 minutes to spare).

"ASHLEY!" I heard him yell from the crowd. I looked up and saw him right away.

I felt like I was going to puke because my body hurt so bad. Everywhere.

But I was so excited because I hit my goal.

He came running up to the fence and gave me the biggest kiss on the lips and wrapped his arms around me. Thank God because I wanted to collapse.

"YOU DID IT!" He said.

"I think I am going to puke," I said. "OMG, I did it..." Then I grabbed the pole for support.

I REALLY DID IT!

I reached for my phone and posted to my Facebook,"I hit my goal!!!!"

"Okay, now where is Jimmy Johns?" I said ready to plow through some food.

***

Later that day, we were driving home to Decatur for my sister's birthday.

He leaned over, grabbed my hand and placed my hand on his lips.

"I really am so proud of you," he said with the biggest smile on his face and bright glow in his eyes.

"Aww thanks babe, I love you! I am so glad you were there!"

"You are truly the most amazing and inspiring person I've ever met..." he said.

Forever thankful.

Much love,
Ashley

30 Days of Thanks: Day 4-5

I am thankful for running, a true passion in my life.

It helps me relieve stress.

It helps me gain confidence.

It helps me gain strength.

It helps me focus.

It helps me reach my goals.

It helps me inspire new people.

And it helps my legs look better!

See you later cellulite, welcome back toned muscles! :)

I am so extremely thankful for my running partner, Sabrina. I truly couldn't have done this half marathon without her there with me...she pushed when I needed it and let me take breaks when I needed to slow down. She truly was amazing and I feel so lucky to have shared two of my half marathons with her by my side.

Sabrina & me at the finish line enjoying our Jimmy Johns! :)

Much love,
Ashley

30 Days of Thanks: Days 1 to 3

I wanted to jump on board with this writing project I saw start up on Facebook called, “30 Days of Thanks.” I’d love for you to join me. Even if you don’t have a blog, I encourage you to write these down in your own personal journal. Even better, call the person you are thankful for and let them know why you feel that way. Because I missed the first 2 days, I am going to combine 3 days into one post.

November 1

My sister found out a few weeks ago that her skin cancer biopsy came back abnormal. For a week straight, I tried to remain calm. I tried to remind her not to worry until she could visit the doctor for an explanation. And I prayed every single day.

We found out last week that she needs to surgery done to remove more of the abnormal cells. November 18th. That’s when she will have surgery. Please continue to pray until we can officially rule out cancer.

On that note, I’m thankful for everyone has prayed for my sister’s health. I truly do not know what I would do with my sister. We are completely opposite people. She is shy. I am loud. She is short. I am tall. She likes chicken strips. I like cheeseburgers. She hates seafood. I would eat sushi every single day of my life. But I believe our differences make us a perfect match. Her birthday is this Saturday, November 5- the same day I run my third half marathon within 13 months. The cool thing? On Saturday, we will both be 24 years old until I turn 25 just six days later on Nov. 11. We used to fight about having to celebrate our birthdays on the same day, but now – I am looking forward to it more than anything.

My sister and I eat dinner at Grandma's house.
She is using her hand as an appetizer and I have the most beautiful mullet in the world.

November 2

It was more than a year ago. I’m thinking September of 2010. I was at the doctor’s office. I stepped on the scale and I weighed 236 lbs. I wanted to make her weigh me again. Was that a joke? I hadn’t weighed myself in a long time, but I didn’t realize I had gained that much weight. It was a scary moment. A biggest loser moment …but at the start of the season when everyone cries and gets emotional and reflects on how they came to be that overweight.

How did I let myself go? What happened to the girl who worked out an hour a day no matter what? Where did the girl go who used to eat salads like they were going out of style and swore off sweets and fried foods?

She was gone.

That healthy girl was long gone.

The doctor told me that day I needed to lose weight. With diabetes and heart disease in my family, I absolutely needed to lose weight. I was on the fast track to heart failure and diabetes and if I didn’t change my eating habits and start working out immediately. Not Monday. Not tomorrow. Now. I needed to make changes now. At first I was in denial, but by the new year I was ready to make big changes.

2011 was an amazing year for me in terms of my health. It was NOT easy.

I did struggle.

I did want to give up at times.

I did get injured.

I did gain watch my weight change like the ocean tides. Big loss one day. Little loss the next day or even weeks.

BUT,

I am stronger.

I am faster.

I am more confident.

I am making healthier decisions about food and drinks on a daily basis.

I am growing up and picking a morning run over a night of partying.

For the year, I am about 20 lbs down. I would LOVE to lose 10 more lbs this year. But I made a decision from the beginning not to let a number determine my happiness and dictate all of my goals. In fact, I focused on making huge fitness goals, ate more grilled chicken & veggies than you could ever imagine and reduced the amount of cheese that I consumed. The last one was the hardest because cheese has its own food group in my eyes. And soy cheese / rice cheese / veggie cheese just doesn’t compare. You can read about my cheese fights here. http://ashleysieb.blogspot.com/2011/03/image-issues-cheese-fights-and-bride.html

I have a long ways to go, but I thankful for my doctor telling me that it was time to stop saying tomorrow and start making changes today. She wasn’t harsh or in my face about it, but she was very honest and open about the realities of my health.

I will look like this again, soon. I was 195 lbs here! Only 27 more lbs to go!

November 3

Me, Sarah Frey (then Sarah Sampson) and Toni Suarez - freshman year of college.
Lifelong friends, without a doubt.

I was half-awake when I let Bandit out this morning at 6:45 a.m. That’s when I noticed a handwritten envelope on the table. I came home late last night so I didn’t have chance to look through the mail. I looked at the return address on the card and it said, “The Frey’s.” I smiled.

Inside the card, which she sent for no reason at all, she wrote a beautiful message and included a recipe for something pumpkin (I was too tired to read the recipe card, but all I needed to know was PUMPKIN and I was sold!!). It was the sweetest random act of kindness and it meant so much to me, especially because just days before I wrote a post about the importance of letting family and friends know how much you care about them… http://ashleysieb.blogspot.com/2011/10/lesson-in-friendship.html

I’m thankful for my friend Sarah, who took the time out of her day and few cents out of her pocket, to mail me the most thoughtful card for absolutely no reason at all. I’m so honored to be your friend. You are doing amazing things in your life right now and this world is truly a better place because you are here. Never change.

Until tomorrow….

Much love,

Ashley

A Lesson in Friendship

"The only way to have friends is to be one."

This is an important quote with a powerful message. This year has been hard on me, as I watched some of my friends grow up. And apart. But no matter the distances, remember that a text message only takes a few minutes. A phone call can make someone's day. Scheduling a weekly skype date only takes 10 minutes. A handwritten letter is a rare gift to receive these days that will certainly bring a smile to anyone's face. Include a few pictures from your childhood, middle school (so awkward and hilarious I am sure), high school or even college...and you will keep that person smiling for days.

Trust me, I know how busy life can get. But you are never too busy to send a message about how thankful you are for your friends and family. Never.

Much love,

Ashley

Two Months in 20 Sentences

I’ve neglected my blog for the last month or two. Not on purpose. I’ve done a lot of writing in my head… a lot of thinking. I won’t share the details of the last two months, but here are a few thoughts and experiences that I have felt over the past few months…

1. ALWAYS have “Thank You” at the tip of your tongue…you can never say it enough. I actually keep a stack of thank you cards at my desk.
2. Take time out of your day to smell your coffee, notice a happy child, take a deep breath and exhale slowly and hug the ones you love an extra second longer.
3. Don’t assume people can read your mind, speak up!
4. Always stand up for something or someone you believe in. Always!
5. Take control over your life. No one else can, except you.
6. If you want something done right, sometimes you need to do it yourself.
7. Stay at home on Friday night and keep your phone turned off.
8. Cook something new. I’ve been obsessed with baking lately and I have a lot of fun making new things for people and parties.
9. Put yourself out there and say how you feel – even if that means you are going against the norm.
10. Journey sings it best… don’t stop believing (in yourself).
11. People will blow you off. They will make you an option, even if you make them a priority. You need to learn how to move on. Don’t burn down bridges, but learn when to take a different path if the relationship is going down the path you would like….
12. You can not appreciate the sunshine unless you experience the rain.
13. You don’t always get an "A" on the first test; keep trying and you will get better each time.
14. You will change and so will your friends. People grow up and that sometimes means they grow apart. Don’t fight this…just accept this change and value the time you used to share together in your past.
15. Don’t forget that the best gift you can ever give someone is your time. 
16. “It’s not about the fall. It’s about the rise.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM5A1K6TxxM&feature=youtu.be Watch this as it applies to not only running, but life general.
17. If you want to make a difference, do it. If you want to eat better, stop eating out and start cooking healthy meals at home. If you want to start working out, find a gym and a workout buddy. Stop saying tomorrow.
18. Life can be taken away in a blink of an eye. Don’t forget how valuable every single moment of your life is…
19. You can’t be everywhere …to everyone…all of the time. It’s sad some people can’t realize this and if people get upset because you start saying “NO”, they aren’t worth (your time). Stop spreading yourself so thin…some days you just need time for YOU!
20. “Remember the rainbows in your clouds.” In other words, remember the people who helped you through dark times….call them today and thank them for their support and love when you needed it the most.

PS I promise,  I'm back to this blogging gig.

Much love,

Ashley