Game two.
Game two kind of looks just like game one. Which consists of a bunch of third graders waving their hands wildly in the air saying "please, pass it here...pass it to me, please".


And, if your lucky enough to get the ball passed to you....their just not quite sure what to do with it then.

But...oh so comical to watch!

A thought.

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

Baby its cold outside.

A new pink winter coat to go with subzero degree weather.

Keep warm!

Go Steelers {Lizzie's backward edition}.

We are going to the superbowl! Go STEELERS!

Laying low.

I said we were keeping it lazy this weekend and Sid has no problem with that.

Off to watch the Steeler game. Here we go Steelers!

Blur.

When I opened this up on the computer screen Lizzie says "Wow, Mom that's a bad picture." "It's not a bad picture", I tell her. "I made it look that way." And, for today, its my new favorite. Maybe because it reminds me so much of my life, which is always such a blur.

When you rest in quietness and your image of yourself fades, and your image of the world fades, and your ideas of others fade, what's left? A brightness, a radiant emptiness that is simply what you are.

Trying to letting go of perfect.

Ragamuffin and frosty messages.
My ragamuffin leaving frosty messages on the laundry room window.

Totally heart this.

And, totally love her.

TGIF.

Lazy weekend, I welcome you.

We plan on doing a whole lot of nothing around here. Laying low is a good thing especially when the high is 9 degrees. Keep warm my friends.

1 minute 30 seconds.
My nephew. Cute, eh?

A whole whooping 43 pounds of him. I mean just look...who would think such a cutie could be so fierce. Poor skinny little thing.
Take a look again....all sweet and innocent. Out there jump roping, warming up for his big wrestling match. I watching with a nervous stomach not really wanting to see this little one get all smushed up on a big mat.


I was hoping and preparing to get some really awesome pictures. You know some really good candids of this li'l guy wrestling and sweating all over that mat. Watching the skinny little 43 pound kid get his face all smashed against the mat putting up a fight to the very end. Uh, not so much. I blinked and before I even had a chance to get the camera up to my eye....PINNED. Pinned his opponent in less than 30 seconds flat!!!! My sister yelling "Go Georgie get'em"! "Yes" she says, "It's over he won." "What?" I say and give her a confused dumbfounded look...like what just happened? "He's finished? It's over?" I ask. "Yup" she says. "He's done he won." But it only lasted 30 seconds.

"Okay" I think to myself. I will get some really good ones of my other nephew when he comes out and wrestles. So I wait for another 9 wrestlers wrestle before him.

Look, here he comes...out to meet his opponent.

So, I do get some of his face.

And then, I made the mistake again and blinked. PINNED. Pinned his opponent in less than a minute. WOW! Can I just say I am impressed.

Lesson learned: Never, ever underestimate the skinny li'l guys. And, don't blink during the match. You boys are some tough cookies!!! And I am one proud auntie! Congrats to you both. You are AWESOME.

First game.

Since the first week in December, we have been going to practice twice a week to get ready for this big day. His first ever basketball game. Yup, that's him wearing #12. My boy. The same number he had for football. The same number he wanted for basketball.

He loves playing basketball. He loves learning all the rules and the positions. He talks about it all the time.

And, that is the fastest I have seen him move in a long time.


Even though game time only lasted a whole 5 minutes, he was proud. I was proud. Daddy was proud. Way to go Coy!

Winter finds.
I went out for a walk today on a search for some winter grass and berries. I definetely found what I was looking for.

You can't tell by the pic, but it was sooooo cold. Like 20 degrees cold and the wind howling. I tell you, the things we photographers will put ourselves through just for the shot. My fingers were numb and it's taken me hours to recover, but of course it was worth it.

Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.” ~ Vincent va Gogh.

I love winter shots, especially icicles (But, I do love summer even more!) Hope you all are enjoying this lazy Sunday afternoon watching some good football games! How about those STEELERS!??

Speaking of lazy......he's such a turd bird!

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.....

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana!?

Joke provided by Coy Plowman - who told me this a while back and I have always remembered it.

Just another ordinary day.

"It was a day filled with the glow of ordinary things." ~ Story People

Two for Tuesday.

Who would of thought frozen water could be so beautiful?

We are expecting 6 more inches of the white stuff tonight. The kids are hoping and praying for a two hour delay, or even better, a cancellation. I'm hoping I just can make it to work.

Sigh.....to be a kid again.

Wordless Wednesday.

NHL Winter Classic.
So Santa delivered what my husband really wanted for Christmas. A pair tickets to the NHL Winter Classic Hockey game Penguins vs. Capitals.


But, it so happens rainy weather conditions were not ideal for an outdoor hockey game and the game was pushed back from 1 pm New Years Day to 8 pm. It did quit raining around 3 pm while tailgaiting. We sat in the truck and watched all the "crazies" I say "crazies" because if you never have been to a tailgaitng sports event then you would not fully understand until you actually experience for youself. It is quite a site. You see all kinds of "crazy fans".

This is what we saw while looking outside the truck window shortly after it quit raining and all the tailgaiting began.


In front of Heinz Field. It was all decked out for Penguins and Capitals.



And, a beautiful Christmas tree right out front of the gates.


The city skies were just as gorgeous on a cold winter's day. Taken right out front of Heinz Field as well.

Of course, we hit the souviner stands right away. Who would not want a framed autographed Sidney Crosby hockey jersey?? My husband thought this would be so cool in our new pool room. I totally agreed.

Until we both saw the price tag, of course. $1,595.00 I am thinking maybe this can be next year's Christmas gift??? Cuz, I really have to start saving my pennies now. LOL!!!!

How about this cool set up? I actually had the kids believe that their Daddy was really suited up and was going to play in the Winter Classic hockey game!! This cracks me up everytime I look at it!

A sea of fans. It was very neat to see the fans everywhere. I took this while going up the escalators to get to our seats in peanut heaven!!


There were 4000 seats that had special seat covers on them. And, we happened to score a few extra of them on our way out.

The rink itself was an amazing site to see. It is just amazing how they can transform a football field into a hockey rink.

Face off. And, the game begins. I am using my zoom lens for all of these considering were about 25 rows from the top. Good seats, but a little too far to get great pics.

Can't watch a hockey game without seeing a fight.

And, Pittsburgh's goalie - Fleury. One kid had a sign that said "All this rain makes Fleur power"!

I do have many more, but my night was kind of dampened after a whole glass of beer was spilled on me by one of the "crazies" after the Penguins made a second goal (which was then taken back), totally drenching me, my bag full of souviners and my camera lens. Not to mention it started to pour down rain in the third period and, oh yeah - the Penguins lost. Still a good time and we had fun.