MoSt AmAzInG TrIp EvEr!!!!!

First things first, WE ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!! We got the last bat at the Blatt and shut the lights out!

Sunday, the day after we BEAT CLEMSON in the COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, I hopped in the car with Brandon's parents and my mom and we took the ROAD TO OMAHA! This was extremely spur of the moment ~ literally packed in 30 minutes and wasn't even sure what I had packed! Thank goodness my boss was nice enough to allow me to do this! The drive for us was a total of 20 hours. On the way there we stopped to get some sleep somewhere in Illinois - Mt. Vernon I believe it was??? I took a ton of pictures...

AHHH...never thought I would see this place!

The Payne's, my mom, and me before the fist game The famous shot in Rosenblatt The 8 team flags

We went to Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday since we had a long day before the game started. This zoo is amazing! Words could never describe it! I will bore you with just a few pictures of the zoo animals!

This GAMECOCK gave us a call as soon as we walked up to it!

Now, I definitely had to get a picture of one of the tigers!!!Mama and her baby...this was just 2 of about 15 gorillas! The Polar Bear - I remember when Riverbanks had a polar bear! My mom and me in the game! GO COCKS! COCKY! So glad he was able to make the trip!
And, the Gamecocks win the CWS 2-1!!!!
Us after the game...NATIONAL CHAMPIONS BABY!
Just when I thought it couldn't get much better...After the game, Mom and I hitched a ride to the Embassy Suites to welcome the team in! My camera had died so I had to get some shots with my phone, which I don't have on my computer yet! We got pictures with Whit, Jackie Bradley Jr., and one with Adam Matthews holding the trophy! AMAZING!!!!

I have been so fortunate to take the road to Omaha! It was a once in a lifetime chance by that time to see the Gamecocks play at Rosenblatt stadium, much less be able to experience a National Championship!

WEEKEND RECAP

What a great weekend! It was very relaxing and carefree! Friday night I finally got to see Sex and the City 2! It was great! I had heard mixed reviews from quite a few people, but I had to find out for myself. I thought it was hilarious! Saturday, I woke up way too early! I went for a jog, then Brandon and I headed out to Dockside to meet some friends to go out on their boat. I of coarse ran into friends that I have not see in a very long time! We had such a good time!

Ronnie, Moe, Brandon, and Hunt

Me driving :)

We also celebrated Father's Day which turned out great! My mom and Brandon's mom are in Omaha trying to pull on the Gamecocks, so our dads were both home alone. We went over to my dad's for lunch. We picked up wings and the fixin's and planned to watch the baseball game, but due to the 6 hour rain delay, that didn't happen. Yesterday evening we went to Brandon's parents' home and had steaks with his dad, brother, and sister-in-law. After dinner, we were finally able to catch a few innings before the next rain delay. Unfortunately the Cocks did not win, but we all tried to not let that put a damper on the great weekend!

On the Road to OMAHA!

GAMECOCKS GOING TO OMAHA!

It's Returning to Omaha

It's battling for championships

It's a tradition of winning!

IT'S THE GARNET WAY!

FOOTBALL FEVER

For some odd reason I am having a case of football fever this week! I always complain about how I feel like my Gamecock sports life never comes to an end because each sport overlaps. That is with the exception of baseball. After baseball is finished ("finished" meaning the end of CWS in hopes we make it to the end, IF we even make it to the CWS), we have 9 weeks until our first football game against Southern Mississippi! That gives us a decent break to really enjoy summer. However, I am getting excited about football season coming up! We have such a wonderful Gamecock family that we travel to the away games with and great friends that we tailgate with at home! Here are some great pictures over the years...

Clemson 2008 (mine and Brandon's first "date")

@ Georgia

USC vs. Ole Miss (we beat the #4 ranked team!)

@ Alabama (the trip Brandon's mom and my mom made with us)

@ Tennessee

USC vs. Florida at Susie's tailgate

SC Baseball Regional Weekend

What a great weekend for Carolina baseball! Now, all we need is College of Charleston to beat Coastal Carolina today and we will most likely be hosting the super regional at Carolina Stadium! Right now it is tied in extra innings!!! Here are a few pictures from the weekend...

Rhett, me, Kevin, and AmandaMom with Jana and Mr. Payne

Ashley and me Siblings - Rhett, me, Em, and CrosbyBig Kev, Jonie, Amanda, and Kevin

Our baseball family! The Clarks, Paynes, and Queens

My Version of "Proscuitto and Caremalized Onion Pizza"

My roommate and I love to find recipes and take a stab at them for dinner every week. We were joking last night about how we needed to start filming ourselves in the kitchen. We don't exactly have all of the everyday cooking utensils (although we have a good bit), but we seem to make do just fine!

As I have said before, I am obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. I found a recipe that I was dying to try, so I did just that. It was a proscuitto and caremalized onion pizza and boy was it devine! I can only imagine what the PW's tasted like! I didn't fool with the mess of making my own dough or anything like that. I actually tried to get the refrigerated dough from Publix, but they were out. I decided just to use one of those ready made thing pizza crusts. The other ingredients consisted of EVOO, salt, garlic, brown sugar, red onion, proscuitto, and mozzerella.

This is my pizza...

This is PW's pizza....

As you can tell, they are just slightly different, but it still tasted FABULOUS!!!

Hilton Head for the Long Weekend

We were so fortunate this past weekend to be able to go down to Hilton Head, for virtually free! Brandon's friend Buffet, who really looks like Jimmy Buffet, didn't have anyone renting his house, so he allowed us to stay and just pay the cleaning fee! We had such a great group of friends down there! Here are some pictures of the beautiful home we stayed in!

The front of the house.

The kitchen that came in handy for some fabulous meals!

The pool!

The covered porch by the pool.

Some more from the great weekend - Saturday we went to the beach all morning. After the beach, we went on the boat, over the way to Daufuskie Island to go to Marsh Side Mama's. Good times! That night we made a great seafood pasta dinner and hung out by the pool the rest of the night. Sunday we got up, ate breakfast, headed down to the pool then out to eat lunch. After lunch a few of us came back to the house to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the pool. That evening we made some basil and garlic hamburgers! They were "De-lish!" We spent the rest of the evening playing cards and watching The Office recaps. Sunday we ate some breakfast, packed, and headed back for the dreadful rain in Columbia!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend! Thank you to all of the American Soldiers who give their lives for our country - that is what Memorial Day is all about!