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Walking to a Neighborhood Restaurant for Brunch of Crepes and French Toast with Our Niece and Nephew

There is never a lack of fun things to do where we live. We take advantage of living so close to the beach as often as we can: riding our bikes to the water to watch the morning sunrise, eating dinner on a restaurant's patio, and just relaxing on a towel in the sand at least a few times each month. Jonathan has recently begun kite boarding and during the breezier months this has us at the beach more frequently. We also enjoy being able to use the pool year-round and it is a great place to visit with neighbors and friends.

Prepping for Pizza Night - Homemade Honey Wheat Pizza Crust and Mini-Chocolate Cakes

Lauren is becoming quite the chef in the kitchen. Her latest inspiration is in remaking our favorite restaurant dishes to be much healthier, but just as flavorful. The latest creations have been a spicy Hawaiian pizza, an English Muffin French toast, Asian turkey burgers, fresh crab cakes, and a chocolate and peanut butter bread pudding. We rarely have the same meal twice in one month. Lauren has also begun running adventure races with a group of women once a month.

In addition to travel, theatre, and spending time with our loved ones, we also enjoy simply relaxing on the couch with one another, watching food competition shows on television, streaming seasons of old, popular series, and watching movies. Beau and Jolie love to snuggle with us!

Just After Our Ride on the London Eye in London, England

Lauren on Jonathan - Jonathan is the most intelligent person I know. He is the first person I think to ask when I have a question, and I am continually amazed by his ideas, vision, and success. His passion for learning is remarkable and in addition to being teachable, he is also great at teaching others. Throughout college and law school, he worked as a tutor and as a classroom instructor at a learning center. I still have a thank you note written by my youngest sister, when she was in middle or high school, to him that reads "I am so glad that you were there to help me in Algebra ... I actually understood things after you explained them to me." From the ABCs and 123s to multiplication tables to college and career decisions, I know that Jonathan will teach, guide, and encourage our child to reach their full potential.

Another of Jonathan's qualities that I admire is his compassion. Underneath his 6'1" strong frame, he has a soft spot in his heart for me, our puppies, and others around him. He is the kind of man that will give the shirt off of his back to someone in need. Though I did not think it was possible, I fell in love with him even more as I watched him interact with the children and those less fortunate that we met on our recent mission trip. He is a true gentleman, a giver, and I am certain that he will be a fantastic father.

Jonathan on Lauren - One of the earliest memories I have of my relationship with Lauren is thinking, "Wow, I like the way she thinks." This may seem like an unusual thought to remember, but over the years my admiration for Lauren's ability to approach problems, handle difficult situations, and keep perspective on the important things has continually deepened my love and respect for her. There are certainly times when our opinions differ, but I always know that her position on matters is the result of critical thought and sound reasoning. For an analytical person like me, this quality is incredibly important as we begin our family and face each of the decisions that come with raising our child to become a healthy, happy, and successful adult.

I also have an immense appreciation for Lauren's dedication. I have met few other people that show such dedication to the things they value. Every day, Lauren works tirelessly to grow spiritually and to be there for her family. She does everything she can to help me accomplish my goals, and she continually looks for ways to fill my days with joy. When she sets her mind to accomplish something, whether it be fitness, learning a new skill, or helping a friend, there is no question that it will get done. This type of dedication and resolve is rare to find these days, and I am incredibly grateful to be married to someone that has it.

Traditions are very important to our family. Many are continued traditions that have been passed down to us from our grandparents and parents and several are new and unique ones that complement our lifestyle. Some are small, simple, and part of our everyday and weekly routines, such as having dinner together each night, praying together, saying “I love you,” and meeting for lunch on Wednesday. A few months ago we started a new tradition of walking to a neighborhood restaurant for a late lunch on Saturday. We take turns in choosing the place and we always split a dessert. This is something that we both look forward to each week and it is a great way to start out the weekend (and avoid the dinner crowd)!

Some of our family traditions are much more elaborate and less frequent. These include anniversary dates and birthday dinners. Fourth of July is always spent at Lauren’s grandparent’s lake house where we eat the best West Tennessee barbecue and more sweets than we need, spend time catching up with extended family, and tubing, water skiing and swimming until the sun disappears and so we can enjoy the fireworks. Christmas is another holiday full of wonderful traditions. A few of our favorites from the almost week long celebration include all of the extended family and friend get-togethers, driving around town to look at the Christmas lights while listening to Holiday music, Christmas Eve dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse, waking up very early on Christmas morning with our nieces and nephew to see what Santa has brought and watching Beau and Jolie unwrap all of their Christmas bones and squeaky toys. We cannot wait to introduce these family traditions to our child and to continue to create new ones with him or her!