Prom

This is my handsome baby brother at his photo shoot before his junior prom.

The key word here is "baby." This is the baby of the four Summerville kids. And he's 17. I was nine when he was born (in...get this...1993), and this big sister is feeling pretty old when the baby is going to prom.

But isn't he just the sharpest looking guy. He's a sweetheart too, most of the time. But he's got great examples in his two big brothers.

Mom shared these pics with me and I wanted to post them because, well, my baby brother is no longer the baby. He just finished his junior year at Clay-Chalkville and is set on joining David at Alabama next fall. He's one of the best dressers I know, and he's going to be a great, fun uncle one day. He's also promised Robert and I that he will ensure our offspring are dressed stylishly, which might prove more challenging if he ends up with nieces instead of nephews. But I'm sure he will rise to the occasion.

Talladega

What do you get your dad on his 56th birthday? The opportunity to go 169.41 mph around Talladega. How's that for a cure for mid-life crisis? In all seriousness, it was a great idea for a birthday present for my dad, and all credit goes to my mom. Though my dad's birthday was in March, we celebrated in May with a trip to Talladega. After a driving lesson, dad got to drive a race car around the track for six laps, topping out at 169.41 mph. He said it was an experience like nothing else. We were all out there cheering him on, complete with posters! Here are some pics from our afternoon at the track.



After driving school, the drivers came through the crowd like celebrities!

With the drivers on the track for a special tribute to U.S. soldiers before the racing started.

He suited up in real racing gear.

With Ryan before taking to the track.

Not sure who the random guy is in this pic or what possessed him to join our family photo. Random.

Kyle and Ryan watching from the platform.




That's dad! And, yes, there were multiple amateur drivers racing together on the track at the same time. Crazy, I know, but they all had instructors in the seat next to them who weren't afraid to jerk the wheel and gain control of the car if things got out of control.

Pulling in after six laps.




You can tell how excited dad was as he described the experience to mom.


This was my second trip to Talledega (first time was for a field trip as a kid) but I have yet to go for a race. They say it's crazy fun, but I'm not a huge nascar fan (sorry, driving in circles gets a little boring in my book). Still, I think I'm going to have to add it to the list of lifetime experiences to check off. Happy Birthday, Daddy!

A-Day Volume 2

A few more pics from A-Day which mom took.