Golf

Well, Ian has been on me for some time to take golf lessons. In fact, he passed on baseball this summer to take golf lessons. I figure if a seven year old stays on something for six months, then he is serious about it. So a couple of weeks ago, Ian and Abby started taking golf lessons at Highland Green Golf Course, here in Jackson. They are taking lessons from William Boyd. William just graduated from Union University where he was on the golf team. William is great with kids and was recommended to us by some friends from church. The kids warmed up to him quickly and you can see improvements during each lesson. William says they are doing great. I'll take his word for it, since I know nothing about golf. Abby is already hitting the ball over 120 feet, and Ian is getting it near 100 feet. But they are both doing great and really enjoying it.

Diamond Jaxx Game

Yesterday, Abby was invited to a birthday party that was held in a sky box at the at Pringle's Park where the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx play. For those of you that don't know, the Diamond Jaxx are Jackson's Double A baseball team. They are the Seattle Mariner's double A team for the past couple of years. So since Abby was going to the game, the rest of us decided we would take the game in down in the cheap seats. As we were waiting in line to buy tickets, a young lady approached us with tickets. She said that her dad had season tickets and they were not going to use them and just wanted to give them to a family. So LeAnn, Ian, and I got free tickets in the not-so-cheap seats. Plus, the tickets ended up being right below Abby's sky box! So, of course, LeAnn got some really good pictures of the Abby's gang.

It was a great night of fun, although the Jaxx lost...again. Pretty much the Jaxx stink this year. And you can pretty much lay it at the pitchers feet. The Jaxx lost 5-7 last night. Thanks to two wild pitches that scored runs for the Huntsville Stars. But it was a great night. Abby had a great time at the party, and Ian always loves going to the baseball games. We all ate well...BBQ Nachos, hamburgers, and ice cream, just for starters. And after the game, there were fireworks!

Grammy and Grampy Come to Visit

Since we are going to be on vacation on Father's Day, LeAnn wanted her parents to come for a visit before we left. So this past Saturday, Grammy and Grampy came up to spend some time with us. We visited, went out to lunch at Olive Garden, and gave Grampy his Father's Day gifts. Abby and Ian had the opportunity to introduce Oreo (guinea pig) and Nikko (dog) to their grandparents. Grammy and Grampy even went out to the golf course with us for Abby and Ian's golf lessons. It was a nice visit full of gifts, Italian food, and sunny golf. What more could you ask for?

Rial Family Get Together

Sometime during the end of May, the Rial family got together to celebrate Mother's Day with my grandmother. This reunion, it was decided to go out to a state natural area in Greenfield, the Big Cyprus Tree Natural Area. At one time, the world's largest Cyprus Tree was located in Greenfield, hence the name. But as luck would have it, as soon as the state designated the area as a state park, the tree was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. So the area, was turned into a natural area instead of a full blown state park.

Well enough about the sad history, and on to happier times. We had a great time with the uncles, aunts, cousins, and cousin's kids. It was good to see them and spend some time with my grandmother. It was the first time in several years that I had been out to the park, but it is really nice with walking trails, playground equipment, and picnic area. The family probably will not be back together until Thanksgiving, so it was nice to catch up with everyone that was there. The kids had a great time playing and running. It was a great day!

Pet Day

I apologize for my lack of posting, but we've been kinda busy with the end of school year activities and summer fun. During the last week of school, Ian's class had pet day. This is a day when each child brings their pet to school for a little while to show off. With our large stable of critters to choose from, Ian chose Sam to bring to Pet Day. Now Sam isn't the most calm dog. Especially when you put him on a leash! But Sam did a great job. He made new friends, both human and canine. And Ian loved showing him off. LeAnn brought Sam that morning and successfully transported him. It was a great day for all involved!

Summer is Here...Finally!

Well school is finally out and the summer is here. A lot of camps planned for the kids and the great Western adventure is two weeks away. Above are a couple of pictures of the kids with their teachers. Abby and Mrs. Bullion, and Ian with Mrs. Patsy. It has been a long hard school year and we are all ready for a break. Last week was a week for the kids to rest and veg out. This week is basketball camp at Union for Ian. Abby is visiting grandparents and friends. Next week is vacation bible school. The next week is soccer camp for Abby through Wednesday and then we leave on vacation that afternoon. That will take us through the end of the month. I hope everyone is having a nice summer so far, and we will keep you posted on our activities.