Charleston - Beach

The next morning we headed to the beach.  First, a little play time while freshly exposed beach from low tide provided the perfect opportunity for hand stands.

After pitching our umbrella and setting down the bags, it was time to hit the water.

As the day progressed, more people came out to this little stretch of sand.  But it never got more crowded than a handful of swimmers and shell seekers.  lt was so relaxing!

Our exhausted medical student melted into a coma for a well-deserved break.

We simply enjoyed family time.  And shade.

And a bit of surf.

Charleston - Aquarium

After our morning at Patriot's Point, we headed for a great lunch at East Bay Deli.  We  just stopped here for convenience, but realized quickly why the locals love it so much.  With signature sandwiches like the Citadel, the Carolina, and the Club Calhoun, it was amazing.

The heat of the afternoon was spent indoors at the Aquarium.  

We saw lots of birds and reptiles native to this area, but our favorites were the jellyfish, sharks, and sea turtles.  They have the best sea turtle hospital here!  Outside, they had a nice area to watch the stingrays, Eric's highschool mascot.

He enjoyed petting the baby sharks, too.

This bald eagle named Liberty has a broken wing and can never fly again.  They are occasionally spotted in our state, although a bit smaller in size than their northern counterparts.

At 4pm, we had to depart to pick up our daughter on time at the testing center.  But first, we stopped by the hotel for a quick nap and clean up.  Ashlyn got out at 5:30 and was mentally drained.  She wanted to stretch her legs, so we walked around the mall a bit then ate some dinner.  Fingers crossed (and lots of prayers) she did well!

As a follow up, Ashlyn not only passed the medical board exam, but she also scored high enough for a surgery slot!  Her dream of being a surgeon since she was 8 years old is now coming true.  So proud of you, girl!  All your hard work, late nights studying, sweat, tears, prayers, and much stress were worth it. 

Charleston - USS Yorktown

Ashlyn had her medical board exam in Charleston, but didn't want the stress of driving 4 hours to get there.  So, the family decided to drive her and make a vacation out of it...our first since quarantine. 

While she was busy with her 10-hour test, we decided to tour the naval ship USS Yorktown in the Charleston harbor.  This aircraft carrier served in WWII through Vietnam (1943-1970), and was named after an earlier aircraft carrier that sunk at the epic Battle of Midway (June 1942). 

 

On the top deck we saw machine guns and lots of airplanes that flew off the carrier during its active tour.  One of my favorite planes was the Skywarrior, the largest and heaviest aircraft to regularly operate from an aircraft carrier, earning the nickname "Whale". It was used as a bomber.  To this day, it still holds the record for the heaviest catapult launch from an aircraft carrer (84,000 lbs) in 1959.

Another of my favorites was the F-14 Tomcat. This was a fighter Navy jet with advanced weapons systems.  These were the planes featured in the Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun."

A super cool fact I didn't know about this ship is that it recovered the Apollo 8 space capsule in 1968.  We couldn't go inside due to COVID restrictions, but it was neat to see.

Down in the belly of the ship we saw what it was like to be a sailor for months on end.  Here is where the payroll, finance, and other administrative functions took place.

Since Ashlyn was busy taking her medical exam, we snapped a picture of the ship's operating room for her.

Their sick bay was huge!  I can just imagine the chaos if the ship was under seige and all the injured were filling up the beds.

The dental area was neat.  With Eric's dad being a dentist in the Navy during WWII, our little one wanted her picture in one of the chairs.

The engineering room was filled with pipes, valves, and gauges. 

A quick selfie with the family showing our masks.  These were required in enclosed areas.

We then toured the USS Laffey, a destroyer that often accompanied aircraft carriers to protect them in battle.  The submarine onsite, the USS Clamagore, was closed due to COVID concerns.

Blueberries

The heavy rains this spring brought a huge bounty of berries!  Our 5 plants in the back were at the peak for picking this weekend.  We grabbed our baskets and started to work.

Picking was slow at first, mainly because we were eating more than we saved.  But it didn't take long to see our baskets filling up. 

After all bushes were picked, we filled a gallon completely full.  Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful rains and the fruit of these delicious blueberries!

Missing College Life

It's been wonderful seeing our older children more than expected these past three months.  I'm cooking bigger meals, we enjoy more family time, and the house just feels full again.  I don't mind the extra laundry so much, as it's worth the extra convrsations, smiles, and occasional hugs (when they let me).

  

While I know they enjoy home cooked meals and a supportive family environment, it's just not the same.  You can tell they miss their life, their identify, and their routines back at college.  There are subtle hints I'm slowly picking up on.  One will head off to a Starbucks or Panera for several hours to study instead of their room (on-line summer classes).  Another will get up early to go for a run, and be back, before my work alarm goes off.

New items are popping up on my grocery list, too.  Good thing I have a recipe that needs Ramen noodles! 😂😂

Kayaking Jocassee

It was a beautiful morning to be outside, so we headed to the cool waters of Lake Jocassee.  After renting a few kayaks, life jackets, and paddles, we were on our way.

This early the lake is still and quiet. So peaceful.  We could hear the sound of our paddles stroking the water, the birds singing, and an occasional motor from boats in the distance.  This is what I needed after a hectic week.

The two kids were in one kayak, while Eric and I were in the other.  Our oldest couldn't join us.  Kayakers were to stay along the shoreline and not go past the bouys.  But it often became challenging, if not comical, trying to row in tandem and stay straight.  We got the hang of it eventually.

As the photographer in the family, I usually forget to capture one of me.  It was nice of the little one to volunteer.  We just forgot to tell her to wipe the water off the lens first.

Attempt #2 ... a selfie.  

Our destination was the waterfalls.  We took our time getting there since it was so enjoyable and relaxing.

Whenever we saw an opportunity that looked fun, we stopped.  I don't think they were all designated as "jump" spots, but we made them into that anyway. 

With only a 2 hr rental, the distance yet to arrive at the falls, and having to paddle against the wind to get back, we contemplated what to do next.

The family decided to head back.  We're definitely going to plan this again, and for a longer rental next time.  Maybe bring some snacks, too.  Fun outing!

Awards Day

Awards Day was drastically different this year.  Like most events, it was done virtually.  Our 7th grader was eagerly watching to see which award she received.  Not all the students had their cameras on, but for those who did, it was interesting to see how many parents had tuned in with them.  I think our little one was the only lucky teenager to have BOTH parents watching!  😂😂😂  Such is the life of the youngest child.

The teachers did a fantastic job making the best of the situation.  They really missed their students and made an intentional effort to call out each award recipient by name to give them their "moment" in the spotlight and say a few words.  

Since the school shutdown hit over a weekend, none of the students had cleared out their lockers that Friday before.  Just imagine those lunch boxes left behind since March!  The school staff had the unfortunate task of cleaning everything out and putting in labled bins.  Then on pickup day, the students drove by the school in a car line to pick up their belongings, recieve their physical awards, obtain yearbooks, and return any uniforms, instruments, library books, or other school property.  Plus, they got to give a socially distant "hello" to the teachers.  

Way to go, sweet girl!  You worked hard this year and I'm super proud of you!