South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's wife and four sons are moving out of the official governor's residence, several weeks after Sanford admitted to having an affair with an Argentine woman he called his "soul mate."

Jenny Sanford announced Friday that she and her sons will move to Charleston for the upcoming school year and will continue to work toward "healing our family." 

She and several other women on Friday moved clothing and boxes from the mansion in Columbia, part of the apparent move to the family home on Sullivans Island, some 120 miles east -- where she had previously sought refuge. 

In a written statement, she thanked the people of South Carolina for their "overwhelming support and prayers." 

"I am literally in awe of how blessed we are to have such love and support from family and friends, old and new. It is with this support, and after much careful and prayerful consideration, that I have decided to move back to our home in Charleston with our sons for the upcoming school year," she said. "From there, we will work to continue the process of healing our family." 

Asking the media for privacy while she moves to Charleston, she said she would be returning to the state capital often. 

"While we will be leaving Columbia, we will return often, and I will remain engaged in activities in my role as first lady, acknowledging that my responsibilities to my family come first," she said. 

The first lady and the boys moved to the home at the end of the last school year. She was there in late June when her husband made a secret trip to visit his mistress in Argentina. 

That trip unraveled the affair, which Sanford admitted publicly when he returned to South Carolina. He has since called the Argentine woman his "soul mate," but he said he will try to fall back in love with his wife. 

The Sanfords and their sons returned this week from a trip to Europe. The boys had attended a private school in Columbia. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.