Sunday, September 16, 2012

Back to the Motherland

Word on the street was that my Buffalo nephews were coming to our state, so we began making plans to see how we could make a trip to see them (as our only time to see them is usually Christmas). And they would be attending their first ever UGA game. So we planned to head to Athens, stay with the Husb's aunt & uncle and then do some tailgating with the fam...when lo and behold, 5 free football tickets dropped down from heaven into our laps leaving us only needing to purchase one. SOLD! So now all 6 cousins would get to watch their first ever UGA game together!

We arrived after 10pm in Athens to spend the night. Aunt Mandy & Uncle Danny had rooms ready for everyone, cupcakes baked to decorate the next morning and bags of snacks and drinks to take with us tailgating. Talk about a warm welcome!

The next morning, Uncle Danny had all 4 kids down at the lake fishing before 8am!
We wanted to head out by 9am and the boys didn't want to lose out on any of the big catches to be had.
After pulling tearful boys away from their fishing hole, we loaded up and drove about a mile to The Parking Lot. This is the same parking lot I grew up going to every Saturday in the fall for the first 18 (more or less) years of my life. The same Lot I brought my college roomies & boyfriends to every Saturday in the fall that I was a student at UGA. The same crew is still there, though a little grayer up top, trading stories about football and grandkids.
We started out with me taking the boys to one side of the stadium and the Husb taking the girls to the other side. The boys and I quickly realized we were going to melt and/or pass out like the people around us if we didn't get to the other side.
Husb texted and said he had shade and available seats and we made our move. When he showed up with $27 worth of Powerade and water, I knew we'd survive.
Well, not all of us. 
  
After picking up all those that dropped like flies from the heat, we headed back to the ATL so we could smush some more cute cheeks. Case in point: Nephew #3. Cuteness overload.
 My boys never left the sides of their big cousins. Clearly they're of great maturity.
And the girls club had many a dance routine and song written within their first hour together.
All of my nephews and 1 niece under one roof and it's not even Christmas!! A gift. Wish we could hang out all the time.
This dude taught my mom (his grandmother) the Dougie followed by a dance off. I would post the video, but I want to keep my million dollar inheritance so I'll just hold on to it. One of the most classic moments in Gillis history.
 
I'm not gonna lie. I've totally been practicing. This boy just thinks he has rhythm but his aunt is about to take him AND his grandma down in Christmas Dance Off 2012.