Soccer

Soccer started a few weeks ago and for the first time ever both boys are getting to play!

Mac first:  Mac is again on Coach Dax’s team – the Strikers – with a bunch of his former teammates and a few kids who played for the Strikers in the spring when we played baseball.  Despite having the same coach, same uniforms and a lot of the same kids, the experience is totally different.  We have gone from being one of the youngest teams in U8 to one of the older teams, from getting creamed almost every game to creaming everyone else {well we have only played 2 games so far but we won them both…by alot!} and most of the team having minimal understanding of technique and rules to true skill and understanding being shown on the field.

Coe: Soccer for Coe = pure happiness.  He LOVES every second of it.  At first he was enamored with having a coach and being part of a team – the Jaguars, but after the first game {where he dominated} his obsession is now scoring goals.  He is quite a bit bigger than most of the other kids on the field which at this age means he can get the ball out of the herd and quickly run it down the field to score which he does a lot.  At the first game he would look over at his cheering section after each goal to make sure we were clapping for him.  By the second game he would score and then walk off with a little swag to his step as if to say this is nothing new for me :)  Coe has also found a new girlfriend on the team.  He refers to her as “the fast girl!”  She is fast…and really cute!  She  and Coe score the majority of the goals for their team.  I am not sure if he likes her because she is fast, a good soccer player or just really cute, but I know he can’t stop flirting with her at practice :) 

I’m glad they are both enjoying soccer.  Now if the weather can cool off a little Albi and I can enjoy it as well! 

The Jaguars

         

The Strikers!   

 

 

Chi Os in Carefree, AZ

Two weekends ago – Labor Day weekend – I flew to Phoenix to meet 8 of my sorority sisters.  We are literally spread all over the country – from DC to Seattle, Texas to Colorado and everywhere in between. WE try to get together every 1-2 years, but this time it has been 3 years since our last real reunion which was in Gainesville.  Thankfully we all pick up right where we left off!  This was the first time ever that all 9 of us have made it to a reunion in almost 10 years, so we had a lot of catching up to do.  With work and flight schedules we were actually only all 9 together for about 24 hours, but the majority of us had a full 3 days to laugh, talk, cry (a little) and just enjoy being together.  We went to a spa one day and spent a full 8 hours basking in bliss.  Tracy bought a selfie stick to ensure we had a few group shots.  Love these girls!  #SPF #CarefreeChiOs #FLkickinAZ {we spent way too much time picking our forever # and our 2015 reunion #s!) 

 

HBD Gigi

Last weekend we celebrated Gigi’s birthday on a pirate ship.  A bunch of her friends and children and grandchildren came along so the boys had plenty of friends to play with on the boat.  The crew did a great job entertaining them with activities the majority of time we were out to sea and the Gilmer boys were quickly immersed in the pirate theme!  They even got Fin to participate in the activities {she takes a little more time to warm up to things than the boys!}.