St Pete 2

Since Otis joined us for the road trip and we didn't have to rush back to Nashville, we were able to spend some time relaxing with Jared and Laurie Beth. They took us to a quiet beach near their house where we spent a lazy afternoon together (while Jared's amazing mother loved on our puppy for us). We ended the day with some fresh (-er than Nashville at least) seafood and a Jazz festival in Clearwater. Apparently the Avett Brothers are a jazz band? I sincerely don't mind it at all when Ryan gets work in Florida. 

St Pete

Less than a week after bringing Mr. Otis home, we couldn't bear to leave him while we tended to business in Florida so we did what any irresponsible, first-time "parents" would do-- brought him with us on the 11-hour drive. Otis, however, surprised us all by being the best, most well-behaved travel companion we could have asked for. Since he was still too young to be outdoors where other dogs would be, we stopped to play on a grassy field between a gas station and a motel and somehow got some of the sweetest pictures to show for it. 

Otis Redding Bernal

Almost exactly one month from the day I finally caved on the idea of getting a dog, we welcomed a tiny goldendoodle puppy into our family. While the exact timing of his arrival may not have been the most well-thought-out decision on our part, I certainly have become quite the sap for this little guy. Our first stop with him was at the film lab, where we were able to have Austin snap some family photos with Otis. 9 lbs 9 oz of pure fluff.

Atlanta surprise

With the hype of the skate party to distract him, I devised a plan to surprise Ryan... by taking him to look at puppies on the day of his birthday. After looking for over a month, I finally found an available litter. The only catch was that they were in Atlanta. Luckily for me, we just so happen to have some amazing friends there, who willingly open their homes to us at the drop of a hat. The surprise itself was an epic fail, but we had an amazing time in Atlanta nonetheless.

Ryan's 27th

For Ryan's birthday this year, I figured what better way to celebrate turning 27 than to spend the evening roller skating with friends? While Ryan's childhood skating skills came right back to him, I was not nearly as graceful. We are so thankful for our sweet friends who came along to party on the skating rink with us (even if the girls outnumbered the boys three to one).

Farmer's Market brunch

One hot Sunday morning, a group of us decided to brave the heat and spend the day outdoors. We met at the Farmer's Market for a tasty brunch at the Speckled Hen. Then we made our way to the flea market to score some unique antique finds (or at least Elise did).