Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 2022 was another memorable year for our family. Matt, Katie and I kicked the new year off in Aruba. While we were gone, Jack broke his scaphoid during basketball and was in a cast for a month. We escaped to SW Florida a few times in the spring and early summer this year. It’s such a nice break from the cold Minnesota weather! We didn’t use the camper at all in 2022 and weren’t at the cabin as much as we would’ve liked. We did get to host my family at the cabin for a 4th of July celebration. We dropped Jack off at school in August and Matt and I also celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary that month. The autumn flew by and here we are at the end of the year already. Where does the time go?
Matt has been busy with the office. He worked as the only dentist at Pike Lake Dental until June, when he hired a new and wonderful associate. He and a friend went to Texas this spring to hunt wild boars from a helicopter. It sounds crazy, but he had so much fun! He got in a couple trips to Isle Royale to fish, once with me and once with his buddies. He and Jack went to British Columbia with some friends to fish in July. The scenery was spectacular! The fishing, not so much. Even so, it was a wonderful memory for all the guys. Matt and I did a little grouse hunting this fall. Ollie, our British lab, learned to ride in the Ranger this summer, so he could join us hunting too. Pheasant hunting in South Dakota opened in October and the guys went on their annual pheasant hunt with a bunch of buddies again this fall. They came home with so many birds! Jack and Matt have also gone to a few Vikings games this year. All in all, Matt had a pretty spectacular 2022.
I’m still splitting my time between the dental office, home and working on our other little business ventures. I took Campbell, Brett and Katie to Yellowstone this summer for a couple weeks while Matt and Jack were gone on their trip to BC. We had a fantastic time, took thousands of pictures and videos, and made so many wonderful memories together. I absolutely love road trips! I still try to read 100 books each year. I’m part of a fun, monthly book club that has been meeting for about 10 years and I get together with some of Jack’s classmates’ moms every so often. I attend as many of the kids’ sporting events as possible. I’m also trying to be more conscious about staying in touch with my friends, even if it’s just a quick text to say hello, now that school and sports don’t bring us together as often. Life sure changes as the kids get older, especially socially for us parents.
Campbell is a senior at the College of St. Scholastica here in Duluth. She has worked exceptionally hard at maintaining her grades and often sets the grading curve on her tests. We appreciate her drive and ambition for excellence with her studies. She and her boyfriend, Brett, will both graduate from CSS this spring with a BS in biochemistry and elementary education degrees, respectively. They just celebrated their 4th anniversary together this fall. That time sure has flown! Campbell spent a lot of time this spring and summer at a local non profit organization called Seeds of Hope Youth Ranch where she reignited her love of horses. She did everything from scooping manure to teaching underprivileged kids how to ride horses at the ranch. She also spent many, many hours knitting hats to donate to our local homeless shelters. She definitely has a huge and giving heart. Campbell has also discovered a love for house plants this year. Her apartment may be more jungle than living space at the moment.
Jack graduated from Marshall in June and started at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul this fall. He had a fun end to his high school career, enjoyed his last real summer with his friends and transitioned well to life in college. He and his girlfriend, Annika, live only a few minutes apart in St. Paul and have enjoyed their freedom and freshman classes at St. Thomas and Hamline, respectively. Their one year anniversary will fall in January. Jack still has an easy, laid back personality and maintains his friendships as much as possible via the internet and in person as schedules allow. He lucked out and has 3 good friends from high school also attending St. Thomas, one of them is his roommate. We gave him a pass on not getting a job this past summer, but you’ll definitely see him working somewhere in 2023. He also picked up golfing with his buddies this summer and looks forward to improving his game in the coming years.
Katie is a junior at Marshall and loves having her drivers license and a job. Oh, the sweet feeling of freedom and a little money in her bank account! She’s still at Gordy’s Gift and Garden Center and has way too many house plants because of it. It’s been really fun to watch her blossom at Gordy’s. She often says she can’t wait to go to work and refers to her coworkers as her work family. She found the perfect job! Katie and her boyfriend, Ty, have been dating over a year and they couldn’t be better matched. They are both bookworms and exceptional kids. Katie played volleyball for Marshall again this fall. It was so much fun to be at her games! In her spare time, Katie’s favorite activities are hanging out with Ty, reading and sleeping. She is an excellent student and is VP of the Hilltopper Council, the school’s student council.
That pretty much sums up our 2022 and gives you a quick glimpse into our lives. I never thought I’d be happy with the kids growing up and leaving home, but it’s actually been pretty fun. We especially appreciate the times we are all able to be together. I’m so thankful the kids are happy and healthy and with significant others who also make them happy. It warms my heart to know they are all moving in positive directions and growing into amazing adults. We are extremely proud of each of them! This time also gives both Matt and me a new perspective of life after kids and has us coming up with fun ideas for this next phase of our lives. I’m seeing more fishing, camping and fun in our future. Let us know if you want to get together sometime soon!
We wish you and your loved ones many blessings during this happy Christmas season and hope your 2023 will be filled with health and happiness. Cheers!
Our love this year and always,
Stephanie, Matt, Campbell, Jack and Katie Jugovich
Matt has had both a challenging and an amazing year. Although he was the only dentist at the office the majority of this past year, he’s had his best year yet. 2019 has brought him back to the basics and renewed his passion for his profession. We are very excited that another dentist joined our team in November. With an associate at Pike Lake Dental Center, Matt may be able to take a little more time off in 2020. Matt works extremely hard, but he also plays extremely hard. He spent as much time as possible fishing this year, hitting Lake Superior, Isle Royale, Lake of the Woods, Red Lake, Canada and even Alaska this summer. He enjoyed taking the ATVs out at the cabin and driving the pontoon around our lake. Through it all, Matt has always had a great, can-do attitude and a smile on his face. He’s a trooper and makes our lives so amazing. 
Campbell will turn 17 in early January. She loves the freedom a driver’s license and a vehicle provide her. Technically a Junior in high school this year, she chose to go to Lake Superior College here in Duluth as a full-time Postsecondary Enrollment Option student, which means she will graduate in 2021 with both an AA degree in May and her high school diploma in June. She worked over the summer at Fleet Farm, but took a hiatus from working this fall to focus on her schooling and to help ferry her brother and sister around. We share custody of Campbell with her boyfriend, Brett, or get them as a package deal most evenings. Campbell discovered her love for baseball, Brett’s sport of choice, and attended about 100 of his games this spring and summer, including the MN 2A HS baseball championship game, in which Brett threw the winning pitch! She is extremely happy about every aspect of her life right now, which makes us extremely happy. As one of her favorite past teachers likes to say, “Life is good!”
Jack is 15 and has been chauffeuring us around since he got his permit in May. He’s growing taller every time I look at him and is a solid 5’ 10.5” now. He played basketball last winter, but has chosen to take a break from sports this year. His schoolwork has made a fantastic turnaround this Sophomore year and I think he’s secretly pretty proud of it. I know I am! Jack had a bunch of amazing opportunities to hunt and fish with Matt this year, including a couple father-son fishing trips with friends to Alaska and Canada. I’d best describe Jack as an easy going, X Box playing, all around awesome kid. He has a dry, witty sense of humor, which never fails to make us laugh.
Katie will be 14 at the end of December. She’s already taller than both her sister and me. Volleyball is her favorite sport and she plays it year-round between school ball and her JO team. She and I took a fun trip to Orlando this summer to round out her 13s volleyball season at the AAU National tournament. She loves to read and sleep. She’s a fun, feisty, passionate kid who’s fun to hang out with. She’s consistently a stellar student and enjoys her friends and school equally. Katie is still a champion of the underdog and firmly believes in her values. She makes us pull out our hair one minute, then squeeze her because she’s so sweet the next. She makes us laugh a lot and has a quick, dry sense of humor.
I am never lacking for things to keep me busy. I went back to work full time at the office last December. It’s been a fun and challenging year and I’m thankful the gals at work have been so gracious and welcoming to me. There was a learning curve in every aspect of my life (from juggling my new schedule to making our family life run smoothly), but we managed it together – as a team and a family. I’m forever grateful to Campbell for jumping in and never complaining about driving her siblings around. And then there are my friends who have also jumped in and supported us along the way. It truly takes a village! To fill my creative niche, I subscribed to a monthly watercolor painting kit this year and have really enjoyed learning something new. I listened to a lot of audiobooks again this year and also read a few traditional books along the way. Summer remains my most favorite season and I eagerly await its return. Sunshine, sandals, boats, water, camping and campfires are still my favorite things, along with craft beer, good wine and books. What can I say? I’m pretty easy to please! Wink. Wink.
Livin’ it up o
Signing our lives away at the closing of the loan for the office expansion in June.
Campbell and Brett celebrating the 4th of July at our cabin.
Mid-construction of the office addition in July.
Alvin cuddling on Katie’s bed.
The kids standing for their obligatory photo in Grand Marais in August.
Our 18th wedding anniversary in August.
Ollie ready to roll t0 SD to hunt this fall.
Matt and Jack pheasant hunting in South Dakota in October.
Matt has had a fantastic year keeping busy with some fishing, hunting (ducks, grouse and pheasant), relaxing and, of course, projects around the house, office and cabin. Matt got a new toy this summer, a mini excavator, and is excited to get some projects done in the coming year. The extra bonus for Matt this summer was his schedule. He worked Monday-Wednesday, which gave him plenty of time for work 
2021 was a big year for Campbell! She officially became an adult in January. She graduated from Lake Superior College with honors and a 4.0 GPA and earned her AA degree in May. She also earned her high school diploma in June, with an additional 350+ hours of community service logged. She took a few classes over the summer and began pursuing a BS in biochemistry degree at the College of St. Scholastica in September. Campbell and her long-time boyfriend, Brett, will both graduate from CSS in 2023. She plans to apply to dental schools in the near future. Campbell also spread her wings in July and moved into her first apartment, a cute 1 bedroom unit, in Duluth. She is only a few minutes from home, but she is thoroughly enjoying her independence. She worked as a tutor for calculus and chemistry courses at LSC for most of last school year and also worked at our office on Fridays. She’s taking most of this semester off from work as she navigates a heavy credit load at CSS. Life has been busy, fun and exciting for Campbell.
The kid has put a ton of miles on his car. Ever the social butterfly, he loves hanging out with his friends and playing sports. He joined basketball again this year and has learned he also enjoys golf. Jack got a few bird hunting trips in with Matt this fall too. He is finally seeing a direction in school that he enjoys and may pursue a degree in the sciences, as he is really loving his AP biology class this year. He’s applying to colleges now and is looking forward to graduation and new adventures away from home in 2022.
The dogs are aging well. Ollie, at 5 years old, especially loved the summer months being up at the cabin and in the lake, along with the couple hunting trips he made to the Dakotas with Matt. He’s a hunter through and through! He’s also the most loving and gentle dog you could find. Alvin, 7 years old, still sometimes acts like a puppy, chasing his favorite ball and leaping into the car for a “CR.” We have to use a code for “car ride” because he gets so excited. Alvie will still bark at the wind, a stranger or any noise he hears. It’s great. Really.
We snuck down to Florida a couple times this spring, once just the two of us to Marco Island and once as a family to the Keys. Matt and I also took a couple weekend trips to Dallas for some financial planning and business strategizing. It feels so good to travel again! 
Our trip to South Dakota’s beautiful Black Hills was a highlight of the 2021 summer. The guys’ fishing trip to Canada was postponed again this year, so we switched gears and loaded up the family and the ATVs and headed out to Lead, SD for a week. The whole family could be together, all 6 of us (Campbell and Brett too!) which is getting harder and harder to accomplish. We visited a bunch of tourist spots and also put many miles on our ATVs. It was an awesome trip! 
We fished only a handful of times this year, certainly not as often as in years past. After much contemplation, we gave up our seasonal site at the campground in Baudette. We mainly focused on being at the cabin and relaxing. There was A LOT of time spent floating on Bass Lake, quite a few campfires and many, many pontoon rides! We also hosted some fun events up there, the top few being a cousin reunion for Matt’s side of the family, an office gathering, Matt’s high school and college buddies for a golfing weekend, and Steph’s 26th high school class reunion. We love to be able to share our happy place with so many people.
Sue’s Holiday Questionnaire:
