Adjusting...

10 things I love about living in Charleston, South Carolina:

1. It is beautiful! Everywhere! Everything is so green and lush. Everything from yards and well groomed gardens to the medians in the middle of the highways are so beautiful here. Not only is the grass green, but the trees, bushes and vines that climb up everything. It is beautiful.
2. The people! I love how friendly everyone is. I'll admit it, there are those people who don't have the friendliest countenance, but for the most part everyone has shown us the nicest southern hospitality.
3. The accent! I love hearing a little kid saying , "yes Ma'am" and the ya'all's and "fixin's" never fail to make me smile.
4. I am actually really enjoying the "big city life". I never thought I would say that, but I'm glad we moved here with an open mind because it is actually kind of fun to live five minutes away from everything.
5. The beach! not everyone gets to live in a place that other people dream about vacationing to.

(Thayne's first day of dental school!!!)

6. MUSC! I can't list things that I love about this place without listing the dental school that brought us here. I love the fact that Thayne is going after his dream and accomplishing this huge goal.

7. The weather! I'm sure as it gets hotter I might have a harder time loving it... maybe (I've always loved heat over cold). But the weather has been absolutely beautiful since we arrived.
8. Missionary opportunities! We have had a lot of opportunities to talk about the gospel, or parts of the gospel (like family, etc) to other people, and I am LOVING it. It is wonderful to be able to share something that is important to you with someone else who has questions.

 

(I didn't take this picture... it was off Google but the buildings here are beautiful!)

9. The amount of history that is here! Did you know that Charleston (or Charles Town as it used to be known as) is the oldest city in South Carolina? It was founded in 1670! It has a history through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and so much more! And the best part is that you can view the history just by walking down the streets; the incredible architecture is everywhere, and so beautiful to see. It is fun to live in an area so full of history!

(This doesn't even begin to describe the rain here, but to give you an idea, this picture was taken 5 minutes after it started raining, and what you can see running off the roof is the excess that the gutters couldn't hold. You can't tell, but in the above picture the water in the road in about 5-6 inches deep.)

10. Thunderstorms - this one is one of the things that I love, but also am trying to adjust to. The thunderstorms are incredible here. I love seeing the clouds roll in; black and low, and hearing the thunder boom and the lightning fill the sky. And when the rain starts pouring it is like a fountain of water coming from the sky that amazes me.
Things I am adjusting to in Charleston, South Carolina:

1. Thunderstorms! I feel guilty even saying that I love them because poor Phoenix is terrified of thunder. She came to me the other day in the middle of a huge thunderstorm and said, "Mommy, We need a new house!"
"What?" I asked her, quite confused, and not even ready to think about moving.
"We need a new house because this house has big noises I don't like."
I wasn't thinking about the thunder at this time, so I asked her, "what noises?"
"In Jarom's room!" She tried to explain, right as the thunder boomed again.
I watched her eyes grow huge again and asked, "are those the noises you heard? Is it the thunder?"
"Yeah! The thunder! So we need a different house!"

The other thing I am learning about thunderstorms or rain in general here, is when it rains, it pours, and if you think it might rain you probably want to run for cover because even 3 seconds in the rain will drown you.
2. The humidity! I have been to South Carolina in the middle of summer before , and experienced the humidity and heat in all it's glory. I had a heatstroke and passed out a couple times too, but that was when I was about 16. Well, guess what, It is REALLY humid here! It might only be 85 degrees outside, but within 5 minutes of being outside you will have sweat running down .... everything. It is like walking into a sauna; refreshing and actually almost pleasant if you are ready for it and expecting it, but breathtaking and overwhelming if you aren't. On the bright side, I have used less chapstick and lotion than ever before since arriving.
3. Pollen, or whatever is in the air that is creating these insane allergies in me!!! The day we arrived in Charleston I developed a cough that felt like a tickle in my throat but progressively got worse... which turned into major sinus pressure... which led to what I was sure was developing into a sinus infection... which led to headaches.... I have been feeling a little better lately. I am hoping it is because my body is adjusting to the amount of pollen in the air or something, but it is probably just the cleaner air from all the rain we have been getting over the last week or two.
4. Traffic and driving the roads here: It's been a challenge! But I am happy to say, I'm feeling a little more comfortable, and I think I should be able to drive to Walmart and back home without the GPS next time I go. (fingers crossed that I don't try it and end up in Georgia or something.)

(I didn't take this picture either (Eew!) but just FYI this is the Carolina Wolf Spider... supposedly the South Carolina State spider... who knew they even had one!)

5. The BUGS! For those of you who know me well, I'm not much of a creepy crawly person... I don't like bugs, but I ESPECIALLY don't like spiders. The spiders here are like spiders on steroids! They are faster, bigger, and creepier! I'm dealing with the occasional cockroach, plentiful mosquitoes, and other insects that love this hot, humid place, but the spiders... eh, not so much. Last week I was outside spray painting a board in the back yard when I saw something on my shoulder out of the corner of my eye. I brushed at it, but it disappeared, either further down my back or it flew off. I assumed it was either a misquito or a spider, so I asked Jarom to see if there was something on my back.
Standing about four feet back from me he replied, "uuuuuuh.... yeah Mom, it's a big spider!"
I very calmly and patiently  almost hysterically asked begged him to brush it off. Which thankfully, he did fairly quickly, and then he and the girls ran as fast as they could to the porch where they stood huddled together for the remainder of the time that I spent painting my board. Thank goodness I have a brave son. It almost makes me cry to think of the panic I would have been in, trying to get that awful bug off my back had he not been there.
   I have to say, I do love being here, yes, there is some adjusting to do, but isn't there a list of things that you have to adjust to no matter where you move?

 While I'm at it I have to spotlight my 6 YEAR OLD!

Happy Birthday Jarom! I can NOT believe you are 6 already! time goes by WAY too fast! But here are some things that I LOVE about my FAVORITE little man!

 1. You are the best big brother to your sisters! I love watching you around them because it always makes me smile. Phoenix LOVES to snuggle up with you to watch a movie, and imitates everything you do, and Taysia adores you; she could play with you all day! I hope you never forget how awesome you are in their eyes because of the kind way that you treat them.

 2. I love that you are a "Momma's boy"! I'm not saying you are calm and cuddly all the time, because you are too busy being a boy to really have much time for that! But I love how you love to hang out with me and just do whatever, or sit down and talk to me... It makes me feel lucky to be your mom. 

3. I LOVE watching you learn new things. It is amazing how fast you soak up knowledge and how excited you get about learning new things. The world is so full of opportunities in your eyes, and you want to learn all about it. I hope that never changes!

4. I love your silly side! I love seeing what makes you laugh, as well as watching you make other people laugh. Your sense of humor and good nature is one of the best things about you! 

5. I am proud of the testimony that you have. I know you hardly understand what a testimony is, but when I hear you tell me about how Heavenly Father answered your prayers, or about a time when you felt the Holy Ghost, I know you are starting to gain a testimony, and it makes me so proud. So keep listening and learning from the spirit, and keep telling me about what you learn because these things you are learning now will help you be a GREAT missionary one day!

 6. I love the way you dream! You have hopes and dreams just like everyone, but I love how you aren't afraid to dream big, or put in the extra work to make your dream happen. May you never stop dreaming, and always believe that your dreams are possible if you put the effort into them.

I love you Buddy! I am so proud of the boy you are, and hope you will keep trying to be the best that you can be!