Our week of fun

 I absolutely love Edisto Island. I remember coming here when I was little and exploring. Jonathan came here most years with his family. It's where we were engaged on one such family trip. And it's a place that I hope we can always go to for years to come.

This year was the first time that my little guy could fully embrace the beach experience. He is so cute in beach mode!

The girls equally enjoyed their beach bumming time. We even ventured off the island to Beaufort. It was a longer trip than expected but we had fun once we got there.

During high tide the girls brushed up on their checkers skills.













It is such a beautiful and unique place.

The Mystery Tree

My favorite thing at the beach to do is to watch the sun fall into the horizon over and over again.

The island has a really neat Serpentarium that added to our educational experience. It was so informative and the girls had a blast and were so brave.

My favorite picture from our trip.

Our last destination was one that I'd hoped would be one of our first. Botany Bay Plantation is an enchanting place. The beach is a half mile walk and has been left untouched. The shells that are there cannot be taken home so they are everywhere. And they are HUGE!! The kids enjoyed listening to the ocean in everyone they found.

 

It was a perfect ending to a fun week.

dough

We got to make some modeling dough for science and the kids LOVED it. For those of you who know me well...I don't care for activities that make messes. But sometimes I try to step out of my box.




The girls love any chance to wear their aprons and Thomas realized quickly that he didn't have one to wear! We're working on that one.

We had a great time and it  was much less messy than I expected. It's funny all the things that you have learned in your life that you take for granted. For example, Emily realized that you really can't scoop up some water and not have it fall out! I should have given her a bigger bowl to dip out water from but she learned something from it.


They were so excited to have their own dough to play with. They always enjoy helping me cut out shapes for my pies but this time they could do what they pleased.

Thomas was in on the fun as well. Although I've been told before, I never really understood how much the younger ones learn from their older siblings.


After the girls sculpted their creations:

Lauren made a bird's nest with eggs
Emily made a  beautiful heart with shapes inside

...we baked them in the oven to keep their shape. I think they enjoyed the creating more than the final product...since it is currently in the trash. But there are many future creating jobs to come and we all had fun!

I Found Nature

The other day the girls were out playing with their cousin, "B", when Lauren came running in the house. "Momma, I found some nature!" I turned to see her proudly display a cicada molt.

I'd seen them before and just figured it was a dead bug.


 I must admit...I'm not a bug person. They can live in their God given area and I will live in my bug free one...except for butterflies, ladybugs, honey bees (from a distance) and um, yeah I think that's it.


 But my inquisitive little people seem to want to draw me out of my box. Honestly, I was interested!

We went straight for our insect books and I jumped online and found this neat time lapse photos.


They are the sounds of summer for sure. We now have collected 4, oh, and a bucket full of worms.

The last mission

It was so sad to see the final shuttle launch. I wanted to somehow capture this moment that I know they will not remember. It is the end of an era.