Some 2018 fall memories I don’t want to forget is one of the first things we did in the area is go to a crab festival. It was more out in the country and people were so southern and friendly.

Every town and just about every knock and crannie in our area is charmingly beautiful. I would stop the girls all the time to stop and take a picture against this wall or this wall. There were delicious southern restaurants where we got to relax and try new foods.

Another thing we did when brand new is to travel a couple hours into the country and try a famous BBQ place. It had been on a bunch of Food Network shows and IT LIVED UP TO IT’S NAME! On the way we saw some really cool cotton fields.

Of course we were at the beach at least once a week and sometimes more like 3-4 times a week, it was such a treat living less than 15 minutes from the ocean.

The girls and I found a place where we would treat ourselves with manicures and pedicures.

Going to church was probably one of the hardest things for us in a new area. The ward was a hard experience for us but with people we met from there that were bright lights in our two years in South Carolina.

The girls and I tried the museums in the area and quickly learned we don’t love learning about southern history that doesn’t seem to respect marginalized people in the slightest.

I think the VERY best thing about living in the South was to be near Darren & Maggie in Savannah. They were just to hours away and we found excuses all the time to go visit them.

Shae & Reagan in South Carolina were on Creative Edge Dance Center’s Mini Team together. They got to perform at the Kids Festival and spend a special day with me. We performed, walked around the festival, rode some rides, went to pizza, and walked Sullivan’s Island at sunset. During the fall months my depression hits me hard so it is really nice to have peaceful calm days like this to give my mind a break

Our fall traditions in Utah meant so much to us so it was a bit of a lonely time in October honestly for us. We found it hard to not compare Cornbellys or the Red Barn or trick or treating in Daybreak to what we found near us. Plus we really still didn’t know anyone so Halloween was a night that honestly everyone felt really sad.

We did give Boone Hall a try and enjoyed the hayride with spooky silly scenes set up along the way. The girls chose their pumpkins to carve, there was a petting zoo, and it was a bit of fun. Boy did we just have a hard time getting out of the homesickness funk though.

We found an artist to still do our pumpkins to match our costumes. Then we decorated the house with our signature Ty the Dog Guy, skeleton set ups, and this time Scooby Doo decor!

Scooby Doo & The Mystery Gang has been a family favorite since the girls were itty bitty. The books, movies, and TV show. My mom even one year gave a gift of Scooby Doo quilts, Scooby Snacks, and DVDs of the movies.

Abby had the idea to do The Mystery Gang and I thought it turned out pretty awesome. However Abby did not love her Shaggy look, we didn’t get the hair quite right. And Shae was pretty angry to have to wear a wig and a scratchy costume. So don’t let the pictures fool you! My costume was the easiest, I was one of the monsters, the swamp monster.

\

For Ty’s 38th birthday we took him to his favorite thing…the water! We did something we never had done and went on a sailboat. The captain took us out to look at dolphins, they were EVERYTHING. It was pretty dangoncool. As a family we had a picnic on the shore and we finally put those matching sailboat sundresses to use. When the dolphins were busy feeding on the fish towards the shore that was the most amazing part I think.

At our house when you turn 11 it is your last BIG party. They have friends over for game nights or to go to dinner & movies after that but no more theme, decor, big cake, invitation, etc. Cameron planned a really great birthday and I was just her assistant. She wanted her guests to go through different classes at her Harry Potter Class and this is what she planned:

Class 1: Potions (sensory bottles & slime)
Class 2: Astronomy (glow in the dark galaxy art)
Class 3: Herbology (mandrakes)
Class 4: Care or Creatures (guess the plastic creature coated in lotion in a box)

We had only been in South Carolina for a couple months but she invited some girls from church, the next door neighbors, and a dance friend.

With floating candles, floating wands, house blankets hung up, and a sorting hat upon the shelf we began the party! It was a hit!

Our sweet & hilarious Poki turned 11! If you don’t know you aren’t a Potterhead BUT when you turn 11 its a very special Harry Potter birthday. So we woke her up with Harry Potter shirts while she had breakfast in bed.

Cameron loved our shirts and spending the day with us. She is so unique, kind, and we are glad she is a part of her family.

It is hard to shop for Cameron because she likes out of the norm presents so this year I found her some Harry Potter gifts, a water music player, and a Spongebob book. I love how quirky she is but it makes gift giving hard!!

Soon after I moved from Utah I got to meet up with my friends for a girls trip to NYC. The timing was perfect because the move was hard on my heart and I missed them a lot.

Based off a friend’s recommendation we stayed at MOXY which I have done three times since and it works perfect. You can get a bunk bed room that is clean and fits four people. It is close to museums, theatre district, and Times Square. There are lofts to sit in when you aren’t running all around NYC.

My friend Tracy put together the best itinerary and we were go go go the entire time.

Day 1: Highline Park, which ended up one of my favorite spots. It is a newer park that is built elevated on old railroad tracks over NYC. The views are stunning, murals wonderful, and landscaping beautiful. We had fantastic tacos at Chelsey Market and accidentally tried to ride the elevator but were stopped by computer. Frozen hot chocolate was drunk by us at Serendipity while we sat around the most random artwork and got overcharged on our bills. It was fun to just be together, figure out transportation together, and laugh.

Day 2: Went inside the 9/11 Memorial…I have a hard connection with that day so I got a little physically ill when I got there. But I got myself out into the museum & cried the whole way through. Really gorgeous and thoughtful museum. You learn an incredible amount even if you thought you knew as much as there was to know. Afterwards we walked through Little Italy & Mulbery Street and lunched on some delicious Italian food.

Then we took the Ferry to Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island which I thought would be not too much different from seeing it from a distance. However SHE IS POWERFUL! You do feel like you are “meeting” someone you’ve wanted to meet your entire life. In addition Ellis Island has a very strong spirit to it; sometimes like an old church or graveyard can have. The museum inside of it is done very interactively and well. You walk through the path immigrants would have taken and learn what they had to go through.

That night was saw Wicked which was a hit and then walked around Times Square very late at night. That was a jam packed day!

Day 3: Central Park; we biked around the park and saw the different sections of it. Stopped off for some Levian Cookies. Went to the MoMA; had an eerily quiet museum to ourselves but then people started coming in droves inside. We had bought tickets right before it was a free night to the museum. Whoops! That night we ate at Shake Shack AND SAW HAMILTON! WOW!! The seats were uncomfy, it was long, the woman in front of me was on her phone the whole time. But honestly because of the majesity and magic of it you didn’t even notice.

Day 4: Stopped by Rockefeller Plaza, had delicious tacos again, and biked/walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Then we ran to the airport as fast as we could. It was even harder to leave them then when I moved because I knew it would be awhile till I saw them. Which broke my heart, I’ve always wanted friends like this and it was oh so hard to move away from them.

For Reagan’s 6th birthday party she asked for a unicorn party. Reagan was on a dance team, part of a church group, and had some neighbors we had met. So we invited them all barely knowing them and thankfully some showed up! They were a fun group and Reagan got to become close to all of them over the two years we lived there.

I hired my older girls and the next door neighbor’s older girls and they helped me throw the party. We did unicorn canvas paintings, unicorn slime, and did games. I also got a huge sprinkler unicorn to blow up and put in the house. A cute nearby bakery did the cupcakes and cake. Birthday are where we like to go all out as a family so I felt glad she still got to have a party!