I remember wanting to be like my older, and much cooler brother, Greg. I wanted to prove to my Dad I was just as capable and as awesome as he was. I had no fear of putting the gas pedal to the floor to show just how amazing I was.

Recently, my family and I headed north for our yearly, 4th of July tradition of spending time at my brother and sister-in-law’s cabin in the deep woods of Wisconsin. We’ve been vacationing there for as long as I can remember with the exception of a few years. It’s a tradition my children never want to miss. They love it as much as I do.

At the beginning of the year my brothers, sister-in-laws and I worked for weeks organizing, packing, discarding, saving and donating items from my parents home once my Mom decided to sell. During the time, my Mom had already been staying at my sister’s 900 miles away so we had to communicate with her by texting pictures and video-chatting to determine which items she wanted to keep and those she no longer needed.

I’ve only recently considered myself a sushi fan. I was never able to get past the green layer of seaweed (a.k.a. nori). The problem was I tried to eat the piece of sushi in more than one bite and I could never get the nori to rip apart. It usually ended in a chewy sea-weedy mess. I finally understood I needed to put the whole damn thing in my mouth.

The ride started out slow and steady until Richard decided to pick up speed, but because it was chilly, Hannah had asked him to slow down. He decided to turn off the boat so we could just hang out in the middle of the lake. We were just talking and laughing when Richard announced there was a dog. A dog?

The next day came and went and my friend Beth was staying the night at my house for our early morning flight. We celebrated with a cocktail as we finished packing. Then the dreaded phone call came. Hannah mentioned we didn’t have everything in order yet.

This week I’ll be saying goodbye to one of my besties. She’s moving away after many years in the area. We’ve lived in the same neighbor since 2006 but met many years earlier when our daughters played on a softball league together.

This week my family said goodbye to my Mom and Dad’s house. The home they’ve know for the last twelve years or so. The dream home they built together high on a hill, adjacent to the family farm. A place where everything was brand new with little to no worries for them. An easy transition from the place my bothers, sister and I grew up in just across the street.

As we send March on its way and welcome in April, it’s filled with anticipation of new life, green grass, budding trees, flowers, and warmer weather. It’s also a sign Easter is on its way. This Easter will look different than any other year, and I’m trying to embrace the feeling.

The Mars Resort was situated along the shores of Lake Como in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and lucky for us the weather was very mild for this time of year. We were able to enjoy a cocktail under a tiki hut lakeside and watch the beautiful sunset prior to our reservations.

The woman leading the call had described her experiences of connecting with her mother and brother through unexplained occurrences, like a song being played unexpectedly or a symbol that showed up out nowhere. I too have noticed some oddities over the past few years and felt my Dad close by or at least the essence of his beautiful soul.

We followed the road as it became steeper and steeper, trudging through the snow stopping only to catch our breath. It was quiet and peaceful with only birds spotted occasionally chirping and sitting among the empty branches. We passed one couple and asked them if the hike was worth it and they assured us it was. Onward to the top.

Some of my favorite things about my Dad included his humor, friendly manner and fist pounding laugh he was known for. He was also known for always seeing the positive side of life and whenever anyone asked him how he was doing his response was always, “Damn near perfect.”

2020 has definitely been the year to pivot. Just when we think one thing is on the road to recovery, another challenge takes its place, which felt like it happened again and again. Even though the events of this year have caused plenty of anxiety, frustration, depression, uncertainty and fear, it has also created moments of grace, beauty and miracles. In this season of thanksgiving, I wanted to dedicate this post to my family and asked them to highlight some of the ways their lives were blessed throughout the year.

This week marks another year in the USA we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11. It’s a time we pay our respects and honor the sacrifices of the men and women that served or currently serve during both wartime and peacetime. I’m honored to know several veterans and this week’s post is dedicated to them, all that serve(d); especially my Dad.

My first born, Andrew Charles, celebrated his 30th birthday this week. It’s hard to fathom how quickly those years have flown; even though it feels like yesterday when our eyes connected for the first time.

Recently, I stumbled across the following quote (unknown author), “Don't give up on your dreams. If you fall, get back up and keep trying until you succeed.” It was the perfect quote to this week’s post and a great reminder if you’re feeling defeated.

Last week, one morning at 4:00 AM, I woke to the dreaded sound of a low battery on a smoke detector. This may not seem like a huge deal to most, but to me was a big inconvenience as three of my four smoke detectors were located nine to ten feet along the angled walls and ceilings that are hard-wired to my house. To make matters extra special, the chirping only repeats for so long before a piercing alarm sounds, that remains constant until the battery has been replaced. You can imagine my mood………frantic!