Charleston Day 3 and Homecoming

The last day of our vacation we decided to spend at Folly Beach, relaxing and soaking in some sun--and again we couldn't have asked for a better day. 

We spent the morning napping on the sand, reading and talking.  Although glorious as it was, we spent a lot of time watching families with their kids and laughing about how weird it was to be on the beach without chasing little ones. 

 We took a break from the sun to grab some lunch, yep we weren't tired of eating yet! This time we settled for a rooftop bar and had fish tacos and margaritas.  Some of my faves! 

After lunch, we shopped around then went back to the beach.  We also went to see Morris Island Lighthouse... which isn't actually an island at all anymore because of beach erosion.  The lighthouse literally sits in the ocean now on a sandbar.  There's a project in place to try and save/restore it.  Maybe sometime we'll come back and get to see it up close in personal :)

 before heading back home, we had one more thing to check off our list...SheCrab Soup.  So we stopped in at Rita's to get a little dinner before driving back.  Loved the atmosphere of this place..a total beach restaurant.  

We got home late that night, so we didn't see our babies until the morning.  It was a sweet reunion though.  

 Of course we got the kiddos some souvenirs.  The boys were especially excited about their pirate gear!

Charleston Day 2

On our second day in Charleston, we went downtown to hit some of the more touristy spots...and of course do some good eatin'! 

We started our day with breakfast at Toast..along the way we picked up a paper at the newsstand featuring the concert we went to the night before.  I'm not a huge breakfast lover, so my meal consisted of this lovely creme brûlée latte and some hasbrowns  

 while my husband went all out with the "Lowcountry Eye Opener"

 Shrimp Etouffee, Carolina Stone Ground Grits and Fried Green Tomatoes with a side of homemade biscuits.  Oh Mike was in heaven.  FO SHO.

 After breakfast we took a Gullah Tour around the city with a most entertaining guide.  Then we walked around the market and shops downtown until we worked up an appetite for lunch :)  This time we stopped at a local brewery--Mike loves to try local beers wherever we are at and we love the atmosphere at these places. 

 After the large breakfast, we just had some yummy appetizer--crab dip and Caribbean shrimp. 

We spent the rest of the day walking around exploring.  The weather was perfectly sunny and not hot at all.  Here we are at Waterfront Park.  

 We skipped the Battery/Rainbow Row this trip.  There was a lot of construction going on there and it was honestly just a mess.  So instead we decided to drive out of the city and visit Sullivans Island and see the lighthouse.  We both really loved the island and would love to make it back to vacation there sometime.  It was so quiet and cute.  A perfect family vacay spot for sure. 

 Cooper River Bridge--Mike wants to do this run sometime, we may try to make it back next spring so he can do it...

 and what we were waiting all day for...

dinner at Hominy Grill.  I did extensive research on where to eat in Charleston.  We only had 1 night to eat in the city and there were so many options.  We settled on Hominy Grill, as recommended by every show on the Food Network.  We also liked it's casual atmosphere and that it was a little out of the the touristy areas. 

 The meal was seriously amazing.  It was a beautiful night and we were lucky to score a seat on the porch.   We had a pretty late dinner reservation and because of that a few things had been sold out, so my first choice wasn't available.  Even still... i had the best steak, with fried mac n cheese and cucumber salad. 

 and Mike had what they are famous for...Shrimp and Grits.  He said they were the best he'd ever eaten.  I don't love grits, but i tasted them and they were pretty good. 

apparently this place is most famous for it's chocolate pudding, but of course it was all gone.  I can't imagine what makes chocolate pudding so special but it was featured on Food Networks' The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  So obviously, that's just a reason to go back again :)  

Happy 4 Years!

About this time today, 4 years ago, i was getting ready to marry my best friend and the sweetest guy i know. It was a great day, and its been an even better 4 years. I don't think either one of us could have ever predicted that in 4 years our life would be like it is now. But I love our family and am thankful for everyday i have with them. Mike you are a great husband and father and I love you so much!

I don't have quick access to my wedding pics at the moment, but i did find some fun ones from our engagement! Enjoy!

the proposal... well the second time, discovery cove wouldn't allow mike to take the ring in the water with the dolphins--so he did it again on the beach!

this was my yes...

and here's my favorite dolphin in the whole wide world...Cindy!

3 years and learning...

Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary--being that it was a weekday we basically stuck to our normal wednesday routine. Mike went to work and then we did go to our favorite little italian restaurant, Auntie Pasto's, for a quick dinner before bible study. We have started a new marriage bible study this month with our friends. It is called Love and Respect by Dr.Emerson Eggerichs. All the husbands in the group have just gotten back from a deployment and we thought it would be good to start this study to help deal with some of the issues that come with the readjustment of learning to live together again.

Although we are just 3 weeks into the study I am learning so much and I recommend everyone to check it out no matter how long you have been married and even if you are single. The study explains why the opposite sex reacts and feels the way the do and explains how God intended marriage to be. Dr. Emerson's blog link is http://emersonandsarah.blogspot.com/ .

Also before i go i just want to give a shout out to Jennifer and Eric on the arrival of their new baby girl Emily Grace and also to Lyndsay and Jason on their new baby boy Christian David!

Happy 4th of July!

First of all, I just want to wish a HAPPY 10 YEARS to the love of my life! What an awesome and beautiful ride, and I wouldn't want to change a thing. Here's some oldies but goodies!

and to everyone else...hope you have had a great 4th of July celebrating with your friends and families. Please remember all that has been sacrificed by others so that we are able to be safe and free--and have fun times like this weekend with the ones we love.

Thank you Mike --our friends, Jake, Jordan, Mark, Adam, Bryan, and all of our military for everything you do for us!