Last Day

Our flight didn't leave until 5 that evening, so we decided to go out and see some countryside surrounding Pittsburgh.  We were only a half hour away from an Amish community, so we drove that direction.  We bought some jam at a little roadside market.  No one was in there, you were just supposed to leave money, so we didn't get to chat with the people that ran the place.

We stopped to check out some shops in this little town...

The Amish people were scattered among the regular farmers, so every once in a while there were horses instead of tractors.

It must have been the universal Amish laundry day because every house had a long line of laundry hanging out to dry.

I loved seeing the different kinds of hay stacks.

This was a school with kids playing out front.  They had all gone in by the time we got close enough for a picture.

It was all just so beautiful!  Even on a rainy day.  It was just a perfect end to a perfect trip.  I know that I've said that a lot (if you haven't noticed it, that's good.  I've written and deleted things a lot because I don't want to gush so much that it's exhausting to you readers), but this was such a charmed trip.  We had experiences that filled our cups to the brim.  We were reminded of just how lucky we are to have each other and how grateful we are for our family and for the gospel in our lives.  With just the one exception of a crazy day in NYC, everything went so well on this trip.  It was just perfect and we were so glad to be able to go.

Mike and I picked each other to be with forever 16 years ago.  It seems like just a blip in time, and it really is in the eternal perspective, but I really am so glad that I picked him.  We love each other and we like to hang around each other too.  We saw so many beautiful things and I am so glad Mike was there to share it with me.  I would have loved for the kids to experience this trip with us, but it will have to be a different time.  This time was just for us and it was perfect.  I'm so grateful for all the people who helped with the kids to make it happen.  They were happy and healthy and so excited to see us when we came home.  My mom made the house sparkle and kept the kids in their schedules and made sure they got plenty of kisses on the head.  They had a great time.  Life is good.  It's good to go fun places and it's good to come home.  We are so blessed.

The Game

Mike kept referring to game day as his big day.  He was nervous, excited, antsy, and giddy...and just so happy.  We joked that he was like a bride on her wedding day. He wanted everything to be perfect.  He had planned everything and I just sat back and watched the beauty of it all as it came together.  

He didn't want to worry about finding parking on his big day, so we took an Uber ride out to the stadium.  We had four or five hours to kill before the game, so we walked around the stadium and the tailgate parties.  

This guy walks around at every game and says he's their biggest fan.

One of my favorite things about it all was that everyone in the entire town was wearing Steelers gear.  The employees at Target, the kids on the street...I'm telling you there might have only been a dozen people in the entire town that were not wearing Steelers gear.  I had planned to just wear a yellow shirt, but Mike talked me into getting a Steelers shirt the day before.  I'm really glad he did because even in a yellow shirt, I would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

Mike wanted a good picture of the logo for the ketchup because he knows how much my family (and I) like ketchup. 

When Mike was in grade school, the Steelers were really good.  He and all his friends had a helmet and pads of their favorite teams and they'd play football at recess.  When they had to come in, they'd line their gear up on the heat vents so they'd be warm and dry when it was time to go out again.  Knowing how much Mike loves school (sarcasm) and his long attention span (sarcasm), I can totally picture my cute little 9 year old Mikey gazing over at his Steelers helmet wishing away the hours till recess again.  That's why he's a Steelers fan (in case you wanted to know).  Because he had a helmet and pads when he was a kid and he's never switched teams since then. 
He may not always love the players...especially the thugs, but he's loyal to the team.

I got the super fan lecture (not a boring lecture, and interesting one), about the immaculate reception, Betis, Franco Harris, the multiple Vince Lombardi trophies...it was great.

We got to go in two hours before the game started and we had fun visiting with the other fans and watching the team warm up.

I watched every play of that game.  I can honestly say that's the first entire football game I've ever seen.  I loved it and felt like it ended way too soon.  I became a super fan that day.

That stadium and the fans were amazing.  They cheered so loud that I had to cover my ears sometimes, but it was so exciting that it was hard not to get swept up in the excitement.  The Bengals had a few good plays and whenever they did, there was a hush over the crowd, or else groans of discouragement, except for this guy (above).  He'd stand up and pump his fist in the air and cheer at the top of his lungs.  I couldn't believe the bravery it must have took to be the one Bengals fan in a sea of Steelers fans.  I had to take his picture because he was cracking me up.

It was fun to see the ketchup bottles open up and pour the red ketchup out in the red zone.

Like I said, the game ended far too soon and the Steelers won.  It was just such a great night!

We got swept out of the stadium with the rest of the crowd and just walked where they did.  It took us across the river (on one of the really cool steel bridges) and over to a place where we hopped on a hotel shuttle and then got an uber to take us the rest of the way home.  It was an entire day of football and one that was just for Mike, but ended up being so fun for both of us.  I loved seeing Mike have such a wonderful day.  Pittsburgh is awesome. 

Niagra Falls and Pittsburgh

We were close enough to Niagara Falls to make the drive, so we loaded up in the morning and drove over there.  Once again, our drive was filled with beautiful fall colors at every turn, pretty farm houses, and quaint little towns.  We had great music in the car, and that lead to great conversation.  We had so much fun remembering and discussing our different perspectives on things as we met, dated, and married each other.  We really do enjoy being around each other and it's so great being with him without the disruptions that the kids bring.  Not that we don't love them, just that it was fun being just us for a week.

Anyway, we pulled into the American side of Niagara and checked out the view into Canada.

We got tickets to ride the Maid of the Mist, and enjoyed that view and the fun little boat ride.

This is the American side of the falls.

Then, the Canada side.

After the boat ride, we walked around a bit and took pictures.  It really is majestic.

We got back on the road and headed for Pittsburgh.
Now that I am home, I am realizing how few pictures I took of the countryside.  I guess when you are driving, it isn't high on the priority list.  But, when I wasn't driving, I poked my camera out the window a few times.
Everyone out there said that the fall foliage was muted this year.  Sort of a bummer, but it was still really pretty.  It was interesting how some of the places still had green leaves, while others had already turned and fallen.  I loved the huge variety of hard wood trees.  Mike could identify them all (the former wood shop teacher in him).  Both of us commented all the time about how neat people kept their farms.  We are used to some of the broken down and trashy places you see near us and in Star Valley.  I know that's a generalization, but we didn't see one place that wasn't orderly.  Maybe they know they are on display for all the tourists coming to see their beautiful countryside.  :)

Mike was so excited to pull into Pittsburgh.  He was driving and he could hardly contain himself.
We drove by the stadium and checked out all the amazing steel bridges.  Then, we found a parking spot right on the side of the road and went on a walk to check out the shops and buy some shirts.  We spent an hour or so checking things out and then decided we needed to go back to the car to feed the meter.  When we walked up to the car, it was getting darker and I could see that the interior lights were on.  As I got closer, I could hear the hum of the engine.  Mike had never turned the car off!  It had one of those push button starters, and in his excitement, he had just hopped out of the car and walked away.  He had the keys in his pocket, but there was our car, engine running, doors unlocked, camera, purse, luggage, everything...right in downtown Pittsburgh.  I am going to tell that story and love it for years and years.  I love it because I love what it says about Mike.  He was so excited to be in Steeler's territory that he couldn't be bothered with the details of a rental car.  I love that he could have that joy and that I could be there to see it.

That evening, we went on the incline and rode it to the top to see the city view.  Pittsburgh has 446 bridges and is known as the city of bridges.  We didn't see very many of those bridges, but the ones that we saw were awesome. 

It was a great day and one for the books.  Life is good.