Florida Family Vacation 2019

We had such a sweet and memorable family vacay to Florida.

Around Here Lately...

I am enjoying some free time and relaxation before Baby Boy Clancy rocks our world, so I have not been keeping up with the blog. Here are some pictures to recap the past few months...

We took a trip to Kentucky to go on the Bourbon Trail with our sweet friends Angela & Steve. 

Jamaica 2015

Jamaica was nothing shy of incredible. We had a wonderful time at the resort and learning about the island and culture of Jamaica. It was so nice to step away from reality and turn off our phones for an entire week. We stayed at the Jewel Paradise Cove in Runaway Bay. The food was delicious!

We loved snorkeling and hiking up Dunn's River Falls. I also loved the leisurely pace of the island life! We slept 12+ hours every night and were treated like royalty all week! 

Carlyle was one of our favorite bartenders! We will also never forget Patrick and Pearson.

They say to go to Jamaica for the marriage you wanna :) 

Climbing a waterfall was such a cool experience! 

We are so grateful for the incredible memories that we made! It is so humbling to have the chance to travel this beautiful world of ours! 

^^Typical 

I made a video montage of our Jamaican adventure. Lucky for Shane, I left my phone in the room the night he was called on stage for the Mr. JPC contest. He had to dance, do push ups, flex and confess his love for Taylor Swift in front of over 100 people! He is so shy, but he was a super good sport! I am sure the rum helped! 

Shane also dominated a cupcake eating contest one night, and we won a couple's massage at the spa. How cool is that? The guys had to decorate a cupcake and then the girls had to guess which one our husbands decorated. I knew Shane's as soon as I saw it! 

Then the guys had to eat it to win the massage!

Quick Update

All is going well in the Clancy household! We are doing a lot of little projects to get the house back in shape. We found some patio furniture that we liked, and decided to spray paint it a fun bright color! 

We originally looked for a high top table, but we decided regular chair would be better to use around the fire pit when we host larger groups. Now we have 10 chairs available (not including lawn chairs). We have the 6 adarondack chairs and these 4 wrought iron chairs... perfect! 

Shane and I sat by the fire for hours last night just laughing and catching up. I love the quality time we have around the fire! 

^^^ This is the table before. 

We knew we wanted teal or bright green, and clearly we chose the latter of the two. It is called Green Apple, and it is BRIGHT! It will fade a bit in the sun, and once we add cushions it will not look as "glow in the dark" as Shane calls it! 

I like that it is small and doesn't take up too much of the patio space. 

Shane went out of town on business this week, and I let the dogs sneak up on the bed while he was gone. Hehe! They love on me so much when he isn't around, but when he is home they are all about Daddy! 

Polly laid across my lap and wouldn't let me get up to get ready for work. 

^^^ I sent this picture to Shane, and he said Rocky looks so old. Aww... he does sorta look like a grumpy old man! 

This weekend is filled with chores, errands, a birthday party, a facial, a hair appt... the list goes on! We have a lot to do before flying out to Jamaica! I am so excited to take a vacation with my Boop! 

We are so thankful that our friend Yon will be house-sitting and taking care of the dogs while we are out of town. He is such a great friend! 

As soon as we get back from Jamaica, I will be in full baby shower mode and getting everything ready for my sisters to come stay with me! I have so many surprises planned for them -- they are BOTH pregnant, and I am so thrilled that they are staying with me! 

I am going to pamper them all weekend! 

.xoxo.

Cabin Weekend

Shane and I helped our friends move some furniture to and from their cabin this weekend. It was a great excuse to spend some quality time with them in the mountains. The weather was gorgeous. We love spending time with Angela and Steve, and we definitely love going to their home away from home. Angela said it best -- "The only thing better than having a cabin is having friends that have a cabin" Haha! So true!

^^ Steve and Shane

^^ It was so nice to escape from reality and relax all weekend. 

We went to Mercier's Apple Orchard on Saturday morning, and I couldn't leave the store without this sign. It gave me chills when I read it, and it is a must have for our home.

^^ I plan to write the date on the back of the sign so we can pass it down in our family. 

^^ Let's start by saying that Shane is far too shy and humble to enjoy having his picture taken, but I am obsessed with taking candid shots of this man. I love sneaking pictures of him, and he has learned to tolerate it. 

When I look back through pictures of my loved ones, I prefer candid shots over posed shots because that is the way you actually remember the person. The way he stands, the expression on his face, the subtle grin... those are the moments to capture. 

^^^ It was a great weekend to lounge around and watch football! 

^^ These three white doggies love Shane! 

^^^ My dear Angela 

I love this women and enjoy every moment we spend together. She has the most generous heart and is absolutely hilarious! I always say I want to grow up and be like Angela! Haha :)

Cheers to great memories with great people! 

To Grandma's House We Go

Shane and I had such a wonderful time taking a road trip to Grandma Clancy's house this past summer. We have wanted to go to the annual Pig Roast for the past couple of years, so I am so glad it finally worked out. 

Prior to this trip, I had never been farther north than Tennessee on the East Coast, so I really wanted to drive so I could see as many states as possible. 

As you can see in the screen shot above, we left around 2:00 a.m., and we got there in time for a late dinner. Shane drove the entire way (round trip)!

Rocky and Polly were so excited to "go for a ride", but towards the end they were over it. 

We laid the seats flat in the Prius and put a blanket over our luggage so they could lay anywhere in the back. 

I took as many welcome sign pictures as I could, and we also stopped and bought shot glasses in most of the states as well. We have collected shot glasses everywhere we travel since we first started dating, and we nearly doubled our collection during this trip. 

Family picture :)

I couldn't believe home many trees I saw on the way up there. It was a gorgeous ride! We listened to music and sang and danced. When we were sick of that, we listened to some different comedians which really helped pass the time. 

Our first full day in Connecticut, we went to visit Aunt Peggy! Her property was incredible. She lives on 160 acres in Rhode Island, and her house was built in 1731. 

I have never known anyone to own so much land! Shane rode the 4-wheeler and followed us on this tour of her gorgeous property. 

In the picture below, you will see me standing on the stairs of an old slave house. It was so moving to stand in the remnants of such a tragic space. 

Of all the things I learned while we were there, I realized I am more of a "city girl" than I ever thought possible. We had to stop and buy me tennis shoes because when they said Peggy lives on a farm they really meant a farm. My Jessica Simpson designer cowboy boots just weren't gonna cut it!

We had a wonderful time meeting friends and family and sharing stories. It was a little rainy and cold the day of the Pig Roast, but everyone still had such a wonderful time! 

Shane loved to be by the lake at Grandma's house. It was so relaxing and peaceful. 

I am so glad I snapped this picture, because this is what we did each morning. We sat in the living room and drank coffee and listed to some really special memories. 

Occasionally, Grandma would stop and say how much Shane looked like his father. When we first got to her house, she look up at Shane and put her hand on Shane's face in awe of their resemblance.

^^ This is Grandma Clancy's house. Isn't it so amazing?!

We went to the casino one day! 

 This cute little ice cream shop was so yummy! The ice cream was very fresh! I think they said it was in the cow just 48 hours prior.

The dogs loved playing outside and swimming in the lake. 

Rocky was scared of this big stick. 

This phone still worked... so of course Shane had to play with it!

When we weren't listening to Grandma's sweet memories in the living room, we sat on the front porch and listened to her! Shane finished his final CPA exam just before we left for this vacation, so it was nice to see him finally relax and have some free time for a change. 

Shane helped with some yard work. 

We played board games one night!

The dogs enjoyed a little R and R as well! 

Shane found where he wrote his name in the cement when he was a little boy.

Grandma was so sweet to let us stay with her! We made some great memories that we will always cherish!

The dogs LOVED Peggy (but don't we all?!)

She knows SO much about animals, and they are just drawn to her kind nature!

We looked through some really incredible photo albums filled with priceless pictures of Shane's family. It was so sweet to hear all of the stories and see some great pictures. 

Mr. Pat and Shane 

The dogs liked playing with one another! 

We couldn't be in Salem without stopping by to say tell Mr. Pat we love him. 

This was such a special moment, and I am thankful Shane asked for me to join him.

A memory of Shane's daddy is in the center of our home, and forever in our hearts. 

We loved spending time with the Diamantini's at their lake house. They are such wonderful friends!

^^ This was Mr. Pat's bike. 

Rocky was so confused by his reflection in this toaster. 

Shawna was able to fly up for one night. We picked her up from the airport after eating at the Diamantini's house, and the next day she rode with us back home. Grandma was so excited she was able to stop by for a night.

When Shawna walked into the house, she said it smelled just as she always remembered.

After many hugs and a hard goodbye, we headed back down South. 

This cutting board was made from the original planks of Hitler's yacht. How incredible!?

We stopped in D.C. on the way home, and I was able to see my friend Heather. She met us for drinks and appetizers. 

Sean took us on a moonlight tour of DC. It was so fun to see the city, and we didn't even have to worry about traffic or big crowds!

It was incredible to stand at the Lincoln Memorial 

the same week I stood on the foundation of a slave house. 

The White House was way smaller in person than I thought it would be. It looks bigger on Scandal (our favorite TV show), and I pass the Governor's Mansion on my way to work each morning, and it seemed very comparable. 

 There were guards on top of the roof.

On the way home, Rocky and Polly had to sit in the very back so Shawna would have space. It was a tight squeeze, but we made it work! 

At one point, we stopped at a gas station and Shane set the pump and we all went inside. 

30 gallons later, we came out to gas pouring out of the side of the car! The pump never clicked off once the tank was full. Shane had to step in a big puddle of gas in order to stop it, so the car reeked of gas the rest of the ride home. It was raining, so we couldn't even put the windows down. Haha! 

We loved every minute of the trip, but it was so nice to finally be back home! We are so thankful that we were able to create such special memories with the family, and we look forward to seeing everyone again soon! 

Our next road trip is one week from today. We are headed to Kansas City to visit my sisters! I am so glad we are able to travel so much before we have kiddos ;)