Alabama Football Weekend

Yesterday (September 30th) was Bo's 27th birthday!  (Yeah, he's gettin' a little old!)  To celebrate, my dad and step-mom bought the four of us tickets to the Alabama vs. Ole Miss (aka. The University of Mississippi) football game.  Since Bo is a pretty fanatic football fan - he is a third generation Cowboys fan - I have wanted to share the Alabama home game experience with him for several years.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I grew up an Alabama fan and I like my fair share of football too - especially college football in the SEC.

It didn't hurt that Alabama is the most dominant team in all of college football right now either...talk about perfect timing!

On Friday we hit the road to Alabama.  It was a long nine hour drive, but we made it there safe and sound and in time for a full day of game-day fun on Saturday!  After swinging by his apartment to pick up my little brother (well, little as in younger, that is...at 6'5" he's not exactly little...), we headed over to the infamous Dreamland barbecue restaurant.

1958 was a big year for Tuscaloosa.  Not only was it the first year that Paul "Bear" Bryant started coaching at Alabama, but it was the year that John "Big Daddy" Bishop opened his first Dreamland Cafe.  Big Daddy was a brick mason for many years, and he longed for another way to support his family.  He had narrowed it down to opening either a mortuary or a restaurant and he got down on his knees and prayed for guidance.  Legend has it that God told him in a dream that night to build a cafe on the land next to his home and Big Daddy made that dream a reality. (Source)

And so a legend was born.

At first we were going to go to the original Dreamland location, but since the ONLY THINGS on their menu are ribs and bread, we decided that wouldn't exactly work for a vegan/vegetarian like me.  Instead, we drove over to a nearby location with a wider menu selection that includes sides and salads.

We started out with a sampler platter complete with spicy sausage, wings, fried, and chicken fingers.

Everyone but me ordered ribs.  

If the leftover bones were any indication, they were delicious!

I stuck with a baked potato and side salad (It came with cheese and sourcream - which I didn't know.  I took off as much as I could so that I could enjoy the taste of my potato slathered in homemade barbecue sauce!)

Hm...hmmm...good!

Everyone had a bite (or two) of homemade banana pudding.  

Man, this stuff is addictingly delicious!

I think I need to come up with an equally delicious - but much healthier - version of my own.

Next, we headed over to the Bear Bryant museum for a little history lesson.  For those of you that don't know, Bear Bryant was the winningest coach in Alabama football history with over 350 wins!  Needless to say, he is a L.E.G.E.N.D. in college football not only in the SEC, but all over the country.

Bear Bryan in his signature houndstooth hat.

Big Al - Alabama's mascot.

One of the many infamous plays in Alabama football's historical playbook (and against Tennessee to boot, which makes it all the better)!

One of Alabama's 14 (yes, that's FOURTEEN) national championship trophies!

One of the many paintings done in honor of Alabama football's greatest moments.  

Isn't this stunning?!  

The players literally look like they are moving on the canvas.

Amazing.

After we finished at the museum, we decided to walk around the quad for a bit.  The quad is a location on the Alabama campus where thousands of people gather to tailgate before the game.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of tents are set up; and tens of thousands of fans proudly parade around in their crimson and white.

It's a sight to behold.

Alabama all-american's memorialized forever.

Me and my (little) brother! :)

About two hours before the game, thousand of fans gather at the front of the stadium for the "Walk of Champions" (so named because statues of every coach that has won a national championship line the entrance to the stadium).  This is where the team enters the stadium prior to the game.

 Hundreds and thousands of fans waiting to greet the team!

Family photo with Dad, Forrest, me, Bo, and Deb.

Guess what showed up about ten minutes before the team?!

You guessed it - the rain.

Good thing Deb bought us all ponchos!

After being thoroughly drenched for about ten minutes, the team bus pulled up and the rain literally just STOPPED.  It was like the sky opened for the team...pretty cool.

By the way, the team ALWAYS dresses in suits on game day - even if it is an away game.  

They looked quite dapper, if I do say so myself.

Then it was FINALLY time to enter the stadium.  

In the hour or so before the game, fans were entertained by the band and several inspirational Alabama football videos.  Truth be told, the entertainment was so good that the 75 minutes before kick-off flew by - which was definitely a good thing because after an already 12+ hour day, I was starting to get a little tired.

Bo and I cheesin' right before kick-off!

The team entering the stadium while being flanked by the band.  

SUCH. A. POWERFUL. MOMENT.

(I might have gotten a little teary-eyed).

Dad and Deb smiling before the game!

A gorgeous panoramic view of the stadium.

It's H.U.G.E. and it was packed with over 102,000 fans!

My handsome birthday boy!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Dad and Deb for providing us with this memorable weekend.  

We will NEVER forget it!

Question of the Day:

What are your thoughts on football?  Do you like it?  Do you think it is overrated?  Did you grow up with it? Do you enjoy attending a good game?  Is there a team you root for?  

Whatever your thoughts about football are, I would LOVE to hear about them in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

"See Ya Next Time" Dinner

After two days of driving, eighteen hours of driving, and countless boxes both packed and unpacked, Bo and I made it safely to Jacksonville, FL on Saturday afternoon!  Since then, we have:

• fully unpacked the house;
• hung every picture/painting;
• picked up Lola(!!!); 
• started settling into our respective jobs; and
• begun to enjoy our new life in the Sunshine State.

You will hear a lot more about Lola and our new home (and job(s)) in the very near future, but today I would like to dedicate one final post to our time in Corpus Christi.

Last Wednesday, me and several of my dearest yoga students and friends gathered together for a "See Ya Next Time" dinner.  We decided to meet at Vietnam - the same restaurant I visited for my 28th birthday - and it was just as delicious, if not more so, the second time around!

While we waited for everyone to arrive, we ordered an appetizer and snapped a few pictures.  Here I am with Colbi and Diane.  You might recognize Colbi from the birthday post since she was at that celebration as well!

Diane is also a yoga teacher and graciously offered to take over several of my 6:00 a.m. yoga classes...brave girl!  I was so happy to have someone take over the early morning classes.  As they say, the early bird gets the worm. :)


My dear friend, Marlene, also joined us.  Doesn't she have a beautiful smile?!  Her joyful spirit shines right through!

We decided to eat "family style."  Everyone ordered something vegan, and we passed around all of the plates so that we could each get a spoonful (or two) of the yumminess!  All in all, if memory serves me correctly, we ordered:

1. yellow curried tofu and vegetables;
2. lemongrass tofu;
3. vegetable delight;
4. red curried vegetables; and
5. sweet and sour tofu.

Each dish included a large portion size, so after we were all stuffed there was still enough to take home for Bo and I's lunch the next day.

Everything was delicious, but I think my favorite dish was the sweet and sour tofu.  However, I find that interesting, because I have never been a huge sweet and sour fan before.  In the past, I think that it was the breading that I didn't like.  Yet because the texture of tofu is much different than say, chicken, the breading in this dish was very light and delicate.  This allowed the flavors of the vegetables and sauce to really shine!  As I typically say of delicious food - YUMM-O!


Before we said our final goodbye's, we had someone take a group picture of us at the front of the restaurant.  I couldn't decide which picture I like better, so I decided to share both of them with you!

When Bo and I moved to Corpus Christi I didn't really know what to expect in terms of yoga, friendships, and community.  Maybe that was for the best, because the end result would have far surpassed any expectations that I might have had in the first place!

As my students, and my friends, I am certain that these women gave me more, and taught me more, than I could have ever given or taught them.  I suppose that that is the greatest blessing of all.  As a yoga teacher, I receive so much, and learn so much, from each of my students, colleagues, and employers.  I feel so much gratitude that this life has given me the opportunity to serve anyone and everyone that I can.  It is such a luxury to teach what I love...and it is my prayer and meditation that I never forget to express my appreciation for being given this role in life.

Corpus Christi, and all of its beautiful inhabitants, you will always be in my heart.  Live beautifully!

Soon to come:

• two more posts about our cruise on the Carnival Magic; and
• a return to vegan cooking (I have really missed cooking!).

Question of the Day:

When you have moved in the past, what was the most difficult part of leaving your old home/community?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

I'm 28!

In the big scheme of things, today's post will be a shorter one. 

Why is that, you might ask?! 

Well, today is my 28th birthday and I want to spend the majority of it away from the computer, with my hubby, doing whatever it is that we decide to do to celebrate! 

Actually, our big celebration was last night.  Since my birthday fell on a Sunday this year, we decided to have a nice dinner out with friends on Saturday night.  A sweet yoga friend of mine had suggested Vietnam Restaurant, and even went as far to say that she thought it was the nicest restaurant in Corpus Christi.  Well, I have to say, her suggestion was spot on!  Everyone that came to my birthday dinner was pleasantly surprised by the New Age Asian cuisine and the elegant ambiance.

I bought a cute new dress for the occasion (what's new?!), and was excited to show it off!

Bo didn't look too shabby either!  He cleans up pretty nicely, huh?! I'm such a lucky lady to call him my handsome husband.

Several of our closest friends also joined us for the evening!  You may even recognize some of these faces from previous posts.  We have been very blessed with amazing friends here in Corpus Christi.  Thankfully, many of these friends are also a part of the P-3 community, so our paths will inevitably cross in the future as well!

Dan and Danielle



Andrew, Bethany, and Everett (sorry for the crappy picture quality)



Me, Colbi, Danielle, and Bethany


Although the food at Vietnam Restaurant was outstanding, and I received a few cool gifts (i.e. a hand-crocheted pot holder, a free Mary Kay lip gloss, a smoothie, and a new book), the highlight of my birthday dinner, as cheesy as this may sound, was being with great friends.  I mean it when I say it was the most appreciated and important gift of all.  I feel so blessed to count such beautiful people, inside and out, as my close friends.

In just a couple of weeks the United States Navy will begin to break our little group apart.  Andrew, Bethany, and Everett are heading to Jacksonville, FL at the end of the month.  Although Bo and I aren't sure exactly what the future holds for us, we do know that these friendships will last a lifetime.  Regardless of where the Navy may or may not take us in the future, we are thankful for the priceless moments that we have with our friends here, in the golden present.

Up next - a yoga post on the basics!

Question of the Day:

Do you remember your 28th birthday?!  If you aren't 28 yet, what is your most memorable birthday?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo