New Years @ Nationwide Arena!

For New Years, since daddy was working the Blue Jackets game, we got tickets to watch the game too! The tickets were in nose bleed... but honestly, they were probably the best tickets in the arena =) From our view we could see the entire ice- goaltender to goaltender.

What made this even more of a memorable event, is that it was all three girls FIRST time to a 'real' NHL game! They were totally into it... especially Abby! Neither one fully understands the rules, so I was having to explain things here and there, but that's all in the learning process!

Nationwide arena is very family friendly and oriented, so it made the trip that much more enjoyable... even with a toddler! Isabella did well- focusing with all eyes on the ice during the first period... she LOVED Stinger (Blue Jackets mascot) and the National Anthem. I was actually worried that she would start screaming through the anthem, but luckily she seemed to be content with me singing it to her! During the second period we walked around the arena, played in Stingers house, met Stinger and got a bite to eat. By the third period Isabella was OUT! So I made my way to our seats... Carly and Abby were already there... I was just waiting until the baby was asleep to truck up the stairs! Towards the end of the period, we got up to walk about. By that time the score was tied 1-1. Unfortunately we wound up losing in OT 1-2. Dumb Predators.

After the game was over, we met up with Tom and walked back to our hotel room. We decided that we were all going to stay in town and enjoy a little mini vacation. The plan was to get changed, warm up and head back out to enjoy the downtown festivities... buuuuut apparently most events had 1) moved indoors or 2) been canceled because of the weather advisory. So we decided to stay put and celebrate from the hotel. We walked the front door minutes before the strike of midnight (to hopefully catch view of fireworks), but we are guessing those were canceled too. As we stood out, firetrucks and police rolled by with their lights and sirens... all we could thing was 'drunk driving'... but as it turns out, there was a shooting... just TWO BLOCKS from where we had planned to be! YIKES! So by the grace of God (and everything being canceled) we stayed indoors! But we had fun and that is all that mattered!

I have so many more pictures on my camera... these are from my phone... but I promise, one day I will have 'real' pictures up!