Dinner at the newlyweds'

Some of our best friends tied the knot this year and we couldn't be happier to do life with a married couple like them. Not to mention, their wedding was exquisitely beautiful and we were honored to be a part of it. 

After spending time re-decorating their adorable home together, they invited a group of us over for a delicious meal. Amanda made quite the hostess and as always, Austin provided the entertainment for the evening. What wonderful, hilarious, genuine friends this group of people are to us!

Atlanta farm wedding

Some of our dear friends were married in Georgia the first week of June. Their wedding was lovely and as usual, quite the reunion of college friends. We are so blessed to have met such amazing people in Lynchburg. We need people to keep getting married so we can all see each other more often. Congratulations to the beautiful couple!

Picnic at the park

On their last day in Nashville, we picked up some takeout and ate at the park. It was a beautiful evening and a fun alternative to fighting the crowded restaurants. It was also the only way we could all get the food we wanted. We snapped a few group photos and Otis even posed. It's a good thing he is so cute because he tried running away for the first time that night. When I took him off the leash to play frisbee, there was a pond full of ducks to chase. Big mistake. 

Kickball for grown-ups

We also started a new tradition while our visitors were in town. On one of our nightly strolls with Otis, Ryan and I discovered an old, beat-up baseball diamond at Sevier park. After batting at Otis' tennis ball with a large stick for a bit, we both agreed that we would have to make use of this field in the future. So while Ryan's family was in town, we rounded up a bunch of our friends (and a few strangers) and played a friendly game of kickball at the park. This epic night marked the first of many games to come.

Memorial day 2013

Denise, Brittany, and Mathias came to Nashville for the Memorial Day holiday. Since I had to work the holiday, we made sure to fill the rest of the week with festivities. We rented some B-cycles and took them back to our newly discovered Shelby Bottoms bike path. The warm weather combined with the hills definitely made for some good fun and exercise. 

Birthday week

The weekend after my birthday, Ryan planned an entire day of surprises. I suppose I should have called it the week of indulgence. We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and headed out for a bike ride. After a small change of plans due to our lack of helmets, we rode in our very own "Tour de Nash" at Shelby Bottoms Greenway. 8 miles later, we decided it was time to get some sustenance at Barista Parlor, where we were joined by Sarah and Austin. We all headed to Green Door Gourmet farm to pick up a CSA box for Sarah and then parted ways. A few brief hours later, a group of our friends came to our house for some takeout Desano's and homemade dessert. I felt so loved by all those who made a point to spend their evening with us and was reminded of what amazing friends we have. Not to mention, I was spoiled again-- fresh flowers in a locally made vase from Ashley, our favorite board game from Katherine and Josh, homemade deliciousness from Sarah, and a free haircut from the ever-talented Amanda.

Year 25

In celebration of my 25th year of life, Ryan and I spent the entire day together. It was truly a day of indulgence. Ryan met me at our friend's house early that morning with my favorite latte in hand. We spent the day snuggling (some may call it babysitting) our friend's adorable baby Esther all day. Since we're not quite ready for our own babies, it was a treat to get to borrow this precious girl for the day. Then we went out to dinner at a delicious seafood and sushi restaurant with amazing rooftop views of Nashville's skyline. We stopped by the house to open gifts and I was ecstatic to receive a sewing machine from Ryan. To top it all off, we ended the evening by sipping on some delicious beverages at the local speak-easy. Can anyone say spoiled?