“the sky is perfectly blue. the clouds are perfect too. and here I am with you, what could be more right?” –Winnie the Pooh

You know that special day you dream about when you’re a little girl? The one with all the flowers and the beautiful white dress and, most importantly, your prince charming by your side? I used to dress up in my Ma’s nightgowns, beg my little sister to walk me down the aisle, pick some wildflowers from the backyard, and pretend that I was the most beautiful bride in the entire world. I can still see myself twirling around, dreaming about falling in love for the first time. Little did I know that the first time was all it would take.

Two days ago was one of the biggest days I’ll ever have. The date was September 4^th, 2010. It was the day after sweet baby Luke James Thornton was born (at 3:16 p.m., might I add) and the day before my grandma would have celebrated her 66th birthday. It was also the day that my very own prince charming asked me to be his forever. I am officially the soon-to-be Mrs. Troy Jerome Bargeron! Upgraded from a girlfriend to a FIANCE. YAY! If I could put all my excitement into words, I would be doing that right now. The problem with that is I can’t even wrap my own mind around how excited I truly am and if I can’t do that, then I know there’s no way possible that I could do it for you. All I know is that I have spent the last seven years of my life watching a boy turn into a man, loving him more and more every single day, and now I get to be his wife.

I always pictured how my engagement day would go. I’m a hopeless romantic, and engagements and weddings have always been (and always will be) my absolute favorite. To say that my own engagement surpassed what I thought was my dream engagement with flying colors is still an extreme understatement. Everyone has a story. Here is ours. :)

Teesh told me during the first week of July to keep September 4^th opened. I wracked my brains for two months trying to think of what it could be. I googled concerts, events, plays, etc. and never found anything. I even vented to some of my best friends about how I couldn’t find anything that had to do with the 4^th. I love surprises, they’re my favorite. Except for the surprises when you know something is going to happen, but you don’t know when—now those I can live without. I always obsess about them and try to figure them out until they happen. My con-artist of a boyfriend knew that I would obsess, yet still decided it would be fun to keep me in suspense

I was SO relieved when September 4^th finally got here! He said he would pick me up at 5:30, so I lounged around all day before getting ready for our first date since April. Talk about deprived. :) He got here, we talked to my family for a few minutes, said our goodbyes, and got in the car. He drove his Chevelle, which is always a treat, and as soon as I got in the car he whipped out a blindfold. He tied it on, I played what I called the blind man game the whole way, and 25 minutes later, we reached our destination. He came around to my side of the car, helped me out, and lead me down a path for a few minutes before telling me to stay put.

I stood there for about 45 seconds (that’s a long time when you have no idea where you are!) until I heard what sounded like a shutter from a camera. I quickly heard TJ say, in a super shaky voice, “Uhhh, that was a…goose.” Clearly I knew that was no goose that I had heard and my heart started racing! He told me to take off the blindfold and when I did, I was standing in front of the bench where we were sitting when we had our first kiss. There were a dozen pink roses laying out on the seat, and a sign taped to the back of the bench that had two pictures of us printed on it and “What would you do?” in big letters in between them. At that point I was 100% sure what I would see when I turned around, and I was so excited that I couldn’t turn around—all I could do was squeal!

Seeing him down on one knee in front of me is my new favorite memory. I couldn’t stand still to save my life; I squealed and bounced around and squealed and bounced around some more all before he even opened his mouth. I also noticed a familiar face holding a camera behind him, and screamed out “Hey Lauren!” in the heat of the moment. Even after seeing my spazziness at its best, he still decided to stay on that knee and speak the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard:

“In 7^th grade math class, you were the very first girl to ever catch my attention, and you’re the only girl that’s ever caught it and kept it. Seven years ago when I asked you to be my girlfriend, I had no idea I would be on one knee in front of you right now. If you would be my wife, I would be the happiest man in the world. You’re the only thing I’ve ever needed and could never live without. I love you…(pause to open the box)…Will you marry me?”

My response: *squeal**bounce around**squeal**bounce around some more** “YES! YES! YES!” *leap into his arms**squeeze him to death**smile so big my cheeks hurt**bounce around**squeal some more**stare at my ROCK!* (and p.s. I’m still stuck on that last part).

The best part of the proposal? Hearing a loud “YEAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” come from behind us right after he put the ring on my finger. When we turned around, there was a group of teenage boys standing on the bridge, fist pumping for us. It. Was. Awesome.  Those boys probably don’t know this, but I won’t ever forget them! The other best part of the proposal? Lauren Long and her AWESOME self took pictures of the entire thing. I had told Teesh a couple years ago that I would love to have pictures of my engagement some day, and what did he do? He continued to spoil me by making it happen. Lauren, you are INCREDIBLE and we are SO thankful for how much you helped us!

Once we walked back to the car, I immediately grabbed my phone and started to make my first phone call. He stopped me and said “Why don’t we go to my house and show my parents, go to your house and show yours, and then tell our friends. I think our families should be the first to know.” Did I mention how amazing my fiancé is? That suggestion pretty much proves that he’s going to be the best husband in the whole world—always putting family first. :) I loved that idea, so opted to stare at my ring and kiss his cheek the whole way to his house.

When we pulled in, got out of the car, and started walking up to his door, I noticed a huge white tent in the backyard as I cut the corner. I looked at him, saw that goofy grin that let me know something was up, and peeked even further around the corner. Not only was there a tent set up, but it was overflowing with all of my favorite people in the whole world. His family, my family, and all of our best friends were there to help us celebrate! Seriously? I was FLABBERGASTED! Engagement party: CHECK! :-D There is absolutely NOTHING ELSE that could have happened that would have made that day any more perfect than it already was. Not only did I get to spend the evening with all of the people that mean the most to me, but I also became the future Mrs. Troy Jerome Bargeron…FINALLY!

"What would you do?" :)

with my family!

my soon-to-be family!

with most of my very best friends in the whole world!

see that pretty girl in the green? that's our flower girl. :)

always daddy's little girl. always.

me and my MOH!

Freeman couldn't get off work to make it to the party, but he didn't hesitate hugging my neck as soon as he got off!

just the three of us. :)

 like I said, obsessed.

thank Jesus for my Emilie Carol!

it's facebook official! YAY!

I haven’t slept since it happened. I’ve stayed up planning til the wee hours of the night and then when I finally crawl into bed, I wake up every five minutes to think about how much I love my fiancé and look at my ring some more. These next 10 months are going to be THE MOST FUN I’ve ever had in my whole life. If I were any more excited than I am right now, I think both my brain and heart would explode into a billion little pieces. I can’t wait!

I am marrying my best friend, the one who makes me laugh, the only one who makes me mad as a hornet, the one person that knows me better than anyone in this whole world, the boy who gave me my first real kiss, the most humble man of God I’ve ever known, the single most caring and compassionate person ever created, the one who keeps my calves in shape with how tall he is, the only one for me. My precious Teesh.

07.16.2011 <3

“If every marriage failed except one, I guarantee you that one would be ours.” –Corey to Topanga, Boy Meets World

those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.

Today was just another day. My days, from most people's standards, are nothing special. They're composed of 24 hours, just like everyone else's.  I love my days though, especially the ones that the world looks at and sees them as ordinary. It's not hard to see the good and purpose in the days when something big happens, like someone's wedding day or the birthday of a new baby or graduation from high school or college. On the other hand, the days in between those life-altering days can easily get swept under the rug and forgotten about. That's why I think it's so critical for us to remind ourselves to acknowledge them for what they really are. A gift. A miracle. Something to be cherished.

These are some of the things I got to do today:

spend the afternoon with my wonderful boyfriend on our meet me halfway date.

enjoy a glass of my favorite wine with my sweet step-mom at dinner.

watch two of my brothers wrestle to the death in the floor of our den.

play Wilber in a game of HORSE at sunset.

work on perfecting my game-face. 

enjoy some yummy puppy kisses from Luke.

and get my first taste of autumn.

oh, how I love walking barefoot through crunchy leaves.

I'm barely 21 years old, and life is already beginning to speed by. What a shame it would be if I spent more time complaining about that fact rather than making the most of that time as it passes. I want to have more memories under my belt than I know what to do with when the time comes for me to leave this place. I'm just getting started. And so are you. :)

So laugh until you cry. Experience pain. Learn from it. Make mistakes. Learn from them, too. Watch a sunset. Take a deep breath. Just breathe. Spend time really loving the people who mean the most to you. Pass on a smile or two. Sit and talk for hours. Or may just listen. Befriend a stranger. Catch up with an old friend. Leave your heart wide open. Listen to the lyrics of your favorite song. Write someone a letter. Believe in the good in everyone. Ride with the windows down. Just live. And don't forget to be thankful for every bit of it.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abe Lincoln

a happy working song.

I moved out of my apartment in Clemson in April, packed half my stuff for home and the rest for Cali, threw my pile for home into my room with no rhyme or reason, ignored the fact that I would have to organize all that mess when I got home, spent three blissful months in Cali, came home with more stuff than I left with, and had to face the inevitable: unpack and re-organize all of my belongings. All of them. And that's exactly what I did today from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today. Whew! What potentially could have been a several-day chore only took me eight and a half hours. I was pretty proud of myself--not to mention super relieved that I didn't have to continue the project when I wake up in the morning. Thank you, Jesus, for making me a hard worker with plenty of motivation.

I laughed and I cried and I thought to myself "what was I thinking" on several occasions. I love going through old things. You know, the things that you always forget you have until you're going through that unidentified pile of paper, etc. Unexpected surprises are my favorites (notice the emphasis on the word "unexpected," Teeesh), and today was filled with them. Yippee!

What kind of experience would it have been if I hadn't documented the entire process, especially the surprises, in pictures? Enjoy. :)

step one: a whole lot of clutter.

found this picture of Melly and I at her 3rd birthday party. absolutely precious.

also found my Pop's Bible. this is where the waterworks began.

he had bulletins from Glendale Baptist (the church that my other great-grandpa founded years and years ago) in it. this made my heart so happy.

I opened daddy's Bible and this is the first thing I saw: "If God calls you to do something and you don't do it, then you are sinning against God." real talk.

scribbles in daddy's Bible? guilty as charged. I've been writing in Bibles since before I could even read them.

who was born on the night of March 28th? that would be me. who got so excited when she saw this for the very first time? that would also be me. :)

my big cousin gave me some of the best advice when I was 11 years old: "always remember the three C's--Christian, caring, and cute. don't sell yourself short." I wrote it down in my Bible all those years ago and still remember our conversation clear as day. I love my Laura!

Mom, Bubba, and Santa must've been best friends.

did a bomb go off in my room? there's a good chance it did.

halfway there!

Melly made me the sweetest card one day when I was 12 and having a bad day. on the back she wrote "I know it's ugly and you're probably going to laugh at it, but it's the thought that counts. you're the best sister I could ever ask for. I love you. Love, Sis"

I'm so happy that my sister and best friend are one in the same. :)

these pictures still smell like Ma. they've always been my favorites.

my birthday card from Caroline when I turned 12. in her dining room, there was a plaque that said "You are my sister and you sho' is my kin, and God knows you'll be my best friend." we said that to each other at least twenty times a day. this floooooooded my mind with memories.

family beach trip to Myrtle Beach in 2006. daddy had hair! okay, maybe not.

I wrote this in my diary on March 1st, 2004. everyone thought I was just spouting out hopeless words about my case of puppy love. who would've thought they would still be true today, more than six years later?

"First romance, first love, is something so special to all of us, both emotionally and physically, that it touches our lives and enriches them forever." -Rosemary Rogers

made me miss Ally and our multitude of embarrassing experiences a whooooole bunch. I feel a trip to Ireland in my neeeeear future.

one of the very first drawing that Wilber drew for me. this was before he lost his mind and became a Gamecock fan.

and here we have it. TADA! my room is tidier than ever before. I love a clean room!

the gang's all here: Jenna, Lexi, Farmer Rupert, Jamie, Schmoopie, and Wades. this should definitely tell you that I want a huuuuuge family one day!

In honor of the first day of September, I did a little fall cleaning. question: how in the world have eight months already FLEW by this year? Sheeesh. One thing's for sure--I can't wait for all the beautiful autumn colors to start peaking through.

I have a feeling this is going to be the best fall yet. :)

things that let me know I'm home.

dates with my best friend (since 2nd grade, might I add) at our usual spot: Pete's on Augusta.

silly pictures with my sweet boyfriend.

worshiping at my Jesus at NewSpring.

lots of dinners after church to be had with my two sisters this year.

creeper faces with my Cait Cait.

Shannon and her cute little self.

baseball never stops being played and Wilber never stops getting cuter.

{I've always had a thing for pitchers.}

the sweetest kisses in the whole world.

endless chatter about God's favorite past-time being right around the courner: Clemson football.

it's good to be back. :)

drifter or stranger, father or son. I'll look for Jesus in every one.

I love how songs have the ability to reach straight into your heart and do one of two things: break it or put it back together. It really is an incredible thing. Earlier this morning, for instance, I was watching CMT and heard Toby Keith's new song, Trailerhood. I laughed for a good twenty minutes after it went off, annnnnd now that I'm thinking about it again, the laughter is back. Even ridiculous songs (in all their brilliance) have power over our thoughts, make us laugh, and that laughter, in some unexplainable way, helps mend our hearts.

Then there are the songs that break them. Or do a little breaking and mending at the same time. I heard a song for the first time today that did just that. The Twenty-First Time by Monk & Neagle. If you haven't heard it, you need to. If you have, then I want to encourage you to listen to it again. I have to remind myself daily to die to my yucky, sinful tendencies. Not just for my own good, but for the good of everyone around me. I'm a hypocrite, and I make and break promises all the time. I mess up and let people that I love down. I ignore the calling of God in my life. I see opportunities and don't take them. I fear things that can't hurt me, and I let silly things steal my good moods.

But I trust in the power of the almighty Savior who died so I could live, not a life that I just barely survive through, but one in which I can thrive and grow and learn and make a difference. I have hope and love and confidence in the One who conquered death. How selfish would I be if I kept that to myself? If I am the body and I drink of the wine, then it is my calling to go out into the world and share the love of Christ with it. How many excuses do I have to make before I'm finally convicted of my disobedience? What will it take for me to love the world in the same way that I claim to love Jesus?

Learn from my mistakes of yesterday, love people as best as I can today, and be thankful there's more than the twenty-first time to love them even better. Love. That's what I want to be known for. That's what I want my legacy to be.

"mom, I don't do that anymore!" well, ladies and gentlemen, P. Sawyer does.

Today was our last day in Wilmington for a while. Booooo. I always hate leaving that place, and this time was even sadder since we had so many incredible memories added to our tally this week! Just like there's something in the hills of Clemson that keeps drawing me back, there's also something in Wilmington that keeps me wanting more and more of it. Aside from all the One Tree Hill madness, I genuinely just love that place. I begin my job hunt this upcoming week and something tells me that I'll be looking for something in that direction. :)

Onto today...we woke up, showered, and checked out of our hotel by 11 o'clock. Then we made our way to the top of one of the parking garages downtown to take some pictures of the city from the top deck. After we got some great shots and enjoyed a beautiful view, we met up with our new friends at Nikki's Sushi Bar on Front St. I seriously can't believe how nice all the people we met this time were--usually none of the fans even remotely speak to each other, and before this trip we had only met two girls who we enjoyed hanging out with and talking to (shout out to you, Treventi and Staadt!). We all got to share stories at lunch, and the crowd favorites were P. Sawyer and my encounter with James and Stephen last night. Just in case you're wondering, I am still giddy today. I was on cloud nine before all that happened...now I'm on like cloud 392753895702710239847. But seriously, it was really great to get to know so many incredible girls! It was especially hard to tell Lena, Maria, and Laura bye today because the five of us got the closest out of everyone. I won't ever forget those girls, that's for sure!

all the OTH girls! :)

After lunch, we went to my very first farmer's market! We got there right as everything was shutting down (dangy), but we were able to purchase one thing: we both bought our very first bottles of wine. Strange? Oh yes. And why is that? Well, that's an easy one--I hate wine. I've tried it on several occasions and I've never been able to take more than a few sips because it's been so terrible. This muscadine wine, on the other hand, was absolutely delicious! For only $10, it was a steal that we couldn't pass up. I can't wait to pop open the bottle and have my first glass of wine that I will actually enjoy! YAY!

excited for my first farmer's market. yay!

Next up, we went to Kilwin's to get some ice cream and ended up taking home a bucket souvenir--saweeeeeet! My Wilmington Mud flavored ice cream hit the spot (fo sho!), and P. Sawyer thoroughly enjoyed her mint chocolate chip flavor, too. We looooooooove us some Kilwin's! We met up with Adrienne and Mama Karen for a few minutes to say our farewells, and then left downtown to begin our 5-hour trip back to Gvegas. First pit-stop of the journey home: a visit to the rivercourt, of course! We walked around, took a few pictures, said "see ya later" to our favorite place on the planet, and then continued on our way.

I love ice cream and...wine? welp, I've turned a new leaf, ladies and gentlemen!

happy anniversary to us being in Wilmington!

Second pit-stop of the day: Rush's in Columbia for dinner. The best part? MICHAL MET US THERE! Heck yes! This was also P. Sawyer's first time eating at Rush's (can you believe that?) and it was a wonderful success. Yippeeeeeee! We finally arrived back at the house around 9:15 p.m., hung out with the family for a bit, told a few of our favorite stories, and now we're laying in bed. P. Sawyer is chatting it up with Melissa right now, and it is SUCH a blessing to hear that girl's voice. I cannot WAIT to see her on Monday night! And p.s. did I mention that Will loves P. Sawyer? Well, he does. And I love that he does! They bonded over youtube videos tonight, and it was absolutely precious. Bless them!

two of the BEST friends a girl could EVER ask for. <3

Tomorrow is going to be VERY exciting, too. That's because I get to start my day off with P. Sawyer, continue it with breakfast with my best friend since the second grade (I love you, Ellybeth!), hang out with my Scooterboot all day afterwards, and then hopefully Melly will let me have another slumber party at her and Liz's apartment. YAY! And thennnnnn on Monday, I get to hang out with Scooterboot some more, and then the grand finale to the two-day fiasco...REUNITED WITH MY SMALL GROUP! YESSSSS! I am so excited to see their beautiful faces after four months of barely surviving without them!

Welp, that concludes my Wilmington tales for a few weeks. That's right, we will be going back as soon as we're able to! DEFINITELY for P. Sawyer's birthday weekend, but hopefully we'll be able to squeak a trip in before then, too. Fingers crossed!

My bed is calling my name. And I'm, without a doubt, so ready to answer that call. Goodnight from a girl who has way more blessings in her life than she could even begin to deserve. :)