a b e l

this week i am super nostalgic + overly emotional because on Saturday, our sweet Abel turns ONE... are you kidding me? it's been a whole year? there's just no way.

it's the craziest thing how i remember it like it was yesterday, but it also seems so far away because i don't even remember life before him. so i'm all reminiscent over here + looking back at how the year with him played out + LOVING it. he's such a sweet soul, such a giver. still so quiet + smiley, still fuzzy haired like the first day we met him (maybe by 2 buddy). i just can't get over it. 

on top of all the emotions, i am giving chris and i a big fat pat on the back, because we did it! i wouldn't say i ever had doubts that we wouldn't, but i mean... honestly, i don't care how many books you've read, or kids you've baby sat... when you have a baby, especially your first, you really have no idea what it will be like + it's sort of an all in kinda thing. so hooray for us! we kept our tiny human alive + well. he's fed + rested. + on most days bathed ;) he is for the most part incredibly well behaved + all around a little piece of heaven. most importantly though, he is loved... + loved + loved... + loved well. 

i have learned so much about love this year. a new kind of love that i had never experienced before. being a parent is the most wonderful privilege + i am so thankful thankful thankful for the opportunity.

abel, my love for you is more than you'll ever know. maybe you'll understand it better when you have kids one day, but even then i don't know, because mamas + daddys have different experiences! you are the very best thing we have ever done in this life + i hope that you grow up into the most amazing man one day, all the while knowing how loved + appreciated you are. thank you for being the smile in our every day + teaching us a new kind of love, the best kind of love! i can't wait to celebrate you this weekend + watch you cake your face like never before... you're going to love it! 

a million kisses, your mama 

(top photo from the morning after he was born, bottom photo from yesterdays nap)

M + J

i was recently lucky enough to shoot some engagement photos for a sweet sweet friend + her main squeeze. firstly, they are gorgeous human beings + i hardly had to do any editing... + that is something to be excited about, and secondly... taking engagement shots for someone is such an honor to me. what a special time + memory to capture for them. something they will cherish forever. i love it. anyway, i will let the photos do the talking, i love how they turned out + choosing my favorites for this post was a challenge. and again i'll say it, thank you old town... you're simply the best. 

insta-grams to date

some grammage, because these are the bits of our every day that i was lucky enough to capture + i never want to forget them... 

thanks instagram.

taking stock || part 2

i enjoyed this so much the first time, i thought i'd give it one more go...

also, this picture has nothing to do with it, donuts are just too fun to photograph... + eat

Making : plans + decorations for abel's birthday party

Cooking : apple cinnamon scones according to husband

Drinking : ginger ale, yumm
Reading: i'm currently in the middle of about 5 different books... one day though

Wanting: the weekend
Looking: forward to a facial on saturday, thank you sister
Playing: around with my new camera
Wasting: time on my phone
Sewing: again, i say ha
Wishing: for either snow so we can make muddy buddies or warmer weather so we can get out of the house!
Enjoying: chris, he's the best
Waiting: for chris to get home... he just left
Liking: when abel share's his snacks
Wondering: how many more babies we will be blessed with + what genders they will be
Loving: my family, always
Hoping: for good things to come
Marvelling: at how much abel has learned in one year + still being blown away that i made him from scratch
Needing: a cookie

Smelling: a sleepy abel

Wearing: a sweatshirt + yoga pants... so fancy

Following: such pretty feeds on instagram

Noticing: that it's time to deep clean the whole house... womp womp

Knowing: everything will be okay somehow

Thinking: about how much i'm wanting that cookie ^^^

Bookmarking: every memory that i can

Opening: up to the people who really care about me + still ask how i'm doing, while actually wanting a true response, even if it's sad

Giggling: at abel being silly lately... he is actually meaning to be silly these days + i am loving it

Feeling: hungry

the highlights || 2 0 1 3

14 days into the new year felt like a good time to recap + share some of my favorite or memorable moments + posts from the previous year. 2013 was probably one of my favorite years ever up until the end there, for obvious heartbreaking reasons that i still can't find the words to share in this space, hence my absence. 

we had abel... the best thing that's ever happened to us, and we lost my dad... the worst. everything in between those two events are some of my favorite memories that i hope my brain will never forget. i spent more time with my daddy this year than i ever have in my adult life + that is time that i am forever grateful for + wishing i had more of. chris + i became parents + learned an indescribable love like no other + that too, is something i am SO blessed by + that i still can't even believe is reality sometimes...

life.

i hope you enjoy re-capping our year as much as i did. xoxo

(ps this post reads weird through bloglovin' + is better viewed at the direct site)

in january we:

moved into our house

waited + waited for a baby

abel surprised us 2 weeks early + was born  ||  here + here

we announced it to YOU + shared about his name

in february we:

spent most of our time snuggling with a baby

went on our first outing as a family of three

felt lucky to have had our boy for 2 extra weeks on his "due date"

talked about my first month as a mama

in march we:

tried the ever popular 'snooze' for the first time

found my heart in a puddle on the floor ... multiple times

went green

wrote love notes to document the best i could, all of the love in my heart for one tiny human

had lunch with grammy + papaw

put up our grams wall.

took some fancy photos in white

in april we: 

hosted easter!

prepared for birthday season

our obsession began with the waffle lab

chris had a birthday + a party

abel turned 3 months old... what?

i shared on my new confidence as a mother

we discovered the red table, yumm

gushed about abel... some more.

spent time with grammy + papaw

in may we: 

supported family in a colorful way

i turned 25

my dad + i had a joint birthday party, derby style

enjoyed farmer's market season

sunday-d in estes park + stopped at the cherry tree

celebrated 3 years of marriage

abel turned 4 months old & i probably cried my eyes out

in june we:

found out abel's cousin was a girl!

talked about abel + how special he is... again, i say.. again

experienced father's day in a whole new way

ate so much food at the taste of foco

abel turned 5 months old... are you seeing a common post ;)

in july we:

two of my very favorite people in this world met for the first time... mimi + abel

we had my favorite 4th of july

we spent time on the lake

abel discovered his love for reading (eating) books

we celebrated ashton with a baby shower!

all of a sudden abel is 6 months old + i can't believe it

... + we had a 1/2 birthday party

in august we:

re-did abel's nursery

attended the happiest 5k on earth

had the honor of photographing the most beautiful pregnant women that's ever lived

didn't think we could love abel anymore... + then we did

upgraded bath time

dreams became reality + foco hosted a food truck rally

talked about prayer

in september we:

real talk about estes park + again

made note of some milestones

took abel to his first soccer game to watch his daddy

visited with my cousin

in october we:

had a girls night, no boys allowed

took abel to the park + some more

photographed a scene that will forever be my favorite in all the world

welcomed our sweet niece arrow

partied, costumes + cocktails style for taylor's birthday

in november we:

shared abel's first halloween on the blog

had a wonderful visit with abby

+ said goodbye to the most special man this world has ever known, my daddy.

in december we:

shared our time in breckinridge

talked a little about our loss

celebrated abel's first christmas