Emmy's Junior Retreat

Emmy just returned from her very first overnight church camp! When we signed her up for our church's Junior Retreat, I knew it would be a big 'first' for all of us. While we have certainly spent nights apart with our various travels and trips, it was a new thing for Emmy to be completely on her own without family. But we knew she would be in great hands with our children's pastor Mr. Tim and the rest of the TBC counselors. The Junior Retreat is specifically for 3rd and 4th Graders, and they left on Monday morning and returned on Wednesday afternoon. They stayed at the Blowing Rock Convention Center, and Emmy enjoyed all the activities of creek wading, the duck race, play time, their skits, the ice cream sundaes, and the time in the room with her friends Maddie, Addie, and Adeline. I'm so thrilled that she enjoyed her time at camp and that she is growing closer to Jesus while developing friendships at church. The pictures tell the story - she definitely had a lot of fun! 

I can't say that Eli missed his sister too much. He quite liked directing our itinerary and enjoying the 'only child' status for three days. On Monday, he accompanied me to the grocery store and even brought along his wallet to do some shopping of his own. After much deliberation, he decided on a Hot Wheels loop track and walked proudly out of the store with his purchase. Then we met up at the pool with Aunt Megan and Zander, who were also down to only one child with Maddox on the Junior Retreat too. After the pool, we stopped for an icee at Sheetz, which was a perfect treat for a hot day. Later that evening, the 7U All-star team had a scrimmage in Winston at South Little League. The boys are preparing for their upcoming tournament this weekend. On Tuesday, we went to Science Center, and Eli was enthusiastic and cooperative for photos - "Take a picture of me on this!"  Today, we spent the morning at Triad Park, and we explored the walking trail with the fishing pond. After a picnic lunch and some time on the playground, we headed back to the church to pick up Emmy. While it is special to have the one-on-one time with each child, we were missing Sissy - all feels right in the Kennedy household with her back home again.  

Summer is my favorite!

This past week of summer was the perfect mix of activities. We returned to some of our favorite places and visited some new places too. Earlier in the week, the kids and I went to Reynolda, where we enjoyed walking down to the waterfall and then of course getting fresh doughnuts from Dough Joe's. On Tuesday, we went to the downtown public library and the nearby Dinosaur Washington Park. Midweek, we did a pool day with the Houstons and Williamses. Pool days now last almost five hours and can fill the whole afternoon between lunch and dinner. It's funny how the rhythm of the summers have changed over the years, depending on the kids' ages. Gone are the days of rushing home by 1PM to put babies down for their naps. While some days (okay...most days!) my body still would like an afternoon rest, we usually go hard until sundown, when we all collapse from a day well spent. 

 

This week saw us accomplishing several of our summer to-do list items. On Thursday, Megan and I took the four cousins to Great Wolf Lodge. The kids received free passes from a fundraiser at school, so we planned a day to use the passes when the Dads would be at work. After an essential stop for coffee, we were on the road by 8:30AM. Our planning was perfect; we arrived to GWL just before 10AM when the water park opened. We did it all: the slides, the wave pool, the outdoor pool, water basketball. Although the park stayed open until 8PM, we were changing into dry clothes just before 7PM, which meant we still enjoyed 9 hours of water park fun. After a dinner stop on the way home, we returned to Kernersville around 9:15PM. It was a full day, and the cousins sure had a blast! (And the moms too!)

On our Friday with Daddy, we checked off another summer to-do list item: Bethabara Park. Emmy went to Bethabara during a recent field trip with school, and she was excited to be our tour guide. We walked around the original settlement, the gardens, and to the cemetary called "God's Acre." There was an informational demonstration on colonial medicine, and it was interesting to learn about the early uses of plants and herbs. After Bethabara, we went to lunch at The Daily Basket in Germanton, which was another to-do list item. We were on a roll! A mix between a general store and a sandwich shop, the Daily Basket had indoor and outdoor seating and a delicious menu, perfect for a summer lunch. We enjoyed our meal and then purchased some candy by the pound. We love our Fridays with Daddy!

This weekend saw us back at the ballfield for the conclusion of the 8U All-Star Tournament. The team played their fourth pool play game at 11AM on Saturday, and after that game, with a 4-0 record, they secured the second overall seed (out of 13 teams!) Eight teams moved forward to the bracket play, and our Walkertown boys immediately played again in a nail biter that ended in a 6-5 victory. In the last inning, Rowan had the bases loaded and only one out. Coach Boomer called a well-timed meeting at the mound, and the Walkertown infield excecuted the two final outs to secure the win. Four teams advanced to today's semi-finals, and our Walkertown boys faced a tough team from East Chatham. Although it was a pretty ugly loss, we are so proud of the team for making it so far. It was exciting to play on the final day of the tournament, especially as the host site. The boys were 5-1 over the two weekends, and in addition to the baseball, we enjoyed the time with family and friends...not to mention, the sweet treats at the ballpark! The good news is: Eli's baseball isn't over quite yet. He will be playing next weekend in the 7U All-Star Tournament hosted at Southwest Little League in Clemmons. The boy loves baseball and will be ready to take the field again on Friday!

An All-Star Weekend

We just wrapped up our first of THREE All-Star Weekends! Even though Closing Ceremonies were at the end of May, there is still a lot of baseball to be played in June. Eli was selected for the 7U and 8U teams, and 8U kicked off this past weekend. Conveniently the host site for the District 2 tournament is Walkertown. On Saturday morning, we headed to the ballpark like we have for every other Saturday this spring. Eli's team played at 11AM that day and again on Sunday at 11AM and 5PM. Eli loved saying that he had a "double hitter" - his very first one. In between the two games on Sunday, the team stayed cool by watching The Sandlot together and eating all the snacks pooled together by the parents. I was nervous that the long day would affect the boys' energy and focus, but luckily they seemed unfazed. It was an exciting weekend of baseball, with the boys going 3-0 against North Forsyth LL, Davie LL, and King LL. We will return again next Saturday for their fourth game of pool play, and then we will find out about any further games. This past weekend was extra special because of all the family and friends that came out to the ballpark. Eli had lots of fans cheering for him. 

Unfortunately there were not enough girls to make up a 10U All-Star softball team, but Emmy usually tags along with Daddy and Eli to their practices in the evening. She is conscientious about getting in her swings and throws so that her skills stay sharp. It has been somewhat of a role reversal, since all throughout the spring Emmy was the one playing in the tournaments, while Eli was the tag-a-long sibling. Emmy has been a supportive sister...and has enjoyed all the sideline treats!

Sports Camps and Spa Days

Much like last year, my first two days of summer were spent heading back to school for the Forbush HS softball and baseball camps. This year was Emmy's second time attending, and Eli was old enough to go this year too. We also brought along Emmy's friends Heidi and Peyton, so while the girls were at the softball field, Eli was with the boys on the baseball field. Both camps were Thursday and Friday, and on Friday they ended with sliding practice on a slip 'n slide. Suprisingly my always-active boy wasn't interested in the slip 'n slide and preferred to stay dry, while the girls got soaked in their softball clothes. Luckily we brought a dry outfit and a towel for afterwards. On Friday evening, Boomer and I enjoyed a double date to the Dash with our friends Gwen and Steven Ashburn. Although the week had started with normal workdays and early alarms, by the end of it, it was starting to feel like summertime. 

On Saturday morning, we were back at the ballfield for the Walkertown Little League Closing Ceremonies. All the players received trophies, and Eli received special recognition as his team's Most Valuable Player. Boomer had a surprise for the softball girls to celebrate their undefeated season. As the league champions, he got them each rings, and they huddled together one more time for "Hustle, Hit, Never Quit!" I've loved that chant since they started it in the fall. After the Closing Ceremonies, we headed to Walnut Cove for Josh Williams' birthday, and then we went over to the Claytons' for an end-of-season outdoor movie night. The Claytons set up a large projector and screen in their yard, and we watched A League of Their Own. We have developed some wonderful friendships from the ballfield, and it is neat how the sport has brought us all together. 

Oh and if you were wondering how many gum wrappers might be at the bottom of a little girl's bat bag at the end of the season, the answer is 24!

This week, I have fully resumed my role as the Kennedy Summer Fun Coordinator. On Monday, we went to Top Golf with Grammy and Grandpa as an early Father's Day celebration. Although the four cousins were quite competitive and timeouts were instituted at various times, all in all it was a success. Much to the chagrin of his sister, Eli did win one of the games and was all smiles when his name was listed next to 1st Place. Our other activities this week have included: the Science Center with the Veres family, the Houston boys' annual lemonade stand, our first YMCA pool day, and perhaps the highlight of it all - the annual mother-daughter spa day. Mom, Meg, and I had our special day at the Grandover on Thursday, complete with massages, lunch by the pool, and a fancy dinner at Green Valley Grille. We even fit in a quick stop by Old Navy for some bathing suit shopping. We love this day every year, and it once again was restful and refreshing. While I was away at the spa, Boomer took the kids to Par-tee Shack. He joked that they wouldn't have any fun without me, and so he sent sad looking photos to document their day. He's so silly! If this first week is any indication of how the summer will be, I am so excited for the next eight weeks!