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Archive: March 2010

19 Posts

baby’s got a new blanket {LeytonSmiles}

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6 {as in I have a six year old}

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she’s been worried that I am getting bored

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yawning…all week

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About me

Alongside my husband and 5 kids, I'm a fan of hometown roots and passport stamps. Our days revolve around the idea that building tables is better than building fences, cookies should be shared, and adding more color is always good.

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underthesycamore

BUDGET TRAVEL TIP: Pay attention to where students

BUDGET TRAVEL TIP: Pay attention to where students grab after-school snacks. They often lead you to a local spot with prices that fit budget travel.

It sounds a little funny, but in reality, we discovered some of our favorite foods around the world by watching where students ate after school. Most of the communities we visited were walkable instead of car-based. The majority of residents (including students) walked everywhere, so it was easy to notice when classes let out, and students flocked to a usually nondescript, budget-friendly spot to grab a meal or snack.

This approach led us to discover Lahmacun (a Turkish flatbread pizza) in Cappadocia, Türkiye. Everett found a recipe for it this week and took over the kitchen, bringing back fond memories of how the best food recommendations came not from Instagram but from those using pocket change and carrying school bags.

They run to each other every time they’ve been a

They run to each other every time they’ve been apart. ♥️

12/2023 “The guesthouse came with complimentary breakfast each morning and a cat smitten with Evann. I lived my best life waking up to pad thai; and Evann lived hers sneaking the cat into our shared room. It was only an issue when she forgot one day and locked it inside, unbeknownst to the owners or us. At lunch, several blocks away, her eyes grew big with panic when she remembered the cat asleep on her bed. We laughed (knowing the owners adored her like she adored their pet), quickly finished our meal, and rushed back to find the cat quietly exploring our room. No harm was done, but no more sneaking the feline into our room. Evann continually reminded us once we returned home that we promised she could get a cat.” Excerpt from the “Thailand” chapter of my book.

I walked into Spanish tutoring with a paper full o

I walked into Spanish tutoring with a paper full of questions like, “When do I use ‘muchas’ instead of ‘muy’?” My Colombian tutor smiled and graciously walked me through all my questions. I might have also convinced her to make me empanadas when I pulled up a video of my family salsa dancing at a hostel.

The next day I met up with a friend at a local coffee shop. She is a wildly talented creative, also born in Colombia. Being in her presence is like sitting in the sunshine. I watched as she prayed over our barista, who shared her story of recovery from addiction and building a life after incarceration. Holy ground.

A couple days later my friend from Mexico took my hands in hers as she relayed the difficulties she is walking through and told me, “Life must be celebrated no matter what happens.”

As I think back to each interaction, I feel immense gratitude for the gift of sitting at those tables. How cool is it that the world fills my community?! All I have to do is pull up a chair or extend an invitation to experience its beauty.

A dreary sky spat at me while heading inside to ta

A dreary sky spat at me while heading inside to take a Spanish test in a new-to-me building. The massive asphalt parking lot and rows of cars struck me, and my mind wandered back to places where warm sun dabbles cobblestone streets and train stations outnumber parking lots. I sighed, wishing to be in one of those places - they felt light, communal and welcoming.

Stepping into the building, I looked the part of a lost older student. Noah, an 18-year-old who sits next to me in class, started waving at me from a distance. He was watching out for me, helping me find my way. As I approached, he beamed with pride, “I drove by myself for the first time!”

When I left, I saw the parking lot differently. It was where Noah pulled in after his first solo drive - a black field of milestones and celebrations for him and countless other students.

I love a good gut-punch reminder of how taking the time to get to know others and celebrate their wins can completely change my perspective.

*I changed his name for privacy

I don’t have a plan for it, but I now own 200 sq

I don’t have a plan for it, but I now own 200 square feet of blue tile and a couple of boxes of cement tile - thanks to a contractor’s friend, who convinced him to list it on FB marketplace instead of tossing it.

For $100, I scored about $1500 of tile. When I found the deal, I knew two things: I wanted more tile in my house and liked this shade of blue (it reminds me of Morocco & Mexico). Those made it easy to confidently move forward despite not having a plan. Thankfully, Chris smiles and encourages my ‘I’ll figure it out’ approach.

Now, I am walking around the house, pausing, and asking myself, “Would I like this wall blue?”

A year ago today, Breese and I spent an afternoon

A year ago today, Breese and I spent an afternoon crafting at a nearby high school with a handful of students - all who call another country their first home. We hot-glued fabric, snapped group photos, and stood in awe of the bravery of the young women around us as they tackled a new language, a new culture, and a new home. I smiled, watching their teacher (my friend) as she delighted in her students and created a sanctuary out of a classroom. One of the young women told us she didn’t have any friends outside of her local Afghan community despite being in the US for two years.

On that day, I wrote, “We acutely remember how it felt not knowing the language, culture, or anything apparent to everyone else (when in a new country). We remember what it was like to be easily recognized as ‘not from around here’ and be welcomed instantly with genuine joy and kindness. We’ve been home for eight months and are continuing to figure out what it looks like for us to be on this side of the welcome.”

The words I wrote a year ago still ring true today…I’m home, which means now I am the one that gets to experience the genuine joy of being on this side of the welcome. ♥️

The Notes feature in Google Maps is my go-to for k

The Notes feature in Google Maps is my go-to for keeping track of all things near and far. I use it to add links, recommendations, tips, contact info - anything and everything. While exploring a new location, it serves as a quick check to see if anything is nearby. It also makes it easy to find places all over the world I want to return. There is an option to create multiple maps, but I prefer one big world map. You can also add collaborators to your Maps and Notes.

My professor asked the class why we wanted to lear

My professor asked the class why we wanted to learn Spanish. In our class of about 20 students, everyone’s answer circled back to having someone in our lives we wanted to be able to talk to. There was a barista hoping to chat with customers. A service member aiming for connection while abroad. A young man with a fellow employee in mind. A teacher longing to connect with her new students. I was beaming as I listened to each student share.

Connection. Community. Building bridges across language barriers. Welcoming. Broadening our circles. Loving our neighbors. It is good to be back in the classroom.

I am thrilled to partner with @everlywell (#sponso

I am thrilled to partner with @everlywell (#sponsored ) to try their Women’s Health Test. Hormones and all the changes that come with this season of life are a constant conversation among my friends. While I am being intentional about eating well (hello protein), lifting heavy weights, sleeping, walking, and doing all the other recommended things, I also want to know what is happening inside my body. I am excited to get my test results and learn more about my hormonal health—things like whether I have any imbalances and what my cortisol levels are.

Use the link in my bio for more information on the at-home tests offered by Everlywell and to order your own.

Tonight, as I chopped onions and tossed spices in

Tonight, as I chopped onions and tossed spices in the crockpot, I thought about how easy it is to cook dinner with access to a knife and spices. During our year abroad, my pantry consisted of what I could fit into a little bag. Sometimes, our lodging had a knife, and sometimes, it didn’t even have a fork. From hostels to Airbnbs, every kitchen was different. Only twice were there dishwashers. The few times we had access to a washing machine, they were always found in the kitchen near the sink (something different from kitchens I’ve been in here). There were several overlooking the ocean and a couple outdoors.

What started as gratitude for my consistent kitchen at home quickly became missing the simplicity and ease of life that year. About two months into the trip, my days began to feel so light and freeing when all I had to manage and care for fit in a bag on my back. Though it is nice not carrying my pantry in a backpack, I’m grateful to have experienced those ever changing kitchens.

his week included two Spanish classes at our commu

his week included two Spanish classes at our community college, one class at my church, and a one-on-one tutoring session at the school (unlimited, free tutoring!). I’ve logged hours of homework and practice, yet it feels like I’ve made very little progress. However, this time next year, it will feel very different.

I’ve been asked why I enrolled in Spanish at our community college instead of using apps or online resources. Over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time on apps and gained skills in a few areas, but when it comes to conversation, I freeze. It is like everything I know flies out the window. I needed a more academic approach (give me the ‘why’ behind everything) and something that forced me to open my mouth and fumble through conversation. Added bonus - being back in a college classroom has been a lot of fun and I haven’t forgotten my reading glasses yet 👊🏼

In the years leading up to our trip, I checked out

In the years leading up to our trip, I checked out every single book in this section (travel) of my @mytccl library. Last night it dawned on me I could digitally add the spine of my book to the shelf - to see what it will look like. Can you spot mine?! Hint - it has tile, of course.

Did you know you can request for your library to order books? My library has the option online and in-person. As a budget-conscious library user, it means a great deal to me that it would be accessible to others. If you have a few spare minutes, a library card, and wouldn’t mind supporting me...here is the info most libraries need:

Author: Ashley Campbell
Title: I’ve Never Been Here Before
ISBN: 0736991050
Publishing year: 2025
Release date: August 5, 2025
Publisher: Ten Peaks Press

Breese and her “Filipina Besties” (as she lovi

Breese and her “Filipina Besties” (as she lovingly calls them).

An audio version of my book will be coming out. My publishing contract included that I could audition to be the narrator. I recently sent in my audition, reading a few paragraphs from the chapter about our time in the Philippines and these girls.

I quickly received word that the audio publisher would go with a professional narrator. While thinking about someone else’s voice telling my first-person stories is very strange, I also get it. We aren’t all made for everything. I have many author friends, and they have all narrated their audiobooks. I love hearing them tell their stories! Using the author is the priority, which tells me the fast decision signals that I shouldn’t set my sights on being a professional narrator 🤣. It is a bummer but also a good call for those listening. I will get to hear samples of the professional narrators and offer feedback. I’m hoping Jack Black is an option; he could do justice to a few of the stories😏.

I’m all about embracing the unknown and being un

I’m all about embracing the unknown and being uncomfortable with international travel. Bring it on! However, going back to college and trying to learn a new language two decades after I graduated—yikes. I got my student ID today and walked the campus to make sure the classroom exists, and I won’t live out the recurring dream that I’m wandering the halls and can’t find my class. New fear - I forget to pack my reading glasses.

The temperature dropped fast and furiously yesterd

The temperature dropped fast and furiously yesterday. Our church stands on a street surrounded by a large, unhoused population and it was bitterly cold. Hot coffee, donated baked goods, and outlets for charging phones welcome all of us each Sunday. I watched a couple unload bags of food and necessities from their car. Every week, they pass them out and greet their friends living in vehicles or on the streets. Another man ensured everyone knew an emergency shelter would open in a few hours - safety and warmth available. Two others were bent over the front of a car with the hood open and working together to get it started. I opened the door to my car, thinking about where I can fit into the story playing out in the parking lot, and grateful that my days included rubbing shoulders in this community.

December 31, 2023 5:16pm. In between prepping to

December 31, 2023 5:16pm.

In between prepping to host a big party, I typed my final words just before friends arrived.

In June of 2023, I struggled to settle back in at home after a year of travel - feeling very unsettled inside. I decided to write as a way to make it all make sense and gave myself a 6-month goal to put my thoughts about our trip into typed words. There was no one to hold me accountable. No one to check in. There was no one to keep me going when I asked myself, ‘What’s the point?’ A couple of paragraphs a day. A country a week. It felt impossible to finish by the turn of a new year, but a few words eventually became 85,991.

I met my goal, but more importantly I was able to process our trip and record those thoughts and memories for my family. I was proud and content.

Then a few weeks later, I found myself in the kitchen signing a publishing contract while my guys were goofing off nearby. You just never know.

The last year has been filled with working with the publisher on edits, deciding a title, approving a cover, selecting photos, emails with marketing, giving feedback on the layout and design, more editing, submitting an audtion to be the voice for the audio version, more edits, and so much more. Each week, I learn a new part of the publishing process. Each week, I can’t believe I wrote a book.

Releasing August 5, 2025. (Available on Amazon for pre-orders now)

Looking back at videos from the year, two things s

Looking back at videos from the year, two things stood out…we are really active and really random 🤣 Happy New Year 🎉

One of my favorite traditions involves each of us

One of my favorite traditions involves each of us writing our hopes for the coming year on little slips of paper and tucking them into our stockings before we pack them away. Next winter, we’ll see what came true and what didn’t. We started in 2008, when our third son (Everett) was born. Some of the hopes written down have included:

* ____ will be potty-trained
* to make a new friend
* learn to swim by myself
* ride a horse
* catch bunnies and give them carrots
* get better at wrestling than Corbett
* do 15 pull-ups
* get a growth spurt
* fart 80 times a week
* make wiser choices
* $____ in savings
* get a 6-pack, then decide if it’s worth the work
* travel the world

100s of hopes. Some serious. Some whimsical. Some ridiculous. Some made of big dreams. All telling stories of where we were at that moment in time.

Over the years, we’ve created ‘gingerbread hou

Over the years, we’ve created ‘gingerbread houses’ made of graham crackers and hot glue, gingerbread, sugar cookies, and many other combinations. It changes almost every year. This year, I opted for “Christmas-related structures” made of cardboard and craft supplies. I wanted to be able to keep the final creations.

We ended up with Jack Skellington’s house, the Home Alone house, Gimbels from “Elf,” a Christmas castle, a beach hostal (different from hostel), the dinner cruise ship we took in 2022 in Bangkok, and the Airbnb I am going to visit in the future if my kids can’t come home for Christmas.

Hudson shot his “Nightmare Before Christmas” creation in front of a green screen and then turned it into a short video clip. I told him the video looked like the actual movie, and it was hard to tell it was the house he made out of cardboard, paint, and paper!

We bought lucha libre masks in Mexico. They almost

We bought lucha libre masks in Mexico. They almost didn’t make it home. It is a long story involving a delayed flight and our bag being flown back & forth between Dallas & Mexico for a week (we paid for a checked bag home, so we could shop a bit). When I shared this photo in my Stories, I was asked what my wrestling name would be. Such a fun question! I can think of names for my kids, but haven’t settled on one for myself. I’m working on it. Just in case…

If you were a masked wrestler, what would your name be? And if you’re up for it, share the why.

File this under “another random post by Ashley”

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