AnnaMaria

The Rules:*You must post the rules before you give your answers.*You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name.*Each fact must begin with that letter.*If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name.*After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers.*At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.(Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details)

A: Always behind on scrapbooking. I can never seem to catch up!
N: Now I'm missing my "family" in Connecticut
N: NYC is one of my favorite places to be!
A: Am 25 years old
M: MT graduate (Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences, Education Concentration, minor in Mathematics)
A: Almost always try to find the best in every situation
R: Really love spending quality time on the beach at our camp!
I: In the middle. 2 siblings older than me, 7 younger
A: Ancient history is very intriguing to me!

Now for the tagging part. I don't "know" 9 other bloggers, so I'm going to be dumb and skip that part. I've been trying to recuit some people to blogging, but it's not going so well.

I'm boring!

I just realized I haven't updated this in a WEEK! way too long, but not that much has happened. Except that one amazing football game last Sunday! Way to go Giants! I was soooo pumped for them.
Wow, I just wrote a long paragraph and it's gone. It wasn't that cool, so I won't retype it... but that makes me a little crabby.

We went snowshoeing on the lakeshore the other day and it was amazing!! We got to walk on some places you can't get to in the summer, so that was really cool! It was a totally new perspective. We went shooting, too. Later that day my brother told his girlfriend "Karen went shooting today with some boys..." but it was actually with Liz and Sally. He was impressed. Just figured it was guys because he must not know any girls with guns. Yeah, I have cool friends!!!

Hockey games tonight -- yea! I haven't seen them play in about three months. WAY too long!

Just some thoughts

Just some random thoughts as I'm sitting here on this beautiful Friday afternoon:

• One of my friends called me today to see if I want to go sailing with her in the Florida Keys for a week. Yes, seriously! A friend of hers invited her, and said to bring a friend. So she called and really really tempted me to go with her. SAILING for a WEEK! As you can tell, I just got back from vacation, so I had to tell her no. If it had been during the local schools' spring break, I don't know if I would have been able to say no. But if I went, then I'd only work for two weeks in March. And seeing as I just went on two pretty big trips, I can't take half of a month off in March. (You can probably tell -- I'm still trying to convince myself that I can't go.)
• This is something I mention often, but I can't help it. I had a delicious peppermint mocha today!! Something little like that can totally make my day! I can admit it. I'm addicted.
• LN is gone this weekend. She has a sister's weekend away. The last time she and I were both up here for the weekend was December 15th. Yeah. Luckily we've been hanging out a lot during the weeks in between... next weekend (Feb. 8-9-10), I can tell, it's going to be big!
• My sister is looking more and more pregnant!! :) She's so cute! I can't wait for their little one to arrive in May!
• BEN Arthur is such a cutie! I got to hold him for over an hour on Monday. Wow, I could've gone on holding him all day! He slept most of the time, so I didn't get to see who he resembles. As my dad says "then he must look like himself!" Liz brought Addy to the hockey game with her yesterday, and we had so much fun hanging out! She kept telling me "Karen, I love hockey players!" I told her that I agree. Two years old, and she already has good taste! Haha!! Wait until Kelly hears about that one!
• Rabbit day today ---- I remembered to say it!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

A few more!!!

Here are a few more photos from the vacation :) ENJOY!


The BIG screen on the Lido Deck. We watched the Patriots beat the Chargers, then part of the Giants vs. Packers game. Then throughout the rest of the cruise, we saw some music videos and movies.
Four sisters on the first formal night :) All dressed up!

Cruz Bay, St. John from our taxi
:) I brought our duck. He's making the rounds all over the place! So far he's been to a few places in Michigan, Wisconsin, New York City, Puerto Vallarta Mexico, and with me in the Caribbean. His next stops are France and Switzerland!

Scenic views from our vacation :)

This is the Carnival Victory in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our first stop!


Here's Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). Stop #2

Trunk Bay, St. John!!! One of my favorite beaches I've ever been to! We took the ferry to St. John when we were in St. Thomas.

My sis at Trunk Bay

Great Bay Beach, Phillipsburg, St. Maarten from under the umbrella :) after about 6 hours in the sun, we needed some relief, but we weren't ready to leave the beach!

blizzard!

Life just continues to be busy!!
I had a superb birthday the other day! It was probably my best ever, because of the togetherness -- first with my family (everyone who lives around here came over for dinner and cake & ice cream), then with my friends (I got to visit Kelly, Scott, Addy, and BEN -- what a cutie!!!!, then Liz and Leanne came over for cake and ice cream, then Monday night girls at Heidi and Diane's) and I only had to work half a day, too. What a great day!!! It's so fun to get lots of birthday messages, too :) thanks!

We're experiencing a true blizzard -- have been for the past 24 hours or so. As long as you don't have anywhere to be, it's pretty nice. We're all just cozy-ing up inside, taking saunas, eating bakery.

Home again. Whew!

We're back!
In the past nine days, we have

• been delayed in one airport for five hours
• stayed the night in another airport (Atlanta). it's not easy sleeping in airports. I don't care what anyone else says.
• boarded the CARNIVAL VICTORY for a week of fun!
• enjoyed six 80 - 90 degree days!
• spent an evening in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• had Starbucks a few times :) :)
• spent a few hours at one of the top two most beautiful beaches -- Trunk Bay, St. John, USVI
• Snorkeled around an island and saw some sweet fish and coral
• shopped in St. Thomas
• worn short-shorts, mini-skirts, bathing suits, sundresses, tank tops, dresses :) :)
• gotten some sun! (and no one burned!!)
• spent a teriffic day at Great Bay Beach, Phillipsburg, St. Maarten (DUTCH side!!)
• swam in some sweet Caribbean waves
• shopped in St. Maarten
• been completely relaxed
• and exhausted (the trip there and the trip home)
• eaten 5-course meals for dinner six nights
• had lots and lots of dessert!! (warm chocolate melting cake, anyone?!!!)
• played mini-golf and enjoyed a water slide
• not gotten too seasick!!!

That's all for now. I have to unpack and try to get some sort of order going on with my stuff.

CONGRATULATIONS KELLY, SCOTT, AND BIG SISTER ADDY!! BEN ARTHUR was born on Wednesday, January 23rd, and I cannot wait to meet him!

85 degree difference!

I hear it's supposed to be about zero degrees around these parts for the next week or so... and it looks like it's going to be about eight-five where we're going. I'm loving that differential! It's going to feel downright tropical! I helped my sister pack this morning, now we just have to make sure it's all going to fit in the car. We might have to become engineers in this process. We have a little bit of a drive tomorrow morning, then we're going to do some last minute shopping (I need a new suit!), then we take off to Miami, FL in the evening. It's going to be a long day, but so totally worth it.

Have a good week (or so)!
We're offfff! see y'all later!