Beachin' it

 

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

Psalm 23:2-3

 

 

 

I am always struck at how the first sight of the ocean brings me immediate peace. I get caught up in our busy schedule and my To-Do List and I forgot to just sit and soak in this life. I am amazed at the vastness of God. How does a God who manages something so big as this universe also able to care about the most minute details of my life? His glory was on display all week long and I was content to sit and be witness to it.

 

Our week in pictures...

 

I did A LOT of reading.. beach time is always my time to read the books I had been too busy to read before. I cherish it.

 



 

 

Austin fished..

 



 

 

We played cards..

 

 

 

 We went on dates...

 

 

 

 

We ate a lot of good food..

 



 

 

 

  

 The best part.. we simply relaxed!

 

 

 

We also got to spend a lot of time with Austin's best friend Matt and his wife Kate while in Pensacola. Kate and I bonded over the fact that one can only listen to talk of sports and guns so long before completely zoning out. I'm glad Austin has friends who he can share these passions with. I try... I try really hard. But sometimes the draw to pinterest is just too strong!

 

 



It was a beautiful week and the perfect end to a wonderful summer. Now I can officially kick off my fall decorating... and if a Christmas song just happens to come on Pandora while decorating I won't turn it off. Don't judge. We all have our weaknesses.

Pictures coming soon!

 

-Gemma

 

 

Vacationing

"Love the things that the person you love loves"

 

I am not known for my love of sports so it has taken some soul searching for me to love Baseball. One of the best pieces of advice about marriage was one we got from Austin's parents. They said to love the things that the person you love loves. Those words have stuck with me these last few months. In the moments I would rather watch House Hunters or go to Starbucks (predictable I know)... I remember those words and put my husband's wants and desires ahead of my own. I'm not always succesful in this. Marriage is a continual journey in allowing Christ to flush out the selfishness in us. In the process you can find me practicing my swing with a wooden spoon and a pair of rolled up socks. You got to start somewhere right?

 

When Austin and I first started dating, we put together a Life List. The list was full of things we wanted to accomplish separately and together throughout our lives. One of the top things on Austin's list was to visit every MLB stadium in the United States. We decided to start that goal for his Birthday trip this year. This past weekend we visited Washington D.C. to see the Nationals play. Then from there we drove to Baltimore to see the Orioles game. I had never been to D.C. and loved every minute of it. We crammed every major monument and museum into our short 1 1/2 days in Washington D.C.

 

 

 

Washington DC: 

 

 

 

The Capitol

 

 

 

 

 

The Museum of Natural Science (amazing!)

 

 

 

The Air and Space Museum

 

 

 

The United States Botanical Gardens

 

 

 

The Washington Monument

 

 

 

 

 

The Lincoln Memorial

While walking around town I got a text from my mom saying she heard about the green paint. Thinking this was another error of our beloved AutoCorrect on the Iphone.. I texted back "What are you talking about mother dear?" Little did I know that someone had come the previous night and vandalized the Lincoln Memorial with green glitter paint. It was roped off when we got to it and you could still see the green paint on the bottom of the statue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The White House

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nationals Stadium!

It was a perfect night

 

 

Yes, Austin wore his Braves jersey to a Nationals Game...

 

 

 

 

2nd row!

 

 

 

The Shake Shack!

I ate here in NYC and have been craving this burger since last fall when I was in New York. To my delight, DC had a Shake Shack as well. This was a happy moment for me.

 

 



Baltimore:

Orioles Stadium

I went to the game with the intention of cheering on the Orioles. When we got there, an adorable little family with 3 precious little blonde children sat in front of us. Each of them were proudly wearing their Boston Red Sox fan apparel. I was sold. I switched teams and cheered the Reds on to victory. Whether Austin says so or not, it was totally a valid reason to jump ships.

 



 

The Baltimore Harbor

 



One last stop before the drive home.. worth it!

 



 

 

It was an incredible vacation together. Now to plan the next trip!

 

-Gemma

Home Sweet Apartment

Decorating is one of my favorite hobbies and decorating our apartment has been so fun. It is still a work in progress but I am loving the process!

Entryway:

 

 

 

 

Living Room:

Guest bedroom: A work in progress

Kitchen/Eating Area: Still looking for the perfect mirror to put above the kitchen table!

The Bathroom: Thank You Jesus for double sinks!

 

 

 

The Master Bedroom: My favorite room!

Being a newlywed means living on a budget and not buying everything I see at the brand new Home Goods that is only 5 minutes from our apartment (sigh)! It has taught me to re-use old treasures and love the clearance rack. This place is starting to finally feel like home!

 

-Gemma