A few other options would include: frigid, icy, intense, arctic, Siberian, benumbed, biting, glacial, and polar. (Thank you, Thesaurus.com!)
Remember how lovely last year's BYU vs. Notre Dame game was? It was so nice that my dad decided to come back for it again. I warned him that Indiana in November can be a whole different beast than Indiana in November, but he wouldn't be deterred. Besides, this year his youngest brother, Bryce, would be tagging along. Bryce's wonderful wife, Janee, sent him out as a 50th birthday present. (It seemed like a really great gift at the time. After the cold we suffered, now I'm seriously wondering about her intentions...) ((Kidding.))
Dad and Bryce got in Friday evening, a bit later than planned due to lovely Delta. We won't go into Delta. But they made it safe and sound and we got to visit a bit before bed. The next morning was a pancake jamboree, which is definitely the preferred breakfast of choice around these parts. (The only problem with pancake jamborees is that you can only make so many pancakes at once, you know? I need a giant, mega griddle so I can cook 10 pancakes at once instead of just 4. And my kids always want all of their pancakes right then and can't seem to understand that there's a limit of how many I can cook at one time. Okay, back to football. But sheesh. Pancake problems.)
Once the babysitter arrived (poor Tess and Cole weren't invited), we were northward bound to South Bend! The weather didn't seem too bad at first, but the closer we got to our destination the more daunting it appeared. By the time we stopped for lunch at Culver's I knew that we were in for a rough day.
It was cold.
I thought I had brought enough layers for the boys, but now I'm kicking myself for not making them bring their snow bibs and boots. Oh well, live and learn.
We had a good hike from where we parked up to campus. My dad snapped this shot as we were walking, and I show it only because it is such an AWFUL picture. Seriously, very single person in this shot looks like a dork.
This one is a little bit better. By this point I was already holding Josh's hand because he was already complaining about the cold. And by complaining I mean whining and crying and begging to go home. I told him to buck it up, because that's the kind of mom I am. Plus, whining makes me extra un-compassionate towards my kids.
Once again we saw the band show and the Scottish dancing guys whose names escapes me right now. The ones in the kilts and the tall hats. Anywho, they do a victory clog, which made me wonder why the Cougars don't have a victory clog. That's something those Cougarettes should look into. I really like the phrase "victory clog".
Here's Spencer, trying to keep warm
Lance and I - we are not so good at the selfies with my phone for some reason. The fact that snow was shooting at us probably didn't help.
Here's the only picture I have of my Uncle Bryce and Dad from the whole weekend. Dang it. (I know, I should have taken some pictures after church on Sunday, but there was lunch to eat and Duck Dynasty to watch.) ((You read that right.))
During the concert Josh turned into Cousin It. It was at this point that I decided 7 was probably still a bit young for an event like this, especially with sub-zero temperatures.
Spencer and Lance in front of the infamous Touchdown Jesus.
I tried to get a family shot, but Spencer wouldn't cooperate and Josh was still impersonating Cousin It.
I told you we are not so good at the phone selfies. Camera selfies? Yes. Phone selfies? No. Lance kinda looks like the Emperor from Star Wars and I look a bit tipsy. Lovely.
We finally made our way into the stadium. This year we sat in a much older section, which meant SUPER SMALL benches. Seriously, moving people up and down the row was a nightmare.
So were the temperatures, with windchills making it feel like nine degrees. Yikes.
Once we were seated for a while the boys really got cold because they weren't moving anymore. Uncle Bryce helped them out with some hot chocolate. (What a great guy!)
Our view of the stadium this time.
Not quite so awe-inspiring when you feel like dying from the cold.
Lance helping Spencer put some warmers in his shoes. I like this picture because Josh looks so puffy.
I like this picture because Spencer looks a bit drunk on hot chocolate.
Speaking of drunk, there were a bunch of guys sitting right behind us who were combating the cold with liquid heat. These were red-headed Irish Catholic die-hard Notre Dame fans, and boy were they drunk and obnoxious. (Stereotypes come from somewhere, people.) Fortunately, they weren't mean or belligerent drunks, so when I got after them for using foul language in front of the boys they were appropriately sheepish.
The first quarter was exceptionally slow. By the half Spencer was in tears, so Lance and I decided to take them back to the car. Dad and Bryce (
On the way out of the stadium Josh declared "Well, I had a little fun." Kids are funny. (I think he knew this was a special treat, but he also knew that he had been miserable for most of it.)
We made it back to the car and within minutes Josh had his coat off and was demanding snacks. Apparently the cold didn't permanently damage him in any way.
Dad and Bryce got back to the car about an hour later; once they knew the Cougs wouldn't win they figured there was no sense in waiting around to watch them lose. It was a long but fairly pleasant drive back to Lafayette.
Dad and Bryce went to church with us the next day and got to see how fun it is with Tess and Cole. (Don't get me started on Cole. That child...) We came home for lunch, a couple of episodes of Duck Dynasty (yes) and some visiting. And then it was time to leave.
It was a very quick trip, and a very cold trip, but I'm happy that Dad and Brcye could come. It's always so nice to have family visit! (Even if you have to endure arctic winter blasts!)
