ASHES THOUGHTS!

HUGE UPDATE!!!

2009-02-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Steve and I on the airplane to Cali!

Our Christmas Tree!!

The amazing pop-up card!

Cutest couple ever!!

Ok... I have to apologize for not being a very good blogger! I in no way mean to keep my life such a secrete. From my last blog up till now so much has occurred and an update could take days. I will try my best to bring you all up to par on my life over the past 4 months. I did finish up my rotations in Denver Colorado along with a relationship that I felt was not right for me nor right for the other individual. I do not know what it is, but calling off a relationship with someone that you have spent so much time with and had so many experiences and memories with is never easy. Dating is really a hard part of life. No one likes to hurt the feelings of others or get their own feelings hurt, but nothing is more rewarding then noticing later on that your choice to call things off was absolutely the right choice. Throughout my life I feel that I have been blessed to be guided in the right directions to learn what I need to learn from people in order to improve on my own character and progress to where I am at this time. For me timing seems to be everything. Those of you who know me well and know about my past experiences are well aware of how through the right timing I have been able to accomplish and do so much in my life. Here are just a few examples:

1. When I returned to Salt Lake after attending Snow College for two years. I had my EMT license and no work experience. My father ran into a gentleman who worked as a physician at LDS hospital ER. Through him, I got the number of a man who hired EMT's in the ER. I had no idea even what the work title was but I call the man and asked about the job. Here is the response I got "yeah... we have a tech job. In fact we are interviewing today. So bring your resume and we will interview you at one o'clock!" Yep... that is how I got the job in the ER which eventually lead to an RN job and helped provided a great resume and letters of recommendation to get into the PA program.

2. My first semester into the nursing program I had a roommate that had served a mission. I do not know why but the thoughts of going on a mission were on my mind everyday. i decided to pray about it and my answer came as a yes. I did not know this but the U of U nursing program allowed students to take a leave of absence for a religious mission. I put in my papers around march/april and when I got my call a week later, I was called to Taibei Taiwan but was not scheduled to leave till september. I did not understand this, I put my availability for June. Again, the timing of my mission was understood when I returned home from my mission and started my ER job two days after being home from the mission thanks to a tech breaking his leg the very day I went in to say hi to my old ER crew. Also, when I went back to nursing school the program had changed from a 5 semester to a 4 semester allowing me to graduate about 6 months earlier. September was perfect timing to leave on my mission.

3. Last example... all the people I have dated have been a wonderful blessing in my life and have been there at the right time in my life. I have learned so much from each of them. As mentioned above, timing has been everything. Before my mission, when I was dating and hanging out with a lot of different individuals, I was introduced to an individual who is described in my journal as "absolutely amazing and way too good for me!" The two of us dated for about 3 weeks and for some reason (maybe not the right timing!), I just did not feel anything for him at the time. I did not even know his last name while we were dating. I let him go and went on my way dating others. Upon returning from my mission, I ran into an old friend who said she had meet someone that I used to date. They said his name and for a moment I could not remember him, then it dawned on me. He was the absolutely amazing guy that I not only did not feel anything for at the time but also did not know his last name the whole time we were dating. It had been about 6 years since I had seen or even heard his name. About a week later I received a phone call from him and we went for a run up city creek canyon. It was a nice long run which gave me plenty of time to apologize for not ever knowing his last name. We got all caught up on the past 6 years and the adventures we had been through. A week later I met Brock and over the course of a year dated him and learned from him what I felt I needed to. The last month in Denver when my heart knew that things with Brock were not right and I had informed Brock of this, the man, who I now new his last name, contacted me. Absolutely perfect timing. Through our phone conversations he requested I make him a pop-up card inviting him to come to Denver to drive back with me to Salt Lake (see picture above!). His request was granted and the drive home to Salt Lake was the start of an absolutely amazing relationship. There were many things I had to learn over the past 7 years and adventures that I needed to experience. Now seven years later I am the happiest I have ever been with someone I still can't believe I dated over seven years ago. Life is full of surprises and everything happens for a reason especially when the timing is right!

After moving back to Salt Lake at the end of November, I have continued my schooling in the Salt Lake valley. I am currently doing my ER rotation with all my friends up at LDS and IMC. I really enjoy what I do and am excited to be graduated at the end of July. Still no exact thoughts as to which area I would like to practice in, but I know that everything will workout in the right timing. I have been dating Steve LUKER (yep... I am certain of his last name now!) for about 3 months and never have I been so excited about someone and so connected. Those of you that have met him know what I mean when I say he fits me well! I do not know what happened seven years ago that turned me away from him and everyday I think about how perfect the timing is. I would not have had all my past adventures or be where I am today if I had realized how amazing he was seven years ago. Above are a few pictures of the adventures Steve and I have already experienced and memories we now share together.

HELLO...Does anyone remember me!!

2008-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

In case you have forgotten... my name is Ashley Lawrence. I am 5 months older since my last blog and the only real new thing in my life is probably the prescription in my contact lenses. I apologize for not writing at all. Much has happened but unfortunately none of it is truly exciting. I have not even used my camera in the last 5 months, so... no new pictures. At least I can give ya'll a quick update...

I finished up my first year of school and said good bye to the classroom and hello to patient care, pimping of doctors, days of humility and long hard hours of trying to find out what to do with each patients case. I have learned so much already but I am no where near feeling completely comfortable on my own.

I moved to Denver Colorado the first week of august to be a little closer to Brock. i felt that the distance was too hard and this was the only way to give the relationship a fair chance. Denver is a wonderful city. The weather is just perfect and the people are so pro-exercise. Love that! I found a basement apartment near the city about 10 minutes from Brock's place.

My first rotation was hard to find and I ended up doing it at an Occupational medicine clinic. (yep... dealt with work related injuries and insurance companies... sounds fun hah!). My second rotation was much better then that. I got put on with the trauma surgical team at St. Anthony's central. Loved it! I was doing 80 hour weeks but I loved every minute of it. Surgery was the best. I can totally see me in that line of work in the future. I saw some of the most interesting cases. I will spare you all the details but let's just say that the fastest 6 and 1/2 hours of my life occurred as I helped with a repair of a torn abdominal aorta. I could not believe it, 6 1/2 hours standing over an intubated patient and not being able to move more then about a foot and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was absolutely fascinating.

i am now on an internal medicine rotation and really liking it. My preceptor is Taiwanese and we get along extremely well. I do not know what it is with me and the Asians. I will be at this rotation till the end of October and then who knows. The options are few and in between here in Denver and so I think for educational purposes it would be better to return to Salt Lake. Who knows what the future holds.

At least in 10 months my life will be mine and no longer tied to school and assignments. Yeah!!

Memorial Day!

2008-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

I actually have had a little time today cause class got cancelled and so I would like to do a little update for all those who are wondering. For memorial day I was in denver and spent time with Brock. We were able to go to the Denver Zoo and go boating up in Granby colorado with some of the friends we have met here in denver. School is back full swing with tests just around the corner. I have only 10 weeks left of my didactic year and then I am onto rotations. I have my first 12 weeks set in Denver and if all goes well I will be satying throughout the winter. I will be moving in auguest to Denver colorado where I will be starting my rotations. Things with Brock are going well. We are just really taking time to get to know each other and we think that eliminating the long distance will be benificial for the two of us. I am looking forward to the summer sun and the studying by the pool. i am sure that will help decrease the depressed mood I have been developing with always being inside studying. i miss the great out doors!! I do have to say that when I do graduate I will probably never set foot on an eliptical with a book again! Blahhh!

Yes... I am still alive!!

2008-03-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

O.K. I know that it has been way too long and that many of you have been wanting to know what I have been up too. To tell you the truth my life is still the same old, same old! School is crazy as ever and Brock is in Colorado!Over the past few months or at least since I have had an update, i have spent most of my time with my face in the books. i did attend my white coat ceremony in January which seams all to crazy to me. My grandfather came and it was a treat to have him there. He has a huge love for people in the medical field and I could sense his excitement throughout the evening. As far as school goes...I am getting so burned out of being in the little basement room with four rows of tables and 36 individuals. not having windows for the past year has been almost unbearable. I have one semester left before I start my internships in the hospital. I can not wait. i have 6 finals left for this semester but who's counting.
Over the past three months I have been able to go to Colorado to visit Brock about twice a month. He is just trying to adjust to the crazy life of working for KPMG or should I say getting use to not having a life working for KPMG! The two of us are still finding a little time for US in between all the hectic life's activities! He will finally be in town for conference weekend and both he and I are excited.
I have recently started a new job thanks to Amberly croft. I am able to take a break from my studies every Monday evening and teach a tumble/cheer class at her studio. It is one of my favorite activities of the week.
Last Thursday I was able to (for about 2 1/2 hours) forget about my studies and participate in an activity I think that rest of the world has been enjoying for a while. I spent about an hour straight playing Rock Band at Amberly's house. I loved every minute of it and just like Jacob warned me... it is addicting! I loved it, even though I was horrible at it. i think that Amberly's little girl scored better then me in every instrument!
I know that it had been way too long and I apologize about it! I will try to update more often!

(sorry about my spelling! i wrote this really fast!)

Let's here it for ALYESKA!!

2008-01-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Just got home and boy was it a vacation to just die for. I have come to find that in my life the vacations that I truly come to love and enjoy are those where I try to fit right in with the locals. Alaska was all about that. I was able to stay in the small town of Girdwood (about an hour south of anchorage) in a little 400 square foot condo with my girlfriend from the PA program Darcie and her boyfriend Chris. The condo was right by the lift and so we just skied from the door to the lift. I don't think life could get any better. Within the space of 6 days I enjoyed 4 days on the slopes, one day back country, two movies at the blue tooth restaurant in anchorage, a Blues Travelers concert, fireworks, a 9 mile run, watching a tow truck pull someone away from two cars that it slid into, a fire down the hallway of the condo new years eve, 8 episodes of Grey's anatomy (which I am now addicted to!) and of course some amazing sleep (since it does not get light till about 10:30 am). Alaska is just an amazing place and if you love mountains, wild life and snow it is the place to be. I did get a few pictures but I just forgot my camera most the time. Now back in town I am getting ready for school that starts on Monday. Brock moved to Colorado this week and am going to go visit him before Mondays first day of school. I think that life just keeps moving forward at an extremely fast pace. I love it!!

I love the Holiday breaks!

2007-12-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

Just thought that I would do a little update since my last blog. I made it successfully through the last of the semester. i think that 8 finals in two weeks is enough to make anyone go insane. I am proud to say that I did not and I am now enjoying my break from school and just enjoying time at the hospital (I am working a little bit) and spending time with family and Brock. The recent snow fall has been amazing and I have been able to enjoy a little of it. Life at the Lawrence home has just been completely enjoyable and it is always fun to have family gathered around this Holiday season. Besides baking and just enjoying the festivities I am preparing myself for a trip to Alaska. I have been lucky enough to have a friend up there that is willing to let me crash at her place. It will be a week filled with skiing, skiing and more skiing. I will take as many pictures as possible. I wish all those who read this a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and hope that the holiday season brings much joy and warmth into your lives. I am grateful for close friends and family.

THANKSGIVING!!!

2007-11-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

I know that it has really been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. Friends tend to remind me when I see them on random occations and all I can say to them is "My life is the same day in and day out". It has been a while since I have even pulled out my camera. School has been going full force and finals are coming one right after the other (litterally)! With two and a half weeks left and six finals in that amount of time you all might realize that a Thanksgiving breaks was needed. From the pictures added to this entry you might notice that the dinner was held at my parents. To start the day off right I talked (they would say tricked) my brother and Brock Beal into doing our own little turkey trot. For Alden I knew that he was capible of the 7 mile run but would be a little rusty. Brock on the other hand was being tested on his running skill and wether or not he could catch up with me. (for those that do not know Brock - he and I have been dating for a little bit and I am extremely fond of the guy). He toltally passed the test and both boys held up pretty well the whole run. My whole family enjoyed the home cooked meal and the warmth of the family gathered together. Someone as you might notice enjoyed the company in spirit but allowed for laughing entertainment as his head bobbed back and forth. I do have to say that I love my family and the huge gatherings that take place this time of year. My nephew Josh pointed out to me and to the rest of the family how close we are and how important a husband and wife's relationship is towards the family unit. I could not agree more! I extremely happy with my life and all the joy that I have in it.

Crazy Couple of Weeks!

2007-09-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, how about a little update! Of course like usual my life goes forward with school. I have included a few pictures of what I get to do in class. Let's just say that I am really getting to know alot about my classmates. Probably more than I want to know. We have alot of fun finding out about all of our abnormalities and personal medical history. Besides school, I have had a couple really busy and emotional weeks. Besides that stresses of school I had to deal with the passing of my Grandmother Ruby Hansen. I loved my grandma with all my fault and it is so different for me to think that her time here on earth is through. She leaves behind my grandpa. They have been inseparable for the past 67 years. She had a beautiful funeral where she was honored for her life well lived. All of her children (4), grandchildren (30), great grandchildren (56) and great great grandchildren (17) were there to honor her. She is my hero! My brother Austin and wife Becca about one week later welcomed their new baby girl (Madalyn Ruby Lawrence). It really has been a wild couple of weeks along with my crazy dating life. I do have to say that I am not a dating fan. Being single and independent has it's benefits but dating is not one of them.

SUMMER FUN FOR A WEEK!

2007-08-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Finally I am able to get a vacation in and I am loving it. I have had the opportunity to visit my brother in California...southern California that is. I arrived here on wed. the 8th and have been able to do so much. First of all I must say that Alden has the greatest in laws in the world. They are the funniest family that jokes around day in day out. I laugh all the time and I feel like I fit right in. If I could find a family 1/2 as amazing as they are for my future in laws I would be the luckiest. The day that I got here everyone had to work. Jeff (Emily's little brother) picked me up from the airport and on the whole drive in I was trying so hard to convince Jeff to go to the U of U. (Austin you should be proud of me!) Since everyone was busy doing work and all I had Jeff drive me to the grocery store and I bought all the ingredients for sugar cookies. Jeff was the most excited about the cookies. He ate 13 of them that day. Emily's father Peter let me borrow his bike and I road to the beach. It took about 2 and a half hours but I loved it. I went to Huntington Beach. I should have worn regular shoes though. The flip flops just did not cut it on the bike.
My sister and here friend Patty came in town on Thursday morning and we hung out at laguna beach at the sawdust festival and then at Huntington Beach. For most visitors parking is one of the worst things in California but I was having the best of luck at every stop. At Huntington though I pulled the best parallel parking. Angie and Patty will attest to that. The only problem was the fact that there was a pole on the passenger side and so it required for Angie to crawl over to the drivers side. i got pictures of it. I have never seen Angie laugh so hard. i thought that we were going to have to pay extra for the car rental for cleaning expenses.
We did make it to Disneyland and that was a blast. We planned it out just right. Even down to what we would eat for lunch and what line we would eat it in. We chose Splash mountain and Angie and Patty got chicken tenders and fries. i on the other hand wanted a turkey leg. These things are huge and I love them. i put the turkey leg in my purse (you can see the blue top of the turkey wrapping in the picture) and I got in line. I then pulled it out and started naughing on it. I got so many funny looks and I am sure that people were thinking that my eyes were bigger then my stomach. Sometimes they are but not when it comes to turkey legs. I ate the whole thing down to the bones. i even had a black man from about 10 people back work his way up to me and ask me where I got it. Got to love the turkey legs.
Overall it has been a wonderful experience here. i plan to bike to the beach on both Monday and Tuesday and play surfer bum. i have no plans but to read and bask in the sun. School starts in a week and I better enjoy the last few days. I will be working the rest of the week but believe it or not I love working since I do not do it full time now.

SUMMER SEMESTER CLOSURE!

2007-07-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

YEAH.... really close to finishing my first semester of PA school. I can not believe how quick it has flown buy. I have had my head in the books quite a bit but I have enjoyed my summer also. I was able to make it up to Deer Valley the other day with my friend Peter and we had a great time enjoying the atmosphere. For those of you who have never done that before i encourage you to go. The scenery is beautiful and the entertainment spectacular. I have also been able to bake cookies, got to dinner, enjoy my bike and be able to hang out with family on occasions. Life has been really good to me and I notice many blessings in my life daily. I have the next few weeks off of school and can not wait. I am going to go back to work for a bit but a trip to California is included in that break. In the month of July I also moved wards. You know the Lord works in mysterious ways. I know that the change of wards was a blessing and my new ward is a perfect match for me and what I need in my life right now. I have met many new people and reaquainted with old friends.

STUDY TIME!

2007-06-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

I think that it is about time I update on the exciting events in my life. Right now it consists of STUDY, STUDY and more STUDY! I tell you... I never knew that there could be so much information taught at once. I find myself sitting in class or studying from 8 am to 7 or 8 pm everyday. If it wasn't for the two amazing girls I have become friends with, I think I would be going crazy. The two girls I met are Darcie, who is from Alaska and Andrea, who is from Colorado. Both girls have the exact personality as I do. We find many fun and exciting ways to study. Just last week we studied while on the eliptical. Andrea did a full history on me and I am sure that those around us got a kick out of our conversation as she asked me about my female areas and whether I have chalymdia, STD's, use contraception and so forth. We find ourselves funny. We have also come to realize that the pool side is a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy the summer and still quiz each other on our class material. My life is really on hold right now as I try to gain the knowledge needed for me to provide accurate care for my patients in the future. I am dating a little but no special someone insight. I am having fun and enjoying single college life.

Go UPAP (Utah's Physician Assistant Program)

2007-06-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

You know what? Never in my life did I think that I would be where I am right now. I never thought I would be going through this much school and furthering my education. I have offically been through two weeks of school and covered 15 chapters in BioChemistry and my final is on monday. I never knew my brain could hold that much information at once. I do have to say that I love the program. My biggest fear in starting was not being able to fit in and not finding good study friends. I know that I have been so blessed due to the fact that I have found two of the coolest girls that I know I was meant to meet. Life is so crazy busy but I love it. I have become a cafe junkie. i study there everyday for at least 4 hours. The sun looks great from the window. Life sure does surprise me. I love how it just follows it's course. I feel extremely blessed.

Ireland I am coming home!

2007-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

well, i am back from the Ireland and as you can tell from the picture it was a blast. I was able to spend two weeks with two frineds in Dublin. We traveled the whole country and spent many days in palaces. I loved the time off and now I am back home. Prepared for a long haul in the medical field. School is the only thing I see in the future right now!!