Happening Lately.

Happening Lately.

After a month of almost non-stop travel, we are finally back home! My little family has experienced a lot of adventures since the end of April, and we have had SO MUCH FUN, but we are seriously ready to get back to normal. Babies thrive on routines. Heck, I thrive on a routine. It's back to grocery lists and scheduled naps and, oh yeah, this thing happened while we were gone - SUMMER!!!

I am still in the process of compiling all the photos from our trips to St. Simons Island and Rome (I found a few more Madrid photos and added them to the previous post, in case you're interested in seeing a few more) and I will have those up for you over the next week or so. One trip that I have almost zero photos from is the one from this past week - I was in Florida with my husband's family, where we basically go back in time and pretend that technology doesn't exist. Which was fitting because, this year, none of our technology worked anyway! The service on the beach that we love seemed to be worse than ever, so it wasn't hard to forget about owning a phone or computer. We just relaxed by the ocean and watched our babies eat sand while we ate grapes and sandwiches. I actually read a book. Well, part of a book. Okay, I read two chapters of a book and it was spectacular. I forgot how desperately much I love to read. It's been a long year of very little reading, but now that my baby is getting older, I feel like some of those pastimes will make a comeback in my world. Fingers crossed. Anyway, all that to say that I actually have very few pictures of the family beach trip (except for the few snippets above), because I needed to take a break and check out from my usual over-photographing, and that is quite alright. I got the memories!

I hope you all have some wonderful summer plans on the horizon. Since we stacked all our summer travel at the beginning of the season, come July and August I will probably be itching for another trip! But that's okay. I will just live vicariously through all of your vacation photos :) In the mean time, I hope you have a marvelous Monday and soak in some of this warmth!

A Sigh of Relief in St. Augustine.

A Sigh of Relief in St. Augustine.

Last week I took an impromptu road trip down to St. Augustine, Florida.

It was necessary for my soul.

It was one of those trips that I didn't realize how badly I needed. But with all this wet wintery weather and cabin fever, along with my current car-less situation, with a baby, IN THE SUBURBS, I was ripe for a bit of adventure and freedom. Haha, how adventurous is it when you're only going to your sister's place? But it was adventurous to me, because it was the first time I packed up my child and road tripped anywhere with him. Did I mention that I did all of this husband-less? I did all of this husbandless. It was quite the adventure, folks.

Let me just take a moment to tell you, GO HUG YOUR MOTHER TODAY.

Stevie had some back-to-back work trips, so we knew we would be apart for a week. A week is a long time, people! And it feels so much longer, now that we are blessed with a cutie little baby. I just feel like I really need his help and support, you know, all the time. Bathing the child and feeding the child and holding the child - he weighs 18.5 lbs. these days! But we did it. Me and Everett. We made it through the week daddy-less without too much fuss. In fact, Everett started crawling and grew in two teeth while we were down in Florida. And saw the ocean for the first time (I instagrammed that epic moment here). Talk about a trip!

We weren't alone though. Far from it. My darn-adorable little sister Rachel agreed to take to the road with me and Everett, and last minute, my dad jumped in the car with us, too. And my mom was already in Florida the previous week on her annual "girls trip" with all her friends from high school (I know, party animal, right??), so she met us at my sister's house, too! It became a huge, unplanned family affair. Babies and movies and laughter and wine. My Dad took us shopping, his three grown adult girls. The whole trip was so sweet. It's not often that we are all together anymore (I know, you're probably thinking, don't you live with your parents??) But I mean my entire family. We haven't all been together since Everett was born almost 8 months ago. And I mean, we still weren't, since Stevie wasn't with us, but it was still really good to have that family energy vibing once again. The storytelling. The eye rolling. The babies throwing food around the kitchen. Whatnot.

What did I do during this Swiss Family Robinson weekend? Sniffed that salty air. Jogged the mile to the beach (and back again!) Stood in awe at all the mossy-ness. Ate fish tacos (everyday!) Rolled around on the carpet, playing with my niece and nephew. Chased Everett around the house. Stared out the window at the rain (the weather wasn't really our friend there, either). It was really simple stuff. And it was kind of the best.

// My exercise buddy. My life buddy. Built-in BFF. God I love her. //

// All. That. Moss. //

// The ocean made him sneeze. And then made him laugh. And then made him sleepy. //

// My baby likes to hold hands. I'm already nervous about middle school. //

// LOVE MOMMY FOREVERRRRRR. //

// I bet you're thinking this photo looks fake. I know. If I didn't know her for myself, I would think this homegirl is some kind of fairy princess. But since I know her for myself, I KNOW SHE IS. //

// Tacos and a smoothie errrrrday. And now I shall move in. Into this establishment. //

// Why are cousins so stinkin' CUTE. Everett was obsessed with them. //

// Sigh. My kin-women. //

Need More Moss.

I am just so grateful for this trip. Though the weather betrayed me just a tad bit, my soul was refreshed just being in a different environment. Different, but comfortable, since it was in the joyful home of my sweet sister and her family. I am already planning another trek down there, to do a bit more culinary mining in the downtown. I love St. Augustine a lot (we honeymooned there for a few days, almost 8 years ago WHAAAAT), and it never gets old, exploring that rad historic little town.

// This is what it feels like to be practically choked with love. //

// SISTERS! My heart pretty much exploded on that beach. //

// I'll never let go, Jack. //

The Ghost of Beachy Past.

If you're interested, I have an arsenal of St. Augustine shenanigans from the past, like the time I was pregnant and cold and sad and St. Augustine cheered me up and the time I was threatened by a pelican. You read that right.

Quick Reminder - Don't forget to enter this giveaway this week! And get ready for another giveaway starting here tomorrow!

Spencers at Sea

Beach Time.

I am a smidge obsessed with my family. I'm just going to start by saying that.

We went on vacation this past week to the beach. Stevie and I haven't been to the beach with my entire family in years, and it really hit me when we were all together again. Wow, I have missed this. It's hard to put the beats of my heart into words, but these pictures really capture the essence of this much-needed trip. Babies. Cousins. Corona. Bocce Ball. Seafood. Sand in absolutely everything. Big hats. Small itinerary. Coffee clutch. And a million new miracles to celebrate. Oh, we found the time to celebrate.

I can't find enough words to encompass how much my hurried little heart needed this pause. The sea has a way of getting underneath my skin and smoothing out the folds of my unnecessarily-panting mind. Clarity always surfaces. God always speaks. And my family always, always makes me laugh big. Being at the beach with these astounding individuals is like taking a deep breath, holding it in and treasuring the moment, and then exhaling like a new woman. I am so thankful for them. The tan is a just an added bonus.

// Victory lap. For laying out all day. //

// Are your teeth rotting yet? That's how sweet these folks are. //

// Sisterhood looks like. We just need some traveling pants. //

// Mom and Cousin Amber (who might as well be a sis) // Sun setting like a champ //

// I know. Dorky. All-American. Linen. I don't even care. //

// Kites really don't get enough credit for being whimsically awesome. //

// These people again. I can't get enough. //

// Cousins. Their babes. Gobble gobble gobble. And again I want more. //

// Dad volleyballing like a champ. //

// The family models. // Rachel Lynn and her main squeeze Charlie. //

// Snorkeling (obviously) // Posing (what's new?) //

// Sunset and family love, with a side of Bocce //

// Morning running club (Los cuatro corredores!) // My mother looking like a French bike lady (we've seen too many Hepburn movies) // Views and Seafood //

This is a mere snapshot. My hurried heart finally took a breather and for that I am so glad. With the upcoming transition of this week, I feel like my head is on straight and my eyes are restfully focused forward. I hope you get the chance to vacation with your favorite people this summer. Take the moments you get with them and cherish it. Because somehow we are all growing up SO stinkin' fast.

Love love love.

Missing in Action

I have been MIA. With good reason.

Recap: Finished Spring Semester. It was kickin'. Celebrated Mother's Day. Those women deserve it. I did a Maymester. While working full-time. That hurt a bit. Lauren Ramsey, my dearest school buddy, you made those two tedious weeks possible. Along with string cheese. I forgot that back in my lunch box days, I really dug some good string cheese action. I went to the beach with my family. God shone down upon me during those glorious days, and I let his dear, bright sun soak into my soul. And my skin. I have the sun poisoning to prove it.

While at the beach, I read "Water for Elephants." It's the first book I've ever read that is starring Reese Witherspoon. It was somber and great all at once. Praise the lord. Vacation is delicious. And now I want to go see the movie.

A few more photos that encapsulate some good Serenbe-family time. We have celebrated my mom there every year. (We were practicing our fake smiles, can you tell?)

Most recently, I spent the past two days with my intern buddies. We conquered the Camp Winshape ropes course up at Berry College in Rome, Ga. It was awesome, and much harder than I had anticipated. I climbed a 45-foot rock wall. I was reminded about how much heights really flip me out. But it was still awesome. And this crew of interns that Chick-fil-A has compiled are all seriously sharp individuals. Vanessa Vogel, I am so flipping excited to spend the summer with you! We are going to have a cow-mooing-blast.

Now that I am past all of this past month's busyness, I am back to the realization that I am moving. Soon.  And I have to get myself organized accordingly. Which means I actually have to start going through my stuff and PURGING. Which means we have to commit to an apartment up north. Which means that I need to have a garage sale this month. And I need to craigslist my bigger items. It's happening people. It's happening.