Virgina Creeper Trail and Martha Washington Inn

We had so much fun today!! We got up early and drove up to Damascus, Virginia with Kay Kay. When we got there, we got fitted for our bikes and helmets. That was so funny seeing everyone with the silly looking helmets on. We then were taken up to the top of the mountain in a van and were able to coast/ride our bikes down the trail for 14 miles. It was so beautiful. At first Taylor Grace didn't want to stop and take in the scenery, but once we saw a lady that had an old country store that had to have our business to make a living, she started to relax and enjoy the ride. Before that she just wanted to get on her bike and get it "over with". We stopped at waterfalls, got in the creek, boy was that cold, and on the rocks. We saw a beautiful valley that was called Taylor's Valley. We had lunch at the cafe' there in Taylor's Valley, which was a nice break and good food. We counted 29 bridges that we crossed, and just enjoyed the stream that followed the trail the whole way down. It was beautiful!! We then ended the perfect day at the GRAND Martha Washington Inn! Wow was it magnificent! The girls said that it was the best place they had ever been their whole life. Taylor Grace said that she felt like a princess when she had to use a hand towel to dry her hands in the spa. They also took showers in the spa after they went swimming in the salt water pool and hot tub. We are so thankful that we were able to go and share this experience with Kay Kay!!

Mallory's Birthday Party "Luau and Minute to win it"

Mallory and her friends had a super time at her birthday party. Those that were there were Camryn Guest, Maddie Hamel, Kate Partlow, Skylyn Stevens, Katie Jane Sweat, Sadie Dibrell, Taylor Grace, Maya Danetinne, Ashley Motz, Patrick Brown, and the grandparents. We had it from 6:30-9:00 because Mallory wanted to be able to eat pizza and swim at night. It turned out to make things a lot different then when she has had swim parties in the past. The light in the pool was a big hit! We played "Minute to Win It" games. The Oreo game and the cotton ball game. It was so funny once everyone got the hang of the cotton ball game that they would get as much Vaseline on their faces and then their teammates would push their heads in the bowl so they could get as many on their faces as possible. Another game that was hilarious we the water balloon game. They had to put the water balloon in their bathing suit and then run to the end and pop it. They got very "creative" as to how they would pop it. So funny!!

I think that the best part of the whole party for me was when Mallory was opening her presents. She was so excited about each and every gift and made a huge deal thanking each person. It showed me how much she has grown up! In the past opening presents was the tough part because she wouldn't stop to thank people. My sweet little girl is 7!!!

Mallory's Birthday at Fripp

Today we woke up sometime after 8:00. Everyone had a good nights sleep and we were ready to have a great day and celebrate Mallory's birthday. The mom's went off to Beaufort to get the cake and do a little shopping. We found a cute shop called What's in Store. It had some great local gifts and some other great things that can't be found in Rock Hill. It wasn't your typical souvenir store. We got lots of decorations to surprise Mallory with. It started raining which kind of forced everyone off the beach, but the kids still had fun riding the golf cart with the dads and did a little bit of crabbing.
We cooked out at the Rutland's and Sloop's house and surprised Mallory with cake, decorations, and presents. She was so surprised and didn't expect any of it. She got a Fripp Island t-shirt and silly banz from the Rutlands and Sloops and Alisha gave her change purse/i.d. holder that matched a Vera Bradley purse we gave her. The kids loved surprising her and all made her this huge card. After opening presents and cake, all of the kids got in the hot tub in their clothes. We went on a golf cart ride to check out a possible house to rent next year and then called it a night. Fun, Fun, Fun!!! I can't believe this week has gone by so fast!

Day 4 at Fripp

Today we actually had to wake the kids up at 8:15 to get ready to go to Camp Fripp from 9-12. We had a funny conversation about alligators and how they got in the ponds on the golf courses. Mallory's theory was that maybe people got them when they were little and kept them as pets. Once they got too big, then they would put them in the ponds and that was when they would get mean because people would bother then while playing golf. Soo cute! Then TG objected to going to camp. She said that she was here to go to the beach and not to camp. Mallory said that we didn't know about the camp before we came so that is why she didn't have her plan for camp, but now that we know about it go with it. Didn't surprise me that TG would object to going. Comes to find out, we didn't pick a good day for them to go. They didn't have a good time and said that it was boring. I heard later that the day to go is when they take the kids on a boat to an island to find shells. Today they said that they only got to watch crabs race and stuff like that. They did say that they enjoyed petting the baby alligator. Now they are in the hot tub at the Sloop's and Rutland's place while the guys are off to play golf. We went down to the beach around 4:30 and let the kids play in the water and in the sand. It was awesome to be out on the beach that time of the day. The kids loved it. They were so happy and entertained themselves.
Taylor Grace wanted to stay until 8:00, but we did have to leave around 7:00 so that we could feed them and get them to bed. Tomorrow is a big day. Mallory's 7th Birthday!!!

Day 3 at Fripp

Today we went to the Cabana Club to change things up a little. The kids played in the fun pool with all kinds of caves and waterfalls while the adults enjoyed fruity drinks while listening to John Sloop's BIG digital radio. The kids and all of the adults were tired so we all went back to our places after lunch to nap and rejuvenate. Mallory slept until 4:30 and Taylor Grace until 5:00. (We had to wake TG up!!) Good thing we decided to rest because the kids and the adults had a big night. Alisha stayed home and kept the kids and they had pizza, movie, golf cart riding, alligator hunting (found 3) and then to bed. The adults went to Johnson Creek Tavern and had a blast!!!! We sat outside on the deck. When we first got there John S. sat in his plastic deck chair and the deck gave way below him!!!! One leg of the chair went through and he went down breaking the chair. It was soooo funny! We have pictures to prove it. He got a free drink because of it. I tried to get us all free drinks because to the "post traumatic stress" it caused us all, but didn't succeed. Then we found they had a jukebox and the guys all started playing songs and we started singing and "some of us" started dancing. I think that we were the entertainment for the evening. The people sitting inside were laughing and enjoying watching us have a good time. I got a JCT sticker to prove it! We didn't end our evening until midnight!

Day 2 at Fripp

More fun in the sun. We went to a part of the beach where you could actually drive your golf cart on the beach and unload it and then park it, which made getting all of the "stuff" down there. The kids didn't like that part of the beach as well as our first day because the water was really filled with shells and grit. I guess it was from the way the surf comes in?? We then went back to the house to eat and hang out. John and the girls found their first alligator spotting. There was about an 8 foot one on the grass on the golfing green. It just laid there still as can be. Occasionally you could see it moving a little and its jaws puffing when it breathed. John said the thing with the alligator is that he isn't afraid of all the commotion around him because it knows no one will bother it. We had a huge rain storm came up that evening and the Lynches were on the golf cart and got drenched.

First full day at Fripp

Yeah our first full day was AWESOME!!!!!!!! We got out on the beach at 11:30 and didn't come in off the beach until 5:30. We played in the sand, caught some rays, played boccie ball, jumped the waves, listened to some tunes, drank some beer, and the big even was when I got to teach everyone how to find sand dollars at low tide. We found 19 sand dollars, and TONS of conch shells with the conchs still in them. We kept the sand dollars but threw back the conchs especially after Andrea Berry's niece had to go to the emergency room to get 5 stitches in her finger from cutting it on a conch shell. Those here are the Berrys, the Rutlands, the sloops, the Lynches and us. All together with the Lynch's and Berry's extended families make 33 people!! I can't imagine what the rest of the week has to hold. I am so glad that we planned this and that we are having a great time.