spring!

Today, we are celebrating new life. It is SO wonderful to see the first signs of spring and new life after a loooong a dreary winter. I enjoyed snapping some pictures tonight as we took Ollie for a walk. (I am loving the fact that I can actually walk after work without it being dark - thank you Daylight Savings!)



Today we are also celebrating a very special new life - our sweet niece!! Hadley Shannon was born this morning and we could not be more excited! We are thrilled to be an "official" aunt and uncle and can't wait to meet that sweet little face this weekend!!!!

great is thy faithfulness.

Obviously, I am not talking about my blogging skills which have been SERIOUSLY lacking the past few months. I love that the last post I actually wrote was about a Christmas card that I never sent out. Classic! I have great intentions about posting what is going on with us, but most of the time life gets in the way. Life is funny like that - isn't it?!

I took this picture one morning back in November and it is now the background on my computer. Whenever I see it, I am reminded of the hymn:

"Great is Thy faithfulness! 

Great is Thy faithfulness!  

Morning by morning new mercies I see; 

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided - 

great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

 

How true that is! As Aaron and I enter into this season of change and uncertainty about our plans for after his graduation, I am so comforted by the fact that our Heavenly Father is indeed faithful, that He promises never to leave us or forsake us, and that His plans for us are good.

christmas cards....

One of the things I LOVE about the holiday season is receiving Christmas cards from friends and family. Being a designer with a love for photography, I especially love cards with photos and great designs! One of my favorite cards that we received last year was a Shutterfly card from my cousin Laura....

So, I was totally pumped when I read about Shutterfly's awesome promotion they have going on right now. They are gifting 50 FREE Christmas cards to fellow bloggers who spread the word about their awesome 2010 Holiday card collection. If you aren't already familiar with Shutterfly you have to check them out! They have a GREAT selection of beautifully designed cards, along with many other awesome photo related products.

Sadly we have not sent out cards in the past, but this is definitely a tradition I would like to start and what better time to start than with free cards!!! I haven't completely narrowed down my favorite yet, but I am thinking about sending out this card with a ridiculously cute picture of Ollie:

Coming to the mailbox of family and friends shortly...

*For more information on the promotion check out this link - but hurry....the deal ends tomorrow, December 10th!

baby shower!

A few weeks ago Kara and I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for our dear friend Kristen. We had a fun time planning the party and thinking of ways to make our "southern belle" feel loved! Here are the invitations I "designed" (or knocked off from something I found online!)

We wanted the decor to be classy yet fun, so we decided to use a mix of our china along with Martha's tissue paper balls to add little pizazz..



We had a little bit of salty [mini meatballs, veggie pizza, savory (aka "Yankee") cheese spread, hummus]...



and a little bit of sweet! [sugar cookies, oreo truffles, mini cupcakes + punch]



We played a few games...



watched Kristen open presents...



and enjoyed our (kid-free!) time with each other. (You know you are at a Gulf Drive (seminary owned housing) baby shower when there are multiple pregnant people there...we had 5 - see below!)



Maren felt like she was missing out and made a brief appearance :)



Isn't Kristen adorable?!



Kristen and the clean up crew...



Mitch + Kristen - we love you guys and can't WAIT to meet Mary Louise!!

three-peat!

Aaron has played on my work's softball team for the past 2 years [they play in an Architect's + Engineer's league with about 20 other firms from around the city]. Softball has been a great way for Aaron to get to know my co-workers and also for me to get to know my co-workers' families! That being said, it is THE LONGEST season ever. It goes from April to mid September, and by about July I am ready for it to be over!

The past 2 years, our team has won the championship (which is quite a feat as it is a surprisingly competitive league!) Last year, the team was even undefeated. This year, however, was a bit different. We still had a winning record but definitely did not go undefeated and seemed to struggle to get enough players/subs each week. I think everyone was a little surprised that we actually made it to the championships again a few weeks ago!



It was a great game, and a lot of my company and their families came out to support the team!



The grill masters getting ready for the BBQ afterwards...



Coach J!

The youngest Gray fan - cutie pie Landon!



The game was a nail-biter and ended up going into extra innings. Thankfully, in typical Gray fashion, the team pulled out a whopping 5 runs in the last inning to clinch the title yet again! I think they were still a little in shock here that they actually won...



My co-worker Kami had to sit the season out for obvious reasons [Landon], but that didn't stop her excitement...

The talented team...



The team with their cheering section... from a 3 month old to an 80 year old and everyone in between!



And the celebratory BBQ afterwards...



What a great season!! GO GRAY and congrats on the three-peat!

apple pickin'

A few weeks ago our friends the Welborns invited us to go apple picking with them at Eckert's Farm just across the river in Illinois. We might have both brought our dogs with us :)

It was a little warm, and the dogs were much more interested in finding shade than they were in the apples.



It looks like a snarl, but I'm pretty sure he was having fun.



We might have eaten an apple or two along the way...



 There is just something about eating an apple right off of the tree that makes it even more delicious!





Our loot!



Later that week, Kristen and I both (separately, and unaware of the other) attempted to make PW's Flat Apple pie. Sadly, it was the first time that a Pioneer Woman recipe let me down, and it turns out I wasn't the only one! Kristen's was a flop too. Thankfully we still had some delicious apples to enjoy!

Thanks for a fun day Kristen and Mitch!!

rewind - summer adventures!

Here's a bit more of what we were up to this summer...

1. Celebrated Aaron's 26th birthday with our friends the Levi's at Bacana Brasil, a Brazilian steakhouse, before they moved back to Miami (tear!) If you haven't ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse, it is a quite an experience! Let's just say that the boys ate their money's worth in meat  :)

2. Spent Father's Day in Zionsville with the Lewis clan

3. Cheered on the US in the World Cup!

4. Enjoyed a bachlorette weekend in Indy for my cousin Jamie - the beautiful bride-to-be!

5. Met my brother's new puppy, Piper. (That is now 3 Shih Tzu's and 4 dogs total on my side of the family - we are all officially cut off from getting any more dogs!)

6. Spent time with extended family and friends over the 4th of July at the lake! (Have I mentioned how much I love the 4th of July?!)
   
7.  Watched my lil' sis, Lexi, get her llama ready for the Elkhart County 4-H fair (one of the largest county fairs in the nation!) She rented a llama for the year but had to go take care of it weekly- who knew you could rent a llama?!

8. Visited my friend Amy's adorable outdoor boutique at the Shipshewana Flea Market. (Amy and I have been buds since 5th grade and were roommates in college!)

9. Saw horse and buggies (a normal site in northern Indiana!)

10. Ate a LOT - including "Chocolate Insanity" with my dear friend Katie and her husband Drew!

11. Was a part of my cousin Jamie's gorgeous wedding!

12. Spent time with the entire Stutzman clan!

13. met precious baby Micah in Indy (see post below!)
14. met precious baby Aidan in Nashville - 10 pounds, 1 ounce of sweetness!

 
 Whew! That was just a fly by, but what a fun-filled, jam-packed summer we had! We are looking forward to a little more down time this fall, but we are already missing our family and friends back home! Visitors are always welcome :)