Paddleboarding with Millie, Paige, and Caleb

It's been hot and uncomfortable outside if you're not in the water and we decided to do some paddle-boarding yesterday. We almost canceled because Paige was feeling faint and dizzy at tennis, but after chilling inside a while she decided she wanted to go. Caleb didn't have long for our adventure, so we borrowed our friend's boards to save some time. 

The water was warm and we had a great time floating around in the marsh together. Millie Mae wore her shark life preserver and she jumped in and swam back and forth between the board I was on, and the board with Paige and Caleb. We eventually tied the boards together and then Millie was able to relax.

Connor's Summer Study Abroad - Valencia, Ibiza, Mallorca, Malta, Ibiza, Morocco

 

Connor had an amazing adventure over the summer after we left him in Valencia back in June. He spent the next six weeks doing a little learning, a lot of exploring, and he danced and partied all night long. He's been assigned to write up some descriptions of his time this summer and I'll add it as soon as he's finished. 

We picked him up from the airport on July 25th in the evening, and Andrea went inside to greet him and give him a big hug to welcome him home. 

Connor told us all about his time in Europe and described it simply as "One long movie with no bad parts", which was a ringing endorsement if there ever was one. When we got Connor home, Paige gave him a big hug, and we went through some of the stuff he brought home and listened to some more of his stories before bed.

Four Seasons Orlando - 2026 - With Paige

 

When we went to pick up Paige, Andrea and I went a day early to stay at the Four Seasons one night on our own and then one night with Paige after pickup from the UCF camp. The first day was super chill and enjoyable at the adult pool and we relaxed there for a while before going back up to the room to have some snacks from room service for dinner.

After picking Paige up, we decided we'd try to go to the adult pool with her, but unfortunately the minimum age is 21 and we didn't fool anyone with Paige even though she wore a very convincing disguise (sunglasses). We went over to the hideout area by the lazy river where we like to hang out, and thankfully one of the comfy lounge areas with cushions was available. We got set up, went around the lazy river, played some volleyball, and horse with the basketballs. 

We got the hummus and Paige enjoyed the kid's mac and cheese, which is one of her favorites and something she always remembered from Four Seasons.

In the late afternoon, they turned on the fire pit and gave out s'mores kits. Andrea and Paige both made good use of it and we also enjoyed watching the kids play in the fire and burn their marshmallows. 

In the evening, Paige got dressed in a cute outfit and we took some pics, because why not.

Paige at UCF Trauma & Surgical Skills Program

Paige's summer was planned so there would be some fun with a family vacation, Camp Pinnacle, and also an educational camp. We originally had planned, and paid for, a Costa Rica camp. However, after we realized Paige would be cut off from the world there for 2 weeks, just after being cut off at Camp Pinnacle, she begged us to cancel it and we relented. Andrea was determined to make sure Paige had some productive use of her time this summer and signed Paige up for a UCF Trauma & Surgical Skills Program in Orlando. 

Paige drove us to Orlando to drop her off on Sunday, July 19th, and Millie Mae rode along for our journey as well. 

When we arrived, we checked her in and went up to see her room and the suite where she would be staying. It was in UCF student housing, and was fairly unattractive, but Paige had a great attitude about it and thought it was fairly luxurious after summer camp.

Andrea helped her unpack, fix up her bed, and deep clean her living space while I went to Target to pick up some things that we realized she would need for the week.

We gave her a hug and a kiss and bid her farewell for her adventure. 

Paige had a great attitude about it all throughout the week and attended lectures and classroom time, as well as doing some hands on activities. She was cute about Facetiming us in the evenings, and I always looked forwards to hearing about her day. She made a few friends while she was there, and they all went out to eat, do some shopping, and just walked around the area as well.

The camp was a bit drier and Paige wasn't thrilled with her time, but it was a good experience and exposure to many medical technologies, techniques, and concepts. She took lots of notes, learned some things, and had fun with some friends as well. We're proud of her for going in with a positive mindset and making her week productive and educational.