May 2025

             May is always a busy month as it usually includes many sports and the end of the school year, but this year was a little different with Allison graduating from 8th grade. 

      The biggest thing that the 8th grade does in May is take a trip to Washington, D.C.  They flew out on a Wednesday morning at 6AMand seeing the sights all day until 9PM.  They were up early on Thursday and took a bus to Gettysburg along with seeing more of D.C.  They flew home on Friday evening and she was exhausted and ready for some sleep.  She really enjoyed the trip and it was fun hanging out with her classmates.  Another tradition at the school is May Crowning, which is a special mass for the 8th graders and ends with them putting a crown of flowers on a statue of Mary.  She graduated on the Wednesday after Memorial Day, with a mass at the church and dinner in the gym afterwards.  My mom, Beth, Anna and Randy attended the graduation with us and Allison shared some tears with her friends as the night came to an end. As a graduation present, I took the following day off and went with Allison to Kings Island.  We survived riding roller coasters and water slides throughout the day, along with a cup of coffee on my way home to keep me awake. 

             Chuck & Heather along with the Shafers came to Indy over Memorial Day weekend.  The Shafers stayed with us while Chuck & Heather stayed with the Cyphers.  We were fortunate enough to get parade tickets on Saturday, so several of the group went to that while Randy, Kyle and I went out to lunch and a few beers.  The Cyphers, Randy and Anna, along with Kyle and myself went to the race on Sunday.  Our seats were great and everyone had a good time minus the cold, wet and windy weather.  We left the house around 8AM and got hoaround 7:30PM.  We had a nice lunch the next day at Randy & Anna’s place before the Shafers went home. 

 Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball continued this month, with games being played in her recreational team along with her travel team.  Her last day of school was unique as she rode her bike home with the Sniadecki family and Deb took her and a few kids to get ice cream that afternoon to celebrate another school year.

 Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison’s softball, track and basketball kept her busy just about every day.  She missed most of the track practices, but was able to help them do well in the relays in the city meet.  Softball ended with her having fun with her team as it was her last CYO sport.  She filled in the rest of the month with her IGB basketball team along with some practices at Bishop Chatard. 

 A few more items from this month   I was honored to receive the Msgr. Albert Busald award for CYO volunteer work over the last several years.  It was a great ceremony and appreciate Deb and the Sechrist’s for being there. 

• · When Allison was in D.C., we took Sarah out to dinner at Tomo.  It is a hibachi grill spot that Sarah really likes going to. 
• ·    My mom was in town for Allison’s graduation, Molly’s birthday and Erin’s KG graduation.  She came along to Sarah’s softball game 

  on Friday evening and she and I went to lunch on Tuesday at Sully’s. 
• ·Beth was able to get special access to a Fever practice and invited me to go along.  At the end of the practice, Caitlin Clark came by and we got a chance to take a photo. 
• ·Jeremy and I were fortunate enough to go to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals where the Pacers closed out the series vs. the Knicks. 

April 2025

April 2025

 

            We enjoyed a relaxing spring break in Siesta Key the first week of April.  When we got home, we were quickly back into all the girl’s activities and Debbie had a knee scope to help alleviate some pain she has had for the last several months. 

 

            We flew out to Tampa on the 29th of March and were able to get to our condo by 4PM. The island wasn’t as busy as it normally is due to several of the condos are still under construction due to hurricane damage in 2024.  We hit up our usual places for dinner (Captain Curt’s, The Hub and Spearfish Grill) along with grilling out a few nights.  Debbie and I went to the gym a few mornings, as it is only a mile away or we went on a walk on the beach to start most days.  Allison enjoyed hanging out and getting some sun while Sarah was always ready to do something or go walk and find some of her friends who were just down the beach.  The weather was great the entire time, with the only rain occurring during the first evening.  We stayed in the same condos at the O’Rouke’s, so they decided to pay one of their kids $.50 per sand castle they made.  Well, Sarah and Allison heard that and started helping out and they soon made 600 castles and each kids made $100.  It took them about 5 hours and it was well worth it!  We flew home on April 5th, picked up Timber and got things unpacked. 

 

            On April 10th, Debbie had a knee surgery to clean up her knee that has been bothering her since September.  The surgery went well and she has been recovering since, icing several times a day, doing her exercises and getting back to going to the girl’s events when it makes sense.  While her knee isn’t perfect, she is hopeful to keep the positive progress and be ready for the summer months.  Anna and Randy helped out the first 4-5 days with having plenty food available when we needed it, keeping an eye on Debbie while I was going to the girl’s sporting activities.  

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s birthday was celebrated with a rainout of her softball games, so we took her and some friends out to Panera Bread for lunch and bowling.  Sarah’s softball teams continued practices and games this month and she is enjoying being back on the diamond.  She chipped her one of her teeth this month, which was fixed quickly by the dentist, but will likely be an ongoing problem until she is older and they can be permanently fixed. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison’s softball and track seasons have been challenging as her schedule has her attending basketball practices / games or lifting weights most days.  As an 8th grader, her class performed the Stations of the Cross as part of the Lenten season.  Allison’s birthday was busy with a basketball game followed by dinner at Sahm’s.  She went to her first concert this month with Debbie to see Megan Maroney, her favorite singer.  She got the tickets for Christmas and has been excited for many months.

 

A few more items from this month:

• We celebrated Easter with the Dodsons along with Randy and Anna.  We went to 11:30 mass and came back to our house for lunch. 
• Molly had her first communion this month, and everyone was in town for the special day.  Afterwards, everyone went to the Dodson’s house for lunch and cake, then some of us went to watch Allison play basketball before going back to their house for pizza and some euchre. 
• My mom was in town for a few days to celebrate Molly’s first communion and she and I went to watch Sarah play softball one evening and drove down to Franklin to watch Allison play a basketball game on her birthday. 

March 2025

     During March, we saw the end of the girls CKS basketball seasons end along with Allison’s Jr. Trojans volleyball season.  We started up Sarah’s softball seasons along with Allison’s softball and basketball teams. 

 

            Both girls CKS basketball teams advanced to the city championship in their respective divisions.  Sarah’s team played against another CKS team, so the gym was filled with everyone from the same school.  While Sarah’s team led the game for the first 3 quarters, they ran out of gas and lost by 2.  After the game everyone circled around and said a prayer and took pictures with their team.  We then went to Allison’s game, which they were up by 12 at halftime but then let the lead slip to 3 in the 4th quarter.  Some timely plays helped them get their lead back and they won.  We then went to Binkley’s with several CKS parents to celebrate a fun day. 

 

            Indianapolis hosted the Big 10 men’s basketball tournament this year, so Depp and Rago came to town and Jeremy and I went to the Purdue game on Friday night with them.  We got downtown and enjoyed a few drinks before going into the game and watching the game.  Purdue lost and was never really in the game, but we had fun and it was good to catch up with everyone. 

 

            Later in the month, Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament and it was being hosted in Indy.  Even though we had a flight the next day for spring break, we decided to go to the game.  I was able to get 2 tickets from our bank at work and then we bought 2 more and traded seats back and forth the first game.  After some fans left, we were able to grab a few seats nearby and everyone was together.  Purdue lost on a last second play and we didn’t get home until 1:30AM, but we woke up knowing we would be catching a flight to Florida! 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball teams started up practice in March, with her recreational team starting up and meeting some new girls and her travel team consisting of the girls she has practiced with over the winter months.  Game start in April and she is looking forward to getting out on the field.   

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison’s volleyball team had 2 tournaments in March and continued to practice.  She enjoyed meeting some of her future classmates and working more on volleyball than she ever has.  She also started up her IGB (travel basketball) season with practices and one tournament.  She is enjoying meeting new people and I’m helping out being the assistant coach for the team.  She has also been going over to Chatard for some basketball practices that are allowed for incoming 8th graders and also started lifting weights.  Finally, she registered for her classes and seems excited about her selections. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• Sarah and I went to the “Me and My Guy” dance at CKS.  Allison had a volleyball tournament and couldn’t make it, so Sarah and I had fun with other girls from school and their dads. 
• Debbie and I went out to dinner with John and Carrie Oblazney.  I’ve worked for John in 2 different instances (Hurco & Herff Jones).  He is always available to give some advice on items that I need some help. 

 

February 2025

            February included a lot of volleyball for Allison and basketball for both girls.  Without much else on the calendar for the month, we will focus on the sports. 

 

            I’m coaching Sarah’s 56B team this year and we did better than we expected.  Last year, we didn’t win a game, but this year we have played better.  I always like meeting new families and coaching the girls.  This year, I was able to partner with Phil to coach the team, which has been a great experience (although the girls may not agree!).  As of the end of the month, Sarah’s team was undefeated and so was Allison’s Cadet A team.        

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball team has continued to practice most weekends at an indoor facility.  She has enjoyed meeting some new girls.  The team is gearing up for some tournaments on Sundays in the spring.  She will also play on another team in her league that doesn’t travel to different locations.  She has been playing some good basketball in most games and is very aware of her surroundings when playing help side defense. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison’s volleyball team had 2 tournaments on back-to-back weekends in early February.  She continues to enjoy the friendships she has on the team.  Her basketball team has been playing well and, on a few occasions, she has had to play the full game as some of the girls are missing due to volleyball commitments. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• Deb and some other moms did a great job helping out with the trivia night at the school.  It was sold-out and she powered through even though she wasn’t feeling well that weekend. 
• I went to a Pacers game vs. the Grizzlies with Anderson, Watkins and Wyss.  It was good to see Zach Edey playing well and starting the game. 
• The girls got tickets to the UCONN vs. Butler girls basketball game for Christmas.  It was a chance to see several stars on the UCONN team and the girls had fun watching the game from some good seats. 
• We had a good time celebrating Erin Dodson’s birthday in late February.

January 2025

            January was full of volleyball, basketball and softball.  We had a big snowstorm here that extended Christmas break an extra day followed by some very cold temperatures that has kept the snow around for the entire month. 

 

            We think we got about 10 inches of snow the Sunday before the girls were supposed to go back to school so they had the day off from school.  After doing some e-learning, Sarah was outside playing with her friends in the snow a majority of the day.  Allison was a little more challenging to motivate to go outside, so I decided I would teach her how to cross-country ski with Deb’s equipment.  She and I had fun going around the neighborhood loop. 

 

            For the last few years, we have attended a Purdue men’s basketball game over Christmas break and the girls enjoyed it, but kept asking to go to a game “when the students are there.”  So, we were able to get some tickets from my Aunt Linda for a Big 10 game in January vs. Nebraska.  Purdue won, hit a bunch of 3’s and the girls enjoyed the environment with the student section in full force. 

 

            As one of her Christmas presents, Sarah and Debbie went with some neighbor moms and daughters to see the new women’s professional volleyball team (Indy Ignite).  They said there wasn’t a bad seat in the house and the volleyball was very impressive.  Everyone had fun as it was the opening night of their first season, so there were all kinds of entertainment planned. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah has continued her weekly practices with her softball team as they start to get ready for playing in some tournaments this spring.  Her basketball team won their first game, which was pretty exciting as they didn’t win any games last year. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison has really enjoyed playing volleyball in January with the Jr. Trojans team.  There were 2 tournaments in January and they played well.  Probably the best part for her is experiencing a new sport and making some new friends that will be her classmates next fall.   

 

A few more items from this month:

• I went to the Pacers vs. Cavs game with Jeremy.  I got some tickets through work and I owed him for all the times he has gotten some great seats and invited me. 
• Deb and I went to Woodland bowl for the 6th grade class party.  Deb left around 9 as she was getting up early to take Allison to volleyball the next morning and I hitched a ride and came home after a few beers at KSR. 
• We quietly celebrated my birthday this year.  I got some gifts and we enjoyed some cake.  The following weekend, Deb and I went to Sullivan’s for dinner. 
• The last day of the month, Foulke, Anderson, Wyss and I went out to watch the Purdue vs. IU game.  IU played harder, but Purdue was able to pull it out with great shot by Kauffman Renn in the last 10 seconds. 

 

December 2024

We started off the holiday season by going to Yuletide at the Indianapolis Symphony.  We were fortunate enough to be invited for the last dress rehearsal and had great seats.  Randy and Anna came along this year and we all enjoyed the dinner and drinks that were part of the invite. 

 

            We celebrated Christmas in Indy this year and went to mass on Christmas eve with the Dodsons and Wahmans.  Afterwards, we had everyone (plus Mark) over for dinner and drinks and enjoyed catching up.  Allison and Sarah hung out with Molly & Erin in the basement most of the time while the adults hung out until about 9PM.  On Christmas morning, the girls slept in until 7:30. Sarah got a new softball bat and a bean bag chair.  Allison got tickets to see Megan Maroney in concert in April.  Debbie got a gift card to go to a spa with one of her friends. I received a Yeti cooler.  Later in the afternoon, we went over to the Dodsons along with the Wahmans and Mark.  Molly and Erin did a musical show for us and we brought back a tradition of shooting free throws as a family (even though it was raining).  We got home and watched Christmas Vacation before going to bed. 

 

            The following weekend, the Shafers came to town and they stayed with us on the first night.  Kyle, Randy and I went to Upland for a few afternoon beers before coming home to open presents and eat dinner.  A few of us stayed up a little later than we should have and the next morning Julie, Kyle, Debbie and I went to Orangetheory for a workout.  Afterwards, we made our way up to Randy and Anna’s house and the kids enjoyed pizza with them while Julie, Kyle, Debbie and I went to the Grindstone restaurant in downtown Noblesville. 

 

            On New Year’s Eve, we went with the Verspelts to do an Escape room with the kids in Fishers.  It was a race car themed room and we were able to find our way out.  Afterwards, we went back to their house and met up with some friends from school to watch some college football and ring in the new year.  

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah finished her basketball season with her Jr. Trojan team and has started practicing with her CTK school team.  I’m coaching her team again this year.  She has also had a few softball practices at an indoor facility with her Bluehawk team. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison decided to go out for a Jr. Trojan volleyball team and that started in December.  She made the team and has had fun making new friends from other schools.  Her IGB fall season ended in December and will pick back up in March.  She also has started practicing with her CTK school team. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I made a few trips to Chicago this month as the company I work for acquired a business located in Wooddale. 
• We went to the annual Bassett Christmas party and enjoyed catching up with everyone. 
• We had a few neighborhood families over for some holiday fun the day before school was out.  The kids made gingerbread houses and we had some fun trivia games for everyone. 
• We were fortunate to be invited to have dinner to celebrate Kent Campbell.  We went to Binkley’s and then went to the school parking lot and lit lanterns and watched them float away. 

November 2024

            The month of November had us transitioning from volleyball into basketball for both girls and starting the holiday season off with the celebration of Thanksgiving. 

 

            We celebrated Thanksgiving this year in Ohio with the Vandervaarts, Dodsons and Grandma. We arrived in the afternoon on the Wednesday before the holiday.  We enjoyed some appetizers and then opened some gifts from Grnadma.  Afterwards, we let the cousins hangout in the basement while we caught up in the living room and watched some home videos from when we were kids. Thanksgiving morning, Pete and Laura worked on getting food prepared while the remainder of us went to go see Moana 2.  When we got back, Pete and Laura had things in good shape so we watched some football and basketball on TV.  We were able to situate the table and chairs so everyone could be at the same table and we enjoyed dinner.  Afterwards, the adults had set up a game where the kids would each get a chance to punch 5 “cups” with a prize inside.  We had several individual games where each group would win and get an opportunity to get their prize and then trade with others if they wanted.  The next day, we left around 2PM to head home and ran into some winter weather along the way which slowed us down a little bit.  The holiday weekend was rounded out with Sarah having 2 basketball games on Saturday and Allison having a game on Sunday.  We went to church on Saturday evening and had Randy and Anna over for dinner, to watch some college football and decorate for Christmas. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s fall volleyball team lost their tournament game in early November.  Sarah got a lot better over the season and she really improved her serve.  As mentioned last month, she is playing some basketball with some of her classmates and enjoying being back on the court.  She is also participating in a Sunday evening basketball clinic at Chatard that started in November. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison’s volleyball season ended earlier than expected in their tournament, but she enjoyed the season so much she has continued to go to a few open gyms at Chatard so she can gauge her interest and see how she matches up against other girls.  Her IGB team has played some games and we are hoping that having this time together will help them in the spring season when they start playing in more tournaments.  Allison has been participating as a “ball girl” for the Bishop Chatard girls basketball team during a few games and is enjoying spending more time around the team.  She also took her placement exam for high school this month. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• Debbie and I went out to dinner with Tony & Amy Bultinck at Capri’s on a Saturday evening
• Kyle (Julie’s husband) was in town for work, so he and I went to the Colts game vs. the Bills.  He and I enjoyed hitting up a few spots before the game and having the great seats from Deb’s work. 
• For the first time in several years, we were able to make it to the Watkins’ house for Friends Thanksgiving.  Watkins, Foulke, Anderson, Bleill, Geddes, Wyss and myself were guys from college that were able to make it.
• We also went to the Steffey’s Friends Thanksgiving and enjoyed seeing everyone.