Since getting back from Disney, our summer has been refreshingly low-key—which has been a welcome change after the chaos of the school year. Sara had to take Bella and some friends to a leadership conference in Warrensburg, so she decided to hang out with us and the Brawner crew for the weekend. We went shopping down in the West Bottoms for some stuff for Briley’s dorm but did not have any luck. We made a trip out to Autumn’s grave as Sara had not seen it. Molly had given me a Remember Well QR Code plaque that I put on Autumn’s headstone. You can scan it with your phone and it takes you to a website dedicated to her memory. Here is the link if you don’t want to drive all the way to Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea, KS: https://app.remember-well.com/medallion/4346_Autumn/view/aboutme
Over the Fourth of July weekend, we made a long-overdue trip back to Kirksville. We hadn’t been home since January, so it felt great to reconnect with everyone. We kicked things off with dinner at Mike’s after a grueling hour-and-a-half battle with KC traffic. On Thursday, Amanda and Todd hosted a fantastic party, complete with fireworks shows from their neighbors that honestly rivaled what we’d just seen at Disney. It was incredible.
We spent the Fourth at my parents’ place, surrounded by family and friends. Jared, Zane, and I put on a fireworks show of our own—one that was almost too exciting at times. Let’s just say there were a few close calls, but it made for great memories. The kids had a blast hanging out with all their cousins. Just a few days later, our family grew by one when my sister Molly welcomed her daughter, Ellois. We haven’t made it to STL to meet her yet, but she’s already stolen our hearts—she’s absolutely adorable. The weekend after the 4th I took a guys trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with some guys from my Masters Swim Group at the Jewish Community Center. A few of the guys have houses down there and were gracious enough to host us all. It was a great weekend getting some much needed adult talk and just hanging out.
Briley kicked off her summer with UNO Cross Country training. She was a bit unsure at first since the mileage was lighter than she was used to, but she’s come to appreciate the importance of rest and recovery. A couple of weeks after Disney, she flew out to Cape Cod to visit Amity and Billy. They explored Boston, the Cape, and Nantucket. She especially loved the whale-watching tour and strolling through Nantucket, admiring the hydrangeas and charming homes—but I think the real highlight was quality time with Amity. We laughed at how much Amity reminds us of Autumn. One thing’s for sure: Briley is not a fan of lobster—just like Autumn wasn’t. The rest of her summer has been filled with running, long walks, minimal work, baking, sibling chauffeuring, dorm shopping, and soaking up time with friends before college life begins.
Baylor’s summer has been pretty chill, but his mornings start early with 6:45 a.m. cross country practice. I don’t mind—it gets me moving too. He’s been putting in the work, and I think he’s going to surprise himself this fall. I’ve told him not to worry about placement just yet—boys develop later, and it’s more about improving his times. Outside of running, he’s been spending time with his girlfriend Dorothy, going on walks, going to Worlds of Fun, practicing driving, and—despite his best efforts—striking out on the job hunt.
Finley has had a full summer of swimming, nail art, crafting, scootering with friends, and trying to convince anyone and everyone to take her to Starbucks. She missed the first couple of weeks of swim season due to Disney, but she finished strong. At the All-City Championships, she was seeded 15th in both the 50 Free and 50 Breast—and ended up placing 4th in both! We were so proud. After years of pleading and persuasive notes, she finally convinced me to let her switch to competitive dance at Danceworks KC—a studio closer to home and full of her friends. She’s taken some summer classes and starts company classes soon. Wish us luck… I may have no idea what I’ve signed up for!
Atticus has been living his best 10-year-old summer. He’s up by 8 or 9, watching YouTube, and out the door by 10 to round up neighborhood friends. He lost Xbox privileges early on after sneaking it into his room—and honestly, it’s been a blessing. He’s always outside, always moving, and always coming home a sweaty, happy mess. He played basketball this summer and loved showing off his ball-handling skills. His proudest moments? Draining a couple of three-pointers and “breaking” his friend Thomas’s ankles with a crossover move—he gets this huge grin every time he tells the story. Right before heading off to Kamp, we finally threw Atticus his long-overdue 10th birthday party. (Yes, his birthday was in February, but between winter weather and packed schedules, July just made more sense.) He had about seven boys over for a sleepover, and I’ve got to say—this age is the sweet spot. They entertained themselves the entire time. They made their own pizzas, played wiffle ball, hit the pool, played capture the flag, roasted s’mores, devoured cookie cake (Briley crushed it with her decorating skills), and ended the night with Dumb and Dumber. It was the perfect mix of chaos and independence.
I dropped all the kids off at Kanakuk this past Saturday and I think they are all going to have an amazing week. Atticus was a little emotional, but as soon as I leave, he is usually off and running. Our drop off was not without issues. We dropped off Briley and Baylor at K7 and as I was coming out, I got a message that the engine was overheating. These are narrow country roads, so I drove for another couple miles to get it to a parking lot where I could shut it off without blocking the road. Luckily Sara was right in front of us and was able to come to the rescue. We quickly loaded Finley and Atticus’ trunks and bags into her Suburban and made our way to K Kountry. On our way I called a tow truck who towed it to a highly rated repair shop (A&L Automotive in Branson is amazing if you ever have issues in that area). It was late in the day, so I knew they were not going to get to it until later this week. Sara was nice enough to drop me off at the Springfield airport where I grabbed a rental car to drive back to KC. I have been debating over the last couple weeks about selling the Suburban as we just don’t use it much and I am going to need to get Baylor a car soon, and I think this was my sign. Sadly, because of the issues I missed dinner with good friends that I had planned for that evening.
I pick all the kids up at Kanakuk on Friday and then we’re heading straight to Big Cedar Lodge for the weekend with the Bobzien crew, which should be a great way to wrap up the summer. Hard to believe that by the time we get home, we will be down to just 10 days until school starts—and only 14 until we move Briley up to Omaha. This summer has flown by faster than most, and I think I’m feeling a little more sentimental about this one. So many changes on the horizon, but they’re coming whether we’re ready or not. Time to embrace the next chapter.
