This past week, we took a family trip to the beautiful state of South Carolina. Matt recently accepted the position of Director of Safety with Nucor Steel. The company, with locations across the US, is one of the top steel producers in the United States. They are also extremely family oriented and go above and beyond to take care of their employees AND their families. So, they flew the three of us to South Carolina for an 8 day house hunting trip.
After a 6:00 a.m. departure out of Lawton, we arrived in Charleston, SC just before noon. Unfortunately, another stroller bites the dust with a broken rear wheel, but it was still useable. Alas, we got our rental car and drove into the heart of Charleston to the Mills House. It's a beautiful and historic hotel with tons of character. We were able to walk to the water within a few minutes and many other gorgeous areas. It reminded me of Alexandria, VA, but the homes were 5 times bigger! Breathtaking really, but as we're in the process of house hunting and whatnot, the only thing I can think of is how in the world people afford the house AND the taxes!
Early flight, but always happy to leave Lawton
Daddy, armed with a huge coffee, back pack and Elijah's car seat :)
My happy boys
So once we were settled and Elijah had a chance to nap, we took advantage of a wonderful opportunity to visit with Chaplain Joel Harris, the gentleman who married us at West Point. CH Harris was the chaplain at West Point when Matt was a cadet. He is now the chaplain at Citadel and enjoying the beautiful weather (especially compared to northern New York).
After dinner photo at The Variety Store with CH Harris and his wife
The Variety Store had a wonderful and fresh seafood selection, but it definitely called for an evening stroll. Plus, after spending the better part of the day inside a building or plane, we all needed fresh air.
Tuesday was another beautiful day in South Carolina, so before getting in the car for a two hour drive North to Florence we went for a walk to check out the huge waterfront plantation style homes. The streets were beautiful and the homes looked like they were the setting for all the pictures in Restoration Hardware. It reminded me of Old Town in Alexandria, VA, but the homes were MONSTER compared to those in Old Town.
Right along the waterfront
Our new house.....yeah right!
Self shot...just like the old days
After a lovely morning, we jumped in the car and got on the road to Florence. Elijah was lonely in the backseat, so Mommy climbed back there and tortured him for a minute. He was in a wonderful mood, so we captured a few giggles :) Those always make our day, so hopefully they will make yours.
We arrived in Florence and I was pleasantly surprised with how clean and beautiful the town appeared. I was somewhat concerned when I was doing research on the town the and crime rate was higher than Lawton. I can honestly say, it's a much nicer town and the crime rate is skewed because of other reasons that I won't get into here. Nonetheless, there are good and bad areas and our real estate agent, a 30 year resident of Florence, was able to educate us and give us a tour. And amid the tour and hunting, we even had time to play!
Riding in the hot rod with Ms. Kaye
After the long days of riding in the car looking for homes, getting in and out no less than 7 times, Elijah needed plenty of time to play at the hotel. Thankfully, Nucor took GREAT care of us and booked a two room suite so Elijah had space to crawl, play and sleep without being disturbed by Mommy and Daddy. We even brought a slew of fun toys to play with so Elijah could wear himself out :)
The only authorized resting position for push-ups
Being a good boy in the car
Skyping with Grandma:)
On Saturday, after a long week of traveling, house hunting and being busy, we took the entire day to play with Elijah and get outside! We went to Ebenezer Park, right next to one of the neighborhoods we're looking in, to play, swing and ride.
Swinging really high!!!
Riding the tractor :)
On Sunday, we decided we would take an impromptu trip to Myrtle Beach, since it's only an hour and a half from Florence. It was Elijah's first visit to the beach and although he was a bit nervous about that water coming up to his feet, he seemed to enjoy the sun, the sights and sand.
Elijah and Daddy out to lunch
Eating grilled cheese. Yum yum
Walking toward the water and digging our toes in the sand
Probably my favorite picture of Elijah recently
Watching the birds on the beach
Taking a nap under the canopy after an exhausting day at the beach
On our way home, we drove back to Charleston and stayed the night. We didn't have much time to do anything as we had continued our house hunt in the morning, but we still managed to have fun. Once in our final hotel room, I started talking in a funny 'drunk' voice and walking silly and Elijah thought it was HILARIOUS! We were all laughing so hard, we almost forgot to capture it on video. So I wasn't drunk, only acting like it...just to clarify.
Anyhow, it was a wild and crazy trip to South Carolina. And although we didn't find our next home just yet, at least we know the areas to move and a better idea of what we want. It was a success in that regard and we're looking forward to our next trip...which may be when we move out into our temporary housing. Thank God for a safe visit and our health. Hope you enjoyed this week long recap!
