Skating to triple OT victory with crafty cheesecake

It's usually on about Day 3 when you're all sick of each other, right? I'm happy to report our fam blasted through the Day 3 "Family Starts to Stink Like Fish Day" in good fashion. At least from my prospective - you might need to check with the kids...they seemed to be doing fine though. It's nice that they all (including Kara), feel at home enough to get their own drinks/cereal etc.

We woke up Saturday to great weather - that helped. I had warned them for the past couple days that we were ice skating on Saturday. So they were mentally prepped. We got to Brenton Skating Plaza on Grand in the East Village in DSM not long after the place opened at 10 a.m. The staff there hooked us up with skates and tickets to get right on the ice. Paul noticed that he and Jud got hockey skates - no teeth on the blades just under the toes. He didn't like that. Guess he wanted to do some pirouettes!


Beautiful winter day

J & K actually had some skate moves

Love the Traveler's sign in the background

I was a bit (okay a lot) rusty when I took my first turn around the rink. My ankles started to burn - I needed to lace 'em up tighter. Jud and Kara took right to it since they'd skated on one of their trips in the past couple years. Amy and Paul were feeling their way like I was. Music was playing and I started to enjoy myself as families and older folks skated around me. We didn't stay long, but I'm glad we did the fam skate outing, followed by Small Biz shopping in the East Village - shirts at Raygun and Allspice. Happy to report all the stores were busy. Then lunch at Court Avenue Brew Pub.

We did a bit of big (TJ Maxx and JC Mall) shopping after lunch. Jud is now the proud owner of a suitcase for all his travels. We all scored cheesecake for later. We arrived home in time to watch the Cyclone football team proceed to self-destruct in the first half against West Virginia. Pick 6, fumble for a TD for the other team - they did all the bad stuff. Kara and Amy began working on the craft we had started Thursday night. I volunteered to take Kara to Michael's for some small paintbrushes. Anything for relief from the game. The team needed something for luck...anything I can do...

The girls paint letters on painted blocks (that was my job Thursday - block painting)

We sent the guys downstairs to watch the game. There was yelling and groaning involved. We watched a movie up here. Some of the yelling downstairs started to get more encouraging. Jud gave periodic updates, but I didn't want to break the karma by starting to watch at that stage. In the end, the Good Guys came from behind - 17 points down in the 4th quarter to win in triple overtime. It was the 3rd win of the season - so not like it was for any cool thing like bowl eligibility. But for our program it was pretty big. It was to be able to be labeled as not being quitters. On to 2014 Cyclones!

Meanwhile, Kara was concentrating and working diligently on her craft. Amy did the letters freehand, in her graphic design kinda way - perhaps not a true to the design, but cool. We poured martinis post-game. Dirty and lemondrop. Celebrate!

We dragged Kara away to do the family gift opening. You see...it's our Christmas. It will be our first Christmas without Jud. Sniff. So we're making do now. Just like Kara's parents did last year. I'm glad her folks are good about sharing. ;>). Amy, Paul and I will celebrate together in Vail with Cindo and Colby once again - after a stop in Denver to see the Lamms and this year we get a bonus. Aunt Jean and Uncle Bruce Rader will be there (a/k/a Bean and Juice). We'll miss our Juddy though. We had a nice time opening gifts - hope all of Jud's fit. He loved his Cyclone jacket.

Kara's reward when she completed her crafts - red velvet cheesecake. Later, Amy went out on the town with college roomie Rachelle. They hit the West Glen joints. It was nice to see 'Chelle!

Today Jud and Kara took off for KC about noon when we drove Amy to the airport. Just like that, they're gone. I miss 'em already! Our family isn't perfect. (and no I don't post pics of the boring stuff...) But we are blessed. We get along most of the time, and laugh a lot (at and with each other and ourselves). Amy and Kara would bust me if this were a Facebook post...but...like the craft above says...I'm Giving Thanks!