Last Day of Summer Vacation

It's so hard to believe that today is the last day of Summer Vacation.  But we were determined to finish it off in style!  We started with lunch . . . joined by our good friends the S Family.  

Then it was off to finish one last thing on our Summer Bucket List, Mini Golfing!  

Once the logisitics of who went first, second, third and so on were figured out, we were able to play.  With only a few minor "hazards" along the way.  :)  

Then the unthinkable happened . . . Miss B hit her first Hole-in-One!!  Check out that smile!!

That of course set the boys on a mission.  They were determined to try to match her "skill". However, next up was the dreaded "water hazard" hole.  :(  After the first ball ended up in the water, it was destiny that the rest would follow.  oh well, at least they are smiling . . .

Group shot in front of the 9th Hole Fountain . . .

Just as we were about to finish up for the day, it happened . . . B got her SECOND Hole-in-One!!!  I think she may have taken private lessons from her Uncle T when we weren't looking.  

Last stop of our day was the local soda shop for an old-fashioned chocolate milk shake, complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

I chose to upgrade mine to a Caramel Crunch Sundae.  YUM!!

It was a tasty way to end the day.  :)  Now home to pack lunches and lay out First Day of School outfits.  Bye-Bye Summer . . .  I can't believe how fast it has flown by.  It's sure has been a great one!!  Until next year . . .

DIY Soccer Flip Flops

For the last 5 years, L has been playing soccer with our local park board.  It's been a joy to watch him grow and improve as a player.  He would be the first to tell you that the highlight of his "career" to date, was the game where he scored a "Hat Trick" (3 goals in one game).  I don't think the smile left his face for a week!

He was also extremely lucky to get an amazing coach.  :)  One who not only taught him the fundamentals of the game but passed along his passion for the sport itself.  A coach that was with him throughout his entire playing experience... his Dad. 

So being the Soccer Mom that I am, I wanted a way to show my support.  What better way than with a new pair of shoes.  :)  

These DIY Soccer Flip Flops were a breeze to make and I think they turned out pretty cute! All you need are a pair of flip flips (I got mine from Kohls), soccer ball iron-ons, white thread, glue gun and of course, BLING!

First, I cut the soccer balls in half.  

Next, take one of the halved pieces and trace & cut out a pattern.

Reverse the paper pattern so that the rounded edge matches up with the cut side of the soccer ball half.  (It sounds more complicated than it is.  :)  The picture shows it better. Then cut the paper pattern by using the soccer ball as a guide.  This is will create your petal pattern.

Using the paper pattern, cut around the soccer ball halves to create the petals.  I recommend using a sharp scissors to get a clean edge.

To attach the petals to my flip flops, I laid the first three in a "Trinity-like" pattern.  

Then used a dab a of hot glue to secure the petals to the straps of the flip flops temporarily. This makes it easier to keep them in place while I added the remaining two petals, also with a bit of glue.

My first thought was that adding more glue to secure them would be enough, but if you have ever set foot on a soccer field you'd know that the field is often wet and muddy.  So my mom suggested a few hand stitches would do the trick.  She has also been my lovely hand model for the previous pictures.  :)

Finally, the BLING!!  I chose a rounded stone because I liked the look.  But you could use any shape that you prefer.  I purchased mine at Michaels in the scrapbooking section.  

They are stickers but I attached them to the center of the flower with more hot glue to secure.  And TA-DA!  The perfect accessory to show my support for my little Soccer Stars.  :) I say Star(s), because Miss B has decided that she will be following in her brother's foot steps and starting to play in the fall.  

Can't hardly wait for the season to start!!  Oh I almost forgot to mention that Honey will be coaching B's team as well.  :)  This time it will be an all girls team, where it was co-ed in the past.  Should be fun to watch!  :)

Beach Day and The Hard Rock Cafe

As much as I love the beach, it has been awhile since I have actually gotten to go to one.  :( After a discussion with Honey, we realized that our 2 younger kids had NEVER been!  So we set out on a mission to remedy that right away with a day trip to North Avenue Beach in Chicago.  

The second my toes hit the sand, I was in heaven! 

As was C, who had spent many vacations digging in the sand growing up.  It was a matter of minutes before he grabbed the buckets & found his spot near the shore.  It's nice to see that no matter how old you get, somethings never change.

The rest of the family headed out to test out the water.

Even though we checked the weather & the forecast looked to be a perfect beach day, it wasn't exactly like we had hoped. Sporadic rain sprinkles, cloud cover and a little chilly due to the breeze coming off of Lake Michigan ~ but we made the best of it and had a blast!

Then the digging began.  What big brother starts ...

The younger ones must follow.  :)  Monkey see, monkey do ... sort of.  Yet no matter how hard they tried & how fast they would dig, their hole was no match for the tide rolling in.

Even when B decided to attempt to block the incoming water with her body.  "I've got an idea!" she said.  :)  It was a good try though.

Then the sun peaked out for a little bit & I was able to show Miss B my "awesome" sandcastle building skills. I have to admit I was a little out of practice.  :)

The "Great American D Family Dig" continued throughout the afternoon and I have to admit got to be pretty impressive.  :)

All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon.  Despite the weather, everyone had a great time! Then with one last dip in the water...

We packed up our gear, brushed the sand off our toes and headed for the van.  We had hardly set foot on the blacktop when the questions of "When can we come back?" began.  I think a full fledged beach vacation needs to be in our future for sure.  :)  

I have already shared with you my obsession with all things Disney related, but have I mentioned that I also have a deep love for the Hard Rock Cafe?!?  So I was tickled pink when Honey said we could stop there for dinner before heading back home.  

My first experience at a Hard Rock Cafe was in Orlando.  Shocking, I know!  :) That was in my early teen years and I have had the pleasure of visiting several of them since.  Including but not limited to New York, Cancun, Washington DC, Atlanta and Paris.  I started collecting the Signature Guitar pins from each restaurant that I visited.  It's a collection that I treasure because each one is a little different and unique to its location. So needless to say, I was extremely happy to be able to end our day here.  :)

The decor is always fantastic, with several one-of-a-kind pieces of Rock & Roll history.

Check out this cool light fixture hanging on the ceiling in the waiting area!

The food was also as delicious as I remembered, however I forgot how large the portion sizes were.  :)

After dinner and a stroll around the restaurant to check out the memorabilia, we decided it was time to head back home.  One step out the door and the clouds opened up to a complete downpour.  So Honey was nice enough to go get the stretch limo, I mean mini van for us.  :) I couldn't resist taking this picture of L waiting patiently for our ride.  The irony of his shirt was to good to pass up.

As our summer is quickly coming to a close, this was a fantastic family day filled with many fun fan favorites.  Try and say that 3 times fast!  :)