South Panola Homecoming

Friday evening, Charles and I met Mama and Jerry for a delicious and fun dinner at Como Steakhouse. We then headed to Batesville for South Panola's Homecoming.
We got there a little early, but our stands were already filled! We might have faired better by going to sit with the Horn Lake fans - there was plenty of room!

We watched the band's pre-game show...
and then stood for the invocation and the National Anthem sung by the senior choral students...

The Tigers were ready to run out...After the coin toss...

It was finally time to say "Here Come the Tigers!"

Horn Lake made a really good defensive stop at the goal during our first possession, but after that it was all SP...
Offensively and defensively...
and our field goal kicker did a great job too!

Now we have the option of a PAT or 2 point conversion!

The first half went by pretty quickly, and as the Tigers headed to the locker room for halftime, The score was 43 - 0!
The halftime festivities began, and the first maid to be presented was a Tiger and a Tiger escort...
The girls chose really pretty dresses. They were all so bright...
It was really hot and muggy (I'm so ready for fall weather!) and crowded, so Charles and I left after halftime. We listened to the rest of the game on the ride home. South Panola came away with another win!!

Sweet Blue and White indeed!!!!

Sometimes it is so strange going home. I remember when I was at South Panola, Homecoming was such a fun event. The high school clubs would build floats (such fun!!) and all the students from the grade school through the high school would go outside on day of Homecoming to watch the parade followed by a fun pep rally. The students still get to enjoy spirit week, but no longer get to enjoy a parade. I really wish that they would re-instate it and then park the floats around the stadium for everyone to see on Homecoming night!

I also remember the cheerleaders leading cheers and spreading out all along the stands and being in the band and having our huge sound heard throughout the first, second and fourth quarters by playing S-P-H, Tiger Rag, and various other songs and always playing on a score. I don't know if it is just that the stands have gotten so much larger or me just getting older or a combination of several things, but I really missed the old sounds and feelings of a South Panola Friday night ballgame!

Thankfully, some things remain the same - SP fans are the greatest and really support their Tigers! And the SP Tigers play a great game of football!!

Happy Birthday Charles

Charles recently turned the big 3-5! To celebrate, on the Friday before his birthday, we went to Mama's house and Charles opened his cards... a catfish dinner and money, so Charles was really happy!

We then headed to Oakland...for some Country Catfish!Mama and Jerry treated, and we had such a fun dinner...Charles really enjoyed his first 2 plates...

and his next plate...

It was the perfect pre-birthday celebration!

The next morning was Charles' birthday, so I brought out his presents for him to unwrap...

In addition to the card from me and the card from Toula, Charles got tickets to the MSU/KY game with a fun weekend in Starkville and tickets to 9 to 5 (which I really want to see) with a pre-show dinner. It gets harder and harder each year to come up with different gifts.

I had cooked two of his favorite meals on the nights leading up to his birthday - jambalaya and cheesey chicken and pasta with English peas, corn and crescents. I also treated him to lunch on his birthday, so he decided on the Boiling Point. We enjoyed crawfish dip and po-boys. The shrimp po-boy was so good, and Charles said that the oyster one was too.

Charles' mom sent his birthday present...

a sweet card, an MSU sweatshirt and money, so Charles really liked her gifts too!

Charles also got many phone calls and other well wishes!

We tuned into the MSU/LSU game that evening. We were so hoping that the Dawgs would pull off the win for Charles' birthday. But even with that disappointment, Charles said that he had a great birthday!

Football

So, it is week three of fantasy football, and this weekend will be the battle of the Willoughbys. That's right; it's the Hernando Hornets (me) vs. Starkdawgs (Charles)! Come on Hornets!!
It will definitely be eventful watching all of the games!

The chaz phantasy phootball season actually started back in August with the draft. Charles ordered the draft board, and couldn't wait to open it once it was delivered...
Charles and I enjoyed setting the board up and sticking on all of the initial stickers...Charles mulched which made the yard and house look so good!He even bought some new flowers for the front for me (my petunias just didn't do very well this year)...I sorted and put out all of the player stickers and we rounded up pens, lapdesks and other necessities, and Charles brought out the trophy...

Since Charles won last year, the trophy gets to stay at our house this season. I really think that we need to finish the upstairs to make Charles a game room so that the trophy will have a home...Charles thinks the mantle is a perfect spot for it, but I tend to disagree!

I enjoyed making snacks and setting them out on our pottery pieces!

We had mushroom and creamcheese pinwheels, pesto pinwheels, peanuts...

and an assortment of chips and dips...

including fireside dip which was so good (if I do say so myself!)... and lemonade to go along with the hamburgers and hot dogs Charles grilled...The hamburger and hot dog grilling has a story all to itself...all I can say is thank goodness our house is still standing and no firetrucks were needed!

We also had strawberries and grapes, brownies, iced sugar cookies, peanut butter kisses cookies, M & M's, caramels and kisses...
I pulled out an assortment of huggies for the drinks...

Although since many of the draftees were ole miss fans, the best huggies (the MSU ones) went unused...

So we were all set... and soon several of the draftees arrived. We had a great time with TJ, Kylie, Eddie, David, John, and Shane! Whit, Preston and Ainsley dropped by for a bit, and it was such fun to visit with them!

We missed our out of town draftees, but their picks were in good hands! Everyone picked up their roster sheets...

and the draft began!

The final draft board...

We had such a fun time at the draft, and are enjoying a fun and competitive season so far!!