Home (for a few days :))

After being on vacation for 15 days we are finally home!  I can't say I'm super thrilled about that, but I am basking in the memories of two wonderful back-to-back family vacations with Stegs and Gritz.  I really can't even put into words how fantastic it was to spend quality time with both families and for our family of 7 to have this time away from our crazy schedule to spend with each other as well.  The beach and mountains were both a welcome retreat for us and I can't wait to show off pics and give details of both...but for now just wanted to post that we are home safely as of a few hours ago.  A few of my fav. NC memories were....

Holden Beach:

Hailey boogie boarding with her daddy and uncle in the midst of a storm rolling in (funny, I might add :))
Shelby loving looking for shells on the sandbars even during a tropical storm with crazy winds and rains (she is a hard core sheller like her mama...great grandma Fergie would be proud :))
Dylan playing cards non stop...he became a "trash" pro!
Ash loving the pool and even swimming in it with hundreds of frogs in it :)
Logan floating in his baby boat (asleep) in the ocean (he looked like Moses and with Ash leading him she looked like the watchful Miriam :))
Kevin thinking a noodle float was a good idea for his teenager who just wanted a raft to sunbathe on :)
Me loving every minute of seeing the ocean from my bedroom window every morning for 7 days!

Maggie Valley Mountains:

Hailey finally getting to horseback ride on a trail in the smokies and laughing at her mama who, of course, got the ornery horse that wanted to trot at odd times...and trying to beat her mama at horeshoes (ok, so she beat me every time, but still...).
Shelby also getting her first trip horseback riding and doing awesome at it even though her horse led her into the trees part of the time.  The look on her face when she jumped from the big rocks at Midnight Hole into 50 degree water and tubing down Big Creek with Uncle Jeff (also in that cold cold water...she was braver than I!).
Dylan again playing cards...he even learned blackjack from Uncle Jeff.  And playing checkers non stop.  How he finally found his love for outdoors at Mingo Falls (waterfall) and went back and forth up the creek to the falls with such gusto and speed!
Ash playing with her cousin Brooke...and loving Sliding Rock and hiking 3 miles to a water hole with half our fam. (well, she only hiked half way b/c of some bad blisters thus gaining her the name "blister girl" by Pops)
Logan and how he loved just lying in the rocks at the water hole and how he loved being held by all the family.
Kev and his sweet legs that attracted tons of bugs and their bite and his big ol torn off toenail (not sure this was a good memory, but a memory all the same).
Me...I just loved every minute with my family...it was busy times, but fun ones....and so glad we could visit one of my fav. vacation spots and do so for the first time with my little boy :) 

We are blessed for sure by two wonderful families and all the time spent with them over the last 2 weeks. Now in just a few days we make our trek to NYC to drop off our Hays for 5 week of ballet summer intensive at SAB. I cannot even believe that time is upon us again!  What a crazy summer this has been so far, but so blessed by all these awesome traveling opportunities!

NC (Double!) Bound!!

Well, in just a few short hours we should be on our way to the NC coast.  Cannot wait!  I never thought we'd make it through the packing process (especially at about 3am this morning :().  But, we always muddle through and will probably need to catch up on sleep tomorrow night!  I do have to say that it's nice to be all caught up on laundry!  This has only happened one other time since Logan's birth and that was before we went to FL for Spring Break.  Crazy how a vacation time crunch can whip you into gear as far as that goes...and crazy how one feels they need to clean up their house more than usual when they are leaving it for 2 weeks.  I am doing it mostly so our sweet, neighbor friend, Maddie (aka "the kitty sitter") doesn't think we're complete slobs!  Anyway....can't wait to be on the beach and then in the mountains and to spend quality time with both fams.  It'll be great times!  So, there will probably be a blog hiatus while I'm gone...sorry to my few loyal followers! haha :)  But, if it's one thing I do love about vacations it's the lack of use of electronics.  Adios!

 And b/c you know I don't like picture-less posts...here's a few oldies, but goodies...the top is one of the great places we went to eat at Holden Beach back in June 2006 (can't wait for hush puppies!) and then below is one of our FAV places in NC...Big Creek...can't wait to have complete family photos at both places this year :)

Off to...

 This beautiful place...tomorrow!  YAY!  Cannot wait!  The last time we were in Holden Beach, NC with Kev's family, Dylan was the same age as Logan (so about 5 mos)....crazy how time flies and how many additional kiddos we added to our gang. We won't be staying at this same house, but one like it...with a private pool!  YAY!  I love the beach!!!

 Here is some of the Steg fam that went last time...this time around it'll be just our 7 and Kev's parents and bro and sis-in-law.  Can't wait to wake up to this view on Sunday morning!

 Dylan at 5 mos old....he really doesn't look anything like Logan does he?!...aside from the blonde hair and blue eyes....

Then we're off to one of my MOST fav. vacation spots...Maggie Valley, NC...nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  LOVE this place and can't wait to relax at good ol' Gentrys!  Last time we were here was in 2011 when we thought our fam. was complete...ignore the pic of me below...that accidentally downloaded on it's own....but LOL...look at the fun we have on Sliding Rock! Can't wait...and can't wait to see my parents and bro and fam!  Lots of good family times coming up! We are so blessed by great family and great vacation spots!

More Mem. Day Fun...

 Just thought I'd post a few more pics from Monday as I'm finally starting the packing process and have a few spare moments (well, not really, but looking at pics is more fun that packing, right?)  It's not been my day from the beginning...started off with cat puke all over to clean up, a 2L of root beer that exploded all over and a fussy baby who always seems to know when I have a lot to do and instead tugs at my heartstrings to hold him (and how can I resist?!) :(  I thought seeing these lake pics would motivate me to pack and get ready for more water fun...Holden Beach, NC...here we come!  The above pic is my crazy gang before we "walked the plank" to the boat docks :)  Logan's first time at the lake...whohoo!

 I think Shelby took this pic of me and my boy and his first boating adventure...he was overjoyed as you can see!

 D was pretty excited to have a boating boy buddy finally!

 The youngest and oldest chillin' in their shades....Hailey's broke when she got on the boat, so she had to wear Nina's "oldie" ones...stylin! :)

 Time to jump in the oh-so-refreshing water...I'll let you be the judge as to how "warm" it was. 

 My sweet Ash...giving us many excuses as to why she couldn't get in the water. 

 Feisty, Sweet Shelb!

 Logan in the arms of Nina...he loved the boat and it rocked him right to sleep :)

 The super cool teenage sunbather :)  I imagine this is how she'll spend her time on the beach soon too...

 Daddy the speed skier...don't let this fool you...it took him about a dozen times to finally get up on his feet :)

 My laid back boys :)  I think L is half the size of D already :)

 The little guy loves just chillin' with his sibs...

 Well, he didn't really love chillin' in the pool....waaaay too cold...mommy should have known better :(  Hailey tries to calm him down...

 ...it didn't really work...

 Finally he realizes he's safe as long as he calmly sits on the side and pretends to be invisible :)

 And a sweet pic of the fab 5 after the pool at a waterfall near there. The hard cry in the cold water wore Logan out....

 Kev and his mini-me :)

And then here's a pic of Ash with her cocoons hanging from her new butterfly pavilion.  It's a good thing we hung them in there that night b/c the next morning 2 hatched!!!  We now have two beautiful butterflies and one more we think will come out tomorrow (or hopefully before we leave for vacation!). What a fun experience! 

It's been a busy day (Shelby also had a friend over and we had PT and Speech appts) and now I'm off to pack and shop a little....wish me luck!  Oh and on a happy note, Kev's sweet mom figured out our whole NYC hotel situation and we are thrilled to be staying in two nice ones right in Times Square (one in June and one in July).  It's going to be a FUN summer of traveling the east coast!  Have I mentioned we have the BEST 4 parents in the world...they are truly amazing on so many levels!!  If I end up with 25 grandkids some day I hope I'm the same! haha :)

Frustrated :(

I have nothing glorious or particularly interesting on the brain tonight except to say that I am feeling frustrated...

1.  Why can't they make teen clothes more appropriate?  Does everything have to be soooo short...and if it is a semi-modest length, why does it have to have holes in inappropriate place :(  GRRRR....put Hays and I both in a bad mood. 

2.  In what city would you ever find a hotel room that only allows you to have 2 people in it!?  Only NYC :(  And of course it's the hotel we liked last year that had a pool (and did allow us to have 4 in each room last year)...hence we only needed two rooms last year for our large fam...this year they want us to pay for three rooms for three nights...can you imagine how much that costs???  Don't ask.  Made me super grumpy today :( 

3.  I am nowhere near packed...and supposed to be completely packed in less than 48 hours. What makes matters worse is that I don't even have half our laundry done...and I am still out shopping for clothes for the kids to wear to the beach b/c two of them have very little :(  AND we have lots of appts the next two days (speech, PT, etc) that will not allow me to get my laundry/packing done.  Again...grrrrr :(

Have I mentioned I am frustrated.  I am.  I would love to just snap my fingers and wake up on Sat. at the beach in NC.  I cannot wait for this vacation b/c the beach is my most FAV place just b/c I love that atmosphere and find it so relaxing...but I seriously might lose my mind before then and not even make it :)  Ok, just had to vent....just wanting one thing to go right this evening....and starting to feel the time crunch :(

5Mos....and a Memorable Memorial Day

 Our Baby turned 5 mos today :( :( :(

 What a chubba bubba he is! :)

 teehee...all decked out for the boat...even down to his flip flops...

 Love these boating beauties!

 My smiley little man!

 And a fun comparison of this year's family boat pic and last year's...I was so sick last year I could barely make it to the boat due to all-day-"morning" sickness :(  Amazing what change a year can bring!

Well, it was a wonderful Memorial Day...of sleeping in (sorta) and then having a fun 6 hours on the lake/boat with Nina and Poppy Stegs.  We had good food, good times on the lake (daddy skied for the first time in years), good times in the pool and just fun in general.  Logan was a trooper too as it was his first time on the boat.  He slept for half of it and just chilled with Nina for most of it.  It was a tad bit too cold to go in the lake water (for him and me and Nina) but we did put him the chilly pool and he let us know that was NOT cool! :(  It was a fun way to spend our Memorial Day and also a fun way to celebrate our boy being 5 mos old.  Gosh, 5 mos...where has the time gone??  I just adore every ounce of this little baby and don't want him to be growing up so fast :(  And now begins our busy week of packing.....ugh....I am thinking we'll be lucky to get all our laundry done at this point....

Vroom, vroom!

 Yay, I actually have current pics to show off today!  In honor of Race Day (Indy 500, that is!), we put Logan in his speedster and revved it up! :)  He wasn't so sure at first.... (mostly b/c it was raining a bit :))

 Then he got into it...

 And wore himself out so he decided to chill for a Sunday afternoon drive...

 Then it was time to get out the big wheel and have big sis take him tooling around the neighborhood :)

 "Hi"...his Fav word! 

 Then out to ice cream to celebrate D's good soccer season :)

 And a couple pics from yesterday at the camp site....are they not the cutest couple??  And there is no denying who eats the most, huh?!  She's 5 weeks older than him and he's 2lbs heavier :)

 Love these kiddos...look at the smiley boy....usually it's Sophie that's smiley :)  And me and my bestie and our babies chillin' below :)

It's been a lazier day than we thought.  Went to late church and thought we'd be racing to Indy after violin, but instead our sweet friend, Cor, got the stomach bug and had to cancel on their fun race day party :(  We were so bummed not to see them and hang out, but it did force us to be a bit lazy...and there's nothing wrong with that, right?!  Feel better, Cor :(