Heart Breaker

Our lives have been filled with basketball this winter. With Cole and Trent both playing on rec league basketball teams, they each have a practice and a game every week. In addition, we have gone to seven or eight Flyers games and watched most every other Flyers game on tv. Not to mention, trying to follow the NUMBER ONE ranked Buckeyes basketball team as best we can. Even with all that basketball, we were still looking forward to the UD vs. Xavier game on Sunday. It was my boys' first UD/Xavier game, and I was excited for them to experience it.

The first half was not pretty. UD couldn't make their shots. Their rebounding was almost as bad. At halftime, UD was losing by 12. The arena was quiet. It looked like the experience we were hoping for wasn't meant to be.

A couple of minutes into the second half, UD finally came alive. The momentum built, and the game grew close. The crowd was on its feet and making lots of noise-my boys and I included. UD tied it up with less than two minutes to go. It was exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. This is what we came to see! Unfortunately, UD just didn't have enough in them at the end. They lost 62 to 66. But, what a second half! We left feeling frustrated and disappointed but still happy . UD lost, but they fought to the end. You can't really ask for more than that.

I have enjoyed yet another season of UD basketball with my boys. I don't know if or where they will each go to college, but I think they will always love the Flyers. Go UD!

Pretty in Pink

She hasn't caught Flyer Fever (yet)

Steve is redoing our kitchen floor this weekend, and Cole is helping him. We had tickets to another UD game Saturday afternoon. UD hasn't done as well as expected this year. Last Saturday, we watched them lose to Temple by 12 points. We feared that they would struggle again playing Duquesne (another A-10 leader that beat the Flyers in January by more than 20 points). Cole debated about whether to go to the game and finally decided to pass. That meant, we had an extra ticket. When asked if she wanted to go, Riley quickly said "No." I knew it would be easier for Steve if Riley went along. She was convinced by the promise of eating M&Ms and hearing that she would be able to ride a bus from the parking lot to the arena.

It turned out to be an unbelievable game. It was close the entire time. With a couple minutes left, UD was down by 6, and it looked like Duquesne was going to pull out of reach. But, UD did not give up. The arena was rocking. It was the kind of game you hope to experience. What a blast! UD won 64-63 in a dramatic finish. Cole was really bummed that he missed it. Riley's take, "That was SOOOOOOO boring. I am definitely staying home with Dad next time."

Happy Hearts

I bought the UD/Xavier tickets months ago without saying a word. I thought they would make a great Valentines gift for the boys. Unfortunately, UD hasn't been playing well lately, and there isn't much hope for their season left. So, the surprise wasn't quite as sweet as I expected. But, there is still no other basketball game we would rather go to than the UD/Xavier game. The boys were excited that they will experience it for the first time. I have my fingers crossed that the Flyers can pull off an upset. I know then it will be a Valentines gift that my boys will not forget.

Not being a UD fan yet (or any sport for that matter), Riley's Valentine Day gift was a set for her doll house.

Ice, Ice Baby

We have been snowed, or rather iced in for the last two days. On Monday night (January 31st), the storm began. Conditions got even worse on Tuesday. Tuesday night, the wind grew strong. Ice chunks fell from the trees, and tree branches that were covered with ice began to break. It was a noisy night and difficult to sleep. Many in our area have been without power due to the ice taking down power lines. Fortunately, our power just flickered a few times Tuesday evening but stayed on. School has been cancelled the last two days. Although my work was just delayed both days, I chose not to go in. I will drive in snow. Ice is a whole other story. Today, we got an inch or so of snow on top of the ice. The fresh fallen snow looked beautiful around sunset. I took Riley outside to capture a few pictures. The weather is improving. I will be back to work tomorrow. The kids just found out that they have yet another day off school. Although I am not a big fan of winter storms, it was nice to have a couple of snow days.