Nana Joy Arrived! Octoberfest and Boating Fun!

Friday, September 28th, Joy arrived. We went to the River House Octoberfest only because friends gave us their tickets as something came up that prevented them from going.

Saturday was our family party at the River House and Sunday was a boat ride! All fun! Nana Joy left Monday morning, heading to Missouri for a month.

AA and Liv:

Dylan and her Great-Grandmother:

AA and Liv:

Joy enjoying the boat:

A close up:

AA and Dylan having fun! (went under the CR206 bridge)

We had dinner at a BBQ place, at a park in Flagler County. Wonderful time on the water with Leaa and Jesse!

Family Gathering at the River House

We hosted a family party at the River House, with drinks and some casual dinner food of hotdogs, chicken wings, beans, potato salad, vegetarian chili plus the chocolate sheet cake! Happy Birthday to our Fall kids!
We missed a few - Jesse (who was working), Christa and Stu, and Kilee (in Orlando at a dance convention). 
Nicole took the photo of the girls (AA, Mila soon to be 7, Avery turned 4, Dylan soon to be 9 and Liv, age 12.5)

From Facebook: Enjoyed our family birthday celebration at the River House, appreciate our family traveling to our "neck of the woods". Thank you to the Saturday River House members for putting up with our noise, to Patti Fellows Hall for her friendly efficiency, to Kathy and Maureen for bringing food and to Hugh who took this great photo!

 The GROUP!!

We are still collecting dog food and treats for the local shelter.

Ginger loves to sniff, inspect the bags:

Glad Carolyn came and we enjoyed visiting with our usual happy hour friends.

Catching up! Work, School and .......through September 28th! Miscellaneous!

The weeks roll by, from the post on September 2nd, the 7th (Justin's Birthday) to Sunday the 16th. Looking back, each day was special, different but when we don't note the wonderful accomplishments of AA (school, golf, math lessons and conversations) we tend to lose the details of the week. This is a grab bag of odd news!
Ford visited with Justin near his birthday briefly as he comes to Orange Park to take Kilee to dance lessons. We don't see him often, we are all wrapped up in our kids' world.
I made an Irish Apple Crumb Cake on Saturday, 09/22/18, just for Maureen and Hugh, but they are now watching their weight, just returning from a two week vacation in Ireland. Penny ate it and took a piece home. Plus the bar customers ate four pieces. I think it was delicious!

At work (SJRPP/JEA/APTIM), Matt Garrison left for a new job (09/20/18). Bruce Kofler's wife Faye, baked a huge chocolate/chocolate chip cake!

I ordered pizza, lasagna, salad.

Moving the circulating water pump motor from the turbine bay, Stacy driving, Brad spotter:

Last load of sludge from the North presedimentation basin (09/21/18) - Stacy driving in front of the dewatering building:

AA is playing from the Men's Senior Tees and shot a 38 with Ms. Penny! She had a long drive - 210 yards! School has been going well, on Wednesday the 26th, it was bring your Dad (or any male family/friend) to school for lunch.

Also on the 26th, AA came home saying she was the MVP of the 6th grade math class - best week, best test score, etc. That's an honor! 
And then she came home with the Student of the Month! The first month of the school year!

Life is better than we deserve!

Eagle Harbor PGA Elite Junior Team Practice - Sunday 09/23/18

I haven't been going to any of AA's golf lessons or team practices. Plus she plays with Ms.Penny every other week, when available and Ford stays behind so they can play together without "Dad" around. So Sunday was a great day for me to spend with Ford and AA. We went to the WEB.com golf championship tournament at Atlantic Beach. It was another hot, sweltering day! We followed Julian Suri (local resident) along with his brother who was also an avid golfer. Julian tied for 21st place.

He had a Jaguar on his golf bag. Unfortunately, the Jaguars lost to Tennessee on this very day!

That afternoon, we headed to Eagle Harbor for AA's team practice. Watching AA with her team mates as I said, is rare for me. So Ford and I had a beverage in Talons, then headed out in a "used" golf cart to watch their last few holes. As we watched them make their drives on Hole #4, we let them walk ahead of us to the green. After putting, then picking up their balls, they grabbed their golf push carts and headed to Hole #5 where I took these photos.
As AA was pushing her cart, a young man (Dylan) quickly swerved - pushed his cart wheel intentionally into AA's cart wheel, bumping it; AA turned to look at what happened, saw Dylan smiling, she lit up, grinning, looked at him with delight as they both had a sweet shared moment. Just the beginning of the boy-girl relationships to come! Aiden, Gehrig, Dylan and AA at Hole #4 (Par 3):

Pushing those carts! Very hot day - but no one wants to say uncle!

Happy Birthday Again and Again to AA! #12!

Happy Birthday to AA!! We took AA to a restaurant of her choice Thursday evening, she chose Talons! (they are there every day at the golf course, not to eat, but still...... not special to us). Back home, we had ice cream cake (leftover from pool party) and Nana's edible gift. We gave AA several clothes, T-shirts and winter golf leggings. Aunt Terri and George sent some puppy treats to be donated to the Clay County Animal shelter.
Nana Ann sent AA a new L.L. Bean hoodie, AA always loves the hoodies she sends, wears them to school all Fall, Winter and Spring. 

Nana Ann also sent Edible fruit - chocolate covered pineapple with a candle! Plus chocolate covered strawberries! Really yummy good!

OPE sign! 

And another birthday is done!

Happy Birthday Messages to Alyzabeth!

I am copying all her Happy Birthday messages here (and ten year Forever Family Day comments), all in one place for her to read. She received several text messages, from her Aunti-Terri, sister Leaa, friend Pam Davis (we had dinner at their home on Friday the 21st). Plus birthday cards from Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill and her Nana Joy.

Allison Heck Happy Birthday!

Andrea Christie Happy Birthday AA!

Andrea Lynn Houck Happy birthday Alyzabeth!

Ann Caton Cobb  ❤️❤️ Have a great day !!!!

Athena Tsengas Mann Happy Birthday to your girl!!! ❤️🎂

Bill Bailey WOW! It seems like a few months ago since the last time I saw her.

Bryan M. Kipnis

Carl Cruce Happy Birthday Alizabeth!

Cathy Swendener Worrell Happy Birthday!

Cheri Hrycak Hyland Happy Birthday

Chris Clarke Happy birthday

Chris Emmons Happy Birthday, AA.

Christina Falsone Darling Happy birthday

Christina Nuzzo I can’t even BELIEVE this beauty is 12 already! Happy Birthday, AA! 🎂🎈😘

Daleea Barrett Happy Birthday beautiful, sweet girl!

Danny Foye Happy birthday AA.

Dawn Cope Happy Happy Birthday AA from we 3. May your year be filled with firsts and many many adventures. Wishing you happiness and love

Debbie Emmons Happy Birthday

Debbie Sauer Happy Birthday!

Debbie Taylor Gum Happy birthday!!

Dianne Cashwell Sullivan Happy Birthday to Elisabeth 🎈

Diantha Grant Happy Birthday AA

Don Shafauser

Donna Crawford Gallion Happy 🎂🎁🎉🎊🏌️‍♀️

Donna Keller Happy birthday pretty girl!

Doris Gutenkunst Happy Birthday!!

Edilyn Torralba Williams Happy Birthday!!🎂🎉

Frankie Quinones Wow! That was fast. Lol. Happy Birthday AA.

Ginger Guthrie Happy birthday AA!!!

Jack Wagner Happy Birthday,You sure are growing up fast !

Janet Griffin-Vaughan Happy Birthday 🎂

Janet Marcil Boucher Happy Happy Birthday -- almost a teenager!!

Jason Ricks Happy Birthday!!

Jennifer Kuhn Stochmal Happy birthday AA! 🎈🎉🎂🎁🎊

Jill Weigand Happy Happy Birthday AA!!!❤️

Jing Potash Happy birthday!

Joan Park-Ryan Happy Birthday AA .... have a great day!💕

Kathy Crisman Happy Birthday AA!

Kathy Fitzgerald Eason Happy Birthday AA. Hope you have had a great day.

Kathy Redmond Scalesse Happy birthday. I hope you are all having a fun celebration today!

Kay Hat Have a great Birthday!

Kay Morrow Ferchow Happy, happy birthday AA! Hope your day was as fabulous as you are!

Kelly Purcell Happy Birthday, AA!!

Kim Hankemeyer Happy Birthday!  🎂🎈🎂🎈

Larry L. Gochnour HAPPY BIRTHDAY AA God bless you and have a great day.

Leaa Morgan Cruce Happy birthday! I sent her a bday text 😘

Liz Nguyen-Chao Happy Birthday AA!

Lyndon Johnson Jr. Happy Birthday!! Have a wonderful day. 🤡🤡

Lynn Fenchak Dunham Happy Birthday Elizabeth!!!

Marsha Cruce Happy Birthday!

Mary Wiland Happy birthday AA 🎈🎈🎂🎈🎈❣️

Matthew Jude Barker Happy bday!
Melissa Cobb (Aunt): A very big and huge shout out for AA..... Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy birthday!

Michelle Dix Raines Happy Birthday, AA!!

Mike Swann HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Morgan Kuhn Happy Birthday!!

Nancy S Harrison

Nina Fleming Happy Birthday!!

Pam Davis Happy birthday , Alyzabeth!! I can’t believe she is 12 years old !!

Pamela Mathews Barker Happy Birthday🎉🎂🎈🎁💐

Patti Fellows Hall Happy Birthday AA!!
Patti Caton (Aunt): Happy Birthday AA❤️🎂❤️

Patty Johnson Happy Birthday little special one. Have an awesome birthday!

Patty Lenorak Garcia Happy, happy day Alyzabeth!!

Pennie Wilson McGuire Happy Birthday 🎂🎈🎊. Enjoy your day.

Robin White Happy Birthday sweet AA! 🎉🎂🎉

Roger Michael Happy B'day AA! Hard to believe; almost a teenager...

Ruby Anderson Happy Birthday AA🎈🎉🎂

Sallie Lewis Fulmer HAPPY BIRTHDAY AA!!!

Sandi Conley Happy birthday AA❤

Sandy Lashin-Curewitz Happy Birthday, AA!

Sharon Register Happy Birthday AA!
Sharon Redmond Grover Happy Birthday AA!

Sindy Gore Ost Happy Birthday AA!!💖

Steve Hayes Happy birthday AA 🎈👍🏽

Steve Siegrist HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Steven Wills HAPPY BIRTHDAY AA. Have a great day.

Tassie Kowal Happy Birthday!!!

Trish Diggins Happy birthday! 🎂

Valerie Haley Hytner Happy Birthday; beautiful girl.
Vivian Mas: Happy Birthday from your Fans in Canada!

Wendi Baker  🎶Happy birthday AA!!🎶🎂

Carl Cruce Those eyes are so big and beautiful!

Chris Emmons She is a special young lady.

Davie Curewitz Wow, where has the time gone. Happy Birthday AA.

Donna Moyer Happy Birthday AA!

Jamie Stone Happy Birthday AA

Kathy Crisman Time goes by way too fast. She's beautiful

Maria Castellucci Happy Birthday AA!! Have a very special day.

Melinda Soule Happy birthday AA, hope you have a wonderful day

Tisha McCormick Hope you have a happy, happy birthday, AA!

Please wish Alyzabeth a Very happy Birthday for me. Brett W. Freese, CFP®

PENNY REYNEN Hi Alyson and Ford, Please wish Alyzabeth a Happy Birthday from me.  It is such a joy to spend time with her and watch her grow up. 

Ten Year Forever Family Day:

Amy Lehman Roenfanz Happy Gotcha Day! 10 years went fast. I need it to slow down! We want to go on a Heritage Tour with both kids in the next few years.

Ann Caton Cobb Happy Day. I treasure the times I was able to join in the dinner Celebration

Brian Webb Happy Gotcha Day! I can’t believe it has been 10 yrs!

Brian-Melinda Decker Happy Forever Family Day!!

Carol D Mackoul Happy family day!!

Cat Pmarie Happy Forever Family Day!! Love you all

Cathy Swendener Worrell Happy Gotcha Day ❣️

Chris Emmons You all hit the jackpot that day. Is she excited about the trip to China? Congtatulations!

Davie Curewitz Congratulations to all of you! !!

Dawn Cope Congratulations on forever. 💕 2020 is our goal.

Diane Finn Happy family day!! I remember following your journey as I waited fir my referral and remember how beautiful and scared she was - and look at her now!!

Diantha Grant So fantastic! Happy Gotcha Day AA!

Donna Worley Awww...so incredibly special!

Ford Alyson Cobb Morgan Amy Lehman Roenfanz, we haven't signed up for one yet, hoping to go with some families we know. Can't decide between June or over Christmas school break 2019.

Ford Alyson Cobb Morgan Chris Emmons, She definitely wants to walk on the Great Wall of China and see her home town.

Gail Elizabeth Happy Forever Day!

Ginger Guthrie Happy Family Day to one of the greatest families I know❤️

Ginger Guthrie I miss you guys as well! I'm going to have to pop in one day when you guys are around.

Janet Marcil Boucher Happy family day!!

Jean Flaherty Happy forever family day to all!

Jing Potash Happy family day!!!!

Joan Romano Happy Family Day!!

Jodee Pleskac Leader So sweet! Happy family day!❤️

Kathy Crisman Happy Family Day! I remember following your blog. We left in Oct. that same year.

Kathy Fitzgerald Eason Happy Forever Family Day. Love this picture

Kerri Schaeffer-Mawhinney Happy Forever Family Day. Sure glad to know your family!! ❤️

Kim Bosma So remember- Happy Family Day

Kimberley DeGroff Girvin So Precious! Happy Day!

Leaa Morgan Cruce

Lisa Caples Osborn Congratulations! A sweet memory, indeed.

Lyndon Johnson Jr. Happy Forever Family Day Day to a marvelous family.

Lynn Fenchak Dunham What a precious pic!!!

Mark-Karen Gray Beautiful post! Lord bless your togetherness as a family! ❤️K~

Marla Hart Westbrook Happy family day! ❤️

Marsha Cruce Congratulations love that girl

Mia Abner Morge

Michelle Dix Raines What a sweet photo!! Happy Family Day!!!

Pam Davis Happy family day! I remember your long wait for your precious girl and all the joy of seeing her picture for the first time. Gods plan was perfect for y’all to be her forever family. ❤️

Patty Johnson Priceless. And you do an awesome job of making sure she remembers her heritage.  ❤

Patty Lenorak Garcia Happy Forever Family Day!! Such a blessed family!!!

Pennie Wilson McGuire Happy Forever Family Day.

Rhonda Rushing Gibbs Happy Happy Family Day!

Robin White Happy familiversary! ❣️

Sandy Lashin-Curewitz Congratulations! 💕💕💕

Sarah Clarke Kleinhans How exciting!!!

Sharon Redmond Grover What a beautiful day for all of you!💝

Shelley Nicholson DeVault Happy Family Day!

Sindy Gore Ost Happy Forever Family Day!! It was so great to follow your blog and you guys to 🇨🇳🐼💖

Steve Hayes Awesome picture ❤️

Susan Reitano Rizzo Happy Forever Family Day ❤️

Teri Calinao Happy Forever Family Day to one beautiful family!

Trish Diggins Happy family day!

Vivian Mas Happy Gotcha day anniversary!

Happy Birthday to Alyzabeth! Pool Party with School Squad!

On Wednesday, an early dismissal day for Clay County, we hosted eight 11 year olds for a pool party, with AA as number 9!
Abbey and Jane joined AA for the girls, with Noah, Ian, Owen, Connor, Tyler and Dylan for boys. All went well, it must have been the 3rd hottest day of the year! A few clouds appeared and we stayed under the cabana for lunch and the ice cream cake.
AA asked for donations of dog food to give to the Clay County Animal Shelter. Hoping to collect more than the 300 pounds donated last year.
Party with balloons, a few signs, table cloths, etc.

Fun in the pool, they stayed active for most of the time!

Ice Cream Cake! And singing Happy Birthday!

Eating the cake:

AA and Noah:

Jumping together - after much pushing each other in.....finally got one photo!

They disappeared!

Fun day! We learned that they are screamers! Plus, hitting each other with pool noodles was a favorite! After cleaning up, the last to leave around 3:00 p.m., we got home, a bath and then got a call from Hugh and Maureen, could we go to the River House! Of course!

Forever Family Day "Gotcha" 10th Anniversary!

Every year we try to go to P.F. Chang for our anniversary of "getting" Alyzabeth. She like this restaurant for special occasions.
It's very special for us parents, maybe no so for the child. It is the first time holding our daughter, the experience of birthing a baby and seeing your baby for the first time, we saw AA for the first time on this date in 2008. We took a few more items out of the "China" box, gifts we bought for her back in 2008. A porcelain set of chop sticks, earrings and a cloisonne bracelet.

I reposted this photo of AA and I kissing at the Club Continental pool, one of my favorites.

Love the chicken lettuce wraps!

Glad to have Carolyn with us!

Tradition is to take pictures outside at the horses.

Selfie attempt:

We don't seem to use our good camera so iPad or iPhone photos are what these are. In the bright sun here (97 degrees, 105 degree heat index today!), the phone camera is not as crisp. Plus we couldn't see where we were putting our fingers. Carolyn took a photo of us with all squinting. After dinner, we shopped at Victoria Secrets for bras and had AA measured. She now has her first VS bra, it is still a sports bra, but boy is she growing! 
We visited with Carolyn and was re-acquainted with Bella, Pete's dog. When Pete passed this past week, everyone knew he wanted Carolyn to have his dog. Hopefully, Ginger will decide to be friendly next time we take her to Carolyn's. Pete's memorial service is the 23rd. Very sudden death, he will be missed, was always a friend to Carolyn, helpful and good guy.

It's September! Labor Day

We are always so amazed as another school year begins, all the September birthdays, AA's party planning (that I have not done yet!) and zoom, another year has gone by!
Labor Day, AA and Daddy went golfing in the morning, cloudy day with scattered thunder showers.
We grilled hamburgers, made homemade cole-slaw and then took a dip in the pool while it was RAINNING!
AA completed one of the Kiwi Co. Tinker Crate kits that my Mom sent to her. She builds them pretty fast. This one had a planetarium and star gazing kit. We will see how it works tonight in the dark.

Wow!

Done!

We may go to the River House Tuesday (closed on Labor Day), Wednesday AA has Math Club and then a golf lesson with Coach Bryan. Thursday is the Robotics-Eagle-bot Parents meeting then Mr. Story's Math tutor class and Friday is another golf lesson. Her "Elite" PGA Junior team practices don't start until September 14th.

Labor Day Weekend - Sunday Family Brunch

The family decided to meet up for brunch on Sunday; Justin chose the Reef (4100 Coastal Hwy, Vilano Beach Saint Augustine, Florida) as they have all you can eat seafood including his favorite Alaskan King Crab legs.
No one was taking pictures, so I grabbed a few on my iPad. Cath, Werner, JK, Christa, Stuart, Jesse, Leaa, Livi, Dylan.
We all ate too much, it was very good. 
From Stuart's Facebook: Stuart McColm All you can brunch. Steak, snow crab legs, waffles, bacon, prime rib, biscuits and gravy, bottomless 🍾 shall I go on? Lol

Missing was Kilee and the Wilhemy's who were off celebrating their wedding anniversary in Mt. Dora. Dylan with her Poppy, playing a game......

Afterwards, was to be some beach time. We didn't go in, but watched the Cruce's jump in! We headed back to OP for AA to meet up with her golf Coach. Summer showers stopped that, so lazy evening for us! Good visit and good food!