Bats, Balls, Bikes, Skates and More!

With the last post from July, I figured it was about time to update the blogosphere with what's new with the Steffens.  With the cooler weather moving in, we've been engrossed with fall sports...baseball for Will (3 times a week) and a 6-week soccer clinic for Alex.  Will played a season of t-ball previously, but this was his first time playing "machine pitch".  He hit the ball most of the time at bat, and the coach called him a "consistent" player.  The one position he didn't like was catcher, since even with all the gear on, it would hurt if the ball hit him.  Unfortunately his team didn't have any wins, but had several ties.  Regardless, he enjoyed the season and I suspect he'll choose to play again in the spring.

Soccer was the first time that Alex had played an organized sport and he loved it.  Each week in the car on the way home he'd say "Mum...are you SO proud of me?" and I'd say "yes, I'm super proud of you, buddy!"  Too cute.
I'm still mountain biking weekly with the Dirt Divas (Charlotte's women's mountain biking club) and I love it.  I've been fitting in a bit of road biking too.  In late September, my friend Elaine and I participated in the Charlotte Urban Assault ride http://urbanassaultride.com/whatisit which is a giant scavneger hunt by bike.  It was a great time.  At each stop you had to complete a silly challenge.  Here are some of the highlights:

A new take on the old-school "wheelbarrow race"!

Taking a spin on a big wheel

Elaine giving me "a double" just like we did as kids

With baseball and soccer coming to a close, the boys have chosen their next activity...hockey.  Will's enrolled in Learn to Play Hockey and Alex is doing Snowplow Sam (learn to skate).  We spent 2 hours at the cold, smelly rink this Saturday morning and I couldn't have been happier.  Seeing both the boys on skates brings back great memories for both Scott and me of all our hours spent at the rink as kids. I couldn't be a prouder Canadian mom, even way down here in the South (Will's #5 in the red jersey).

Alex marching across the ice

Showing me the stuffed dragon (they would throw the animals, skate over and pick them up)

In other hockey news, Scott played in the annual Hemby Cup charity hockey game again this year. http://www.hembycup.com/suits-vs-geeks/  It's an event to raise money for the local children's hospital.  They have the Suits (bankers) versus the Geeks (Microsoft).  The Suits won again this year!

Open skate after the game

The boys with Chubby Checker (mascot for the Charlotte Checkers AHL team)

We finished off the summer with a fair amount of travelling, packing in trips to Atlanta (to the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coke), a long weekend at an amazing cabin in Gatlinburg, TN with Scott's sister and brother-in-law (Donna & Ross) and a quick stop at Sky Top Orchards in Flat Rock, NC for some apple picking (Honey Crisp apples mostly....yum!)  Scott and I spent our 12-year anniversary in Las Vegas gambling up a storm at the Blackjack tables and enjoying a Def Leppard concert at MGM.  For the Columbus Day weekend, I caught up with the girls from Dalhousie at a girls weekend in NYC.  Finally, there was a trip to the pumpkin patch with Alex a couple of weeks ago.

At the World of Coke

 Taste testing Coke products from around the world

Cooling off in the sprayers at Olympic Park in Atlanta

At the Georgia Aquarium

Playing pool at our cabin in Gatlinburg

 Family picture on the front porch of the cabin

Inside the cabin

Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains

Waterfall at the end of our hike 

Apple picking at Sky Top Orchard

Celebrating our 12 year anniversary in Vegas

View of the strip from the Foundation Room (private club at the top of Mandalay Bay)

At Molly's Cupcakes in NYC during a walking Food Tour

Susan and Lezlie loaded down with all our 5th Avenue shopping

Trying to fit all our bags into the cab

Playing with the dumptrucks at the pumpkin patch

On the tire swing

Alex with his friend Will from preschool

Those are the highlights from the last 3 months.  Let's hope it's not another 3 months before the next update!!  November brings us some big events...my nieces (Lily and Paige) are being baptized and it's Scott's 40th birthday!!  Stay tuned for more.