February 7, 2010 was a big day....big, big day. At around 9pm, the events of the day could make it bigger than Christmas, New Year's, and Mardi Gras combined. For the first time in the 43-year history of the franchise, the New Orleans Saints were playing in the Super Bowl. Did we have a Super Bowl party for the occasion? No, too big of a game. I have a real hard time watching regular season games with others around, let alone the game have the magnitude of the Super Bowl.
Still doesn't mean we couldn't celebrate. After going to church at 8am (to pray for the Saints), the pre-game shows on TV started. We started preparing our food early, since with two youngsters, things take a lot longer for us to complete, compared to others. Kaui made a delicious bean dip. I made some beignets in the morning. During the cooking process, we had the pre-game shows on TV and Saints music blasting on the iPod stereo, from "When the Saints Go Marching In," to "Stand Up and Get Crunk," to rap/jazz renditions of "Who Dat!" Below are the pics of the beignet process:
Ready to be fried!
In the afternoon, we made some jambalaya. Once it was all done, we set out the food on our Saints plates and napkins.
Obviously, the entire game was nerve-racking. I couldn't sit down; I stood for about 90% of the game. It benefited Kenna, since when she's being carried, she doesn't like sitting still; she likes to be moving around. So I kind of killed 2 birds with 1 stone.
We all know how the game unfolded. Kaui was smart and sly enough to have a camera in hand to catch any moments. Here, she got my reaction to when Tracy Porter went pick-6 to pretty much seal the win; she had a quick trigger-finger on the camera (she has some photography skills!). Note Kaila's reaction in the background, behind my right arm. HaHa!
Game, set, match. THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ARE THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!
Kaila's reaction to the win. We got her to say "Who Dat!" throughout the day, and she likes to dance to the "Halftime/Stand Up and Get Crunk" song. But, she has her teams mixed up because she'll also cheer, "I-D-A-H-O, IDAHO IDAHO GO GO GO!"
To those that know me best know how long our family has been waiting for this. All the years we lived in New Orleans, we watched the Saints first-hand underachieve, lose on a regular basis, and be plagued with bad luck. But now, after 29-years of waiting, I finally saw my dream come true: the Saints won a Super Bowl. When Drew Brees knelt on the ball with only seconds left in the game, I was overcome with emotions, so happy that this time has finally come. So happy for the team, the people in my birthplace, and so happy for all my family. And Kaui captured my moment:
Kaila came up to me and asked, "Daddy, what's wrong? You OK?" It was funny when she asked. I then had to explain to her why I was crying and that it was happy tears. Her reaction: "OK," and continued playing.
Finally, finally, finally. A few days removed and it still feels surreal. Starting to sink in that the words "Saints" and "Super Bowl Champs" are being used in the same sentence. What an unforgettable night for our entire family.
WHO DAT! WHO DAT! WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS!!
Unsure of whether to get her hands wet...
Trying to persuade her to touch it, but to no avail...
Morgan & Kaila looking for the dolphins...
Playing in the penguin area...
Kaila as a penguin sliding down the slide...
Hi Happy Feet...
Petting the little penguin...
Riding the sea turtle...
Family photo-op before the start of Fantasea...
Unsure of whether to get her hands wet...
Trying to persuade her to touch it, but to no avail...
Morgan & Kaila looking for the dolphins...
Playing in the penguin area...
Kaila as a penguin sliding down the slide...
Hi Happy Feet...
Petting the little penguin...
Riding the sea turtle...
Family photo-op before the start of Fantasea...
