Chili anyone?

I'm not sure if you can read the tag on the ornament, but it says "3rd Place Winner, Bell's Chili Cook-Off 2008."  3rd place!  And no, it wasn't out of 3.  I know there were at least 11 crockpots...my distant cousin (that I see at the grade school I work at) said there were 14.  Anyway, each year my mom's aunt & uncle have a chili cook-off at their house.  Since I don't cook or bake or anything like that, I normally just go and try all the chili that other people make.  After you try all the chili, you vote for which one you like the best.  The first place winner gets their name on a plaque and the honor of wearing the chili pepper apron the next year.  Second and third place get a smaller prize and a chance to try again next year.  I don't know what came over me, but I decided that I would try to make some this year.  Of course I didn't expect to win anything, I just thought it would be fun to join in.  The chili cook-off takes place the same night as the downtown has their Christmas walk.  So Tony and I took the boys and walked with my cousins to see the "Christmas windows."  You would not believe how surprised I was when I got back and my mom said I got 3rd place and handed me the prize.  I ran back to my cousin, Kim , and we jumped up and down.  (If you scroll down a few posts on her blogspot, you can see a picture of me holding my prize box in front of a chili pepper tree.  You can also keep scrolling down because my cousin has some really cute/creative Christmas things up in her house that you should take a look at.)  Although she didn't win, Caleb ate 3 bowls!! of her chili.  My own son did not vote for me, but he went home with a very happy, full belly.  So that was my exciting news from the weekend.  Who knows, maybe I'll even have to try again next year.