August 2026

August was the start of school and everything that comes with it, which includes our final year at CKS and a sport just about every evening for both girls. 

 

            Sarah started her final year at CKS and her class decided to greet all of the other students on the first day with signs and cheering them as they walked into the gym.  A few parents organized a pool party to let the kids get together and reacquainted before the year started.  As of the end of August, Sarah is involved in 4 sports.  Her kickball regular season ended last week and they went 4-2 which qualifies them for the playoffs.  In all my years at CKS, we haven’t ever had a successful kickball season, so this has been fun.  She continues to play basketball with the Jr. Trojans and they have had games for the last 3 weekends.  Her softball team has started back up and they have had a few practices and are playing games already on Sundays along with a few tournaments scheduled this fall.  Finally, her volleyball team has had one practice and she is looking forward to that season which has games start in late September. 

 

            Allison made the JV volleyball team and was voted a captain.  She also was asked to lead the JV & Freshman teams in cheers during the varsity games.  She is doing a good job being a leader on the basketball and volleyball teams to the incoming freshman.  Their JV season is off to a decent start and the volleyball is a lot more fun to watch than last year.  For the first day of school for the freshman, Allison was there at 7AM bright and early to welcome them with signs and cheers.  I think she lost her voice with some of the incoming CKS kids along with the volleyball and basketball freshman. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s year is off to a good start…but she is probably over-scheduled.  The good news is that this is the final year of being able to play so many different things with high school starting next year. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison is doing well with her school work and balancing it with the volleyball schedule.  Her social calendar can be spontaneous but she is able to find a ride most of the time so it isn’t like we are always being asked to drive her somewhere. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I participated in a half-Hyrox doubles event with Jeremy in Carmel.  It was pretty challenging and we survived and then went and had a few beers to celebrate being some of the oldest people there. 
• Allison and I went downtown to a CAAMP concert the last week of the month. 

July 2036

July had us traveling to Bluefield, WV and St. Joseph, MI for our summer family reunions.  We also had plenty of things going on including the girls’ activities and a few fun things nearby. 

 

We left on Thursday the 16th for Bluefield and arrived around 3PM.  After hanging out for a few hours we went to the baseball field to enjoy the evening.  After the game, we went back to Chuck & Heather’s to have a few beers before heading to our hotel.  Sarah stayed in their RV with Nana, Julie, Olivia and Ava.  The next morning, the girls and I went off-roading with a larger group while Deb had coffee with Barbs and Wiz and then lunch with George.  After we had our check-in, we rode the vehicles to Bramwell and had breakfast before hitting the trails.  After riding for about 3 hours, we went back to Bramwell for lunch before heading back.  We cleaned up, had dinner at Chucks and left on Saturday at 8AM to get back to town.  We left early as Sarah needed to be back for CYO camp. 

 

            The next weekend, Allison and I went up to Michigan on the 23rd to meet up with everyone at the hotel for Beachmo.  We had dinner at Coach’s and played some euchre.  The next day, we went to Jean Klock beach and enjoyed some volleyball in and out of the water.  Debbie got to spend her birthday driving to CYO camp and then up to Michigan, so I made sure to have a Spotted Cow ready for her. It was also Matt’s birthday, so we had a cake ready to celebrate.  The next day, we went to Warren Dunes, ordered pizza and played some more cards. This was our 36th year in a row with this tradition and it is a highlight every summer. 

 

            During the last week of July, I took a few days off to do a few fun things with the girls.  We drove up to West Lafayette to see Purdue’s campus.  We stopped for breakfast, parked at the fraternity and walked the entire campus.  We saw all the highlights and took a tour to see a dorm room in Owen, where me and my sisters all stayed our freshman year.  We then walked through the CoRec, circled back around Purdue West, came up Waldren to Ross-Ade, then had lunch and grabbed a drink at the Discount Den.  The highlight of the trip was our tour of Mackey Arena, where we were able to walk on the court and into the locker rooms.  The next day, we went up north to Skylake Adventures, which was a new park that opened this year that has an inflatable obstacle course and water slides.  We had fun the first 2 hours, but once it got really busy, we decided to head home.  I had both of those things on my list of things to do with the girls and both had great weather and they seemed to enjoy. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball team had one more tournament in July before taking a break until the fall.  She has enjoyed this group of girls and is looking forward to next year.  She has continued her work at Genesis along with having some individual workouts with some college girls that went to Chatard.  She has started some kickball practices, but that season will pickup in August.  She was very excited for CYO camp and had a great time.  She hasn’t decided if she will be going next year or not, as the summer before freshman year is very busy, as she saw last year with Allison.  

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison continued her summer workouts for basketball and volleyball.  She passed drivers ed and is doing pretty good at driving around town.  The basketball team had a fun “day at the lake” where they went tubing and Allison got thrown off so badly that she bit her tongue and was talking funny for a few days. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• I was able to get a suite for the Indians game again this year.  We had a different crew this year, but we had a great time and Allison caught a foul ball. 
• I played my annual round of golf with the dads from church this year.  We played at the Fort and I was teamed up with Sechrist, Wenc & Persic. 
• Debbie found out she has cataracts and scheduled the surgeries for mid-September. 

June 2026

Our June started off with several activities for both girls, then we enjoyed our church’s summer social and then a summer trip to Maine. 

 

We flew out early on Friday the 26th and connected through Baltimore before landing in Portland.  We then had a 3-hour drive to Acadia, but we broke the drive up and had lunch in Camden.  Our place wasn’t ready, so we drove into the park and hiked the Great Head trail.  It was foggy out and we enjoyed the 2-mile hike before checking into Terramor.  This glamping spot was found by Debbie and was a unique way to stay near the park.  We had dinner at McKay’s that evening.  The next day, we rode e-bikes on the carriage roads through the park and saw several lakes. During the afternoon low-tide, we did the Bar Island trail.  We ate at Side Street café and the girls enjoyed some ice cream before we went back for an evening fire.  The next morning, we hiked Gorham Mountain and also saw the Thunder Hole.  After a difficult hike, we went to town for a kayaking tour where I was too tall to sit in the back and steer, so Allison had to take over that job.  Both activities wore us out, so we back for a nap before we went to dinner at the Thirsty Whale.  Our last morning at Acadia, we did another challenging hike (Acadia Mountain) and then drove to the Bass Harbor Light station.  Afterwards, we drove back to Portland and checked into our downtown hotel. 

           

            That first evening, we enjoyed dinner at the Porthole and listened to some live music.  The next morning, we took the ferry over to Peaks Island and rented bikes and went around the island.  After making the loop around, and getting lost a few times, we stopped for lunch at Island Lobster company.  After taking the ferry back, we walked on the Eastern Promenade Trail, stopped for a snack and beers at Brickyard Brewery and then back to the hotel to relax.  Dinner that evening was a find by Sarah, called Highroller Lobster.  Afterwards, we went to the Portland Lobster for live music and drinks.  The next morning, the girls and I went on the “Lucky Catch” lobster cruise.  We learned a lot about lobsters and got to help pull in and reset traps.  We enjoyed a nice dinner that evening at Dimillo’s and flew home early the next morning. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball team had a tournament this month and the girls had fun playing some competitive games and spending an evening in a hotel.  Sarah went to 2 camps at Chatard (basketball & softball). She also spent a day with Randy and Anna helping them plant flowers. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison had a very busy June.  She has been taking drivers education at the high school, along with basketball and volleyball practices.  She helped out the coaches by also working both of the summer camps.  She got her permit in late June and will be driving with an instructor in July.  She has been driving with Debbie and I and is getting a lot more comfortable each time. 

 

A few more items from this month:

• Beth, the girls and I went to a Fever practice in early June.  It was a fun event and the girls enjoyed seeing the team up close. 
• Sarah went to work with me for our annual meal packing evening along with the summer picnic. 
• Jeremy was able to get 4 tickets to a Fever game, so he invited Sarah and I along with him and Kiera.  We had great seats and Sarah enjoyed being so close. 
• The summer social setup went very well this year and the weather was a lot nicer this year compared to the last 2.  We had a great turnout and we had it cleaned up on Sunday by 11AM which was a lot faster than the past. 
• Debbie and I went to dinner with the Ferrands at Oakleys Bistro.  It was great to catch up.
• All 4 of us went to a Fever game vs. the Sky and were able to sit in the BMO suite. 
• The Vandervaarts came to town for a quick visit and we got to see them at the Dodson’s on Friday evening and then Allison and I hung out with them at the mall on Saturday. 
• We gave away our swing set to a great family we found on Facebook.

May 2026

            Debbie and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary by taking a trip to Captiva Island and staying at the Tween Waters resort.  We flew out on the 16th early in the morning and arrived at the resort by 10AM. Our room was ready early, so we were able to unpack and check out the place.  It had 2 pools, a short walk to the beach, 3 restaurants and a few pool bars.  We spent most days by the beach and then going to the pool before the typical Florida afternoon that lasted less than an hour.  We had dinners at the Mucky Duck, the Green Flash, the Shipyard and Key Lime Bistro.  We enjoyed live music a few evenings and liked this location.  There were several families at the resort, so we did think about a return trip with the girls at some point down the road.  We flew back on our actual anniversary and appreciated Randy and Anna watching the girls. 

 

            Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to visit the Vandervaarts and attend Claire’s open house for her high school graduation.  We arrived as the party was starting and it was held at their neighborhood clubhouse.  The White family also arrived that evening so all of the kids had a good time together.  We stayed 2 nights and watched the Indy 500 the next day.  Both families have been getting together and watching the race for the last several years, so they had a few traditions for picking drivers out of a hat and getting fun prizes.  We left early on Memorial Day to get home and settled in for Sarah’s last week of school.          

 

            We also got to go to 2 concerts this month, one was Morgan Wallen at Lucas Oil Stadium and the other was Megan Moroney at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  The 4 of us enjoyed Morgan Wallen, but he went on stage at 9:45PM so we didn’t get home until 1AM. For Megan Moroney, Allison and a friend had tickets together, Debbie and her mom sat together and Sarah and I were lucky enough to get some tickets to a suite from the bank we use at work.  My ears are still ringing from all the girls screaming, but it was a good show. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah’s softball team had a few games in their league on Sundays during the month.  They played well and have really improved over the last year.  She typically plays 1st, 3rd and outfield and makes good contact with the ball. 

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

             Allison had a belated birthday party with several friends in early May.  They had pizza and smores outside and watched a movie.  She also continued her workouts for basketball and volleyball.   

 

A few more items from this month:

• Jeremy and I went to Fast Friday at the track.  It rained before, so we went to Daredevil in Speedway for some pizza and beers before heading to the track. 
• Debbie and Sarah volunteered at the school for the 8th grade graduation.  Sarah was a waiter and Debbie helped out with decorations. 
• I went golfing with Jeremy and Jon Wyss at Eagle Creek on the last Friday afternoon in May.  We played 9 holes and I continue to be pretty bad at golf, but good at being outside and drinking a few beers.

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.