My parents aren't old enough....

...to have been married 25 years, right?! The answer is probably yes (they married and had their best first child quite young). Having experienced marriage myself for a super-substantial seven whole months, I can only imagine the challenges that arose being married with a baby at twenty years old. With that being said, I know that my parents have spent the past 25 years choosing each other and choosing to treat their marriage as something important to them both. They still love each other a lot (and almost more importantly, they like each other too!). I can truly say how grateful I am that this is my reality as an adult child, to still enjoy my parents together and very much in love.

 I can't wait to (slowly...gosh I hope the years go slow so I can savor every one as long as possible) create a life with my husband over the next 25 years and still be smiling on the other side like these two.

July 12th, 1986

My dad also has issues with face in photos...you should see us in photos together. Sheesh.

The ENTIRE family crew. Not too shabby for 25 years worth of work, right? 

Way to go, Mom and Dad. Here's to 50 more!

Hope everyone enjoys their Monday.
(NINE days until I get to go see Christian! We're in the single digits, people!!!)

XO,
Ash & Vies

in one word: perfect.

And, true to form, I cried pretty much the entire movie. I did my best to stifle the audible whimpers and sniffles (and I certainly wasn't the only one).

FYI - not my wand or my glasses...borrowed props...I promise....

I had the good fortune of bumping into Anne and Heather from the Tucson Teen Outreach office! We were
line buddies and had such a great time together. Teen Outreach loves HP!!

We had a fantastic time. A few more days in Tucson, then back to Phoenix for the last week before my San Francisco trip! Woooo!

Happy Friday!

XO,
Ash + Viessey

Nox. [warning: nerd alert]

Tonight marks the "end" of an era, the end of something that has brought me so much joy over the past 10 years, the end of Harry Potter. I say "end" because I know it's not going anywhere (thank goodness), but it is the end of the newness of the adventure and seeing the adventure brought to life on film. When I finished the last book for the first time, I felt a sense of grief that was only held at bay by the knowledge that I could still watch it all unfold on the big screen. Now that this too is coming to a close, I don't really know what to say. I feel so many things; sadness, yes, but more predominantly, gratitude.

Thank you, Harry Potter, for opening up my mind and imagination in ways no other book had before.

Thank you for containing characters who are real and human, thank you for allowing me to fall in love with them and watch them grow up alongside me.

Thank you for teaching me about life and fear and goodness and love and giving me such a rich and enjoyable way to reinforce these things in my own children someday.

Thank you for always being there, a familiar friend, from the very first time to the tenth time around.

And to those of you who scoff at us for such a connection to something that "isn't real"?

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"  

This clip made me tear up and probably reflects the way most readers feel as well:


I hope everyone truly enjoys themselves tonight. And remember, like I'll be trying to as the tears are coming while the credits play, the words of our favorite headmaster:

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." 

Happy watching, my fellow Potter fans.

Love,
Ash & V

BREAK$

After a nice few days in Tucson that involved some Words With Friends in real life - AKA Scrabble - (which is much better for me as I'm the only person in the family, if not in the county, that doesn't have an iPhone or iPod touch), we made the drive back this morning for my afternoon staff meeting. Only when I pulled up in front of my house, I heard a horrible squeaking/squealing noise as I put on the breaks. Uhhh, yikes. That is the one of the worst sounds known to mankind. It sounds like big time dollar signs (if dollar signs had a sound). So I had to call into work and phone into my meeting (which is a solid 15 miles/30 minutes away). I'm too scared to ruin this car that, due to our impending mountain of medical school + midwifery school debt, has to last us the next 100 years. Or until we have too many kids and/or Shibas to fit the five-seater. Appointment in the morning...pray to the brake gods the damage is minimal....

Speaking of Shibas...I SWEAR they are the only dogs that I've seen that all, across the breed, sleep in the weirdest and most twisted positions. Any Shiba owner I've ever met has said theirs do the same thing.

What a goober.

I'm hoping for a better Tuesday. Then HP on Thursday! EEEE.

<3
Ash & V

P.S. I may or may not have just found Viesa's Halloween costume:

who has two thumbs and needs a serious hair cut?

This gal.

Visit the Photocabine for some old-school photobooth fun. Keep an eye out for a few strips of Viesa. I think this + Scrabble is how I'll spend my Saturday night.

<3
Ash + Viesa

God bless the internet.

It's so much easier to be apart when we can rock these on the daily:

(Don't mind the crazy eyes. Again...not capable of normal faces...)

I caved after bummer summer Thursday and drove down to Tucson for the weekend after I finished a home visit for one of my teens. I always feel like the drive is sooo long and irritating (only 2 hours, me = baby) but once I'm here I realize after five minutes that it's so totally worth it. Plus, Vies is always SO happy to be here surrounded by petting hands people.  

In an unexpected twist of fate and spur-of-the-moment decision making (a girl after my own heart), one of Christian's classmates, Jenn, signed a lease today for a house across the street! Yay! For the first time ever, not only will I really know one of my neighbors, but we are pals that happen to be friends with the same people! I'm hoping this means the amount of socializing next year will increase tenfold (at least before we get close to Step 1). So excited!!! Welcome to Woodland Historic, Miss Jenn. :)

Vies and I are off to enjoy a monsoon evening in Tucson (hoping for some serious rain while we're down here!!!). Enjoy your Friday night!

Love,

Ash & Vies

bummer summer blues.

So today we kind of had a bummer summer day. I guess I just miss Christian a lot and am frankly a little bored. :/ I guess I never realized just how entertaining he is! We spent the morning like this:

And the evening like this:

Cannot for the life of me get her to close her legs for photos.  Sheesh.

 I think it was just one of those days. I called my mom and she made it better. Like moms always do. I'm looking forward to a busy next few weeks, highlighted by THIS:

AHHHHHH! It will be the end of one of my very favorite things. I'm STOKED/already beginning to mourn. Get excited!

In other news - In the weeks following our move to Phoenix for medical school (over a year ago!), we attended a dinner/Q&A panel put together by the school for support people of medical students. The panel was made up of husbands/wives/girlfriends/boyfriends/partners of medical students to address the incoming first years' family members about the medical school experience from their point of view. It seems like it was yesterday I was staring down at my pasta and wondering what we were getting ourselves into. Well, the school got in touch with us and asked us to speak this year to the incoming MS1s! Christian is obviously away, but I jumped at the chance to give a few slices of wisdom to the support people for the next class of students. I feel like we've both learned so much about ourselves and each other over this past year. I've also found a lot of great resources and support in reading the experiences of other folks (like Daci, med-spouse and rockin' blogger over at Just Dandy). I'm hoping that between my experiences and what I've learned from others, I can help ease some of the same butterflies I was feeling when I was in their shoes.

This means school is just around the corner...for both of us this time!!! I'm thrilled. A post of my nasty book list and already-assigned work (yikes) is coming your way soon.

Here's to a better day tomorrow!
XXXOOO,
Ash & V