Last night Jon and I went over to take my favorite new bundle of joy, Olivia, some girlie clothes and have dinner with the new parents. It’s so awesome to see Marideth as a mother – it really suites her and Olivia is just the cutest thing ever!
After dinner, as we were heading out the door, the subject of baptism and godparents came up – Do we remember our godparents? Did they play a large roll in our lives? Fortunately, I have awesome godparents! My Uncle Mike, my dad’s brother, and my Aunt Lisa, my mom’s sister were mine and have always been there. My aunt hasn’t missed an occasion and sends the BEST presents! Jon wasn’t so clear on his, Marideth had ones like mine and Trenton vaguely recalls his. They were saying how important it was for them to have Godparents for Olivia that would play a huge part in her life and how they had debated about how they felt about the godparents being a couple or not. It was a great conversation, but was even better when it ended with them asking Jon and I to be the godparents to Olivia!!! I started to cry – what an honor!
Even more amazing is that this little girl, who just turned one week old yesterday, has had such a big impact on my life. From watching Marideth’s belly grow to being present during her delivery, this little thing has stolen my heart! I absolutely love that I know get to be her godmother and will most certainly play an awesome role in her life!
My favorite part, after the ask and the hugs, is that on our car ride home Jon put it together that he was a “Godfather”. Being his favorite movie he found it to be the greatest thing! I laughed and shook my head because boys and girls are so different. Basically here were our view points in a nutshell:
VS. 
Last night the snowfall was so pretty and I loved waking up and seeing everything coated with snow! My only complaint today – well two actually – is that 1. I can’t be skiing and 2. after taking the train past beautiful scenery and walking to work, I have to come to my office and stare at the ugliest scene! My view – below – is of a loading dock, an ugly building and a straight shot into a dentist office (those yellow lights on the first floor) and only one pile of snow! But hey, at least I have a window (actually I have two!)…
14 days down, 99 days to go! Since I started my challenge, I have not had one french fry, mozzarella stick or potato skin. At first, I would dream about them – almost, honestly, salivate for them! I prayed my salads would turn to mozzarella sticks and that a bite of broccoli would suddenly transform into a glorious french fry. But now, it doesn’t hit me as hard. In fact, I hardly think about it. Well, until today that is -
I’ve been in restaurants since the challenge started, but not for the purpose of eating, more for the purpose of working. So it’s easy to say “no” to a shift meal, which for me is always mozz sticks, nachos, or a grilled cheese, and carry on my way. I usually don’t eat when I work anyway. However, tonight the tides change a little, we have an employee party (technically our holiday party, which gets put on hold because of football season) and it’s at a bar. This bar happens to be one of my weaknesses! Best cheesesteaks and mozzarella sticks around and usually I would be raring to go, but today it’s different. I don’t want fried goodness dangling in front of my face, not yet at least.
BUT, that being said, I really think I can handle it. I have a protein bar in my bag that I could eat on the train, so that I’m not STARVING when I get to the party. And who knows, maybe the good foods (in my book) won’t even be served and I’m worrying for nothing. A lot of times at parties the food is too…”blech” for me anyway.
“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.”
- Percy Cerutty
I love snow! It goes well beyond the fact that it’s pretty and somehow peaceful. I don’t think there is anything that comes as close to becoming centered for me as snow! That’s weird isn’t it?
Baltimore was once again blanketed with a few inches this Saturday and with Jon being out of town, I had a lot of time to reflect. I slept in later than I usually do (ok WAY later!), I think the events of a new baby wore me right out! But I woke up to silence, and opened my window to reveal such a beautiful scene. Snow falling and covering our peaceful neighborhood. It took my breath away.
As I was out with Cole and then shoveling, I couldn’t help but be transferred back to the reasons why I love snow so much. Here are my top ten reasons:
- The Skiing! I was born, thankfully, into a huge ski family. We learned to walk and at 2 years old my brothers and I were on skis and hitting the slopes. I learned to ski in between my dad’s legs and was soon zooming down the hill on my own.
- The memories. Still has to do with number 1, but there are soo many memories – my dad was a national ski patroler for 23 years of my life and I used to love being able to go out with him on his shifts. I was SO proud and felt so cool that we got to cut all the lines! Every patroler on the hill knew my dad, and everyone took such good care of me always – even when he wasn’t able to ski anymore.
- The early mornings. Still going on my ski tangent – I LOVED the hustle and bustle of getting ready to go skiing. When we were young, my dad would come in to our rooms when it was just getting light out and pull back the covers, rip up the shades and yell “Oh-e-oh-e-oh!” “Wake-up Bean!” (my nickname). My brothers would drag out of bed but I would bounce right up – throw on my long underwear and snow gear and off we’d go! We would drive 40 minutes to the mountain and head in to the lockers. I loved the smell! And yes, it was somewhat odd, sometimes wet, sweaty feet – but it meant snow! skiing! fun! All the die hard skiiers would be there with us, getting ready trying to be the first ones on the hill! My dad would bundle us up, line us up and smother grape chapstick on our lips and off we’d go to line up for our lessons! We all took lessons, our whole childhood. It was the best thing I ever did!
- The anticipation. As I got into high school I began racing – again the noises, smells, fun associated with this will stay with me forever. First, the training nights, after school busing to the mountain and spending hours training. I loved it. And on race days, so much excitement! All different schools, awesome friends, amazingly hot guys. I got to relive the early mornings of getting out on the hill and I got to spend an entire day doing what I loved to do! If I could go back to racing, I would in a heartbeat!
- The sheer amounts. In my hometown, Rochester, NY snow is a given. Last year we made #12 as the top 101 cities with the highest average snowfall – meaning that last year was one of the first years I had ever felt so homesick! My mom would call and say it was snowing about an inch or so an hour. And tears would come to my eyes. It would immediately shoot me back to those memories – waking up to my dad snow blowing the driveway (as well as two of our older neighbors), looking out the window the first time after knowing a big snowfall had happened. And driving 15 mph to the mountain to get the “good snow” while people would still be home waiting for the roads to clear. Suckers!
- The solitude. Of skiing – alone. The unbelievable calm, power, joy that I felt as I’d ride the chair lift by myself and then go up and down the slopes choosing what hill I wanted to go down, even if it meant the same run 10 times in a row! The feeling of power of skis and snow beneath you. The feeling of wind blowing through your face and body, challenging you to go faster! I love being so in control and yet so…not!
- The engagement. I got engaged in the snow! Jon totally upped his “cool” factor when he took me to one of my favorite places to be, Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY. In record snow (and cold) we went up two days before I had to attend my alumni board meetings at my university. The first night at our bed and breakfast, in the “pouring” snow (boy was it snowing!) – he got down on one knee – making the snow, skiing, and the memories THAT much better! I am so lucky he choose that place and that time.
- The break. Snow days give you a reason, if you aren’t by a ski mountain, to say “Time Out.” It gives you a reason to slow from a fast paced life and snuggle up or start a fire. It gives you a reason to pause and watch how beautiful life can be.
- The scoots. My dog gets when the cold area and the snow first hits him! He gets this wild burst of energy that screams “WHOA – LET’S GO!!!!” I love watching him run around the yard and get his “snow scoots” out!
- The smell. Snow has a smell – an indescribable one, but a definite one. It is the smell that floods back memories of skiing, growing up, playing, being free and living live to the fullest.
Well, I think I know what I’m going to have to do this weekend. Dust of my skis and hit the slopes 
