Yankee Stadium

Thanks to some intoxicated silent bidding at a Boy's/Girl's Club charity auction, we acquired awsome tickets to the Yankees/Oakland game at Yankee Stadium. We paid no where near the face value for these tickets...since these Legend Suite tickets initially went for $2,500 a piece...but got to participate in a truly first class experience. Free gourmet food, waiter service in our seats, and an incredible field level view just behind home plate.



When we first researched these tickets on the Yankee's website, I thought they would be closer to third base. We were very pleased (amazed) when we arrived and they were virtually behind home plate. And while we were on the side by the Oakland dugout, we had a view into the Yankee's.



We were joined by friends Annelise and Andrew.




Tom caught some classic shots of some classic players...Jabba, Jorge, A-rod and Jeter.

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Pool Party

William's Birthday celebration continued with a pool party at Birchwood with his friends. This was a group event, co-celebrating the birthdays of friends Mia, Riley, Lucy and Koby.

Happy Birthday, William!!!

William celebrated his 2nd Birthday today with a BBQ at Stately Payne Manor. Mom and dad initially planned a traditional 4th of July theme...but one thing lead to another. Mom's desire for a "shrimp boil" inspired dad to add things like andouille sausage and Hurricanes and then next thing you know, we have a New Orleans theme. (Without going into too many personal details, New Orleans has a very special connection to the events leading up to William's birth.)





The day started with fun and games in William's bedroom. Afterwards it was off to camp at Club Fit, followed by lunch and a daily nap. By the time William's party started at 3pm, the guest of honor was still sleeping.



By the time William made his initial appearance at his own party, it was in full swing.



By the time the day was over, it was apparent that William was having a blast. We can only hope that all of his birthday's are as much fun!

Friends...

Friends Rory, Jamie and Gavin came over for a visit. 'nuf said.

A cute story

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing... and the traditional caps, they looked almost .. as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but bec ause of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine.....until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage.. simply looked at the audience and said, 'GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!' And he walked off stage...

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

Birth of a Star Wars fan...or is it baptism?

Perhaps Tristan has watched Star Wars too many time. I honestly think it is only 3-4 times, far fewer viewings than Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid. But it appears to have made an impression.

Last night, during a bubble bath, Tristan was playing with his wash frog (for the uninitiated, this is a wash-thingie that looks like a frog). After a few minutes of dunking the frog beneath the bubbles, he had a concerned look on his face. He started calling out "Luke, Luke". I thought he was referencing his friend Luke...and honestly, I was concerned the he was dunking his buddy in the bath. It wasn't until he recited the classic line "I have a bad feeling about this" and "there's something alive in here" that I realized he was actually re-enacting the garbage compactor scene from Star Wars.

Six Flags Great Escape

Day two of our Lake George adventure had us visiting Six Flags Great Escape.



This time, it was William's turn to have a blast. While Tristan, Cary and Mary Kate seemed to enjoy themselves, William was simply joyous.



He road a boat, flew a plane, jumped on a motorcycle, road a train, screamed on a rollercoaster and drove a Corvette. Each time with a smile a mile wide. We are going to have to be careful. It looks like we have a daredevil on our hands.





At the end, they had so much fun, they had to call someone to tell about it!