The beach & Busch Gardens

We are trying to make an effort to enjoy the attractions around us.
Even Michael. You can see he really got into the mood on a recent trip to the beach.



On this day, it wasn't too hot, the waves weren't too high, the beach not too crowded.

Absolutely perfect.



And yesterday, we were so lucky to be able to visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Ezekiel and Elijah at Busch Gardens. What a treat!



Joshua enjoyed seeing everyone. This is him as he was wrapping up a ride on the merry-go-round.



We did notice he was a bit of a daredevil, running from ride to ride to get a thrill.



Speaking of thrills, there is no doubt Jason rode rides he normally wouldn't because his cousins were there. He so wants to be like them. He rode several roller coasters yesterday and I could see the fear in his eyes walking through the line leading up to them. Afterward, though, he told me his favorite was the "Loch Ness Monster."



I know Doug was thrilled he didn't have to go on every single stomach-turning, high-flying ride, thanks to Ezekiel and Elijah. The boys had a GREAT time together. We did, too.



A nice treat, certainly, as we head into the summer. Speaking of summer, the boys of summer, Jason's last baseball game took place last week. It was a tough season. But this game was AMAZING! They weren't expected to win, the other team was pretty good. The kids started out playing horribly. All of them. It was a team effort, for sure. But then, in the last inning, down 15-6, every single kid pulled through. They rallied all the way back, to 15-14, with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, with Jason on deck, a grounder to first base ended the game. While they didn't win, they certainly made every parent proud. No shame ending a season on such a valiant effort! Onto the lazy days of summer!