Kiawah Island - South Carolina

We packed our bags and headed South for the Fourth of July this year!  We have never been to South Carolina, so it was a treat to visit another state that we have never experienced.  The weather in Iowa was so rainy in June, so we were all looking forward to some much desired sunshine!  As the vacation approached the weather throughout the US was stormy and they were predicting a hurricane to hit off the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina around the same time we were there...really?!?!  Didn't I just say that the weather here was rainy enough?!  Either way...we were going!

Luggage?!  Check!

These girls are seasoned travelers!

A little in-flight reading!

The clouds above Hurricane Arthur

Our home for the week

We arrived in Charleston and loaded up the family roadsters and headed towards Kiawah Island.  Arriving at the island about an hour later, the scenery was beautiful!  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was blown away.  The island was beautiful and the homes were magnificent -- talk about some amazing real estate!  As you can tell by the home we rented, these homes weren't your every day house!

The island is decent sized, so you see quite a bit of traffic, but it is also very bike friendly.  So, we did a fair amount of our getting around by the rental bikes that we had for the week!  Lila enjoyed being pulled in the trailer!

The princess in her chariot!

We didn't waste any time getting ourselves acquainted and, most importantly, found the beach!  What a beautiful beach...it was equal parts clean, white sand, and then as you got closer to the tide the sand became packed down and hard enough that you could ride your bike right on the beach!

Hello sand, sun, & fun!

Happy to be on vacation together!

The real estate is incredible!

Posing at the end of the boardwalk

The day of the 4th we went to one of the resorts on the island to enjoy lunch and some of the activities they had going on for the kids.  One of those activities was hair braiding!  Each of the girls got their hair braided and were pretty excited to show off their new do's!

Braided beauty

Little Firecrackers!

At the resort we had the vantage point to be able to watch two firework shows, which was a huge treat!  I am a sucker for the Fourth and for the fireworks -- it is the one time a year that I really reflect on how lucky we are to live here and for the freedoms we have.  It wasn't too shabby to watch from the beautiful displays from the beach!

Happy Birthday, America!

For the next few days we took the vacation word seriously!  We spent a majority of the time at the water, spending time as a family, and enjoying the warm weather that South Carolina was experiencing!

Breakfast at the market

I love this picture -- she's looking out watching the world unfold in front of her...

Dads & Daughters

My everything!

Hand in hand

Dinner at the Atlantic Room

Kiawah sunset

Family

Clam diggers

Buddies

Boogie board!

Catching some sun

During our final full day we decided to go back to Charleston to spend some time.  Charleston is famous for many things, one being the plantation homes that are in the area.  Another thing they are famous for is the Angel Oak tree.  The Angel Oak tree is one of the longest living trees of its kind, believed to be 1500 years old.  The tree is 65 feet tall, but what is most impressive is the branches that sprawl well over 100 ft and wind down to the ground . 

The Angel Oak

Angle after angle

The tree goes in so many directions

Snapping a picture

Branches

After visiting the Angel Oak we stopped at the Magnolia Plantation.  The plantation was founded in 1676 and was home to the Drayton family.  It was pretty amazing to take a step back in time and listen to the tour guide explain what it was like to live on the plantation back in those times.  The plantation was in the business of rice and employed many slaves & house staff to keep the business running.  

Slave cabins

The plantation is the most visited plantation in Charleston because of it's history and the vast amount of gardens that are maintained on the property!  The home has been passed down through the Drayton family for generations leading to today.

The Magnolia house

The kids favorite part of the whole tour was the stop at the zoo that is on the property.  They loved seeing animals that are generally wild be so domesticated!  You don't see kids hugging on a deer in Iowa!

Why, hello!

Oh, Deer!

Not impressed!

The next day we were headed home.  We all really enjoyed South Carolina and Kiawah Island -- all of us saying we would go back.  We can all scratch another state off of our list and put all the fun times in our memory banks!

Live - Love - Dance: Recital 2014

This year June 6th was a big day for Lila!  Not only did she graduate preschool, but it was also her dance recital, too (it is also her Grammy & Uncle Jason's birthday)!  She was in the Tinies 1-2 class at Dancer's Edge that ran the length of the school year.  They ended the year with a ballet performance to the tune "The Way to Bake" from Snow White.

This was our first rodeo, so even the dress rehearsal was new to us.  I wasn't really on it and didn't do a trial run on her hair or make-up, so I was a bit nervous as I was whipping her hair up and putting make-up on her only to rush out the door, but she didn't look too bad!  And she loved it, so I suppose that is all that really matters!

Looking so grown-up!

Lila's good friend Henley is in her class with her and both of the girls were so excited to see how this was all going to work out and get up on the big stage to perform their dance.  We arrived at Prairie's Concert Hall and got the girls all ready and shipped them off to the teachers backstage!

CHEESE!

What a good Daddy!

All ready!

Patiently waiting!

It was so cute to finally see the girls come across the stage when it was their turn to perform.  This was Lila's very first time ever being on a stage like this...I wasn't sure how she would react.  Good news, she didn't sweat it at all during rehearsal.  I was hopeful that she would do as well when the seats were full during the recital!

Places everyone!

Practice makes perfect!

Little darlings!

They've got it down!

Take 2!

After rehearsal dinner!  They were still performing, this time singing!

A few days later it was time for the big recital!  We followed the same beauty routine at the house and got her hair and make-up all done and then off we went to Prairie to watch her perform in front of an audience full of people!

Ready to go!

Dance Darlings!

Here we go!

So, as I stated before...I was unbelievably impressed with Lila that she was able to get up on that big stage and perform without flinching, I think I was more nervous for the final recital performance than she was.  She strolled right out on the dark stage and they sat and sat, I literally was shaking I was so nervous and convinced that the dark would freak all of these little kids out.  But, the lights came up ,the music came on, and they danced!  They danced SO well!  It was awesome!

And this ladies in gentlemen...

is how to...

bake a cake!

She only had one dance, but each of the dancers performed in the finale with their teachers, too!  It was fun to see everyone out there together getting their groove on and celebrating all of their hard work for the year!

Good job everyone!

After recital was over our little dancer was able to come out and see all of the people that were there to cheer her on!  We are so lucky to be surrounded by so many friends & family that are so excited to support our little girl (especially Jason who gave up birthday plans to sit through a dance recital)!

Bravo!

Cousins who paved the way for dancing!

Adding Hannah to the group!

Grampa & his girl!

Grandma & Grandpa Eddins!

We have reached yet another milestone...another first!  Whether she continues dancing through her entire life or at some point decides she is interested in other things, we have officially sailed through our first recital. She blew us away with her courage and reminded us yet again that fear is often time learned.  As long as Mom and Dad didn't make a huge deal out if it, she was a cool cucumber!  We look forward to many more opportunities to watch her on the stage!