Fairs & Festivals

The temperatures have started to drop, and the chill and the changing leaves signal that autumn is here to stay. We are embracing all the events of this fall season. On Friday after work, we went to the Carolina Classic Fair in Winston. It has become an annual tradition for the Kennedys to spend one evening at the fair, and this year, Grammy and Grandpa came along. Grammy had never been to the fair before, and Grandpa had been just the one time with us last year. With careful planning after the work day, we consolidated into one car and arrived to the fair around 4:30PM. We first strolled through the booths by the police and fire departments, where Emmy and Eli got to make bracelets and do a fun obstacle course. Then we headed to find food. Pizza, hot dogs, chicken pitas, and French fries, not a single healthy thing! With our bellies full, we walked through the barns and the petting zoo. There were so many animals to see and touch: goats, cows, sheep, and even a kangaroo and camel. We ended our evening with huge, hand-rolled donuts and the Demolition Derby. Eli was loving it at first, until one car (the one that had a ginormous teddy bear in the passenger seat) got rolled onto its side. He was very concerned about the teddy bear, and there were fast tears. (It may also have had a little something to do with it being after his bedtime and after a long day of school.) He recovered, but even so, we made our exit a little after 8PM. What a fun evening!    

On Saturday, we started our morning at the ballfield. Eli and his team played at 9:30AM, and it was a crisp 50 degrees at the start of the game. Eli had several great hits, and he showed his usual focus and hustle, earning him the game ball. Yay, Eli! After an early lunch at Bojangles with Grammy and Grandpa, we returned for Emmy's game at noon. The other team didn't have enough players to fill the field, so the game turned into a scrimmage, which was still fun for the girls. After a quick change out of uniforms, we went to East Bend to the Live Out Loud Fall Festival at the Shore House. Boomer has been volunteering with this organization for several years, and Emmy was thrilled to help him at the drink & cookie station. The smores were a big hit too! By this point, I lost track of how many treats my children have had this weekend!

After church today, Eli was invited to a birthday party for his classmate Blaire. The party was at Kaleideum, and Eli had a blast on the huge outdoor treehouse and in the water room. Emmy got to go to Kaleideum on Friday with Grammy and her cousins, so it worked out that Eli got a chance to go too. The three older cousins are in between two Teacher Workdays for the end of the 1st Quarter, with one more day off tomorrow. While Megan and I work, Grammy has been so great to entertain the three amigos. 

After the birthday party, Eli and I came home and picked up Emmy and Boomer. Then we headed back out again for family pictures at 4th of July Park. We realized that it has been four years since we last had professional photos of the ten of us. With all the kids changing quite a bit since then, it was time for updated photos. I can't wait to see how they turned out. After our one-hour session, we all went out to dinner at East Coast Wings for a belated birthday celebration for Boomer. He finally got the wings he had been craving. Even though it was delayed, we sure had fun celebrating our favorite guy!

Boomer's Birthday & the Game Ball

Boomer's birthday was this past Friday, and what better way to celebrate the last year in your 30s than with a high school football game! Boomer doesn't like much fuss, so we carried about our usual day with work and then the game. There was a staff tailgate beforehand, and we were able to socialize with a lot of our Forbush coworkers. The kids enjoyed cheering on the Falcons.  

One of the best presents Boomer received was on the evening before his actual birthday when Emmy got her first game ball! She had a standout performance, especially playing defense in the field. The Walkertown girls took on the Hurricanes, and after getting behind in the 1st Inning, they made a comeback for a 15-13 win. In the 2nd Inning, Emmy made all three outs, including her first line drive catch, followed not long after by her second line drive catch! Mom and I were on a nearby field watching Eli's t-ball game (which was rescheduled from another evening earlier in the week) so unfortunately we missed most of the action. Luckily, my Dad stayed at the softball game and sent us the play-by-play commentary. He also captured on camera the moment when Emmy was awarded the game ball. It was pretty special, and both Emmy and Boomer were beaming with pride! Happy birthday to Coach Daddy!  

Again on Saturday, we were back at the ballfield. Luckily this time the games did not overlap, and we were able to first watch Eli's game at 10AM and then Emmy's shortly after at 12PM noon. Granny and Paw Paw came to watch our little ball players. Eli showed off his hustle and focus, while Emmy had several clean plays at pitcher and 1st base. All in all, a good showing for both Kennedy kids. We went to Little Richard's afterwards for lunch to celebrate Boomer's birthday with ribs and barbecue. 

On Sunday of last week, we took a break from baseball and softball to catch a little soccer. We got to watch Zander and his Carolina Core team play locally at the nearby soccer complex. Emmy and Eli looked just as sweaty as their cousin when the game was over; they sure had fun running around on the sidelines. Earlier that morning at church, Maddox was baptized. We are so proud of him for boldly demonstrating his faith and his commitment to being a Christian. 

A few other scenes from the week: races at Sunday night Awana, sweet treats, and costume birthday parties. Emmy was so excited to go to her friend Charlotte's birthday party dressed up as a cheerleader. She plans to be a cheerleader again for Halloween in a couple of weeks (which makes it easy enough for me - I'm all for recycled costumes!) Our girl may love softball and basketball, but she still likes putting on a skirt to dance and jump around!

Hello, Fall!

After returning from our latest Kennedy Ballpark Tour, we headed straight into a new work week on that Monday. The days since then have passed by quickly. Rainy weather has caused some sports cancellations, but in general, we've followed a steady routine of work, school, and ball. Rinse and repeat. Last weekend, when one of Eli's games was cancelled, we spent our open Saturday at the Yadkin Valley Harvest Festival. Like last year, the kids enjoyed the bouncy houses, and we all enjoyed the yummy food, especially the homemade apple pies. The night before, Eli insisted on having a sleepover with his sister, and Boomer acquiesced. Emmy lasted on the floor in Eli's room until the early morning, and then she moved into her own bed around 5AM. Upon waking up about an hour later, Eli was quite upset to find that he was all alone. As you can see from the photos, how it started...

...and how it ended...

The school year has continued smoothly for the Kennedy kids. Emmy often sees Aunt Megan throughout the day, and she loves having lunch with Grammy when she volunteers on Thursdays. Emmy recently received an award from the Assistant Principal for good behavior and acting with integrity. The award came with a new book, which for Emmy is the ultimate prize right now. She loves to read, and she is sharing that love with her little brother. One morning, I spotted Emmy practicing flash cards with Eli while Boomer and I were getting ready for work. It was totally unprompted and a very sweet moment between siblings. 

Today we were back at the ballfield for another softball game. Our #12 had a big cheering section, with Grammy, Grandpa, and all four Houstons there. Emmy and her team had a come-from-behind win with a final score of 8-6. Emmy played 1st base for the whole game, and she had several great outs, including a tag play. She also batted well, getting a hit each time she came up to the plate. After the game, we celebrated Grandpa's 75th birthday with lunch at the Seafood Shack. It was a delicious meal, topped off with cheesecake for dessert. Happy birthday, Grandpa!

During September, I thought of Grandma Nancy often, especially on the 22nd, her birthday. I wore her ring for several days. 

One other big event, on Thursday, a major hurricane, Helene, swept up the Southeast and caused major flooding in western North Carolina. Our school system closed on Friday, but luckily in the Piedmont, there was no damage. In my hometown of Morganton and further west in Asheville and Boone, the flooding has caused so much devastation. It has been heartbreaking to see the images, especially this one of Freedom's football stadium completely underwater. We are praying for all our friends in Morganton that are facing weeks and months of rebuilding. 

I'm including one more photo...it's a flashback to Summer 2023. Boomer had this picture of Eli on his phone, and it popped up this past week as a 'memory.' Somehow the photo never made it to the blog, and I feel like it needs to :) As the weather gets cooler and fall begins, we will think fondly of our sunny days at the beach!