April 2026

Our April started off with Easter weekend.  While we made it to church and had the Dodsons and Cyphers over for lunch afterwards, the weekend was filled with the Final 4 music festival downtown.  On Saturday, Phil and I took Sarah and Zoe, along with Allison and 2 friends down to the concerts.  We saw Russell Dickerson and Zach Brown Band.  On Easter Sunday, Corinne and I took Zoe, Sarah and Allison down to listen to Megan Maroney.  The weather was much nicer on Sunday but everyone had a good time and the girls got to see how crowded a free concert can be, but enjoyed the experience.   

 

            April is always a fun month because we get to celebrate both girls’ birthdays.  Sarah had her 13th birthday and we went to dinner at Benihana’s.  Allison had her 15th birthday and she wanted Chipolte.  Both girls enjoyed cake from Taylor’s bakery and got presents from family and friends.  Sarah went to Top Golf with some friends on her actual birthday because they were out of school due to Easter Monday.  Allison chose to watch a movie on her birthday and selected Mulan. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Most of the games for Sarah’s CKS softball team were in April.  The games were a solid 40 mins away on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.   They had fun and enjoyed playing with their classmates.  Her other softball team (Midtown Machine) had some good games in April and the weather worked out well on Sunday afternoons.  She continues to play 1st, 3rd and outfield and has been making contact at the plate. This team gets along very well, so they all went to support a few of the girls on the team who were in a play on a Friday night this month. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison concluded her CROI volleyball season and made it to all of the basketball practices during the month.  With so many girls playing other sports, there were between 5-10 girls at each practice, so she got a chance to meet some of the incoming freshman and get some repetitions.  She also volunteered at a local food shelter as part of her service hours she needs for her freshman year. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I participated on 2 team “Dri Tri” events this month.  One in Carmel with Jeremy and another member at his studio.  The second one was with Jeremy and Debbie at our studio. 
• I made my quarterly trip to Wisconsin and Illinois for work.  After dinner with the team in Chicago, Rago drove and met me at a local restaurant and we shared some drinks and laughs. 

March 2026

We were lucky enough to go to Dreams Playa Mujeres resort for a week for spring break.  Our direct flight went well and we arrived by 11AM on Saturday the 21st.  There were 4 other families from our school that were also at the resort, that that gave the girls plenty of options of kids to hang out with and they also enjoyed taking part in all of the daily activities.  Each day was similar, with time by the pool during the day, cocktails before dinner and we would eat together and then the kids would go find the evening show.  The weather was fantastic, the food was good and everyone had a great time.  We did run into a few issues with the normal stomach issues that can happen in Mexico, but we didn’t let that dampen our experience as we brought several options to help us with that.  Within a few minutes of arriving, both girls decided that they didn’t want to ever go on a hike or see a national park; and all of our vacations should be to all-inclusive resorts. 

 

            Earlier in the month, both girls had tournaments out of town.  Sarah and I went to Columbus, IN for a few nights.  Her team played 4 games over the weekend and went 2-2.  Pretty sure Sarah’s favorite part of the weekend was socializing with her teammates at the restaurants and hotel.  With several families being catholic, we found a small church to go to mass on Saturday evening and even got a picture with the priest.  Debbie and Allison were in Cincinnati and while Allison’s team struggled, they had fun spending time together.  Her team didn’t all stay at the same hotel, so it wasn’t as chaotic. 

 

            Sarah’s basketball team made it to the championship game and unfortunately, lost by 2.  She had a fun season and improved her shooting.  She found herself guarding girls bigger than her, so she had to learn about just being tougher and getting lower to hold her ground. 

           

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            As her basketball season ended, her school softball team started practicing after spring break.  She is playing softball 5-6 days a week as March ended.  The biggest thing I’ve noticed this year is that she is swinging at good pitches and avoiding bad ones.  That is a big improvement, because last fall she wouldn’t swing much and wait for a walk or strike out.  She has also attended a few basketball practices at Chatard for the incoming freshmen, as they also invited the 7th graders. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison continued her volleyball season and done some weight-lifting at Chatard.  Her “limited contact” basketball starts back up in April.  She seems to have social plans most Fridays after school, where they will walk to Glendale and eat at Culvers, have coffee at Starbucks or walk around Target.  She and Debbie also went to an Indy Ignite volleyball game with her team. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I met my 6th grade basketball coach, Ken Manuel, for coffee.  It has been a few years since we caught up, but we fall back into conversation very easily.  He is a big part of what I am at this point in my life…which I thank him for. 
• I organized a long over-due evening with beers for several guys who had been to the Davis ski house and invited Randy.  Randy, Ben, Tom, Brandon, Ferrand and Jeremy all met out at The District Tap and everyone had fun catching up. 
• We had Randy and Anna over for dinner on his birthday in March.  We grilled out, had a few beers and had some cake. 
• I met up with John Oblazney for breakfast.  He has been a key leader for me over my career and also a sounding board for the last few years as I was working at Dealers Wholesale.  It was great to catch up with him.

February 2026

            We continued the kid’s sports seasons in February with plenty of basketball, volleyball and softball.  Sarah’s basketball season continued and they have won all their games except for 1 in February.  She comes off the bench and does what needs to be done, playing good defense, not turning the ball over and shooting when she is open.  Her “Midtown Machine” team continued to practice throughout the month gearing up for their season to start in March.  Even though Allison’s JV season ended, her team continued to practice with the varsity into sectionals.  She went right into volleyball with her CROI team.  She is on the 15U team and having fun meeting girls from different high schools. 

 

            Debbie and I had a few nights out over the month.  We went to the CKS Kings Gala (which is a fundraiser for the school). It was at the K of C and had a casino theme.  It was a lot of fun, and the casino was run by all veterans, which I thought was awesome.  On Valentine’s Day, we went downtown to see Nate Bargatze with Mike and Laura.  We went out to dinner at Weber Grill beforehand and then stopped at Binkley’s on the way home.  The show was hilarious and we had a great time. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            This month was our first chance to see Sarah play a sport after participating at the Genesis gym.  She does look stronger and faster after going to that gym for the last 4 months.   

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison is appreciating a lighter schedule after going from last summer, into volleyball and straight to basketball.  She has more social things on her calendar and that does require a lot more driving without much planning.   

 

A few more items from this month:

• Aunt Linda gave us Purdue tickets vs. Michigan, and we had a great time.  Purdue lost the game, but the environment was exciting and the girls enjoyed cheering along with the student section.
• I made a trip to Wisconsin on my own to help with a few small financial projects. 
• My mom came to town in late February to celebrate Erin’s birthday and check out some volleyball for Allison and basketball for Sarah. 

January 2026

We had a lot of basketball in January with the end of Allison’s JV season and the start of Sarah’s Cadet season.  Allison’s team continued to have a few regular season games during the month, but the highlight was their city tournament.  They won 3 games in 4 nights to be city champs and celebrated a 35-32 win over Heritage Christian.  Allison contributed by scoring 8 points, several assists and even had a chance to play point guard for part of the game.  Their season ended during an invitational held at Chatard on January 31st. Sarah’s team won both of their games in January and Sarah has hit a few 3 pointers in those games.  She plays good team defense and does her best to provide help-side defense when needed. 

 

            As I mentioned last month, the company I work for was sold to a new partner in mid-December and after the holidays, there has been a lot of things going on.  We enjoyed a nice “closing” dinner in Carmel with our previous owners and board of directors to celebrate a job well-done.  The bank we worked with since I’ve been in my role took us out to dinner and a Pacers game.  Finally, we got to meet up with LDI (new partners) and discuss 2026 plans and meetings.  After those meetings, a few of us when to Wisconsin and Illinois to have a planning session with our divisions to do some strategy planning for this year. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah has continued going to Genesis to work on strength, speed and agility.  She has also continued her 2-3 softball practices per week with her “Midtown Machine” team that should be fun to watch this spring. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison has started a few practices and 2 tournaments for her CROI volleyball team.  This team includes 2 other girls form Chatard and her participation has increased in February with basketball being over. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• We had a new garage floor installed in early January.  It looks very nice and was an improvement to the cracks and holes that we had before. 
• We had a large snowstorm in late January which shut down schools and much of the city for a few days.  After the storm, it was very cold, so the snow has stuck around for a long time. 

December 2025

 

            We kicked off our holiday celebrations by heading to Columbus, OH to meet up with Laura’s family and mom at a hotel for a quick one-day trip.  We arrived a few minutes after the Dodsons and we found ourselves in the hotel lobby eating pizza, exchanging presents, and watching football.  There was a conference room where the kids all went to play a few games together, which was fun to listen to them laugh and have fun given their age differences.  The next morning, everyone enjoyed breakfast before leaving. 

 

            Our church offered a 4PM mass, so we all went to that which allowed for us to hang out a little more that evening.  In what has evolved into a tradition, Deb organized an appetizer menu and the Dodsons, Cyphers and Mark were able to come.  The next morning, Anna and Randy came by to celebrate Christmas around the tree and open gifts.  Sarah got a new softball bat and Allison got new headphones.  We also surprised them with tickets to see Morgan Wallen this May.  Allison started feeling a little sick earlier in the week, so we watched some sports on TV and had a ham dinner with Randy and Anna that evening. 

 

            Julie & Kyle came to Indy a few days after Christmas and stayed with Randy & Anna.  We went to church on Saturday and then came back to our house for some chicken noodle soup and opened presents.  Julie, Kyle, Debbie, and I went to the gym the following morning and we had dinner at the Cyphers house.  Allison stayed home on the couch as she continued to not feel well and ended up being sick for about a week. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah had a good time going to a birthday party at the K of C for one of her classmates.  She left there to meet up with her softball team for a holiday party which was challenging to get to due to a snow storm.   She has started practice for her CKS basketball team and is enjoying someone else coaching her other than me!  She continues to have softball practices and going to a strength and conditioning gym nearby 2 times a week. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison has her first set of high school “finals” and did well.  She had a study schedule and handled it well.  She has continued her basketball season on the JV team and although she missed a few practices due to being ill over the holidays, continues to start most of the time and enjoys being part of the team and learning from the coaches.   She will be doing some volleyball this spring and has had a few practices with that team, but that will likely pick up in February after basketball is done. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• After a 9-month process, the ownership group at my work transitioned from Firefly to LDI.  While my day-to-day job does not change too much, I have learned a lot during the last year. 
• We had a holiday dinner at Cobblestone in Zionsville with the leadership team from my work.  It was a fun evening and good to see everyone out of the office. 
• I was invited for one of the department outings in December where we took our remote workers go-karting at K1 Speed.  It was a lot of fun and good to see the competitive spirit among our team. 
• We stopped by the Campbell’s house for a holiday open house.  The girls in 7th grade enjoyed laughing and carrying on while the adults saw the new renovation in their kitchen. 
• Allison and I went to the Colts game on Monday, Dec 22nd.  The Colts did not do too well and we left in the 3rd quarter. 
• I was able to get 4 tickets to the Pacers game on NYE.  It was at 3PM and we enjoyed the game and then stopped at Binkley’s after for dinner on our way home. 

November 2025

 

            We spent Thanksgiving up in Michigan this year.  We had a short trip as Allison had a shootaround on Wednesday and practice on Saturday morning, so it was a quick trip.  We arrived on Wednesday evening and went out to celebrate Randy and Anna’s 50th wedding anniversary.  All 10 of us went out to a local Italian restaurant, and I quickly realized that Allison and Sarah have not been to very many “nice” restaurants.  Especially one that has a different language on part of the menu, which caused them to ask a lot of questions to end up with a Caesar salad and chicken alfredo.  Julie, Kyle, Debbie, and I went to Orangetheory on Thanksgiving morning and then everyone spent most of the day helping where they could in the kitchen.  Dinner was great and we used AI to create some funny conversation starters to create some laughs.  We drove home the next day since Allison had practice, but Sarah stayed behind and drove back with Randy & Anna on Saturday.  Right when we got home, we raked the leaves one last time and then went over to the Dodson’s house to see the Vandervaarts, my mom, Mark and Chris. 

 

            We have spent many evenings this month traveling to Allison’s basketball games.  She started the season with 9 road games, with the closest one being Noblesville and the furthest one being in Evansville.  We have enjoyed watching her with the older girls in the program and she is enjoying it. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah has had a busy month of different activities.  Her volleyball team ended their season in early November.  Her fall softball team had an end of the season gathering where the girls had a lot of laughs.  Her new softball team, called “Midtown Machine” is starting up in December.  She also participated in the basketball evaluations for her team at CKS and made the “A” team.  She was very excited about this and hoping to challenge herself. Another big thing for Sarah was that she has started wearing contacts and is doing very well. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison is doing a good job balancing her school work and going straight from volleyball into basketball.  She really has not had much of any downtime since school started.  She is playing a “3” most of the time on the team and that is a change from what she has been playing the last few years.  It has her guarding faster players and playing more on the perimeter. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I enjoyed dinner at Bonge’s with the normal group that goes each fall.
• Frank and Jan were in town so we took an opportunity to see them and go out to dinner with them and the Dodsons. 

October 2025

For fall break, we took went to Siesta Key.  We flew out early Sunday morning and arrived at our condo around noon. The weather all week was fantastic as we had no rain and plenty of sun.  We enjoyed meals at Captain Curts, The Hub, Spearfish Grill & Siesta Key Oyster Bar.  Most days had us on the beach around 11AM and heading back up to the condo around 4PM after spending the day at the beach and pool.  Deb, Allison, and I went to Orangetheory a few times during the week.  On the days we did not do that, we would take a walk on the beach in the morning.  We really enjoyed this condo (Horizon’s West) as the pool is closer to the water than most of the other places we have stayed.  We flew back on Saturday morningand after a short delay, got home in time to pickup Timber & go to church. 

 

            Allison’s volleyball team finished their season with the city tournament.  They played 3 games and won the city championship.  They played Scecina, Cathedral & Covenant Christian.  After fall break, she immediately went into basketball season at Chatard.  She made the JV team and has already had 2 weeks of practice and is starting to get caught up with the girls who have been playing basketball during the fall season.  The JV schedule follows the varsity schedule closely, so we will be on the road for several games this season as they start the season with 9 away games. 

 

            Sarah’s Jr. Trojans basketball season came to an end and she enjoyed meeting new girls and being coached by someone other than me!  Her volleyball games have started and her team is 3-2.  She has been having fun with this group as there are only 6 of them currently available for the team, so everyone is getting plenty of playing time.  Her softball team ended their fall season and they ended it with a game under the lights in Westfield on a cold evening in October.  They enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to practicing the winter.  

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah went to a workout at a nearby gym to get faster and stronger.  She liked it and decided to keep doing it 2 times a week.  We were proud of her for enjoying it, as she normally seems to like team sports and being around her friends and this has neither of those things.  

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison wanted to go to the Lainey Wilson concert, so I took her and she had a great time.  It was her first “outdoor” concert and she enjoyed it.  I did not know many songs, but Allison seemed to know most of them. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• Debbie and I went to see Jim Gaffigan at Clowes Hall at Butler.  We were supposed go last fall, but it was rescheduled.  Jackie helped get the girls where they were supposed to be that evening so we could enjoy the show. 
• Halloween was a lot more relaxing than in the past.  Sarah dressed up as Pooh Bear and ran around the neighborhood with her friends.  Allison had a friend over and they wore some old costumes we had in the attic, got some candy, and then watched movies in the basement.