dirty thirty | happy birthday, Teesh!

My man is thirty years old today!

This past year has been full of fun, freedom, our fair share of trials, and just plain ol' fullness. And this man has gracefully walked through all of it strong and humble, like he always does. I shared over the summer how this has been our toughest year in terms of being married with trying to adjust to our family dynamic changing, our schedules ever increasing, and more. He and I view the world differently, too, which is honestly our strongest quality as a unit: he sees the tiny details, and I see the big picture. You can see how this could also be a stumbling block in our lives, namely when we're not individually in healthy states. When we are working together, though, we're unstoppable.

I don't say that to boast or brag by any means, but I say it with a whole lot of gratitude. The phrase we use most often in our house (and have successfully brain-washed Braxton to say, too) is "team work makes the dream work." When we work as a team, we made strides towards our God-given dreams. He and I ring different strengths and weaknesses to the table, but they always compliment each other so well that it often blows my mind.

He is driven and determined. He insists on doing things the right way, no matter how much longer it takes. He is the master of organization and hates to be the center of attention. He is dependable and compassionate. He goes above and beyond his duties, sometimes to a fault. He is the best daddy (I know everyone says that, but this guy here is the real deal) and he sacrifices daily for the good of his family. He is an excellent teacher and patient with everyone he meets. His integrity is unmatched, and he is constantly trying to improve at everything he does.

Basically, he may not be a perfect man in the world's eyes, but he is certainly the perfect man for me.

I've known it since I was a young teenager, and I've learned it better as I've grown in age and wisdom. It sounds silly, but our life is pretty much summed up in a Brad Paisley song, because I definitely thought I loved him then. Roll your eyes or gag (I know some of you will), but it's true -- and I ain't ashamed a bit!

Thirty years ago, my world changed before I was even born. That's because thirty years ago, the man that would become my greatest love on earth took his first breath. And today I celebrate him with all my heart, my soul, and my strength. Yes, even though he has a nervous tendency to be awkward when we take photos together.

That just makes him...him, right?

All photos taken by our precious and ohs-so-talented EmilieCarol Photography!

Happy birthday to my man, the one who deserves celebrating every single day!

To know him is to love him, and I'm so grateful to be the leading lady in his life. There's no one better in the whole, wide world than my Teesh!

bethany victoria | one year.

I can't believe I'm writing this to you, but...TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY! You have been with us for one whole year today, and what a year it has been. A whole year ago today, I had the incredible honor of holding your first mama's hand, gripping it with all my might as tears poured from my eyes, and witness you take your first breath. I've been all kinds of emotional as I have relived all the things that took place to bring you into the world; no, really, I've cried enough tears to probably fill a bucket or two. They've been a mixture of happy tears and sorrowful tears. A lot like adoption.

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Today, we will celebrate with our closest family and friends, which is still a pretty big crew. We had a small, intimate pre-party for you last night with just your grandparents, aunt, and uncles; you got some new toys. This is a BIG DEAL, baby girl, because up until now you haven't played with any of your own toys in this house, much less anything with PINK on it. Wahoo! Now you can have tea parties with us, play with your Little People Castle, and more. Your brother is excited about some new toys, too. Imagine that -- LOL! We ate chili beans and cornbread (which you devoured), and you ate your first smash cake in minutes. Literally. I have a feeling you'll put a nice show on for everyone tomorrow!

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You love to look and watch, but you also love to get right into the middle of things. You are so tough, and you have no problem making your emotions known -- especially when Braxton does something you're not a fan of. You are a professional at defending yourself, and I love it so much! You've, also, been standing and balancing for big chunks of time, and you're trying so hard to start walking. You have taken a few half-steps, but always follow them by dropping down and crawling to wherever you want to go. You love to be chased around, and you typically giggle and cackle as you try to run away from whoever is behind you.

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Your favorite words are "Mama," "Hiiiii" (seriously THE cutest thing we've ever heard), and "Buh-buh" (bye bye). You've recently started to sign back to me, and your favorite word to sign is "More." That was Braxton's favorite sign, too; which makes sense, because both of you love to eat. I call you both "hungry hungry hippos" frequently, I'm just sayin'! Speaking of food, your diet is (fiiiiiiiinally) mostly solids. Praise ye the Lord! You've learned to drink from your straw cup, too, (I repeat: fiiiiiiinally) and we made it to a BIG GOAL. One that wouldn't have been possible without COUNTLESS hard-working, generous mamas who selflessly made this goal possible. Baby girl, we made it to your first birthday on DONOR milk! The best part: that included milk from your first mama AND from me. Cue tears. You were worth every mile driven and hour spent in the car; you always will be.

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A year ago today, you were born and then immediately taken to the NICU because you weren't breathing well on your own. Nothing about your life so far has gone the way I thought it would, but all of it has worked together for so much good. You've overcome so much in just a year, and I know that trend will continue. I wholeheartedly believe that you're going to change the world someday; after all, you've already changed ours. I hope you always love me the way you do today, and I promise to always sing to you, cover you with kisses, chasing you, dancing with you, tickling you, protecting you, praying for you, and showing you the world. Being your and your brother's mama is my greatest adventure, and I don't take it for granted. You are a living, breathing miracle, sweet girl. And you remind us of God's grace, mercy, faithfulness, and redemption every single day.

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Happy birthday to the girl who has taught us more about life in just one short year than we've ever known before. Happy birthday to OUR girl, the one who we'll always love, defend, and cherish. This has been the toughest year we've lived through, but we wouldn't change anything at all -- because to change one thing is to change too much. We love you more than words can say, baby girl. We really, really, really, really, REALLY do!

Braxton Michael - One Year Old

to ohio we will go | hocking hills state park.

In early spring, I came across an Instagram post that stopped me in my tracks. It was a picture of a state park that I had never heard of, but it was so stunning and unique that I found myself on Google looking up everything I could find on it.

Then, one of my good friends that I regularly hike with shared with me that she and her son would be taking a trip there over the summer. Yep, you guessed it -- I almost invited myself to come along. Don't worry, I didn't -- but I did anxiously await her take on it after she returned home. She went on and on about it, which only heightened my desire to just pick up and go!

Then, our long-time family friends who live in Ohio came to visit over the summer, and I asked them about this majestic place that had gotten my adventure wheels turning. I couldn't believe it -- they only live about half an hour from it. My response was quick, confident, and involved some drool: "WE ARE COMING TO VISIT YOU!" We'd always wanted to go see the place they called home, and multiple circumstances said that now was the time -- so we started making plans!

When TJ's fall break finally arrived after months of waiting, we packed our bags, loaded up our van, and hopped in the car for a family road trip! Nine hours there, a whole weekend of exploring new-to-us places, and quite an ordeal to get home (the short story: our van had some engine problems and is still in West Virginia, and we rented a car to get home. so fun, right?) is how to story goes from beginning to end, but the three best parts of our first trip to Ohio were simple: 1) spending time with Butch and Tracie as they gave us the ultimate experience and welcomed us into their home despite how crazy we are with two small kiddos, 2) visiting Ohio University, and 3) our Sunday afternoon gazing at God's beautiful handiwork.

So, what is this wonderful place I keep talking about? Hocking Hills State Park. And people, this NEEDS to be on your list of must-see places. I teared up a few times on the trail -- nope, not because we hiked close to seven miles with kiddos in tow (hehe). I was just IN AWE of the beauty I found myself beholding. It sounds dramatic because it WAS dramatic. I've seen a lot of gorgeous places in my lifetime, but this one was unlike anything else. All I could say, over and over again, was wow. Wow, wow, wow!

Pictures don't do it justice, but I clicked my shutter almost every other step because I never want to forget what I had the incredible pleasure and honor of seeing and experiencing.

Hocking Hills, you were everything I thought you'd be. And more. So much more!