New Orleans - A City Like No Other

Kris and I chose to celebrate our 3^rd wedding anniversary in New Orleans.  Both of us have been before, but never together.  Many of you just think of Bourbon Street when you think of New Orleans (at least my parents do) and let me tell you – it is so much more than that.  NOLA is a city rich in culture and history, so full of life and the people who live there are proud of who they are and their city.  It’s a sense of pride that Kris and I have never witnessed anywhere else we’ve visited.  There is music on every street corner, people dancing in the streets and who could forget the amazing food and my personal favorite, the shopping.  We had an amazing time getting to know the city together.  We’ll be back, many, many times more.  What can I say; their way of life is contagious.

My gorgeous flowers from my groom.

I really love this building.  There is so much character in every structure in New Orleans.

I squatted down in the middle of the street with people surrounding me to get this one. I'm actually surprised it came out.

A very romantic dinner at Commander's Palace in the Garden District.

We didn't stay here, but we went to the Carousel Bar in the hotel. It really is a carousel and you sit in a bar seat and circle around the bartenders. Really neat concept. We loved it and stayed too long!

The gorgeous Jackson Square. We got sandwiches from a locals hot spot and had a picnic in the park. It really is a romantic city.

We actually found someone who knew how to use our camera!

This is my favorite picture from the trip. It looks like a drawing.

Everywhere you go there is jazz. I couldn't get enough!

At the lover's table for our jazz brunch.

Kris walking the French Quarter.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar is the oldest bar in the United States!

Happy People!

The bar was built between 1722 and 1732 and escaped two huge fires due to it's slate roof. It's still standing and thriving today.

Kris enjoying tapas and beer on a patio on Magazine St in the Garden District.

Magazine St was my favorite, great shopping and lots of character and charm.

THIS is New Orleans in one photo.

Music on every corner.

Streets so full of life...

People dancing...

And of course, jazz.

Royal Street

Beautiful view from our hotel - The Omni Royal Orleans. Great location, great service and beautiful rooms. We'll stay there again!

Wedding March - I love watching these. I hope one of our friends gets married in NOLA. I want to be part of one.

I love this one. This is the backside of our hotel. Got this idea from a photo book we have except he shot this idea in a parking garage using light poles.

And that wraps up our trip.  I had a wonderful time celebrating 3 happy years of marriage with the man of my dreams.  We escaped our adoption and work stresses, made some unforgettable memories together and discovered one of our new favorite places to visit.  I foresee many weekend trips to New Orleans in our future.

Silence and Solitude

Amidst all the stress and anxiety in our lives, Kris and I took a moment after church on Sunday to take a hike (pun intended) and explore the forest of Kingwood.  This is something we loved about Austin, and as you Houstonians know, there aren’t many places to explore in Houston.  We found a new gem in Kingwood this weekend that I think will be our go-to spot to hike from now on.

As it turns out; quiet time with nature is good for the soul. 

Here are a few photos I snapped while on our hike. Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary to my love!

8 years, 7 months and 15 days ago, Kris and I shared our first ‘hello’.

And 2 weeks later, we found ourselves head-over-heels in love. 

I guess I’ve never shared this story on the blog and it’s a good one, so I will now.  Kris had a sport bike at the time and he was leaving my apartment to go for a ride.  He kissed me good-bye, said he’d be back soon, not to worry and then he slipped and said the three best words you'll ever hear, ‘I love you’.  Shock took over and I didn’t know what to do, so of all things - I shut the door in his face.  I know, I know... shame on me.  I can’t imagine what he must have thought.  After all, he didn’t mean to say ‘I love you’ so soon.  That was the moment I realized I had fallen in love with him.  When he got back, we talked about what happened, I apologized for my reaction and from that day forward we’ve loved each other beyond measure.

Now, we are celebrating 3 happy years of marriage and every year our marriage grows and evolves into something better than it was before.  Although we’ve had some bumps in the road, it’s really been a beautiful ride.

On our anniversary, I thought it was fitting to share with you the ‘About Us’ page we wrote for our profile book.

"One word, that's all you said".  It's been eight years since our first “hello” when Kris swept Ashley off her feet and she stopped him in his tracks.  It was a moment that changed our lives forever.  Really, it was love at first sight.  Because of the way we met, we have a saying between one another, “you had me from hello”.  Ashley engraved this saying on a dog tag necklace and gave it to Kris for Christmas. He wears it every day.  We were college sweethearts and are now married with two furry children who also stole our hearts.  A few years ago we made the decision to start a family, but soon found out God had a different plan for us.  We realized then, were always meant to grow our family through adoption. Our journey through infertility has taught us to enjoy and appreciate life much more than we ever did.  We learned we can withstand great obstacles and know that whatever challenges life throws our way, our marriage and our bond, will be stronger than before.  Kris’ favorite quote is “rise and rise again…until lambs become lions”.  It means to never give up, and we won’t.  We have a beautiful life and together we can’t wait to share our life with you and this child as we continue down this amazing journey.

In honor of my husband and the wonderful man he has been to me all of these years, I want to share what I wrote about him for our book.

About Kris (through Ashley's eyes):

Kris is my dream come true; my happily ever after.  He’s everything I ever wanted in a husband, but never knew it.  He is simply the most wonderful man I know.  I love Kris for the way he loves me.  He’s my rock and my best friend. 

Kris knows how much I love surprises and is always looking for new ways to surprise me. Every time, I’m blown away.  This is just an example of his constant desire to make those around him feel special.  He consistently thinks of others before himself and this is the quality I admire most about him.

From the moment I met Kris I was instantly attracted to him. He is tall, dark and handsome, but more than that, he has a great sense of humor.  He keeps me laughing and smiling every day, whether he is singing to me in the shower, wrestling with the dogs or very animatedly telling me another one of his stories.

Kris’ optimism is something that is contagious and his courageousness helps me face my fears.  He is kind, genuine and honest.  All of these traits make him an amazing husband, a true friend and one day an exceptional father.  I’m truly blessed to spend the rest of my life alongside this man.



And now here’s a peek into the last 8 years, 7 months and 15 days of our life:

Our very first picture together - February 2003

Our first offical date. He took me to Eddie V's to celebrate my 20th birthday. It had snowed in Austin while we were eating and when we left, the city was blanketed in snow. It was truly a magical evening.

In Houston, celebrating Kris' 21st birthday - November 2003
  

My 21st birthday in Austin - February 2004

Our first trip just the two of us. Biltmore Estates - Summer 2004
  

Kris' graduation - May 2005 


The day we brought Oskar home - July 2005

On the way to Austin for my graduation - December 2005

In New York - Fall of 2005

In Playa del Carmen - our first trip out of the country together.  We were celebrating our 3rd anniversary in February 2006. 

In Jackson Hole, WY celebrating our 4th anniversary- February 2007

We purchased our first home in April 2007

Minutes before Kris proposed!

Our engagement - August 27, 2007

Engagement photo - April 2008 

 
Bridal portrait - August 2008 

Talking to Kris before our wedding - September 20, 2008

Kris watching me walk down the aisle.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Simpson! September 20, 2008 - the best day of our life to date.

Honeymoon stop #1 - LA 

Honeymoon #2 - Moorea

Honeymoon stop #3 - Bora Bora

Honeymoon stop #4 - Le Tahaa 

On the last day of our honeymoon, we went back to Moorea to get tattoos that signify our marriage. What better place to get your first tattoo than in Tahiti where tattoos originated?!

We welcomed home our second puppy George - October 2008

Trip to Cabo - May 2009

This is where Kris proposed one year later. We celebrated our 1st anniversary in the Hill Country - September 20, 2009.

Our white Christmas in Boston - December 2009

Our adventure of a lifetime in Kauai - May 2010

Celebrating our 2nd anniversary in Palm Beach, FL - September 20, 2010

In the Dominican Republic celebrating our decision to adopt! July 2011



And here we are today with a dream.  We are waiting patiently to bring home our first child through the miracle of adoption.

Although my life has not gone in the direction that I envisioned, it's turned out better than I could have ever dreamt.  I'm lucky in love and happily married with a life full of wonderful memories and adventures.  I can’t wait to see what the future hold for Kris and I, but no matter what happens, I know I get to grow old with my best friend.  I love you with all my heart Kris Simpson.  Happy 3^rd Anniversary!

Dear Birthmother

Hello and Thank You

Writing this letter is the hardest thing we've ever had to do, yet it could not even come close to what you must be experiencing right now.  While there are no words that could possibly express our deep, heart-felt gratitude to you for making this important decision, we simply want to say thank you.  Thank you for having remarkable courage.  Thank you for the opportunity to help people like us start our family.  Thank you for loving your unborn child.  Thank you for your gift of life, love, selflessness, conviction, trust and for all the things that you do that leaves us as adoptive parents in awe. For all these things and more we thank you.

The path that has brought the three of us together can only be described as destiny.  You see we believe everything happens for a reason, often times beyond our control.  It was through these series of events – when we first met in college, when we married under a big Texas sky, when we began fertility treatments, when we were accepted into the Gladney family – which we stand here today eagerly waiting to meet our first child, and to meet you should we be so lucky.

We pray that you are given strength, comfort and support during this most difficult time.  This decision is not easy but we have faith that you will know you’ve made the right decision when it happens.  And whether you decide to choose us to parent your child, or choose another deserving family, we know that it was always meant to be.

If we are given the extraordinary blessing of raising your child, we want to share with you a few important things.  We will love on your child every single day, showering him or her with love, laughter, adventure, support and the knowledge of where he or she came from.  We will get to know who you are, your interests, your personality and your funny quirks, and we will share these wonderful stories with him or her as our child grows.  They will always know you, and the love and selflessness behind your decision.

We hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit more about us in the following pages.  But more importantly, we hope this important decision comes naturally to you and that you find comfort once you’ve found the right parents for your child.  From the absolute bottom of our hearts…thank you.

Love,
Kris and Ashley

Profile Book Sneak Peak!

Last night I was thrilled when I received a sneak peak of the cover for our profile book.  Carrie Zuber owns a company called Reflections and she is making our adoption profile book.  I sent her our text and photos last week and she is now well on her way to making our life story into a book.  When we first spoke, she asked me if I had an idea of theme, colors, etc. and really the only direction I gave her was fun-loving and vibrant.  I also told her our favorite colors and that I wanted every page to be different.  I pretty much told her nothing!  We’ll, she’s amazing and came up with this for us:

We couldn’t be happier with the design!  Our words are very heart-felt and the photos along with the design of the book will be playful.  I think it’s the perfect combination.  Kris got to work this morning and asked if I could email him a copy of the cover because HE liked it so much!  I'd call that a success!