BABIES!! + Mountain Magic: Part Two

Happy Thursday! This week is absolutely flying by between the DreamChamps blog launch and the fact that I have had not just one, but three baby girls added to my life!

I am now a new Cousin Jenn and Aunt Jenn!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see, I could not be more thrilled. My cousin Lisa (whose shower was a couple of months ago) had Morgan Marie last Tuesday. My sister-in-law Cara (who just started her own blog!) gave birth to Caroline Anne and Kelly Maureen last night.

I know. Aren’t all of their names gorgeous? I am beaming as I type this.

The time to meet them can’t come soon enough! Congratulations to the happy new families.

This weekend, I am making my way back to Minnesota for my other sister-in-law Susan’s baby shower! You may recall she is also having a baby girl, due at the end of June. The baby fever continues!

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I am also excited to share the second and final recap of the Mountain Magic tournament in Arizona.

My mom and I woke up on the second day of the tournament ready to play. We started by fueling up at the breakfast buffet. The highlights? Home style potatoes (both russet and sweet) and the vegetable quiche, which was filled with goat cheese, asparagus and tomato. Yum!

I also picked up a Virgin Bloody Mary, complete with tabasco, Worcestershire and pepper. It was just the kick in the pants I needed for a long day out on the course!

Our second day went just as well – if not better – than the first! This time it was a scramble, which essentially means that each of us hit a drive at the start of the hole. From there, we pick the best shot and hit again, pick the best shot and hit again, and on and on that way until you finish the hole, hopefully with the lowest score possible. The only catch is that you have to take at least six drives from each person, so the pressure is on to be accurate!

Fortunately, we managed to bring our “A” games again. We managed to avoid bogeys and had either par or birdie all the way through, finishing with a gross (gross = a good thing, ha!) score of 70.

This left us tied for the lead going into the very last day! A very fun motivator for the shootout, which would take place after lunch. Fish tacos, fresh spinach salad and goat cheese bruschetta refueled us before the three hole showdown!

Before we knew it, we were back on the course. Each hole was sudden death, starting with thirteen groups of partners, narrowing it down to the top eight after the first hole and then narrowing it down again to the top four contenders for the final hole.

With a bit of luck (I sunk a long putt on the first hole for par!) and concentration (my mom had an amazing shot out of the sand trap on the second hole), we made it to the very end and scored par on the last hole. Two of the other groups shot par as well, which meant it was time for a putt off.

The putt was incredibly long and winding. The end results were 57 inches, 61 inches and 62 inches away from the hole. Our team managed to pull off 61 inches, good for a second place finish. We were very happy with that result!

And so we went home on day two, elated with the results thus far.

On the morning of the third and final day, we headed to the course for another delicious meal. The food at this tournament was truly incredible, with new options every morning. We went with Belgian waffles and jam, scrambled eggs and salsa, plus fresh fruit and hash browns.

And then we were back on the course for our final day. Another best ball, like the first day, except this time around we were able to pick the best drive on each hole and play out from there.

Once again, my mom and I balanced each other very well, with the exception of one hole. Unfortunately that hole, a par 5, left us with a “9” and a “10” to choose from when it was over. Blame it on nerves. Blame it on the pressure of being in the top spot. Blame it on that movie Tin Cup. It shook us a bit and made it difficult to get back to square one. Still, we did a great job and pulled ourselves together, finishing with a 79 (and knowing exactly what the “9” on that score came from).

We ended up taking second overall in our flight…by just one stroke.

Ah, hindsight. You can be so cruel.

Still, second place is pretty darn awesome. Worthy of a celebration. And celebrate, we did.

We cleaned ourselves up and came back to the clubhouse for a beach themed dinner party!

With a menu like that, how can you be too upset over one measly little stroke?

The goat cheese flan was PHENOMENAL. One of the best salads I have ever had.

The short ribs and roasted halibut combination made my heart – and taste buds – swoon.

And dessert? Well, let’s just say that the white chocolate mousse dome did not hold its shape – or its spot on the plate – for very long. It was creamy, rich and melt-in-your-mouth incredible.

The rest of the night was spent dancing to the tunes of the Beach Boys impersonators. 🙂

Great food. Great weather. Great golf. Great company. Yes, I’d say the word “magic” definitely applies.

Thank you for inviting me to play, Mama Bender! Can’t wait for next year!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the week! What are your plans for the weekend?

Abrazos,