First Concert

I’m not sure why we’ve never taken the boys to a concert before, but they’ve never gone, so when Bryce asked to attend one, I was a little hesitant. Of course, at this age, he didn’t want to go with us, but with a group of friends. He’d managed to switch his work schedule, and he hasn’t given us any reason not to trust him, so I guess he was going to the concert.

They went to see Gavin Adcock, a country singer known for getting a little rowdy at his shows. The concert was at the Steelhouse in Omaha. Since he was going with a good group of friends, and after reviewing the safety rules, he was free to go. I asked Robb what we needed to talk to him about beforehand, and Robb just laughed. I’m definitely a worrier! I told Bryce not to leave his drink unattended, to which he replied, “1. I’m too cheap to buy water at the concert, and 2. I don’t think I’m the target audience for a date rape drug.” Touche.

I also warned him to be careful about getting too close to the front so he didn’t get squished. Robb looked at me, rolled his eyes, and whispered, “Get as far to the front as possible—that’s where the fun is.” Clearly, Robb and I enjoy concerts a little differently.

They all made it to the concert and came home together. Bryce got his first taste of what a concert is really like: he got beer thrown on him as people tossed it toward the stage, there were a couple of fights (thankfully, they stayed out of them—4 rich white boys don’t have much street cred!), and someone in front of him puked all over. All in all, it was a pretty memorable night. The best part? Bryce got to break in the cowboy boots he got for Christmas.

 

Chromebook Mishap

The kids get Chromebooks starting in their freshman year and keep them through their senior year. Of course, Caleb doesn’t always take the best care of his—often leaving it in his car when it’s too hot or too cold. He and the others tend to toss them around and beat on them when they’re frustrated.

One day, Caleb was typing an essay in his first-period class and had his Chromebook plugged in. He thought it smelled a little funny but didn’t think much of it. Then, in his next class, they had a quiz. He plugged the Chromebook in again, but this time, it started to smoke! He raised his hand and told the teacher that he couldn’t take the quiz because his Chromebook was on fire. The teacher, thinking it was a joke, said, “Nice try, Caleb.” But when they looked at the Chromebook, they immediately had him unplug it and take it to the IT guy. The IT guy was intrigued enough to open it up right then.

Not entirely sure what went wrong, but Caleb ended up with a new charging port, a new charger, and the bonus of skipping the quiz! Honestly, I’m just glad it happened when someone was watching it and not just sitting on his bed in the basement. Leave it to Caleb to set his computer on fire in his senior year!

Cold Day

This week has been so cold that the kids had two late-start days and one snow day. However, the dogs don’t seem to understand that it’s too cold to go outside, and they’ve been relentless about wanting to go for a walk. I finally gave in, bundled up in all the gear, and took them to Hickman Park. We were the only ones there—go figure. The cold kept everyone else away, so the dogs didn’t even need to be on leashes. We made the loop around the park, and they ran and ran. A couple of times, Scout’s toes got too cold, so I had to put her back on the path that was cleared. Lucy never seems to mind the cold, but every so often, it seems like it bothers her joints, and she moves a little slower than usual. Poor old puppy.

 

HyVee Job

Bryce got a job at the Hy-Vee store on 70th and Pioneers, working in the deli. He had been putting off getting a job for a while and needed a little push from us to start looking. He applied at Hy-Vee, had an interview, and was hired for the deli. There were a couple of departments he could have worked in, but he was most excited about the deli because he enjoys working in the food area.

Hy-Vee required him to complete two days of computer training, which he found terribly boring. But once he finally got to work in the deli, he said he thinks it’s something he’ll like—or at least not mind. His tasks include waiting on customers, weighing out the meat and cheese they want, and putting price tags on the items. He works the closing shift, from 4:30 to 8:30, so a lot of his time is spent cleaning up and putting things away.

One day, he had to get a big ham out of the plastic wrap. It was pressed ham in water, and he said it was the grossest thing ever. He described it as looking like a giant pink booger! So, I’m guessing he won’t be purchasing that kind of meat anytime soon!

 

Emmy's 11th Birthday Party

Emmy celebrated her birthday with her friends at Mahoney Park. We hadn’t been here in a couple of years, but this place is always so much fun! We started with ice skating, and it turns out Robb and I were the best skaters in the group, so we were tasked with helping keep the girls from falling. Alice was a bit hesitant, so we held her hand to guide her. Emmy and Audrey eventually gave up trying to stay on their feet and were perfectly fine spending half the time on the ground.

After ice skating, the girls moved on to sledding. There were a few hills that were good for sledding, though they were a little icy. The girls piled onto one sled and tried to go down together. After a couple of failed attempts, they finally made it to the bottom, though their butts were sore from all the bumps. Abby was a great sport and joined us. She brought her friend Maggie, who was up for all the adventurous activities too.

Last but not least, we headed to the climbing wall. Abby and Maggie had both tried it before and said they remembered it being easier when they were younger. It was a slow start for most of the group, but they slowly started to get the hang of it. We also discovered that some climbing routes were much harder than others. Robb, the forever kid, was the first—and only—one to make it to the top. Once he was up there, he was too afraid to trust the pulley system to lower himself, so he ended up climbing most of the way down.

I was surprised that not only Emmy and her friends but all the girls wanted to play at the play center before we left. In my head, all I could think was that it was the biggest petri dish of germs, but they didn’t seem to mind. Abby and Maggie even joined in. They chased each other and screamed for a while before we headed back home. This place is always a great spot for a party, with plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained.

Emmy kept her party small this year so she could have it at Mahoney. We told her that if she wanted to do Mahoney and have a sleepover, she’d need to keep it small. Honestly, she’s narrowed her friend group down to just a few girls she really enjoys hanging out with, and that’s perfectly fine. These girls were sweet and fun to have over.

At home, we had pizza, followed by cake and ice cream. Emmy had requested a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I told her that cream cheese frosting is hard to decorate with, but I would do my best. The cake turned out pretty cute, and she was happy with it. Emmy and her friends have reached an age where we don’t feel the need to supervise the sleepover too closely. They were tired enough that they didn’t stay up all night, so we went to bed while they hung out and watched movies until about midnight.

Senior Night for Basketball

The basketball team celebrated Senior Night at the Friday night game. Caleb has been the student manager for the varsity team for the past four years. He is very dedicated to his role, attending all practices and games. In the program, under his name, they listed him as the Director of Operations. He has really enjoyed working alongside the coaches, especially Coach Hobza and Coach Penner.

The moms made posters for the boys, and while Caleb didn’t care for the poster and hadn’t asked for it, it was something the basketball moms insisted on. Since I had to make it, I had him stand in front of it for a picture.

The boys all got a picture with their basketballs in front of their senior banners. The underclassmen hosted an ice cream social after the game, where each team member was paired with one of the seniors to talk about their time together. Cooper Rice shared how Caleb was always there, ready to help. He’d set up for practice and pick up afterward, always willing to do whatever was needed and constantly supporting the team.

After the girls' game and before the boys' game, they announced all the seniors on the team, and we walked out there with Caleb. He had written us a really nice card thanking us for our support over the years.

Caleb and his buddy Jace. Jace is the head coaches son and is at all the games. Caleb gets to make sure he stays out of trouble too.

It was a nice recognition for the senior boys! Since it was on Valentine's Day, it wasn’t exactly a romantic dinner, but Caleb did give me flowers (or at least handed them to me) before we walked out to be recognized.

 

Valentine Box

The bonus of having Abby as a driver is that you get a text saying, "Can Emmy and I go to Michaels to get everything to make her Valentine's Day box?" Not only do they go out and get all the supplies while you're working, but they also make the box—and it turns out adorable! When Emmy took it into school, multiple teachers thought she had brought them cake. They decorated a heart-shaped box using Spackle as frosting.

 

Mary's Surprise Party

Mary Lund had a surprise birthday party hosted by Steve, Susie, and some people from their church in Norfolk. We were excited to celebrate with her and catch up with Megan and the kids. Unfortunately, Mary came down with a terrible cold and felt pretty crummy, but she was a good sport about it. I didn’t get any pictures of the birthday girl, but I did snap some funny shots of how much taller our kids are compared to Grammy and Pat! Abby, Emmy, and Grammy were all matching in bright pink, which made for a cute photo.

We also finally got to meet John’s girlfriend—though I’m not sure what that says about our family since we were the very last ones to meet her! Better late than never, though. Caleb, who’s not exactly a kid person, also became the favorite target for the little ones. I’m not sure how much he enjoyed it, but he tolerated it well.

 

Moulin Rouge

My friend Theresa asked if I wanted to go see the show Moulin Rouge with her, and of course, I said yes! I’m always up for seeing a show. Had I ever watched the movie? No. Did I even know it was a movie? Also no. But I was still excited for a night out.

The show was amazing, with some really talented dancing and singing. It was in the cabaret style, so let’s just say the costumes were… adult. We had a great time!

 

Labor of Love

I’ve been embroidering for about a year now and have started moving into working on sweaters and other pieces. I saw some embroidered Converse shoes on Etsy and wasn’t sure if it was something I could do, but I really wanted to give it a try. I wanted it to be a surprise for Emmy, but she’s particular about her shoes and had never worn Converse before, so I wasn’t sure what size to get her. In the end, I decided to tell her my idea so we could order the shoes and make sure they fit.

We went with the pink Converse with bows on the back. It was fun because Emmy helped me pick out the designs and colors. It actually wasn’t as hard to do as I had thought, and Emmy loved them, so I was thrilled!

 

Emmy is 11!

Happy Birthday to our littlest, who isn’t so little anymore! From the moment you were born, you’ve been the boss of the household. You were so tiny and adorable that the kids would do just about anything to keep you happy. Little did they know, you’d get used to that—and still expect it 11 years later. If you aren’t happy, no one is, that’s how you operate.

You have a big personality and you’re not afraid to use it! You direct what needs to happen and when. You’re organized, efficient, and persuasive. When you want something, you make a strong case for it and usually end up getting it.

You’re a wonderful friend and have really helped Alice, who spoke mostly Spanish, make friends and feel more comfortable at school. You’re friends with just about everyone, but you only keep a few really close ones. You’re always up for being my sidekick for the day, whether we’re running errands, shopping, cleaning, or cooking together.

You thrive on one-on-one time because that’s something you don’t always get. My favorite thing to do with you is walk the dogs or go on a morning date for coffee and to the bookstore.

You’re a girl who knows what she wants and won’t let anyone push you around. This attitude and assertiveness will take you far—as long as you use your powers for good and not evil.

Love you 

Emmy!

Favorite Show: XO Kitty, Gilmore Girls

Favorite Singer: Taylor swift

Favorite Season: Summer

Favorite Holiday: Christmas

Favorite Movie: Moana

Favorite food: Tacos

Favorite Dessert: Ice cream cake

Favorite Color: pink

Favorite Store: Target

Best Friend: Alice

Favorite Fast Food: Chick fil A

Favorite Restaurant: Lazlos

Favorite Book: Alone

The tradition of a mini bundt cake on your birthday continues.

You got a mini room makeover for your birthday complete with new paint, bedspread, ( desk from Grandpa Bob), dresser and framed pictures. You also got a Lego set, Converse shoes that I embroidered, water color pencils, craft kit, hoodie etc.

You never get to eat at Canes and it is one of your favorite places so for your birthday we ate there. 

Your request was an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. 

 

Abby and Kaylee's Birthday Party

Abby and Kaylee celebrated their birthdays together and invited a group of friends over to make charm bracelets (yes, these are making a comeback) and hang out. Kaylee started working at the pizza place inside the gas station, so she brought all the pizza, and we had a fruit and veggie tray. We also made a cute little heart-shaped cake for them to take pictures with, along with some cupcakes topped with adorable "16" picks.

These two have been best friends for about seven years, and now that they can both drive, I’m sure they’ll be hanging out even more. Robb jokingly calls Kaylee the "third daughter." She’s laid-back and knows that we’re a little weird, so we can just be ourselves around her.

Group Picture

(back row Alex, Hayden, Breigh, Blair, Abby, Kaylee, Sydnee, Harper)

(front row: Maggie, Taylor, Mya, Mayah)