A plug for my dad...

Had to give my dad a plug...he's in China covering the Olympics. You can read his articles at jsonline.com. You can read his shared blog here. And, he'll be doing live remotes from Beijing on TMJ 4 10:00 news. How cool is that?!

Brett the Jet

That's hard to look at, hey? The month-long saga that was Brett Favre and the Packers is over. He was traded on Wednesday to the New York Jets. How do I feel about that? It seems that a lot of my family and friends wanted my opinion over the last few weeks on the situation; I guess because they know what a huge Brett Favre fan I am. Well, to sum up how I feel in two words: it sucks. But at the same time, I'm glad it's all over. And now I have another team to cheer for. The Packers will always be #1 in my heart, but the Jets will be a close second as long as Brett is under center. It's really too bad how sour things went between Favre and the Packers. It was so up and down and there was so much speculation over the last month - it was too much. It really has been similar to a messy divorce. I just hope that the animosity can be repaired, so that whenever Brett retires for good, he'll retire as a Packer. I believe he will. As he said in his Jets introductory press-conference, 16 years are hard to forget about and that he'll always be a Packer. I don't agree with how Ted Thompson and staff responded to Brett. I truly believe he gave them the best chance to win. I don't know if TT's ego, wanting to get "his guy" Rodgers going or what... Mind you, Brett wasn't a saint in the whole process either though. Like I said, I hope the Packers and Brett Favre can repair their relationship. Favre is such a part of the Packers and always will be. I learned that CBS 58 - the AFC affiliate - is going to get a lot of Jets games this year. I know I'll be watching. But, I'll also be watching my Packers. I'll be cheering, even though it may feel like something is missing. I'll get behind Aaron Rodgers. Have to. As hard as it is for me to believe it; it's time to move on.

Randy Pausch

I felt compelled to blog. Randy Pausch died today at age 47. Who was Randy Pausch, you may be asking yourself. Well, to me, Mr. Pausch was quite an inspiration. He battled incurable pancreatic cancer, but loved life and lived it to the fullest until the end. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He became an internet sensation last fall after he gave a lecture series entitled "The Last Lecture." He also wrote a book with the same title. Here's a link to his lecture on YouTube. I would highly recommend you take some time to watch it. I saw it from an email that was forwarded to me and I was immediately intrigued. Here's a guy, who's dying, yet he refuses to be sad about it. Oh, I'm sure he had his moments, but he was mostly positive and upbeat about life. If that doesn't make you think twice about your bad day, I don't know what does.

The End of an Era

It's been a few days since the news broke that Brett Favre is retiring. I've thought about how I can possibly pay tribute to him and his career in my blog. I really don't know how to do that. I think that there are some people around me who can't possibly understand why this is such a big deal to me. They don't understand why my eyes are a bit puffy today after shedding some tears during his news conference yesterday. They don't understand why I've been a bit down this week. I also think there are those around me who completely and totally understand. They've been a little down this week themselves. While I didn't know him personally, he's been a part of my life for 16 years. I was 12 years old and in 8th grade that day he went into the game for the injured Don Majkowski. 12 years old! I'm now nearly 29 with a husband, son, home, career, etc. Crazy. And although I don't know him personally, I feel like I do. He was, and still is, so down to earth. He was always real. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions. He struggled like everyday people do; with addictions, marriage issues, cancer affecting loved ones, tragic and untimely deaths of loved ones. And through it all, he played the game with a child-like enthusiasm and a smile that was completely contagious. Ross and I had a conversation last night about how Noah won't know Brett Favre; he'll only hear about him through us. We'll show him pictures, and he'll see footage of Brett, just as Ross and I and others of my generation saw grainy footage of the great Bart Starr. You better believe we'll represent. I feel extremely lucky to have been able to witness Brett's whole career in Green Bay. You'll be missed in a big way by this fan, Brett. Way to go out on top. It's been a hell of a ride.

Is it over yet?

Winter that is. I'm normally okay with winter, in fact, I don't even mind it, but this one has seemed extraordinarily brutal. From torrential rains and tornados, to bitter cold, to the most snow I can remember in a long time...it's been non stop. Just a few days ago we got 14 inches of snow, on top of the 8 we already had on the ground. As I type this, the snow is falling again. We are only supposed to get about an inch, but behind the snow comes the cold again. They are saying it will be between -7 and -14 degrees tonight. Add the wind chill and it's supposed to be -35 to -40. I'm kind of ready for spring...

In other news, Superbowl XLII is now old news. What a great game though. Although my Packers weren't there, I was happy that the Giants won. Their last drive was incredible. If the Packers had to lose in the NFC Championship, at least it was to the eventual Superbowl winners.

Other than winter and Superbowls, not too much is new. We are just busy as always. Noah is growing like a weed. Ross is working hard at school - the light is at the end of the tunnel! I'm so proud of him.

GO PACKERS!!!!!

I thought I'd post a pic of my little Packer good luck charm :)

The Packers are just a few hours away from playing in the NFC Championship. Who'd a thunk it? I wish I had had the time this year to blog about their season like I did last year. This season was truly magical. It all starts with the play of the top-dog, Brett Favre. He turned 38 this year and he's playing like he's 28. It has been a complete joy to watch him break record after record each week and do it with the giddiness of a 12-year old. Then you've got a running back by the name of Ryan Grant. He didn't even start until the 8th game of the season and he ended the season in second place for yardage. Now that's impressive. You've got an excellent receiving core, led by Donald Driver. Before the season everyone thought the Packers were too young at receiver. They are - no doubt - but they're good. Then you've got the Defense, led by a hit-em-in-the-mouth (that's for you Ross ;) ) front four, followed by outstanding linebackers and one of the best tandems at cornerback in the NFL in Al Harris and Charles Woodson. The Pack finished the season with a 13-3 record, coasted past the Seahawks in what will forever be known as the Snow Bowl and here they are, getting ready to play for a trip to Arizona in 2 weeks for Superbowl 42. Today's game promises to be legendary, too. They temperature at kick-off is supposed to be 2 degrees...this game might very well go down in history known as Ice Bowl II. Go Packers!!!

Class of '97

This past weekend was my 10-year high school reunion. Dang. I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone. It really made me take a look back on high school, in particular, the exercise of listing where you want to be in 5 and 10 years. When I was a senior, I wanted to have a career well-established, be married and have a child or children in 10 years. I'm so blessed to say that I have all three. It was interesting to see where people are at in life. Some were still partying like they were in college, others were on the brink of getting married and settling down. Most had careers - I got reacquainted with different classmates; one a salesmen, another, a pilot, and yet another who is a professional football player in the NFL. It's crazy how people's lives turn out. I was one of only a few who had a kid - kind of strange to me; I thought there would have been more. I had a fantastic time, and it really made me proud and thankful to think about all I have and all that I have done.

Update

I guess I've been slacking a bit. What can I say??? Life is just so busy these days.

Everything on the home front is pretty good. Noah is already 5 months old! He's growing like a weed and changing every day. It's amazing to watch him and wonder what is going on in his little mind. It's quite fascinating. He has recently discovered his feet and loves to grab them when his legs are in the air. He has two teeth already, too. He's a little early on that front (thanks to Ross, who had them when he was 3 months), but they are so cute :) We had him dedicated at church this past Sunday. It was very nice.

Work is crazy, but then again, when isn't it? I've been making an effort to leave on time, since I never left on time before I went on maternity leave...I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

The Packers are doing great; this week was their bye. They are 5-1. There's definitely a few things that need some work, but overall, I don't think many people expected them to be 5-1 at their bye. It's pretty exciting, really. Ross, my brother and I went to the Sunday night Packer vs. Bears game. They lost :( but we had a fantastic time anyway. The atmosphere was so cool. I don't know if it was the fact that it was a night game, the Bears or a combination of both, but it sure was exciting!

Here's a new pic of Noah that I just love: