Driving Everywhere with Paige

 

Paige has been eager to drive and we've driven with her almost every day since her birthday. She was a little nervous on the first drives, but has settled in and as of today she's had a chance to drive every car and she's done well. The driving can be a bit jerky at times, but so far she has been careful and safe, which is exactly what we love to see. 

This evening we went to Starbucks and she drove a few miles on the highway since the Starbucks close to us was closed. It was scary for me, but Paige is gaining confidence every day and was completely unbothered on the drive.

Paige's 15th Birthday

 

Paige turned 15 on Wednesday and she started off the day with Andrea at the DMV to get her permit. It was an exciting birthday and we made sure to get her some cookies from Crumbl and some balloons and other goodies. 

Paige had a fun tennis event after school so she was home a little later than usual. In the evening, Shawn took her out to drive for the very first time. We took the Jeep through the neighborhood and she did so well that we left out the north gate and went through another neighborhood nearby as well. She ended up having to do a three point turn and did well until she got distracted by a cat and drove up on the curb. Thankfully the Jeep has plenty of clearance so nothing was damaged. 

Millie Mae and the Portuguese Man O’ War

 

Millie Mae and I went to the beach for the first time this past week and were careful to avoid the Portuguese man o’ wars that have been washing up on the beach. She was super excited to be at the beach again and made a mess of herself rolling in the sand and splashing around in the waves.

Paige and Friends Playing Pickleball in the Neighborhood

 

Paige and Sadie got together with a couple of boys to play Pickleball, and Andrea and I almost killed them all by being so embarrassing and showing up to take a few pictures. We got one short video of them playing and a couple pictures before we finally left them in peace.

Paige's 15th Birthday Party with Friends at Top Golf

The Saturday before Paige's birthday, she celebrated her birthday at Top Golf and Town Center with friends. We took two car loads of girls to Top Golf and they had a good time hitting golf balls and goofing off together. While they were waiting their turns to hit golf balls they stayed busy working on a Tik Tok dance and five of them got a recording of it. I don't think anyone actually posted it online, but we did get a copy of it included on the video I put together.

At Topy Golf, we had two bays next to each other, and we got the girls snacks and drinks. Instead of cake for dessert, we bought a couple buckets of the injectable donuts and the girls sang Happy Birthday to Paige before making a mess with the donuts. 

After Top Golf, we dropped them off at Town Center where they walked around and did a little shopping. It was a really fun group of girls and we're so happy that she has such great friends that celebrate with her.

 

Pickleball with Neighbors

 

On Friday evening, Andrea and I went to play pickleball with neighbors. There's a group of ladies that Andrea has played with in the past and they put together a mixed group on Friday. We were thinking it would be a relaxed and fun activity, but holy smokes it was not. Apparently pickleball is serious business and we got quite the workout. 

Andrea and I played together a couple of times, and then she went off and mostly played with the ladies. I played most of the time, but did take a break to take pics of Andrea in action. 

It was a great workout and it was also a great opportunity to meet some of our neighbors. As long as we have lived in the neighborhood (9 years now!), there are many people that we've never met or talked to.

Regionals Tennis Tournament and Connor's Final Tennis Match

PV played in the Regional Tennis Tournament this past week on Tuesday and Thursday. Connor's team was ranked #1 since they won at Districts and they won their matchup on Tuesday fairly easily. We knew that their third matchup of the year against Nease for the Regionals final matches would be difficult, and it certainly was. Unfortunately, their team lost and will not be going to the State tournament this year. With that, their season comes to a close, and as such so does Connor's high school tennis journey. 

While we were watching Connor play, it got me thinking, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. This was the last time I will ever watch him play a sport. Over the years we’ve taken him to soccer practice, basketball, flag football, and tennis. There has always been the next season or next year or another sport. Not this time.

I was thinking about how often you don’t know that when you're doing something that it is the last time. I don't remember specifically the last time I took the kids to a park, or had a picnic, or picked them up. It was an emotional day. After his match we all told him how impressed we are of the work he's put in, how he's always been a good competitor and a good sport, and how he has always made us proud. 

You are an amazing guy Connor, and we love you so much.