The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

In the South, fall signifies lots of things--the start of school, the promise of cooler weather, the beginning of everything pumpkin-flavored--but here more than anywhere else in the entire country, most of all, fall signifies the start of college football!

This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn (along with the rest of the world's football fans) with a glimmer in my eye and adrenaline already pumping through my veins. It's game day! It's finally game day! (And, yes, I shed a quick tear of excitement in my car this morning as I thought of tonight's game. Whatever. I've been eager for this day all year.) We're University of Georgia fans here in the Shove household and plan to raise Emma Vance "right," wearing her Sunday best to Saturday's games, bleeding red and black, and calling the dawgs in her sleep. She'll grow up knowing of only two football conferences: the SEC and "other," because, well, isn't that pretty accurate? :)

Seriously, today is the start of the most wonderful time of the year around here. I'd easily say buh-bye to ol' Saint Nick and pine trees if I had to choose between the two, because, you see, in the South, there are five seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall...and football season. And, as I sit here breathlessly waiting for kick off, I can hear my sweet baby girl chanting in her sleep already: Go dawgs!