adalynn grace | two.

It's hard to believe that Addy is two years old today, but it's true! We were invited to celebrate her birthday this past weekend, and the sassiest little Minnie Mouse was the star of the show, just as she was supposed to be. There was pizza, cupcakes, a bounce house, plenty of gifts wrapped for the birthday girl, and friends + family excited to celebrate, not to mention the endless laughter that echoed throughout the gym. Leslie's creativity + Trey's muscles made a great team yet again, and I was just as impressed with their teamwork this year as I was last year. We looooove celebrating with this precious family, and we are so thankful to have been able to watch Addy grow up since she was just one day old. They say that time flies when you're having fun, and they're right.

Happy 2nd birthday to you, Adalynn Grace!

carriage ridin'.

'Twas a crisp, cool winter's eve night spent gazing at Christmas lights while being pulled in a carriage with precious friends. Nights like these are treasured more than most others for lots of reasons, one of them being those who were writing the story of this particular evening alongside of us, and I found myself counting every laugh, smile, and gasp so that I could savor each moment. The best times are the ones that leave your soul a little warmer, your smile a little wider, your heart a little fuller. Yep, this was certainly one of those times.

lakeside trail | hike it baby.

It had been a month since we hit the trails with our Hike it Baby friends, so we joined them for a two-mile adventure at Table Rock. It was a chilly morning in general, but the weather was so nice for the middle of December. We were all just thankful to be outside after so many rainy days! The lake had been drained, and it made the large hole in the ground look post-apocalyptic (as our hike leader so accurately described it). There was a gorgeous view of Table Rock about halfway through the hike, and even with no leaves on the trees + no water in the lake it was still breath-taking. I hadn't explored this trail since I was a little girl, and I had forgotten what an easy-but-worth-it one this is (especially when you're with friends).

Braxton talked up a storm the whole time we walked, and his sweet little voice in my ears prompted me to lift countless "thank you"s to our Creator for how good He is to us. I've said it before, but it really is so powerful + exhilarating to disconnect from the world and simply get back to the basics. This particular trail on this particular day was used to remind me that no matter how muddy or bare the circumstances at hand may be, beauty can still be found if I just choose to look up and trust that the big picture is exponentially greater than my bird's eye view.

I hope B is always mesmerized by trees and leaves and streams, and that he doesn't get so caught up in the next thing so much so that he overlooks the beauty of the present moment. I can't wait for the day when he uses his sweet little voice to say, "Hey mama, can we go hiking today?", and I pray that I never get too busy or over-scheduled to be able to smile + proudly say "Yes!"

When is the last time you got some fresh air?

made with love.

A handful of my closest gal pals got together several days ago to do some crafting. Stephanie, our creative genius, rounded us all up for a little painting party, and I think I speak for the whole crew when I say we are so glad she did. I'm proud as can be of my family's newest Christmas decoration! Not only did we save a few dollars by doing them ourselves (you're welcome, fellas), but we all have similar-yet-different scenes set up in each of our homes that remind us God's graciousness towards us. The words "I'm not a painter" will never come out of my mouth again, because I certainly am! I may not be a modern-day Picasso, but these cute little pegs are enough to make me feel like one.  I hope these inspire you to create something with your own hands, too!

Only nine days until Christmas!

braxton michael | eleven months.

My oh my, what a full month you have had, little one! As of today, you are eleven months old, and me...well, I'm stuck somewhere between giddy with excitement + pride and overwhelmed with disbelief. Before I began writing this I looked back through each of my previous letters to you, and it legitimately makes my mind swirl around + around to think on my current reality: next month, you will be a year old. One whole year with the little guy who calls me what no one else has before: mama. Wow. Sweet baby boy, there is no way that I can tell you just how much you mean to me, just how much I love you.

Okay, okay, okay, enough with the emotional mom talk (for now)...You're still learning and growing and becoming more handsome with each passing second, little one. You, also, have become quite the little destroyer this past month, too! You love to take your books off the bookshelf, tear apart your foam cubes, beat on any + every hard surface you put your hands on (future drummer?), take food off of the shelves in the kitchen, and knock mommy's coffee off of the coffee table (I'll be honest, kid...this mess is my least favorite to clean up). Usually, I just sit back and watch you figure your world out (except the coffee part...) while listening to you talk to yourself. I often wonder what you're trying to say, and it makes me giggle to see that cute personality of yours make itself known. You're still working on your balancing skills, and daddy + I love to sit back and watch you try to decide if you're brave enough to just let go. You still love to eat (daddy says it's a Bargeron thing), and food is one of the things that calms you down best (mommy loves goldfish as much as you do, especially when you start getting grumpy).There isn't a food that you've tried that you won't eat, kiddo! You had your first lemon a few weeks ago, too, and we all had our cameras out + eyes fixed on your face while we waited for what we were sure would be a priceless reaction. Instead, you sucked out the juice and grunted for more. Say whaaaat? I've never known a baby (or even many adults at that) to like lemons, but you ate the whole thing like a champ. I guess I should've known that when I pray that you would be strong + courageous in all walks of life, that includes eating sour foods, too, huh? You crack me up, silly boy! You have six teeth (chomp! chomp!) with no more trying to cut through at the moment. I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate this break in the teething process...it's been a tough couple of months for both of us, and I am gladly embracing this "time off" (no matter how long it is, whew). You still nurse four times a day, and you better believe I will be soaking in every minute of "our" time during this last month before our schedule changes (cue ugly cry). 

You and I went to Beaufort last month for a dear friend's wedding, then we celebrated daddy's birthday a few days later. You, also, ate your first Thanksgiving meal, had several play dates with your buddies, woke up from a nap to find that your home overflowing with red + green decorations at the beginning of Advent, went to your first Christmas parade, and did so many other things that mommy didn't capture in still frames. December is upon us, Christmas festivities are ready + waiting to be checked off the list, and your daddy + I are thrilled to watch you experience all of it for the first time. You have changed our world in so many ways, and we wouldn't go back to the way things were even if we could. I can't wait to experience this joyful season through your eyes, little one. We love you sooooooo much!

born to be tacky.

We all stepped up our game from last year, making this the tackiest celebration yet. There were lots of yummy dishes to share and festive props to pose with, as well a pretty intense game of Dirty Santa and voting for the tackiest attire. As usual, we had the best time together, and all of us were much less distracted because we decided to make this a no-kids-allowed event. Some good, old fashioned grown-up fun was refreshing for everyone's soul, and my cheeks were literally hurting from all the smiles + laughter we shared with each other. This framily has been through a looooooot together over the past few years, and there are no words to describe just how wonderful it is that the same people who pray, grieve, and cry with + for you are, also, the ones who have unending amounts of fun with you, too. God has, indeed, blessed this little group of ours, and we are so, so thankful for His favor on us.

Merry Christmas from the tackiest community group on the block!