South Carolina

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  There is so much we have to be grateful for this year.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it's nice to count your many blessings and be with family and friends.  This year was a little different from the past, but great in it's own way.  Brett's law case ended, so we took full advantage of a free long weekend and went on a road trip to South Carolina. We have always wanted to see more of the South.  The night before we left, Abby was so excited she couldn't sleep.  We even had a little visitor tapping on our head at 1:00am. She was very concerned that we had slept in and missed the time to leave.  It was like Christmas Eve for her and she couldn't wait to go.  On the way down Abby repeatedly stated, 'I can't wait to put my toes in the water Mommy.' I am starting to believe that half the fun of trips is the excitement that builds up to it.
 The girls slept for a good portion of the car-ride and we made it there in good time.  I was able to find an awesome deal on a small condo on Kiawah Island, just off the coast from Charleston.  It was a taste of paradise for our little family because we were able to put away the daily stress of life and just relax.  One of our favorite memories from the trip was the hours we spent riding bikes on the beach and the island trails.  Abby was a bit hesitant to ride on the back of Daddy's bike but quickly adjusted when she realized that a free ride along the beach isn't half bad.  Kate had no fear, but sure hated wearing her helmet.  (Don't worry, Mom won on that battle.)  On one of our rides, we ran into a little pack of dolphins and they came right up close to the shore.  The girls were beyond excited to see them and Kate kept yelling out, 'Look!  Waader fishy.' (Repeated over and over.)  She couldn't get enough of the 'water fishies' and was on the lookout for them the rest of the trip.  The girls also loved digging in the sand.  Abby would go and find sticks to write her name, words and letters all across the beach.   I think the girls favorite activity was running through the waves.  The temperature was just warm enough to wade and put our feet in the water.  Abby and Kate played in the water and sand for hours. You never would have thought that they had the flu just days prior to this, (which Brett and I had during the trip, but gratefully not bad enough to hold us back too much.)
On Thanksgiving Day we watched a beautiful sunrise and then headed to the local 'Turkey Trot.' It was fun to be a part of the community and Abby even jogged for part of it.  We were even able to see dolphins again on our run.  The rest of the day was spent biking and just enjoying the fact that we had nothing to do.  Brett even prepared an awesome feast for dinner that night, complete with turkey and sparkling cider.
The last day of the trip was spent in the charming city of Charleston.  The architecture in this city is amazing!  I couldn't get enough of all the homes and designs.  There were cobble stone streets and a nice bay area where you could walk and watch the sunset. We even tried a special treat of yummy Gelato as we walked online the board walk. Yum!  Fort Sumpter was also located near Charleston and we had a chance to ride a ferry there.  It was interesting to learn all about the beginnings of the Civil War.
We ended the trip with a carriage ride through the town and learned all about the history of Charleston and it's people.  It was really hard to leave that night, but as we drove home we both agreed that we hope to return someday.

The Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Morning...

The remains of Fort Sumpter

 



The girls at Fort Sumpter.

The streets of Charleston

Seagrass baskets are a staple of Charleston.

 Morris Lighthouse

There was a lizard that lived under the stairs at the condo that the girls loved. They would say 'hi' to him everyday and look for him when he was gone.

Rocking the swings near the bay.

Looking for seashells at low tide.

The view as we rode our bikes on the trails.

 

Thanksgiving Dinner.  Kate was not so sure about the Turkey.

There were awesome bridges.

We wanted to try some food staples of the South of Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Pickles, but we weren't too impressed with the place we picked.

The fountains.  Brett fell is shortly after this. :)