The Dating Years

I wish, above all else, that I had a photo from the day I met Travis. But alas, a girl never knows when she'll meet her future husband. On the day I met Travis, I had a daisy in my hair & a nervous smile on my face. Travis, wonderful Travis, was more than ready to sweep me off my feet. Read more about it here.

Here's us on our first date. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to the date as much as I should have been. My room girls & I had just barely come home from an all day shopping trip, and I was dead tired. We came home late, and I walked in our apartment to find Travis sitting on our couch. He wore a gigantic smile when I walked into the room{he always wears a gigantic smile} and I found it made me feel more like a woman than any doting boy had ever done before.

Now, I 'd like to say that from the very first date we automatically knew we were mad for each other. But it didn't quite work that way for us. I think it's safe to say that we each thought the other was perfectly amazing, but we both were a little hesitant about recognizing, and sharing, our feelings.

For a while, we did perfectly silly things. Like, after attending my first rodeo with these two boys, we watched a movie before heading home. They worked it out so that I was sandwiched between the two of them on the couch. I learned afterward that their plan was that surely I would end up cuddling with the one I liked best!
But these boys didn't know that my mama did not raise me to be a cuddle slut.
Their plan failed, obvi.

Then there was that time that we hiked Y mountain. At the top, I didn't sit by Travis.
What is wrong with my face, you ask? It was a mask for hiding my feelings I suppose.

AND THEN there was that time that Travis & I went to a ball with the WRONG DATES!

Then my big sister came to visit. My big sister knows everything.
I think she could see love brewin' under our little radars.
She encouraged Travis to tell me his feelings.
And she told me to stop being a dork & tell Trav I loved him.

We followed her advice. We became a couple. We were so happy ♥

And we did young-puppy-love type things. Like, he made me a tasty lunch!

And we went sledding in the chilly chilly snow!



And there was that time we got in a shaving cream fight with friends. {We're on the left}

When our apartments got in a prank war, he had the INSANE idea to newspaper my entire apartment.
I love that crazy kidd.

And we started writing each other cute love notes & things. He even bought me a love fern!

& oh, I started realizing how deeply, madly, crazy in love I was with that man.


and, well.... I guess the rest is history.
xo lauren

College

So, before I kick in all of the nostalgia, I just wanna say: college & the single life DO NOT MIX. At least for me anyway. I did NO studying while at school when I was single. I just had a whole lot of fun. Don't tell my parents.

All of that fun is due to THESE LADIES RIGHT HURR. My 218 girls. 218 FOR LIFE!!

That time we dressed all 80's & omm nom nommed on a bunch of Ben & Jerry's.

While cooking Sunday dinner, we found some old sick nasty eggs in our fridge. But instead of throwing them away, we decided to make wishes on them & throw them on the street!

That time Katie came jumping & screaming into my bed at 5am. That girl is the craziest thing ever.

That time Jake & I jumped off of a lot of shtuff.

That one time I actually studied, and then I died.

That time we went crazy in a barn.

That time we dressed up like crazies & went sledding! All of that foolishness ended up with Hailee in the ER for a cracked tailbone.

That time we threw a killer dance party! {Can you spot Trav? Hee hee}

That time I found an extremely large icicle, and kept it in our apartment's freezer.
It was definitely the biggest icicle I ever did see.

That time we had a picnic in the gardens.

That time I visited my sister in Provo & we went to a stoplight party! Where I wore red, because by that time I was already takin' and bakin' by Travis.

That time we went to a David Archuleta concert, but didn't get to meet David Archuleta.

It's a magical thing when a girl comes home from her first semester of college. For me, I had never lived away from my family before, and I missed them so. I ran around the house giving out kisses & hugs to every member of my family, especially to this little boy. Yes, this boy probably got the most.


oh college! how i adore thee.
tomorrow i talk about my first meeting with Trav, along with that awkward stage when it was all:
"He likes you!"
"What? No he doesn't!" and all that.

I can't wait to share our awkward beginning-to-fall-in-love story with you all!
xo lauren

Senior Year

First day of school Senior Year. Would you just LOOK at how tan I was??

That time we stayed up till 3am making Transformers costumes for choir & being Bad Botz.

That time Jet & I worked at Hot Dog on a Stick!

When Temple Lights was an absolute, every Sunday MUST.

That time we took a day trip to Payson & went hiking.

That time we went to Edgefest & ROCKED OUT!

That time we painted pottery & shtuff!

That time I jumped out of a plane for my birthday.

That time Andrew & I laughed & giggled a lot on a bike.

GNO!!

That time we graduated & said good-bye to all of our silly, carefree highschool times.

Oh senior year, you were good to me.
Looking back on these photos.... I wore short shorts  A LOT. Hmm. No wonder I had a hard time adjusting to my G's when I first got married!
Basically what I'm saying is,
senior year was bomb, and i think i'll teach my daughters to wear longer shorts.
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Take notice of my BEAUTIFUL February sponsors! Check them out today!
xo lauren

i can be extra-curricular

In highschool, I took pride in being a choir queer.
I loved every moment singing my guts out and being in the school musicals!

That time we were oh so silly & chirped "Monsieur! Gastone! Oh he's so cute!"

That time Jet & I inspired a mustache party while in Disneyland on Spring Tour.

That time we had an after-concert dance party in the school parking lot. {Me = big white flower}

That time we jumped on our hotel beds to our hearts content.

That time we got a liiiiittle scandalous on stage.

That time I almost died from all the hugging at out last ever choir concert. {My face! I die}


Swim was also a big part of my life. I still do it today, every summer I lifeguard & teach swim lessons. But, I am a synchronized swimmer at heart. Oh how I loved synchro!

My team circa 2007. 

At the competitive party!

That time we were the CHAMPIONS of Life Guard Olympics!

My absolute favorite thing of all was coaching these little girls ♥

AND these little girls!

That time someone pushed the poor Snowie into the pool.

Make-up time was probably our favorite time just to giggle & talk.


xo lauren