The Best Day EVER!

Yes, I stole the title from Tangled. 


But in fact Saturday was one of our best days ever or at least the best day we've had in a really long time. 


For months we've been coordinating with three college friends (well, they are more Brad's friends but I claim them as my own) to meet back at MSU and attend a football game.  Getting three families together to do anything can sometimes be a logistical nightmare, but we were all determined not to let anything stop us.  Except bed rest, I suppose.  One of the spouse's could not make the trip due to a pregnancy, but that's a valid excuse. 


We left the kiddos with my parents and headed up to Starkville.  We were the first to arrive since we had the shortest drive to get there so we rode around campus a little bit.  Then I went to see Hannah in her dorm.  Walking into the lobby of that dorm I was made keenly aware of the fact that dorms have come a long, long way.  No cement block walls, no community bathrooms, it's more like a really, really nice hotel than a dorm.  A very secure, quiet hotel, in a great part of a great neighborhood.  The kind of hotel you don't want to leave.  I have to say though, the dorm room itself was still the size of a regular old dorm room.  They don't have any extra space than we did in the olden days, but the space they have is definitely nicer/newer. 


After I left Hannah's dorm, we went to The Lodge where we met up with Kelly, his wife Kari, and Sean, and Sean's 7-year-old son Jackson.  Kelly and Sean and Brad all lived together at Farmhouse Fraternity.  After lots of State paraphenalia was purchased, we loaded up in the truck for lunch at Little Dooey's, the bestest b-b-q joint in Starkville. 






L to R:  Sean, Brad, Kelly



 We stayed there so long we considered ordering again, but decided to leave and move on with the day. 


With it being a game day, you could not get into a parking lot for free so we all had to pitch in to pay for parking at Farmhouse.  Once there, the guys reminiscing kicked into high gear. 






Sean, looking like he's moving back in....






The guys finding themselves and others in the composites and sharing stories.  The guy in the green shirt and khakis is currently living at FH and was entertained by the "old guys" coming back and telling him how it was in the "good old days." 



We couldn't go back to FH and not play a pick-up game.  Only this time it would probably be a "pick-me-up-off-the-ground" game.  The guys couldn't quite move around the court like they used to!









The spouses finally allowed in a picture!

We left FarmHouse and headed onto campus, accidentally happening upon the players and coaches making their way to the Field House.  You could feel the excitement in the air, and I held up my camera and starting clicking.  The guy in the suit is Dan Mullen.  I almost cut his head off, but I think you can still tell that's him.  This was one of my favorites parts of the day because I've never been on campus to experience this part of Game Day.  The players and coaching walking by, the band playing, cowbells ringing, it was pretty cool!!!!




Coach Dan Mullen in the Dawg Walk

 

The group outside the Union.  Thanks to my college roommate for making the walk across campus to come visit us in the Union AND for offering to take a picture of us all together! 

After eating in the Union (which by the way, is NOTHING like it was when we were there) it was finally time to head to the stadium.  Poor little Jackson had waited all day to actually see some football.  The rest of the stuff (i.e., hearing adults yap and yap) was very boring to him.  He wanted to see some action on the field, and it was finally time! 






The view from our walk up the ramps to our seats.  Campus never looks more beautiful than from up here....

 



The Hump in the distance - basketball season's not that far away!



My knees were getting shaky-Brad had to take all the "sky pictures."

We made it to our seats and settled in for the game.  We took a couple more pics before kickoff....

We won the football game - in overtime - but it wasn't a very good game for the Dawgs.  We should have won outright, but hey, I guess a win's a win.  We'll take it.  Anyway, the game was secondary to the experience we had just all being there together.  These are some standup guys and I feel privileged to call them friends (awwww.....)  We pledged to not wait so long until we all get together again, even spoke briefly about making this an annual trip!?! 

As a fitting end to a fun-filled day we saw this as we were leaving campus: 




Don't you miss college life? 



Thanks guys for a wonderful, wonderful day!  My cheeks have just now stopped hurting from all the laughing! 

Love y'all!