Cha-Cha-Cha-Charleston, SC

After exploring Savannah we headed a couple of hours north to Charleston, SC. The thing I loved most about Charleston was the French Quarter. It was a huge part of the city that was fully restored with tree lined cobblestone streets. Usually there are a few blocks of homes or a few blocks of downtown that are restored in older cities, but in Charleston there is a huge area of ONLY beautifully restored and kept up huge antebellum mansions, homes, and businesses. No skyscrapers allowed! It was interesting to see so many mansions stacked on top of each other. There was so little room in between the mansions that neighbors could easily see into each others houses. Since we are working on fixing up our home it was fun to be surrounded by so many houses that are already restored. Here are some pictures from all around Charleston:

Since Charleston works hard to keep to keep everything historic there are a plethora of carriages to ride in. We decided to take a tour of the city in one - this is on the way to Charleston Harbor.

Tom's favorite part of Charleston Harbor was all the fancy cars that were parked there. Across the street from the Harbor were huge homes with lots of exotic cars parked on the street as few of the packed in mansions have garages.

There were a lot of water fountains in the South and also a lot of Pineapple motifs. At the turn of the century the pineapple was the international symbol of hospitality. Back then the host would put a pineapple on the mantle to show that guests were welcome. When the host was ready for people to go they'd take the pineapple into the kitchen - as a way of telling people it was time to go. I love that!

This is Old City Market where the big thing was handmade Saw Grass Baskets. You can even watch the women make the baskets. The tradition has been handed down from generation to generation originating in Africa.

Another of the neat things about Charleston are all the Plantations you can tour. We went to Magnolia Plantation outside of Charleston which was first started in 1676. This was a rice plantation who's hay day was before the cotton gin was put into use.

Drive up to the Plantation

Drayton Family House

View from the House

The Plantation also did a good job at making sure that the slaves - their lives and struggles were not forgotten. Most slaves to this area were bought specifically for their knowledge of rice cultivation and therefore were an essential part of the plantation as well as advances in streamlining production at the time. Above are the restored slave quarters - which housed around 16 slaves per cabin. I'm pretty sure one cabin could fit in my living room.

Below are some pictures of where the rice used to be grown on the plantation. Since rice is grown in flooded plains most of the plantation is swampy but beautiful.

There were also a lot of peacocks roaming around. It was pretty cool - when I'm rich and famous I think I may want peacock wandering around my front yard!=)

They also had a little zoo at the plantation which wasn't that exciting but there was an owl there who was trying to get a good look at something and was turning it's head almost 360 degrees. I had never seen anything like it before but thought it was so cool I'll share it with you!

I think my favorite thing of the whole trip was the evening we spent on the Schooner Pride. The only boats I've been on are ferries and the paddle boat in Savannah - so it was neat to be on a sail boat. This is an 84 foot tall schooner modeled after the old trading schooners that used to frequent Charleston long ago.

Tom even got to get in on the action of hoisting the sails.

Below are some of my favorite pictures from the boat:

Cooper River Bridge

Tom enjoying the water

Sunset on the Schooner Pride:

The last thing on our to do list was to visit the beaches around Charleston. Our first stop was Folly Beach then Isle of Palms. Folly Beach on Folly Island was a great little beach town. Isle of Palms was more of a residential area with amazing homes right on the beach - we wouldn't mind living there during the summer!

Driving on the Cooper River Bridge

Folly Beach

On the long drive home we stopped to check out Myrtle Beach, SC. It was another great beach town but more commercial. Here are some of my favorite shots from there:

All in all it was a great trip, but as always it's good to be home!

Inner Harbor Ward 5K Walk/Run Fundraiser for Youth Camp

Run, Walk, Stroll, Wheel or Crawl to the Inner Harbor Ward's 2nd Annual 5K to raise money for Girl's Camp and Scout Camp.

We had a great turn out last year and hope to see even more of you this year!

Who: Any one anywhere - including Friends, Family, Neighbors and Co-workers - Please invite anyone you think would enjoy participating in a 5K!!! Families are invited to bring kids, but prizes and raffles are only for paying participants.

What: 5K (3.1 miles that takes about 20 minutes to run or an hour to walk) The 5K is on a flat surface so you can run, walk, wheel, or push a stroller. There will be a light breakfast and T-shirts for all who register. Prizes will go to division winners, as well as a raffle for all other participants. Divisions include: Men 18-49, Women 18-49, Men pushing strollers, Women pushing strollers, Men over 50, Women over 50, Teenage boys 13-17, Teenage Girls 13-17, Boys 12 and under, Girls 12 and under.

Where: Race begins and ends at Friends Park on the MA and PA Heritage Trail (35 E Jarrettsville Rd, Forrest Hill, MD) The trail is adjacent to the Ball Fields, and there is Fishing at Friends Pond if you have your own equipment.

When: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 9am (Registration begins at 8am)

Cost: There is a $20 participation fee which includes a shirt and breakfast. Tee Shirt sizes can only be guaranteed to those who register on or before May 31st. You may also register at the park on the day of, but again we can't guarantee T-shirts sizes unless you register by the 31st. Extra T-shirts may be purchased for $10 per shirt.

To register: please go to: http://www.active.com/running/forest-hill-md/junebug-jitter-5k-2010 or if you don't want to pay online please contact me to sign up.

***For those who can not participate in the event but would like to donate to the cause please make checks payable to Inner Harbor Ward and write Camp on the memo line. Mail checks to: Inner Harbor Ward c/o Bishop Patrick Crompton 607 Lennox Street Baltimore, MD 21217 Thank you!***

Spring has Sprung!

Happy Easter!

To me Easter means celebrating Christ. Celebrating that Christ paid for my sins and died for me so that I would have a way to overcome my sins, problems, and weakness and someday qualify to return to live with my Heavenly Father. His entire life was an example to me - how to live, what's important, and how to overcome problems and obstacles in my life. Over the last few months I have been working to get over some challenges mainly by trying to put the Lord first. I'm not fully there yet but I really want to be able to fully trust my Savior in ALL areas of my life. By trying to give up some of my pet fears and putting the Lord first I have felt His presence and love so strongly lately that I now know that I have been wasting YEARS of my life in fear! It has been so freeing to give up some of my fears and feel the peace and freedom that come from the love the Lord replacing the fears that have been holding me back. I am so grateful that Christ gave up His life so that I could have a chance to learn about it, take advantage of it, and have my life changed by it.

This video is one of my favorites and I think it is a perfect way to celebrate Easter and share the love and peace that I have been feeling lately. I always feel so calm after watching it - I hope you do too. Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Tom!!!

Tom's Favorite Leisure Suit

A Little About Tom:

I was born in Columbus, OH. However, when I was 3 my family moved to Baltimore, MD, and then at 8 they moved to Ellicott City, MD (about 15 minutes away) where they still live today. So, living in MD is all I really remember. I'm the oldest of three boys, and the oldest grandson on both sides of my family. As a baby I would eat just about anything, as long as it was mixed in with my mom's homemade applesauce. Most of my childhood memories involve either scouts, sports or Walt Disney World. I started my scouting career as a tiger cub, worked my way through all the cub scout ranks, and as a boy scout completed the rank of Eagle when I was 13. I've participated in many different sports over the years with soccer, baseball, tennis, basketball, track, and volleyball being some of the highlights. My family went to Walt Disney World for the first time when I was 5, and from then on my brothers and I would refer to it as our "second home". Although I've tinkered with many hobbies over the years, the interest that has stayed with me into adulthood is my love of cars. I've had the opportunity to drive/ride many different types of vehicles thus far, but there are still many that I haven't yet had to opportunity to try (top of that list is probably learning to fly).

I was called to serve in the exotic Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission. I served in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, and Madison. Our mission also included the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I was lucky enough to serve 3 transfers in Houghton, MI (one of the northern most cities in the country) beginning right before Thanksgiving. I saw about 250" of snow, although the total that winter was over 300" (the snow usually starts in October, and will continue as late as May). Although I was called as an English-speaking Elder, I served for 3 transfers with a Hmoob-speaking Elder (pronounced "mong"). I've forgotten nearly all of the Hmoob I had learned (which wasn't very much), but the Hmoob members have a fun tradition of giving their Elders a Hmoob name. I was given the name Elder Koob Meej (pronounced "gong mang"), and I even got a name tag with that name on it. I studied Mechanical Engineering at BYU, but my chosen career field has been Financial Services (which I owe to my favorite mission companion). After starting with a larger company for a few years, a group of us decided to break away and start a new company. I've definitely enjoyed the challenge, and hope to try many different business ventures in the future. My newest adventure has been the wonderful world of Home Improvement. I've certainly learned a lot, the most important being that I never want to be living in the same home that I'm renovating ever again!

Tom at Disney World with his Dad

From Grandpa:

Tom has frequently impressed me with his ability to step back and analyze the un-obvious- the sign of a very healthy analytical questioning mind… As a simple example, he was the only one to ask Andrea, what, over the year no one else thought to ask- “if you had to ride uphill to school both ways, why couldn’t you reverse the pattern and ride downhill both ways J ?”.

In a similar vane, I have been impressed with his ability to take on unfamiliar construction projects and make them come out with impressive results- the skill and patience of a craftsman.

I have been impressed with Tom’s strong sense of family and compassion for their well being- he is the perfect match for our loving and lovable strong-willed daughter… his parents, nor wecouldn’t ask for a more thoughtful son and son-in-law.

And finally, Tom is the family member who understands his father-in-law’s love of a motorcycle on an open back road: The joy of ever changing scenery gracefully gliding by saying- ‘look at me’- ‘notice me’. The plethora of odors and smells- merging and contrasting, the playful ever-changing temperature gradients, the ‘personality’ of the road itself with it’s swaying, undulating centrifugal and centripetal forces at play- some subtle and playful, some bold and overt- all the things that make even a simple trip an adventure to be savored and enjoyed! My family motorcycles-in-his-blood compatriot! I wish we lived nearer and could often ride together…

Happy Birthday Tom- keep your mind challenged and the rubber side down!

Love Phil

Tom's Little League Picture

From Grammy:

Happy Birthday Tom! I loved your comment in one of the blogs about being in the "volunteer club". We are so happy that you volunteered to be part of our family. You have this quiet way of injecting logic and humor when needed. Your ability to think outside the box is admiral.

I appreciate the meticulous way you approach projects and give each one your best effort. The work you have done on your house is impressive, especially since you have taught yourself as you went along. Best of all is the strength of your testimony and your faithful service in the church, having given so much of your time and effort to further the work. And lastly, I don't know anybody else that can make a spoon stick to his nose!! Have a great day.

Sharon

Tom receiving his Eagle Scout

Tom,

Thinking back it's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since we met each other as freshman at BYU - tie dye shirts and all. It's fun to think back to those times when "we" were just beginning. We've had so much fun since then and luckily we've grown, stretched, and learned together from the not so fun times. You're one of a kind and one of the few who really understands and gets me as I am. You mean so much to me and I'm so glad to have you as my best friend and eternal companion. I love you and hope you have a great birthday!

Love, Andy

P.S. Here are some of my favorite photos of you below...

Over 50 inches of snow in 5 days!?! (Blizzard #3)

So now we've had over 80 inches of snow this winter (our average is 18 inches) with 50 inches in the last five days! This last blizzard (#3) was during the week so we didn't get to stay snuggled in at home like over that last couple of storms. Luckily there are major roads most of the way to my hospital so I didn't get stuck there overnight (although the threat was definitely there). Here are more pictures of the latest "Snowmageddon."

The days after Blizzard #2:

During Blizzard #3: 50 mile an hour winds blowing the 20 inches of snow we got all over the place. The snow is half way up the garage doors now.

After Blizzard #3:

Notice the road is still not plowed - since last Friday. We had to park at a neighbors house on the main street and hike back home so I could get to work.

I even spent some time shoveling - notice the pile of snow on the left is taller than I am.

One of the best and worst things about all the snow are the icicles. They are so beautiful to look at but have reeked havoc on our upper gutters.

We've basically kissed all the upper level gutters goodbye - you can see the gutter bending from the weight of all the snow and icicles on the roof.

That's our overhang at the top of the picture and our gutter almost a foot below it.

Here's a close up of the "evil" icicles as Tom calls them.

So minus the ruined gutters and missing our normal parking spot we enjoyed the many days of unexpected time to stay at home, relax, watch movies, and bake. I've never enjoyed the snow that much, but when an unimaginable amount of snow falls it makes it something special, unusual and a lot of fun. Is this what it's like living in Alaska?

Blizzard #2!

We had the second blizzard in about six weeks yesterday. Poor Baltimore is trying to keep up with all the snow. We usually get 18 inches all winter long. Saturday alone we got almost 30 inches and the blizzard back in December we got 21 inches of snow in just over a day. Yesterday's snow is competing for the biggest storm since they started keeping records in the 1870's and this winter will definitely surpass all the area records for the most snow in one season. I'd like all the experts screaming about the dangers of global warming to explain this phenomenon. The ice burgs may be melting in the North Pole, but I'm pretty sure they may start forming around here soon. Following are some pictures for your viewing pleasure to remind you why you live where you do (for those of you in warmer climates) and to make others laugh at our wimpyness (for those of you living in the Great Lakes and North East Regions).

Tom started digging early in the morning in the middle of the storm but it was heavy snow so it was slow going with his lone bright orange shovel. (Like I said we usually only get a couple of inches at a time and have never needed a snow blower)

After several hours Tom made it to the end of the driveway (one shovel width). Look how far away the RAV looks from the end of the driveway! I can promise you never know how long your driveway is until you have to shovel it by hand (Tom has become all too familiar with every inch of our 150 foot long driveway)

Tom has always been our official shoveler in hopes of keeping me quieter about my hatred of the cold and snow. It also helps that he loves all things snow related. He got a once in lifetime offer for me to help him shovel yesterday - whether he was being nice or honest I don't know - but he told me he only had one shovel that would work with the amount of snow we had. So while Tom was busy shoveling I trudged through the snow to take some pictures of our local Antarctica.

Here's our house covered in snow -

our porch is not short yet the steps are completely covered in snow.

Here's the backyard - with all the work that's being done on the kitchen it's hard to remember what's out in the yard right now. I think one of those lumps is the old oven, another a 36 inch old kitchen cabinet, another is an old grill we found hidden in the jungle of our back yard, one of them is definitely the trash can, and the rest is wood from the 110 foot oak tree we had cut down last fall.

Our street is under there somewhere...

Here's the bottom end of our street.

Here's the snow totals in our yard:

Okay so the one above is really the snow pile after Tom finished shoveling the driveway, but still impressive. The real total was just under 30 inches:

A close up of the proof:

Luckily these big storms have been happening on the weekend this year so we've been able to hunker down and enjoy the quiet time and how beautiful the snow makes everything in the dead of winter.

Here's our Winter Wonderland:

After the storm the skies cleared quickly and the sun came out making things even more beautiful.

We're happy to report we're safe and sound and everything seems intact. It's Sunday night now and I was about to report that our street still hasn't been plowed, but a lone little bobcat with a plow on the front just came rambling down our street. Since it's taken this long I think that single pass from the little bobcat is the most we can hope for... hope this finds you all well, happy, and warm!