I love our annual November gathering at the cabin; it signals the start of gun deer season! We eat food, we play games, we snuggle by the fire stove, and then we wake up early and hunt our little hearts out.

Of course, everyone hides in the woods, hoping to get a buck for their bang, but not me. I mean, we had big plans at first… Dad even left his weapons behind and only brought my gun so that I could experience the thrill of the hunt and harvest my first deer. However, when we purposely let some smaller bucks escape our crosshairs to run free another year, despite being the only activity we saw, I decided to branch out and explore a new recipe….

… Squirrel Soup!

Call me nuts, but hunting a bushy tail that darts through the woods without skipping a beat is quite a thrilling feat!

Welp, you win some and you lose some. Halloween 2023 got lost during our travels. Luckily, we’ve got the pumpkin-carving pics to prove we sort of celebrated—no costumes and no trick-or-treat buckets of future tooth cavities, just some jack-o’-lantern masterpieces! Besides, mom’s favorite part of the holiday is the roasted pumpkin seeds anyway, so not all was lost!

On October 20, we made an escape to the Beehive State, otherwise known as Utah. This wasn’t our first encounter with beaUTAHful countryside, but this time around, the GPS was programmed for Kanab instead of Moab, just north of the Arizona state line.

We traveled over 23 hours and across 1,572 miles before we finally arrived at the Airbnb that I carefully selected for the family. Because, let’s be honest… even though dad’s hunting tag was the driving force behind the trip, the ladies were only coming along if there was a hot tub and fire table to enjoy.

Somehow, we did manage to convince Mom and Genesee to leave the premises and come hunting with us a few times so they could experience the difficult, treacherous, and exhausting lengths we go to to provide meat for the dinner table.

Luckily, there was a grocery store in town because those mule deer kicked our butts in a fierce battle of hide-and-seek.

And even though we weren’t able to harvest venison, hunting with Dad teaches me how to be patient, how to respect nature, and how to appreciate the quiet moments in life (which are much quieter when Genesee doesn’t tag along).

Besides, who would have time to enjoy a delicious venison burger anyway, when so many national parks and other family adventures await!? So, instead of sulking around the kitchen, famished, we decided to explore the cute little town of Kanab!

Then, after playing in some parks and doing a little shopping, we crossed over the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge to make our way to Horseshoe Bend in northern Arizona, “a geologic masterpiece sculpted by the Colorado River.”

The hike to the overlook was 1.5 miles round-trip, and it was a stunning site to see! Not as magnificent was mom’s anxiety. Since the overlook’s viewing platform was the only part of the landmark that had railings, mom’s shaky legs and worst-case-scenario brain lessened some of the enjoyment, but at least I’m alive to tell this story (said my mother).

After working up an appetite, we found a fun place to eat, called The Barnyard…

…before we set out on our next big adventure: touring the Lower Antelope Canyon, operated by Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation. This was one of my favorite parts of our trip; It’s amazing how this slot canyon was formed by wind and water. It was truly awe-inspiring!

Another memorable moment was visiting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Since we checked off the South Rim last year, we wanted to be part of the 10% of park visitors who actually travel to the remote, uncrowded “other side.” Unlike the South Rim, the North Rim is not open year-round and offers more panoramic and less obstructed views of the Grand Canyon.

An unplanned highlight of the trip was when we stumbled upon Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. After learning more about their mission to “bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets” and to have all animal shelters in the USA reach no-kill status by 2025, we booked an impromptu tour and I immediately decided that I will volunteer there someday and also donate money to the cause. The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is 3,700 acres large and home to 1,600 dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, pigs, and other animals!

To round out our 2023 trip out west, we made plans to peruse Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Belly of the Dragon, and Red Hollow Canyon on our final full-day in Utah.

Despite its many flaws and the depressing stories I overhear on the news, this trip reminded me that we sure do live in a beautiful country! And so, even though we will likely return home to another scary letter from the principal for our 7-day absence from school, I am quite certain a traditional classroom could not teach me the life lessons I am privileged to learn through travel. Plus, every kid deserves an occasional whipped cream and sprinkle covered pancake, which is a luxury that the typical school morning rush just doesn’t allow for.

Thanks, parents, for forcing us to slow down, turn off the electronics, and learn about the wonderful world that surrounds us!

Well, it was a good season in the end. We didn’t have many wins to show for it, but by the time the Coulee Cup came around, we were a force to be reckoned with! Personally, I got an opportunity to build on my leadership skills, as the coach often called on me to be captain, take all corner and free kicks, and help to get my teammates in position. It was a really cool experience to have the coaches believe in me so much… it made me believe in myself, too! I did miss playing up on U12 with Maddox this season, but I enjoyed strengthening a bond with some of my other soccer pals, like Bennett, Patrick, Jackson, and Daemir. Soon, I’ll turn my focus to basketball, but for now, I’m reflective and grateful to participate, excel, and continuously grow in a sport that has charmed the planet for over 2,000 years.

It was a sad day when we realized Bluey wasn’t just taking a long nap at the bottom of his fish tank. He was our first pet, and although we knew he wouldn’t live forever, his death still caused a deep grief.

For almost 2 years, Bluey not only made us a family of 5, but he also taught us so much about responsibility… like, when mom learned the daily regimen of the fish diet, and how dad became the chosen one to deep clean the tank. (Honestly, becoming more responsible wasn’t that hard!)

But beyond the life lessons of responsibility, Bluey also showed us laughter, love, and loyalty. And even though we also learned about a painful kind of loneliness on the flip side of those L-words, we still believe it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

So, dad printed out a picture of our beloved Betta, and there we sat around the kitchen table, no longer a family of 5, memorializing Bluey with love letters, endless tears, and sloppy sniffles.

R.I.P. Bluey. Thank you for being the best pet ever. We hope you found the deep, warm, colorful stream that flows beneath the Rainbow Bridge… Swim deep, play with the mermaids, and show off your best cartwheels until we see you again on the other side.

My little sister graduated from Mighty Mites and enrolled in Rush’s Pre-Academy this fall! Genesee displayed a lot of focus… when she was focused. And every once in a while, she landed a solid cartwheel. Just kidding… she wasn’t that distracted. She actually tried pretty hard most days and wasn’t afraid to go after the ball. I know that girl’s got grit, too, and so I do think she could turn into a good little soccer player if she decides to pursue sports instead of becoming a famous YouTuber.

Even busy bees need to sneak in a little bit of lazy during the dog days of summer, but mostly, we did our best to soak up all the sun’s kisses, because unlike our tan lines, summertime memories never fade.

Two apple orchards in one day?! My sister is a lucky duck! Thankfully, I got to come along for this ride because Mom picked both of us up after school so that we could meet up with Noah and his parents at Ferguson’s Apple Orchard! But, with more rain in the forecast, we had to quickly make our way to every corner of the farm and then move our party to Features Bar & Grill in Holmen. Because it doesn’t matter where we have to gather, just as long as we’re with treasured friends.

While Genesee still thinks our parents are cool, Mom jumped at the chance to chaperone her 1st grade class field trip to Cain’s Apple Orchard. There, they got to learn all about apples, pick some apples, and even shop at the apple gift store! You’d think they would have come home with apples, but instead my mom found pistachio fudge on the property. Everybody does the apple orchard a little differently, I guess.

After leaving Cain’s Orchard, Genesee and her friends got to eat lunch and play at a Black River Falls playground. But soon after that, it was time to head back to school and Genesee cried when she had to part ways with our mother, who she wouldn’t see again for another 3 full hours. [insert eyeroll] Despite the tears and a few rain drops, it looks like nothing could totally dampen the collective cheer of a bunch of 6 and 7-year-olds on a field trip.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve been to Ferguson’s with Colin, but it’s a good tradition I have going with one of my lifelong friends. I hope we still meet up here even when we’re really old, like in our thirties. Imagine how tall we’ll be!