Casey – Co-Owner of C.B. Goodman & Sons Lumber
Joni – Vice President of Software Solutions at KeeFORCE
Cayden – 17, Mulching King
Parker – 11, Soccer Girl
Bella – 11, Lover of Horses
Tell us how you and your spouse met and how long you have been married.
I was the new girl in town, and he was one of the first boys I ran into. We first saw each other at a small gas/grocery store called Hancock’s Grocery. However, we were formally introduced by a friend in the commons of Graves County High School. About a week later, our first date was the back-to-school dance our sophomore year. We dated through most of high school and went to college together at Western Kentucky University. We married right out of college and have been making memories together for a total of 30 years (married for 23).
Tell us about where each of you grew up and how you landed in the region.
Casey – I was born in Paducah and raised in Graves County my whole life. Joni tried to move me off to the big city at one point, but as you can see, that’s not exactly how things worked out.
Joni – I actually lived in four states before moving to Kentucky (Illinois, California, Texas, and Montana). God moved my family around quite a bit before finding our forever home. I may have thought I wanted the big city at one point, but I feel blessed to live and raise our family in this area. Fun fact: After all that moving, my parents and all three of my siblings still live in this area with their families as well.
What is your favorite holiday?
I think the consensus would be that we all love Christmas. The traditions and the family gatherings are just hard to beat. However, Easter holds a very special place in my heart.
What is your favorite thing about the region?
We love this region. It’s home. We have all the benefits of living in a small town with people who care about each other and their community. It’s a great place to raise children, and the hunting isn’t bad either! We enjoy living the rural life while still having opportunities for culture, tourism, and fine cuisine right in our back yard.
How do you spend your summer breaks?
Our summers consist of family reunions, yard work together, and spending time on the lake when we can. We like to do pretty much anything outside!
What does your spouse do to make you feel special?
Casey – She makes me feel special when she helps me out, like doing yard work and organizing my shop. She is also very good at anticipating my needs and taking great care of me.
Joni – Casey is very good at giving compliments. He tells me on a regular basis that he is proud of me and who I am. That means more than anything else he could say. I also know that he loves me when he does all my honey-do’s. I am good at making those lists!
How do you manage work and family time?
We don’t have a perfect formula for this. Life is busy with work and three kids’ activities. However, we do our best to eat together when we can, and we find that it is important to communicate often. That keeps us connected during the times we feel we are pulled in different directions.
Does your family have a motto? If so, what is it?
I don’t think we have ever officially created a family motto, but we always try to “Find the Positive” in every situation.
What are the core values of your family?
We are a family driven by faith. We believe in the golden rule and treating others as you would want to be treated. Above all, love and respect God. Beyond that, love and respect those around you. Also, the value of family is very important to us. We each come from very strong family roots and have been blessed by being surrounded with both sides of our family. Our children have had the opportunity to grow up with all their grandparents and cousins right here in Western Kentucky – a true gift!
Do you have any family traditions?
Our favorite traditions revolve around family. There are several at Christmas time. The entire Goodman clan all stays the night together for food, a mean game of spoons, an early morning appearance from Santa, and a special ornament ceremony where we all tell what we are grateful for over the past year. The Flowers crew gets together for brunch and pjs to do our cousin gift exchange. The most impactful tradition we have is that each year my grandfather or father reads the Christmas story from the Bible with all the children gathered around the tree. It is a vivid and cherished memory each year. One tradition I have kept alive, that my mom started, is to put balloons on the kids’ beds each morning on their birthdays. We have pictures from each year, and it’s fun to look back at how much they have grown and changed.
What brings you the greatest joy as a parent?
Casey – I love to see them put their mind to something, work hard for it, and then succeed. That right there gets me every time.
Joni – My greatest joy as a parent comes when they do something kind for someone or when I receive a report that they have been a good person to those around them. We love to watch them succeed in many things, but to watch them develop into the people God wants them to be brings me the greatest joy.
Tell us something interesting about your family that we may not know.
I don’t know about interesting, but something that’s funny – neither of us like coffee, but all three of our kids do (we blame the babysitter). So, as a treat, if we go out for breakfast, the kids order coffee and the adults order Dr. Pepper and chocolate milk. The servers always get a kick out of that!
Do you have nicknames for your kids?
Cayden – CB. His sisters and cousins call him CayCay.
Parker – Spark
Bella – Bell. The girls are twins, so we refer to them often as P&B.
Questions for kids: What’s your favorite thing to do as a family?
Cayden – Traveling and watching movies.
Parker – Watching movies & eating dinner together.
Bella – Going on trips & making food together.
