Saying goodbye to Connor after we moved him into his freshman dorm was extremely hard, but we all kept reminding ourselves that we would see him soon on an upcoming visit. Two (long) weeks after we last saw him, we brought Kaitlynn back with us for a Labor Day weekend trip. We were so excited to hug Connor again and to let Kaitlynn see where Connor was living now. It was so fun to reunite, and we made sure to wear our 'Bama gear in support!
For our first stop, we visited Connor's freshman dorm, Ridgecrest South, so that we could show Kaitlynn where he was living. The style and architecture of all buildings on campus are just so beautiful and classical with Southern character, and Kaitlynn was definitely impressed by it all. She was also impressed with Connor's suite-style dorm room, and she loved the feel of Connor's cozy bedroom. We were all still so surprised that he had his own space -- so different from the old days when we had cramped rooms and bathrooms to share!
Our plan for the day was to enjoy some time on campus with Connor, exploring the university and hearing about Connor's current activities and schedule. We made sure to visit the local Supe Store in search of the perfect UA gear for Kaitlynn, and then we had lunch at the Lakeside dining hall where Connor eats most of his meals on campus. Kaitlynn and I were very impressed with the dining hall, mainly the unlimited sodas and desserts, ha! Connor also took us around campus as we "walked" his current fall schedule. It was really neat to see where he was spending his time during his school days in the Engineering quad, and we marveled at the beauty of the campus along the way. Connor and Kaitlynn quickly fell back into their sibling roles, teasing and beating each other as loved ones do. HA!
Despite how much fun we had hanging around campus with Connor, the highlight of our weekend by far was the Alabama football game on Saturday night. It was the first college football game for the kids to attend, and it was all of our first time for an Alabama game. Steeped in such a long tradition of excellence, we know how serious people take football at Alabama and we were excited to be a part of it together. The tailgating before the game was well underway MANY hours before kickoff, and it was fun to walk through the quad and feel the excitement in the air. We dodged some rain showers, but the weather cleared and we were off to the game.
Our seats for the game were in the lower section and gave us a great view for the pomp and circumstance of the game. The crowd was fired up, and the festivities and traditions throughout the game were so much fun. It was new to all of us, but we loved learning some of the chants and songs for the first time. My favorite was the "Dixieland Delight" song played and sung during 4th quarter! Alabama beat its opponent by a million (haha) and it was just the most fun experience to have together as a family. It was interesting to compare the Alabama college game experience to that of our Houston Texans games. The crowd in Alabama was probably 30,000 bigger, which was crazy to realize, which explains how college football in the SEC is such a big business and such a great opportunity for these students to take part in. We had the best night, so fun!
Our Labor Day weekend visit was over before we knew it, but we were so thankful to have packed in so many fun memories with Connor. The university and campus definitely made a positive impression on Kaitlynn as well. We made sure to stop for some late night Insomnia cookies before we left and said goodbye to Connor one more time. This time, we were saying goodbye for 2 long months, but we all knew it would be here before we knew it. So thankful for these awesome family memories and for the amazing college experience underway for Connor. Roll Tide!
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