Our time in South Carolina is coming to a close and it's time to look back at the good times and opportunities that we've had since we moved here. We found out we were moving here in October 2010 and were very excited about the climate. When we made our house scouting trip in December, we were in for a shock. It was COLD!! We hadn't even bothered to bring our winter jackets with us. The trip was a success, because we found a great 3 bedroom rental house that would be perfect for a year-long rotation. Our move was set for mid-January and we were shocked on Christmas Day, when Andy's cousin who lives here, sent us pictures of the area covered in snow.
Andy came down to start work, and Brady and I followed a week later on January 28, 2011. The weather was GORGEOUS from that moment on. Of course there were days that we wore long pants or sweatshirts, but they were few and far between. I never had to wear my sneakers and loved wearing my flip flops year round.
Living in this part of the country has allowed us many opportunities that we would never had living up north. We got to explore the southeastern United States and did it all on weekend trips. We traveled to Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah, and Columbia for the very first time. We got to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, which is something we will never forget. We were able to take Brady to Disney twice before he turned 2. We never imagined that we'd be able to do that with a child so young and it was an experience I'll never forget. The only drawback is that it's a 10 hour drive to visit our family.
Brady has done a lot of growing up in the last year that we've lived here. When we first moved, he'd just taken his first solo steps and was still crawling to get around. He's gone through an incredible transformation in this house and it will be sad to leave. This has been his third home in his first two years and he's about to add a fourth. I envy those who get to stay in the same house and have all of the memories of their child around them every day.
Our first day in South Carolina
(January 2011, Brady at 11 months old)
The hardest thing to leave behind will be Andy's cousin, Nicole Trap. She also lives here and we've had a great time having family nearby. We tried to get together with her and her boyfriend, Dusty, as often as we could. When we did get together, we'd all hang out, play games, and stay up late. I'll miss that we were all so comfortable around each other that we could talk about anything. Nicole and I have so much in common (aside from having the same full legal name), and it was great being able to share anything with a friend who also happened to be a member of our family. Brady loves them as much as we do. I'll really hate only getting to see them when we're both in Pittsburgh at the same time visiting our families.
Brady and Nicole
Andy and Dusty hanging out by the computer. They were forever battling each other on the XBox in NCAA Football.
It's still really surreal that we've been here a whole year. When we got the news that we could stay a whole year instead of just six months, we were relieved to get to stay in one place longer. Compared to our six months in Michigan, a year in South Carolina seemed like it would be an eternity (not necessarily in a bad way). This year has flown by and now that we've been here a year and will only be in Germany for six months, it'll be over in the blink of an eye. It's scary how when you're a kid all you want is for time to move faster, and when you get older, you just want it to slow down so you can enjoy it more.
Thanks South Carolina, you gave us a great year and we hope to visit you again soon!
Andy came down to start work, and Brady and I followed a week later on January 28, 2011. The weather was GORGEOUS from that moment on. Of course there were days that we wore long pants or sweatshirts, but they were few and far between. I never had to wear my sneakers and loved wearing my flip flops year round.
Living in this part of the country has allowed us many opportunities that we would never had living up north. We got to explore the southeastern United States and did it all on weekend trips. We traveled to Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah, and Columbia for the very first time. We got to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, which is something we will never forget. We were able to take Brady to Disney twice before he turned 2. We never imagined that we'd be able to do that with a child so young and it was an experience I'll never forget. The only drawback is that it's a 10 hour drive to visit our family.
Brady has done a lot of growing up in the last year that we've lived here. When we first moved, he'd just taken his first solo steps and was still crawling to get around. He's gone through an incredible transformation in this house and it will be sad to leave. This has been his third home in his first two years and he's about to add a fourth. I envy those who get to stay in the same house and have all of the memories of their child around them every day.
Our first day in South Carolina(January 2011, Brady at 11 months old)
Our last weekend in South Carolina
(January 2012, Brady at 22 months old)
(January 2012, Brady at 22 months old)
The hardest thing to leave behind will be Andy's cousin, Nicole Trap. She also lives here and we've had a great time having family nearby. We tried to get together with her and her boyfriend, Dusty, as often as we could. When we did get together, we'd all hang out, play games, and stay up late. I'll miss that we were all so comfortable around each other that we could talk about anything. Nicole and I have so much in common (aside from having the same full legal name), and it was great being able to share anything with a friend who also happened to be a member of our family. Brady loves them as much as we do. I'll really hate only getting to see them when we're both in Pittsburgh at the same time visiting our families.
Brady and Nicole
Andy and Dusty hanging out by the computer. They were forever battling each other on the XBox in NCAA Football.It's still really surreal that we've been here a whole year. When we got the news that we could stay a whole year instead of just six months, we were relieved to get to stay in one place longer. Compared to our six months in Michigan, a year in South Carolina seemed like it would be an eternity (not necessarily in a bad way). This year has flown by and now that we've been here a year and will only be in Germany for six months, it'll be over in the blink of an eye. It's scary how when you're a kid all you want is for time to move faster, and when you get older, you just want it to slow down so you can enjoy it more.
Thanks South Carolina, you gave us a great year and we hope to visit you again soon!
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