Colonial Dorchester

Easton and I went exploring to yet another historical site around town called Colonial Dorchester. There we saw remnants of the pre-Revolutionary town that had been established there. It sits right on the Ashely River and was very beautiful. My favorite part was the leftovers of the church (red brick structure in pictures). Easton's favorite part was running around and playing in all the leaves. :)

Myrtle Beach in January!???

This weekend we decided to venture over to Myrtle Beach (2 hrs. from where we live) because Travelzoo had some great deals on places to stay. And, let us not forget, it's "off-season." It turned out that Easton had a cold AND we had some pretty cold weather but still had a great time. Besides walking the beach a few times we went to the Aquarium which was pretty cool. Easton LOVED all of the sharks in the "tunnel." They had one of those moving pathways through the tank so you could see everything. We did find out he's a little afraid of dark places and scuba divers. :) The Aquarium is located in an area called "Broadway at the Beach" and had a ton of other stuff to do. After the Aquarium we caught an IMAX movie in 3D (of course it had to have sharks) and then had fun at a place called MagiQuest. It's a fun family geared place where you select a magic wand and then go through the kingdom opening chests of gold and collecting ancient runes to increase your powers as a Magi. Though 80% of the people there were kids, Scott liked it just as much as any of them. :) Come 5:00 we could tell that Easton was pooped so we wrapped up with some dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and headed back to our resort. It was a fun weekend!

New Camera!

As many of you know, I have always loved taking pictures (which is one of the reasons I had to give up conventional scrapbooking - too many pictures!). I decided it was finally time to get serious and upgrade to a digital camera with a few more features than I'm used to having. :) I got the Canon Digital Rebel XTi with a few lenses to go with it and I'm so excited!!!

I've had one really good day of weather so far to try it out and I love it! As soon as the rain and cold gets under control again Easton and I will be venturing out to improve our skills! Any other photo enthusiasts?

OBSESSION

Easton has been totally and completely obsessed with the movie RATATOUILLE for a few weeks now. He calles it the "mouse." We watch it at least once a day and one day last week ended up watching it nearly 3 times just so I could keep my sanity. Everything is "mama . . . . mouse, please (or peas in Easton's language) mouse!" Mouse when we wake up, mouse when we get in the car, mouse when we eat. I can't esape the mouse! So, to all of my "experienced" friends. . . . I need some advice. Do these stages pass quickly? How long am I supposed to let him obsess over "the mouse?" Help!

4 Things

I was tagged by Maren so here goes . . . . . .

*Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Adventure Guide for the Boy Scouts of America
2. Physical Therapy Tech at Provo Hospital
3. Recreation Director at Legacy House of Taylorsville Assisted Living
4. Mortgage Officer at Sunwest Capital

*Four places I have lived:
1. Santa Clara, UT
2. Salt Lake City (and surrounding areas), UT
3. Fukuoka, Japan (do missions count?)
4. Summerville, SC

*Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. Amazing Race
2. Survivor
3. Biggest Loser
4. Prison Break

*Four places I have been (other than where I lived):
1. Hong Kong/China
2. England/Scotland
3. Australia/New Zealand
4. Curasao, Netherland Antilles

*Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chicken & Mushroom crepes
2. Grandma Frei's homemade rolls and noodle soup
3. Chicken Squares
4. Mom's round steak and funeral potatoes

*Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Home (Santa Clara)
2. At the cabin (Kolob)
3. Anywhere warm in the Carribean
4. On a fun adventure in a new place with Scott and Easton

*Four friends that I think will respond:
1. I would like everyone to. :)

*Four favorite books: (Wow, I would actually have to list the only 4 books I have read in the last few years - he he he.)
1. Twilight Series - Yes, I read all three and in record time for me. :)
2. Harry Potter Series - Scott and I read book 7 together so I didn't have to revert to listening to it on cd.
3. Memoirs of a Geisha
4. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (the Aron Ralston story - the guy who got stuck in a slot canyon and had to cut off his arm to survive)

*Four things I look forward to in the next year:
1. Myrtle Beach in a few weeks
2. Friends coming to visit (hooray for Marty and Angie!)
3. A trip to Salt Lake and St. George to see family
4. Welcoming my little sister KayDee's first baby in September!

**I tag Kelly, Angie, Mindy, & KayDee**

Grandma Orchard in Town

Scott's mom came to visit on Tuesday and we've been having all kinds of fun since. Yesterday we visited a nearby attraction called Magnolia Plantation. Who would have thought we would end up spending the ENTIRE day there? There was so much to see and do. Magnolia Plantation was the original home of the Drayton family established in 1676. It was run by slaves who grew a very large crop of Carolina Gold Rice. There are over 30 acres of gardens around the house which makes it the oldest major public garden in America. We visited the plantation a little early but in a few weeks the camillias will start to bloom and this place becomes alive with color. We'll have to go back again. With about 500 acres of gardens and grounds to explore, we were also entertained in the petting zoo and the Audobon Swamp Garden. We saw a lot of alligators and turtles, as well as different kinds of large birds (even a couple of bald eagles). We really had a great time!