Girls State Basketball

One of the things I love most about Norris is how the younger kids get to cheer on the high school teams and truly feel a part of the community. This year, the girls' basketball team made it to state, and Bree is on the team. We try to attend as many games as we can to support her, and it's always exciting to watch. For the state game, the school lets the kids leave early so they can go cheer on their team. Emmy and her friends even brought Bree's sign from last year to hold up in support. While they lost in the first round, making it to state is still an incredible achievement. Congratulations to Bree and the entire girls' team on such a great season!

Bree cutting down part of the net when they won their district final.

The student section theme was construction so Bryce was there in yellow. It is fun to see how excited the student section gets!

Emmy and her friends cheering the team on when they weren't at the concession stand.

 

Hurt at Basketball

Today, we played against an especially physical team, and of course, the referee was a teenager who looked like he might have had a long night before the game. He called absolutely nothing, and it seemed like the quicker the game ended, the better off his life would be. At one point, a referee from another court even called a foul on our court. After multiple fouls and three injuries, the parents started to voice their concerns, urging him to get the game under control.

Maci, one of Emmy's friends, got hurt, another girl got injured, and then Emmy hurt her shoulder. She was running down the court when she got sidelined and she tripped over the ball and fell hard on her shoulder. She was crying pretty badly and obviously upset. Since it was a Sunday at 4:30 p.m., I decided to take her to urgent care just to be safe, so we wouldn’t have to deal with an ER visit in the middle of the night if something was broken.

By the time we got there and waited—forever—it was clear that she was fine. At that point, I knew she hadn’t broken anything since she was joking around and moving her arm, but we were already checked in and had paid our co-pay, so we decided to wait it out. When the nurse practitioner finally came in, she confirmed that everything was fine and recommended icing it. At least Emmy got a sucker out of the deal! I guess I should tell her that we could of got an entire bag of suckers and more for the amount of the co-pay!

 

Bridal Shower

We had a bridal shower for Taylor, who is getting married soon. It’s always fun to get together outside of work, even though it doesn’t happen very often. Emmy came with me, and she ended up being like a big sister to a bunch of the little girls. She had a great time helping watch them, and all the little girls absolutely loved her. There was a chocolate fountain that everyone enjoyed, especially the little ones. I’m so lucky to have such amazing co-workers, who I also consider friends.

 

Show Choir Weekend and Some Car Damage

This weekend was the Fields of Talent Show that Norris hosts every year. Mom came down to watch Bryce and Bree perform, and she also spent time with the girls while I was busy working at the event. I usually volunteer in the kitchen, helping with breakfast and lunch service—it’s always a little chaotic, but also a lot of fun working alongside the show choir kids.

While I was helping out, Mom took the girls to Scooters for coffee and breakfast, and they even fit in a little shopping. That evening, we all went to watch the finals and the Norris groups perform. They did such a great job! This show is always one of the most fun to watch, and Mom is always impressed with how well all of the schools perform.

We dot a picture of Mom and the kids except Bryce was too tired and was sleeping on the couch. 

We had to get a picture that included him too even though he was sleeping on the couch. The kids all thought it was pretty funny!

It was a fun weekend, but unfortunately it ended with some drama—and some car damage. Mom had parked in the grass off the driveway, and Caleb, who’s used to pulling out quickly in his pickup and whipping around to turn it, didn’t realize her car was there. Crash. The back quarter panel of her car was a mess.

Caleb felt horrible and came in to tell us right away. He was understandably upset, knowing he’d be responsible for paying for it or at least the insurance deductible. Accidents happen, and with two teen drivers, this wasn’t our first time navigating something like this.

The real challenge came with Mom’s reaction. Her car is older and we do carry insurance, so there was never any question about getting it fixed or turning it in. But for insurance reasons, we decided it would be best to say that I had been driving. That way, Caleb wouldn’t have an accident on his record, which could cause our premiums to skyrocket. The coverage and outcome were exactly the same, but Mom became very uncomfortable with the idea of not being completely straightforward.

On top of that, she was worried that because Caleb’s truck only carries liability insurance, her car wouldn’t be covered. Even though we tried to explain, her anxiety over the situation just kept growing. We wanted to be understanding—it was, after all, our child who caused the damage—but Robb and I were admittedly losing patience with the endless questions and the lack of understanding about how the insurance actually worked.

Unfortunately, the situation didn’t end quickly or easily. When Mom took her car in for estimates, the insurance company decided to total it out because of its age. The problem was, she knew she wouldn’t be able to find another car in as good of shape—or as nice—for the amount they were offering. I was frustrated, both with her and with the situation in general.

In the end, she decided to take the payout for the total loss, then buy the car back for less and have someone repair it. It worked out, but not without months of stress and drama along the way!

Welcome Home

This is what post-vacation looks like at our house—so much luggage, not to mention the mountain of laundry. Washing all the ski gear for the next trip takes quite a while! On top of that, all my plants were incredibly thirsty, so they got a much-needed soaking.

 

Lets Visit the Urgent Care in Colorado

This vacation has been both amazing and disastrous all at once, so we figured, why not add one more little bump in the road? Early on, Abby mentioned that she had an itchy spot on her side. I didn’t think much of it—it's winter, and everything is so dry. I gave her some lotion and told her to apply it. But each day, it seemed to get a little worse. I picked up some Benadryl cream from the store and told her to use that. She went in the hot tub, and that night, it looked significantly worse.

When she came to show me, her entire torso was covered in a rash, no longer just one or two spots. It didn’t look like dry skin anymore. I had her shower off all the chlorine, then reapply the Benadryl cream. But the itching was making it hard for her to sleep, so the next morning, Abby and I headed into town to visit the Urgent Care.

Thankfully, the reason we were going to Urgent Care was for a rash and not for someone breaking a bone during skiing. The doctor looked at the rash and then asked if we were okay with her taking a picture to consult dermatology. She offered an antiviral medication, but I wasn’t too excited about putting Abby on that. Instead, she prescribed a steroid to help with the flare-up and a topical cream to soothe the itching.

Later that day, the doctor called us back with an update: they believe Abby has Pityriasis Rosea, a skin condition caused by a virus that had been dormant in her body for the past couple of months. The virus reactivates and triggers an autoimmune response that causes the rash to flare up. Poor Abby and her autoimmune issues.

We had a great time in Colorado, even though there were a few bumps along the way. That’s why it’s a trip and not a vacation, right? It’s always a blast to be in the mountains, where the view from the window is nothing short of stunning. Any week where we don’t have to work and get to spend time with the kids, the in-laws, and AJ is a good week in my book. So, goodbye for now, Colorado—until next time!

Time to return the skis and say goodbye.

 

We Thought Abby Got Kidnapped

The week has been going well, and we've gotten more comfortable at the ski lodge, so we've started letting the kids come and go as they please for the most part. The boys ride the bus to the ski area whenever they’re ready to start their day, and Bryce usually comes back for a nap and a snack. We’ve had Abby go with one of the boys or us when she takes the bus. It’s nice to have the freedom to let everyone do what they want—whether that’s hitting the bunny hill, skiing the regular mountain, taking a nap at the cabin, or going to the lodge to warm up. We typically meet up for a late lunch to discuss plans for the rest of the day.

One day, we snagged a table in the lodge and all ate together, talking about what everyone would do next. We agreed we’d get a group photo outside before splitting off. Abby had a cup to return to the cafeteria upstairs, and I was heading to the bathroom. We were going to meet outside after that—at least, that’s what everyone else thought the plan was.

I finished in the bathroom, grabbed my things, and headed outside, but when I got to our table, everyone had already cleared out. I waited for Abby, but she didn’t show up. After a few minutes, I went back to check the bathrooms. No Abby. I checked back at our table—still no Abby. By now, I was starting to get worried, but I figured maybe I was just missing her in the crowd. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer. Robb and I checked Life 360, the tracking app, only to find that her location had been turned off five minutes earlier. That’s when panic set in.

Bob went to the other side of the lodge to look for her. Caleb went to the bunny hill, Bryce checked if her skis were gone, and I was the frantic mom yelling into every bathroom stall. Robb had Emmy with him and was looking outside. It had been 15 minutes, and we couldn’t find her anywhere. Susie went to talk to security, and by this point, we were all really worried. This was so unlike Abby—she would never just disappear like that.

We kept calling her over and over again, but still no answer. In my head, I was imagining some guy had grabbed her, and she was too polite to scream, especially if he had threatened her. Her location was turned off, and I feared she was being taken somewhere by someone we didn’t know.

Finally, we got a call from Bryce—he had found Abby, happily skiing the bunny hill over and over again by herself, completely oblivious to the panic she had caused. When we found her, I immediately started bawling, and Robb fell backward into a snowdrift with his hands over his face. The last time I felt this way was when we lost Caleb at a Saltdogs baseball game. It’s the most terrifying and helpless feeling in the world.

We had a serious talk with Abby, who apologized but didn’t seem to fully understand how scared we all were. I don’t think she realized the gravity of the situation until Grandpa—who is always so kind to her—told her she really needed to make sure she was listening to the plans and staying where she was supposed to be. Turns out, if you’re always nice to her, any hint of negativity, even when said with love, will make her cry. She felt so bad that Grandpa was worried, and she cried and cried.

I’m still not sure what happened with her location services being turned off, but it made me believe, for a moment, that she had been kidnapped.

 

Super Bowl Day

Super Bowl Sunday was a bit quieter on the slopes since most people were eager to get home and watch the big game. With shorter lines and beautiful weather, we managed to get in a few good runs this morning. Afterward, we headed home to make dinner and settle in for the Super Bowl. Robb, Bryce, Caleb, Andy, and Bob are all Chiefs fans, so this game was a big deal for them. Emmy was excited too, but for a different reason—since Travis Kelce from the Chiefs is dating Taylor Swift, she hoped they might show her favorite singer during the game.

Everyone had on their Chiefs gear, and Emmy was proudly wearing a sweatshirt that said "Go Taylor’s Boyfriend." This definitely got under the boys' skin a bit, but I think it’s hilarious!

 

Skiing Fun

Emmy was finally starting to feel better, so we decided to give skiing a try today. The weather was perfect while we were there—not too cold during the day, and we even got a light dusting of snow at night. Bob worked with AJ on the bunny hill, this was AJ's first time ever skiing. It's definitely a challenge when you're older and taller—your skis feel awkward, and it's harder to get up when you fall. Plus, you’re not small enough to just get picked up by the person helping you. This is something Emmy had the advantage of when she was learning early on. The perk of her being so little was that I could easily scoop her up and keep going.

I stayed on the bunny hill with Abby and Emmy for the first part of the day. There's always a learning curve the first time you put your skis on for the year. We also missed Brook, who is usually Emmy's personal ski valet. Brook always makes sure her socks are right, her boots are buckled properly, and that everything “feels okay.” So, this year, that job fell to me—and I’ll admit, I’m not nearly as patient about it as Brook! I'm sure my kids would all agree that I’ve said, “Ski boots are not supposed to be comfortable, just suck it up and wear them if you want to have fun!”

We got these balaclava hoods this year, and they’ve been great! Abby even cut braid holes in hers—it's adorable! Bryce and Caleb like to wear jerseys over their coats, and I actually love it because it makes them so easy to spot on the slopes.

After spending the morning on the bunny hill, the girls and I ventured down a couple of green runs, which was a blast. Robb spent the afternoon with them on the bunny slope while I skied some greens and blues with Bryce. Caleb is a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to skiing—he doesn't like waiting for anyone or worrying about anyone else. If you want to ski with him, you have to just catch up with him when you can. Everyone else, though, likes to buddy up and ski together.

I don’t think AJ made it off the bunny hill yet, but Bob is hopeful for tomorrow. All in all, it was a fun day on the slopes—lots of skiing, laughs, and family time.

 

Skiing Day 1

We made it to our cabin without anyone killing each other! The place is great and will be perfect for all of us. It’s really convenient, too—just a little ways up the road is a bus stop where you can catch the Keystone bus, which takes you right to the lifts. Caleb didn’t want to wait, so he headed out to the slopes at opening time. Robb, Bryce, and Abby were a bit slower and ended up missing the bus, so they got left later than they had planned.

The decision was made for me to stay with Emmy and see how she was feeling. She was still short of breath from walking pneumonia, and I didn’t want to push her. She hadn’t even had 48 hours of antibiotics yet, so we decided to take it easy. We got our ski clothes on and decided to go on an "Alpine walk." Totally something I made up, but I really just wanted to see how she handled the altitude. For a healthy person, it can be hard to catch your breath up here, so I thought it would be a good test for her.

We had a good time! We found some enormous icicles, and Emmy had a blast carrying them around. We didn’t stay out too long, but I think she’s feeling better overall. We rested for a bit, and we might try skiing for a little while later.

 

Ski Trip Drama

There are moments when it feels like the world is working against you, and you start to wonder if what you want to do just isn’t meant to be. That’s exactly how we were starting to feel about our Colorado ski trip before we even left. Emmy had been sick on and off for about two months. Strep throat, then antibiotics, and she’d get better—until a week later when she’d be sick again. If it wasn’t strep, it was the flu, congestion, or a cough. Robb had taken her to urgent care yet again, and they said it was just congestion and a cough. After multiple days of school missed, I finally took her to the pediatrician.

We saw a new PA, and I’m pretty sure she’s now labeled our file as 'mom is a B.' She swabbed Emmy’s throat and said it wasn’t strep. That’s when I almost lost it. Emmy looked awful, she felt worse, and we still didn’t have answers. I said, 'Is all we care about Strep? Can we maybe dig a little deeper because clearly, this child is really sick?' So, we got some blood work done and a chest x-ray. And guess what? My mom instincts were right—Emmy had pneumonia. Poor girl. She got antibiotics, cough meds, and breathing treatments. This was one day before we were supposed to leave for the trip.

But Emmy wasn’t the only one sick. Susie had a UTI that wasn’t responding to antibiotics, and her lab work looked awful. The doctor was concerned about sepsis. Not something to mess around with. So, instead of leaving on the planned day, they had to stay in town for a couple more days to get another round of antibiotics and monitor her labs.

Now, the problem was that we usually have a child or two ride with grandma and grandpa, since we take the truck. In theory, it fits our family—but really, only in theory. You shove three people up front and three in the back, and it gets tight. The thought of an 8-9 hour trip like that wasn’t exactly appealing, but we did what we had to do. Was it pretty? No! There was some fighting, a few times where I had to ride in the middle (even though Emmy has the shortest legs) just to keep the peace. It was a LONG drive.

As we got closer to the mountains, Bryce started feeling carsick, and Abby started crying at the thought of him getting sick by her. Looking back, it’s kind of funny, but at the time, it felt overwhelming. We pulled over in the mountains, and I sat in the back with the boys so Abby wouldn’t have to sit next to a potential puker.

So, yeah, you can see how it felt like the universe might be telling us this vacation wasn’t meant to be. But nope! We had lift tickets, a place rented, and time off work. By God, we were going to Colorado whether it killed us or not!

Robb and the girls in the front.

Bryce sleeping and trying not to look out the window because it made him carsick.

This was the pharmacy of meds that we had to bring for the trip.

 

Emmy turns 10

It’s hard to believe our youngest is turning 10! From the moment you arrived, you’ve been a force—capturing the hearts of all five of us and quickly becoming the director of our household.

You have the most incredible personality—tenacious, vibrant, and a natural-born leader. You’re a loyal friend who looks out for others, and when you set your mind to something, there’s no stopping you. Thankfully, you’re also a rule-follower, which serves you well both at home and in school.

On the basketball court, you’re a powerhouse; at home, you’re my favorite snuggle buddy on the couch. You love basketball, horseback riding, reading, crafts, and baking. You’re an animal lover through and through, always doting on your dogs and bunny. And, of course, we can always count on you for your endless after-school snacks—you are the ultimate “snacky snacker.”

You enjoy Taylor Swift, Outer Banks, Me and the Walter Brothers, and so many other things that make you uniquely you. Our family simply wouldn’t be the same without your big personality, your heart, and your energy.

We are beyond thankful for you, Emmy. Happy 10th Birthday! 💕

On your actual birthday day you had basketball so the day before we went to Paint Yourself Silly to paint pottery. This is a favorite fun place for you and Abby. We always have a good time. Abby painted an ice cream bowl and you painted a coffee mug. We had a fun evening painting!

When it came time to open your gifts, you got some really fun surprises! One of your favorites was a Chiefs sweatshirt that says “Go Taylor’s Boyfriend!”—you were so excited about it. Your dad was just as thrilled, since it means you’re occasionally willing to watch part of a football game with him, even if it’s only to see if Taylor shows up on screen. You also got a cool LEGO set and some craft kits to keep you busy with the things you love.

For your actual birthday you and your team played baketball and you got a win! Way to go!

Your supper choice was Canes Chicken. We all joined you in eating Texas toast and chicken and fries. 

This year, your birthday dessert wish was a giant cookie. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about whether it would bake all the way through—but it turned out perfectly! Paired with ice cream, it was absolutely delicious.

Here’s to a wonderful year of being 10, Emmy—I hope it’s your best one yet! 💕