Five On Friday: Hellooooo College Football Edition

TGIFF--Thank God It's Football Friday! And now, Five On Friday...off we go!

[ONE].

Welcome back, college football!!!! If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you know my hub and I are die-hard Clemson fans. It's where we both went for undergrad and also where we met and fell in l.o.v.e. :) We are season ticket holders and make it back to our alma mater for as many games as possible each year, taking the kiddos along for the experience at least a couple times each season. Anywho, the Tigers open the 2014-15 season in an away game against the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow. You can bet your bottom dollar we'll have our beer cooled, our apps hot, our Clemson gear rockin', and our cheering voices on high, all while watching the game with a group of neighborhood friends whose blood also runneth orange. Go Tigers!

[TWO].

This little (big) guy turned 4 months old this week:

Tears all around for this momma, that my last baby is now 33% of a year old. I seriously cannot believe it. Not one bit. I arranged for a sitter to watch Banks and Raleigh so that I could take Harrison alone for his 4-month well-check (and shots). He clocked in at 14 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 25.5 inches tall. Atta boy! Oh, and also....I am slowly adding dairy back into my diet!!! So far, Harrison is tolerating it well. I'm thinking a big, fat milkshake is in my near future. Prayers are MUCH appreciated that he continues to do well with it so that I can resume most of my old diet (and I say "most of" because I've found some non-dairy, non-soy products I actually enjoy!). And now, a little more about our Last Lu:

[THREE].

This is our last weekend before Banks goes back to, and Raleigh starts, school. They'll be attending the same school, with Rals going two days a week and Banks going five. Although I will really miss them when school starts next week, I'm excited for the educational adventures they'll have and also that I will finally get a little one-on-one time with Harrison--he hasn't had that yet! Banks has a fun playdate with his new classmates tomorrow morning, which will be a great way to welcome the school year. And we made sure to soak up all the fun we could out of our last full week of summer together, including three playdates and lots of individual playtime with Momma, too. 

[FOUR].

I've been slowly working on Banks' 5th birthday party. If you've read this blog for any amount of time you know that I LOVE celebrations and holidays of all kinds, with kids' birthday parties ranking high on that list! Banks' 1st birthday had a safari theme; his 2nd was a fun airplane affair at this great Atlanta playground overlooking an airport; his 3rd was sports themed; his 4th was a father-son overnight, backyard camp out. This year's theme? Splish Splash Banks' 5th Birthday Bash (i.e., a pool party). Actually, I'm planning to make it pretty low key but hopefully still lots of fun for the birthday boy and his buddies. 

[FIVE].

I am so excited that, in addition to watching as much college football as possible, my hub will be stealing his baby girl away for a Daddy date on Sunday before he and I sneak out for our own date night later that evening. We'll then be heading to our neighborhood's last pool party of the summer on Labor Day with our kiddos. Man, I love 3-day weekends! 

I hope you have lots of fun plans in the works, too! And with that....GO TIGERS!! Beat the Dawgs! 

If I'm Being Honest...

...I still have Christmas decorations up. Yes. Yes, I do. 

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

At this point in the calendar year, I figure we are closer to Christmas than away from it. So. Up they stay. 

...working in a hospital as a woman does NOT mean you are a nurse. It drives me nuts when people jump to that conclusion when I tell them I formerly worked in a pediatric hospital. Don't get me wrong. Nurses make the healthcare world go 'round. But. Not every woman in healthcare is a nurse.

...I hold back on introducing new things to Harrison because he's my last baby. Example: He is now old enough to start solids. I have no desire to do this. He's still my baby! I don't want him to be old enough for solids yet! 

...my kids have a MUCH better wardrobe than me. I feel more comfortable styling them than myself. Same goes for our home: all three kids' rooms, plus the playroom, are done. Master suite? Dining room? Nope. What does that say about me?! 

...there are been VERY few nights I have not had a glass of wine (or, usually, two) since I got off my postpartum pain meds. 

...I cannot STAND clutter and mess in my home. Drives me nuts. I pick up around the house and vacuum the kitchen area multiple times per day (see previous posts on my un-diagnosed but likely present OCPD diagnosis) ;) 

...I love Teen Mom. And 16 and Pregnant. My hub wonders if I'll ever stop watching MTV. Not likely. 

...I wish I cared about cooking. I really do! But I just...don't. 

...In contrast, I have big plans for trying out lots of yummy, new cupcake recipes this Fall. I <3 Baking. Why can't we just eat cupcakes for dinner all the time? I won't tell if you won't. 

...My tummy is so pale from wearing a one-piece swimsuit this summer. I'm not used to that! So, sometimes I put a little self-tanner on my stomach, even though I'm the only one that will ever really see the bronzed skin. 

...my hair is shedding like CRAZY thanks to post-baby hormones. If you see me over the next several months, my hair will likely be pulled back so I am not constantly covered in loose strands. And should you see it down, please ignore any sideburns, stray flyaways, or thinning spots that may emerge. 

...I sort of feel like the last kid chosen for kickball. #ALSicebucketchallengereject And did I mention my CHILD has been nominated THREE times?! I have been nominated ZERO. At least we donated through him (and my hub, who was ALSO nominated). And no, this is not an invitation to nominate me. I'll stay warm and dry and donate my funds, thankyouverymuch.

...I have yet to take all three kiddos grocery shopping thanks to our Harris Teeter's online shopping option, and I don't plan to anytime soon.

And there you have it. Honesty at it's best. ;)

Banksisms and Raleigh's Ramblings, Part 15

Yep. I'm back yet again with my own personal version of "Kids Say the Darndest Things." Ready for a giggle? Me too!

_______________________________

Banks: "Do some grown-ups like to play with toys?"

Momma: "Well, yeah, grown-up versions of toys."

Banks: "Grown-up virgins?"
Some would argue...yes.

(When my kids forget to say "please," I'll make the /p/ sound, as in /puh/ to remind them)...

Raleigh: "Can I have a vitamin?"

Momma: "Puh, puh, puh..."

Raleigh: "Puh, puh, puh, vitamin."
I think she missed the puh, puh, puh, point.

Raleigh: "I see your hiney; So nice and shiny; And it wiggles; So nice and piggles."
Not quite how it's supposed to go. But. I like her version better. ;)

We use the actual anatomical words when describing our private parts. None of this "Hoo-Hah"-type nonsense in the Lu home. Yet, while Banks and Raleigh use the word "penis" correctly, they refer to lady parts as a "puh-gina."
Banks also refers to "nipples" as "knuckles." #lostintranslation

(When hearing an announcement come over the loud speaker while out shopping): 

Raleigh: "The sky is talking, Mom!"
Too cute, Rals. <3

Banks: "Do you know what the Gamecocks did?"

Momma: "What?"

Banks: "They pushed a little girl down."

Momma: "They did not!"

Banks: "Yes they did! That's what my Dad told me!"

#GoTigers

Momma: "...And when Harrison is older, it'll be so fun for the three of you to play together all the time!"

Banks: "Well, we won't be able to play together ALL the time. One day, we'll die."

[Shocked stare and speechlessness from Momma...]

For whatever reason, Banks and Raleigh are obsessed with the commercials for this local HVAC company, Morris & Jenkins. Well, you'd have thought a celebrity came to our home the day our AC broke and we called them to come out for a consult. Banks and Raleigh were ecstatic and called the confused HVAC repairman "Mr. Jenkins" the whole time he was there while following him around our house with star-gazed expressions. 
Apparently in the Mill, being an HVAC specialist is as celebrity as they come. 

Daddy: "Banks, do you think I'm a good dad?"
Banks: "Yes."
Daddy: "Is there anything I can do differently that would make me a better dad?"
Banks: "When you make pancakes, you could flip them in the air and try catching them."
The secret to great parenting, straight from the mouth of a pre-schooler. :) 

Banks: "Mom, sometimes I don't like you BUT I love you more times than I don't like you.
Ummm...???

Banks wants to be a grown-up so badly and likes to try to use grown-up phrases. But. Often, he does so incorrectly:

Momma: "Thanks for doing that, Banks."

Banks: "Any problem."

A mix of "No problem" and "Anytime", perhaps?

And then there was...

Raleigh: "Thank you, Banks!"

Banks: "You're welcome! What could I do without you?"

It's "would," little buddy. ;)

Keep 'em coming, kiddos...

Five On Friday: Celebrating Life Edition

It's Friday, y'all. Here are my five, starting off on a somber note:

[ONE].

Last week, my Granny, my dad's mom, passed away. Tomorrow we will be celebrating her life and all that she meant means to us. She was an incredibly special, loving, devoted woman who was passionate about family and will be missed more than I could ever adequately put to words here. One of my sisters wrote a beautiful piece on my Granny in her blog. There's nothing I could ever write that would describe her, and our memories together, better than my sister did. So. I defer to what she wrote. We love our Granny. We miss our Granny. Tomorrow, we will celebrate the 86 wonderful years of her life. 

[TWO].
Speaking of family, we had a ball last weekend with my brother, my sister "in law," and my precious niece. We ate, we drank, we pool-ed, we golfed, we played, we talked, we laughed. All in all, an awesome weekend!!

 
[THREE].

It's official: The resort stay is booked. The character meals are reserved. The park plan is in place. The Bammy babysitting has been scheduled. That's right. We are headed back to Disney World early next year!!!!!!!! Hooray! Yahoo! Fist bump! And all that jazz! We took Banks alone back in 2013, when he was almost 3.5 years old, and we'll be taking him again, along with Raleigh this time, to soak up all that Disney has to offer, while Harrison gets some awesome one-on-one time with his Bammy. To say that I am excited is the understatement of the century!!!!

[FOUR].

Whew. You guys. This week, my hub was gone from Sunday morning until late Wednesday night. That is a loooooong time for a momma of a 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and 3-month-old. But. I decided to make the most of the week, one of our last before school starts back after Labor Day. We were busy, busy, busy! On Monday, we picked up one of Banks' best buddies, whose momma just happens to be one of my best buddies. :) She just welcomed Baby #3 a few weeks ago; so, we decided to give her a little break by having her oldest over for a playdate. We played. We cake popped. We picnicked. We snow coned. It was fun!

On Tuesday, I took my trio up to Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, North Carolina, about an hour drive from our home. Y'all. Ohmygoodness. This park is AWESOME. It has a carousel, putt-putt, a train ride, a petting zoo, a nature trail, a sprayground, and gem mining, not to mention several playground areas for kids of all ages. And did I mention that it is super, duper cheap (think $1 or less per activity)? And did I also mention that one of my very BFFs, and her two handsome boys, met us there for a full morning o' fun? Awesome! I very highly recommend this park to all my local friends!

And then on Wednesday, that same BFF and her two boys traveled to the Mill for a playdate at my house. An absolute blast, I tell ya!

And finally, did I mention that Thursday was Open House at my kiddos' school. So, off we went to meet Banks' and Raleigh's new teachers. I think they are both going to have an AWESOME year!

Like I said, busy! Whew. This momma needs a nap.

[FIVE].

It should probably come as no surprise that I was in definite need of some "me time" once my hub returned to the Mill. Which brings me to last night, when I was able to sneak away with one of my good friends ('sup Christi) for a little margarita-momma-off-duty action. So needed and so fun!

And with that, I wish you the best of weekends. Please, keep my family in your prayers as we celebrate the life of a loving and devoted mother and Granny. <3

Do you know that I...

...am often ready for you to go to bed at the end of the day but then miss you moments after you've been tucked in. So I scroll through our pictures from the day, savoring the moments we shared, and then kiss each of you one more time before I hit the sack...

...love nothing more in this world than hearing you laugh together. How lucky, my babies, that you have each other for best friends for life...

...could not love you any more if my life depended on it...

...remember so vividly sitting in the hospital bed the precious moments before each of you were born. It is still surreal to me that I am old enough to be your momma and lucky enough to be YOUR momma...

 ...cannot hug you tightly enough. Cannot give you enough kisses...

 ...will sometimes stop what I'm doing and take a mental snapshot of what is playing out in front of me. Sometimes, it's dancing with the three of you in the kitchen. Other times, it's walking through the neighborhood with you. I try to freeze those moments in my memory...

  
...am always ready to apologize to you when I make mistakes. I want you to see that it's okay to mess up and that it's those moments that are often the most important so that we (you and me) can grow...

...could not be prouder of the people each of you are becoming. Banks, the cautious and caring big brother, who is as wildly adventurous as you are helpful and loving. Raleigh, the nurturing and adoring sister, who is a recklessly carefree as you are mischevious and observant. Harrison, the joyful and lovable little brother, who is as jubilantly happy as you are sweet and adaptable...

...thank God for allowing me to walk through life hand-in-hand with your Daddy, the love of my life, as we do our best to guide the three of you to lead happy, faith-filled, purposeful lives...

...am so sad about how fast you are growing up but so excited for the adventures we'll share as you continue getting older...

...try harder every single day to be a better momma than I was the day before...

...am one very happy, lucky, loved, blessed Momma to have YOU as the little loves of my life. 


With All My Heart,

Momma

Five On Friday: Hallelujah I'm Healthy! Edition

Y'all. Y'all, y'all, y'all. I could NOT be happier to say that, praise the good Lord and Baby Jesus and Heaven above, I am FINALLY healthy. 

Wait. Hold up. Let me back track for a moment. 

It's Friday! Yippee! Five on Friday. Here we go:

[ONE].

As I was saying...AMEN!!!! I am a healthy momma. As I mentioned in my last post, I caught the worst virus I have ever had in my entire life, some sort of satanic pink eye horrible-ness, last week. It lasted a FULL seven days. It was absolutely terrible. By Sunday, I was finally feeling better, even though I still looked a mess. In fact, I'm pretty sure our fellow Forest Hill church-goers probably through they should throw the sign of the cross our way when my hub and I walked into the service with our beet-red devil eyes. But. I promise we weren't contagious. But still? Very scary looking.

But maybe my sweet kiddos distracted from my crazy, red, swollen eyes? Maybe?

Anywho, I was feeling well enough to dominate the brand spanking new Charlotte outlets, which just so happen to be 20 minutes from my home and wrought with awesome sales, after church on Sunday. I talked happily to one of my Be Fri's on the way home (hi Jules!), and then, within a couple hours... Y'all. I started getting the pain. You mommas know. The one that feels like a deep tissue bruise that is constantly being punched by a heavy weight champion. "Crap," I thought. "A blocked milk duct," I thought. I thought wrong. Because within an hour, I had a 103 temperature and chills. And mind you, this was Sunday evening, as in, the night before my hub would be leaving at 6:00 am and not returning until Wednesday evening. I absolutely lost it. Lost. It. I was tired of being sick. And I was feeling absolutely awful. And I didn't know how I would manage being that sick with my three littles all on my own.

I finally came to my senses and called my OB/GYN's on-call nurse, who immediately called in the antibiotic prescription to a 24-hour pharmacy. My sweet, sweet hub then not only drove late-night to pick it up, but offered to skip his huge meeting he had the next day to take care of our babies. I insisted he go and told him the kids and I would manage. I'd heard the antibiotic would kick in quickly and would work wonders fast. Boy, did it ever! By the next morning, my fever was completely gone, as were the chills. There was still the pain, but it was manageable. And then I opened the 'fridge to discover this:

My hub is the best. And so are my thoughtful neighbors (thank you, Emily!), who texted to say that a homemade meal would be dropped of on my porch (within an hour of her finding out I was sick). #lovemyhood #lovemypeeps And by Tuesday, I was feeling like a whole new-and-improved Momma. Thank you, Lord! I will no longer take my health for granted. 

[TWO]. 

Okay. I know I mentioned this last week that Raleigh had taken it upon herself to start using the potty, but now I feel confident in saying that my girl is completely potty trained for day. Umm...what? Again, I had no intention of this happening at this point in time. But she decided on her own, with absolutely no input or help from this Momma, to be rid of diapers. Wowzers. That just cut my amazon moms bill in half! Thanks, Rals!

[THREE].

This boy. Oh my word. I know I say it every week. But my baby boy just absolutely melts me. 

Also, an update on his health situation. His Prevacid ran out last week and, per the GI specialist's recommendation, we didn't refill it right away so I could observe how he responded to not being on it. Well, although he didn't appear to be in near the amount of pain he did as a newborn, he definitely seemed more uncomfortable than he had in weeks prior. So. I called our pediatrican and requested a refill of it. To me, it's just not worth it for him to not be on meds but be in pain. So. We'll try to go off it again in a month or two. For now, I am enjoying the belly laughs he's been giving me this week and over-abundance of smiles. Oh my heart. 

[FOUR]. 

I was able to sneak in some fun girl time, sans kiddos, this week, including my monthly fave, Bunco! Unfortunately, on my way there last night, I received some very sad news; so, please keep my family in your prayers...

[FIVE].

Hip, hip, hooray! My beautiful niece and her awesome parents, my brother and my sister "in law," are headed to the Mill this weekend for lots o' fun in the sun. I CANNOT WAIT to see them, to hit the pool, to snuggle my niece, to sip some vino.

So, here's to health, well-being, and the weekend! See you next week!

Five On Friday: Back to Re-al-ity Edition

Is it just me or is it always hard to come back from vacation and jump back into the "real world"? What a dumb question--of course it's not just me. At any rate, yippee! It's Friday! With that said, here's my "Five on Friday" for this week:

[ONE].

In my last post, I mentioned that Harrison came down with some sort of eye infection when we were in Edisto last week. 

Well, mystery solved. I came home from the beach and woke up with a nasty case of pink eye at the start of the week. And man oh man, that stuff HURTS! My eye felt like it had glass in it the first day and was stinging and burning so much it gave me a terrible headache. And my eye was so swollen, I could barely see out of it. After heading to a clinic (with my trio in tow) and getting some drops, it slowly started feeling better. But. Then, yesterday, I realized I had those gross, white nodules all over my throat. Back to the clinic I went (again, with all three kiddos along for the ride since my hub was out of town again). Yikes! Luckily, I tested negative for strep; so, it is just some mean ol' virus. 

Needless to say, we've gone through an entire, huge container of hand sanitizer this week, religiously applying it to my hands and my kiddos' hands. So far, no one else, except my hub, has gotten it. Whew! Hopefully, that's the last we'll see of that yucky stuff for now, although my eye and throat are still in pretty bad shape today. :( Not surprisingly, my kids and I were basically quarantined to our house all week, although we managed to sneak in a little fun in our neck of the woods. 

My favorite way to start the day

Ready to bake some brownies!

[TWO].

School is looming. Eeeek! I am a Momma who loooves having lots of summer playtime with my kiddos and am always so sad when the school year rolls around. This year, since Banks doesn't turn 5 until the end of September, he'll be attending 4-year-old pre-k five mornings a week. AND Raleigh will also be going to his school, participating in the 2-year-old class for two mornings a week. Is it weird that I already miss them? And their school doesn't even start back until after Labor Day. I gotta say, seeing all these Mommas on Instagram preparing to send their babies off to kindergarten over the next couple weeks, I am very thankful for Banks' September birthday so that he doesn't start elementary school until next year. I just don't think I could emotionally handle that happening right now! Actually, even with a year to mentally prepare myself, I still don't think I'll be ready! Ha!

[THREE].

A couple updates on my Raleigh. First, she knows how to press her big brother's buttons better than anyone else. Oh, how she torments him. But then? Sixty seconds later they'll be laughing their heads off and singing "Let It Go" at the top of their lungs. Second, if you have seen any of the hundreds of photos I have taken of Banks over the last year, you have probably noticed that 90% of the time, he's in a sports jersey: football, teeball, soccer. He doesn't discriminate. Well, Raleigh has officially reached the princess-dress-every-single-day stage. It's the first thing she puts on when she wakes up and the last thing she takes off before her head hits the pillow each night. Third, I have to brag on this smarty pants for a minute. She is currently potty-training herself. Yes. Herself. I had absolutely no intention of starting potty training right now. But. After watching her cousins go potty during our beach trip, she came home and decided she wanted to join the potty par-tay. Yesterday, she called me up to the playroom bathroom to show me that she had removed her shorts and diaper and pooped in her little potty all by herself! Go, Rals, go! Next thing I know, she'll be teaching herself to drive...

[FOUR].

Y'all. I seriously cannot get enough of this kid. Cannot. Get. Enough. He has become obsessed with his feet over the last couple weeks and is just the happiest, smiliest, sweetest little baby. I've been working hard this week on getting him on a 3-hour feeding schedule, doing lots of tummy time to strengthen his little neck, and getting him to nap in his crib. I am so proud of this little buddy and all his hard work this week!

Ribbit.

My smiley baby

Not impressed.

Oh. My. Heart.

Couldn't grin any bigger if he tried.

Raise your hand if your mom sucks at swaddling.

[FIVE].

This weekend will hopefully be a pretty laid back one. My father "in law", my hub, and my Banks are going camping and fishing the first half of the weekend! I am so excited for them! Besides family, our Pop loves nothing more than fishing, and I think it is so special that he takes my hub and Banks each year to reel in some big ones! And one day, Harrison will be able to join in the fun.  Meanwhile, Raleigh will be headed to Aiken to spend a little one-on-one time with her Nana, leaving me to have a little solo Momma time with Harrison. I think it'll be a fun weekend for all! 

Well, I wrote that earlier this week and those were the plans. But. As of this morning, my hub and I are sicker than ever; so, it looks like we'll all be staying home while my hub and I try to recover and keep our littles from getting this horrible virus. If you ever want to disappoint a little boy, tell him the morning he is supposed to leave that he is no longer going fishing with his Daddy and Pop over the wekeend. :( :( :( 

Please say a prayer for our little family if you have a moment, specifically that my hub and I finally recover this weekend and that none of our kiddos get it.

Thanks, and I hope you have a great one!

Edisto 2014

I can't believe our summer beach trip has come and gone. For that matter, I can't believe this summer has almost come and gone. This has been the fastest summer of my life. But also? The best. Sure, there have been many, MANY trying moments as I learn to be a Momma of three. But I cannot begin to describe how much I absolutely love being a Momma to three. To my three. To my 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and 3-month-old. It's the best. 

But I digress. 

I had a feeling this beach trip would be one for the books. And man oh man, was it ever. Eight adults. Eight kids. One house. One week. Countless memories. 

I took hundreds of photos. But. I thought I'd document my Top 10 Highlights from our 2014 Edisto Beach trip and just share a "few" of the photos. So. In no particular order...

TEN.

Going on a shell hunt with my oldest kiddos. Our Nana and Pop were so sweet to get all eight grandchildren personalized shell bags. So, one afternoon, I took Banks and Raleigh so we could fill them up, knowing we would later spend some time painting our Edisto shell treasures, which we did yesterday. 

NINE.

Seeing my baby boy get his toes in the sand for the first time. Although we sadly had to keep him indoors the second half of the week after he got some sort of eye infection, he was able to enjoy the first half with his toes in the sand, rockin' a baby swimsuit and shades like nobody's business while catching several beachside naps.  

 

EIGHT.

I was crossing all my fingers and toes that my baby sister would go into labor a few days before her due date so that I could be there for her first baby's birth. You see, my youngest sister lives in Charleston, which is a short 45-minute drive from Edisto. I was doubtful. But alas. I got the call from my brother-in-law our third day at the beach. I cannot begin to describe how excited I was! I loaded up Harrison (since I would need to nurse him throughout the day) and we headed to Charleston, where my parents, my brother and his wife and my niece, and my youngest sister's mother-in-law waited and waited and waited for sweet Skylar Ann to make her debut. And then she did. And she was perfect. And it was amazing!

SEVEN.

Spending one-on-one time with each of my littles. Whether it be doing a little bird watching with Banks, wave jumping with Raleigh, or walking the sand with Harrison, I made it a point to spend special moments with each of my babies, alone, and I loved every single second. 

SIX.

Every year, the Dads take a half-day for golfing, and we Mommas are re-paid with a half-day trip to Charleston for shopping and lunch. I look forward to it every year, and after a yummy Mexican lunch on King Street, we ladies scored some great shopping finds! It was even worth the parking ticket I managed to get after failing to re-fill the parking meter. Oops. And you're welcome, Charleston meter maids. The check is in the mail. :/

FIVE.

Another annual tradition is to have family photos made. We use the same photographer each year and do a big group shot, and grandparent/grandchildren shot, individual family shots, and then just the kiddos playing around on the beach. This year, my sister-in-law, of Goat & Lulu, made all of the kids adorable, coordinating outfits that looked so cute in the photos. I just love having this annual documentation of our family and seeing how it changes with each passing year!

FOUR.

Our last night at the beach, with all eight kiddos tucked away in bed, all eight of us grown-ups had a jolly ol' time playing beer pong, flip cup, and Catchphrase, laughing and chatting the whole way through. I loved it!

THREE.

Cousin play time. Is there anything better than family that are also friends? Although we don't get to see everyone in the family nearly as much as I would like to, it is so nice knowing that we can always count on Edisto to bring us all together. 

TWO.

The views. Oh man. The views in Edisto are like no other. 

ONE.

Okay, I know I said in no particular order, but this was my favorite memory of the whole trip this year: My little family of five decided, at my hub's request, to take a family walk down the beach in the evening. We walked down to the Edisto pier and then watched as Banks and Raleigh ran and laughed and ran and laughed some more before we headed back to our beach house. Once we got back, we surprised them with a little kite-flying, which they LOVED!

Until next year, Edisto. Thanks for the newest memories...