c e l e b r a t e

Happy Birthday, Layla Claire! My first furbaby is finally four years old. Layla is a black maltipoo. She weighs eight pounds {always, no matter how fluffy her hair gets or how chunky my brothers claim she has gotten}, loves to kiss, play with her ball, and loves her mommy! She is such a joy to have in my life. I love how excited she gets every time I come home, how she snuggles so tight against my back every night, and how funny she is when she 'fights' her big sister, Samantha. 

To celebrate, I treated the girls to a puppy-approved ice cream party of whipped cream and sprinkles served in vintage ice cream bowls. They were a little suspicious at first as they're rarely ever given people food {although they've been known to sneak a quesadilla or two off the coffee table and into the bed...Layla...} but they seemed to enjoy their afternoon treat! The girls definitely liked the plain whipped cream better than the usual pet store birthday treats I find; I'll have to think of something for Samantha's birthday in August! 

Bridal Portraits 2

 After weeks of anticipation, we should be getting our wedding pictures back this week and our video in the weeks following--I can't wait! I'm ready to see how the whole day came together, and see all my friends and family who came to celebrate.

I'm also a little anxious...all those months of planning, and it comes down to just this one day! All the prep, and I can hardly remember what I, or what any of it looked like. So today I thought I'd share just a few more of my faves from my bridal portrait session before the wedding. It's rainy and humid here {thanks to the second tropical storm in as many weeks}, so hopefully this will brighten up your day, too!

Also, be sure to head over to Facebook to like my photographer's page: Ari Merritt Photography, especially if you're in the Savannah area!

Pup-date

I realized that while I share a ton about my life on this blog, I've neglected a huge section: my puppies! Yes, yes, my puppies, plural. If you've been reading since the beginning, you may remember when I brought teeny tiny Layla Claire home, and how quickly she grew. Shortly after I got Layla, Christopher got Samantha, the golden retriever. Since she's such a classic American dog, we named her after a classic American girl doll! 

While we were living across the state from each other, the dogs were not friendly. Samantha is a big lover, and Layla is very jealous and protective of me. It took some time for the two of them to get used to each other. Eventually, they began to get along which made things a lot easier.

In September, I took Samantha on full time. Christopher was beginning pharmacy rotations, and would be changing sites every five weeks or so. I thought it would be better for Samantha to have a more consistent and regular routine {and I love a good routine!}, and would also be easier for all four of us to live under the same roof after the wedding if three of us are already used to it. 

After a couple of transitional weeks, the girls really began to get used to always being together. Now they play together, go outside together, and even eat and drink out of the same bowl!  You have no idea what an accomplishment that is. 

I love spending time with their two very different personalities. Samantha always wants to play with the ropes or throw the balls, or love all over you--there is no 'off' button for her. Layla has finally become somewhat of a lap dog, and is laying on me much more. But she always prefers her ball over anything else. 

Layla has always had this one ball that she loves. It's a specific plastic ball that can only be found in certain Christmas stockings at Petsmart. She knows the difference between it and all other balls. As hilarious it is, it's also kind of annoying. If the ball disappears or is torn up, her world ends. If she forgets to bring it to bed at night, she will literally scratch at the bedroom door so I can let her out to go and get it. 

Three girls, one boy. Oh what a very particular household Christopher is entering into!

Layla always lays on my bags if I leave her
with anyone for any length of time. 

Samantha apparently thinks she's the same size as LC...
or a cat. Either one. 

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