devil's fork.

This past weekend, Teesh and I made the hour-long trek to Lake Jocassee to do some camping in honor of our upcoming anniversary. Devil's Fork State Park was our destination, and we made it safely in the rain late Friday evening. It rained our entire trip, but the sun peeked through the clouds a couple times, and we did a little swimming once when the lightning disappeared. Camping in the rain? Check. Our bucket list had several items checked off of it this weekend, and we even considered adding some other ridiculous happenings to it just so we could check them off, too.

Regardless of the weather and the conversations we overhead from our neighbors on either side of us, we had the best time. Rarely do we get to escape from the world for a couple of days, but this weekend allowed us that pleasure. No phones, no outside world, no makeup, no mirrors; just the lake, the boat, our campsite, TJ, and me. It was absolutely, positively blissful. I can't remember a weekend when we've laughed so hard. I wish Teesh and I had more weekends like that one; escaping with my handsome husband is one of my most favorite things to do.

Lake Jocassee, y'all.

two.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I AM BLESSED. Two years ago on this very day, I received one of the greatest blessings I could ever dream up on my own, and every day since has been totally out of this world. Becoming a wife has taught me so much about so many things, all of which have been blessings that carry over into other areas of my life. As much as I've loved being a wife, I have loved having a husband just as much. Many of you have met TJ, so you're probably already aware of how incredibly wonderful he is; but for those of you who haven't, allow me to enlighten you.

Troy Jerome Bargeron, better known to me as Teesh, is the most humble, dedicated man I've ever known. Even when he wants to say "no" to helping someone out, he never does; he doesn't even complain about it. I just know those glimpses of unhappiness he occasionally lets slip out. He never complains, rarely argues, selflessly serves, and would willingly give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it, even if you didn't ask for it. It's almost as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking about doing at any given time, and he seeks out opportunities to keep me from doing it myself. Though he'd probably call me crazy for saying this (which further proves how awesome he is), I'm going to say it any way: he blesses me exponentially more than I bless him. He inspires me by his love to love him better each day. The Lord broke the mold when He created my Teesh, and every day is beautiful simply because I wake up next to him.

I hope I never forget a single memory with TJ by my side, and I, also, hope that new precious memories are created with him each new day. Two years down, and a lifetime still to go. I look forward to new discoveries, new explorations, and new ways to love him. The length of rest of our lives may be unknown, but the fullness of it will never be questioned. The day will never come when one look from him won't make me go weak in the knees, I'm certain of it.

Happy second anniversary to my only-one-for-me Teesh!

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:21

yardsalin' on brookdale.

The twenty-ninth of June marked our second yard sale in our efforts to raise money for our upcoming trip to Haiti. Our front yard was overflowing with all sorts of items, all of which were donated to us by several precious family members and friends. The Lord showed out, yet again, and we raised a total of $503! FIVE HUNDRED AND THREE DOLLARS! I hope you're screaming with me! Within the five hours of us being out there, we only had a couple items left by the very end of it; we, then, placed the remains on the side of the road with a sign that invited anyone to take what they wanted. 

We had beautiful weather, incredible customers, and some really great conversations about the purpose of our yard sale. My out-of-this-world mother-in-law, Angie, surprised us by showing up early to help set things up, people asked a lot of questions, and many of them even wrote down the website for my blog so they could follow our journey. We were overwhelmed with generosity from several different people, some of which handed us checks and cash just because. Nine days later, and I'm still thanking Jesus for everything that happened on that sunny Saturday morning.

Documentation of the progression of that glorious morning, anyone?

The beginning:

The middle:

The end:

The only items left:

With our yard sale amount added into our total amount raised, we're more than eighty percent funded. We have been granted so much favor during this preparation season, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't out-of-my-mind excited to see how our God continues to blow us away with His faithfulness and provision. To God be the glory!

a-dub.

It's been one year since our lives were turned completely upside down. A year filled with much sorrow and grief, but also one with laughter as we just sat around the table talking about all the crazy-yet-hilarious things he used to say and do. These three hundred and sixty-five days without A-dub have been hard, and there have been many days where peace couldn't seem further away as we stared into the darkness wondering when and if it would ever end. In the abundance of heartache and strife, there has also been an abundance of hope. Jesus is the reason for that hope, and my heart has been lifted from despair countless times as I have just sat in His presence and read His Word.

I wrote these words last year, and my heart is even more convinced of the God-breathed truth in them now:

Yet, even in the midst of my sorrow and despair, I find peace in the comfort of the arms of Christ. I believe that lives will be changed for the better through this tragedy. I believe that there is a purpose behind this anguish that is greater than ourselves. I believe that Christ is gracious and merciful, and I will cling to His heart and His hands through this agonizing time. He is the only one that sustains, and I will run to Him, broken heart in hand, fully confident that He will restore and renew. Nothing other than Jesus Christ, himself, is going to get us through this, and I will not hesitate to give Him all the glory due His name, even though I don't understand.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, God does. Our wounds may not be mended yet, but I have seen His hand at work in every life affected by that July 6th night. Our God never fails, and He never leaves us the way we are for very long. When we offer ours lives to Him, giving Him total control over everything in us, we begin to look more like Him with every breath we breathe. Until our time comes to stand face-to-face with our Maker, He's not finished with us. Tragedies and heartaches are allowed in our lives to help us grow, to strengthen us, to purify us, to draw us back to Him. He longs to comfort us in our sufferings, but He waits for us to offer Him our pain.

It is my prayer on this day, just as it has been every day since, that we would call upon the name of the King of Kings, eager to be rescued from the grip of the enemy. May we live in the freedom that Christ died to establish for us as we run from every lie thrown in our faces. No one is more powerful than our God, and we have been granted redemption through His Son, Jesus. Let us run to Him, who grants peace to our uncertainties and failures to understand, trusting that He's working all things together for the good of those who love Him. In the words of Aaron Keyes, even what the enemy means for evil, He turns it for our good.

A-Dub may not be with us anymore, but our memories of him and all the goodness he left behind won't ever be gone from us. Though he was taken, he was never really taken, for we'll always have him in our hearts. Always.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

table rock | year two.

It's been one year since Teesh and I made our commitment to hike a new trail each month. We achieved our goal, sometimes hiking twice or three times a month, and we were blessed with some beautiful sights along the way. Every season was different from the last, giving us unique scenes every time we hit the trails. I wouldn't trade this year for anything, and I'm already looking forward to our next three-hundred-and-sixty-five days of explorations and wanderings.

In honor of our adventure-versary, we went back to the place where our tradition began: the Table Rock Trail at Table Rock State Park. We didn't feel like dying near as much this go around, and we beat our overall time by a little more than half an hour. We conquered the three-point-five mile uphill trek in just under two hours, which made us jump up and down even in our exhaustion.

As crazy as it may sound, I can't wait to come back to this stunning place next year and the next and every year for the rest of our (able-bodied) lives. I love my husband and all of the happy memories we make with every step we take. Year two, we're ready for you!

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen."

-Benjamin Disraeli

cookin' out.

We had our second annual Bargeron + Henderson family cookout in honor of Father's Day at the Bargeron Bungalow last weekend. We joked and laughed and cooked and stuffed our faces and enjoyed each other's company for a few hours, which is something I wish could + would happen more often. 'Twas a glorious evening spent with some of my favorite people on the planet as we celebrated the incredible friends, fathers, and husbands in our lives.

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"

Albert Einstein

sibling love.

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."

-Clara Ortega