One more second...please · Lemons to Love

had to be a part of it in person. So off to the computer we went to book our tickets for an Iron Bowl Thanksgiving feast we’ll never forget!

Thankfully our families are also ~~crazy~~ passionate about Auburn so we were able to spend time with them during our trip back East. We flew into Atlanta for some sweet Southern hospitality with Geoff’s dad followed by some good ol’ Southern-style tailgating on The Plains with my family.

(If you know my mom, you know how shocking this picture is…she is Queen of “Anybody wanna split a beer?”)

The infamous mouth-watering Auburn poundcake…

Bromance…

With an afternoon kick-off we had to get there early (naturally) to do a little campus touring, pre-gaming, pre-eating, and soak in all the Auburn ambiance we could. Geoff and I hadn’t been to a game together in 3 years, so to have the opportunity to revisit some sweet memories was a blessing all of its own.

It’s 2:30 and time for kick off…but before we start the age-old tradition of Iron Bowl a different kind of special tradition happens. The band plays, the smoke rises, and the soaring eagle takes center stage. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen and sends chills down my back every time I experience it.

With an official timeout to reset the clock, one second remained. We were already prepared to go into overtime, but Alabama was given one more second on the clock and decided to kick a field goal. Their kicker had already missed 2 field goal attempts, so in came the back-up kicker for a 57-yard
er. Dumb coaching call? Maybe. But let’s focus on the brilliance of the other call that was made from Auburn’s coaching staff…to put our fastest guy on the team in the end zone for a ‘kick return’ attempt. Alabama set up, the kick was up….but came just short and into the hands of one Chris Davis who took the ball for a whopping 109 yard return and touchdown! It was the most amazing football game I have ever been a part of! The fans rushed the field and the Iron Bowl was ours for the taking. The party continued on the field, at the tailgate, and even late into the night in downtown Auburn.

(In all the excitement of our win, my Ray-Bans flew off my sweater, down a few rows, and under the foot of another Auburn fan. Well, I can’t say it wasn’t worth it…so I threw those suckers back on my face and rocked ’em for the remaining of the night. Can I getta War Eagle?!)

It might just sound like a ‘cool story’ or any other football game to others, but to us it’s a sweet place in our life and in our memory forever. Being a part of Auburn is more than just about football…it’s about family and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

Now after the SEC Championship win against Missouri and #2 Ohio State losing a few weeks ago, Auburn has been named to play FSU for the BCS National Championship in Pasadena, CA. And wouldn’t you guess it, Geoff and I are going!! We were lucky enough to go 3 years ago when we were first dating, and now we’re blessed twice in a lifetime to go again. We weren’t going to travel for the holidays to see family, but thanks to Auburn football we’ll be doing just that! It’s not just about a football game, it’s about family and tradition…and for us those just happen to go hand-in-hand.