We Are Family

We are family.

Our family was about 51,059 strong this weekend. That's how many were packed into Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the college football season opener. Well, I suppose a few of those people had on the blue and yellow of the UCLA Bruins.

But for the most part, it was a sea of purple.

It was termed the K-State Family Reunion weekend. Now that is my kind of family reunion ...

A relatively nice day for a 2:30 game time in early September ...

Harley Day with the roar of motorcycles, flying flags and the smell of exhaust ...

Singing the K-State Alma Mater, the Fight Song and the National Anthem accompanied by the K-State Marching Band, the Pride of Wildcat Land ...

Watching the team run onto the field ...

And getting a victory for the season opener against a worthy opponent.

While all 51,000 of us do feel a little like family, it was great to be with my own little family, too.

To watch the game with my best friend ...

To spend time with our beautiful daughter Jill ...

and son-in-law Eric, both down from Big Red Country (where they are decidedly purple)!

While we don't get to be with Brent during the game, it is fun to see if we can catch a glimpse of him through the windows of the press box. He's above the U in University. What ... you don't see him? He works as an intern for K-State Sports Information, so he is otherwise occupied during the ballgame. (If you have your K-State football program, check out his features on the long snapper and the offensive linemen!)

Before the game, we met the newest little Wildcat fan, our grandnephew Braden. He was the guest of honor at a meet-and-greet brunch before the game.

Brent, who was already dressed for work, passed him off just in time, before Braden had a little diaper accident. Eric was not as lucky.

Holding time was at a premium. Our niece Madi got her turn. (The photos I took of Jill and Eric weren't so good. Jill says it's just as well. People who are just scanning this might get the wrong idea.)

Braden was rather unimpressed with all of us. We evidently were pretty boring, since we weren't worth waking up for. But, just like the rest of us, he was dressed in Game Day purple, ready to cheer on the Wildcats.

So the family is getting bigger. Isn't it amazing how somebody so small makes such a big difference?

We are family.