Halloween 2016

Halloween was a little more low-key for us this year.  Cottages decided to hand out candy this year so we were able to go to all of them and some houses for trick-or-treating.  It was so much fun and I think the cottage students had as much fun as our kids!

Ike as an army guy.  He only went as this because he got that new gun on vacation and wanted it as part of his costume.

Dave was Steve from Minecraft.  A last minute head was made by my friend Theresa because the one we were going to use got thrown away in fall cleaning!

Check out Dave peering through the eye.

Dave and the Frys, Bennett and Elli.  Cuteness.

3 army guys and a Steve.

A big group of the kids going around.




















Awww, look at those smiles.  They got so much candy I had to carry their buckets at the end.

Picture from the preschool field trip.  Bennett and Ike had a blast!

Rest of Charleston Trip

Wrapping up the rest of our trip in this post!

On Friday, mom took the kids to the aquarium with my aunt and uncle while the rest of us went lighthouse hunting.







Morris Island Lighthouse.  You can't get to it anymore, but can see it from the end of the island we stay on.
















Josh and his very upset crab friend.














I had no idea sand dollars were actual creatures.  #notamarinebiologist

Tony and Ben with the lighthouse.

Picture from the aquarium.

Tony, Ben, and I on Rainbow Row.

Out to lunch at Husk.











Gamma and Ike at lunch.

Enjoying the sunrise.

So beautiful.

I took a very long walk one morning that ended with this view.

Selfie.

The kids loved the pools the tide left behind.

Lounging.

Typical picture nowadays.

Our last sunset.

Boys on one of many Pokemon walks with Gamma.

Ike selfie.

Last sunrise picture!










Loved Charleston as usual and can't wait to go back!  It truly is the perfect relaxing/exploring balance that I always try to find on vacation.  Here's to next time Folly Beach!

Charleston-Magnolia Plantation and Fort Sumter

Since I'm having a hard time remembering what order we did stuff in and I don't have the energy to actually figure it out (thanks strep throat!), I'm just posting what I feel like posting today.  :)

We headed out to Magnolia Plantation one morning and it was gorgeous!  I will say that I could definitely do without the swarms of mosquitoes (apparently we have Hurricane Matthew to thank for those).





Family picture. Cuteness.

Seriously, so beautiful.

I can't get enough of live oaks with spanish moss!

Josh spied this little fella from the animal lookout tower.

View of the house-we didn't go inside, just enjoyed the trails and nature.
















Look at these cute boys.  They did really well on this adventure!










Even though my family has been to Charleston tons of times we had never been out to Fort Sumter, so we were all really excited to check it out.   We had to wait a bit for our boat, so the boys did a lot of pokemon hunting and we took some photos!

Had to get a pic of the cool Charleston bridge.

Tony and Ben.

On the boat ride over.

Checking out the ruins.

It was so beautiful from the top!

Boat ride back!

Selfie of me and the boys one morning.

Grandpa Dave and Ike hunting for treasure.  Uncle Denny's metal detector was a huge hit.

Fancy dinner at FIG with Tony and Ben.  Huge shout out to Gamma for keeping the kids so we could do adult dinners!












Dinner menu.  My favorite thing was the cottage cheese and burnt eggplant.  Sounds crazy but was ridiculously delicious!

Charleston-First Day and Pirate Tour

Finally getting around to posting about our Charleston!  We had such an awesome trip, it's hard to sum it up into just a few pictures...but I'll do my best!







Dave and Gamma on the beach.





















We got there before Mom, Tony, and Ben so we explored around Folly a little.  Boys in front of our rental.
















First of many visits to the beach.  Love the pier.









Saturday night Tony, Ben, Josh, and I went to a random concert of a rapper that Josh has liked forever.  Chali2na put on a very interesting show and was Josh even got to meet him and chat with him for a bit before he performed.




Josh and I at the concert.








Sunday we went over to visit my Uncle Denny and Aunt Laura.  Grandpa and Aunt Kathy also came down to visit while we were in town, so we got to see everybody.




Grandpa and the boys doing some shooting.








Monday Tony and Ben went off to Savannah to hang out with some friends while the rest of us went on a pirate tour for the kiddos.

Aunt Laura and Aunt Kathy ready for an adventure.

Listening to our tour guide.














The kids love the battery.  I mean who doesn't love getting to climb on old cannons?!

Practicing their pirate skills.

Dave reading his Junie B. Jones book as soon as we got out of the car.  So proud that this boy loves to read.

Dave snagged my phone for some selfies at the Angel Oak.

Photographer Dave and his amazing subject.  Great face Ike.