mother's day.

I just love the fact that the kids' sweet school makes an effort to make Mom's feel loved by their littles on Mother's Day. What Brooks and Ann Bennett brought home made my heart pitter patter. 

Brooks' "All About My Mommy" was pretty spot on. My precious boy knows me all too well! 

He also made me the sweetest keychain with a heart thumbprint. I could gobble Annie up—those little handprints! 

She was spot on with her quesitonnaire, too! I guess I need to depart from the workout gear from time to time and wear more dresses...

We spent Mother's Day weekend at the lake. John and I had a wedding outside of Augusta on Saturday, but we got in some sunshine on Sunday before we headed back home.

Being with my Mom and my babies made for the best day. It was a happy Mother's Day, indeed.

wedding date night.

We are so thankful for these sweet and selfless neighbors who love us like their own. We had the best time last night witnessing and celebrating the marriage of their daughter, Rachel. It was a fun date night for John and I. I almost forgot how to cut a rug on the dance floor. Almost.

sans baby.

Last Saturday our friend Lucas got married in, well on, Seagrove Beach. During the weeks leading up to the wedding weekend John and I bounced around whether or not we should take Brooks. I did not think that I was emotionally ready to take a trip sans baby, so on Thursday night I made the decision to take him. Done deal. 

Yeah, not so much. Friday morning I texted John: "Take Brooks or not take Brooks? That is the question." He responded, "As much as I love my little buddy I have to say no...But it's up to you mama. I got your back either way." Sweet hubs. In my heart, I knew he was right. It would be too much with guests staying in the condo with us, a full day of frolicking on the beach, a wedding, and late night festivities. Plus, John and I were in dire need of a weekend together to focus solely on each other and give our marriage a little TLC. So, at 7:10 a.m. I made the executive decision to leave Brooks at home with Shug and Pops. 

Leaving Brooks for the first time was hard. Really hard. I cried the entire day leading up to our departure. I cried when I had to say goodbye. I cried for the first 5 10 minutes in the car. I cried Friday night. I cried Saturday night. Let me just say that one night apart from your baby feels like a long time, but two nights apart feels like a century. Sunday afternoon could not come sooner. 

Despite the fact that I felt like I was missing a piece of my heart all weekend, John and I had a wonderful time.

Friday night we joined friends at the Red Bar and stayed up way past our bedtime. 

On Saturday we soaked up rays of sunshine and enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day on the beach. 

That evening we witnessed the marriage of Lucas and Brittanie and had a great time at their lovely reception.

To not be held down by a schedule was quite nice. As much as we missed our buddy, we made the right decision to leave him in Birmingham. And according to the updates from Shug and Pops, Brooks seemed to do just fine without us...

goin' to the chapel. err, tree.

Before I get too ahead of myself and the happenings around the Bryant household, I want to recollect the joyous occasion last weekend. My best friend, Sarah, got MARRIED!

It was such a beautiful weekend and I felt so honored to be a part of it. Thursday evening, Margot and I drove to Montgomery to spend the evening with the little bride-to-be at her new house and hang with our other besties, Ashley and Lacey. Friday morning, we attended the Bridesmaid Luncheon at Wynlakes Country Club which was just lovely. Afterwards, a group of us got our nails "did" and then headed south to Greenville!

If the rehearsal was any indication of what the actual wedding would be like, we were in for a treat. The backdrop of the ceremony, under the trees where Selby proposed, was absolutely stunning and it so happened to take place right at sunset. We also got to see a little preview of the reception site. You could tell that a lot of heart and a lot of planning went into making this day perfect for the two lovebirds.

After the rehearsal we ventured to the rehearsal dinner at good ol' Greenville Country Club. This is where I met up with my handsome husband for the weekend. Toasts were given and a few tears were shed as love was poured out on the couple of the hour. Because this momma-to-be was exhausted, the night ended there for me.

Saturday morning, we joined the gang for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Grand idea. We stuffed our faces and then relaxed for the rest of the morning and afternoon until it was time to get ready for the big day. The 'maids got to the farm around 2:30 and could not wait to see the beautiful bride. Beautiful is an understatement. Sarah looked gorgeous! And so did everything else. After pictures it was just a matter of time before the ceremony started. The rest of the evening was ideal--from the "I Dos" to the first dance. I really really wish that I had taken more pictures. Thank goodness for a photographer, right?

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Davis! John and I love you both very much and will be praying over you and your marriage. Here's to a life of love, laughs, happiness, and blessing(s)!

beach and babymoon.

John and I took our very last beach trip of the year this past weekend. My good friend, Ann Wade, married the love of her life, Briggs, in a beautiful ceremony in Watercolor Saturday evening. John and I felt very honored to attend all of their wedding festivities throughout the weekend and witness the love that Ann Wade and Briggs have for each other, but especially the love that they have for the Lord. It was very special and brought joy to my heart.

We attempted to throw in some babymooning while down on the gulf. With limited time it was quite hard, but it was now or never. My ideal babymoon would be the trip I mentioned here, but John has been itching hard to get in the woods to hunt. With wedding after wedding and trip after trip plus the upcoming arrival of our little one, I had to give...and he took.

It was still very nice to be down there just the two of us. And I must say, October is the PERFECT time to go to the beach. The weather was beautiful, the ocean was idyllic, and the sunsets were out of this world gorgeous.

orange paw-paw hat | sunset in october 

steps | handsome hubby
dunes | wonderful tonight

pool time | indecent bump
sunny palms | beach walk
majesty | photo booth fun

I am so thankful this trip and for my time spent with John. I love that man so much...

a story.

One year ago today...

this guy...

and this girl...

in the sight of God...

and in the presence of these witnesses...

exchanged vows, rings and a kiss.

Tonight they get to celebrate and eat this cake...

AND then, they lived happily ever after! The end.

Can you tell that I am excited about sticking a fork in the cake that has been taunting me for officially a year now?!

We are back from the beach, but not nearly close to being unpacked and settled back into our normal routine. I just wanted to take a quick minute to post and wish the love of my life, JBB, a HAPPY one year ANNIVERSARY. A post and pics to come soon from our weekend getaway!

survivor.

This is a long overdue post, as the month of October is coming to a rapid close. As you all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I wanted to honor my sweet mom, who is a breast cancer survivor of almost 12 years. I can’t even begin to express in words how this horrible disease affected her and our family, but I can tell you about how strong my mother is and how amazing our God is. Jesus has many names, but has proved to be our mighty Physician, our family’s Healer through and through. Thank you, Lord, for restoring her body back to Your original design. We praise You for Your healing hand and ability to work all things together for the good.

Mom, you are beautiful. Mom, you are special. Mom, you are a fighter. Mom, you are a conqueror. Mom, you are resilient. Mom, you are dedicated. Mom, you are faithful. I admire you and am thankful to be able to tell you this today. This month you are esteemed and remembered. You are a testament for those who lack hope. You are a survivor. I love you.

XOXO.

that day.

Last night I perused through our wedding pictures. It was a not-so-good day and I knew that looking at them would bring a smile to my face. I want to share a few of my favorites. Okay, few is an understatement. Here are A LOT of prized pics that make my heart warm.

Oh how I wish that we could relive that day. Love.