Heinz Family Part 2!

The backpacks are officially emptied, the lunchboxes are tossed aside for summer, and somehow another school year has come to an end for all four kids.

This week felt like a nonstop rotation of last days of school. Willow finished up on Monday, Bodhi and Noah wrapped things up on Tuesday, and Leo officially closed out the school year today. Every kid had their own countdown, celebrations, and excitement for summer break, but Leo’s last day definitely pulled at my heart the most.

He was so emotional leaving school today as he said goodbye to the primary school and his teacher. He will be moving on to Roncalli Elementary School next fall.

We celebrated the end of the school year yesterday with lunch at Pizza Ranch, which always feels like a kid-approved way to kick off summer. Then today, Leo’s classmates celebrated with an ice cream picnic at Wylie Park, and it was the perfect ending to such a special year.

Now begins the season of summer chaos.

With everyone finally home, I already know this house is about to become a revolving door of kids and friends. There will be soccer balls flying through the yard, endless snacks disappearing from the pantry, late nights, messy counters, popsicle wrappers everywhere, and probably more grocery trips than I care to think about.

And somehow, here’s where we’re headed next:

• Willow: Junior year
• Noah: Freshman year
• Bodhi: 7th grade
• Leo: 2nd grade

Here’s to summer adventures, loud houses, full hearts, and making the most of these moments while we’re in them.

It’s hard to believe I have another one leaving Holgate Middle School and heading off to Central High School.

On Monday, Noah officially “graduated” from 8th grade, and somehow I’m still trying to process how we got here so fast. We celebrated with a huge assembly, lots of pictures with friends, proud smiles, and all the excitement that comes with closing one chapter and starting another. Later that evening, Noah joined his classmates for a bonfire — the perfect way to celebrate the end of middle school and the beginning of something new.

Noah’s quiet, gentle, thoughtful, and one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. He’s never been the loud one looking for attention, but he notices everything and cares deeply about the people around him. As his mom, I’ve had to push him out of his comfort zone a little over the years — encouraging him to try new things, step up, speak out, and believe in himself even when he’d rather stay in the background.

But what makes me so proud is that no matter what Noah chooses to do, he gives it his all. He’s incredibly smart, works hard, and treats people with kindness and respect.

Watching him grow into the young man he’s becoming has been such a gift. And while it’s hard to believe we’re already saying goodbye to middle school, I can’t wait to see what high school has in store for him.

We are so proud of you, Noah.

So proud of Noah for qualifying for the ESD Middle School Track Meet this season. Watching him compete at that level and represent his team was such a proud moment.

He ran in three relay events: the 4×100, the medley relay as the 200 meter leg, and the 4×400. His teams worked hard all day and had an awesome meet, finishing 3rd in both of the shorter relays and 4th in the 4×400.

One of the biggest highlights was the 4×100 relay team taking over the #5 top time in the state of South Dakota.

Noah gave it everything he had, and it’s been so fun watching his confidence and strength grow this year. There’s something special about seeing hard work pay off!

Way to go, Noah — what an exciting way to wrap up middle school track season.

There’s something special about a weekend away when it’s centered around the people you love most. Especially when I don’t have to cook or clean! This past weekend, we headed to Sioux Falls for the boys’ soccer tournament, and somehow it turned into the kind of family trip that leaves you feeling full in every sense of the word.

We stayed at a fun hotel right in downtown Sioux Falls, which made everything feel like a little adventure. In the evenings, we wandered through downtown, taking in the newest pieces from the SculptureWalk Sioux Falls. There’s something peaceful about walking the streets at night, seeing the sculptures lit up, and just taking your time with nowhere to rush off to. The river just outside our hotel added to it all — so pretty, especially in the evening, and a nice reminder to slow down and soak in the little moments.

The tournament itself was such a blessing. Getting to watch Noah, Bodhi, and Sam all play soccer together was something I won’t forget. The first game started a little slow, but the team found their rhythm and pulled out a win. The second game was a tough one and ended in a loss, and the third wrapped up in a tie. Through it all, it was fun to watch each of them bring something different to the field.

Noah really showed up this weekend and played hard every game. He was focused and determined, and it was exciting to watch him push himself. He’s so fast, and can beat his fastest opponents. Sam had a big moment scoring on a penalty kick, which had everyone cheering. And Bodhi held his own against boys much older than him — never backing down and giving it everything he had. Watching them all out there together made the weekend feel even more meaningful.

And then there was Leo, who patiently tagged along to all the games and all the running around. He was such a trooper through it all, so we made sure to reward his patience with a stop at a fun park downtown. It ended up being one of his favorite parts of the trip, and honestly, it was nice to let him have his own special moment too.

Between games, we found some great new restaurants around downtown and just enjoyed being together. Good food always seems to make a trip better, especially when there’s time to sit, laugh, and talk about the day. And on top of all that, I got to spend a little time on Mother’s Day doing one of my favorite things — browsing antique shops. It was such a simple thing, but the perfect way to spend a little quiet time in the middle of a busy weekend.

Noah’s track season is off to an incredible start!

All the hard work he put in during the offseason is really paying off. He’s gotten noticeably faster and stronger, and it’s showing in every meet. He’s been dominating his events and consistently pushing himself to improve.

His relay team has been especially fun to watch, with Noah and his teammates placing in the top 6 in the 55 and 100 meter dashes. His open 400 time keeps improving too, and he’s earned a solid spot on that relay as well.

More than anything, I love seeing his confidence grow. Heading into his 8th grade season, he’s believing in himself—and that’s just as exciting as any finish line result.

This Easter looked a little different—but it turned out just right.

With too much snow still on the ground, we moved the Easter basket hunt into Jodi’s garage. The kids didn’t mind at all and had fun searching for their Easter bags in a warmer spot!

We spent the day playing games, including a family version of Kahoot, and just enjoying time together. It was simple, but full of laughter.

This year was especially meaningful as we celebrated Gabi and Willow’s confirmation. They were confirmed at Mass this past Sunday with Bishop DeGrood, marking an important step in their faith journey. It was extra special to see Willow go through this with her sponsor, Grandma Margie, by her side, along with Gabi.

And even more to be grateful for—after a heart attack and a brief hospital stay, Grandma Ket made it to Easter. Having her there made the day feel even more complete.

Snow or not, it was a day filled with family, faith, and memories.

This weekend, Rachael, Marge, Willow, Hudson, and I had the absolute joy of helping Sara find her wedding dress locally at Moda Lane Boutique here in Aberdeen. She came in with a clear vision—but sometimes, the perfect dress has a way of surprising you! With a little guidance (and some fun opinions from the rest of us), Sara ended up choosing a gown that was completely different from what she expected—but completely beautiful! She was glowing when she tried it on.

Fun twist: she picked Hudson’s choice off the rack! The dress has already made its way to her home in Colorado, and we can’t wait to see Sara shine in it this May when she marries Blake’s brother, Chris. It was such a special day full of laughter, friendship, and wedding magic.

Willow and I recently spent two days in Nashville with Blake at his Society of Hospitalist Medicine Conference. Our first day was travel, but after checking in, we walked to a late-night Italian spot that Willow called some of the best Italian food she’s ever had!

Day one’s full adventure continued with a morning walk down Broadway for a double-decker bus tour, taking in Nashville’s history and iconic sights. We refueled with lunch at Assembly Food Hall and did some shopping for Confirmation dresses and wedding guest outfits for Chris and Sara on Broadway and then in the Gulch neighborhood. We walked so much on Day 1 and were ready for a somewhat early night, watching the lights on Broadway from our 27th floor hotel room.

Day two brought a fun tour of the Hatch Print Shop and Country Music Hall of Fame, more shopping in the 12th street neighborhood (including a stop on Broadway for cowboy boots), and once Blake wrapped up his conference, we tackled an amazing Prison Escape Escape Game before enjoying a memorable meal at Shabu Shabu hot pot—definitely an experience! We flew home the next morning just in time to be greeted by 7 inches of snow. Two days of food, history, shopping, and adventure—Nashville didn’t disappoint and it was so fun to spend one-on-one time with our oldest.

Noah’s already hoping the next conference is somewhere just as fun.

We may have waited a little while to celebrate Leo turning seven with his friends, but it ended up being worth every second. When the day finally came, all of his friends were able to make it—and you could just feel how loved he was from the moment everyone arrived.

We leaned all the way into a dinosaur theme, and it couldn’t have been more fun. One of the highlights was our “excavation site”—we filled a planter with gemstones and pretend dinosaur fossils and let the kids dig, search, and discover. It didn’t take long before they were completely immersed, proudly showing off their treasures like true little paleontologists. One of Leo’s friends literally dug for the entire two hours!

Next up was a dinosaur egg hunt around the yard. The kids took off running, hunting for squishy eggs and candy-filled surprises, laughter echoing as they raced from one hiding spot to the next.

We were lucky enough to have the most beautiful day, so the rest of the party naturally unfolded outside—kids running, playing, and just being together. At one point, everyone gathered to frost and decorate their own cupcakes, which was mass chaos but made for easy clean up since we were able to do it outside!

We wrapped up the day the best way kids know how—games of tag, rounds of hide and seek, and jumping on the trampoline.

Leo opened so many thoughtful and exciting gifts, and true to form, he dove right into building a Lego set as soon as he could. Watching him sit there, completely content and focused, was the perfect ending to a really special day.

Seven looks good on you, Leo. You are so deeply loved!

The night before his birthday, Leo lost his second front tooth—so not only did the birthday fairy show up (with balloons filling his room when he woke up), but the tooth fairy made a visit too. Safe to say, it was a pretty magical start to turning seven.

It’s hard to believe our baby is now missing his front teeth and officially 7 years old. Time really does fly.

Leo is still very much Leo—loving trains, completely obsessed with the Titanic, building Legos whenever he can, and spending as much time as possible with his best buddy, Theo. He gave basketball a go this winter (jury’s still out on whether that’s a long-term sport), but one thing that is certain is how well he’s doing in school. He’s become such a strong reader, and we’re so proud of him.

He’s also grown like crazy—most people think he’s already 9, and are always surprised when we tell them he’s just seven.

On our trip to Red Lodge, he absolutely skied his little heart out. By the last run, he was taking lots of breaks, but he powered through like a champ.

And in true Leo fashion, his only birthday request for cake this year? Lemon.

We love you so much, Leo. Seven looks pretty great on you.