Bride & Groom Cookbook

Thanks to Aunt Karen & Uncle Doug we now own the "Bride and Groom Cookbook" from William and Sonoma! They also got us a stand to hold the book while we cook and some cooking utensils and an oven mitt!
(click pictures to enlarge)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Derek & I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

And we are wishing you all a Happy New Year!

We are excited to see what this new year brings.
We are praying the Lord blesses each one of you who have
played a huge role in our lives and in our relationship.
Without your encouragement, support and prayers
we wouldn't be the individuals we are today!
We love you.
Lauren n Derek

This Christmas

So Christmas has come and gone... For us it was a little sad and let me show you why...


Lauren was home in Lighthouse Point, Florida, and I was back in the busy city of Snohomish, Washington. Ahh the beauty of a long distance relationship.

However, it was so nice to spend time with my family. For the past few years I have not been able to get home very often. This Christmas, it was nice to go home, if only for a few days. I wish that I could have been to home #2 (Salt Lake) because I miss them equally! Luckily I was able to visit them earlier this fall when my dad and I went on a biking trip to Moab, Utah (pictures will be coming soon i promise! - Check back).

Well, to both of our families, I will sign off with this:

We love you all, and we want to wish you a very Merry (Late) Christmas, and a wonderful New Year!

My Priceless Christmas Gift

Click to View what my Hubby sent me Christmas Morning!

http://merrychristmas.modestlybold.com/

My College Experience

So, as of right now I am a College Graduate!!!
Well, I didn't get my diploma yet, but I did finish my last final.
And it really hasn't hit me that I am done with my college career for now.
I don't think it will hit me till, I am no longer on Mom and Dad's health insurance! (haha)

My college experience has been great and a true blessing!
It was a total God thing that I ended up at Liberty. My plans were to stay in FL, but Mom and Dad wanted me to try going away and if I didn't like it they said I could come back and go to school in FL. So my plan was to go to LU for a year then return home, but the Lord had other plans for me and oh how His plans are always greater and better than the plans my mind comes up with!

My freshmen year was a challenging one, from being away from home for the first time and actually separating from Blake for the first time, to getting kidney stones after a month of being at school...which caused damage to my GPA, which I spent the rest of my 3.5 years trying to bring up. But we can't forget what did happen to me that November during my freshmen year... I met Derek and we actually began hanging out and talking on the phone. (whoo-hoo) And the rest is history with us... 3 years later he asked me to be his wife!
We are still writing our history and it is so fun and such a great adventure with him.

I truly think I got all I could out of my college experience at Liberty University! I became a prayer leader my second semester of my freshmen year. What a prayer leader entails is, to lead a small group of girls on Thursday nights in a small Bible study and prayer, sometimes we would just talk about our days and encourage one another, but it was a time to get together as a small group and grow in our walks and relationships with the Lord. Then during my second semester of my sophomore year I became a Resident Assistant. of dorm 19.2 which I did all the way until my second semester of my senior year. Which was such an amazing growing experience. I got the opportunity to serve with great leadership teams and also meet two great people, who have taught me so much and were my two most favorite roommates; Jen(Landis)Bennett & Kate Pate! (love you both) Being a RA gave me so many opportunities to be apart of campus events and truly get involved. I truly enjoyed living on the dorms and it was such a great, fun experience. I spent majority of my afternoons in the spring time, out at the baseball games through all nine innings, for the most part! For my last semester at LU, I made the decision to move off campus and live in a town house with four other girls, where I shared a room with Katie Brown (love her).

And I have to mention that living off campus would not have been possible without my parents helping out with rent of course, but also my Grandpa giving me a car for my birthday; a more then generous gift, that I don't know how to thank him for, because to me, just saying Thank You doesn't seem sufficient. ( i love you so so so much, papa & not just bc you got me a car!)

I also have to Thank... Dad & Mom for paying for my college tuition!
Derek and I both get to enter into our marriage without any college debt!
Another HUGE Blessing!

The Lord has truly blessed the both of us with wonderful parents and grandparents who have helped us out along the way during our college experience! Whether it was paying for our tuition, sending us goodies in the mail, putting extra cash in our accounts, or just with encouragement...we are truly THANKFUL!!!

Check out our Websites.

Check out our websites and see our work we have done!
Enjoy!

Derek's:
www.modestlybold.com


Lauren's
www.theolivedesign.modestlybold.com

Can You Rock A Fu-Manchu?

So this is what Derek has been up to!
Yup, working on his classy fu-manchu.
Trying to live up to his pops, for real.


All the guys in his work started growing mustaches' after a trip
to the local Chic fil a, and seeing a kid with a not so attractive stash. And as Derek says, "the legend began to grow a mustache."
The competition was on to see who could grow the nastiest stash (males). And Derek's of course turned his into this wonderful fu-manchu. And tomorrow after work, he is shaving! So we thought we would write this blog in memory of the best fu-manchu since 1976! Or whenever the handsome Bill Bennion rocked his.


What is really funny is when we go out and people here in the Burg, think he is serious about his fu-manchu. This fu-manchu has brought much attention his way. And we all know how much he loves to be the center of attention!


Yes, I am in love with one BIG goof ball,
who makes me laugh and who constantly
puts a smile on my face. :O)

Our Engagement Story

This is LONG, so get ready...

Well Thursday afternoon after we all ate our Thanksgiving Meal, Mrs. Brown announced that we were all going on a hike tomorrow. I thought this was a great idea since I had just gorged myself with tons of food; so I was all for this hike! I also didn't think anything because earlier I had been talking with Mr. and Mrs. Brown and they had been telling me that since they got to Georgia they had been going on weekend adventures, just exploring.

Then Friday morning came and we all woke up and were just hanging out because we were not going on the hike till 3. Derek and I were on the couch cuddling and watching football, then I decided to go get ready and I went upstairs where Blake was getting ready too. I put on my Samford sweats and my Liberty sweatshirt (what a great combination) and then Katie came up and said she was wearing jeans because we were going to go to dinner after. So, okay, I put jeans on. Then I see Blake putting on make-up and I questioned, "you're putting on make-up?" She replied, "yes, you are too!" I reply, "No, we are just going on a hike." She says, "You know Mrs. Brown and everyone will want to take pictures!" This is very true so I decide to put on make-up too and do my hair and get ready for our hike. Then when we were all piling into the cars, I am informed that the parents are not coming with us because they need to wait for the babysitter to arrive for the girls, so they were just going to meet us!

On the way up to the Falls, Drew and I start feeling a little nauseous and car-sick. Uh-Oh! But, we made it with the windows rolled down! When we arrived at the falls we found our parking spot and all piled out of the car and began our hike. It was so beautiful right from the beginning. We were all taking pictures and having a good time! We make it half way and I decided that I was content with the half way mark and it was beautiful right where we were. But no, G-Mo, insists we go to the top, which was another 500 steps. I mean I was just worried Drew wasn't going to make it, because he had been sick and was having trouble breathing. But he was a trooper and made it all the way to the top with us, with the help of Cody's encouragement.

So Yeah!!! We made it to the top and we get a group shot which turned out great despite how windy and cold it was. We hung out at the top for a little, taking in the breath taking view and snapping pictures! Then I decide I was getting too cold and headed down with Derek. The whole group gets together and Blake says in a kind of rude tone, "you don't have to wait you can just keep going." So I was like okay, why is she being so rude. But Derek and I kept walking and we stopped at a rest bench to sit down and...

Derek: You know how much I love you, right?

Lauren: Yes!

Derek: This has been an Amazing Three years
while he is shuffling in his camera bag to get the ring out)

Lauren: Huge SMILE on my Face!

Derek: I never knew what being in love meant or what love really was till I found you.

Derek: And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. (gets down on one knee)

Derek: Lauren, will you marry me and pops open the box with the most Beautiful Ring shining back at me!

I just stared and teared up and was just in shock. So he had to ask again and I said YES! And he stood up and put the ring on my finger or should I say forcefully with love shoved it over my swollen fingers. Then we hugged and I said, Lets do it again!!! Then the group joined us and we all hugged and took pictures and I was on cloud 9 and Yes, just glowing. So then, we began our hike down hand in hand, lovin' on life.

We get in the car and drive back up to the top of the waterfall to the Lodge for dinner. I walk in and my parents are there and the Browns were there and Joe and Kathy and then Brian and Jen came too! It was so beautiful, with windows everywhere and the sun was just setting! So we grabbed Joe, and he took some pictures of us outside at sunset! Then when we got back to the table, Mom and Dad had gotten us Champagne and my Dad gave a toast! (Thanks Dad!) And then Mom and Him gave Derek and I books ( the power of a praying husband and power of a praying wife) (and then it kinda hit me, he was going to be my husband, I know silly, but I am still getting used to the fact he is my fiance. I guess three years of dating will do that to you) They also got us bumper stickers that say 'AF' on them and Cody thought it meant Airdo Family, but it was for Amicalola Falls!!! Then Derek gave me another gift from his Mom, Paul and Carly which was the most beautiful pearl heart necklace and a card welcoming me to the family! (Thanks so much!)

After we ate, we went back to the house and the celebration kept on going. Dad, brought cigars for all the guys and they went out in the back and celebrated, while I was on the phone with family and friends! I didn't want to go to bed that night, so I tried to stay up as long as I could, haha! Then when I finally did fall asleep, I kept having dreams I lost the ring. AHH!

To Derek and I, the Lord was all over this time in our life!
We want to Thank each of you who had a role in this day!
It was the most perfect day, from the beautiful waterfall and hike and the colors of the trees and the beautifully painted sunset, to the great food at dinner, and wonderful friends and family to share it with.

Thank You all!

here is where he took me.
http://www.gastateparks.org/info/amicalola/

My Bling Bling

Here is the most amazing, one-of-a-kind ring a girl could ever want! Or as some of you have been calling it, the "bling" "bling"

He did a GREAT job!
(click image to enlarge)

Our Very First Blog.

This is new to us and we are going to do our best to keep you all updated and posted as frequently as possible.
We hope this helps all of you, who are far from us to be more apart of our relationship and this exciting time!

we love you all.

enjoy!