October: A Month of Milestones, Travel, and New Chapters
October was one of those months that felt like a whole year packed into thirty-one days—a whirlwind of travel, celebrations, and first-time experiences. Looking back, it feels like the theme of the month was change—embracing it, cheering it on, and finding joy in every moment.
A Week in Mexico — Celebrating a Parenting Win
Tony and I kicked off October with a much-needed getaway to Mexico. After the emotional rollercoaster of sending Marissa off to college—packing, preparing, transitioning—we finally took a moment to breathe and celebrate a huge parental win. Sun, ocean, uninterrupted conversations, and zero laundry… it was bliss. We got to reconnect as a couple and reflect on how far we’ve come as a family.
Meanwhile, back in the States…
Brody’s Minnesota Adventure
While we were sipping margaritas, Brody was having an adventure of his own. He flew to Minnesota—with Uncle Cam as his travel buddy—to meet up with Grandpa, Todd, Degen, and Emily for a Minnesota Vikings game. It was the ultimate boys’ trip: football, family time, and memories that I know he’ll talk about for years.
USF Parents Weekend — Our First College Visit
Next up: Tampa! Parents Weekend at USF was our introduction to college-life parenting. We explored campus, attended our first USF football game, and soaked up the energy and excitement of Marissa’s new world. Highlights included a family brunch and, my personal favorite—an escape room adventure, where we rediscovered how competitive (and determined!) our family can be.
Seeing Marissa thriving and finding her place made every hard moment leading up to college drop-off worth it.
Worship, Thrills, and Spotlight Moments
October didn’t slow down once we got home—it just shifted into new kinds of adventures:
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Brody & I went to the Brandon Lake concert, and it was an incredible night of worship. Being in a room full of people praising and singing together was powerful, and sharing that experience with Brody made it unforgettable.
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Marissa & Ben went to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, getting their fill of haunted houses and jump scares.
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Tony & Brody went to a WWE event in Orlando, where the energy was loud, hyped, and exactly what you’d expect from live wrestling.
Our family apparently doesn’t do “quiet weekends.”
Halloween Horror Nights & Broadway Magic
And because October wasn’t busy enough…
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Tony and Marissa continued their annual tradition and attended Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Even with college in the mix, some traditions are sacred—especially ones involving zombies, chainsaws, and haunted houses.
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Brody and I flew to New York City to see Hamilton on Broadway. Watching Brody experience NYC and take in the magic of live theatre is something I’ll treasure forever.
Homecoming and New Milestones
Brody also had his first high school homecoming dance this month. Seeing him dressed up and confident—well, those “my baby is growing up” feelings hit hard.
A Different Kind of Halloween
For the first time ever, Halloween didn’t involve trick-or-treating or coordinating costumes as a family. Instead, both kids spent the evening with their significant others. Bittersweet, but beautiful. Our traditions are evolving—and so are our kids.
October Reflections
This month reminded me that parenting transitions don’t have to be sad—they can be celebrated. We watched our kids step into new chapters, and we stepped into one of our own.
✨ Kids growing up doesn’t mean losing family time—it just means it looks different.
Here’s to October: a month of memories, movement, milestones, and moments we’ll never forget.
