Oh, the places you'll go!

We've been all over the place, y'all! And the good news is... We packed our camera.
Check it out!

Beautiful Pensacola Beach


The Chapmans on Pensacola Beach


Now, a word on hopes and dreams.
Sometimes, when you have hopes and dreams, they get dashed against the rocks. Do you see the above pictured sailor outfit worn by Laila Grace? Yes, that was given to us before our little darling was born. The trip to Pensacola was planned before she was born. SO, since before she was born, I've been envisioning a photo album full of pictures of my happy baby in her beautiful sailor outfit on Pensacola Beach with her already skinny mom and always dashing (that part actually worked out) father smiling sweetly at the camera, hair in place, sun setting perfectly in the background...

This didn't quite happen. Laila was not having it. I was not skinny. Nevertheless, we are on the beach and Laila is wearing the sailor outfit and a couple of them did turn out pretty adorable.

The occasion for our trip to Pensacola was our dear friend Patrick McBride's wedding. Here's a photo of he and his beautiful bride, Jessica.



They are completely perfect for each other and we are SO happy for them. We commented on this several times in the course of the week but it's really amazing when you have a close friend and that person marries someone who is totally great and then you can continue your close friendship with them but, like, as married couples, you know? Priceless.

This is why I feel compelled to be intimately involved in choosing Barry, Alicia and Clay's respective spouses... cause I'm gonna have to live with this person too! :)

We also had an amazing time with Chris and Kelly Reeser who we stayed with on the beach. Kelly is one of my best friends from college and it was PRECIOUS to finally be able to introduce her to Laila. They were instant BFFs. Here's a photo of Kel and I at Pat's wedding.



And here's one of Laila and I at the wedding... (The sailor outfit makes it's second appearance)



Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks??? It's overwhelming, y'all. Really. I don't know how I get anything else done.

After we got home from Florida, our darling friends Katie and Jay came to visit from Pennsylvania. Katie is another one of my best friends from college who also had not yet met Laila... so, I mean, it was kind of an emotional couple of weeks because it meant so much to me to be able to share Laila with these girls and visa versa, to share them with her.

It's, like, complete agony that we all live so far apart... but it makes these times together that much more special. Praise God for sweet friends and travel budgets.

Katie and Jay were here for Laila's first bout with solid food. Observe the carnage.



Actually, it wasn't really too messy. Laila's personality is so dainty and feminine. Truly, it was like she didn't want to get messy.

The next day Katie and Jay, Laila, Trev and I all went to the Pumpkin Village at the Arboretum. It was glorious!











Well, that's all for now, folks!
Happy Autumn!