Today is the sixth month anniversary of my marriage to Rich – known as Big Rich to many, my husband is an incredible man.  Not only does he indulge my need to sightsee all over the damn country, he does it with a smile.  We started out today at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, by the time we had explored the Swedish Festival at Chellberg Farm, the homestead of Bailly Farm and the Succession Trail at West Beach, not to mention two trips to the Visitor Center so I could get my Junior Ranger badge, it was pretty late in the day.

Here we were, only an hour from South Bend, home of the University of Notre Dame, his fan favorite.  He asked what I wanted to do next…I was game for anything, so off to see the Fighting Irish we went.  The man was thrilled, a smile a mile wide as we drove on to the beautiful campus.  We drove Holy Cross Drive around the perimeter, saw the Dome, the golf course, both lakes and then parked at the stadium.

Big is a professed PAC 10 fan, but the Fighting Irish hold a special place in his heart.  We walked around the football stadium with high reverence for the coaches who have built such a legendary program.  Each gate is named for a different coach, Rockney, Leahy, Devine, Parseghian, Holtz – as we approached the Rockney gate, it was open…heaven for my man as we got to enter the stadium and stand on the field of the great football team, looking North we could see Touchdown Jesus! The gate guard had asked us for the password before allowing us to enter…my first response was “please?”  Big chanted, “Rudy! Rudy!” – the guard almost gave in on that one, my last suggestion, “Go Irish!” met with approval.  Thank goodness for that.

A dinner at the Legends completed the tour, with a little gift for our grandsons.  Football shirts declaring them to be “Future Legends” of the University of Notre Dame….dreams are always worth dreaming!  Happy ½ year anniversary honey, I couldn’t have planned better if I had tried.