Penn State Chics Dig Nerds

This past weekend, we had a much overhyped snow/ice storm here.  It started off as nice snow, but ended in ice.  There really wasn't much, but it was plenty to have fun on. The children had a lot of fun ice sledding.  They were very glad that they did not have school on Monday so that they could play all day.  In fact Natalee said multiple times that it "was a very fun day" and it "was one of the best days ever."  Even though I could not slide on the ice (it didn't work for me- and I don't like ice bumps), it was a day I would like to bottle up.  They all truly enjoyed playing with one another and there were hardly any arguments! On day 1 they made a bump on the sledding hill.  Then, it iced on top of it and really solidified for the next two days. Sunday afternoon and Monday saw a lot of sledding.  Here is a classic crash sequence - Natalee and Amie are on the sled: 1. They went slightly to the right of the bump. 2. Uhoh!...

On our drive home from South Carolina, we took a slightly different route home so that we could stop at Humpback Rock, which is along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I had never driven through Greensboro, NC or Lynchburg, VA.  It was nice to explore another nook in the country, especially since it was low in traffic. The last few miles of rural route to the Blue Ridge Parkway was a bit hairy.  I've been on some doozy roads before in Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Colorado.  This road cold hold its own in a ranking of scary drop offs!  The narrow road turned to gravel.  Then, we started making some hairpin turns and just hoped nobody came the opposite direction.  We thought, "Why is there even a road here???"  We did find some small homesteads tucked into the "hollers". It was truly fun, though.  I felt that we really got to see a little of the real Appalacia. We started on the Humpback Trail right before everyone else and their brother did. ...

Last year we visited Congaree National Park during the government shut down.  This meant that the visitors center was closed, which also meant the children could not complete their books to get a junior ranger badge.  This year, it was opened, but part of the boardwalk was once again flooded. They say that there is 8 feet of muck out there. We walked the opposite way around the boardwalk loop this year.  We walked until it was flooded. This is the end of the walkable boardwalk. We also saw a big metal distillery.  Apparently some people hid here during prohibition and distilled alcohol. Brady completed his booklet to get his junior ranger badge. There were a lot of dwarf palmettos.  We heard and saw several woodpeckers and hawks.  We also spotted a lizard.  However, we did not see any turtles or snakes. While this trip was short, we did pack in a lot of fun.  In addition to Folly Beach and Congaree, we also went to ...

We had a wonderful time visiting family again this year in South Carolina.  We felt very blessed that we were able to visit again and enjoy the company of an aunt, uncle, and cousin.  The weather was a beautiful reprieve from winter.  70 degrees!  One of our days in South Carolina, we drove to Folly Beach.  Last year, we found amazing shells here.  We all have fond memories of our walk last year on this beach. I kept reminding the children that last year was a once in a lifetime experience.  It's not normal.  This year the shells were not quite as grand, but it still did not disappoint! We went to the beach during low tide.  There were millions of small shells, coral, and shark teeth washed ashore. It was a really nice, wonderful walk on the beach.  We love strolling the beach to search for treasures. There's nothing like walking on the sand and exploring the beach!  The kids all started with shoes on.  B...