I have survived!!

Flying to South Carolina, then back to Utah for one night, and then DRIVING to California with 4 kids and we are finally home again. I plan to do lots of posting this week about our vacation, but it is also a busy week with the kids' club meetings, scout stuff, and practicing the piano after two weeks of not being able to play before my lesson so who knows what will really happen.

It was wonderful to go to South Carolina to see my sister Amelia and her husband Brent, and their sweet new baby Tylie Ann. My mom was also there and that made it that much more fun.

On my first day we had a picnic lunch (Bojangles fried chicken, which was so-so) in a fabulous park, complete with a waterfall and froglets hopping around. Tylie Ann and her favorite Aunt
I found this frog outside Amelia's front door, and when I told Austin about it on the phone later he tried to convince me I should bring it home with me on the plane. I'm not sure the airport has security protocol for flying amphibians, but I didn't want to be the test case!! That, and the frog was rude enough to pee on me. What would happen to a frog in an airplane? Would it pop?

The next day Brent and Amelia took me on a river walk by the Congaree river. It was sooo beautiful and peaceful, and I say lots of new things-- turtles sunning on the rocks, skinks scuttling away from us, a cardinal in the trees, and signs indicating the bacteria levels in the river exceeded safety recommendations for swimming. Ummm, okay.

One of the huge bridges we walked under.

Later that night Amelia and Brent took me to get some southern barbecue, but when we arrived at Little Pigs (right name?) it was closed because of a fire, so they took me somewhere else for some wings. Amelia and I shared a platter with five different flavors and a couple of them were FABULOUS!! Others were not- like the ones the kitchen forgot to flavor.

Amelia and I also did some good old shopping! It was so good to be shopping with one of my sisters again!! Thank you Amelia and Brent for a wonderful trip!! It was way too short!