In case you missed it or live under a rock or are just not a football fan (does that even exist?!), you know that Thanksgiving week was a huge week for football.  A couple of games in particular were way too exciting for this little heart of mine.  Let's start with the game dearest to my heart...the EGG BOWL!

This year the Egg Bowl was returned to it's rightful place - Thanksgiving Day.  It was a freezing cold day, but that can't stop this girl and her crazy family.  My sister-in-law asked if we were going to the game, and I replied, "Yep.  Look for us on TV.  We'll be the looney toons with a 16 month old."

My dad and brother were already busy setting up the tents when we arrived.  They were putting up some walls to block the cold wind for Millie Janalee.  This was her first time wearing gloves and multiple layers.  I hated to pull out the snowsuit before the game, so we went with a heavy coat, leggings, fleece pants, boots, two shirts, and a of course her cheer top.  She seriously sat in one spot without moving for an hour.  She's not a fan of big layers.  She wouldn't talk or smile.  She just sat there...and whined occasionally.

Next thing I know, the boys are off to the car filled with heaters and propane (I think that's what it was).  Walmart made a pretty penny as this family prepared for the cold.  Nothing can stop us from enjoying our gameday!  Ha!

By the time my dad and the rest of the boys finished, we had our own little heated "den" and Millie Janalee was able to take her coat off.  Boy, did she come alive!  Dancing, singing, squealing, playing, reading books, and more!

Dustin, Lee, Russ, Daddy, and I played some corn hole to pass the time.  I never won.  Just so you know.

Kristin worked on nice decorations for our Thanksgiving lunch...including that fantastic Egg Bowl centerpiece!  My mom had our meal catered by the on campus catering service.  It was like a real Thanksgiving lunch outside: dressing, turkey, macaroni and cheese, veggies, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, pies, cakes, and more!  It was delicious!  Of course, we loved sharing a meal with all the family and friends!  That's always the best part.

When game time came around, I've gotta admit...I had some anxiety.  Like couldn't catch my breath nerves.  I couldn't figure out why I was having these "episodes", but I'm almost positive it was nerves about the game.  Here's the thing about the Egg Bowl:  No matter what kind of season you have had, you NEVER KNOW who will win this game.  

Everyone began taking tents down, packing cars, and adding layers.  And layers.  And layers.  Millie Janalee was our little marshmallow baby!  And the cutest marshmallow baby I'd ever seen.  She started running toward Uncie Bucket and fell flat on her face like the kid in Christmas Story.

Russ and I overprepared for this game.  Whatever we might need, so that we wouldn't have to leave the game early.  Ski bibs, a puffy coat. long johns, headgear, gloves, hand and toe warmers, boots, scarves etc.  By the time we got into the stadium, I was sweating!  You should know that I never put my coat on! 

The game was not pretty on either side.  But, man, was it exciting!  It came down to overtime and the last play.  I don't need to replay it, but we forced a fumble as Ole Miss's QB was running into the end zone...winning the game!  After that it was pandemonium in the stands.  Some say luck?  Whatever!  That was a great play!  I've seen the replays (and some of the controversial after play ones too), and I still get excited every time.  Then I feel sorry for Wallace for a little while.  But, that's just the game.  It happens.  It just wasn't his day.  We've had plenty of "not our days" too. 

But the Egg Bowl 2013...it was our day.

You see, this game determined our eligibility for a bowl game.  Four years in a row, we're going bowling!

The crowd stayed around for a while after the game.  We cheered the team as they ran around the sidelines with the Golden Egg.  We sang the alma mater.  We rang our cowbells.  We cheered some more.  We even watched on the Jumbotron as the coach gave his post-game pep talk to the guys inside the locker room (or whatever that building is called).

It was a great day to be a Bulldog!

We won the day!  365 days of bragging rights are ours.

MSU vs Kentucky

Thursday night, our Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Kentucky Wildcats at Davis Wade Stadium.  Russ had to work, of course, so Millie Janalee and I loaded up after lunch and drove south toward Starkville to meet the rest of the family.  Since it was a weekday, we opted to meet at Buffalo Wild Wings for a pregame dinner/snack. 

The idea was to "white out" the stadium, so I had to get busy finding something warm enough for Millie Janalee to wear. I found this little dress from last year (It was 3-6 months) and tried it on her the night before.  It would still work as a top!  So, I ran to Target in search of white leggings.  The only ones I found were 9 months, so I picked them up hoping they would work.  I just couldn't resist the little faux Ugg boots on my way to the checkout.  She was ready for gameday!

She She, Millie Janalee, and Uncie Bucket

"This is how you ring, Uncie Bucket!"

When we arrived on campus, the weather was perfect!  A great evening for football.  It was quite evident that the crowd was a little low for this game.  It was a weekday game, and I'm sure lots of people had to work.  But it was also an SEC game, so I was a little surprised.  I mean the entire row behind us was empty and the student section was half to three-fourths full.  Maybe.

We settled in for kickoff, and we were happy to find fun pom poms in our seats.  Millie Janalee was actually afraid of the pom poms and prefers her cowbell.  Haha!  Fine with me!  She stood in her seat watching the pregame show and kickoff.  She cheered when the crowd did and rang her cowbell when we did.  It was so funny watching her ring that cowbell with all her might when she saw others doing it.  And I swear it looked like she instinctively knew when to ring it!  She seriously watches the game.  Y'all may think I'm exaggerating, but she does.

A man walked down from a few rows above us who has been watching us since last year.  He said he and his wife were having a discussion on whether or not Millie Janalee was the same little girl as the little baby they watched last year.  Ha!  Yes sir she is.  True Maroon from the age of 6-7 weeks old! 

It didn't take too long for me to pull out a warm hat for the sweet baby bulldog.  My neice, Julie, made this adorable pink football hat, and I LOVE it!  It is super soft and covers her ears so nicely.  Plus it ties so that Millie Janalee can't jerk it off...which she tried to do.

The funniest part about this is that immediately after I put the hat on her head, it's like she was pouting.  Or maybe she just got very cozy.  She started hugging and kissing me and trying to be cuddly.  She sat in my lap, and before we knew it she looked like this...

And she pretty much has no idea what happened in the second quarter...

The game was nerve-racking and not that exciting at the same time.  It didn't seem like we were playing very well, and the game was much closer than it should have been.  My sister's friend, Ally, came by our row for a visit.  She lives in Texas, so it was nice to see her.  Millie Janalee warmed up to her nicely too.

And the girl kept her eyes on the game.  At this point, she still hasn't said anything since we put the hat on her head.  Maybe she was scared it would do something to her.  Ha!  Or maybe she wasn't sure why she was cold. 

By the fourth quarter, Millie Janalee was bundled up and wrapped in blankets snuggling with Auntie Kristin as she watched our Dawgs defeat the Wildcats 22-28.  It wasn't all that pretty, but a win is a win!

Our next home game?  Alabama.  Are you ready for that?

MSU Homecoming

This past weekend, we made our way to Starkvegas to celebrate MSU Homecoming and cheer on our Bulldogs as we battled against Bowling Green.  It was an evening game, so we enjoyed a full day of tailgating.  This was Millie Janalee's second big tailgating day this year, and I tried to come as prepared as last time. 

She kept herself pretty occupied, and I don't think she ever tried to run away this time either.  It was a successful day!  One without whining...although she did fight her nap...and one full of more memories made.  Sadly, memories without Russ.  Again.  Such is life I suppose.

Auntie Kristin reading to Millie Janalee and "baby lime"

Millie Janalee spent some time on her blanket loving on her baby when I looked over and saw this!  I jumped straight up running for my camera.  When did my baby learn to feed her baby?!  It is so precious! And it makes me sad that she's growing up so!  Gosh, I love this little mama!

"Excuse me, Mama.  I'm trying to feed my baby."

"That's right baby.  Drink the apple juice."

As always, we enjoy our time visiting with all the friends and family members that stop by to chat, eat, watch the game, and play.  I wasn't able to get pictures of them all for fear of driving everyone crazy, but I did grab a few.  And, I may or may not have taken a short nap in the car at one point.  It was a bit of a lazy tailgating day too.  I'm pretty sure my dad was asleep in his "recliner" too.  Ha!

Cassandra and Sheila

Dustin and Kyle

Me, Anna Kate, and Seth (my nephew and his girlfriend)

Jordan and Dustin (notice Millie Janalee asleep on the quilt in the background...as we take the tailgate down around her. Ha!)

We are thankful for the time and energy my parents spend setting up, loading up, purchasing, taking down, and loading back up the tailgating supplies and food only to be unloaded at midnight when we return home.  I don't know how my dad does it every week.  I did catch him studying for his sermon once during the day. Or it could've been the funeral, discipleship training, or speaking engagement he was working on.  I would never make it as a pastor.  Just sayin'.  I barely made it as the PK!  Ha!

Kristin and Lee

"Ooooooh!  I want some of those cookies!"

Dustin and Sheila

Millie Janalee took her nearly two hour nap on the quilt, and woke up just in time for us to head toward Davis Wade Stadium.  She is such a happy girl!  God really showed out for us, didn't he?  She She kept Millie Janalee company while we loaded up the last of the tailgating paraphernalia.  Millie Janalee loves She She.  Sheila's sister also had her baby girl Saturday morning around 1:30 am!  She had an exciting day!

Once everyone loaded up their cowbells and baby snacks, it was time to walk to the stadium!

PawPaw and Millie Janalee

Millie Janalee stuck with Susu and PawPaw most of the game this week.  The sweet little girl who tailgated next to us gave her a face sticker, and she was ready to ring her cowbell by the time the game started!

"It's game time, Mama!"

The game. 

Oh, the game!  Well, we talked about wanting to see a good game, but we certainly didn't mean we wanted to nearly lose.  Our Homecoming game.  We won by one point.  And that wasn't a shoe in.  I agree with my friend, Meg.  I hate that we play up or down to our opponents.

Halftime is always fun watching the Homecoming court on the field and hearing who sponsored them.  I was proud that both the Homecoming Queen and Miss MSU were Chi Os.  The court sits just below us during the game, and we enjoyed watching all the little kids running to take pictures with them after halftime.  I came close to taking Millie Janalee down to take a picture with the Homecoming Queen but thought that was a little over the top.  Ha!  Maybe she'll ask to next year.  And if it's a Chi O, I will gladly take her down!

This picture pretty much sums up the end of our game.  Scared to look, but smiling at a victory!  A win is a win I guess.  We'll take it!

MSU vs. LSU

Saturday was the big game.  Our first home SEC game.  Nevermind that it was against LSU.  SEC games are fun no matter the opponent.  This was also Russ's first game now that he's finished with boards!  Can we get an AMEN!?  Hallelujah!  Our little family met the rest of the crew in Starkville around lunch time.  Millie Janalee settled right into her little tailgate chair to eat and watch the ballgames with the big kids.

She enjoyed her lunch and all the attention of course.

Since this was Millie Janalee's first "real" tailgating day, I came prepared with a quilt, lots of toys, books, and lots and lots of food.  She enjoyed her "playroom" in front of everyone, and only tried to run away from the tents once.  Ha!  We read books, played with water bottles, visited everyone, and took nearly a two hour nap...half on Auntie Kristin and the other half on her quilt.  

When 6:00 neared, we began packing up and loading the tailgate into the cars.  This is one of the best things about our new tailgating spot.  We can easily load up and be ready for our exit on late game nights.  Millie Janalee was refreshed and ready for game time!  I was able (actually Auntie Kristin managed) to get Millie Janalee to eat a mandarin orange cup before going into the game.  She may not have had a proper meal all day, but she never went hungry.  Ha!

My cute little cheerleader!

Getting ready for her "touchdown" motion

While everyone else packed up and put the tents down, I sat with Millie Janalee and did the motherly things like change her diaper and sneak kisses.  I may have also gotten a little overheated and stood up too fast after diaper change.  So, we sat a while on the baby quilt.  I'm telling you, this girl is just the cutest little thing!  I love her so!

"Hmmm...I wonder how those tents just fold up..."

Sweet kisses!

My little Bulldog family!

A little walk with Daddy

"Do y'all need any help over there?"

"It's game time y'all!  Let's GO!"

 Once everything was loaded, we began making an early walk to the stadium to enjoy the pregame festivities and cheer on the players.  I took on the "bag lady role" while Daddy and Uncie Bucket took the precious cargo.  She was ready to see some football!

And I kid you not!  This girl stayed seated or standing in her own seat the entire game! She never whimpered to get down, and she never fidgeted.  She watched the game, watched the jumbotron, and danced to the band.  Oh, and she ate a few snacks too!  Ha!

The first half was too exciting for me to even explain.  We stood, screamed, rang our cowbells, clapped, and smiled ear to ear!  I can ride that excitement for a while!  One of the highlights of the game was when we surpassed LSU in the second quarter.  I took a picture just to prove it.  I hate that the final score did not show how close this game was for the majority of the night.

Basically, we fell apart in the fourth quarter and LSU did not.  Millie Janalee was not impressed and decided to take a nap.  We stayed though.  Til the bitter end.  We were there.  Sometimes it hurts to be "True Maroon", but I was proud of our team and proud of our performance during the first three quarters.

In the end, it didn't go our way.  But sometimes it's the little things that go your way.  Like this sleeping Baby Bulldog in my lap.

Until next week...Go Dawgs!