Charleston, SC

During our Stateside time, Brent and I wanted to have a little getaway with just the two of us. We were so thankful that Mamaw and Papaw agreed to watch the kids for two nights while we had a little getaway to Charleston, SC. We visited Charleston on our 2nd anniversary and were so excited to get to come back on our almost 9th anniversary. What a beautiful city!

There are lots of horse drawn carriage rides through the city, but we decided to tour the city a little differently (see below).

Touring the city by bike. Definitely recommended!

Above: Typical Charleston home

Below: Boys who “gave” me some flowers made of sweetgrass. They told me I could have it because I was so pretty…someone trained them well and I ended up giving them money anyways.

Above: The bridge crossing into Charleston.

Below: There are beautiful wooden swings all over the city and we took advantage of sitting in as many as possible.

So thankful that the Lord placed us on this journey of life together!

Fire Trucks, Helicopters, and a Skywheel

About 8 years ago before we had kids, Brent and I were walking through Broadway at the Beach and there was a store called “Riderz” and Brent said if he ever had a little boy that he would want to bring him here to bring to build a toy car together. This is basically "Build a Bear” for a boy.  Well, this dream finally came true, and he and Bradyn built their 1st car together. Well, not a car but what Bradyn is obsessed with right now…a fire truck! They got to pick out the sound, wheels (spinners), tires, exhaust pipes, and lots of other fun things. I was not sure who was having more fun, Brent or Bradyn.

Mamaw and Papaw (Amanda’s parents) were at the beach with us for about a week and we got to knock a few things off of Mamaw’s bucket list. She had never flown so she, Papaw and Taylor went on their 1st helicopter ride. They also rode the Skywheel Ferris Wheel together. Lots of fun memories were made!

Kindergarten graduation

Taylor is officially finished with Kindergarten. We have completed her 1st year of homeschool and she is such a smart little girl. We had a “graduation party” for her and her cousin Noa (on the left) who just finished preschool and will start Kindergarten in the fall. Ainsley (on the right) made a plate hat to “graduate” as well, too cute. We are so proud of our little girl for finishing kindergarten.

Horse riding

One of Brent’s close friends from high school, Jennie Stone, has ridden horses for most of her life. She invited us this past Friday to bring the kids to come out and ride a pony at the horse farm where she keeps her horse. Ironically the name of the horse farm was Taylor Made Stables and we all had an amazing time.

Brushing Ollie the horse before the big ride and cleaning her feet

Feeding Ollie the horse carrots after the ride

Above: Taylor and Jennie

Below: Fun family picture

Packing the crate

This past Thursday was a very busy day. We had a moving company come and we packed our crate that will meet us in Africa in 4-6 months hopefully.It was a total of 167 cubic feet which is about 87” long, 45” wide, and 74” high. So you might ask, what exactly did you pack. WELL…we packed a twin bed and mattress for Bradyn; several large coolers packed with shampoos, conditioners, face washes, soap and toothpaste; an outdoor table; crafts; brownie mixes; desk and chair for Taylor; sheets; comforter and a few other things that we just can’t get overseas or it is low quality and highly priced. This is just “stuff” but it just makes life a little easier/nicer for us and we are thankful for the opportunity to take some things from the States.

Our crate is the one turned sideways in the back.

Baseball game

Memorial Day weekend we went to a Frederick Keys baseball game. We enjoyed all the fun things that come with a baseball game like eating hot dogs, watching the game (well as much as the attention span of a child can handle), playing in the grass, eating cotton candy, riding the carousel, running the bases after the game, and finally fireworks. It was a fun filled day with many wonderful memories!

Waterfall-Harper’s Ferry

On our last drive from West Virginia to Maryland, we stopped at Harper’s Ferry and did a little hike down to a waterfall and waded in the water. I love adventures with our kids, they help us to sometimes stop and enjoy these moments in life.