A week of vacation (Part 2--Clemson)

We headed up to Clemson on Wednesday and Nicholas met us there later that evening. We walked with our friends Tony, Juliet, John, Christopher, and Keats Penna at the Botanical Gardens--our old meeting place where Ringo and Keats would run wild and Juliet and I would get a walk. We went out to a new pasta place in town that was awesome, but Olivia apparently didn't appreciate. I ended up leaving with her and going back to the hotel and putting her to bed. Her schedule was off most of the trip and she slept well only one night.

The next day we joined the Pennas at John's final swimming lesson. Olivia played in the sun room while the other kids were getting their lesson.






I didn't get as many pictures as I should have, but here is one of the last night when we had dinner at the Pennas' house. Tony is Mr. Mom here holding Olivia, and his son, Christopher, who is six months older than Olivia. John, who is almost five, is peaking out from behind.



After dinner, we all played in the living room. John is a delight and wanted to be in, and then see, every picture. I have to admit that seeing John is a measure of how long we have been gone from Clemson. We celebrated his first birthday the summer we left. He is a little boy now, starting Kindergarten in the fall. He has a great sense of humor now, too!





Christopher, although shy, can light up a room with his little smile. He kind of peeks around his mom or dad or brother to look out and grin at you. He's a real sweetheart!




Now, with Olivia in the mix, they sat pretty well for pictures. I was impressed. I think that all the musical instruments that the Pennas had helped. I am going to start hunting for tambourines and little drums, too. Olivia really liked them.





It was great to be back. I was pretty nastalgic because Nicholas and I lived in Clemson for five great years--we were married during our time there, we got Ringo, we kind of made ourselves there. Our life is so good because of our time there. It was nice to walk around campus and see how it had changed and what had stayed the same. The rural campus, to me, is so refreshing and so beautiful.

Nicholas went out with his adviser, Brian, and his friend Jason a couple of times while we were there. Olivia and I tagged along for lunch of Friday and had a good time.

The only hang up on the whole trip was Olivia's awful sleeping, and therefore, my extreme exhaustion and crabbiness. On Saturday morning, Olivia woke at 4:30 Eastern and would not go back to sleep. We ended up leaving Clemson at 8. This is Olivia and me in the bathroom around 5:30--she was putting on my sunglasses, but she wouldn't let me get a good picture.