Cheer Competition #4...

Today we had cheer competition #4 in Jackson and it was a good day to be a Mississippi Outlaw Young Gun!  Anna Lauren's squad got 1st place and Grand Champion!  Not sure who was more excited and proud...the girls or the parents?  Let's just say...it's fun for everyone when you win!

Anna Lauren was super excited to have Nanna and Bently at her competition today...

Anna Lauren and Maggie...Maggie cheers on an older squad but she is typically around because her sister is on Anna Lauren's squad. Anna Lauren has decided she LOVES her some Maggie and Maggie is always so sweet to her...

Anna Lauren and Mary Addison, Maggie's younger sister...

Anna Lauren, Sydney, and Ava...these three are something.  If you don't believe me, take a carpool turn any Tuesday or Thursday. However, Matt and I wouldn't trade it for the world...love them all!

Anna Lauren and Isabella, Anna Lauren's "flyer"...

What a sweet, sweet surprise...Rileigh and Emmy came today and surprised Anna Lauren.  For sure some special friends!

Awards...Anna Lauren jumping up because they announced her squad got 1st place.  Yes, every other girl jumped up too...she just happened to be ahead of them!

Love this picture of Anna Lauren peaking over to check out their sign...

Smiles, smiles, and more smiles...some super excited little girls!

Showing off their 1st place and Grand Champion Posters...

Matt was out of town all week for work...he missed her performance, but Nanna got him from the airport just in time to make awards.

Good thing Daddy got there for awards...it was fun today!

Anna Lauren and Ava...

Pretty girls who for sure "shined" today!

Cheer Competition #3...

Yesterday we had Cheer Competition #3 in New Orleans...the girls didn't have the best day...they got 4th out of 4.  Thankfully, Anna Lauren doesn't get wrapped up in the "place" and just enjoys performing.  Not all parents feel this way, but Matt and I are thrilled that is how she feels at six years old.  She has plenty of years to feel the pressure to win!  We are on a 3 week competition stretch so this weekend we'll be in Jackson...excited about being "home" for a weekend.

If you cannot tell by her smile, this little girl LOVES a stage!

Think she is starting a roundoff back handspring...

Caught her in the middle of a back handspring...

Anna Lauren has the sweetest little flyer, Isabella.  She loves being her base!

Roundoff...

Back handspring...

Crazy Sydney "flys" for just a minute...Sydney carpools with us, and she is so crazy...not bad...crazy!

Nanna gave Anna Lauren $5 to spend in New Orleans when we dropped off Cooper...she picked pink light up hair!

Anna Lauren and Hadley...we live in Hadley's old house and Hadley is always so sweet to Anna Lauren when she sees her.  And yes, Hadley in 4th grade and Anna Lauren in 1st and they are the same size (actually Anna Lauren probably bigger)...too funny!

Anna Lauren and Coach Katie...

If Shawn and Katherine don't watch out, Matt and I may adopt Ava...she is the SWEETEST and EASIEST child we know!

Anna Lauren didn't want to take a picture with the trophy, but I thought it was a cool Mardi Gras themed trophy.  Before awards they had a little parade and the girls got beads.  It was a fun little taste of New Orleans.

And that is it until next week...not going to be a dull moment at our house until maybe May!  Busy, busy but still lots of fun (and a lot of tired)!

Cheer Competition #2...

This past weekend we had Cheer Competition #2 in Biloxi, and the girls walked away with a 3rd place trophy.  We were all very pleased with their performance and look forward to seeing what they can do this weekend in New Orleans.

After we were done with the cheer competition we couldn't resist going to the beach for a little while...it was too pretty of a day!  And for the perfect ending to the day, we stopped at Shrimp Basket in Hattiesburg and had dinner...Shrimp Basket is for sure a special treat for the whole family...we just love it!

And just so you know...you only see "smiles" but this cheer business can be intense, does come with melt downs, and requires lots of patience on my part.  But...the positive out weighs the negative and it really is fun to watch Anna Lauren do something she loves!