name.

as i began thinking about a new blog there were two names that kept coming to mind.
it was about a year and a half ago that i asked my grandpa if i could borrow my great grandma's journals.  she died when i was about 11, but growing up i always felt close to her.  [even though she was 80+ years older.]  we lived in my grandparents house right after i was born, while they were serving a mission in the philipines.  my great grandma carlow lived in the basement.  although i don't remember this time of my life, i have heard story after story from family members about how i loved being with grandma carlow.  about times i'd go visiting teaching with her and my mom.  and other really neat stories about the relationship we had.
so it was thanksgiving break and i asked grandpa if i could borrow the journals while i was home.  she was very good at writing, nearly every day.  as i began reading them i was struck by the first line of every entry.  "today was a beautiful day."  every.single.one.  i was amazed.  and it's stuck with me ever since.  that's the life i wanted to live.  a life where every day i could write in my journal "today was a beautiful day."  and so it became, my beautiful life.

there was another day, or night, in particular, i woke up and realized i had had another one of those "crazy blogging dreams".  [please tell me i'm not the only one that dreams about blogging...] but then i realized that in my dream i had made a new blog and it was called "the asay's adventures".  it wasn't crazy until i realized that yes, i was dating derek..but we hadn't even talked about getting married.  of course, it was something that i thought about and had definitely considered, but i wondered how creepy i was for dreaming about being married and making a blog of our life! [of all things. ha.] i kept it top secret. well, that i only shared with cousin nick.  i told him my thoughts about the new blog [after derek and i were engaged] and he said "oh no ash....don't make one of those crazy 'married crafty lady blogs.'"  and so i am.  not in spite of him of course, but because i remember how silly i felt about my dream. but how deep down i secretly loved it.

so here we are.  beautiful life. and the asay's adventures.  welcome.