Congaree National Park & Swamp

After a long week and having to work on Saturday, we had a great FAMILY DAY on Sunday!  We played hooky from church (you have to sometimes right) and headed to the Congaree National Park and Swamp.  How I've never done this and been in Columbia for TEN years I have no idea.  It was just beautiful.  We had such a great time and Champs really loved it. 

We told him we'd be on the lookout for alligators, turtles and snakes and he took it very seriously.  He stopped about every ten yards to look for them!  And he didn't walk on the boardwalk.  Per usual, he RAN! haha

Looking at the turtles!

Picnic time!

So much fun!!

Watching the turtles.

Selfie! :)

Getting a little tired! 

We did have his stroller too in case anyone is wondering.  He rode in it some but mostly liked running! :)  This was such a fun adventure that we'll definitely be doing again!

Few other tidbits....

- Champs knows mine and Barrett's names now and thinks it's pretty funny to say them, even though he knows he's supposed to call us Mommy and Daddy.  Sometimes if he's with Barrett and looking for me in the house he'll say...."Juliaaaaa" Hahah  This morning for example when he woke up, he was saying "mommyyyyy...mommyyyyy....."  Guess I was laying there just a little too long waiting to get up because he started saying, "Juliaaaaa!!"  Oh goodness, what I am going to do with him!?!

- He continues to have a strange obsession with talking about his pediatrician.  I can't tell you how many times I say something along the lines of..."Champs who did you play with at school today??" And he replies "Annie and Dr. Williard..."  We really don't go to the doctor a lot.  He probably hasn't seen Dr. Williard in almost 3 months!  Who knows!!!

- Champs' hair is getting so wild, curly and crazy.  And it's really growing.  I cannot wait to see what it's doing on some hot, humid beach days!  Sorry buddy, with mine and Barrett's hair....there's no escaping the curls I'm afraid!

- Champs (and us) are having so much fun with our neighbors who moved in last Fall.  The boys are 3 and 6 and Champs just adores them!  He loves playing with the big boys and watching what they're doing.  They are so, so sweet to him!!  Here are a couple pics of them from last Friday night.

- I am SO HAPPY it's finally pretty weather consistently!  We have been going outside early in the mornings all week.  It's so nice to sit outside and drink my coffee and Champs can play.  There's no where he'd rather be than outside!

This was a late afternoon, but loving the outside weather none the less!

- Champs had his first ever ice cream cone last week.  We were on the way to meet Barrett b/c we finally sold the old, faithful Tahoe.  We had a few minutes to spare before we were meeting him so I figured why not, it was a day to celebrate!  Out with the old, in the new!

- Look at the cute table I scored (for very little) at the Lake Carolina Yard Sale!  There is a perk of having to put the whole thing on....I get the advanced list of what's being sold :)  I also bought a cute toy bin and book shelf for Champs.

And this last picture just because I'm oh so happy this outfit from last year still fits for at least a month or two of this season! Sailor suits are my favorite.

That's all for now.  Busy weekend ahead and it's only 10 days until my brother and Ashley's wedding!!!

Strawberry Pickin'

Champs and I went to Cottle Strawberry Farm on Saturday afternoon.  They had had so many people come out that day that they weren't allowing people to pick anymore.  I convinced them to at least let me take my poor little boy, who had been talking about "picking strawberries" all afternoon, out there to look.  We didn't get a bucket to fill up, but we did sneak a few in Champs' snack cup.  Even though the strawberries were totally picked by the time we got there, we still had a great time - green strawberries and all!!

Post strawberry eating! 

Bville Weekend

While Barrett was in Tybee Island celebrating the Bachelor Party of probably his oldest friend (in number of years they've been friends, not age) two weekends ago, Champs and I headed to Bishopville to spend the weekend with Che and Poppy.  The plan was actually to go to Pawleys, but with the crummy weather, we decided to just stay in Bville.  I'm glad we did because we had a great time and had some nice weather!!

We took Champs to Harry's to eat supper and he loved it.  He met some new friends and was quite captivated with one little boy there.

Walking in with Mae-Mae and Che

Champs with Che and some of her friends!

Champs' new friend - he thought he was hilarious.

Champs loves Harry's!

Here are some more pictures from the next day.  Champs loved getting to see Grandmama and he also spent a lot of time with my parents dog, Bailey.  He LOVES her and mostly calling for her.  "Ba-eeeeyyyy"!!

Saturday night we went to Camden to a Mexican restaurant and then over to a little Jazz Festival going on in town.  The highlights for Champs were the delicious guac at the restaurant and the firetruck he spotted at the Festival.  Thank goodness the firemen could not have been sweeter and let him climb all the way in the firetruck and pretend to drive!

A few more pics from the weekend - I can't remember exact what was when but we had a blast being in Bville where everything moves a little slower which is SO NICE for a change!!  Oh and did I mention we visited a house where there's a rooster and Champs chased it around the entire yard - the poor thing (the rooster, not Champs) was terrified!!

We pulled out Uncle Will's old Hess trucks for Champs!

This was at Salud in Camden.

Running in the rain - please ignore the wine bottle back there. ;)

Visiting Grandmama and Granddaddy Bell.  I love how my grandparents where Polo ankle socks.

Call me crazy, but this is one of the few pics I think he looks like me!

Watching the rooster.

Hugging the bunny.

Running after the rooster!

Watching the boys fishing in the pond before bath time.

Loved watching Bailey outside while he was in the bathtub!

It was such a nice relaxing weekend.  There is no place like "home!"  We sure missed Daddy while he was gone though.  Had to send him several selfies including this one - haha.