Not much pomp and circumstance

Matt has completed his bachelor's of science degree in Human Resource Management!!!! Matt is living proof of how difficult it is to complete a degree while working full time and having a family, but he persevered forever and finished. Unfortunately, he won't be attending any formal ceremonies where I can snap some pictures of him in the ridiculous square board hat with a tassel hanging down.

For those of you who don't know this, I met Matt at a small junior college we both attended when we were 18 years old. Matt stayed there for a year before he decided to join the army. And now looking back, sure there are things he would have done differently if he could, but we are both happy that things turned out the way they did. The army has been a great career for Matt and our family. With retirement from the army just around the corner, it is an accomplishment to have the degree completed so he can shift his focus to the next stage of life. Congratulations, Matt. It was a long time coming, but you did it!!!!!!!!!!!!

We also celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Sunday. We splurged and went to McDonald's for lunch. Crazy, I know. We really know how to live it up. We went to a huge mall that is not far from our house, but so did the other 4 million people that live in Naples. I'm not kidding, I have never seen so many shoppers in one place (and you all know I have done my fair share of shopping in my lifetime). Add Hannah and Tara to the picture and it doesn't make for a very romantic dining experience. So we all agreed on McDonald's to avoid the mass crowds and simplify the day. And I have to admit it was tasty. We rarely eat at the Golden Arches, so it was actually an out of the ordinary meal for us. Besides, we are saving up for our annual ski trip to Garmsich, Germany in January. We love Italian food, but we are all really looking forward to some good 'ole fried schnitzel and potatoes, bratwurst and beer.