May is the NEW December - Schedule is BLOWN Up

May sneaks up on you.  It seems like January and February last forever, and the out of nowhere, it's May.  The calendar is crowded.  My tank is empty before the month even starts, motivation gone.  Isn't this the time of year where things should be winding down?  Instead, they are ramping up.  Every Saturday and Sunday is packed with events.  The weather is warmer.  I want to get in shape, walk a lot, and unearth this winter body but am terrified to pull out those shorts and sleeveless tops.  And, NOW rain every single day for eternity!

Anywho...let's get into it!  The beginning of May brought on the DERBY!

We had the opportunity to attend this year-first time ever!  How is it possible that we have lived in Kentucky our entire lives and never been?!?!  When I found out we were going, I reached out to my Derby-going friends to see if someone had a hat or fascinator I might borrow.  A shopper/fancy dresser, I am not - the only small collection of hats I own are for golf and beach!

  Karson and I did some shopping in Nashville the weekend prior.  I thought I would never find a dress, mainly because I was looking for a specific color.  The cuts, looks, and fits were not flattering at all.  I had pretty much given up when we found the store Versona in Opry Mills Mall.  I'd never heard of it, but the window display drew me in.  Score, I found a few to try on and left with an affordable dress that I liked and looked good on me (not necessarily my colorless style - however, it worked).  Will I ever wear again?  Not likely.

  

We're so fancy on Millionaire's Row - yes, we totally belong here.  Is this not the best fascinator ever?  I got SO many compliments on it - thanks Stacie!!!  So BRIGHT and FUN!

 

My sister and brother in law always host a big gathering as well!  The weather wasn't super cooperative, but we still had a great day!

 

Had to share this pic of Karson and Elizabeth rocking their scrubs and looking adorable! 
Karson is officially off the orientation clock and on her own as a nurse. 

I miss Isaac so much it honestly hurts. He’s moving back on Friday, and I’m going to soak up every minute with him this summer—might be the last one he spends at home!  He wanted us to come to Richmond last Saturday to help pack up things.  His last day of school is Thursday, and his internship in Bowling Green starts next week.

While we were there, we went to the Pinnacles in Berea.  I knew we were out of our element when the 0.8 up hill trek in no way felt like a "quick" hike as his friends described - HAH.

Confession:  I am VERY out of shape.  This isn't news, and I felt it more than ever at Red River Gorge two months ago.  A half mile on a trail feels way longer than it does on a road.  I can easily walk 3-4 miles in our neighborhood ~ not so much with hiking!  Also, since practically losing my entire right calf muscle and achilles to pickleball years ago nothing arduous seems easy.

At the .2 marker, I immediately flashed back to my kids watching Good Burger when Ed and Dexter were trying to break into Mondo Burger.

You just jump on the burger, jump on the fries, then you hop on the cup, and shimmy up the straw!

We were climbing through rocks and shimmying up pathways.  I had to stop knowing I could get up further but coming down would be pure trouble.  Matt was able to get up a little higher than me and snagged the picture with Isaac and his in shape crew!

Did I mention this "path" we were on wasn't easily identified so when Isaac's buddies chose to head over to the East Trailhead, we casually bowed out.  We still had the 45 minute hike back to the car, 20 minute drive to Richmond from Berea, getting Isaac packed up, driving back to BG which is a haul - it was time for us to go.  Little did we know the Blair Witch Project was heading our way.  I think we got turned around 2-3 times trying to find the right "trail" and parking lot.  Thankfully, I had left my phone in the car so that was our North Guiding Star.  Whew.  It was a day!

Mother's Day was perfect start to finish!  Our kids spoiled me with gifts.  Miles was off work, which is rare, and I got to spend the entire day with him!

I wanted Drake's, and it did not disappoint.  Matt and I celebrated my motherhood with Mimosas and the waitress even brought me the cutest little wine tumbler.  Sweet.  I had my favorite - the crispy orange shrimp bowl while Matt and Miles got BLT sandwiches.  They both said it was the BEST EVER.  Pro tip:  go to the brunch only served on Saturday and Sunday - you won't be disappointed. 

We decided to try out the new mini-golf course, The Shack, on our way back home.  The day was gorgeous, and we had some fierce competition.  Miles came away with the win, finishing #18 with a hole in one.  We celebrated with some soft serve - which is by far the best in town!

We went and visited with my mom that afternoon before heading over to Pap and Nana's for a pizza party birthday celebration!

Matt enjoying flying Andrew's drone and spying on the neighbors.

This weekend all the graduation parties begin!  Two weeks left before the BIG day for Miles.

June is coming friends.  It'll be summer soon.  Let's turn the power on and get through the crazy!

Almost There

The school year is winding down, and for Miles, the end is near.  While he was an early graduate at South Warren back in December, we still wanted him to participate in the May ceremony.  His cap and gown arrived yesterday, and we are making preparations for his grad party.  

Not sure how we are already here, but all of our little hens are grown and almost flown.

(Cue the song:  Running Against the Wind) It seems like yesterday but it was long ago!

The final Deaton and the final event at WCPS.

Miles has never been a jacket kind of guy.  In fact, once in second grade, I received a referral to Family Resource because he consistently showed up to Plano without a jacket (which he did not, there was usually an emergency one in his backpack).  When I got the call as to whether or not we needed assistance for outerwear, I explained to them that Miles has PLENTY of jackets - getting him to wear one is the biggest challenge.  Not much has changed since then!  As you can see from the letter above, Miles never wanted a letterman jacket.  I couldn't  make myself spend that kind of money knowing he would never wear it.  However, I did want to highlight his athletic achievements though because they are special to us.  I took his letter to Franklin Sporting Goods and had all his patches sewn on.  Sidenote:  if you are a person that has a neat and tidy personality, aka TJ Maxx makes you super uncomfortable, be prepared if you ever go to Franklin Sporting Goods.  It's complete inventory mayhem and reminds me of most of the local Dollar General stores - shimmying through the aisles around product carts and hopeful things don't spill over on top of you.

When you are no longer enrolled in school, you are not allowed to participate in any school events. For Miles, not a problem.  Outside of golf, he wasn't what I would call a very "social" student.  About a week or two before South's prom, he mentioned that his friend Thomas was wanting him to go with him.  These two have had such a special friendship since the early Plano days.  I love that they still hang out and have fun memories together.

The admin pre-prom gathering at our house to all ride over together since parking is limited at the facility they use.  South has the BEST team on the planet.  Thank goodness Ms. Cooper keeps these three goofballs in line!

Three studs at Prom!

I spy our rock star Miles Deaton on the Distinguished/Proficient KSA Wall of Fame!

 

One of my favorite things to do this time of the year is visit South's greenhouse and pick out annuals for my flower pots.  They have such a great, affordable collection, all grown by students.  Flowers make everything feel cheerful and are a reminder that warm weather is coming!

We sure did miss Isaac this Easter but were happy he and McKayla came in for a quick visit the weekend before. 

Of course I had to get them both some Easter treats!

 Here are some pics we got before worshipping at Hillvue last Sunday.  Boy oh boy if you were at that Easter service, the music/praise and worship was FIRE.  Wow.

We ate lunch at my parents house and then headed over to Matt's parents for dinner.

Easter egg excitement with the younger cousins!

Pap and Nana and ALL their boys!

 

Have I mentioned lately that I love my job?  I do.  I get to work with some of the best people on the planet.  Adult Education is such rewarding work, and I am thankful for my new home and friendships.

Spring events and sports at South monopolize a lot of Matt's time after school.  I love tagging along with him to all the things he's covering.  It makes me feel young, and getting to support others kids (who they are super proud of) is also a highlight.  From lacrosse, boys volleyball, baseball, softball, and tons of other things, we covered some serious ground last week.

One of the exciting events last week was the FFA Banquet on Friday night.  This is second year we've been able to attend.  It's incredible how many students are involved in this program.  Matt was inducted as an honorary member by President Carver Woosley.  

On Saturday morning, Matt asked me if I wanted to ride with him to the Bass Fishing regional tournament at Lake Barkley.  The weather was gorgeous, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday.  We took off around noon and spent the day at the lake.  The Spartan Anglers caught a bunch of fish but few that qualified.  They sure do look sharp though!

You can't go to Lake Barkley and not eat at Patti's.  Be warned though, it's heavily visited and you might not get a seat as quickly as we did without a reservation.  We managed to snag a 20 minute wait time, even with a local prom happening.

We both had the catfish which was the best I've ever eaten and treated ourselves to the Peanut Butter Chess Sinker pie dessert.  After time, we walked around the settlement and browsed some of the gift shops before heading back.  It was the perfect Saturday night!

A Beautiful Birthday Weekend

 with my family and in the heart of a national forest, yes please!  Karson and I were chatting a few weeks ago, and she was telling me about some vacation time she'd accrued for March.  Ironically, Matt had those days off as well.  Miles and I submitted some vacation time, and viola a trip was born!  We'd considered going to a cabin in the mountains and love Pigeon Forge.  We wanted to include Isaac and quickly realized Red River Gorge is super close to Richmond.  None of us had ever been, so plans were put in motion!

 

As I talked with friends and co-workers, I discovered more and more about this Kentucky gem!  We got lots of tips and suggestions.  After doing some google searches, I found a cabin for us in Lee County called The Lazy Maple.  What I liked most about this cabin was that it wasn't tricky to get to.  Most of what I'd seen cabin-wise mentioned needing a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there.   I knew Isaac would be joining us and didn't want him to off-road in his Honda.  

The cabin we chose was a new build and perfect in every way but one - no closets or functional furniture to store clothes in.  That is my only complaint.  Other than that, it was ideal - complete with hot tub, fire pit and GALAGA/Pac Man arcade game.  Matt was determined to be the high score on the machine and topped out at 280,000.

I packed lots of groceries because I wasn't sure how close we'd be to a store.  In fact, we stopped an hour away in London, KY and grabbed a few more things before arriving that evening.  I wanted to have some breakfast and lunch/snack options for hikes.  I'd taken two small coolers too.  Thursday night, we got the firepit going and roasted hotdogs, ate chips, and mac-n-cheese.  Afterwards, we made s'mores for dessert.

 

Isaac and his girlfriend McKayla joined us Friday morning.  I made pancakes, scrambled eggs served with fruit.  Afterwards, I packed up sandwiches, chips, and drinks for our trip to Natural Bridge State Park.  My friend suggested riding the Skylift either UP or DOWN or BOTH.  She said it's a pretty tricky climb either way so doing one or the other is best.  Boy, am I glad she told us that.  Hiking two miles is nothing like walking two miles.  We decided to Skylift up to the top and hike down.  The last part of the lift was feet tingling, but we survived.

Awesome views from the top but still a bit scary.  There was another trail called Balanced Rock that looked amazing, but the trail was closed.  The lady in the gift shop told us to get back to the parking lot, we needed to look for Rock Garden Trail.  This hike was considered moderate, and I am glad we started at the top and worked our way back down vs. the other way around.

 

The nice part about hiking down is that you know exactly how long it's going to take and where you are headed.  I'm not sure I would've felt that way had we hiked up.

 

 When we got back to the parking lot, we drove over to a shelter and ate lunch.  The kids thought a mini golf course was at the shelter because it advertised a snack bar and mini golf.  Once we got there, all of it was closed, not sure if it's seasonal or closed all together. 

The kids did, however, remember that we passed a mini golf course on the way to Natural Bridge. 

 GAME ON at Thrillsville!

 

This course wasn't easy, and I made it extra difficult coming in last.  Isaac got the big WIN of the day and was pumped.

We went back to the cabin to relax for a little.  Early on we'd decided we were going to Miguel's Pizza for dinner.  It was highly recommended.  I brought charcuterie stuff to snack on and tie us over for a little while.  March madness brings loads of basketball games, and UK was playing that night.  We wanted to make sure we had enough time to get our pizza and head back to the cabin for the game.  

Miguel's is the type of place that you walk up, place your order, then they bring it to your table.

It's neat and the entire field behind the restaurant is covered in tents.  Many of the folks staying there and patronizing the pizza place are rock climbers in the area.  

 

The pizza was pizza, nothing spectacular in my opinion but good.  I liked the atmosphere more, and we got a lot of different selections.

There were plenty of activities while you wait like basketball, foosball, pull up bars, balance beams....

 

Karson and Miles building up their rock climbing muscles!

 A few weeks ago, I went to a 50th birthday party for a friend and was introduced to Riley's Bakery's Caramel Sundae Cake.  I'm shocked I've never had it.  I grew up on Riley's cakes and even had one at my wedding.  The sundae cake is FANTASTIC, and you can get a small one which was the right size for the trip.

  

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to spend my birthday than with all three kids and Matt.  Moments like these are very rare.  Super thankful!  Plus, the weather was superb!

We ate sweets, watched basketball, the kids hot-tubbed it, played some Skip BO and Yahtzee, and crashed after a long day!

Let's get something straight...hikers we are not.  I like to think I am in relatively decent shape, but after the long trek down Rock Garden Trail the day before, I wanted to do cool, short hikes (like .25-.50) Saturday.  After Isaac and McKayla took off to Richmond, and the other two sleepy heads got out of bed, we packed up more sandwiches and headed towards Whittleton Campground.  I wanted to check out Henson's Arch Trail.

 

I have to admit, while easy, I think the pictures made it look a lot bigger than it was but still worth it and SHORT.  

 

Because we were at Whittleton, Matt convinced us three to try out Whittleton Arch Trailhead.  Nope, not simple at all - a 2.5 mile haul!  We committed but regretted it multiple times, especially since we didn't have hiking boots, sloshed through some muddy, slippery gunk every so often, and it felt like it would NEVER end.  

 

FINALLY MADE IT to the end  Geez!  

 

We were hungry once we got back to the car.  My feet were sore and shoes muddy.  Karson had mentioned wanting to stop by a gift shop and look at souvenirs.  We'd done some of that at Natural Bridge, but there was another shop not far from Whittleton.  

There were some specific trails I wanted to do before calling it a day along with an ice cream shop called The Brick that I wanted to check out.  This would hopefully give us the BOOST we needed to do a few more quick hikes.  Karson and Matt got coffee ice cream and Miles opted for churro ice cream.  I went for straight up iced coffee!  

We finished up our hiking at Princess Arch and Chimney Top trails which are in the same area.  Both were short and totally worth it with spectacular views!  

We knew the ride back to the cabin would take some time, and since we had no dinner plans, our vote was to carry out from Red River Rockhouse which was a recommended burger joint.  Food options are pretty limited in the area.  I wish I had great things to say about RRR, but I don't.  Our family collectively did not like it - food was tasteless and bland and fries were awful.  They didn't include condiments for the burgers but fortunately, we had mustard and mayo at the cabin.  Ketchup would've been nice. 

Worn out again, we played some cards and went to bed.  I still have a few trails I'd like to try out in the future and have heard awesome things about Gorge Underground.  I hope to get back to RRG again soon!

Sunday was my actual birthday, and we had to be out of the cabin by 10AM.  After getting the car loaded, we took off, stopping once at Cracker Barrell for some breakfast before getting home around 2PM.  

After doing some laundry, I took a little nap before heading over to my parents to celebrate.

 

Dad and I are a double March birthday combo! It was truly a perfect weekend!

Karson got to take a ride in Pop's new ride - a 1934 Plymouth Business Coupe with LT-1 405HP corvette engine.

CHEERS TO 48!