Super Bowl LV

Super Bowl Sunday! Admittedly, we are not a huge football family. We don't follow any specific teams and we only occasionally watch games during the season when there is nothing else on. However, we (or maybe I should just say I) love Super Bowl Sunday. After all the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, I get a little sad when the excuses to gather as a family dry up...so I make any excuse I can to bring the family close. I am happiest when I am with (and serving) my family. I cherish the moments and the memories we make together. So this game is generally the first big excuse to gather as a family in celebration of something. Laurin, Casey, and Carter came down for the weekend and Amber, Scott, and Katie joined us for the game too. (Jacob was at a wrestling tournament.) Our weekend was unhurried. We didn't do anything of great importance, but we did the most important thing - gather, love, laugh. On Saturday, Casey went skiing with Danny while Jeff and I enjoyed a quiet day with Jonas, Laurin, and Carter. Sunday brought on the festivities. After attending church, we put on our football gear (or just some red and yellow flags) for a knock down (or rip-off) game of flag football. After the game, we gathered in our favorite room in the house, the kitchen! I had prepared foods to honor each team that was playing in the Super Bowl. For the Kansas City Chiefs, I prepared some BBQ beef, Mac and cheese, and gooey butter cake (supposedly the state of Missouri's dessert). In homage to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I made Cuban sliders, shrimp ceviche, and key lime pie. Of course, we had a veggie tray (that I strategically place out first so the family grazes on that while waiting for the main course) and several bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers to add to the feast. In regards to the food, I think the Chiefs won the majority of picky-pallets, but Tampa Bay won the game (and my vote for the food as well). We ate, we cheered, we laughed! It was a fun night and I'm looking forward to the next excuse to gather.