Wednesday, March 29, 2017
St. Patrick's Day
The family took advantage of a long weekend break to go see our oldest in college. It was St. Patrick's Day, and the town was in full party mode.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Field Trip, Day 2
Our 2nd day took us to a plantation and the aquarium.
The beautiful gardens of the plantation were amazing! We saw it at the perfect time when the azaleas were in full bloom.
We then took an open-air train ride through the 500 acres of swamp land and saw native aligators 7-8 feet long! Very thankful to have seen them from afar and not stumbled upon them while walking.
We went down into their basement where they had a sea turtle hospital. All of these sea turtles had been rescued from the ocean. They either had swallowed a plastic bag and showed signs of malutrition, had boat motor injuries, or were stunned from an unusually cold water temperature a while ago. This one below named Luke Skywalker took a keen interest in our little one.
An unexpected highlight was seeing a bald eagle. This one was rescued from Florida with a broken wing. Although healed, it won't fly anymore. This is about half the size of most bald eagles in that state, and those are about half the size of the ones in Alaska. So this one we saw is only 25% of how large they can get!
The beautiful gardens of the plantation were amazing! We saw it at the perfect time when the azaleas were in full bloom.
We then took an open-air train ride through the 500 acres of swamp land and saw native aligators 7-8 feet long! Very thankful to have seen them from afar and not stumbled upon them while walking.
The aquarium was probably my favorite! They had so many things to see and educational opportunities for the students.
We went down into their basement where they had a sea turtle hospital. All of these sea turtles had been rescued from the ocean. They either had swallowed a plastic bag and showed signs of malutrition, had boat motor injuries, or were stunned from an unusually cold water temperature a while ago. This one below named Luke Skywalker took a keen interest in our little one.
She then got to feed pieces of shrimp to the sting rays.
An unexpected highlight was seeing a bald eagle. This one was rescued from Florida with a broken wing. Although healed, it won't fly anymore. This is about half the size of most bald eagles in that state, and those are about half the size of the ones in Alaska. So this one we saw is only 25% of how large they can get!
So much fun, and I'm glad I was invited to go along. :)
Field Trip, Day 1
I had the privilege of accompaning our little one on the 4th grade field trip to Charleston.
The bus trip was fun. All the students gathered at the back of the bus to play card games.
The ferry ride out there was relaxing.
Visiting with friends while waiting for lunch.
Later that night, we took a ghost tour of the city, which included stories inside a graveyard.
The bus trip was fun. All the students gathered at the back of the bus to play card games.
Day 1 included Fort Sumter. This national monument is a fort off the harbor where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
The ferry ride out there was relaxing.
Here you can see the fort from a distance. Originally 3 stories high, this fort was pounded to rubble. Over the war's history, it was first in union hands, then confederate, then union, then conferate again. It was a key entrypoint into the state's largest city, so occupying the fort was contentious.
Inside the fort we saw the original walls and cannons. Many of my pictures got deleted accidentally, but this one survived of the wall.
Visiting with friends while waiting for lunch.
Later that night, we took a ghost tour of the city, which included stories inside a graveyard.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Promposal
Our son is a junior in high school, and had his first Promposal - where it's a big deal to ask someone to the prom.
She said yes! More pictures to come in late-April.
She said yes! More pictures to come in late-April.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
USC Spring Break
Back to the Virgin Islands for a father-daughter adventure during college spring break. Lots of swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, relaxing, and enjoying local cuisine.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Grandma's Visit
With Eric and I going out of town for different trips, we needed the best babysitter ever to come stay with the kids. Grandma flew in the weekend prior, and really spoiled us by keeping the folding the laundry, cooking pancakes, and playing games.
Each day was an adventure, whether it was a walk, a bike ride, or a drive through the mountains. I was proud of Grandma for getting on a bike. She rode most of the 3 mile journey.
Our bike ride destination was a local brewrey. She didn't care too much for the beer, so she and the little one walked across the street to an ice cream shop.
Ashlyn took Grandma up for a drive in the mountains to look for retirement options. The scenery was gorgeous, but the homes and homeowner expectations were a bit too expensive for our family's livestyle.
They later dined for a wonderful lunch at a mediterranean restaurant. With lots of laughter, great conversation, and so many hugs, we really enjoyed her visit!
Each day was an adventure, whether it was a walk, a bike ride, or a drive through the mountains. I was proud of Grandma for getting on a bike. She rode most of the 3 mile journey.
Our bike ride destination was a local brewrey. She didn't care too much for the beer, so she and the little one walked across the street to an ice cream shop.
Ashlyn took Grandma up for a drive in the mountains to look for retirement options. The scenery was gorgeous, but the homes and homeowner expectations were a bit too expensive for our family's livestyle.
They later dined for a wonderful lunch at a mediterranean restaurant. With lots of laughter, great conversation, and so many hugs, we really enjoyed her visit!