Exhale...

Paddy and I have been pulling this little vacation together for two years.

We will be leaving for Ireland this Friday.  We are "winging" it.  I have purchased two travel guide book. Risk Steve's 2011 Ireland, the traveler's BIBLE and then for cross referencing I grabbed a Fodor's guide as well.

We will land in Dublin on the 23rd at 0800 and grab our car.  I will be driving on the wrong side of the road for 9 days.  Some how I don't think this will be too difficult for me.  Paddy in the better navigator, the Army has given the good doctor some very useful skills.  We purchased a GPS card of navigation in Ireland for the times we just are too tired to look at the map.

Once we have left the airport will plan to hit a Boots for necessities I'm not pack to save weight in baggage.

Then we are off.

POSSIBLY to the Book of Kells and a tour of Trinity

.

PERHAPS a pint at the Guinness Brewery.

A time to sit in wonderment at New Grange.

This is just our time, so we are going to take the long way around Ireland. 

Spend the day and night in the Aran Island on bikes.

And just be Irish.

More to come....

Minniesota Fams!

 We recently spent a long weekend with our Tracy Clan. 

 Katie, Ryan and Jaelyn traveled from NC for the festivities and it was great to see them all again.

We hope to be traveling for a special occasion soon to NC. 

Ding DONG...do I hear wedding bells?

 Ryan and Jaelyn have had a great year of Father daughter bonding and Ryan has really excelled at fatherhood!  Jae is such a great girl.  She's that same little curly-hair angel she has always been with a touch of sassy like she should be.  We love you Jae.  He's to a great year with Dad!!!!  Keep up the great work Ya-ya!!!!

 Emily & Jaelyn being silly. All weekend Emily was reminding Jaelyn that she was 6 SIX!!!!!!! months older.  I wonder who she'll feel about that when she's 29?  These two birdies are always so much fun to hang out with.  They are really super chicks and did a fabulous job taking care of the youngers.  They just doted on Shannon and Erin and Kiki.  I never had to get anyone ready for bed or remind anyone to brush their teeth.  These little Ladies did it ALL!!!  The younger cousins really enjoyed their big cousin time...

 Time and Kim have such a great family.  I truly enjoyed all they offered to us while we were in their charge.  Tim has grown up to be such a great Dad and husband. I am so proud of him, he has accomplished his goals so nicely and Kim has been a great support to him to make it happen.  Matthew, Emily and Kira( Kiki) are such wonderful children.  This is a family that adores each other and has such love and commitment for one another.  THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!!!

 ( R-L) Matthew( 13), Jaelyn(11), Ashlynn(7 front) Emily(111/2), Jacob(9), Kiki(6), Erin & Shannon(6)

 The Tracy Boys

Patrick, Mike, Ryan & Tim

 The Patrick Tracy family

 The Mike Tracy Family

Pam, Ashlynn, Jacob and Mike

 Pretty little Ashlynn, she is so sweet!

 Some goofy squirrly girlies

And the "olders"  These three have a long history of kinship and they never miss a beat when they are together no matter the time that has passed.   The next generation is growing into fine young lads and lassies and we are so proud of this great group of kids. 

We so enjoyed our visit and hope to make them happen more often.  Family is the best gift you can receive Treasure and cherish it!!!!!!!



Can You Stand It?

My friendy Lain Harvey did THIS!!!!!!!

She is a natural talent and wanted to add the girlies to her portolio and test out her new soft box. 

These BEAUTIFUL timeless portraits are the results! 

So here's a little update on these squirrly-girlies.

MY how they have grown!!!!

Across the miles

Great friends!

 Army Wives!

There is nothing to compare making friends in the Army too.  You hurry up and unpack your life from boxes to hurry up and live in a house before you have to hurry up and do it all over again in a year or two.

BUT....

You make friends with people for life.  Army wives are a rare breed of ladies, it's not a lifestyle we choose.  We don't marry a solider, we marry a soul mate who happens to be a solider.  We make friends and leave them just as fast as we met them sometimes.

These two ladies in the picture with me are my friends.  I don't know their history or their origins.  I know their children, their worries, and strife. I know their successes and happiness and wonderment.  I know that if I needed help they are the first I would go to.  I know Lain drinks tea not coffee and loves wine.  I know Melissa doesn't drink wine but will hang out with Lain and I and drink tea while we drink wine!  Lain and I have been the rattle snake wrestlers of the house and the wildlife conservationists and Melissa will pass on that role. 

We are all Mom's, we worry about Dad's being gone and fatigued about a stressful job in the Army.  We celebrate birthdays with homemade card and cookies.  When bake and deliver goodies to each other and check on one another after a big storm.

We look after each other.

This week Lain and Jon PCS'd to Ft Leavenworth KS.  It's excited for Jon to progress in his role and I know he will be SMASHING BRILLIANT!!!!

BUT....

I lost Lain and Fox, part of my little 1320 Upton Rd family.

I remember when Fox couldn't walk and did he tripod crawl.  He was the cutest gnome I have ever seen for Halloween!  And he loved to snuggle his Sal! And teaching all the Army Brat in the house to stand in reverence at Retreat. Right hand over your heart ...salute the cannons! I will miss looking for Shannon and Erin and knowing they have snuck off to Miss Lain's house, or maybe they were captures by the Pirate Jon the Dread in the hallway!

Jon's 5AM cannon wake up calls!

Makeit,bakeit,sewit,growit!

Taking care of Jolly cat and finding her in her many hideouts in the house down stairs.  And always forgetting to get the mail!  At least Jolly didn't starve!!!!

It's been a wonderful year on Upton RD.  Melissa and I will continue to live in the Army wife spirit and Lain you will always be with us.  We have texting and phone calls and FB.  I miss you!!!!!  FLENDY!!!!  Farararara ra ra ra ra!!!!

It's been an absolute pleasure to be your neighbor and to be your friend sweet lady!

Melissa!!!  I'm happy we have sometime to kill together. 

 The drums will be off at 2000!



Simplify

I love this web-site!!!!

My buddy Katie; a busy mom like me, introduced this site to me about a year ago. And it has changed my shopping and meal prep FOREVER!!!!!

For 15$$, every 90 days you get a menu for a weeks( printed weekly) worth of meals and your grocery list. There are many choices.

Meal plans for low fat, or low carb or "points" systems. Plans for family or just 2 ppl.

You may choose general grocery store, Wally- World etc.

Each recipe is very simple, Paddy is fabulous at making meals.

BEST PART!!!!!!!.....?

Print, Shop, Save money and eat yummy dindins with little to NO THOUGHT!!!!

Check it out!!!!!!!!!!!

e-MEALZ.COM

And remember....let me know what you think!!!!

Time Flies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This really nice looking guy came home, safe and sound, with all his limbs, and faculties.

He was 2 weeks early. Imagine our surpise!!!!!

These two will not stop growing!!!!!!!!!

More to come...

Summer Fun on Lake Sneed

Fun was had by ALL!!!!

Lake Tom Sneed

CPT Paddy of the USS Galway Girl

Formerly known as Stephenotis

Bathing Beauty

Sunshine Shannon

I have been a horrible blogger this summer. But with Paddy's pending deployment and being back to work I have been soaking up the family time.

When weekend schedules permit we head to the Lake for some family floating time. Erin is fearless and jumps right in as soon as her life vest is secure. I have taken to tethering her to the boat so she doesn't float away with the current. The first day of the boating season Erin asked me." Mommy, this makes me float right? I won't sink will I?" I assired her that the life vest would keep her afloat and that "NO you will not sink". With that she walked to the front of the boat, stood up on the seat and JUMPED right in!!!!! Shannon on the other hand, has decided that swimming in the lake is highly over-rated and hangs out on the back with feet fluttering in the water, or sunning herself on the back of the boat. She has found a bit of fortitude in hanging off the ladder and "swimming"

Lake Lawtonka is only miles from our home, but too many people come out on the same day, making it a bit dangerous for the wee ones. We found Lake Tom Sneed an hour up the road and on most weekends there are only a few boast joining us. Lake Sneed is larger and deeper, so we don't have to worry about hitting the bottom or running into a tree. With less boats there is little wake and the girlies , or should I say Erin can troll around on her rope.
So, now you know where we are this summer and what we've been up to on most weekend. Hope you and yours are having a great fun packed summer!!!

More to come...