September Lasted About 15 Seconds

 It's officially FALL, and here we are again heading into birthday and holiday season.  Early morning and late evening walks are the best this time of the year.  The weather is perfect.  I love pulling out all of my seasonal things and adding mums and pumpkins on our porch.

Let's wrap up September...

While we’re not technically empty nesters, it certainly feels that way. Miles is in school full-time at SKYCTC, works two jobs, and spends most of his free time at the gym—he stays busy. Earlier this month, he was awarded a scholarship from the Warren County Licensing Board and recognized at their monthly meeting. We’re so proud of his hard work and dedication.  On top of that, he's just a good human being and always so pleasant to be around.

Karson was in town to join us, taking a much-needed two-week break from work. She spent most of it relaxing at home.  I'm thankful that being with us is a choice she makes to help her reset. Her job caring for high-acuity patients demands so much skill and carries a lot of stress. It takes a toll on both mental and emotional health.  We are so very proud of her, and I know the patients she cares for are in the best hands.

 

We had the joy of celebrating the wedding of our dear friends’ daughter. Haley feels like she belongs to all of us, being the oldest in our bunch of kids. Watching all our kids grow up into adults and move forward in their lives has been such a gift. It was a honor to be there and share in her special day. 

 

This summer brought the most brutal weather - blazing sun and brown, ugly grass!  Not one drop of rain until the week of Haley's wedding.  I was worried because her wedding was outdoor at Potter Historic Farm but so thankful that things worked out and the skies cleared up.  It was honestly one of the most beautiful nights - temperature and company.  Everything came together perfectly.

 

The weekend of Labor Day marked a special milestone—my 30th high school reunion.

We celebrated the Bowling Green High School Class of 1995 at The White Squirrel Brewery, and it was such a treat to see and catch up with so many folks. This reunion felt different than the others—in a good way. The turnout was awesome, and I think that has a lot to do with where we are in life. Many of us have grown children now, and some are even grandparents. We're in a season where we truly value time—and maybe have a little more of it to give.

Look at us party animals!

 

 

The TC Cherry bunch - my brothers and sisters from day one!

Family Weekend at EKU was last Saturday!  It was another beautiful fall day.  We arrived at Isaac's house around noon.  I don't know much about Greek life, but I think he lives in a "chapter house" which is a rental house that’s passed down from member to member in the same fraternity year after year.  There's lots of tradition inside the house with all the composites of former members all over the walls.  The outside garage has been converted to a mini bar with posters, twinkle lights, and mismatch furniture. His house was hoppin'!  There were quite a few families there mingling.

 

We grabbed our camping chairs and hung out in the driveway before heading over to the stadium for tailgating.

 

The sun was HOT, especially on the asphalt. The Kappa Sigma tent provided some relief but not much.  We were thankful for the clouds when they appeared but eventually moved to a more shady area.

 

I know Miles would not change his pathway or decision, he's exactly where he is supposed to be.  As a parent though, there is a part of me that is sad he doesn't get to experience the typical college scene - roommates, dorm life, dining plans, sports events, etc.  I'm glad he was able to join us, chill out with his brother, and blend right into the EKU campus life. I think he plans to go up there for a weekend or two in the future to hang out.

The only other campus tailgates I’ve been to were at UofL, but not during Parents Weekend, so I’m not really sure how things are typically done there. At EKU, they had an entire section of the parking lot set up just for families — completely free — with Kona Ice snow cones, nachos, funnel cake fries, t-shirts, bags, games, rides, and more. It was the full experience!

 

At the Kappa Sigma tent, one of the dads grilled burgers and hot dogs - there were chips and brownies for dessert.  We had such a fun day, but the highlight was being with our ISAAC!  It's hard to believe he will graduate next spring.  

October begins tomorrow, and Karson and I are kicking it off with a girls trip!  Stay tuned for our shenanigans!

A Quick Summer Wrap Up

 I'm not sure how we are already halfway through August, but today marks the official end of summer as college classes start back up.  The local school systems have been in class close to two weeks, which means Matt has been back at it already with a school of over 1600.  The South side of town is rapidly growing.  I can't begin to process having that many students under one roof, not to mention all the faculty, staff, coaches, parents, etc.  Be sure to appreciate your principals today - there is nothing simple about the job.  

 Karson was able to make some summer appearances here and there when she got some extended breaks from work.  Miles has been baptized with fire working in HVAC this summer.  It good to know exactly what you're getting yourself in to before committing to it long term.  He starts at SKYCTC today.  Isaac wrapped up his internship with Charles M. Moore on Friday and headed back to EKU Saturday with a carload full.  Matt was playing in a golf tournament so we weren't able to go to Richmond until Sunday, this time loaded down with even more.  

Our house is quiet again, and it feels strange. You never think about this stage when little ones are running around, but here we are. Since our kids are stair steps, they all left at once—and just like that, the noise and chaos are gone.  Don't ever take it for granted.

Today I feel the need to capture some of the lighter moments for posterity.  Summer 2025 has been exciting, HOT, and quick like always.

Anniversaries and Birthdays:

 

 

Trip to Vegas:

 

26 Years Later

Before COVID hit and the entire world shut down, we had plans to go on a cruise with our family.  We'd made arrangements to get all the kids passports, ordered snorkeling gear, and were a month or two away from our final payment.  The cruise was scheduled for Spring Break.

I remember being at Kyoto on Campbell Lane.  Matt and I were there with my sister and brother-in-law Paul waiting for a lacrosse game at Bowling Green Junior High to begin.  Paul (who is a physician) was telling us at dinner about the first real warnings of the coronavirus, and how it was literally shutting everything down.  At the time, none of us could really process an event of that magnitude and impact of what was happening.  The short version - well, you know what happened. No cruise and thankfully we were refunded because all the ports were essentially shut down.   

 

When Matt and I were married in 1999, we'd taken a cruise for our honeymoon on Royal Caribbean.  26 years later, we managed to make that happen again.   Many things have changed since 1999.  I pulled out all of our arrangements, journal, and travels documents out of the attic to make some comparisons. 

I was curious to see how the two lined up.  Both cruises were similar, but in 1999, we set sail from Miami (2025 was Port Canaveral) and an additional stop was made to Key West on the way back from Nassau and CocoCay in route to Miami.

We were two poor college graduates and newlyweds.  This meant than an interior cabin was all we could afford.  I remember thinking...one day, we will come back and have a porthole in our room OR better yet, a balcony.  In 1999, you couldn't just pull up cruise deals and tour ships on a computer.  You either had to work with a travel agency or call businesses directly.  Airlanse Travel made all of our arrangements - flights, cruise, hotel accommodations.  Things were much different then.

In 2025, with the click of a button and download of the app, our entire trip was planned.

Our ship in 1999, Sovereign of the Seas felt enormous.  It was one of the first mega liners of its kind holding 2,800 passengers.  There was no reserving entertainment ahead of time.  You had to go to the concierge to book all your excursions and experiences.  Each night in your stateroom was a pamphlet detailing the stops ahead and events on board the ship.  

I don't remember the ports that vividly but do have some memories like going to Crystal Cay (in Nassau) as an excursion and petting stingrays.  I feel like we wandered through the town which felt a lot like a street fair with vendors everywhere trying to sell you things.  My jaw dropped when I saw the Atlantis resort far in the distance.  Like I said, bits and pieces of memories.  CocoCay, RC's private island, has evolved significantly.  It was a beach in 1999, and today there is a large waterpark, various beach areas, rental cabanas, a few different excursion options and everything in between.

I might be wrong about this, but I think in 1999, you did dinner only for main dining and you were paired with other couples on the ship.  It was also our first experience with all-inclusive dining.

After hitting up the Windjammer restaurant for breakfast on Day 1 in 2025, we opted for main dining for breakfast and dinner the rest of the cruise.  The Windjammer had thousands of options but was SLAMMED with families and not terribly comfortable.  Like the first ship, there were tons of dining, quick service, and grab-n-go options.  

  

We'd start the day off with a specialty iced coffee from Cafe Promenade before heading over to the main dining for made to order breakfasts.  Afterwards, we head down to deck 5 to walk the ships track and burn off some calories.

 

Dressing up for dinner in the main dining hall was fun.  They surprised us one night by bringing us a special dessert to celebrate our anniversary.  We enjoyed shows like Aqua80's water show, the ice show "Youtopia" and adult comedy.  The first night, I wasn't feeling quite right and wanted to lay down and relax, and Matt went to the All In! production and loved it.

In Nassau, we opted out of an excursion.  Basically everything you read online says you can explore the city fairly easily.  That's what we chose to do.  After making our way through the seas of souvenir vendors, trekking up roads in the heat, we founds ourselves at John Watlings distillery.  Free tours and tastings all day - count us in!!!

 

I kept joking with my friend Julie how all my poses seem so unnatural, so we tried some practice photos.  I'm not a picture kind of gal anymore.

 

We came, we sweated, we drank, and we headed back to the ship.  Matt and I made a beeline straight for Sorrento's which is the ships pizza parlor and hands-down, the best treat ever!  I have no idea how much pizza we consumed on our cruise.

 

 

RC's cruise ship Utopia of the Seas is the 3rd largest in the fleet and holds 5,600 passengers.  We were on deck 8 of 18.  How crazy is that?  It was a floating city.  We booked a balcony room and toasted to a beautiful life together.

 

While so much has changed - ships, technology, and the times, cruising together is a highlight we'll never forget!  Plus, we finally got our balcony room!