happy birthday, my love

Happy happy 30th birthday to the man I love most in the world!

I hope that you feel extra loved and special this weekend.

You are one of a kind!  You make everyone's lives way more fun just by being in it.

I am so grateful that I get to spend my years with you. You are extraordinary.



Happy 30th birthday, my love! Can't wait to celebrate with you.

Lauren

Embrace the Camera - 3 years later

We enjoyed the [tremendous] pleasure of having our friend Sarah do a little photoshoot for us to commemorate our 3rd anniversary last week!

I am in l-o-v-e with the pictures and feel so grateful that we have these sweet memories to keep forever.

Embracing the camera,

Lauren

linking up with Emily!

happy 3 years, my love.

Three years ago, when asked if you promised to love and cherish me, honor and protect me, respect and encourage me... you said,

"Absolutely."

You have guarded my heart, put more value on my wellbeing than your own. You have loved me when my attitude is at its ugliest.  You have spurred me on to be better: to dream big, to take risks, and to enjoy each day to its very very fullest.

I feel so blessed to be living this magnificent love story with you by my side. It's a beautiful story. One teeming with stories of redemption, trust, faith, and forgiveness. Brimming with lessons on the fine art of laughter and its healing qualities.

Happy three years, my love.

Lauren

“I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.” -Roy Croft

a quarter century

Well, I turned the big 2-5 this weekend! I was surprisingly a little more shaken up about it than I thought I would be. Birthdays have never affected me much, but this one made me feel rather... GROWN.

Like, I'm not in my "early 20's" anymore. Yikes!

I'm sure the little white hair that popped up on my hairline (literally) on the morning of my birthday didn't help much...

My family and friends made me feel extra-loved this weekend, with sweet cards and messages and gifts. My lovely husband went out.of.his.way to make sure every last minute of my special day was... well, special!

Matt is one of the best gift-givers I've ever known. He listens intently, tucking away gift ideas all year round.

I am about three-quarters of the way through Bloom. Must read!

 

We spent Saturday doing exactly what I wanted to do: relaxing at the house, playing cornhole out back (I won!), and watching my (new) favorite show, Cougar Town.

Matt even played the guitar a little for me which may have been the very best gift of all.

We also went shopping with my birthday gift cards which is, of course, the best kind of shopping.
 

I always take photos of items I like in the dressing room so Matt can give me a yay or nay.

We had my birthday dinner at ourfavorite Thai restaurant and finished it off with the first (but definitely not the last) banana pudding milkshakes of the season.

As if I wasn't feeling exceedingly blessed already, this weekend rocked my socks off.

25 really isn't so bad after all!


Lauren

A Big, BIG Giveaway!

Are you or someone you know planning their special day?

There is a big, big, BIG giveaway happening on my husband's FB page!



Go and "like" MattGVideo's facebook page and then enter to win a wedding videography package worth $1000! The prize is transferrable, so, if you're the lucky winner, you can gift the package to a bride-to-be!

You can see his fabulous work from the past here. Just click on "wedding videos".

Once the page hits 1000 likes, we'll randomly select a winner. I am so excited to see who that lucky person will be!

Head on over to MattGVideo's FB page NOW and enter to win!

It could be YOU!

-Lauren

lovey dovey

With Valentine's Day just right around the corner, it is hard to ignore the many cutesy crafts and yummy treats making their way around the web.

via

via

via

via

via

Valentine's Day always seemed so pointless to me while I was growing up. But it's way more fun when you're married!

I'm already made a sweet little gift for my Valentine, but am looking forward to whipping up a few yummy treats for him too!

Happy day-o-love!
Lauren

30 Days of Thankfulness - #14 - Marriage

There's so much planning and prep that goes into the wedding day. The flowers, the dress, the food, the venue, the music. Time is invested into every tiny detail.


And while this day was entirely perfect...

...It's all the time that follows that turns out to be pure magic.

Marriage allows me to spend every single day with my best friend. He is the first thing I see when I get up in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I close my eyes to sleep. Marriage allows us to study one another, and to know each other better than anyone else in the world. Marriage challenges us to find new ways to show each other love. New ways to communicate. New ways to experience the gift of life.

I think that's the beauty of it all... marriage challenges us. To be more selfless, more loving, and more considerate. The journey makes us better. Together.


Thankful,
Lauren

30 Days of Thankfulness - #1 - my husband

What better month than November to highlight all of the abundant blessings in life?


I want to start this series of posts by recognizing the sweet man I am so so lucky to call my husband.

He is faithful, kind, considerate, thoughtful, generous, and absolutely, side-splitting hilarious. He shows me love in ways that I didn't know I could feel love. He is an encourager and a leader. His heart for the Lord is constantly growing and developing, and his heart for people is greater than I've ever seen. I feel so blessed and downright lucky to call this guy my husband, partner, traveling buddy, lover, and best friend forever and always.


Thankful,
Lauren

Embrace the Camera: Traveling Buddies

It's another installment of Embrace the Camera over on Emily's blog!

We certainly did a lot of camera-embracing while we were in DC last weekend...

{washington monument}

{waiting on the train - BWI to DC}

{the Capitol}

I mentioned yesterday how thankful we are for our ability and means to travel. The thing about it is, I know that we are setting a good foundation for our future-would-be-kiddos. We are learning to love each other first, becoming the best of friends, and having all the fun we can squeeze out of life. That's what traveling is to us...

Here's to seeing the world over! {or at least a lot of her.}

Lauren

Red, White, and Blue

Matt and I had the pleasure of spending a few glorious fall days in DC last weekend... we seriously could not have dreamed up more perfect weather. And of course, true to form, we toured every major attraction in our signature whirlwind fashion... 

This trip really made me sit back and realize how lucky we are. We have the opportunity and the means to travel and explore to our hearts' desire, and for that I am so grateful.... traveling with your best friend is usually truly the sweetest experience!

Lauren

Embrace the Camera: Dance Part-ay

At a recent wedding we crashed attended in Madison, Wisconsin, the photog snapped this action shot of Matt and I... post-photobooth (hence the hats) and pre-"we're too old for this; it's our bedtime!"

Embracing the camera,
Lauren

sharing here

You have my whole heart...

Today is this sweet man's birthday...

I can rarely find the words to say how very much he means to me. He's the most kind, generous, thoughtful, attentive man I've ever known. 


He makes life exceedingly sweet and more fun than I ever imagined. As handsome as he is on the outside ... (look at that smile!) ... his heart his greater still. 


Thank you for doing life with me. Thank you for your love and your spirit and your sense of humor. Thank you for being the best man you can be for me. 

I love you 

Not only for what you are, 

But for what I am when 

I am with you.

I love you, 

Not only for what 

You have made of yourself, 

But for what 

You are making of me.

I love you 

For the part of me 

That you bring out.

-"Love" by Roy Croft

You make me happy.

My heart is full.

xoxo, 

Lauren

one million fifty one thousand two hundred minutes

Tomorrow marks two years since we said "I Do".... 

In some ways it feels like yesterday, and in other ways, an eternity ago. 

Our prayer on that day, and every day since, has been....



"May today be the day that we love each other the least."

There are days that we have accomplished that... Overflowing with newly expanded love and adoration for each other. 



And days that we fell short... instead learning to be kind and to "fight fair" and to put another person's needs before our own. 



It's the beauty of marriage...

The give and take.

The delicate dance of love and sacrifice. 

The way that the good always far outweighs the bad. 

Happy anniversary to a man who has loved me and made me laugh for over 730 days now.

That's one million fifty one thousand two hundred minutes. 

Love love love. Forever more than yesterday.

Lauren