My Travel Traditions

Hubby loves to travel. Now that the kids are older, I'm starting to enjoy it more myself. The kids love it as well. Over the last 6 months our family has traveled more than in the entire 13 years that we've been a family! During this last trip to North Carolina, we also visited a few parts of South Carolina and even spent a night in Savannah, Georgia. During our last few trips to the East Coast, California Coast, and North West, I have started some must-do travel traditions.

1. I love taking pictures of street signs. However, since I lost the camera from our big 2 week NYC, NJ, and DC trip this summer, I don't have those :(. Here's an example of one I took from Charleston...

2. I always get postcards from everywhere we go. This trip I almost forgot until hubby reminded me. I thought that was so sweet of him! If I have time I will write out events of our trip and mail it to myself from that city. If I don't find the time I will journal onto the postcards when I get home. I try and get the kids to write them too!

3. Lastly, I always try to pick up a Christmas ornament. You'd be surprised at how available they are. Even in the summer I was able to find them. Usually you can find them with the name of the city and sometimes even the year.

What are some of your travel traditions or ways you chronicle your trip besides photos? Do you save airline tickets, receipts, menus, or tourist attraction ticket stubs? Yep, I'm guilty too!

This post is linked to:
All Things Domestic Link Up Blog Party
@ Crazy Domestic

I'm Back!

We had a long and wonderful trip to the east coast and after a few days of recuperating I'm back! I missed you all so much! I wanted to share with you photos from the first leg of our trip. After visiting the MIL in Raleigh, NC we drove down to Charleston, South Carolina for a couple days. My husband prefers looking at the beach as opposed to lying on it, so winter is a perfect time to avoid crowds, get a great room rate, and take in it's beauty while having the whole place to ourselves. We stayed at the Wild Dunes in the Isle of Palms. We got a fantastic rate (too good to be true, really! I think they made a mistake, but their loss was our gain). We stayed in an amazing two bedroom two bath, well it was more of a condo than a room. It even had a washer and dryer, 3 flat screens, fully stocked beautiful kitchen, view, etc. I told hubby, I thought we should just ditch all our belongings back home and move in!

Check it out...

During our stay we headed over the bridge for a few trips to downtown Charleston where we shopped and ate.

One day for lunch we ate at the famous Hyman's Deli. It's a must stop everytime we are in Charleston, as it's one of hubby's favorites. Look where I was seated...

Some shopping at City Market...

 Sweet Grass Basket makers.

I would have bought one but the few baskets I picked up to

do a price check on cost from $250 to $800!

Gotta love these signs!

Cute V-Day Oreos from Downtown...

We also stopped by the park to soak in some history...

I just love the architecture here. I'm a fool for columns and tree lined streets...

Before we left we took a walk down the Boardwalk at the Wild Dunes...

Nash's Birthday

Yesterday was Nash's birthday. It wasn't just any birthday, it was his 13th birthday! That means I am now the mom of a teenager ;-(. Lucky for me, he is the sweetest and smartest boy ever. I couldn't be more proud of all that he has accomplished this last year, and how he has composed himself in all his fame. I know this is only a tidbit of the wonderful and amazing things he will do in his future.

To celebrate his birthday milestone we took him to go see family in North Carolina. My in-laws live there, and my SIL just had a brand new baby girl who we just had to visit. She is amazing and just like they use to say about Nash, she too has a pleasant disposition. When I look at her it is as if I am looking at my kids again when they were babies. Being first cousins they all have very similar features.

Our family is really loving North Carolina, and I wonder how long it will be before we pack up and leave California...

Here are some photos of a little farm we went to while we were there.

 She literally stopped drinking and looked at me as soon as I pointed my camera in her direction. What a ham! Haha, get it? It's funny because it's a cow and not a pig.

They call her the Chick Fil-A cow.

            We took a ride around the farm in a covered wagon.

Reminds me of the Oregon Trail!

 Feels like fall!

NYC Through Her Eyes

 New York City Through the Eyes

 of an 8-year Old

This summer my husband and I took our two children on a two-week east coast vacation.

We spent three night in NYC, seeing the sights.

After taking hundreds of photo's with my Nikon D5000, I forgot it in the Airport

bathroom on our way home.

We had photo's with family and friends in NYC, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

It was a devestating loss.

We spent two exhausting days in a desperate search for the camera's.

My husbands camera was also in the camera bag along with mine.

I hadn't downloaded or printed any of the photos from the camera's.

Luckily,

My 8 year-old daughter had taken her camera on the trip with us.

These are the photos SHE took.

We are so grateful, that she was able to capture some memories from our trip.

We were delighted with the beauty she saw and captured.

It was sad to have lost the camera's, to know that someone found it and chose not to return it. It gave us an uneasy feeling to know that some stranger was looking at us, at our photos. But...we found comfort in the fact that we DID have a perfect trip, and we all made it home safely.

I will cherish these photos my young daughter took forever. Actually, I'm considering making these photo's into postcards and using them as our Christmas Cards.

I now have 3 labels on my camera with reward information. Before it only had our phone number.

We gave our daughter a small pink digital camera for Christmas when she was 7.

She has given us a bigger gift.

Do you have a child who has taken an amazing or funny photo? Send them to me and if you "follow me" I will try and post it.

                                         

*The photos in this post are the property of Lilianna Grace

and cannot be used without permission.*

             

Altoid tin games

Altoids Tin Travel Games - Pocket Size Fun - More DIY How To Projects

I am in love with these mini travel game sets!
I want to see how many games I can come up with that will fit in a travel size tin!