My Men

It hit me today that I have two men in my life to share Valentines Day with! 

Man #1)

The man I married. The man I said forever to. The man I can't imagine my life without. 

Words cannot express how thankful I am for my husband, Britt. He is by far the best husband out there and I am not saying that out of obligation or for the sake of just saying it. I truly believe it with all my heart. I have never been so loved by anyone in my life and we are talking about the good and the bad days here. He is so consistent in the way that he loves, respects and cherishes me. His love is unconditional and he continually challenges me, and causes me to want to be a better wife for him. Happy Valentines Day baby! I love you!

Man # 2 (a.k.a. Little Man)

My little man. The guy whose face I have not even really seen has captured my heart completely. You never understand the type of love a parent has until you experience it. Even though he has yet to make his "official" appearance into this world he is very much so already a part of my life and I cannot imagine life without him. I cannot wait to see him, hold him and kiss his little cheeks. He has stolen my heart in every sense of the word. Happy Valentines Day Brightson James!

Signing off, 

One extremely blessed woman. 

Update on the month of May

Wow! Life has been CRAZY and has not slowed down. I think that I am finally in the clear and might be able to actually take a breath here and there for the next few weeks.


We have been out of town the last 2 weekends and we were busy both weekends before that as well. That has taken up a lot of time not to mention everything that we have done in-between.

I am home though and able to actually update the blog.

Here is a picture of Britt and his two best friends from the second week in May. I just had to put them up here, I think they are really good pics!

I don’t have a lot of pictures from our trips but will post the few I have. Our first trip was to Dallas, TX and we celebrated my birthday and our 1 year anniversary. My birthday is on the 29th and our anniversary the 30th but we decided to celebrate a week early. While we were there we mostly swam, ate and shopped. It was nice to just relax and have a good time together. :)

Britt in the car on the way there...and half of me. :)

Here I am! haha

And again. :)

Our room! I loved the bedding!

Another view...

The bathroom...

The outside. - I did not have a picture of the outside so this is from the hotels website. :)

The swimming pool. Once again thank you to the Hotel website.

Downown Dallas.

I love this building!

This past weekend we went to St. Louis, MO to see Britt’s best friend Todd. We brought Todd’s girlfriend with us and had a great time hanging out and just having fun. Todd is leaving to go to North Africa for the summer so it was good to see him before he left.

Britt and I at Crown Candy. GREAT place to eat! :)

Katie and Todd!

The counter! haha

The outside.

Again.

I did not take many pictures this trip other than this day. We were really busy the whole time and since we had been to St. Louis before we didn't do a lot of the "tourist" things.

Now we are home and it is good to just take a deep breath, let it out and then of course tackle the massive pile of laundry. ;) Seriously though, this week SHOULD slow down a bit and it will be nice.

The main thing going on this week is that my little brother, Justin, is coming to stay with us for a few days. It should still be pretty chill though. If you did not know Justin was in the car accident with my dad and busted up his right ankle, right shoulder and two fingers on his right hand pretty bad. He has been in a wheelchair since the wreck but last week he was able to graduate to a pair of crutches so he is now able to climb the stairs at our apartment. We are going to have some fun this weekend but with his injuries most activities will be pretty calm so I think we will be hanging out by the pool, going to see a movie and eating lots of yummy sno-cones! It should be relaxing and I am looking forward to it!


I am going to jump back a moment here and talk a little more about Britt and my One Year Anniversary. I would have really liked to write a post on the day of our anniversary but we were out of town and it would have been crazy so consider part of this post the “One Year Tribute”! :)

When I look back over the past year it has FLOWN by. I never knew time could go so quickly. People always tell us, “Wow! You made it through the first year; it is always the most difficult year!” If that is truly the case then I am excited beyond words because this first year of marriage has been a joy and not even close to a struggle! I personally believe that marriage will get more difficult when kids come into the picture but for whatever reason a lot of people say it is the first year and that was just not the case for us.

It is probably because I married one amazing man! Seriously! He is so great and I am beyond blessed to have Britt as my husband. Until you are married and actually share your life with someone it is hard to understand exactly what people mean when they say they love their husband/wife more and more everyday. I can truly say that I love Britt at LEAST 365 times more then I did last year at this time. ;) So it is true, you do love the person more and more each day. Is marriage always perfect? No, in fact it can be quite difficult. Am I always an angel as a wife and Britt always a Saint of a husband? No, not quite. But the thing is that the Lord is the center of our relationship and because of that we have a great marriage that is full of lots of love, laughter and fun! I am so thankful to be married and there is no doubt in my mind, in fact one year later I know even more, that I married the perfect man for me.

Here’s to another year and then 60+ more!

Cheer up! :)

Yesterday was a hard day. In fact this past week was a hard week. When I got home from work Britt had these beautiful roses waiting for me. :) It is amazing how something like this can brighten a day and now they get to brighen our whole apartment. He did a wonderful job!

Thinking about him...

Sometimes I joke how this is “Britt and Lauren’s Blog” but really just me, Lauren. The thing is that Britt is apart of this blog because he is apart of me. And today I am thinking about Britt. We are not a really “mushy” couple in the way that some are, just because that is not us. When we are with other people we make a point to be with them and not in our own little world. Not that it is the only way to do things, or the right way but because it is what we feel we should do. But today…today I feel mushy. Today I want to take a moment, give a shout out, tell the world just how wonderful I think the man I am so blessed to call my husband is. Today is not a “special day” (i.e. anniversary, birthday, holiday…). It is just a regular old day, but no matter the day I find more and more that my love for him grows and it is wonderful!

I am thinking about him today and how we have been married for almost 9 ½ months. Thinking about the fact that 1 year is so close; right around the corner. He is so different from me; sometimes it is frustrating but mostly wonderful! Thinking about how tall he is and how I always knew that I would marry a tall man. Thinking about the lines around his eyes when he smiles - I love those lines. Thinking about evenings together, just the two of us, when we sit and talk, laugh, cry and just be. The way that I still feel to this day when he holds my hand or puts his arm around me; the way I know I will feel even 20, 30, 40 years from now… I don’t tell him enough how wonderful he is and I don’t express enough how much I love him; because I could never express it enough. He is just that wonderful.

hello

Hi everyone! This is Britt, the other half of the Clay family. I normally don't post on here, but I thought I would for a change and give Lauren a break.

God has been really good to us. He has provided a job for me at the Hobby Lobby Corporate offices doing security, which is not my ideal job by any means. But it is a job and where God has placed me for the time being. For that I am thankful. Basically I walk up and down halls a lot. All day actually, and it ends up being about 10 to 12 miles of walking a day. So my legs get a good workout every day. But since I walk all the time I have plenty of time to think. So I thought I would share some things that I have thought about.

One thing God has pressed on my heart this past summer is that after we get out of debt we need to be generous with our money. We will never be rich. I don't want to be rich, and I don't think Lauren does either. But what God does entrust to us I want to be a good steward of. I listened to some sermons by a man named David Platt from Alabama, and he spoke on this topic. A lot of Americans have the wrong view of money and what truly being rich is. And a lot of Christians have the wrong idea of how to be good stewards of what God has given them. As Christians we are to store up treasure in heaven, but a lot of the time we end up trying to store up treasure here on earth. But too many time we invest in things that we really don't need.

For example (I don't know if these people are Christians, but this bothers me) Lauren cleaned an 18,000 square foot house this past month, and only two people are going to live there. What is wrong with this picture? A lot. Think of how many people that this couple could have helped if they would invest in something that actually has eternal value. There house is going to burn down and rot some day. But investing in people, feeding the poor, and providing clothing or shelter for those who truly need it is far more rewarding if one is a Christian.

Another example that Dr. Platt talked about was how much was spent on church buildings in the US in 2007. It was around 2 billion dollars that churches spent on new buildings. One church spent 25 million on their building, and the organization that they are a part of only raised 25 thousand dollars to send to a 3rd world country in Africa that struggles with starvation, aids, and poverty in general. It's like, can we really be that selfish? But we are! And a lot of people are blind to it.

So, Lauren and I are going to be the stewards God has called us to be and find a way to give to the poor as God has commanded us to do. But first we have to get out of debt ourselves. :)

Another thing God has really been teaching me is not to worry. I worry by nature. It is something pretty much everyone in my family comes by naturally. And everyone worries about different things. But I tend to worry about just about everything possible. But I know I worry about relationships the most. But I also worry about the future, and finances, and I could name about a thousand other things. But since I have the time I am memorzing verses about faith and trusting God with every area of my life. There are two verses that I already knew that came to mind when I decided to battle worry. The first was Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path." The other was Phillipians 4:6-7- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind." (I think that is a Britt version) These verses made me realize how small a view of God I have. If I had a bigger view of who God is I would trust Him more. I mean, He did create the whole universe, and we don't even know how big it is. But I don't think of that, I am too stuck in my own little world. But when I think of God as the creator of the whole universe, it makes things better. I know that I can trust Him with every area of my life when I think of Him in that way.

Another thing that helps me is having a more eternal mindset. Matthew 6:33-"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Colosians 3:2-"Seek what is above, not what is on earth." Hebrews 10:19-25-"But since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way he has opened for us throught the curtain, that is, through his flesh. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our body washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." And several other verses from Hebrews have really encouraged me in this matter. Our new church has really helped with this, too. I love my pastor, is has an incredible eternal mindset. And it really challenges me and Lauren. But focusing on what is in store for me in Heaven really does make trusting God easier because I have hope in a better kingdom (Hebrews 11:16).

Well...I think I have posted enough for now. But I hope that even though this feels really long that it was encouraging to you as you read.

Happy Birthday: To the man I love! <3

I few things that I love about you....



We have fun together....

We take every nice photos together... (haha)

I know that we will always be able to laugh together...

I know that you will always hold my hand...

You CAN be goofy with me... :)

You asked me to marry you!

You dance with me even though dancing is not your "thing".....

Here are a "few" more reasons... (Ok, maybe more than a few!)

50 Reasons why I love you Britt Clay!

1. You love God more than anything

2. You love ME next! :)

3. You are slow to anger

4. You are pure and have remained so

5. You are a gentleman

6. You are continually seeking the Lord

7. You want to learn new things

8. You have strong convictions

9. You are honest with me

10. I know that you will always be faithful to me

11. You are the first and only man I love.

12. You are very good looking! :)

13. You are strong! :)

14. You are merciful

15. The way that you look at me

16. The way you walk

17. You do things for me just because you know I love it!

18. Your eyes

19. You bring me flowers for no reason

20. The fact that I love you more everyday

21. The fact that I learn more about you everyday

22. You talk good about me to your friends

23. You call me everyday while I am at work to check on me and see how my day is going.

24. You bring out the best parts in me

25. You make up for my weaknesses

26. I know that you will be a WONDERFUL father

27. You love me no matter how I look that day

28. You love me when I am having a bad day

29. Your wisdom

30. That you know things about me that other people don’t and still loves me the most.

31. You are the best friend that I have ever had!

32. You are THE ONE for me, the one I have waited for.

33. You were without a doubt a gift from God.

34. You are quick to forgive me

35. I can be crazy around you

36. I would rather be with you more than anyone in the world!

37. You have big hands.

39. You call me babe and sweetheart

40. Throughout the day you randomly tell me that you love me.

41. You are a good listener

42. We can tell what the other is thinking

43. You love my brothers!

44. You try to understand the way I feel even when it is hard for you to see.

45. You go on walks with me.

46. You love talking about “When we go to San Antonio”. It is so cute!

47. You will always be there for me no matter what.

48. You do not worry about things that you cannot control.

49. You pray for me and for others.

50. You are the man that I am going to marry and spend the rest of my life with! :)

I love you Britt! Happy 23rd birthday!

PS - To our readers: If you did not see the post below then you should look at it! It is pictures from our wedding shower.