Today I...

-showed off the new house to the In-loves.
-ate my weight in Chick-fil-A.
-got new clothes for the school year. Teachers have to go back to school shopping, too! (Thanks In-loves!)
-stocked the pantry with groceries for the first time, ever. (Thanks In-loves!)
-found out my wedding rings won't be back on my finger for another month. (Boo, Jared's!)
-started my running training.
-died.



Ok, so I'm still alive. But, can we talk about my shins for just a moment?! Ouch! I haven't had this pain since my dancing years! I'm so out of shape and I need to get back into it. Pronto.


Hope you guys are having a happy weekend!!

Picture: Last Sunday, after church there were two rainbows! You can barely see the second one, right underneath the bright one. Speaking of double rainbows...

Seriously?!

My Music Man

This is my Papaw about 2 years ago.

Things have been rough with my family and I haven't heard my him play in so many years.

It brought tears to my ears.

He was a something in his younger years.

This video brought back so many memories of us stomping around the house with our kitchenware parade.

P.S. Check out the little lady who started dancing along! And notice how Papaw got into more once he had an audience! Love it.

My 23 before 23

For some odd reason, I am beyond thrilled for this year's birthday. Something about being 23 just gets me excited! 

Maybe it's because of my weird thing with numbers. When I set an alarm, it has to end on a 3 or 7 (5:23 or 6:37.) When I set the microwave, ends on 3 or 7. When I set the volume, yep... ends on 3 or 7.

Maybe it's because it'll be my first married birthday! Also Christmas. Birthdays on December 24th are often linked to the day after. (Insert funny picture I found.)

(Thankfully, my parents were good at distinguishing the two days and making them equally special!)

Whatever the reason, I'm so excited. Too excited. I might as well be turning 5 and going to kindergarten...don't judge me.

Sadly, I have 5ish months until the big day. But, I'm starting my celebration now with small accomplishments to lead up to the big day.

Ladies and Gentlemen (if there are any guys besides husband who read this,) 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. Go iceskating for the first time.

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.

Technically, 5 months starts in August. But, there's no reason not to start today!

Once a month (maybe more) I'll be checking back in on my list and (hopefully) crossing items off!

Life Lately

 

Husband shaved Bailee. First she was a lion...

 

then she rocked a mo-hawk.

 

Dollar Date! Goodness, I love those dimples!

 

Yummmm. Thank you dollar menu!

 

When going to the movies, buy drinks...

 

and snacks beforehand and ...

 

always bring a large purse!

 

Despite his face, we were both thrilled to see it!

Gee, this blog made me realize why I feel like I've gained 100 pounds!

Where did all that motivation go to be healthy and lose a couple pounds?!

It's like...once I realized I fit into my wedding dress, all the motivation went away!

I need it back. Now.

Mini Messages

Dear Cold/Flu Symptoms,
You kept me awake until 3am. I've been sneezing non-stop and my whole body aches. Please, please, PLEASE go away.

Dear dream wardrobe for teaching this year,
Either magically appear in my closet or make yourself not so appealing to me. My husband and bank account would really appreciate that.

Dear Olive,
Your super long eyelashes get me every time. Just one look into your ridiculously adorable face and I almost forget about the little presents you leave me. Almost.

Dear Husband,
Thank you for taking care of little sick me. I could use a little less BlackOps though, I don't think that's what the Doctor ordered. Maybe some more classical musicals?!

Dear Girls,
You deserve more than you could even imagine. Please stop giving your heart to little boys. It's not yours to give. Let God handle your love. He knows what's best for you and He will never forsake you. Stop breaking my heart by allowing yours to break. Guard it.



Photo: Pretty flowers Husband brought home one day.

Oh, how He loves us...

My brother introduced this song to me way before it became "famous." Many of you might have heard it from David Crowder, who does an amazing rendition of it. The words alone, sung out loud or spoken are so true, so real, vulnerable, powerful. They get to me every single time I think about this song. I know it will always be a favorite of mine.

I'm partial to the original version written and sung by John Mark Mcmillan. There's such a powerful message behind the song and such a painful experience that caused him to write it in the first place. 

Hear the story here:

Here the complete song here: Make sure you listen to the very very end. The whole song is filled with such raw emotion, but at the very end you can feel the pain, relate to it. I get goosebumps just typing about it. Through everything, agony, pain, frustration...God loves us. A love we can never fully comprehend. 

"I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us. Oh, how He loves us."

A Rainy Day

If you live in Florida, you're no doubt used to the summer rain.

On this particular day, Husband and I decided to venture out in to the weather to look for food.

First stop: Church. Husband had some errands to make.

You will never hear me complain about the rain. I LOVE it. Our new house has a tin roof. Ohmygoodness, anytime it rains I just want to snuggle up and fall asleep to the sound.

Second Stop: Gas station for drinks!

Cream Soda for me and Mountain Dew for Husband.

Last Stop: Dinner from The Station. A small burger/wing joint nearby. There's barely room to sit down, so we usually get it to-go.

Handsome husband waiting for our order to be ready.

Yay! Tons of calories all wrapped inside of toasted buns. (Diet starts tomorrow..ha.)

The perfect ending to a rainy day. Cheeseburger, Netflix, and Husband...of course!

P.S. We have been re-watching the Harry Potter's in order to prepare ourselves for the last one and now I wish all my pictures moved. How stinkin' cool would THAT be?!

Hope your weekend is dry! Unless you're like me, then I hope it's super wet and full of naps!

P.S. #2 Everyone please read the sweet blog my husband wrote while I was asleep last night.

My Beautiful Wife

As you can probably already figure out by the title, this is not Lauren. ha.  This is her husband, Brandon.  Currently my wife is in bed sleeping and I thought that I would surprise her with a sweet message on her blog for everyone of you to read!  


I would like to let all of you in on a couple things that my wife does that really just make me smile.  First off, you should know that I find Lauren to be the cutest thing at times when she is being the "nerdiest." (I mean that in the best way possible) There are just several little things that happen throughout the day that really remind me why I love her so much.  


Numero uno. 
Lauren messes up her words every now and then.  She doesn't stutter or anything, but sometimes she tries to say things so quickly that her words get mixed up and come out as pure awesomeness.  ex: Today I bought a new flavor of Mt. Dew.  I told Lauren to try some.  As she poured the drink into her mouth she coughed a bit and kind of jumped.  I asked what was wrong and she replied, "The drink scared me when it went down my throat." haha.  I knew she was meaning that the flavor was non expectant, but needless to say, that's not what came out of those beautiful lips!


Numero dos.
Lauren can at times be clumsy.  She is constantly hurting herself accidentally.  ex:  Tonight while attempting to get off the couch and head to the bedroom, she somehow hit her ankle on the top of the end table.  I will say that again.  The top.  It's a good three feet tall.  Somehow in the process of getting up, her body told her to march like a robot and she swung her foot up and hit her ankle.  I know it definitely hurt her and I was there to make her feel better, but it still alludes me on how she managed to hit the top of the table like she did.


And finally, numero 3 (couldn't remember how to spell three in Spanish) ha.
Lauren is not good at "being mean/mad".  There are times when I do or did something that Lauren wasn't too keen on me doing.  She tries to be mad or mean to me afterwards.  Well, it doesn't really work too well with her.  Every time she tries to look mad and serious at me, she starts smiling that beautiful breathtaking smile she has.  She quickly will turn her head trying to hide the smile so that she can "stay mad".  ha.  I honestly think the longest time she has been able to look at me with a mean face and not smile was approximately 1.7 seconds.  haha.  


These are only a few reasons why I love Lauren Noelle Crews.  She is perfect in every way in my eyes. She is the girl that I prayed and searched for my entire life.  It still blows my mind that she chose me.  She definitely had many other choices, but she chose me.  I still don't get it, but I'll take her.  I am blessed beyond measure for her and God definitely went above and beyond in sending her my way.  


I hope you all maybe learned a little more about Lauren on a day to day basis.  She truly is great.  Hopefully she will let me post on here again sometime.  I love you Lauren.  Now it's off to bed to wrap my arms around my beautiful bride.  


Love, 


Brandon

Wedding Sneak Peak!

I have decided to keep you all in suspense just a little while longer (insert evil laugh here.)

I promise it isn't anything against you, I just have some neat ideas of how to make my wedding blog entries special. So, stay tuned!

But, so you all don't think I'm too terribly mean, here is one of my absolute favorites!

All credit goes to the AMAZING Ashley Daniell. See her work here.

Back from the Stone Age

We made it! A whole week without internet! It was relaxing, I admit. But, I was constantly writing down funny things that happened so I would remember to blog about them! Nerd.

Funny story #1 (like I said, there will be many more "funny stories") I woke up this morning hearing voices. Not in my head, but outside. I woke up husband and made him go look. It was our internet people! Yay! Then, a couple minutes later, they drove away. Not once did they knock on the door. Not once did they say anything to us! Thank goodness I have a smart husband who decided to plug in the router just to see what happens. And viola! Internet! So, thanks people...but no thanks! We decided they must be some kind of hit and run type of company.

What's the first thing the Crews' do when internet is back in our lives? Wife is curled up on the couch with the little furbabies, blogging. Husband is 2 feet away from the tv screen, xboxing it up.

We're an exciting bunch.


Picture: Taking Bella-Boo home to the parents! Loved having her while they were in Zambia!

be riiiiiight back...

Hi, all!

I am happy to report that husband and I are fully moved out of house 1 and into house 2!
Unfortunately, it will be a few days until we get the internet hooked up. Sad day, I know.

I'm using husband's iPhone as you read this...I wonder if this will even work!


I guess we'll see!

I'll be back shortly. It kills me to not see what you all are up too!
Promise I'm taking pictures and I will have many stories to tell!

Joy Filled Friday

1 Delilah on the radio 2 Boho styles 3 Bailee watching the windshield wipers go back and forth 4 Husband running his fingers through my hair 5 Being the interior designer for our new house 6 Hearing my mom's voice come out at times when I sing 7 Dreaming of owning my own bookstore 8 Pink/Nude colored nails 9 Getting into bed, feeling absolutely exhausted 10 The feeling of tape or stickers on skin



Picture: Brandon and me at St. Augustine. Husband, can we go back?

Sensory Overload

We're moving out today.

and

My wedding pictures are online.

Can I just have a freak out moment?!?

As soon as I get a second to catch my breath (and my heart calms down) I will have the link for you lovely blog friends to go and see our pictures!

Ahhhhhh!

done. d-u-n. done.

So long, packing.

I am through with you!

(Okay, maybe I have one or two more itty bitty boxes to fill)

But that doesn't count.

Tomorrow: Moving Day!

P.S. My wedding shoes are famous! 

http://www.toms.com/how-we-wear-them/?p=8

Mini Messages

Dear Harry Potter,

I cannot wait for your last movie to come out. I'm starting my own marathon tonight. I really shouldn't be this excited.

Dear Study,

You are the room I am fearing the most to start packing. You're messy, unorganized, and chaotic. Maybe if I just keep the door closed you'll just clean yourself up. Thanks.

Dear Mexican Food,

Quit being so desirable. I cannot have you right now. Stop it.

Dear Future,

Become clear? 

Dear Winn Dixie, 

I hate you. You work my husband, but don't pay enough. You stink.

Love,

*Picture: One of my favorites of our engagement shoot!

One Month

What I've learned since becoming Mrs. Crews:

1 Sharing covers- I'm the type of sleeper who doesn't use a sheet and balls the comforter around me, sticking my feet out. Husband, keeps covered from head to toe and lies flat out. He hasn't kicked me out of the bed yet, so I guess I'm doing good. 2 Money- I can't just hop off to Wal-Mart and buy whatever I'd like anymore. My money is apart of our money. I came from living with an elderly couple, rent free, to living with husband who pays rent, our phone bills, etc. I do miss the mexican food dates, but I guess having AC is more important.  3 T.V. Time- There is no such thing as "5 more minutes" when it comes to Black Ops. I have the soundtrack memorized. I have to sneak in a classic movie to get husband to watch with me. But, we're learning to compromise. Netflix is our common ground. 4 Tickling- That's just how husband shows he loves me. Gee, sometimes I wish there were a little less love... 5 I'm still learning about him- I find out new things about husband almost everyday. I hope that I never quit figuring him out.

What I'm looking forward to as Mrs. Crews:

1 Christmas- If you know me, you know I love Christmas. I cannot wait to decorate our house, our tree, our yard, etc. I get all fuzzy inside thinking about wrapping presents, cooking Christmas themed meals, and playing Christmas music throughout the house. I am beyond excited for our first married Christmas together. Actually, I'm excited for every holiday as a married couple! 2 Babies-  We want a big family. Just the thought of little Brandons running around the house makes me smile. I cannot wait to start our little family. The furbabies are nice, but it's just not the same. I daydream about what our kids will look like. Will they have husband's freckles? His black hair? Or my yellow/brown eyes and brown hair? One day. One day. 3 One Year Anniversary- I'm so glad we got married during the summertime. With my profession, I will most likely always be off, and husband can take off so we can celebrate! Husband and I have talked back and forth about what "tradition" we'd like to start for our anniversaries. We shall see! 4 Cooking Meals- Now, don't think of me as a bad wife. But, I haven't cooked a real, full meal for Brandon yet. It's not my fault though. Between moving out of one house and into another and husband being the only source of income (until August, when I start back teaching) we just have to settle for PB&J and steaks from friends. But, when it's time for me to go grocery shopping, you can bet it's gonna be good. Plus, I'm ready to try out my cute aprons! 5 Our Wedding Pictures- I am so ready to see them! Our photographer said they turned out so well, she's trying to get them published! How cool is that? The unfortunate thing about that is that means we cannot see them beforehand. Soon. Very soon.

*Video- Just a silly video husband made on the way to the Biltmore Estate on our Honeymoon. He had just gotten a new phone so we were trying it out.

steak at the station

A friend of ours works at a local police/fire station. He is also an amazing griller. He invited husband and me to come over last week to cook us some steaks. Being the poor newlyweds (you all saw our normal meals) we gladly accepted! Here are some photos from the night:

Yummingly marinated!

I promise he doesn't always wear a hat.

The cook!

It was veryvery good. So good, I ate it all up before even getting a picture!

Today I've been working hard! Husband and I found a place to rent! YAY!

But, it's super old.

Like, first house ever built in our city. Yeah.

So, we've been cleaning all afternoon. Plus, I still have about half the house we're in now to pack up...fun fun!

Hope you guys are having a more exciting weekend than we are here!!!

Honeymoon Pt. 2

I realize it's been about a month since I posted the first batch! Oops! Sorry guys!

This is Day 3 of our honeymoon!

Lunch? Chick-fil-A of course!

On the way to Gatlinburg!

Even traffic looks pleasant when you're surrounded by mountains!

Words on a tombstone. I laughed.

Almost there!

Getting ready for the night out!

My wedding shoes! So glad I can wear them more than once!

Cirque de Chine! 

The show explored the different talents and traditions of the Chinese culture.

Tight ropes, balancing, jumping, crazy cool things!

Sweet couple we sat next too. Yes, creeper picture.

And another... :)

Dinnnnnner!

Husband being "artsy."

Again...

And, again!

Up next: Ripley's Aquarium, Broadway Hits, Biltmore Estate, and more!

Stay tuned!