Last weekend we took a trip to where the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS live....

A-U-B-U-R-N

Cam came running out when his # and name was called.  The crowd went wild. I think he'd make great commercials for Crest or Colgate. :)

AU Students were allowed to have field access....first come, first serve....and thus those on the front row were able to get a high five from this AU favorite.

Cam gave a super speech that he wrapped up with a favorite quote from the Auburn Creed, "I believe in Auburn and love it."

Pat Dye was given a standing ovation. 

Auburn's Mayor spoke in appreciation from the city of Auburn for Auburn University....and ended by saying he hoped to see "each and every one of you" (all 80,000) at Toomer's Corner after the ceremony! :)

One of my all time favorite AU players,  Kodi Burns.....not because of his great plays (although he's definitely had a few) but more importantly because he exhibits the meaning of a true, selfless, team player.   He said people were always asking him why he choose to come to AUburn.....he tells them, "for two reasons, 1) to be a part of the Auburn family and 2) to win a National Championship."  I love Kodi.

Govenor Bentley, looking ever so sharp in his orange and blue tie, was among the many dignitaries who spoke at the ceremony as well....ending his speech with "I have one thing left to say... (pulls an AU National Championship hat from the podium shelf and puts it atop his head)...I'm ALL IN, War Eagle!"

The quarterback from the 1957 Championship team joined in the festivities by speaking and also he was chosen to carry the crystal football onto the stage for the ceremony presentation.

Cam Newton receiving the Heisman trophy from fellow AU quarterbacks.  I include this photo, not because of Cam, but because of Stan White.....who I may or may not have had a crush on while I was in college at AU.  He happened to be the QB part of my time there, actually during the undefeated season of 1993....and more importantly, he was the only man standing between the future with my husband.  

 I remember thinking to myself, "oh, if I bump into him on campus (or during the Wednesday night Karoake at Denaro's)  and he asks me out I'll have to tell Temple we'll work things out later".   I never bumped into him on campus, lucky for Temple. :)

Coach Chizik. I'm not gonna lie, I really like Coach Tuberville, and was sad to see him go. Turns out the Chiz was a good hire. :)

Oh indeed, Saturday was a great day on the plains.  My favorite place on earth.
I believe in Auburn and love it.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

I know. I know.  I stay so behind on this ol' thing called the blog. But I'm trying to do better. It's a matter of relevance, the term better. Putting up a post months after the fact is better than not putting it up at all. Right?  So, Elder Son tried out for the basketball team again this year, and this time he made it! Yeah for Elder Son! We were proud of him, as this was something he really worked hard to do, and really wanted to be a part of the team.  

He still isn't a starter, but he has seen some playing time on the court.  I actually wasn't there to see him play in his first game, but his father was....and he was kind enough to send me that sweet text "your son just scored his first points."  I was elated!  And immediately sent a text out to several friends announcing the big breaking news. As if anyone really wanted to know, but hey, I'm a proud mama, I'll tell the world about my kids if they'll only stop and listen! :)

It's been hard trying to keep up with 3 kids all going different directions, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world! 

Now, aren't you glad this was a feel good post instead of a tear jerker like this POST from last year when he tried out...and didn't make it?

Me too.

'Cause those will break your heart slap in half when you have to live through them.

This year it was a much better time for all of us involved.  And don't think for a minute I didn't sweat bullets waiting for the call to come forth that tryouts were over.  Last year, I had been at gym with Baby Girl and Granny had to pick up Elder Son from the dreaded let down of not making it.  I decided not to miss that this year, win, lose or draw, I'd be there to shout with joy or cry silently inside with him.  

So, because he is a teenager, it seems fun to play tricks on your mom.  Tricks that make your heart stop a beat or two. Just because. Yeah, it's real funny, unless you're the mom. Who loves your child more than basketball or life itself. Here's how this year's conversation went after try outs:

"Hey, mama?"
"Yeah, buddy, are you finished?"
"Yes, we're finished, come pick me up."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute, so, how'd it go, did you make the team?"
"I can't hear you real good, just come pick me up."

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to figure out teenage boys and their emotions even face to face, but through a converstaion on a phone???? please, ....it's virtually impossible. So, my mind raced a thousand miles while I drove the dreaded few to the gym.  What if he didn't make it?  What would I say? How could I make it feel okay? It's not like a scrape on the knee after a bicycle wreck on the driveway when he was 6....band-aids, kisses and popsicles don't work anymore.

I pull up to the gym and he's in the parking lot talking with some other kids, and a close family friend who's in college. He hops in the passenger seat and I just smile, not wanting to cause any unneccessary drama in front of his peers, I don't immediately ask the BIG pressing question.  

The college aged family friend (who was an outstanding athlete in high school and college) stands at my window and leans in....then says aloud across me, "it's okay, Elder Son, you'll make it next year." 

I just look back and forth between them like a tennis match at Wimbledon.  I'm speechless. And heartbroken. But trying to be strong. Elder Son seems like he's being really strong, too. And we sit there for what seems like forever or maybe it was just a few seconds, and finally Elder Son cracks a broad smile and says "Mama, we're just messing with you, I made it!".

Real funny. Teenage boys. They're a laugh a minute.

So proud of my AUBURN TIGERS...NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

I believe in Auburn and love it!

WAR EAGLE!

A championship family!

War Eagle!!

We live in the south where snow is a rare find.

But we love playing in the white stuff when it comes around! :)  We played in it until almost midnight---it was so powdery and soft!  And I'm so glad we did, because overnight a layer of ice pellets was atop the 2-3 inches of snow. It made it harder to make snowballs and play play in it, but the sledding was still fun! 

I took these photos the first night of play....it was SNOW much fun!

The boys had made snow slushies using a cup full of snow and pouring Mt.Dew and Sunkist over it! YUM!!

Just like the saying goes...."Nothing runs like a Deere".  We didn't have a sled, but with some good southern ingenuity, we managed to find a suitable replacement....a John Deere lawnmower hood turned upside down worked like a charm!! It also doubles as a snowboard! :)

Hope you all had fun in the snow too....until next time, which will probably be in another decade or so!!

Sledding the BIG HILL.....

I know it's a lot of photos....but they tell a story, so I had to include them all.  Here's the storyline.  We live on a hill.  We have a driveway that is a long hill which ends at a main highway.  It took us a few hours to get up enough nerve to let the kids try to travel down it....with folks on the lookout at the bottom to watch for any traffic.  Fortunately, there was limited travel on the roads. So off they went, one by one, down the BIG hill, repeatedly. 

 I just want you to notice in the photos how different their respective rides are....Baby Girl was most cautious, while she loves the thrill of the ride, she is careful to keep her hands placed gently on each side of the "sled".  Kind of like a break check, keeping her right on track and alsom keeping from flying down at too high a speed....and you will notice she practices saftey....looking both ways as she approaches the highway. :) 

Then you'll see the photos of Middle Boy's run down the hill.....a wee bit different.  He lays out one hand in the snow....but only because it helps him complete a 360 while speeding down the hill.  Yes, he was able to make complete turns and keep sledding. That child. And you will notice that he practices what his Daddy preaches to them all summer on the water slides...."lay back into it, put some weight back there, and the speed will follow".  And so he sped right across the highway.....

As to not imply that it was a perfect round of sledding each and every time, there are photos showing a wipeout from Elder Son.  Who had several great runs, but I just happened to get pics of the snow plowing stop mid-run that plummeted him overboard. And it's memories folks, fun snow memories.

Baby Girl to Elder Son...."Hey, your stocking is singing"

Someone was totally surprised on Christmas morning....TOTALLY. Like I mean  Shock and Awe.   I love it when a plan comes together.  Nothing is more exciting to me than pulling off a great surprise.

This is Elder Son's "mom, are you serious, there's a cell phone in my stocking" face.....

This is PawPaw's hand in the right lower corner using his cell phone to make the now famous first call that enabled Elder Son's stocking to start "singing".   And this is also the children who are looking to the left at their father in total disbelief that their big brother REALLY has a cell phone.

And this is Elder Son once again.....he still can't believe it.

These fun, exciting, broad smiles across the face moments with a teenager, as I'm learning, come less often than I'd like....but OH THE JOY of experiencing them first hand when they do!!!