Oh When the Saints...

Come marching in...Oh when the Saints come marching in...

{picture me waving my black and gold parasol and parading around like the owner of the Saints...Tom Benson}

woooo hoooo!!!! It feels like Christmas here  ;)

Yesterday evening, I have never seen Louisiana

So electric

So intensified

So black and gold

So emotional

So proud

in all of my 39 years of life here in the Bayou State.

Sure, I've been to my share of Saints games in the Super Dome, with some wins and many losses. I remember when tickets were so cheap and even sometimes, a person couldn't even give them away. Seats in the dome were empty, except for those die hard fans who never gave up the faith but were forced to wear paper bags over their faces in fear of being shamed. The pre-game show commentators were always for the other team as the Saints were labeled the worst team in the NFL.

~Times have changed~

This season, the Saints exploded with a surprise win after win, proving that they had what it takes to get to the top, to be the number one seed in the NFC, to play the number two seed in the NFC, to win the NFC Championship, and head for Miami to Super Bowl XLIV. {{That's a lot of joy to express in one sentence.}}

Whether you stopped at a gas station, went out to eat, or went into the grocery store, you were sure to see that at least one out of three people were proudly wearing some sort of black and gold in support for Louisiana's team. Even in church, the priest cut mass a little short so that every one could be home in time for kick-off. Talk about faith!!! ;)

We watched the game with some of our closest friends who live about 30 miles away. On the way over, the drive was quiet as there was hardly any traffic. Entering their small town located right along busy Interstate-10, it was eery to see very little traffic as everyone was settling in, getting ready to watch history take place. The only signs of life was at the local bars and restaurants who were airing the game live as the parking lots were full of vehicles. The streets however, were bare.

Saints pride was everywhere, but mostly in our hearts. As the ten of us best friends sat there, huddled in every available seat and in a circle on the floor in front of the television, I cannot explain to you how emotional that game was. I could never properly express how awesome it was to see the Louisiana Super Dome filled with joy and hope instead of the loss and devastation it was filled with after Hurricane Katrina only a little over 5 years ago.

Thinking of the long road that New Orleans has traveled since then really brought tears to my eyes. There are so many blessings to be thankful for, and the Saints are a huge blessing to New Orleans and to all of us here in Louisiana. They have given us hope and they have given us a reason to be proud of our state again. In the midst of  rebuilding and starting anew, we realized it was not only about the rebuilding of homes and businesses, but the rebuilding of our pride too. We now have something to look forward to. It feels good. And it shows in everything we do.

Just to give you an idea, the above photos are of my "Saints Tree" that I have in the corner of my living room along side of our big screen television. It is a black Christmas tree that I decorated with black and gold ornaments. I even glittered my favorite player's numbers on some of them. {And for those of you who know me, I really really really HATE using glitter so you KNOW I love my Saints enough to do that!} ;) 

Every game day this season, we proudly turned on the lights and made a wish that our Saints would come through. Last night was no exception as we returned home to find the house dark, except for the glow of the Saints Tree reminding us of our blessings. Amazing what a football team can do, right?

If you remember reading any of my posts before Christmas, I begged Santa to bring the Saints to the Super Bowl. We sure must have been some good kids because he gifted us with these cool authentic team jerseys, personalized with our last name and the number of the year we were born.  Damn I must have been a good girl. Thad? I'm not so sure as I must have made up the difference ;)

And last but not least...the Saints ARE headed to Miami for the Super Bowl!!! Can you imagine what I-10 East will look like when Louisiana leaves for Miami??? It will be a sea of black and gold goodness with flags and banners streaming from the windows of every vehicle with a Louisiana license plate! Miami will never be the same!!! ;)

These photos of us were taken with my iPhone as I actually FORGOT to bring my camera last night. Now do you get a clear picture of exactly how nervous I was about the game??? I never forget my camera...ever. It is my 5th limb. Yes, I was that nervous!

Gosh I shouldn't be showing you these crazy photos of me crying with joy and Thad shouting "Miami Baby!!!" (look at Janet in the background behind Thad...emotions were everywhere and they were all good!!!!) We'd laugh, then cry, hug each other, then laugh some more. Before I knew it, I was in tears again. We are just so happy and proud.

I know this may not be a big deal to some or even most of you but let me just say one thing before I end this post...

It's not just about the "football". It's about everything that comes with it. The excitement, the hopes, the dreams, the family time, being with friends, the loyalty, the devotion, and the PRIDE of both the fans and the players. I'm sure there is much more that I didn't list because I already told you before, there is NO way that I can properly express how proud we are of our Saints...

It's not just about the "football"... it's much more than that.

 

I'm hoping you'll be cheering for a Saints Super Bowl win in two weeks.

You will be, right???

;)