Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Gretchen Smith

Hi, my name is Gretchen Smith and I’m excited to share a little bit about me with you! 

I’m a native Washingtonian (Go Seahawks) but after college spent most of my 20’s living in Los Angeles where I met my husband Steve who happens to be a Texan and Longhorn! We met in March of 2007, got engaged that May, and then were married that September! 

Steve and I spent the first few years of our married life living in LA LA land, but because of his long work hours we started moving around to see if we could find a better work life balance for him. That search took us to NYC, Austin, London, back to LA, my hometown, Dallas and Austin again… aren’t you tired just reading that! Though it was an adventure to say the least, it was also a very hard, long, and uncertain season for us. But just like any good drama, there is a climax and conclusion. After lots of moving around, saying hello and waving good-bye, we made the decision to make Austin our home (for a second time). After almost a year of Steve looking for work and a baby on the way, the Lord blessed us with a job, and within days our daughter Olive was born in a city we can finally call HOME! 

Speaking of Olive… Olive is my “surprise” 9-month-old baby girl who has changed my life, mission, and heart in more ways than one. I would like to say that I was ready and prepared when we found out, but the truth is I wasn’t and it took awhile for my heart to catch up. The shock of expecting also changed our initial course of starting our family through adoption, but we are excited to adopt in the future. 

My struggle into motherhood did not start there though. In October of 2011 we went through a miscarriage and I remember that being such a dark time. I was believing lies that somehow it was my fault (SUCH A LIE), but it was a time in my life that God really showed up and comforted me with His truth. That same comfort also took me through my pregnancy with Olive when at 35 weeks we found out that she wasn’t thriving in the womb due to “growth restrictions”, so I was induced at 38 weeks and we spent 10 days in the NICU. 

Outside of family life, I really enjoy gathering and getting to know people on a deeper level, football, hiking, trying out new restaurants, wine tasting, fashion, and interior design… but what I’m most passionate above all of that is my Christian faith and growing in that with others. 

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Ashley Kriegel

     Hi! I’m Ashley Kriegel and I have been happily married to Tim for 3 years! We had our sweet Millie Ruth November 19, 2013 and it was the happiest day of my life! I am from small town Oklahoma and Tim is from Austin. We met at Kanakuk Kamp summer of 2009, I was a kitchie and he was a counselor and the moment I laid eyes on him I was a goner. We were long distance for 2 years between Oklahoma and Texas and didn’t live in the same town until the day after our wedding when we moved to Austin. Being from a small town I didn’t know it was possible to love a city, but let me tell ya. I love Austin! 

     I have always dreamed of the day I would be a mom, so I am soaking this time up! I never really did the career thing, because I knew it would end in mommy hood and I didn’t want to fall in love with anything and question the mom thing. I am an extremely creative person and I find that as long as I have a creative outlet I feel like myself, the second I don’t I just feel off. I love interior design. Give me a blank house to decorate and I get all kinds of giddy! I also love baby fashion. My little Millie is my fashion babe and we love buying from small handmade brands. Supporting other creative mamas is my favorite! 

     I loved being pregnant. Especially the third trimester, I was huge but I have never felt so alive! I decided about half way through that I wanted to go natural and by the time I got my husband fully on board we realized we did not have a very natural OB. She fought us tooth and nail to not go natural. She even went so far as to beg me to “at least” let her give me an episiotomy… while I was dilated at a 7… in the middle of a contraction. I will go more into this subject later! We were successful in the end and I was so extremely proud of myself for sticking to what I knew I could do, and what I knew God built me to do!

     Life since being a mom has been chaotic to say the least. Those first 3 months of just surviving the fog and then slowly feeling normal again has been a rollercoaster ride I was not expecting. Millie was a high needs baby in the beginning and thankfully has moved passed that. Now she is my quiet sensitive baby who always has an eye on me. Throughout this past year there have been many days when the glue that held me together was knowing that I could see you girls! Ladies With Babies has been such a gift from God. He knew I needed you women and He is so good! I love doing life with you and I can’t wait to watch our babies grow up together!