Hello, New Year!

(Before I begin today's post, I want to thank you for the sweet words of encouragement.

Also, thanks for letting me rant.)

Now, on to happier things!

Am I the only one who cannot believe that a whole other year has passed?! 

2011 was full of ups and downs, but I made it out (and with a Husband!)

I'm sososo excited for 2012.

There's a whole new chapter about to begin for my little family. I have no idea how the story ends, but I'm absolutely a-ok with that!

Some of you may remember me starting a "23 before 23" list.
Well, let's just say... I failed. Life happened so fast, I couldn't keep up!
Excuses, excuses, I know!

So, I am going to start this new year with my "24 before 24!"
(See what I did there?)
So, blog world, I give you:

1. Lose 10 pounds.

2. Run 5 miles consecutively.

3. Read the Bible completely through.

4. Have over 100 followers on my little blog.

5. Make awesomely cute cupcakes.

6. Rid my self of sodas. Completely.

7. Sew something completely from scratch.

8. Take my vitamins and medicine, every single day! 

9. Go camping for the first time.

10. Complete and blog 5 DIY's.

11. Make a conscious effort to think positively. Always.

12. Keep my fingernails and toenails prettyful.

13. Beat Husband in a round of Black Ops.

14. Read 2 "just for fun" novels.

15. Be on time (early)  for work. Every. Day.

16. Go on a picnic.

17. One date-night a week with Husband.

18. Try a new recipe once a month.

19. Host a homemade pizza party.

20. Incorporate one article of clothing into my wardrobe that I never thought I'd wear.

21. Become a coupon queen! (Ok, maybe a coupon princess,) I don't have time to be queen.

22. Not cut my hair. (Trimmed, yes.)

23. Sunday's: No computer. All day.

24. Save and spend money wisely.

I leave you with a new favorite treasure I found on Youtube.

Happy celebrating!

Happy New Year!

Dear Anonymous,

I don't know who you are (hence the "anonymous") but, I wish you had a name.

I'm 99% sure you've never tried to ask about my day or tried to reach out to me any when we've been face to face.

But, your comments seem to be so pointed, so hateful, so unGodly.

So to you, Mr(s) Anonymous, if you wanted to hurt me, you have.

Congrats.

But, I won't let it stop me from being real, raw on my blog. I cannot apologize for that.

You're not forced to read, by all means.

But if you need to talk to me, here's my email: lwegmann@hotmail.com

-Lauren

life lately

Christmas with the Crews!

Making pizza with Brother and Husband!

                      1. Sunday School craziness!                2. Waffle House midnight run! Happy 6 months!

Yes, I know. CindyLouWho.

Sweet puppy kisses!

McDonalds and Monopoly! Merry Christmas, Handsome!

Well, hi there friends!

Have I got news for you!

WE'RE MOVING!

There, I said it.

It's been inside of me for over a month and I've kept it a secret for way too long!

Brandon and I have served at First Baptist Church of Sneads for almost 3 years. We've been through many trials, but the youth group there has truly stolen our hearts. It'll be tough leaving them, but God has shown us a new path.

Back to school! Back to school!

Brandon and I will be moving back to the Baptist College of Florida in 6 days.

Yes, that's right.

6 daysssss.

Yikes.

We are beyond thrilled for this new life. God showed up and showed off. We got him registered for classes, ready to graduate, found a 2 jobs for me, AND a house to rent, all in the SAME day!

We took this as a big fat blinking sign from God.

And it's the best Christmas present ever.

P.S. Because I'll be pretty busy over the next 6 days (and then the Christmas family traditions) I will go ahead and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Mini Messages

(We have a tradition to buy t-shirts for each other when we visit somewhere new. The key is to find the tackiest one you can. During our honeymoon, without meaning too, we picked the same one! We both won.)

Dear Weight,

Husband lost you, but no fear, I found you.

Dear Honeymoon,

I miss you!

Dear Chrimma Bush,

You fill our little shack with such warm fuzzies. Why can't I leave you up all year round, again?

Dear Husband,

Thank you for letting me be a complete nerd. Bonus, thanks for loving me for it, too!

Dear Bailee Bear,

You're the cutest ball of white fur I've ever known. My very own snuggly little polar bear (...um, puppy.)

My Thankful List

-my hottie of a husband
-the 8 little paws in my house
-our love shack
-my crazy wonderful family
-mexican food
-bubble baths
-cold weather
-snow
-messy hair
-babies dancing
-hearing my parents sing
-Turner Classic Movies
-God's Word
-homemade pizza
-down comforters
-my wedding rings
-being a newlywed(being married, period!)
-puppy hiccups
-love

I hope everyone of you had an amazing day with your loved ones!

Can we say, nap time?!

Mini Messages

Wreath I made for our little shack door using leftover wedding materials.

Dear Christmas,
All of a sudden the world has caught up with me in my excitement for you. I'm a true fan. Celebrate all year long, I do!

Dear Future,
I love you. I'm beyond excited for what's to come. I just want to scream! (More details to come later!)

Dear Olive,
You seem to be growing the "miniature" right out of you. What happened to my little baby girl?

Dear Florida Winter,
I hate you. It may be 90 degrees outside right now, but I'm still rocking the boots and scarves. Take that.

Dear Husband, 

Can you believe it's almost been 6 months since we said "I do"? We've made this little shack a home. And I love it.

I'm alive...

Promise!

Due to recent circumstances, we haven't had internet at our house for about a month.

I physically miss blogging and reading about your lives!

I shall return.

P.S. Don't write about anything too interesting while I'm gone!

How Great is Our God?

Usually when I go through trials, I chant lyrics from certain songs...

"I will praise you in this storm..."
or
"Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?... His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."

But this time, during this trial, I keep singing "How great is our God?"

All throughout the Bible, we are told to be thankful for the sufferings we endure. It's easy to read. It's easy to say. But when it comes down to putting it into action, it's one of the hardest things to do.

I love music and that's why I always surround myself with lyrics and songs that fit the situation I'm in. It helps bring me to a state of worship and gives me the words to pray. It seems bizarre that this is the song placed on my heart during this past month.

In Chris Tomlin's song "How Great is Our God," those 5 words are repeated over and over.

"How great is our God? 

Sing with me, how great is our God? 

And all will see how great, how great is our God." 

I almost laugh because the last thing I want to chant to myself in the midst of struggle is "how great is this?!"

I can answer that question now.

About a month ago, my heart completely broke. I fell in love with someone I never met and mourned their death at the same exact time. I had a miscarriage. Brandon and I were unaware that I was even pregnant. It was hands down the most traumatic thing I've ever had to deal with. I had so many questions. I wanted all the answers but also wanted everything to go away. I didn't know how to express my feelings. I didn't know how to let Brandon or anyone else help me. I felt so broken.

Last week, I lost my job. I was teaching at a nearby elementary school. There were economical and social problems and finally it all had to end. I was embarrassed, scared, and shocked. I didn't know about the future. I couldn't deal with the present. I wanted to hide from the world. I didn't want to show my face to anyone.

Rumors have started. Looks have been given.

How great is our God?

I didn't write this blog to get sympathy. I wanted to be transparent, real. I wanted to get out everything that's been inside of me for the past month. All the heartache, trouble, and struggles. I wanted everyone to know the truth. And the truth is that God is still in control of my life. He is the beginning and the end. He orchestrated everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. I shouldn't need "good" things to happen for me to realize how great He truly is.

Through these trials, I've gained two things, faith and hope. Faith in that no matter what I think is best for me and my family, God has even better desires and dreams for me. Faith in Him to always be consistent in His love for me. I gained hope, that one day it very well may be possible for me to have children. I have endometriosis. It's scared me to think about the possibility of not having children. The odds are 50/50 but I serve a God that is the ultimate physician and I know He can heal me. I have hope that there's an even better job out there for me. God knew my heart was torn between teaching and something else. I can now smile in the middle of everything because even though I don't know where He's taking me, I know He won't ever let me go.

That's how great He is.

It's coming...

There's a hint of cold in today's breeze.

You know what that means...

Skinny jeans and boots.

Scarves and floppy beanies.

Coats and better hair days.

Layers and layers.

I'm so excited for what's to come, I'm wearing my boots to my dinner date tonight.

So what if I live in Florida?

So what if I'm going to the beach?

My favorite season is coming!! 

It's time to celebrate!!!

an affair...

This may or may not constitute as cheating but,

I signed up for a Tumblr account.

I know, I know. How dare  I?

Well, life got hectic and super fast. I felt like I was abandoning my little blog. I've missed taking pictures and posting about our newlywed life. But there hasn't been much newlywed fun times worth blogging. We both work full-time and at opposite times of the day! 

"Good morning, Handsome! Just waking you up to say good-bye!"

"Goodnight, Handsome! Have a good time at work!"

See how boring that would be to blog about?!

So, I decided to check out Tumblr.

To me, it's a cross between Twitter and Blogger. It's more than just a status update, but less than a blog. My blogging is not the only thing changing. Due to recent personal events, I've been inspired to change. Wardrobe, outlook, job, personality, hair, etc.

A fresh new start.

A fresh new Lauren.

This by no means is me saying goodbye to you. I lovelovelove reading about your lives and whenever I do get 10 minutes to sit down, the first thing I do is check in on my friends.

So, feel free to check out boylovesgirl over at Tumblr!

http://boylovesgirlalways.tumblr.com/

Under Construction!

Things might look a little weird over the next few days.

boy loves girl is getting a makeover!

Stay tuned!

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of my babygirl.

Is it Christmas yet?!

Our Wedding: Couple's Shoot

I saved the best for last! Most of these were taken right after the reception. We went to a nearby state park for our couple's shoot. I LOVE them!

Ashley Daniell, thank you!

Can't wait for our next opportunity to use you!

(I forgot to add these to the end of the reception group!)

Brandon and I both decided to not have a "first look." I had seen pictures like this before and I fell in love with the idea! These door shots were taken just minutes before I walked down the aisle. We hadn't talked or seen each other all day. I was so filled with emotion, all I could was squeeze his hand!

I was terrified! I hate heights!

I was told 2 days before our wedding that we could not dance during our reception. We had the reception at our church and I quadruple checked and everyone told us it would be fine for us to dance. I picked out the perfect Father/Daughter and Husband/Wife songs and TWO days before it all happened, I got a phone call. Needless to say, I was heartbroken and livid. BUT, during our couple's shoot, Brandon pulled out his phone and played "Marry Me" by Train and we danced.

PLUS, a month ago, at my cousin's wedding, we were surprised with a first dance/father daughter dance during their reception. It was too sweet for words!

We met back at the church and grabbed our little furbabies for some "family" pictures!

Thanks for sticking around to see all of our wedding shots! Back to normal posts for now!

Hope you all enjoyed them as much as we do!