T-Ball

Let's Line up for Prayer - Gage is #20

A little base coaching from Coach Ginther

Davis joins the after game huddle!

Our t-ball season has come to an end. Gage really enjoyed himself. We played with High5 Sports a great Christian centered program. This was his first year playing t-ball. He played on the White Sox along with his buddy Max Ginther.

Parrot Cay - warning lots of post

Last week Ward and I headed to true paradise. We left Charlotte at 11:15 after a plane ride and then a boat ride to the island we were on the beach by 4:30 - who knew paradise was so close. I have to say Parrot Cay was wonderful there are no words fit to describe it. It is a small private island in the British West Indies. It is 3 miles long and a 1 wide so rather small. The weather was amazing and the water was so blue. We stayed on the resort that is located at the southern end of the island. On the northern end there are about 10 houses. 5 of which Donna Karen owns, then Bruce Willis, Christie Brinkley and Keith Richards each have a compound of their own. We enjoyed the spa, the Indian head massage was a huge fav you could have poured me into a glass after. We spent our time between the pool and the beach. There might have been about 20 couples off and on during the week. Most of which were European. The vast majority of the workers were native from Turks and Caicos or from Asia. They had 2 restaurants to choose from. We either had room service or ate at the Lotus restaurant which was located at the pool that overlooked the beach. Each night they put out a telescope looking at the moon. It was an amazing view. The island was totally dark, with no cities near by the sky was dark and the stars bright.
I do warn there are a lot of pictures to follow - but it was just so beautiful.

Sunset Cruise

Ward and I chartered a boat for a sunset cruise. It started out as a nice romantic slow ride around the islands. Ward even spied a sea turtle. We had a nice young guy driving for us and giving us the history of the area. He had lived there most of his life. We think he must have realized we were there to have fun and might not have been quite as stuffy as some that he has taken around before. He took us to an island that serves as a wildlife refuge for iguanas. We got off and walked around to see the little lizards. They give me the icks! But it was sweet of him to show off the animals. Then he said it was time to head back towards our island and he must have it 80 mph on the way back. Mind you the water is shallow, as in you can see the shells on the bottom of the ocean when you look over the boat. I just knew at any given time we would fly over the front of the boat. Ward and I were laughing so hard. We could not keep our sunglasses on, we really didn't need them at that point but we could not even stand up we were going so fast. Then the guy walked away from the wheel and went to the front to move our cheese and drinks which must have fallen and he left us going top speed. Needless to say we were soaking wet when we got back. But it was a great excuse for room service. The cruise was a highlight for sure.

<

The Spa

The spa was outstanding. They are very proud of all the awards they have won and after spending a few days there we can see why. Ward and I both felt so pampered. All of the treatment rooms faced the marsh part of the island. The whole place smelled like rosemary, which happens to be one of my favorite scents. The hot tub was really cool at the spa house, it was built of rock. See the middle picture above.

The Resort

Pictures of the resort. The view from our room was awesome (it is the 1st few pictures). There were orchids growing in all the trees around the resort.

The Pool

I loved the pool. I am a beach person. I hope to have a place on a beach one day, but I have to say I love loved this pool. Maybe because it looked out onto the beach. Maybe it was our little hut. We ate our lunch at the pool each day. It gave you the best of the pool and the beach.

The Beach Area

We found starfish, stingrays, sea urchins. We found the most awesome shells. Mostly different size conchs. They were perfect. Not broken like so many we find on the east coast. We brought a few home and left the others for future beach walkers.

Ward Windsurfs

Ward decided to windsurf - by the second day he was an old pro, sorry I don't have pictures of him gliding down the beach, I was lounging by the pool.

The Spa Cabin

On the first full day we were there we rented the spa cottage. It is a private cottage with a treatment room, a sauna and a huge screened in porch area. They had decorated it with fresh flowers. The thing in the middle is a wooden bath. You can see Ward so relaxed after his massage. And Ward acting crazy before his lunch.

Nashville for Tommie Roberts

Early in May we packed up the little ones and headed to Nashville, TN to have a little party for Ward's grandmother Tommie. She turned 98 this year. Prior to this celebration being planned we had promised the boys we would take them to the beach that particular weekend. (To spend a little family time before Ward and I went on our vacation) Instead of the beach we booked a stay at the OpryLand Hotel. The boys really enjoyed the hotel. It is a huge hotel with lots of waterfalls, streams, fish and a great arcade. Plus next door was the Rainforest Cafe - Gage spotted it as soon as we got off the interstate. It is one of their favorite places to eat. So we went for a quick bite Friday. Gage was so excited not only because of the Rainforest - but he also bought a Shark-Tooth Necklace. He really is so much cooler now with it!

Then later friday night our sweet new nephew/cousin Walker came for a visit with his big brother Will. The boys went to the indoor pool. It was a cold indoor pool but I am not sure Gage or Davis noticed until it was time to get out. I think they would swim in ice water.

Saturday we celebrated Tommie with a pizza lunch and a little social time. All the boys were wild and I think it brought a ton of joy to the men and women at the retirement home to watch them run around.

The boys were wiped out Saturday night. We all took great naps back at the hotel. Saturday night we walked across the street to eat at the aquarium. Then head back for another swim and early to bed.

Sunday morning the treated me to a wonderful breakfast in bed with a little help from room service and a lovely Slane and Slane bee necklace. After a walk around the hotel we packed up and headed back to Gastonia to meet Grammy, Cathy (later be be known as sissy) & Debbie.

Buffett & Our Friends the Fosters

It has been forever and a day since my last post. Things have been crazy busy here. I have a number of things to update about and hope to over the next few days. Maybe once pre-school is out we'll have more time! haha.

Anyway, at the end of April our friends Mary and Edward Foster (use to live across the street from us, moved here about the same time as Ward and I, had children about the same time, moved away about the same time, only difference we moved back and they stayed in Beaufort, SC) Sorry for the long side-bar..... came up for the Jimmy Buffett concert. Now I will tell you, in no uncertain terms, Ward is not so much a Buffett fan. Yes, I love him (Ward) dearly anyway, and sooner or later he should grow to love Buffett right, yeah right!

On with the story. We picked Mary and Edward up at the hotel and headed to do a little tailgating before the concert. We met up with Pam and Greg Dills and Mary Catherine and her crew. It was a wonderful night for a concert. Greg had a little BBQ going for us by they time we arrived and we socialized a little with the other pirates and headed in. I will post the pictures as the night progressed. I am sorry I did not get any of the tailgating, too busy people watching. I have to say my favorite pic is of Mary with the "make out couple" in the rear. Honestly, they really needed to get a room. Ward is freezing as you can tell, it was cold, but really.... We hated to see Mary and Edward head back to South Carolina. We do hope they can come for a visit with the girls soon. And Edward, if you have started reading the blog while on your lunch hour and popping bon-bons....have a great birthday trip. Shoot a few for us!