Hiking the Rose River Trail

First of all, I have to point out something - the shirt Dean has on in the above photo is not UF orange & blue, but simply a plaid shirt featuring Auburn colors. Just to be clear :) #truenole

As I sit here typing this, it's snowing outside! But on Saturday, the weather was absolutely great & we met up with several of my Small Group ladies & Matt, one of our friends from Dean's Small Group for a hike through Shenandoah National Park!

We had the best time exploring the 4-mile trail. AND there are waterfalls along the way!! Major score!

I adore these girls!! So much joy all around :)

If you looked in the dictionary under "apple-bottom jeans," I'm convinced there would be this photo of my hubby :)

Happy trails to you! HA major cheese but it's what stuck in my head right now ... "Until weeee meeeet agaaaaaaain!"

Baltimore Getaway

"Chickens don't have fingers." Have you ever stopped to think about that? You know, as you're ordering or hear someone else ordering this dish at a restaurant? Me neither. Until, Alton Brown, that is.

This, y'all, is just one of the hilarious memories from Dean & I's weekend trip to Baltimore. He's a big fan of the Good Eats founder & Food Network host so I surprised him with tickets to see his Edible Inevitable Tour last month. I have to admit, although we didn't really know what to expect from Mr. Brown's live tour, the night was pretty great! Basically, he talked about & did all the things they don't allow him to do on TV - like make pizzas in a giant Easy Bake oven & rant about his Top 10 Things He's Pretty Sure He's Sure About Food. So fun!

Before the show, we spent the afternoon exploring the city & grabbing lunch by the Inner Harbor. The waterfront was gorgeous - & made me miss Florida's sandy shores so much.

"The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

A December dream come true

Have y'all ever cut down your very own Christmas tree?? Back in December, I had listed it as one of my goals to accomplish during the holiday/birthday season.

I was born & raised in the Sunshine State, meaning we had mostly palm trees, orange trees & yes, some pine trees, too. But not your choice of farms with the big, beautifully perky evergreens that so perfectly hold out their branches as if to say, "I'm here for you. Please, do put your ornaments on my needles." Since moving to Northern Virginia (or, if you're not from around here, DC :) ), I've wanted to bundle up on a cold winter day & head out to a Christmas tree farm for a tree picking extravaganza. And this past December, that's exactly what Hubby & I got to do!

We drove over to Evergreen Acres in Nokesville. Such a great farm! It's a family-run business & even though we went in the middle of December, they still had a ton of trees left to choose from. Bonus? They gave out steaming cups of hot cider. YUM!

This guy :) :) :)

Here's the hilarious part of it all: although the wintery white flakes were melting/on their way out of town when we were at the farm, it was still preeeeetty cold. Meaning I was pretty cold & Dean was not :) I was SO excited to go frolicking through the rows of Fraser fur & pine trees that I didn't even consider that the boots I was wearing were not exactly weather appropriate. 

My comfy brown boots! Oh how I thought they would never do me wrong. But after the wear & tear of a few winters, they have slowly started to fall apart. Which leads us to the middle of our tree-cutting adventure & I have cold, dripping wet feet. With every step, the melting snow & ice sloshed more into my boots & socks. And y'all, there were puddles ALL over! Since Hubby couldn't cut down the tree & carry me, it became one of the fastest rounds of find-your-Christmas-tree that farm has ever seen!

There it is! And down she went! So fast. I was telling Dean to let me know when it would fall & then it was already cut down haha. He works so fast!

Such a welcome to the cold day! If only my soaking wet toes could have had a cider bath...

We successfully attached our voluptuous tree (she was pretty curvy!) to the roof of our car & brought her back home. I must admit I've never before attempted carrying a tree up 3 flights of stairs! Luckily for me, Hubby & his gun show could get it upstairs with very little assistance from me. And our FSU Just Married ornament was a wedding gift from my sweet friend Lauren Elizabeth & her boyfriend :) Go NOLES!!!

We brought back this angel from our honeymoon in St. Lucia :)

Slipper time :) Feet finally started defrosting! Next year, I'm definitely wearing rain boots! Or any pair of boots without holes in them! And if you want to have your own Christmas tree experience, we highly recommend Evergreen Acres! Everyone was really helpful & the prices are great! P.S. if you wait til closer to Christmas time to snag your tree, they go on sale! $25 for any of the pines, same as picking one up at Home Depot. Sold!

Sabrina + David: sneak peek

Goodness gracious, y'all, was it a-snowing here in Virginia this weekend! With the threat of winter flurries & storm advisories coming our way, Sabrina & I decided to pray for the snow to hold off & stick with our Saturday morning shoot in Old Town.

Dean & I had an awesome time laughing with Sabrina & David plus snapping tons of lovey-dovey shots of the two. And JUST, I mean just seconds after taking the last shots, the snow really started coming down. Isn't awesome how the Lord hears the needs of His children & answers our prayers?

Sabrina & David, you two are the sweetest together. Despite the chilly weather, y'all were such troopers & gave it your all. Which totally shows. Speaking of answered prayers, halleLUjah that you are both in the same country now after months of faithful prayer, long-distance phone calls & Skype time. We can't wait for your spring wedding!

Lara + Dan: Old Town engagement

This couple. What a joy to hang with the future Mr. & Mrs. Stroud! Since our initial phone conversation, it's been *so* fun to chat with them about life, the Lord & their wedding. Since Lara & I are both brides-to-be, we've been able to share with each other's excitement about finding wedding day shoes & sending out all the invitations YAY! Their wedding is early next month - & we wandered through Old Town, ending up at the spot where they had their first date (SO precious!). We finished our early morning session at the Virginia Theological Seminary, where their wedding will be held. It's also where they both attended & met for the very first time. 

And a black & white fave. Ahhhh!