NELHS Tournament

 It's been about a month since I have blogged, I am already falling behind! This past month has been filled with basketball and colds. We also had a SuperBowl Party in there. 

We will start with the SuperBowl. We hosted a party at our house, and mostly invited people from church. The game was pretty boring, the Seattle Seahawks ended up beating the New England Patriots. But, the company was good. We had about 20 people over, and we smoked a pork loin, made some wings, chips and dips, and then people brought over food as well. We also played some SuperBowl Bingo with prizes, which ended up being a hit. During the 4th quarter, the kids got bored, and they ended up making their own Super Bowl commercials, which were pretty entertaining, and better than most of the actual commercials. 

We also had 3 more weeks of basketball games on Fridays. We ended up losing twice to Good Shepherd and then beating Cornerstone. Emma and Elliott played well in their games, and it's been really fun to watch them improve from the beginning of the year. 

We all got pretty bad colds a couple weeks ago. We were all hacking, blowing noses, not sleeping well, and just generally not feeling well. It was not fun. But, we made it through without missing too much work or school, so that was a good things. 

This past weekend, we went to the NELHS basketball tournament in Waco, NE. We combined with Good Shepherd to form a team. We headed to NE on Thursday after work. We stopped in Beaver Crossing for supper at a bar and grill, and then got to the hotel at around 7:30pm. The kids went swimming while we unpacked and got settled. We had an early morning the next day. 

We ended up going 0-4 on Friday, but we could have won 2 of the games for sure and we lost one game by 1 point, so we definitely had our chances. It would have helped if we would have had more practices with the combined team. Once they had some games under their belt, they were playing a lot better. The kids both played really well. Emma played a lot, she hustled, she scored points and rebounded and just overall played well. We were super proud of her and I really hope she keeps playing basketball. Elliott didn't log a lot of playing time (he's only in 5th grade) but when he did play, he hustled, played smart, and did well. 

After all the games on Friday, we headed back to the hotel for pizza, pool time, and just general hotel silliness. The adults visited in the lobby, while the kids played football outside and then ran around the hotel. It ended up being 70 degrees on Friday, so it was a beautiful day. 

On Sunday, we packed up and checked out of the hotel, and then headed to Waco for one more day of games. We won our play-in game 41-13, had a devotion, and then we had to play the #1 seed. We ended up being within 5 points with 3 minutes left in the game, and we lost by 9. It was an impressive game for Bethel, and I wish they could have played that well the whole tournament. After the loss, we hit the road. 

We stopped at the Nebraska Crossing shopping mall again, and we had some fun shopping. Elliott got a jean jacket from GAP that he is really proud of, tennis shoes, baseball cleats, and a duffle bag. Emma got some Gap shorts, a hoodie, a baseball cap, and a couple other odds and ends. It was fun. It was a little chilly for an outdoor mall, but we had a good time. 

We got home at around 7:30pm and got unpacked, did a little laundry and even watched an episode of Bones. Then, we all enjoyed our own beds and space for the night. 

Sunday was a recovery day. We went to church, the choir sang, and then we basically just got laundry done, picked up the house, and then rested. I was down and out with another cold, and basically just wanted to rest and relax. And the kids were tired from their 6 games in 2 days, so they were happy to lounge around as well. 

Today, it was back to reality. I am finally feeling better, and everyone else is feeling healthy and rested. We are having a nice, quiet evening tonight, and then we have Lent and basketball practice coming up this week. And then this weekend is another basketball tournament. This time we head to Watertown for the GPLHS basketball tournament. Then, after these crazy weekends, basketball will be over for the year. Time is just flying by already this year. 

Emma's valentine box

Forensics 

Beautiful day at Falls Park

     

Nurse Day at School 

8th Graders Last Basketball Home Game 

The Bethel Basketball Teams 

Singing in church 

Basketball Huddles 

Elliott got to start a game 

Cheering on the team 

Elliott is ready to rebound Emma's shot

Emma's got a shot down low 

At the mall 

Updates and Basketball

 Well, we wrapped up January and are 4 days into February already. Last weekend, mom came to visit for the weekend. She met us at Bethel at 6 pm for Emma and Elliott's basketball games. The games were against Good Shepherd Lutheran School. They were good games. Elliott's team lost by a few points, but they played a really good game. It was really physical and tough, but they held their own and played a good game. Elliott scored 4 points, and got to shoot 4 free throws (which he missed). But he played well. 

Emma also had a really good game. She had to play against the biggest boy from Good Shepherd the whole game, and they were pushing on each other the whole game. It was also very physical, and Emma got a little beat up in there. But she held her own, scored 8 points, shot some free throws, and pulled down some important rebounds. I was super proud of her. She was a little mad and frustrated at the end of the game, but she played so well. 

On Saturday, we went over to the school to clean in the morning. It went pretty quick with 5 of us cleaning. After the cleaning, we fed the kids, and then brought them to Harrisburg to go to Air Madness for 5 of the boys from Bethel. They jumped at Air Madness for 4 hours, then went to Bethel for supper and cake. They were beat when we picked them up. While they were on their adventure, John, mom and I went to Aldi, then to Look's for lunch and a beer, and then to Jack Rose for a cocktail. We had some nice conversation and great food. After picking up the kids, we made some stir fry for supper. It was a great day. 

Sunday was a typical Sunday. We went to church, served Bible Study snacks, and then mom went home. We headed back to church at 2pm for Game Day, but it was not well attended. We enjoyed playing some games, putting a puzzle together, and then we headed back home. It was a crazy, busy weekend, but it was fun. 

This week has been a little less fun. On Monday, both kids came home sick. Apparently, half the kids at school got sick from Air Madness. The kids also stayed home Tuesday and Wednesday. I think they are finally starting to turn a corner, and hopefully they will both be back at school tomorrow. They have been running fevers, coughing, and snotting all over the place. Emma has been napping, and Elliott has been trying to take it easy. 

I had today off. And I spent it taking care of sick kids. doing all kinds of laundry, shopped at Costco for Super Bowl party groceries, ran to Jefferson High School to drop off some documents for Emma's registration for next year, picked up meds and electrolytes for the kids at Target, and did homework with the kids. It has been a day. But, it was productive, and I am happy how it went. I just want the kids to get well. 

So, that is how we are entering February. I hope there is an end in sight to all the sickness. We do have 40s-50s in the forecast for later this week, so that is exciting. I can't wait for some warmer weather and sunshine. This weekend we have more basketball (depending on how the kids are feeling), more school cleaning, and we are hosting a Super Bowl Party. It should be fun!

Shooting Free Throws 

Emma's into learning guitar now 

Both kids playing at the same time 

Basketball and Winter Winds

 We are halfway through January already. The kids have been working hard in basketball practice and they had their first game this past Friday evening. The kids played really well. All 3 Bethel teams won, and Emma and Elliott had a lot of fun and played well. 

Yesterday, it was windy and really cold. It felt like -22 degrees. So, we pretty much stayed home for the first part of the day. In the afternoon, Elliott wanted to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house, so we took him out there. Afterwards, we met up with Jeff and Samantha at Barn and Barrel in Canistota. We ate some really good food, had some drinks, and just visited. It was fun. We ended up staying until around 10:00pm, and then we felt like we better get home because Emma was home by herself. Emma was fine, but we were happy to be home by 10:30pm. 

Today was a catch up day. We had church, then a voter's meeting, and then Emma wanted to do some thrift shopping. John came along as well, and we hit up 3 different stores Emma and John both had some luck, and it turned into a fun afternoon. It was also super windy today, snowy, and cold, so after the third store, I was ready for home, playoff football, and a warm blanket. Also, not ready to go back to work tomorrow. 

This next week is a pretty calm week. We have some sports practices, homework and piano to stay on top of, catechism memory work, and chores. But other than that, we have a quiet week, and we are loving our calm January days. 

Basketball time 

Both kids on the floor 

Huddle up 

Ringing in 2026

 Well, I'm finally caught up on my blogging, and we are up to the new year. It's wild that it is 2026 already. I really don't know how 2025 flew by so fast. I always like to make some goals for the new year, so here we go. 

2026 Goals:

1. Bible Recap: I just started doing the Bible Recap program through the bible app. Basically, I read about 15 minutes worth of a daily bible reading and then there is a 5-6 minutes video afterwards explaining what we had read. I really like it so far, and hope to get through the entire year. 

2. Gym attendance. So far, I have been really on top of going to the gym, and I plan to continue. It's not reasonable to go every single day. But, I hope to make it most days and continue on my fitness journey. I would love to be around 10-15 lbs lighter, so that's ultimately my goal. But also, just to feel good, have a stress reliever, and have some me time. 

3. Reading. I plan to read 30 books this year. This is 10 less than last year, but with the bible reading, blogging, and other activities, I felt like I needed to decrease my books for some sanity. I like to read, but I don't want to be stressed about it. 30 seems like a good number. Also, I got a kindle for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to using that. 

4. Sleep. My goal is to shoot for 8 hours of sleep every night. Sometimes, I stay up too late just reading or watching a show, and I feel so much better when I get enough sleep. 

5. Volunteering. We have been bad about getting the the Humane Society for volunteering, so I would like to find some new place to volunteer with the kids that is easier to get to. I'd like the kids to know more about volunteering and understand why it's important. 

6. Date nights. It's really important that once a month John and I have a date night or something that we do by ourselves. Sometimes, we can totally wrapped up in our kids' events, and our relationship gets pushed to the back burner. I want to always carve some time out for us. 

7. Day trips. This year I want to do more spontaneous day trips. Day trips to Pipestone National Monument, Pallisades, Lake Vermillion, Clear Lake, or anywhere that's within 1-2 hours. Sometimes we forget that we can just go to a state park or a lake for a couple hours and have a really fun day. 

8. Meal prepping. I want to keep getting better at meal prepping and planning. And also to keep experimenting with new recipes and foods. Also, to focus more on whole, healthy fruits and vegetables. 

I always like to have new, positive things to focus on in the new year. I may not achieve all these things, but I like to have something to focus on and work toward. Happy 2026!

December 2025

 The Christmas season seemed to fly by this year even faster than usual. We didn't have anything too crazy going on. We just had Elliott's wrestling practice, and then a couple weeks of basketball ball practice to get the kids ready for basketball. Otherwise, I was super busy with end-of-the-year surgeries. I put in long days, and was super busy every day. 

Christmas was my holiday to work this year. So, I had to work the day before and the day after Christmas. This made going to MN on the day pretty impossible. So, we celebrated on Christmas Day with the Nelsons. We did the super nachos with the tinfoil on the table again. It was really good. Then, we opened presents. The kids got spoiled like usual, and they liked all their gifts. Emma was really into mushrooms, headphones, vinyl records, and baggy jeans this year. She really knew what she wanted, she made a list, and she loved everything she got. Elliott was a little trickier. He is super into Roblox, kind of into Legos, and occasionally into drawing. But other than that, he is kind of hard to buy for because he is at a hard age. He is no longer a little boy, but he's not quite into teenager things yet either. But he had a good Christmas, and he liked most everything he got. 

On Friday, we headed to Minnesota to celebrate Christmas on Saturday. We got to mom's house in time for supper, and then after supper John and I met Ryan, Michelle, and Samantha at Whit Wort in Gibbon. It was really nice to catch up with everyone and see some of my friends. On Saturday, we had a nice meal for dinner. We had to cancel our plans to go to Barb's house for Christmas because the weather was not cooperating, and we actually decided that we would have to drive back home later that day, so we decided to just stay at mom's house for Christmas. After too much food, we opened gifts, played some games, visited and ate some more and by 4:00pm, we had to hit the road to go back home. The roads ended up being good for our drive home, but the fog was terrible. We couldn't see very far ahead of us, and it was a pretty stressful drive home. But, we made it home by 8:00pm, and we were happy to be home. 

The next day, we had 50-60mph winds, snow, whiteout conditions, and the interstate was closed from Luverne to the cities. So, it was a really good idea that we came home a day early. Once again, it felt really weird and sad to not have dad there. He was such a Christmas guy. He listened to Christmas music starting in November and would listen into January usually. He loved the programs, the lights, the tree, basically everything. We missed him again. We were also bummed to shorten our Christmas celebration, but I guess that's the way weather is, and it was out of our control. 

The rest of December flew by in a hurry. On New Year's Eve, we just had a quiet evening at home. The kids were out at Jim and Barb's house. They went to a movie, ran some errands, and had a couple fun days at the farm. At home, we made some stir fry (we didn't want to deal with busy restaurants) and watched a show, and then we were in bed before midnight. We are such party animals. It's hard to believe it's 2026 already!

Emma fashion show 

Advent by Candlelight 

Emma played piano and did a reading 

Fashionable Emma 

Christmas at the Cathedral (I volunteered) 

Emma's last Children's Program 

Elliott looking sharp (and nervous) 

Christmas at home 

Emma's mushroom themed gifts 

Emma's usual appearance 

Nelson Christmas 2025 

More Christmas time 

Rumikub and Henna Tattoos