We have walls!

It’s going up fast. Next, they will be putting in the floor and wall tiles and cabinets. I can’t wait to see those! We have been making weekly trips there to see the progress. Hoping to be complete by the beginning of September 🙂 I’ve been spending quite a bit of time planning the decor and furnishings. Houzz.com is my friend.

In a couple of weeks, my best friend and I are going to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Where has the year gone? Last week, we celebrated early with a special home cooked dinner and bottle of our absolute favorite wine.

I made a crab cake appetizer, took some help from Whole Foods for the soup course, Manhattan clam chowder, Scallops over parmesan risotto with a side of spinach, sautéed with onions and figs, drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar, and garlic bread. For dessert, a chocolate croissant.

 

The next night, we celebrated some more with dinner at an Italian wine bar called Sweet Secrets Enoteca. It’s a small restaurant/wine bar owned by an Italian couple. The husband took care of us while the wife cooked our food. The food was simple but good. We got the caprese to start, and I had the four cheese ravioli and Matt had the gnocchi, and we had a bottle of Chianti:

Tomorrow we are going back to the house and hopefully will have some pictures of the flooring to share soon. Have a great weekend 🙂

It’s become an annual Yockey family tradition to gather as many of my dad’s kids and grand kids as we can in a big house close to a beach. This year we got a house on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston. So sad my little sister Nathalie, brother-in-law Edgar, and niece Bella couldn’t be there this year 😦 And I’m still kicking myself for planning such a short trip for myself! But the little time I had there with them, I will treasure forever.

Matt and I decided to make a road trip out of it and leave Friday night for Savannah. We rented a car and drove about half way to Ocala and stopped for dinner at Amrit Palace for a feast of Indian food:

We were tired and silly at this point:

We spent the night in Savannah and explored just a little in the morning before heading to Charleston:

We stopped about half way somewhere in the middle of Georgia for lunch at a hole in the wall with delicious blue crab stew and low country boil:

We arrived in Charsleton late Saturday afternoon and went out for some of the best wings at Home Team:

Delicious!

After a good night’s sleep, I was up early for a stroll on the beach:

And a little basketball before brunch:

Brunch at Salt at Station 22 :

Then the rest of the crew started to arrive in the afternoon:

Sunday evening, we walked down to Mamacita’s Mexican restaurant:

Then a chilly walk on the beach back:

Monday we walked on the beach in the morning and hung out at the pool and played most of the day:

Then we cooked up a delicious lunch. I’m still thinking about my brother Matthew’s pineapple grilled chicken:

Later we got cleaned up and went into downtown Charleston for dinner and a carriage ride. Fun dinner at DeSano Pizza Bakery:

Grumpy faces!!!

Ice cream for dessert:

A trip to Charleston wouldn’t be complete without a ghost tour. We did the old jail ghost tour.

Look at all these orbs:

And that weird green light:

Spooky place, that’s for sure. We heard a heavy door slam twice and some banging on the pipes.

It was a full day and I hit the hay hard after this.

Tuesday we headed back downtown to the market then back to Home Team for more wings for lunch before Matt and I had to say our goodbyes. So very sad to leave 😦

Then we boarded our tiny little plane where I luckily passed out before take off and didn’t wake up until we landed. I didn’t even know we were in the air:

During our layover in Miami, a quick bite to eat:

And a yummy guava pastry:

And Matt treated me to a massage then we lounged in the massage chairs until our flight left, it was heavenly:

And just like that, our vacation was over 😦 Next year, I promise I won’t cut my time short!

I’ve been working almost every day since I’ve been back. Soon I’ll write a house update and post more pictures. It’s getting there 🙂 I’ll be back soon 🙂