November 2022

November started with our CYO basketball seasons ending and our schedules got a little easier for the remainder of the month.  We enjoyed a trip to Siesta Key to celebrate Thanksgiving with my sisters and mom. We flew out the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week to Ft. Myers and drove up to Siesta Key. After hitting up the grocery store, we arrived around 3PM and settled into our condo. We spent most of our mornings at the beach until the early afternoon and then made our way to the pool. We split up dinners so the Vandervaarts did tacos, we did burgers, Dodsons did pasta and mom ordered pizza.

The weather cooperated very well and we didn’t have any rain during the day. In the evenings, we sat outside talking and catching up or watching sports on our iPads. We flew home on Saturday and got home around 4PM and went and picked up Timber. It was a different way to celebrate Thanksgiving, but not too many complaints when it is warm, you are with family, and you are at a beach.             

Deb took a trip to Nashville for a work conference so the girls and I had a few days to survive without her.  Sarah and I made enchiladas the first evening for dinner.  The second evening we went to a basketball game for Allison.  Deb got home on Friday evening and I took the girls to the Chatard football game. I’m always happy when Deb gets back to town…even if it is to simply help answer all the questions from the girls.

Sarah’s Things of the Month  

Sarah’s CYO basketball season ended early in the tournament with a 2-point loss. The girls were disappointed after the game and most were crying, but it was a good season and the team got a lot better. Sarah has already started practicing for her Jr. Trojans team and also her school volleyball team.

Allison’s Thing of the Month  

Allison’s CYO basketball season ended in the semi-finals of the tournament with a 2-point loss. They played tough and battled against a very good team.  Allison has started some practices for her Jr. Trojans team along with practicing with her school volleyball team.  

 

A few more items from this month: 

• We went to Bingo night at school, which is a fundraiser for the 8^th graders. This evening is always a good time with 50/50 raffles, other games and plenty of Bingo. 
• We went to Friends Thanksgiving at the Steffey’s, which has become a great tradition. We separate into “boys” and “girls” tables and enjoy catching up with everyone throughout the evening. 
  
  
  

October 2022

October had plenty of girls’ basketball to keep us busy, but our fall break trip to Disney World is the highlight from this month by far.   

 

            We flew out on Saturday the 15th and arrived at the Yacht Club around 1PM.  We had lunch and hung out by the pool all afternoon before going to dinner at Ale & Compass which was a restaurant in our hotel.  We enjoyed a quiet day before hitting up the parks the next 4 days.  Day one, we went to Hollywood Studios and everyone rode Slinky Dog first.  We were able to ride everything we wanted to and also enjoyed the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.  After going on a few rides in the Star Wars area, we took the Skyliner back to our hotel for an afternoon swim before heading to Epcot for a few rides, dinner at Teppan Edo and fireworks.  On day two, we went to Magic Kingdom and had a great time riding mostly everything together.  Sarah and Deb joined us on Thunder Mountain and everyone got a little wet on Splash Mountain.  An afternoon storm had us taking a break in the gift shop for about an hour.  We enjoyed dinner at Tony’s Square and then stayed for the fireworks before heading back to our hotel.  On the 3rd day, we went to Epcot and stuck together for most of the day.  The only time Allison and I rode something without Deb and Sarah was Guardians of the Galaxy.  After we had completed most of the rides, Deb and Allison went back to the hotel to take a nap while Sarah and I met up with the Sipes for a few beers and letting the girls catch up.  When Sarah and I got back, we all enjoyed some time at the pool and then went back to Epcot for the evening and fireworks.  We were able to squeeze in the Frozen ride before it closed.  Day 4 had us going to Animal Kingdom and checking out some of the rides there and the safari.  We left around noon and got back to the hotel for a family nap before going to Magic Kingdom on our final evening.  We had dinner at the California Grill and were able to watch the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary hotel.  There were extended hours so we stayed until midnight and were able to enjoy all the rides with pretty short lines.  The final day before we caught our afternoon flight, we walked around and enjoyed some time by the pool.  The trip went great and everyone had an awesome time.  We were especially happy Sarah enjoyed herself because the last time we were here she was in KG and didn’t want to ride some of the rides or doesn’t remember.   

 

            For Halloween this year, Sarah was Tigger (made by Nana) and Allison was a cowgirl.  Allison went trick or treating in another neighborhood with some friends from her class.  We hosted the neighborhood pizza party and then Sarah was out running around the neighborhood while Deb and I cleaned up from the party and handed out candy.  We are definitely aging out of Halloween as it seems like we are in the last few years of trick or treating.  Over the weekend before Halloween, I took the girls to a trunk or treat event at school.  It was well organized and even had a DJ booth, courtesy of Kent Campbell.   

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month  

            Sarah’s basketball season has been going very well.  She is playing great defense and doing well being a leader on the team.  She usually takes the ball out of bounds and makes the correct decisions when passing the ball.  I’ve been having fun coaching her friends along with 2 other dads.    

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month  

             Allison’s cross-country season ended with her setting a PR at the city meet.  She really seemed to make some big improvements this year and also enjoy it.  Her basketball season has been good as she is playing with several of her friends in the 56A level of basketball.  They have only lost one game and have won the rest.   

 

A few more items from this month: 

I ran my first 10K early in the month out at Fort Ben with Jeremy.  We went out for a few beers afterwards in Broad Ripple at Union Jacks.   

We had a great time at the Steffey’s for Lobsterfest this year.  We got to see their new back patio and enjoyed some great food.   

Deb went out with some moms from school for a 40th birthday party for Jenn Morin.  They enjoyed some festivities downtown and stayed warm with some drinks.   

We traveled up to Bongees with a big group organized by the Steffeys.  We enjoyed some tailgating and also hitting up a brewery in Cicero on the way home.   

Deb made a quick trip to Michigan to help the Shafers move into their new house.  Her parents were there also so they enjoyed some time together while mostly working on unpacking boxes.   

September 2022

September has been filled with plenty of softball, kickball, basketball and cross-country.  Each evening during the week we likely have 2 or 3 things to coordinate so the girls can make to their respective sports.  During the middle of the month, I was able to go to a leadership retreat and hike in the Grand Canyon. For Labor Day weekend, Julie and her family came to visit for a few days and all of the girls got along and had fun.  We enjoyed watching some football and going to the pool while they were here.  We also built a fire out back and had some smores while the kids played in the backyard.  Julie, Deb and I went to OrangeTheory for a few workouts while they were here.  I know Deb was excited about the possibility of these quick visits as it has been since college since Julie and Deb lived this close together.  For the trip to Arizona, we left in the afternoon on Saturday the 17th.  We got to our hotel in the late evening and after checking in, everyone went to bed.  On Sunday, we went to see the Grand Canyon during the day and also at sunset along with having some leadership meetings.  We checked out of our hotel on Monday and took a shuttle over to the north rim and arrived around 6PM. We had dinner and went to bed as our alarms were going off 

at 2AM so we could get ready for our shuttle to the trailhead.  We started the hike a little before 4AM in the dark and started our decent into the canyon.  After 6.5 hours, we arrived at Phantom Ranch and took a 30-minute break to eat lunch, change socks and get some water. We had 10 miles remaining and most of it was ascending out of the canyon.  We slowed our pace to make sure we didn’t over do it.When we had some members of our team begin to show signs of fatigue, we would take a break and let them get some water and food.  We completed the hike around 7PM so the entire hike took the 10 of us about 15 hours.  It was quite an accomplishment and while I have plenty of pictures, those won’t do it justice.  The hardest part of the hike for me was the mental side as I was getting tired and knowing we weren’t close to being done. The weather was perfect as it didn’t get as hot as it could be toward the bottom of the canyon. We enjoyed some pizza after the hike and went to bed.  Some of us had an early flight on Wednesday morning so we got up early and left around 5:30AM and got home without any travel issues.
At the end of the month, Deb helped organize another successful Grandparents Day at the school. This event is for all 

KG, 4th and 8^th graders and their grandparents. Randy and Anna came to visit a few days beforehand to see Sarah play softball and basketball games. My mom wasn’t able to travel due to her broken ankle and her recovery from surgery. The girls enjoyed shooting hoops with Nana and making cookies with Granddaddy. Sarah helped Nana make a lasagna and we watched some football in the evenings.

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month  

Sarah’s kickball season came to an end with a victory along with an end of season team party. She has continued so have some softball practice and games and even got to pitch a few innings. Basketball has gotten started and her grade was divided up into 2 teams. I’m coaching one of those teams and we have started off the season with 2 wins. Sarah also had fun at a sleepover with Reagan Moran.

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month  

Allison’s kickball season concluded and they didn’t win a game. They seemed to have fun and the coaches did their best to keep them engaged, but they were simply outmatched in most of the games they played.  Allison has improved her times this year with running cross-country and has set a personal record a few times. Allison has also started basketball and is playing on the 56A team with several of her friends. They won the first game they played. A few more items from this month: 

• We have gone to several Chatard football games this year as it has become quite social gathering for our girls. It is fun to go and catch up with some of the parents while the girls hang out with their friend
• We had our annual neighborhood progressive dinner. We let the girls stay home alone and Deb and I would alternate going home every 45 minutes or so to check on them. They did great and we look forward to letting them do that a little bit more.  
   
  
  

August 2022

       We are one month back into the flow of school, sports and the many activities that seem to come along with the beginning of the school year. Combine that with Deb taking a much-deserved girls’ trip and my continued training for the Grand Canyon hike in September, there is a lot to put into this month’s blog post.   

 

            Deb took her first girls’ trip since 2014 and enjoyed a fun trip to Tybee Island with friends.  From the stories and pictures I’ve seen, they had plenty of laughs and good times.  They had a little bit of travel issues on their way home but at least their flights weren’t cancelled and they made it home, just a few hours delayed.  The girls were very well behaved while Deb was gone which made things much easier for me.  Beth came over on Friday evening for a few beers and we went to the Watkins house on Saturday for an afternoon pool party.   

 

            Earlier in the month, we took a trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN.  We left on a Wednesday morning and drove straight to the park.  We enjoyed riding several rides and the water park.  I found that I’m simply too old for wooden roller coasters anymore, so I had to let Allison ride those on her own.  The water park was very impressive and was probably the highlight of the trip.  We stayed the night and went back for a second day which was cut short due to rain.  The girls seemed to really like it, as we simply confirmed that Allison has no fear when it comes to rides and the rest of us are OK if we just hang out in the lazy river.   

 

            Both girls were excited to go back to school. Sarah is starting 4^th grade and Allison is in 6^th grade, which is the first year of middle school.  Allison is excited about her locker and switching classes.  She has really figured it out pretty well and had very little issues adapting.  Sarah has the same teacher that Allison had in 4^th grade so that is exciting.  During August, Deb helped manage another successful used uniform sale and I helped manage the KG thru 3^rdgrade basketball clinic.  During the last weekend before school started, we all participated in the CKS 5K as part of the kickoff to the school year.   

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month  

            Sarah has been enjoying playing kickball with her friends this year along with starting her fall softball season.  She went to Alexa’s birthday party and had a great time with many of her classmates and enjoyed going over to the Wamsley’s after school for some lemonade and playing in their backyard.    

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month  

             Allison has had a tough kickball season as they are struggling against their competition.  The coaches are doing a great job trying to keep the girls positive, but it is tough when you are likely to lose most games.  She is also doing cross-country and seems to be doing better and showing improvement.  Allison also played in a pre-CYO basketball league at Chatard which helped her get back in the gym and have some fun with her friends.  She has also started babysitting in the neighborhood and for us for a few hours at a time.   

 

A few more items from this month: 

• Deb and I went with the Bassetts and Sniadeckis to the Jack White concert downtown.  It was a great show and good times with friends.   
• My mom fell and hurt her ankle.  She is doing OK and Pete and Laura are doing a great job taking care of her and getting her to and from her appointments.  She has surgery in September and her recovery will take 2-3 months. 
• The Bassett’s hosted a cookout at their house during the month.  It was an impromptu Smokefest that is usually at the Steffey’s house but they are doing a project in their backyard so it had to be moved this year.   
• Debbie joined Orangetheory this month and has enjoyed the workouts. 
• As I continue to prepare for the hike in the Grand Canyon in September, I’ve had some additional hikes that have taken a lot of time.  The longest hike I’ve one was about 19 miles and it took over 7 hours.   
• We got a chance to see Frank and Jan while they were in town for an evening at Beth’s house.  It was a good time and we were also able to see Mark and Chris.   
• Deb and I ended the month by going to the BCHS Annual Fund Dinner.  We were invited by the Bultincks and it was a very impressive evening and we had a great time seeing so many people.   
  
  
  

 

July 2022

July has been filled with traditions of summer, including both girls enjoying CYO camp, going to an Indy Indians baseball game, a family reunion along with watching some fireworks.  We have also enjoyed several hours at the pool with friends from school.

            On July 4^th weekend, we kicked it off with a cookout in our backyard with the Sniadeckis.  We enjoyed catching up as both families have been busy with sports and traveling.  The kids enjoyed playing in the backyard and chasing Timber.  Deb and I went to an adults-only party at the Eckharts which was a good time.  We have started leaving the girls alone for a few hours before it gets dark and it has been working out, so we don’t have to get a sitter each time we both need to leave the house.  On the 3^rd, we went to the Bailey’s house and enjoyed hanging out with friends and all the fireworks we could handle.  For the 4^th, we hung out at the pool and enjoyed a relaxing day.   

 

             My uncle Don passed away in early July after battling cancer for a long time.  I went to Louisville for the wake and funeral and aside from the somber reason we were all getting together, it was good to see so many people over the short visit.  We enjoyed several hours hanging out, telling stories and playing cards.  While it was sad to say goodbye to uncle Don, I’m sure he was happy to know we were all together for those few days.   

 

            As we try to continue to do “new things” as a family, I was fortunate enough to get offered a suite to an Indians game so we invited the Biberstines, Verspelts and Sipes.  The kids enjoyed watching the game and having some great seats.  The parents enjoyed the air conditioning and beer in the fridge. We also went with the Stones to an Indiana Fever game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.  It was well attended as the Fever were playing the best team in the WNBA.    

 

            We were able to go to Bluefield, WV for our annual family reunion.  We went on Thursday and came back on Saturday so we could get Allison to camp on Sunday.  We enjoyed dinner at Buffalo Trail with several family members.  We also got to hit in the batting cages at the local baseball field and the girls ran through the sprinklers in the outfield.  We had lunch at DQ and a catered dinner at Bubby’s house.  We were able to have a few moments with everyone at Chuck & Heather’s and then got up and left the next morning for the 7-hour drive home.   

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month  

            Sarah has a fun time at CYO camp this year with her and most of the girls in her class.  They went to the shorter version of the camp which is 2 days long.  She came back singing all the songs and ready for a full week next year.  She went to the CKS girls’ basketball camp and has also started her kickball practices.    

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month  

             Allison spent a full week at CYO camp and enjoyed every minute of it with several of her friends. She enjoyed meeting kids from other schools and getting to stay longer than last year when she went to the shorter version.  She went to the CKS girls’ basketball camp and has also started some kickball and cross-country practices.   

 

A few more items from this month: 

• As I prepare for a rim-to-rim hike in September, I’ve continued my training and did a 16-mile hike on a Saturday this month. It was a 4-mile loop in Fort Ben and I did 2 loops by myself and 2 more with Jeremy as he was training for a hike in Colorado. When we got done, we went to Ale Emporium for some food and beers.  
• While Allison was at camp, Sarah had an overnight at a friend’s house so Deb and I enjoyed a quiet night going out to dinner at Provision and hanging out with Timber.   
• The McCurdy’s invited us to a pool party at the K of C.  The kids had fun hanging out with their friends after dark at the pool.