A Little Playdate

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A couple of weeks ago we had a little playdate over at Laguna Beach. It was actually Eveleigh’s first playdate! She hasn’t really been around too many other babies. So it was fun to see her reaction and see her observe and take it all in. 

It’s so nice to have a couple that lives nearby that is our age & has a baby around Eveleigh’s age. It’s so important to have friendships and have people to do life with. In my adult life I haven’t had too many close friends, but the ones I do have I really cherish. The older I get the more I realize how important having community & fellowship is. I really want to invest time in my relationships and pursue friendships. Even (and especially) with my friends that are scattered across the country and I don’t get to see regularly. The distance means a little more effort is required, but it is certainly worth it. 

Girl Meets Boy.

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                                    Our wedding day, March 7th, 2010.

            

                            Fall, 2005. Check out our sweet hair ;)

In honor of throwback Thursday, I thought I would share a little bit about how we met and came to be together! 

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It was 2004 and I was a young little thing. Never would I have guessed that I would meet the man I would some day marry at 14 years old (and yet I guess I always sort of loved the idea of a Cory & Topanga kind of romance). 

It wasn’t quite love at first site. I was standing in our church lobby with a friend when Ryan approached me, on behalf of his friend, stating “My friend thinks you’re really pretty. Which you are. But don’t let it go to your head.” Oh, well, gee, thanks! It was all so very high school. 

Time passed and there was a group of us who would all hangout together after church. I actually even ended up briefly dating the previous mentioned friend  - we even went to my freshman year homecoming together. That faded quickly but amicably though. Then it was almost summer of 2005 and a group of us were going to a CD store to see  Ryan’s new band Between The Trees play a show. We were all hanging out and killing time before the show began. We decided to drive over to the mall. Problem was, there wasn’t enough room in the cars. So they were having the girls sit on the boys lap. I was supposed to sit on Ryan’s. I refused. “I’m sorry I don’t feel comfortable sitting on your lap. I don’t know you that well. It’s not appropriate." Good girl! This surprised Ryan and caught his attention. We ended up getting into a really great conversation and talked for while. That moment and the subsequent conversations allowed us to see each other in a new way. It sparked both of our interests. A lightbulb went off in my head and I was like "hmm… I might like him.”

The next week I saw him at church and asked if he had my number. He didn’t, so I gave it to him and told him to call me. Very forward of me, I know. He did and we talked until 4 a.m. that night. Soon after I went up North for the summer to visit family. We talked a lot that summer, and when I returned we began dating. We shared our first “I love you” on August 3rd, 2005. Older friends, parents, and siblings would often comment “Aww puppy love! So cute.” But I knew it was so much more than that. I just knew this was the man I would someday marry. 

Ryan would’ve married me right on my eighteenth birthday – but I knew I wanted to wait a little while longer. I wanted to complete at least a little bit of college before getting married. I completed my AA degree in 2009, and that October Ryan proposed (which, by the way, was pretty much the sweetest/best proposal ever). We married on March 7th, 2010 – an intimate outdoor wedding. It was such an amazing, romantic day, and one I will never forget.

One of the blessings of meeting Ryan so young is that we really grew up together. We went through so much & grew so much. Instead of growing apart we just grew closer together, and share such a deep connection because of it. I love chasing our dreams together and now starting this crazy adventure of parenthood together. I know our love is forever and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing man to share my life with.

There is obviously so much more to our whole story, but this little snippet will have to do for now. ♥ 

The  night he proposed. October 30th, 2009.

A few of our engagement pictures. Wedding & engagement photos by Jessica Bennett Photography

My First Mother's Day

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Last Sunday was my first Mother’s Day. It was a very special day, and I felt so loved. I spent the whole day with my two babes, which is always my favorite! My husband got me some beautiful flowers and took me out to lunch, and his gift to me was a new desk & craft space (which I’ve really been wanting)!

I so love being a mama. It is such a blessing and a privilege and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I love my sweet girl and I thank God for her everyday. I hope all of you mother’s out there had a great Mother’s Day as well! 

Eveleigh's First Easter

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^^How creepy is that Easter bunny?! Seriously, though.^^

I’m a new mom. Which means I’m a sucker and will dish out stupid amounts of money for pictures. The above picture cost me TWENTY-FIVE dollars. Yes, twenty-five dollars. Such a rip off, especially for such a creepy photo.  But it’s Eveleigh’s first Easter and I really wanted that “First Easter” picture for the memory books! So that’s my justification. Definitely not happening next year though. 

Anyways… our Easter together was really nice. Spent the morning at Church and then went over to our friends house for a little Easter gathering. We always miss our family back in Florida on the Holidays, and hate that we can’t be together. But we are thankful for the awesome friends that we have here and love that we get to be part of their Holiday traditions. :)