I think I can, I think I can....I DID!!!!

We are approaching the 5 year anniversary of Steve's death.  There are so many memories that swirl in my mind from that time period.  One of the most prominent is hearing my children question if  we would still go on family vacations.  Steve was THE vacation planner.  I was the packer.  On July 31, 2010 I became the planner AND the packer.  I doubted myself on if I truly could plan a vacation from beginning to end.  I was blessed by some amazing friends and family to help be through this.  I vacationed with family or friends for the first 4 years....they helped me take the baby steps to help me prove to myself that I could do it on my own.  So on July 2nd the kids and I set off on our journey to Myrtle Beach.   We stopped along the way and visited friends that Steve and I both knew in college. They help keep me grounded and are such great encouragers....such a blessing.

After visiting them our journey brought us here:

The Tuesday before we left I received a phone call that they had canceled our condo.  After explaining why this trip was important to me they made it right....Actually they made it better.  This was the view from our condo.

It was so nice being on the beach.  We could go out for a few hours and then still go and do things in the area.

If we were at the condo and not on the beach, this is typically where we would find Sam.  She LOVES the water.  One day Spencer had to carry her from the ocean back to the condo because she refused to leave.  

They had quaint shopping with fun shops....we might have had a little too much fun.  

We experienced many "firsts" on this trip.  One of them being that we were on the beach watching fireworks for the 4th of July.  AMAZING!

Now see that beautiful Ferris Wheel... It was amazing to watch from the ground.   Unfortunately I have found that I do not like heights very much....I figured this out while riding it one night with my children.  They found it extremely entertaining that I was freaking out. Oh the memories we made... Spencer even videoed my moment of freaking out.  These are some pictures from before we started moving and from the top.  The one from the top is courtesy of Sydney.  

Another first was that the Spencer and Sydney went parasailing....Bucket List item checked off for them.  

 They dipped them in the water....Spencer said the water was really cold.

On our last day I was up early enough to catch this breath taking view.  Feeling very blessed for all that God has done in our lives.  

Just a few pictures right outside our condo.  Loved our time there and hope to return in the future.

On our way home we decided to make the most of it and see part of this country that we normally would not get to see.  Our first stop was in Asheville, North Carolina at the Biltmore Estate.  If you have never been here, I would highly recommend you stopping by. This amazing home was built by one of the Vanderbilts.  

 Steve and I visited here when Spencer was a baby. One of the things I remember was getting ice cream.  So I treated them to ice cream once we were finished with the tour.

After we left North Carolina we drove to Tennessee and visited Andrew Jackson's home.  As we were driving along I looked down and realized that my gas light had come on.  I quickly decided to look to see how many miles I had left on that tank....the "cruising range". 

Yikes!!!!!!

We made it to the gas station and then on to The Hermitage. There truly was no comparison and  you could quickly tell that inventions truly inspired the Biltmore Estate.

  

This was the hottest day of our trip and Sam was finished by the end.  This was a fun history lesson for the kids.  

Just a little break from the car ride. 

While vacationing is fun, it's always nice to be home and sleep in your own bed.  We had an amazing time and made some great memories.  I did it.... I truly did it and I hope this a trip that my kids will remember.  But if I'm honest with myself....I truly would be ok with just being the packer....but since that is no longer an option....here's to many more fun filled adventures for this crazy crew.