The Appraiser's Wife

Monday, November 26, 2007

listed below

for the past few weeks i've really gotten into reading postsecrets.com, below are just a few postcards.

my websites

so something i find completely interesting, and addicting is a website called postsecrets.com, here are just a few

Thursday, October 11, 2007

new updates!

hi friends & family!

my goal this week is to update our "blog" so check back in a few days!

love,
Ryan & Ashley

Monday, September 3, 2007

We had nursery duty at church today with some friends. We each had a child to “man.” Ryan was lucky and got this sweet adorable little girl who was an angel. Her name was Leslie (like from the sound of music) he tried to pronounce it but it came out as leslie, lesel, lesiel until us girls (who are very familiar with the movie) corrected him. :-) Ryan has self admitted he is terrible at remembering a new name especially if he doesn’t already know someone who has the same name. For instance when we first started dating he didn’t already know another Ashley, and he had to think a minute every time to remember my name. (he told me this after we were engaged.) so to remember this little girls name, later on that day he shared with me how proud he was for remembering her name. I asked him how…and he responded "I thought of something it rhymed with, weasel.” :-)

Sunday, September 2, 2007

netflix

had it a little over a month, love it!

"about me" -Ashley

this is a little paragraph "about me" ryan's coming soon...

i am a down to earth girl who grew up on a farm and fell in love with a simple, hard working small town boy. i truly believe a smile can change someone’s day. I love getting up in the morning. i love chick flick films. Fall is the best season, period. i love surprising ryan, although i don't like surprises myself. I have small feet. My husband is my best friend. i really miss my sister who is living overseas. i love deep conversations. My family is very important to me. My boppa (grandpa) is one of my best friends. I am a very black & white thinker, which is both good and bad. I got my moms laugh, and my dad’s opinionated thoughts. I am always thinking. i am starting to really like reading. I have been blessed with the best husband. I love bonfires. I could spend hours reading quotes. I love to be around people, but don't like big gatherings. I research the heck out of anything new I try. A good song is an amazing find. When I was five I stole a piece of bubble gum from the grocery store and my mom made me go back and apologize. in some areas of my life I am anal on being organized and others I fly by the seat of my pants. I’ve been a waitress for eight years, and somedays I like it. I have a lot of friends but only a few close friends, of which I’d do anything for. I start listening to Christmas music as soon as it gets below 40 degrees. I love getting a hand written note. I love making someone’s day. i love to day dream about our future family, but am not ready for motherhood just yet. I have to do things in order. I am a creative thinker. I don’t like heights, but I did as a kid. And most of all I love the Lord.

Monday, August 13, 2007

4 thing i bet you didn't know about the houck's

1.) Ashley is a walking advertisement for a cleaning product called Grease lighting, you can only get it at lowes, its the BEST. http://www.glblast.com/products/Default.aspx

2.) Ryan doesn't like ice in his pop. he'd rather have it VERY cold from the fridge

3.) since purchasing our two rental properties we disagree about 95% of the time, but don't make any decision unless the other is on board 100%

4.) we are obsessed with the Lion King soundtrack. it has to be playing for us to clean.

Don’t pray for a lighter load. Pray for a stronger back

Monday, August 6, 2007

life after august 1 2007

To say the past year has been tough would be an understatement. Trying to get two businesses up and running (Appraising and property management) to a point where it’s making money is not easy, nor should it be. Nothing easy doesn’t come with a lot of work, a lot of prayer and a lot more work! Ryan & I joked a lot this past year how we’re living our dream and nightmare at the same time. Last July we bought 628/630 garnet. We lived in one side and completely remodeled the upstairs. I don’t think anything was the original when we moved out. It took us 11 months to complete with putting in 85 plus hours (between our jobs and the duplex) for the last month and a half. Including an all-nighter the night before the new tenants moved in. We certainly couldn’t have done it without our family & friends who REALLY stepped up to the plate and helped us out when we needed it the most. There were many times Ryan & I questioned our sanity in doing this. Then this June we purchased another duplex located right behind the east Hy-Vee here in Ames. So, that’s where were at right now. We’ve learned so much this past year about ourselves, God’s grace, love, and working hard for your dream. Was it worth it? All the late night hours, time and commitment? Absolutely.