The Summer of Sleepovers

Shortly after Emmy returned from the TBC Junior Retreat where she spent two nights away from home, she had a sleepover for her friend Smith's birthday. This sleepover was Emmy's first true sleepover with non-family members, where she was dropped off that evening and picked up the next morning. She loved it and had fun stories to tell of sleeping on a blow-up mattress and eating pancakes for breakfast. The summer of sleepovers continued this past week when Emmy and Eli stayed over at the Houstons'. A tradition from last summer, the four cousins were eager to spend the night together again. We planned it for last Wednesday, when there was a home Dash game so that Boomer and I could enjoy a date night while the kids were with Aunt Megan and Uncle Zack. The afternoon kicked off with seeing Toy Story 5; then they went to the 4th of July cookout at our church. There was also blueberry picking in the backyard, fort making in the living room, and walking Beau around the neighborhood. I met them at the pool the next day, and they were already asking to have another sleepover with Aunt Megan. That night, they slept together in Emmy's room, with Eli on his mattress at the foot of her bed. I heard a little bit of chatter, but it wasn't too long before both kiddos were fast asleep.

 

Over the holiday weekend, we celebrated the 4th at Lake Tillery with all of the Kennedy family. We arrived mid-day on Friday and stayed through Sunday afternoon. The temperatures topped out in the triple digits, so we spent a lot of time in the water. Although I usually stay dry on the dock, I got in the water each day and even went tubing with Emmy and Eli. Emmy and Eli love tubing and riding on the boat. They also love jumping on the lily pad floating mat. The weekend was so fun being together - all 17 of us! I know Granny and Paw Paw were happy to have all their children and grandchildren gathered together. Eli especially enjoyed the lake this time, now that he has earned his yellow band at the YMCA. After much encouragement and prodding, he finally took the swim test last Thursday. While he is not ready to attempt the green band with the additional elements of treading and back stroke, I was so thrilled that he received the yellow. His confidence and skills have really taken off, and it showed at the lake and also when we went to the Tanglewood Pool this past Tuesday. Both kids bravely went off the diving board (something the YMCA pool doesn't have!) and they went down all the slides. Meg and I enjoyed the lazy river and were even able to float around several times while the kids swam independently nearby. The rest of the summer may have a different feel now that Eli is swimming - both of us will have a bit more freedom! :)

Last bit of big news: we finally converted Eli's toddler bed! He is no longer squeezing into the small space of essentially a crib, and he now has much more room to spread out. We have made a few other decorative changes in his room, with removing some of the nursery items and picture frames. This project was on my summer to-do list, and I'm thrilled to have it checked off, although it is bittersweet to see Eli take one step further towards a big boy. 

The Friday of Summer

I've heard June described as the Friday of summer, with July as the Saturday and August as Sunday. It feels like a very accurate comparison, and just as fast as a Friday goes by, so too did June. We closed out the month with some very fun activities. At the top of the list was traveling to Durham for a AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) game between the home team Carolina Blaze and the Utah Talons. We went with our friends the Ashburns, and Emmy and Eva had a blast seeing the professional softball players up close. Earlier in the day, the team hosted a free "Play Ball!" event, which included softball drills and other activities in the outfield of the Durham Bulls ballpark. After the event, there were several hours before the game that evening, so we hopped over to Raleigh to go to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. We visited this same museum last year during our train adventure, and Emmy couldn't help but recreate the photo of her in front of the shark teeth. After several hours at the museum, we traveled back to Durham for the game. Karlyn Pickens was the starting pitcher, and Emmy loved seeing her, along with her other favorites like Ana Gold and Alesia Ocasio. Although the Blaze lost in extra innings 4-3, it was an exciting game and something we definitely hope to do again. 

Speaking of softball, just when we thought Emmy's 8U career had come to an end, she put on a uniform one more time and played in a tournament for the Carolina Cardinals. Boomer has connections to the coaches of the team, and they needed an extra player to fill out their roster, so we traveled to Concord to cheer our girl on. She did a great job holding down right field and batting in the 10 spot. I was most proud of the way that she interacted with the other girls. She was an encouraging teammate and jumped right in to do whatever was asked of her. I will always love sitting on the sidelines and watching her play. 

Here are a few other pictures to close out June!

Girls' Trip to St. Lucia

Or perhaps another title for this blog post... "the trip that left the group chat!" I still have to pinch myself that I got to take a vacation to a dream tropical location with all of my best friends. Over a year ago, we started the conversation about a 40th birthday trip to mark the start of a new decade. Little by little, we narrowed down the dates and the destination, picked out our resort, and booked our flights. For some, it also meant renewing passports, asking off work, securing childcare, and buying travel essentials (for example, adapters for the British outlets!) With all of these tasks complete, we finally departed last Thursday, June 18th. Six of us flew together from Charlotte, with Casey meeting us there on her way from Atlanta. The resort we chose was called Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, and it was a convenient five-minute drive from the Hewanorra International Airport. By 4PM, we were checked in and already enjoying our first drinks. After months of planning and hundreds of text messages, the group chat had become a reality, and the seven Garland Girls were in St. Lucia!  

Our trip was planned for Thursday, June 18th through Tuesday, June 23rd. When we woke up on Friday morning, we had no set agenda except for dinner reservations later than evening. We started our day with breakfast at the main dining room, which included several self-serve stations and also made-to-order items, like omelets (my favorite!) After breakfast, we were in our suits and poolside by 11AM. That day, there just so happened to be an afternoon foam party, and although at first we watched from the side, we eventually joined in. You're never too old to join in for a foam party! 

While we spent Friday, Sunday, and Monday at the resort, we ventured out into St. Lucia on Saturday for a pre-booked excursion through Edmund Tours. We were picked up from the resort around 9AM and returned around 3:30PM. The 'land and sea' tour began with a drive along a mountainous coastal road through banana plantations and fishing villages. We stopped at a scenic overlook which offered a beautiful view of the Pitons, the famous St. Lucian cliffs that rise out of the water and are depicted on their flag. We then took a boat to Sugar Beach for some snorkeling and leisure time. Once back to the dock, we had lunch in a local restaurant in Soufriere Bay, before continuing on our journey to the Toraille Waterfall. Our last stop was the Sulphur Springs for a mud bath in the sediment of the nearby inactive volcano. Snorkeling was probably my favorite activity of the day - but the mud bath provided some very funny photos! 

 

For the days we were at the resort, there was a simple rhythm of eating, sunning, and lounging. After the first morning, we discovered a different breakfast option called The Veranda, where I had the most delicious French Toast Breakfast Croissant Sandwich (for three straight days in a row!) Lunch was usually picked up from Flip Flops or the Jerk Tree House. And of course there were the yummy drinks. While most of the girls loved the Dirty Banana, I discovered the combination of a Strawberry Daiquiri blended with a banana, which tasted just like a smoothie. And sorta healthy, right?? Ha! In addition to several pools and hot tubs, the resort also had a lazy river and two water slides, which we were brave enough to try just once. In the evenings, we changed out of our bathing suits and cleaned up for dinner. On Friday night, we ate at Calabash, which had a Caribbean menu of local staples, like flavorful chicken, plaintains, and rice. I had the Surf & Turf with a New York strip and coconut shrimp. On Sunday night, we ate at the Asian-inspired restaurant called Silk, where I got sushi and spring rolls for my appetizer, with a Thai noodle entree. For our final night, we ate at Trattoria for Italian fare. This restaurant was semi-enclosed, with open walls to the sounds of the ocean and the breeze. I had the grilled chicken and shrimp over a tomato-based pasta covered in Alfredo, and for dessert, a lemon ricotta cheesecake that was to-die-for. The food and drinks were definitely a highlight of the trip. After dinner, there was entertainment around the resort: a fire show, karaoke, a piano lounge, and a large TV area that was broadcasting the World Cup. The resort definitely surpassed our expectations with the food and amenities. 

On Tuesday, it was with sad hearts that we said 'goodbye' to St. Lucia and slowly said 'goodbye' to each other as we departed one-by-one to make our way home on various stages of the journey. Before we separated, we secured our dates for next summer's beach trip and also talked about maybe not waiting until 50 for another big vacation. Perhaps 45? ;)

While I was gone, things in Kernersville continued on with the usual docket of sports camps, ballgames, and birthday parties. Boomer did an awesome job as the solo parent for six days. Father's Day happened to fall during our trip, and rather than getting a break from being a Dad, Boomer assumed full responsibility. It's no surprise that he rocked it out and continues to be the 'fun parent.' He took Emmy and Eli to the Forbush basketball camp on Thursday and Friday and even fit in a Dash game on Thursday evening. Over the weekend, the 7U District 2 All-Star Tournament took place in Clemmons at Southwest Little League, and Eli's Walkertown team played one game on Friday evening and two games on Saturday. They went 1-2 and unfortunately did not advance to the championship bracket on Sunday. I tried to stay in the loop on the games while in St. Lucia, and several of the other moms sent videos and photos, which I much appreciated. After the weekend, my parents chipped in to help when Boomer was at work on Monday and Tuesday. They shuttled Emmy to her basketball camp in Winston, and Grammy even did a pool day in the afternoon. Now that I am back in Kernersville and have resumed my mom duties, I am thankful for the time away and for the wonderful blessing of being home. While it's not sitting on a tropical island sipping fruity drinks, my regular, everyday life is pretty amazing too!