What a difference a year makes

We have officially started jogging again. Nothing like baring your legs in shorts to get you motivated. It was approximately the same time last year when we busted out the jogger stroller for faster-paced strolls in the park. I wanted to capture a pic of Alexa this year and compare with last year’s first jogger stroller outing.



There are some obvious differences – longer hair, longer legs (even when she had them kicked out in the top photo), less baby fat, bigger bows, more teeth & no paci. And let’s face it, twenty minutes is her max in a stroller. She prefers to push strollers rather than ride in them. However, the biggest difference this Mama sees is a little personality (and perhaps attitude). Lil’ A now carries a purse, loves to wear her bling shades & accessorize with stickers. She has an opinion about everything these days from what bib she should wear to how she wants her hair. We refuse to raise a diva although it looks as if Alexa missed that memo. We are praying God will continue to give us the consistency and wisdom to take that strong will and shape it into a heart stubborn for God’s glory. I wonder what another 12 months will hold for our “not-so-Lil’ A.” We’ll let you know.

Here’s a better pic to show how much longer she is.

Monday pick-me-up

HANGING WITH THREE “SALTY” GIRLS


Our precious adopted college students - Caitlin and Stephanie, two of the three “salty girls” with whom we spent the weekend. The third gal is below (my niece, Rylen). Unfortunately, Alexa isn’t “salty” yet but we’re praying God’s divine sodium will saturate her life at a young age so she can season the world around her with God’s goodness – just like these gals have.

Last August, we were approached about adopting a few college students. I have to admit, I was reluctant. After all, I look at Proverbs 31 and realize I’m a loooong ways from looking like that woman. I don’t have a great deal of discretionary time and was hesitant to give up what little I do have. And, let’s face it, college students crave delicious food and I’m no Paula Deen. In fact, I’m far from it. Bottom line – I felt inadequate for the task. So, we prayed about it. Shocker – God wanted us to do it. Why? Because it’s never about us – it’s about Him, refining us to look like Him and living out the truths of Titus 2. Just so you know, saying “yes” was a really good decision.

God dropped these two beautiful young women right in our laps. I introduced you to them in a post on September 19th (when Alexa’s hair was much shorter). Let me just say this, what a blessing!! From the start, my time with them has been a true joy (never wasted, always fruitful). I have learned so much from them. Bonus: they haven’t complained about my cooking even once and they love our Lil’ A.

I consider it a tremendous privilege to have walked with these mature ladies. Asking them about their walks isn’t difficult because they really walk with the Lord. They genuinely seek His face. They study and memorize His Word. They serve Him. They invest in and disciple other women. They “do everything in love” (I Cor. 16:14). I am humbled to have walked beside them this year. They sharpened me in ways I never expected, and I pray, I was able to do the same for them as well (Prov. 27:17).   

If you think about it, please pray for Stephanie. She has a very full week of finals, research papers & decisions. She will graduate on Friday and prepare to head overseas for the summer. When she returns, she’ll start a job in the “real world.” Also lift up Caitlin who will be traveling a great deal this summer while balancing work, serving in the college ministry and investing in young women.
I’m so excited for these gals and what God has in store for them! I have definitely seen the Lord grow them in ways they wouldn’t have chosen, but I am confident their trials and refinement will not be wasted. If a young man happens to be in the near future, he’s going to have a long Q&A with the “adopted” mama before he can pursue them. I love you ladies and thank God for you!!

 
The other “salty” girl on my list for the weekend was my niece, Rylen. She was a finalist in the State Bible Drill competition. Alexa and I cheered her on Saturday, and I must say, I was a very proud aunt watching her quote scripture from memory and find key passages in the Bible – all with great poise and in a six seconds (the allotted amount of time for each question). You would’ve never known she was nervous. What a priceless treasure for this 12-year-old to have so many Truths from God’s Word tucked away in her heart as she grows up in Christ, shares with others, and stands firm against the Enemy. Congrats Rylen!! We are so proud of you, and I’m thrilled Alexa has an older role model she can look up to as you seek to follow Christ.


Alexa was quite the hit with the young girls. She gave away lots of hugs & high fives.

The Charleston we love

I have a fascination with windows. Here are a few that captivated me. Please don’t judge too harshly, I didn’t do this in Photoshop. In time, I will tweak everything. If you’d like to see it larger, click on the image.
There are sooooo many reasons to fall in love with this city – the history, the charm, the people, the architecture, the landscape, the food, the shopping . . . You can visit a plantation one day and go diving with the dolphins the next. And, it’s just incredible to think of the history enveloped in each and every street. Chris and I love it because we can walk almost everywhere. There truly is something for everyone. Apparently, several others agree with us about Charleston as Conde Nast named it 2012’s “#1 City to visit in the US.” Clearly, we have brilliant taste!

Speaking of, here’s the promised second (and final) post featuring just a few things that captured our attention and taste buds on this trip. The first being windows (above). I have a framed picture of 20 windows I photographed during my time in the Middle East and I hope I can do something similar with these charming Southern windows. I also found the door knockers to have so much character. Thank goodness most of the historic homes are directly in front of the sidewalk. In that way, I didn’t feel so obtrusive photographing the homeowner’s doors. 

Of course, you can’t escape the South without walking under canopies of amazing trees. They feel so whimsical, poetic and large. No doubt, they have stories to tell. A stark contrast to Oklahoma trees which inevitably lean whichever way the wind blows. I love that Spanish moss.




THE GRUB
But let’s get serious and talk about what we spent a vast majority of our time doing – eating! For fun (and motivation for losing weight), we tried to take a pic of the food at several places we ate. In our shuttle from the airport to the inn, we struck up a conversation with a local who just happened to own three restaurants and had “connections” with several more. We clearly didn’t make it to every restaurant we desired, but here’s a fun rundown of empty calories run amuck. 

Michael Shemtov, the owner of Butcher & Bee and Mellow Mushroom. We’re thankful for his connections at Husk, McCrady’s, Cru Café, Hanks Seafood and more!


Butcher & Bee is a sandwich shop located in a warehouse on King Street tucked underneath I-26. With a menu that changes daily, they source all of their ingredients locally or from their garden. Everything was so fresh. Joanna, this is definitely worth the walk. Tell Michael the Kennedys from OK sent you and spread the word!

Pulled squash sandwich

Roast beef sandwich

Strawberry upside-down cake, compliments of Michael. The last piece they had!


We had to try out Husk, voted “2011’s Best New Restaurant” by both Bon Appetit and Southern Living. Like Butcher & Bee, it also boasts a rotating menu with locally grown ingredients. Chris had striped bass and I had the popular bacon burger. 



Can’t remember the official name, but it’s the mint chocolate pie combo.

Wes’ pimento grilled cheese sandwich at The Blind Tiger pub.

Chris’ “gater hater” burger. Yes, this was ground alligator.

For a true taste of the South, we took a bike taxi to Hominy Grill.

I opted for the “heart attack on a plate” with a buttermilk biscuit, gravy, cheddar cheese & sausage combination with a side of mac and cheese.

Sesame-crusted farm-raised catfish with sautéed okra, deep fried cheese grits & geechee peanut sauce. Whhaaaaat?

Definitely not pretty and almost gone but this strawberry rhubarb pie was to die for!

A deliciously fresh pizza from Mellow Mushroom called “The Caesar!”


Unfortunately, this was the only picture we captured at McCrady’s (a salad of warm spring vegetables). It was a bit too high end for me to feel comfortable whipping out my iPhone during each of the four courses. However, we did enjoy the decadent flavor sensations of green garlic soup, wild salmon, fried softshell crab, wagyu, duck, ambrose strawberries and dark chocolate ganache. Mmmmmmmmm!!  

McCrady’s also features a changing menu based on the freshest locally grown ingredients. When it came to food, I believe this was Chris’ highlight. I enjoyed everything but a few of the wildflowers I ate. I’d prefer them in a vase next time.

Alright, wake up! This post is over and I’ll be moving back into reality with posts from home again soon. Thanks for joining us on a short escape to Charleston.

Charmed in Charleston

Our last night out on the “Charles” town.

Okay – so it’s been a month since our Charleston getaway and I still haven’t posted a blog. I’ve started it a few times but just don’t know where to begin or how to prevent the post from becoming a Griswold family vacation rerun. I don’t want anyone to drool on their keyboard in boredom thinking, “Enough already!”
So, I’ve decided to split our Charleston getaway into two posts. This one highlights our time together. Let’s face it – it’s basically for our family and the people who really love us. The other one will feature a few reasons we love Charleston so much. (We’re already dreaming of a third trip, and of course, a vacation home!) Oh yeah, we’ll have to figure out how to become independently wealthy so the latter’s affordable.

In front of Harborview Inn, our first morning back in the charming city we adore.

To recap, my friend recently asked me about our time in Charleston. She said, “So did you eat a lot, walk around and talk?” I thought a minute and said, “Yes, that about sums up our time together.” Lots of wonderful food (check out the next blog), lots of walking, shopping, and lots of talking . . . and not talking, just being together. No work. No dishes. No making beds. No dirty diapers. No “real life.” Ahhhhhh . . .

For those of you who’d prefer pics, here you go . . . 

HARBORVIEW INN

Harborview Inn – the perfect location in the historic district overlooking Waterfront Park and Charleston Harbor. Our room was the triple window you see on the very left-hand side of the page. We stayed in a historic room with exposed brick walls & 14 ft ceilings – a whirlpool tub, your option of breakfast in bed, on the terrace or in the atrium, fresh cookies and milk each evening with evening turndown service. Yeeesss!


A morning view of Waterfront Park and Charleston Harbor from the terrace.


An afternoon view of the same thing. Alexa would’ve loved the fountain. Bored yet?


A view from the terrace overlooking Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter (center) & James Island (right). You’d have to click and really zoom in!

A glimpse of our home away from home . . . I need a wide angle lens.


Breakfast delivered to our bedroom.


Breakfast on the terrace.


We could walk down to the pier in the evening, sit in a swing and just watch the waves roll in. Cooper River Bridge was east of the pier.

HOUSES & GARDENS TOUR


Sunscreened up and patiently waiting for our walking tour to begin.

We visited Charleston during their (squeal) 65th annual Festival of Houses & Gardens. It’s only four weeks in the spring and it is amazing – a must see!! Each day there is a street to tour with select private properties/gardens open to the public. If you’re like me, it’s a “peeping Tom’s” dream!! We visited 23 private homes & gardens on the two tours we selected. It was probably the highlight of the trip for me.


We toured homes like this, c. 1800. I couldn’t even come close to capturing the entire home & surrounding property. And yes, this is a private home. Unfortunately, we couldn’t photograph inside the homes or on the properties for obvious reasons. Gen. Robert E. Lee addressed well wishers from the second level of the portico.


This home, c.1886, now houses the Wentworth Mansion – a luxury hotel. However, it was built for a very wealthy businessman, his wife and 13 children. Not bad, eh?


I wish I could’ve captured this breathtaking home better (notice the equipment for painting in the front). It was my personal jewel of the home tours. It is currently owned by Frank W. Abagnale – the real life character of the movie, Catch Me If You Can. He and his family lived in Oklahoma until their move to SC.


We enjoyed an evening tour on Church Street. It is claimed to be the “most romantic street in America.”


Another view of Church Street at sunset.


After our first walking tour – no sunburns, just smiles. Perhaps a bit dumbfounded by the lack of high-end antiques, gallery artwork and 18th century family heirlooms in our home. Seriously, what have we been doing with our spare time and money!? We need to tell these homeowners about IKEA.


We did find the perfect home. It’s tucked away in an alley (as many homes are in the historic district). It’s 700 sq ft larger than our home and just a little over $1,000,000 more than what we paid for ours. Bummer!


We decided this carriage house converted into a home would be the more reasonable option for our Charleston dream home. We like to dream big.

RANDOMNESS

It’s true. Our little girl was never far from our thoughts & hearts. We really missed her!


I fell in love with this door. We walked by it often on the way to and from outings.


Rainbow Row


We were caught in a mid-afternoon downpour walking through the College of Charleston’s campus. We ducked into a building and walked out onto the “Cistern,” a grassy area where students enjoy studying. What a delightful, albeit wet, surprise!


Cobblestone on Chalmers Street, the longest remaining cobblestone street in the US.


This birdhouse caught my eye and made me think of my grandmother, Nonie, who loved birds. I’m positive her spread is far more spectacular in Glory.


Gotta love the self-portraits. We may not look charming but we were definitely charmed by the city we deeply enjoy. More to come – if you can handle it!