Myrtle Beach, SC ~ July 3-12, 2009

My 30th birthday was one that I will never forget! Steve and I vacation in Myrtle Beach often, but this year we were able to celebrate my “Big 3-0” with our great family and friends…In the end, 11 of us (Shannon, Steve, Paul, Sue, Karen, Andrew, Sean, Alex, Elizabeth, Coletta & Rich) made the trip south. Paul & Sue worked their magic and coordinated with my mom & Rich for them to make the trip and surprise us! Even more special was that we also celebrated Alex’s birthday on this trip, so they were able to be there for her Mexican fiesta. It was quite shocking and I still can’t believe all of them were able to keep it a secret (especially Rich!), but it was a very special treat and a really nice time. Don’t worry…we didn’t all cram into one living space; the “adults” stayed in one condo, while the “kids” stayed in another :) We had a whole lot of fun!

On our drive down to Myrtle Beach, we stopped in Winnsboro, SC and stayed with Cal & Keleigh Caldwell. As always, they were very generous hosts and coordinated with Greg & Karen Airasian and Ryan Stack to meet up with us for some drinks.

Here are the boys...Steve, Ryan, Cal & Greg.

With the help of http://www.myrtlebeachhappyhour.com/ and our own research conducted on previous visits to MB :) we ventured to some great happy hour locations during our trip. Here we are on the patio at Greg Norman's Australian Grill. Great appetizers & cocktails!

Steve & Elizabeth

Elizabeth, Shannon & Alex

We celebrated Alex's 28th birthday at Malibu Cantina Tex Mex.

Feliz Cumpleanos Alejandra!

Just after we entered the restaurant, my mom & Rich walked in and surprised us! They had driven 12 hours so that they could celebrate with us...so very special. We came to find out that they were actually hiding in the bushes when we arrived outside. I would have to loved to see that!

The night before my birthday we went to the Thirsty Turtle. Karaoke was the highlight of the evening!

Shannon & Steve

Rich & Coletta

Shannon, Alex & Elizabeth

The "Big Kids" table. Sue, Paul, Rich & Coletta.

The karaoke gang! Rich, Sean, Coletta, Steve, Elizabeth, Alex & Shannon

On my birthday, we ate a delicious dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in MB (California Dreaming). After dinner we enjoyed some birthday cupcakes. Yum!

Shannon & Steve

Andrew & Karen

Anyone who has traveled to Myrtle Beach with us knows that the trip isn't complete without a car bomb at Finn McCool's. It was only appropriate that we topped off my birthday celebration with one.

On our last night, we went to Greg Norman's again for happy hour. Here is the Horan/Schur crew...Andrew, Karen, Paul, Sue, Stephen & Shannon

Elizabeth, Shannon & Steve on our last night.

Steve & Shannon at the site of our wedding ceremony. Nearly three years later and still so happy :)

We have created so many great memories in Myrtle Beach and this trip only added to the list. Thanks to everyone for making this trip so fun and fantastic!!

Jenny & Bob's Wedding ~ June 27, 2009

On June 27th, 2009, my friend Jenny married Bob Donlon at the Black Horse Inn in Warrenton, VA. Everything about the weekend was beautiful, fabulous and fun!

Here is Jenny with one of the horses prior to the wedding…It was very picturesque!

The beautiful bride!

Jenny & Bob’s first dance

Steve & Shannon. Aren’t we just so adorable?!

Shannon & Jenny with Irish car bombs after the wedding. As much as I tried to peer pressure Jenny, she wouldn’t budge and I had to settle with a picture of her with Steve’s car bomb…the wedding night just wouldn’t be complete without one :)

Home Improvements ~ June 2009

When Steve and I bought our 1921 Lakewood colonial in April 2004, we put a lot of time and energy into painting, carpeting and upgrading our new home. We had a lot of help from our family, but it was still stressful and a lot of hard work. In the end, we were extremely happy with the result. Consequently, over the past five years, we have simply maintained.

Until now…

Fast forward five years to June 2009…during the entire month we were either watching other people fix up the exterior of our house or fixing it up ourselves. It’s hard to believe all of the work we had done and the list seems to never end…our old asbestos siding was covered with new vinyl siding, the original wood windows & screens were replaced with new white vinyl windows, new gutters, new shutters, new garage door, new porch screens, a freshly scraped, sanded & painted porch and fence, fresh mulch…am I missing anything?? Yes! The little details that go into finishing a project like this is a bit overwhelming, but with a lot of hard work, determination and long days, we got it all done! We couldn’t be happier.

Here is a picture of the house when they first got started with the siding. Notice the tree branches in the front of the house...those eventually disappear with help from Rich & the siding crew.

Stephen & I started scraping and sanding the porch on Memorial Day and we finished about 1 1/2 weeks later. It was quite a task, but the end result was very nice. Thanks to Sean & Alex for their help!

This is a view of the siding. It's almost complete at this point. Notice, we still haven't finished sanding...

We primed the porch (with Sean & Alex's help) and then I painted the porch. While I painted, Stephen & Rich completed a variety of tasks around the house. The following day, we installed the porch screens. We love having a screened-in porch so this was a priority for us...it was an annoying, but necessary task. Overall, it was a very productive weekend.

Here is a picture of the house with the newly installed windows.

Our Garage ~ Before

Our Garage ~ After!!

The Front Porch

Done! This is the new house we get to come home to...

We are so very, very happy!

Rite Aid Cleveland 10K ~ May 17, 2009

On May 17, 2009 I ran the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K. It was my first race in several years and I was a little nervous. I run a lot and knew that I could get through 6.2 miles without a problem, but there was just something that made my stomach turn. Anyway, my mom wanted to support me so she signed up to walk the course.

Here we are before the race. It was really cold (46 degrees, ??? with the windchill) and really early. I hadn't slept much so I just wanted to get started.

Steve & Rich were there to cheer as we passed by. You can see the back of me here in the blue shorts and black shirt. Steve said he couldn't get a good shot because I was running so fast :) Yeah right!

Steve found me after the race and took a picture by the finish line. I finished in 1:07:17, which was a little slower than I had hoped, but I was happy to be able to run the entire distance and without injury. There's always next year!

Here is my mom in the final stretch. She encountered some long lines at the port-a-potty so it set her back a little while (not a surprise to anyone who knows my mom!). She finished in 2:07:32.

Here is a picture of my mom and I after the race. It was a really nice morning, but it was about time to head home and take a nap!

2009 NBA Playoffs

The 2008-09 NBA season is one that will be hard to forget! There were many ups and downs and although the Cavs eventually lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, it is still a season worth remembering. Our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers posted a league-best 66-16 record, earning them a #1 seed and home court advantage throughout the Playoffs. What makes this even more special is that Steve and I have a history with the Cavaliers. Of course, I was raised a Cavs fan and basketball has been a love of mine for many years, but when you live and breathe with a team, it becomes so much more than a hobby…it becomes an obsession. Steve began working for the Cavs during the 1995-96 season and hasn’t left! Quicken Loans Arena (a.k.a. Gund Arena) is also where Steve and I met in the summer of 2000 when he hired me to be his intern in Cavs PR. I returned to work for Cavs & Rockers PR for a few years after I graduated from college while Steve moved departments and to his current position in IT. Several years have passed and many things have changed. Instead of the pathetic 30 win, 29 win and 17 win seasons, the 2008-09 season had us enthusiastic about record-breaking statistics and record-breaking performances. We had so much to cheer for with the league’s MVP leading the way.

The Cavs Playoff atmosphere is like no other sports experience I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, Steve has to work all of the home games, but I have great friends and family that I was able to share this incredible journey with.

Liberty in front of Quicken Loans Arena

2009 Cavalier Playoffs

Round One vs. Detroit ~ SWEEP!!

4/18 Game One @ Cleveland ~ W 102-84
4/21 Game Two @ Cleveland ~ W 94-82
4/24 Game Three @ Detroit ~ W 79-68
4/26 Game Four @ Detroit ~ W 99-78

Liberty & Shannon ~ Round One, Game One

Player Introductions

Cavs Win ~ 102-84

Liberty & Shannon ~ Round One, Game Two

Cavs Win ~ 94-82

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. Atlanta ~ SWEEP!!

5/5 Game One @ Cleveland ~ W 99-72
5/7 Game Two @ Cleveland ~ W 105-85
5/9 Game Three @ Atlanta ~ W 97-82
5/11 Game Four @ Atlanta ~ W 84-74

LeBron James is crowned NBA MVP

Sean & Shannon ~ Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Game One

Cavaliers Win ~ 99-72

Steve's longtime friend (Eric Hodge) was visiting Cleveland on business during the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals so he was able to attend the game with me. Here we are prior to the game at The Harry Buffalo...Mom, Eric, Shannon & Liberty

Eric & Shannon ~ Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Game Two

Steve & Eric

Cavaliers Win ~ 105-85

Eastern Conference Finals vs. Orlando

5/20 Game One @ Cleveland ~ L 107-106
5/22 Game Two @ Cleveland ~ W 96-95
5/24 Game Three @ Orlando ~ L 99-89
5/26 Game Four @ Orlando ~ L 116-114 (OT)
5/28 Game Five @ Cleveland ~ W 112-102
5/30 Game Six @ Orlando ~ L 103-90

Sean & Shannon ~ Eastern Conference Finals, Game One

Orlando Wins ~ 107-106

Shannon & Steve the morning of Game Two...We both put on the same shirt without realizing it :)

Shannon & Sean ~ Eastern Conference Finals, Game Two...This picture was taken right after LeBron hit the game-winning three with 1.0 second remaining. It was awesome!!

Cavaliers Win ~ 96-95

Sean & Shannon ~ Eastern Conference Finals, Game Five

Cavaliers Win ~ 112-102

It’s been 13 years since Steve Schur came from Connecticut via South Carolina to Cleveland and this was finally the year where the Cavs gave us a great chance at an NBA Championship. It's really too bad that this great season had to come to an end so soon, but there's always next year!