Atlanta 'n' Auburn

When all of our phones are in the same region, Mama is happy!

We had such a nice visit with the kids last weekend at their college campuses.  I don't think I realized how much I missed them until we saw them!  I couldn't have asked for a better time with them.  Everything from the weather to the shopping to the football was just about perfect.  Here's a look at our long weekend in Alabama and Georgia.

A little blurry, but we are feeling happy to be on our Southwest flight to Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.  Air travel right now is still a little crazy.  Our flights there and back were completely full.  On the flight to Atlanta, they were offering a later flight, a travel credit and $900 if you would give up your seat.  We were tempted, but wanted to stick to our schedule.

We picked up our rental car and fought the Atlanta rush hour to get over to the Emory campus.  We picked Grace up and went out to Masti for quick service Indian food.  She had to go to a campus meeting that evening, so Michael and I headed to the hotel.

On Friday, Grace went to class in the morning and we picked her up around 11:00.  

We ate barbecue for lunch.

Grace wanted to show us this giant thrift store.  She found two skirts.  

Grace got a haircut, and then we did some shopping at Sam's Club and the grocery store.

Michael hadn't been to Grace's new dorm/apartment, so we parked and took a look at her place.  Then took a little stroll around the upperclassmen campus.  This area is about a mile from the main campus with shuttle buses.  There is a small cafeteria/grill, a gym, mail room, green space, and large outdoor pool.  It is set in a wooded area and really pretty!

Some selfies at the dorm

We went out to dinner at Bantam and Biddy (southern style food) with her roommate.  

And that was a wrap on our visit with Grace in Atlanta.  We are so proud of Grace and all her hard work.  She has a challenging courseload for her junior year, with several extracurricular commitments and a paid research position.  I don't know how she manages it all.  I'm looking forward to spoiling her over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks!

Saturday morning we were up early to drive down to Auburn.  We picked Jack up and went to lunch.  Then we spent a little time at his dorm.  I was happy to get to see all of his roommates.  Jack completely rebuilt the electronics of his guitar in the Engineering Makerspace Lab, so we were excited to hear the new sound.

After visiting in his room for awhile, we headed out onto campus to see some of the buildings where he has class.  We were also looking forward to seeing all the tailgating and school spirit.  The weather could not have been better, with not a cloud in the sky.

We are a house of tigers...divided!

I have started following the social media for all things Auburn...band, cheerleaders, etc.  I was so pumped up to see all of the pre-game school spirit before the game...and it did NOT disappoint.  It is so different from what I experienced as a student at UT and I loved it!  

As we were walking along, we saw a great drumline mini-concert near the stadium.

We saw the players, coaches and Aubie walk to the stadium - it's called Tiger Walk.

We saw Aubie headed to the stadium.

Here are the cheerleaders and band marching to the Four Corners Pep Rally.  They come from four different streets to a corner by the stadium for pre-game pep rally.

You can see the leader standing on the ladder leading the band.  So fun!

From there we headed to our seats in the stadium.  We were upper deck, but still had a good view of everything.  You can see the student section packed on the other side of the stadium.  Students get to there 2+ hours early to grab a seat.

We were pumped up about the game.  Right before the game, the eagle flies around the stadium.  Jack showed us where they release him on one of the upper deck ramps. 

You can see a video here:  Flight of the Eagle

Some assorted band photos

The video I took from the band entering the field for the pre-game show.

A flyover for the National Anthem

A great view of campus in the setting sun.

You can see the "stripe the stadium" with everyone in a section wearing orange or blue.

And the game...well, it was a fun game, and Michael was happy with the outcome.

I had to snap this picture of Jack watching the game because I love the Auburn creed on his shirt.  When we took the "Very Important Tiger" tour a year ago, the creed really resonated with me (and I hope with Jack too.)  It kind of sold me on the university.

There was a special lights out/phone flashlight/fireworks show before the fourth quarter.  

We had a long walk back to our parking garage and then a 30 minute drive to our hotel.  We were exhausted!

On Sunday, we went to church with Jack and grabbed some pizza for lunch.  Jack got a haircut, and we did some clothes and shoe shopping at Sam's and Academy.   

From there, we drove back to Atlanta, returned the car, stayed at the airport hotel, and took a 6AM flight back to Houston.  I think I am still recovering from our big weekend!  I'm so thankful we had such a wonderful visit with both kids.  When they're happy, I'm happy!