This year, for the second time in a row our family will NOT be together for Thanksgiving. As a family we were supposed to go to Hilton Head Island together to be with my father and Alison, Kirstie and Johnny, but Devon's work would not let him have the time off so he had to decide if he was going to quit or stay. He decided to keep his job, which meant Devon had to stay back home with Mark while I took Marissa and Robert with me on the trip. Jessica stayed at BYU. She will be having Thanksgiving with her roommate and her family.
We had a safe drive down, although we had a near miss with a big 4x4 truck almost hitting me. We passed three accidents. The first thing we did when we crossed over the Hilton Head bridge was drive to one of our favorite beaches. Robert and Marissa love to play in the sand and jump in the waves. We didn't get down to Hilton Head until around 4:00, so we didn't have much time for the beach. The sun sets at 5:20 - early, although it was perfect timing. At 5:20 my dad called saying it was time to meet him to got our pass into Sea Pines (where we are staying for the next few days).
Our first night we ate at the Crazy Crab - delicious! Robert, Marissa and I played 5-Crowns after Dad and Alison went to bed. We are missing Mark, Devon and Jessica!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and dinner. The weather was perfect. We got a few things taken care of in the morning (yes, shopping on Thanksgiving) and then a walk around the harbor. The kids loved playing on the playground like they did 4 years ago. They are much older and bigger now - it was so different. We also took them to the Sea Pines beach. They played in the sand and water for what seemed like hours (it really was only one or two). Alison didn't come. Dad and I had a good chat sitting on the beach or walking along the shore. It was nice to have one on one time with him.
For dinner, I made a ham and we heated up turkey. We also served stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans with almonds, and rolls. For dessert we had pumpkin pie with whipped cream. The kids opted to have vanilla ice cream instead. They have never (Ever) wanted to try pie. Their loss!
Friday- Black Friday! We slept in. Dad and Alison had an appointment in the morning, so after they left I got the kids ready and we went out for our traditional Ihop Breakfast. Marissa got the Cinna-Stak, Robert the Pancake Platter and I got the short stak. Ihop is delicious! We all enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate. After breakfast we drove over to the mall. I was amazed that I found easy parking. The stores weren't too crowded and the check out lines weren't too long. We made it to the various shops, in and out including purchases in one hour. At 12:30 we went back to Harbor Town to meet up with Dad and Alison.
The afternoon was one for adventure and fun. We started at the Sea Pines Forrest Preserve. We spent approximately 2 hours walking the trails and having the opportunity to see amazing wildlife. We saw several large turtles, three aligators, squirrels, lizards, horses, and birds. The most exciting was seeing the aligator sunning himself on the opposite shore of the swamp/river. He was as still as could be - I was glad he was on that side and not on our side.
From the Forrest Preserve we drove to the miniture golf range - we had a great time playing all 18 holes. Five on one course is a bit much. We had a family pass us, but that's okay! Robert and Alison finished one UNDER par! Alison and Robert would take a wild shot and somehow it would end up close to the cup. They were so lucky! I had par for the second round but was way over on the first round. Sai-la-vee!
We had left overs for dinner (we need to use up the food). Robert and Marissa played in the pool from 7:30 - 8:00. The temperature of the water was delightful. They enjoyed their time in the pool and the hot tub. We finished the evening by playing card games together. Great day!
Saturday was our last day at Hilton Head Island. We had a great breakfast with Dad and Alison before verturing out for a 5K walk to some ruins. They were the Barnley Plantation Ruins. Nothing spectacular but a nice read on the local history. We love Hilton Head Island. It is close enough to get to in one day, the landscape is amazing, the people friendly and the peaceful lifestyle very enjoyable. After our walk we had lunch and then I took the kids to the beach while Dad and Alison went shopping. The weather was beautiful at 12:00, but by 1:30 (when we left for the beach) it was overcast with a chilly breeze. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and at the edge of the water. Robert was the only one to go all the way in the water and when he came out his fingers were slightly blue…um. We had a fun time, but at 3:40 we left the beach with only one destination in mind…Hot chocolate! I bought three to go. A good warm drink - YUM!!! We were back at the condo by 4:10. We needed to shower, finish packing so we could get a good head start on the drive home. We left around 5:00 pm. We stayed the night in Clifton, SC. What a lovely Thanksgiving holiday!
