And so we begin our careers as a 5th grader and 2nd grader. Ready or not, they say.

Sis and I are ready. Mom’s still thinking about it.

Waking up at the crack of dawn for fishing with Dad and Grandpa is reel fun, even if we’re getting dressed with our eyes half-closed. Once we arrive on the water, we wait for the fish to bite, and once we get back on land, I anxiously wait for my mouth to bite a Kwik Trip breakfast sandwich!

This year, we got flooded out of our usual spot, so we had to find some new waters to fish in. Thankfully, we found success with that because Genesee loves those fish fry suppers!

A few of the fin-tastic memories for the 2024 fishing season include:

• Genesee discovering her newfound passion for capturing the sunrise on camera
• Dad installing a 4th seat so no one has to sit on the ground
• I became “Net Man!”

It’s o-fish-al: Genesee and I are hooked on fishing!

By mid-August, most kids were planning their back-to-school outfits, but not us. Genesee and I were assigned the very last session of swim lessons this year, so we were still out there making waves (literally) up until August 16.

And it’s a good thing I’ve stuck with it because I’m basically ready to lifeguard now. I’m not saying they should hire me yet, but if someone needed saving, I’d definitely be able to scream for someone else to help. But seriously, I’ve got the freestyle down, my backstroke is practically pro level, and I can tread water longer than it takes for Genesee to exit the bathroom (if she enters with her iPad)—which is saying a lot! I also had to dive 9 feet under water to retrieve 5 lb weighted bricks. It was quite impressive if I might say so myself.

But Genesee had a big year, too! She passed the deep water test and received the much sought-after deep water band. (It’s not really that fancy, but it comes with bragging rights.) She was born ready to be a pool shark, but now that she has achieved “deep-end diva status” we can all breathe a little easier when she dives in to show off her cannonballs.