Saints Game

After about ten years I finally, thanks to my awesome father-in-law, got to go to a Saints game...WITH FIELD PASSES!! (Did I mention my father-in-law is awesome??)

Gabe and I got to the Dome at 9am to visit Champion Square and be the first in line when the doors opened.  I was prepared...camera, game program, and a Sharpie in my back pocket.  I even dumped about 200 pics of my kids to make sure I had plenty of storage room for Drew.  And Gabe had restraining orders ready in case he needed to help Drew out a little.   Seriously, bucket list, people. Bucket list.

And finally we made it onto the field for the pre-game warm up.

Drew!! EEK!

I told everyone I would get my picture with Drew; and I did.  See?? That's him in the back warming up around mid-field.  Drew. Me.  In the same picture.

I got THIS CLOSE to him!  But I didn't get his autograph.  siiiiigh...

But it was all still pretty awesome. I couldn't believe I had made it this far. And I did walk away with Willie Sneed's autograph.  And I got to talk with Fred McAfee who went to the same college as me so that was pretty cool.

More warm up...

After all that there was still an entire game to watch.  And it allowed for plenty of cheering with the season ticket holders all around who had quite the camaraderie with everyone.  We picked the best game in hindsight as the Saints took a 21-0 lead early in the first half.

It was AWESOME to be back in the Dome.  I sure hope we can make it back again soon!

Ummm...No

Kendall:  Mommy, how old are you?

Mommy: (sigh) 35

Kendall:  You're a 35-er!

We're going to have to work on that before the next fourteen years roll by because NOOOO WAY am I EVER gonna be referred to in ANY WAY as a 49er.  Ever. Who Dat.

And just for that...

 WHO DAT!!

We're Marching In Still

August 2005 the New Orleans Saints had a near impossible task:  to rebuild a city.  Now the city has a turn to save a team. Hurricane force winds could knock down and flood our homes, which we rebuilt, but it didn't wash  away our resolve.  And the crushing blows of the NFL and its commissioner aren't going to do the same to our loyalty spirit and determination.

The Who Dat Nation has been called to action, and rally behind our team and our couch we will.

I couldn't say the words better than the following article in the Clarion Ledger.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120322/COL0504/203220351/Rick-Cleveland-Hypocrisy-work-NFL?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

Brutality.  Excessiveness.  Uncalled for injustice. 

New Orleanians and Who Dats proved in the aftermath of a the most terrible storm that we can fall and rise again. Now it's time to pick our team up and carry them through the season to the Super Bowl in our own back yard.  A long shot?  Yes.  Near impossible?  Maybe.  But isn't that what was said about our city in the weeks and months after The Storm??  And wouldn't THAT be sweet revenge?! They couldn't take away our "Who Dat"; they surely won't take away our beloved Saints.

Oh, and Mr. Commissioner, if you're so determined to wreck our season as you apparently seem to be with all your brutality, retaliation and scapegoat-ism tactics, then you should be just as willing to forfeit any proceeds you should incur (inadvertently but certainly not deliberately from any Who Dat) from the upcoming season. 

Who Dat.

About Time...

...there was some class around here!

Happy Birthday, Drew!

Drew Dat!

Sew, Are You a Who Dat?!

This sewing stuff is just way too fun and addictive!  WHO DAT!

Merry Who Dat Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

And to Who Dats - A Repeat!

A Little "Who Dat"ier

So I thought my Who Dat Christmas decorations were complete.  Ha!  I just had to see Martha Stewart on The Today Show this week and got another grand idea.  Of course Martha's weren't black and gold, but I had Saintly ideas in mind.  Off Kendall and I went in search of a few treasures I would need to complete it all.  Is it just me (maybe I'm a trend setter) or is black just not the most popular Christmas decorating color???  I should have bought ALL the gorgeous black ornaments at Hobby Lobby when I saw them.

Here's the wreath I made similar to Martha's...

And I found these wreaths in my attic.  I haven't used them in a few years.  Then I noticed that half of the pine cones attached were g-o-l-d!  Yesssss!  Out came my favorite black spray paint can to give the plain ones a makeover. 

It's kinda hard to see the black ones in the picture, but they're there.

And here's the napkins rings that, actually, I made a few years ago as well.  I found fleur-de-lis magnets in New Orleans and bought some hammered copper napkin rings at Walmart. A little super glue is all it took.

So maybe NOW I'm finished.  All my presents are bought and wrapped...

... and Christmas cards have been mailed.  Next week Kendall and I can kick back and have fun enjoying the season without as much stress and rush. I have some fun ideas in store.

Black and Gold Christmas

Dating back to I was a wee child, my mom has always bought us ornaments each year that depicted an event from that calendar year (like ballet slippers the one year I took ballet, a bride the year I got married, etc). I mean, seriously, my whole stinkin' life can be told on the Christmas tree.  It's really a fun family tradition that has been repeated with Kendall.  But back to me...

So...what did my mom get me this year??? A gold pig with wings!!  (Some of you will get that later.  Use the title of this post as a clue.  Think back to February 7, 2010. For you Who Dats here's a little Saints trivia:  It pertains to what Jim Henderson {he needs no introducing to Who Dats} proclaimed when the last second ticked off the clock on the afore-mentioned date.) Ok, I'll wait a few seconds for you to get it.....................hmmmm hmmm............................................................LOL!  Isn't that a riot??!

So the pig got me thinking. I always decorate with a theme in mind for Christmas.  Hmmm...what could be my theme this year??? I decided to be really obnoxious festive and celebratory this year.

Oh yeah, it's a BLACK and GOLD, Christmas at the Gozas this year. 

So here's how I came to the long, drawn out instantaneous decision.   Well, I have BIG ideas. I have a little budget. I already have tons of gold stuff.  And my Super Bowl wreath is still hanging.  Why not have a Merry Who Dat Christmas??

I simply added some gold ornaments and a bow to my existing wreath.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but in the center of the ornaments hanging from the mirror, there's a fleur-de-lis.  A friend who recently returned from a vacation brought it to me a a little happy.  (Whatever made her think of me when she saw a fleur-de-lis???)  I bought some black ornaments from Hobby Lobby for half off and intermingled them with the gold stuff.

Here's a closer look 'cuz they're hard to see. (And notice the JOY stocking holder in the middle is flanked on either side by angels.  Very saintly.)

And here's my little Charlie Brown tree on my kitchen counter.  Again, all the trimmings came from the Hob Lob at half off.

And here's another little display.  For the past few years I've set out pictures from the current year as a way to think back to recent memories we've made.  Notice the two black felt trees in the background.

Here's a closer look.  I got the idea from one of my magazines (theirs were green of course).  I'll post later how I made them.

And here's the piano.  It's more "traditional" but baby Jesus is welcomed into Bethlehem by tons of little gold ornaments.

I must say, when I was arranging this, Kendall pointed and said, "Ma-wee!  Baby Je-suh!" My heart just swelled that she knew right off who that was, no explanation needed.  Of course after the explanation she now adds with a head shake, "no touch dis Baby Je-suh".  Then she points to her non-breakable, replaceable nativity set and says with a finger point and nod, "Play dis Baby Je'suh."

So, my friends, there's a tour of my festive house this year.  And if we Repeat Dat, I already have my decorations ready to go for next year!  (Additional incentive for Gabe to yell Who Dat just a little louder each and every game.)

And to quote a few lyrics to a song from my childhood Saints cassette tape:

Have a Merry Who Dat Christmas.
Spread some Who Dat cheer.
The Saints are in the playoffs (update: Super Bowl Champions) this year!

Saintly

Ok, so my little Who Dat feet are still walking on air six months after the Saints' Super Bowl win. Let me repeat dat...

The SAINTS are SuPeR BowL ChAmPIoNs!!

Been dere. Done dat. Got da ring.

(And click here for Jim Henderson's call from Super Bowl XLIV) Chills and tears abound every time I watch it.

And just this week the Saints came marchin' in to our town to showcase all their relics. And you know this little transplanted Who Dat ain't gonna miss dat. So Kendall and I, decked out in our black and gold, swung by to get Daddy at lunch and went to view it all. Kinda like a mecca trip, you know.

Do you see how Kendall is so enamored by even the sight of the Lombardi that she can't even take her eyes off it??...

We stood in line for about ten minutes to see the REAL THING up in person. Here's a quick recap from that night...


And here's the Marine who just with his presence dared you to get too close.

And here it is, Saints fans. What we've been waiting forty-three stinkin, long suffering, baghead years for. In all it's glory...

And it did not disappoint. In case you can't read the engraving at the bottom it reads as follows: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 31, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 17

And here's Mama Who Dat and Baby (redneck with her belly hanging out) Who Dat posing for the ultimate Saints Fan photo opp. (Kendall's still checking out the Marine.)

And let's not forget the NFC Championship trophy from two weeks prior that left Favre"on the ground"...

And here's the closest I could get to an actual Saints Super Bowl ring...

And remember the "Bring the Wood?" (uh, tears just well up!)

Well, here ya go...

And the actual helmet and jersey that Saint Drew wore...

There were some other relics that I oohed and aahed over as well. It just got me all excited again as I think to this coming season when the Saints will REPEAT DAT!

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And while I am on the subject of Saints. Let me just tell you. I just finished reading Drew Brees' book, Coming Back Stronger. And just when I thought I couldn't respect him any more, or revel in the past season more, or be proud of my home town more, or be hopeful for New Orleans' future more, I picked up this page turner. I would love to share some excerpts but I would just end up pasting the whole book into this little blog.

So here's what the back cover says... (with a few of my own tid bits)

In the aftermath of one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, the city of New Orleans needed a hero.

WHAT THEY GOT WAS A SAINT.

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, the residents of New Orleans desperately needed something-anything-to believe in. And after being told he might never play football again due to a horrific shoulder injury, quarterback Drew Brees needed a team that believed he could still play...and win.

What happened next is nothing short of providential.

Drew signed with the New Orleans Saints and immediately set to work rebuilding not only his own career but the city of New Orleans as well. Four years later, he led the Saints to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

A true inspiration on and off the field, Drew has become a symbol of hope-not just to the team and the city he helped resurrect, but to everyone who has ever been knocked to the ground.

Drew's invaluable insights on unleashing the hidden power of adversity are proof positive that with enough faith, determination, and heart, you can overcome anything.

I couldn't be prouder to be a Saints Fan and a New Orleanian.

I couldn't be more excited for this coming year.

And I couldn't be more impatient to get those signed betrothal papers for Kendall and Baylen that I had my people send Drew's people. We're already helping Kendall with her throw and spiral so she can knock his socks off with her talent and beauty when they finally meet.

But until then, GO SAINTS and GO BREES!