National Figure Skating Championship's

I have only mentioned it in every post that I have done this week so I thought it was about time I post about it! The National figure skating Championships of course:) It is one of my favorite competitions of the season!  This year was especially good everyone skated well and there were a few surprise medalists! I love it when that happens! Love me some figure skating a whole eight hours of it! I could go on for a really long time but I'll try not to bore you and just hit the highlights:)

Maryl Davis and Charlie White took the gold in ice dancing. Of course:) I can't wait to see them compete against there rivals the Canadian's at worlds!!

The men's competition was a blast to watch! I was really hoping Jeremy Abbott would skate well but he unfortunately did not:( He looked so disappointed in himself I felt so bad for him! It sucks to have a bad skate! On a happy note Max Aaron skated amazing and took the gold! His reaction at the end of his program was the best! He wasn't even expecting to medal! I love his West Side Story music too! I think that he could have been a little more creative with his choreography though.

I really like the fact that his costume is so simple and it isn't full of sparkles!

The ladies competition!
I was hearing a lot about Gracie Gold and couldn't wait to see her skate. She didn't do so well in her short program and was ended up in eighth place but her long program was incredible!!! WOW that girl can jump! She won the free skate but because of her eighth place short program she took second overall! That is still incredible for her first senior national's! Ashley Wagner even though she fell twice and did not win the long program overall she took first! Ashley is such an artistically beautiful skater!
Gracie Gold's long program!

 Her jumps are huge! And I love her reaction at the end too!

Hope I didn't bore you but I LOVE this sport:)

One of My Favorite Things

ICE!

Not exactly the kind of ice I like but it made for some pretty icy trees! The rest of my weekend was an ice storm! Literally could have skated on my parents front sidewalk! 

The screens in the screen porch!

 One of my Mom's colleagues got stranded for another day! So what else do you do during an ice storm but watch some figure skating and play some dominion by the fireplace! Of course a couple drinks weren't turned down:)

The Best!

 Sometimes the weekends with no big plans are the best! This past weekend was so relaxing! I spent it blogging and watching the National Figure Skating Championships!!!!!!!!!!!! I was a little excited to be watching them! And eating too much good food and of course a couple latte's! I went to my parents to watch (I don't have a TV:) my Mom was studying with colleagues for the weekend, and she always goes all out with amazing food!

 My Mom is an amazing cook! It was like being at a restaurant all weekend! I have learnt everything I know about cooking from her! I am going to have to run a few extra miles this week!

I was able to spend a few hours catching up on blog posts cuddled up with my dog! The best morning!

Spent lots of time with my sister! She is the BEST! 

This is a little embarrassing especially for someone who doesn't own a TV! But oh well:) Over the weekend I collectively spent eight hours in front of the TV watching National's! That's C Razy! That's how much I like love it!!

My pup didn't want me to go home! I wish she could'v come home with me!

What is the best kind of weekend for you?

New Year's!

I can hardly believe it's 2013 already! I wish that I could make time stand still.

I love tradition's especially when they are as fun as this one! It's the third year in a row that I have gotten to spend my new years with this amazing girl in Chicago!

Her sweet boyfriend!

Her super fun little brother the Best Buy geek:)

 We spent the evening playing Settlers of Catan with yummy snacks and Sangria!

Thanks to Maggie's boyfriend for hosting such a fun New Year's Eve party!!

Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas a great philosopher, here are a few quotes of his that I love!

"It is against reason to be burdensome to others, showing no amusement and acting as a wet blanket. those without a sense of fun, who never say anything ridiculous, and are cantankerous with those who do, these are vicious, and are called grumpy and rude." ~ St. Thomas Aquinas

"There is nothing on this earth to be prized than true friendship." ~ St. Thomas Aquinas
Amen to that!

Taking Up My Time

 Can I live there?

Notice all the Christmas in these pictures?! ha ha No I still haven't put my Nutcracker away and I bought the puzzle before Christmas and never got to it!

These are some of the little things I have been doing instead of blogging lately! I am so glad to be getting back into it though! 

~ Puzzles! Seriously are so fun! Especially pretty Thomas Kinkade ones:) I will sit down in the evening thinking I'll just put a few pieces in and the next time I look up it's ten o'clock and I don't have anything ready for work the next day!

~ Reading! I can't wait to finish Madame Tussaud so I can read my next book that I bought! It was a bit of an impulse buy. Mostly because at the bottom of the front cover it says something to the effect that if you are suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal you will find an instant tonic in this book. I was all over it:) The book is The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin.

~ Lots of hot tea and my UGG slippers, it's freezing cold out here in MN!

~ Watching Downton Abbey:) So good!

~ Preparing for my next color belt test in Tae Kwon Do! I should really be doing that now....

~ Puccini has been on repeat!

My favorite piece of music!

New years week posts coming soon...I hope! I need to finish that puzzle so it stops distracting me!

Game day!

My blog has been terribly neglected lately! I have so much catching up to do. I'll do that later though:)

This past weekend I went with my brother and his wife to a game day up in the city! I didn't know hardly anyone at first so it was fun to meet more of my brothers friends! I knew a few from our awesome Fourth of July party!

Brunch! 

 Dominion with the only girls at the party:)

We were still going at midnight! Learning a new game at midnight is not a good idea for me! Way too far past my bedtime! That's my brother giving me "expert advice".....he had never played before either! Let's just say I didn't do so well at that game!

It was a really fun day of lots and lots of games!

Time Flies!

Where has the time gone? It's amazing how quickly it passes! I really don't like it. I can hardly believe that my friends are having babies! It seems like we were just outside playing and jumping on the trampoline sneaking Mountain Dew (we were so bad..ha) talking about nothing, but at the time it was everything! Then one day we grew up.....well supposedly. Now when I go to a party the kids outnumber the adults! It's crazy how quickly life changes!

My day off this week was spent with this little cutie and her mom!   

So sweet!

 Expecting her second! Dang she looks good!

What a fun afternoon catching up with a great friend and playing with her cute little girl! Oh yeah and now we get together for the afternoon instead of the evening!