Dana Kazel

My daughter has played volleyball for six years. She’s warming up right now for her last game ever and I am NOT okay!
This has been an amazing journey and I’m so thankful to have been able to come along for the ride.

After blowing up (and tying) 275+ balloons for the All Night Grad Party for my daughter’s class, my fingers are raw and I have a new understanding of the phrase “skin in the game”.

As I was leaving for work, I couldn’t find one of my dogs. Finally located her. My son came home from college this week and she was laying outside his door waiting for him to wake up. Awww… 🥰

First swim of the season. It’s their happy place.

When your family makes you a lovely breakfast…
And forgets the fork. 😉

Happy Mother’s to all the moms out there!

When you just want to sit on the floor but they assume it means you want to play.

Had to step outside the courthouse to believe it. It really is 77 degrees right now. In Duluth!

Happy start of “this is why we live here” season to all!

When we finally successfully tired them out but they don’t want to admit it.

Random cool moment at work - got to go on the roof of the county’s Government Services Center. Love the view on this gorgeous spring day!

I swear they get excited when the bunny ears come out each year because they know treats will follow.

One of my kids saw it and said someone in the audience got kicked out for throwing popcorn “but he left a hero.”
I have to believe theater owners love this but the actual workers (who have to clean up) hate it.

In club sports, there’s no game more intense than the one that decides if you get to play in the morning or stuck in the afternoon wave on the final day. (Thankfully we won:-)

Twins home opener. Aside from the first inning, it’s been pretty boring. Until Jose Altuve was about to strike out for the fifth time. Crowd on its feet cheering.

Me at home: why do I bring shells home every time I go on vacation?
Me today at the beach: oh my goodness, so many beautiful shells, I must collect them all!!

It’s probably a good thing her nose twitches every so often as she sleeps. Otherwise one might think rigor mortis is setting in.

30 degrees in Duluth and I just had my first sighting of a person wearing shorts.

Today’s adventures in being a volleyball mom puts us in western Iowa in the middle of a snowstorm, navigating slippery roads while “Gangsta Paradise” is playing on my husband’s playlist. Always an adventure!

Had a less than ideal Valentine’s Day driving through miserable weather to a volleyball tournament. Just came out of our hotel to this snow pattern on our windshield. I’m taking it as a sign we should celebrate a day late 🥰

I generally start the morning working from home and then head to the office once I get through the stuff needing immediate responses. I always give my dogs treats on the way out the door. This is Lucy’s face suggesting it’s time I left for the office 🤣

Something I would have missed if my daughter didn’t play volleyball. Sunrise view from our hotel in downtown Mpls.

First club volleyball season on this app. I hate all the whistles but love some of the backdrops of my favorite player at these large tournaments.

Sheriff’s Office is holding a recognition ceremony for new deputies, correctional officers and other staff. Sorry to all these good people because you just got upstaged by K-9 Dusty who is adorable.

My sources tell me Koshar’s in Gilbert are your best bet. (I can attest their sausage is quite good!)

Took a nap this afternoon and got awakened by my dog barking at the loud sound of planes flying overhead.
Just watched the 148th flyover at Hockey Day Minnesota and now I know what planes she was barking at 🤣

Next summer when I’m complaining about what the humidity is doing to my hair, remind me it’s still better than this super dry static effect when my hair sticks to my face.

So far this weekend I’ve helped child 1 complete college loan applications for spring semester, and child 2 complete her FAFSA form in prep for next year. This stage of parenting is not particularly fun.

Clearly timing is everything 🤣

Merry Christmas to all! Would like to highlight that for the first year ever, I won my family’s gingerbread house contest. Golden retriever yard for the win!

The difference between my dogs: gave them identical squeaky toys for Christmas. Lucy had hers gutted in less than a minute. An hour later, Laney is still walking about with hers in her mouth. Probably trying to figure out how to protect it from Lucy.