Auburn University {Sigma Chi Family Weekend}

Honey and I enjoyed the most fabulous weekend on the Plains for John’s fraternity Family Weekend. We both agreed it was even more fun than last year…. parent friends make all the difference! We rolled into town Friday afternoon and headed straight for John’s apartment. I arrived armed with all of his favorites – fresh sourdough and “the good butter,” a whole cottage pie, and a batch of crème de menthe brownies. The apartment continues to collect décor and look more and more… interesting. :-) With all of the roommates’ families in town, it was fun to visit for a bit before checking into our hotel.

We stayed at Graduate Auburn, and it was darling and couldn’t be more convenient. A full review is coming soon! After freshening up, we popped up to the rooftop for a drink and appetizer before the evening festivities.

The boys arranged a parent meet up at Mama G’s before the official event, and it was a great chance to reconnect with parents we met last year and meet even more of John’s friends. I’m telling you – this season of parenting is fun.

We walked over to the Sigma Chi house around 7:30 for the cocktail party, and the boys did a fantastic job hosting! White tents with string lights dotted the lawn, a full service bar was set up, and a BBQ buffet dinner was served. A band played under the stars, and a photographer captured memories throughout the night. It was just a delightful evening.

We parted ways with John around 11PM, joking that he was surely ready to ditch us to start the real party. Turns out… he went straight to bed, while we ended up meeting B&B and staying out until 1AM. Ha! Plot twist.

Saturday we slept in, sipped copious amounts of coffee from the comfort of our bed, and eventually walked back to Sigma Chi for their pre-game event. Once again, they nailed the setup, complete with live music, casual lunch, and loads of school spirit. Two of John’s high school friends pledged Sigma Chi so it was also great to see them and their families!

We made a round through the tailgate tents to see friends before heading into the stadium. I love being inside early to take in all the pre-game pomp and circumstance. SEC game days are truly something to behold, and even a year later, I’m still in awe of the energy, tradition, and pure pageantry of it all.

When the game went into overtime, Honey laughed that it was the longest consecutive time I’ve ever spent in a stadium… and he wasn’t wrong. Auburn didn’t pull off the W, but I soaked up every minute of school spirit, excitement, and time with my boy.

We took John to breakfast at War Eagle Supper Club before hitting the road. The goodbyes haven’t gotten any easier, truth be told. But I do feel more content knowing he is happy, thriving, and surrounded by good people. And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the countdown feels manageable.

War Eagle!

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