How Sweet (and Sauer) It Is!

What a great feeling! My University of Kentucky Wildcats just won the National Championship! All of us from Kentucky who love the Wildcats use the possessive terminology -- the Cats are MINE -- they belong to all of us who grew up with them and have given so many hours of our lives to watching them play.

Indeed, the Cats proved they are #1 tonight!

Daddy is up in Heaven tonight, smiling and laughing with all the other Kentucky fans who have left the Bluegrass Heaven on Earth and gone to the big Bluegrass Heaven in the Sky! Men like Cawood Ledford, who called the games for radio and was the voice of UK for so many years.

Cawood Ledford

And no doubt Daddy found Adolph Rupp many years ago, and was probably by his side tonight when this sweet victory came to be. Despite the besmirching of Rupp's name in recent years, he was a heckuva coach, and he made the UK program into the storied, winning program that it is.

Adolph Rupp

I prayed hard to Daddy in the last few minutes when things got tough. I asked him to keep the guys calm and to let them be mature and not fall apart. If it was withon his power or control, Daddy surely used his influence up there tonight!

Some may call me fanatical. If I am, then I am in good company. I texted Saturday night and tonight throughout the games with one of my younger sisters and with my mother. My sister has always been a Wildcat fanatic, and she has raised her four kids in southern Indiana as UK fans -- no small feat amongst all that red. And Mom, well she carries on Daddy's devotion. She said she likes to watch the games alone so that she can yell all she wants. I know what she means. I do a lot of yelling and, yes, cursing when things aren't going so well.But it is how we get our entire beings involved in the game. Ashley Judd may be the best known UK fan, but she cannot be more dedicated than my family!

Ashley Judd and the Wildcat mascot

Although I would have liked to win going away, we'll take the smaller margin of victory. It's just as sweet.

Yes, I took a picture of the TV.

 My hubby and our girls are now Kentucky fans.

Christmas 2011 and our new UK apparel

 Our 17-year-old is looking at colleges. I am proud that she is even considering Kentucky as a possibility. I wanted to go there for college when I graduated high school 33 years ago. But, I went to a small Catholic college close to home instead. I have no regrets. If things had not happened as they did, I would not be who and where I am today in my life. And I can say without hesitation that I love my life. I love my family. I love my country. I love my God. And I love my Wildcats.

Can I get an "Amen!"?