To close out the year, we took a trip to Breckenridge for some skiing. It had been a long time since Julie and I have skied and it was the first time for the kids. It was a nice sunny few days and everyone had a great time.
Author: Marty
Happy birthday Emery
Soccer wrapped for the season
Carter and Emery wrapped up another Evolution soccer season last weekend. It has been a fun season to watch. Both of them worked hard throughout the season and became better little soccer players. Now they get a couple of week off and then winter practices start back up.
Boo
It was cold and snowy but we still managed to bring in a huge haul of candy.
House disaster
Unfortunately, our house is in a major state of disarray. Our dishwasher had a leak so we had to rip out our cabinets and flooring. We now have a fancy temporary plastic sink for the near future. We obviously also have to hand wash all of our dishes which is a quick way to realize how much you appreciate a dishwasher.
Happy Birthday Julie
Julie made it around the sun one more time. The kids and I took her out for a nice dinner downtown Naperville to celebrate.
Julie’s birthday also means that Halloween is right around the corner. We are getting ready for the festivities by decorating the house and getting costumes sorted for the kids. Luckily Carter is easy because he is doing the same thing for the 5th year in a row, he will be a pizza. Emery took a little more effort but finally landed on a cheerleader. We couldn’t leave Charly out so she got a matching cheerleader outfit too!
You can’t do October without a pumpkin patch. Emery and I did the annual visit to Johansen Farms with Emery’s Girl Scout troop. The biggest part of the night was the chick house where it was cuteness overload.
Cold and rainy
Tis the season to get the pod out. Soccer was a cold rainy mess this morning but emery and Julie were toasty.
Good luck Jason
We went out to a Benedictine soccer game with a bunch of kids from Carter’s soccer team. It was a nice night for a soccer game and it gave the boys a good view into what college soccer could look like.
Jason had us over to his new house for a going away cookout. He is going away for a few weeks to do some super cool FBI training. Good luck Jason!
Soccer, Soccer, Soccer
The soccer season is in full swing. The past couple of weeks have been busy with practices and on the weekends we have been at tournaments.
First day of school
First day of 8th and 4th grade!
Naperville Triathlon 2023
I completed my 7th running of the Naperville Sprint Triathlon this weekend. It was a nice way to follow up the 70.3 Ironman I did earlier this year. Going from 5.5 hours to just over 1 hour makes for a fun time. The weather was also really cool which helped make it even more enjoyable. It seemed like there were more people than in 2021 and like always there was a lot of great energy. In past years I usually only knew one or two people but this year there were some fellow F3 friends that did it with me. For some of them, it was their first time which always makes me remember my first race all the way back in 2009!
2023 | 2021 | 2017 | 2015 | 2012 | 2010 | 2009 | |
Overall Place | 61 | 71 | 147 | 158 | 270 | 263 | 602 |
Age Group | M 40-44 | M 40-44 | M 35-39 | 30-34 | 30-34 | 30-34 | 25-29 |
Group Place | 11 | 11 | 26 | 25 | 44 | 35 | 48 |
Swim | 6:22 | 5:51 | 5:25 | 7:02 | 7:40 | 6:58 | 6:18 |
Transition 1 | 2:29 | 2:35 | 2:44 | 3:12 | 2:57 | 2:34 | 3:29 |
Bike | 36:19 | 35:29 | 37:10 | 39:33 | 38:09 | 38:58 | 46:52 |
Transition 2 | 1:30 | 1:23 | 1:21 | 1:21 | 2:02 | 1:32 | 1:54 |
Run | 24:51 | 24:27 | 25:16 | 25:23 | 28:00 | 26:47 | 28:09 |
Total Time | 1:11:29 | 1:09:43 | 1:11:54 | 1:16:28 | 1:18:47 | 1:16:47 | 1:26:41 |
Schools coming
We’re getting down to the end of summer, only a few more weeks to go. We are also in a no-sports break so trying to relax before the craziness of school begins.
I finally convinced Carter to go out to the mountain bike trails with me. We hit some big hills right out of the gate and he says “this is just like a roller coaster with no safety equipment!”
Davenport trip
Julie got the weekend to relax at home while I took the kids to Davenport to hang with the Wassmer family. It was the first the kids have been back since the great Wassmer migration. The weather was pretty nice so we gathered part of the Zaehringer clan and went tubing in the Mequoketa River. It was a nice relaxing leisurely float down the semi-green river.
Throughout the weekend Charly met 3 new friends and actually didn’t attack them! Ali didn’t do very well with other dogs so we’re glad to see our new child has good manners.
Before we headed home, Emery got to ride a horse! Charly’s breeder had a horse at Red Roof Stable and invited us over for a ride. Emery rode it around the pin a few times and used the new skills she picked up at horseback riding camp the week before.
Keeping Busy
We are all having fun this summer. The kids are busy with a bunch of camps and hanging out with their friends. Whenever we can, we head to the our neighborhood pool to stay cool.
Happy Birthday Carter
He’s 13!
Ironman Des Moines 70.3
Last weekend I crossed the finish line again at my second 1/2 Ironman in Des Moines. We lucked out because the weather turned out awesome. There was a chance of rain but it was dry and 70F degrees. The great weather and a bit easier course helped me cut almost 30 minutes off my last Ironman in Maddison. I’m extremely happy with the results and glad to be finished so I can relax for the rest of the summer.
2021 | 2023 | |
Swim | 32:52:00 | 33:38:00 |
T1 | 4:13 | 3:11 |
Bike | 3:01:29 | 2:53:16 |
T2 | 4:03 | 4:57 |
Run | 2:32:59 | 2:11:58 |
Full Course | 6:15:35 | 5:46:58 |
School is out!
We made it to the end of the year, let the summer fun begin. Both Carter and Emery had great years but were ready for the downtime. They won’t get much downtime because they both have a ton of camps to keep them busy. The kids won’t miss school but I will miss my bus stop buddies. Many mornings, I got out of the house and walked with Carter to the bus stop. It gave me an excuse to get some fresh air, walk the dog, and have some coffee with two other dads looking to do the same thing.
While my kids are celebrating the end of their school year, my nephew Braxton is celebrating the end of his high school. He is all grown up and is now off to college. We took a trip back to Davenport to celebrate the occasion with him. It had been a long time since the extended family had gotten together so it was really nice to see everyone and catch up.
Happy Mother’s Day
Parents Moved!
Track Meet
Carter is almost through his first track and field season at Gregory Middle School. He started with triple jump, 1600, and the 800 but is now trying out the 800, 400, and long jump.