Living it up in Charleston!

I just realized it's been a week since my last post!  And it's not because I didn't have anything to share....instead we've been so busy living it up that I haven't spent the time making posts!  

The weekend was great !  I had been needing some Japanese in my life, so we were thrilled to discover Sake, a new restaurant in the area!  Fantastic!  Saturday morning I got up early because I had signed up for Serve Saturday.  I plugged in an address to GPS and after driving for quite some time, I found myself nearly in the middle of nowhere (it wasn't that bad, I exaggerate) where I was to join other volunteers in passing out water at a half-marathon fundraiser for the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department.  Many volunteers were there so some of us were without duties.....no complaints from me because that is how I was blessed to meet my new friend Jill!  We were able to get to know each other during the runs.  She is so sweet and a fellow Seacoast girl!  

The one sad thing that happened is that I hit a squirrel.  I swerved some (but not so much that I would wreck or cause anyone else to do so), but the squirrel moved.....in the direction of my tire.  And I know from looking in my rear view mirror that I did in fact hit the squirrel, so there was no pretending in my mind that there was a chance it got away.  I like animals and I would never intentionally hurt one (with the exception of snakes and spiders), so it really does grieve me that this happened.  Nearly a decade of driving and this had never happened....I would have like to keep my clean record.  To add to the heartache, my sorority mascot is the squirrel.....so I pretty much felt like I ran over a sister.  Not good.  I knew my day was only headed up after this unfortunate event!  Poor squirrel.

Later Saturday evening we were invited to dinner at the home of a couple who is also from Kentucky.  The man and I are from the same tiny hometown and he and my uncle have been friends since childhood!  We enjoyed a yummy low country style meal with them as well as chatting about "back home."  They were so nice to welcome us into their home and we appreciated chatting with them and also a meal that is home-cooked (i.e. not from a restaurant)!  

Sunday morning Church was fantastic, as always!  We headed downtown for lunch where we dined at Hyman's!  This is a well-known hot spot and many people dine there.  We were seated at the table where Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Phelps and Danny Glover had once sat (there were engraved plates on the table noting previous celebrity visits).  Our crab legs, oysters, and fried pickles were absolutely amazing.....ohmygoodness!

Tuesday night was loads of fun with the R family!  We spent some time on the Wando River together.  The activities were fun - paddle boarding, jumping from trees, rope swinging, swimming, catching shrimp and small fish.....just a sweet reminder of our love for our new home and all that it has to offer!

Brave L before she jumped out of the tree into the water!

Josh paddle boarding.....this is right after he started his long journey!

Action shot of Little L jumping from the tree into her mommy's arms!

Look how far out Josh paddled!

C & C with the creatures their daddy caught in the net!  Those fish and shrimp can jump!

The adventurous R family!

  Little Crabs are everywhere! 

C with a sculpture of sand!

B swinging on the rope and Josh with the paddle board!

We had such a wonderful night with the R family!  After all of this fun on the Wando River we had worked up at appetite, so we enjoyed eating together at Orlando's Pizza, also on Daniel Island!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I enjoyed one of my last few opportunities picking Josh up so that we can have lunch together.  After we enjoyed our lunch together, I returned him to Boeing and then headed to Daniel Island to meet my new friend Ashley because she had invited me to join her on a walking trail.  Moments after we started on the trail we saw an alligator in the pond!  Crazy stuff!  I knew they were around, but this was my first sighting!  Ashley and I watched the gator for a while and it definitely was aware we were there because it would move when we would!  Next time I go on a walk, I need to bring a camera to document these encounters!  We continued talking and walking, even stopping on a boat dock to enjoy the sunshine and water before continuing our walk.  When we looped back around at the end of the water, the gator was still there!  Wow!

Josh and I returned back to DI later that evening after dinner and enjoyed throwing ball at the park together.  This park is just a few hundred feet from the condo we will be moving to next week, so we look forward to getting settled and enjoying what our community has to offer -- water, nature trails, parks, biking community, pool, palm trees!  

This morning I joined my new women's Bible study group at church where we began our study of Exodus!  This is going to be different than any other study I have done before, but I am excited for the new perspective and knowledge I will gain from it.  I was completely blessed to sit between my new friends Jessi & Katie during the class, so I was able to get to know them better.  And the more I spend with them, the more I love and adore these ladies!  They are the perfect examples of a Woman of God, so I look up to these ladies and want to learn from them about being wives, mommies, and children of God.  Then a couple other new ladies and I joined them (and little ones) and their Mom to lunch after the study!  The lunch was so much fun -- 7 women and 6 little kids all 3 and under!  I really enjoyed the time and can't wait to do it again!  

We have plans for dinner tonight to meet with another couple for dinner on Shem Creek, so we are looking forward to that!

I could not be more blessed during this experience!  In addition to the blessings I've previously mentioned with amazing new friends, our fabulous church, and the R family taking us in as their own, I have also noticed that I have "lived in the moment" more now than ever before!  It is so refreshing!  It's hard to explain because I am looking for a job and we are waiting on our house in KY to sell (both are big things in my mind), however we are doing what we can for those things and just believing in God's provisions for what is beyond our control.  It is such a freedom and so wonderful!  Again, I am not saying that life is perfect, but I am saying that I'm completely content with this moment.  And that is a huge PTL.....PRAISE THE LORD!  

The weeks (really a couple of months or more) leading up to this move were some of the hardest I have ever experienced, but now I feel so blessed and we know we are where we are supposed to be!  When Jessi and Katie were inquiring about my move this morning I was trying to explain this when Katie suggested that perhaps I am an early griever.....I dealt with the difficulties of the move before it happened, anticipating the hard times to come.  Therefore I arrived in Charleston having already experienced those emotions and ready to move on and enjoy life, which is exactly what we have been doing! 

Jessi and Katie have both experience several moves.  In fact, Jessi is preparing for a big move a few weeks from now and she is a huge encouragement to me.  She has literally moved from coast to coast before -- as a young wife and mommy!  She admitted that there were hard times, but in the midst of those it is always easy to see the many ways you are being blessed because of the move....I like this analogy!  When spouses stick together during moves, it is also known to be a major strengthening of marriage and I already see that!  What a blessing!  We have relied on each other more than even before and we are having so much fun together making our way in our new home town!  

Moves are hard, but so rewarding!

There will be ups and downs along the way and we are aware of that.  After all, that's life.....no matter where you live!  But for now.....we are living it up in Charleston!

With love from Charleston!