Friday Favorites - an EPIC Mother's Day Weekend

A week ago right now all six of us were waking up in beautiful Kiawah Island, South Carolina!  This morning the one on the left is waking up in East Asia with her Chi Alpha missions team, spreading the hope of Jesus in a buddhist nation and giving support to the missionaries that serve there full-time.  My sister and her daughter are in Lynchburg, VA for the last Foster grandchild's college graduation :) My sweet daughter-in-law is back working and wife-ing in Chattanooga while Erin and I have just finished out another work week here in Knoxville :). 

A few months ago my tax accountant daughter said, "I'm going to need a break after tax season - maybe we can go to Kiawah with Aunt Jodi?" and a trip was born :). Years ago my sister would host Mother's Day weekend in South Carolina for her mom friends - you know, when what we wanted for Mother's Day was a "break" from the kids.  Now, she's hosting so we can spend time with the kids - truly full-circle!

Thursday morning at 5:02 a.m. my three girls and I pulled out of our driveway to begin our weekend together.  I guessed that we would get to the Island at 12:30 p.m.; Erin guessed we would stop 4 times (she's traveled with me before) - we were both right!  

The wait at the gate took longer than 2 minutes but we were THERE!  The graduate had arrived the day before - once we got to the condo and the car unpacked we headed to the beach of course.

We walked a couple of miles - Ellie has a 15,000-a-day-step-goal (she more than surpassed that every day of this trip!) - and as we were heading up from the beach to a resort on the Island, The Sanctuary, someone called my name.  So weird, right?  At first I figured it was one of my sister's friends - so many people say we look alike that I wouldn't be surprised to be recognized - but it was actually a tennis player friend of mine from Knoxville!  How random, right??  It was good to stand there and catch up a bit and we made plans to play pickleball together the next day!

We window shopped a bit at the resort, got some ice cream, and headed back to the condo to get my niece and head up to Freshfields for dinner.  

We were sending my sister photos - she had to work Thursday and was taking a late flight down.  By the time we were finished with dinner all the shops were closed (boo) - the Island was pretty quiet and not yet in "summer mode".  We drove to another beach area and had a sunset walk.  We found someone who offered to take our picture together too!

It was an early night for all of us - I had offered to pick my sister up at the airport but her flight was delayed and she said getting a ride would be easier.  I had brought everyone a book for the weekend and a puzzle for us to do, so that is how we ended our day.

I had also purchased water bottles for everyone but they didn't arrive in time :/. Tom sent a picture when they came so I could let everyone know they would get something to commemorate the weekend.

Look at this sunrise from my sister's bedroom balcony!!

I have to STOP myself from taking multiple pictures of this same scene day-in-and-day-out.  I just LOVE this island and being there so much!!

Friday morning my sister was THRILLED that there were people that wanted to go on a 5-mile walk with her so off they went! 

She thought she had signed me up for tennis thing but I couldn't find the group - it was just a weird disappointment (always love finding new people to play with) but an easy, lazy morning for me.  Luckily I had run into that friend the day before and we had signed up, with my sister and my friend's husband, to play Open Play Pickleball at the Roy Barth Tennis Center.  No pictures - boo!  There were three full courts plus a pro on hand to work with the two people that had to sit out each round.  It was so.much.fun!!  In the meantime my girls headed back to the beach :)

Jodi felt like she was missing out on "daughter/niece time" so she left PB a little early. . . luckily everything is within walking/biking distance so it's easy for everyone to do their own thing throughout the day. 

When I finally got back from Pickleball Erin had decided she had had "enough" beach/sun time so she stayed behind and the rest of us headed up to one of my sister's clubs for some pool (baby only - still a little chilly for the water) time, a little lunch, and another beach walk - I got some one-on-one time with my oldest daughter.  And it was also a great time for naps :)

Although the weather app said it was 69 degrees, where we were sitting all the wind was blocked and the sun was HOT.  Prior to the trip all we saw for the weekend was rain, rain, rain and we got so lucky - it rained for half our drive Thursday, then only at night.  Truly unexpected great weather!!

We got back, went out to a favorite restaurant for the BEST food, and called it a night.  We aren't very exciting "night people" - ha!

Saturday Jodi "met her match" - Ellie got her out for a run, then some strength training, a walk, and pickleball!!!  Ellie posted in the family group chat:  

Laura headed up to Freshfields with me again for coffee and we split a muffin and walked around in the quiet before all the shops open.

On Saturday my tennis DID work out - I wasn't sure what I had signed up for, but caught on with the group quickly.  They were my skill level and so.much.fun to play with.  

We had 2 courts and 2 pros - it was a 3-on-3 rotation-type game.  Lots of fun!!  The PB courts are right next to these and, because of the forecasted rain, many people had dropped their reservations so we were able to book at court right after I finished this.  I sent this pic to my "regular" Saturday morning Knoxville group to let them know I wasn't slacking ;) 

Erin came up with them and sat on the sidelines reading a book while we got six games in, each of us playing together twice.

After this we headed back to the condo, ate lunch, showered, and headed into Charleston.  Laura had to be at the airport for a 5 p.m. flight back to Knoxville - then drove back to Clarksville - just to go to Nashville Sunday for her flight out of the country.  She's my girl - doesn't let grass grow under her feet!!  While I took Laura to the airport, the other four had already started down King Street - when I met up with them, my sister was proud to have already started her shopping!

We ALL did some damage in the stores, then headed to a hotel for a drink and relax a bit before heading to The Peacock (my sister's sister-in-law's restaurant) for dinner.

So.many.steps!!  A great day to shop!

You know, having a sister is the BEST.  Truly.  Every girl on this trip is fortunate enough to have not only the ones born into their same family, but the ones who have become family too.

The restaurant gave us a table where there was room to put all of our shopping bags!!

Another great day!!!

We walked back to our cars 

Charleston is beautiful at night too:

And these girls are beautiful on the inside and out all the time:  

And then it was Mother's Day :)

Jodi and my two remaining girls left for a quick walk - I stayed behind, finished the puzzle, and read a book while enjoying my last morning in this beautiful spot.

We packed up, dressed up (girls trips are so much fun because of all the "dress up" we do!), and headed to a BEAUTIFUL brunch that Jodi had reserved for us.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO US!!!

Don't "love" this picture or the lighting, but the memory is precious.  Look at this food!!  Outstanding!

It's days like this that I wish I could eat as much as my boys ;)

And then we took a walk around the property got more pictures (of course!) - and NO ONE complained about all the different combinations - ha!  I *love* that Ellie texted us when we all got back home and said that picture in the upper left was her "favorite".  She is such a treasure.

I will never know, on this side of heaven, why I have been so abundantly blessed in this life with this family.  All I can do is be grateful every day of my life that I have them and weekends like this can happen.  Of course we wish my mother and aunt (another set of sisters!) and Anna (Jodi's oldest) could have joined us. . .it's the different seasons we're all in, right?

We cleaned up, packed up, and headed out. . .only then to be STOPPED a few hours in with an accident that closed the road (I26).  Ellie needed her steps!!  So off she and Erin went - we were about a mile behind the wreck. . .by the time they got up to it (we had already been there for over an hour) they were able to call me to let me know what lane was being opened so I could be prepared to merge over.  They got back to the car and we were off again.  

Yes, they included this picture of them walking along the highway together in the shared photo album!!  No, I wasn't "worried" about them. . .traffic wasn't moving, they were together, the weather was beautiful. . .and they weren't the only ones.  They said they saw a family that had set up an entire picnic on their tailgate - ha!

Finally, about 8 p.m., we arrived Home Sweet Home.  Erin was happy to be back to her pup, Ellie was happy to be back to her hub, and I was thrilled that both my boys were there and I got a pic with them on Mother's Day!!

Erin gave me a few "fun" things for Mother's Day - a "Life is Better at the Lake" framed print and a new doormat for out front :). 

Stephen took me out this last Tuesday night - met me for a little pickleball then took me to dinner.  I love gifts of togetherness.

Ellie and Robert gave me a photo album from the wedding (!!!) and Laura handed me the sweetest card as I was dropping her off for her flight 

Thanks for sticking with me for this post (or not. . .).  I love having a place to record these memories.  

Happy Friday - Happy Weekend to all!!

I'm linking up, as always, with Erika and Andrea - many thanks, ladies, for hosting Friday Favorites!