The CAMback Discussion

I apologize now to my Bama friends, but I thought this video was too funny to not share! It's supposed to be a discussion between Greg McElroy and Julio Jones.

Iron Bowl!!

As anyone in the South (or the sporting world) knows, this past weekend was the 75th meeting of Auburn and Alabama, more commonly known as the Iron Bowl.

Side note: A friend of mine in high school once asked me if that was an actual bowl game. :)

Back to the weekend...
So bright and early Friday morning my dad and I traveled to Tuscaloosa. Now although I love to visit my Bama friends sometimes, T-town is never a good place for me to be during football season, I can get a little aggressive. This trip was not like that though. You see, I thought we were going up there to lose. And I promise I do have every confidence in my team, I just get worried in games with such high stakes. Anyway we got there somewhat early and got to eat lunch at one of my favorite places, Newk's!

You have to understand that when I road trip with my dad the whole trip is planned around kick-off and food! Heck, we drove 16 hours for a burger in 2007! Anyway, we always follow our taste buds to a location that my dad has previously visited and deemed worthy. (I say that jokingly, we don't really discriminate when it comes to food) This trip, however, was my turn to take him to best restaurants in Tuscaloosa! Very exciting! So this Newk's Cafe is a chain so everyone should try it, because it is awesome. Enough about food though, let's talk football!

The big game kicked off at 1:30 CST and for obvious reasons I will not be commenting on the first quarter. Let's just skip to where Auburn was down 24-0 in the second and had not made a single first down or crossed the 50 yard line! (any of this sound familiar? maybe being down 16-0 and not having crossed the 50 in 1972?) Anyway, here in 2010 we were having flashbacks to punt, Bama, punt, but were worried we wouldn't have the same outcome...except that we did!!

I really can't explain what happened after the half. Yes, we scored once before the half, but after it was like our defense came alive and our offense just made it happen!! It was incredible and honestly when we left that game I just asked my dad "how the heck did that just happen?" I know we like to think that since Auburn was number 2 that they should make light work of Bama, but that game is played with such heart every year. And no matter what, those teams leave everything on that field. You just never know who can walk away with the victory. We just happened to win this year, 28-27.

I think most everyone reading this watched the game so I won't do a play-by-play. I will talk about the little things (sights, sounds, etc.) that made me happy to be there. Like seeing the renovations on the stadium, nice work Bama! Also watching Cam Newton break the Auburn record for rushing touchdowns, previously held in a tie with Bo Jackson and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams! And the sunset, again was beautiful orange and blue. :)

Also, singing the fight song and cheering with nothing but Auburn fans when the game was over. That's because all the Bama fans left.

Sharing this special day with my dad was another high point!

Fun fact: The only times I've gone to Tuscaloosa to watch Auburn play with my dad was when we were icing undefeated seasons (2004, 2010)! I'll see you in two years Bryant-Denny!!

One man in our section said "Brand new stadium and we got it all to ourselves." I thought that was funny. That was after the game during the Auburn celebrations.

After the game, though, we went to the best burger place ever, Mugshots!! Not even kidding, I would eat there everyday if I could. And my dad confirmed that it's the second best burger he's ever had, but since the first place winner's restaurant is closed Mugshots wins by default (a common theme in Tuscaloosa, sorry I had to say it!)

While stuck in traffic my dad called a friend of his, who we travel with sometimes, and in conversation my dad brought up the fact that I go to T-town to visit some of my Bama friends sometimes. To this point he raised the question, can you ever really have Bama friends? ha ha. I thought that was a funny yet valid point. All I can say is that it helps that they are not as psycho-fanatical about football as I am. Remember the high school friend who asked me about the Iron Bowl? That was a Bama friend. Not naming names though. :) So this friend read this and asked me to amend that not all Bama fans are like this. I'm just saying that I can be better friends with those who are not crazy into football. She would also like me to state that she is the exception, not the rule.


So anyway, on the way back to Phenix City we made a pit stop in Auburn to check out Toomer's Corner, and it did not disappoint!

On a Saturday (this time Friday, and sometimes Thursday) night in the Fall after a win that place is more magical than Disney World, yeah I went there! It's just so much fun to celebrate with your fellow Auburn family and join in a tradition that links you to so many generations! I remember being little and sitting on my daddy's shoulders to roll Toomer's, it's the earliest memory I have of that tradition! :)

In summary of the whole day I just want to say that as stunned as we were by the come from behind win, so was Bama. I can't say anything bad about them because that game was so hard fought and they played really well. It was just incredible all around.

And to top off the weekend, tonight Auburn was named #1 in the BCS standings! Now let's hope we beat South Carolina this weekend and get to Glendale!!

I believe in Auburn, and love it!!

War Eagle!!

Christmas Countdown: Football Edition?

I know that this post is nearly 2 days late on the Christmas countdown, but it's been a crazy and wonderful 2 days! So we're now within 4 weeks of Christmas and this isn't really a Christmas countdown, but there's really no better time than Iron Bowl weekend to reflect on the past 5 years of football.

I'd just like to say that  I really can't rank these because I remember each of these being amazing!!

Best Games 2006-2010

2006:

• AU vs. LSU - we won 7-3 and I got sick from sitting out in the sun that day but it was so worth it!
• AU vs. Florida - We beat the #3 team at the time 27-17. For those who don't remember, that was the game that Powers blocked the Florida punt at the end of the game to seal the victory! Although they went on the win the National Championship that year, we still beat the champs.
• AU vs. Alabama - The Iron Bowl is always a big game but beating Bama in Bryant-Denny 22-15 was amazing! Even though I didn't actually get to go to this game because it was my brother's year for the ticket. Also that year was 5 in row that we beat them!

2007:

• AU vs. Florida - This was the first time I ever traveled to the swamp and I hope to go again in 2 years. That year we won 20-17 (again they were #3). Byrum gave us the game winning field goal in the last seconds of the game TWICE!! Nice try Meyer, but you still lost. Also if no one noticed, Tebow never beat Auburn! 
• AU vs. Alabama - That year, for the sixth straight year, we beat Bama. And winning the Iron Bowl at home is so so sweet! Although we were ranked pretty low and Bama wasn't ranked at all, that game is always played with so much heart. Oh and the score was 17-10.

2009: [yes, 2008 was that rough!]

• Last year was kind of a rough year, but I don't think anyone who was there will ever forget September 19, 2009, the night Auburn saw the rain! AU vs. West Virginia - We won 41-30 but the spirit of that night in the Auburn fans went far beyond that game. First we wanted to win really bad because in 2008 at WVU we were up 17-0 at the half and they came back to beat us 34-17, just embarrassing. But when the monsoon hit Jordan-Hare no one could have predicted the response it got. I can't even find words for it, so below is a link so you can see for yourself. Well, I have one word, heart. We have a lot of heart at Auburn. 

The Rain Game 

2010: The Undefeated Season
I still can't believe this incredible year, which I will post on tomorrow, along with pictures of the weekend.
Also I'd like to list each game here, but I won't.

• AU vs. Clemson - So we had ESPN Gameday on the Plains that weekend and it was nuts! I really didn't think we'd win, which I actually think a lot of the time (by now it's good luck!) This game was the first week we had the "All Auburn All In" slogan going and we also had the 'True Blue' that week since Clemson is orange. And it actually worked! (We had a failed attempt last year). We came from behind in this game to tie it up and win by a field goal in overtime. Nerve wracking? Yes! The final was 27-24. 
• AU vs. South Carolina - I'd just like to note that I was sitting by a freshman SC cheerleader who wasn't on the away squad at that game. He told me at one point that his was so impressed at our achievements that were displayed around the stadium because they had never so much as won an SEC title. I told him they were a good team and I'm sure they would soon. I'd now like to retract that statement, not this year buddy!! Anyway this game was the battle of the freshmen, Dyer vs. Lattimore. I know the re-match will be just as good as the first. Oh by the way we won that game 35-27.
• AU vs. Arkansas - I'll keep this short. We thought we were going to lose but by some miracle got 2 turnovers in a row right after a touchdown in the fourth quarter and won 65-43. It was insane!
• AU vs. LSU - With 5 minutes left in this game McCalebb sealed the win with a 70-yard touchdown run! It was awesome, especially after how they whooped us last year. We won it this year though, 24-17.
• AU vs. Georgia - I already posted a good bit about Georgia when it happened, but that game was so incredible. I'm just happy our seniors this year get to walk away finally beating Georgia. It ended up 49-31, and there were so many special moments in that game I can't say enough about it so I urge you to read my earlier post on that game.
• AU vs. Alabama - Again this will be short because my next post will be a detailed description of the weekend. It was incredible though. It was the biggest comeback in the history of Auburn football and will certainly go down in the record books next to the 1972 Iron Bowl. For those who don't remember that was "Punt, Bama, Punt" (yes, that's a formal title) Also known for the infamous score 17-16, like the bar. Ha ha. This whole weekend was a dream though, and by the way I'm marking the undefeated season and Iron Bowl win off of my list. Thank you Auburn! Also in case you haven't heard, the score was 28-27. :)

Now separately, I'd like to recognize the 2009 Iron Bowl. I know we lost, but we were expected to get blown out in that game by the soon to be national champs. If you remember though, we were ahead for all but the last couple of minutes of that game and just knowing that my team showed up that day to play with all that they could makes me remember why I'm so proud to be a part of this family. Because no matter the outcome of the game I'm always an Auburn Tiger!


So thank you Auburn for 5 wonderful years, even when they weren't winning. As the saying goes...the worst day on the Plains is still better than the best day in Tuscaloosa. :) War Damn Eagle!!

A Thanksgiving of Friends

Well loyal blog followers I have really been slacking. First up tonight I'll be posting my post that was intended for Thanksgiving. In the Avant household first we feast, then we watch our 'Friends' Thanksgiving marathon. I'll be pretty brief on the descriptions, but if you've never seen these episodes, you should find and watch them immediately. 


Season 1:
"The One Where Underdog Gets Away"


Best quote: 
Chandler: The most unbelievable thing has happened, Underdog has gotten away!
Joey: The balloon?
Chandler: No, the cartoon.

Season 3: (there was no season 2 episode, I know, sad)
"The One With the Football"


Best quotes:
Monica: (in the midst of a touch football game) Losers walk.
Ross: Oh yeah? Losers talk!
Chandler: No no, losers rhyme.


Rachel: We should definitely play more often. Maybe there's a league we can join.
Pheobe: Hey, isn't there like a national football league?
Chandler: Yeah they play on Sundays and Mondays.
Rachel: Oh shoot, I work on Mondays.


Season 4:
"The One With Chandler in a Box"


Best quote:
Monica: Fine, judge all you want, but [to Ross] married a lesbian, [to Rachel] left a man at the altar, [to Pheobe] fell in love with a gay ice dancer, [to Joey] threw a girl's wooden leg in a fire, [to Chandler] live in a box!


Season 5:
"The One With All the Thanksgivings"


Best quote:
Joey: I am thankful for this lovely fall we've been having. The other day I was at a bus stop and this breeze came out of nowhere and blew this chick's skirt right up. Which reminds me, I'm also thankful for thongs.


Season 6:
"The One Where Ross Got High" [my favorite!]


Best quotes:
Monica: Dad, Chandler didn't melt your records, Ross did.
Jack Geller: Is that...
Monica: And Dad, you know that mailman you got fired? He didn't steal your Playboys, Ross did.
Ross: Yea, well Hurricane Gloria didn't break the porch swing, Monica did.
Monica: Ross hasn't worked at the museum for a year.
Ross: Monica and Chandler are living together!
Monica: Ross married Rachel in Vegas, and got divorced, again.
Phoebe: I love Jacques Cousteau.
Rachel: I wasn't supposed to put beef in the trifle.
Joey: I wanna gooooo!
Judy Geller: That's a lot of information to get in thirty seconds

Ross: It tastes like feet!
Joey: Well, I like it.
Ross: Are you kidding?
Joey: I mean, what's not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!  


Season 7:
"The One Where Chandler Hates Dogs"


Best Quote:
Chandler: Where's the dog?
Ross: What dog?
Joey: Yeah, that dog left.
 [silence]
Joey: We decided to say...[to Ross] yeah you're thing.


Season 8:
"The One With the Rumor" [also a favorite]


Best quotes:
Will [Brad Pitt]: Look at her holding those yams. Those are my two worst enemies, Ross - Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates. 

Rachel: The "I Hate Rachel Green Club"? Who was in this club?
Will: Me and Ross...
Ross: There's no need to point; she knows who Ross is.
Rachel: Ross! Who else?
Ross: Well, there was that exchange student from Thailand, but I don't think he really understand what it was.

Will: Wait you made out with Mrs. Altman? She also made out with Tiktaka Kiaket the night before he went back to Thailand. 


Season 9:
"The One With Rachel's Other Sister" [another favorite]


Best quote: 
Amy [Christina Applegate]: If I got the baby, I'd want to change her name. I'm just not crazy about Emily.
Ross: Emma.
Amy: [to Pheobe] Emma, Ross wants you.
Pheobe: PHEOBE!
Amy: [to Ross and Rachel] Why does she keep making that noise?


Season 10: 
"The One With the Late Thanksgiving"


Best quote:
Ross: Oh sure. Now they lock it. But when they're having sex on the couch, it's like, "Come in, my butt is surprisingly hairy!"




I love that show and laughing at the craziness with my family on Thanksgiving. Happy [belated] Thanksgiving!

 

A Piece of the Pie

Tomorrow is the big day, Thanksgiving!! I am so excited I can barely contain myself! Well my family is one built on tradition. We eat the same food every year, but this year my brother requested some variation in the dessert choices. Challenge accepted!! Dessert is my domain, and I'm very proud of what I created today.

First, I made a pecan pie from a recipe I stole from another blog (thanks Bayleigh!!)...the result

I love when desserts look too good to eat! I just hope it tastes as good as it looks, but Bayleigh assured me that it will :)

So Andrew, my brother, didn't really want pecan pie so I made him what he wanted, apple pie. Now I know what you're thinking "Isn't that usually a summer dish?" Yes, yes it is, but Andrew doesn't care. haha

So here's before the oven...

And after it finished cooking...

I'm so proud of these pies because they are so pretty and I can't wait to dig into them, and my mom's butter cream pie! yum!! Tomorrow is going to be amazing!

P.S. Both pies were pretty simple, so if you want the recipes let me know :)

Anyway, I'm trying to keep this post short because tomorrow's post is gonna be a doozy!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!!

Thankfulness

In only two short days people all over will be celebrating Thanksgiving. I realize that we've all heard the speech in some form or another about how we should really spend everyday being thankful and not spending only one measly day on it, although no one really does this. So I won't give that spill on here now. I will, however, tell you about a little Thanksgiving tradition. Now I've discussed my family's rituals on previous posts, but there is one ritual of my own that I haven't shared yet.

In high school I started doing this thing where on Thanksgiving I would call anyone in my life who I was truly thankful for and leave them a voicemail telling them that I was grateful for them. Now this was no one standard message each person got, it was personalized for every person so they would know just how they had helped me and affected my life in a positive way. Sadly this ritual has faded over time and I don't find the necessary time to call everyone, mainly because there are so many special people in my life. 


In the spirit of thankfulness, though, I'll make a short list of things I am most thankful for this year.

• I am thankful for my incredibly supportive family. I know that I always have people I can fall back on and people that I want to make proud. 
• Within my family, I'm so thankful for my niece and nephew. Spending time with either of them just reminds me how special and important it is to show love to others. And come on they are adorable!!
• I'm also thankful for my friends. I can't really explain how great they are and all they do for me.
• Now this sounds weird but I'm thankful for Auburn. Not football (well that too), but I'm thankful for my education and the experience that I've had there. 

So these are just a few things, and I suggest everyone actually stop this year and name a few things that you're thankful for. :)

 

Christmas Countdown: Top Hymns!!

Today marks only 5 weeks until Christmas Eve, and I am just as jolly about it as ever. So this week my countdown within a countdown will consist of my favorite hymns to hear in church at Christmastime! In case you don't know, I love hymns! They almost take me back in time to when I learned them. After hearing hymns every Sunday morning for a few years you learn to sing without the hymnal. I learned most of mine in First Baptist Church of Phenix City in a seat slightly left of center, second pew from the back, sitting right next to my grandmother. So when I hear a hymn that I don't hear often, which is mostly at Christmas since we don't hear those year round, I feel like I'm right back next to her in that same seat. And these days I wish I still was.

Sorry to get off on tangent, but Christmas is one of those holidays when many people reflect on Christmases past and fond memories of loved ones. Anyway, here's my list of Christmas hymns. I hope they remind you of a simpler time as they have done for me.

Top 12 Christmas Hymns

• 12. We Three Kings
• 11. What Child is This?
• 10. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
• 9. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
• 8. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
• 7. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• 6. Angels We Have Heard on High
• 5. Oh Holy Night
• 4. Go Tell It in the Mountain
• 3. The First Noel
• 2. Joy to the World
• 1. Silent Night

When I was little, I wanted to play 'Silent Night' every year for my Christmas piano recital, but my teacher wouldn't let me. Well it topped my list then, and it tops my list now. :)

One Week Til Turkey!!

So I'm clearly excited for Thanksgiving to be so close! (that or I really love doing countdowns, okay a little of both) I really need a break at this point in the semester, although this won't be much of a break since I'll be taking the GRE, sending out my grad school applications, and writing my letters of intent. Yikes, that's a lot to do! In the mean time though, to get you pumped for that delicious turkey I'm going to give you my 7 favorite TV Thanksgiving episodes to look up. Get it? That's one for each day until Thanksgiving! So here you go...

Oh and these don't include episodes from the show 'Friends', that's a whole other post that's coming on Thanksgiving Day!! Hey, it's tradition!

Top 7 TV Thanksgiving Episodes

7. Will & Grace - "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (3.8)

• This episode is a flashback to Thanksgiving 1985 when Grace brought Will home for the holiday as her boyfriend. Now if you know the show, you know that Will is gay and Grace is his hag, but this takes place before Grace knew will was gay and believes she is going to marry him. Between the 80's wardrobe and miscommunications it is one hilarious episode.

6. Boy Meets World - "Turkey Day" (4.10)

• Now it is my greatest hope right now that everyone remembers this gem of a show called Boy Meets World. I won't tell you all about it, just the episode. Cory, from a middle class family, and Shawn, who came from humble beginnings are best friends. On Thanksgiving Shawn invites Cory and his family to their trailer for some home cookin'. I won't give away the ending but it is a heart-warming episode like so many were from that show.

5. How I Met Your Mother - "Slapsgiving" (3.9)

• After losing a bet earlier in the season Barney, the womanizer, must let Marshall, the big teddy bear type of guy who is also tough, slap him in the face 5 times at the times of Marshall's choosing. He informs Barney that he will be slapping him for the third time on Thanksgiving and what follows is so funny. Just classic How I Met Your Mother!

4. Will & Grace (yes, I really like their Thanksgiving episodes, so what?) - "Moveable Feast" (4.9)

• In this episode all four of the usual gang want to spend the holiday together but have other commitments. So Will comes up with the idea that they all go to each others commitments, but they are limited to one hour per location. Of course this only makes the whole situation worse, but it makes for some funny scenes!

3. Seinfeld - "The Mom and Pop Store" (6.8)

• In this episode the gang goes to a friend's pre-Thanksgiving party even though Jerry isn't technically invited. The friend's apartment happens to overlook the location where the balloons for the Macy's parade are being kept. I should also mention that Elaine has found a way to let her eccentric boss participate in the parade. And as usual for everyone on that show things just don't go the way you think they will.

2. How I Met Your Mother - "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap" (5.9)

• In this episode Marshall invites a guest that is less than okay with his wife. Meanwhile Marshall has given the gift of "slap" to Ted and Robyn. One of them is going to get to slap Barney in the place of Marshall, the problem is figuring out which one gets the honor.

1. Will & Grace (yes, again) - "Queens for a Day Part 1 & 2"

• In this two-parter Will wants to impress the mother of his serious boyfriend, Vince. Unfortunately while he tries to create the perfect Thanksgiving for her, Grace and Karen are hooking up with a 16 year old and Jack is trying to convince Vince's younger engaged sister to come out as a lesbian. What else could you ask for?

I love those episodes, if you haven't noticed I prefer sitcoms to every other type of show. Anyway I hope y'all have time to look those up and enjoy them. As for me? It's back to studying. Ugh...only 3 days til semi-break. I will make it!

How Legends Are Made...

Remember when I told you about that amazing moment between Michael Dyer and Bo Jackson? Well here's the sideline video of it! Enjoy!

I've Got A Feelin'...

In case you didn't see this video after the game last night, it's a compilation of the best moments of the 2010 season! And it's pretty AUsome! :)

War Eagle!!

Auburn vs. Georgia

As the 2010 football season dwindles down, our games get more intense and the stakes get higher. Auburn is now 11-0 and has one game left to play against our biggest rival, Bama. Today's game, though, was against Georgia. For those who don't know, the Auburn/Georgia game is the oldest rivalry in the South. In fact, today's game marked the 114th game in this rivalry. For those interested, Auburn has won the majority of those match-ups. The stats are now 54-52-8. So maybe you can grasp that the Auburn/Georgia game is a big deal. Although, Auburn lost the last four games against Georgia before tonight, which has made the rivalry kind of fizzle. But tonight was different. :)

Tonight was incredibly special for many reasons. Not only was this rivalry reignited, but for me it was my last home game as a student (undergrad that is). Now let me take you back about 20 years and explain why this is so significant.

My parents took me to my first Auburn football game when I was 2 years old. Since then I've really only known the lifestyle of a football fan in the Fall. We go to all of the home games and most away, unless there are previous engagements for a particular Saturday. We also sit in the same seats season after season, section 29 row 41 seats 21-25. Those seats just happen to fall directly on the fence that divides the student section from the season ticket holders, so I've been right next to the student section my entire life. Now growing up I knew there was only one place I wanted to go to college, in fact it was the only place I applied. Now fast forward to freshman year. It was so incredible to be in the student section for the first time. It was like being surrounded by a family of people who were in the same walk of life as me and had the same crazy passion for this football team as I did. I knew that being over there was something special, and even being so close on the other side of the fence with my parents was not the same. I've relished in getting in line hours before game time and just sitting in the sun getting to know those around me until kickoff. It's really become an incredible family, and even though I know I'll always be part of the Auburn family there's just something beyond words about sitting with my fellow students and creating irreplaceable memories.

Now back to today. Today was full of special moments that I will now share with you. As you probably know there is a lot of negativity surrounding our quarterback, Cam Newton (previously mentioned here), and the Auburn family has really come together to show him our support. So today we watched him live on the jumbo-tron coming through Tiger Walk and erupted when he entered the stadium. Now Cam first ran past the students as we cheered him on and then he did something I haven't seen him do before (note: this doesn't mean he hasn't before, I just never saw it). He jogged down to the empty side of the stands, kneeled at the goal post and prayed by himself. He then stood, patted the goal post and ran back to mid-field to pray with his team (a ritual that always warms my heart).

That's the team praying.

Another moment that gave me chills today was the eagle flying. Sometimes when we see the eagle fly game after game we tend to forget how truly special it is, so today I told myself that I would really take it in. Nova, the eagle, flew right over my head today and circled over the student section flying alarmingly low. It was absolutely beautiful.

Also during pregame, Bo Jackson was presented with a plaque commemorating the 25th anniversary of his Heisman win. P.S. that means he will be honored this year at the Heisman presentation in NYC in December. So make sure to watch it this year, as if you weren't already for Cam.

Also the sunset tonight was a beautiful orange and blue, just as God intended. ha ha

Anyway another high point was when freshman running back Michael Dyer broke Bo Jackson's freshman rushing record with 850 yards this season (so far). The camera zoned in on Dyer on the sidelines and had a caption alerting the stadium of this new record. It was funny because he didn't even know what was going on until he read the screen himself, then he stood up and let everyone cheer for him. The really great part of this moment though, was when Bo Jackson came over right then to shake Dyer's hand, kiss him on the head, and hold up his arm like Dyer was the new champion. Honestly, that one moment made me tear up. There just aren't many times that something that special will happen.

Speaking of record breaking, Cam became the first player in SEC history tonight to complete 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in the same season. Just sayin', don't tell me he shouldn't get the Heisman, he is clearly the most outstanding player in college football this year.

Anyway, the end of this game was the best part of the night. We won, as I mentioned earlier Auburn is now 11-0 this season, which is amazing!! A great moment in this was watching the senior football players take their glory walk one last time around the stadium. Now let me say that the best part of winning is celebrating, especially celebrating in the student section, because we don't leave until we absolutely have to. Tonight we sang 'Lean On Me' in support of the struggles our team is currently facing (this also made my heart smile). In typical victory fashion, though, we sing the fight song, we sing 'Hey! Baby', but most importantly we sing the Alma Mater. The students link up (wrap arms around each other) and sway as we sing the Alma Mater a cappella. I definitely cried during that moment because I know that no matte what, win, lose or draw, that at the end of any game we link up and sing an anthem to our school. And it was very special for me to have that tonight for the last official time as a student. These words ring so true in the heart of an Auburn Tiger:

On the rolling plains of Dixie
'Neath the sun-kissed sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
Banners high.

To thy name we'll sing the praise,
From hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our loyalty
the ages through.

We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.

All in all this night was unforgettable. We do have one game left, though, and I'll be there to support my team in T-town too. Oh I mean regular season, did I forget to mention that tonight's win made us the SEC West Champions? That's right you know where we'll be December 4th!! (Thank goodness my final on Dec. 6th is gonna be a piece of cake!)

But for now that's all. It's been a great 5 (oops) years and I feel so blessed to have been part of the Auburn family my whole life. Thank goodness my parents were smart enough to raise me the right way. :)

"I believe in Auburn, and love it!"

War Eagle!!

Christmas Countdown: Top Radio Songs!!

As some of you may know we are exactly 6 weeks away from Christmas Eve as of today!! In honor of the holiday season I've decided to count down each week until we are there!! So each Friday I will post a countdown within my countdown. Today I'm posting my top 25 Christmas songs I love to hear on the radio (since the radio stations are already playing them)! I have to say this list was very hard to make, and most of the songs it the 'honorable mention' category are ones I just didn't remember until after I made my list, so it's not that I don't really love those songs. :) Please also recognize that I've listed my favorite artist for each song, which is also a feat because so many great artists cover these songs. So here we go...

Honorable Mention (in no particular order)

• Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy
• 12 Days of Redneck Christmas - Jeff Foxworthy
• We Need a Little Christmas - Johnny Mathis
• Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
• The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
• Christmas in Killarney - Bing Crosby
• Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney & Wings
• O Christmas Tree (O Tennenbaum) - Vince Guaraldi Trio
• Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
• Please Come Home for Christmas - Charles Brown
• Christmas Time is Here (Charlie Brown song) - Vince Guaraldi
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Harry Connick Jr.

My Top 25 Christmas Radio Songs

• 25. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Frank Sinatra or The Jackson 5 (Sinatra is classic but the Jackson's version is fun!)
• 24. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes
• 23. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby (It's Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you!)
• 22. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
• 21. Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg
• 20. Carol of the Bells - George Winston
• 19. Grown-up Christmas List - Natalie Cole and David Foster
• 18. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
• 17. Mary, Did You Know? - Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd
• 16. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Carrie Underwood
• 15. Winter Wonderland - Jason Mraz or James Taylor
• 14. The First Noel - Josh Groban and Faith Hill
• 13. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
• 12. Jingle Bells - Barking Dogs (Yes, I chose the dogs singing it. ha ha)
• 11. It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby (Love his bass-baritone voice! He's one of my favorites to sing Christmas songs!) 
• 10. Where Are You Christmas? - Faith Hill (This always makes me think of The Grinch!)
• 9. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams (because it really is!)
• 8. Oh Holy Night - Clay Aiken (Okay you knew I was gonna stick Clay in here somewhere!)
• 7. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Alvin and the Chipmunks (so precious!!)
• 6. Happy Christmas - John Lennon/The Plastic Ono Band (the song is actually called Happy Xmas, but I'm not a fan of shortening Christmas)
• 5. Believe - Josh Groban (I swear this song makes me cry, it's just so special for children to believe in the magic of Christmas! It warms my heart!)
• 4. Home for the Holidays - Perry Como (This makes me so excited to go home for Christmas break!!)
• 3. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (again, it doesn't get any better than Bing's deep smooth voice. But Dean Martin, Sinatra, and even Josh Groban are close behind!)
• 2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland (from Meet Me in St. Louis, her voice on this song makes me teary-eyed)
• 1. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Frank Sinatra (I love this song because having family together at the holidays is the best part! That and creating irreplaceable memories, especially with little ones. And I chose Sinatra because he sings it 'presents on the tree' which is correct!)

I hope you enjoy this list and even look up these versions! I also hope it begins to get you in the mood for the holiday season! I can't wait to write next week's list, I already have it ready.

Anyway enjoy the weekend, tomorrow is a big game here, Auburn vs. Georgia, and my last home game as a student here. I'm very excited and sad that it's ending, but it's going to be a great day!

Happy Friday all!

Two Weeks til Turkey!!

As you may have noticed, today is November 11th (11/11) which means that we are 14 days away from Thanksgiving!! There is so much to do between now and then, but I can't help but get excited at the thought of one of my favorite holidays! At our house the traditions that we've taken on include watching the Macy's parade, Thanksgiving lunch (and dinner left overs), watching a marathon of a favorite show, and really just spending quality down time together.

Side note: I also have a special tradition that I've done in the past, but don't really do anymore that I will post more on later.

I'm really the only one who watches the parade intensely but maybe this year Davis will join me (not likely unless there's an Elmo balloon). Anyway my favorite part of the whole day is after we eat lunch we sit down and watch an all day marathon of 'Friends' Thanksgiving episodes. Now our family loves that show and their Thanksgiving episodes were always their big holiday, so we watch them every year. There are nine episodes so I'll probably make my turkey day post about thankfulness and those episodes. Get excited! :)

I'm just glad that down time is right around the corner and I'll have time to breathe for a week! And it's coming up soon so everyone start thinking what you're thankful for, I already have some ideas of my own!

Chocolate!!!

Today was the Women's Health and Wellness Chocolate Festival and it could not have gone any better!! The festival is a collection of organizations promoting women's health (hence the name) and we get businesses from around Auburn to donate tons of chocolate to lure in students. And it worked like a charm!! I'm really proud of how well everything turned out and to have been a part of it. Yes, this is a short post, but I just wanted to take a moment to express my pride in the chocolate festival and the Women's Resource Center in general.

I'd also like to express my pride for my friend Reed!! He was accepted into graduate school today!! Congrats Reed!! Here's hopin the rest of us get in also! :)

It's been a wonderful day for me (even though I'm sick during the busiest week of the semester). Happy Wednesday to you all as well!! :)

Life of the Party

This weekend I took a trip with my parents up to Huntsville for my niece's first birthday party, and it was wonderful. I don't get to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece very often so I was super excited just to be seeing them, but it was extra special to celebrate Rachel's birthday! I'll keep the writing pretty short on this post because it has a lot of pictures, but here's a recap of the weekend.

First on the way out of town we stopped by J & M to get a children's book that I had seen and wanted to get Rachel. It just so happened that next door Coach Pat Dye was signing autographs and taking pictures. So we just had to get her book signed and I had to get a picture with him! After all I've never met him before and he's a legend!! Anyway I'm just glad I was able to form full sentences in front of him since I have a reputation of ambushing Auburn's celebrities with awkwardness. After that, though, we hit the road to Huntsville.

Once we got there we got to see William, Leslie, and Rachel for a little bit and help decorate for the party! It turned out looking so cute, which you can kinda see in the background of the pictures. Anyway the next morning we got up very early to watch Rachel at her baby gymnastics class (I don't think that's what it's really called, but let's just roll with it). So she was so cute in this class (not that she isn't super precious all the time!) She can't walk just yet, although she's very close, but I can really see how baby gymnastics can help build on those muscles needed for learning to walk. Just sayin'.

So that afternoon we all got together for the party, and here come the pictures...

Isn't she precious?!?

And check out how awesome that cake is!

Ha ha...I love this one!

She was too cute unwrapping gifts, and playing with toys as they were unwrapped. Classic.

And she's a pro at getting her picture taken! I mean, come on, she's so photogenic!!

And I think this picture is just about the cutest thing ever!! (by the way her t-shirt said "That's it, I'm texting Grandma!" haha)

And she was, of course,supporting her team!

So that's the party day and the next day we went by in the morning before heading out of town. Let me tell you that there is nothing sweeter than a baby in the morning time. Rachel was so cuddly and sweet! And I can't wait to see her again at Christmas time! And William and Leslie too. :)

By the way, that's us the next morning after the party.

So that was the weekend in Huntsville, and it couldn't have been more fun!

I can't forget about other happenings around the South, though. It was Auburn's homecoming, which we won so we are now 10-0!! One more win and we go to the SEC Championship!! Why, you ask? Because Bama lost this weekend. That's all I'm gonna say about that since I know Lauren Burnham reads this. :) Also, Sunday morning was the Chocolate Festival 5K and from what I hear it was a huge success!! This is very exciting because the actual festival is this week and we've worked very hard on it!!

Busy week ahead, but we're close to Thanksgiving!! :)

Definition: Genius!!

A couple of days ago I was shown this video of a British comedy singing group called Axis of Awesome performing something called the '4 Chords Song'. The only word I found to describe it was awesome, which seems redundant because of the band's name, but oh well. Anyway this video is just so cool to me. Now I'm a major lover of music of all genres and time periods so clearly that's why I love it. Hopefully you'll find it just as cool, because I was so blown away by it.


Disclaimer: There are exactly three expletives in this video, and it is "THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!" I'm not trying to over-dramatize it, I just like quoting 'A Christmas Story'! :) Anyway I blame it on the fact that the band is British. But I just thought I'd let you know it's in there...and you should watch it anyway! :)


Side note: If related Axis of Awesome videos are suggested after the video, I do not endorse them. They are very vulgar! Again, you should watch this one though. :)




Now on behalf of a couple of my favorite bands I'd like to say a few words. First of all, you may have noticed that the oldest song on that video was 'Let it Be' by The Beatles (who I believe to be the greatest band of all time, along with a few million billion other people around the world). I think this just attributes to that fact, they obviously set the standards for these other songwriters. I'm just sayin', The Beatles came up with the 4 chord genius and everyone else fell in line. 'nuff said. Secondly, you may also have noticed that another one of my favorite bands, Queen, was not featured on this video. I'm not saying they didn't use those chords, I'm just saying that they were incredibly innovative and Freddie Mercury's writing was genius and original. Lastly, I'm sad to say another one of my favorite bands and artists were indeed on this video, Journey and Elton John. But really Elton and Journey are legends (more so Elton, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight wasn't exactly his career making song, he was awesome way before that). Either way, both Elton and Journey had careers way past those individual songs. Just sayin'.


Anyway I hope you liked the video, and my debate against myself. :)


Happy Wednesday!!