IT NEVER FAILS

If you are NOT a football fan skip this post. I love it and miss very few games.  Direct TV’s Sunday Ticket gives me the opportunity to watch all the games.  But what gets me is the Star Spangled Banner.  The singing of the National Anthem gets me every time. The Chicago Bears  do an outstanding job of celebrating America at every game…but I love Martina McBride. Can you imagine singing it with a wind chill of 5 degrees.  She just sang it for the Jets-Steelers Game. And who would have known it was freezing? I don’t have a favorite for this game, really didn’t with either game today.  My teams are out.  But I know the players. I know all four coaches…well not personally, but I know a lot about them because I read.  I may be the only person ever that watches the players as the national anthem is sung.  I know weird.  I always have.  I love to catch one singing, really singing.    You see everything. Tonight, I saw Big Ben singing (he has had some days in the last year where he had nothing to sing about). I hope his is a story of redemption.
I saw Jason Taylor, I saw the young Mark Sanchez.  I saw a group holding  hands, no doubt praying. This is a Big Game.   You can tell the ones that really feel the song and seem to understand that honoring America is much bigger than a football game.  I love pretty much everything about the game and thinking we are down to the last two for this season makes me sad if not depressed.  If its not your thing, you do not get that.  In the big scheme of life there are so many things more important.  It’s just my DRUG of CHOICE.  Ha
I love to know the players stories.  I love the smack, I love the challenges.  The one thing I cannot stand is showboats and dances in the end zones. Hate it.  I like a player with class.  One that acts like he has been there before and plans on returning.   I even tried to like Aaron Rogers today. He seems like a nice young man.   That will be an inside joke to people that have read my blog a long time.  After tonight's game I will spend the next two weeks reading the stories of all the players on both teams.  I love knowing how they reached their dream. Enough football…and probably my last football post for the year. 
Not breaking news, but I have had the flu. (I am just guessing since I had every symptom but had some Tamiflu on hand and did not go to the doctor)  Guess I was due, low resistance, lots of stress, etc.
I know most of you have kept up with Joanne’s progress.  If not, catch up on her blog, The Simple Wife.  The updates are nothing short of miraculous. And if you have missed her sisters updates, a new blog for you to read is Kristen's. What a gifted writer and what a special sister. 
The winner of the GIVEAWAY is Sally at
Life is A Beautiful Gift.  A surprise package will be on its way to her.  
I just finished the best book…..UnSHAKEN, about a man working for Compassion International that was trapped for days in the Haiti earthquake.  I could not put it down.   I would love to GIVE my copy away.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post.  that’s it….if you have a great remedy for the January blues, leave it for me or if you are on a new eating plan and its working, leave that too. I will draw at the end of the week (or Parker will)
Remeber the Elmers Glue Jack poured all over his carpeT at my house.  His Mom just told me he poured over a half a bottle of Baby oil in his room at home Today.  Woody can make a mess. 

CALL ME CRAZY....FOOTBALL CRAZY

****GUESS I BETTER PUT A DISCLAIMER HERE...IF YOU DO NOT LIKE FOOTBALL ...it would be better if you skipped this post...If you do not like BRETT FAVRE, you for sure should skip to the last post or head to another blog...

I had plans to finish blogging about our

Parker Get Away this past week and I will....probably on Sunday. We are home, had a blast, worn out, playing catch up from being gone for 5 days.....unloading all the NEW CHRISTMAS stuff I got at market, and on and on....Tonight we took a night off and had dinner and a card night with Micah and Amanda.

But here is the CRAZY...and if you are not a football lover you will not get it. This has been a stressful week in MY football world...I woke up in the hotel to a ESPN tweet Tuesday morning...saying my favorite player was DONE! Could not decide if I should go to market or stay by the TV...as if me staying would make it NOT SO....I will admit it was pretty much all I thought about all day. My kids called to see if MOM was OK. Turns out nothing that was BIG NEWS that day was really any news at all..

So I am still believing that when the Saints and Vikings line up on the first Thursday night in September, #4 will be behind center. Enough BRETT...

This is a weekend I look forward to all year....The induction of great athletes into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. I may be the only women on earth that watches the shows leading up to all the speeches and then the post shows...I will agree its a little weird. I love it. I love their stories...This year

Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice are both being inducted. I was never a HUGE COWBOY fan, but have always been a big EMMITT fan....I had taped a show today on ESPN that was Emmitt's road to Canton...and just finished watching it...He went back to his old high school in Florida and really relived his life from the projects to Canton, Ohio. Bawled my eyes out...so glad that I am the only one still awake...its 2AM! I love a story of overcoming the odds.

I loved Emmitt scoring touchdowns, I loved Emmitt on Dancing With the Stars, and after watching this show tonight, I love him EVEN MORE. So tomorrow will find me glued to the TV watching some great football players being honored.

This is actually NO SALES TAX, back to school weekend in our town, so I am thinking about buying me a new laptop in the morning..I feel like I am on a SEARCH for the perfect notebook.

I also have a DATE with a little man named JACK, AKA WOODY, tomorrow night, while his Mom and Dad have a date. Parker is out of town and my man is going on a short trip. So it will be me, Jack, Woody and Buzz tomorrow night. I bought him a WOODY outfit while we were in DALLAS...and he loves it...plus he has his first real WOODY.

It is the sweetest thing to hear him carrying on a conversation between Woody and Buzz....He has QUITE the IMAGINATION!

If you were a BOOK WINNER,we shipped today. The Post Office LOVES ME....AND JUST BECAUSE I BOUGHT ONE MORE COPY....MONDAY NIGHT PARKER WILL DRAW FOR ONE MORE COPY OF "IN A HEARTBEAT"! And along with that will come a little piece of jewelry that I picked up at market..All you need to do is leave a comment..THAT'S ALL! If you missed the first part of our trip be sure and read this post.

MORE THAN A GAME

Laptop on my lap, have watched 8 hours of all the pregame shows and interviews (and my team is not playing) and still chill bumps when it all begins. First off, we would normally be at our annual friends Super Bowl Party, but yesterday I was taking Bella (our year old cocker spaniel) out on her leash and somehow she decided to run before I opened the back door and pulled me down on the brick. Ouch! No one saw it and I got right up, skinned knees but OK, or so I thought...I called Amanda and told her Bella had drug me out the back door only to land in a not so cute position, but at least no one saw me. Amanda had been cooped up a few days with a sick baby, so Micah stayed home with the boys and she and I went to eat and do a little shopping as she is redoing her living room. Wrong on the hurt part, as today as I can hardly move. That would be old age and every muscle in my body feels like it is sprained. So lots of biofreeze and the couch have been my friend today. Back to the beginning of the game....For as many years as I have watched football and I have watched a lot of games, I am always moved by the national anthem. I love the song. I feel the tears forming as they begin to scan the crowd. Today I loved Carrie Underwood singing it. I liked Queen Latifah singing America, even though she had sound trouble from the beginning. That has to be a nightmare for a singer. I watch every face of every player, every coach, think of their stories and how they made it to the BIG GAME. I wonder what they are thinking. I think of the men and women that are serving our country to keep us free. AND I always have a lump in my throat. The game begins. If my team was playing, I would be pacing, and that would be hard tonight...but since its 2 other teams, I am just watching.

I will go through all the comments and have a winner sometime tomorrow. I have a sick little one to keep so it may be later tomorrow.
Football is OVER for another year and that ALWAYS makes me SAD. Only football lovers understand that. It is the 2 minute warning and unless there is a MIRACLE, the SAINTS WILL GO MARCHING IN. Congratulations to all the Saint fans. (my hope is the old man will play one more year, but that may be wishful thinking)

I MAY NEED INTERVENTION ...ONLY KIDDING

I have not fallen off the earth, though I feel like it, as I have been a few days, as in 4 days with no internet. My family is totally convinced that I have an addiction and have suggested intervention. We have only had one vehicle so I have had no way to get to an internet connection while they have been on the slopes.

I am typing this from a little coffee shop in Frisco's Safeway (really I AM PEOPLE WATCHING) This is the oldest and SLOWEST COMPUTER I have. Long story why I brought it but it is wearing me out.

My son-in-law just dropped me off and said, "Stay until you get your fix"!

What a great guy.

We started the trip with a BANG. My husband and Micah (my son-in-law) both had altitude sickness almost from the time we landed in Vail. Amanda and I both had headaches and felt pretty crummy the first 24 hours, but they ended up spending 6 hours in the ER and coming home with oxygen. Their oxygen levels were REALLY low. I have heard more stories of people that have come here for years that on recent trips have experienced the same thing. Weird. It has never affected us before. The doctor said there is no rhythm or reason, no respecter of age, or any real defining reason for when and why it happens. BUT IT HAPPENED TO US ON THIS TRIP...and it was not FUN.

Moving on to Sunday, lots of snow and lots of sadness. The Vikings-Saints game was enough to put me in the hospital. It didn't, but seeing Brett take such a beating was heart breaking to me. I understand in the grand scheme of life, its just a game, but I so wanted him to go to the Super Bowl. But he did SET ONE MORE record in my book...TOUGHEST COMPETITOR on the earth. I am hoping for one more year, but if that does not happen, I will always remember this AS ONE OF HIS BEST!

I love the Manning boys so I hope Peyton gets a win.

Many stories and lots of pictures when I get home Friday. For some reason this computer will not even read my camera card. The kids snowboarded today and are beat. Parker loved snowboarding and had a day of private lessons. I think he will sleep good tonight. Jack and I stayed at the house with baby Jack, who will be 2 in less than a week. Wow has that been fast. He has been a little angel on this trip. It has snowed some everyday and the scenery is beyond beautiful. We are staying in a fabulous house that belongs to good friends.

Since I cannot get my computer to read my pictures..will leave you with a picture of Grayson that Greg emailed me this week. This was Grayson's first time to sit in a BIG BOY chair last SUNDAY when they were eating out.

I am looking forward to catching up with all my blog friends, as in a FULL day of doing NOTHING but that. I am hoping that will be Saturday..Better get back to the condo to play some more cards and eat another good meal. Amanda and Micah have been our personal chefs this week and they are awesome. Last night we did go to Vail Village to eat. That is a post in its self. AS IN THE GPS MALFUNCTIONED. Enough said!

HEADING FOR SNOW and HOPING FOR ANOTHER WIN

This may be my only post for a few days. I am getting ready to board Bella with the Zoo Keeper, making notes for the house sitter, packing, repacking, weighing the luggage, weighing it again, (knowing that I have over packed but cannot help myself), last minute errands, nails, hair, and on and on.

No matter how early I start getting my do to list done for a trip, IT ALWAYS GROWS. I am SO looking forward to a week of family, fun, snow and some football. I am feeling sad that Dana,Greg and their boys will not be making this trip with us. Hopefully we can all go on a fall trip when Grayson is a little older. They used all their vacation when he was in the NICU this past summer.


This is a HUGE football weekend. I don't have to tell you that last Sunday was "OH HAPPY DAY" at our house. A couple of people in my family are a little conflicted since the Vikings are playing the Saints. That would NOT BE ME! No conflict here. I want the 40 year 103 day old QB to WIN and head to Miami. I loved it that the ticker kept running his age down to the days, on Sunday. BRETT FAVRE, 40 years and 100 days. I still find that funny. So Sunday will find us watching the games, eating great food and loving our time in Colorado. Snow is predicted for Sunday, so that will just add to the excitement for the day.

Brett has given us so many FOOTBALL THRILLS over the past 18 years! I don't know another player that plays with as much excitement and love for the game. He is JUST GOOD FOR THE GAME. If you are not a football fan, just indulge me.
We are a FOOTBALL FAMILY!
I did get a new camera so hope I have better pictures. If NOT, the camera will go back. I need to get it all set up tomorrow on the plane and read the instructions. Nothing like last minute.
Just in case you are feeling deprived of pictures of Jack. Both boys spent the night last night, but Parker was asleep when I thought to make some pictures. Below is Jack pondering his up coming vacation and whether he plans to be nice on the plane. We have a portable DVD player, new DVD's and prayer. This is his last week to FLY FREE. I assigned him to his Dad's seat, but have a feeling we will all get a turn.
HE CAN BE SO SERIOUS
HE STEALS MY HEART EVERY TIME!

LETS HAVE A CONTEST..YOU PICK THE WINNER

****Contest open through Friday night. This has been so much fun that I am taking comments through Friday. Also, am posting an update on Maggie on my other blog!

LETS HAVE A CONTEST! LET'S HAVE A BIG WINNER.




If you have read my blog for long, you know I am a BIG FOOTBALL FAN, maybe close to an addiction. I love the game...always have, married a football coach and we lived happily ever after!

SO let's have a contest. If you are NOT a fan, then ask your husband, your son, your neighbor or your dog for a TEAM. All you have to do in the comment section is list the team that you think will win the SUPER BOWL!
If you do not read this until after Sunday night, you will have a little advantage as you will know who was knocked out this weekend...The comments will be closed on Friday night the 15th, BUT if you
MAKE YOUR GUESS TODAY, SATURDAY, your name will go in the drawing 5 extra times, if your team wins.
AFTER SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, everyone that chose the winner will go into a drawing for a $100.00 box of goodies...A GOOD PRIZE. If you made your guess TODAY then your name will be in the drawing five extra times if your team WON...But if you don't read this until Sunday or Monday, enter anyway...If your team wins, you are in the drawing too.
LET THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN!