Summer in the Triad!

Mel, Me & Jaime- Beat the Heat 5k
Yah, that glow is post race sweat!

Jaime's son Max handing out water to runners

Arielle's mouse had 10 babies! (Finding homes was quite a challenge)

Parent Night Picnic at Raven Knob Scout Camp

Toby, Colin, Chris & Ben dancing at camp

Raven Knob Scout Camp

Toby's Scout Troop

Raven Knob bridge to chapel (loved this pretty spot on the lake)

Waterfalls at Hanging Rock

Arielle helping a beginner during the horse camp parent show

Arielle jumping Miss Scarlett at horse camp

Arielle's camp trophy

Arielle & Ann Marie

Picnic lunch last day of horse camp

Stables at Hidden K

Dash Baseball Game

Dash Mascot

Athena, Lyna & Arielle at end of year party
(that is the 'hamster ball' in the background- I was the lucky party volunteer who got to push kids around in it)

Going to see Wicked in Charlotte with some church friends!

It has been a fun, busy summer in North Carolina. Highlights: Carowinds Amusement Park with the cousins (Sloans & Bryants), Toby enjoyed earning most improved player at Wake Forest Univ. Soccer Camp. He also went to Forsyth Country Day Sports Camp and enjoyed airsoft gun wars, a day at Celebration Station & Wet n' Wild with his friend Uly. Scout Camp was great and Jim & I enjoyed going up to Parent's Night at Raven's Knob Boy Scout Camp. What a pretty camp they have for the boys! Arielle loved Horse Camp (and being a big helper to Michelle for the week) and Camp Merriwood overnight camp with her three girlfriends from school (Athena, Haley & Jessica). Phew! The kids have done alot in June & July. It helps break up the summer for them to go to some fun camps, esp. while I'm at work M-F for half the day. We have also been enjoying lots of pool time at our community pool. I ran the Beat the Heat 5k with Jaime & Melissa and some other gals from Anesthesia school. It was good to know I can still run despite spending much more time Jazzercising than running lately :) Another summer highlight has been going to the Winston-Salem Minor League baseball games "The Dash". A fun benefit to my good job at LRB Real Estate has been to be able to go VIP style to the games with great seats and dinner included. It's been a fun, busy summer! My mom & dad are coming to visit next week and we can't wait to show them around. All the scheduled camps are over for the summer so it should be some lazy days of summer up ahead.

My Parents Are The Bomb!

In their 60's (sorry guys, it's true), married over 40 wonderful years and these guys still know how to live life to the fullest! This picture was just taken this past Feb. I'm so lucky to have them as my parents. Bill & Dotti, YOU ROCK! Love you!

Lovelace Family Reunion!

Harlan, Shirley, Gail, Nancy
Jessica, Fern (2 mommies to be :), Ashley, Nancy, baby Anna, Ann, Christi

Ashley, Christi, Ann w/ baby Anna

Ashley, Megan, Kathy

Scott, Ryan, Bahnson, Cortney, Paul (aka..the storytellers..lol)

Skot & Ryan, look at the resembelance in these cuzs!

Nancy opening baby gifts with lots of help :)

Joyce & Fern

Harlan playing around with the kiddos

Kathy & Paul- married over 20 years, awesome!

Ann & Megan

Ashley & baby Anna

Mylie eating some fried seafood

busy little Maddy loves her electronics

Arielle & Gracie

Sarah, Mylie & Erin

Skot & Bahnson

Ashley & Joyce

Fern, Ann & Jessica

Crystal & Nancy

Skot, Crystal & girls

When I was a kid my dad's side of the family would have really fun family reunions. We would usually camp in North Carolina or Florida and I would have a blast with all my cousins. It's hard to believe that I am the next generation of reunion planners! My cousin Nancy just had an adorable baby girl (Anna Claire) and us girl cousins decided this was a great opportunity to get everyone together to celebrate. I got to see some family I hadn't seen in 15 years! Jessica flew in from Virginia, Fern, Cortney, Gail & Harlan came from GA, Ryan came from LA, Aunt Shirley & Uncle Bahnson came from FL, my brother Skot & fam came from UT and my sister Ashley came from CA. Then the NC gang was all there as well (Ann's family, Paul's family, Aunt Nancy). Bahnson & Joyce were awesome hosts. We all met up in Asheville at Bahnson & Joyce's and enjoyed the beautiful weather, sitting on the patio, eating bbq pork and tofu. Arielle loved running around with her cousins, especially Gracie who is so close to her in age. We made plans to camp as a group next summer and hope to make this a more regular occurrence.

rAnDoM sTuFf

Toby & his friend were a bit bored on the bus ride home and decorated Toby's face. Seriously, this kid is so funny. On another note, Arielle had the 4th grade "Animal Safari" where the whole grade decorated their rooms with stuffed animals and presented info on animals for the parents. Arielle chose to report on elephants. She had a "button" sitting in front of her on her desk and parents walked around pushing it, she repeated her little report over & over again!

Spring Soccer Wrap Up- GO MOB!

Toby joined a new soccer club this spring, Optimist. He had a really fun time playing left wing and forward. He scored almost every game, this was his highest scoring season every played. Jim & I appreciated that this league more laid back than the competitive teams he was on the last few years, but a step up from county/city league. The pace was perfect for him (and us!). 1 weekly practice, 1 weekly game (no Sundays) and no traveling! Love it. Toby had a couple friends from school on his team & played against some other friends within the league. They were a brand new team , "The Mob", just formed this spring and came out with only 1 loss. They celebrated with a big pool party. Great season!

The Running 'Fro

Toby just wrapped up his first middle school track season, 7th & 8th grade track. The girls team practiced at the same time as the boys and they had all their meets together. I think that was a perk as far as Tobes was concerned. He had weekly meets where he ran the 250 yd dash and 4x100 relay. The competition was fierce, and he gave it great effort. I love this pic of him running with his huge fro (that I have been begging him to cut). I almost didn't recognize him coming down the track :)

Arielle's Pony Club Dressage Rally

Arielle's team after stall inspections
Michelle- Arielle's multitasking riding instructor :)

Arielle back on the horse and smiling after her big fall

Arielle running to come see me, does she look like she's having fun or what?!

Arielle & Miss Scarlet

Arielle was invited by her instructor to participate in the Pony Club Spring Dressage Rally in Charlotte. She was the youngest girl going from her barn and I wasn't sure she was really ready or not. The girl's each took their own horse and were responsible for packing all the tack, food and gear for the horse for the whole weekend. Once they got to the show they were responsible for keeping the horse in their own stall and taking 100% care of the horse themselves. Parents & instructors weren't even allowed in the stall area! They had frequent inspections and little tests along the way. I went up for the day on Saturday to watch Arielle ride and boy was it eventful! Arielle & her pony did great in the warm up, but when they got in the ring nerves got the best of them. Arielle's pony acted up (bucking & rearing) during her morning test, so for safety's sake she decided to get off and decline her morning test. Then in the afternoon test her horse acted fine at first, then decided to turn around and jump a rail out of the ring (about 4 feet). Arielle went flying off and scared me to death. She was very brave and got back on and rode out her test with her instructor leading the pony. Yikes. Not what I expected for her first show. Luckily, she still had a blast and said she would do it all over again! She has already been invited to the next show as "Asst. Stable Manager". She would be helping the other girls take care of horses, but not participating in the events herself. Once I recover from this weekend, I'll think about it...... ;-)