millie & the gentleman

last week, i was sitting in sunday school with millie on my lap. she was flittering her hands around the way that she does and quietly ba-ba-ba-ing to everthing around her. trav got up to use the restroom & so i sat her in his empty chair while he was gone. an older gentleman was in the chair next to us, and when he caught sight of millie he gave a little smile as most people do when they find themselves in the vicinity of a baby. 

millie smiled back. then she reached her chubby fingers onto his arm & pulled herself up very close. her eyes were wide & full of wonder as she discovered his face. searching his true nature. and then again--a smile. a big, happy, two-toothed smile. 

i watched him melt into a big puddle before my eyes. 

he picked her up and held her for the rest of the lesson, the two of them happy as can be. 

it was a tender moment for a mother to witness.

everyday i am amazed by the sweet, tender spirit travis & i have been blessed with. 

we love our silly millie mae!

xo lauren 

race for the cure

trav's aunt sharin is currently fighting colon cancer. the family rallied together & wanted to do something for her so last weekend we woke up bright & early, shimmied into our running {leisurely strolling} shoes and joined in on the race for the cure! the race highlights breast cancer survivors but we learned that the color for colon cancer was blue... so we did our best to accessorize accordingly! 

it was a beautiful, sunny day.

perfect for a 5k as a family!

 

^^my mother-in-law, sister-in-law & i getting pumped to start!^^

^^ HA! ^^

xo lauren

more summer mornings

here's a few more photos from yesterday because hello that face.

xo lauren

summer mornings

i do love idaho summers. it's the perfect amount of summer, i'd say.
this summer we wake up every morning at seven am like clockwork. we hate it, and we love it.
we can't go a week without sipping a few lime ricki's.
we sometimes buy a rotisserie chicken from Winco for dinner... but it doesn't make it out of the car.
finger. licking. good.
we make smoothies first thing every morning.
we visit target a lot.
daddy works hard. mommy launders....hard.
and we play in the yard, enjoying the sunshine at least three times everyday.

xo lauren

mother's day 2013

i will always be grateful for this millie of mine. she will forever be the one who made me a mother.

and a mother is exactly what i've always wanted to be. 

the day she was born, everything changed. our lives changed, our hearts grew a little bigger, our savings grew a little smaller and i became a mother. suddenly the world became a much bigger & scarier place because now it is the world in which i have to raise my daughter. suddenly i am more cautious when walking up stairs and crossing the street, because now my entire world resides in a wobbly little body with only two teeth. she is mine to mold & to care for during her time here on earth.

i wouldn't trade the responsibility for anything.

i love being a mother!

& thank you to my two mothers, you are both beautiful examples of grace & strength to me!

xo lauren