My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I told Jamie a few weeks ago all I wanted this year was to spend the day together in Charleston. So, today we went to Charleston and visited Magnolia Plantation and then ended up downtown at the aquarium. We'd never been to Magnolia before, but this is somewhere I'd wanted to go for several years. It is beautiful. However, I'll be completely honest, after touring many of the homes in historic downtown Charleston, and seeing favorites like Two Meeting Street Inn and especially knowing how breathtaking Biltmore in Asheville is--the Magnolia Plantation home is not as amazing as I'd pictured it to be. Not as I'd expected, it is charming and historic, I'll give it that:-). The kids had a good time in the petting zoo. We all enjoyed that. The animals just walk right up to you, they aren't the least bit timid. We spent over an hour just in the little petting zoo area.

Outside of the petting zoo was a corral with donkeys, horses and a variety of other farm animals. There was also a fair amount of peacocks around this area. They were really pretty. The kids all loved looking at these peacocks. Joe found a really big peacock feather on the ground and brought it home to add to his "treasures". I love this age--I still have so many "treasures" in a special box that Hanna collected at this age. She still adds to it from time to time.

After we finished up with all the animals we walked around the grounds and just looked around in the gardens and a bit of area surrounding them.

Now, to tell the truth, at this point the kids were getting pretty bored with Magnolia. It wasn't exactly as we'd thought it would be--there were other things to do and we'd paid for and planned on doing them--a tram ride, touring the slave cabins and touring the main house but....when you arrive and pay for these things you are given a time for each and guided through them by a "tour guide". We aren't fond of doing things with a guide. This never works well with little ones (not for us anyway). It seemed like it was going to end up being like you were stuck in a classroom at the mercy of a teacher waiting for the bell to ring:-). Hanna, Jamie and myself did want to tour the cabins and house but we all decided we'd rather head downtown to the aquarium instead. So, I got us a refund for what we hadn't done and we left.

We all had a great time at the aquarium. The kids had so much fun, each one of them. Every time we go to this aquarium we like it more and more. This was our best time here thus far! I'm so glad we detoured and went here today.

Next, it was almost 6pm so we headed to Magnolia's for dinner. We all enjoyed our food at Magnolia's. Even Joe, this is saying alot:-)! Out of all the times we've eaten here tonight was by far the best other than the very first time we discovered this delicious restaurant!! I didn't want a birthday cake. I'm not a "cake" person. So, Jamie surprised me with what I like most--a big box of Godiva chocolates:-). I'm saving it for the premiere of "The Bachelorette" Monday night:-). And, of course, we all got some pralines from River Street Sweets after dinner.

Jack was so tired. He immediately passed out in the car on the way home. Most of you know that Jack is NOT fond of car rides. Never has been from day one. We thought he'd be over it by now, but most rides in our van are pretty noisy, complete with very loud shrieks, screams, yelling and crying. Sometimes for up to an hour:-). Not the case on the way home. He drank his bottle, snuggled up with his lovie and was out!!

I had a great birthday. It couldn't have been any better. I spent it with my precious family and we all had such a good time together today. I am so thankful for each of them and I just love them so much. I am literally reminded each day by such subtle things how precious each one of them is to me, how much love and happiness they uniquely and individually bring into my life and how very blessed I am to be their mother and Jamie's wife and best friend. I could not ask for any more.