This will be a two part post...This is The Masters in Augusta, Georgia!

Can you just imagine my surprise when my friend called and asked if Scott and I would like to have two tickets to a practice round of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia?  I did NOT even have to think a second...but of course thought I should ask DH.  And I wasn't thinking how great to go to the Masters...no I was thinking, WOW, if I am in Augusta Georgia, then I have to go to Savannah and then of course I have to go to Charleston too!  Savanah has been on my bucket list...I was wondering if I would ever get there.  Now thanks to my friend Liz, I can scratch that one off...although I would love to go back and explore more and see more of the coast..like Hilton Head etc...!!

And if Scott had a "bucket list" I know the Masters would be on it for sure!  So let me take you there...Warning...picture heavy!


just because I thought it was a cool tree, and it has resurrection ferns growing on the limbs!

We learned about resurrection ferns on our tour of a plantation later in the week. They are called that because when the fronds "dry", they curl with their bottom sides upwards.  In this way, they can rehydrate the quickest when rain comes, as most of the water is absorbed on the underside of the leaf blades...thus:  resurrected!!

15th Green with the Grandstand behind it.The pond at 16 is just to the left of it.

15th Green



Looking at the 16th pond from the 15th green

 



Sergio Garcia on the 7th Tee

 

"Amen Corner"...the second shot at the 11th, all of the 12th, and the first two shots at the 13th hole!

It came about because one person wanted a catchy phrase like baseball's "hot corner" or football's "coffin-corner" to explain where some of the most exciting golf had taken place (the Palmer-Venturi rules issue at 12 in particular)

14th fairway

16th tee, after the golfers hit their balls, the crowds cheer them on to go up and "skip balls" across the pond...they all oblige (at least on the practice rounds!)

I had to get in one picture of Phil...sadly he did not make the cut!

 

 

The grass is cut so finely and so perfect (can you imagine not ONE dandelion!) when Liz stepped on it she was sure it was "artificial grass"!!

 

Since Scott has been watching the Masters on TV for years, his goal was to see the coarse and get a perspective on each hole.  Seeing something on TV is so different than in real life.

Now when he watches it (YES he came home and watched the whole thing on recorded time) he knew how hard the greens actually are because he saw first hand all the dips and run offs etc...I don't claim to know all the correct verbiage, but I do know that he achieved what he came to see at the Masters!

Thank you so much Bob and Liz for giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity!!

Now stay tuned for Part II of this story as I will share pictures of Savannah, Charleston and Mt. Pleasant!

 

February * Basketball * Volleyball

Our family is active in sports...basketball, volleyball, football, motorcross, cheerleading...we have it covered!  So this month we took a few trips to watch the granddaughters play.

We went to Seaside one beautiful sunny day to watch Ellie play in a Basketball Tournament.

Seaside Oregon...we couldn't ask for a better day!

We walked the strip, had lunch and watched some BB games!

When Ellie was playing a tournament at Putnam we picked up my dad so he could watch her...of course I had the other kids come too and got a picture of them with him!  Doesn't he look great for 92?

 

 Over the President' s Day weekend, Dina, Ellie and I flew to San Jose because Ellie had a three day VB tourney there.  After landing and getting a car, we drove to Santa Clara U and walked around campus...we went into the gym so Ellie could see what it looks like to play on the Big Girl Gym!

 

Her team did very well at the tournament...out of 149 teams in her division, hers came in 4th!  Yahoo!!  Lot's of great volleyball!

 

After the play on Sunday, we all went to Stanford and roamed around that campus.

Here is a picture of the team...Ellie is the shortest and the only 7th grader on the team.

She plays the libero position!

 





Feburary * Snow *

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

 

 

Donned Scott's felt hat, coat and boots to make the trek up the road to get the mail!

 

 

Front pond...serious!!

Night shot after a little freezing rain, nice glistening on the snow, very slippery!

Still the front pond!

 

 This picture is amazing!!  It is a SNOWDIRFT
off our back patio, you can see the edge of a post, and the back pond...it was incredible to have the wind blow it like that!

 

Jalen, enjoying himself and warming up after sledding and playing in the snow!

 

January 2014 A surprise Birthday party

Can you believe I went to a special surprise birthday party for my Dad's Cousin, Hank up in Seattle and I forgot to get a picture of him!

My dad's two sisters 94 and almost 90

My brother Bernie, cousin Jamie and Tony

My cousins Carole, Gina and her husband Dennis
It was so fun to see cousins that I haven't seen in years because they live clear across the country and I live in Oregon, when they do go home it is to the Seattle area, so I am not around to see them.  The tall man next to my brother?  Yeah the last time I saw him he was knee high to a grasshopper!!  OMG, I barely recognized him!

And I couldn't go to Seattle without seeing my BFF and staying a few days with her to craft!
We always have so much fun getting together!
We have been friends for 57 years!!
 

Playing Catch - Up! Christmas 2013

I guess I need to start with Christmas 2013, just so I have these pictures here on the blog to have a quick memory refresher...so bare with me I will get to the current date soon!!

Robin and John with me and Scott

some Christmas treasures from Elsa's chest

Lacey's family with Dad

Dad 92 years old

Ellie and Dina sharing a secret

the whole Iacolucci clan gathering at Lacey's house.

Christmas Eve was celebrated at our house with my Dad joining us.  We saved the BIG gathering for the Friday after Christmas so that everyone could be with their own families on Christmas.  Everyone agreed this was ideal!  Lacey hosted us in her new home.  Kyle and his new bride Elisa joined us for the first time.  We love getting together with everyone.

Our Winter Wonderland....2013

I wanted to share the pond over at Dina's house...love the waterfall

This is the bubble rock at the top of Dina's water feature...isn't it cool?
 

 

The water feature in our back yard...Lacey's dog, Thor walked right on it to get a drink from the bubble rock!
 

This is our water feature in the front yard...I wonder if Thor could walk on this water??

Today is Monday, December 9 and we are supposed to get some snow...just a little bit.  I am hoping it happens...I love it!

Catching up with Posts and pictures

Auntie Carm, Auntie Elvera, My Dad,

Bernie, Auntie Carm, Me, Auntie Elvera, Bonnie, Carole, Dad

The middle of November my Dad, brother and I went up to the Seattle area for a memorial service.  While in the area we arranged to stop by my Auntie Elvera's assisted living facility.  My cousin Carole was kind enough to drive Auntie Carm so that the two sisters and my dad could see each other.  We had a great time visiting and sharing stories.  Love that family!

Next up is our group shot from our Thanksgiving dinner.  We had the two daughters and their family's, my Dad and Scott's brother John and his wife Robin.  What a great day we had laughing, talking and having lots of good food to eat.  And we celebrated the day at Dina's house! 

 

This picture is quite different from the one last year.  Notice Lacey (far left) and Dina (next to me) both have hair now...it is growing, maybe not as fast as they would like, but at least they have it, right?  And Dina is in great health...all the latest scans came back showing NO signs of cancer!!

I am doing well also.