Devils Lake Tri (2026)

 

We're sad to say it, but we just finished up our final camping trip of the year.  The addition of Color Guard and Friday Football games, in addition to the competitions for color guard and suddenly our fall weekends are pretty booked up.  We pulled Abby out of one parade so that we could still squeeze in the Devils Lake Tri - a family favorite trip.  Mom and Dad were set to join, along with Joey and Andy, but they ended up on a trip to Croatia with Doug and Kathy (poor them! LOL) so we subbed in Jamie and Zach - which the kids were VERY excited about.

The weather did NOT cooperate for the weekend though - it was cold and rained most of the weekend.  I think they got nearly 2 inches of rain in Wisconsin this weekend, and I dumped out 4 inches from our rain gauge this morning.  It was cold and wet and overall, not great for camping or hiking or fires or jumping rock jumping.  So, us adults came up with a plan B and picked up tickets for the Kalahari Waterpark in the Dells.  We've never been to this park, always the Wilderness so I knew the kids would be ecstatic about the change in plans.

I managed to get exactly zero photos of the group at the water park.  I have a few videos of Abby attempting to surf, but nothing I can post on the blog book...bummer!!

The race coordinators really threw us for a loop this year though!  They moved the entire race down to the south side of the lake - a real disappointment because one of the reasons we love this race so much is because it's so easy to watch and you can see the run right from our campsite.  Luckily Ryan had time to realize it had moved and get himself down there (a short 6 mile hilly bike ride...nothing like starting a race with a pre-race ride).  He texted me as soon as he realized so I had time to roust everyone and get them moving earlier than expected.  Joey and Andy didn't come down, they missed the text and by the time they saw it the race was well underway and I'm not even sure they would have been able to get to the parking lot with all the race stuff happening and all the roads being blocked off for the bike and run.  

In the end - Ryan finished in almost exactly the same time as he has the past few years.  A real testament to his physical fitness, that he can just whip out a race with relatively little preparation and do it consistently in the same time year over year.  Eventually he'll age up and out of the wave he's been in the past few years and it's going to really throw my timing off.  This year I guessed his bike time in exactly - to the minute.  And was only 1 minute off on his run time in.  I'll never run a race...but I am a pretty good race fan!

1 Family x 12 (Sept)

 

Our last camping trip of 2026 is officially in the books - the Devils Lake Tri!  We always love this trip and this year was no different.  

Garth Brooks Concert

 

When we started 2026, I didn't have any idea it would be the year of the 90's country concerts but I now wish EVERY year was that year.  We had two amazing concerts and both would rank in my top 5 fav shows.  I'd have to put Chris Stapleton as my top 1 concert but from there, the Chicks get #2 and Garth gets #3.  It was great and only made better by the fact that Mom/Dad and Erin/Nate came too.  Oh and the fact that we had a Sunday matinee show - 2:00pm start time.  Why don't they start all concerts at this time!?!  We grabbed lunch at Chilis, watched a little bit of the Bears game, saw the concert and made it home in time to see the Packers game end (a loss...booo!).  

The show was great - it was fun to see a "big" concert and we had great seats.  Erin made a Garth Bingo game which everyone around us found to be very entertaining.  

Erin and I have been saying for years "if Garth ever tours again, we'll spend whatever it takes to be there" and we sure did make good on that oath.  This concert took place less than a week after Dolly Parton passed, just another reminder that these artist from our childhood/early adulthood aren't going to be around forever and we've got to take the opportunities when they come!  I suspect we'll be grabbing more 90's country concerts in the coming years.  

Oh and I almost forgot!  Add in the fact that it was Mom's birthday on top of it all....and we had a great day planned - it'll be hard to top this one.

The Chicks (IL State Fair and the Girls First Concert)

Back, I don't even know how many month, Erin sent me an Insta post for advance tickets to see the Chicks at the Illinois State Fair.  She didn't have to twist my arm to figure out how to make it happen.  We got pre-sale tickets for Mom/Dad, Erin and the 4 of us to see the concert and little did we know that that was the beginning of one of my favorite weekends of the summer.

Now, I fully recognize the insanity of booking plans MONTHS in advance, but here's the thing, it works for us and we are able to do exactly the things we want....if you start planning early.  I've said it a million bazillion times.  Being ahead of everyone else is the key to getting exactly what you want.  We scored advance tickets and that meant that we were able to research and submit our applications to camp right in the fair grounds (on the day the applications opened).  That meant we were able to pull our campers right into the fair grounds and walk our little booty butts right from our cool, air conditioned campers into the fair for however long we wanted to be there and then we could walk right back down, let the dogs out, grill/cook whatever we wanted to eat, drink our free drinks and do it all on our timeline.  It was amazing!  
 

We had the best time at the fair.  We saw the butter cow, watched a gnarly car crash on the race track less than 40 feet from us (I was actually worried we were in danger of being hit by debris), we ate funnel cakes, had lemonade shakeup, we rode the ski-tram, pet rabbits and baby piglets (that were less than 3 days old!!!).  We ate ice cream, drank beers, had BBQ and paid $6 for waters.  The kids fished (odd side event) and both won 2/3 raffle prizes!  But, the best part of the whole thing was undoubtedly the concert.  I knew the words to every single song and I was living my best life.  It was the most fun weekend, albeit shorter than we wanted, thanks to color guard and football Friday's, but I'll get used to that.

Truly, this was a 10/10 weekend and I'll be scouting the music lineup for next summer for sure.  I wish the concert would have been on the front end of the fair instead of the back end though.  Most of the animals were already packed up and gone by the time we got there Saturday early afternoon.  The fair had started the weekend before and most of the competitions and shows were already completed.  We didn't get to see the animals or all of the crafts and other entries into the fair but we know enough now to know how to do it better the next time we go!

Figuring out how to navigate the camping reservations was a real special treat but we know more now that we've been.  Mom and Dad got there on Friday and picked to camp in an area called Happy Hollows which put us on a paved area, and the closest camping to the fair grounds (not our normal preferred location...but it was perfect for what we were trying to do).  I'd propose we try to get right in that spot again next year if we could.

The fair was great, but by far, the best part of the weekend was the concert. It was perfect.  We had great seats....lucked out with extra seats around us (enough room for Hazel to fall asleep across 3 spots), the bleachers had backs, we were row that was the first row of the section, meaning nobody in front of us...and we bought seats with 4 in one row and 3 behind so we were stacked and could easily talk etc.  

I knew the words to every single song, sang my heart out....and even had a tear or two when they say Wide Open Spaces (that was unexpected...somehow I was immediately transported back to high school and transported forward in time to seeing Abby leave for college.  I was some how myself as a teenager, my mom saying bye to me...and me saying bye to Abby.  It was a real trip and I'm even a little emotional just typing it!  4 more summers.  That's all we've got before Abby leave for college and things change forever.  Gosh...who knew this summer would be so introspective and transformative for me.  Turns out sending your oldest to highschool is a real milestone.  I didn't expect it!

And, in a real juxtaposition, I've got Abby headed to high school and that childhood flashing before my eyes and then look to my left and I've got sweet Hazel, 11 years old and falling asleep in the bleachers at the concert.  I guess that's why you have 2 or more kids...so you've always got a little one at home!  One who can still be the "baby" of the family.  Haze made it through about 2/3 of the concert but she didn't make it all the way to the end and she 10000% missed Goodbye Earl - the closing song of the night, obvi!

Top 1 night of the summer so far! This one is going to be hard to beat.  I think we've peaked....Summer is turning to Fall and I know there is good ahead, but in this moment, we revel in the best night of the summer.

1 Family x 12 (August)

 

10/10 top weekend - the IL State Fair and The Chicks concert.  It was hot, we had limited time, but we came, we saw, we sang our hearts out and I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  

First Day of School 2026

 

Guys...what is happening?!?!?  I have a middle schooler and a Freshman!?!?  Just like that I feel the time slipping away faster than I can hold it.  Faster than I can snap photos and grab memories, the girls are growing up and I feel the days of us all being together as a family of 4 under one roof slipping through my fingers.  

Ok - let me turn this blog around, from feeling wistful to feeling excited.  I've got two amazing girls, growing up and learning to find their own ways in the world.  Two girls on the brink of new adventures and new friends.  New challenges and new opportunities.  I am so excited to see where this year takes us. 

I can already tell that high school is a whole new world.  I have little to no information about logistics like color guard and bus schedules and back to school supply lists and after school activities but I guess this is part of letting go.  Abby gets to figure it out and will (maybe) tell me (roughly half of) what I need to know about 1 day to 1 hour before I need to know it.  I sound sarcastic but I am not!  

Dear Abby - Age 14

 

My dear sweet Golden Birthday Girl - I truly can not believe that you are 14 and headed to high school.  I know, everyone says it, “it was just yesterday and I was holding you for the first time” but, it’s so true!  The years are flying by and I really can’t believe that in just 4 short years (really, the blink of an eye) you’ll be headed off to college and a big beautiful wonderful life outside of Maple Street.  Oh boy, I might even have a little tear just writing about it and it’s still over 1,200 days away.  

It feels like you’ve grown SO MUCH in the last year.  Not just physically, though you have really sprouted up lately - you wear a size 8 shoe and are just a few inches shorter than me.  But you’ve grown a lot emotionally and mentally.  I feel like you are a totally different child than the one I wrote about a year ago.  You’ve matured and are handling challenges and setbacks in such an adult way.  You’ve always been an old soul and a rule follower and a people pleaser.  You are kind and generous and while you might fight with your sister more than I’d like, you truly are the best kid I know.  I love you so so much and I can’t wait to see what freshman year will bring.  It’s a brave new world out there and I feel like you are about to hit your “high school era” where you find your tribe and thrive!

Current events:

• The Israel-Gaza conflict continues. 
• US enters war with Iran - in Feb 2026 we launched a strike against Iran and a key area, the Strait of Hormuz is right at the heart of the conflict.  An important shipping canal that is key to moving oil.  Until this is sorted, gas prices will remain high.
• Russia-Ukraine war continues - over 4 years after it started it’s sadly still not resolved. 
• AI went from the cool new thing to talk about to being a massive capital investment with all the drama that goes along with it.  From towns banning data centers to foreshadowing of a “AI Bubble” similar to the housing bubble…it's really everywhere now and working its way to entwine itself into every day use.  You can’t even Google like the old days anymore, now it’s all powered by AI and searching the old fashioned way is a thing of the past!
• The World Cup (Soccer) - taking place every 4 years, for some reason this year was the first year I ever really heard much about it.  We aren’t a soccer family, but it was everywhere this year.  I think the take away that I got from it is that the news cycle focuses on how different we all are, but the stories from the World Cup games proved that maybe we aren’t so different after all, and coming together for something simple, like sports, can help give us all something to share.
• The Louvre Heist
• Winter Olympics

Are Owies still around?:  You know it!  I bet you thought they’d be long gone by 14, but you’d be wrong.  Those sweet little guys are still here and still go into bed with you every single night.  You’re not too old to have them around.

Current prices:

• Eggs: $3.75 - down finally!  Eggs have been high for years and they still aren’t back to pre-covid levels but they’re headed in the right direction finally.  We love eggs in this family so I buy them no matter the price, but $.97 for a dozen eggs wasn’t uncommon just a few years back.

• Gas: $4.50 a gallon - ugh!  A few months ago Trump started a war with Iran and gas prices have gone up, up, up since then.  It’s less than ideal.  Diesel is over $5.50 a gallon right now, you know, just in time for camper season where we’re driving the big truck every weekend and getting 8 miles to the gallon.  Great for the budget!

• Plane ticket: $450ish.  Up from last year, and the gas prices are probably driving it.  

Things you’ve learned in the past year:

• To try new things - you really have!! This year you had your first “honors” class (Algebra) and now, in highschool you are taking 4 honors classes.  You (and I both) are a little worried about the amount of homework you’ll get, but we’ll figure it out.  You and Hazel also did your first ever musical theater show and it was a really good opportunity for you both.  I’m so impressed with how you handled the stress of being on stage and how you worked through things that you maybe would have just bailed on 2 years ago.  You’ve come a LONG way Peanut Butter….a long way.  I want you to stop and look back.  Look back and admire how far you’ve come.

• Color Guard - we made it through summer color guard practice and it was a lot!  We’ll see how fall goes, but I hope you like it and choose to stick with it.

• Braces off! And you look so beautiful!!  Just in time for Hazel to get hers on.  She just got her top braces on a few weeks ago.

• Your first date to a dance, and also your first break up.  You and Jayden lasted just under a year…it was sweet while it lasted and I think it was really good for your confidence and also a good milestone to have behind us (both the fun stuff and the breakup stuff).  He took you to your first ever dance this past fall and it was very fun for Grandma and I to take you shopping and help you find the perfect dress.  You were ADORABLE.  And, while the breakup bummed you out, it didn’t last long and you’ve moved past it.  Your maturity is truly impressive, sweet girl.

• Your first babysitting job!  That’s right, you are officially employable.  You and Stella are both certified babysitters and now that you are 14 you are legally old enough to babysit.  Don’t tell anyone, but you had your first real job early summer (technically not 14).  You babysat for Destine and her daughter Riley but the funniest thing about it is that Destine you YOUR babysitter not that long ago!  It’s wild how fast things change.  Wild how fast you go from the kid to the babysitter.  

Interest rates: 6.5% average 30 year mortgage rates - up from last year this time but still down from the recent highs in the last few years.  It’s driven by the fed trying to keep inflation in check but also because of the tariffs from Trump, the fact that consumers are still spending even though rates are high (though the pessimist in me says that spending is mostly being done on credit, not an indicator of people actually having more money to spend), and then layer in the wars and honestly, it’s not real great out there these days.  We’re very fortunate to have what we need and to be able to spend on things we want in addition to the things we need. 

Current President:  Donald Trump (yes, still….still here… still messing things up)

Your best friends: 

• Stella

• Kayden

• Evie

Pop Culture:

• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding

• Ozzy Osbourne died

• Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

• Le Boo Boo toys - the dumbest things in all the land!  The Cabbage Patch Doll, Beanie Baby, Furby of 2026.  

• The phrase “Six….Seven…” (said with hands making a weighing two things motion)  - Ugh!  Every parent on the planet hates it.  But I think we’re close to that one running its course.

A sweet story about you:

I already shared about all of the new things you tried this year but I want to spend a few minutes telling you how much I’ve seen you grow this summer.  I think Graduation was a confidence boost you didn’t know you needed (and I didn’t know I needed for you) but right on the heels of that was the summer theater program.  I didn’t say it out loud, but inside I was really worried that you’d let the pressure and stress of being on stage in front of everyone get to you and that you’d quit.  But, a day or two before the first show I gently asked you about it and you said to me “Mom, I’m really nervous but I realized that sometimes if I try to do something hard and that really scares me, then the next time something hard comes up, I’ll know I can do it”.  Girly girl, my heart swelled with pride.  We’ve been working really hard fo years to get you to understand that…to get you to understand how to push through and to know that whatever is happening your brain is worse than what is really actually happening.  That you don’t have to borrow worry and that you are amazing just as you are!  That you have everything already inside of you…it just needs to be unlocked.  My god, I love you so much and I am so excited for the journey ahead of you.

Fashion trends:

• Fancy nails are EVERYWHERE right now.  I’m talking fancy like everyone is wearing fake nails with cute creative things.  You girls all have at home nail kits, you make them for yourselves and for friends…Erin is spending $100 a month on getting them professionally done…everyone, everywhere is living in nail mania!

• Wide leg pants and strangely Bermuda shorts are back.  I’m all in on the wide leg jeans…they are comfortable.  I’m not so sure about the Bermuda shorts though.  I’m not buying into that one just yet.

• Scarves are back - 90s/2000s baby!

What was on your birthday list this year?  

• More nail colors and nail items

• Birkinstocks

• New Mermaid tail

• Fancy Markers and coloring books

• Robucks

• Mini-brands

• A jewelry box