Gifts galore

Along with having the most relaxing and fun Christmas holiday surrounded by family - I scored in the gift department! HA HA - just kidding-kinda!

I love my family and nothing will ever be better than ALL of us (and I mean all sixteen of us-plus one in the oven due in March) staying under the roof for the holidays!! That included my brothers family and both sisters families and our parents!! It was such a great and amazing time - the food was awesome and the laughs were ever better!!! Sled riding/angel making/ice skating on the frozen lake (or falling) was fabulous!!!
I must be truly and deeply loved as I got the most amazing gifts this year and feel the need to document...here are JUST SOME of the top contenders...


This is my sandbox (soooo much fun at work) from my olders sisters kids...they know me soo well!! I wanted to get this at the beach last year and was too cheep to buy it so they suprised me with it at Christmas!!!

These are my new boots - Naughty Monkey - from Mom and Dad - LOVE THESE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!

New Asics running shoes from Mom and Dad also!! Love these - total suprise and LIGHT as a feather!!! I tried them at the gym yesterday for the first time and if you look really closely you can see the blood on the heal...breaking them in...just a little pain....:-)

Little blurry picture but this is AWESOME! It has a long block with all my little sisters kids names on it and then the circle charm says we heart you and then little charms with all their birth stones - soo precious...I will wear this DAILY!!!! Absolutely amazing gift from my sister!!!!


Another fav was this necklace and earings set from Waliacha..so pretty and lifetime warrenty from Zales for all the pronges, etc.!! YEAH! It looks like blue in the picture but they are my birth stones emeralds - soooo pretty and look antique!!



This is another favorite! This is my ceramic Starbucks mug from my precious precious friend Mariela!! Love her bunches and this mug is awesome-proceeds go to fight AIDS and raise awareness-awesome!!!! She also got me a Costco membership for 2011 - LOVE THIS GIRL!!!!!!!
Truly that is just a few of the amazing things I got - I got numerous gift cards and candles - I am sooooo surrounded by family and friends and love that I am going into 2011 realizing that I am soooooooooooooooooooo blessed with amazing people it is hard to imagine my life without any one of them!!!!!!!

Also, Merry Christmas to me!!! I got myself a new mattress and boxspring! AMAZING - mine was about 20 years old and GROSS!!! The new one is amazing and soft and high!!!!!!!! I now need to start looking into a new headboard as the old one is covered over by the mattress...LOL!!! SOOO COMFY THOUGH!!!

Thanks all - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!! No resolutions - LOL!!!

First night at Pittsburgh, PA for New Years Eve 2010.

I hung out with favorite friends and had an amazing start to 2011!!!

Me and Waliacha

Waliacha and his "hat" - LOL!!

Fitz and Waliacha at the coffee shop with the BIG SPOON keys...


again Fitz and Waliacha acting up!

Waliacha and Fitz in Pgh

The crew (minus me)...Fitz, Suzie, Waliacha and Sandy

FMM

I am playing with Kenz at Friend Makin' Monday.


FMM: Three Things


Three of your favorite movies:
The Outsiders
Satisfied
Joe Dirt


Three of your favorite things to drink:
COFFEE !!!!!
Water
Hot Green Tea


Three of your favorite songs:
anything by Kidrock
Never Been to Me - Charlene
anything by Eric Clapton


Three people who have been a positive influence on your life (outside of your family):
Kenz with her many challenges and accomplishments! For Real!!
My current boss at work
My dancing teacher from years ago - Ruby

Three things you to do keep yourself entertained:
Blogging
Reading
Exercise


Three things you're attracted to in the opposite sex:
Mean (tough) looking...LOL
Funny is a must
Old School Respect - opening doors, etc.


Three things you love about yourself:
My personality (try to think of others first)
My hair
I tan easily


The last 3 people you text messaged: (I dont text so I will sub the word call)
My mommy
friend Mariella
friend Walt

Three things you're looking forward to this week:
Seeing my family..especially ALL my nieces and nephews
Waking up at Mom and Dad's Christmas morning (many nieces and nephews still believe in Santa and that is what makes Christmas amazing)

Laughing until my belly hurts with my family!

Now it's your turn to share your answers!

JOIN IN THE FUN!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Blogger Friends!

Here's wishing all my fellow bloggers a safe and happy holiday season filled with love and laughter!!
You all have come to fill a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to read how each of our 2011 plays out!!
Luck and Love,
XOXO, Ann

Polar Express

I got to take my niece on the Polar Express in Dennison, Ohio.

What an amazing experience this was!!!

If you ever get a chance to do it - I say go!!!

Here are the pics - it was supposed to be me and my niece however my nephew was sooo excited about the trains that he could not stand it ... soooo we had to take him too!!! FUN FUN FUN! They were both soooooo good and sooo into the whole thing!

This is Kyleigh and Memew waiting for the train

And Susie and Ryan...waiting patiently (it was soo cold and snowy)...


And Me and the kids before we boarded the train!

And another farther away and a bit blurry...

Our little elf "cutie pie" and the kids...


Hugging her brother?!?!?!??!?! I do not see her pinching anything on him!!! :-)
The conductor punching the kids tickets...
Holding up their tickets and cookies....
Kyleighs book for Santa to sign...
Santa getting the kids lists and asking if they behaved this year - you know Aunt Annie said they were angels!!!!!!!!
and another...
Me and my loves...
my darling cat Kidrock...chillin' next to the christmas tree....I was cracking up when I saw him.....LOVE this little man!!!!

Sorry I have been such a cucky blogger.....I will pick up the action in 2011....promise!!!
Will be posting more holiday fun soon!!!!!!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Misc Catch-up

I went to visit an amazing friend at his resting place on the anniversary of his death, Nov 10th and saw these turkeys hanging out...cool hugh?

This is his families bench near his gravesite...loved this guy sooooooooo much and miss him everyday!!!!!!!!!
This is my sweet Lucky at the vets office on Oct 12th the day she went to kitty heaven...I loved her sooo much and also miss her everyday!!!!!!!

This is a racoon I saw when I was walking on the walking path the other day...I think he was sick as he was just curled up and did not even try to move or run :-(

And, after all the sad memories posted above...this is a picture of most of my nieces and nephews (missing one nephew and one niece-sorry Matt and Madelyn) piled into the coco bus headed somewhere....really cant remember where I just love this photo and it makes me smile!!!!!

Who makes you smile?!?!??!?!?

Enbrel, my friend

Not sure who has been following me for ahwile but in a previous post I metioned that I suffer from Psoriasis...it stinks - to say the last.

Well, it has just kept getting worse and worse so my dermatologist finally switched me to a shot that I have to give myself twice a week now. I wasn't so sure that I could do a shot on myself but I have acheived personal injectability very well, thank you! LOL

I have also found that my belly fat comes in handy after all - if I try to shoot it into my arm or legs it hurts because there is not enough fat there...however, if I shoot it into my belly, I do not feel a thing!!!! So, belly fat it is!!!!!

It is amazing so far!!!
It is supposed to take three months to REALLY kick in and it is already working after 1 month and I am looking less and less like a lepper each day...yeah!!!!!!!! Also, it will help me from progressing into the psoriatic arthritis also...double yeah!!!!!

Just saying....THANKS ENBREL!!!!!

PS - this picture gives you the idea but it is not my belly...mine is wayyyyyy chubbier!!! :-)