Winter Break: Magic Kingdom

 The girls have mentioned wanting to go back to Disney again, so we decided to take our few days off for Winter Break and head down to Orlando. 

There is something so nostalgic about walking into the Magic Kingdom and down Main Street.

Things are always changing as far as fast passes go, and then you end up doing way more walking because of where you have to be at certain times.  We headed straight for the side of the park with Jungle Cruise and Aladdin's carpets so that we could be nearby for Pirates of the Caribbean fast pass. Even when you have teenagers you still get enjoy the little kid rides.

A quick stop for some sweet treats.  So yummy.

The snacks are always a hit.  Macy had a cream cheese pretzel, and she loved it so much that we had to search it out later in the week.

You can't come to Disney and not get a Mickey ice-cream.

It was such a fun day.  We were tired, but we enjoyed every bit of our day.

Valentine's Day 2022

 A little cheese fondue, some chocolate fondue, and lots of love for these people.

Blueridge Winterfest

We traveled to Lincolnton, NC to compete this weekend.  This competition was actually our last one before covid shut everything down in 2020.  In some ways it feels like just a few months ago we were here competing, and in some ways it feels so very long ago.

We were gone for just over 24 hours, and the amount of challenges this weekend brought became laughable.  We pull into Gastonia for dinner and Brooke realizes she didn't pack any shoes other than her clogging shoes.  While we figure out how that happened Macy realizes she forgot her shoes too. We get our name down on the waiting list, and then we run to Target.  Kayla and I run in and buy them some new tennis shoes.

We enjoy dinner at one of their favorite restaurants when we travel, Cheddars.  At the hotel I start getting everything out for an early morning start. I start to locate tights and bodysuits, but I can only find  Brooke's. Panic ensues as both Kayla and Macy realize they did not pack them.  Marc, Macy, and I head off to Walmart hoping to find what we need.  Thankfully a friend and the director had extra tights we could use, and we were able to piece together a body suit option. 

The Starz team competed in 4 routines.  They received gold on one routine and platinum on the other three!

They also took away the Overall Starz Team of the day award.  Their standing line routine earned the highest score of all routines competed in this division.

Brooke put her solo on for the first time.  She was super nervous, and you could tell it on her face, but she did awesome, danced strong, and came away with a gold score! She was so excited and proud of herself.

The Juniors team competed 5 routines.  This was their first time competing their precision routine, and I think it will be one of my favorites.  They did so great.

Just when we were starting to get comfortable with the competion and everything was going smoothly, Kayla runs up panicked to Brooke.  Apparently someone forgot their hoedown uniform, so they were going to wear what we refer to as their "China doll" uniform with the burgundy cummerbund. The problem is that Brooke doesn't compete those dances, so she doesn't have that uniform. They run off to find the other Juniors' alternate that does have that uniform and do a quick shirt swap.  The hoedown goes on without a hitch.  

Cue next problem. Both Brooke and Charlotte, the other alternate, are in the precision routine which is temporarily using the hoedown uniform.  In a mad dash scramble we take the shirt off of Miss Tori's back for Brooke.  She had been a literal last minute fill in during a previous routine.

At this point all we could do is just laugh and pray that we made it home safely that night.

The Juniors team received first place and grand champion for all 5 of their routines. They received the Overall Traditional Senior award and the Overall Contemporary Senior award.  All routines placed high enough to qualify them for Nationals!

We decided to make the drive home after the competition rather than staying an extra night.  We found a place that makes custom ice-cream sandwiches.  That was a fun end to our busy weekend.  Hopefully everyone learned some lessons about packing before a competition.  

Beta Club and NHS Inductions

 Macy was inducted into Beta Club and Kayla was inducted into the National Honor Society. I'm super proud of these two!

January Randoms

 Riley thinks she is protecting her territory.  They just look at her like she's crazy, and then the wander off from the annoying barking.

Naptime for these two.  One naps all day.  The other rarely naps. 

Snow Day 2022

 It has been a while since we have had a decent snow for Georgia.  Macy loves the snow, so we have to be careful when we talk about the forecast.  She will get her hopes up and then be let down when we just get rain. She decided to sit outside in hopes that the snow would come.

Finally her wish came true!

I was technically still in quarantine, so I kept my distance on a walk, but I jumped in for a quick family picture.

It wasn't much snow, but she was happy.

Here in Georgia we take what we can get.

Black and White Dance

 Macy enjoyed going to the Black and White dance with her friends. 

A Crazy January

 Sometimes I never know what these three will be up to.  They are either really loud or really quiet.  Both could lead to trouble.

Macy ended up with a sore throat.  Both of us had had quite a fall season of sickness, so I had Marc take her in for a strep test.  That was negative, but guess what she did test positive for... covid. Her main complaints are a sore throat and sore muscles. She quarantined, and I don't think she hated it.  She was left alone in her room.  She was brought food, and Marc set up a television in her room. She was probably a little sad when her 5 days of quarantine were over.

In the meantime, Kayla started her first job.  She had to let them know she was exposed to covid, but feeling fine.  They had just finished covid in their house, so she headed on off to work.  Her commute is about a mile down the road and the hours are minimal and flexible. She is enjoying the job, and she enjoys the variety of things she does each day.

Covid has made her tired.  This is how we found her one day.

We did our best to keep the rest of us healthy, but after tracking down some covid tests, both Brooke and I tested positive.  Kayla felt fine, and Marc refused to test.  I think he preferred not knowing.

Macy was feeling better, and she was done with her quarantine, so she was able to join her team at a Robotics Competition.

Hopefully, now we will all stay healthy.  It has been a rough couple of months in our house, but we are thankful that nothing was too serious.

Celebrating Brooke!

 Brooke is twelve! She is full of life, full of energy, and full of feelings.  Celebrating birthdays on school days is not our favorite, but she still managed to get some homemade crepes for breakfast. 

Somehow this picture suits her. 

She's been asking for a desk for a long time.  There isn't a lot of room in her room, but she's excited to have someone to put her things.

Chocolate fondue is another favorite.  She was super excited to make her own fondue to celebrate her birthday.

Brooke, 

You are a smart, beautiful girl who loves life. You have grown so much this year as you have been navigating your big feelings and your friendships.  I'm proud how you have pushed through the hard times. I'm so excited to see how you continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord, and how he will use you this next year.  I love you big my sweet girl.

Love, 

Mama