What a Vacation!!
September 30, 2011 | 
Author Okay…I am very late on this blog post, but I have been extremely busy with my other writings and have had to put my site on-hold for awhile. I know that a lot of you have been waiting to hear about our August vacation, so I’ll start by saying that it was a blast! We went to Ocean City, Maryland, with 6 other families and let me tell you…it’s was nuts! There were 14 adults and 15 kids…pretty scary, huh?! How do kids always find a way to outnumber you?!
The majority of us followed each other down and that made the trip go so much faster! It was funny watching 5 vehicles trying to stay together and keep up with each other as we raced to get there — staying within the speed limit at all times, of course 
As soon as we got to our hotel and unloaded our cars in the 90 degree heat, we all decided that the unpacking could wait because there was some major celebrating that needed to take place at the rooftop pool! But, of course, we had to have a pillow fight first…
Nick, Dylan and Grady 5 minutes after getting into our room!
And celebrate…we did!! The bar was definitely set high for the rest of the week, but we managed to make each day even more fun the last!!
You're not drinking, are you girls?!
This is only about 1/3 of the group!!
Who invited all of these kids to my party in the hot tub?!
Our kids range in age from 3 (that’s my Grady) to 17 years old! It worked-out great for those of us that had the younger ones because the teenagers were recruited to help out — whether they wanted to or not! Just kidding (sort of…haha)…there are actually two girls in the bunch, Elise and Ashley, that were a HUGE help with the toddlers and Mark and I could have never had as much fun as we did without them helping out! For all of the parents reading this, you know how stressful it is to go on vacation and cram your whole family into 1 room for a week! It makes for cranky kiddos and a cranky mom and dad…so, that is what I mean when I say how much we truly appreciated everything that Elise and Ashley did for us that week!
Elise and Ashley - Our Heros!!
Our entire time there was filled with lots of rest, drinks, relaxation, drinks, good times, drinks and then a few more drinks! We even managed to fit in wiffle ball and volleyball games — in which I must say that the adults definitely won Instead of going on and on about everything we did, I’ll let the pictures do the talking!
It's a Rough Life!
Eden, Taylor and Mariella
"Let's move back so that the kids can't find us!"
Eddie burying Grady to keep him busy for a few minutes!
"How many kids do you think we can fit into this hole?"..."Well, let's see!"
Eddie doing more digging! "Hey Mariella...you're going the wrong way!"
And what vacation would be complete without making the kids do things that they don’t want to do….like posing for corny pictures to amuse us parents!!
"Are we having fun yet, girls?!!"
I don't care how mad some of them were about doing this...it is CUTE!
And I can’t forget pictures from our family surrey ride that the kids always have us do and then Mark and I (meaning…ME) can’t walk for the rest of the week after pedaling the thing!
Having fun on the surrey bike!
Awww...
Eden
Brynlie
Grady
I will finally end this long post by saying this…We are all a close group friends who spend a lot of time with one another, so I was worried about all of us being together for so long without a significant break and figured that by the end of the week, we would all be ready to smack each other upside the head. I am happy to say that my worries never came to be and nobody left with a black eye or missing teeth…now that’s true friendship!
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Tags: degree heat, ocean city maryland, pillow fight, rooftop pool, younger ones | 
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Girls Night Out
I am fortunate enough to have an awesome group of friends whom always make it a point to celebrate each other’s birthdays! Sometimes, we have lunch for a birthday and sometimes we make it a big night out with the hubbies, too! And one of us even throws a big party for herself every year (ahem, Michelle)!! Which — by the way — is always a party to remember!
This time, it was my dear friend, Heather’s turn! Her birthday was actually July 31st, but we didn’t get a chance to celebrate until last night. Like I said, it may not be on time, but we will get the party in, somehow!!
We chose to go to a new Mexican restaurant in town and after we all arrived — nice and thirsty for lots of drinks — the waiter informed us that they had not gotten their liquor license yet! Oh no! What’s a birthday celebration with this group of overwhelmed moms without any alcohol?!! Don’t worry, though, we managed to get some cervezas “on the house” since they had some there, but weren’t allowed to sell it!
So, after tons of laughs and lots of great food — and anyone who knows me well enough knows that I’m talking about some good refried beans…haha — we decided to walk down to a nearby bar and stir up some trouble there! This meant tons more laughs and lots of great drinks that we were introduced to!
After a fun night of partying, we had to call it a night…but, as usual…none of really wanted to. We just know when it is time to call it a night and get our mommy hats on to wake-up bright and early in the morning back to reality!
Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Heather! Oh…and speaking of mommy hats…Heather should have kept this one to wear for car pooling in the morning!
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We Are Back From Our Anniversary Getaway!!
Mark and I had the chance to go on a little weekend rendezvous for our 12th wedding anniversary — which is officially not until August 21st! We went to the Poconos last year and had a blast, but after much debate, we decided to stay close to home and go to Cook Forest, PA (just an hour away). We opted to stay at the Clarion River Lodge and as an added bonus, our close friends — Mike and Kelly — came with us to celebrate their 11th anniversary (which was actually Friday)! And yes….we had separate rooms
We chose the “Getaway Package” so that we didn’t have to worry about a thing and it included a suite overlooking the beautiful Clarion River and fine dining both nights and breakfast each morning.
Here is the beauty we pulled up to upon check-in….
The Outside of the Riverview Suites
Check out this view from our private balcony!
Another breathtaking view!
Friday night, we had a crazy kid-free time with lots of drinks and laughs! After dinner, we headed to a bar that was just 2 miles away back a dirt road, but we somehow ended-up driving about 10 miles to get there! Lol! We made it, though, and had a good time! Once we came back to the suites, we built a fire outside for the 4 of us and then a few hours later, we had to call it a night!
Saturday afternoon, we knew what we wanted to do…float down the Clarion River on inner tubes with NO KIDS and not a care in the world!! Mike and Kelly have 3 kids, as well, so we thoroughly enjoyed this quiet weekend and savored every “whine-free” moment! It was funny to watch other moms and dads struggling to get their kids’ life jackets on and get them situated in their canoes and rafts…we felt sorry for them and were SO happy that it wasn’t us this time!!! Haha!
After our relaxing float down the river, we headed back to the Lodge and hung-out on the balcony for a few hours. After that, it was time for some more drinks and dinner, so we headed down to the Irish Pub on-site!
After having a few drinks beforehand and a very strong — but yummy — drink in the pub, I was extremely happy and loving life before dinner even started! Haha! This is the only picture that I got of Mark and I all weekend and I think that my face and eyes show how happy I really was!!!
We ate another impressive dinner, had more drinks, and then went back to the suites and built another fire! We ended-up getting rained on, but that didn’t stop us! We took our *party* back to our room and had another great night!
What an absolutely perfect weekend! Thanks to my in-laws for babysitting, thanks to Mike and Kelly for the fun company and tons of laughs, thanks to the wonderful staff at the Clarion River Lodge, and thanks to my amazing husband for the awesome life you have created with me!
Happy 12th, Mark!!
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 12th wedding anniversary, clarion river, kids life jackets, moms and dads, weekend rendezvous | 1 Comment »
Grandpa and Nana’s 4 Grandkids!
My parents had no pictures of the grandkids together yet, so Amber and I set-out on a mission to get one! We finally did (without them knowing) and surprised them with this!
What a bunch of cuties!! My niece, Mela, is getting SO big, too…what a doll!
Eden, Grady, Mela & Brynlie
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I Know That You Have Been Wondering….
…where all of my posts have been. Well, I actually have received a lot of writing work this summer and have not had time to work on my own writings lately! That’s a good thing, though! This is exactly what I have always dreamed of — being able to stay home with the kids and finally having my writing published through so many great clients and websites!
Thanks to everyone who has requested my writing services and to my faithful blog readers — I am currently adding posts from throughout the summer a little at a time.
Thanks for being so patient as my writing aspirations are finally coming to be!
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I am FINALLY an Aunt!! Introducing…
…Mela Helen!! Born last night on April 27th — weighing in at 8 pounds, 8 inches and 21 inches long! Words cannot even describe how happy our family is and how in love I am already!! My sister, Amber, was about a week and a half overdue and she went into labor on our deceased grandmother’s birthday. They did not know the sex of the baby and after she was born, as we all stepped into the delivery room, my sister and her husband, Steve proclaimed…”It’s a girl! And her name is Mela Helen!” Helen was our grandmother’s name — what an unbelievable moment.
This is our first niece or nephew on either side and I cannot believe the feeling. I feel like she is mine 
I love this doll baby SO much and am sure that my blog will now be flooded with pictures of precious little Mela!
Here are just a *few* of our first moments with baby Mela….
- Mela and her beautiful mommy…my little sis!
Proud Aunt Stacy!!
Proud Uncle Mark
Brynlie and Mela
Eden and Mela
Grady and Mela
Mela’s hospital picture…how darn cute is this?!!
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“Hoppy” Easter From Our Family to Yours!!
Happy Easter everyone!! I hope that you have a super-duper, fun-filled, belly-full-of-candy day!! Take time to relax and truly enjoy your family and friends today.
Happy Easter!!
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April Is Just Around The Corner…And So Is This Little One!
We had my sister’s shower last month and because of the change to my site design and server, I am just getting around to posting it. Sorry to all of those who have been waiting to see pictures!
Since Amber doesn’t know what she is having, I found a really cute theme online with lime green, yellow, and black decorations. It turned-out really well and the colors looked great together!
Amber’s mother-in-law was in charge of finding someone to make the cake and it turned out really cute. She also added special touches throughout the room with baby pictures of Steve and Amber.
It was such a fun shower and all of Amber and Steve’s family and friends were there to celebrate with her. It was just a perfect day!
Brynlie and Eden had a blast and actually helped out A LOT! They were running around like nuts and making sure that everyone was happy and were constantly asking if anyone needed anything!
Did You Notice That We Even Had Green Punch?!! By The Way...What is With My Hair?!!
Mom, Amber, and Me! Can Amber Look Any More Beautiful?!! Seriously...Who Looks Like That at 8 Months?!!
Time for the presents…and she got a lot of them!!
Are You Getting All of This, Nikki?!!
And now that I am so late in posting this, Amber is already due in a few weeks!! I am SO, SO, SO excited to become an aunt for the first time! I cannot wait to see and hold this precious little life that is about to come into our family. I still can’t believe that the time is almost here! Amber and Steve are going to be such great parents and are anticipating the joy of becoming their own little family! This baby is so loved already by every single one of us that I can’t even imagine how much love he/she is going to experience once we actually meet in person!
Best Wishes, Steve and Amber!!
May this new little life that you created bring you more joy and happiness than you can possibly dream of!!
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: baby pictures, caption, Corner, family and friends, joy, Little, making sure that everyone, mother in law, perfect day, width | 2 Comments »
Celebrating the Irish Way
Sorry that I am just getting to my St. Patrick’s Day post, but I was having an issue with my photo editor. I finally got everything straightened out and am good to go! Mark and I had a great night out with good friends to celebrate the holiday at our local country club. We enjoyed awesome food, a wonderful bagpipe player, an Irish dance by a local dance group, a great band, tons of green shirts….and don’t forget the ice, cold beer (it was St. Paddy’s Day…it’s a rule, right?!!)
Mark and Me
Now, for the kids…lol! They were all excited about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at school, so after they all had their green on, I asked them to sit on the floor so that I could get a quick picture before we left. Well…Brynlie didn’t want her picture taken and flat-out told me that she was going to “smile stupid” and Grady started bawling as soon as he heard the word, “picture!” In the middle of the crying and arguing, I said, “Sit down and smile…and I don’t care if you want to or not!!” So, this is what I ended-up with! Haha!
When Irish Eyes *Aren't* Smiling!
I hope that you all had a fun-filled St. Patrick’s Day, too!
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What The Heck Have You Been Up To, Stace?!!
Well…a lot, actually! If you haven’t already noticed, I had the layout and overall feel of my blog changed. I like it so much better — it’s a lot cleaner and more readable! I work with a great blog designer, Jacqui, from Wacky Jacqui’s Designs and she really does amazing work! It has taken me awhile to get things where I want them and I’m still working on it, but I wanted to give everyone an update on why I’ve been missing!
So, how busy have you been lately? Sometimes, I feel as if we are never home! I actually don’t mind, though, because I’m a can’t-sit-still-have-to-be-doing-something kind of person! I don’t know what to do with myself if there isn’t a lot planned on an up-coming weekend (which only happens a few times a year)!
Instead of going on and on about what we’ve been busy doing, I’m just going to post some pictures from the last few weeks!
*Princess Brynlie* at a Dress-Up Tea Party
*Princess Eden* at the Tea Party
Grady Celebrating Dr. Suess' Birthday
Brynlie Having Fun in the Snow
Eden in Her School Musical
"It Wasn't Me, Mom!"
My Three Cuties
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Meet The Rest of My Family…
First up…Thanksgiving at my sister and brother-in-law’s house! Mark, myself, our three kiddos and my parents spent Thanksgiving at Amber and Steve’s this past year and it was so much fun! It was nice that we were all together and able to pull it off! So…while Amber was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, I began to set-up my “photo shoot” in their formal living room and then I realized that I had forgotten my tripod. Have no fear, though….I made one…out of aluminum foil!! I rigged the foil up like a tripod and steadied my camera on their stair’s hand railing! I quickly called everyone in and ‘summoned’ them to their places — while the kids whined and complained about it! Mark and I ‘nicely‘ explained…”that they better sit there and smile with the biggest grins on their face…or else!” Haha! It worked — besides having to drag Grady into it at the last minute before the shutter went off because he refused to have his picture taken! We even managed to get Steve & Amber’s dog, Bruno in the picture! The only problem we have now is that my sister is pregnant with their first baby, so this picture is only good until April when we have to do this all over again with the newest member of our family (who will bring on a whole new level of difficulty)! I cannot wait!!
Here it is! My family…
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| Front (L-R): Eden, Bruno & Brynlie Back (L-R): Mark, Me, Grady, My Dad (Garth), My Mom (Nancy), My Sister (Amber – With My 1st Niece or Nephew in Her Tummy), & My Brother-in-Law (Steve) |
Here it is…Mark’s family… |
| Front (L-R): Brynlie & Eden Back (L-R): Mark’s Brothers…Ed, Ryan…My Father-in-Law (Ed), My Mother-in-Law (Carolyn), Me, Grady & Mark |
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Posted in Christmas picture, family pictures, Thanksgiving picture | Tags: aluminum foil, Christmas, cooking up a storm, Haha, hand railing, house, mom nancy, photo, sister and brother, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment »
Happy 2011…Goodbye Gus!!!
Now that I am feeling better, I wanted to get back online and let everyone know that I wish you nothing but the best for 2011 and may all of your hopes and dreams come true and may we all remain safe, happy, healthy, and Gus-Free!
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Posted in Happy New Year | Tags: ball drop, Christmas, doing laundry, Goodbye, Happy, hitch a ride, house, morning, sad night, unwelcome visitor | No Comments »
It Was the End of Summer in 1980….
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L – R: Krisha, Mary Beth, Me, and Dana
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As the holiday season approaches, the year comes to an end, and 2011 begins…I hope that all who reads this has as much joy in your life as I have…with a loving family, true friendships, and all of the wonderful blessings that each of these brings.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: DuBois, dubois pennsylvania, End, Kindergartener, krisha, Little, little girls, matter, separate ways, wasson | 1 Comment »
Boy, Have I Been Busy!
But, who isn’t, right?!! Since I’ve posted last, Brynlie turned 9 years old — which will be a whole other post — and we have had so many things going on every night and every weekend that you probably wouldn’t believe it if I told you! I love this time of year, but it definitely comes with a price — literally! Lots of money has been spent on Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, and food for all of the holiday parties that we have been attending, but it’s well worth it! Whenever I feel overwhelmed with all that is going on, I remind myself of how great it is that we have such incredible families and so many great friends to spend this awesome time of the year with!
I have many pictures and wonderful stories to share that I’ll be working on over the next few days, so bear with me…there is a lot more to come!
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: birthday, birthday gifts, Boy, Brynlie, Christmas, christmas gifts, great friends, holiday parties, lots of money, post | 1 Comment »
We Had a Visitor Come over Thanksgiving While We Were Gone…
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Posted in Christmas Elf, Elf on the Shelf | Tags: Christmas, christmas eve, Elf, eye colors, eyes and ears, funny name, house, idea, neat idea, Thanksgiving | 4 Comments »
