It was a Christmas miracle: We somehow managed to arrive early to Rotary Lights, beating all of the crowds on a seasonably warm Friday evening, and we were even first in line to see Santa and Mrs. Claus! But that’s where the magic ended because once I was staring face to face with Santa, some unexpected stage fright caused my mind to go blank when he asked what I wanted for Christmas. How embarrassing!

Still, it was a perfect night to kick off the final weekend before Christmas. We met up with Dad’s best friend from high school (Travis) and his family, and after our eyes were dazzled by the magnificent light show, we took an evening stroll to Big Al’s Pizzeria so our bellies could experience happiness too!

You know what the cutest season of the year is? Awwwtumn.

So of course we had to document all of our adorable adventures that fell between the turn of a new leaf and the rebirth of the sun (also known as Winter Solstice):

This year, it was Genesee’s time to shine, so on December 11th, the family and I filled the gymnasium to cheer on my little sister. Of course mom was out here taking pictures and videos like Genesee might be the next Beyoncé, but I was a much tougher crowd and felt less enthusiastic. I mean, I do think Genesee might be a performer someday, but for now, her biggest shining moment was wearing that sequin-covered skirt.

Welp, Dad headed west again for another hunting trip in Arizona, and to avoid any more letters from the principal, he left us behind this time.

It never feels like home when Dad is not here, but one benefit of his absence is that mom feels a deep responsibility to keep us happy, distracted, and not missing Dad too much. So, to make the days go by quicker, we packed in lots of fun adventures like, Culver’s dinners, visiting stores with 4-legged employees of the year, perusing Sparta’s Kriskindlmarkt, witnessing the lighting of the park, checking out Holmen’s Jingle Fest parade, ordering virgin daiquiris at the local Mexican restaurant, shooting hoops at the Lunda Center, and cheering on Cortney and Ashlee at their respective basketball games.

We stayed B.U.S.Y.

By day 5, however, Dad ended up cutting his hunting trip short because Grandpa got rushed to the emergency room, due to pneumonia, just as he was recovering from Covid. My eyes welled up with tears when I heard the news, but luckily, Grandpa made a quick recovery, Dad made it home early and safe, and all was right in the world again.

All she

wants for

Christmas is

her two front teeth!

Learning how to shoot and steal isn’t criminal when a basketball is involved. Or if it is, just call me a smooth criminal!

Watch out for our Mel-Min Mustang team… we’re comin’ in hot!

We found our Fraser Fir! It’s treemendous. Let the Christmas season begin!

When the aroma of oven-roasted turkey and freshly-baked pumpkin pie fills the air, you know it’s Thanksgiving! Other cues include Grandma’s hot, spiced apple cider, Grandpa’s Mogen David Hi-Fi spritzers, and (new this year) a cornucopia-themed dog! There is much to be thankful for.

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland is the perfect way to usher in the holiday season, or so I hear. Only Genesee and Mom got to experience the magic, since Dad and I had basketball practice. And while the 1.5 hours of blood, sweat, and tears can be pretty entertaining, too, depending on how many of my teammates are struggling with listening and following direction, I would have preferred to be amazed by the acrobats, aerialists, and daredevil athleticism instead.

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!