Indianapolis Welcomes Super Bowl XLVI!

The honest to goodness most amazing 10 days of my year occurred thanks to Indianapolis hosting Super Bowl XLVI.

The next 10 posts will give you a look at my daily activities and all that I was blessed to be a part of. I experienced first hand the truth behind "Hoosier Hospitality" and found myself proud to call Indianapolis home.

Indianapolis made huge transformations that makes this city that much more appealing to hold another Super Bowl (or major event) in the future!

Take a look, here's how the changes began to take place:
A large "sticker" was applied to the front of the JW Marriot.
Georgia Street became a walking street!

Indianapolis 500 cars were painted to resemble the 32 teams of the NFL, and Monument Circle became home to the large XVLI numerals.

A zip-line was built down the length of Capitol Avenue, which ran in front of the Convention Center (home to the NFL Experience).

And strangely any remnants of the Colts were removed from Lucas Oil Stadium as it became home to the Giants and Patriots.

Join me down memory lane, as the 10 days leading up to and including Super Bowl Sunday flew by way too fast (even though I recorded almost 130 hours)!

Deep Ocean, Vast Sea::St. Thomas

Yup, we discovered paradise this vacation.

On January 6, the parents and I took off for the beautiful island of St. Thomas. Flying into Cyril E. King Airport, we were greeted by an afternoon shower, and the ever famous Cruzan rum (pineapple flavored). Quite honestly even rain on this island was majestic.

Throughout our week stay at Marriot's Frenchman Cove we experienced island life to its fullest. We did everything from relaxing on the white sand beaches to heading to sea for snorkeling and sailing adventures. We swam the turquoise blue waters with sea turtles, sting rays, schools of fish, and pelicans.

When we visited Magens Bay (a National Geographic top ten beach in the world) the pelicans were of abundance. I will never forget how determined these particular birds were. As we swam out into the ocean, the pelicans dive bombed into the water just feet away from where we were. Needless to say mom and I would let out the occasional "yelp" through our snorkels-I am sure we were quite the entertainment.

Many of our adventures were made possible thanks to our rental car (even though a jeep may have been better). Note to self: whenever motion sickness becomes a problem, probably steer away from St. Thomas as to get from one side to the other you must use single lane roads that curve through the mountains. But if you can handle these adventures there are awe-inspiring lands to be explored. We visited Mountain Top, which provided a 360 degree view of the island. We found local hotspots; including a milkshake stand on the side of the road, which served some of the best concoctions complete with a little rum (island fever?).

We also took a day trip to St. Johns Island (another of the three Virgin Islands). On St. Johns it became our mission to find some of the best snorkeling. While doing so we traveled through National Parks and witnessed nature at its finest-lucious green vegetation, beautiful coral gardens, and exclusive hiking trails. My favorite part of the day was when we took a mile hike following the shoreline through the woods. We ended up at a location where very few go. So we left our personals on the shore and with snorkel gear on, we swam out about 200 yards to an island. Now this was no ordinary island, but rather it is around this island that starfish have called home and use for their breeding grounds. It is also a thriving coral reef.

Enough speaking of paradise, take a look for yourself:

Here is our first view, from the balcony.
These beautifully colored buildings are where we stayed, and just in front was a small, private beach.
When traveling with dad, each meal is planned (and most likely a few in advance). We tease him about it, but in all reality we enjoyed many delectable dinners out, by the ocean.
Here we are on our afternoon sailboat adventure, which took us to snorkel with sea turtles!
The world-class Magens Bay Beach with my amazing mother!
And us walking the beaches on St. John's.
Like most tropical islands, afternoon showers only last a few minutes.
Most evenings we took advantage of happy hour, and watched the sunset. Perfection.

Holiday Halftime Show!

The last home game of 2011 the Colts played the Texans and the halftime show was brought to you by the Colts Cheerleaders.

Jr. Cheerleaders performed alongside of the Cheerleaders during this show. And we paid tribute to the best album that came out just in time for Christmas this year, thanks to Justin Bieber. Yes, you read that correctly; the Colts Cheerleaders got Bieber Fever this holiday season!!

Even Santa Claus and his elves joined us for this spectacular performance.
Watch the performance by clicking here!

Putting together a show like this always requires an addition Saturday (or two) at the office! Yours truly even found herself performing on the field during this show. Never in a million years did I think I would perform in front of thousands of people at Lucas Oil Stadium. But this very day, it most definitely happened!

For the first two songs, I was solely in charge of Jr. Cheerleaders' formations (just making sure they got to the right place at the right time!). The third and final song (Santa Claus is coming to town) I ran down to the 10 yard line and danced in front of the Jr. Cheerleaders so they had someone they could follow. If you look closely in the video, you may see me!

Considering this was our Christmas Game, we got festive! While all of the Cheerleaders were out at their morning practice, Heather and I hung stockings with care! In these stockings was a make-up bag, some festive candies, and DVDs of previous performances. Doesn't our locker room look lovely?

Since this was a Thursday night game, NFL Network aired the game live. A group of the Cheerleaders were asked to be a part of the show. I am always intrigued (and genuinely amazed) at what all takes to get a show on air. Here's a look at the pre-game filming that we did:

Christmas Caroling at Riley

It definitely was a once in a lifetime opportunity: On December 19, four cheerleaders, six football players, Mr. Irsay and a variety of other Colts employees, went caroling through the halls of Riley Hospital for Children.

My task this day: walk alongside of the guitar player, holding his music. But more importantly I was the one who chose the songs which we would grace these children with. And the award for the most popular song that day goes to: Jingle Bells. It was a safe choice considering its simple tune and the fact that it could be shortened to a single verse, or even better, just the chorus. Furthermore the less the players had to sing the better my ears were :) I only say this in good spirit! It truly was amazing to see guys like Justin Snow and Anthony Castanzo walking the halls on their day off, singing to these children. The smiles that formed in the faces of these children will forever be plastered in my memory.

How beautiful each and every one of these kids were. Forever I will be inspired by their strength.

Fall Frenzy!

It seems that too easily life can take over, and personal blogging can no longer remain routine. Yet, my love for photography and capturing life through images remains. So what better place to share them, than in this post, which I have titled Fall Frenzy!

It's a true blessing to be able to relive moments through images, some of my favorite fall memories from 2011 are as follows:

A trip to Brown County with Mom, Dad, Grandma White, and Clayton. They say no place is more beautiful than Brown County in the fall--I can attest to that fact.

Back in Goshen, Clayton and I decided to spend a Saturday afternoon carving pumpkins. First step: go the the pumpkin patch at Kercher's Orchard to pick out the prize winning gourds!

The finished products: a spooky ghost due and a chicken (guess whose is whose--It's not very hard when the chicken guy is one of the carvers)!

October 31 can always be celebrated by those who are young at heart (and technically speaking are still young)! We thoroughly enjoyed getting Halloween costumes around this year: a ladybug and lumberjack. We celebrated with a few friends in Goshen.

As the weather gets a bit chillier, nothing is more rejuvenating than a warm cup of coffee with a friend at The Brew (Goshen's local coffee shop). I have been quite blessed that most weekends when I return to Goshen, Bethany and I are able to catch up over a warm beverage.

On November 13, the Colts honored all of those who have served or still serve in the military (a NFL wide event). In light of this occasion, the Cheer Department was placed in charge of putting together a halftime show! With the help of 18 local dance teams, 100 Jr. Cheerleaders, the 42 Colts Cheerleaders, and almost 150 service men and women, we pulled it off. This photo shows how we ended.

This game Dad was also a part of the group accepting a check for IU Simon Cancer Center from the Colts.

And we surprised Mom, with a "Happy Birthday" game-day greeting (see the message board below the big screen)!

I truly enjoy baking and with more free time in the evenings, I find myself testing out new recipes. Just in time for Thanksgiving I found a Rice Krispy Treat recipe, which made these fun turkeys!

As November comes to a close, we see football season winding down as well--sadly because Sundays are never the same without football. Yet, I will never forget the days at the stadium when we are able to open the roof for brisk, fall day game!

Oh the simple joys of fall.

Saying Good-Bye to Grandpa

When an individuals earthly life ends, those who remain must find ways to cope.

It was November 25, when I had to say good-bye to Grandpa (the first of my grandparents to pass).

Grandpa had been living in a nursing home for four years at the time he suffered a mild stroke. Shortly thereafter his health took a turn for the worse. Never before have I sat alongside of an individual as they die. A powerfully draining week.

Yet, through the tough times, it provided a unique opportunity for The White Family to come together. We spent many late nights beside Grandpa's bed, both laughing and crying where some of the greatest memories surfaced.


Here's my absolute favorite photo, which was taken just a few days before his passing:

Dear Grandpa,
I love you! Forever I will cherish the summers I got to spend with you and grandma--our adventures at Lemon Lake and our many attempts at catching squirrels in your backyard. Because of who you were and all that you did, I embrace my love for the Game Show Network, afternoon naps, corduroy recliners, and most of all ice cream (or just my love for sweats in general). You will forever be a part of my life--I am me because of you! I can't wait to see you again soon!
Love Always,
Alicia

May you Rest In Peace, PJ. Until we meet again!

Veterans Day Game

November 13, 2011: a Sunday that was long and highly anticipated.

Every year, during the month of November, the NFL the honors veterans and active duty members of the military. The Colts' home game on the 13th against the Jaguars was the selected military appreciation game.

All games begin with a skit by our very own mascot, BLUE. But this games' skit was unique...we were all peeking out from the tunnel, trying watching it, and admittedly shed a few tears.

Photo Credit: Matt Bowen
Watch Blue's Big Surprise

BLUE rocks! Welcome Home, Army Specialist John Pezan!

After the skit, a pre-game full-field American flag presentation occurred (this happens at every home game during the playing of the National Anthem). Members of the military are invited to hold the edges of the flag, along with players, coaches and staff from both teams. When the words, "O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave," are sung, all those holding the flag begin to wave their arms, and the audience erupts in cheer.

Next in the program, was the Cheer Department's task for the game: a halftime show that paid tribute to the service men and women.

Not a seemingly huge deal, right? Wrong. We decided to invite a dozen local dance studios, over 100 members of the military (with all branches represented), our 100 Jr. Cheerleaders, and 42 Cheerleaders to be involved with the program. Our glorious show had 300+ people on the field for just under 6 minutes. Needless to say we had long Tuesday/Thursday night practices, and additional Saturday practices added in.

Needless to say, we decided to go for the 'WOW' factor"!

Take a look at our Halftime Performance

What made it worth it: upon conclusion of the performance we had almost everyone in the stadium on their feet, clapping and wiping tears from their eyes.

Of course none of this would have been possible without our remarkable choreographer, Michelle Allison.