San Diego....

Hola Mi Amigos y Familia-

So, today I spoke with the patient coordinator who is in charge of all our travel arrangments. We are flying into San Diego, California on May 19th...and then we drive 90 minutes, across the border...to Calexico/MexiCali, Mexico! I have always wanted to go to San Diego, and even though this is not a trip for "fun" I think that we should take in the city a bit! So for anyone and everyone who may be reading this....and has been to San Diego, or even just wants to go to San Diego..tell me what I should do while I am there! I only have a day and a night...so it can't be too time consuming...We have considered going to the San Diego Zoo---We have heard it is AMAZING!! :) So help me out friends..Yo necessito tu ayuda con eso! Do you like my spanish? HAHAHAH! I need all the practice I can get.....

San Diego or BUST!! :)

Ashley D. Gossett

Laughter is the best medicine....

Hey Friends-

Humor has always been a good friend of mine! It followed me thorough most of my life--I was in fact voted in highschool "Best Sense of Humor!" (Yay, for me..someone give me a prize, right?) I think my sense of humor originated from my very funny mother! Most of the time, my family and I, laugh to keep from crying..but we usually just laugh so hard--that we cry! :) Lately, I have found great satisfaction in humor...Some of the aspects of my up-coming surgery can be kind of serious and quite frankly just down right akward..A great example of this is having an EKG done by "Jose, the EKG Tech. Pro of the Year." Who basically has to feel you up! Yeah, akward! I know! How do you talk to someone in that situation? Well, if you are like me...YOU DON'T! You just get a good laugh about it...and go one with life! I guess that is my motto for life (or atleast it should be...maybe) and it has really set the standard for how I deal with the "tough times." Have you ever met someone that couldn't laugh at themselves or laugh at anything in general? I have, many times--I even lived with a few in college! Aren't they just the most jaded and depressed people ever? There is nothing wrong with laughter.....So, I say all of this to show you this video..that I find very funny! I don't know why...My family thinks it's soo stupid! BUT I JUST LOVE IT! And whenever I am having a bad day..I always watch this video...and I am reminded to STOP TAKING MYSELF SO SERIOUSLY AND JUST ENJOY LIFE!! So enjoy!

Click on this link to watch the video! It's soo funny! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb2tztSqCHYh?v=jb2tztSqCHY

Laughin' my butt off (I wish :),

Ashley D. Gossett

Breakin' up w/ Lime Tostitos & Little Debbie Snacks...

Hey Friends-

So, there are few things in life that I enjoy more than Lime Tostitos and Little Debbie Snacks...I have loved Little Debbie snacks since I was just a little girl....We got them after every softball game with the little juice drinks..(Does anyone else know what I am talking about) To this day, I can eat a Little Debbie snack and be reminded of when I was younger....no bills, college, etc! Lime Tostitos was a new found love from the early "college days." My second semester at BYU-Idaho, my room-mate (Abby Hogan) loved them....She ate them not by the bags, but by the TRUCK LOADS!! It wasn't long until I too ate them by the TRUCK LOADS...She was able to store them a little better than me, I think...Because it didn't take very long until I looked like the "TRUCK" that delivers the chips to the stores...HAHAH! So, why am I breakin' up with Lime Tostitos and Little Debbie Snacks? Well, it's just time...and ofcourse I am having Gastric Bypass surgery in 5 and half weeks...(not that I am counting or anything..43 days, 6 hours, and 32 minutes until our flight leaves for MEXICO!) and will be completely changing every association or thought I have ever had with food! So, now I bid you farewell....It was fun while it lasted, though it lasted much too long...HAHAHAH! Though, I will soon be losing HUNDREDS of pounds...I can never lose my sense of humor! Sorry this post was kind of a waste of God given space & time..

:),

Ashley D. Gossett

6 WEEKS & A PASSPORT!!

Hey Friends-

So we are getting close to my life-changing trip to San Diego/Mexico for surgery! Yesterday, my mom and I went and applied for our passports, since Mexico now requires that anyone traveling to their country present a passport at the time of travel! BIG INCONVENIENCE!! For those of you who might not know, my mother was actually born in England..in a small town/air force base outside of London. This has NEVER been a problem or trouble for us in the past....little did we know that would soon change. Since she had to apply for a passport to come with me for surgery, we had to find her proof of citizenship...or her "naturalization papers." We searched and searched for them, but had no such luck! We thought for a minute that we were just totally screwed (for lack of a better word..) We had already booked our flights, hotel stay, etc...and without proof that she was a U.S. citizen, she would not get a passport..which means she could not be there with me for my surgery! My mother did have her mother's & father's birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc....So we just said a little prayer and decided that we would go to the office and see what could be done! I am pleased to announce that she and I got our PASSPORTS!! Well, we didn't technically get them that day...they will be mailed to us in 2 weeks! After hours of paper work, 2 mug shots, and $400 later.....we are good to go! MEXICO, HERE WE COME!

Estoy hablando en espanol.el fin. adios amigos.

Ashley D. Gossett :)

May 21,2009.."The Big Day" (No, I am not getting married!)

Hey Friends,

My plane ticket has been purchased. My bags are packed. I am ready to go. But where you may ask? Well, I am flying to San Diego, California on May 19th along with my mother...and then on May 21st, I will finally have the GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY! I have known about this for 3 months now, but wanted to wait to officially announce it until all the details were more solid...And they are very very solid now! I am so excited and nervous all at the same time! I truly want to be healthier.....I know at the rate I am going now my life will be drastically shortened if I don't do something? I often get the question, "Well, are you scared?" My usually reply (only for laughs) is.."Well, I wasn't until you asked!" HA! Friends, the truth is I am scared....but I am more scared to live this way! At some point you have to decide if the risk is worth the reward....and in this case it completely is worth it to me! There will be many hard days ahead of me...some that I will likely feel I can not bare...but it's in those moments when we realize who watches over us and carries us.....and we also gain knowledge about ourselves, our Creator, and life that can not explained----there are no words that could even begin to explain how we feel or what we know....I am so very grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who sees fit to bless me with a surgery that is quite costly but will SAVE MY LIFE!!! I am indebted eternally to him for all that I have, all that I will ever have, and then some. Thanks for everyone who has ever incouraged me, prayed on my behalf, or just simply said a kind word to me....I appreciate it all!

:),

Ash

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz!!

Hey friends,

It has been so long since I updated this thing! Anyone that truly knows me, wouldn't hesitate to say that I am a HUGE UTAH JAZZ FAN!.....So, naturally when they come to Memphis (not far from my house) I would def. be there to cheer my team on to yet another victory! My mom, sister, and I went to see the Utah Jazz play the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN! We had a blast...and OFCOURSE the JAZZ WON!! :) We rarely get the chance to spend time together as a family because of our busy schedules...so we really appreciate rare moments like this where we can leave work/school at the door and just spend quality together...

#1 Utah Jazz fan,

Ashley D. Gossett

Rest In Peace,My Friend----Colte Benson

Hey Friends,

On December 27th one of my good friends shot and killed himself. I have known him since I was 5 years old! He was a wonderful human being. He lived his life the way he wanted to and didn't care what others thought---which is something that not many people actually ever do in this life. He accepted EVERYONE for who they were! Colte was an AMAZING guitar player----I have often wished that I could play HALF as good as he could! He will be greatly missed but I am grateful that I was able to meet him during my time here on earth! I am also grateful for my sound knowledge in and of the gospel of Jesus Christ that helps us get through the tough times!

See you on the other side,

Ash

"CATCH UP" on my life....

Hey Friends (and anyone else who might actually read this)-

So I haven't posted a blog...in a LONG time! Life has been super duper crazy! I took a quick trip to New York City....and met with a doctor about the gastric bypass surgery! I had never been to NYC before....it was AMAZING! It was freezing cold in the city...but that didn't keep the MILLIONS of people walking in Times Square away...The taxi rides were insanely crazy! They drive way too fast......Everything in the city is at light speed......It's completely different than living in the country,where time crawls by you...My sister, Emily and I, took a trip to Salt Lake City and Rexburg, Idaho in November...It was soo good to see some of my old friends whom I love sooo much! It was also cool to look at housing options for Emily (she starts school at BYU-Idaho in May) I remember how it felt to be a new freshman...in a new place...with new people..and new opportunities--It brought back a lot of memories! Thanksgiving was really good this year...We had a family get together...more than just one of them....the food was great, however I did get insanely sick with the stomach virus....so sad! Christmas was great for our family! The Lord has blessed us so much this past year....it's seriously unreal! We did our annual "family picture and letter!" We had 3 Christmases.....SO MUCH FOOD! My surgery date has been moved to March....for a thousand different reasons....but I am just looking forward to getting it over with!

YAY! It's 2009! :D,

Love...lots of love,

Ash