go here :: Charleston SC

you will not be disappointed.

this labor day weekend we strayed from the norm {beach and/or auburn football} and flew the entire fam to charleston, sc for my cousins wedding.

we have been looking forward to this trip for numerous reasons:

visit with extended family

celebrate a beautiful relationship

vacation and sight see in a city i have always wanted to visit

first plane ride/big trip for/with bennett

the last one wasnt exactly cause to look forward to the trip, but it definitely made the trip even more noteworthy.

all my fears were extinguished the second we got on the plane. we arranged our flights so that we would not have to wake bennett up in the morning...we woke up early, packed everything in the car, ate breakfast, dressed, and then bennett woke up. we dressed and fed him and hopped in the car. i also made sure the layovers were as short as possible {but long enough to make the terminal change in atlanta}. it also helped that each flight was less than an hour :)

{here is the part where i completely exploit my role as bennett's mama....be forewarned}

my baby is the BEST!!!!!!!! absolute perfection. he is so good and we are so spoiled.

ok, i said it, take it how you like, but the truth still stands that he was so good! i made sure to stock up on coloring books, legos, elmo paraphernalia, dvds, books, magna doodles, food, food, prayers and more food before the plane ride.

we didnt need any of them.

taking into account bennetts absolute LOVE of airplanes with his general laid back attitude and inquisitive mentality, he was in hog heaven.

the boy was mesmerized and content just looking out the window.

he whimpered a little for a couple seconds when the pressure of extreme acceleration hit us all at take off, but quickly looked out the window and couldnt get over the trees and clouds and "aingplangh" {airplane}. he actually wined with a quiet "moh aingplangh moh moh moh aingplangh" {more airplane} when the plane landed. then he LOVED the "train" from one terminal to the next and wanted "moh choo choo." stephen and i didnt know how to react. except to sing praises and thanks bc we know good and well what this experience could have been.

{its hard to have a blog about your child/family and not sound like you are bragging when you are discussing things such as this. please know that i am NOT meaning to come across this way. we know how lucky we were {this time} and our terrible twos are right around the bend. i just have to write this so that, when the time comes, i have some good, well-behaved-child-memories to look back on :)}

we got to charleston and met up with my parents {who came up on wednesday} and decided to take a carriage tour of the city. bennett fell asleep in his stroller on the walk to the carriage stop, and took a mini nap while we waited 20 minutes to catch the tour.

meet bob

bob had an attitude

look at those horseshoes! thick bc of the cobblestone and paver streets found around charleston.

our tour horse for the hour was larry {what great horse names}. he "neighed" at every intersection which about made bennett happy to the point of giddiness. larry neighed and bennett "moh nay nay!! moh nay nay!!"-ed at every intersection.

the houses and sights we saw were just as amazing as all the pictures you have ever seen of charleston. such culture - such history - such inspiration. click HERE for a more in-depth post, pictures and review of this aspect of our trip. {if its not posted when you click it, just wait - im going to try and get it posted tomorrow}

bennett decided friday morning at breakfast that he was going to use a fork and a knife like mama and daddy do.

after breakfast we visited the charleston aquarium, which i have to say was much more entertaining {to bennett} than our new orleans aquarium trip.

the "tuh-tles"

we heard PLENTY of this

"moh meem meems moh moh moh meem meems" = "more fish" {meem meem=the sound bennett placed with the fishy face lips opening and closing that he uses to represent "fish"}

our wee little fam

on the way back from the aquarium we stopped for some gelato at what appeared to be a pretty popular establishment. they even had a live web-cam and we made sure to call stephen's mom so she could see her grandson live on the internet. :)

i had stracciatella, my favorite flavor while we were in italy a couple years back

friday night was the rehearsal dinner on the rooftop of the Harbour Club. since children were not included, these wonderful angels swept in and offered to watch bennett for us when our scheduled babysitter had to cancel last minute. katy is a friend, pledge sister, and roommate from college. she, her husband, and two precious kiddos live in charleston and literally were our saving grace that night. my heart was at peace not having to worry about some stranger watching my child in a hotel room for several hours. words cannot express how grateful we are, katy and cole!! thank you so much!

saturday we awoke to this outside our hotel window

how could this city get any better? a weekly farmers market that takes place every saturday between april and october? bouncy houses, food, treats, wares, produce, pony rides, family fun galore? sounds like a photography haven for one such as me, but i was too busy visiting with friends and family and chasing after this rugrat to actually take full advantage of it all.

katy and her family met us at the farmers market so the babies could play and so we could finally get to visit. maddie and bennett were fast friends

saturday evening we attended the wedding ... it was beautiful - outdoors, small, intricately detailed

bennett was pretty funny during the wedding. it was outside, and bennett was one of three little kids there. he actually was being good and sweet, just talkative. the music started and he started saying "hi" to everyone. "hi mimi hi doc hi annie hi yahyul {rachel}". hi to the people behind him, hi to the people in front of him. and when we all stood up to declare our consent, he started clapping and screaming "yaaaay! yaaaay!". standing ovation i guess?

when we got to the vow part, stephen took bennett for a quick run around the block. i just didnt want him disturbing something that had absolutely nothing to do with him...it was about the bride and groom, ya know?

we also realized something else at the wedding - when bennett gets overstimulated/tired {like he was after three days of off-schedule vacationing}, he gets CRAZY! like run around bouncing off the walls crazy man type. it was funny, but exhausting for all involved! several hours into the wedding stephen took him back to the hotel so i could stay and enjoy the rest of the night, and so bennett could actually get some sleep since we were leaving early the next morning.

bennett with the groom, my closest-thing-to-a-brother first cousin

bennett and blake {and yes i edited the heck out of this picture - they just looked so vintage sitting there on the old porch in their knee socks...i couldnt help myself}

the next three pics were pirated from my cousin's facebook

blake spooner {29 mo}, sutton spooner {7.5 mo}, and bennett {20 mo}

first dance

decor

my fam :)

my sis rachel who happens to be doing her interior design internship at THIS firm in nashville....have i mentioned how proud i am of her?!?!

the groom who, in order for his bride to agree to change her name, played and sang THIS for the entire wedding party and guests

to say tears were shed would be saying the least...

here's to beautiful messes !

{and one beautiful vacation!}