Easter at Lutz's

The Lutz family hosted Easter on Sunday for the big group this year. We attended church at Grace Church, and while the service was very nice, there’s just something special about being at your own church that we missed. When we got home, everyone pitched in to help get things ready for lunch. Grammy is always in charge of the turkey, and Andy handles the drinks, while the rest of us do whatever Susie tells us to do! As always, lunch was delicious—plenty of food, laughter, and good conversation.

It was such a relaxing day spent with family. Taylor and Justin brought their new baby, and everyone enjoyed getting to love on her. The girls had a lot of fun taking turns holding her, and Grammy proved she still has the magic touch—she took a crying baby and had her settled down in seconds.

 

Easter with Mom

Mom hosted Easter at her house for all of us this year, and as always, she went all out. She cooked a delicious meal with all the traditional sides and desserts—ham, cheesy potatoes, homemade rolls, and more desserts than anyone could count. The house smelled amazing the minute we walked in. The kids had fun hanging out together, playing games outside, and, of course, hunting for Easter eggs. The adults enjoyed relaxing, chatting, and catching up around the table while snacking on way too many desserts. It was one of those simple, happy days that remind you how special family gatherings are.

 

Horse Lessons

Emmy has been taking horse lessons from my friend Molly, who teaches at her home. She has a large enclosed arena and several well-trained horses that are patient enough to handle a child rider. This has been the one activity Emmy is always excited to go to—she asks about it every week!

Her favorite horse to ride is Walter. He’s one of the younger horses and has a bit of an attitude, just like she does. Sometimes they’re not the best match because they’re both headstrong and want to do things their own way, but Emmy loves the challenge of riding him. It’s always fun to watch her learn and improve each week.

While I sit in the barn, I usually end up with a cat or chicken wandering over for attention and settling in on my lap. Thursday nights have become something Emmy and I both really look forward to.

Prom Shopping with Boys

Trying to get the boys to shop for a dance is like pulling teeth! I usually start reminding them about a month and a half in advance, and about three weeks before, I pull out my classic line: “If you want us to pay for it, you’ll go shopping with me by this date.” The boys like to put it off as long as possible, and I don’t think they realize they’re not just going to walk into a store and find something off the rack that fits—especially Caleb. He’s a tall kid, so finding pants that fit at Kohl’s isn’t exactly an option.

The one place I can usually get them to shop with the least resistance is Emsuds. The guy there is hilarious, and his wife is great at helping them get everything picked out. Bree had a light blue/light teal dress this year, which wasn’t the easiest color to match, so she brought it along. Bryce ended up with a gray suit, white shirt, and a tie that matched her dress perfectly. Caleb, on the other hand, still refuses to ask anyone to prom, so we didn’t have to coordinate. He went with a blue suit, blue shirt, and a tie with a little pink in it. I’m pretty sure if I had suggested that combo, he would’ve said no right away—but since the owner’s wife picked it out, he trusted her completely.

A few hundred dollars later, we had their outfits—all for a dance they didn’t even want to go shopping for in the first place. Oh, boys!

 

Abby Plays Tennis

Abby’s New Adventure on the Tennis Court

Abby officially hung up her volleyball shoes this year, and we’ve always known basketball wasn’t in her future—mostly because she doesn’t enjoy sweaty people touching her! But in true Abby fashion, she decided to step out of her comfort zone and try something new. This spring, she went out for tennis for the first time.

Her coach, a younger and very enthusiastic guy, did a great job recruiting. He talked up tennis so much that he ended up with the biggest girls’ team Norris has ever had—35 players! The school had to scramble to order extra uniforms and come up with a plan for practices, since one tennis court can only handle so many matches at once. They eventually split the girls into Varsity, Junior Varsity A, and Junior Varsity B.

Even though Abby had never played before, she was eager to learn and quickly discovered that she really enjoys the game—and she’s actually pretty good at it! Robb and I, on the other hand, had to take a crash course in tennis ourselves. We didn’t know a thing about scoring or how matches worked. At the parent meeting, we learned that the girls are responsible for calling out the score before every serve and even calling “outs” on their opponents. We weren’t sure how that would go for Abby at first, but as the season went on, she got more confident and it became easier.

 

Big Ten Tournament

Bryce has been gifted tickets to the Big Ten Tournament from his grandparents for the last couple of years, and it’s something he looks forward to every March. Bryce LOVES basketball—there’s no such thing as too much basketball for this kid—so this trip is right up his alley. This year, the tournament was in Minneapolis. They stayed in an Airbnb downtown and were able to walk or Uber to the games. Being in a new city, they also researched some great restaurants ahead of time and got to try a few fun spots. Bryce is our foodie, so he especially enjoyed exploring new and adventurous places to eat. The Huskers only won their first game, but it was still a fun and memorable long weekend!

 

Learners Permit

Abby is official now. She got her learners permit today. She had to take the written test at the DMV. Abby is our first one to pass it on the first try. She is excited to start driving and getting her 50 hours done so that she can get her school permit. We are about to have our 3rd teen driver in the house. 

 

Steph Turns 40

Steph Turns 40

Steph hit the big 4-0 this year, and in true Steph fashion, she decided to celebrate in style—with a “Death of My Youth” party. Leave it to her to turn a darkly funny theme into an absolutely amazing night!

She hosted the party at a bar in Norfolk that closed just for her private event. There was plenty of great food, laughter, and amazing cupcakes. Guests were asked to dress in black to fit the theme, and everyone went all-in.

Robb couldn’t make it since the Norris Boys Basketball team was still playing in the State Tournament, so I went solo. It was such a fun night getting to meet Steph’s friends, coworkers, and all the people who clearly adore her.

Here’s to 40 years of laughter, creativity, and the best kind of humor. Happy 40th, baby sister!

 

Boys State Basketball

Caleb and the Titans’ Season

Caleb has been the student manager for the Norris Boys Basketball Team since his Freshman year, and it’s been such a rewarding experience for him. Over the years, he’s taken on more and more responsibility, and the coaches truly count on his help to keep things running smoothly. This season, Caleb especially enjoyed working with a few of the coaches who made the experience even more fun.

As student manager, Caleb is at every practice and game—helping set up drills, managing equipment, handling film and stats, and taking care of all the little details that help the team stay organized and focused. He’s proud to be part of something bigger and loves contributing behind the scenes.

This year, the team once again made it to State, and Caleb got to be part of all the festivities that come with it. It was an exciting week filled with energy and memories, even though the Titans’ run ended sooner than they hoped with a first-round loss. Still, the experience was unforgettable, and Caleb is already looking forward to being back on the sidelines next season.