So very proud of our cheer girl for performing her little heart out at the Western States Dance Competition.  This was their first cheer dance performance and they NAILED IT!!! The competition lasted all day... we were number 20 out of 84 routines... some cheer some dance. (luckily we didn't have to stay all day) Most groups did multiple routines but only the highest single score could win the competition and bragging rights as the 2015 Western States Cheer Champions...

The girls received a Superior on the Dance which won them the big trophy and their 295.5 out of 300 score is what won them the Banner that says 2015 Western Cheer Champions!

Here are some shots from the dance itself... the cheer coach's dad is a professional photographer... which is why the shots were AWESOME...

and the finale...

Just added the Cheer Video so you can see how awesome the performance was as well.

Ainsley got Cheer Pictures taken...

We had access to the original photo files so... me being obsessed with tweaking photos had a blast playing around with them!  Majority of the photos were fine but I love the effects, and cropping that occurred when I tweaked them...

Here was the original...

and here is the fun after I messed around with it...

They did a jump shot outside but one of the girls... the one that causes all the drama... made a weird face so I just cropped her out... Love this one now... it's so Ainsley... so happy... so excited... so loving cheer... and so stinkin' cute!!

The last one is my most favorite... Ainsley and her Besties... the original one was too washed out... eyes were closed and all but after I tweaked it... I think it screams "Gap Jean Ad!!"

Original...

LOVE IT NOW...

Change is good... change is sometimes scary... change happens sometimes when you least expect it...

I changed out the kiddos school pictures... wow time sure flies fast.  Ainsley's change is K through 8th...

And Walker's is Preschool to 6th... He's frame wasn't bursting at the seams yet...

In other news... my big change is that I decided to switch schools and am now FULL TIME... it's been a needed change... a scary change... an adjusting change but with 3 weeks in its been a good change!  It's nice to be paid for all those "bonus hours" I use to put in.

Wednesday and Thursday are my 5am wake up calls to get Ainsley and sometimes friends to cheer practice... enjoying the sunrise after I get back home with my morning coffee and quietness are always the highlight of the day...

Walker had his first Middle School choir performance...

He was a little disappointed when they first started practicing at the beginning of the year for this concert... its the exact same songs that Ainsley sang in 6th grade.  He did great... it was fun to see him smile, sing and get into the actions of the song...

He was asked by the choir teacher just before this concert to move to the Boys Choir which is mainly composed of 7th and 8th graders... so he was pretty excited about that.  There is a problem with the scheduling so he won't be able to move until the last trimester of school but it is a big honor to be selected to move out of beginning choir.

As the kiddos get older certain holidays take on a different tone.  What use to make conversation back in September about which costume to wear, when we were carving pumpkins and getting out the decorations has now turned into... no costume shopping, no pumpkins carving and one real decoration... a real spider web donated so kindly for the occasion... which had probably been there since September!

While Ainsley did go trick or treating back in 6th grade Walker opted not to... "That's so elementary school." he said. Since it was a relatively warm start to the night we sat outside until dark...

Ainsley had a Halloween Party... a BOY / GIRL party!!! Not sure if we are ready for this stage yet... but the kiddos grow and change whether we like it or not... she's got a good head on her shoulders and thankfully a really great group of friends!

We took a quick selfie before heading out to the concert...

The doors opened at 6pm and because we were so excited we got there right at 6pm We were able to go through security really quickly and found our seats...

Getting the tickets online back in September was a stressful event... you get thrown into a large group and the computer randomly puts you in line.  The day we originally wanted to go was sold out in a matter of moments and we frantically had to try for a different day... we were really just glad we got any tickets!!

We were behind the stage and pretty high up but knew that Garth was a great entertainer and would get around to us in the back... plus we were there to listen and enjoy the atmosphere!  The concert was to start at 7:30 but the arena was less than a third full of the sold out concert at that time... people who did not come early got stuck in security and the line we were told wrapped around the block.  So after a long delay... Garth finally took the stage at 8:30.

The concert was even better than I could have imagined... simply amazing!!

He started the night with his new song... Man Against Machine... Bug's favorite and only song he knew all the words to so he was pretty thrilled...

Then from there he kicked it up with the good old stuff... singing 24 songs!!  Garth being Garth was everywhere... running around the stage... climbing on things and just being purely awesome... just as he was 17 years ago!

When "The River" started it was so beautiful... people singing... using phones (instead of lighters) to light up the arena... and I got all choked up and teary eyed... listening to the words... looking around at sharing this experience with my best friend and kiddos... truly a moment... one that I will remember forever!

The kiddos had a great time at their very first concert... even the 13 year old who was less than thrilled about missing school and District Honor Choir was singing along..

Us parents were dancing... singing fools... loving every moment and ultimately losing our voices by the end of the night... one of us still is quite hoarse 2 days later!

Thanks Garth for the wonderful night... 2 hours of AWESOME music... you made these fans proud!!

Today is the day...

Last time we saw Garth in concert was July 4 1998 and the ticket price back then...$19.75!!

Us parents are super excited... Little Bug is excited only if Garth sings the 1 song he likes and knows all the words too and Ainsley is less than thrilled that she had to miss District Honor Choir and Friday school... I know she'll enjoy it once we are there... or that will be fun..(said sarcastically).

In scouts they had a lesson on hammocks and made their own.  Too bad they made them towards the end of the season but Bug already has ideas for it's usage in the Summer next year.

Hammock sleeping outside is pretty high on his list.  The weather is turning now but it's still a great place to read...

It really was quite the event last Friday and seriously the time leading up to it was a crazy, mad house blur.  Kiddos are off the bus at 3:50 which makes Walker home about 3:51 and Ainsley after talk and chat with friends arrives around 4... geesh all day they are together and there is still talking to do!!

It was a very early dinner night... 4pm since we had to be at the Holt Arena at 5:30.  Because I'm me.. I had to schedule our dinner, getting ready time and driving time.  All through dinner I'm telling Ainsley... "I would love to hear more about your day and who said what to whom but... you've GOT to eat and get ready."

So here's the deal... I've allowed 4:30 until 5:10 to get ready.  How long does it take a 13 year old to get dressed in cheer outfit... WAY TOO LONG!!  About 500 reminders to dress quickly, she finally appears and we still have to put on those OMG lashes and oh ya... curl her entire hair and put it into a high ponytail!!

There was a lot of frustration on my part because she wanted to do everything herself but... TIME MANAGEMENT is not her strong suit.  So there may have been quite a few eye rolls and irritating sighs going on from the both of us... but somehow we got everything done and at 5:10 I'm yelling down that everyone is to get in the car. Ainsley is right behind putting on her cheer shoes... and then there is a frantic... I can't find my cheer socks!!!  Seriously?!?!.. she had them on at dinner 20 minutes ago... up and down the stairs I'm running/sweating and throwing messy clothes here and there and just as I'm telling her she is going to have to wear plain white ones she says, "oh here they are in my backpack?!?"

As we are in the car screaming down the road I remember... the bright red hooker lipstick is on the bathroom counter!! As I'm rummaging around in my purse for some sort of lipstick she says, "I texted Aubrie and I'll borrow hers."

So VERY glad to drop her off... and on the dot at 5:30!  So no there was no picture taking before and she opted to stay for the second football game with friends but I did get this cutie with BFF...

The actual event itself was pretty amazing... wish I could have gotten a picture of the entire football field... but the cheer girls were on both ends... the dance drill team was across the front and the band stretched the rest of the field to the other cheer girls on the other side... really cool!

This was actually the first time we've seen Ainsley stunt... they had a girl out sick so they had to borrow a cheerleader from another school and during the practice earlier in the day they dropped Ainsley 3 times. So she was pretty nervous and sore that night but she did amazing... they all did.  I held my breath each time they tossed her and caught her.. whew... all in all they did the dance and stunted 6 times... and 6 times I had to hold my breath... breathe and clap frantically!!

Adventures in this year's middle school craziness... pretty priceless!