Life Laid Bear

In the wind

This week has been a little hectic, busy, and one of the best I have had in a long time. We are slowly but surely making some progress on the house, and in turn my life is feeling a little less cluttered and my winter funk is retreating (thank goodness for small miracles). We have been getting out of the house a little more, taking walks (ice cream might have been involved), and lots of cleaning and planning are happening. It feels so good to be in this place. Good things are happening!

We are taking the weekend to head to Orlando and spend some quality time with some really good people. I have got a good attitude, Till has her doggles, the hubs is happy and Luke has his head in the clouds.  Mega Con and Disney, here we come! 

Have a relaxing weekend, folks!

Four Year Anniversary Pictures

Last month we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary! Woohoo! Hooray! Before this one, we celebrated a first, second and third. And of course, I didn't even think to get pictures taken to celebrate the other years. So we start fresh for our fourth year. And every year after this one we will ring the next in with pictures by the fantastic duo (that also took our wedding photos), Kylene and Ryan. 

Here are some of my favorites from the time we spent with them in Apalachicola, FL. It is the dreamiest little coastal town about 40 minutes from where we live. It also holds a very special place in our hearts and our story. (The one below is our all time favorite)

It was late in the day when we started taking pictures, and all of the shops were closed but we had the best time laughing and playing together. 

When we go to Apalachicola, we always stay at the Gibson Inn. It is a quaint Bed and Breakfast right when you get into town. (It is also for sale. Anyone want to go in and buy it with us? No, but really? Isn't it great!)

Aren't we cute? A little back story: when we originally went to see the pictures at our photographers....the only thing I kept saying was "oh my gosh, we are so cute", "that is my favorite", "no, that is my favorite". 

And of course, we have to have an ahhh factor picture. So there you go ladies and gents. Our four year anniversary pictures. Now, I just need to get them printed and up on our walls!

Here is to another 80 years together and just as happy as we are now. Thank you for a wonderful, loving and sometimes trying four years by your side! 

Thank you again to Kylene and Ryan for the beautiful pictures!

Multicolored dress: old Anthropologie, Polka dot shirt: Anthropologie

Four.

Today Kyle and I celebrated our fourth anniversary! Four years ago I walked down an aisle trying to calm myself down by singing Old McDonald. I was so nervous, I lost my shoe (flawlessly…NOT) heading down the aisle with my dad.

Four years later, and we are just as happy/nervous/loving as that first day. Since that day, we have made one move, two job changes and added a new dog and an unwelcome lizard. It has been hard and we have had our share of knock down, drag out fights. But nothing amounts to every morning waking up and choosing this life, with this man beside me! 

Happy Anniversary, my love! Here is to a hundred more just as great as the last one. 


 

Happy Birthday, Love!

My guy turns 25 today! We had a small get together last night to celebrate, and despite the totally dark picture and the man of the hour not looking at the camera.....he was really happy in this moment. And that is all a girl can ask for! 

We are doing some traveling this week to continue the celebration, and are so very excited. Despite being a total sap around this guy when it comes to his birthday, I just couldn't be more excited to spend the rest of the week galivanting around next to him. We are exploring a new city side by side and just enjoying what is to come. 

Kyle, today we celebrate all of the life you have lived and all that you have yet to live. I am just so glad to be along for the ride that is your life. 

Why I hate dieting

... and trust me, it hates me too.

I have kept to this dieting thing, kept track of calories, and I have seen a change. But gosh, I so hate it. Marriage has agreed with Kyle and I more than I thought it would, and I think it is time to get back to a happy median. So we have been cutting out the junk, and the calorie filled items. We are teaching ourselves to cut down on those things we don't need (do I really need that 400 calorie icecream...probably not). 

Here are a couple reason why I hate dieting, how we as pro snackers are staying sane, and some things we have learned so far. 

1. I love food. Simple as that. I like trying new things, eating lots of carbs, and the occasional bag of chips. So because that is so simple, I will not give it up. I won't give up what I enjoy. I will just eat and drink in moderation. Instead of eating a sleeve of thin mints, I will eat 4 or 5. 

2. I don't like being hungry. I won't be hungry. Trust me, you don't want to see me hungry. 

3. I do not want to count my Cheez-Its. But I will if I have to. It will hurt, and I won't like it but I will do it. 

4. Skinny does not taste as good as an Oreo McFlurry. So I will just get a snack size.  

5. A good cocktail has wayyy too many calories. This was incredibly hard to stomach. 

6. Use an app. I love Lose It. It let's you track your housecleaning, walking, biking, anything you can think of. When you exercise, you can eat more. It's true, the app told me. You don't have time to add each item? You can catch me scanning the back of boxes, bags, and cartoons. This app has a barcode scanner! 

7. I am never, I repeat never, giving up cream in my coffee. I don't care that it adds 70 extra calories to each cup. It's never going to happen. 

Don't get me wrong, I have no beef with dieting. I think it is great. I am so proud of those that can make it a life long change. I am proud of those that can just pick it up and run with it. But me, well... it has been two months and I am still dreaming of dancing donuts and chocolate fudge sundaes.

Do you have any advice, suggestions, funny things you have done on a diet?

Savannah is for lovers

This past weekend we set off for a short but sweet anniversary trip to Savannah. This was also where we went for our honeymoon! It was wonderful. Savannah is wonderful. It is easily one of my favorite places for a short weekend away. It is roughly about 4 and a half hours away from Tallahassee, so it makes for a short drive. 

We stayed at The Marshall House, which is in the absolute best location. It is on a main street that made it easy to walk everywhere. We didn't have to get back in the car once, which was the idea. We had a balcony suite so you just hoped out of the window and you could see over the street. 

In most parts of Florida, you cannot have open containers in general (Key West excluded). No drinks on the street and you can't take anything to go. So it is always a surprise when I go somewhere and they ask you if you want a drink to go. We had to take advantage! The first night we were there, we grabbed a drink (blue moon for him, and peach sangria for me) and set off to explore. 

When we vacation, all I really want to do is eat and mosey around all day. I don't want to do tours, or any real activities. I really just like walking around and picking a place that looks good to go in. Savannah is perfect for that. Their are great restaurants tucked away and always something going on. The locals and tourists seem to mix together and we just love it. 

The number one place that I have to go when in Savannah is Gryphon. It is a tea room in the heart of downtown Savannah. We also get a pot of tea and scones. There scones are to die for! If you are ever in the area, stop by!

If you ask Kyle one place he wants to go, he would 100 percent say Zunzi's. This place is amazing! It is a small hole in the wall type joint. A combination of Swiss, South African, and Dutch. It is a little off the main strip and somewhat hard to spot. Just look for the line of people and you found it. After we ate, I think I continued to say this is heaven for almost an hour. 

 

We had a wonderful, relaxing, peaceful weekend full of food, fun, and some really good laughs. This guy has my heart in his hands, and I can't wait to spend a thousand more hand in hand with him. Savannah, we miss you already. 

Thankful (7/52) on a Friday

Picture from 2010 engagement session by Amanda Lenhardt.

It's Friday! And it's Valentine's Day. What could be better? I am a hopeless romantic. I can't help it. These silly Hallmark made holidays are just so much fun. Go tell someone you love them today. It doesn't matter if you are single, married, in a it's complicated, or dating.

I am just so thankful that I can be completely sappy with this guy of mine and he is okay with it. Today, I know he will go out of his way to live up to these expectations that women set for their guys on Valentine's Dy. That goes unsaid most of the time, but today I am thankful for this. He deals with me in a way no one else can. He calms me when I am in tyrant mode and he is always my biggest supporter. He even let's me call him silly names. This guy makes me a better me without even trying. We have our ups and downs but more than anything, I am thankful for this moment in our life. This time where we are just us. Just content watching funny tv together. I know that time will pass and the urge for more will come, but for now...we are just coasting as the two of us. My life is full. Full of love, full of life, full of family, and full of future.

8 years

Today marks our eight year dating anniversary. It was the beginning of a very special chapter in our lives that I wish I would have documented better. The year was 2005 and I had just turned 15. I remember it like it was yesterday. He asked very nicely and very nervously if I would "be his girllfriend". It was oh so cute.

We were so young and knew nothing about life or love, but over the years we have grown up together. Learning as we go. He is my partner, my love, my laughter, and most of all my better half. 

Here are some fun pictures throughout the years. 

What a beautiful weekend

If weekends were tangible objects, I would pick this one up and keep it locked away in a jar. Weekend, thank you. How did you know that I so needed you. This is one of the first day this summer that I have been able to open up our back doors and 1. not be blown away by the humidity or 2. not see rain. I mean just look at it....it was beautiful. We didn't have a chance to swim, but I sure dreamt about it.

The boy woke up at his way to early time. While I was still snuggled under the covers with this little one. I woke up a little too early for my liking, but 9:30 you don't look so bad. We gallivanted over to the parents for breakfast mid morning. Let's just say we fell in love with English Muffin bread this weekend. Haven't tried it? You are so in for a treat. Delicious. We ate, we talked, we laughed at the pups silliness. Later on we decided to head to a tiki bar that is just adorablel. We love this place, and I am hoping to convince my parents to go again this weekend while they are in town!

His and hers drinks. Dark and Stormy and Margarita. 

I tried to get a picture of these three. Silly me, because this was as good as it got. But so perfect at the same time. This is us, our little family minus me. Always changing, always moving, always growing. I love you three to pieces!

In short, if I could marry a weekend it would be this one. You done good weekend, you done good. 

Weekend Trip & new addition

This past Friday we headed over to Jacksonville to spend the night with my parents before I went to Orlando to try on some bridesmaid dresses and meet the other bridesmaids. It was a really nice drive, and of course the pups were in tow. They are so silly on long drives. Long being a whole two and a half hours. 

Side note: Have you tried the Starbucks Valencia Orange? So good!

Can I see mommy?

 

This little one insists on sitting right in my lap the entire time. 

The trip is pretty much a straight shot down Interstate 10. And is 99.5 % all trees. So the scenery is a little lacking. We don't mind because we talk about a whole bunch of nothing, and play silly games. By the time we are done, the drive is already over. On Sunday, we went to Repticon because I have told Kyle for almost a year now that he could have a bearded dragon. So well... we ended up coming home with a new addition to The Williams Family.

Her name is Kilgharrah. I am a huge fan of the BBC version of Merlin, and of course the dragon from that shows name is Kilgharrah. Which means "The Great Dragon". It just sort of fit like a glove. So help us in welcoming our new member to the family. We are one pet away from a zoo over here.