Thanks to last week's adventure, we will be eating for free at Chick-fil-a for quite some time. Want to know a bit about our 26 hours in the parking lot?
This is my third CFA camp out.
Jason and Janey's first.
The other two I attended, we all arrived after lunch and they didn't reach 100 until much after 4 p.m. Now that has changed. We arrived at 5 a.m. Along with nearly 100 other people.
When 6 a.m. rolled around the numbers were nearing 150.
Each person there got a raffle ticket.
It is the new way to ensure fairness and prevent chaos.
Jason got picked third.
One by one, each person in our group was picked.
Except me.
Ticket by ticket I waited with a big L on my forehead.
Until ticket number 75.
I was in!
The sun was rising... the day began.
Because Jason was picked third he was able to get us this sweet corner spot.
EZ ups were placed, tables and chairs came out, tents were piled in.
At 7 a.m. we were no longer allowed to leave the flagged in area.
All day long people driving by stopped to ask us what was going on.
At first we told them the real reason.
Then after answering the same question 500 times we got wacky and started making up stories.
Some of them were funny (to us at least):
-Harry Potter 7 is opening.
-Robert Pattinson is signing autographs.
-Star Wars 8 is opening.
-We are from PETA and we are protesting.
-We lost our homes (To which a lady stared at me horrified. She totally believed it. That was awkward.)
It began to get hot.
HOT!!!
Over 100 degrees
stinking hot.
Janey has inherited my disdain for heat.
My super easy, happy baby was ANGRY!
We took little A/C breaks in the bathroom.
Perhaps a bit crazy...
but I need me some A/C
and if I have to stand in a fast food restaurant to get it, so be it.
The next opening better be in winter.
The president of CFA came to speak to all of us.
He was amazing and encouraging.
If you don't like chicken or fast food, you have to appreciate the values that CFA has founded its business upon.
By far the best customer service any place as far as I am concerned,
they support their local communities in so many ways,
the list goes on and on...
Rick Warren was there as his guest.
Awesome.
They had a DJ and games well into the night,
fed us all of our meals and even treated everyone to an Icedream bar after dinner.
Jason won a CFA beach towel. Rad.
After midnight it got quiet and we retired to our tent under the brightest spotlight in the world.
Janey tried to keep the party going.
It was a looooong night.
At 6am the CFA president woke us all up with his bugle.
He bugled that wake up song...
For reals.
We staggered out of our tents and lined up awaiting our prizes.
Everyone put on their CFA hats and shirts and one by one walked through the restaurant to get our 52 value meal cards. (One a week for a year... free chicken for a year!)
All of the employees were banging pots and pans and cheering.
It was hilarious.
Then we packed up as the sun was rising, chatting about when we can do it again.
Yes, we are super crazy. Crazy for chicken. Or for a break from our lives. Even if that break involves baking in a parking lot all day.
But, if chicken and camp outs aren't your thing, and you are still hungry, why not snack on this little bit of scrumptious.
Could you not eat this kid up?
It was better than a year of free food.
She is edible,
as well as a fun parking lot camping companion,
even if she whined about the heat and can't eat chicken yet.
Most people will read this and think you are nuts...I, however, think you are a genius and just my kind of woman! I can't wait until another CFA opens near me!! I did get a free chicken sandwich today for the whole family b/c we wore our razorback gear!!!
ReplyDeleteOur daughter did this earlier in the year. She tried to get us to wait with her, but we declined. At 3:30 am she called and told us that there were only 40 people in line, so her dad went down and waited the rest of the night with her! It was such a fun story!! They were excited!
ReplyDeleteToday we all got free sandwiches because we wore our Tar Heel shirts!
CFA is super!
oh my she is just a doll and that dress is so cute, but not as cute as her :)
ReplyDelete:( we don't have a chik-fil-a :( I think there is only one in michigan and that is 3ish hours away!
i want free chicken! hope your move is going smoothly!
Whoa! Did you make Janey's dress??? I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteThis absolutely cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteYou can't even imagine how many people I told about it over the weekend. You were talked about much.
Drew's pictures are so gorgeous! Love.
You rock!!!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up!! For reals!! This is too funny!! I have some not so great memories associated with CFA so I don't eat there...but I don't really know that I can blame it on the food. It probably has a lot more to do with the fact that I ate there for the first time like two days before we moved out here and I was really sick to my stomach with nerves and anxiety!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am glad YOU love it and you got oodles of free food! That is crazy! And Janey girl, well, I heart her! She is a DOLL BABY and as cute as cute can be!
very interesting!!!!! What did you win??
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know they did this! And, yes, a little crazy... but a lot of genius! Wow.
ReplyDeleteWow - we don't have CFA here so I'm intregued by your experience, but I love free stuff so I totally get that part.
ReplyDeleteAnd the baby picture (sigh)... just gorgeous.
Oh, I am in love with Janey's sweet little face- what a doll!
ReplyDeleteYay for free chicken! I've never even heard of Chick Fil-A!
looks like lots of fun! your daughter is a-dorable!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you roll...camping out for free CFA with your family...you truly have a fun spirit! Gotta love those waffle fries..and those little nugget breakfast things with honey butter...yum!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter could be a baby model...seriously...she is beautiful! You have to let us know the details of her outfit...did you make it?! I am in love with it! I want one for my daughter!
You are crazy.
ReplyDeleteJaney's picture is AMAZING. she is so stink'n cute.
is there more?
How crazy fun!! I love family adventures and this was definitely one of those. =) Your little baby looked so cute in that outfit!! Did you make it?
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy!!1 I never knew they did stuff like that. Glad you all had a great time!!!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have CFA in the Chicago area, I've seen them in Florida on vacation but never been to one. Sooo . . . I don't get it. If you camp out they give you free food? Huh? LOL
ReplyDeleteOh, umm. I can't not say this. My buddy Rob's name is Robert PattiNson. You left out that N. It's bothering me. :-p But just a little. OK, a little more than a little. lol!!!
that baby is so flipping cute..she has the most beautiful eyes and is so squeezably soft..she is irrestible..:)
ReplyDeleteFree chicken for a year?!! I am so so jealous! I had no idea they did that when they open a chick-fil-a . . . now I'm bound and determined to find one I can go to!
ReplyDeleteThere is one opening near me soon so I may consider this! haha
ReplyDeleteHere's some sad news for you - No Chick-Fil-A in Idaho. Not a one. But we'll be in California this fall and we may just have to stop by one to see what all the hoopla is about.
ReplyDeleteI love this post, by the way! It's so funny & wacky and I love it! Congratulations on your free chicken! :)
Adorable and totally edible Janey pic too! :)
I LOVE it!!! I don't think I could have talked hubby into it though!!
ReplyDeleteLittle Miss Janey and that dress are ADORABLE!!
YUM...I do love some chick-fil-a! Unfortunatley, I think I live in a fully chick-fil-aed area. {and I do NOT think I could have talked my hubby in to going too!} No free chick-fil-a for me, but I'll gladly pay for it!! And of course, Janey is A-DOR-A-BLE!!!
ReplyDeleteWould you believe I've never been to a CFA before? Nope. Never. Shocking, I know.
ReplyDeleteJaney is so cute! No magical camera could make her even cuter than she already is. Can't wait to shoot the other girls tonight!!!
I so wanted to do this when the one near me opened up, but I had a 2 or 3 week old at the time and chose not to. Since then we've moved far, far away from CFA land. I miss them and have to get my fix while visiting family.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 104 value meals!!
I love Chick-Fil-A! They haven't done anything like this near me, or I would be in! How fun!
ReplyDeleteHow fun...adventurous! I would totally camp out for the Chick! We eat there lots! Yummo!
ReplyDeleteSounds so fun! I've always wanted to do it, but all of the CFA's around here always seem to have weekday openings and I can't do it because of school. Maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteI L-O-V-E CFA! They have the best customer service ever! I'm always so so impressed with their employees and managers. That's why it's pretty much the only fast-food place I'll eat. I'm always happy when I leave and I love supporting them because of what they stand for!
This is one of the funniest things I have read in awhile. Your kids are going to cherish these memories for sure!
ReplyDeleteCrazy yes, but super fun too! Way to get your free chicken for a year! Wahhooo!! And yes, Janey is DARLING!
ReplyDeletelove all of it!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are crazy....and you make me laugh! Can't wait for one of these to roll into TN!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that picture of Janey!
ReplyDeleteAnd LOVE that you were one of those crazy people who sat in line to get free chic fil a for a year.
When I was pregnant with Kenzie there was an opening near our old place and I really wanted to go, but knew I wouldn't make it through it and no one was crazy enough to want to go with me, so that I could take occasional breaks. (YAY for your hubby! on going with you)
There hasn't been another opening close enough since then. I'm waiting though...and I'll be there for all the free goodness. I heart Chic fil a. And completely agree it has Amazing customer service. Everyone is friendly and helpful with such positive attitudes. You don't see that much anymore.
i CAN say i do love c.f. values. wow, camping out for a c.f. opening, you are hard core!
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