What we did this summer...besides move

This summer went by in a blur!  Since it's officially fall now, I figured what better time than this week to recap our summer.  Besides the move, and traveling all over the country for work, we managed to squeeze a bunch of fun things over the last few months.

 In June, I took our annual trip up to an Orioles game with a great group of friends.

In between work trips to Boston (for me) and Dallas (for M), we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary!  Time sure flies.  We had dinner downtown at a fantastic, relatively new restaurant called Mintwood Place, and used a free rewards night to stay downtown at the Park Hyatt.  Cady was still at Camp Grandma's from having the house on the market, so it worked out nicely!  

For the 4th of July, we went over to Ocean City for a couple of days at my cousin's condo.  While we didn't make it to the beach, we had a great time splashing around in the pool and ate some delicious food.  We also went to M.R. Ducks and 3 of the 4 of us participated in their Chug-a-Duck tradition.

On the way home from OC, we stopped and met the newest member of our family, beautiful baby boy Ryder!  He was only 8 days when we met him.  

Despite a tropical storm on the original date of the Elon golf tournament, we were able to reschedule - and got the round in despite more rain on the make up date!  It was awesome to have Coach Swepson, Coach Hill, and Jon come up from campus for the annual event. 

With only one summer weekend that worked for all 3 of us, LR, CC and I were able to continue our tradition of a girls summer get together.  This year, we meet in Charlotte - we shopped, ate, drank, laughed, and had a great time!

Dave came to town again this summer, and we were jamming in the pit at the show.

I was on the softball team again this summer - not sure you can call what I do playing - and the tournament did not disappoint.  This year, we were lucky that we had perfect weather both days, and the Elon team was out in full force. 

My work travel has taken me all over the country this summer - Denver, Boston twice, Kansas City, Houston, LA twice, San Francisco, NYC a few times, and Chicago.  Luckily in a few cities, I was able to enjoy the surroundings a bit.  In Newport, we rented a little dingy boat for an hour cruise of the harbor - it was just beautiful!

In Boston (on both trips!) I was able to catch up with old roommate Kimbo.  It's been a few years since we've seen each other, so it was great fun to reconnect...and on this night, my coworkers and I saved her from a looser date!  Glad we could be of assistance!

In August, both M and I celebrated our birthdays.  With the house and all of the new house purchases we're making, they were both pretty low key.  We did have dinner with 3 of our favorite DC couples one night, and on separate weekends our parents visited - I think more to see the new house than to celebrate our birthdays :)  

While my parents were up, we all went across the bay to Kent Island for another baby cousin visit!  It was a great afternoon, it was so nice to be able to spend time with everyone without the chaos that is the holidays, when we usually visit.

Over Labor Day weekend, I think I had the surprise of my life.  I knew M's best friend KT was coming up from Alabama to visit for the weekend...what I didn't know was that MY best friend Lola was on her way too!  The three of us were checking in with the hostess at a restaurant on Friday night, and she asked if we still had 4....confused a bit, I said no, three, and turned around to confirm with M.  Walking in the door right behind me was Lola!!  She had planned this trip with M back in July, and left her 2 small children and husband back in Miami for a surprise weekend in DC.  Rumor has it I screamed really loud when I saw her, but I think they're exaggerating a bit... :) 

It was great to have the 2 of them in town with us for the weekend.  On Saturday, the boys went out to Catoctin Creek and Lost Rhino, while we went to an Elon game watch party.  Then we met up with some other friends to watch football, and Sunday we drug them around couch shopping with us, and fed them a big, delicious brunch at Ted's before we took them back to the airport.  

What a fantastic end to a great summer!

Put me in Coach!

Our alumni chapter has had a softball team for the last few years, and I've been dubbed the head cheerleader.  I'm just not the softball type.  I go to several games a year, I cheer, I take pictures, and I hang out at the bar afterwards, but I don't play.

Until now.

I have always told the coaches that I'd come and play an inning if they needed me to - the rules of the league we're in require a certain number of girls playing at all times or you take a forfeit.  Well, being a team player and not wanting that to happen, the time finally came after 4 years of cheering the team on to suit up.  Once arriving, I got a couple of quick lessons on batting, catching, and what happens if I get on base.  When I say I've never played softball before, I wasn't kidding.

So I played catcher...and even caught a foul ball for an out!

I batted...and got on base twice because I was walked...and swung and missed a few times, too...and entertained the team with my golf swing-esc attempts...

And overall had a great time!  After each game, the Coach and Captain award the MVP of the game.  They present an Elon baseball batting helmet to the MVP, who autographs it and then is required to wear it to the bar for (most of) the rest of the night.  Yep.  You guessed it...

My friends awarded the MVP of that night's game to me...for my softball debut.

I proudly wore my helmet for (most of) the rest of the night, and answered all of the stupid comments from players on the other teams who also go to the bar afterwards.

Coach and MVP

It was great fun to 'suit up' and play with the team.  At least I can say that I played softball in DC in the summer on the grounds of the Washington Monument.  But, I do think I'm better suited to be the Head Cheerleader.  I'll be resuming my role next weekend at the 15th annual Capital Alumni Network Softball Tournament.

2nd annual golf tournament

On Friday, June 10, the DC Alumni Chapter hosted it's 2nd golf tournament with the Phoenix Club from Elon.  We held it at Westfields Golf Club, and it was just a fantastic day.  We had 65 golfers, including new head football coach Jason Swepson along with alumni, parents, and friends of the university.  It was an extremely hot day, but everyone had a great time on the course.  Athletic Director Dave Blank joined us for the post-round dinner.  Both he and Coach spoke about Elon and the athletics program.  The DC Chapter was able to make our second contribution to the Phoenix Club of $1,000. 

It is nice that we have people on our board who aren't golfers who can help with the behind the scenes day of logistics so that I'm able to play in the tournament! (Thanks Jaclyn!)  It was a great afternoon with Tommy and the Baltimore Chapter President and close friend of mine, Zack!   

DC Chapter President Jaclyn, the Athletic Director from Elon, and Jenn with the Phoenix Club when we made our check presentation.

Nick and I are great friends, and have worked closely together both and college and with our chapter since then.  Creating this golf tournament last year to bring Elon to DC was one of our big dreams.  It's fantastic that we've been able to make that dream a successful reality, and it's been fun doing it together!  Here we're with Coach Swepson and Dave Blank.

They even wrote an article about the event for elonphoenix.com!

Go Phoenix!

Carolina on my mind

This past Sunday and Monday I took a quick trip down to North Carolina, my second home.  The reason for the trip was to speak at Elon to a group of seniors about transitioning to being 'adults' and specifically in DC.

I went down Sunday afternoon and stayed the night in Knightdale with a good friend of mine.  We were pretty close in college, despite being at different schools, but grew apart as our lives took us in different directions.  We reconnected during a wedding this past summer, and have now seen each other more since August than in the last 3 years.  Mexican, cheap beers, basketball, and just catching up was a great way to spend my Sunday night.  I love friends who you can be yourself with - who you don't have to worry about what you say, what you're wearing, or anything, because they love you for you.  It's so comforting.

Monday morning I made the 90 minute drive over to campus.  First things first, I had lunch with my mentor.  I worked for him for 4 years during college, and he truly made my Elon experience unique.  I'm honored and blessed that we've remained close friends, maybe even becoming more so since graduation.  I always call him first when I'm coming to Elon.

Lunch was followed by a tour of the beautiful new field house, which just opened a few weeks ago.  After my 4 years in college and one after that I spent working for the athletic department, I have a strong tie still with the people in that office.  While many have moved on, there is still the core who remain - and I visit them everytime I'm in town as well.  The new building is beautiful, with state of the art technology, exercise equipment, beautiful locker rooms, training facilities, and lots of coaches offices.  The tour was great, and as always, makes me wonder what my life would be like had I never left...

That evening, a group of 5 alumni now living in DC sat on a panel in front of 35-40 college kids, mostly seniors.  Questions were about apartments, jobs, bars, our alumni chapter, where to live/not to live, rent costs, commuting, and everything else that is involved in moving to a new city.  We were told that it would last an hour, and the other cities had drawn a crowd of 15-20 people.  Thinking back to the last few years that we've done this program, we grinned when our session had almost 40 people and lasted about 2 hours.  DC has such a draw of college graduates, especially for Elon.  It's great to be asked to attend events like this, it always makes me feel good to be able to give back to my alma mater and fellow Elon family members.

Tuesday morning I got up and went back to campus to do some quick shopping at the campus shop.  Then I stopped by Biscuitville, maybe one of the most amazing places on earth.  A bacon egg and cheese biscuit and large sweet tea....yum.  If you ever see one, stop - trust me.

 

I stopped in Richmond on the way home and had lunch with my parents, and picked up the puppy.  She went on vacation to visit both sets of grandparents while we were away.  It's nice to have her back home again!

How are you involved with your alumni chapter?  Do you go back to campus often?  If so, why?