Orange Park Elementary 6th grade Dance!

AA and her school mates enjoyed the 6th Grade dance, even said it went by too quickly.
Noah and AA at the OPE sign:

Rise up with Ian!

She's a star!

Smiles!

AA and Ryder, together since Wonderworks (OPUMC).

"I want to be an aeronautical Engineer"

The Squad:

Refreshments and Candy!

The End (Owen)

Can't believe she will be leaving OPE!

AA For School and First Golf Cart Ride Together!

Took these photos for AA's 6th Grade Video for the promotion ceremony.

We purchased a golf cart, had our first ride together as a family on May 21st:

Read this on Facebook - stolen from the Staples Family:
The demanding dedication of any teen athlete requires a parent who is equally invested and  passionately devoted to their kid.

Parents of teen athletes realize early on that for their kid to embrace the sport, fuel their passion, develop the skill, engage with the team, grow in character, and enjoy their experience, it takes the sacrificial support from their parents to make it happen.

And when you are a parent of a teen athlete, you will be exhausted, overscheduled, overwhelmed, and over budget, but the payoff is worth every depleting detail of all that you do for your kid.

Because parents of teen athletes get to experience an extraordinary journey with an intimate view, an emotional ride, and a profound sense of pride in escorting their kids down an incredibly challenging and rewarding road.

Eagle Harbor Junior Golf Car Wash - Raising Funds for Team and Team Banquet

May 25, 2019 - Each year the PGA Team has a car and golf cart wash to raise/earn funds for their year end banquet. This was AA's first time as we have been busy on past year's events.

Hot day and she did a fund raiser yesterday at OPE.

Mother's Day! 2019

Happy Mother's Day! My Mom sent me chocolate strawberries from Edible Fruit, so yummy! We all have bad COLDS, mainly affecting our lungs, coughing, and throat. AA has major congestion. We are functioning, walking sick, so after AA's golf tournament at Hyde Park (Saturday), I made a homemade chicken Asian dish with carrots, asparagus and snow peas (included apricot jam and Dijon mustard). Not too bad, but not too good.
Sunday, we had a lazy morning, homemade pancakes and AA gave me a 2nd blueberry bush. Now we will have two together. Leaa had asked us to meet up for church and brunch, but we are not too keen on coughing near others, trying to keep our distance. We drove to Maggie's to pick up some new herbs (no pepper plants. they only had Datil) and they were out of citronella plants. So next year, we need to go earlier in the spring. 

Making AA and her Daddy pose without looking like they are posing!

Roosters and Chickens scratch around the property:

The Owner pointed out the butterflies and how they planted fennel to attract the forming of chrysalis. "Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called 'metamorphosis,' to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge."

The gift shop:

Since we are about 15 minutes from Ancient City Brewery, we stopped in, I got a free beer for Mother's Day and we played Jenga.

Jenga:

Neat picnic tables in their game space:

I think we built 32 rows of blocks before tumbling down!

We came home, I planted my new herbs, AA walked Ginger and Ford made a quick grocery stop to buy a Boston Butt for BBQ Pork in the crock pot for tomorrow. We made a homemade Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce too. Now to rest! Hoping this congestion goes away!

U.S. Kids Golf - Winner - Hyde Park!

AA won the Girls 12 - 14 age group at Hyde Park. Hyde Park is a very old golf course, designed by Donald Ross, with those "turtle back" greens. AA and Ford said the greens were in bad shape, the ball never rolled straight, were so bumpy. Ford said one chip was perfect, landed on the green in the right spot, should have rolled forward, bit it hit something and bounced to the left. Not how the greens should be!
AA and Ford have been sick this past week, with a croupy cough and congestion, she couldn't breathe! AA plowed through the tournament, it was VERY HOT, hottest day so far this year. She was slow to gain any lead on the front nine holes (ahead by two). She did birdie Hole 9 which is when she settled in and got used to the playing conditions. After getting used to the fact that her putting was not going to be her usual "saving a stroke each hole" game, she gradually pulled ahead and won by eleven (11) strokes with two birdies on the back nine. Winner, Winner, Salmon dinner!
Ms. Penny was there checking in all the players and then headed to Eagle Harbor to watch her PGA Jr. Team (she coaches/volunteers). 

Scores:

One more U.S. Kids Golf Tournament - the Championship at Bent Creek!

Sunday - After Golf - Time to Relax

Due to AA's triple golfing events this weekend, we were not able to coordinate with the kids and Grands to visit with their Nana. Leaa had Liv's sleep over, what a large group! We will try to plan something when Joy drives back from Missouri about June 1st.
We decided to taste the two bottles of champagne we had been chilling and in the end, decided we love our regular brand we have been buying since the 80's - way before Oprah discovered it! Freixenet - Cordon Negro Cava Brut is still our favorite and less expensive.

This coming week is Teach Appreciation Week plus AA's 6th Grade FSA tests. Ford had a cold for a while and now AA has it. She has been felling sick so hoping she did well on these tests. AA wrote thank you notes and sent in snacks, drinks, supplies and food gift cards to many of her teachers (Bucci, Harris, Doughtery, Rauth, Mr. Story, etc.). A few teachers wrote thank you notes and notes of encouragement (for the FSA). The end of elementary school is near!

U.S. Kids Golf Palatka First Place!

U.S. Kids Golf Girls 12 -14. From my post from Facebook: Winner, Winner Salmon Dinner! First Place in the U.S. Kids Golf Local Tournament in Palatka (Girls 12 - 14). AA was the youngest at age 12. Thunderstorms/weather shortened the event, finished 16 holes. AA prevailed, playing better each hole. The almost 15 year old is very good and they were neck and neck throughout the tournament. Tied at the END. AA won the nine hole scorecard playoff. Good vibes for this girl today! Ms. Penny (she is a MAJOR Volunteer) watched AA's round and was there to help celebrate the WIN (AA standing on her toes to be taller than Ms. Penny - they are funny together!!)
***Note: The National Office of US Kids changed the tie breaker ruling to the first nine holes played so AA earned SECOND place in the scorecard playoff (bad weather so could not go back out on the course for a hole playoff). The web site has on it if play is suspended, the last nine holes but National said that was not the official rule. Ms. Rhonda seemed miffed that the web site was not correct, but Ford and AA took it all in stride. Nothing to do about it!

Scores for 16 holes:

AA and Sabree waiting to start Hole 5 (Lila Weaver withdrew, elbow issue, so Alexandra moved to join Sofia).

The weather was predicted to be stormy by noon. And it did happen! As soon as they called the game, and we were inside, it POURED! Scoring table - waiting to find out the results of the paper scorecard playoff.

Awards!

Sabree was very nice about taking second place. The Drum girl play on Bolles School team, not sure about Sebree.

River House Derby Party! Saturday 05/04/19

Joy and I went to the River House Derby Party (with Penny Uber driving us!) while Ford and AA finished her EH PGA Junior team Match (they won). I took roses and a game (which no one wanted to play). 

Ford and AA chose to stay home as it was late (too close to 7 pm when we would have to leave anyways). Ford has a cold so he was tired too. It was fun at the Derby party and great food by Kelly (brie with apricots, lamb gyro, chicken salad dill, asian cups, pecan pies and stuffed strawberries. YUM!
We saw a few sailboats from the Mug Race.....And, may the fourth be with you!

First PGA Junior Team Match - Eagle Harbor against Eagle Harbor!

AA's Eagle Harbor Team won! Her team has more girls and a young group of new golfers. Proud that they prevailed.
Team Roster:
Aiden Clark, Aiden Ruiz
Alexa Hendrix, Alexis Dempsey
Alyzabeth Morgan, Andrew Roberts
Cambree Hodge, Chloe Blanc
Ethan Spahn, Hailey Erler
Isaiah Robinson, Kalia Polete
Nathan Ruiz, Rachel Johnson

Coach Bryan:

From Jean Clark's Facebook photos:

Aiden and Andrew:

Nana Joy arrived on Friday, it's a golfing weekend with her then she's off to Missouri.

AA's Book Report 6th Grade Book Cover and Letter to Ian

One of her book reports gave a choice as to how to report out. She chose making a new book cover.
First, here's a letter AA wrote to Ian for encouragement and I printed out the "Fourth Be With You" for Saturday, 05/04/19 to give him. He was to be released from the hospital Saturday night.

For encouragement, a student wrote this to AA, to put a smile on her face during the week of FSA testing. A hole in one!

 Book Report had to be about WWII - Book Cover:

Author:

Book Cover Flaps:

Book Cover: