Nate and Ashley's Blog

Introducing…our little BOY

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:00:10 +0000

Nate and I got quite the surprise a few months ago when we found out that we are going to become parents! We couldn’t be happier! So far things have been going pretty well and up until this past Friday we had been dying to know the gender of our little baby. Several people thought that it was a girl. Interestingly, my sister was the one person who said she thought it was a boy. We had a quick ultrasound on Friday and were thrilled to find out that the little baby growing inside me is, to many people’s surprise, a BOY!

We could see his little heart beating away, his little legs (knees up by his nose), and his sweet little arms with his hands resting back behind his head. He was moving around and was so very sweet. We will get to take another peak at him next week and will hopefully have more fun pictures to share.

We are so blessed.

Protected: Garden Book

Nate and Ashley Himes — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:43:41 +0000

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Sold

Nate and Ashley Himes — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:57:45 +0000

We’re on our way to being first time home buyers…the only thing left is securing our loan. We close at the beginning and August and we are very excited!

It is a beautiful house and we are so incredibly blessed to soon call it our own. I don’t think the reality of it has fully sunken in yet. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is having my own yard to garden. My future vegetable patch:

Nothing a little weeding can’t fix.

The backyard has some very nice trees.

We received the most beautiful note from the sellers today when we went for the home inspection. The note conveyed so much kindness and told us about the history of the house, the wonderful neighbors, the way that the sellers decided to choose to work with us as opposed to others, and more. They are wonderful people and we feel so grateful that we are able to work with them. (As well as our realtor who is amazing!)

We’ll put up more pictures of the inside once we move in and get settled.

Protected: All Backyard paradise!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:21:56 +0000

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Garden Photography – Backyard paradise!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:51:43 +0000

Last week I had the privilege of photographing this beautiful backyard. There were so many fun things to find; little statues and trinkets and flowers hidden here and there. Here are just a few of the many pictures that I took:

Nate’s graduation!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:00:42 +0000

Nate has been working on his Master’s of Social Work for the past 2 years and he’s almost done – he just needs to finish his internship at the beginning of August and he will be officially done. However, he was able to walk through the graduation ceremony in May with his classmates.

My favorite sister!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:01:41 +0000

Several weeks ago (has it been that long ago already?) my favorite (and only) sister came to stay with us for the weekend. She is such a fun person to be around – full of energy and spunk. We look forward to many more visits in the future. Here are some pictures that we took while she was here…

What we’ve been up to…

Nate and Ashley Himes — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:09:00 +0000

It’s been a long time since we’ve posted anything on the blog! So, what have we been up to?

a visit from my sister (with more to come, hopefully…)

camping with family

fishing for bass

gardening with friends

looking for a house

finishing school

stalking deer and pheasants

nurturing dozens and dozens of seedlings

and more.

Stay tuned for pictures…

Florida!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:45:35 +0000

Recently, my dad and I visited my grandparents in Ft. Myers, Florida. We enjoyed sunny, 80 degree days every day that we were there. We visited Naples, Sanibel Island, and various sights around Ft. Myers. The beaches were absolutely gorgeous – pristine sand, crystal clear water, and lots of sea shells! Enjoy the pictures! (And just remember – spring is on the way!)

Cinnamon Rolls!!!!!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:24:42 +0000

Yummmmmmmmmy

Last weekend we had some friends over for a potluck brunch and Illini game-watching party. I made these (from scratch!)…

(picture above is the rolls before I put them in the oven)

And they were a huge hit!

If you haven’t browsed thepioneerwoman.com yet, you MUST check it out! The author, Ree, writes about such things as photography, life on her Oklahoma ranch, and cooking. She is very funny and has THE BEST RECIPES! Seriously, this woman has really great taste! You can find the recipe for the cinnamon rolls here.

It’s does take a little bit of work to make them, but let me tell you, it’s worth it!!!!!!!

Enjoy

Photo of the Day – Pet faces

Nate and Ashley Himes — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:08:08 +0000

Another fun photo challenge over at I Heart Faces this week: Pet faces! And I have just the picture:

(I posted this picture at Thanksgiving a few weeks ago so those of you who read my blog regularly please bear with me.)

I get a kick out of his expression every time I look at this picture. He looks as though he’s putting on his best behavior and most proper manners (no elbows on the table!) in hopes that he just might be allowed to dine with the rest of us at our Thanksgiving meal. Too bad for him – no dogs at the table, not even this one! He had to enjoy his table scraps from the floor.

Photo of the day: Self-portrait

Nate and Ashley Himes — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:37:38 +0000

The photo challenge for I Heart Faces this week is “Self-portrait”. I find that I am often the one behind the lens and don’t end up getting many pictures of myself. However, Nate and I were out in the woods last spring and we had fun taking pictures of each other. One of my favorite ones that he took of me would have to be this one:

I love being in the woods and I think this captures that well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nate and Ashley Himes — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:11:50 +0000

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away!

I am thankful for my wonderful husband. (I don’t know what I’d do without him!)

My Family.

My friends.

That adorable dog.

My job.

A car that gets us where we need to go.

A warm place to lay my head down at night.

But most importantly a God who, for whatever reason, loves me and decided that I was worth dying for. But not just me, for everyone.

Now that is something to be thankful for!

What are you thankful for this year?

Sugar and spice and everything nice

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:15:30 +0000

You’d be hard pressed to find cuter girls than these…

Last weekend Nate and I were able to spend some time photographing these precious girls and their wonderful mom.

Blossom Basket Florist

Nate and Ashley Himes — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:13:07 +0000

Blossom Basket Florist in Champaign-Urbana created the beautiful bouquets for the last wedding that we photographed. They are currently featuring our photography of their gorgeous flowers on their blog and website (scroll down to see our pictures). Make sure to check it out! And if you’re in the area and looking for a good florist, you know where to go!

Photo of the Day- Max

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Have you heard?

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:23:08 +0000

We’ve got some VERY exciting news about a new ministry that is just beginning here in Champaign. The Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) has seen a dire need to help pregnant women beyond simply handing out diapers, clothes, and formula (which are important, but only go so far for many women). The staff at the PRC have seen woman after woman come through who are pregnant, whose lives are a mess, and who have no place to live. One pregnant woman, when asked where she sleeps at night, told the director that she had been sleeping in the park on a bench because she had nowhere to live.

Now, stop here for a minute with me and think about that. A pregnant woman, sleeping on a park bench. Completely vulnerable to being attacked, beaten, raped, or even killed. And this happened not in some far off terrible town. This happened here. In our town. Can you grasp this?

In response to these women the PRC has spent the past several years planning a new ministry to help them. And it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you…….

Merci’s Refuge

“A residential program offered at no cost to women in crisis who desire to arise to their created purpose.”

Here’s the cool thing:

Merci’s Refuge is not a homeless shelter. It is not simply a place for women to come and crash and then go about their day.

Merci’s Refuge is a home. Merci’s Refuge is a place where the women there will encounter Jesus. Merci’s Refuge is a place where lives will be changed, from the inside out.

Are you excited yet?

How might you be able to get involved and support pregnant women in crisis right here in our community?

Please make sure to check out the website for even more information on Merci’s Refuge as well as ways that you can get involved (there are many!)

Oh, and did I mention that a VERY SPECIAL GUEST will be coming to town on May 10th to help kick off the capital campaign for Merci’s Refuge? Trust me, you WON’T want to miss that!

Mike and Lara tie the knot

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 04:26:10 +0000

Last weekend we had a blast celebrating with Nate’s brother and new sister-in-law as they said “I do” in a beautiful park in DeKalb! The weather was absolutely perfect and as you can see the setting was gorgeous – no additional decorating was necessary. Here are a few pictures from the wedding:

Photo of the Day – Day lilly

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:00:08 +0000

I snapped this photo last weekend when I was back home visiting my family. My mom is in the process of setting up a new business selling day lillies – the above picture is just one of literally hundreds of different kinds that will be available.

Photo of the Day – Sunset

Nate and Ashley Himes — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:02:03 +0000