Ice Storm

February 19, 2014

It is shorts and a t-shirt weather today, over 80! Of course last week the kids here got out of school 2-3 days due to the ice storm. You may say, school cancelled what?! That is what I said as a Utah girl who remembers school ending early due to weather only one day in my school life. But, I mostly get it now. Here in the South the freezing weather is rear so when it does come around the cities aren't prepared and really save more my not having to buy all the equipment to spread salt and clear the roads (plus SC was #2 worst drivers in the states.) There are 2 reasons to shut the city down here are a few more. Humidity+ freezing temperature =ice, no precipitation needed. Also, since we are in a coastal area we have a lot of islands and bridges that aren't good to drive on and now people can't get to or from work. The Ravenal Bridge, our big suspension bridge had to be closed the day after the freezing weather, because once it warmed up the icicles were falling and hitting cars. And my last reason, much to my surprise many people in the area had no power or water for more then 48 hours! I never new ice storms could do so much damage. I feel very blessed have been able to keep my baby warm and be able to cook and function normally (other then not going outside) last week with the crazy weather. That was a wake up call and a little lesson on preparedness. So, from now on when you hear that the South is shutting down due to freezing temperatures maybe you won't roll your eyes. I am still jealous of the kids though, at least 5 days off school and 3 late start days in the last month because of the weather.

Although we have been blessed through the storms and well everything we did have a few rough days. poor Q was vomiting all night last Tuesday, 7 times in 4 hours, she was so miserable. I was worried it could be from the Amoxacillin I started the day before but we are back on that and no more yuckies. More likely it was from a bug Quincy picked up when we get to get the Amoxacillin- she had a rough night cough for 2 weeks the doctor attributed to sinusitis. It was a suggested even more to be a bug when 2 nights later Scott woke up sicker then Quincy. Poor guy was miserable and it was the day he was supposed to be OOD, 24 hour guy, luckily there Scott has a nice co-workers who took the duty day on more then last minute notice. I was blessed again and able to take care of my family and not get sick. Here is to staying healthy!

Quincy and I today

Holidays and Chaleston with mom and dad

A friendly reminder not to criticize my grammar and spelling, English is not my strong point and if I stress or read and re-read not much writing would happen.

We had a great time with mom and dad Allen who visited us here in Charleston just after Christmas here is what we did, (pictures to come)

Thursday- Welcomed mom and dad to Charleston and our home, plan our week, have fun with Q, Merry Christmas again. 

Friday- Showed Mom and dad the base and visited Charlie the Alligator but he and his family were hiding with the overcast weather. Mom and Dad were good sports about running around town with us to get notaries, sending off our documents, and funding our down payment for closing on the house as well as huge helps with watching Quincy as we sorted everything out. On this day we completed everything in our power with buying our house, Hooray!

Saturday - Patriot’s Point and we visited for our first time Fort Sumter, Where the first shots of the Civil War were fired as well. As Dad Richens, Ken, would say (and will say in about 2 weeks): I thought that was pretty neat…

Sunday -Church, play with Quincy and games at home

Monday- spent the day touring downtown. Walking the old historic roads increased my love and intrigue for Charleston. I want to go back down to walk past the prerevolutionary war houses with the lag lanterns outside their homes, they have so much charm.

Tuesday- Boone Hall Plantation, they had a Gullah Culture talk that I loved. It helped me understand some of my YW better because of understanding that their ancestors were in slavery only a few generations back and learning more of that history.  I don’t think they have learned important skills and family relations because slavery often smothered them. Everything else at Boone Hall Scott and I had done, but it was fun to do again to remember, solidify and hear new tidbits about the plantation, house, and people. Oh we got to see the sample cotton field that wasn’t in bloom last time, cool to see how cotton grows and how soft it is.  The south is beautiful!

               We went back downtown, mom and dad walked through the market, and we met at the Old Slave Mart Museum- a location that sold slaves once it was law to do it behind closed doors. The experience of walking through those walls, reading and listening to stories were heartbreaking, but again enlightening to how broken life was and still can be from the history.

We finished the night at Hominy Grill a famous southern style restaurant headed back home to put Q to bed, and bring in the New Year with party food and games.  

Wednesday- Happy 2014!  Mom and Dad treated us to a little trip up to the famous, Myrtle Beach, 2 hours away. It was Beautiful but not much happens up there in the winter-especially cold rainy days. We watched football, played on the beach for a few minutes. Quincy LOVED the beach (it is outside) but because of the weather she finally learned to keep a hat on her head to protect from the cold. More games and football…I loved having a couple other people around so we could have a few game nights. I would have played every night all night but didn’t want to torture everyone else. We got in at least one game of the following: Ticket to Ride, Rook, Bonanza, and Settlers over the last few nights, yay.

Thursday- we relaxed had a nice breakfast hot buffet from the hotel, and drove all around Myrtle Beach. The only thing we missed on the trip was a round a putt-putt, that was all closed for the season too. We enjoyed out last day with mom and dad before taking them to the airport early Friday.   

Thanks for coming we are excited for you to visit again…a couple of days with us, and then you can go on a cruise and then couple more days with us… I’ll house you; give you a ride to the ship port and back. How’s that about idea for any of ya’ll?   

We added a few more things to do after more touring of Charleston:

Go to a show at Dock Street theater, the first building in America designed for use as a theater.

Tour the Calhoun mansion

Get our 2014 Christmas ornament at from the sweet grass basket weavers on the Mt. Pleasant side (cheaper)

Look into Snee Farm,

 Look into Charles Pickney plantation,

18 months

Dear Quincy,

Here is your life at just under 18 months:

• Smile and smile and smile
• Daddy said today that with you around life is a game of charades. At least now you smile when we guess the right word of what you want.
• You still would never come in from outside if we didn’t make you. (even on the cold days)
• You like to chase the ducks, but when they chase you it makes you nervous.
• You are picking up words left and right. Learning to say food names, people’s names, and everything we walk about in the day.
• “Back” means you want to ride on mine or daddy’s back, or you have something to put away.
• You love nursery again, 1 month was rough but you are back to loving it. As soon as sacrament meeting is over you are pulling our arms to lead whoever will get up fastest to nursery.
• Most mornings now we have an outing where you can play with other kids. Monday-Play group Tuesday- story time Wednesday-Institute with other mommy’s, Thursday-flexible, at home play dates, etc Friday- Zumba with other mommy’s. In January I realized I needed to let you play with more than just me at home or the playgrounds, getting out is hard, but it is good for us.
• You make me cry watching you hold the hymn book and lead music, you are growing up too fast!
• You have such a fun personality and I think how lucky I am to have you multiple times a day.
• You are: sweet, loving, and cuddly with your hugs and kisses, fun with how you realize how smart you are getting, Inquisitive and ready to discover determined to get what or where you want, lovable not only for your family, but everyone adults, kids and teenagers that we interact with love you, silly, with the way you play and giggle all day.
• Little boys give you kisses, one 3 year old boy told him mom you were his Valentine.

Thanks for making like wonderful!

Love mommy