Super Saturdays

We've had lots of weekend fun around here, so I thought I'd share with you how our past few Saturdays have been spent!

Almost a month ago, Clara and Benji helped wash cars with our church's youth group as a fundrasier for their activities and some mission projects they are planning for next summer. Benji arrived close to the end of the carwash, but Clara worked hard with her friends for about three hours!

After the carwash was over, we came home to have a quick lunch, then headed to the square for "Selling Day!" Since July, Clara and her friend, Libby, have made bracelets and artwork with the hopes of selling it in some public venue. We figured the town square would be the perfect location since that's where people sell produce and boiled peanuts almost year round. The date was chosen to work around two very important factors: weather and Ole Miss football. The sale was very successful as each one made about $7! They are planning to sell again in the spring and add some music performing and baked goods to their table.

Vendors Libby and Clara in the middle

and Edi Rose and Benjamin (who wanted to be included also)

The following weekend was Halloween!

Clara was "Fancy Nancy," Benjamin was a Ninja Turtle

and their friend Abbi was a witch

Last Saturday was our family's first opportunity to go to an Ole Miss football game! Andy has been a few times, but we were all a little curious, so when some friends offered us four tickets, we were excited. The team isn't having a great season (I'm not really sure when they've had one--Bonnet, care to chime in here?), so even the regular fans weren't all there, but I think we still got a pretty good taste of the Rebel culture.

We had a long walk from our parking spot to the stadium and,

along the way, we stopped to take these pictures for our Colt fans!

Instead of tailgating for Ole Miss games, fans pay college students to set up their tents in the wee hours of the morning to get just the right spot in The Grove. The Grove is a large lawn with old trees scattered about in the midst of some campus buildings. During the week, you'd never know that it is full of tents almost every weekend of the fall. The picture below doesn't really do it justice because there are so many tents and people--it's really one big party. Each tent had chairs and food. Some tents had long tables with steamed platters of food (think wedding reception buffet line) and big screen TVs. Almost every one we saw was holding a red plastic cup full of ???? :)

The Grove

And here we are at the game. They played the Ragin' Cajuns from Lafayette Louisiana--it should've been the easy win they had planned for Homecoming, but at times the score got pretty close. Maybe they can brush up their defense and pull off a more respectable performance for the Egg Bowl in a couple weeks! We'll see....