Goodbye 6 Month Summer Break!

Wowsers!  School is almost here, finally!  Quite frankly, it is hard to believe how fast the past 6 months have gone by.  The first month was fun, as we were holed up and somewhat getting along since it was all so new.  However, month 2-3 were tough as we struggled to find our groove while finishing school and trying to work from home.  But months 4-6 were more their true summer....so the kids had many lazy days, lots of time in front of the TV and their electronics, and we also managed to squeeze a couple of getaways in to break up the monotony.  Overall the time went by fairly quickly.

Our final couple of weeks we spent swimming at the pool, one last visit to Six Flags and then off to Highlands to escape the heat.  Bennett has been begging to bring a friend along on one of our vacations for the past year.  We have tried a couple other times, but it has never worked out.  However, we had a large home rented in NC, so we asked Mary Caroline to join us - and she did!  She was a great addition for the week, as she gets along with all of the kids, and is talkative with us adults.  

It was a scorcher at Six Flags, but a few of us were ready to tackle some ground - Pres, MC and me :).  We were on a mission to ride the roller coasters we missed out on earlier this summer, and we had a blast!  We cooled off periodically on a couple of water rides too, which were rides that everyone enjoyed.  As the day went on with the high heat and longer lines, Bennett and Walker were ready to leave (they aren't the risk-takers in the group), but we talked everyone into the All American Scream Machine (the original wooden rollercoaster).  Walker freaked out initially, but he eventually conceded and rode the ride.  Once we finished, he said it was his new favorite ride of the park (dude just needs to be forced to try new things).  We (Steve, Pres, MC and me) rode one last rollercoaster - the Superman, and then were off!  We were thinking we would only be there from 11:30-5ish, but we didn't leave until 7:30, and then had to drive a few hours to NC.  It was a long, hot day, but it was worth it.  Due to everyone being overheated and tired, it was a nice, quiet ride there, even though we arrived much later than we wanted.

The following morning we tried to sleep in, but we eventually got out to hike, and then we went out for a late lunch at the Ugly Dog.  We saw friends from home there, and agreed to meet up for a drink later.  We went back to get settled in our house.  Then the Passarella family came over for a couple of cocktails.  The kids all played together, and we caught up on the screened in porch.  It was a great first night, and even though we didn't have air conditioning...we slept fairly well.

The following morning, we woke up to rain, which prompted us to move slowly.  After a late breakfast,

I took the girls shopping in Highlands for a couple of hours, while the boys stayed back and played video games and threw the football.  As the clouds started to part, we came home to get everyone so we could go see a couple of waterfalls that didn't require a lot of hiking.  

On Tuesday, we got up and hiked my favorite mountain, Whiteside.  The views from the top are incredible, and everyone found it to be an easier hike (so little complaining).  We then took the kids to Sliding Rock, where they can slide down the rocks into a freezing cold pond.  After they had enough and were cold, we came home to get dry clothes on and drop Steve off so he could work for a couple of hours.  I then took the kids back to Cashiers for a late pizza lunch.  The kids wanted to hit a couple of the shops there too.  When we knew Steve was finished working, we headed home to shower, and get in our pjs.  We had a full day, and just wanted to chill with dinner at home, and a late night of cards and foos-ball!

On our last full day, Steve got up with the boys and took them fishing while the girls worked on their AP English summer reading project.  Preston caught a couple of small fish, but sadly Walker didn't have any luck.  When they got back to the house, we ate lunch and then went towards Highlands for a pretty, yet challenging hike.  Glen Falls is great for viewing the beautiful water fall, but the whole first half of the hike is downhill, leaving the whole second half as an uphill battle.  Walker did surprisingly well on the way up as long as he was holding my hand.  As a reward, we went to "Bust Your Butt Falls."  Once again the water was cold, but there were lots of large stones that created small wading areas, and then there was a cliff where the kids took turns jumping in (well everyone, but Walker).  They had a blast!  We hated to leave, but we had dinner reservations that night, so we needed to hurry home to shower and get ready.

Miraculously we were all ready in less than an hour, and we made it to dinner on time.  We had a delicious dinner, and then treated the kids to ice cream for our final night.  We came home and tried to get our bags in order so it wouldn't be too stressful on Thursday morning.  Overall, it was a packed five days of fun, with some downtime before the craziness of school begins.  As much as our family drives each other nuts, we can really enjoy ourselves too.  Blessed that we can escape to do things like this even during a pandemic.

We got home to a pile of mail, which included a letter from Shades Cahaba to Walker.  He was thrilled to receive his own letter.  It had a scratch off with the picture of his new 1st grade teacher displayed underneath.  When he finally scratched it off, he was excited to learn that it was Ms. Werner, Bennett's 1st grade teacher.  Sadly, Preston didn't have in person 6th grade orientation or locker decorating due to COVID, but he didn't let that get him down. School is going to look different this year, and they will just have to learn to roll with it.

Final Havoc Tournament

With COVID messing up our whole spring, baseball season got pushed way out.  The boys usually end on Father's Day, but this year they played in a couple of tournaments in July.  It was definitely hot, but they were all happy to be playing.  Their last tournament was in Oxford, with their first game at 8am.  Pres and I rode over their bright and early, while Steve stayed back with the other two until the second game.

They started the day, like every other game day.....saying the Lord's Prayer.  It was early, but they managed to be awake and play pretty well.  They all made some good plays, but in the last inning, the bases were loaded and Preston was up to bat.  He managed to hit a solid triple, but when they threw the ball in, the third baseman missed the ball so Preston got home!  It was a great way to pull out a win!

Rocking one of Steve's old baseball shirts - vintage!

After resting and having some lunch, the boys started warming up for the second game.  The rest of the family came to watch the Havoc.  The boys tried to hang, but the other team started off strong, and then the lightening and eventually rain moved in.  They would get off the field for 30 minutes, get back on for a couple of batters and then get another 30 minute delay.  After the bottom fell out, they called the game for 2 hours, so I left with B and W. Once they were able to play again, they had weren't able to rebound. 

The following morning, we all got up early to watch them play the 8am game again. They played ok, but let one inning get away from them which ultimately ended up costing them the game.  Just when they were getting momentum and coming back, they ran out of time.  Even Walker had fun at the game with all of the younger siblings.  Sadly, we never got a family picture.

Homewood Havoc

Pres is lucky to be playing on a baseball team with so many of his classmates and friends.  He is with the same core boys and coaches, and the Homewood Havoc was ready to play hard this spring!  They were able to get in a lot of practices, many during the cold and rain.  However, just when the season was starting, it ended.

Preston's team only played one game and a couple of scrimmages, but they showed a lot of promise and we were all excited to see what they could do this season.  Sadly, the coronavirus put an end to their spring season.  Thankfully, Coach Hicks arranged a scrimmage the day before we knew the season was ending with the other Homewood team of boys their age.

The "other team" has always been viewed as the A team, the better team, but our boys beat them that Friday night.  I know that these are all children, and really....all friends of each other.  But our boys, the Havoc, needed that win.  They needed to prove to themselves that they had the skill set, the determination to play hard and win.  It was great to end on a high note, but I hated to have it end at all.  I love baseball, and love watching Pres and Walker play.

Then the state of Alabama started reopening slowly, so the boys entered a couple of tournaments.  They hadn't been practicing, so it started off fairly ugly, but they did ok in the end and had fun.  It was definitely a short season, and one that we will never forget.

Through it all, they decided they wanted to keep playing as a team and enter a big tournament next year.  After some discussion as a team, we decided that we are heading to Branson, MO for the Ballparks of America tournament in June 2021.  They are officially registered, and now the fundraising efforts begin.  Our goal is to raise $12K!  The parks will give us $3K, and the rest will be used for tournament fees, new uniforms and some extra for the families going to watch. 

The boys and coaches will stay on the campus for a "stay and play" experience, while the families will stay at a nearby hotel.  We are only one week into it all, and we have raised our first $1,000.

Six Flags Over Georgia

School has been out for over three months now, and so much of our country has been shut down.  However things are slowly reopening, and the troops are restless.  So when Six Flags announced that they would be reopening, but at a limited capacity and only for season pass holders while they tried out all of their new procedures, we wanted to go.  

Shannon and I made reservations to take all of the kids for the day.  We got there and immediately started riding the rollercoasters.  It was overcast, and not very crowded for the first couple of hours, which made it perfect.  However, as the afternoon went on, the clouds burned off and crowds picked up.  We got in a lot of rides, and all of the kids had fun in between all of the cleaning and waiting.  

Memories were definitely made that day, and we can't wait for our next visit!

Busted out of Homewood....finally!

Bennett and Mary Ellis

We were finally able to break out of Homewood!  This quarantine has been kicking our butts, and with every trip that we have planned for the year slowly falling apart....we needed a change!  Thanks to Shanon and Brian Jarmon, our whole family went to Highland Lake for a little fun.  Shanon's mother has a home there, and with all of the kids and toys.....everyone had a blast!

We all met up there Saturday morning.  It didn't take long for the kids to start swimming, fishing and snacking.  It was a hot and sunny day, and they didn't stop until the sun finally started to set.  All of the kids drove the jetski, made tiktoks, the boys fished, and we ALL snacked a lot!  We fully enjoyed the day, not coming inside until the sun went down.  We enjoyed a great steak dinner, and then went outside to lie in the grass and wait for shooting stars.

The next day, the kids started early riding the jetski and fishing.  The adults had a slower start, but we all finally made it out there to supervise the fun before the clouds rolled in and the rain began. Fun times!

Beck loved hanging on paddle board.

Big fish if held closer to camera ;)

Buddies!!

So thankful for a couple of days away!