Stop Number 3

Just an hour-and-a-half away, was our third stop - Columbus, OH. We said goodbye to family and friends, many of which we'd be seeing again during the week, and headed on our short drive to Columbus. We had a wonderful week....a bit of a mix between relaxation and family visiting again. Jim and Abby and I stayed in a hotel, something we rarely do. It's nice to have some time to ourselves, although we would always prefer company (host families)! I also had a chance to spend some short shopping hours with two of my best friends on tour. Chastity Mathis, Kristina Putnam, and I went to lunch and did some shopping one day to celebrate my lovely birthday. We also spent a lot of wonderful dinners with Jim's brother Tom and his sister Julie and her family (Husband Brian, and children, Hannah, Emma, and Carson). It was another successful golfing week, but not quite the end result that Jim was looking for. He made the cut but struggled on Sunday. So many of our friends and family members came to watch and give support, we thank you all for your continued support and interest in Jim's golfing career! Sorry no pictures for this week. It seems that I neglected to take any. :(

Stop Number 2

As we set out on our long summer journey, I was unsure of how poor Abby would take all the traveling. Before this trip away, we had only been on the road for two week stretches. Six weeks was an awful long time.......Week number two took us from Canada to Cincinnati, OH. First, we had to make the 10 hour drive through the Canadian countryside, across the U.S. border, and into Michigan. Canada was beautiful, almost completely farms. There was so much open space, I could hardly believe life like that still existed. This week was a big one, especially for Jim. There was a big focus onhim playing in his hometown. He took it all very well and enjoyed the spotlight.

We had a nice week with family and friends. One focus for me was to catch up on the Herman's side genealogy.I have been working on a complete family tree since January and hadn't really had a good chance to sit down with the Herman's. Jim's Grandfather, Edward Burke, was so much fun to talk to. He had everything saved; so many wonderful papers, stories, and family trees.Our week in Cincinnati also brought Jim's parents 40th anniversary and my 30th birthday. Our celebrating began with a family dinner at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on the Ohio river. Everyone's favorite, ribs and of course the famous barbeque sauce. We were also fortunate enough to have some very good friends of Jim throw a party for our friends and family. They surprised me with a beautiful cake and an angelic rendition of "Happy Birthday". The tournament was well done, for it's first year. Chiquita was the title sponsor and they had so many cool things to see and do at the event. The golf didn't go quite like we had planned, but you can't win 'em all, right!? Anyhow, missing the cut gave us a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the family. Another hot week in the books.....and on to stop number 3.

Catching Up From Summer

Hi All, I'm sure you can tell the the Herman's have had a very busy summer! I apologize for the long lag time in between postings. I will catch you all up quickly on our summer fun and then we'll jump feet first into fall.To tell the whole story well, I must go back to where we left off. It was the peak of summer, just after Forth of July weekend. Jim, Abby, and I packed our lives in the car and headed out for six weeks on the road. First stop...Canada. We always seem to have a good time at the tournament in Canada. Usually the weather is a bit cooler so it becomes a welcome break from the heat - but not this year! Our week in Canada would start six of the hottest weeks of summer I can remember. We rented a house again this year with two other couples and two caddies. Mom and Dad decided not to make the journey this year as we wouldn't be coming back this direction. We had a blast! Cooking, playing cards, great discussions on a nightly basis, campfires and smores...you name it, we did it! The little resort area was great for splashing in fountains, riding bikes, grabbing a cup of joe or an icy cone, or just relaxing. My very good friend, Kristina Putnam, was able to take Abby's nine month pictures during the week. It was a perfect location for cute shots! We posed in the cute resort of Blue Mountain, in our rental backyard, and in front of a lake. Everything went so well and I couldn't have asked for more precious memories. The golf was fun too. Jim played really well in both the pro and pro-am tournaments. We were very fortunate in our amateur partner this year. Jim was paired with Steve Nicklaus, Jack's son. Steve and his wife Krista were great people! They live not too far from our home in Florida, so you never know...maybe we'll cross paths again. The week ended well and it was off to stop number 2!