Eliza participated in our neighborhood’s developmental swim team this summer. She is hard worker, steps up to challenges, and had a lot of fun with the experience. Eliza had many great swim coaches this season, many were high school and college students on the competitive team or former swimmers.
She enjoyed having her good friend Layla on the team with her.
At the end of the season they had an in-house swim meet and she did great. She swam 25m freestyle, 25m backstroke, and they did a swim-a-thon as a fund raiser for the local food pantry.
Eliza swimming backstroke. She surprised us all and got first place in the meet and was 1 second shy of the 6 and under 25m backstroke record - something to work towards for next season.
Eliza swimming freestyle.
At the last practice they gave out many creative and funny awards. Eliza won the backstroke award :).
She displayed her awards proudly on her door.
It was a very fun swim season and she is looking forward to joining the team this coming summer.
It’s official, we have a teenager! Caleb has grown so much this year, physically, mentally, and spiritually. He is strong and fast and has developed a love for springboard diving, gymnastics, and Tae Kwan Do. Caleb still enjoys reading, playing video games, loves being with his siblings and he is a great big brother. Caleb prefers being home with family rather than being out and about, which we are relishing while it lasts.
Mark and Betty drove the boys back to VA because I was still in a lot of pain from my hip injury, and it was fun to have them here for his birthday.
We had cake, opened presents, and had a nice low-key day celebrating Caleb.
I love how the kids are excited for each other’s birthday and celebrate each other.
I am wayyy behind on blogging, about 5 months, so going to try to recall everything we have done since then. After the long weekend, Nathan, Eliza, and I went back to VA and the boys stayed in IL for another week and a half, and had a lot of fun with family. No trip to IL in the summer is complete without trips to the pool and diving board. I think they visited all the nearby pools during their visit.
Another day they went hiking, so many places to explore.
One day they all went to a Cardinal’s game.
The cousins had a lot of fun together and had fun fishing together.
One day they even took a trip to the Salem pool!
Caleb got a fresh haircut, getting ready to come back to VA.
The boys had a great time and we are glad they had the opportunity to spend time with everyone.
On the way back from IL, we made a quick pit stop in Bloomington, IN to visit Marissa and her family, who just moved there the previous week. We met them at Indiana University, where both Nathan and they attended school. It had been many years since we had been to the campus and it was nice to be back again.
Love Marissa so much, it’s always a treat to spend time together.
Our daughters were born a few weeks apart, and they look like they could be sisters.
On the way out of town, we visited Nathan’s old apartment and took a ride by the track where Nathan spent many, many hours the years he attended school.
We all drove back to IL with Sam, and everyone was excited about the trip to Holiday World. Our kids look forward to this trip all year long, thinking about all the rides and slides to go on, and for the time they get to spend with family. Abigail and Eliza look forward to their girl time together, and it is sweet to watch their relationship grow.
We enjoy hanging out at the Jolliffs and letting all the cousins play together.
There was a pretty serious wiffle ball game that the cousins, Nathan, Hap, and Mark played. Betty, Elizabeth, and I cheered from the sidelines.
Hoosier is the number one fan :).
The girls had fun kicking goals.
Our Holiday World tradition is we get there before the park opens at 10am and stay until it closes at 9pm. Jacob rode over with us and Eliza rode with Abigail, Grandpa, and Grandma.
Annual entrance picture.
It was fun to spend time with Elizabeth.
We love seeing the cousins having fun together. We don’t see each other as often as we wish, but every time they get together, it’s as if no time has passed. They are all good friends and look forward to time together.
The amusement park opened before the water park, so the kids got in a few rides and roller coasters before hitting the slides.
The kids rode the slides for a few hours, then we had lunch at the pavilion, and came back for more fun. I injured my back and hip, and was bummed to not be able to go on rides with the kids, but was happy to see all the smiling faces throughout the day as they came by the cabana. Sweet cousins and friends.
After lunch, there was a synchronized diving show. It was very impressive! Yes, that is a diver all the way at the top of that platform. He did multiple flips before diving into the pool!
Boys having fun.
The girls were so excited to ride the Holly Dog together and were talking about it for days. Eliza said she preferred this to the Voyage, a huge wooden roller coaster that she rode when she first entered the park, haha!
Andrew and Sam took multiple rides on the Phoenix ship.
The boys love spending time with Uncle Hap and had fun going on rides and spending time with him.
After the park closed, we ate snacks and hung out for a short while before hitting the road. The boys stayed in IL for another week and a half, and Nathan, Eliza and I headed back to VA. Holiday World is a fun trip that we all look forward to, and it was great to all be together!
