Despite my best efforts to manifest an endless summer, we always find ourselves going back to school, and this year was no different. Even my cousins left the homestead, as Cortney returned to UW-Madison for her second year, and Ashlee got settled in at Purdue to begin grad school.

I’m officially a 7th grader now, which means I’m starting Junior High. Much to my dismay, mom and I spent some quality time getting my locker organized, which will surely stay looking that good ALL YEAR LONG (said no 7th grader ever).

I’ll be back in band and basketball, but this year I get to play 7th grade school ball, which I’m curious about. And I finally get to experience the beloved study hall, because apparently this might be the year that I actually have to study for school. Oh… and I signed up for student council on a whim! Stay tuned about that.

Genesee is starting 4th grade, and she has a pretty busy year ahead, too. She’s starting her GNBL basketball career, giving volleyball a try, and she’s especially excited about her Wisconsin state history project.

Currently, I’m still hoping to become a professional athlete in the NBA (with size 10.5 shoes, I am officially taller than my mom now and hopefully still growing), but if that doesn’t work out, I sometimes talk about becoming a financial advisor or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Genesee intends to play professional soccer, and her back-up plan is something to do with animals or art or both!

So, cleary, sports are still a pretty big deal around here. And honestly, we love that. Sports have given us some of our best friendships, taught us about teamwork and leadership, pushed us to be resilient, and given us plenty of reasons to celebrate.

But this back-to-school season has also felt a little different. Just days before school started, a neighboring community lost a high school senior after a football injury. The loss has rippled through so many communities, including ours, and it’s a heartbreaking reminder that the things we love can also carry real risks.

We’re holding that family, their school, his teammates, and everyone who loved him in our thoughts. We’re grateful for the joy that sports brings into so many lives, while never taking for granted the people who play them. #LLA

Some people enjoy sleeping in on summer weekend mornings.

Other people (aka my Dad) enjoy waking up those of us who like to sleep in, so we can then wake up the fish who are also still sleeping… because the sun isn’t even awake yet.

That guy is a dedicated fisherman… always early to rise. But I’m glad he’s my fisherman… because once I gain consciousness, it is pretty neat to slow down and watch the sun rise peacefully, before the rest of the world gets itself in a big, unnecessary hurry.

Thanks for making sure we don’t miss these precious moments of summer, Dad.

Genesee waited almost a month for her Land of Natura birthday party to come to fruition, but, I think she’d agree: it was worth the wait! Genesee invited Annalia and Miley for a sleepover, and the next morning, I got to pick up Jake and Danny to bring along. Thanks to Auntie Cha Cha and Uncle E, we have platinum season passes, so we got in for free, and once we passed the gates, we ran toward the water and never looked back! It was an absolute blast, and definitely a highlight of the summer… we’re so grateful for generous relatives, fun friends, and soft pillows to crash on at the end of an exhilarating day!

Guess whose muscles got invited on a road trip to help move Ashlee into her new digs for grad school?! Mine, of course. My gym workouts prepared me for this moment, but I think the Nicolais also wanted me along for my great personality and comic relief. I was so excited to be the fifth wheel that I forgot to pack clean underwear. Whoops! It always stinks to leave something behind, but that oversight was extra stinky (if ya know what I mean).

I was happy to help my cousin get settled in, and even though I’m proud to see her spread her wings and explore more of our big world, I’m sure gonna miss that girl around home. Luckily, we made lots of special memories working out and playing golf this summer, so I’ll be hanging tight to those until we meet again.

Good luck, Ash! You’re gonna kick grad school’s butt!

No, you are not seeing double.

That is indeed me and Genesee skiing tandem! Mom was not invited on this trip because she wouldn’t have approved. Just kidding… she had another commitment. But also, she would not have approved.

I mean, look at how far we’ve come! We both pop out of the water like a jack-in-the-box, and now we can even maneuver in and out of the wake (most of the time). Thanks to some on-the-spot training from Grandpa (which I’ll imitate in a video below), the good driving skills by dad, and excellent cheerleading from Grandma, we are ready to audition for the Tommy Bartlett ski show (if only it hadn’t been one of the things lost in the 2020 pandemic).

Waterskiing sure provided a sense of accomplishment this summer… not only did we conquer mom’s fears, but we also proved to ourselves that we can be great, even after getting knocked down several times. Next year, we plan to shorten my mom’s lifespan by attempting aerial flips. Stay tuned!

This was my first Easter spent without my family (since I was in Colorado). Genesee was upset and said she really missed me, but I only saw smiles in all of the photos mom shared with me.

It was a little weird to not be with my loved ones for the great Easter egg hunt, but there were still goodies to be discovered upon my arrival home, tucked away in the corner of my bedroom! Somehow all of my candy was intact, according to Genesee, who surely wouldn’t lie to me.

On July 26th, my sister turned 9. To celebrate, we threw her nine parties. Not really, but it felt like it.

Genesee got lucky since Auntie Cha Cha was still here on the eve of her birthday. So, Cha Cha planned a Mexican birthday party, complete with homemade guacamole, Mexican rice, tortillas, and quesadillas! It was delicious.

Then, on G’s actual birthday, I had to travel to Eau Claire for AAU basketball tryouts, so afterward, we made another party of it and went to the mall, Action City, and a Mexican restaurant. (Because you can never eat too much Mexican food.)

On the following weekend, we celebrated mom and Genesee together, and made a trip to the Mall of America and got to experience a MNUFC soccer game!

It was a month of festivities, but that girl probably deserves the extended celebration. I don’t always know how to be good to her, but I do love my sister, and I have to admit: it’s been fun to watch her grow… literally. My sister is TALL! But that’s not all. Here are some other fun facts about Gigi Luigi:

• She likes to straighten her hair these days.
• She retired from playing goalie.
• She’s really good at spending money.
• She is still the goofiest girl around.
• She continues to be in love with ice cream.
• She loves Needohs and all things squishy.
• She wants a pet bunny. Or a guinea pig. Or a hedgehog.
• She wakes up happy (even though she’s still a night owl).
• She loves to bump a volleyball around.
• She’s my favorite Fortnite buddy.
• She’s super thoughtful and always wants to make people feel loved.

Genesee really is the best! I’m not sure my 12-year-old brain can fully appreciate her, but I know I’m gonna mature into a brother that realizes just how lucky I am to get to spend my formative years with someone like Genesee.

Cheers to my sister’s last year in the single-digit club!

Well, it was not on my bingo card for this summer, but sometimes the universe intervenes to make magic happen! After Auntie Cha Cha experienced car troubles, she ended up getting stuck in Wisconsin for almost two months. This was probably not great for her (since she runs a doggie daycare in Florida) or Uncle E (since he was busy shattering his kneecap), but Genesee and I were PUMPED to have a live-in aunt for the summer… Aunts are like moms, only cooler!

We had so much fun doing arts & crafts, baking, cooking, golfing, cuddling with the pups, tubing, playing cups, doing the Whitney Houston challenge, honoring Nana Florence, playing hot potato, and so much more!

We loved our bonus time with Auntie Cha Cha, and while we hope her car troubles are in the past, we also wish for more extended visits from her in our future.

One of the best parts of summer is making waves on the lake! This was my second summer water skiing, and it was awesome to get back out on the water. I felt a lot more confident this year and had a blast.

The coolest part was that it was the first time water skiing for Genesee and Ashlee, and Aunt Cha Cha got to bear witness! But when Genesee wasn’t out there becoming a professional water skier, she was in the boat cheering everybody else on. She gets an A+ for enthusiasm, but a D- for almost breaking everyone’s eardrums.

We love our lake summers and feel so grateful for a dad who’s always willing to satisfy our sense of adventure… despite Mom’s strong, unwavering commitment to safety and staying dry.

Spending a few days in Door County with the Martinez family was such a fun adventure! Exploring quaint towns, eating gelato, taking hikes, making brownies, splashing in the waves, cliff diving, eating s’mores, throwing bean bags, enjoying sunsets, playing fetch with Artemis, and just slowing down with family and friends is exactly what summer vacations are made for.

Without a doubt, this is what it looks like to live the good life:

Note to self: Return to Door County someday.