Magnolia Cemetery // Submarine Birthday Ball

Magnolia Cemetery | Our First Military Ball | April 16, 2016

The weekend of April 16-17 was a busy one for us. It started with dinner out on Friday night with some of Curtis’ classmates celebrating being over another test and another week (⅓ of the way through!) and our first Military Ball on Saturday night – the 116th Submarine Birthday Ball! We were really excited with our plans, yet there was one who was being left out of all this…and she happens to be our daughter. Seriously, 50% of owning a dog is the guilt that I feel every time we have to leave that stinker for over 30 minutes! Since we had to leave her home alone 2 nights in a row (and again on Sunday morning for church) we decided to do something fun for her on Saturday morning/afternoon.

We decided to go to Magnolia Cemetery because it would make a nice new walk for Charlotte, there were 2 letterboxes, and it would just provide a way to get out and see a little more of our city. It may seem weird to some of you that we’d choose to go walk around a cemetery, and to you I say you’re hanging out in the wrong cemeteries! The historic ones down here are beautiful, between the gardens, beautifully detailed memorials, and the huge trees that were likely here before they began using this as a cemetery. This cemetery was dedicated in 1850 and is the oldest public cemetery in Charleston. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

There were some tall memorials for Civil War vets, and a special section dedicated to those on the H.L. Hunley Submarine. There were some other last names we recognized from other adventures or knowing bits of what they were known for here in Charleston. We enjoyed seeking out a letterbox that had us wandering all over the place searching for specific headstones. Toward the South end of the cemetery we had a great view of the Ravenel Bridge. It was a beautiful day for a walk and all 3 of us enjoyed it. It may have been just enough to earn back Charlotte’s love and forgiveness for locking her up later. 😉

Oh, and since I mentioned the Sub Ball, it’s only fair I share a picture… 🙂 We had a great time together and with some new friends. It went on at the Trident Culinary College in North Charleston, so it’s no surprise that the food was AMAZING. The ceremony was very nice, I think it was a great reminder for both of us of why we’re here. It’s so easy to get so focused on school and the stress and pressure that comes from that, and forget the real reason he joined the program. The community here is so great, and we are very grateful to be a part of it. However, another main highlight of the night was the awesome challenge coin we each received…those cool coins alone may be the reason we attend more balls in the future!