New Beginnings - School and Triathlon

This year for back to school we were launching from our house as opposed to last year when we were still in the apartment during the renovation.  So we wanted to feature the hydrangeas since we don't know how long they are going to last.  She had already met her teacher, Mrs. Martinez, and was excited to be in the same class as her good friend Ella Hughes.

And while it is hard to believe, Callie is entering her last year of elementary school.  She and her friends are now the fifth graders who know all the teachers and rule the school.  Fortunately she has picked up some phenomenal friends and they are going to be benevolent overlords.  They are certainly going to ensure that it is going to be a wonderful year.

Another new experience for the girls in 2018 was the YMCA Kids Triathlon.  Some friends of ours had done it before and coordinated a training group for a number of kids.  Unfortunately our schedule didn't allow us to participate in the group training, but we made sure the girls ran, biked, and swam throughout the weeks leading up to the big day.  As you can see here, it was pretty official with the numbers written on arms and legs just like the real deal.

Reese's group was the first to go, and after she finished an excellent swim of 100 yards she made her way to the transition area to get her biking gear and bike.  Honestly, the transition area is just as intimidating as it looks, but good thing we had John standing right outside to make sure that Reese could spot her bike and get the guidance she needed to change clothes and not panic.

Meanwhile, back at the pool Callie was stroking her way through her 200 yard swim.  She is in the middle of this picture, looking pretty good.  She may not have liked when we made her swim laps before she could play every time we went to the pool over the summer, but it paid off.

Here is Callie in action again, this time in the midst of her transition from the swim to the bike.  Although we practiced all the individual sports, we failed to practice the all important transition.  With that being said, both girls did an excellent job.  They took their time, but they did everything they needed to do and didn't stress out.  And that latter part was particularly important, because we wanted to make sure they had fun doing this.

After a one mile bike ride, Reese brought it home well in the half-mile run. She has a great stride and it didn't look like she was all that tired as she cruised through the last of the three stages.  It was great to see her finish strong.

Callie wasn't that far behind, although she had to bike for three miles and then run a mile.  Like her sister she finished strong and we were so proud of her.  She beamed when she saw that on the other side of the finish line all participants received a free ice cream from a truck placed strategically within sight.

These two girls have now done something that neither of their parents have done.  We believe that this will probably be the story for years to come as the two of them continue explore the world with great curiosity and a willingness to try new things.

Of course, we need to be completely honest as well. The girls were not entirely excited when we reached the staging area the morning of the triathlon and may have even said they didn't want to do it.  It is possible that we reminded them of a certain reward they would receive upon completion of the triathlon.  And it is very likely that the reward in question was a sundae at Baskin Robbins.  And that explains this final picture.

Random Summer Fun

For the third year in a row Callie went to a sleep away camp called Cathedral Domain.  And this year she was proud  of the fact that her week at the Domain was going to make it four weeks in a row without sleeping in her own bed because of our trip to Florida and her time in Montreat.  To add one more great element to it all, Callie signed up with her friend Janie.  And although Janie was going to be her partner in crime, there were also going to be multiple other friends from her school at the camp.  She had another great experience and can't wait to go back.

While Callie spent the 4th of July at camp, the rest of the family got to march in Lexington's parade.  It was a very hot day, but we were happy to march in support of our friend Liz who was running for a seat on City Council. Since John was one of only two men who joined the march he was quickly tagged as a banner carrier.

Liz's daughter Amelia was all decked out as a firework for the parade, so we did what we could to make sure Reese was just as festive.  There was no denying that she was walking in a 4th of July parade.  You can't see it in the picture but her shirt was as patriotic as they come.

The beginning of July also brought some fun international visitors to town. Sharon and Chris's Scottish grandchildren flew in and stayed for the month, which meant we got a lot of time with Dylan and Meryl.  The kids had a great time running around outside looking for crickets and Callie and Reese loved doting on Meryl.  We just loved the Scottish accents on the wee ones.

It's been a few years since Callie danced in Ballet Under the Stars, but we still make a point of seeing at least one performance each summer.  It helps that Katherine Bracken continues to be a part of the show.  We get our tickets and get a great seat on her parents' blanket where Marybeth provides all sorts of goodies for one and all.  She never disappoints.

This summer we got a special treat when the Abraham girls stayed with us while their parents went away for a weekend to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.  We hit the local pool and also had a great time going bowling.  Ella and Claire are great sources of fun and have no problem letting loose with our girls.

Because we had missed out on celebrating Claire's birthday months before, we decided to use their visit as an opportunity to take her out for a little celebration.  The bowling was part of it, but the song and ice cream at El Toro really sealed the experience.  We surprised Claire with the celebration at the restaurant, and the look on her face was priceless.  It is easy to surprise someone when you celebrate their birthday three months late.

Because Ella and Claire were staying with us the weekend before school started we made sure that they were fully prepared for the first day.  In the Bowes household this means making signs, and so all four of them got ready for the big day.  It's quite a range when you are going from 2nd grade to sophomore in high school.

Of course nothing quite signals the end of summer like Picnic with the Pops with the Chrismans.  This was our tenth year and we continue to do it in style.  It was a tribute to the Rolling Stones, and though it didn't match the previous year with Michael Jackson, it was a whole lot of fun.  We had two tables of great folks and tasty food.  We will see if next year brings an expansion to three tables.

And as summer was starting to end, soccer was starting to ramp up. The four girls pictured here were all going to be playing together on a team for LFC.  It was a crazy build up to this moment, but they were excited for the opportunity to play, even if it meant playing on a team of girls who were one age group older.  Regardless of what age bracket they play in, their friendship, goofiness, and overall great attitudes allowed them to see it as a tremendous learning experience.  And the carpools to practice alone were a ton of fun.

Skoniecznys Hit Kentucky

It's always fun to get visitors in Kentucky, but it was a special treat to get Mike, Kristen, Ella, Ethan, and Eli Skonieczny all to our own for 5 days on our home turf.  This family means a lot to us and we wanted to ensure that their trip was memorable, especially because it was well off of the usual route they take driving from Connecticut to the upper peninsula of Michigan.  The first full day here we signed up for a horse farm tour and it did not disappoint.  Not only did it highlight some beautiful horses, but also the beautiful scenery all around Lexington.

The next stop was the University of Kentucky so that we could try and convince at least one of the three younger Skoniecznys how great it would be to go to college right around the corner from us.  We'll have to wait and see if it works, but we showed them some great flowers and some of the cool new buildings on campus.

No trip to Lexington is complete without a visit to Keeneland.  Unfortunately, since it wasn't April or October we couldn't take in any races.  But they still train the horses in the morning, and John went with Kristen and Ella to get the full experience.  It's always amazing to see the power of the horses up close.  Meanwhile, the boys in the family stayed in bed so they were rested for the next phase of the trip, a visit to Mammoth Cave National Park.

The plan was to camp at Mammoth for two nights, and we lucked out with some great July weather after dealing with some rain in Lexington.  After setting up camp for the first night we went for a hike to get a good look at the park above ground.  Although it wasn't a difficult hike, it was just nice to be in the midst of nature.  And for Mike and John, it was another dream come true to have their families hanging out and having fun with each other.

Within minutes of their initial arrival in Lexington, all five kids, ranging in age from 7 to 14, got along like they have been living next door to each for years.  Callie and Reese certainly looked forward to spending time with all of the kids, and they all managed to have fun on the hike their parents made them go on.

Eli is more than willing to explore and push boundaries, which meant that Reese was extremely intrigued by him and willing to follow where he led. We are happy to report that this stopped when Eli used the family axe to make kindling.  Both Reese and Callie apparently need to develop a greater comfort level with sharp tools - or not, either way is fine with us.

Camp life is always fun, and especially fun when the people you camp with have all of the necessary tools. We had a delicious meal that included hot dogs, sausages, baked beans, corn on the cob, and roasted potatoes.  We are not sure if the food was extra good or if we were just extra hungry.  Regardless, it was a great night that ended with all of us playing pictionary until we realized we probably needed to abide by the campground quiet time rules.

The next day we took one of the long cave tours.  We have numerous pictures of that tour, but just about all of them are too dark to make out the incredible sights we saw.  Instead here is a far better picture of the whole crew right outside the entrance to the main cave.  Good looking bunch, if we say so ourselves. After one more night under the stars the Skoniecznys headed north to Michigan and we headed east to Lexington.  It was another great memory for all of us.

Floats, floats, and more floats

We have known the Johnsons for over eight years, and this was our third annual lake boat trip.  This year took us to Taylorsville Lake, and while it was not the sunniest of days, it was still a great one.

Talk about a keeper of a picture.  These five kids are full of energy and love any opportunity to get together.  And the more action the better.  That is especially true for the crazy man in the middle, Emerson, who is now four years old.

On this trip we got to use a special birthday gift that Seth had just received. We received a lot of compliments from other boaters about this great American eagle float.  We weren't sure whether to be proud or embarrassed, but we embraced it all.  And by the end of the day, all of the love had put a couple of holes in the float, so the bird ended the day not flying so high.

The highlight of all of our boating trips has been the tubing - it's not extremely fast, but it is fast enough to bring smiles to the kids' faces. And it is just slow enough that they can try out their daring acrobatic tricks without risking their lives.

Of course a day on the lake is not just about a need for speed.  Sometimes you just need to float around in a big pineapple and pretend you are in a tropical paradise, and not on a lake where you might see a dead raccoon floating by at the end of the day.  (Oh, Kentucky, you never fail to surprise)

It isn't easy living the lake life, and on the trip home John only had the radio to keep him company.  We had a great time, and we hope to keep the tradition alive in the summers to come.

A Week in Montreat

After many years being told that we would love to go, John and the girls joined a group from First Presbyterian Church for a week at the Montreat Camp and Conference Center in North Carolina.  It is officially a Music and Worship Conference that members of our church attend every year.  We rent a big lodge and work in teams to make meals in and around the activities of the conference. Sarah couldn't go, so John drove down with Callie and Reese, along with Vivie Ann and Murphy.  They were all looking forward to the week ahead.

Montreat is located in North Carolina about twenty miles outside of Asheville,  It is a beautiful area, and as soon as John and the girls arrived the Abrahams had to show them all the place had to offer.  The first stop was the creek for some rock hopping.

Reese attended day camp while the three older girls went to classes that included various choir rehearsals, among other things. And when John had to leave mid-week for a work trip, Vivie Ann's mom joined the fun. By the time that John got back the girls had matching sweatshirts and smiles. The week was treating them well, and Miss Jessica was treating them even better.

One Montreat tradition is a sunrise hike to the top of one of the mountains close by. The girls were ready for the experience despite the early wake up call, and it was well worth it. The top brought some fantastic views of the valley around us.

And here we are with all of the First Pres folks who woke up with us to make the climb.  It is a very good group of people, and it was a fun week.  The girls certainly enjoyed it more than they expected, and we may very well back again.

Everglades and Ranger Reese

Phase two of our vacation embraced our National Park tradition.  Everglades National Park in 2018 marks fourth straight summer visiting national parks.  As you can imagine it was hot and humid, but we kicked things off with a boat tour of the 10,000 islands off of Everglades City.  We also saw the damage from Hurricane Irma a year earlier that the area was still recovering from.

A nice thing about visiting the Everglades in the summer is that it is their slow season, which means we got a lot of hands on attention.  At one visitor's center we arrived just as it was time to take down the American flag, so Reese had the honor of helping fold the flag.  It was pretty cool, and the ranger was very good to us.

Home base for most of our Everglades adventure was the Lemon Tree Inn in Naples. We decided not to camp out in the Everglades for many good reasons and this place was a perfect alternative.  We had a pool, were walking distance from downtown Naples, and free breakfast.

We were also within walking distance of the ocean, though to be fair, it was not a short walk, especially in the heat and humidity.  The girls made sure we were aware of all of these factors on a consistent basis.  Because our 10,000 island boat tour did not yield any manatee sightings, we were pretty sure that ship had sailed.  However, while standing on this very pier pictured here, John and Reese had a magical manatee experience.  It made John's day and Reese didn't want to stop talking about it.  They tried to text Sarah and Callie to come back, but the cows of the sea move pretty fast in the water, so they missed it.

After a couple of nights in Naples we made our way to Homestead on the other side of the park, and that journey brought an unexpected highlight.  We had forgotten to return our room key before leaving the Lemon Tree Inn, but a phone call provided us with the information that we could simply mail it back.  Lo and behold we just happened to be right near the smallest operating post office in the country.  To say Sarah was excited by the fact that we actually got to use the services of this establishment is an understatement.  John was just mad that he had forgotten to return the room key.

This cross park excursion opened up a couple of quick side hikes, all with the potential to see gators. Our walks in Big Cypress National Preserve did not yield any gator sightings, but we did see some amazing trees and air plants.  The landscape, the trees, and the plants were so unusual that you can see why they are part of a preserved environment.  It's a very different national park experience than Yosemite or Grand Tetons, that's for sure.

At the Shark Valley Visitor's Center we rented two adult bikes, got the girls' bikes off the car, and headed down the bike path for a 45 minute bike ride.  We would have done the full loop but closing time was around the corner and a big thunderstorm loomed in the distance.  However, we still got to check out some incredible birds and even a few alligators along the way.  It's a bit strange when you become accustomed to riding your bike with your family on a path while alligators relax just a few feet away in the water.

All of this activity meant we had earned a treat, and luckily Sarah found the perfect place and led us to it.  In the middle of nowhere southern Florida is a place called Roberts that is known for good produce, amazing milk shakes, and a unique animal kingdom.  The shakes were good, the animal kingdom was a little strange, and we were soon on our way.

After we spent the night in Homestead we entered the Everglades at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.  Once again, it was a slow time and we arrived just as it opened.  We met Ranger Daniel as he opened the center and we even got to help him raise the American flag.  Callie and Reese had been completing their Junior Ranger Activity Book which meant they received their third badge of the trip.  Daniel was fantastic, and we soon learned he was going to be leading the very walk we were planning on doing later that morning.  We just needed to get ready.

Reese was going to be readier than most because she had spotted the perfect gift, Halloween costume, and ranger walk outfit in the gift shop.  And how could we not get it for her, especially once she promised that this would be her Halloween costume for sure.  Ranger Reese was all set for adventure and sight seeing.

Ranger Daniel was pretty smitten with his assistant ranger and we had a great hike with him through the boardwalks of this part of the Everglades.  He was a very cool guy - he grew up in Miami and had a passion for the national parks ever since he was a kid. And he had stayed in the Everglades in part because he was dedicated to educating people from the region about the beauty of the park. In short, we lucked out with being there while he was on duty.

We had to capture the moment by getting a family photo with the beautiful scenery in the background with our newly minted Junior Rangers.  However, the cuteness continued when Ranger Daniel asked to take a picture with Reese and asked us if we were okay with him putting it up on their website.  We are not sure if it ever happened, but either way Ranger Daniel holds a special place in our heart.

This was a road trip vacation, so once all the hikes and good times were over, we had two days worth of driving ahead of us to get back to Lexington.  Those miles on the road had exposed the girls to a new experience - the Race Trak gas station that had a frozen yogurt bar. The great thing for us is that it was free for kids, so the girls went crazy.  We put off the visit until the second to last day and it was worth the wait.  If nothing else it made the long hours in the car much more manageable.  That's one more park off of our list and we can't wait to find out which one is next.