Ho Ho Ho, who wouldn't go...(I know...it is Jan. 25th)

...to South Carolina to spend 9 days with family during Christmas break? We have been extremely blessed and lucky to get to spend so much time in the east with Steve's family. Our kids look forward to trips like more than Christmas itself, I think. Case in point - in November they made a countdown chain, not to December 25th but December 26th, the morning we would fly to South Carolina and see everyone. I save a couple links of that chain in our Christmas scrapbook.

We got off to a bit of a rough start, forgetting the critter's blanket. This did not make for easy flights at all. Not to mention that around one and a half is the worst age to fly. Poor thing can't be reasoned with and doesn't understand time or why she can't run down the aisle or put her hands in everyone's drinks or that it is OK to fall asleep in someone's arms. (She NEVER does that anymore so she doesn't really know how.) But we managed. The big girls looked like little college kids flying home with Lindsay and her guitar in a gig bag on her back and Caroline with her skateboard and helmet strapped to her backpack.

The big cousin reunion in the Columbia SC Airport, or CAE as we like to call it.

Grandma and Grandpa Simpson are always such gracious hosts and we all have a wonderful time eating and celebrating and playing and eating some more with the occasional group family outing or adventure.

Some highlights of our recent trip:

The kids

Even bigger children

We had a family portrait sitting during this trip - we had all 21 members of Steve's family there for the first time in a couple of years. The last few get togethers someone was always missing. Not this time. A few quick shots while in the lobby of the studio.

Don't you love a good snapshot? Kate was playing with the bronze turtle in the lobby and I think this is just so sweet!

We ate. A lot. I don't know why Pizza take out night is the only picture I have but every dinner was followed by dessert. And I don't mean a single dessert. A dessert buffet. Fudge. Cookies. Pie(s). Italian Cream Cake. Coconut Cake. Chocolate Sheath Cake. I am sure I am missing lots. But Shirley has a system and schedule down for preparing the desserts for all of us. And we are ever so thankful. What would a night be without a slice of coconut cake and fudge, I ask?

The kids played Playstation. The front room/den was the kids domain. In here they played video games, watched movies, and planned and schemed and imagined together for 9 days straight. Everyone happens to be actually dressed in this picture but I dare say this is rare as PJ's all day was pretty much the norm!

One day I caught this. I had to take a picture. It didn't last long.

A few of the kids decorated gingerbread cookies - Caroline loved getting to spend time with Mary, the other kindergarten cousin - we just adore her!


We managed to find a blankie at Target similar to the one left at home - thank goodness because there is a reason we call it her happy blankie - it makes (and keeps) the girl happy! Cozette was a fun little companion and Kate enjoyed keeping up with her and trading pacifiers.

State Museum - this is a fantastic museum that has so many entertaining elements - touring exhibits (this time featuring dinosaurs) Civil War history, Science, and this time we were also able to see a traveling exhibit from the Holocaust Museum in DC. The exhibit featured the "science" of the superior race theory, Eugenics, that the Nazi Germany perpetuated. It was horrifying to say the least, especially when I saw a photograph of a child being examined by a physician - a child with misshapen feet much like Kate's. It was documented that this child had been euthanized because of this "deformity." All I could do is stand there and cry realizing what a miracle it was that Kate's feet are essentially corrected after a year of medical care and so many children as well as adults were killed because of things like this. My heart was broken.

Anyway, mostly it was a lot of fun!


On another day, we paid a visit to Eddie at the Edventure Children's Museum. Hard to tell from this picture (his wrist watch is the size of a large wall clock) but Eddie is big. You can climb up inside of his head, his brains, his sinuses, and slide down to the bottom. I am sure you pass other inside guts along the way; I have never been all the way in!



The Piggly Wiggly is always a good time for the kids.



A little outpatient procedure by Chief Surgeons Bobby and Caroline.

We spent all week trying to get Kate to let Bill hold her. This was the first time she would let him touch even her hand. Grandpa Bill is the sweetest most gentle and tender man...and of course Kate kept her distance. She eventually came around!

"Make your own Soda" pseudo science.

I think this crew thinks they are the most famous bunch of cousins on the planet!


Our New Year's Eve bash hosted by the Simpson Cousins included a talent show, scavenger hunt, dancing and of course lots of tasty treats!

This is Steve and his laptop doing I don't know what and Jeannie trying to decide what to eat first. And second. And third. Don't worry - I was right there with Jeannie. 'cept this time I was holding the camera.

Friday and Saturday left everyone wanting to get out of the house and play! I asked if there were places to hike or fun nature walks and Bill suggested this walk (he said this is where all the "trendy runners" go!) - a lake with a walking path and gorgeous views all around. The dam was 1.7 miles across and we parked at one end, did the walk, played near the lake with the kids and walked back. It was cold. It was windy. And it was fantastic. Jeannie and I each tried to make it a real workout and ran portions of it, sometimes by ourselves, sometimes with the kids, and for a while, I had a kid on my back. We all earned a trip to Hudson's BBQ on the way home!

Saturday we divided and conquered. One group (Steve and Caroline were part of this group) went to a National Forest area with a cold weather walk to see the swamp area of the Congaree River. I hear it was a great walk and definitely a fun but chilly time.

The other group (which was Me, Lindsay, Kate, Jeannie, & Kayleigh went out to lunch and shopping at the mall. We found a great sandwich shop - Which Wich - I highly recommend. Lindsay says it is "even better than Subway!" (her favorite.)I think most anything is better than Subway.

Eventually this trip had to come to an end. We spent 9 days staying up late and sleeping in, playing all day, eating and eating again, sharing family stories, playing games (Mostly Apples to Apples) and having just the best time with the whole family.

Thank you Bill and Shirley for making this trip possible! We love and adore you! I do have this last thing to say - Jeannie had the epiphany of the week - when considering all the trips to the grocery store to buy not only real staples but the junk food requested by the grandkids, Jeannie said that Bill loves to buy the kids all the yummy fun stuff because he gets to eat it for a week too! I must say, it is a pretty liberal food policy when we ask the kids how many Popsicles they have eaten for the day and we try our best to limit them to 3 or 4!!

At the airport, Kate let Grandpa Bill hold her for a moment. Victory!

And this just might be my favorite picture from the whole trip.