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Eagle!

Posted on by Erica

August 4, 2026 is the culmination of 12 years in Scouting. May I present the next Eagle Scout of Troop 706, John Michael Kassel!

I am now the incredibly proud mom of two Eagle Scouts! Laura was determined from nearly the beginning while John was reluctant. In the end, it does not matter how they got there. What matters is that they got there.

Thank you to Matt Pigg for seeing the Eagle in both of them, and for being a great Eagle coach to two very different kids. You were integral in their very different journeys, and they would not have gotten there without you.

Congratulations, John! You did it! Your Dad, Sister, and I are so proud of you! We love you to the moon and back and then some. Enjoy the Eagle’s nest. You earned it!

Last Day

Posted on by Erica

I took some time on our last day in Colorado to take a walk and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The sun was coming over the mountains when I faced one way, and the moon was visible when I faced the other way.

It was a lovely way to start our last day. It is home tomorrow.

Copper Triangle

Posted on by Erica

It was a gorgeous day for an 80-mile bicycle ride across three mountain passes. Andy and Jeff left Copper Mountain right about 6:35 am to take on the Copper Triangle course.

As I was tracking Andy through the course, I realized that he was moving pretty quickly. It was definitely faster than he had been moving in past years. By about 10 am, I mentioned to the kids that I thought he was going to be done around 1 pm or so. When he texted to say that he was beginning the Vail Pass climb, I knew he was making great time. However, disaster nearly struck. He texted not long after to say that his front tire was going soft, and I thought his day might be over. However, he changed his tire and stopped at the next aid station to make sure the tire was good. I was relieved to see him cross the finish line not long after that!

He completed the ride in 5 1/2 hours moving time. That is pretty damn amazing, and I am so proud of him! We love you, Andy! Congratulations on a great ride!

Friday

Posted on by Erica

John was not particularly hungry, so Andy, Laura, and I went into Frisco for breakfast at Bread & Salt. It was quite tasty and has the added bonus of being right next to Bigfoot Sock Co.

Not only is this one of my favorite statues, but the socks are hilarious.

Laura bought alien-themed socks for the SEMO Marching Band Director and socks for Jack. I ended up buying three pairs of socks. These were too good to pass up.

Andy took a short bike ride after we got back from Frisco while the kids and I hung out in the resort. Once Andy got back, he and I picked up his Copper Triangle packet.

It was a quiet evening and an early night. Andy rides tomorrow!

Enjoying the Resort

Posted on by Erica

We spent the day enjoying the mountains and the resort. While Andy went for a bike ride, I went for a walk. It is always rejuvenating to see these beautiful views!

After my walk, the kids and I went to check out the new shops at the resort. I found this wall in the new candy store to be interesting. It is the popular candies from four different decades.

Then, we hit up our favorite watering hole, Downhill Duke’s, for mocktails, wine,…

…and live music.

We wrapped up the day with an amazing dinner at Sauce on Copper.

We walked back to the condo stuffed and happy.

I am definitely refilling the cup.

Rainy Day

Posted on by Erica

Because it was a rainy first day of vacation, we spent most of the day relaxing.

We ended up at Ten Mile Tavern for a drink once it stopped raining. We would have preferred Downhill Duke’s but the outdoor bar closed early because of the rain.

It was a pretty good way to start vacation.