instagrammed

I figured since it's been a month since I posted, I should probably update with some pictures. What better way than with instagram?

We spent a long weekend at the lake with sweet friends to celebrate our anniversary! This man lives and breathes the lake....

I think it's important to note that this was not the worst beating that the guys took in canasta. Noted.

We painted bathroom cabinets (hooray) and framed out mirrors. They look so so nice and I can't wait to show you!

We did our fair share of relaxing too...

...and made time for froyo with sweet babies! Elly bear has this man's heart!

What's better than a nakey baby belly? And why can't I say something other than nakey when talking about babies?

We paid off a credit card, too! What a great feeling.

We cruised around town to let Molly do some people-watching.

And even stumbled across two-for-one on a Sunday afternoon... isn't that weird??? Or are we just old and making it uber obvious that we grew up in a dry county?

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!

30 Days of Thankfulness - #30 - Photography

Photography is such a blessing. 

There are so many pictures that pull at my heart, bring tears to my eyes, or make me laugh at moments I might otherwise have forgotten.

Can you imagine your life without photos to document the journey?

This picture is of my sweet cousin Addie. We've got a special little bond between the two of us... and I feel like this picture embodies that love.


Thankful,
Lauren

Bundle of Joy

My sweet cousin had her first baby on Sunday. She is the very first great-grandchild for my wonderful Mammaw! 

Karlee Ann... Eight pounds, seven ounces of pure loveliness.

I am already  one of little Karlee's favorites. How do I know that, you ask? 

I've been praying for weeks that we could meet her right away. And sure enough, she made her grand entrance on a Sunday while I was in town, just thirty minutes from the hospital, and hours before I had to head back to Nashville. See? What a sweet, obedient child she is...

This was mine and Matt's first time ever taking newborn pictures... it was such a joy to capture all of her precious little expressions just hours after she arrived.

My cousin, Kristin, will be the most wonderful mother. After all, she's been mother hen to me and her sister for years! 

So proud of you and for you, Kristin. She is a beauty!

We are headed back this weekend for a family wedding and to take more photos of this little bundle. I've been getting all kinds of ideas on Pinterest. Stay tuned!

Love!

Lauren

Long time, No see!

Sorry for that long, unannounced hiatus... We've been busy traveling and working on projects around the house, I just haven't had a chance to jump on here and show you what we've been up to!
We traveled to GA last weekend for Easter and to celebrate my (early) birthday with my fam... We fit so many things into one weekend... It was lovely!

We took my sweet little sister's senior pictures, just in time to send out graduation invitations... I love that smirk. She was a pro.

We were even able to get a picture of the whole fam, too! With five girls between the ages of 15 and 24, it's quite a rare opportunity!

Matt and I snuck in for a little mushy-gushy-pre-2nd-anniversary shoot, too...

And Sunday was spent celebrating with family, honoring the One who could not be defeated and remembering the sweet gift of grace.
The kiddos looked especially dapper, and were therefore sentenced to a jaw-droppingly-cute-photo-sesh.

As if I ever doubted...
I am abundantly blessed!

-Lauren

I Heart Faces: Sunflares

I knew I had the perfect photo for this weeks challenge: sunflares.

I took this several weeks ago at the park, while playing around with our new camera. Matt has the "artistic eye" between the two of us, so he talked me through practically everything...

Thanks darling! He's a great teacher... I can't wait to learn more!

Lauren

I Heart Faces

This week's challenge on I Heart Faces is cell phone pictures!


I may still be in the learning phase with my DSLR... But iPhone pictures? I've been practicing those for years!


After seeing the challenge at hand, my mind immediately went to a picture of our sweet nephew, Grady, when he was only a few days old.

It's impossible to ignore those plump little cheeks, his newborn lips, and the sweet wrinkles of his hands.


xo,
Lauren

Soul Food

I can't quite portray how incredibly perfect this weekend was. 

We spent Saturday morning in downtown, soaking up the unusually warm January sun...

Lunch was to. die. for. When Matt ordered sweet teas for the two of us, and our waiter brought two glasses of unsweet with a bottle of chilled sugar water to use as we please... This Georgia girl fell in love.


We picked up Molly girl and headed to the park to bask in the afternoon rays..

And embrace the wide open spaces...

It was a break from not only the cold, but from the daily grind. 

No agenda, big plans, or special surprises. Just life at its best. 

And it's moments like these that continually encourage my contentedness... My love for my husband and our sweet, simple life. It was good for my soul, y'all. 

Here's to enjoying every last drop, 

Lauren

Grady's big adventure!

Matt and I were lucky enough to have some visitors in town this last weekend. We dusted off our host & hostess hats and welcomed Matt's parents and sister to Nashville! We had a great time, but let's not forget about the most important guest of all...

We stepped into our "Uncle Matt and Aunt Lala" shoes for Little Man Grady... A lot of sweet moments came with his arrival to Music City.

Lots of lovin' squeezed into a single weekend...

...from his favorite Aunt and Uncle. (at least until he's old enough to decide for himself)

In the meantime, Nashville has been struck with, might I say, PERFECT fall colors and temperatures. We spent Saturday afternoon perusing the sights and sounds of the Farmers' Market.

Beauty, huh? I love where we live. I love that Matt and I are learning to live and thrive in a city away from the "home" we knew, and making a home of our own. I love that we have a beautiful, exciting city to explore and indulge in together. Although we miss our families (especially Grady boo!) dearly, I love the place in which we've been given to thrive in.

Just to end on a good note, I thought I'd share with you a photograph of the most beautiful little puppy in all of Nashville...sitting pretty waiting on Mama to snap a picture.

-Lauren