Fall and Family Arrive

WHEN: November 2012

WHERE: Charleston, SC

As December has rolled around, I am wondering where fall has gone - where 2012 has gone.  Is it really 2013 in 4 weeks?  Didn't we just celebrate New Year's?  Am I really turning 30 next year?  Will the Mayan Apocalypse negate all of that?

(just kidding)

Even as fall is quickly being overtaken by winter (or already passed, by many metrics), I am struggling to embrace winter yet also finding it hard to hold on to fall.  Thanksgiving is barely over, colors are still changing here, the weather has been unseasonably warm so far in December, and even though I have been listening to Christmas music for weeks now, it just doesn't seem like Christmas vacation starts two weeks from tomorrow.  Stacie and I are both really looking forward to Christmas (as always) and have been trying to ingest Christmas music, movies, and events as often as possible.  Somehow, though, I am personally just not all there yet.  I really don't know why, other than the reasons I have already mentioned perhaps.

I have two weeks to figure it out and get in the spirit.

Maybe I just need to get this post under my belt.  It's a hodgepodge of fall and winter (Christmas) intertwined.  This twilight zone is where my seasonal spirit has been living the past few weeks.  I feel it's time to move on.  Embrace winter.  Anticipate Christmas and a new year.  Begin the countdown to summer.  What, too soon?

(173 days, and I can't wait)

But one season at a time...

This is what fall looks like in Charleston in mid-November.  A quaint setting, yes, but few colors.  I drove Stacie around town on a rainy Sunday after church a few weeks ago, searching for the rare and fleeting colors in town.

Not to say they don't exist...you just have to look for them.

There are a few gems to be found

 And I have noticed this year, especially, that there are more colors than I often give Charleston credit for.  I think the reason why we feel there are no colors here is that we still expect them in September and October, but they don't usually come until closer to Thanksgiving.  There are still beautiful colors out there today, on December 5!

 I found these young maple trees on October 28.  They were some of the first to turn with brilliant colors, and with few maples around town, they are the exception.

And just to take you one more step backwards into fall, I wanted to share Halloween pictures of the Brasses (2007 vs. 2012).  Have we gotten friendlier?

But off with the fall and on with the family...

I awoke the first morning at 5am, restless.  Not fun (especially on vacation), but it meant I was up to see these babies awake with their messy hair and big smiles.  They woke up with no more than 2 minutes to spare, just in time to see the garbage truck come (a favorite activity for them).

And by the time Aunt Stacie was up, it was time to watch Curious George.  Stacie was happy to oblige, if it meant she got to cuddle up with them for a few minutes.

 I took them to the neighborhood park when cartoons were over.  Ava spent the first few minutes of the walk laying out every ground rule imaginable about how and when the stroller would be pushed and who would do the pushing.  They love this thing.

I don't think Carter paid attention to any of the instructions :)

Fun at the park.
Carter busy at play, Ava deep in thought.

They were mesmerized by the fountains in the neighborhood.  We stopped at every one to sit and watch.  I'm pretty sure Carter called them 'mountains'. :)

Later, the girls went shopping for the Thanksgiving meal while the boys went out on the town to play.  Sound about right?

Travis was eager to run the 2-mile Ravenel Bridge.  Though I have driven over it dozens of times, I had never walked it before, so I was excited too.

I lacked enthusiasm for Travis, however, who had wanted to run and push Carter in the stroller, against a strong, cold wind, up 200ft., down the other side, then back up again.  It actually fit the old adage, "up the hill both ways".

I employed the walking method, taking it slow with my camera and making frequent stops to take pictures.

Travis and Carter after the run over the bridge, waiting for Jesse to hurry up with his camera.
This ledge is 180ft. over the Cooper River below.

...for perspective

And it provides a great view

Think the boys had fun?

Carter was thrilled

 She's a beautiful bridge

 That night I went out to pick out our Christmas tree.  It was sad to do it alone, since we have done it together the previous 5 years, but the kids were going down to sleep and the girls were busy preparing the Thanksgiving meal for the next day.  Having family in town is as good an excuse as any to have to go it alone.

The tree sat in the garage for two days and the kids enjoyed the light show

The house was busy and festive Thanksgiving morning.  It was so fun having little guests in our house for the holiday.  It makes these festive times more rich and memorable to have kids (and adults) you're related to share it with you.

I was tasked with prepping the turkey for the third year in a row.  I imagine it's tradition now, though I'd rather pass on this one.  Nevertheless, given all Stacie does to prepare the meal, I really don't mind and enjoy helping out in some way.  Sticking my hand in a half-frozen, bloody turkey still beats hours in the kitchen cooking all the other dishes.  Thanks, Stace and Steph, for the wonderful meal!

This is what 10 pounds of potatoes looks like (for only 4 adults...do the math).  While I've heard many people mistake Iowa as known for growing potatoes (thinking it's Idaho), I can't blame them, based on the way we eat potatoes (by the truck load).

We loved hosting Thanksgiving and not being by ourselves.  Can you spot where the kids sat?  Stacie found some Thanksgiving silverware for the kids a few weeks ago that she just couldn't resist.

Oh yum!

And I have this lovely lady as my personal chef for the rest of my life.  Yes, please!

Loved having the Armstrongs visit for Thanksgiving.  So much better with family.

Despite a table full of delicious food, all this boy wanted to do was get in our pantry and eat crackers and fruit snacks.  He was having little to do with the potatoes and turkey.

Friday we headed to the beach.  It was Carter's first time to the ocean and Ava's first time to the Atlantic Ocean.  Happy to enjoy those firsts with them (even if they are still too young to remember).

It was a beautiful day, but the water was too cold to enjoy.

Unless of course you're surfing or paddle boarding.

Making our way out on the 1,000ft. Folly Beach pier.  I think it's quite obvious from this picture who lives in South Caorlina and who lives in Minnesota. :)  Even thought it was 70° this day, a strong wind off of the cold water always make it feel much colder.

Of course, one of the very few times we have come here and the first time we have brought guests, the end of the pier was closed (the best part).

But it was still a great view

We even saw a pod of dolphins

The Carolina coast - a place I feel very at home

A fun time was had by all.  The kids even smiled and focused for a picture.

Beautiful pier 

This little girl dipped her toes in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time

But this little boy decided to keep high and dry and chat with his Aunt Stacie instead

I like her too, Carter :)

We went to eat at one of our favorite waterfront dining spots, California Dreaming, and let the kids run around on the docks, just to drain any lasting energy they had left.

How photogenic is she?  Ava, what's on your mind?

This face she made (left) while in the stroller, attempting to open some fruit snacks, reminded me of another picture I took of her when she was 2 days old (right).  I love that crinkled forehead.  I often think she resembles her great-grandmother (Evy), especially in the picture on the right.

Precious moments

Carter, the trick is to NOT look into the sun. :)

Saturday we had to take our guests to downtown Charleston, the gem of the city.  It is so festive this time of year and decidedly my favorite time to visit downtown.

Even Santa comes down to mingle

We have noticed we take all our guests to the same restaurants - California Dreaming and Jim & Nick's BBQ the most common.

We went to the James Island County Park Festival of Lights show last year with Stacie's parents.  It was a must-see this year with two little kids in town.  Three miles to drive through, 2 million lights, fire pits to roast marshmallows, pictures with Santa, gift shops, train rides...it's plenty to keep children and adults alike entertained.

We returned to downtown Sunday to take some Armstrong family (Christmas?) pictures.

The little ones were not the fondest of the agenda, but the 4 manipulating adults won the battle in the end...I think. :)

Getting set

Smile!

Bigger!

Adorable, or crazy adorable?

Christmas card 2012?

Ditto?

The kids loved when the shoot was over and they could roam and climb about again.  Little did they know, the shoot was still on.

On Monday, it was back downtown for the fourth day in a row (can't go too often).  Ava, mom, and dad went on a carriage ride...

...while Stacie and I watched Carter (and distracted him from his parent's/sister's departure).

We took him back to his favorite spot in town, the running train display inside the Charleston place Hotel.  Can you spot him?

Now, if a picture like that doesn't get me in the mood for Christmas...

Thanks for visiting, Armstrongs! Thanks for driving halfway across the country to spend Thanksgiving with us.  Hopefully we see you here again before the kids are too old to appreciate toy trains, "silly lights", park slides, and sleepovers on the floor. :)  See you in 2 short weeks!

SPOILER:
I have already begun work on my next post...and it's not even January.  I plan to have at least two more posts published before Christmas.  Believe it.