To The Carolinas We Go!

Me and Isaac (our 4 year old) had a wonderful weekend together.

Friday morning (like 2 am!) we left for South Carolina.

(On the way out the door Isaac asked, "What do I need to do?" I replied, "Go to sleep.")

What is in South Carolina that could tempt us to leave at such an early hour? My good, good friend Dana J.! She lives in the state capital with her husband and her almost 4 year old son--the husband is in graduate school, etc.

Dana and I met in 2002, when I was still in high school and she was getting ready to leave for BYU-I. She had come to Bama from Tennessee to visit a friend who had moved into our branch (small church congregation), and we had the opportunity to play volleyball together then watch the movie Charly at my home that evening. She and my father cried together!

On my first week at school, she walked into my apartment. Holy smokes, we lived in the same complex! We bonded over Souther-hood, and became close friends.

So for 2 days me and Isaac played and ate with this wonderful lil family. What fun we had! Dana and Husband Phil made tons of great food, and Isaac and Caleb played and played and played! I got to see South Carolina's capital, and just have some good old down time.

At the Edventure museum the boys explored the big dude's insides

Also learned to be anchor men

Dana J, Miss 20 Weeks Pregnant, determined to live in Charleston one day

Being firemen were these boys' heart desire!

The State Capital had lots to show. Such beautiful grounds, too!

Husband Phil showing were Civil War shrapnel hit the Capital building. Those markings are honored with bronze stars. And the boys had fun running around Strom Thurmond, who is greatly revered in South Carolina.

Prolly me and Dana J's roughest picture together. But here we are... ain't we pretty?

There are two Carolina's, no? Yes!

So, I have another dear friend that lives in the North one. Me and Isaac went and spent Sunday with Christi and her lovely family! She lives in the western part of North Carolina, so just 2 hours up the road from Dana J.

Christi and I became close friends during my first semester at BYU-I. She was a saucy Southern woman, and I loved being around her and her peacefully decorated apartment. She and Dana J were roommates, and I learned a great deal from them. Laundry, cleaning, decorating, and cooking were/are vitally important to them, and I am so grateful they let me hang around to learn.

She has two boys, one almost 4 years and the other 18 months. Isaac and the two boys played well together, and wore each other out. Batman vs. Ironman was the choice playtime.

Hmm... I wonder where 4 year old Nathan gets all his funny faces from? His papa? Yes, I do believe so.

They feed me and Isaac well.

A wonderful homemade pasta dish, and then some YUMMY doughnuts. These Krispy Kream are July's special: CheerWine! (Cheerwine is apparently a soda pop that is a favorite in the Carolinas. And believe, those doughnuts were dang good!)

It was a wonderful 3 day weekend. Isaac and I bonded, and had some good one on one time. I think I'd like to have little trips with each of my sons like this more in the future. Isaac was especially excited to have me sleep next to him. He'd wake up in the morning, roll over, and get a huge smile on his face! He is a wonderful boy, with a great temperament, and it was wonderful to solely focus on him... he gets a bit forgotten when the two little ones need a lot of care.

These two ladies mean a lot to me. As I alluded to before, they taught me a lot. But they also accepted me. And I do believe I might have been a lot to handle at that time in school, for Matt was off in Iraq and I was a lone woman with very few acquaintances. Their friendship meant a lot, and still means a great deal, to me. I hope they know that I love them.

And they gave me and Isaac stuff! Isaac got a Batman mask and a magnet tipped fishing pole from Dana in South Carolina. And Christi in North Carolina gave me their old GSP device and some very cute throw pillows. Wow, girls! We each so appreciate your gifts.

Isaac slept in his Batman mask for two nights, and had it on all the way home!

Oh, and one of the most amazing events occurred on Sunday, the last day of our trip. I saw a Subaru!! I have not seen one, ONE, the whole time I have been in the South. For 6 weeks I have been in Bama, traveling to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas--so it is not like I have stayed hidden from the highways. When I'm in Boise I can count upwards to 10 Subarus in 30 minutes or less... no joke. I've become partial to these cars, though Matt hates them.

Well, that was our weekend. How was yours?