The Kassel Family Project Life 365 – Going Through Life One Blog Post at a Time

Changes are Coming

Posted on February 15, 2026February 16, 2026 by Erica

Changes are coming to our bedroom. Stay tuned for the finished room!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2026February 16, 2026 by Erica

We spent most of Valentine’s Day at Mizzou Jazz Fest.

After dropping off John, Andy and I watched the Hickman Jazz Ensemble. Then, we decided to walk to Top Ten Wines to spend a little bit of time together on Valentine’s Day. It was the perfect red wine day.

About 5 pm, we went back to the Rhynsburger Theatre to watch the Hickman Purple Jazz Lab and John. When we arrived, we saw Caleb, one of John’s best friends, so we sat with him during the performance.

They sounded great, earning a “I” rating. After the clinic part of the competition, it was announced that the Rock Bridge Jazz Ensemble was the Judge’s Choice winner and the Hickman Jazz Ensemble was the Command Performance winner. So, the four of us went to the final concert at the Missouri Theatre to watch both jazz ensembles and the Mizzou Concert Jazz Band.

We wrapped up Valentine’s Day with dinner at the Heidelberg. It was a fun time spent with my husband and two of my favorite teenagers. It was a great Valentine’s Day!

Tree Move

Posted on February 13, 2026February 16, 2026 by Erica

Andy, along with some help from John, has worked for a week to remove this American Elm tree from our backyard green space. It is a seedling from the American Elm that we had to cut down when we put the solar panels on our roof.

It did not look nearly as tall in the backyard, but Andy worked diligently every day to get it out of the ground. It is 25 feet tall with small limbs, but we hope it will survive the move.

Now, it is time for fertilizer and lots of watering. Cross your fingers that this works! Andy and I both still feel guilty that we cut down a healthy American elm. It would be nice to have one in our front yard.