{2} the day the rain came.

The following morning we woke to find the rain hadn't shown up yet. We headed down for a long walk in the waves. It was a beautiful morning on the beach. So beautiful that I didn't even take any pictures.

~

However, the rain was inevitable.

We decided to find something in Charleston to entertain us on our rainy day.

It just so happens Charleston has an aquarium.

And Chris loves aquariums.

And I've never been to an aquarium.

And Carly loves people, things that move, and bright colors.

Perfect.

~

The torrential rains began just as we parked and headed into the aquarium.

Perfect timing on our part.

Carly wasted no time making a few friends.

(please note: Carly is sucking on her thumb in every single picture taken at the aquarium. She sucks on her thumb when she is nervous. And seeing fish bigger than she is made her nervous.)

This tank was massive and had sharks and giant sea turtles in it.

Carly loved looking at all the little fish swimming around.

She tried to grab at everything in the tanks.

Not sure what to make of the jellyfish.

Be still my heart. Isn't he gorgeous?

The aquarium heavily advertised two main attractions: Penguin Planet and the White [albino] alligator. I love penguins, but Penguin Planet was really more of a Penguin Village. Or neighborhood. Not very big at all. But they were very cute and Carly liked watching them swim around.

Lets Go Pens!

The white alligator was pretty cool though.

But I'm pretty sure he was asleep because he didn't move one bit.

The display said albino alligators are so rare because alligators maintain their body heat by lying in the sun, but an albino alligator gets burned by the sun. Isn't that fascinating? Maybe its just me.

Carly seemed to enjoy the tanks with a TON of fish the most:

After the aquarium it was time for the grown-ups to find some food. This is when we had a life-changing experience: Sticky Fingers. This day was Chris's real birthday (yay!) and he wanted BBQ. We headed to a place we had heard about, called Sticky Fingers. We got the rib platter for 2, which came with 4 kinds of Memphis BBQ ribs. I tell you, I will never be the same. It was amazing. And they had the best baked beans and potato salad I've ever tasted. And I'm a potato salad connoisseur of sorts. Amazing. We may have gone back the next day for round two. Its possible.

~

That evening Chris got a short birthday nap, and Carly was being fussy, so she and I headed out in the light drizzle to get some fresh air and check out the beautiful houses on Isle of Palms. I LOVED these houses. They were a combination of Charleston Southern style and beach house. So beautiful.

My favorite. CUTEST teal shutters.

We ended our night with the Cubs and Penguins on TV in our hotel room while the rain continued to fall. It was a wonderful day. And even better? The sun was on its way.

{to be continued . . . }