The elementary school had a fundraiser night with the Diamondbacks and Briggs asked me every day if we were going. Baseball is not my favorite sport to watch, so I figured this would be a good father/son activity. But then the neighborhood text thread started rolling and we were coordinating with other families. And before long, the father/son activity turned into a family activity and we were all going!

When the kids were younger, we had the Pogo Passes that got us into three Diamondback games every year, but it’s been a lot of years since we’ve had those passes and I’ve been to a game. I suppose the nice thing about baseball is it’s a pretty chill environment, and when you go with friends you can just hang out and talk, which we did!

We brought the party.

We chose a great game to go to because they actually won and the boys made it on the jumbotron which is way more exciting than the game taking place. It seems as though every kid has aspirations of making it on the big screen when they attend a sporting event. My kids have been trying for years to make it on the screen at ASU games but we literally sit right behind the cameraman and they don’t stand a chance.

The game happened to fall on September 11th, and we ended the night with a win and the roof opening to a patriotic fireworks show. Every event is made better when you end with fireworks.

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Ever since we took some of Hallie’s friends to Six Flags for her 18th birthday, I envisioned doing the same for Hunter. And as much fun as I think Hunter would have had on that trip, we gave him another option. Six Flags…or a trip to Wisconsin to watch the Packers play. Hunter was born in Wisconsin and hasn’t been back since we moved away when he was two years old. He has been a die-hard Packers fan, even in their non-glory days and he has longed to go to a game. When we gave him his options, there was no hesitation or “let me think about it”. He knew he wanted the Packers game. They were playing the Arizona Cardinals at the end of August which seemed like the perfect match.

Aside from the Packers game, Steve took Hunter on a trip down memory lane – a lane he has no memories of. They toured our old stomping grounds including our old home visited Steve’s brother who still lives in town and stayed with some old friends. Hunter will finally have memories of his birth place Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Lambeau Field lived up to all his expectations. It’s the experience he was hoping for and they attended a preseason game so it wasn’t snowing yet! Bonus!

The Packers are the oldest community-owned team with the most total titles. While living in Wisconsin, we learned they have a very loyal fan base which was fun to witness. And Hunter counts himself in that number!

Are the Packers good this year? No. But that doesn’t really matter for a true Packers fan. They still pack the stadium and bring the energy. Steve accidentally cheered for the Cardinals just once and got enough side-eyes to not do it again. The Packers pulled off a late win and it was the cherry on top.

Hunter can’t get enough “Wisconsin” gear (which includes all their professional and college teams). And what better place to thrift gear than in Wisconsin! They hit up several stores and he came home with a full suitcase. Six Flags would have been a fun trip, but he made the right decision – a trip to his homeland and a Packers game was the perfect 18th birthday.

Hunter knew his gift was the Packers game, but he did make a simple birthday meal request: White sauce macaroni and cheese. This is a meal I started making when they were little. It was a cheap and easy meal and they would always request it for special occasions, including the first day of school. It was literally a jar of store-bought Alfredo with some Parmesan cheese and spices added. Ironically, the special spice I add to it is called “Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle” from a spice company in Wisconsin, Penzey’s Spices. I haven’t had the spice in my cupboard for years which is why I stopped making the meal. But Hunter made a request – he wanted his favorite childhood meal as he transitioned to being an adult.

I couldn’t order online and get it in time. Luckily, I found a store 35 minutes away that carried it. I debated whether it was worth the drive and Steve assured me it was. So I tracked down the spice and added it to his birthday bucket. He was a happy boy when I whipped up that college-level meal for him on his birthday. He didn’t even eat it on our special “Happy Birthday” plate.

The night of his birthday, we hosted an evening of games, soda bar and acai bowls. 9 square, ping pong, corn hole, and of course, Secret Hitler. Hunter planned on 30 friends – and way more showed up (who doesn’t love a free acai bowls?!) We love a house full of teenagers.

18 is going to be a great year.

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I feel like our kids’ elementary education has shifted since we first sent Hallie 16 years ago. I remember Hallie coming home with so many projects that had to be completed at home. Make a poster for this. Make a diorama for that. Maybe it’s because she was a girl and cared about it so it seemed like the projects were more significant.

I can’t remember the last time one of my elementary kids had to complete a tri-fold poster. Instead, they create PowerPoint presentations!

So I was surprised when I got an email talking about a salt dough map that had to be completed for Briggs’ Spanish class. I don’t think any of my kids have completed a salt dough map. Our school system has shifted away from homework for elementary school because it favors the kids whose parents are at home helping them out.

Which I get, because Briggs wasn’t making and dying the salt dough! I had it ready for him when he walked in the door after school so he could work on his project. Which he did 100% on his own, but he had parental help getting his supplies ready. I’m a crafty person at heart so I do like seeing my kid create a clay masterpiece, but I also see the benefit of learning computers and creating slideshows.

Briggs spent over an hour sculpting and labeling his map and was proud of his masterpiece. I love our independent child who isn’t a perfectionist!

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We have attended so many weddings for nieces and nephews in Steve’s family and have traveled near and far. Out of the 18 marriages, we’ve attended 15, and one was an intimate wedding that extended family wasn’t invited to, so really we’re 15 out of 17 which is a pretty great track record.

This summer, my side of the family had their first niece/nephew wedding. The ceremony was in Utah right after school started so Steve and I flew up and we brought our favorite daughter who wasn’t in school yet. Her invitation was probably less about her availability and more about her relationship with my niece. They have been the best of friends and it !

We had a little time when we flew in so we stopped by Temple Square, which has recently opened after an extensive remodel. It gave us an opportunity to walk down memory lane with our own wedding in the Salt Lake temple many years ago.

We attended the wedding dinner the night before and then enjoyed a beautiful wedding day and reception. My parents and all my siblings were in town (including my sister living in North Carolina) and it was fun to celebrate such a special event with them – something we haven’t done before.

It was only slightly alarming that all these girls are close in age and we likely have more weddings in the near future.

In a crazy sequence of events, we ran into two of Steve’s nieces at In-n-Out after the wedding ceremony. We had just placed our order when my niece walked in and totally caught us off guard. They were an hour from their college homes for a wedding at a local temple (not the same temple we were at), and neither of us knew we were in the same area. Hallie hadn’t seen her cousin Claire in over three years since they had overlapping missions. We had a happy little reunion among the red benches at In-n-Out.

I inadvertently matched the table linens which was only mildly embarassing when I stood near them and suddenly disappeared.

We have a special relationship with my niece so this wedding was especially tender. Halie grew up by her side. We’ve never lived in the same area but we’ve spent so much time together over the years. Summers aside, my brother brought his family down to Arizona every year and we’ve lived within driving distance most of our marriage. We’ve spent holidays and fall breaks and spring breaks in addition to all our summers together. Hallie is the only girl in our family, and Kinlie was the only girl in her family – and they were only 4 months apart so as far as they were concerned, they were sisters! And I’m grateful for their sisterhood.

So grateful we could be part of her special day.

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