Navy vs. Air Force 2009

We decided that since we couldn't go to a BYU game this year, we would go to the Air Force vs. Navy game instead. We thought it would be fun to see the events leading up to game time.

This is the Air Force Falcon. I am actually terrified of birds especially the large ones with huge talons and sharp beaks. I won't even hold a parakete I am so afraid of it pecking me. So standing this close was pretty daring for me. I even got up the courage to pet his belly! It might have helped that the bird's eye's were covered with a blind fold and the guy holding him held the bird's face while I touched him just in case he tried to peck at me.

It was cool to see all the Navy men and women filling the stands all in White.

At the beginning ceremony they had the Navy come out to on the field in their troops and they filled the entire field. It looked really neat. Once they got into the stands the Navy Choir sand the Nation Anthem and it almost brought Abe and I to tears hearing our countries armed forces singing throughout the stadium. There is definitely something different about hearing it sung by the people that fight to protect our freedom.
At last the football teams took the field and right as the Navy team stormed out 3 fighter jets did a fly by over the stadium and they were so loud that you couldn't hear anything else. That was the coolest part. The game started and for almost the entire first half Air Force looked really bad and we thought it was going to be a blow out. Abe and I were sitting on the grass and there were tons of fans with no where to sit standing behind us. We both decided that we didn't really care who won and we felt like we saw what we had come to see. So we packed up just before half time and left early. We love Annapolis so it was really fun to go and experience this long time rivalry game. When we got home we found out that the game had turned into a much more exciting game in the second half and had even gone into over time with Air Force losing by a field goal! Oh well, at least we didn't have to battle traffic and Abe was home in time to go to Priesthood session. It was a really fun day and the weather was so beautiful that it was nice just to be outside.