Drive, Chip and Putt - WGV 08/26/17 3rd Place

AA played very well at the "sub-regional" Drive, Chip and Putt competition today, Saturday, August 26, 2017. AA placed 3rd with her friends Jenna and Sammy placed 1st and 2nd, with AA being the first alternate. AA scored the best in putting so was awarded the 1st Place Putting medal!
From Facebook: We are proud of what AA scored at the sub-regional Drive, Chip and Putt held at the World Golf Village, Slammer and Squire. Only the top two move to the Regional (then to the 2018 April Masters). AA placed third. A very good score and she won first place for putting. Happy for our golfer! {the Solheim LPGA souvenirs are from Ms. Penny, AA's golfing partner - more golfing bling! Thank you!}

Sammy Chao:

Drive:

Final Scores for Girls age 10 - 11 and Boys:

Medals for first place putting and third place overall:

With the Solheim souvenirs that Ms. Penny Reynen gave to AA. We enjoyed a dinner at talons with her on Friday, the 25th after a round of nine holes.

Hoping for a trip to the Masters one of these years!!

Passing of Janet

We were informed of the death of Janet by Hugh O'Connell. Janet and husband Arnie (ROCA Board President) lived in River Oaks, were our drinking acquaintances from the River House too. Her daughter was a delight to speak to at the funeral and the River House, she said that Janet fondly spoke of Alyzabeth and out hot-dog meals together. Janet always had a bright smile and time for a friendly chat. She was a good friend of Penny, AA's golfing mentor.

Janet Jackson Canaday Reynard (77) Passed away Wednesday August 23, 2017. She was born in Port Huron Michigan and resided in Orange Park, Florida. Janet enjoyed her career in nursing for more than 30 years, boating, traveling and spending time with her family and friends. She is survived by her loving husband Arnold V. Reynard; her daughters, Patricia Wilson (Hambone), Valarie Thrift (Kevin), Barbara McMichael, Melinda Canaday; grandchildren, Gary Wilson, Eric Wilson, Ryan Thrift, Austin Thrift, Travis Thrift, Stephen Rucinski, Joshua McMichael, Madison McMichael, Grace Searles, and one great-grandchild, Bryce Wilson. A memorial service will be at 10 AM Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Hardage-Giddens Rivermead Funeral Home 127 Blanding Blvd. Orange Park, Florida 32073. Please leave words of comfort at www.hardage-giddensrivermead.com In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pace Center for Girls in Orange Park or the charity of your choice.

08-21-2017 Eclipse!

Lots of hype going on to view this solar eclipse; our area was to have about 90% darkness. Justin, Kelly and Kilee drove to Santee South Carolina to be in the area of total eclipse. Cathy and Werner are in Cape Giradeau, also where the total eclipse will pass through.
Our River House club manager planned a fun day to view the eclipse, have lunch and gave us the safety glasses. We took AA out of school early; today as all Clay County schools it was an "excused" day.
I made the pin hole in a white paper (index size) which did not work showing the moon and sun on a second piece of white paper - there wasn't enough sun due to all the clouds!
The lunch was delicious, AA had Liam Myers and Otis Reynolds (Julie and Steve) to play with, and we talked to many members including Steve (JEA) and Kim Cooper. Scott Anderson, WPOA President:

Neighbors Rod and Candy:

The clouds were intermittent, we saw the sun with partial coverage, then it did not get very dark, mostly because it was cloudy so the contrast from sunny to dark was not good. Over all, had a good time!

Kelly and daughters (Ella and Lily-Ann) made a poster and tried quizzing us on the facts, we were total failures!

Liam Myers, AA, Otis Reynolds:

It was good that we saw what we could from Florida, next time, may be worth it to travel to a "total eclipse" location - like Maine in 2024!

First Week of School is Over!

What a week it was! Meet the Teacher, first day on Tuesday, the NFJG banquet on Wednesday, Thursday was quiet, it rained HARD, was to have the Weigand kids over for a swim, then was postponed to Friday and no golfing due to RAIN; AA and Ginger relaxing:

Alyzabeth received some delicious chocolate covered fruit from her Nana of the North - for her award winning NFJG Golf season! Thank you! Of course, AA shared! Yummy!

Friday, I shopped with Carolyn at BJ's (thanks to her offer and for lunch together!), as I arrived home, OPE called saying AA was sick! This is very rare. So with a very upset stomach (some kind of virus as no temperature/fever), AA arrived home vomiting in a plastic bag. She napped then was quiet the rest of the evening, sipping 7Up. From Instagram: Home from school sick, wakes up from nap and asks for her phone. The new sick!

Also, we found out that Jesse has a teaching job at Island Prep, here's the proof - congratulations to him!

Saturday, began with her eating chicken noodle soup and feeling much better, so she went to her Chinese lesson with Nancy (back in town for a week) and then she ate a good lunch, so allowed her to participate in the Eagle Harbor Q-School to be on the "elite" PGA Junior team (not sure we like that concept, as that puts them in a league with up to 16 year olds and EH has no older kids, mostly 9 and 10 year olds). She made the top 8 so will play another season for Eagle Harbor.

Coach Bryan reviewing the results:

Sunday, we took a few photos of AA and her puppy Ginger (13.5 months old) right before walking to church:

AA is off golfing with her Daddy, it is so very hot outside, but need to get back into our daily habits of golf practice. Tomorrow is the big Solar Eclipse!

NFJG End of Season Banquet! 081617

From Facebook Post: #NFJG 2016-2017 Season has ended with a Foundation Girls PLAYER of the YEAR Award! AA earned it playing in many tournaments from the red tees, against girls age 13 and under (plus a few boys too). She won the Fall, Spring and Summer Season Awards, the POY Award and the newly created Jack Nicklaus Award (for Foundation Girls). So proud darling child of ours! Good job young daughter! You work daily at playing the game and you have no idea where it will take you but you are who you are, a wonderful child - "because you play the game of golf"! Love you and congratulations! Thank you to Jack and the NFJG Staff, plus our cheering squad tonight, daughter Leaa Morgan Cruce, son Justin, our Eagle Harbor friends and Coach Kathy Grant Nyman! #AlyzabethMorganGolf
Bill Hughes began the program with a moving talk about "because you play the game of golf". Many examples of how golf demands honesty, character, respect, etc. 

Lynne Kirkpatrick (NFJG Staff, Tee It Up Coordinator, proponent of growing the game).

All trophy recipients:

Players Course Clubhouse:

Foundation Boys with last tournament championship trophy or POY trophy:

Glad we invited Justin and Leaa; wasn't able to visit much once the program began:

Foundation Girls Player of the Year:

Director Jack Aschenbach:

NFJG Staff with speaker Emily Tillo. Emily congratulated and spoke to AA, her speech was very telling about how to get from learning the game to a college team (Boston). She said many times that "the club is in my hand" and "there is always the next shot".

Leaving the Sawgrass Players Clubhouse (TPC) with Coach Kathy; Kathy met up with many old friends and met a few new ones, she knew the speaker Emily back when she was involved with NFJG.

Before the banquet, in the bar, we met Ken Branholm (FL/GA Windows/NFJG Sponsor) and his niece Heather visiting from Alaska! Also, loved the door prizes, AA opened her envelop (randomly selected by her) to find three prizes - a dozen golf balls that she actually uses plus a $150 wedge club, and a Titlist Hat! Great prizes!

Jack Nicklaus Award - First year awarding:

Trophy from the August 1st Tournament:

AA and I exchanged writings during the banquet. Words like "Goals", I love you, and I'm hungry!! 

Next year will be very different as NFJG is combining the Foundation Boys and Girls together. Hopefully if more girls join, they will create an intermediate group for 12 - 14 year olds, as right now there is only the Foundation 9-Holes (red tees) or 18-Holes (white tees). Something in between like 18-Holes from red/green tees would be good. Thank you to NFJG!
The following week, Kathy Nyman posted her version of "... because I play golf..". 
Kathy wrote: "Because I Play Golf...... 
I strive to do better (always) 
I became an entrepreneur 
I have a great career in golf 
I follow the rules 
I did not say yes to the wrong people 
I found my husband who loves golf too 
I got a college education 
I am surrounded by good people 
I have an excuse to visit really awesome places to play golf 
I have patience 
I am always working on controlling my emotions 
I learned I can bounce back from bad breaks 
I am creative 
I know my learning style 
I know how to concentrate 
I know how to take aim and seek my target 
I learned to never quit before the miracle happens..... Thank you to Bill Hughes for an awesomely inspiring talk at the NFJG Awards Banquet at TPC last Wednesday. You lift people up in an amazing way."

First Day of Fifth Grade! OPE School

AA is now officially in 5th grade with teacher Mrs. White. Here's to another year of learning and making friends, preparing for the future and being more responsible. She's growing up!
It was still dawn this morning, a bit dark outside:

I tried to lighten up these photos, the sun was shining, but near the school fence is many oak trees so a bit shady. She was pointing at her Daddy trying to take some pictures with the iPad....

Walking in to her portable, straight ahead, then to the left.

Inside her classroom, we were a little early but so were many families. She is sitting at a group with Owen, CJ and Otis. Connor is in her class too! They have periods where they change to either Mrs. Ruath's (ES), Mrs. Geeser, Mrs. Youngblood or Mrs. White (AA's homeroom). 

Fifth Grade Roster:

Meet the teacher on Monday (the 14th), Mrs. White (Jane is not in her class):

Owen and Jane:

Hope her first day goes well!