Championship

A family get together. A crawfish boil. Burgers and dogs. Swinging in the hammock, kids running around playing chase........and the PING PONG TOURNAMENT!

I am posting this a day late due to the fabulous party that we had yesterday afternoon that lasted well into the evening. We hosted the get together and thirteen friends showed up with their families. It was a huge success. A huge turnout. And one of the most memorable days that we have had.

We spent the entire afternoon and evening catching up with people who we have known for ten years. Meeting a few families for the very first time. Our city blessed us with a beautiful day. An unexpectedly beautiful day. Our patio table and chairs were replaced with the ping pong table. The food table was out in the grass. People mingled around with plates of food. Hovered at the crawfish table cracking into the shells for the tiny nibbles of meat inside. The atmosphere was happy. A happy family event.

The ping pong tournament. Before the tournament began yesterday, my husband quietly pulled me aside and whispered, "I'm gonna win this this today. I'm going to be the all time champion. Just wanted to let you know!". I loved it! I woohooo'd for him. But I knew that it would be a fight because these guys know their ping pong. Believe me, I like to think that I am very good at the sport and I got completely schooled one day. Humbled at ping pong. The sport that I have always been able to say, "Hey, I was the school champion in the 8th grade". These guys are good!

So the tourney started. Everyone gathered around the edges of the table. The previous champ was climbing the ladder as usual. But.....so was my husband. To make a long story short, the final game was between the two of them. The game was neck to neck the entire way and then at the last point, the ball was slammed down hard and the crowd roared. The previous champ lost the game and my husband looked at me and grinned. He is now the new official ping pong champion and now has rights to the trophy (which is an old baseball trophy with a ping pong ball squeezed onto the head). A victory in so many ways. A new status that will give him some clout amongst his buddies.

When the sun began to set, we brewed a pot of coffee, filled up the glasses with some red wine, and started a nice little blaze in the fire pit. At least twenty people stayed on until about 10pm. One friend brought his guitar and played his original songs around the campfire. My husband and I had our kids in our laps. It was just one of those moments. The time when there is no where else that you would rather be. The evening ended with new friendships, stronger connections, and plans to visit one another's houses for future get togethers.