In my previous blog post, “Thrive in ’25,” I wrote of the hiatus I took from blogging in 2023 & 2024 and explained why it occurred. I intended to get back to blogging in 2025 & 2026, but a developmental opportunity at work took much of my energy and focus, leaving little creative time outside of work for a hobby since I was still raising a family, doing farm projects, and just generally living life. Oh, and my mother-in-law moved in with us! It’s been a little busy. 🙂
But here we are back to school in the Fall of 2026, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to talk of recent adventures we’ve had as a family and as individuals over the past two years. Incredible experiences that are shaping us and creating life-long memories.
Our first-ever cruise as a family:
On Christmas morning of 2024, Tom and I surprised the girls with news that we’d booked a cruise to the Bahamas for Spring Break 2025. I’m pretty sure the house shook from all their excited jumping. They squealed with joy and quickly rushed to hug each of us with thanks and gratitude.
At the end of March, we boarded a plane to Fort Lauderdale, FL leaving behind the frigid temps and gray skies that equate to
Spring in Michigan, in search of heat and sunshine we’d been missing for far too long. We spent one night in a hotel there, and the next morning, made our way to the port and onto the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas cruise ship!
We enjoyed being on the water, the views of the never-ending Atlantic, and laying in the hot sunshine poolside with great, live entertainment. We also loved all the amazing food on board — from the all-you-can-eat buffets anytime of day to the extremely fancy all-you-can-eat dinners in the formal dining rooms.
By far, the best part of the trip was docking at Royal Caribbean’s privately-owned island, Coco Cay. 
They call it “The Perfect Day at Coco Cay,” and was it ever! Aptly named!
First, we went to the water park so Ellie could ride the world’s tallest water slide — no joke (pictured).
Then we hit the white sand beach and swam in the gorgeous ocean water. So beautiful and so refreshing! The time at the beach and in the water was our favorite part of the cruise, which helped us determine our next vacation. 🙂