South Carolina Lowcountry

As you can tell by my previous post Kyle, Cooper, Moose, & myself paid a little visit to the Lowcountry to see family & run our race. Cooper did amazing on the drive. (He's such a champ in the car!) We got in Thursday evening. Auntie Ann welcomed us with her delicious Spaghetti. It's seriously amazing & I wish I had some NOW!

Friday we got up & got ready for the day. Kyle headed downtown to pick up all of our race packets & Cooper & I headed to my old workplace to see some dear friends. (I ALWAYS forget to take pictures! I guess pictures would just make me miss them more) For lunch we headed to Melvins (one of my most favorite BBQ joints). Dinner rolled around & we met up with Kyle's parents, sister Tiff, & BIL Scott to carb up for the BIG race. It was great seeing them!

Saturday morning came EARLY! Ann graciously watched Cooper for us as we headed to the race. After the race we showered up & headed to lunch. We ate at Juanita Greenbergs. Yum yum! Cooper was acting a little off so after getting back to Anns, Kyle went out to get some meds, thermometer, & pedilyte. What I thought was just some allergies (a bit of a runny nose) must have been something more. Cooper had a 101+ temp! We gave him some meds & he went down for a nap. (so we did too) That evening Kyle went to a session of this. (He always makes me so proud) So I just chilled out with the family & sickly Coop. My dear friend Pam came over the visit. She seriously rocks my socks. I love & miss her like CRAZY!

Sunday morning after a yummy breakfast Kyle & Moose headed back to Atlanta. :( It's always hard saying goodbye even if it's just a for a week. Ann, Cooper, & I went to visit Great Aunt Mary. It was so sweet for her to meet Cooper & to spend time with her. Aunt Mary stepped in after my Grandma (her sister) passed away almost 15 years ago. So Cooper met his Great GREAT Aunt. How cool is that? I wish we lived closer so I could see her more often. I'm so grateful that Ann takes such good care of her.

We had a wonderful visit that went by way too fast. Moose LOVED the extra attention & knew exactly where we were when we got out of the car. :) I wanted to get up with more friends but it was just harder than I thought trying to figure everything out with Cooper's schedule-especially when he got sicker. I always am so grateful for Auntie Ann. She definitely has a special place in my heart. It was so fun to spend time with Bryant & Jilli (soon to be my sister-woo hoo!) & to be back in our old stomping grounds. This was our first visit where Mt P didn't feel as much like home as it use to be which was sad to realize but also a blessing. That means Atlanta is our home & we love it!

Me, Cooper, & Aunt Mary

So sadly I didn't take many pictures in Charleston. I meant to get a good one of Auntie Ann & Coop but time just flew by way too fast.

And I Was Running...

For the past few months Kyle & I have gotten back into running. Our goal each year is to run the Cooper River Bridge Run (10k) in Charleston, SC. I feel like this year was the year Kyle trained the best & I did pretty good. I'd been running in horrible shoes & kept battling knee pain off & on. Finally I went to Big Peach Running Co & got fitted with the best shoes for my feet! (seriously recommend this to everyone) I've been running like a champ ever since. No knee pain while running & my feet feel glorious!

Yes I'm THAT excited about my shoes.
Brooks Revena 3

On March 31 Kyle & I lined up with 40+ thousand other people to run through Mount Pleasant, over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, & into downtown Charleston. 6.2 miles. (I LOVE the feeling right before a race starts! Everyone is pumped up & your adrenaline is pumping. You feel like you could conquer the world!) Kyle & I started the race side by side but knew we weren't going to run together. I started off ahead but just knew Kyle was going to pass me any second. Long story short-the last 2 miles kicked my trash & I ended up walking for less than a minute twice. (I'm still disappointed in myself for walking)

Waiting for the race to begin.

Official times you ask?

Kyle- 1:06:04

ME-1:05:40

WE WERE JUST 24 SECONDS APART! Kyle was a little bugged that I beat him. I'm proud of my time. One of these years I will train better & run it in under an hour-that's my goal. So until next year bridge run...

A Whirlwind Weekend!

A couple of weeks ago Kyle took some time off of work & we loaded up the car & headed to the coast-Mount Pleasant, SC that is. We rolled into Mt P Thursday evening & spent some quality time with my Aunt Ann & family. It was so fun to see her love on Cooper.

Auntie Ann!

Toes in the water!

Friday was our only full day in town & it went by SO fast! That morning we took Cooper to the beach for the first time. He had a blast kicking around in the water for a few minutes but he was in need of a nap so it didn't last very long. ha! (there's a video somehwere of Coop playing in the water...) For lunch we met up with Bryant & Jilli for some Melvins! It was good BUT not as good as it once was. I still love their 'Lil Joe Basket!' That night the Geralds came by to meet Cooper. Cooper wasn't in the best of moods-again it was nap time-but it was so great to see the Geralds. I miss my Mt P parents! The Adams came by too. We love those 2.5! (Rachael is preggers with Cooper's future wife.) We are SO glad we got to hang out before their BIG move to AZ.

Pam making Cooper cry. ;)

a LATE night pic with the Adams

Saturday morning was here before we knew it. Kyle got up at 5am to go fishing with Scott & his dad. I don't think they caught much BUT they had a fun time. Ann & I went to Rachael's baby shower. It was so fun to see some friends & be there to celebrate with Rachael. We had to leave the shower early so I had to say my final goodbye to Rach. It was so sad. I cried like a baby. I'll blame it on the hormones/lack of sleep/anything. I am SO beyond excited for the Adam's new adventure but they will be SO far away that I'll have to take plane to see them! One day we will live close again! 

There were SO many friends we didn't get to see in Charleston but hopefully next time.

At the reception

Saturday we drove down to Brunswick, GA to meet up with a bunch of the Ensign crew for Brian & Ashley's wedding reception. That was a whirlwind of a 24 hours. We ended up not being able to spend much time with everyone due to Cooper & Moose. (Cooper needed to be in bed early & Moose being nervous in a hotel room & barking like CRAZY) We were glad we went to support the fam but sad we couldn't hang out much.

Poppa & Cooper

Mount P Shower

Pam, Auntie Ann, & Caye threw us a baby shower in Mount Pleasant. They are such amazing ladies that I love dearly & are so special to me! Here's the low down.

The shower was at Pam's house (one of the cutest houses EVER-seriously) I went early to see my Mt P Momma Pam while Kyle & his parents went to dinner. I just love being at her house. It feels like a home away from home. She was putting th final touches on everything so it was great to chat & enjoy each others company. Caye joined in early too & it was so amazing to see her!! Right before the shower started I had a surprise guest stop by-Bishop Bert Young! He just happen to be in town for a business trip so he dropped off a gift from his precious wife Jennefer (one of the sweetest ladies ever-seriously). I could've cried when I saw him but I held back. Good thing Jennefer wasn't there or I probably would've gotten to the ugly cry quick! ha!

I had such a great time at the shower. Pam went OVER & beyond on the food & decor! I still can't believe my longest & dearest friend Caye flew in from DC to help throw the shower & it was so awesome to see her! Ann was the third member of the party planning committee but she wasn't able to be there for the weekend. We missed her!

Pam had us play a game. All the ladies there looked at unmarked jars of baby food & guess what was inside. No biggie right? WELL I had to TASTE each jar & guess. There were 11 jars! I was pretty proud of myself for not throwing up & I ended up getting all but a couple right. Some of them tasted good-the fruit ones, while others I begged to not even try-like the chicken that smelled & looked like cat food! haha

I loved being able to see some friends from our old ward & from work! It was great to catch up & have some fun together. Once again we are truly blessed. Cooper received so many amazing gifts! Thanks again to Pam, Ann, & Caye for making this such a special time for us!

A Weekend of FUN!

Kyle & I took Friday off of work so we could hit the road this past Thursday evening. Our destination? MOUNT PLEASANT, SC!! We rented a car for fun & our drive was pretty uneventful. We made it into Mt P at 11:30pm & our first stop was Isle of Palms to see, hear, & smell the ocean. I loved just standing on the beach feeling the wind in my hair. Moose definitely enjoyed running around eating sea shells. :) I didn't realize how much I missed living on the coast.

Friday started early because we were so excited to be 'home' & we had tons to do. Kyle went downtown to pick up his Cooper River Bridge Run packet & I went to visit my old job. I had such a great time seeing Dr Goltra & the girls. I miss it there SO much! For lunch Kyle & I met up with Scott & Rachael for some delicious Melvins BBQ! It was A-Mazing! I ate everything & given the chance I probably could've had more!

Friday afternoon we spent some time with Kyle's parents, Marc & Pat before Cooper's baby shower that evening. (I'll post on the shower later) After the shower we invited a couple of friends over to play games. The Adams, Artls, Bryant, & Jilli came. We played Catch Phrase & we had some good laughs! There are phrases from that weekend that will never be forgotten!

Just thought I'd throw in a belly pic from that weekend.

Saturday morning came quick! Kyle set his alarm wrong but we woke up early enough anyhow so I could drop him off for the BIG race! I went to the grocery store, took a quick nap, & enjoyed the sun while Kyle was at the Bridge Run. Kyle did have a good time at the run even if it was solo. For lunch Kyle & I met up with Marc & Pat downtown at Poogans Porch. The company was GREAT & the food was pretty good (not our best visit there). We did have their delicious Gouda Mac & Cheese even if I did have to beg for it since it's not on the lunch menu. :) That mac & cheese is seriously life changing! haha After lunch we walked down to Waterfront Park to look out at the Charleston Harbor. There was a cruise ship, sail boats, & dolphins! It was great smelling the salt air & feeling the warm sun on our skin. (How can you not just LOVE it there?!)

Kyle after the race! So proud of him! :)

Me, Kyle, & Marc at Waterfront Park dwntwn Charleston.

Saturday afternoon we hung out at Ann's house enjoying the nice weather with Bryant, Jilli, & Dad. The boys tried to fly kites-that didn't work out well-so they moved on to skateboarding. Moose loved the skate board...well she loved to bark & bite on it. ha! Later I was able to meet up with my friend Rachel really quick before dinner. The visit was SO not long enough-I miss that girl!

We had a fun dinner date with Scott & Rachael at the one & only Gringos! The food was pretty amazing & the Adams rock my socks! :) After dinner the boys headed off to the Priesthood Session of General Conference so Rachael & I were able to have some much needed girl time! We chatted, cried a little (gotta love hormones!), got some special treats for Ann, & made a poster before the boys were done. We tried to go to Cupcake but they were already ready closed. :( When the boys were done it was time for dessert! We ate at Menchie's. It's new frozen yogurt place where you basically make it yourself & pay by the ounce (or by the pound if you ask Kyle. hehe). It was hard to decide what we wanted but it was super yummy!!

Sunday we had a little breakfast shin dig. I made Pat's famous Breakfast casserole & the Adams brought their homemade cinnamon rolls. Basically it was delicious & great to spend a little more time with special people before we left.

Now we are home & exhausted. We ended up staying up every night until 1am & waking up EARLY each morning so we're glad to be back to ATL but SO so sad to leave Mt P behind. It really feels like home there & I miss my family & friends. Who wouldn't want to live on the beautiful SC coast?! Hopefully we will get back there one day for good!

Month #1 Completed!

I have been living in ATL for over a month now! This whole moving thing still does not seem real... I guess if I had a job/calling that would help make it real! Kyle & I have done some fun things in our first month here but we are noticing that we have a lot more free time now then we've had in a LONG time. In Mt P we were so consumed with our jobs, church callings, family, friends, & mini vacations that we rarely had time to just be lazy-boy are we getting our fair share of lazy here! Not complaining-just interesting how it all works out. We were praying for more time while we were in Mt P & now we have the time but now in ATL!

So to recap we have:

-Visited the World of Coke

-Explored the largest Aquarium

-Spent some fun times with the Lusks (my sis & her fam)

-Walked around dwntwn Decatur & had some yummy burgers at Farm Burger

-Saw food we'd never imagine existed at a HUGE Farmers Market

-Walked down to the Frosty Caboose for some ice cream on a few too many occasions

-Painted our Bed & our Rocking Chair

-Had some weekend visitors: Mom & Dad

-Joined a weekly Ladies Lunch (that'd be me, not Kyle. hehe)

-Learned the MARTA system!

-Moose has had some fun at a few different dog parks

-Become addicted to NetFlix

-Too many IKEA trips

-Played some fun board games

-Celebrated Kyle's Birthday

-Skyped with Family

-Started sewing an Apron

-Tried to "Shoot the Hootch" & failed miserably

-Made all sorts of food: boiled pnuts, dirt cake, star wars cookies, & more

We have also been able to get a lot of couch time in-I'm sure our butts are imprinted in this thing (yes I'm sitting on it now). It has been fun exploring ATL with Kyle. We have SO much more to see & numerous roads to get lost on. Although it still doesn't seem real-I am glad that we are in ATL. I am grateful for this time Kyle & I have together-this could be a calm before the storm!

Kyle's Last Wknd in Mt P!

Kyle's last weekend living here was a busy one! We had so much to do on our bucket list & just wanted to make the most of it!

Friday night we had a delicious dinner with our great friends, the Adams. (We love them dearly & they really make us re-think this whole moving thing! :P ) We had a fantastic time making & eating shish kabobs, jamming out to The Format, & playing the most random but FUN games!

Saturday started off early. We headed downtown to the Farmers Market where I immediately headed to the Mini Donut stand to get breakfast! :) Afterwards we headed to the market to pick out a sweet grass basket. (You just can't move away from Charleston without buying one!) Next was lunch at Magnolias for the most delicious Shrimp & Grits you'll ever taste-no joke! We totally ate too much & waddled around downtown to take some pictures of CofC & Waterfront Park. At the park we were able to enjoy the breeze, the sun, & the HUGE fountain! :) Once Kyle was soaked we headed home to rest/pack/enjoy what time we had left together. Later Saturday evening there was a Stake Youth Dance at our ward building so we stopped in to see all the awesome decor. We snuck out after a little while & grabbed some ice cream with our friends the Adams & the Artls. It was good times just hanging out & laughing for a while. Kyle had to say his goodbyes to our friends at the end so it was a sad.

On Sunday Kyle was met with many goodbyes & well wishes. He was also released from his calling as YW first councilor. Kyle told my boss' kid, Mikey (who is 10 & is like our kid) that he had to be the man of the house while Kyle was gone. :) I thought it was super cute! Kyle said his goodbyes to Moose & then we had a few tearful moments together we just kept saying that we were just as excited for our future as we were sad to start over in a new place . Although we'd been talking about this happening for 2+ weeks now it suddenly became VERY real & it was just so bittersweet. I felt like he was leaving for the great unknown because he had to start the new phase in a new place without me. :(