Well, we made it back from the East and had a great time! The drive was manageable and the kids were amazing on the road--not one meltdown! I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things, but slowly I am coming around. Vacations are so nice and always go by too quickly. The best feeling is leaving work knowing you have the next week off-the sun seems to be shining brighter, and the air just seems fresher. That's how we felt anyway. So, we packed the kids up Thursday night and drove through the night to Savannah, GA. We made great time because the kids slept most of the night. We spent Friday in the historic district down by the Savannah River.
Saturday, we went to Forsinyth Park to play most of the morning. It really was beautiful. All of the trees reach out and are covered in moss. There is a beautiful fountain and several old statues. Of course the kids favorite part was the playground so we spent plenty of time there! That afternoon we met up with one of my best friends Natalie and went to a Blue Angels show. Nate was in heaven!
We drove to Charleston, SC on Sunday and got to meet baby Ava Johnson for the first time. She was so tiny and cute with really blond hair and eyelashes (thanks to her daddy)! The first couple days were kind of dreary and rainy-it was quite disappointing, but we managed to get out a little and make the best of it. The beach house was perfect for us. It had a large deck with a swing and sand below it so the kids could play and keep semi dry, not to mention it was just across the street from the beach!
We found this little park right by our house too. It became a nightly favorite!
On Wednesday the rain let up and it was beautiful! We spent the day at James Island County Park. I must say the parks in Charleston are amazing! They have huge playgrounds and picnic areas, bike trails, dog zones with open fields and ponds, splash areas, and gorgeous scenery. We had so much fun. We took a picnic lunch and played on the playground forever. Then we all loaded up for a 2 mile bike ride through the marshes. We stopped at one of the marshes and searched for crabs. Will was fearless and found several, Kate looked but wouldn't touch and Eli went to touch daddy's and got snapped. It was very comical to watch him try and get it off--Eli didn't think so! We ended the day at the beach-still a little windy but at least the sun was shining!
Wednesday night, my parents drove down from Virginia where they were visiting friends and stayed with us a couple of days. We headed to downtown Charleston on Thursday to see some of that southern charm and history that I love. We went to Battery Park, walked down streets lined with beautiful homes, and visited the historic downtown market.
The kids loved wading in the fountains at Waterfront Park, while Nate and I always enjoy swinging on the Pier. Its so peaceful and pretty.
That night, my parents watched all the kids, including Miss Ava, so that we could go out with Brooke and Steven. We ate at our favorite restaurant Fleet's Landing and had dessert at a little place downtown. We all greatly appreciated the time together without kids!
On our last full day in Folly, we got up early and walked to a Morris Island Lighthouse. The beach at the end of the island was calm and gorgeous. Jetties stretched out into the ocean and palm trees and tropical bushes lined the sand dunes...I loved it! We played around at the beach most of the morning then took a short break at the house and headed to another beach that afternoon. If only it could be that simple everyday!
That pretty much sums it up. We had a wonderful time together as a family and really enjoyed seeing our friends. Sorry for such a long post...I took way too many pictures!
