I see Red people!

First Nebraska game of the season! First of all- I really like football, but I LOVE Nebraska football. I knew nothing about football until I met John. He took me to my first Husker game while we were dating- and I've been hooked ever since! There's something about being in the stadium, the atmosphere, the excitement and never ending sea of red! Its addicting!

I've been to quite a few games- but it was crazy red on Saturday! We went to the game with my little brother and his girlfriend, Wes (a friend of John's) his wife and son- and our three girls.

We tailgated prior to the game- which was fun! I didn't realize how much planning went into tailgating...we've went tailgating with the family before but my mother-in-law would always take care of everything. Major kudos to her! I think I'll make a checklist next time!

It was seriously hot- but we were in the shade once we got into the stadium. Here are some pix from the day:



Getting our Husker gear ready...








Kynna, Pucca and Brogan...











Our little cheerleader! She charmed everyone around us!









The girls and Uncle Trev-o










Its tradition to let off balloons after NU's first score...








hundreds of balloons!







Pucca learned how to make the cross-bone "D" sign...she really liked cheering the D on- it was super cute!!!






On a more sentimental note...the girls are the 5th Kelly generation to sit in those seats. The people who sit around us remember my husband going to games as a kid. John's grandpa played for Huskers in the early 40s and its really become quite a family tradition!

One staple to all my game experiences was a man named Ralph (John's great-uncle). I can still picture him squeezing down the row with his headphones on and sporting a white cap. Even when he was put on oxygen- he would come bringing along his o2 tank. I only knew him for a little over 7 years- but in that short time came to admire and love him. He was the cutest, sweetest, wittiest and most determined 'grandpa-type' you'd ever seen! I always looked forward to going to the home games for two reasons (not necessarily in this order!) 1) to watch the game and 2) to sit with Ralph and visit.

These past two seasons of Husker games have been a little off with out him there... I often wonder what he would have said about how the program's pitfalls and now its rebound with Osborne and Pelini coming back. And I wonder his reaction at seeing the 'new' generation of Kelly's filling those seats...