Becoming "TheAshleys"

 

Mike and I "met" online through a Christian website.  Every time someone asks about our story I always dread telling them the beginning because I can hear the "Oh Sugar Snap, she must be crazy!" before they even say it.  But in the end, it is our story.  We e-mailed back and forth for several weeks, daily, we are talking multiple e-mails a day!  I was in college in Florida and husband was in BUD/S (aka SEAL) training in California.  I don't think we could have been in more complicated circumstances.  I can still remember him asking for my phone number, talk about butterflies--even through an e-mail!  Husband is originally from the greatest state Massachusetts, so I'm expecting this thick, gorgeous, New England accent on our first phone call... like "Howsa it goin'" "Did ya park the cawr"... alas somehow I married the only man in the state of Massachusetts without an accent.  By the time that I finally flew out to San Diego to meet husband in person I already knew that I was crazy about this man. One e-mail lead to one phone call that lead to one flight to San Diego, that eventually lead to Mr. & Mrs. Mike Ashley on November 4th, 2007.

Here's a quick snapshot from our engagement session in June of 2007

Another very important part of TheAshleys, are our boys... Lenny & Squiggy!  I've had Squiggy since he was a tiny little pup, before we were "Ashleys", he even made the cross country flight with me!  Lenny is a result of husband needing a "man" dog.  They are our boys, they are spoiled beyond belief!  And in case you were wondering, yes their names are from the TV show "Laverne & Shirley."  :)

Now remember back to the beginning of this love story, husband was in training.  Well, he dropped from BUD/S and was stationed on the USS Boxer, which I'm pretty sure is the most deployed ship in the history of the WORLD!  Throughout our short marriage thus far (5 years in November woot woot!) we have gone through 3 deployments, that's right I said THREE.  Now don't get me wrong, I knew what I was getting into way before I said "I Do,"  deployments are by far the hardest thing I've ever been through.  Thankfully in September of 2010 husband became 100% civilian!  Which you know what that means... no more deployments! :)

 

If I've learned anything while "Becoming TheAshleys" it's this, enjoy every single second.  Our life is definitely not what we would have predicted, but God has been so good to us. This is our love story comprised of so many adventures that have brought us to where we are today, and I am so thankful to be married to my very bestest friend.  ;)