SUPER BOWL PIG PICKIN' PARTY recap

So......how was your Super Bowl?

Ours rocked. Not to brag, but I think we do it a little better every year. This was our fourth year, and we had our largest crowd yet, but it went smoother and we worked smarter.

We had a better layout and plan this year. All the food and eating was done in a room separate from where we watched the game, so there was no getting up and down during the game to distract people. We ate dinner before the game so we could give each of those activities the attention they both deserved. Plus, eating off your lap isn't much fun.

We got the pig on the cooker around 10:15. It was a 90 lb. pig and all we did was put wet hickory chips wrapped in aluminum foil across the burners and put salt and Montreal seasoning on the pig. All it took after that was just checking on it every so often. We laid it skin side down so we never needed to turn it.

Don Vigus always plans a Super Bowl Party for the youth and I encourage them to go to that. That's why it's adults that help out with our party.

And I have great adults that come and help. WAYNE CURRIE / TAMMY PRUDEN / CRAIG LINDINO / COLLEEN ST. LEDGER / GARY MCKNIGHT / LAINE MCKNIGHT / TWIG ROLLINS / MITCH COOK were amazing in the way the served and provided for the guys that came. True to form, we had about 10 more than we did last year. First year we had 20 and have added a consistent 10 more each year. It was between 52 and 55 this year.

I made an "Appetizer contact list" on the Crackberry last week and sent out a text to everyone on it asking if they would make an appetizer for the party. I didn't care what or how much, I left that up to them. I also invited them. In less than 5 minutes, 6 of them texted back saying yes and by the time of the party, I had 11 folks step up and provide appetizers and dessert.

DONNA CARR / DOROTHY CRUMPTON / CONNIE VIGUS / JOHN LIVERMAN / MANDY GARRETT / AMY QUEEN / HEATHER SUTTON / LAINE MCKNIGHT / ANNA TOLAN / AMY COOK / JANE DODDS were the kind and generous folks who helped us out with that. We ate the meal before the game and had the appetizers and desserts at halftime. They were delicious.

We had also gathered a lot of clothes over the last few weeks and we set up a room they could go in and get as much of whatever they wanted that would fit. That was a big hit with them. They almost cleaned it out.

Looking back, it seems like such a small and simple thing to do. There's no one down at the church on Sunday night. We've got a big room and a big TV just waiting to be used. It's practically a no-brainer. But it has such a big impact. Every single guy who was there Sunday that was there tonight when we fed came up and mentioned something positive about it. How good it was. How much they ate. How good the BBQ was. How much they enjoyed the game. Over and over.

Thanks again to the adults who helped out. I know all of them had other options for ways to spend watching the game, but they chose to serve others. And it speaks to their goodness and commitment that all of them would say they didn't give up anything and were right where they wanted to be.

The night went really well. It is one of my favorite days of the whole year. Come join us next year and find out why. g

P.S. Hampton Cook came with his dad Mitch and was a big help until he left to go to the Youth Party.