Mardi Gras Nationals...

This weekend we went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras Nationals cheer competition, and we walked away super proud!  Out of five very competitive teams, we got 2nd!  At these big competitions, the competition is much stronger so 2nd place is a HUGE deal!

Anna Lauren loves all the older girls and especially the sweet ones like Maggie who give her so much attention.  We hope one day Anna Lauren will be a role model for some little girls just like Maggie and many others are to her.

Anna Lauren, Sydney, and Ava...

Stretching before warm-up...

An attempt to get a team picture...

Oh how I would love to know what these two are discussing...

In her "happy place"...

Thought this picture was fun...I typically don't take this picture because Anna Lauren runs out last.  Per Anna Lauren, she and Ava like to run out last.

Love the "concentration"...

And the stunt goes down...Anna Lauren's first experience at dropping a stunt in a competition.  She was frustrated...but...got over it quickly.  They are 7/8...mistakes do happen!

Not sure what this face means...

All smiles after their performance...

Acting silly with brothers...

Since this is Mardi Gras, there is a parade right before awards. Two girls from each squad get to be in the parade/throw beads...Anna Lauren and Ava got picked.

Throwing beads...

Because Anna Lauren and Ava are on a "mini" squad, a parent had to supervise them during the parade.  The parade is over, and I'm trying to figure out how I am going to get off the stage while all these hundreds of girls are coming onto the stage for awards.  I'm much happier on the floor just playing "momma"...the coaches can have this part!

The very happy 2nd place squad...

It was a good day!  Now to prepare for Cheersport in Atlanta...don't even want to begin thinking about how many hours will be spent at the gym over the next month.  But...she sure does love it, and we are so proud of her hard work and determination!

We Are Ready for 2015...

We have enjoyed a much needed two week break from work, school, homework, practices, packing lunches, etc.  We spent time with friends, we spent time with family, we traveled, we stayed up late, we slept late, we wore pajamas all day some days, and we have just enjoyed being together.  But...all good things must come to an end...right?

Tomorrow the alarm will go off before 5 AM, and we will get right back into our crazy busy routine of work, school, homework, practices, etc.  And that is ok...because...it is a new year, and we are ready to see what 2015 has in store for our family.

This little planner may not mean anything to most, but it means ALOT to me...this little book keeps our family organized and where we need to be when we need to be there.  I keep it close to me at all times.  I've written down all 2015 dates, and I'm ready to tackle another year...

And thankfully our first full week of January is not too overwhelming...yes, there are weeks when there is no blank space left to write anything.

Here we go...we can do this!

An Afternoon With My Little Man...

Just the way life goes, it seems I spend more "one on one" time with Anna Lauren than Cooper.  But this afternoon, Matt took Anna Lauren to cheer practice, and Cooper and I had the BEST afternoon.  We went to see some of our favorite girls play basketball and let's just say he was beyond excited, and we had a super fun time!

We took a couple selfies while waiting on the game to start...

Cooper wanted to take a picture of the girls...especially #2, Sam. He likes to know where she is at all times...

He gave lots of hugs as the the girls came out of the locker room after the game...

He gave a good many high fives too...I love this picture!

And FINALLY Sam came out of the locker room, and he was all about her!  Bless her heart...she didn't have the best game, and she was really down.  But...a win is a win, and I told her to shake it off and hold her head up high.

And before we could get home, he was sound asleep...such a fun afternoon with so much sweetness!

A Night With The Lady Majors...

Tonight we hosted the Millsaps women's basketball team for dinner.  These girls are not at home enjoying a long break like most other college students...it happens to be in the middle of their season.  Last year my office went in together and paid for them to have a nice dinner out...this year, I decided to have them come to my house.  I'm so glad I did...it was so much fun, and I think they just enjoyed being in a "home".  They are such dedicated athletes who love basketball, but you know they miss their families during this time of the year.

I spent all day yesterday taking down my Christmas decorations so I was a little over decorating if you cannot tell...this was one "sad" centerpiece I did for the table in the kitchen.  

I was going to decorate a little more, but when I went to get the purple and white poms poms, they were no where to be found. O'well, I'm pretty sure the girls did NOT care there were not basketballs and pom poms all over the house.

I tell people all the time that I LOVE my job, and I really really do! And without a doubt the #1 reason I LOVE my job is the students. So thankful I get to be a tiny part of their lives while they are in college!

I fed them exactly what they asked for...fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, mac and cheese, and biscuits.  My sweet friend and co-worker, Regina, came and helped me serve and brought chocolate chip pound cake for dessert.

They all filled up their plates and got to eating...they were not shy that is for sure!

It was so fun to just sit back and listen to them talk...such close teammates and friends...

This is Sam, who is from Miami and had never had a smore.  Not sure she was a fan of it, but she at least gave it a try.  Sam is a senior and one of my most favorites...cannot wait to see what she does next...she is one hard working young lady with an amazing story...I'm so very proud of her!

Not sure she could even tell you how many marshmallows she ate...she ate one after another!

You think of them as athletes, but they are "girls" too...they came in their cute clothes I didn't even know they have because I never see them in anything other than sweats, they posed for picture after picture, and took selfie after selfie.  Loved seeing their "other side"...

The three seniors, who will be missed for sure!  Their coach gets emotional just talking about it being their last year...

And these three did just this...acted crazy...

Anna Lauren and Holli Grace were so excited to get to spend a few hours together...they miss each other!  However, they are INSTANT best friends again when they see each other...like they have never been separated.

The sophomores...

Just two freshmen...

The juniors...

And the seniors...

Will for sure have to do this again next year...was so much fun having them over for the night!