Travel & Vacation: Beautiful Flowers & Busy Bees (Charleston, SC)
Busy Bee going after some juicy pollen on this purple flower.
We enjoy going to Charleston, South Carolina. No matter what time of year you go there always seems to be beautiful flowers in bloom or planted ones in window sills. On this particular day the girls were playing at the Pirate Park on Daniel Island and we took a stroll through downtown Charleston later that day. There were a lot of pretty flowers in bloom and busy bees collecting nectar on this warm sunny day.
The bees were pretty active getting nectar from the purple flowers.
Purple flower in the park
The bee has almost it’s entire body in the flower trying to gather the nectar. You just see his back half sticking out of the middle of the flower.
Pretty yellow flowers
Walking through downtown Charleston you will see plenty of beautifully decorated window boxes.
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Greenville: Playing Around Downtown at McPherson Park
Brina figured out a creative way to swing!
Sometimes it is nice to get outside for a few moments. A little extra fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun will do you good. We have driven past McPherson Park near downtown Greenville many times over the years, but one day I finally made a point to actually stop when the girls were with me. They have a small playground, a miniature golf course (bring your own clubs and balls), tennis courts, and pretty walking trails. It was nice to get out and play for a little bit. The girls want to come back sometime and play miniature golf!
Karlie relaxing, chatting, and swinging!
Pavilion Recreation Complex – Ice Skating, Bouncy Castles, George the Train, Playground Fun, Picnic, and More!
Karlie enjoying her time on the ice!
The girls had a blast hanging out with their cousins and friends at the Greenville Pavilion Recreation Complex this summer. Every Friday this summer the kids could get in to ice skate, play on the bouncy castles, ride on George the Train, play at the park, and get a snack for $10 each. The parents would get in for free (although we didn’t get the snack)! 🙂 The ice skating was only for 2 hours, but the rest of the activities you could do all day.
Karlie and Nicko having fun on the pile of snow they left in the ice skating rink!
Look out! Here comes Brina!
Karlie having fun!
Our friends Ashley from Reflecting on the Simpler Things in Life and Bradley having a blast too!
Goofy girl!
Zachie hung out with me the first time we went on the ice. He didn’t really like the ice skates too much, but had fun playing in the snow pile!
Brina waiting for Zachie to go down the slide with her!
Snack time – Oreos and Juice Bags!
Ready….Set…..Go!!!
Karlie going down the slide with Nicko!
I am getting beamed with snowballs from my nephews!
Karlie chasing Nicko! The second time we went out on the ice we had the kids keep their shoes on. We were the only ones on the ice the second time and all the kids had a blast with just their shoes on the ice. The ice skates were a good idea, but at least for the younger kids the regular shoes were a bigger hit in the ice skating rink.
Brina flying on by me!
Watching the Zamboni clean the ice skating rink. This was fascinating for the kids!
Riding on George the Train. At the end the conductor let all the kids push the button and honk the horn. So exciting!
Whose ready for a picnic!?
Grabbing a bite to eat so they can go play again!
Easily entertained….
Brina on the four wheeler!
Travel & Vacation: Our Weekend at Sadlers Creek State Park
Thankful for a wonderful, relaxing, and fun weekend away with the family.
We had a great day swimming, biking, and playing at Sadlers Creek State Park near Anderson, SC. Our tent was surrounded by trees but we could still see Lake Hartwell. The first night we played card games until late at night and crashed. The second night we experimented by toasting smores, starbursts, twillers, and fruit chews over the camp fire. They were a fun camping treat! We wrapped up the second night at the campsite relaxing and sharing some of our favorite summer memories. We are blessed and so much to be grateful for in our lives.
Silly girls enjoying their time camping at the lake.
Brina’s favorite were the toasted twizzler bites!
Karlie’s toasted marshmallow!
The Toasted Starbursts were goey, crispy, and delicious! My favorite of the toasting “experiments”.
The Toasted Fruit Chews were a little harder to do because if you waited too long they would drop off your stick. The ones that survived the heat of the fire got great reviews from the kids!
The best way to eat a Marshmallow – completely crispy and toasted over a flaming fire! Yum!
A full day of family fun in the sun results in two sleepy kids!
Brina swimming in the lake!
Karlie’s got a collection of sticks, wonder what she’s up to now!
Brina splashing around in Lake Hartwell.
Karlie all smiles as she gathers her sticks for some fun!
Our weekend camping went by quickly. We had fun, relaxed, and spent time together. We biked, swam, played games, ate great camp food, laughed, and had a grand time creating memories. The girls decided after this weekend that we need to make camping a more regular activity because they enjoyed it so much. Thankful for opportunities to spend time together and create these precious memories.
Travel & Vacation: Camping at Sadlers Creek State Park
Ready to unload the van and start camping!
Our family had a blast going camping at Sadlers Creek State Park this summer! It was the first out of the yard tent camping with just our family. The girls have been asking to go camping so we decided to do it! The Sadlers Creek tent camping area is near Anderson, South Carolina and almost all the tent sites overlook Lake Hartwell. It was beautiful, peaceful, and a lot of fun spending the weekend together. There was enough trees between the campsites you had some privacy. We ran into our friends from church the first night too! We biked everywhere and had fun swimming in the lake. There were two restroom facilities near us both with showers which was nice especially with the kids!
Once we arrived we biked everywhere. It was a great way to get around, explore some neat areas, and get some exercise! We biked to several different places that had sandy beaches, many of them were quiet with no other people around. After setting up the tent and camp area we picked out a couple of beaches we wanted to come back to the next day.
Karlie enjoying some time playing at a playground nearby!
Enjoying a walk and watching the beautiful sunset the first night we arrived.
The girls were thrilled with our morning guests! The geese were not scared of the kids and hung around for about 30 minutes.
Time for breakfast in our camp – ham, hashbrowns, eggs, and coffee!
Brina giggling at something!
Ready to go for a swim at one of the beaches we discovered!
Jake found a great place to jump off into the water!
Brina jumping off the “diving board”!
Karlie’s turn!
Swimming at the lake.
Trying to figure out how to do a belly buster.
Brina splashing around at Lake Hartwell.
Karlie probably could live in the water. She loves swimming around!
Brina enjoyed cruising around on her bike!
Exploring the area!
A Picnic in the Park
Legacy Park in Greenville, SC Recently, I was able to meet Jake during lunch hour since I was in his area after an appointment. I packed PB&J sandwiches and goodies for our picnic in the park. We met at Legacy Park to eat our picnic lunch in the swing over looking beautiful flowers and enjoying a few minutes to catch up. After eating we took a walk together around the park. It was great spending some time with my man relaxing and talking for a little bit in the middle of the day.
If you haven’t been to Legacy Park you should check it out, it is beautiful, quiet, and family friendly. You will see kids playing on one of their two playgrounds, families having a picnic on the grass, kites flying, and people walking leisurely on the paths. It is right off Roper Mountain Road across the road from Embassy Suites.
Go ahead and take a picnic in the park with your husband or family. It is a great way to get fresh air and spend quality time together. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. Find a location near you so you save on gas and meet even if it is over lunch. Having those extra few minutes to relax and communicate are valuable in every relationship!
Going for a walk with my man at Legacy Park.
