6 days...

The end of the year program has ruled my life for the past few weeks, and this last week it was all I worked on, both at home and school. We only have 6 more school days until the big day, and I am both happy and sad about that. I am ready for some free time when school is over, but I love my school kids like crazy and I cannot imagine us all not being together anymore!

Blog goals

I have been meaning forever to update all my blog friends. I lurk on many more than on my list and I have got to update. If you read my blog and are not on my list, let me know so I can add you! Isn't blogging great???

The last of the Charleston pics

Yellow Submarine

More about our trip

Life has been crazy since we got home, so I haven't been able to post about our trip. We had a wonderful time in Hilton Head. Our place was gorgeous, as was the weather. We spent a good amount of time by the pool, walked on the beach, shopped, ate, and rode bikes. I fell asleep by the pool on Sunday and got burned, so I couldn't go to the pool as much as I wanted. I never get burned...don't know what the deal was. I smocked lots instead, so that was nice. It was such a wonderful time, but we were ready to get back to the kids. We are already planning our 15th anniversary trip!

Tagged

I have more vacation pictures to post, but Danna tagged me before I could post them.

OK. So 7 random facts about me...

1. I have curly hair like Emily. But, in 2001-2002 I had to have some chemo treatments that made one side of my hair go straight. That is why I don't go curly. I am thinking about having that side permed, though.

2. I have lived in 16 different homes...17 if you count the 4 months we lived with my parents while we were building the house we were in now. And that is not counting dorms, either.

3. I was 9 years old before I knew there were other pieces to fried chicken than the leg.

4. I am terrified of clowns.

5. I dream at least weekly about the first day of classes at Harding. I never have a schedule or a chapel seat.

6. I love Totino's cheese pizza. Like the 99 cents kind.

7. When I was 7, I got lost at the Pensacola Fair and the police took me to the drunk tank. Me and 20 other drunk guys. They did let me sit behind a desk, though.

I don't have time to tag anyone else this morning! I'll do that part later.

More Charleston Pictures

Charleston pictures

Update from Paradise

We are now in Hilton Head, but I will update on our last few days. We got up Thursday morning and went to Fort Sumter. I had been many times, but Brent had never been. It was nice, but the fire ants and sand burrs from my youth were still there. The trip over there was cold, but it had warmed up by the time we got back on the ferry. We left there and went to Poogan's Porch for lunch. As soon as I walked in, I realized that I had seen this restaurant on a Most Haunted show. Great. It was the best lunch. We shared fried green tomatoes and I had shrimp with saffron rice and collard greens. Yum. I can't remember what Brent had, but it had fries with it, and we dipped them in the remoulade from the tomatoes! We spent the rest of the afternoon WALKING all over...through neighborhoods, the Battery, Battery Park, Waterfront Park. It was lovely. We then got in our cool car and drove to my old schools and neighborhood. We also had to stop at the Nike and Adidas outlets, of course. Then we went to Hyman's Seafood for a late supper. It was divine. Lots of famous people eat there. Lindsey Wagner, Sam Lender(like the bagels), Mikel Barishnocov, and Neil Diamond had eaten at our table.

Yesterday, Brent got up and ran all through downtown Charleston while I slept. We took one last stroll down King Street and then headed to Hilton Head. It took us about 2 hours and we got here and checked into our GORGEOUS condo. Brent has done so well choosing everything for this trip. We rested in the condo and then took a walk on the beach. Then we headed out to dinner at Mellow Mushroom...yum. I love this place. Can you tell we like to eat??? Then we went to some grocery stores and TJMaxx (don't you go to TJMaxx on your vacations?).

It is now late morning on Saturday and Brent has already been on a bike ride and gone to get a pool key. We are headed out to the beach!

I made it!

I had a rough first leg of the trip, but I did great the second half. Brent looked at me at one point and said, "Wow. You are being really reasonable on this part." We got to Charleston super late last night and checked into our hotel. It is so neat. It is an old warehouse turned into an inn. I am fairly sure it is haunted!!! We got up this morning and had a great breakfast at the inn and headed to the Visitors' Center. There were so many people there, and we were the youngest by YEARS. We hiked over to get our rental car then. I have to blog about this so I remember it for years to come. The car man told Brent some deal about if you drive less than 75 miles you just pay a flat rate for gas. Brent said that we were going to drive to Hilton Head in this car, so that wouldn't work. Then car man said, "So do you need directions?" Brent thought he meant to downtown Charleston, and said, "No, we walked from there this morning." The man thought Brent meant we walked from Hilton Head. I was cracking up, and I have made fun of Brent all day for it. Speaking of the rental car. It is a nice 2008 Mustang. Sporty, cute, flashy, and Day-Glo orange. When we pulled up to the inn to get a parking pass, Brent just let me out at the door. I walked in and the 2 ladies at the desk were cracking up. I knew they were laughing at our car, so I made fun of it before the could. They thought it was a cab!

We walked through the market and all around King Street, and ate lunch at Joseph's, which was on Rachel Ray's $40 a Day. We walked through the graveyard at the Circular Church, where I stole some moss for Becky. We took a carriage ride and then came back to the inn where we made it in time for the lemonade and cookies! We slept through the Wine and Cheese Reception, but we were wiped out. We ate tonight at A.W. Shucks and then just drove around. I took lots of pictures and I will try to download soon. We are currently nursing our old-people ankles from all this walking!

It's time...gulp.

In 24 hours, I will be getting on a plane. Brent and I are going to Charleston and Hilton Head for our 10th anniversary, which was last June. At least we are going before #11. Many of you know that I have developed a fear of flying since having Emily. I am fine if the 4 of us are together, but if we are flying apart, I am a nervous wreck. It's the whole someone is left behind thing. If something happens to me, will the kids remember everything I have taught them and grow into the people I intend them to be? I do not fear dying, just leaving the kids or Brent before my job is done. Please pray for me tomorrow to be safe and ENJOY the flight. We have such a fun trip planned and I don't want it to start out by me being Nervous Nellie.

Emily and Tyler will be taken care of by my parents. My mom is taking off work to shuttle them to all their places. They are staying at our house and Emily is excited because she thinks she doesn't have to do chores with us gone!

The drama of it all...

Tyler is the biggest baby when it comes to pain. He throws the biggest fit when he has a loose tooth and we try to pull it. His two front teeth are loose and one of them already had the new tooth coming in. I have tried to pull it for 3 days, each time holding him down while he kicks and screams. Emily says he screams like a little girl. Tonight he, Brent, and I were on the couch and, just to tease him, I held down his arms and legs and Brent just yanked it out. It was hilarious. Of course it never hurts like he thinks it will, but the whole build up to it is just pure drama. Bless his heart, he almost has as many holes in his mouth as he has teeth!

P.S. Please don't be jealous of his skinny white arms in his muscle pjs.