Camp Sonshine

Emmy did a week long  overnight stay camp last year but this year she wanted to do a day camp. Abby had attended Camp Sonshine in the past and really enjoyed it. Emmy and Kenzley got signed up to go to the same session. Emmy was super excited and not at all worried like she was when she did the overnight camp. She went M-F 9-4. Camp Sonshine is right outside of Roca and the couple that run it are really nice! It is loosely faith based and they do a good job of including all denominations and kids that don't attend church as well. Emmy loved her counselor and junior counselor for the week.

Emmy and Kenzley

The week that she went was brutally hot. She took her fan spray bottle and a lot of water to stay cool. 

This was their group of girls for the week. Each day they had a schedule and had different activities. They have a pool there so they got to swim and when it wasn't their pool day they did water games and slip and slide to stay cool. They also did outdoor cooking, go karts, games, bounce houses and more. Every day she came home hot, filthy and exhausted but with a smile and lots of stories about the day. 

 

Happy Father's Day

I really don't think the kids know how lucky they are that you are their dad! You are the fun one! You are the one that plays hide and seek in the dark with headlamps with them and all their friends. You are always up for playing a game of basketball, hitting the volleyball around, golfing or playing tennis. You love hanging out with them and they are so lucky!

3 Generations of Lutz guys 

 

Lake Days are the Best days

Robb has always been the captain of the boat, but this year he’s teaching Caleb how to drive so that he has someone to pull him on the wakeboard. Driving the boat has always made me nervous, and while I can do it, I really dread it. Thankfully, Caleb is willing to take the wheel—even if I’m secretly thinking, “Jesus, take the wheel” while he drives. The new boat has Perfect Pass, which is like cruise control for a car, and it even has presets for different people. Things have definitely become more high-tech! I used to rely on watching Robb for a thumbs-up to go faster or a thumbs-down to slow down.

Abby is always willing to go on the boat. She loves tubing!

Robb still has it. He might feel it more the next day but he is still fun to watch wakeboard!

Caleb likes to wakeboard too. He is getting better all the time!

Robb and his boating crew. Bryce and I aren't as much of boat people as these 3 are. 

Abby has been brave on the tube for a couple years now, but this year Emmy has also gotten braver and her and Abby have fun riding together. 

 

Happy 17th Birthday Bryce and Caleb

Today marks the 17th birthday of Bryce and Caleb. 

Dear Bryce,

Happy 17th birthday! I can't believe that you are this old already!

 You have truly grown up to be a great guy! You are typically willing to help out when we need it with a project, rides for the girls and sometimes just to be nice you make supper for us. I love the fact that you end every phone conversation with a "Love Ya" no matter where you are or who you are with. You also always come tell me goodnight and you tell the dogs goodnight too. 

You are responsible and take care of stuff that needs taking care of. You even stepped out of the box a couple times in a pinch and took the dogs to the vet by yourself. You are a pretty good boyfriend to Bree from what I see on the mom side of things. You can tell that you really care about her and you try to do little nice things for her either as a suprise or to make her day better. You get good grades in school and when needed you even study. I can't wait to see what the future brings for you! 

Love Mom

Dear Caleb,

Happy 17th Birthday. We have kept you alive this long. Pretty soon that will be on you. Please start to drive accordingly.

You've always been a hard worker whether it's at your job or when you're putting your heart into your latest interest which is currently all things golf. You love to learn everything there is to know about your current interest and honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows more about golf clubs than you do. 

You are a very reliable guy and are quick to pick up shifts or fill in when people call in sick.  We don't call you the shift gobbler for nothing. You are able to get yourself up and out of bed and would rather die than be late for something. This trait, although sometimes very annoying, reminds me of Grandpa Steve. School hasn't always been easy, but you've faced every challenge head on or if that doesn't work you just befriend the teacher and then they help you. 

You are a great friend, and I love that some of your friends are ones that you have had since you started at Norris. I love that you are able to take on the role of student manager for the basketball team. You take it very seriously and it sounds like you are an important asset to the team. 

You don't like me to hug you very often but when I am able to corner you and hug you, you squeeze so tight that I can hardly breathe. I secretly love this, but I am going to continue to act like you are killing me. You call me Ernie when you are trying to get your way, and it cracks me up, but I love it. 

I'm so proud of you and I can't wait to see what this next year will bring. 

Love Mom

 

Poor Lucy

I woke up to Lucy vomiting in our room, which gets me out of bed very quickly! I went to let her outside thinking she had just eaten something that didn't agree with her, but she wouldn't walk. When I tried to get her to come with me, she fell and acted like she didn't have any control over her back legs. I turned on some lights to I could see her better and she looked terrible. She seemed really scared and was shivering and shaking. She had foam around her mouth and couldn't hardly stand up. By this time Robb had gotten up too. I sat with her for a while to try to figure out what was going on, but the shaking didn't improve. We decided to take her to the emergency vet. I carried her out to the car, and I had to carry her in when we got there. They didn't really know what was going on with her just by her symptoms. They suspected that she had eaten some kind of poison. Lucy used to be the dog that got into everything and would eat stuff she wasn't supposed to but in her older age she doesn't do that anymore. I couldn't think of anything that she could have gotten into. They did bloodwork and it came back with her phosphorus level being incredibly low. That was really the only abnormal thing that they could find. They gave her some meds to settle her stomach and stop the nausea. I guess dogs drool and foam at the mouth when they are nauseated. As far as the treatment for the low phosphorus, I felt like I was coming up with the same information they were giving me just by googling it. It was pretty apparent that they had no idea what to do with her. They said that they didn't even have the reversal medication that she would need to reverse a poison that was phosphate binding. They called Omaha and the emergency vet there didn't seem to have much of an idea of what to do either. They wanted me to leave her there with them overnight for fluids and to be monitored. Lucy doesn't do well in kennels or being left without someone she knows. I finally convinced them to just give her some fluids while I waited there and told them I would take her home. I felt really helpless because there was nothing I could do and after hours at the vet we still had not answers. They had looked it up and milk has a lot of phosphorus so at home I tried to syringe feed a dog with an upset stomach milk. Counterproductive! I stayed up and watched her overnight and she did finally sleep. The next morning, I called her vet and told them what had happened. I trust her vet a lot and they recommended that she come in so they could see her. Vondra Vet clinic repeated the lab work, and her phosphorus was low but not terrible. They told us not to do anything different. They actually thought that the lab work from the ER vet may have been incorrect, or their machine may have given an inaccurate result. That was really frustrating to hear. However, they did think that they may have known what she had gotten into. Poison Hemlock is really prevalent in Nebraska this time of year and it grows in many ditches and fields. I didn't find any in our yard, but the ditches close to us had some. If the dog gets it on their paws or fur and licks it off, it binds to the phosphate in their blood causing neurological side effects and can cause death. I'm not sure how many lives dogs get but I feel like Lucy is pushing her luck!

 

My Birthday

This year was marks 41 years for me. The day itself was pretty low-key. I had to work but the kids brought me a coffee which was a nice surprise. We went out to dinner as a family, and the girls baked and decorated a cake for me. Lots of little sweet gestures that made my day great! Here is to another 

40+ years.

 

Little Pink Purse

When your grandparents are in Italy for 2 weeks for AJ's 13th birthday trip, you know they will find some time to shop for you! They brought each of the girls an adorable pink designer handbag. I don't think the girls realize just how lucky they are. The boys were not left out and they each received an Italian leather belt that was very nice. 

 

Tennis Time

My girls are excited to learn how to play tennis. They might not know much about the sport, but they have the outfits ready to go. Abby will kick things off by playing tennis in high school this year. We are all looking forward to learning about a new sport. 

 

Live Action Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney Movies! So, when I saw that it was coming out again as a live action movie, I was really excited to see it. Abby and Emmy each brought a friend, and we went. It did not disappoint. The movie was still fabulous, and the songs are so good. We had a great time!

 

Emmy's School Physical

Emmy had her school physical with Dr. David. She got a clean bill of health. She was 4ft 6 inches and weighs about 65 lbs. She is a ways behind on height compared to the other Lutz children but Dr. David still thinks she will be on the tall side. Lucky for her there were no shots so this was an easy appointment!