Easter Sunday - Dinner at the Hollaway's

So glad that Cathy and Werner hosted Easter dinner, we have not been together much since Christmas. We gave Jesse a gift for being brilliant at renovating their kitchen, found cute copper shot glasses and had monogrammed. I also brought a birthday gift for Jordan, Jesse and one for Justin, a beer bottle keeper. We brought Easter chocolate bunnies for all the kids and Grands too. A fun afternoon with an egg hunt and delicious food.
Cathy loves cranberry drinks, so I made cranberry infused vodka and bottled it for her. She said it was a keeper recipe!

The girls: Kilee with friend Hannah in back.

Cute Dylan!

Finding the eggs:

Delicious (Publix) ham, mashed potatoes and green beans plus Leaa brought an orzo salad, we brought broccoli slaw from our favorite Fleming Island Meat Market and a new recipe for Triple Pickled Deviled Eggs (chopped bread and butter pickles, pickled capers and a slice of pickled okra on top). All delicious!

The Easter bunnies:

Kilee doing a variety of dance routines for our amusement:

Good seeing Justin and Kelly, Carl and Marsha; Nicole and Jordan couldn't make it. Happy Easter! He is Risen!

NFJG University of Florida and Meeting Troy (Perry) Sheffield!

This was our first time at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Golf Course. It was challenging for those who do not play a golf course with hills! AA did well, a few short chips and putting didn't seem to go her way and some very long holes that took her 4 to 5 strokes just to get to the green. Overall, a good score in the 40's. She was in the 50's consistently from the ladies tees, now doing well in the 40's. The weather threatened heavy rain, but after a few sprinkles (we were prepared with our Rain Girl gear on!), it was just cloudy. So thankful!

Jack took many photos so I copied some from the NFJG web site, me looking at my iPhone, checking weather, I am sure!

Ready at Hole #1 with Tylar Whiting:

Waiting at Hole #6:

Last Hole #9 (photo above). Scoring table:

AA did well third/last place, with one stroke from second place (to a 12 year old).

Above: We met Troy Sheffield, son of Jill Perry, sister to our daughter Leaa's best friend Katy Perry Bergen. It's his last year so probably won't see him much, but we did hear that he has a golf scholarship!
The three Foundation Girls:

This photo from the Dunham Family Facebook page (Phillip won in the Foundation Boys Division!):

{this was also the day we were to get Cocoa, AA's labradoodle, but the puppy got sick, refer to earlier post about her; now we will wait for the next litter}

Horse Lesson No.2 - Haven Horse Ranch

This was AA's second horse riding lesson at Haven Horse Ranch. I probably won't post anymore photos until she begins new activities. Right now, the routine is for AA to spend at least 15 - 20 minutes grooming her horse "Chance", then start "saddling" up the horse. She then does different exercises with her horse in the ring along with instructor Lacey.

These lessons are very different than her prior ones. This place emphasizes taking care of the horse, getting it ready to ride and cleaning up afterwards. At the other ranch, AA would get on the horse immediately and not get to know it, no grooming or even learning to lead it around. So far this is working well. Can't wait until she asks for her own horse! Not!

I made a crock pot/slow cooker corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Yummy!

NFJG - Eagle Harbor Golf Course 2-Days PLUS the Read's!

Alyzabeth was again one of only two Foundation Girls this weekend. The NFJG Tournament was held at her "home golf course". Where she practices each week. It was supposed to be a wet, rainy weekend but turned out really nice! From Friday's trip to the zoo where rain was to begin about 2:00 p.m. to a wet overnight and 60% chance of rain; the weather decided to go just south of us, so stayed mostly dry. The greens were wet, so very slow but dried a bit by Sunday. Nana Joy walked with us on Saturday, but decided to leave Sunday morning to see her friend, Pat, who was in a really bad car accident. AA's score seemed high but in the end recorded her best tournament score for 18 holes (9 each day). From the ladies red tees, she scored 46 and 48, her first under 100 in a tournament. When you consider that less than 20% of adult lady golfers ever score 100, a little 9-year old is doing great!

Playing with Tylar each round: Day 1 Front nine holes.

Day 2 - Sunny and cooler but nice!

Both girls happy on the back nine - a Par 3 where they both placed their drive on the green, side-by-side:

The End - Hole 18:

Second place finish.

The Read's were in town for a grandson's third birthday party. They drove over to Eagle Harbor for a drink; Jim reminded us that he was the first membership, number 1! We chatted, then went to our home to show them our LG appliances (the house is still a mess). Hope to see them again soon!

St. Patrick's Day - Nana Joy's Visit, the Zoo and More!

Recapping our visit with Nana Joy: she drove up from Okeechobee for a few days. Her visit was cut short as she wanted to get back home to see her friend Pat who was in a very bad car accident (on Thursday, while Joy was driving to see us). Pat is in the hospital with broken legs, a broken wrist, broken back and more. Joy left early Sunday so that she could visit and help out.
When Joy arrived, we went to the River House for a drink, then walked to the Club Continental for corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's holiday dinner. Last year she came and the River House served a dinner, but not this year.

River House photo:

Friday we planned on going to the zoo if the rain stayed away. Rain was predicted for all weekend but ended up going just south of our area. I was impressed with the zoo, my first time that I remember going! I can't believe I have lived here for 34 years and never went! Alyzabeth had been there on a school field trip a couple of years ago. We spent most of the day exploring while AA guided us with the map. There was a new exhibit for dinosaurs, which was an easy walk (even though some of them sprayed water on us!).

AA standing by some very large bamboo!

Tigers, camels, lions, elephants and lots more (jaguars, apes, bears, reptiles, etc...):

Carousal (funny rules - adults were not allowed on the animals that moved/went up and down):

Pretty tree with bird's nest:

Plants we liked - annuals of white and purple:

Stingray "petting" pool:

There was a bird aviary that we could go inside (and feed them too):

We bought a funny photo of us looking scared at a dinosaur, but I couldn't seem to scan it as a photo. Here it is (I took a picture of the picture). Cute!

Saturday, we walked as spectators at AA's NFJG Eagle Harbor golf tournament. The family gathered in the evening at the St. Augustine Conch House to visit with Joy and listen to Jesse play. AA and I stayed back, would have made for a late night and she had Day 2 of the golf tournament on Sunday.

 

Nana Joy arrived home safely on Sunday. Will have to plan another visit.