The Longs Are Officially Sick

Sorry I have been rather absent in the past week or so. I have been sick - and still am!

The coughs, sinus headaches, congestion, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, slight fever, sneezing, and just plain not feeling good have gotten the best of me.

Poor Phillip has braved this with me - only to find himself feeling a little bad starting this afternoon. Are we embarking on our first co-sick season? He NEVER gets sick. But leave it to me to test his limits. Poor guy had to stay up the whole night with me last night with my hourly coughing spells. Am I to return the favor soon?

Getting better every day but feeling like this is dragging on...

Growth, Opportunity, Love, Friendship, and Change

Today is a day celebrated across the country. Happy thanksgiving!!!

I live this holiday for many reasons. It's a time for family and reflection. It's when everyone across the country celebrates together with the same traditions (combine with the flare of their unique interpretations). I get to spend time with my loved ones and be thankful for all I have.

I am thankful for: growth, opportunity, love, friendship, and change.

Kingman is in the Past

EPCA told me today I was their top candidate for the position in Kingman. It was great to feel wanted.

And weird to turn them down.

Yes you read right. I have been painfully job searching for over a year now and have turned down a job. Who am I!?

We said no for many reasons. The job wasn't 100% what I had hoped for. There was a whole lot of travel required. Phillip would have hardly any opportunities. It is simply too far away.

Thank you for being so loyal to me throughout these passed couple weeks. It's been an interesting ride and I'm glad to have some of my future settled and less uncertain.

P.S. please continue emailing me if you want to keep following me. I'm going to change the settings December 1st.

Privacy Settings Change

After over 500 blog posts through this “open” website, I have decided to break down and make this blog more private. It will give me a chance to be more honest with you readers and have more freedom of expression.

All you need to do is send my an email to the following address. Let me know what email address you would like to use to read the entries, and I will “invite” you to continue to follow me.

ashleylong@swbell.net

Please everyone feel free to email me. I would love for any/all of you to keep up to date with our lives as newlyweds. Hope to hear from all of you soon!

Ashley (and Phillip and Murphy)

Home is Where Your Heart Is

You know that feeling you get when you have made a big decision? One that will change your path in life? It's relief mixed with sadness, anxiety, and excitement.

As I look out the window here in Kingman, those feelings surface.

We will not be moving here.

The reasons include a lot of things. The job doesn't seem like a great fit for me - a grueling interview felt more like an intervention than welcome committee. We can't justify moving this far from family. The town doesn't have enough to offer.

It's beautiful out here though. Life is simple and clean. There is definitely something refreshing about that. Makes you wish you could live your life like all the residents here do - one minute at a time.

But we will not be moving here. Pending details after thanksgiving, I will accept that new job and begin a new chapter. I will have to turn down the graduate program I was accepted into in order to pursue another direction with graduate school. We will leave behind the adventure of moving 1000 miles away in favor of happiness and love for the area we grew up in... The area we love... Home.

So that's the update folks. A long and crazy November came in like a lion and will go out like a lamb. I'm ok with this. I feel like we have made great progress as professionals and as a couple making big decisions on our own.

Thank you all for your continued support. :)