Backyard Football Party – The Party Dress Magazine

I think everyone has that memory (or memories) from Childhood that makes you smile in the middle of a thunderstorm. They are the memories that make you think “I was so lucky to be there / do that / experience that”…the memories that are filled with such love that your heart swells just thinking of them! For me, many of these memories were made in the Mississippi countryside at my grandparents home. We would spend all day outside at my grandparents, exploring, learning, playing, using our imaginations, and being kids. One of my best memories is of the football games that we’d play…especially on Thanksgiving. I can’t recall the rules…I probably didn’t follow them, but I remember just running and laughing, falling, and getting dirty…stopping to chase butterflies or help a lizard, then back to the game at hand. I am sure my uncle and older cousins wanted us to follow the rules, but I love lawless football…and I love kids being being kids. When Charynn and Kelly asked if I would be interested in doing a boy’s fall birthday party for the new Fall Issue of the Party Dress…they both suggested football, but wanted a change to the football watching parties. This got me thinking how fun it would be to have a “Backyard Football” Party…one where kids could be kids, get dirty, run, throw a ball, play in the grass, and get dirty some more! Kelly and Charynn let me run with the idea, so we had some friends come over and play party with the Backyard Football Shoot! The kids had a blast running….many times running in front of the kids who had the ball with destination in sight. =)

The shoot was a blast and I was so honored to be able to be a part of The Party Dress Magazine (especially now since the fall issue has an iPad app!). It also reminded me, as we start school again, that we don’t need to schedule every second of every day…sometimes the best memories are made by running aimlessly through the grass and getting muddy on purpose. I hope you are all revving up for a beautiful fall!