University of Florida NFJG Open - Go Gators!

Winner, Winner - AA is first place winner for the NFJG Rising Girls ages 13 - 18! With great weather, a bit windy and the hilly unique course on the UF campus - AA earned 1st place!
She was one of eight kids to par the final, 18th hole (par 4). AA said the par 5's were all long and challenging.

Scores:

Top three:

Winner!

From Jack's Facebook Page:

Director Jack's Newsletter:
What an AWESOME day at the University of Florida, Mark Bostick Golf Course for the 2019 “University of Florida Open”. If you wanted to test yourself to see if you were ready for the next level in junior golf and able to compete on challenging and fast conditions then this was the event to play in.

It was a thrill to return to the Mark Bostick Golf Club to take on the challenges of another fantastic “Donald Ross” designed golf course. Play Donald Ross courses well and you can define yourself as a top athlete in junior golf.  The golf course as reported, was in superb condition with lightning fast greens. Thirteen on the stimp-meter to be exact. Now, our junior players know what the PGATOUR players play on every week. Luckily we get one more shot at the course this season come June.
Early morning, as the staff was setting up for the event the course crew was out and about making the course ready. Notably the crew were double rolling and tucking pins to make this event a serious challenge for all who took the trip in support of the NFJG TOUR. Fifty-eight players in all registered for the event, with 53 actually teeing it up (35 boys and 18 girls). Not too bad on a day the Florida Junior Tour had a 2-dayer in our own back yard at The Golf Club at Eagle Harbor where 20+ of our normal NFJG TOUR players competed with exemptions earned from recent NFJG TOUR events. Many thanks to our partners at the Florida Junior Tour for supporting and recognizing our outstanding tour.

Fleming Island’s Alyzabeth Morgan playing in the Rising Tour Girls snagged her second Gold Medal of the season with a fine score of 84 to take home a six shot victory over Blackshear, Georgia’s Silver Medalist Bree Howard. Fleming Island’s Sofia Pecoraro would have the Jekyll and Hyde Round of 53, comeback 38 to claim the Bronze Medal. With no pars or better on her opening nine, she would have eight pars on the closing nine. WOW! Very Nice!
Ryan Houck playing in the Boys 10-12 Division would be the next champion on the overall board. He would fire a nice round of 79. Houck would nip Ponte Vedra’s Wolfgang Weiler by one stroke to claim the Gold. Jacksonville’s 6-time champion Ricky Ruth would take home Bronze this week five strokes back from the leader.

Facebook Congratulations:
Margie Foye: Congratulations ! WOW! 👏🥇🐊
Steve Hayes Congratulations 🏆🎉‼️
Bryan M. Kipnis Way to go!
Melinda Soule congrats
Nina Fleming Great job,AA!!
Andrea Christie Nice! Congratulations!
Diantha Grant AA! You are a ROCK STAR! ⭐️
Georgia Stanaitis Foerstner Way to go AA!
Joan Romano Way to go!!🏆🎉
Pam Davis Congratulations!
Maria Castellucci Great playing AA!!
Cobb M.C. Congratulations !! (Still can't share the grand accompaniment)
Ruby Anderson Wow! Congrats AA! Its 👏
Kimber Rauth Proud of her!
Steve Hayes Congratulations
Mike Galloway Wow
Pearl Dovhey What a great looking trophy beats those glass ones any day !
Sharon Register So impressive AA!!! Congrats
Leaa Morgan Cruce Awesome!
Mary Wiland Congrats!
Chris Emmons Sky's the limit for that young lady!
Mark-Karen Gray Congratulations! K~
Kathy Redmond Scalesse Very cool. Congratulations!
Elaine Koerbel Moyer Wonderful! Congrats
Cyndi Johnson Hill 🎉🎉Congratulations!!
Nancy S Harrison 🐊🐊🐊
Jesse Cruce Wow!! AA is slaying it! ❤️❤️
Sarah Clarke Kleinhans Wow!!!
Wendy Ward That's a huge age range for skill development and she took 1st place? Wow! Congrats!
Lynn Shipley Comgratulations!!!🐊
Liz Nguyen-Chao Congrats!
Terri Cobb Stone Hip hip hurrah!
Cat Pmarie Congratulations AA! Way to go all golfers
Steve Siegrist WOW, Congrats A.A., keep up the GREAT play!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jennifer Soule Congrats AA!
Lyndon Johnson Jr. CONGRATULATIONS
Candy Kennard Garska Congratulations I am so happy for her!!
Carl Cruce First Place. Many more to come.
Ann Caton Cobb Triple Wow! congratulations.
Kathy Crisman Wow! That's awesome. Congratulations to her!
Donna Perry Congratulations AA!
Dallas Strobel George This is incredible!! One day we’ll get to a tournament to cheer her on! Way to go AA!
Nancy Wilhelmy Congrats ❣️
Frankie Quinones Wow!!!! Amazing. Congratulations to y’all
Wendi Baker Congratulations 👏👏🎉
Sue Sifford Congrats!!!
Debbie Hester Congrats
Victoria Photos Good for her!
Carolyn Redmond Wow, she is THE BEST!! Great job!
Carol Walsh Did you watch the women's amateur today? How exciting.

6th GRADE Spring Break

I didn't blog for over two weeks, so trying to remember what we did during the closings and move! AA didn't have a very exciting school break!
Monday: Sold Winterbourne Home
We moved into Carolyn's home on Friday, March 15th - 21st. Moved into Players Club home on Friday March 22nd. We really enjoyed staying with Carolyn, made some meals together and it was only 16 minutes to my work! What a short drive! I want to stay there sometime soon for another visit!!
On Saturday, 03/23/19, Jane invited three friends including Owen and Connor to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Sunday, Maureen and Hugh came and helped unpack the kitchen!
HUGE help! Maureen organized the dishes, Hugh broke down the boxes and kept the area cleared. We made so much progress with their help!! Nothing broken: Aunt Elsie's Iris vase, Grammie's white vase, Mom's amethyst square vase, E-E's punch bowl, E-E's "Root Beer pitcher and the GREAT Auntie's Chinese vase!

Ravines, Monday, 03/25/19, we hiked with Noah. The Azalea Trail was steep and worthy of "hiking" status. We enjoyed the novelty, then went to lunch at Sweet Sensations.

Enjoying the space to run about:

There are two suspension bridges:

Near the entrance garden:

The end, posing on the stone wall:

After the Ravines, lunch and the library, we asked if Ian Bailey could have company. Turns out it was the only day he could, so the three of them played video games for awhile.

The week went by quickly! Not much fun for AA but she did get two play-dates and stay with her Aunt Carolyn!
Ford did open up a walk area behind our home so we can get to the golf cart path easily from our property. We will need to have some more trimming done, but this helps for now.

The MOVE! Leaving Winterbourne; Beginning life at Players Club Drive!

We are so excited to have made the decision to move to the golf course. Beautiful home!
Sold Winterbourne home on March 18th. We will miss being close to the swimming pool, the fountain (which was Ginger's water bowl) and our newly producing citrus trees!
Closed on new home on March 21st. Movers on March 22nd.
The garage is FULL of boxes and furniture we need to give away!

Moving!

Moving the bike to the new home! We had just enough room to fit it in the garage!

Ginger being patient. She is being very "needy", asking for lots of strokes and hugs. Hopefully she will be comfortable with her new home soon.

I went to the River House happy hour with Penny as "uber driver". I made deviled eggs for our appetizer (usually we all bring so much, it turns into our dinner!). Ford and AA were driving back from the UF NFJG tournament.

We bought den furniture immediately, have held off on the living room furniture until I draw a scale layout, want to make sure we don't over size the new furniture. The living room is basically 23 feet by 13 feet, with a few indents and bump outs, so not a straight long wall. The den furniture is casual with slipcovers that can be removed for cleaning. We have a sheet over the seating area on the sofa so Ginger can relax with us on it.

From the kitchen area, looking toward the back of the house.

Eagle Harbor NFJG 2nd Place Rising Girls! March 10, 2019

AA played a decent round of golf, considering it is her "home" course, she hit a few too many double bogeys and her putting just didn't get hot! Oh well....... She was paired with a 15 and 16 year old girls, Hannah and Taylar. The winner is in 8th grade and Sophia is 15 years old (3rd place). AA did have a nice chip in for a birdie!
All good as the weather was perfect and Coach Bryan went around trying to catch up with the 14 kids he either teaches or coaches! Wow, we have a great Screaming Eagle Harbor presence.

Scores:

Waiting for all the 10 - 12 year old boys scores to come in. AA goofing with Bryan's son, Ryan and Tyler M.

As a note, during AA's practice round on Friday, Hole #4, she scored an eagle (driver and three-wood)!
Afterward the Harbor Challenge tournament, we went to dinner with the Mawhinney's, talked of golf and future tournaments! Hope Ford and AA decide to go to a couple of ones they enter.
Director Jack's Newsletter:
Our Rising Girls had a great field of 12 this week and Madison Balaskiewicz was back in the winner’s circle once again. Balakiewicz playing well would shoot 40-40, total 80 to grab the Gold Medal by three strokes over Alyzabeth Morgan (83). Fleming Island’s Sofia Pecoraro would battle the Paige Sisters to take home the Bronze Medal.
The Boys 10-12 had nine players in the field this week which made for three great pairings. The top pairing featured three past champions in Luke Balaskiewicz, Ricky Ruth and Tyler Mawhinney.  Six of the players in the field were from the Golf Club of Eagle Harbor and students of PGA Professional Bryan Kipnis. This week Jacksonville’s Luke Balaskiewicz said “not today Fleming Boy’s it’s my turn”. Balaskiewicz playing steady all day would only have one birdie on the in his round, but would prove a point in his mastery around the greens that course management matters in the end. Runner up Tyler Mawhinney, would have three birdies during his round, but would come up one stroke short and would take the Silver Medal.
Welcome back Emmett Kuhlenkamp, it’s good to have you back on TOUR. You’ve been missed! Kuhlenkamp grabbed four birdies on the day and would be the Bronze Medal Winner. Long hitting Ricky Ruth this week would birdie two and EAGLE the par-5 12th hole, but a sloppy finish would put a dark cloud over his score to tie at 78 and lose in a scorecard playoff.

Jesse's Picking Party - St. Augustine Music

A perfect day for the music lawn party with many musical students showing their stuff! From playing the happy birthday song to rock and roll! Dylan began the show with her sweet voice! Jesse did a great job.

Dylan:

Many young students:

Marsha actually brought her nice camera, we rarely do that anymore, too easy with an iPhone! Spectators:

Dylan accompanying several songs:

Elisa H.

All about the music, kids and families:

Raising Funds for Ian's Family

Ian Bailey is undergoing a nine month cancer treatment and many people are rallying around the family with lots of love and food. Talan Hausman, a family friend decided to draw pictures of fish and sell them. We bought one and my Mom did too. Talan has probably drawn over 50 pictures and has sold them all! He is very passionate about fishing and drawing. We are starting a plan on how AA and her golfing can help raise money for this family too. #Iansarmy

Here's the two we purchased:

From the Clay Today 03/28/19:

Best friend uses paper, pencils, paints, prayer to support ailing buddy

Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2019 12:00 pm

By Don Coble Managing Editor

FLEMING ISLAND – As soon as Talan Hausman learned his best friend had cancer, the 11-year-old started creating pictures of fish.

As long as Ian Bailey continues to fight his disease, Talan plans to keep drawing. And drawing.

His pencils and paints have been busy since Ian’s constant knee pain was later diagnosed on Feb. 17 as Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Immediately, Talan decided he won’t stop drawing until Ian is cancer-free.

“A year ago, I didn’t like to draw,” Talan said. “But I do like fish. It’s the only thing I know how to draw.

“When I heard Ian had cancer, I was upset. I had to do something.”

So, he draws, with each completed picture being sold to help offset Ian’s hospital bills. To an 11-year-old, a $25 print is a lot of money. To 12-year-old Ian, it’s a gesture that is every bit as important and therapeutic as another round of life-saving chemotherapy.

“I’m touched,” Ian said. “He inspires me to be a better person. I want to give it back to him someday. He’s given me more than I’ve given him.”

Ian is surrounded by souvenirs from the Star Wars franchise. His favorite installment, “Revenge of the Sith.”

Talan would much rather be sitting on a river bank or coastline with a fishing line in the water. But for now, the only fish that matters are created by pencil, water color and pastel paint.

Talan carries a drawing pad in his bookbag. There are several new prints in various stages of completion. Some are in the early stages of pencil outlines; others already in the process of being painted. Instead of signing his name to each picture, Talan, who is blind in his right eye and making his own statement of courage, decided to scrawl a tiny message near the bottom: “Ian’s Army.”

And he promised to always be a loyal soldier in Ian’s tough battle.

“I want to help,” Talan said. “This keeps me busy. I want him to know I’m his friend.”

Ian got the first print, a beautiful rendering of a Mahi-mahi. But unlike others that have been sold, or already ordered, he added a biblical verse – Joshua 1:7-9 – to give his friend encouragement:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; Do not be discouraged, For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Ian is trying to be strong and courageous. Chemo treatments have been particularly difficult. He’s only had the strength to go to class three days at Orange Park Elementary days since he got his diagnosis more than a month ago.

“I’m going to get better,” he said. “When this is over, next Christmas will be the best one ever.”

Until then, Ian will keep fighting and Talan will keep drawing.

And drawing.

Kilee - Beautiful Dancing Grand!

Moving is Stressful!

Continuing to Pack! Our three year old refrigerator died. We are selling this home on March 18th so still trying to get parts in to fix it!!

This is the plant Carolyn brought to me many years ago, one of E-E's Clivia with orange funnel shaped flowers (evergreen perennial, member of Amaryllis family), after I took this photo a week ago, at least five more stems bloomed!

We are having a gorgeous spring, just waiting for the last frost, if it does come this year!

Ian's Fun with Friends Before Chemo Begins

From Shannon Bailey's new Facebook page for "Ian's Army":
Yesterday was alot of information. There were many bitter-sweet moments. Ian’s cancer is indeed osteosarcoma and there appears to be no skip lesions and his lungs are clear. Ian did ask what his odds of beating this were and the MD told him. Of course he would want to know, he is a numbers’ kid. His treatment will consist of chemo for approximately a 9 month duration, with surgical intervention as well, to remove the tumor about 10 weeks into chemo. He will go this Friday for one final bone scan and then will start chemo this upcoming Monday.
We each know that our family will have challenging days ahead, but through God, we will face each challenge bravely together. Thank you each and everyone for your continued support and prayers for our family. Through this devastating news, we have managed to find so many blessings and will continue to look for those through Ian’s journey.

The Collin's invited several of Ian's friends over Sunday afternoon to their home. AA was able to go right after her golf tournament was over, Jill was so kind to pick up Owen and AA; in the car:

Being Goofy!

Standing like a "T"!

They all had fun, hoping to keep his spirits up as his treatments begin. May Ian's health improve as he receives treatment and kicks cancer's butt!