A&A Construction

My mother-in-law made these adorable baby shower invites for last Saturday! (I was asked several times if these were purchased from Etsy or something. Nope. They’re hand-made!)

 

Some of my friends from church also helped with the decorations and it all turned out sooo darling. One of the ladies took lots of the pics of the decorations so I’ll post more when I get them.

 

 

 I didn't know how to cut the cake!

 

Once again, Aaron and I were in awe at the creativity and generosity of our friends!

I’m serious - Kaylynn asked if she could make the baby bedding. I mean, who volunteers for such a task?!? We LOVE it! She’s quite the quilter and came up with this design…

 

I’m sure by now it’s clear that having a dog - clarification: having an inside dog - is our biggest marital debate. So, I thought it would be a fabulous idea for the baby’s room to be decorated with puppies! I’m soooo smart. (Thanks mom for this blanket!)

 

Have you played the baby shower game where the mother-to-be picks which qualities and physical characteristics she hopes the baby inherits from her or her husband? We played that game and those who attended tried to figure out my responses. Well, at the end of the game there was a twist that I hadn’t seen before. Christy made a little video and recorded Aaron’s responses. Once she finished asking Aaron the questions for the game, she proceeded to ask him some questions like: What qualities do you hope your baby inherits from your parents? From Amanda’s parents? How did you feel when Amanda found out she was pregnant? What were your thoughts when you found out the baby is a boy? What thoughts would you like to share to Amanda? To your future son?

 

Of course I was in tears throughout the video. I'm so glad we have the memories documented!  

Learning from Strangers...

Dear stranger who sat by me on the metro this morning,

Thanks for your friendly smile and greeting as you boarded the train and sat down beside me. I always appreciate it when strangers take time to offer a welcoming hello - I feel like I’m back in the Midwest! So many times during the rush hour commute in the morning and evening, it seems like everyone is so focused on getting where they need to be that they, I mean we (I’m including myself in this group!) don’t take time to smile.

The main reason I wanted to write you this note is to thank you for your example. During my morning commute recently, I’ve had the thought several times that I really should spend my 20 minute ride reading something with more substance than the free newspaper I’m handed as I board the train. I mean, I like to stay up-to-date on what’s going on around the world, but most of the information I read in the paper turns out to be gossip about celebrities that I don’t really care to know.

This morning I felt a little embarrassed as I was reading the newspaper and I saw you pull out your small bible from your backpack. I sincerely thank you for your example! When I mentioned that I was impressed to see you reading your bible in the morning, I was even more impressed when you told me you’ve made it a daily habit on your morning commute.  

And, I appreciated your kind words that you’ll be praying for me and my new family as we welcome our baby next month. I couldn’t agree with you more - raising children and having God involved will make a world of difference.

Your friend,

Amanda

Feeling so grateful!

Last week Aaron and I enjoyed a lovely trip in Utah with our families. We sure loved it. {Confession, flying to Utah with the added layover was a lot harder on me physically than I thought it would be, but I made it there and back and the trip was perfect!}

Aaron spent three days on the slopes with his fam while I adored my nephews and niece. I can’t get enough of them!

My sisters planned a baby shower and my favorite part was being surrounded by the family and friends I love and miss the most. {Yep, exactly a year ago I was celebrating my bridal shower with these same family members and friends! I love them so much! Thanks to my mom, sisters, in-laws, aunts, cousins, friends, roommates and mission companions for making the event so memorable!}

Of course the baby shower was a John Deere theme!

(I stole these pics from my sister. Thanks, Alex!) 

We feel extremely blessed with how generous our families and friends have been in helping us prepare for our little guy - who will be making his debut next month!

Thank you. XO