thirteen.

13 years ago today.

We got up early, got married at noon, and officially began our lives together as husband and wife. We had grown up together up until that point, and we’ve been growing up together since. Sometimes I miss those two versions of us who truly believed the worst was behind us on the day that our lives were joined as one. We were naive. We were relieved. We were bursting with hope.

Some of that hasn’t changed 13 years later, though, and I am genuinely thankful for what has remained. Especially the hopefulness we carry in our spirits. Truthfully, I’m not sure we’d be able to press on without it.

Year thirteen was both exhilarating…and excruciating. I am certain that we have never cried more in each other’s arms than we have this year, but I’m, also, not sure we’ve laughed as much either. We are increasingly making peace with how joy and sorrow are often so closely acquainted, and I am so proud of us for being willing to keep learning new steps when life changes the song and tempo on us. Sometimes he steps on my toes, sometimes I step on his; but we keep dancing.

When our instincts pull us in different directions, our love keeps us looking for each other.

When our individual grief requires different things from us, our patience keeps us wise and aware.

When our hearts break over losses we didn’t see coming, our intimacy keeps us sobered to reality: that we are not immune to it either.

When our dreams come to life before our eyes, our humility keeps us tethered to each other and to the truth: that every dream has come with a price.

Thirteen years would have passed anyway.

I am bone-deep grateful that I’ve been loving my Teesh as they did.

I’m, also, giddy as can be to be celebrating this anniversary with my man and our beautiful kiddos from California.

Cheers to us!

the bargeron explorers | chicago, illinois.

 Last year when we were trying to figure out our fall break plans, we knew that wanted to go 1) somewhere pretty and 2) somewhere new to us. After a little bit of brainstorming, we landed on Chicago, IL! Sadly, that trip did not happen because of a big storm that blew through on the same weekend we were supposed to be there. Thankfully, we were able to cancel our hotel and flights with no negative repercussions and rebook for later on. Summer break was the soonest we could reschedule, and we thought it would be epic to experience Independence Day in the Windy City. We were right -- it was definitely epic!



We flew out of GSP mid-morning on a Tuesday, picked up our rental car, and headed to the Hyatt Regency Chicago for the next 3 nights. This hotel was right on the Chicago River, and we were graciously upgraded to a room with the most fabulous view of the river and Lake Michigan. So picturesque! The location, in general, was practically unbeatable, too: just steps to the riverwalk & a short walk to Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park, Grant Park, Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, and more. We did a whole lot of walking around the city, which is our favorite way to explore!

One of our biggest motivations for renting a car for this quick 3-day trip was to explore the neighboring states. Last year (in 2023), we officially penned a family goal that we had been toying with: visit all 50 states together before our oldest child graduates high school. We had a good head start when we put it in writing, but we still have a long ways to go. One thing about me, though, is that I don't haphazardly set goals; if I set a goal, I will do everything in my power to see it through to completion (hehe). So, naturally, with 3 additional states just being a couple hours away from Chicago, I put together an itinerary that would only take us one full day to visit FOUR states in one day. And it was SO much fun!

We did the following in the neighbor states...

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I N D I A N A

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We drove 1.5 hours from Chicago to Michigan City, IN for begin our big roadtrip day! Zoos are a family favorite for us even when traveling, so when I saw that Washington Park Zoo was on the route towards Michigan I knew that would be the perfect first stop for us. We saw so many animals during our 2-hour stroll through the exhibits, and we even climbed an observation tower in the zoo that offered a stunning view of Lake Michigan. The kids were so happy to visit a new-to-us zoo in a new-to-us state!

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M I C H I G A N

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After passing through Indiana, we stopped in New Buffalo, MI to check an amazing thing off of our bucket lists: touch Lake Michigan. So exciting! The water was a crisp 57 degrees, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't know that Lake Michigan was so blue, but it took my breath away in a good way. This particular beach was packed, which added to the fun culture that we were hoping to find, and we stayed with our feet in the water & searching for rocks and shells for over an hour. Before heading back out on the road, we enjoyed a Kona Ice treat and the kids played on the playground right off the beach.

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W I S C O N S I N

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From Michigan, we hopped back in the car and headed out on our longest haul of the trip so far: a 3.5 hour drive into Wisconsin! The drive wasn't originally supposed to be as long as it was, but we got caught in some heavy traffic a few times that slowed us down a lot. We were all happy to finally arrive in Kenosha, WI for dinner and another view of Lake Michigan. We ate at Tavern on 6th, and we ordered a big ol' basket of fried cheese cubes...because you can't go to Wisconsin without eating some cheese, right? The town of Kenosha was small with lots of character, and we were grateful for the 1.5 hours we spent there.

Even though there were lots of great moments and memories from our trip, we all agreed that the highlight of our trip was WRIGLEY FIELD!  We bought tickets to the Cubs vs. Phillies game for the evening we arrived in Chicago, and it was the best welcome to this incredible city. We ate a Wrigley hot dog and belted Take Me Out To The Ballgame in the 7th inning, and those two things alone made for a core memory. Bethany and I were practically running after Braxton who was running after TJ to get to the Marquee, and I will probably always hear myself giggling over the sheer excitement of it all. It's hard to describe, but it was easy to feel. I don't consider myself a Cubs fan generally, but there was something so special about getting to experience a night like this with my family and with myself. Long live this memory.

Our second favorite things were exploring Navy Pier and Maggie Daley Park. Both offered endless activity and opportunity, and we easily could have spent half a day at each. We really loved that both of these areas was so close to our hotel, too!

I, personally, loved the Architecture Boat Cruise that we went on a sunset on our final evening in the city; everyone did, honestly, but I loved it most. The guide was so knowledgable (and funny), and it was so humbling and awe-inspiring to ride beneath the towering buildings lining the Chicago River. I will recommend this activity to anyone who is planning a trip to the Windy City!

All in all, if I had to pick just one word to describe Chicago as a whole, I would say C O O L. Chicago is just so cool! The atmosphere, the people, the sights, the sounds, the colors -- all of it. I really wished we'd had one more day in the city so we could have taken spent a little more taking our time, and that means that we'll just have to plan another trip in the future (wink, wink). Big cities are so out of the norm for us, and I think that's why we love them so much. Also, because they remind us that dreams ought to be big.

'Til next time, Chicago!

the bargeron explorers | costa rica.

After dreaming of visiting beautiful, lush Costa Rica since I was student at Clemson University (go Tigers!), I was finally able to realize that dream with my husband and children! It’s impossible to sum up our incredible days there in mere words and pictures, but I pray this is a good start. If I could only choose a single word to describe this magical green place, it would be this: a d v e n t u r e.

So much adventuring was packed into this week, and we barely scratched the surface! I wouldn’t change a thing if I had those days to do over, which makes me both grateful and proud.

We flew into Liberia airport, picked up our rental car, and drove three hours inland to stay at the iconic Tabacon Resort and Spa in La Fortuna, Costa Rica for 4 nights. After our stay there was complete, we drove back in the direction we came to spend our final 3 nights at the Andaz Costa Rica in Guanacaste. Our week began with adventure and ended with relaxation, which was exactly the way we wanted it. 

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LA FORTUNA

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We were originally not scheduled to do a split stay during our trip, but I made a change a few months after the original booking to include this majestic area of the country. When I say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, I’m not lying. We were going to do a couple of tours in this direction (from the coast), but being submerged in the culture for a few days was just…wow. It’s hard to describe just how much we loved it.

Here are the highlights of our explorations:

•Mystico Hanging Bridges

•La Fortuna Waterfall

•Arenal Volcano

•A coffee & chocolate farm tour

•Local, delicious food

•Tabacon Hot Springs

•All of the amazing wildlife sightings

•Rio Celeste waterfall & river

We booked most of these as excursions via Viator, complete with tour guides on each, and we were really glad we did. It was more expensive to see these particular places than if we had driven ourselves, but it was worth the peace of mind and fantastic, knowledgeable guides.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Arenal area of Costa Rica, DO IT. Seriously, just do it. We 100% lived our best lives! This trip will be a hard one to top, and even our kiddos agree. We are so happy that this gorgeous country was our first family-wide passport stamp!

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PAPAGAYO PENINSULA

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Opposite of the adventure of the first part of our week, the theme on the coast was this: r e l a x. A luxury resort on a pacific peninsula with stunning bay views around every turn? Yep, that was exactly it. We had never experienced anything else like it!

Once we arrived onto the stunning property, we never left the grounds. We spent the majority of our waking moments in the water, and made some really cool friends who enjoyed all the same things we did. All four of us agreed that this is the best hotel we’ve stayed in to-date, which is a pretty big deal as we’ve been blessed to stay in some fabulous places over the past few years. It was just that amazing — the grounds, the decor, the food, the pools, the resort’s Beach House, the monkeys, the people, all of it. Especially after a thrill-packed first part of the trip, this slower pace was the perfect way to end our time in this awe-inspiring place.

We made a pit stop at the Llanos de Cortez waterfall while we were driving from La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula, and it was a fabulous pivot from go-go-go to take-it-slow. A wonderful final excursion, if you will. This was another bucket list waterfall for me, personally, too!

These beach bums were in absolute paradise. Just look at this place! It’s hard to believe it’s even real.

Costa Rica was inspiring and beautiful, mysterious and compelling. Oh, how I hope we haven't seen the last of it. What bliss to spend a week getting acquainted with this bright, fun country!

Pura Vida from the Bargerons!