Gift Giving

I love giving gifts, I also love getting them...but who doesn't?

Recently I hosted a White Elephant gift exchange, the idea being to exchange gifts that you already had laying around the house. Some of them quite humorous and others turned from trash to treasure with the new owner.

I gave a Christmas decoration that I cannot remember  where I required it from, but it had plastic greenery that resembled algae. I received a very LARGE spatula that I could be used to flip a pancake the size of a large pan, or a pizza. I loved it! I mean it is something I would never buy but if I ever needed it, now I have it!

In my opinion I love hand made gifts (that includes baked goods) or gifts that you put together as several parts. For example, we received a picnic basket for our wedding day. Inside, it had all the things necessary to go on a picnic. Just something that doesn't say "Hey I picked this up at Macy's last week, it was pretty."

That is why my favorite place to buy gifts for others are local stores. Instagram is EXPLODING with independent businesses. Some of my favorite include: The Banner Shoppe,  Just Add Sunshine Inc.  Hello Lovely People (Watercolor prints), Gulush Threads, and Dunn Rustic Designs...is it sad I could go on and on?

This year for Christmas I tried to shop at local stores  ( I did have to go to Macy's for two things, no shame). Some of the best places were two little shops in Eufaula, AL, which looks like a story book southern town..someone told me it is where they filmed Sweet Home Alabama? It was great to support their local business. One was Superior Pecans & Gifts, they were beyond excited! They even took a picture of our group...which we get a lot of attention for all the sweet babes!

Although a gift can be physical, I also love gifts such as "Go have a date night" which my mom loves to give Logan and I or go sleep in, I will watch Ben!

No matter what the gift is I believe as long as it comes from a place of love whoever receives it will feel the love!

These are a few of my favorite things

I love: 

Burlap (According to my husband its more an obsession)

Homemade gifts 

Walks in the park or down the road 

Hole-in-the-wall coffee shops

Libraries 

Photography

DIY decor

Ben's laugh

Watercolor prints

Local businesses (the kind you know it was built from the heart)

Empty grocery stores 

A cup of coffee with a great friend

Pinterest

Old recipe books 

Teaching someone to read

Cookie Oatmeal candles from Yankee Candle (they are hard to find now) 

Chevron 

Pasta x 100

Hosting get togethers 

Long drives in the country

I have had a hard time finding friends with things in common. Not that I haven't found friends, it is just hard to find people you "click" with. I often tend to think, "I wish we lived in Indiana" but I know God has a plan. If you know any super cool people in GA send them my way! 

Much Love 

A Hoosier in a Southern World

Since moving to the south I have developed a love/hate relationship with this whole new world.

I have always heard about "southern hospitality" and it is a wonderful thing. Most often appreciated at the grocery stores. Yes, grocery man, I would love for you to carry out my groceries! Even if you do call my cart a "buggy"

My neighbors are also amazing! Offering to babysit whenever needed, even though I know they are crazy busy (maybe they hear him screaming at night, and take pity?).

I love the grits here, they are legit.

Chicken Biscuits, yes please...

Also the weather (mentioned earlier) is wonderful during "winter." I never have to worry about scraping ice off my windshield when I leave the house.

There are also some things I do not understand:

Why is everything monogrammed? Believe me, I love a good monogram but sometimes I feel like it is taken to the extreme down here.  Bless them.

Boutique baby clothes. I have to admit, some are adorable, but if you asked a hoosier what a john-john is, they would look at you like you have lost your mind. Also, there is one for every holiday.

The driving! Seriously, I have always had a touch of road rage but not using your turn signal is just ILLEGAL!

Y'all. Enough said.

A pork shoulder is also known as a "Boston butt" mmm I love to each things that have the word "butt" in them :)

The standards for lawn care are beyond my budget, although I do appreciate a nice green lawn.

Those are my random thoughts of the day!

Logan

My husband is the best! I know you've heard that about a million times from a million different people...but really, he is the best. I feel like I am always asking him to express how he feels about me but I am never expressing how I feel. So here are some things I LOVE about Logan. 

He is patient (far more than I am) 

He is the kind of person who if you name a restaurant he could tell you exactly what he is going to order

He loves to help others

I have never met anyone who doesn't like him

It is rare for him to make impulse decisions (I on the other hand...) 

He is really handsome, but doesn't act like it!

He could have a full conversation in movie quotes, and I would have no idea what is going on

He does the dishes and laundry without me asking but when I need help the most

He gets up with Ben, almost every night...this started after I stopped breastfeeding but when people have asked him about this he says "Well, she has to do it all day." 

He enjoys being with his family both immediate and extended 

He is really funny

I could go on and on, but these are just a few that come to mind today. I am so happy God gave me Logan. Especially when I am tired and worn out...

Love Always,

Laura 

Changing Dreams

That moment when you become a mother, its beautiful and indescribable. The whole world looks new and bright and just plain wonderful (Even that taco I had after birth seemed like the best taco ever created). Then the exhaustion sets in and you wonder "Can I do this? Can I survive another night with virtually no sleep?"

I am more blessed than most, in that I am fortunate to stay home. Sometimes I feel like I need to post this on every mirror in our house, because I feel like I fail all...the ...time.

YOU ARE BLESSED

YOU CAN DO IT

Believing it is a whole other battle. Until I became a wife and mother I was told to go for my dreams professionally. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and have always wanted to be one, but for most my life all I have known is my dreams. Some days when I am in the middle of Target trying to calm my screaming baby I want to scream "I HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE, I HAVE LIVED IN AFRICA, IM NOT JUST A MOM!" But then I realize, being a mom is pretty darn awesome, it is a lot of work and takes more skills than most careers will ever require. My dreams have changed.

Now I think of Ben's dreams, how can I make them come true? How can I be the best mom and wife possible? How can I balance everything?

My answer:
Not losing myself, not losing the person my husband married, not forgetting I too am a child of God. Now this is not saying I am going to be selfish, but rather know how much to give of myself to others. Striving to be the person God called me to be, not the person the world calls me to be.

One of my biggest enemies right now is Facebook. I struggle with seeing my friends from college post their adventures and their dreams coming to life. Then I think, they don't get the moments I do, the moments I share with Ben and Logan. Sometimes I feel like they are sharing those pictures, statuses, whatever, because they do not have an AMAZING husband to confide in or a baby to watch. You think you can know someone through Facebook but when was the last time you sat down and had a conversation? I need to be content with my life, not having to share it for the world to see...not that I don't love a cute baby picture or pictures of you standing by an ocean, it is just easy to get sucked into.

Maybe I will never be that crazy, outgoing, adventurous person I was in college again...but that's okay. I have gained more skills being a mother than I would have ever gained through traveling the world. God has a plan for me and I am going to try to rock that plan out as best I can. It's far better than any dreams I have.

P.S. I still want to travel the world,  just not with  9 month old :)

Remember me?

Hello,
Again.
Finally blogging again, I stink at it, well really I stink at remembering to blog. Maybe I need to make it a routine? Then again, I like the randomness of blogging I hate when blogs are forced or redundant. Then again who am I to talk?

Anyways, we just came home from two weeks in Indiana. WOW I learned oh so much. Lately Logan and I have talked a lot about moving home post-army career. So much so it has been hard to appreciate what we have here and this past trip reminded me to be thankful of our Georgia life.
Some of the things we learned:

1) GA weather kicks Indiana weathers butt, 60's and sunny over snow any day
2) We LOVE having grandparents around, but Ben isn't used to another person at night. Sorry about that Grammy, I mean he only screamed for an hour? Oops.
3) I hate suitcases. Really, I hate disorganization with a baby. Do you know how hard it is to find a mini-sized sock in a suitcase?
4) I love our home, everything about it, especially when I walk in and it smells like home. Such a good feeling after two weeks.

On another note, Christmas is around the corner and I dominated cyber-monday/black Friday online deals. Crowds freak me out at times so I love shopping online. Still remembering the reason for the season, although I love seeing smiles on people's faces after giving them a gift. It's the best. What do I want for Christmas? Sleep, lots of it.

Much Love,
Laura

Update

It's been awhile! 

Let's see what has changed...

Logan went to Ranger school and came back....and returns soon! 

Ben is now 14lbs 5 oz 27inches...yes 27... long! 

We have had many great visitors! Some first time to GA!  

I rode a roller coaster for the first time since ... I don't even remember when? Holy moly did I feel old! 

I am starting an exercise group called Stroller Strong Moms and am constantly fighting my asthma, pregnancy is a rough one to bounce back from! 

Mostly I have learned a lot about motherhood. How most days you feel like you need a redo button but other days you feel like a rockstar! One thing I have learned is to hold my mom friends close, especially with Logan gone so much. A glass of wine and a few laughs can go a long way after a hard day! 

I've also decided to start a few sewing projects so be on a lookout for pictures of those! 

Fussy

When your baby is fussy and…

You finally get them back to sleep and the dog decides to chase their rawhide bone across the wood floor like its a ball…at 4 A.M.

You get done feeding them, they are finally drifting to sleep and POOP

Sometimes driving to Starbucks is the only solution to everyone's problems.

You start thinking a shirt with one spit up spot is "clean"

Your house is clean when the dishes are done, never mind that dust bunny in the corner…

Sleeping in late is 9:00 A.M.

You would do anything to get your child to stop crying including making noises that sound very much like a wild bird.

But then….he smiles and the world is perfect again.

2 Months 2 Fast

Wow! Has it already been two months?! Feels like yesterday I found out I was pregnant and I still cannot believe I have a son sometimes. Crazy. I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything. This weekend I was busy busy busy taking pictures and running errands so Logan spent a lot of time with Benjamin. Most of which was "male bonding" over the xbox but hey it still counts right? He is such a good daddy and I have fallen more and more in love with him after watching him with Benjamin.

Back to the xbox…so I wanted to get Logan a game to surprise him, well they didn't have the game for his 360 but did for the new xbox one... so I came home with a xbox one. Which to say it lightly Logan LOVED. Well this xbox one world is new to me, and the whole idea of talking to the xbox sort of still freaks me out. Although I like to talk to Logan like he talks to his xbox, for example "LOGAN OFF" or "LOGAN GO HOME" for those of you who actually have one and know what I mean…Logan is not as amused. Dinner plans have also been made through xbox live with our friends the Bigelow's …again whole new world.

Other than that I have started a mom "bootcamp" shout out to Jessica Farmer for leading it! I am beyond excited for the results and have become more motivated to eat healthier for not only me but my family. Also if I come out at the end of a month with a 6 pack that wouldn't hurt either.

Love to all…until next time

Love My Family

    Have I mentioned I love my family? Some moments more than others I stop and realize how blessed I am. A moment lately that reminds me daily of how blessed I am is when Ben smiles. I. Love. It. Sometimes its a random, I just look down and he's cheesing, and sometimes I have to do something ridiculous to make him smile. It also makes for great opportunities to practice my photography skills.
    Many of you know I used to be a teacher and do have a degree in Elementary Education. When I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom as long as I possibly could. Soon after I was bored out of my mind. Going from constantly working to nothing at all. Good golly…and I thought I spent too much time Pinterest-ing before, whew! SO I decided to use my talents a little more wisely and pick up my camera again.
   With that being said I am trying to build my "portfolio" because although I do have an adorable baby, dog and husband…I do want to take pictures of others and eventually start a business. Scary thought! For now I am accepting anyone who wants their family/children photographed (For free!) My goal is to do primarily lifestyle so I will come to you or find a pretty location:) My dear friend Caitlynn Bryan and her Hubby Nick (Who photographed my wedding, while she was a bridesmaid) will probably get 10000x phone calls so here's a lot of kudos in advance for your patience. LOVE YOU!
   On another note I get to visit Indiana in a few short weeks!! It will be just B and I because Logan will be training, blah. BUT I will be staying for a week. If you want to see us just holler and we will see what we can do. I am beyond excited to spend Easter with my momma and I am sure she will be in full Grandma mode, spoiling my child, but that's just fine with me. Also excited to see my other half/bestie Randa, she knows me better than most people and I miss her tons.
    I hate I miss some key moments with  family, that means you Murry's wish I was  there for you today. Love you all!
   Here is one more picture I took lately…this is what our Sunday's look like now a days

Love to all…until next time

    When you have a baby suddenly going out into public becomes an event like none I've ever experienced. Not only does it take about 20 extra minutes to get out the door, but when you get out into that big world (where people smell clean and look put together) then you have the random people who want to comment about your baby…so here's a few comments I've heard: 

Awwwwe is that a baby?! (while looking at the car seat, I mean what else is it going to be??) 

LOOK AT THE BABY OMG LOOK HOW CUTE!!! (lady if you wake him up with your baby talk I'm going to make you ride in the car for 20 minutes until he falls asleep again)

How old is he?! (um hold on let me do the math, what day is it again? ) 

Is it a boy or a girl? (does he have pink on? no) 

Then there is the sweet comments like: "Awe such a handsome man" or "Look at that sweet face" all in  a calm voice, you know they have kids! 

In all fairness most everyone are super sweet but I definitely have learned what not to do around new babies, things I was totally oblivious to before. I do have to admit I have gotten better about the "what ifs" like what if he poops? what if he wakes up? what if he cries? …really he's a baby and if people stare they stare! My favorite is when they stare while I am wearing the moby wrap. Some day I am going to go into full out dance mode, pop, lock and drop it style, and really give them something to look at! 

I also find myself buying things "for Ben" for example the movie Frozen and possibly the soundtrack too…

I have been doing some redecorating as well. I love decorating and have found a way to "recycle" things around the house using spray paint to give it a new look or rearranging picture frames. Some day I will be the next Ty Pennington! 

Logan has been doing training lately making for late nights. I am so grateful for the new friends I have made here. Lunch and dinner dates with my sweet friends definitely make those long day and nights go by faster. It is finally starting to feel like home here in Georgia.

Love to all…until next time

      I have tried to blog before …and failed. So when I proclaimed to Logan "HEY! I'm gonna start a blog!" His response was "Um isn't that what Facebook is for?" Here was my thoughts: I wanted a space to share our family's adventures that was not Facebook or Instagram (I refuse to Twitter, if you have sent a request to "follow" my profile, that's still out there somewhere in cyberspace, sorry... No can do!) I wanted to share more than a line or two in a status or random picture that may or may not end up in your newsfeed. If you are fine with a status or random picture that's cool too, this is just for the hardcore Adams' family followers (that means you Mom!). 

     Just about one year ago I made the move to Georgia to join Logan. Best and hardest decision of my life. I left my career I had worked incredibly hard for and lost some friends a long the way. Although some will never understand, for me and my family it only made sense. My oh my how life has changed! I would not trade a day I have spent with my new and precious family. 

     Yesterday Benjamin was officially 6 weeks old! Is this for real?! I cannot even look at pictures from when he was born without crying. He was so little! Recently he has started balding and looking more and more like a little old man, I love it. He is also VERY smiley in the mornings making getting up easier for this Momma (mornings are not my thang). You may be wondering "How's it going being parents?" well so far I can tell you we have eaten more PB sandwiches than I care to admit (easy to make and mastered making them with one hand) and for myself: coffee, lots of coffee. I missed my caffeine. We both love being parents though and the stereotype of "Your (social) life ends when you have kids" was so not true for us. Yes, we had almost 20 people at our house yesterday…BOOM. Really though, Ben just adds awesome-ness to our lives. 

So to sum this first blog up: Life is good! Here's to blogging! (Please don't judge my grammar). Love to all…until next time.