October Randoms

 Riley has found her throne.  This spot is where she spends most of her time when Marc is working downstairs in his office. Little dog syndrome - she likes to be up high.

Macy and this blanket are basically inseparable.

Kayla coached her first soccer team this year.  She had a group of 1st and 2nd graders.  She really had a great time with it.

We are hanging onto every bit of summer.  We are about to close the pool down for the season because the leaves are starting to really fall, but we'll take the warmer days while they last.

Dressing up for Halloween clogging class.

Homecoming week - Gold Out

Brooke and Sophie always get a ridiculous amount of candy trick-or-treating.  In fact. I think I just threw out some of last years candy.

Clogging Performances and Competition

 We always love going to senior centers for clogging performances.  I love seeing the enjoyment that the seniors get by watching these young ones dance.

We ventured up to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Carolina's Clogging Classic.  This was at the Carowinds amusement park.

By the time we were done with this competition the lines at the park were so long that we weren't really able to do much.  The girls were disappointed, so we told them we'd make a trip to Dollywood soon.

Macy wanted her picture taken here.  I don't quite understand why.

Hillcrest is always a favorite place to perform.

We always leave with way more apples than we can eat.  I took a bunch to school, and we made a few new recipes. We are grateful that Hilcrest gives each dancer a bag of apples as a thank you.

September Fun

 September was full of fun times.  Brooke enjoyed having a pancake the size of her plate, although she wasn't able to eat the whole thing.

 

Macy enjoyed breakfast in bed. 

We had a night out at hibachi.

The girls performed at Riverfest which is always a fun, hot experience.

 

College Visit #2 - University of North Georgia

 We took Kayla to UNG for a visit.  It is a beautiful campus, and she enjoyed the tour.

 

Great Wolf Lodge

 We had a bit of a staycation for Fall Break this year, but we did take the girls to Great Wolf Lodge one night. They had a great time, and I was able to enjoy some time reading books, which doesn't happen too often these days. 

Kiddie slides are fun no matter your age.

We purchased a wand for the MagiQuest game.  The girls enjoyed walking around looking for the hidden items and completing the challenges.  They were able to work together to beat the dragon at the end. 

On the way home we made a little detour to Truett's Luau. We enjoyed eating outside, even if it was a bit chilly.  It was a beautiful location.

Marc enjoyed the pineapple tacos and sweet potato fries. A couple of us enjoyed the luau nuggets, and Brooke tried the tea with strawberry boba balls. 

It was a fun little adventure.  We even ran into a few families from school at Great Wolf Lodge. It was a nice way to end our Fall Break this year.

 

USA Nationals

 USA Nationals is always a fun weekend.  It is held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. 

The girls competed on two teams in two different divisions. 

The Starz team received first place on all 4 of their routines: Banjo Boy, We Go Together, Popular, and hoedown. Two of those routines were Grand Champion meaning they had the highest score of all age brackets, an they received the Traditional National Title.  That means their score was the highest score of all traditional style of dances.  This weekend was a major win for their team.

Brooke is now an alternate for the Juniors team.  She was able to compete with them in the hoedown, so this was the first time all 3 girls competed together in the same routine.

The Junior team competes at a level with some stiff competition.  They placed in all 4 of their routines: Still in Love with You, Best Day Ever, Levitating, and hoedown. They won Grand Champion for hoedown (highest hoedown score across all age brackets), and they competed in the dance off for the National Title, which is a huge accomplishment for their division. 

Kayla is also part of a smaller team that competes No Roots, and they placed as well.

It was a fun, long weekend of competition, and the girls did amazing.