Seven months in and our giggly girl is bursting with more joy than ever. Dakota babbles all day long, pronouncing her consonants with ease. She’s sprouted her first two teeth and her new favorite foods are zucchini, acorn squash and apples. Oh, and we have a crazy cat lady in the making.

Over the past several months I’ve come to understand the insurmountable love and sacrifice required to raise a child, a humbling lesson I’m certain I will continue to appreciate as the years fly by.

Today marks one year of marriage for Alex and me — an incredible year that has turned our lives upside down and inside out in all the best ways. In honor of our anniversary, we wanted to share some photos from our small backyard wedding.

Just before Easter we took our first little family trip to Deep Creek Lake. Alex had a meeting nearby and I can work from anywhere, so we figured we’d make a long (working) weekend out of it.