I forgot how busy senior year is. Lily is finishing up her final high school track season. Last week her 4×800 relay team qualified for state and Lily ran her personal record. They received a ticket punched for the state meet in Des Moines this week! Lily had her last figure skating show on April 24th. Jason, Marile, Madison, and Elizabeth flew in from Virginia to see her skate. She was a knife in the opening program, was in a…
Lola died on a Sunday morning. That morning was anything but easy as Nathan and I were faced with the realization that our best girl could no longer get up. Nathan knew this was coming, and he told me a few times over the past year that one day she may not be able to stand. We just had no idea that it would be on March 27th, 2022, the day after she was able to take a short walk…
Here are some professional photos from a holiday show that Lily was in on 12/5 in Cedar Rapids:
We went on our first family beach vacation since COVID-19. Back to Puerto Rico and brought Noah’s girlfriend Naomi! We had a wonderful time with lots of ocean, rain forest, and Old San Juan. Travel seemed very safe in the PR with vaccination cards required for the plane trip, some restaurants, and the catamaran trip. We miss you already, PR!
In the 1980’s, I loved INXS and U2 (I still do). I of course dreamed of seeing them in concert. U2 is still on my bucket list. I did not attend a concert until college, and I saw INXS on 4/22/1994 with my college roommate Jean. It was a real dream come true. My Mom loved INXS and U2 as much as I did. I bought her INXS KICK, and she would dance around the living room when she…
I never considered how my identity would change as a mother. Before having children, I was a dietitian, a vegetarian, a democrat. I was someone who liked yoga and going for walks with my dogs. I still have those identities but now I’m the mother of an adult son and an almost adult daughter who have shared their love of sports with me. They have turned me into a sports mom. I have watched them succeed and struggle in sports…
We are living through a pandemic. Hunkered at home with our college student who should be living on a college campus in Kansas and our high school student who should be at school, the ice rink, and track meets. We are 7 weeks in and the days all seem the same. We look forward to long walks on the weekend and hope for good weather. Buying groceries, eating family dinners and watching Netflix series are the highlights of our days….
Noah left for college today. After 18 years of having the guy around, we are going to have to adjust to a new chapter in our lives. Nathan and I are so excited (and maybe a little jealous) for Noah. He is starting his new chapter in Lawrence, Kansas, at the University of Kansas (our favorite University). This change has left me feeling unsettled. For example, I sometimes cry out of the blue. Like when I was shopping at Schnucks…
The Papa of T4 gave up social media last year. He had the realization that posting on facebook and Instagram was a giant waste of time. So I decided to write a belated Happy Father’s Day post here on my blog. Noah and Lily are so lucky to have a Papa like you. You have given them the love of adventure and taught them to get back up when times are tough. You say things like, “My favorite thing is…