Michigan and the NFL

NFL Opening Weekend 2012

Today was more exciting than Christmas for Jace...yep, it's the start of the 2012 NFL season and time for Jace's 1,252,285 fantasy leagues to begin. Things look a little different around here this year since Easton's now up and running around like a wild man. Remember this ridiculous spread from last year? Ha.

Pretty sure he was still missing a few...

Anyway let me back it up a day real quick. Jace and I had a super fun adults only day yesterday as we road-tripped up to the Big House in Ann Arbor to watch our beloved Falcons play Michigan. After last week's trip to Chicago it was nice to enjoy the quiet together for a few hours :) We left Dayton around 8 am and arrived in Ann Arbor at 11. We picked up our tickets and then headed to tailgating's Mecca...the Ann Arbor

Check this mess out:

Our final destination -- The Keough Tailgate

OK so I realize now that these pictures don't even come close to doing the scene justice so just close your eyes and picture a sea of cars, tents, grills, flags, kids/adults playing catch, bags, beer pong, etc., etc. It was a thing of beauty and I was quite jealous that I never had this college experience...pros/cons...yea yea I get it :)

Anyway, we made our way over to the Keough's tailgate and proceeded to catch up with some really great people who I hadn't seen in quite awhile. It's always fun to hear everyone's current story -- most of them from the civilian side these days. We ate and drank for a few hours and then Jace couldn't take it anymore and we headed for the stadium!

Team Anders in The Big House
Let's go, Falcons!!!

Jace and John Stock

So. Many. People!!
Photo courtesy of Jace Anders' iPhone

Yeay! Parents' Day Out :)

Add another check mark to Mr. Anders' Bucket List

The game was tons of fun and unfortunately the Falcons couldn't squeak out the win but they competed beyond what anyone expected so good on 'em...and I'm sure their kicker is still sleeping under a rock somewhere...probably missed the charter back to the Springs. Bummer, man. Here are a few more shots from the game:

So that brings us back to today. The start of our "Sunday tradition" and all the goodness of Fall. We tried to find our weekly hiking spot...nothing will compare to our hikes in Boston...but we tried. And today, we failed.

This was about as far as we got...

...then we turned around and headed home

We're outta here!

Lessons Learned:
1. Taking our new stroller 'hiking' might not have been the best idea -- we'll save that mess for the mall
2. Long Pond, Winchester, MA spoiled the shiz out of us :(
3. We might need to change 'hiking' time to 'playground' time -- more to come on that one

After the failed hiking attempt it was back to the ranch to fire up the games and hunker down for the day. I say that in jest because neither Easton nor I can sit around and watch football all day when the weather outside is PERFECT!! So we watched the kickoffs with Daddy...then headed to the park.

Disclaimer -- what you're about to see is borderline offensive to most members of the Tomlinson/Anders family but it was the only size available that fit.