Taking advantage of no school on Friday, we had a whirlwind 35-hour trip from Chapel Hill to Columbia, SC. The main purpose was to take Abby to the temple, but we did a lot more than just the temple.
We left first thing on Friday morning, thanks to some very helpful and excited kids. Partway to Columbia, we stopped for Dunkin' Donuts, which was a special treat for all of us. Someone must have charmed the employees there because we walked out with the donuts we bought plus a bag of assorted donut holes.
My grandma grew up in Columbia and there were a few places of importance to her that I wanted to see and show the kids. But first stop, McDonalds! This restaurant happened to be about a block down from Lizard's Thicket, which is a restaurant I've heard her talk about. Next, we visited the park across the street from Logan Elementary School, a beautiful brick building. The park was so fun and it's probably the first time Nora was able to play with all of us at a park. Walking is amazing!
A few blocks away is the Cemetary where the Player side of the family has a plot and we visited the grave of my great-great grandparents, Wesley and Mamie (Grandma's maternal grandparents).
Then we saw the monument the city erected commemorating when Columbia surrendered to Sherman. That place is also significant because it's on the land where my Grandma went to church as a little girl and my great-grandpa served as a bishop.
The last stop before the hotel was another Cemetary to see where the Joyner side of my family is. We saw the grave for my great-grandparents (Grandma's parents), my great-great grandparents (Grandma's paternal grandparents) as well as several other family members, including Grandma's baby sister. Abby was especially excited to find that she and Alice Celesta share initials.
Oliver and Lottie
Alice Celesta Joyner
James and Mary
I honestly wasn't sure how the kids or I would feel about visiting cemeteries, but they wanted to bring flowers and asked questions and were so good. They were very interested in these "people who made us" and I was so grateful for my good kids and was filled with a reverence and love for good people who came before me, raised good children, and taught about love and service and faith. I'm grateful for my family!
After so long in our trusty van, the kids were eager to get to the hotel and explore. Having cable and a pool was a big perk too! We had arranged with friends to stay at the same hotel, which was a lifesaver in the babysitting department. One mom stayed with all the kids and a very angry Nora while the other adults took our big kids to the temple.
Abby was so excited she could barely sit still. After a couple silly obstacle moments (cue both parents briefly delaying things), Abby finally got to go and do baptisms for 10 family members. It was a really special experience.
We got back to the hotel with 6 pizzas and sides in hand just in time to share dinner with our friends and let the kids have the much-anticipated pool time. It was awesome! After wearing them out and putting them in bed, the adults all played games.
On Saturday, we took everyone to see the temple, go to the bookstore and Distribution Center, and do a farewell drive around Columbia. We had a slower drive back home, stopping at a really incredible park in Charlotte, stopping after a little carsickness episode, and then arriving at High Point for a little unplanned-for-that-day (but trying to take advantage of literally driving through town) furniture shopping.
We went to a furniture store that is a million square feet (seriously) and walked and explored for a couple hours, until the kids complained of tired legs and feet and our tummies were ready to eat. It was fun, we learned a lot, and we still came back empty-handed and okay with that.
It was an incredible weekend with lots of fun for all. In fact, the kids have decided it is our second best vacation!
