Bundled up and braving the chill, we joined the Cook family to explore Sparta’s Kriskindlmarkt, where the air smelled of cinnamon and holiday cheer. The highlight? My sister meeting her long-lost twin, the Grinch! The cold only added to the magic, and with a warm cup of hot cocoa in hand, we wandered through the lights and laughter, soaking in every festive moment.

We browsed the little shops, hunting for Christmas treasures. Then, just down the steps and off the beaten path, I found the one...

..It was love at first bite.

Dear Mini Donuts,
You’re everything I didn’t know I needed. I’ll never forget you. Stay hot, stay fresh, and wait for me—I’ll be back next year.

There’s something magical about our annual Christmas tree adventure—it’s more than just picking out a tree; it’s about the ritual. My favorite part of the ritual? Kicking off the day with pancakes and smiles at Perkins, of course! But the tree search is always fun, too, and this year was extra special because we had Artemis along. To earn her keep, Artemis took her role as tree inspector very seriously, sniffing every branch until she approved “the one.” With the tree stuffed into the back of the truck, and our bellies stuffed with breakfast, we headed home to decorate, continuing a tradition that feels like the heart of the holiday season.

I just returned from an epic trip to Montana with my dad, Uncle Cory, and Grandpa. We stayed in the Highwoods area of Central Montana, in a recently remodeled cabin, where I snagged the top bunk every night. My only critique is that the water was stinky, but it was a fair trade for missing five days of school and getting to spend quality time with my main men!

In fact, it was a dream: Every day started with hunting and ended with playing cards. Plus, we didn’t come close to starving because Grandma sent us with delicious pre-made meals, and our Microwave Chef Grandpa was a pro at hitting just the right buttons to satisfy our bellies.

Of course, we worked hard for those meals! Besides hiking on foot here and there and everywhere, we also put a ton of miles on the side-by-side—12 miles one way just to get to the hunting area. I was the designated driver most of the time, while Dad got stuck being the gate opener. We experienced peaceful landscapes, witnessed a real cattle drive, and even saw hundreds of elk in one majestic spot!

The second full day was definitely the highlight, however, because right at daylight, we spotted a mule deer about 1,000 yards away. After a long stalk, we got within 50 yards, and I watched as Dad dropped him right on the spot. Well done, sir! And just as I was about to proclaim victory on the walkie talkie, we found out Uncle Cory had harvested a mule deer too! (Though it took him five shots to get the job done, but ya know, it happens to the best of us, and besides, that’s just a minor detail that doesn’t need to be publicly documented in our hunting chronicles).

After all of that excitement early on in the trip, we stuck around for a couple days to hunt a cow elk, but no luck there. But who needs luck!? Between the double header, laughter, bottomless plates of nachos, and even earplugs to block out a bunch of snoring bears, it was definitely a trip for the hunting books!

This year’s trick-or-treat was not so hot. I’m talking rainy, windy, and super duper cold. It was our first time trick-or-treating in town, and despite the miserable weather, we still scored plenty of candy, admired some amazing decorations, and managed to finish our route without succumbing to frostbite. Even our dog, Artemis, was shivering—but that didn’t stop her from stealing the show in her costume! Next year, though, we’re hoping for less “trick” and more “treat” in the weather forecast!

All in all, it was a good Halloween! We even made it to two Halloween parties this year. Of course mom had to be a party pooper because that’s how she rolls, but the rest of us knew how to have a good time!

It was amazing, fun, and totally exciting—my first buck ever! Since it was bow season, I borrowed Grandpa’s crossbow and then Dad and I climbed into the tree stand early in the morning. We sat quietly for about two hours when we spotted our first buck chasing a group of does. Not long after, another doe appeared from the south, and right behind her was a buck. Dad whispered, “This is the one. Get ready.”

He pointed to a scrape spot nearby and said, “If the buck comes through there, you’ll need to use the first sight.” My heart was racing as I got into position. Sure enough, the buck walked right to the scrape spot, just like Dad said. I aimed, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The shot landed, and the buck took off, running about 200 yards into the woods.

We followed the blood trail but couldn’t track him down right away. After a while, we decided to regroup and grab some breakfast. An hour later, we came back with reinforcements: Mom and Artemis. Mom found some blood that we hadn’t seen previously and then Artemis was on the trail immediately! I decided to follow Artemis closely, and that wonder dog took me exactly to the crime scene (as mom would call it). And that’s when I spotted him—my first buck, resting right there: A 10-point beauty!

It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life, and an event that will go down in history as the day a couple of us officially lived up to our names:

Jäger / Jaeger (German pronunciation: [ˈjɛːɡɐ]), a German name for hunter [noun] a person who hunts; huntsman [noun] a hunter.

Artemis: (/ˈɑːrtɪmɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄρτεμις), Goddess of the hunt.

It takes a lot of guts to carve pumpkins… I have to use sharp objects, lots of muscle, and even a headlamp at times! But Genesee and I love scooping out those slimy insides; it’s half the fun (and half the mess)! The real challenge, however, is turning those pumpkins into spooky masterpieces.

Challenge accepted! In the end, our jack-o’-lanterns were the spookiest pumpkins in all of the land. I mean, check out Genesee’s frightening candy corn pumpkin! And watch out for the Minion & Gru pumpkin; it’s absolutely “despicable!”

Follow us for more scary thrills!

This summer was packed with so much awesome, I’m surprised it all fit into a few months! There were boat rides on the lake, sleepovers galore, and my first-ever “co-ed” volleyball camp (if by “co-ed,” we mean that I was the only boy.) Summer is also the season of soccer tryouts, Logger’s baseball games, and mastering scooter tricks (if you think skinning up only one knee is tricky). We started our Sunday mornings with Grandpa’s 5-star pancakes, we swam until we turned into prunes, we celebrated birthdays with cake and chaos, and our puppy made sure there was no shortage of shenanigans. It was everything!

From Juneteenth to the Cookies & Cream grand opening, summer was all fun and games until the sunscreen ran out and the leaves started turning. Luckily, I have a love affair with Fall, too, so bring on the crisp air!

Homecoming week started off with a tragedy. There was a scary car accident in front of our school, involving some fellow students. It was a freaky coincidence because there was a mock car accident event scheduled for that morning, which got promptly canceled upon news of an actual crash. Luckily, all involved parties survived and we’re hoping the one who sustained the worst injuries will make a full recovery.

Our school community was pretty shaken up, but we pulled together and managed to enjoy a full spirit week, complete with a Homecoming parade and home football game, all while keeping the impacted family in our thoughts.

After a rough start, Genesee and I got to experience a magical end to the week: We discovered that royalty lives among us:

Congratulations to the newly crowned Queen Cortney and King Aaron!

Since Cortney is my cousin, I guess that makes me practically a prince, right? No need to roll out the red carpet for me, and don’t feel obligated to bow down when you see me, but I do hereby demand to be greeted as Prince Jaeger.

What started as a regular sleepover with Cullen and Annalia turned into an epic trip to Ferguson’s Apple Orchard! It’s become an annual tradition that we all look forward to, and this year didn’t disappoint.

First up was the legendary corn pit—it’s basically a giant sandbox but with corn kernels. Brilliant! We buried each other alive and then woke from the dead! After becoming zombies, we thought we were ready to brave the not-so-scary haunted house, which should probably be re-named “not-at-all-scary.” Then we found our way to the tractor ride, because who doesn’t love a tractor!? But some new hits this year were the jungle gym and the new giant bubble station. Finally, to top it all off, we enjoyed refreshing apple cider slushies and delicious caramel apples.

There’s no place like Ferguson’s.

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.