the joy of being a kid

There's something so simple and sweet about being a child. The innocence shines through in every child's eyes while they are doing something precious or even when they are annoying the #*$! [insert your own word here] out of you. Their curious minds can't help but inquire, their cute little laughs can't hide if they had to (even if they're laughing at all the wrong times), and they can't help but make playing the art of childhood. It's thoughts like that that really make one wish they could be a child again. Well, I don't know if I should say they make one want to be a child again, but it sure can make one reminisce about the joys of being a kid.

I remember being the kids of the family and all the fun times we had. We were fortunate enough to grow up with each other (8 of us cousins) and although we had 14 years in between the oldest and youngest(me!), there was always a time when each of us was having fun with another. Being a child, I could have cared less about what the adults were doing, talking about, etc. They were boring. The kids were the fun ones - and man, did we have some fun times. With that being said, this past weekend with the family made me look at the "new" kids of the family in a different light. My siblings' and cousins' children were having a blast just being together. They could care less what us adults were doing or talking about. To them, we were boring. Here are some of the joys of being a kid I spotted in just one weekend...

Remember the kids table? You always thought you were having so much more fun than those boring adults.
And why do they eat that weird looking food when there are chicken fingers, burgers, and fries? Hmm..


For some reason, the faces of one child can make another crack up in a way that no adult can.


Looking out at what the world has to offer is far more intriguing than the sound of adult chatter filling their ears.


Finally being taller than one of the adults is such an accomplishment! (Although, who are we kidding...I am just a big kid!)


Making funny faces in a moment when you know you're supposed to be lookin' good seems like the obvious choice.


Gosh, why do adults take so long to open gifts? "here..let me help you, GG!"


Yes, these crazy adults think that monkeys on my feet is the most adorable thing ever.


Ah, to set up a slip and slide, grab whatever dish soap you can find and hope the adults don't seem to mind. How much fun...


my turn, my turn, my turn!


Ending the night with a cousin slumber party and a movie in the den...oh, the life of a child. :)

And then there were the moments I couldn't capture - but I do know there were plenty of moments where they were being sneaky. They were doing things that only they could know about because the adults weren't cool enough to participate. Those are the moments they will remember just like the moments I remember having with my siblings and cousins..and while they may be long gone out of some of our minds, we know there will always be that bond we once had; the same bond the "new" kids of the family will always have.

live, laugh, love...with family

J and I decided to buy a nice camera as a wedding gift to each other and we have been having tons of fun playing around with it. This gift from my love brought about a new-found love for photography. I had the pleasure of spending this past weekend with my family in Florida (we sure did miss my new husband), but I think I can speak for all of us when I say we had a nice, relaxing, fun-filled weekend. With it being Aunt Kathy and Grandma(GG)'s 55th and 85th birthdays, we planned a 3-step get together that was sure to bring out the joy in everyone (+ surprise the heck out of Aunt Kath and let me practice my photography!)

[[ These banners were super easy to make - cut triangles out of scrapbook paper & clothespin them to twine ]]

Step 1: Catherine's house for appetizers and mimosas (+ a special birthday toast for our guests of honor!)

Step 2: Lunch at McDivot's in the Carolina Club (a delicious lunch with custom menu's honoring AK & GG)

Step 3: Cake, presents, and fun at Heather's house

The entire birthday party was spent sharing laughs, hugs, tears, and stories. Justin, who turned 8 today (Happy Birthday!), so innocently asked if "this was some sort of family reunion" - and I'm pretty sure he's never been to a family reunion - but that is exactly what it felt like. It was so nice being able to spend quality time with family and I am grateful for weekends like that :)

One more thing! Pretty soon, our family will be expanding even more. Did I mention that my (almost) 9-month old niece is expecting a little sister at the start of the new year?! Our family is excited and blessed..and I'm sure our beautiful Arianna will be happy to have a playmate so close in age. She has grown so fast..but gosh, she is darn cute!

Inspiration vs. The Real Deal!

Things have been going good in the Barr household - summer is o.v.e.r. - boo! The end of summer came quick, and the new school year crept up on us before we knew it. It's okay though.. a routine is good for us (well, it's good for everybody, really!) and J is now a 2nd year medical student and I have found myself a new job (more on that later).

For now, behold, the wedding inspiration vs. the real deal....

This was the inspiration board I put together when planning our wedding. I found pictures of what I had visioned for us and placed them all together here to use as a guide during planning.

And this is how ours came out:

I can honestly say I am extremely happy with the way our wedding came together. Everyone involved did an amazing job and we are thankful that we had the opportunity to make this day just how we wanted!

Thank you to-
Our parents for making this special day possible!
Brian & Carly Wood of 1treephoto for our beautiful wedding photography!
Blanca of Creation's by Blanca for our amazinggg floral arrangements and details!
Marc Evans of Eddie B. & Co. for some wonderful entertainment all night!
Danielle Messano for our hair and make-up (and for putting up with all of us girls at once!)
Barbara Lunny & her team at Hollywood Beach Marriott for putting together such a great night for us and for making us feel special all weekend!

The Great Outdoors

Camping at the Nantahala Outdoor Center last weekend was quite an adventure, to say the least! We had mishaps galore - but a ton of fun in between. Let me refer you to Carly's blog, as I probably couldn't explain the story any better myself: 1treewoodfamily

Traveling through the winding roads of the Smoky Mountains was only the beginning of our trip, and Grizz wasn't too pleased to be tumbling back and forth as though he were in an endless wave pool.

When we got there, it was beautiful. Hoards of people filled the freezing cold river - but the chilly temperature didn't scare the dogs away..they were swimming like crazy any chance they got!

The views were beautiful, the staff were friendly, and the beer was cold. So how could we have possibly almost been defeated by this trip?! - Just refer to Carly's blog. Don't worry, we didn't let it beat us. We beat the trip :)

And as I previously stated, our pup was exhausted. I don't believe we care to take him camping again just as much as he probably doesn't care to be left out of any future camping endeavors.

He was done.

And so were we...for that weekend at least.
We came home on Sunday, went to church, and relaxed all evening. It sure was nice!

The Comfort of Home

We are trying our hardest to stretch out this last bit of summer that J has left. We sure have jam packed each weekend with as much fun as possible, all together as a little family! We have tried to include Grizz on just about everything and I'd say we've done a darn good job at it! Our poor boy has had his little paws cut up more this summer than his entire 4 year life so far. A summer recap post is sure to come - with pictures and all :) For now, we have been enjoying the comfort of our "new" room ..it's always nice coming home to a place you find soothing and inviting (especially after a weekend camping in the woods of the Smokies- pics to come soon!)

[[These were created using scrapbook paper and frames + painted wooden scroll]]

Gone too soon..

Krissy

7.6.79 - 8.3.99

Rest in Peace, my beautiful sister!

Today marks 12 years since the passing of my sister and her boyfriend, Chris. It's always a hard day for my family, and just because the number of years rises every 365 days, it doesn't make it easier. 12 years ago was one of the hardest moments our family has had to endure together. I was 12 years old, so it seems strange to think she has been gone for half my life - even though it stays fresh in my memory as though it happened yesterday. One of our friends around here also lost a sister - and we were recently talking about how crazy it is that life does go on after such a tragic event. In the moments where you feel like you've lost so much, you can't imagine having a normal life again. But just because we go on living life does not mean a day goes by where we aren't thinking about you, Krissy!

Oh, and just so you know, Sage is still truckin'!

I'm sure he misses you more than anything - we just received some pictures recently :)

We love you, Krissy!

And we miss you more and more as each day passes.

We lit a candle for you at the wedding, so we know you were there in spirit,

celebrating with us, laughing, and smiling as you always were!

Rest in Peace, beautiful girl! <3

Mooners :)

It's been just about a month since we returned from our honeymoon and we have kept very busy since then (which I will be updating about soon!) - but in the meantime, I just had to share our honeymoon with you! Spending 8 nights at Secrets Maroma Beach in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico was absolutely incredible and we are blessed to have such fond memories of our honeymoon. A honeymoon is a once in a lifetime trip; yes, we can go back there in the future, and yes, we hope to visit and explore an abundant amount of places/resorts in our future, but there will not be another trip like our honeymoon. I highly recommend taking your honeymoon immediately following the wedding, if possible, because that week was such a special time for us. We were on a natural high and feeling so in love. We were able to share such vibrant memories of our wedding as it was fresh in our heads, and celebrate the fact that we were exchanging vows and rings and shedding joyful tears just days before. It was a once in a lifetime trip that we certainly made the most of!

Just a little recap - we left the Monday following our wedding and we were beyond excited after months of planning. It surely lived up to all the hype! Upon arrival, we were given champagne with fruit, treated like royalty, and the moment we walked out from checking in, our concierge greeted us with "Welcome home, Mr. & Mrs. Barr!" Not only did we have no clue how he knew our names already, but we were also basking in glory with the thought of "Mr. & Mrs. Barr." He showed us to our room (with chilled champagne and fruit awaiting our arrival) and then it begun - a week of pure bliss! The food, the drinks, the staff and the atmosphere were everything we could have wanted and more.

Oh, and the photographers were just as great...

Secrets Maroma Beach - you were wonderful!