The Maiden Voyage (6.22.12)

Fiddle's maiden voyage was going south (but up the Tennessee river) toward Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park.  Although we were only staying for two days, we provisioned enough to stay the week (just in case she veered off-course).   

In order to arrive at the Willhite-Watson family reunion on time, we had to leave early in the morning.  We were only going 25 nautical miles, but, heading against the current might take some time.   Do you think slow sailing would bother Lloyd?  I think not.  

It broke 100 degrees by about 10 AM, and it was so hot that my iphone case melted inside the cabin.  We had to either water down or stop and jump in fairly regularly to keep cool.  

With only one or two strong wind gusts, our top speed the entire trip was about 7 knots.   With no wind in our sails most of the trip, however, it only took us 6 hours (that's an average of about 4 miles per hour).  Arriving hot and tired, we loaded up and rowed the dinghy to shore.

There she sits below our cabins... so proud of her....Lloyd's Fiddle!  

Twenty Years? (June 15-16, 2012)

I missed my 10 year high school reunion because I was giving birth to Martin Harrison.  I didn't have to worry about that this time around, thankfully.  Minus a few gray hairs, some of these people have not aged one bit.  For the life of me I can not believe that it's been 20 years!

Camp Taekwondo (June 10-16, 2012)

And, they are off.... the kids head to Wall Doxey State Park for the week.  Saying goodbye to Dad was the hardest part.  Once they were unpacked in their cabins, they were begging me to leave.  Go get em, kiddos.  I love that independence.

Midtown Takewondo would post daily pictures on their FB site so that parents would know what their kids were doing.  This is the only picture I found of the kids; notice Ari and Harrison hangin' with the guys in the front and Grayson (not too far from her brother) trying to climb up the water slide.  

Thanks to Todd and Leigh Anne, Harrison had a keyboard for the Talent Show on Friday night. Harrison played and Grayson hula-hooped.  Apparently, they had to tell her to stop (that girl would still be hooping).  She won second place.  And, Harrison?  They gave him this:

Don't Stop, Harrison! (6.9.12)

The Season Finale song of Memphis Rock and Romp Camp was ironically not chosen by our son, who does love to play this song (quite regularly, I might add).  Regardless, he was asked on the morning of the show if he wanted to join the group of adults who'd be playing it.  He was the only kid asked to play.  Go Harrison!

Memphis Rock n Romp Camp (June 4-8, 2012)

Memphis Rock n Romp is a project consisting of a group of local musicians who are devoted to playing entertaining music in a kid-friendly environment.  They have concerts throughout the year, but, in the summer, (actually, this is the second summer that the camp took place) there is Rock n Romp Camp.  The kids learn through stations in the morning the techniques of singing and playing the bass, drums, guitar, and keyboard.  In the afternoons, they'd break up into bands, and write lyrics and music to the song that they were to perform at the end of the week.  They clearly had a fantastic time, if the band names were anything to go by:  Harrison's band, The Gnomes, and Grayson's band, The Skeletones.  Or, the song titles:  "Criminals on the Run" and "Top of the World".  Admission was charged to the parents on Saturday night.  It was a charged audience, rooting for their top performer.

Shoes for Lithuania (Grayson's gift- June 7th 2012)

In lieu of receiving gifts for her birthday party, Grayson asked that her friends each bring a pair of gently worn shoes.  She approached me with this idea because she wanted to simply give shoes to kids who didn't have any.  While this brought my heart pure joy, I did wonder how we would find exactly the right fit (pardon the pun) for this gift.  God provided amazingly, and we found a college group of students who were collecting shoes to take to an orphanage in Lithuania.  Grayson and her friend Sophia matched each pair to a special tag (each with a picture of the child and requested shoe size).... 26 pairs in all. Grayson's gift was their largest donation.  

"What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine is this:  to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world".  James 1:27

The Backyard Movie Party (6.1.12)

Harrison's birthday actually comes first, but, he requested a father-son sailing weekend at the lake with some of his buds and their dads. Because we couldn't find a date for this adventure, he opted to postpone his birthday outing until later this year.  Grayson, however, couldn't pass up the chance to "throw" a girl party.  It was supposed to be a backyard movie party, but, we couldn't dim the lights quickly enough (sunset was at 8:30PM)!  After dinner, the girls ended up telling jokes in front of the movie screen for entertainment, with pillow fights and glow sticks later for comic relief.  Seventeen little girls screaming in the back yard....I think our neighbors will never forget this!  Neither will we.  

The Launching of Fiddle (5.28.12)

Oh, the stories that could be told over this one boat!  Noteworthy, is that almost 8 years to the date, Fiddle arrived in Lloyd's possession (just ask him about what happened on the day that Grayson was born).  Further, her mast was set by Lloyd and those Campbell boys in a ceremony that could rival the raising of Old Glory over Fort Sumpter.  Lastly, those who worked on her were present for (or just prior to) her maiden voyage (Daddy Joe, the Weinerts, the Campbells). Although her port of call is Memphis, she was christened at Paris Landing State Park Marina.  Lloyd's finished project!  

4th Annual C&C BBQ Fest (5.26.12)

Not sure how we landed this gig for an all-ages affair out in the middle of Obion County, but we were sure glad to participate.  We must know someone of great influence.  All BBQ was courtesy of Micah's brother-in-law.  Musicians were invited to mooch after playing.  It was like our own mini Bonnaroo.  Can we come again next year?

Andy's home away from home (April- June 2012)

Thankfully, my brother Andy was hired by a company in Memphis this Spring.  He's been living with us for the past 8 weeks while he and Mandy wait to close on their new Memphis home.  While she's in Nashville, he's here throughout the week.  It's been wonderful to have him here, but, someone in my house is going to be really sad to see him go.  (That's Sadie, forever at his feet.)

The Shell (5.19.12)

After being ill earlier in the week, exhausted Harrison fell sound asleep, instead of playing with friends, this particular night at The Levitt Shell.   He awoke later clutching his ears when the (supposedly awesome) performer sang out of tune!  This was one time when we all wished (for his sake) he didn't have perfect pitch.  Poor Harrison!