Wedding Pictures

Most of you have already seen our wedding pics, but just in case you want more http://www.manuelcrespo.net/weddings/campbell

can't sleep

I'm waiting for my car to be fixed. weird I know, but they're open until midnight. I may just pass out and pick it up tomorrow. I should work on homework, grade papers, or fold clothes, but I'm not. I dusted tonight and made homemade pizza, oh, and I cried a little. it's just been an emotional week. there have been some ups and downs. the funniest thing did happen this week....a girl PEED in my classroom. full-fledged pee. and it stank! I wanted to laugh so hard. my laughter turned into tears. ironically, i have had problems with incontinence the past few weeks. I had to go to the doctor on monday for it after i had to race out of Kinko's last week because of it. Fortunately I left before anything could happen among 10 strangers. my students sat in her pee and left a puddle of yellow on my floor. nice! i just don't get it.
i got my name changed. i don't think i really thought about what this means. i am no longer Ashlea Jean Wichita. it feels good to have my husband's last name, but it's just weird to have the identity i've had for 27 years vanish. I struggled with whether I should be Ashlea Wichita Soupl, Ashlea Jean Wichita Soup or Ashlea Jean Soup. I chose simple over tradition and did Ashlea Jean Soup. I like the initials AJC (haha stalker now you know my last name isn't Soup! it's all a rouse!)
i won some cool prizes in the NCAA Big Brackets contest that I entered. I won an IPOD nano, Boulevard wheat glass, hat and sticker and KC Wizards tickets. Pretty cool! It was like getting another wedding gift! so definitely some highs this week
and from my earlier blog you can tell I've been missing Philip like crazy lately. don't know why but i do. i know I need to do a better job of dealing with my emotions, but man. i just don't know how sometimes. you know?
i did discover somehing or should i say someone that makes me extremely happy. CHER! I absolutely love her and her music. I've always been a big Cher fan, but lately she's been on my XM a lot (no coincidence...I programed her into the system) Tonight I jammed to "Dark Lady" as I drove to the Volkswagen repair shop to fork over $300! The other day "Half-Breed" came on the radio. I personally connect with that song. I feel like she captured the mixed-girl's emotions. Some other faves include: "Shoop-Shoop," "Heart of Stone," "If I could Turn back Time!""Believe" "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" Classics. I think I'm going to buy a greatest hits album with my $5 Amazon.com gift card that I got for filling out five reviews on the WeddingWire. well now I'm tired. off to bed I go!

Tomorrow is birthday breakfast! yay!
"If I could reach the stars I'd give them all to you"-Cher If I could turn back time

i used to...

i used to have time
i used to be single
i used to sleep alone
i used to go work out
i used to make meals for one
and pretend it was fun
i used to have a cousin

now i have no time
now i am married
i sleep with two dogs
i seldom work-out
i make meals for two
and as fun as it is
i still miss him

and i realize now it's okay to move on
it's okay to miss him
it's okay to celebrate
it's okay to be happy

it's okay to be who i need to be...

just one of those days where I feel blah. missing Philip. I got pictures of Willie from Basic Training sans mohawk. I'm so proud of him. It was good to see him and to know he's okay. I know Jessica (his wife...not my cousin...well she is my cousin now, but not Philip & Willie's sister Jessi) is having a hard time. she won't see him until December and that's when they have their official wedding ceremony. It reminds me of when Murad and I first dated. I felt agony for the months he was away and I never ever want to go through that again. Our life is SO good now and sometimes I feel guilty that Philip isn't here. I feel guilty that he can't see his little brother get married. I sometimes feel as though we should all stand still. It's just a feeling I get every now and then. I know I shouldn't stand still, but it is hard sometimes. It's hard not to wonder how things would be if he were still here. it's hard not to wonder who i would be. it's hard not to wonder who he would be.

Easter and other updates

Another Easter has come and gone. I spent my first Easter as a married woman alone. Murad went to visit a friend in KC and then visited Abby in Meade. Although, I missed him, I know he needed to go. I had a great time with friends. On Friday, I went to my first ever crawfish boil at my friends Kristin & Sammy's house. Sammy's family and Kristin's brother were in town from Louisiana. It was great to just hang out, EAT and celebrate Good Friday. My friends from work and I got to hold our first crawfish (they're still alive until you cook em.) We tried to make them fight, but I think they were frightened. So was I. Those little pinchers look like they hurt!
On Saturday, I enjoyed a day of cleaning and laundry. On Sunday I went to my favorite brunch place, Iron Cactus. Ironically Iron Cactus is just down the street from DAC and Hotel Indigo, so I got to relive that as we drove down the street. Christina, her friend Teresa and I enjoyed a wonderful brunch buffet full of waffles, omelets, salmon, pasta, and of course, bottomless mimosas! My favorite! It truly was a great day. Even though I wasn't with family, I still was able to celebrate with friends. I'm so thankful for the life I have here in Dallas. It truly is our home.
On another note, Easter always signals the end of the school year. TAKS is just around the corner and tomorrow marks the first day of the last six weeks! Abby will be here soon and I can't wait to hang with her. She'll go to the City of Richardson camps again and I found a dance camp that runs for half a day for a week in July. It's just around the corner, so I'm excited. When she's not in camp, she and I will hang out, do crafts, lay by the pool and READ! My goal is to get her reading some chapter books this summer. My good friend Elaina (fake librarian, but actually the real librarian) suggested Junie B. Jones and Cam Jansen books. I loved to read with my parents when I was a kid, so I hope Abby will too!
I leave you with a pic Murad took of Abby and her sister Lexie. We bought their Easter dresses this year (okay, so Abby's is just her rehearsal dinner dress, but we still bought it). I think they look SO CUTE! Almost makes me wish I had a sister....almost! I'm glad I don't!
I'll post some pics of our other children soon. Maya is just chillin' on the guest bed as I type this and Sam is playing with a toy on the floor. Typical day in Campbell household!

Guess Who's back?

It's my daddy! Well, actually it's his voice. For those of you who don't know, my dad had a brain tumor removed August 2002. The tumor was benign, but rather large and in an imoportune spot (his brain stem). To remove it, we had to travel to Little Rock, AR and my dad endured an almost 15 hour surgery (if I remember correctly). However, his journey did not end there. As a result of the surgery his vocal chords never regained their power and his mobility and balance were affected. Each year, we learn a way the brain tumor has affected his health and as a result, my dad will have to retire on his birthday this year. I think the one thing that has been hard on him is not having his voice. My dad was a DJ back in the day (that's how he scored my mama) and he always read the scriptures at church. He hasn't done that since 2002! He wasn't able to give a speech at my wedding.

So today, he had vocal chord injections. I'm not sure what the process is, but I can already tell a difference in his voice. It's clearer and doesn't sound as raspy. I can actually understand him!

The news just lifted my mood! I'm hoping everything continues to go well! Everything else is going well for us right now!

We get our professional pictures back on Monday! Woo-hoo! I'm so excited!

My goal for this year is to save money! I'm getting older and I'd like to own a home by the time I'm 30. Good goal, right? I know things will be easier once we have 2 incomes, but I might as well save now and pay down my credit card! I've been reading a lot about homeowning and with the market the way it is we'll need 3%-20% down payment and 3-6months in savings. Kinda scary, but we can do it! I know Murad is a little scared of it all (or a lot scared!), but we want kids in a few years, so we need a place to raise em. Even if we don't buy soon, it'll be good to have more in savings. We'll need it for vacations as we always take trips to New Jersey at Thanksgiving and we're going to Punta Cana, DR with our wedding party in March 2010! I'm so excited! I know it seems weird to post all this on my blog, but i know if i post it, I'll hold myself accountable. I like to take my time when I do things. People wondered why Murad and I had such a long engagement. Well, it was because I wanted to get the best deal for our families and us. I hate overpaying for things. Plus, I wanted a nice wedding and wanted to make the things for our wedding. It's just in my Kansas nature, I guess. We don't pay for things. We do them ourselves!

Well, I need to play with my Excel spreadsheet a little more and feed my babies! I'll post wedding pics on Monday!

Murad's favorite wedding gift

He loved the video games he received, but his XBox 360 is acting up, so he can't play them. However, he has made some great smoothies in the meantime! We received a very nice blender as one of our wedding gifts. Yesterday he made the greatest mango/strawberry/orange smoothie! Yummy! I think I can get used to the smoothies, if he just cleans up afterward!

Last night he and I headed to the West End for date night. We kind of splurged at a nice steak house called the Butcher Shop. It was the best steak he's had. I had the salmon with shrimp and asparagus! I told Murad that asparagus was the one thing that was missing from our wedding dinner. So, I guess we made up for it two weeks later. We enjoyed walking around last night. I love this honeymoon period!

Well, Murad had his interview with Baylor Friday. He got into the internship program a few weeks ago, so the interview was just a formality. I'm so proud of him for getting in the internship. It is extremely difficult to get and it is an extremely difficult internship. They are basically training you to work in their hospital. So, after he graduates he has a job if he wants. Of course, his first goal is to get his doctorate in psychology, but he's also considering getting an MSW. He could do most of the same things with a MSW as a psychologist. It would only take him one year vs. five and he could work while doing it. So, we'll see where this road takes us. We've got lots of options and an exciting road ahead of us.

Well, I will graduate next month with my second master's degree. After 17 months in the program I've decided I do not want to become a principal. It just isn't for me. I think the degree will definitely help me right now and in the future. I've learned so much about policy, administration and school law. I eventually would like to move into administration either in the Language Arts department or At-Risk department. I really like coordinating the at-risk program at my school. I've learned a lot this school year. If either of those goals don't pan out, I wouldn't mind teaching at a community college. However, for now I like being in the classroom. Sometimes the kids really get on my nerves, but sometimes they say the most clever, funny things. Sometimes, just sometimes, they actually enjoy reading and writing. But let's not kid ourselves, most of the time they hate it! I'm competing with television and the internet!

Happy Birthday, Ryan

23 years ago my little brother was born! Much misery has ensued since. Just kidding! I love you little bro!I posted a picture of Ryan and his beloved blankie. I'm pretty sure he still has it!

Some Dance Shots

Wedding Pics

I need to create a shutterfly account and post them there. However, for now they are here. So deal!