Racoon Issue

The dogs were going absolutely nuts barking at one of the bushes in the yard. No matter how much I called, they wouldn’t come inside. My first thought? Snake. We’ve had them in that exact bush before, so I grabbed the end of a shovel and started poking around, just in case.

Well, it wasn’t a snake—but whatever it was, it was not happy. Something in the bush started growling. My next guess was that maybe the dogs had cornered a neighbor’s cat, which had me even more stressed. I got down to try and see what was going on and came face to face with a very large, very angry raccoon.

Yikes.

I managed to bribe Scout into the house with a treat, but Lucy wasn’t giving up the fight so easily. I half-carried, half-dragged her inside before she got herself bitten. I figured I’d give the raccoon an hour or so to move on.

An hour later, Caleb got home and I told him I needed help, which was met with the usual teenage groans. But the moment I mentioned it was a raccoon, he instantly snapped into action. I’ve never seen him move so fast.

He grabbed the .22 and headed out. Turns out, this raccoon was massive—and it took multiple shots to bring it down. When the job was done, I told him he had to get rid of it. To my surprise, he didn’t argue once. I don’t think Caleb has ever been so eager to help in his life.

 

Easter Baskets

You are never too old for Easter Baskets. I always have fun putting together baskets for the kids even though we don't have anyone that believes in the Easter Bunny anymore. 

 

Senior Prom

It’s hard to believe, but Bryce and Caleb just attended their senior prom—marking the final chapter of a high school tradition that somehow felt so far away just a few short years ago.

The boys looked sharp all dressed up, a reminder of how quickly they’ve grown up. It’s not every day we get to see them in something other than golf shirts and sneakers, and they definitely pulled off the formal look with style.

They met up with friends for pictures at Ashley Gruber’s house—smiles, suit jackets, and the usual last-minute tie fixes. From there, they headed to Lazlo’s for dinner, a little pre-prom tradition to kick off the night.

It was one of those full-circle moments—watching them laugh with friends, surrounded by people who’ve been part of their journey since elementary school. As bittersweet as it is, it was also a night to celebrate how far they’ve come and how much lies ahead.

They all look so nice!

This group of boys have been friends for a long time. They are pretty good kids and look out for each other. 

This is Bryce and Bree's 3rd prom together. They have dated almost the entire way through high school. I can't believe they are graduating this year.

 

Caleb's New Car

Caleb has been driving Orville’s old green truck ever since he got his license. It’s definitely served its purpose and been a reliable vehicle for him but let’s just say, he’s ready for something that looks a little nicer. That green truck has seen its fair share of “learning experiences.” It got Caleb through the years of backing into cars in the school parking lot, hitting a pillar while picking Abby up from dance, rear-ending Brody, and even backing into Grandma Jody’s car. Thankfully, he has become a better driver-at least we hope so.

Over the past year, Caleb has been working hard at the golf course and has sold a surprising number of golf clubs. He finally saved up enough money to start looking for a new car. We spent weeks reviewing every single listing he sent our way. Buying a car is already a painful process—but with Caleb’s hyper-fixation on every detail, Robb and I were more than ready for the search to be over.

We thought we had found the one. Caleb and I test drove a car he really liked, and I asked the seller point-blank if it had a clean title. He said yes. But when Robb and Caleb went back the next evening to finalize the deal, it turned out the car had a salvage title. The seller claimed he was “confused” by my question. Needless to say, we walked away—and Caleb was not happy.

Eventually, he found another car. Same year, lower miles, and this time the title was branded for hail damage—not ideal, but not a deal-breaker. The seller was a college student, not a dealer, and actually seemed honest. We pulled up the Carfax report, and everything he told Caleb checked out. Robb and Caleb went to check it out, and this time they came home with a happy Caleb and a new (to him) car.

 

Science Fair

Emmy, Alice, and Olivia participated in the school’s Science Fair this year. While it’s optional, it’s always exciting to see what the kids come up with. This time, the girls decided to take charge of their project and create Lemon Volcanoes. They learned that by adding baking soda to a lemon, you can trigger a reaction as the lemon "erupts" with fizzing juices. Although Robb tried to explain pH levels to them, the girls weren't too interested in the details. However, they grasped the basic concept: when you mix an acid (like lemon juice) with a base (like baking soda), a chemical reaction occurs.

They got to demonstrate the experiment to all the other kids who stopped by their booth. The highlight was adding food coloring to the lemons, turning their volcanic eruptions into a rainbow of colors. By the time Emmy came home, she looked like a Smurf from all the colorful mess—proof that they had fun with their project!

 

The Big Ten Tournament

Bryce has attended the Big Ten Tournament as his Christmas gift for the past five years. He loves watching basketball, analyzing the brackets, and spending time with his grandparents during the week. This year, they also invited Bree to join them, and she was thrilled—she had always wanted to go. They flew from Lincoln to Indianapolis on their own and did just fine. I was a bit nervous about it, but that’s just because I’m the mom! They attended all the games, which meant a lot of basketball, enjoyed some great meals at fun spots around the city, and explored the sights. Overall, they had an amazing time.

 

Happy 90th Grandpa Jim

Today, we celebrated my Grandpa Jim’s 90th birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s 90! Over the last five years, he’s started to seem a bit older, but until then, it felt like he had always been the same ol’ Grandpa Jim I’ve known forever. He now rents out the farm, but he’s still involved in a lot of the day-to-day activities, just to keep busy. Grandma, who turned 88 just a week before, was also part of the celebration. It’s really special to have grandparents that my kids have gotten to know so well.

Grandma has become more frail in recent years and uses a walker to get around. She’s always with Grandpa, so you don’t always notice how her memory is fading. Grandpa’s great at finishing her sentences or filling in the blanks, but when you talk to her alone, you realize just how much she struggles to remember things.

It was also nice to catch up with people I don’t see often. Moses was still around from the funeral, so we had some good conversations. I also got to see Cobin and his family, Brandon, Jan Strope, and many others.

Some of my favorite memories of Grandpa are from when we would go out to count the cows every morning. We had no idea how he kept track of them or knew which ones he’d already counted. But the best part was getting tossed around in the truck as we drove through the fields. We’d bounce all over the place, hitting our heads on the ceiling, holding on for dear life.

Grandpa also had an appetite for sweet corn when we stayed there in the summer. He’d eat three or four ears in one meal, and we always laughed and called him a combine because he’d eat it so fast and in perfect, straight rows.

One time, when I was around 10, Grandpa took me to check an irrigation line during a thunderstorm. As he climbed up the metal irrigation system in the middle of the lightning storm, he yelled down, “If anything happens, take the truck and get Grandma.” Now, being a city kid with No driving experience, the thought of me driving at 10 years old was completely ridiculous. Thankfully, nothing happened!

Staying with Grandma and Grandpa during the summer was always so much fun. We’d help Grandma in the garden, and bottle-feeding a calf was always our favorite activity—even though Grandma and Grandpa were never thrilled when they had to do it. We’d also rummage through the spare room, trying on old clothes of Mom’s and Debbie’s from high school.

Steph, Moses, Grandpa, Erin, Mitch

 

Boys State Basketball

The Varsity Basketball team made it to State again this year, which is an incredible accomplishment. These boys have been to State the last few years, but they’ve always fallen short to Skutt Catholic. This year, their first round was against Pius, and their coach jokingly said they had to "make it through heaven" to win the tournament, since both Pius and Skutt are Catholic schools.

Caleb has loved being part of this team for the last four years. He really enjoys working with the assistant coaches and has become their right-hand man for many things. He works hard behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly and is always there to cheer on the players throughout the game.

The team didn’t seem to be playing their best in the first game, and I’m not sure if nerves were getting the best of them or if they were just off that night. I jokingly told Robb that maybe we had fed them too much—since, from the moment they won districts and were headed to State, the moms have been planning to provide almost every meal until they lose.

With just 30 seconds left in the game, the score was tied. Then, in a dramatic moment, senior Barrett Boesiger made a half-court shot with just one second left to win the game. It was such an exciting finish. The team went wild, tackling him in a dog pile as the crowd cheered him on. A few people even shared some great photos they’d taken of Caleb and the team during the celebration.

The next night, the team was hyped up to face Skutt Catholic—our archrivals. We’ve lost to them three years in a row at State, so I was really hoping they could pull it off for the senior boys. The game was intense, with both teams playing incredibly well. It was a heartbreaker when they lost in the last 10 seconds, but the boys went from such a high to such a low in just a matter of hours. The team had been featured on ESPN and other sports talk shows, and then they suffered a tough loss.

I’m sure these boys have felt a whole range of emotions over the past 24 hours. Despite the loss, they played their hardest and showed so much heart. They are great kids, and I'm glad that Caleb got to be a part of this team this season. Go Titans!

Emmy and her friend Audrey cheering on the team.

 

Happy Pi Day

Any holiday, even one as quirky as a math holiday, is worth celebrating—especially if it involves pie! So, as we do every year, we had chocolate pie to celebrate 3.14.

Abby, Emmy and Emmy's friend Alice were the only kids around to celebrate tonight.

 

Big Ten Travel Day

Bryce and Bree went to the Big Ten Tournament this year. Bob and Susie invited Bree as part of her Christmas present, and she’d been excited about it ever since! Since they had Senior Night for Show Choir last night, the decision was made for them to fly out to Indianapolis Wednesday morning to make it to the first game that evening.

Bryce had never flown alone before, and he usually gets a little nervous when flying with us. Bree, on the other hand, seemed pretty confident about the whole thing, which I’m sure helped ease Bryce’s nerves. Although, I did see a picture of Bryce eating two breakfast burritos the size of his head, so I’m not sure that was the smartest thing to do before getting on a plane!

They had sent their big suitcases with Bob and Susie, who had driven down, so they only needed to bring a carry-on. Bryce asked me how much liquid he could bring and how to pack everything correctly. I dropped him off at Bree’s house at 5:50, and Gina took them to the airport. Later that morning, I got a text from Bryce saying he had to throw away his toothpaste and face wash. I was confused because he was under the liquid limit, and he only had one baggie full. His response? "We had too many liquids." I guess Bree had more than enough, so in true good boyfriend fashion, Bryce tossed his toothpaste and mediocre face wash to make room for her expensive shampoo, conditioner, and makeup. That cracked me up more than it probably should have!

They made it to Indianapolis without any problems. They even had a layover in Chicago, where they had to switch planes and terminals. Bob and Susie picked them up, and from the pictures, it looks like they’re getting properly spoiled. Bryce was pretty disappointed, though, because Nebraska didn’t make it to the tournament this year. He was bummed because he has a ton of Husker gear and wasn’t sure if he still wanted to wear it now that they weren’t competing.