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