Last Day in Central Florida

Today was our last full day in Florida.  We offered to take the boys to Daytona on Friday, but they were ready to get back to Indiana for the weekend.  They made the most of their day by attending Jordan's last soccer game, going to a different Peruvian restaurant in Orlando and playing miniature golf in Ocala.  The game was the best one of the week with Jordan getting an assist in the 2-2 tie.  The restaurant was very good and miniature golf was a lot of fun.  Cameron was proud to announce that he came back to win.

I was a little sad tonight when I looked at the picture that I took of the boys with Jordan's sister, Teresa, right before we left.  When Cameron and I were planning this trip we both teared up when we realized that Richard wouldn't be joining us.  He and Cameron had made plans to come to Florida this summer.  It was hard to believe that it had been two months since he had died.  With so many uncertainties in life, I decided that instead of being sad, I would just be thankful for the time that we had with Cameron and his friends this week.  It was such a wonderful experience, one that we will always remember.

Orlando for the Day

Thankfully, Jordan's game did not start until 1:30 p.m. today.  That allowed the boys to sleep in and for Doug to join us in Orlando this afternoon.  While the boys went to the soccer tournament, Doug and I headed to EPCOT for lunch.  The food and wine festival was in full swing and we got to try several dishes that we didn't get to last week.  Everything was delicious.  Since the weather was still very hot, we decided to ride Living with the Land to cool off before we had to be back to the soccer field.  

Jordan's team lost 2-0 this time, but it was a much better game from their fans perspective.  The boys decided that they wanted to try go karting this afternoon.  Neither Doug nor I had ever been, so we weren't quite sure how to set it up.  We finally found one only 15 minutes from the soccer field.  The boys had a great time racing one another with Samuel almost lapping the field.  

It started to lightening again once they finished go karting.  We had planned to go miniature golfing at Fantasia Mini-Golf, but they had closed the course due to the weather.  The boys played corn hole for awhile instead and then we all met the Ross Richer family for dinner.  We had suggested Ford's Garage, but it was packed.  They found a quaint Mexican restaurant instead that we all really enjoyed.  We headed back to Ocala after dinner and were thankful to be back a little earlier tonight.  Doug, Samuel and Cameron even had time for a game of Ticket to Ride before calling it a night.  

National Youth Soccer Championship

We left early for Jordan's first game in the National Youth Soccer Championship today.  It was being held at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports.  Since I had never been to an event there, I wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time to park and find the field.  I was glad that we did as the facility was huge with thousands of soccer players filling the complex.  Thankfully, we made it in with no problem and soon found the Ross Richer family.  

While we waited for the game to start, they filled us in on yesterday's opening ceremony.  It sounded very impressive.  What was even more impressive was the fact that Jordan's team, ECU, was the only girls or boys team from Indiana that made it to nationals.  The game started promptly at 11:30 a.m.  Cameron and Avery went with Jordan's parents to the bleacher area.  I stayed in the shade to watch the game as it was over 100 degrees on the field.  

As this was ECU's first time at nationals, we weren't completely surprised to see that they were a little overmatched in the first game.  The boys ended up losing 7-1, but Jordan played well and had two shots on goal.  One was a header right by where I was standing.  It just missed.  It was disappointing for them to lose, but it was a fun game for us to watch.  We knew that tomorrow would be different as they now had the first game jitters out of the way.  

After the game, we all went to lunch at a Peruvian restaurant that friends of the Ross Richer family recommended.  It was delicious and nice to catch up with everyone.  While we were there, a storm rolled in delaying our trip back to their hotel.  While we waited, a huge bolt of lightening hit the building next to us.  It was a little scary.

The boys hung out at the hotel for the rest of the night.  We had brought their swimsuits and Cameron, Jordan and Avery took advantage of the pool.  We had to pick up Samuel at the airport at 9:30, so we thought that Pizza Hut would be the best choice for dinner.  The boys enjoyed hanging out and being entertained by a precocious ten year old.  We left a little after 8 for the airport.  Traffic was heavy, so by the time we parked and reached the gate, Samuel's plane had landed.  Within fifteen minutes we were back on the road headed for Ocala.  We were all tired, but the boys had so much to talk about that no one even thought about sleeping.  Their energy made the hour + drive back to Ocala an easy one for me.  

A Day for Shopping

We gave Cameron and Avery a list of ideas of activities that they could do today including Daytona Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Universal Studios.  They decided to stick closer to home, however, and do some shopping in town.  That was ok with me as I knew that the next few days would include a lot of driving.  It also gave them one more day to sleep in before Jordan's soccer tournament started tomorrow.  

Before we picked up Doug for lunch, we first showed Avery several sites of Ocala, including the World Equestrian Center.  There was only one rider today, but he got to explore several of the arenas before we left.  We also saw the emu/zebra farm on our way out of the center.  We picked Tijuana Flats for lunch arriving just ahead of a large storm.  After our meal, the boys stayed in the area and went shopping at Barnes & Noble and Marshall's while I ran Doug back to work.  I picked them up just as they were finishing their purchases.

Our next stop was the Paddock Mall.  They really liked it and found several of their favorite stores there.  Cameron also introduced Avery to Belk's which has become one of my favorites.  Our last stop on the shopping tour was Beall's.  They didn't find anything at the store, but did at the outlet.  Afterward I got to see all of their purchases and heard about their planned outfits for tomorrow.

Doug took us to Brick City Southern Kitchen in downtown Ocala tonight for dinner.  It wasn't quite as hot as earlier in the day, so we were able to enjoy our meals outside.  We all tried different sandwiches and no one was disappointed.  We walked over to Grandpa Joe's candy store.  It was a lot of fun to explore.  The boys left with mint ginger ale and melon Kit Kats to try.  I splurged on some "unbearably hot cinnamon gummy bears" to enjoy while we played a game of Pit this evening.  Overall, it was a fun day and a great way to explore Ocala.  

Kayaking on Silver Springs

After their long day of traveling last night, the boys decided to sleep in this morning.  We woke them up in time for Jordan to arrive at 11 a.m.  We talked about a lot of different activities that they might be interested in and they all agreed that kayaking was top on their list today.  I had seen kayakers on Silver Springs river when I have been at the state park, but we had never really investigated them.  After a couple of phone calls, we found out a launch place that rented kayaks and we were soon on our way.

Doug was nervous about the boys kayaking on a river that was noted for its alligators.  They assured him that it was safe as the boys could see the bottom of the river and there were guides all along the way.  I even pointed out the amount of children under the age of ten that were already out on the water.  After hearing and seeing all of that, Doug was ready to turn them loose.  

While the boys were kayaking, we walked along several of the trails at Silver Springs State park.  We did see the boys once along our path.  They were having a great time and had already seen five alligators.  At first I thought they were joking, but soon saw the pictures confirming their statement.  Alligators were not the only animal that they saw on their trek.  There were multiple birds including one that won a stare down with a small gator.  There were also several types of fish and even a pregnant manatee.  It was a great adventure for all of them and it was fun to hear them talk about it.

Tonight, we met the Ross Richer family at Disney Springs.  The boys had some time to do some exploring before Jordan had to leave for a soccer team meeting.  Doug and I picked Splitsville for dinner and Cameron and Avery chose the food trucks.  All of us were very happy with our choices.  We ended the evening waiting for cookies at Gideon's Bakehouse.  Avery was just as impressed as we had been on our first visit.  

The Waiting Game

We spent the majority of the day checking for updates on the Southwest app and the website FlightAware regarding Avery and Cameron's flight.  It had delayed early in the morning and the time kept growing throughout the day.  Between the shortage of air traffic controllers in Jacksonville and the storms in central Florida every flight into and out of the state was delayed today.  Thankfully, the Rusel family took the boys to the Indianapolis airport, so if there was a problem, they'd be there to help.

While we waited, we played Ticket to Ride and checked out the Catholic Church in Ocala, The Queen of Peace.  We enjoyed both and also talking to Meg on the phone.  Nick had arrived in Chicago last night and they spent today exploring the Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier.  They had a lot of fun and finally got to ride the giant Ferris Wheel.

We talked to Cameron multiple times throughout the day.  They made it to the airport, ate a sandwich and walked through security without any issues.  He and Avery were still very upbeat for having to wait.  We finally got a text Cameron at 8:30 p.m. that said that they were boarding the plane.  We were thrilled, but still a little skeptical that they would take off anytime soon.  Thankfully, they were soon taxiing to the runway and we saw the app update that they had left Indiana at 8:47, just under two hours late.  Doug and I headed to the car so that we could make it to the Orlando airport, park and find seats by the tram exit before they landed.  After only ten minutes of waiting, we saw them walking through the exit, tired but happy. 

A Quiet Day

Today was a quiet one for me.  I woke up early, but didn't get up and moving until after 8 a.m.  I had gotten a text from Brett at 2 a.m. that his plane had been delayed on the tarmac for two hours.  I decided not to call him until after 10:30 a.m. so he could get some sleep.  While I was waiting for him to get up, I took a walk and called Meg instead.  She had a virtual conference today and didn't have to log on until 10 a.m.  It was nice catching up with her.  She went on a "coffee walk" with Cal yesterday and enjoyed that.  

Cameron called me this afternoon on his way home from tennis camp.  He was super excited about his week and his role as a senior leader on the team.  He had played a lot of tennis and had found success on the court.  He had also enjoyed all of the activities that Matt had planned, especially hide 'n seek in the church.  He planned on a low key night at home once he helped Avery get his boarding pass for tomorrow's flight.

I also got to talk to Cal this afternoon as he called me on his way to Indianapolis.  He had plans to hang out with Mark this weekend.  We spent our entire conversation catching up on the eighth episode of "Better Call Saul."  It had been extremely intense and he liked all of the twists and turns that it brought.  Cal absolutely loved Mike and his role on the show.  I agreed with him 100%.  I was a little sad, however, at the final scene, but other than that we both thoroughly enjoyed the episode.  

Tonight Doug and I decided to take it easy, order pizza and play Ticket to Ride.  We had had a wonderful week with Brett, but had been out every night.  Thus, a quiet evening was a perfect way to rejuvenate and prepare for Cameron and his friends to arrive tomorrow.  We did hear from Brett after work as he was heading to Sean's.  He was exhausted, but happy.  We could totally relate.