Thanks to Those That Gave All

Monday we make sure to attend the Memorial Day parade and pay respects to those that gave all for our freedom. Here is Maddy and the back of my Mom's head. We got there early and sat in the back of our cars waiting for the parade to come by...

Here is my sister Susie posing with Maddy...still waiting...


And the other kids in the back of the truck ...


The kids loved the parade...we especially enjoyed the local boy scout troup carrying the large American flag...


After the parade...everyone files over to the local cemetery and the local band plays taps and the veterans salute the fallen. It is a very emotional presentation that reminds everyone what Memorial Day is really about.


After the parade and presentation...it was back into the lake for another day of fun!

We took the kids tubing and then everyone had a relaxing day playing in the sunshine and lake waters!

I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday weekend!! 

How did you celebrate? Do you travel for Memorial Day weekend? Do you know any service persons? If so, please thank them for me!

Hugs to you all!

Sunday Started the Summer Off Right

Sunday was a fantastic day at the lake over Memorial weekend!!

We got all the boats in and mother nature cooperated (it got pretty hot) and summer began!!!

Here are a couple of the girls on the paddle-board!

I love the boys faces and expressions in this picture...Ryan caught a really big bass and even surprised himself...HA! Brody is so amazed he is holding his head!!! Too funny!


Brody with one of his many fish...


The girls having fun on the floating mat!


A little paddle-board trip around the lake...


My "little brother" with his fish...he looks proud, hugh? LOL!


And my Dad with his...


The kids had a great time playing in the lake - it was the perfect start to summer!


That night we sang Happy Birthday to all the May birthdays...me included! Yippee! And enjoyed this delicious ice cream cake!


After cake it was off to start the first campfire of the summer...my favorite :-)


It was a fantastic start to the summer and a wonderful start to the Memorial Day weekend!

Do you enjoy fishing? What signifies the start of summer to you? Do you make and eat s-mores?? 

Hugs to everyone!!!

Friends Friday...

Happy Monday everyone!!

I had a fantastic weekend and I hope everyone else did also!!!

The weekend started off with meeting up wiht a great friend of mine John.

We have been friends for years and we make sure to get together for our birthdays every year.

I took this picture since I was teasing him about his CLAM-SHELL phone! Yes, you read that right, he still has a clam-shell phone! He will not cave and get a smart phone! HA HA!

After getting home from spending time with John; I took out my trash to our condo dumpster area...this is what greeted me! Ahhhh! Scared the crap out of me actually!!! WOW! He popped right out of the dumpster and just hing there waiting for me to leave! HA! What a cutie...but definitely scary!


Saturday morning I planted my flowers and herbs for the year. Remember that plant that was aphid infected? I returned them to Costso and they gave me a full refund. I ran to a local grower near my home and bought all of these...first a new Mandaville...


And a clematis...


This is got before; it is the one with the baby birds in it...


This is curley parsley, oregano and thai basil...


Regular basil...


My mint ...delicious!!!


Catnip (of course)...


and my fuscia from before...


After planting was finished; I went up to my parents house for the weekend.

Every Memorial Day (after we honor the fallen) we celebrate all the family birthdays in May and put in all the lake toys for summer!!!  Which means it is time for lake fun to start!

That post will follow soon!!!

Hugs everyone!

Happy 11th Birthday

Happy Thursday!!!

Today is the official birthday of my adorable twin niece and nephew!!! Ryan and Alyssa!! Such cuties! How is it even possible that they are 11 already!??!?!

Here are a few baby pics..

 This is when we switched their clothes!!! HA HA!

Here is the adorable Ryan!!!

Here is Ryan last Thanksgiving in the blue apron with his cousin Brody...he is our magician and comedian! He is a worker!!!

 And here is Alyssa also at Thanksgiving!!! She is our cook and baker! For real - she loves to cook and her food rocks!!!

 Here is their 3rd birthday....with big sister in the middle!!!

 Such a cute pic....right before they started preschool!

 Alyssa.....that face!!!

 Seriously...soooo cute....

 And finally ... now...this is their school picture from this past year!

I love you both so very much with all my heart! I can not imagine a better role in life than getting to be your Aunt Annie!

Love you both - Have a fantastic day and see you this weekend!!!! Time for lake fun again - YAY!

 Happy birthday Alyssa and Ryan

Wednesday Medley

Happy Wednesday!!!

 I am joining with Terri for her Wednesday Medley! If you want to join in; stop by her blog HERE.

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY – Friday Before Memorial Day

1.  Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip?   I love road trips! I don't really have time to take spur-of-the-moment road trips now since I travel to see family every weekend. Maybe; I take road trips every weekend! HA! I travel to Columbus, Harrisburg or Malvern just about every weekend!

2.  If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone?  Oh wow! I would get an RV and drive along every coast possible! My dream is live in an RV and just go from beach to beach until I hit the entire continent and then do the same on other continents!!!

3.  When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take?  Do you pack a picnic? Does the back seat turn into a nest?  I am a big fruit person! I also love cut up veggies - this stops me from buying crap snacks when I stop for gas! I really need to drop this extra weight!

4.  Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road. I saw a bear! A BIG  bear! Just laying by the roadside in the grass...kind of weird and kind of scary! I did not stop because I was afraid he may just be sleeping and that would not have ended well. The picture below is not mine but it gives you the idea...

5.  Who does the driving when you head out in the car? There is only me so unless I were to take the time to teach one of the cats to drive; I am the driver all the time! HA! Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead?  I have special gas stations that I stop at. I know where the cheapest gas is and where the cleanest potties are! One of the bonuses to traveling the same routes over and over! HA!  

  

6.  Please share something with us about your week so far. I am over this week and so ready for the weekend!!!! This is my birthday week - my birthday is three days away! Yippee! Yes, I was born on May 25th so we celebrate my birthday every year with a holiday - yes, apparently I am that special! :-)

Brody, Faith and Pink!

I needed entertained today so I thought I would share with you a few videos!!!

Here is a video of my adorable nephew playing hockey. He is number 87 (picked it because his favorite is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins). He is the one in the blue jersey and white helmet.



The next video I want to share is one I posted yesterday on my Instagram and Facebook.  It is my cat Faith...I was not sure which cat was unrolling the toilet paper as soon as I hang it up so I tried it out the other day and caught her red handed! HA!



And finally, I wanted to share a couple videos from the Pink concert! She was sooo good so I wanted to share it with you!

In this first one; Pink is hanging from the bottom of the pink chandelier and then climbs to the top and stands up there and dances and sings!



And in this second video; Pink in connected to each side of the ceiling by four cables and she literally flys all around the venue!  It was so amazing...the whole time she is singing!



I hope you enjoyed the videos and I hope you all have a great day!

What was your favorite concert you have ever attended? Do you have a favorite performer? Do you video your fur babies? What are you up to this week?

 HUGS to you all!

Happy Birthday Jess and Ick Bugs

Happy Monday ya'll!!!!

I am back home from traveling and so happy about it!!!

I spent the weekend googling this...

ICK!!! I bought Mandaville plant's at Costco last week. I got two for my mom and one for me. Turns out, they were all covered with little, yellow bugs. I googled it and it turns out it was aphids!!! ICK! The way to get rid of them is to spray the plant with soapy water but now it seems that I have killed the leaves and my plant is dying!!! My mothers is exactly the same! I am stopping at Costco to see if there is anything they can do for me on this!!! ICK! Sooo gross!

I was so happy to just be home this weekend that I spent the weekend cleaning and playing with my cats! The kittens were enthralled with a momma bird that has made a nest in my hanging plant on the left side of this picture. They watch here come and go all day bringing worms to her babies!!! So cute! I bet they wish they still lived in the barn now since they could get her and munch away!!! HA HA!


Saturday night I went to give my lead in a neighboring town and saw this amazing sight on the way home...pictures never do it justice!


Then this happened...HA! I was stuck waiting on a train since I stopped to get a picture of the moon - HA HA! Good thing I was only headed home...


Sunday, in Columbus, OH, my brother ran with my (and his) niece for Girls on the Run.  He is the only remaining runner in the family so he was elected to run with Aly. She says we are all too slow - HA!


Notice how much he embraced the role?!?!? Love this man!!! He painted his hair pink and wore amazing stripped knee socks!! GO UNCLE MATT!!!


Finally, this was breakfast! After traveling I have got to stay on track with my eating healthy!!! Today was a good start except ....

After I took the picture above I left for work. I set the mug pictured above on the top of my car, loaded all of my things into the car and then drove off. The mug rolled off my roof and smashed onto the pavement in a million pieces! Also, covered my car in coffee and peptides!!! HA HA! So, I hit a drivethru car wash on my way to work....Not the greatest start to the day so UGH.

Finally, it is my beautiful niece Jessica's birthday today!!! If you see her, tell her happy birthday! I love you sooo many bunches beautiful girl! This is her below in the middle of me and her Mom!!!
 


Happy week everyone!!!

HUGS to you all!

Did Pioneers Have Starbucks?

Everything has been work, work, and more work here at Whippany so my check in will be very short today.

This is a picture my sister-in-law sent me of my niece dressed for Pioneer Day at school!! 

Isn’t she soooo adorable?!?!! Look at those Melissa Gilbert braids (Little House on the Prairie reference)!!!

And this was my diner last night! YUMMY!!! The restaurant in my hotel just happens to be Ruth's Chris Steak House. This sea bass was so delicious!!! I also had the ahi tuna appetizer but ate it before I snapped a picture! HA!



I have started feeling a little sniffly (sniffing and coughing) so I grabbed a Citrus Defender from Starbuck's on my way into work this morning! It is two kinds of tea, little honey, and a little lemon.  These things taste awesome and will hopefully chase away any cold on it's way into my life!!

 
I hope everyone is having the weather turn around that we are here today....finally we are getting sunshine! Not hot - but at least sunshine. I am bound and determined to drive with the top down after work...I will get pictures!!! HA!

Happy Thursday ya'll!!!

HUGS!