Saying Goodbye to an Auburn Tradition

This April, the huge oak trees at Toomer's Corner were rolled for the very last time.  Although this occasion was sad in so many ways, I was thrilled that Steven and I got to share this experience with Sawyer (his first and last...because let's be real, last season gave us very little opportunity to roll).

We met Betsy, Michael, Mrs. Shelia, and Mr. Jim at the A-Day game.  It started at 1:00, but we opted to come late because Sawyer has a limited attention span. 



We made it through half of the third and fourth scrimmage before he had to go for a little walk...

Taking a walk around the stadium.  Y'all should have seen all the stroller babies present at the game!

 

 

The tradition continues.

My Auburn Sis :)

One Last Roll! War Eagle, Folks!

Auburn Reunion Tailgate

So, let's be honest...it was a tough season to be an Auburn fan.  Nevertheless, we made the best of it and tailgated like it was 2010.  My brother-in-law, Michael, may just be the biggest Auburn fan I know.  He and my sister Betsy have season tickets and actually made it down for most of the games this season.  If you ask me, that is loyalty because quite frankly they were hard for me to even watch on television. 

Over the past couple of years, Michael has gotten together a big reunion tailgate of sorts for all of our friends.  Since Steven and I have been in North Carolina for the past two seasons, we were unable to make the trip back for the reunions.  This year, we planned it for the AU vs. Texas A&M game (more about that awfulness later). We had such a great time catching up with old friends and seeing the path that God had led each of them down since leaving college.  Sawyer came with us, so we got to introduce him to everyone and he got his first "Auburn Experience." I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for the picture quality you are about to see.  Our camera went dead so all we had was Steven's iPhone. 

admiring Aubie

meeting Auntie Lauren who drove all the way from Austin, TX to be there

 The game was at 6:30, so Steven's parents picked up Sawyer and kept him for the night while we went to the game.  We did a quick tour of the campus before going inside, and I was amazed at how different everything looked since I was a student.  I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, huh?  One good thing about having a bad season is that is was pretty easy to score some great seats for really cheap.  The bad thing is that we wanted to leave after the first quarter because it was such a terrible game...

the most loyal Auburn fans I know

Oh, you know, just hangin' out with Cam.  No big.

Heisman pose

So excited to be back on the plains!

It was great to see everyone at the game, and we already can't wait until next year's tailgate!  Maybe Gus will get our Tigers back on track. :)

Here's one more for the road...

This is a good description of how exciting the game was...season ticket holder sat in front of us and read the paper for pretty much the entire first half.  Better luck next year, I guess.

"All We Do Is Win"

"Good to Great."  Mission accomplished.

Monday night, the Auburn Tigers played the Oregon Ducks in a little game called the National Championship.  What a game!!!

I couldn't be more happy!

Cammy Baby

Cam Newton won the Heisman trophy last night. I was a nervous wreck. Steven was sitting beside me holding my hand as we both repeated "Cam Newton, Cam Newton, Cam Newton" over and over again until the announcer finally said "And the 2010 Heisman trophy goes to CAMERON NEWTON!!!" We were thrilled!

xoxo

Friends+ Food+ Snow+ AU SEC Champs=One Very Happy Lady!

This weekend has been non-stop, but I wouldn't have them any other way. On Friday night, Steven and I subbed in for another couple, and attended Bryan and Bridget's Christmas supper club social. It was one of the most enjoyable and elegant dinners I have ever attended, and of course, the food was delicious!

On Saturday, I woke up early and started to prepare the food for our SEC Championship get together. I made some of Steven's favorites since I never got to cook for him on his brthday, which he shared with Thanksgiving. Later, I did a little more cleaning, while Steven frantically tried to get the built-in complete so our t.v. would have a place to stand. At 4:04 it was finished and the satalite came back on right in time for us to see the opening kick-off (we were more than a little nervous).

Brandon, Emily, Justin, and Kayla got to the house around 4:00, so we ate snacks and hung out while watching the first half of the game. The best part (other than Cam's 6 touchdowns) was that during the first quarter, we looked out the window and huge snowflakes were falling outside! I can never resist the urge to go out during even the smallest snow flurry (we don't get too many of those down in Alabama), so we walked outon the porch and took a few pictures. The rest of the game was a lot of fun to watch. I can't remember the last time Auburn went into half time ahead, so it was a nice change not to have to check my blood pressure after the game :)

Sunday Steven and I were both blessed by the youth who were in charge of leading worship. Many of them stood up and prayed, sang, played instruments, and made introductions. It is awesome to see God working in the lives of so many young people in our area. The youth have formed a band called FMJ (For My Jesus). They are really, really good! I can't wait to hear them again. Also, we were so touched by the message Emily presented. She is truly blessed with the gift of speaking from her heart. Later, I attended a Christmas shower that a lot of the ladies from Asbury threw and had a great time. Overall, great weekend!

If I wasn't so busy, I would be cuddled up on the couch watching a Christmas movie by the glow of the tree. I plan on doing that one day...

xoxo,
Ashley

Thanksgiving...Better Late Than Never, I Guess

Highlights: Visiting with Steven's family in Madison, shopping at 4:00 on Black Friday, spending plenty of time on the farm, watching an amazing Iron Bowl victory, eating at Chez Pierre while out shopping in Tallahassee, and last but not least hanging out with the Fraighleighs Saturday night.

Wednesday, Steven and I left as soon as he got off work and made the long journey to Madison, which is where we spent Thanksgiving this year. We got there super late, so we slept in a little the next morning. After waking up, I ran to the groceryto get the items I needed in order to make my mom's "special" mac and cheese; it just wouldn't have felt like Thanksgiving without it :). Later, we ate a delicious Thanksgiving lunch and celebrated my Thanksgiving baby's 26th birthday. The rest of the day was spent watching movies, snacking, and hunting (for the boys).

On Friday, I joined the millions of other over zealous shoppers who ventured out before sunrise to find a good deal. What a day! All I have to say is Michael Osborn and Steven Meadows better love their gifts because I waited in line for over an hour and a half at Best Buy for them. Actually, I got all of my Christmas shopping completely finished (with the exception of one), so I was proud. Meanwhile, Steven, Conner, Mr. Steve and the rest of the boys went out hunting (I believe you will recognize a pattern here). I met Mrs. Theo and Mrs. Sidney at Covington's in downtown Valdosta for an early lunch before making it home to watch the big game.

At 2:30 we were all sitting in front of the t.v. ready for the Iron Bowl to begin. Although Auburn got off to a very ugly start, our boys showed up in the second half to win the game 28-27. To say we were excited would be an understatement. I was so happy to see our boys fight their way back and win (especially since they were playing at Bryant-Denny).

Saturday I woke up with a smile on my face and got ready to go shopping in Tallahassee with Mrs. Theo and Mrs. Sidney. It was a lot of fun, but since I had already made all my Christmas purchases, I mostly just looked around. Later, Mrs. Sidney insisted that we go to this cute French restaurant called Chez Pierre, which we often eat at when visiting Tallahassee. It is always delicious, and the atmosphere makes you feel as though you are at a cafe in Paris.

Later Saturday evening, we made our way over to Jay and Donna Fraleigh's home. They had invited us all over for dinner, and I couldn't wait to see them. They are the sweetest people, and Donna is an excellent cook. We actually found out that they lived in a town only fifteen minutes from us in North Carolina for the first five years of their marriage. I love spending time with all of Steven's relatives, so we had a lot of fun!

Yesterday, we woke up early, packed our bags, and got on the road headed back. The trip is only supposed to take 10 hours, but we stretched it out to 13 1/2 after sitting in traffic and taking a lot of back roads...

All in all, we had a super time this Thanksgiving, but it feels weird not knowing how long it will be until we see everyone again. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later...I hope you all had a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving as well!

Auburn Halloween Costume Contest

This one just makes me laugh :)

Auburn Tiger Walk Video

I don't blame you, Bama. If I was playing Auburn, I wouldn't let them have Tiger Walk either; but I don't think it's going to matter. In the words of Mr. Newton himself, "We comin'."

"Lean On Me"

In honor of Iron Bowl week, I'm going to share a few of my favorite Auburn moments of the 2010 season, both on and off the field.

It's not about winning

Michael sent me this link, and I just had to share it. God bless!

The Real Cam Newton

Cam started mentoring four boys back in August and consistently makes himself a part of their lives.
"All I do is READ, READ, READ no matter what..."

Auburn vs. LSU (10-23-10) - Tunnel Video Reaction

This is the crowd's reaction to the tunnel video. Pretty exciting!

Disclaimer: Excited Auburn Alumni Rambling

I am so proud of my Auburn Tigers! It seems as though every Saturday I am on the edge of my seat during our games. This week was no exception, until the last quarter when things started to drastically swing in our direction. I am not the first and definitely not the last to say this, but Cam Newton is a Beast!

Last night, Steven and I watched the BCS countdown on ESPN, and we were very pleased with how the computers ranked us. It's about dang time...The BCS has Auburn ranked #4!!! I've never been much of a BCS fan, but yesterday, I felt that we finally got some recognition. Next week's game against LSU and the Mad Hatter will be tough, but I have faith that our boys will do their best. I wish I was there to experience all the action first hand, but I'll have to settle for t.v. this time. I have a feeling we are going to be eating a lot of cajun food at our house this week! War Eagle!

xoxo,
Ashley

Game Day in Auburn

I am so excited about Game Day in AU tomorrow! Even though I won't be there physically, I will be able to see our beautiful campus and all the excited students throughout the day. I know that everyone down there is so so pumped for the big day. I even told my students in NC about it. They are going to watch, and hopefully, learn more about the most beautiful village on the plains. I have all sorts of AU memorabilia posted around my classroom (provided so kindly by Betsy and Michael). A lot of my students have been asking me what's so special about Auburn. I am quick to answer, "What's not special about Auburn? It's beautiful, the weather is awesome (I ususally leave out the part about the pollen), the people are courteous and friendly (family, if you will), and the atmosphere is second to none!" I think I may have a few converts in the making. War Eagle from North Carolina!

xoxo,
Ashley

AU Opening Day

Today, I am full of mixed emotions. I don't think it hit me until this morning that Steven and I are permanent residents of North Carolina. Up until now, I have felt like a visitor. Now that Auburn is starting their season, I realize that we aren't going to be there for any of it. For the past eight years, I have lived in Auburn and proudly cheered for the tigers. I will still proudly cheer for them here, but football here is like basketball back home. People go to the games and support their team, but they aren't heartbroken after a loss of full of pride when their teams pulls off a win.

Let's just say that they don't define fall with football. I do. When I think about fall, I think about Jordan-Hare Stadium,. I think about tailgating with all of my friends. I think about all the great food (Betsy's chicken/bacon wraps, Jonathan's buffalo chicken dip, Michaels perfect hamburgers, etc.) and fun we have waiting on each game to start. I think about my Auburn family because that's what we are at Auburn--a family. We love each other, celebrate with one another, are there for each other. I loved my time at Auburn and miss it terribly, but I know that there is another little crew there that will fill in the spots of those who have come and gone. War Eagle family!

Below are just a few pictures that I had to post.

xoxo,
Ashley

(an early) War Eagle!

Auburn football is less than a month a way. I wanted to pay tribute to this momentous occasion with a little picture diary of sorts. War Eagle!

Me and husband (not then, of course) opening game day 2006.

All of the girls waiting for the student gates to open (2008).

"Go big or go home!" (Opeining Game 2007)

LSU game with the girls (2008)

My two favorite Auburn doctors (Beat LSU game)!

My two favorite Auburn fans (LSU 2008)!

Rolling Toomer's corner (2007)

Osborns + McCullochs = Auburn Family (2007)

Tailgating (2009)

Sue and I with the boys (2006)

Rolling Toomer's corner after beating Bama (2006).

The year of the thumb (2006).

Holdin' it down since 2002.

After beating Florida (2005).

"It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!"