Houghton High School Band Festival

 These kids sound awesome.  I'm so impressed every year!

Rob's 55th Birthday!

 

Rob was thrilled with this dinner of rib-eye, twice baked potatoes, salad, and sauteed mushrooms.  The lemon raspberry cake with whipped cream cheese frosting was also a hit!

Yooper Hospitality: Curling

 With our visitors from the U of M, we wanted some way to show them how awesome the U.P. is.  Last year, we played sled hockey.  This year, we decided to give curling a go.  I have never curled in my life, and always chuckled at the thought that it was a "sport".  But you know what?  It is surprisingly hard to do!  I have a newfound respect for curlers.  It's also a LOT of fun, in a bowling-vibe-ish kind of way, and we had an absolute blast for 2.5 hours on the ice!  Our instructor from the Copper Country Curling Club said that we were the most fun group he has ever led, ever.  I'd have to agree.  

Father Daughter Ski Day at the Porkies

 Reagan and Rob hit the slopes on Snowburst weekend at the Porkies, as is their tradition.  Normally I'm there to join them, but am not yet cleared to ski, and had my track clinic anyway.  So it was a Father/Daughter day, which was needed.  Except, Reagan is getting sick, and slept in the vehicle all the way there and all the way home.  And wanted to leave early.  And the lines were long, the slopes reportedly overly crowded.  Not the dream ski weekend they had hoped, but a memory nonetheless, and quality time.

2025 Upper Peninsula Adaptive Track and Field Clinic

 

    This day was just fabulous.   At first I was all nervous and gloomy, as I am every year.  "This is the last year.  No one is going to show up.  All this work, all this fundraising, all these presenters coming from hours away and no one is going to show up.  I'm not doing it again.  This is the last time."  BLAH BLAH BLAH.  There was some old drama to work around, and all of that.  I admit, I was feeling pretty glum about the whole thing.  But then... a week before the clinic, we started to get some unexpected registrations.  The night before the clinic - even more registrations.  The day OF the clinic... people showed up who hadn't even registered!  And suddenly, we had ourselves a wonderful group of people, and an awesome bunch of presenters, and a really incredible day.  We EVEN had an unexpected college signing ceremony for one of our kids that learned the sport through our clinic, and is now on the U of M Adaptive Track and Field team, class of 2029!  Full circle.  Dreams do come true.  It's all worth it.  All of it.  Just look at the pictures.  And if next year you hear me being negative... please remind me of how fantastic this day is, and to trust that God wants it to happen, because obviously He does.  

The O.G. "I AM AN ATHLETE TOO" team: Maria, John, me and Abby.