WHITE HOUSE RED ROOF

Camping in Chimney Rock

2021-10-27T04:56:00.001-04:00

We've started a tradition of camping at the end of October. Last year we stayed in a teepee in Bryson City, North Carolina. This year, we tried a "cowboy shelter" at Hickory Nut Family Campground in Chimney Rock. I much preferred the cowboy shelter. It was basically just a shelter with a wooden floor, sides and roof. About the top 1/4 of the sides was screen so it was somewhat open to the elements. Last year, I was 20 weeks pregnant with Hal, and, in my opinion, it is much more fun to go camping when you are not pregnant!

Inside was enough room for us to spread out and create a little kitchen area (basically just boxes with food and wine!). There was an electrical hookup and water faucet outside the shelter. It also had a picnic table and fire pit.

This is the view of the Board River from the campsite. Our site was up a bit, but we could hear the water rushing through.

Chimney Rock is only a little over an hour drive from our house so we were able to get there by middle of the afternoon on Friday. After we unloaded the car, we walked into the little village of Chimney Rock. There was much more to it than I expected! We walked along the Board River Riverwalk and then had a drink at the Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery.

Then it was back to the campground to prepare our supper! We made hot dogs and smoked sausage, corn on the cob and very thinly sliced potatoes. We'd brought the grate from our grill at home and Ryan cooked the meat and corn on it over the fire pit. I cooked the potatoes in an iron skillet on a propane camp stove.

We'd made a couple improvements to our camping supplies from last year and one was that everybody had their own camp chair. We also got a huge igloo cooler that can double as a table. And Ryan and I both have nice head lamps. We took Hal's little frog seat along and that was very helpful in having a place to put him where he could see what was going on but couldn't crawl off. When we planned this trip, I was not expecting him to be on the move!

Saturday morning we cooked a big breakfast and made coffee and hot chocolate. I got a little gismo called a Coffee Rocket at REI last week to be able to brew hot coffee and it was a game changer. So good!

It was COLD in the mornings and even colder when we rode the 26-story elevator to the top of Chimney Rock State Park to look at Chimney Rock. We definitely needed coats, hats and boots.

A tunnel led to the elevator. Apparently, it took over a year and a half to dig out by hand.

The view from the top was incredible and offered at 75-mile panoramic view of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. At this point you are 2,280 feet above sea level.

We were so glad we got there shortly after the park opened because we didn't have to wait in any lines. When we left a few hours later, the line to get into the park was miles long, and there were buses to take people from the parking lots down below to the top. The leaves were just beautiful and it made me so excited for fall!

I took just the girls on the Great Woodland Adventure Trail. It was too hard for Addie and I ended up carrying her for most of it. But it was perfect for Caroline and she loved spotting the larger-than-life wooden and metal animal statues around the trail at the discovery stations. Our favorite was the owl who looked quite intimidating! The trail ends in the Animal Discovery Den with real animals, but they were in short supply when we visited. I think we saw a turtle and a snake.

After finishing at the park we ate lunch at the Old Rock Cafe in Chimney Rock. It was really good and hit the spot. By this time it was hot and we were all shedding our layers of clothing for earlier. We made the short drive to Lake Lure. My original intention had been to play at the beach on the lake but it was closed for the season. So instead we went to the playground that's right next to it. Hal did the baby swing for the first time and loved it!

We went from there to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. It's just that - a bridge filled with every type of flower, shrub, and art you can imagine. Caroline absolutely loved it and kept asking me to take pictures!

Then we headed back to the campsite for some R&R. Ryan took Caroline down to the river to fish.They didn't catch anything but had fun trying.

We started calling this "Addie's special backpack" and she couldn't get in it fast enough. And didn't want to get out. We walked down to the village and tried a flight of wine at Burntshirt Winery.

Then it was back to our campsite for French Bread Pizza (which we burned horribly) and s'mores. I think before we camp again, I'm going to practice some meals at home. I used frozen French Bread pizzas and just wrapped them in aluminum foil. They burned to a crisp on the bottom. I at least should have sprayed oil on the foil. But we all scooped out the insides and then filled up on s'mores!

These two stayed up late watching the fire while everyone else went to bed early and exhausted!

Addie may have been the warmest out of all of us. She slept on a little nap mat and then I covered her up with this alpaca blanket I bought back from Ecuador years ago.

On Sunday we packed up and were all a little sad to leave our cowboy shelter. Even Addie who'd spent most of the weekend asking to go home said she didn't want to leave!

We drove to Pearson's Falls which is in between Saluda and Tryon. It's a private garden owned by the Tryon Garden Club with a 1/4 mile hike to a beautiful waterfall. My family was so excited I remembered to bring my tripod along and so we took lots of family photos!

Overall, the trip was much better than I expected and the children had a blast. I think we are all ready to go camping again!

Hal Pal is SIX Months

2021-10-19T04:56:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that Hal has already been here for half a year. He and Caroline share a half birthday/birthday so it's a good way to mark time!

Newborn - March 19, 2021

One Month

Two Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

The Moose Who Ate the Jelly Beans

2021-10-19T04:40:00.002-04:00

The other night Caroline randomly said something about a moose eating her jelly beans. It took Ryan and I a minute to figure out what she was talking about. And then we started re-telling her to story (i.e. straight up lie) about the moose in Canada who broke into our car one night and ate all but ONE of her blue jelly beans from the Great Wolf Lodge. Here's the story...

On our road trip from St. Louis to Michigan to Canada we stopped for two nights and stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge. It was amazing and I'd highly recommend it to anyone of any age. Caroline turned four on the trip and so this was a little pre-birthday celebration.

As we were leaving the last morning, Caroline remembered she could fill up her GWL cup with candy. Big mistake on our parenting part. Because about one hour into our multiple hour hour drive north to Canada, our happy toddler turned into a holy terror in the back seat.

"It's all the sugar," Ryan said as we were both about to loose our cool. We took the jelly beans away, give her something somewhat healthy and made up way up the beautiful upper peninsula of Michigan.

We crossed the border into Canada and spent the day looking around Sault Ste. Marie.

The next morning I woke up before everyone else and went out to clean out the car. I found the stash of jelly beans and chunked all but one into the bushes. And left the blue cup in Caroline's car seat drink holder. I was prepared for a major meltdown when she discovered the beans were gone. So instead of fessing up and telling her "no" to more jelly beans, I blamed in on a moose that broke into our car and ate all the candy. For the rest of the trip, Caroline was on high alert for any moose who might try to take our food!

Halloween 2020

2020-11-04T15:15:00.008-05:00

Iggety, ziggety, zaggety, ZOOM!

It was a Room on the Broom Halloween for us! The day was fun-filled (and sugar-filled!) and stretched late into the night. We started the day with a Trick or Treat downtown.

A cat, a witch and a dog. In the Room on a Broom story, the witch loses her hat, wand and bow. She's helped out by a cat, dog, frog and bird. She gives them all a ride on her broom and they, in turn, save her from a horrible dragon. It's such a cute story.

After a few stores, Duncan decided he'd rather nap in the stroller.

Caroline was so excited to run into her friend Lizzie. They even have matching coats!

After finishing up downtown, we stopped by our old neighbors' house to show them the costumes. Don gave the children all of their Halloween candy! We took a siesta in the afternoon and then headed out about 5 p.m. to trick or treat around our neighborhood. Most of our neighbors were still without power from Thursday's hurricane. Fortunately, ours never went out!

Afterwards we went to some friends' house for a party. They were all decked with some pretty spooky decorations. Caroline looked at this huge, scary pumpkin thing and declared, "that's not scary." I thought it was pretty spooky!

Teepee Camping in Bryson City

2020-10-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

We camped for the first time with children this past weekend in Bryson City, North Carolina. It was so much fun! We left Thursday evening after Ryan's allergy boards (hurray for being DONE with all boards!) and got to the campsite about 9:30 p.m. The children all were asleep when we got there but woke up and were so excited to explore our teepee at Grumpy Bear Campground. It was really roomy. We set up two twin air mattresses, a double air mattress and a pack 'n play and still had room to move around. Addie had a lot of trouble getting back to sleep once we all got settled. But that was our only major hiccup of the weekend. She slept great the second night!

Friday morning we made the short drive into Bryson City and road the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. It was a four-hour tour through the Smoky Mountains on a steam engine train. We sat in one of the open air cars and took a picnic lunch. Ryan and I laughed that Addie is such the third child. She only ate the Oreos out of her lunchable. I would have never fed Caroline and Duncan and lunchable (much less an Oreo) at 15 months.

The train made a one-hour stop in the Nanatahala River Gorge. Caroline was playing close to the water and, despite many warnings, got too close and fell in! We looked over and she was clinging to a rock completely soaked! Ryan quickly fished her out and she put on Ryan's vest and Duncan's extra underwear for the ride back.

After our train ride we headed back to the campsite. Ryan showed Caroline and Duncan how to fish. They caught a bunch of leaves and sticks! We cooked smoked sausage, steaks, hot dogs and corn on the cob on the grill for supper. And then had s'mores.

We were all asleep by 8:30! And up before the sun on Saturday morning. These three love Poptarts!

We walked around Bryson City Saturday morning and got me and Ryan some good hot coffee. Then we headed to Cherokee for the Oconaluftee Indian Village that showed how people in the area lived in 1790. Ryan and I enjoyed it more than the children! Then it was lunch at a deli and home sweet home. My bed has never felt so good!

Addie at 15 Months

2020-10-14T10:21:00.002-04:00

Addie at 15 months is such a joy! She says "mama" "dada" "nooo" and "uh-oh." She got a new tooth this month bringing the total to nine. She still prefers a bottle to sippy cup and I'm not in a rush to drop the bottle. She's successfully dropped the morning nap and now usually snoozes from around 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. But she is also incredibly flexible and if we have something going on can nap earlier or later. Caroline and Duncan were not that way at all! She's not all that interested in food but loves pasta, cheese and chocolate. Strawberries and grapes are her favorite fruits. She is definitely my child.

I've so enjoyed having one-on-one time with her while the bigger two are at school in the mornings. When Caroline was 15 months old Duncan was eight months old so I've not experienced this age with just one child. She's so easy! She plays well and just follows me around the house while I get stuff done. She doesn't ask to watch her shows so I've enjoyed watching the Today Show again!

Savoring September

2020-10-05T16:31:00.001-04:00

Somehow September flew by for us! We spent the first half of the month getting ready for our big birthday & baptism weekend and then the second half of the month recovering from it. Caroline continues to enjoy school and Duncan’s school announced he’d be going more in-person which makes us all happy. Addie has added a tooth and is saying "nooo" all the time along with "mama" and a few "dadas" in there as well.

Ryan is studying for boards on the weekends so I'm trying to clear out of the house with the children. One Saturday my friend Caroline and her daughter met us at Whitewater Falls in North Carolina. We did a short hike and then went to lunch in Cashiers.

Our church opened up the children's nursery the first weekend in September and it was so nice to be able to all go together as a family to church. Addie is not a fan of the nursery. But she doesn't remember being left at the gym nursery way a back in earlier March!

Caroline's birthday weekend was so fun. On Friday night our parents and my grandparents got into town. The princess bounce house was set up Friday afternoon so C and D had so much fun jumping Friday night. Ryan's brother and his daughter, Harper, got to our house early Saturday morning.

The weather forecast looked rainy for Saturday morning so at the last minute we hired an Elsa impersonator to come Saturday morning in case the bounce house didn't work out! It started pouring about halfway through the party! But Elsa saved the day and did magic trick, face paint and balloon animals. Caroline had a blast at her party and we enjoyed meeting many of her classmates. Read her birthday post here.

Saturday afternoon my sister and her girls arrived. Caroline was in heaven with her big cousins and was so excited to show them her room, the class guinea pig, Rosie, we had for the weekend, and the bounce house. We grilled out steaks and had roasted green beans and hashbrown casserole.

I think it's been nearly two years since I've seen Mama Jean and Papa Carrel. They loved meeting Addie and seeing our new house. Now that we are back on the East coast it will be much easier to see them!

Sunday morning Addie was baptised at church and we celebrated afterwards with a luncheon at our house. It was a busy weekend and we were all worn out by the end of it.

Duncan is participating in a virtual 5K to raise money for the Polymicrogyria Awareness Organization. You can find his fundraising page here.

I'm a sucker for matching pajamas. And it's probably a littler early to break out the Halloween pjs, but I couldn't help it!

We celebrated Caroline's actual fifth birthday on her birthday. We had presents and pancakes Saturday morning. Then we went to Travelers Rest Farmers Market and came home to the sweetest surprise - balloons on our mailbox. Not sure who they are from but Caroline was so excited!

For supper we went downtown to eat at Smoke on the Water and came home for the first fire of the season. It was so cozy!

And then just some random pictures of our days! Lots of park days, playdates, ballet and baking.

Looking forward to Halloween, a trip to the North Caroline mountains and all the fall fun things in October!

Addie's Baptism

2020-09-25T11:01:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, September 13 Addie was baptized at First Presbyterian Church. It was such a special day! The entire service was beautiful and we even sang "In Christ Alone" which is the song I sang to Addie many nights rocking her to sleep when she was tiny!

Us with Rob Hassold and Rev. Tim Stewart. Caroline and Duncan were both baptized in this sanctuary so we wanted Addie to be as well. She was way too big for our family infant gown and so we got her an extra special dress and bonnet to wear. DeeDee's mom (aka Big DeeDee) helped me pick one out from the Women's Exchange in Memphis and mailed it to us. It's something I know we will treasure for many years to come!

So fortunate to have all Addie's great-grandparents, grandparents and my sister and her girls and Ryan's brother and his daughter with us to celebrate!

Missing a picture of my parents with the children. They were all over pictures and hungry by the time we got home from church! For lunch we had fried chicken, homemade macaroni and cheese, slaw and pecan pie. Net made bloody Mary's and cheese straws as well. I enjoyed setting my table and using our nice linens, crystal, china and silver. Net arranged a beautiful flower display.

Caroline's 5th Birthday Party

2020-09-21T13:13:00.003-04:00

How is our precious girl already five years old? Time really does fly when you're having fun! Last Saturday, a week before her actual birthday, we had her birthday party at our house. She had a blast! We had a princess bounce house and at the last minute Ryan insisted we have back-up entertainment in case it rained. Which it was forecasted to do - and it did! So we were so glad "Elsa" came with a bag full of face paint, magic tricks and balloon animals. She even lead the Happy Birthday song. Caroline has been talking about her birthday party for months and it was so special to see her so happy!

Watching out the front window with Siggi for party guests to arrive! Caroline had all her grandparents and three great-grandparents here to celebrate!

The swing was as big a hit as the bounce house. And a surprising number of children can fit on it.

Caroline requested a rainbow cake with strawberry icing. Not the prettiest cake but it tasted good!

Apple Picking at Justus Orchard

2020-09-09T15:45:00.001-04:00

On Saturday Ryan was attempting to study for upcoming boards so I took the children apple picking to give him a quiet house. My aunt suggested Justus Orchard outside Hendersonville, North Carolina, and we had the best time! There were animals to feed, a bouncing thing, a cow-themed tractor ride and, or course, lots of apples. We had apple cider slushes and apple doughnuts for lunch.

Now I'm trying to decide what to make with a peck of apples!

That’s a Wrap on August 2020

2020-09-02T11:17:00.002-04:00

August! The month of soooo many changes! Our kitchen was finally finished. We kicked off the month with a weekend beach trip to the beach and wrapped it up with a quick trip to Alabama to look at a new-to-us car. We had Meet the Teacher for Caroline and Duncan and they both got settled into the school routine. Addie went from just walking to walking all the time. She babbles constantly and wants to do exactly what her big brother and sister are doing.

A big first was me taking all three children to the Runway Cafe for lunch by myself. It was also the first time the children have eaten inside a restaurant since March! I was so proud of them - we didn't make too big of a mess didn't spill any drinks.

We met our friend, Charlie, at our old neighborhood park in North Main. It brought back so many sweet memories for me! Of course, Caroline and Duncan didn't remember it but it was sweet to see them there again. And Addie loved the swings.

After months of waiting, the gas company finally installed our line so the kitchen is finally in full working order. We had a good two days of watching the men and excavator work.

One night we made homemade ice cream.

The Clifford exhibit at the Upcountry History Museum was so fun. We met the Edwards on the Swamp Rabbit Trail for a bike ride and ice cream after. We went to the Airplane Park and got settled into having speech therapy at home on Friday mornings. I love the day-to-day with these sweet children. They are always up for an adventure or happy to stay home and play. I feel like we do a healthy mix of both!

We attempted to make Unicorn Cloud Bread. It looked pretty but tasted awful!

Duncan's speech therapist, Josie, is so fun. He painted with the animals and then gave them a bath.

I feel like Duncan's expression and body language in this picture says so much. Mainly, that there is not room for Addie in the cart! Addie, though, was pleased as punch to be with the big kids.

Duncan had a virtual Meet the Teacher. And then I had a virtual meeting with his teachers and therapists about his IEP. It was exhausting but I feel really good about his team at school and think he'll have a great year!

We went on a hike at Paris Mountain State Park and Duncan walked almost all of it. So proud of his progress.

And the biggest Duncan news it that one morning he just decided it was time to stand without pulling up on anything. Ryan and I were amazed. Just further proof that he will do all the things on his own timeline!

Duncan had a LEAP day to get to know the school and his teacher the week before school officially started. He was so brave and just walked right in.

We loved our weekend in Lake Martin and hope it will become an annual thing.

Caroline is going to take ballet at DanceArts this fall. We had a meet the teacher day and she absolutely loved it. And insisted on wearing her whole outfit. And has barely taken it off since. I'm afraid we'll need to replace it before ballet even officially starts.

First day pictures!

From Caroline's teacher. It does not surprise me that she's the one holding the flag!

And sometimes old posts on Instagram just slay me...

But thankful that little baby will still nap with me on the sofa...

Addie is starting to show some interest in Scout. He doesn't love it.

Caroline has made a new little friend, Lizzie, at school and we've had her over for a playdate.

We're in the market for a bigger car and so made a quick trip to Opelika, Alabama to look at one. It didn't work out but we had fun at the Ponce City Market in Atlanta and the Monkey Park in Opelika.

What a month! Excited for all that September will bring including Caroline's birthday, Addie's baptism and I'm sure some adventures in and out of school.

School Days

2020-08-31T15:22:00.001-04:00

After nearly six months of all being home together, school has finally started back! Although it looks a little different than we expected. Duncan was up first! We had a virtual Meet the Teacher and then he went in one day for a couple of hours. School started for real this past Monday. He seemed excited to go in! How cute is his new lunchbox?

His LEAP day the week before. He wasn't as sure this morning, but he walked right in with his walker.

Duncan's first day coincided with Caroline's Meet the Teacher. Addie went along and made herself right at home in the classroom.

Wednesday was Caroline's first day and she was beyond excited. She came bounding out of her room fully dressed in the clothes we laid out the night before. She told me she was too excited to eat breakfast. I'm sure she was ready for snack time!

Duncan is going to Overbrook Child Development Center which is our public preschool. He's in-person two days a week and then has virtual learning the other three days. He was given a Chrome laptop and an email address - for a four year old! Crazy times. There are three teachers in his room and only one other student. Caroline is going four days a week in-person to First Presbyterian Academy. We're looking forward to keeping the class guinea pig, Rosie, and getting to know the other children.

Duncan's sweet teacher sent this one.

Our first virtual assignment - making a "D."

After school personalities: Duncan is almost asleep and Caroline talking away about her day.

And this cutie will be home with me! We have lots of shopping and coffee dates planned!

Wrapping up Summer at Lake Martin

2020-08-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

We met my family at Lake Martin in Alabama this weekend to celebrate my dad's 65th birthday. We had a blast and Caroline, in particular, feel in love with lake life. We swam, tubed, water skied, paddle-boarded and kayaked. Addie loved her first boat ride and Duncan rode the tube with Ryan for the first time. It was so special to be together with everyone!

My parents with all of their grandchildren: Duncan, 4, Elizabeth Magee, 9, Mary Thorne, 7, Addie, 1, Poppy, 7, Camille, 4, and Caroline, 4. Camille will be a big sister in October and so there will be another girl soon!

Hoping this can become an annual event!

Kitchen Renovation

2020-08-19T14:23:00.000-04:00

Back in the spring when we were house hunting the one thing I told Ryan I wanted was a nice kitchen. I love to cook and the kitchen truly is the heart of the home. His big wish item was a real wood-burning fireplace. Of course, the house we fell in love with had THREE fireplaces and the only room that hadn't been updated was the kitchen! It was original in all it's 1950s glory. We put an offer on the house, and after some back and forth, it was accepted. Before we left to go back to St. Louis, we met with someone who could oversee the renovation with hopes it would be finished before we moved back to Greenville in mid-June. That was the end of April.

Fast-forward a few months and were on our way with our Penske truck and cars loaded down. Midway through our trek from St. Louis to South Carolina, I got this text from our agent...a completely gutted kitchen. She just wanted me to be prepared!

We left the base of the cabinets and just had doors rebuilt. We got the cabinet guys to build a new base cabinet to the left of the refrigerator to extend the kitchen a bit. We also left the original parquet floor and had it refinished before we moved in. The dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, and microwave were all relatively new. My big request was a gas stove top. Little did we know that getting gas run to the kitchen would be our biggest holdup. After our permit was approved by the city, we still had an eight week wait list. That ended up being closer to 12 weeks.

Here are the "before" pictures from when we looked at the house...

The quaz countertops were the first thing to go in. I choose a white "ice cream parlor" marbled look.

The next thing to go in was the subway tile backsplash. Note Addie under the kitchen sink - it was her own personal playhouse for a few weeks!

Then came the cabinet doors and drawers.

We used a local guy Steve with Kolor Me Kilted to paint the kitchen. He did a fabulous job! I choose "Homestead" by Benjamin Moore for the paint color. I agonized over picking the paint color. At first I was going to go with white just because that felt like a safer choice than going with a color. But the more pictures I looked at for inspiration, the more I was drawn kitchens with color on the cabinets. I'm so glad we went with a color!

It took two coats of paint and about a week for the painting to be done.

And the last step was adding hardware.

We are so pleased with how everything turned out!

A First Hike for Duncan

2020-08-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

We had a big first on Saturday morning: Duncan walked for nearly our entire hike around Lake Placid in Paris Mountain State Park. It was just short of a mile, and he handled his walker like a pro. There were lots of rocks and roots that he needed help navigating, but he didn't get discouraged. Caroline had a blast being our "line leader" and leading the way. Addie was happy being along for ride Ergo. It rained on us for the first part of the hike, and Caroline declared we were in the rain forest!

Sunflower Picking

2020-08-11T08:28:00.001-04:00

Is there any flower more summery than the sunflower? On Saturday my friend Heather and I took our children to Beechwood Farms' Sunflower Hill. The tractor-pulled buggy ride to the top of the sunflower field was Duncan's favorite part and he did not want to get off the wagon. Caroline and Hannah Beth took my clippers and had more fun picking out sunflowers to cut.

Duncan is crying because we got off the tractor ride, and Addie is crying because the tractor was too loud.

There were a few sheep in a pen. Duncan made a beeline for them and Caroline just stood as far away as possible saying, "They smell horrible." How do I have a child that has zero interest in animals???

Caroline's First Ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail

2020-08-06T14:31:00.002-04:00

We met some friends at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe to let the kids do a ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It was Caroline's first time to bike it on her bike (the last time she rode on the trail she was in a baby bike seat!). She lasted longer than I thought. Duncan walked a bit with his walker, but wasn't into it. Addie was happy as a clam watching all the activity from the stroller.

Of course, this flower garden caught their attention. They bravely asked for flowers and the nice lady gave them each a merigold.

Afterwards we got King of Pop popsicles. Caroline finally took my advice and got the chocolate sea salt and declared it delicious!

Addie finished off Duncan's. Maybe a white outfit wasn't the best idea!

Ollie and Caroline are big buddies and it's been so fun to see them pickup on their friendship where they left off two years ago.

Bonus: Here's Caroline (and Duncan) at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe in 2017...obviously Duncan wasn't feeling it that day either.

Isle of Palms Weekend Getaway

2020-08-04T07:09:00.000-04:00

We had such a wonderful sun-filled weekend at Isle of Palms on the South Carolina coast this past weekend. The hurricane heading towards the Carolinas didn't mess us up at all, and we had really nice weather. We stayed at a hotel on Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant and had a short 15-minute drive to the beach.

Friday night we went to Sullivan's Island and ate a delicious fried shrimp supper at Sullivan's. We then walked to the beach and watched the sunset. Addie wasn't too sure about the sand at first but quickly adjusted. Duncan and Caroline just went right for the waves!

Our intention had been to go back there the next day, but because of COVID (or, in our house, the "big bad germ"), they weren't allowing chairs or umbrellas on the beach! So we changed plans and spent Saturday and Sunday at Isle of Palms.

Caroline had so. much. fun. She played and played and never stopped running. She made multiple friends on the beach, and it made me realize how much she's missed the social interaction of school. She got the hang of her boogie board and enjoyed "feeding" the waves sand from the ocean.

Duncan had a big time crawling in the waves and also got the hang of being pulled on the boogie board. He was worn out each night and slept so hard!

It was Addie's first trip to the ocean and she just barely tolerated the sand. She didn't like it when we'd put her feet in the ocean though. She took great naps in the stroller and really tried to keep up with her big siblings!

Saturday evening we ordered to-go food from Coconut Joe's and ate it on the beach. It was perfect! I got the crab sandwich with pimento cheese and bacon and it was as good as it sounds. Ryan got the fried seafood platter. We ended each evening in the hotel pool and counted that as bathtime!

Sunday morning dawned nice and pretty and we spent a few glorious hours soaking up the sand and sun.

One last picnic before we headed home around noon on Sunday. We were home by 3 p.m. and can't wait to go back!

July 2020

2020-07-31T09:43:00.002-04:00

July seemed like a really long month! Ryan started his job halfway through the month so we went from vaca mode back to work mode. It’s been since early March that we all haven’t been home together all day! So that's been an adjustment. And the biggest news is that Addie went from crawling 24/7 to almost exclusively walking. She is toddling everywhere and getting so good! After months of hardly seeing anyone outside our immediate family, it's been so nice to get together with friends for playdates. My mom came for a few days as well and it was so fun to show her the house! We did some fun things and I got some one-on-one time with each of the children which was nice! The same week our church held a virtual Vacation Bible School called "God's Backyard Bible Camp." Caroline really got into the lessons and it made me realize how much she's missed school.

We went to pick blueberries one very hot afternoon in Travelers Rest at Blueberry Hill Farms. We picked almost a gallon and the owner made all the children screen-printed t-shirts with their names on them. So fun!

Addie is WALKING!

2020-07-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Just in the last few days Addie has gone from taking her first steps to really walking. It's been amazing to watch her progress! And she's now walking more than crawling. She made it all the way down the hallway last night.

This is such a fun stage and I love watching her get excited about walking!

June 2020 Part 2

2020-07-22T14:54:00.000-04:00

We moved to Greenville the middle of June. Our movers came on a Thursday afternoon, Ryan's family came Thursday evening to help and then we pulled out of St. Louis on Friday morning at 8 a.m. Thursday evening as we were sitting outside our neighbor - who Caroline developed a special friendship with over our shared back yard fence - came over to tell us goodbye. She brought us a small present. Caroline immedicately rushed inside and came back a few minutes later with a present of her own all wrapped up in a towel. I had NO idea what was inside the towel - there wasn't much left at that point inside the house. Caroline insisted on giving it to Ms. Laurie and when she opened it up it was a canvas bag. Caroline's sweet giving spirit and her joy in giving a gift to her friend about had Ryan and me in tears! We insisted she keep the bag!

We made it to Knoxville Friday night and our hotel had a pool. Caroline and Duncan had a blast in the water and passed out when we got back to our room.

Silas and Caroline had so much fun exploring our new backyard while Ryan and I directed the movers and our other helpers in getting beds set up and the laundry in working order. Caroline did not want him to leave!

Our first night in the house went so well. Everyone slept through the night. Our kitchen is getting renovated so we had no sink, stovetop, or countertops. But we made do!

Breakfast of champions - poptarts on the floor in a nonexistent kitchen!

The first morning I spoted this sweet sight! Duncan climbed up and down the steps by himself. I think these two are going to make many special memories in our new backyard.

We spent a lot of time in the yard before the day got too hot.

We saw our friends Caroline and Charlie and it was so good to be reunited! Caroine and Charlie stayed up until dark to hunt lighening bugs.

We went down to Cleveland Park for a late evening stroll.

We had to leave the house one morning for the countertops to be installed so we headed to Falls Park. Always so pretty and the children loved looking at the ducks.

We spent Father's Day making a major trip to Home Depot!

Grilling out for the first time and our house was starting to feel like home!

Our old neighbors, Don and Peggy, came over to see the house and we had a cookout. They loved meeting Addie! June was a crazy busy month and I'm hoping July will be a bit more low key!

June 2020 in St. Louis

2020-07-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

June was a big month for us! We wrapped up our time in St. Louis, said goodbye to friends and neighbors and moved halfway across the country back to South Carolina. Here are a few pictures to document...

My mom came for one last St Louis visit and to help me pack up the kitchen.

My friend Natalie found a playground that wasn't roped off. We went once and then it was roped off. Caroline and Duncan were so excited to see a real playground again. It's been March since we've been to one!

Our neighborhood has sidewalks that cut through the middle of the block that we call the “little path." Duncan has gotten so good at walking around the block and we do it multiple times a day.

Our last Saturday in St. Louis we spent the day packing and then went for an early dinner at one of our favorite places, Schlafly's in Maplewood. We were all so excited to be at an actually restaurant eating!

There was lots of playing in boxes as packing was the main activity of mama and daddy. And lots of swinging and water play with the little pool and water hose.

We finally met baby Cameron. It made me realize how big Addie has gotten. She's no longer a little baby!

We got together several times with our friends Natalie, Wells and baby Cameron. We are going to miss them so much but fortunately they have cousins in Greenville so we know we'll see them soon!

Our last Sunday in St. Louis Ryan filled an ice chest with water balloons and we set up a slip 'n slide and had a water day in our front yard. The kids loved it!

The moving truck and it's horn provided lots of entertainment for C & D.

Caroline was the best little helper in loading the truck! We had moves come to help us load and unload but she was determined to help.

Heading out! I was a little nervous about how the children would do in the car, but they did great!

And finally reading a story in our new living room! Starting to feel like this is home!

Quarantine Days in St. Louis

2020-07-15T20:34:00.002-04:00

Our last few months in St. Louis looked so different than I expected. I thought we'd do all our favorite things like the Magic House, Grant's Farm, the zoo, etc. Instead, with the rest of the world, we quarantined! School got out for Spring Break and we never went back! Caroline and Duncan's teacher, Ms. Zoe, did Zoom sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. but they only lasted about 10 minutes and then sent out a lesson plan to do at home. We made it about two weeks into the lesson plans and then I gave up!

Our big accomplishment, though, was potty training Duncan! We did the three-day method but it took nine days for it to "click" and then we spent about three weeks going to the potty every 20 minutes. Gradually we stretched it out to every two hours. I'm so proud of him (and us!) because it was not easy but now he's got it and there's no turning back. That was something we'd never have been able to do during school time.

Some pictures to document our very mudane lives during these crazy times...

Cosmic Kids yoga was a big hit with Caroline and Duncan would do a down dog every time she did one.

We ordered Disney + and there was a lot of screen time. But I enjoyed the snuggles that went along with it!

Caroline discovered slushes at Sonic and she now asks for one at least once a week!

I'm so thankful we could go for walks - we averaged three per day. We'd walk "to the benches" and then back home. By the end of our time in St. Louis, Duncan was walking with his walker on all our walks.

Campbell’s Covered Bridge

2020-07-13T12:22:00.001-04:00

For Addie’s first birthday we wanted to do something special so we headed to one of Greenville's landmarks, Campbell's Covered Bridge. It's the last covered bridge in South Carolina and you can play in the water under and around it. The day was gorgeous and hot, but it felt nice in the shady cool water! We played and took a picnic.

Duncan wasn't hesitant at all - he jumped right in and wanted to explore!

We took Caroline to this bridge when she was just 11 months old. It was neat to see Addie in the same spot at almost the same age. Although Caroline was walking and I think Addie is a little ways from walking!

Michigan, Mackinac Island & Sault Ste Maria Canada Road Trip

2020-07-09T14:43:00.030-04:00

I spent the last few sleepless weeks of my pregnancy with Addie planning our fall road trip to Michigan and Canada. We love a good road trip in our family! We left St. Louis on a Friday afternoon and drove about six hours to Holland, Michigan. The plan was to drive up the coastline of Lake Michigan, cross into Canada, take a ferry to Mackinac Island and then end the trip in Grand Rapids with our good friends Jennie & Craig. Before we left I had our general outline lined up, our first night's hotel and some options for us along the way. But we wanted to be free to explore and work in things that popped up along the way! Once we got to Holland most of our stops were just a couple of hours apart. So after we got to Michigan we'd usually drive during naptime in the middle of the day to give the children a rest.

Holland, Michigan

I found Holland on one of those lists that said if you want to feel like you've been to Europe, but don't want to leave the US, go here. It was adorable! We started the day at the Eighth Street Farmers Market where we bought the best blueberries and saw some beautiful flowers. Then we went to a mini 1800's Holland at Nelis' Dutch Village where we tried walking in wooden shoes, watched "klompen" dancing, Duncan touched every animal in the petting zoo and tried our hand at making stroopwafles. We ate an amazing lunch of aged Gouda cheese, crackers and our blueberries from the market. My biggest regret is I didn't buy the wooden shoes! I'd love to go back at Christmas time.

Ottawa Beach

That afternoon we took a short drive to Ottawa Beach and relaxed in the sand until the sun started getting low in the sky. We loved seeing the "Big Red" Lighthouse in the Holland Channel and stuck our feet in Lake Michigan (like the ocean without sharks!). It was too cold for us to swim but other people were! There was a great playground right on the beach that Caroline loved, and she requested "spoiled" (swirled) ice cream.

Ludington

We spent the night in the small town of Ludington and had a great meal at Ludington Bay Brewery. We sat outside on their patio and it was the perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.

The next morning we took it slow and found our way to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. It was an easy hike and we were able to push C and D in the stroller and carry Addie. We packed a picnic lunch and ate under the lighthouse and then Ryan and I took turns going up the 92 feet up.

Leelanuau County & Fishtown

We saw some beautiful countryside driving up and down the M-22 highway. In Traverse City we stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge and the children LOVED it. We could have built our whole vacation around just going there. The indoor water park was fabulous and Caroline and Duncan were the perfect age to really get into it! Our room and a "cub den" with bunk beds that Caroline called "Peppa Pig beds." They were so excited to go to bed every night. In the evenings there was storytime in the lobby. Duncan freaked our when the trees started dancing and signing. He was so petrified he didn't want to go through the lobby the next day!

We spent a few days sightseeing the morning and then playing at the Great Wolf Lodge in the afternoon. One of the cutests places we saw was Fishtown in Leland. It's exactly what is sounds like - an old fish town with weathered shacks. Some are still in use as fishing operations and others are cute little touristy stores.

We walked around Leland's downtown and bought a few things. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Ciccone for a wine tasting. It's owned and operated by Madonna's sister! We walked around the property afterwards and it was just gorgeous.

Upper Michigan & Canada

We crossed the Mackinac Bridge into Upper Michigan and then drove straight into Canada. We checked into our hotel and then went to the Bushplane Museum. There really wasn't much else to do there besides the locks and we decided the children were too young for that. We had Tim Horton's for breakfast and tried some ketchup chips. Our hotel had an indoor pool and an outdoor jazzuni so we all enjoyed that in the evening. Addie turned 11 weeks old in Canada!

I was so happy to find a copy of British Vogue that was edited by Meghan Markle -- they were not for sale in the US!

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island has been on my bucket list for years after seeing a documentary on PBS about it with my grandparents. There are NO vehicles on the island. Everything is horse drawn carriage or bicycle. We took a ferry from the mainland and the children really enjoyed that.

We stayed at the cutest bed and breakfast, the Inn at Mackinac

We walked around the whole island, ate Ryba's fudge and checked out the Grand Hotel (amazing and definitely want to stay there one day!). We ate supper at the Gatehouse and for Caroline's FOURTH birthday breakfast we ate at the Pink Pony. We watched the sunset over Haldimand Bay from Mission Point.

Grand Rapids

They always say you should save the best for last on a trip so you're not sad it's ending. Well we were so excited to be reunited with Jennie and Craig in Grand Rapids! Jennie made Caroline a pink birthday cake! The next day we attempted to go apple picking but the orchard was closed. We still had a blast playing on a giant inflatable. Jennie and I snuck away and watched the Downton Abbey movie together. In residency we spent so much time together and watched the series finale together wo it was so fitting we got to experience the movie with each other! We had dinner with an attending that Craig and Ryan worked closely with who has since moved to Grand Rapids as well so that was fun.

Our first night there we went to Brewery Vivant. It was so good!

On our last morning we went to downtown Grand Rapids and ate lunch at the downtown market.