September is Almost Over!

We began the week, Monday morning, saying goodbye to my sister Melissa. She really surprised us with this visit! She did so much for us, great having her back in Florida. Wish we had more time to get with family, go to the beach, etc.

Sisters: 

Ginger hogging Melissa's lap!

I picked up my new prescription sunglasses:

After school, AA and I decided to see the new Downton Abbey movie. We both gave it a "10"!!

For school news, Alyzabeth is doing very well at mid-term reporting. She has 100% in everything with one 99%. Her Spanish teacher presented AA in the front of the class as she went from knowing no Spanish to being the only student with a 100% at mid-term. In her Algebra I class, she was asked to write a problem on the board to show the students, another first for AA!
Monday, 09/23/19, the River House was closed (we do not know why!), so our usual happy hour was at Talon's on Wednesday with Hugh, Maureen, Kathy and Penny. AA has so much homework, she took her dinner home and started working, as she golfed right after school. School gets out so late, can't wait until High School when the start time shifts back an hour. We had seven years at OPE with school beginning at 7:45 a.m. It was great for after school golfing, she was one of the first out practicing.
I stayed at Carolyn's home overnight, Thursday. We enjoyed the pool - at 85 degrees, I was chilly!! We are always so tired, so a good nights sleep started early, we headed to bed before 9 pm. I did have a mishap in the morning, as I reached at the end of the bed to shut off my iPad alarm, I misjudged the end/foot of the bed and fell/rolled off, onto the floor. Thank goodness, only a few bruises! Must be something about getting old!!
Saturday, AA had a Robotics workshop for the Elementary/LEGO teams and then off to the River House (I made deviled eggs), while AA stayed to play a round of golf with her Coach Bryan and another student. And last, it's Leaa's 40th Birthday and she is spending it with girlfriends, an overnight trip! Happy Birthday!
From 1991:

Happy Birthday Party for AA - No. 13!

We rented the Eagle Harbor Creekside pool screen room for AA's school friends party. Melissa helped setting up the tablecloths and banner. The kids arrived with bags of dog food and once the sun came out, all jumped in the pool. Parents Jana, Erin and Mark and Colleen stayed and hung out with us.

Pool:

The big #13!

Homemade Butterbeer cake as requested by AA:

AA and Jane:

With food:

ACM, CR, MC!

Tyler, Carolyn's step-son (brother of Kayla):

Playing the solo cup game with four golf balls:

Lunch time!

A fun time with the squad (Tyler, Dylan, Noah, Connor, Jane, Lily Owen). We missed Ian!

09/20/19 AA is a Teenager! No. 13!

Happy Birthday to youngest daughter Alyzabeth! Teenager - 13!
From Facebook: Happy Birthday to our now 13 year old. You are officially a teenager! You are independent and so much more mature than I ever was at your age. I am amazed at your brilliance and singular approach to life. I love that you succeed at the game of golf, embrace the new junior high robotics team and work hard everyday to excel at your AP classes. I know we indulge you, and always hope for the best for you but can’t promise a life without problems, your future lies deep inside only you. I choose for you to be happy and I am grateful you are my daughter ❤️❤️❤️

When I arrived home, a huge surprise to see my younger sister visiting! She traveled to be with us over the weekend celebration for AA's 13th birthday! We already had the weekend planned with Robotics, River House Oktoberfest and AA's party on Sunday, there was no time to gather up family or beach time or anything she may have wanted to do! Melissa surprised AA with balloons and donated dog food.
Ford and Melissa at talon's while AA golfed and I was driving home from work:

Friday evening AA opened her gifts from Nana Ann, Aunti-M and us, her parents! She also had many cards with money for birthday and to buy dog food, from: Nana Joy, Aunt-T and Uncle George, Penny, Hugh and Maureen, Cathy and Werner. Our theme this year was UF items for her bedroom, which will be painted in UF colors!
Ice cream cake!

Happy Birthday wishes:
Sharon Redmond Grover Happy Belated Birthday 🍨🎉
Tisha McCormick Happiest of birthdays, AA!
Britney Carter Happy birthday AA!
Carl Cruce Happy Birthday Miss A!
Roger Michael Happy B'day AA!
Kim Tomlinson Brown She was adorable then and just so precious now...
Nicole Hollaway Wilhelmy Happy Birthday!! ❤️
Davie Curewitz Wow, where has the time gone?
Vivian Mas 🎂Happy birthday AA!!🎊🎈🎁
Kiy Shelton Happy Birthday!🎈
Kathy Fitzgerald Eason Happy Birthday AA
Chris Clarke Happy birthday!
Chris Emmons Happy Birthday, AA!🍰🎊🎁🎈🎂🎉
Sherry Stokes Happy birthday AA
Joan Park-Ryan Happy 13th Birthday AA🎈💝🎉
Jean M Clark Happy Birthday
Carl Cruce Happy Birthday Alizabeth!
Bryan M. Kipnis  Golf Ball Birthday Image
Jason Ricks Happy Birthday 🎉🎂🎁
Donna Crawford Gallion Happy birthday hope you had a wonderful day. 🎂🎉🎈🎁🍭🎊
Cathy Moore Rangeo Happy birthday. Such a fine young lady
Kerri Schaeffer-Mawhinney Happy Birthday Alyzabeth!’ 🎂🎈🎉
Liz Spooner Happy Birthday AA!
Diantha Grant Happy birthday AA!
Kathy Crisman They are all growing up so fast. She's beautiful!
Marsha Cruce Happy Birthday!
Lyndon Johnson Jr. Happy Birthday AA. Have a wonderful day!!@
Sharon Ann Kuhn Happy Birthday 🥳!!
Kim Bowes I so remember the picture on the right.💗
Happy Birthday 🥳
Sharon Register Happy Birthday AA! You are awesome in your achievements 🎂🎉
Wanda Thompson Smith Such beautiful words for a beautiful girl!
Cobb M.C. Happy Happy Birthday!!!!🎉🎂🎊🎈🍨🎁
Pamela Mathews Barker Happy Birthday🎁🎉🎂🎈
Debra Wise Happy happy Birthday sweety neice.....love you
Edilyn Torralba Williams Happy Birthday!!🎉
Kathy Redmond Scalesse Happy birthday ,AA!
Susan Reitano Rizzo Happy Birthday 🎂
Christina Falsone Darling Happy birthday A!
Don Shafauser
Larry L. Gochnour HAPPY BIRTHDAY AA! Hope you have an amazing day and do something you never thought you could. God bless you.
Steve Siegrist WOW, HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY, HOPE YOU HAVE 1 GREAT DAY!!!!!! FOLLOWED YOUR AMAZING LIFE FOR MANY YEARS, YOU ARE DESTINED TO BE AN AMAZING GOLFER AND YOUNG WOMAN. YOUR PARENTS SHOULD BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU AND I AM SURE THEY ARE. TAKE CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patty Lenorak Garcia Happy, Happy day AA!!
Robin White Happy 13th Birthday Alizabeth Ann
Liz Nguyen-Chao Happy Birthday!
Lucy Mae Have a wonderful Birthday
Marilyn Ken Garner Happy Birthday AA!! 🎂🎁🎉
Bruce Nicewander Sr. Happy birthday AA
Cara Smith Happy Birthday!! Hope it’s lots of fun!
Linda Weaver HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Doris Gutenkunst Happy Birthday!
Doreen Kerner Happy Birthday!!! 🎂
Sarah Clarke Kleinhans
Angie Holland-Jones Happy birthday , AA!❤️
Andrea Christie Happy Birthday A
Jamie Stone Happy Birthday!!!
Cat Pmarie Happy Birthday AA!!!
Jennifer Soule Happy Birthday 🎉🎂 i
Kimber Rauth Happy Birthday sweet girl!
Jean Caton Stephenson A very Happy Birthday,
Debbie Sauer Happy Birthday!
Georgia Stanaitis Foerstner Happy Birthday AA! We hope you have the best birthday ever. 🎁🎈🎉
Linda Kay Bell Happy birthday 🎂AA
Amanda Dietz Happy birthday AA
Nancy S Harrison Enjoy everything about your teenage years. The world is at your feet and I’m sure you’ll follow your best path. Happy Birthday 🎉
Andrea Lynn Houck Happy Birthday AA! 🎈
Tim Drury Happy 🎉 Birthday 🎈 AA!!!
Pam Davis Happy birthday, Alyzabeth! 🎉
I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE IS 13! She is an amazing little girl! I know she has brought so much joy into your lives. Y’all are a beautiful family ❤️
Kimberley DeGroff Girvin
Pearl Dovhey Happy birthday Elizabeth
Erin Collins Happy happy birthday Alyzabeth !!!
Maria Castellucci Happy Birthday AA!! ❤️
Steve Hayes Happy Birthday AA🎈
Lisa Green Felteau Happy Birthday!!

Happy 11th Forever Family Day AA!!

We celebrated our 11th Forever Family Day with a delicious meal at P. F. Chang's. Here's our CCAI Group photo in Chongqing:

Appetizers:

Wine glass - Cheers!

Father and Daughter:

AA's dinner:

Prawns:

Ford's dinner:

Our annual photo outside! {thank you to a passerby-er who snapped it for us}

AA:

We gave her a bracelet that we bought in China, September 2008.

We love our forever daughter!

Saturday - Last Weekend of the St. Augustine Carousel!

We decided to make a quick trip to St. Augustine on Saturday, to ride the famous carousel (placed in the park in 1994) - J & S Carousel at Davenport Park. Ford was going to drive, but was feeling a bit off, so stayed at home.
From the website:
The J & S Carousel is a full-size antique carousel located in Davenport Park in St. Augustine. Kids love riding the painted horses (and one camel) as they go up and down while the carousel turns and the calliope music plays. Originally called the C.W. Parker Carousel and built in 1927, the carousel was later purchased by a Ringling Brothers circus performer for $25,000. The carousel then went from a barn in Mystique, Michigan, to a children's zoo in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1992, the carousel was restored by James Soules and Carl Theel, and it was brought to Davenport Park here in St. Augustine in 1994. Sunday (09/15/19) is the last day for people to ride the historic carousel in St. Augustine. The owner of the carousel died last week, and his wife plans to move the landmark to Florida's west coast to honor his wishes. Soules, 74, had planned to reopen it Sept. 6 but he died about 11:30 p.m. the night before, according to his wife, Peggy. Her husband had been sick for the last year-and-a-half, she said, but had faithfully attended to maintenance of the carousel just as he had for all the years before. Soules’ last wish was that his beloved carousel be returned to the couple’s hometown of Port Charlotte, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where much of their family — and now, Peggy — lives.

We asked Owen to take the long ride over to the park, then, we did expect a long wait - it was one hour! The kids did play at the park for about 30 minutes, then waited in line with me until we finally were first in line.

Waiting!

All smiles when the paparazzi yells to pose!

Checking out each horse tail:

Chatting during the ride.

Time to get off!

Lunch time! We were so lucky to get the last parking spot at the carousel park and then get a table at Burrito Works, on St. George Street. traffic was CROWDED!

Tacos and Owen had a chicken and rice burrito. Yum!

Great quick trip for the kids! At home, AA played seven holes of golf, then we drove to the River House, we brought the FI Meat Market's smoked tuna dip. Always a good choice! A bit windy, having "NE" winds all weekend. Still warm in the high 80's!

Early September and Birthdays!

We tried to get together with Justin for his birthday but it turned out that he had work (on call while his boss was out of town) and had two make-up events for Kilee's drama/theater rehearsals for Frozen. We still met up on Sunday, at Sarbez!  115 Anastasia Blvd, St. for Cara's birthday with Carl and Marsha. Cathy and Werner, heading off for a long trip up the East Coast, and not back until the end of September, added gifts for Leaa and AA.
It was an interesting place, only served novelty grilled cheese sandwiches (and hot dogs). They had many old arcade type games, but due to the recent threat of Dorian, they had not put them all back. It was a fun visit, the kids had room to move around. If we go back, need to try the Sarbez Melt (I ate the Caprese, it was good).
Marsha passed out gifts to all, homemade sugar foot scrub and homemade cereal of "Crackling Oat Bran". Great stuff! Leaa made cupcakes!

Group Photos, not sure how it became an äll girls"picture - Not much natural light:

Pearl playing with the birthday balloons:

Next up is AA's 13th birthday!

Early September! Advance T-Shirt, Penny's Trip plus OPJ Robotics!

AA wears her Daddy's old XL T-shirts for nightshirts. She seems to like the over-sized, baggy cotton shirts, really who doesn't? While we were cleaning out our MB closet one day waiting on Hurricane Dorian, we bagged up many clothes to give away. AA took several t-shirts, this one was Advance 2006!

She still tries to hide from me when I want to take a picture!

Saturday, September 7th, AA had a Robotics OPJH challenge Reveal session with all Clay County Junior Highs.

Owen K. from OPE is on team with AA:

Over the same weekend, we went and enjoyed our usual River House Saturday early-evening happy hour, this time without Penny. She was in Pennsylvania attending an event honoring the 150 years since the 1869 Miners Disaster occurred. She spoke her ancestor's name and placed a flower on a wreath for all 110 victims. From Penny's email: The plaque that was dedicated to the 110 miners who died in the Avondale Mining Disaster in 1869. My great-great-grandfather John Harris was one of the miners. His name is in the upper right hand corner. The second picture is me putting daffodils (the national flower of Wales) on his grave. He is one of 13 of my family members buried in Washburn Street Welsh Cemetery in Scranton. The first picture is the wreath with 110 carnations placed at the opening of the Avondale Mine. It was a memorable and emotional trip.