Sunrise Sunset!

Although I didn't think the sunrises and sunsets were as pretty as Erie's, they were pretty beautiful!!

We got up at around 5:50am EVERY DAY on our cruise except one day to see the sunrise. And we stayed awake all day long with out any nappies (mostly . . except a few occasional naps on the deck when we were at sea). It was worth it and felt like we were getting the most out of every day.

Leaving the port of New Orleans, LA . . . it was freezing!! They just got snow there like a day or two before we got there, and it was still very chilly and breezy!

Our first sunset on the ocean. If you look on the right side you can kinda see a rainbow! It was so neat! Still pretty windy and cold also.

Our first stop! Progreso, Mexico! It has the longest pier in the world! 4 miles from shore!

Sunset leaving Progreso, Mexico!

We did get a little disappointment in a couple of our sunrise trips. Twice we woke up early to find that we could not even really see the sunrise. Bummer. But we still stayed awake and ate breakfast and carried on with our day.

I think this is the sunrise at Cozumel! Absolutely beautiful there!

Sunset @ Cozumel, Mexico.

And our last potential sunrise . . . . at New Orleans . . . a LITTLE foggy . . . .

Stay tuned for more Cruise Posts!

Back Alive But Tired As Heck!

Well I am back from my cruise! Actually I got back a while ago, but I have been so busy with work and Christmas preps and our pup Behren and family get-togethers and getting our new licenses and trying to upload all the pics from the cruise.

I plan on blogging about our trip over a week or so because we did A LOT and took A LOT of pics . . I only took 337, but Mase took like 1,400!!

I will leave you with a funny story. . .

I was in New Orleans and took a cute picture of myself in front of Bourbon Street with my camera phone. I sent it to my family and Shane, my husband . . . or so I thought . . until I received a text message back from someone who had one number different than Shane. They replied "who is this? you have the wrong person". . to which I replied . . "I'm sorry! I sent it to the wrong person!" to which they replied "That's ok! Have a great trip!"

So thank you random person I accidentally picture messaged! I did have a great trip!

:-)

Final Countdown!

Eeek! So I have so much to blog about, but I don't have time right now because I have to start packing for my cruise that I am leaving for tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

And then I will have tons more stuff to blog about when I get back!

Can Your Pupil's Get Any Bigger Than This?!

Seriously.


I made my poor hubby go to the eye doctor to see why his right eye goes blind about once a month. . . . they referred us to a neurologist . . . . but he had to get his eyes dilated . . and holy crap! It was so weird!

Christmas Trees & My Animals, Of Course.

My daddy made two beautiful trees to take to the cemetery for my Grandpa and Aunt Cheryl. He glued all the bows and bulbs on himself, and got a candy cane for the top . . . . one that says "Dad" and the other "Cheryl". Not a day goes by that I don't think of my grandpa and aunt. It's so sad without them. My grandpa always made jokes and always put a smile on anybody's face. I miss him saying "yellooooowwww" when he answered the phone . . . especially when I would call his number from his house and hang up the phone real quick so it rang and then nobody was there. He loved that! I always did my aunt's nails at every family get together, and I just knew she appreciated it so much. I guess I laugh like her and I play with my earrings like her. It has been over a year since they have been gone, but I know they are in great hands right now, and that brings comfort to my heart.


And because I just love my animals (boy is it going to bad when Shane and I have real kids . . . ), here is a cute pic of Behren and Jinx snuggling in the cube in the back!

p.s. - cruise in less than 4 days!! ahhH!!

Parents Christmas Party!

I love my parents. Seriously. I am so thankful that God picked them to be mine.

Last night was my mom's Christmas party for work. I "surprised" my mom by going over to their house and did her hair for her, her nails, her make up, and helped her pick out an outfit.

I think I did a good job!! Doesn't she look so beautiful!?? And, of course, my dad is handsome too!!

I Love My Bryce!

Here are some cute pictures of my niece Bryce. She is getting so big!

Bryce and her Mommy, Sommer.

Bryce sleeping in the car all snuggled up!

Smiling with Great Grandma Rock.

Saying . . "Aunt Staci, why do you take so many pictures of me?!"

Bryce having fun with our pup, Behren!

She is just too cute! I wonder what Santa is going to bring her for her first Christmas!?

I Love My Animals . . .

So for some reason I have been having issues with my blog. It wouldn't let me upload any pictures for like the last 3 days! But, alas, it works!

Here is my 20 year old kitty, Sheena, eating some food my parents gave her, and our pup, Behren, hoping she leaves some scraps for him.

And this big guy is Nina & Jinx's brother, Scooter. He lives with my Grandma . . . along with two birdies and a chocolate lab . . oh! and my grandma just took in a stray too . . . that she is "fostering" until my aunt takes it I guess . .. and my grandma feeds all the neighborhood cats too . . . and the deer and outside birds and squirrels . . . now you know why I am obsessed with animals.

And here are our prides and joys snuggling together!! I know I put a picture up that was similar to this, but this was taken like a week later!! They just all love cuddling together!

Ugh. . . .

Ugh . . . I really have several things to post about, but I just don't have the time or energy right now to do it. . . . so you just get a recap of some things.

I had my first "closing" at work today . . . I thought it was going to be a lot worse than it was . . . only worked 10 hours!

The cruise is only 10 days away!!! AHHH!!!!! So exciting and so nerve wrecking! I just hope I can relax a little, because I feel like I won't be able to, and I need to. . . . also found out that KC will be my roomie! Yay!

And since moving home (which I am still excited about, don't get me wrong) . . . I feel like I get to see my family (especially my hubby) and friends less than I did when I was in Virginia. . . I don't know why . . . I just feel like I have been going and going and not getting the time or have just been too stressed and overwhelmed to appreciate the time I do get with them. I just really want our house to sell . . . ASAP . . . now. . . and we haven't even had any showings. :-( In time I guess . . .I hope . . . I pray.

p.s. check out the beautiful pics of my niece, Bryce! and sister, Sommer!

Turkey Day!

Yay! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here is a cute picture for you today!!


I am so thankful for Bryce, and all of my family and friends! For God, my animals, my job, our house, my hubby, my health, my craziness, my accomplishments, nature, tv shows, happy people, harry potter, non-profits, nice people, chocolate chip cookies, cake, t-giving dinner, blankets (especially heating ones), cozy beds, fireplaces, the sun, trees, cameras!, phones, computers, fresh air, boots, cruises (eek! 15 more days!), life, church, oh the list could go on and on, but I'm off to see my family and eat lots of food! Yay!

My Kitties and Pup!

Our animals looooove the snow. Behren just prances through it like a gazelle and would stay out there all day if we let him. Nina and Jinx are indoor cats, but I let Jinx have a little taste of the snow, and she wanted more.

Here is Behren and I playing in the foot of snow!

Our kitties love their Grandpa Gary's house. I knew they would love getting on top of the cabinets . . . and here is proof! They are up there all the time.
And here are our three kiddies all snuggling together!! They are just too cute sometimes!

I Got $2 . .. I Got $2 . . I Got $2. . Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

It finally happened folks . . . gas is under $2!! (I know . . . this happened like a week ago. . . but I'm a little behind!)


Good thing since I burn like 60 miles a day!

But Brycey! I Thought You Loved Me!

We got to babysit Bryce the other night! She is just too cute!


I bounced her to sleep and she slept for ehh . . . 15 mins . . . and then "The Office" that we started . . stopped.
And then she decided to flick me off . . . .times two!!

And puke in my hair when I was burping her . . . ick!!

I thought you loved me Bryce!!! It's ok . . . I still love YOU!

Coach Cooper's Retirement Party!

Aww! Yay! We had a surprise retirement party for Coach Cooper (Shane and I's head coach from track and field @ Behrend)! The cross country team just got back from a meet and had their "team meeting" in the chapel because the Junker Center was "too busy". And here is all of us surprising him!

Our food was catered by Ricardo's! Sooooooo yummy!! We got salad and ziti and rolls! Ricardo's has always been so gracious to the athletic department at Behrend, and I am so glad, because their food is amazing!

Cassie, one of my best friends from track (who also does cross country), put everything together, and made an awesome power point slide of pictures throughout the years.

Everyone got to say something about Coach Cooper, and it was very emotional. Coach has made the track & field program at Behrend such a huge thing. It has grown substantially even since we were there, and every year, the team gets closer and closer.

Here is the yummy cake from Giant Eagle!! They have such good cakes! Shane decided he would try to get his hand in the picture, and I really don't know how it happened and turned out so "not blurry" because he kept moving it really quick.
And a nice pic . . .
Coach cutting the cake for good retirement luck! He wants to spend a lot of the time in the woods, hunting and such (which I don't necessarily agree with :-P, but hey . . . I just hope he doesn't catch anything . . . he he. . sorry Coach) . . . I'm just too big of an animal lover. He also owns a putt putt place in Union City called "Runners Miniature Golf". He took us all there once and we got to putt-putt for free! It was a lot of fun!! You should definitely go there!

Coach is still planning on coaching during track season, so it wasn't AS emotional as it could have been, but it was just so great seeing all the people show up to support coach. He is an amazing coach, an amazing person, and we wish him nothing but the best in his retirement!

Not A Big Fan of the Bus . . .

So . . . the other day (last week . . oops . . a little late in updating this . . but I haven't had internet! :-( . . but now I do! :-)) . . . my parents and I went to a sold out speaker series at Penn State Behrend, where Jerome Bettis talked about "championship choices".

The tickets were free, and thanks to my good friend KC, who hooked us up, we were able to get the tickets before they were sold out . . . to I guess 2,000 peepz!

So here is my daddy, me, and my mommy! They are so cute and I'm so glad we are home so I can see them more often! (Shane still wasn't home yet . . but he is now!! Yay!)

Ok . . so on to Jerome Bettis . . . everyone was super psyched he was there . . people were sporting their Steelers jerseys and busting out the terrible towels! His speech was ok. . . talked mostly about his football career and then ended it with saying that to be a champion you need dedication, good work ethic, and something else . . or something like that.

I'm sure some people were there to hear his speech, but a lot of people just wanted to get his autograph/pic/etc. . . . and he wasn't having it!! They ran him off to a secret room and snuck him out the back. People were so upset . . . and although I do feel bad, because I'm sure you get sick of signing millions of autographs and having people harass you everywhere you go in public . . . I also feel bummed and sad that he didn't sign any autographs or pictures. I feel like it is part of his job . . . I mean . . it comes with the NFL football star title. And I feel bad for all the little kids that stood there waiting for him to come out . . . for that little black scribble on a towel, or poster, or ball . . . that they will never have.

And I am a pretty big fan of the Steelers . . . but all I have heard lately is how rude and mean the Steelers players are, and that bums me out . . . so come on guys!! Be nice and step up to the plate . . . er . . . the field!

Moving All Over!

Yay!! Internet is back!! :-)

Well, we moved into Shane's dad's house this past weekend. He lives with his fiancee in Millcreek, and was nice enough to let us stay in his house in Edinboro for a while!

It is definitely a treck to work every day . . . it takes me about 30 mins - 1 hour to get to work (depending on weather/road conditions/etc).

Of course, the first day to work from Edinboro, we had to have a MAJOR snow storm . . . I've always been nervous driving in snow, and was scared out of my mind . . . country roads don't really get the attention that main roads do . . .

I made the mistake of going on a road that doesn't get traveled very often . . . I would've been ok if I could've stayed in the middle of the road, but of course . . . . a gigantic plow truck comes barreling down the opposite side . . . and so I had to get over as much as I could . . . aka . . . I had to go into about 2 feet of snow (I don't have 4 wheel drive and I don't have snow tires . . and the tires I do have . . suck.) . . . so I am freaking out b/c I'm like . . . there is NO WAY I'm getting out of this . . . so the plow truck goes by (barely squeaking past me) and I try to go again . . . no luck. So then I start to panic, and back up a little . . . go forward a little . . . back up a little . . . forward a little . . . no luck . . . do it again . . start sliding around . . . then Shane calls and says "how's it going?!" . . to which I reply . . "baber!!! I'm stuckkkkkkkkkkkk!!! :-( " . . . so I was very scared. Very stuck. So I kept putting it in drive . . reverse. . . drive. . . reverse. . .drive . . . and finally God helped me out! I was soooooooooo thankful!! And thank goodness, no other cars came down that road, so I just drove on the left side the rest of the way.

But overall, it has been very nice here. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE the country!!! Shane's dad owns 10 acres, and it is one of the most beautiful things to see. I do love driving through the country on my way to work and back. Everything is just so beautiful . . . it sounds corny. .. but I just feel more in touch with nature and truly appreciate it more. The things that God makes just amaze me.

Shane has already gone snowmobiling in the backyard, and we have taken Behren out for several "run/play sessions" in the back yard. I cannot wait until it gets warm again (I know . . . I have a while) . . so we can just sit out on the back deck and take it all in. Just relax. You can see so many more stars at night, and it is just beautiful.

(yes that is a golf ball in the dishwasher. . . we found it in there when we opened it the first time . . gary's response . . "it needed cleaned")

We have made some minor improvements to the house so far (with Shane's dad's approval of course). We cleaned it up a bit (Shane's dad thought it was clean. . .which it was to an extent, but sometimes I can be a neat freak . . .). We also updated the sink in the bathroom with a new faucet (the old one was too close to the sink so you couldn't get your hands under it very well) . . soooo happy with the new one!! It looks great! Shane is also making us some coat rack thingies for our door to the back yard and the door from the garage. We moved the furniture around a bit, and I think I might make Shane paint the bedroom with me (Sorry Shane . . . Shane hates to paint) . . . right now it's white, but I want to paint it a khaki color like our old bedroom . . it's just so much more cozy!! I will probably buy some pictures/mirrors/plants/etc. . . just to make it more a "home". Warm it up a bit!

Nina likes the new sink too!

Well . . .other than that . . I have been working. By the time I get home and eat, it's time to sleep! . . . and then do it all over again . . . I'll try to keep you up to date!