We were pretty hard core this past weekend and drove to Jacksonville to see the US Men's Soccer Team play Nigeria in the final send-off game before the World Cup. We had a "ball!" Hee hee. Jerseys were bought, snacks packed, the van washed, and we headed out late Thursday evening to get a couple of hours in before stopping for the night. George had some meetings in Jacksonville on Friday so we wanted to get there by lunchtime. We stayed the night at a Hampton Inn in Santee, SC where I made two dozen trips to the breakfast buffet the next morning. I know the other guests thought I was a complete pig but other than a cup of coffee and oatmeal, none of it was for me. Drew and David were hungry and dig a buffet breakfast. It was an easy drive to Jacksonville where George dropped the boys and me off at the home of our dear friends, the Hubbell's. I worked with Nathan and Cristina at the Hornets years ago where we all became friends. Their two girls, Sophia and Julia, are sweet as pie and the four kids got along great. Drew and David didn't mind their pink rooms and baby dolls one bit and after playing inside awhile, the kiddos changed into their swimsuits and played with some toy sprinklers in the backyard before we went to the neighborhood pool. That evening, we had pizza (and wine), watched a movie, and then I got to visit more with Cristina while the kids went to bed.
After a sad goodbye, we headed to our hotel in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday morning to enjoy the pool for a bit before getting ready for the game. The boys thought it was so cool that the pool was on the roof. And it was cool until David accidentally threw a water ring over the rail. The boys were amazed that we could see it lying in the street below and begged to go retrieve it. Believe it or not, we did see it later that night coming back from the game and other than being black instead of its original yellow, it was surprisingly in tact. After some swimming, David took a quick snooze and then we met George's boss, Rad, and his family for a boat cruise before the game. The weather was ideal for it and stayed perfect for the game too. The boys loved Rad's boat and the root beer, popsicles, and other snacks that came with it. I was hoping the boys would be a little more tame on the cruise but discovering bunk beds and hidden bathrooms aboard was just too exciting. They did enjoy long turns at the wheel which they loved. We were dropped off at a dock near the stadium and it was just a short walk to the entrance. One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing all of the patriotic fans. We thought we were pretty festive in our red, white, and blue but proved to be pretty lame amidst the American flag attire, painted chests, and inflatables. A group of guys that must have been partaking in some serious tailgating, sang "God Bless the USA" while parading to the gates. Good stuff! The game was great and the good guys won. The boys were pretty mesmerized by it all so despite us being prepared to spend loads of cash at the concessions, they only asked for peanuts and cotton candy. We stopped for dinner post-game and then hit the sac, we were all pretty worn out.
We were having such a great trip and hated to see it end so decided to veer off to Savannah for a couple of hours on the way home on Sunday. We had lunch, took in some history - and a thunderstorm - and got back on I-95.
We crammed in a ton of fun in three days, that's for sure! Love my road-tripping family!
Sweet, happy kids!
Cristina let Sophia and Drew ride in the back to the neighborhood pool.
They thought they were big time!
Giggling over snacks.
After much begging (I think the word "fair" was used a time or two), the little ones got to ride in the back on the way home.
Cristina makes it in a pic!
Showered and ready for a movie.
Breakfast the next morning.
Drew and Julia were buddies.
So thankful for this friendship!
Almost game time!! I posted this pic on Instagram and was shocked by how many people liked it,
I guess it is pretty cute!
Pre-game on Rad's boat.
Drew driving up top.
Lousy selfie.
The captain was so kind to let the boys take a turn at the wheel.
"Slim" after dropping us off at the stadium.
USA USA USA!!!
Blue teeth from cotton candy.
Post game
A stop in Savannah in the way home.
David was so excited to climb these steep stairs.
