our FIRST anniversary!

Friday afternoon Bradley got back in town and we celebrated his birthday with a trip to Kaminsky's and then the next night by going to Sullivan's (his favorite).

My all American man and his ALL fried food!

It was an eventful weekend!  Sunday, May 29th Bradley and I celebrated our very first wedding anniversary!  We woke up that morning and watched our little wedding video that our photographer, Sean Lyon compiled and put to the song "Soulmate" by Josh Turner (our first dance).  click here to see the video and some pics from our big day a whole year ago...wow, time flies!   

We managed to crawl out of bed, got dressed...

went to church...and then on to Magnolia's for Sunday brunch!  

We went home for a bit after brunch, packed an overnight bag, and the top layer of our wedding cake and went on to stay at the Embassy Suites by Marion Square.

We wanted to stay here because it was the original home of The Citadel, when it started with only 20 students, and one of the few hotels that is based in a historic landmark.  Click here to learn more about history of the hotel.  

I loved the brick walls in the bedroom part of our suite....

and all the Citadel-ish characteristics...winding staircases, open courtyard, & the Sally Ports.

This is the Sally Port (gate entrance into the Citadel).  Today, this is where "Sally Port Sallys"--girlfriends wait for their cadets to leave their barracks...I have to say I was NEVER one of these...love you Maeg:)

Later that night, we cut into our wedding cake from a year ago...surprisingly it was still very good and moist (missing some icing from our flowers, but in pretty good condition to have been wrapped up for a year).

I love my snookie...oh, and I almost forgot!  We exchanged anniversary gifts...Bradley got me this amazing necklace (I'm wearing it in most of these pictures), it's a dainty gold necklace with my initial on it...I wanted an everyday necklace, now I have one! & he gave me the teapot that goes with our Sophie Conran for Portmeirion collection.  He did real real good:) and I gave him a knife with a bone handle...he was completely surprised!  

I am very thankful that one year ago I became Mrs. Bradley Mishue and that I get to walk through life with a man that seeks to follow God's will and glorify Him. 

photo shoot

A few years ago, my dear friend Amy took some sweet pictures of two sisters in their wedding dresses.  Every since then, I've always wanted Chafin and I to take pictures like that.  This past Saturday we finally got to do this!  This was our last hooray before boxing our dresses up.  Phillip Guyton took these pictures for us (True Light Photography).  It was so fun to put our dresses on one more time and capture more memories with my best friend, who's more like my sister. 

Good Lord willing, we'll be doing this same thing in 50 or 60 years.

Hellllooooo May 22nd

A couple of weeks ago Bradley and I were on the way home, we passed the River Dogs stadium and noticed many people holding up signs that read, "May 21st--Judgement Day". 

Major red flag: the bible is the ONLY TRUTH we can stand on.  Even though it was a bit amusing to see these guys standing around in bright neon colored shirts holding signs about when Judgement Day was occuring, it made my heart feel heavy.  The theories of a common man have brainwashed thousands of people.  These people, like all of us, were searching for hope and fulfillment.  They found it in a man who they believed could tell them definite things, instead of whole-heartedly trusting in the Word that was breathed by an omniscient God.  My sweet neighbor had a cute comment about all of this, "If the Son don't know, how they think we supposed to know?".

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." -2 Peter 2:1

"Oh, be careful little ears, what you hear

For the Father Up above,
Is looking down in love,
So be careful little ears
what you hear!"

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"--John 14:6

my morning pick-me-up

I guess we all have a bit of "creature of habit" within us.  I've been eating the same cereal since I was a senior in high school...Special K Vanilla Almond.  I've thrown in Special K Strawberry and Banana Nut Cheerios a few times, but I always go back to old faithful.  If you've never tried it, you must!  I eat it the same way every morning: out of a cup and then crunch it up...doesn't taste the same if it's not crunched.  Bradley loves it too!  Anytime we see it on sale we stock up.  This week one of Bi-Lo's fuel perk deals is if you buy 4 Special K products you get an additional 10 cent off the gallon--we're all about some fuel perks!

Seven years (364 weeks) x approximately 2 boxes per week = 728 boxes of Vanilla Almond and approximately $2,184....whew, they should thank me:)

our current stash

enjoy the ride

As I was sitting at the CofC graduation Saturday, many thoughts ran through my mind....

Two years ago I sat in the same place...loving life, not listening to a single thing the speaker said, tossing a beach ball around, and thinking, "surely, we have the most carefree and fun graduation"---which we do:)

My college years were great...I met my husband and my bridesmaids (aka life long friends)...what more could I ask for?

During those four years I went from wanting to be an optometrist to an interior designer to a psychiatrist to a genetics counselor to an accountant to a high school math teacher and finally to a middle school math teacher.

This was my thought process growing up---you graduate high school, go to college, graduate college, and get a job---done deal...& you live happily ever after.

Boy was I wrong!

After two years of teaching, the Lord is telling me to close that chapter in my life.

 I'm a bit naive...& just now realizing that there will always be a fork in the road--a choice to be made.  So...what's my next step?

There are many uncertainties about the future, but what Bradley & I do know is that next year we will be doing ministry together...& for this I am more than thankful.

Along with that decision is a few things I'm praying through....

when I stop and think about where my passions lie, three things pop into my mind.

1.  traveling to other countries and telling people about Jesus

2.  listening to people & getting to know them 

3.  family---the expansion of this will be MANY years down the road

The Lord is teaching me that he has given me certain passions and gifts, but that doesn't mean they all have to be fulfilled at once.  I have to constantly remind myself to slow down.

We're trying to figure out God's timing with our passions.  Next year, I'm looking into taking classes at Columbia International University towards a Counseling degree (refer to passion #2)...I'm very excited about this, but it depends on if we jumpstart passion #1.

It's kind of exciting that there's always paths to choose and options to think through in this thing called life...enjoy the ride!

"It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you..."  Deuteronomy 31:8

My Favorites Friday!

Few of my favorites...

1. Fridays--who doesn't love them, end of the week and helllooo weekend!

2. I just gave it away...WEEKENDS (especially when it's warm...that means beach!)

3. and what makes weekends extra special????  Spending them with some of my favorite people!!!

This is going to be a great weekend....

Chafin and Ray will be in Charleston very soon and will be staying the night with us.  Tonight we'll be enjoying dinner and some street reggae dancing (Stacy is great at finding out things going on around town)....I'll be with the three beautiful women pictured below and their significant others....wonderful night ahead!

Sure will miss our Maeg!

Maegan is the one in the middle...she completes our little friend circle.

This is from our graduation from College of Charleston two years ago and tomorrow she graduates with her masters in Elementary Education from USC...she's going to be the most amazing teacher!  She loves people so beautifully and passionately strives for excellence.  Maegan has worked so hard these past two years....so, if someone from Lexington, SC school district happens to be reading this...you should hire her...promise you'll think she's great:)

 Speaking of graduation...

My favorite fiesty friend, Mrs. Ericka Cooper graduates from CofC in the morning.  Okay, she doesn't always love that I refer to her as fiesty, but how many people have you ever known to get sassy with a hobo that they see stealing tips from a tip jar?!

This picture is from the weekend my dear E and I became friends.  We shared a bed on a retreat and when she woke up my head was pretty much laying on her stomach...instant friendship.  From that point on she found herself sleeping in the crack of mine and Kaylee's bed watching the whole season 6 Friends repeatedly, using her psychology degree to be my personal counselor on what I should do with my life, and traveling to India with me--only she had a hospital stay.  Most importantly we've always been able to have hard conversations and be completely fine the next day--that's true friendship.  So glad she's not going anywhere!

 

A rundown of my absence from the blogging world...

Whew...life's been crazy busy...one of these days we're going to finally settle down!  Here's a rundown of the last 17 days, that sounds scary, but stay with me--I promise there will be more pictures than words, think of it as a children's book:)

My much needed spring break!  Seriously, I think I was more ready than the kids.  My family and I all stayed in a house at the Outer Banks for a week.  With me being away most summers and everyone on different schedules, this was the first big family vacation we've taken since before I went to college.  A wonderful week of relaxation and no worries...can I do this every week?!

On the way back Friday, we went through Raleigh to see two of our sweet friends!  Brad is Bradley's best friend (you know the one you'd want to be in a foxhole with) and has been a great friend to me as well.  We love them!  Here's a pic of the newly wedded Robersons from their wedding in January...

Then....Easter!

Okay, so I really love Easter...for good reasons, but not necessarily the best reasons... I love Easter because of the candy...

This is my Easter 'tub' filled with candy from Bradley...complete with Dove dark chocolate eggs and Reese Eggs...and of course a jump rope and bunny ears....he loves me:)

More than candy, I love being with my family on Easter....

& you can't have Easter without an egg hunt!  MaMa (pictured above) is the best egg hunter...I love to watch her hunt for eggs!

& here's a few more from the day...

Gracie was a good sport...Jennifer and I thought it would be funny to put the hen on top of an egg...much funnier if you were there of course:)

& best surprise of the weekend goes to my sis...Kelley (pictured below)! Her family spent Easter with us...so exciting...I have the cutest nieces and nephews EVER.

Almost my whole immediate family...missing the brothers!

But, the greatest part of Easter is......you guessed it, JESUS!

I'm guilty of concentrating on the things I listed above...all the candy, egg hunts, and my family.  While I was at the Outer Banks, I finally finished reading Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman.  Such a great read! The passage quoted below came at such a perfect time.

 

 ‎"Easter has been 'colored up' to be a pretty day filled with baskets, candy, & eggs. But Easter is messy. Easter is the cross. Easter meant suffering. I hope we never forget what the symbol of the cross truly means. We have a Savior who put Himself in human form as an infant, fully knowing what the cost would be..." --Mary Beth Chapman

Most of us know the Easter story, but I pray that the quote above would resound and help to shape the reason we celebrate.   I hope that we wake up to each day, remembering what it's about...it's about a sinless man who walked among sin, died for our sins, and then rose again!  How tremendous of a love!


Fast forward to last weekend....

   Friday night I went home to go to our county relay for life.  If I'm able, I always like to go...it's a way to honor the memory of my beautiful aunt Mary Etta and the courage she had during the fight.

Saturday was the Mother-Daughter banquet at my church...

The amazing and incredibly good-looking women in my family...again, missing a few.

The best momma in the world, my sissy, and Grace Face.

& of course no event is complete without a few pics with Shawn and Elizabeth...

When I got home on Saturday, Bradley had planted us a little garden...well, in pots...but, it'll do.   A little bit of home in the middle of the city.

Sunday, started the most wonderful month of the year...MAY!  Why, you may ask...my birthday, Bradley's birthday, and our anniversary...I'd say pretty wonderful!

Speaking of my birthday, yesterday I got an early present...running shoes...

I love them!  Good for at least 300 miles...pretty sure that'll get me to my half-marathon aspiration...

Also, last night we wrapped up our Perspectives course at our church (ECBC).  We've been going to this course every Monday night since January.  We've gotten to hear wonderful speakers, have our minds broadened on the nations, spreading the Word of God, and how we are "blessed to be a blessing"...so much more to say, but I did promise this to be more of a children's book than a novel ;)