Guess who’s fiving and thriving?! This girl:

To celebrate Genesee turning 5, we hosted a unicorn-themed birthday party (for the the third year running) and enjoyed a slow-cooked, shredded chicken taco dinner, per the birthday girl’s request.

At five years of age, Genesee is becoming very independent. From buckling her own seatbelt, to getting herself dressed, to sleeping in her own room without me, she’s practically a grown-up!

These days, Genesee has not only inspired me to become a lover of popcorn, but she has also taught me what it looks like to be an upstander. In fact, Genesee is the fiercest defender I know… always standing up for what she believes is right. And since I’m always right, anyone who wants to mess with me will have to answer to my little sister first.

Happy birthday, Gigi Luigi! May all your unicorn dreams come true!

We will be part of Lambeau Field’s history books.

On July 23rd, we loaded up the Chevrolet Suburban and made the 3.5 hour trek to Green Bay to experience Lambeau’s first ever soccer match! We were among 78,128 fellow soccer fanatics, as tickets were purchased from all 50 states and 19 different countries to watch the friendly exhibition match between Bayern Munich and Manchester City. It was electrifying! (Especially, the part when lightning and other severe weather forced fans to take cover in the arena’s concourse.)

For a moment there, it was a little scary. In fact, I’m not quite sure if I peed my pants or if they got soaked by the rain. Either way, our spirits were not dampened. Because, not only did my team, Manchester City, win the match 1-0, but Maddox and I also picked up some tips and tricks to bring back to our Rush Soccer Club and Genesee got some quality Quinn time! It was epic.

Watch out, world! We have a new soccer player in the house!

This July, Genesee asked to be signed up for Rush’s soccer camp! We’re not sure if she loved the game or if she just thought her coach, Hunter, was cute, but either way, she did a great job and so she wants to play again this fall.

I can’t wait to cheer her on from the sidelines!

For a couple of weeks this summer, Genesee and I woke up for 8 a.m. swim lessons at the outdoor Melrose pool. Even though it was mid-July, the water was still a bit chilly, but we jumped in anyway and made the most of it.

By session’s end, we both advanced to the next level, but the best part was getting those $1.00 ice cream treats after each lesson. And that’s all the incentive we need to return next year!

Nothing beats a Culver’s supper on the Black River at sunset. I said what I said.

Due to the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, after a 50-year precedent that gave women the right to make autonomous decisions about their own bodies and reproductive functions, mom and many women across the country have declared the 4th of July canceled due to a shortage of independence.

With implications that this reversal of law could also threaten additional rights like interracial marriage, gay marriage, access to birth control, and in vitro fertilization (IVF), losing freedom definitely made the 4th of July holiday less happy, so we had to go in search of joy. And since no one does joy better than Yogi Bear, we followed the interstate to Jellystone Park in Warrens, Wisconsin.

To distract us from the reality that Genesee will come of age with fewer rights than her grandmothers had, we jumped out our frustration on the big, bouncy pillow and then we played miniature golf, splashed in the waterpark, learned the game of Gaga Ball, shot some hoops, watched outdoor movies, fished in the mornings, cleaned fish in the afternoons, took a train tour around the premises, had a photo shoot with Boo Boo the statue, and hosted Colin and his family for a day.

We played, and played, and played. Because tomorrow we may need to fight for our rights.