So much to share, where do I begin...

 The last couple of months have been a whirlwind, or maybe I should say a rollercoaster as the boys would appreciate that analogy!  I haven't cared to share everything on Facebook as I am trying to detach from going on it as much, it is such a time sucker and somethings I read just bother me too much that it isn't worth it.  I know some people do care to keep up with what is going on in the Morrissey household though, so I will do my best to give an update through this blog.  Just be warned, there is a lot!  To make it easier to follow, I will go through and give an update on each of us and then the family as a whole. Sit back and get comfy, this may take awhile...

Let's begin with Chris, he is the easy one. Not too much going on with him to report.  The biggest thing

I guess would be that he is waiting to find out the results of the latest selection board to find out if he made Commander (O5). We are really hopeful, but as we know all too well nothing is guaranteed. Fingers crossed!!

Now we will move on to Jacob, again, another easy-ish one.  Jacob just completed his sophomore year in high school.  It was a pretty good year for him, while he struggled a bit in math he pulled it together and finished with a B on the final exam which earned him a C for his final grade. He didn't do too bad in his other classes, receiving all A's and B's!! Jacob has made some great friends this year and it is so wonderful to see him enjoying their company, especially after the last couple of years when social interactions were so limited.  In Scouts he is working towards his Eagle Scout, but time is ticking and he needs to get on it, he only has about a year and a half to get it done. This spring he played his last baseball season with Fleet Park, and possibly his last baseball season ever.  While Jacob LOVES the game and is so knowledgeable, his skill level isn't as high, and when you attend a high school with a superb team it is hard to make the cut.  He has talked about taking up tennis or golf next year, we shall see. This spring Jacob was also confirmed with 4 other of his temple classmates at a beautiful service at Ohef Sholom Temple. Jacob will continue at OST this coming year as a madrich (teacher assistant) in Hebrew and Religious School, taking Leia's spot helping in my mom's class. This summer Jacob will be assisting with Camp Einstein for the first time, and hopefully getting a job.

On to Elijah. Elijah was in a milestone year, so he has a bit more to share about. This was Elijah's final year in middle school, and our last child to be at ADL (Academy for Discovery at Lakewood) after having at least one Morrissey there for the last 7 years.  Elijah rocked 8th grade!!  Last year being virtual was a struggle, especially in math.  He was actually offered to retake Algebra I, even though he passed it in 7th grade.  We decided it was in his best interest to retake it so he could establish a better foundation of the materials.  This was the best decision ever, not only did he pass, but he got the highest grade he could in the class (32 out of 32 points).  I couldn't be more proud of his success.  His other classes he did amazing in as well.  Elijah was part of the scholastic bowl team this year and was often the team captain at meets.  His team placed 2nd at the district meet this past winter. At 8th grade promotion Elijah earned the Gold President's Education Award for educational excellence. Elijah continued Sail Nauticus, an after school sailing program. One of the highlights of being an 8th grader in the program is being able to go to the boat building workshop to work with the tools to build a boat. Elijah really enjoyed that aspect of the program and hopes to continue to be able to attend classes at the workshop next year. Elijah graduated Sail Nauticus and was presented his Mate card last weekend. At temple Elijah volunteered in the Hebrew class and will continue that next year. This summer Elijah will attend Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy for his final year in the program, and his first time in-person since last year it was held virtually and the year before it was cancelled all together.  It has been an exciting year for Elijah, he made new friends and connected with some old friends as well.  Next year he will be starting high school at Granby in the IB program, just like his brother and sister. 

Leia's turn... I feel like I share the most about her so some of what I share may already be known.  As we know she was a senior this year, so there was a lot that went on.  She applied to about 10-12 colleges this past fall.  She got into all of them except Northeastern and Carnegie Mellon, those were two reach schools so she wasn't that upset about it.  We were so excited in February when we found out she was accepted into her number 1 school, UVA. Leia was also nominated as a Jefferson Scholar but unfortunately did not get past the first round of interviews. Luckily she found out quickly after the first interview so we weren't waiting forever on that.  Leia also applied for many other local scholarships, including the Stein Scholarship, which is awarded to 1 Jewish high school senior in the Tidewater area of Virginia. On March 28th, Leia's 18th birthday, she received the call she was waiting for.  Leia found out she would be the recipient of the scholarship.  This was the best news, and the best birthday present Leia could dream of.  Receiving the Stein Scholarship solidified her decision to attend UVA.  With the college decision finally made we all felt like we could breath a bit easier.  April, May, and June were filled with lots of events, activities, and tests.  In April 25th, on my birthday, Leia and her confirmation class of 2020 finally were able to have their service. It was long awaited and lovely!  May was consumed with AP and IB tests.  Leia is hoping she did well enough on them to earn some college credits for UVA.  Towards the end of May Leia also performed in her last band concert at Granby High School. She sure is going to miss playing in the band but will be auditioning for an ensemble group at UVA so she can continue her love of playing the flute. Then came the big day, June 14th, graduation day!  I could not be more proud of Leia, she finished 3rd her in class with a GPA of 5.45. Leia had been sitting at number 2 since sophomore year but a last minute boost from someone behind her moved her into the 3rd spot at the very end. She was only a one hundredth of a point behind the salutatorian. To say it was a disappointment for Leia would be an understatement, she was really looking forward to giving a speech at graduation as she loves public speaking. I have no doubt Leia will have plenty of opportunities in her future to speak in front of a crowd!  Speaking of public speaking, the day after graduation Leia was awarded MVP and received her Letter for Forensics. And just this past weekend Leia performed in her last piano recital under the direction of Cathy Swaim. Leia played 3 songs and did a beautiful job.  Ms. Swaim showered her and the other senior, Lyric, with gifts and honors. Before Leia heads to Charlottesville in the middle of Aug to move in she has a packed summer ahead.  She will continue working at The Dirty Buffalo and do one final year volunteering with Ms. Swaim at Camp Einstein. We have one trip to UVA planned in July for orientation as well.  I am sure she will also pack in as much time as possible with friends. Boy will Leia be missed around here!! 

Now finally, me... This past week I finished my 4th year of teaching PE for Norfolk Public Schools. This year was a difficult year on so many levels, I wont get into it all... but if you know, you know!  So, when earlier this year I was approached by my temple and asked if I would like to be the director of the religious school I didn't have to think too long.  I have been involved at Ohef Sholom practically since the day we stepped foot in the religious school.  First as a volunteer, then I became a teacher, and finally the Hebrew Coordinator. I was honored to be asked to move into a role with more responsibility. So, I gladly accepted the position and was eager for the possibilities that lie ahead. While it was difficult to let my principal know, and my fellow teachers with whom I have formed such great friendships with, I knew this was the right decision for me and my family. As I end my time with NPS I will carry all the knowledge it gave me into my new role. My official title is Director of Lifelong Learning, this means I am responsible for all educational experiences that go on at our temple. This includes the religious school, Hebrew school, adult education, family education... you name it!  I could not be more excited.  I know it will be a lot, but I am always up for the challenge!

Last but not least, our family update! As if we haven't had enough going on individually. Memorial weekend was spent in Atlanta, where we got to check another baseball stadium off our list. We are at 17 now.  We also got to spend time with Chris' cousin who he hasn't seen in probably 20 years, and we got to meet up with a childhood friend of Chris' who again, he hasn't seen in 25+ years. While in Atlanta we visited the World of Coke, the Aquarium, the first Chick-Fil-A, and Six Flags over Georgia (for the boys). It was a packed, but great weekend! Now for our big news, before heading to Atlanta for the weekend we put our house on the market.  Yes, you read that right!  And no, we are not moving away from Norfolk, remember I am starting a new job.  So why did we put our house on the market you may wonder.  Well it all started when the house next to my best friend came available and we tried to get it, but sadly we were outbid. But after going through all of that we decided we wanted to sell our house since the market is so hot and buy a new house, or rent for awhile until the perfect house came available. Well, the house sold in 6 days which was great, but we needed to find a new house.  Houses are hard to come by these days, they are not staying on the market long at all and bidding wars are happening left and right.  We were having a hard time finding one so we considered renting and were ready to put in our application at the apartments my parents are at when a house in Ghent came on the market.  Chris finally saw a house he was interested in.  Chris and I went and saw it on a Saturday evening, just the two of us. Chris fell in love with it, as did I, but he is harder to please. We put an offer in that evening.  On Monday we learned we lost out on it, but determined to get this house we fought for it and in the end we got it!  We are scheduled to close on our house on the 20th of July and the new house on the 22nd of July.  We are still praying all goes smoothly so everything works out, otherwise we may be homeless, LOL!  So far everything is aligning just right. So, if you paid any attention earlier in this post you can see that this is happening at a very busy time. To add to the crazy we have Leia's big graduation trip starting on July 29th. We will be traveling for 2 weeks. We will first be in Tampa to visit Busch Gardens and catch a Rays game. Then we board the Disney Wish for a 4 night cruise. After we get off the cruise we will spend a couple of nights at Universal. Then finish off with 6 nights at Disney. Yes, we are crazy, we know! 

As you can see we have been busy and will continue to be busy for awhile. I don't think we know any other way to live except to live it to the fullest!!  

If you made it through this post, congrats!!  Thanks for following along!!

~The Morrissey Fab 5

Presidents and Vinyards and Caverns, OH MY!!!

This past 4th of July weekend we finally made it over to an area of Virginia I have anxiously been awaiting for, Charlottesville, home of one of our favorite presidents, Thomas Jefferson.  With it only being about a 2 1/2-3 hour drive from Norfolk (depending on traffic) I don't know why we hadn't gone yet.  Rest assure, we will be visiting more often... read on to get a day-by-day review of our amazing weekend (rain and all).

Day 1 (Friday): We left Norfolk closer to 5 since we had to wait for Leia to get home from Breakthrough.  Traffic wasn't that bad getting out surprisingly, just your typical back ups (rain didn't help either).  Once we made it over the water we stopped for dinner at Panera and then went on our way to the resort we would be staying at, Shenandoah Crossings, just outside of Charlottesville.  The drive over was uneventful, most of us slept since we had just finished a week at Day Camp.  As we got closer to the resort we all took in the beauty of the country side, we sure don't see anything like that in Norfolk.  All the farmland and the rolling hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background... absolutely beautiful!!  We arrived shortly after 8 and checked in and went on to our cabin in the woods.  I wish I would have gotten pictures of the cabin, I will just use stock photos to illustrate where we stayed.  That evening we unpacked and rode up to the General Store to pick up some things for breakfast and some waters. We then settled in for the night since we would be having early wake ups the next 3 days!

Day 2 (Saturday): First up on our historical adventure was visiting the home of our 4th president, James Madison.  Montpelier, a 20ish minute drive from the resort, is just outside of Charlottesville in Orange, VA. The estate is situated on rolling hills and farm land with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Our tour was for 9:30 but we got there a bit early, so we looked around the gift shop and we found a trivia book on US History, Leia had fun quizzing Chris and me.  When the tour began it started as most tours like this do, with a short film on the history of the estate.  I actually learned quite a bit as I am not as familiar with James Madison outside of being the Father of the Constitution. We then proceeded to the mansion and enjoyed a guided tour through the main level and the second story. After the tour on of the mansion we were able to wander the grounds as desired.  We went to the archeology lab since I knew the kids, especially our aspiring archeologist (Leia), would enjoy that. Leia learned about an archeology camp they do there and is now eager to go! After that we made our way through the gardens and down to the grave site. After visiting the grave site we headed back to the visitors center and headed to lunch.

Before our trip, being the excellent planner I am, I did my research and learned of a fantastic BBQ place, BBQ Exchange, that was a must-do, so we did.  When we arrived the line was almost out the door, I couldn't believe how busy it was.  You stand in line and give your order to the ladies behind the counter and they serve it up for you, you then proceed down the line to pay.  Not all the food is ready by then so you find a seat and they bring out the rest to you.  It was all very efficient and oh so good!!  I decided to order a bit more than I normally eat because I wanted to try so much. I enjoyed BBQ beef brisket, coleslaw, hush puppies, and a pumpkin muffin. I was so full that I didn't even eat dinner that night!

After our yummy BBQ we headed out to our first cidery, Castle Hill Cider.  Chris and I are big cider drinkers, so when I learned there were cideries close to where we were visiting I knew we had to stop.  Boy am I glad we did.  We drove up to the cidery and were excited to see a big field with corn hole so the kids would be entertained while we enjoyed our samplings.  We went inside first because we weren't 100% sure what to expect, it was very inviting and had a checker set on the coffee table (another piece of entertainment for the kids, and my dad). They told us we could either do the tastings inside or outside.  It was such a beautiful day we chose outside.  My mom, Chris and I each enjoyed the premium tasting.  Everything was great but a few really stood out to us.  After we went through the tasting we decided to join their cider club and we brought a few bottles home with us, plus they comped Chris and my tastings:) Elise, our "bartender" if that is what she is called, was amazing!

After cider tasting we drove down the rode to the Keswick vineyards, this time we would be tasting wine.  Again, the atmosphere here was so inviting and they had things to keep kids entertained and a bunch of outdoor seating.  Again, my mom, Chris and I did the wine tasting and enjoyed about 7 different wines in all... we also left here with a few bottles of wine that we really loved.
At this point in the day it is almost 3:30 and we wanted to get back to the resort so the kids could go swimming and enjoy the amenities at the resort. So we headed back, got in our swim suites and headed to the main pool.  It was pretty crowded but we found some chairs and put our stuff down and the kids played in the pool for awhile while I just hung out on the side. Then we visited the hot tub and again, I hung out on the side... it was actually quite HOT! After the pool we went back and got cleaned up and hung out.  I had a raging headache so I laid down while everyone else went to get some dinner and watch the fireworks that the resort put on.  I was bummed I missed it but things happen.

Day 3 (Sunday): We woke early again so we could begin our hour and a half trip up to the Luray Caverns. The trip up was uneventful though it did bring back many memories of my summers when I was in Jr. High when I would come and stay with my brother back when he lived in this area.  It was very picturesque even if it was dreary. We arrived at the Caverns around 9:30 if I am not mistaken and the line wasn't too long but it still took us about 15-20 mins to get through. They snap a photo of your group with the green screen for you to purchase at the end of the tour, which we normally don't, but this time we did because it turned out pretty good (except Elijah's expression).  Once we got in to the caverns the guide gave us the run down on how it was discovered and what we will see during our hour tour.  It was fantastic and the kids LOVED it. Highly recommend this for any family.  When we were done with our tour, and our shopping at the gift shop, because if you know us, we love to shop, we headed to eat at the cafe quickly.  It was a good thing we got there when we did because there was no line really, but just after us the line came.  My mom and I enjoyed a fish sandwich, the boys got chicken tenders, Chris and Leia got cheeseburgers and my dad got a tuna sandwich... all of which were very good. There were a few other museums included on our ticket so we went to the carriage and car museum and the Luray History museum area. As we were going through to these other museums we noticed the line and I said to the kids... "this is why we always come early to things".  The line was crazy long!! 

After visiting the caverns and museums we hopped back in the van to head back to the resort, but we went Skyline Drive so we could enjoy some scenic views, unfortunately the weather wasn't the best for views, but we got some. Once we got back to the resort we chilled for awhile and then headed for dinner, we found a good Asian place not too far away that we all enjoyed... can never go wrong with Asian.

Day 4 (Monday, 4th of July): Early wake up was in order for today is the 4th of July, and at Monticello for over 70 people that means they will be come American Citizens.  When we finalized our plans for the 4th of July and picked Charlottesville I started planning our visit to Monticello.  What I didn't know was every year for over 50 years Monticello host a Naturalization Ceremony.  I was so excited to find this out and knew immediately what day we would visit.  We had to arrive early so we could get to the Community College next to Monticello where we would park and take a shuttle to the estate.  The rain was steady all morning but finally let up during the the ceremony and stayed away for most of it, only towards the very end did it start up again and then never really let up too much.  After the ceremony they served Coke floats, not sure why but I wasn't complaining:)   We then had a little while to our scheduled tour time for the house.  You see, for the 4th of July they do a Jeffersonian Open House, it is a free self guided walking tour of the first floor.  When walking into the mansion you knew immediately this was not your typical Founding Father's home... it was Thomas Jefferson's, he decorated his home in such a way to reflect his many interests and accomplishments.  One of the coolest features in the home was his bed that was on display, it was the exact bed that he passed away in on July 4th 1826.   The tour was great and we look forward to returning back one day to do the complete tour, hopefully minus the rain.   Before we headed to the shuttle to return to our car we visited Thomas Jefferson's grave site, which was kind of fitting considering it was the anniversary of his death.

We returned to our van to begin the journey back home, but first, a stop to eat at Michies Tavern, some shopping in the shops and Carters Mountain for some Bold Rock Cider!  We arrived home and were pretty exhausted so decided to forgo fireworks.

 I am sure I missed some things but this def outlines the highlights of our great weekend.  Charlottesville is an amazing area which offers so much to do, we can not wait to go back.  Another great adventure was had and wonderful memories made as we live our lives to the fullest!!