Like mother like daughter

September 4, 1978; Opryland USA, Nashville, TN













August 20, 2007; Pavillion Park, Myrtle Beach, SC

Little Golfer

Sophie "playing" putt-putt golf

On our last night at Myrtle Beach (Monday night) we thought about going to the Dixie Stampede as a group but it was sold out. We decided just to go to eat and then play putt-putt golf. We went to Burro Loco which is a Mexican restaurant run by the same people that run California Dreamin for those of you in Charleston or who have been there with us when visiting Charleston. Anyway, it was really good! After that, we played miniature golf at a place with a jungle theme that had lots of neat animals around. Matt's mom, Mimi, volunteered to babysit Sophie while they rest of us played golf. Little did we know that Sophie would be much more interested in putting the golf balls in the holes, moving them around before we were done playing, etc. It was kind of wild with Sophie there and a challenge for Mimi but we also had lots of fun. Thanks, Mimi! Paula got 4 holes in one which has never happened before and probably never will again! Matt still beat her by 2 points!

Overall, we had a wonderful trip! It was a lot of fun! Sophie took good naps every day while some of the adults went swimming or shopped. She also slept good for most of the trip. Sophie loved playing in the sand and jumping waves. We may have a few more pictures to share soon from our disposable camera.

More Beach Fun

Paula, Sophie & Matt on our balcony

view of the sunrise from our balcony

Sophie driving a boat

Sophie driving a car

One morning, Sophie & Paula got up early enough to go and watch the sunset. It was really pretty that day. At least we didn't have to get up too early to see it. A couple of the nights while we were staying at Myrtle Beach, we went over to the outdoor mall, Broadway at the Beach, where they have shopping, restaurants and lots of other things to do. They had little carnival rides there and Sophie got to ride a couple of the rides. She had a wonderful time and thought she was big stuff! The thing is, it was kind of neat for me to see because I've seen pictures of me (Paula) when I was little riding the same exact rides. I think Sophie would have ridden these rides over and over again if she could have. Both nights we were at the mall (one of the nights Matt's parents actually took her) Sophie rode the car and the boat.

On the night that Matt's parents and sister, Leia, babysat Matt & I played a game called MagiQuest. It's kind of hard to explain but you have this wand and you get to go on these different adventures, quests, etc to find things throughout the building. It kind of reminds you of Harry Potter or something but it's a game for all ages. They have all these computers that tell you what to do and you earn points, etc. Anyways, it was something different to do and it was fun.

Having fun at the beach

Sophie on our balcony holding her sunglasses

Sophie playing in the sand

Sophie's buried in the sand (but it didn't last long)

These are some pictures from our 1st full day at Myrtle Beach. We checked out a couple of the kiddie pools and one of the lazy rivers at our hotel and then went down to the beach for a while. Sophie had 3 pairs of sunglasses and she liked to carry all of them around at times. Mimi (Matt's mom) brought her 2 new pairs and we had another pair. We stayed at the Compass Cove Resort and it is really nice overall. We had a 3 bedroom condo that was right on the ocean, it had a kitchen, living room, eating area and 2 bathrooms. Matt's parents invited us to go so we stayed with them (Paw-paw Tom & Mimi) and Matt's sister, Leia. Sophie stayed in the same room with Leia and did great overall. Leia was a good sport about letting Sophie stay in the room with her. Sophie was worn out every night and took good naps in the afternoon. Our hotel also had several kiddie pools, 3 lazy rivers, hot tubs/jacuzzi, and regular pools.

Run for the Border!

Sophie & I made it in to Raleigh just fine on Thursday. Friday, we headed to Myrtle Beach. It wasn't long before Sophie noticed the South of the Border billboards and begged us to stop (ha, ha). There can't be a cheesier place on the planet than South of the Border (can we say TACKY). S.O.T.B. is probably past its heyday as several attractions were closed including Pedroland Park. Sophie was very disappointed that she did not get to ride the Wild Sombrero ride. However, there were plenty of animal statues that Sophie wanted to "ride."

We also rode the elevator to the top of the Giant Sombrero Tower. At the top, there is overwhelming view of the interstate highway and farmlands. After visiting the tower, we we very exhausted from our long day at S.O.T.B., and we drove on to Myrtle Beach for our vacation.

Recent Happenings

I haven't been doing very well at taking pictures lately so forgive me for that. It has just been hot, hot, hot here. We've been to play at our neighborhood pool a few times. One day Sophie & I met Cooper, a little boy from church, and his mom, Alison. Everyone had a good!

Last Friday was Matt's 30th birthday. We invited a few couples over to have dinner with us and celebrate. One of our friends took pictures so I'll have to get him to e-mail them to me. They made Matt wear a hilarious looking hat with a big birthday cake and candles on it that said, "Over the hill."

We should definitely have some pictures to share soon because Sophie and I are flying to Raleigh tonight to meet Matt (he's been there doing training this week). Then, the 3 of us will drive to Myrtle Beach, SC on Friday to meet Matt's family for a much needed vacation. We are really excited about spending time at the beach relaxing and having fun with Matt's family.

Big Shoes to Fill

Sophie is always finding new things to explore. A few days after we moved in, she decided to try on her Daddy's shoes. The funny thing was that she put his shoes on backwards which made it difficult to walk. Sophie still loves carrying her baby doll around, Mickey Mouse, her plastic giraffe and a pink hippo. She loves playing church with them on our steps. She stands there and sings with her dolls. It is so cute. She likes to carry her little Bible around everywhere. Last night when I was putting her to bed, she wanted her Bible. I got it for her and she said, "Mama get Bible and go to bed?" I said, "well, that would probably be a good idea Sophie." From the mouth of babes. I tell ya. I didn't follow her advice but I probably should have.

The other day Paula's mom asked Sophie what was in her tummy. She said, "baby". Sophie's Nana said, "No, I think that your mom has a baby in her tummy but you don't." Paula & her mom both got a laugh out of that one. Then, we told Sophie that what Nana meant was what did she have for breakfast. You just never know what your child is going to say.

Goodbye Charleston, Hello Nashville

On Friday, July 27, we packed up a moving truck (with the help of movers). As moves typically go, there were a few hitches and they ran late, etc. so we didn't pull away until about 9:30 that night. We had already planned to get down the road a little ways and stop at a hotel. By the time we stopped at a hotel, it was pretty late. Then, the next day, we drove about 12-13 hours (ugh!) with Matt and his dad trading off driving our 26' Penske truck and Paula and Matt's mom trading off driving our mini-van and entertaining Sophie. Needless to say, it was a very long trip! What usually takes 9 hours or so to drive, took 15. There was a lot of construction, a wreck, lane closures, etc but we made it. We were all so exhausted. We got to Nashville on Saturday night. Matt, Paula & Sophie stayed at Paula's parents' house while Matt's parents stayed in a hotel. We closed on our house on Monday morning and moved in afterwards.

Before our move, Teresa, Matt's mom, came and helped us prepare to move and then stayed for about a week after the move to help unpack boxes. What a huge help that was!! His dad came down for the move and helped Matt drive the truck. Paula's dad was a big help in finding our house, getting movers, moving, etc. Paula's mom helped with unpacking boxes and with babysitting Sophie. We are lucky to have such wonderful parents!

Anyways, I've probably bored everyone to tears with his entry. Sorry!

Overall, we are really excited about being back in the Nashville and close to so much of Paula's family and Matt's extended family. We will enjoy having free babysitters. =) We are also happy to be close to so many of our friends again! However, we had grown to love Charleston with it's beautiful beaches, wonderful historic places to visit and a very nice downtown to explore. We will have to go back and visit when we can. It's a very charming city and we grew to love many of the people there too! I left with a bit of nostalgia.