Somehow, this blog has morphed from chronicling our life in the World of Weeks to cruise central. Steering us off course wasn’t intentional—but if our family keeps sailing off into the sunset, the blog naturally follows suit!

At the same time, our lives aren’t just about buffets and beach excursions. There’s a whole world of garden over-growth, health hiccups, and tomato theft happening behind the scenes.

My garden has exploded into a lush jungle that needs major attention, but on top of that, we have a vole invasion. Yes—voles. Tiny, tomato-munching tresspassers with zero respect for my ripening harvest. Hubby stocked up on our anti-Vole arsenal and operation “Save the Tomatoes” is underway.

Scheduling a cruise in the middle of gardening season may not have been the timeliest decision. Fear that the garden would succumb to the heat and no substantial rainfall, a friend was coming over every couple of days to give the garden a nice shower. Between the heat, watering and the over-abundant amounts of rain we recently received, the garden staged a hostile takeover. This weekend, I’ll be pruning and battling pests like a Survivor contestant fighting for immunity. Lessons learned, notes taken, and plans already forming for next year’s great horticultural comeback.

But wait—there’s more!

Before moving back to Illinois, we discovered that one of the kids had an enlarged thyroid. Fast-forward through endocrinologists, tests galore, and voilà—Hashimoto’s followed by a bonus diagnosis of Celiac. Our kitchen is a work in progress as it undergoes a dietary makeover from, gluten-full to gluten-free. It’s an adventure! A slightly crumb-free adventure… but still.

Now, back to—cruising! 🛳️

Turns out, I’ve booked five cruises (yes, FIVE) between 2026 and 2027. I’ve officially hit a new cruising milestone. One girl’s getaway on Freedom of the Seas, and the rest are family expeditions—with enough ship variety to make a travel agent weep tears of joy. (This one is for you Jaime @JaiJaisTravel.com).

Let’s break it down:

• Family Escape #1: Days after I return, we’re piling into the van and sailing on Utopia of the Seas—because who doesn’t need a second cruise immediately after the first?
• Family Escape #2: Later in the year, we’re back on Allure of the Seas—our beloved third-ever cruise ship, now sporting a post-reno glow. Excited to explore Aruba, Curaçao, and the Dominican Republic (three new ports in our travels!).
• Family Escape #3: Hello, Star of the Seas! This shiny new Icon-class ship is begging for our attention, and we’re answering the call in 2027.
• Family Escape #4: Navigator of the Seas is heading to Singapore, and so are we! This 12-night cruise will take us from Singapore through Hong Kong (2 days!), Taiwan, and three ports in Japan, finally wrapping up in Tokyo. Mic drop.

Asia wasn’t always high on my travel list, but curiosity struck and now we’re counting down the days. Our oldest daughter is particularly thrilled—especially since it lines up perfectly with her post–associate’s degree gap semester. No finals, no homework, just noodles in Tokyo and temples in Taipei.

Of course, I’ll keep you posted on the garden brawls, our ever-evolving dietary landscape, and all the theater kid shenanigans. But know this: whether we’re warding off voles or boarding a ship, there’s never a dull moment in the World of Weeks.