fall break '09

With some much needed rest and relaxation we headed home to Fripp. It was hard to be there knowing we would never be there again with Paps. Evan stayed in his room a lot missing him so. But...

Todd took the boys to Berkley Hall, on Hilton Head Island, to golf one day...thanks to Uncle Gary!! They had a great time. Todd had the best game with Graham nipping at his heels at only one stroke behind. I loved the play by play from Graham when he came home and I loved that Todd took the time to be alone with his boys and take pictures for our blog! Don't they look so handsome, my three boys!This is the clubhouse at Berkley Hall Golf Course.

I woke up early the last morning and went outside to take some pictures. I love this one and the one below because you can see the deer that are out there every morning.

I came outside because I really wanted to take pictures of the ornamental grass. Amy and Tina, can you believe how beautiful it is? It looks like cotton candy! Our hard work paid off!Look! My vinca is still so pretty! I wish that I could have stayed longer to enjoy it. However, my double knock out roses only have a few leaves and only one bloom. The deer have eaten all five of the plants up! I need to rethink what I am going to plant in front of the entry stairs...next year!


I love this view of the back yard. It shows some of the beautiful palms that were planted when the house was built. This is one of three Palmetto trees that Chad dug up on the Fourth of July and Todd and I transplanted. The root system on these trees was incredible and the thorns were so painful...just ask Chad and I! I absolutely love this view! Whenever I think of Fripp I think of this view! It is on Ocean Creek Golf Course. After I took this picture I picked up Todd and we just rode around the island for an hour or so...like we were seeing it again for the first time.
We passed these beautiful flowers, with so many butterflies flying around them, on our way to the beach. It was the most beautiful sight that morning. The beach was sunny on one end but so hazy that you couldn't see to the other end.
As we walked down to the beach you could see and feel the mist evaporating into the air.

Not too many people are on the Island in the fall. It is like having the whole beach to yourself. When we turned around to walk back I took a picture of our footprints.
While I was taking the picture Todd wrote this in the sand...I love him too!!!!!!!!!!
The waves were so calm that morning and the sunlight just sparkled and danced off of the sea.
Next, we were off to the Marina. The marsh is so beautiful in the fall. It reminds me of our corn fields up here in Indiana...green in the summer and such a beautiful golden color in the fall.
The Cyprus tree is my FAVORITE tree in the south! The moss is very prevalent now because the green foliage is gone.
The golden marsh, blue sky and placid ocean at the Marina that morning was breath taking...I could have sat there all morning and watched the boats come in and out!I then took Todd to a street on the Island that has only three homes on it. This is the view from one of the empty lots that I always say we will build a house on one day! It has the most wonderful view of the marsh and ocean.
When we started out on our golf cart ride this little guy had crawled out of the water to be warmed by the sun. He was still lying there as we passed him on our way home.
And this beautiful bird was just a few yards away from the gator! He obviously didn't read the sign that warned him about the danger that lurks in and out of the water!.Graham and I then went for a our last ride that evening. We were standing on some rocks and spotted this dolphin. It was swimming very slow and gracefully. As the sun was moving West it was as beautiful that evening sparkling on the water as it was in the East that morning while it was burning off the fog. What a beautiful day God gave us. One of my favorite days on the island. It was like He cued the deer, fog, sun and animals to come out just for me! God is so good!!

What a perfect fall break on Fripp! We all got some much needed rest and had a lot of time to reflect on the past months events. I am looking forward to the spring when I can once again spend time at our home in paradise !