Ok...
August 2011
First Day of School

Ethan 3rd grade
Katherine 7th grade

It has been a long time since I have posted.
Here is a picture from Halloween...
Katherine was a teal butterfly and Ethan was Darth Vader.

CJ Beatty comes to Colfax

Cardinals minor league player, CJ Beatty, came by Colfax this past Friday to encourage and motivate the students. Ethan was excited and got to have a picture made with him.

Priorities...

This week I realized that my priorities have changed over the past 9 years. It was only 9 years ago that I was completing my National Board Certification at the same time I taught 1st grade and attended graduate school. Life was busy, but I have a great husband and I was able to succeed with both my National Board and my Master's. Now only 9 years later things have changed. Here I am about to renew my National Board and wondering where I can find the time. I still teach full time, but my afternoons and evenings are spent carpooling, helping or playing with my two children. This week I realized how important those car rides are to my daughter. You see my daughter is 11 and a very talented competitive cheerleader. This is her 3rd year cheering, but her first year at her new gym. She is on two teams, one a youth level 5 team. Youth 5 teams are kids under 12 that have level 5 skills (the highest ). There are only a few of these teams in the nation, due to how rare it is for girls so young to be so talented. This week we learned that due to politics the whole youth 5 division as well as many other things may change next year. There is even a chance youth 5 could be eliminated all together. Katherine still has one more year to be eligible for youth level teams and was hoping to be on Youth Elite again next year. In May, when she tried out for her new gym she was throwing tucks and a few layouts here and there. Now she can do a full and she can do it well. To see her tumble across the floor and hit the landing perfectly is all any mom could want. Katherine spent 5 hours at the gym yesterday just to help make a video to save her team. It was amazing to see how motivated she was to help "save" what she believes in. Although the voting has ended her "save youth 5" video can be seen on youtube for many days to come. Unfortunately, we won't know the result until March 1st.

When National Board asks what are you most proud of that you did over these last 10 years... My answer: I raised two kids... two great kids that have passion and determination to stand up for what they believe in. So, I guess you can say my priorities have changed.

Save Youth 5 - Kernersville edition

Cheer Nationals at Opryland Hotel

Last Monday, Dec. 27th the kids and I loaded up the car and headed for Nashville.
We spent a day south of Nashville with a good friend. Shannon and her husband moved to Nashville several years ago. Although I have never made it to Nashville before we had kept in touch and she had come her a few times. The kids and I spent the night at their house, met their adorable son, Carter, often called Cater. We saw the town of Franklin and went to a build your own sundae shop. We even saw Shannon's school. It really made me jealous and want all the technology that her school has. The next day we went to Opryland and Katherine's cheer competition. She practiced the first day and then competed the next two days. She competed with her level 3 Jr Excel team and with her Youth Elite Level 5 team. The first day Katherine did great although each team had a few mistakes in their routines. The second day both of her teams did great and made us all so proud. Katherine's youth elite was in its own division so we knew they had to take 1st place. They went ahead and did Youth Elite's awards early in the day, so many teams members could head back home. Jr. Excel was up against 5 other teams and they won... 1st place for Jr Level 3. After the very end of the competition they announced best out of all Level 3, Cheer Extreme Jr Excel won. Then they announced best for all Level 5 teams, including seniors, and Youth Elite won. Unfortunately, part of the team already left at that point. Wow... so proud of those girls. To top off the week we met a coach from UNC and saw several players for UNC and UT before their big bowl game, which of course UNC won.

More Thanksgiving pictures of cousins Madison, Katherine, Ethan, Sami and Emma!

Thanksgiving 2010

Pictures from CEA Showcase...

Cheer Extreme Showcase


Last Sunday Katherine performed for the first time as a Cheer Extreme cheerleader. She performed on Youth Elite (Youth Level 5) and Jr. Excel (junior level 3/4). She did great and loves her new gym.
After performing with both teams she performed her full all by herself and it was beautiful. She continues to impress and amaze me.

First Day of School

On August 25th, Ethan started 2nd grade and Katherine started middle school, 6th grade. So far, 16 days into the school year and both kids are doing great. They seen to be all settled in and adjusting just fine. I can't believe how fast they grow up.

Cancun!!!!


In July, the family traveled to Cancun... what an amazing trip!!!

Summer Comes to an End!!!

As the summer comes to an end it is the perfect time to stop and reflect on the summer. We did a lot of amazing things on a few great trips. We went to a wedding in the mountains and saw Grandfather Mountain. We went to Ohio and saw some cousins that we don't get to see enough and had a great time. That is except for Katherine spending the day in the hospital. The whole family loved our first trip to Cancun... we will definitely have to return there again soon.

Each child had a wish or a dream that they wanted to do this summer. Katherine wanted to swim with dolphins and Ethan wanted to go to Boston and see the Red Sox play. While in Cancun Katherine's wish came true. She spent over an hour in the water swimming, dancing and even being kissed by a dolphin. This is one experience that she will remember forever.
Yesterday Ethan's wish came true. As the Red Sox played the Angels Ethan and his dad sat right behind home plate and watched the entire game. Ethan's love for baseball just grew to a new level after this experience. I am sure he will never forget this experience. Summer may be ending, but the dreams that my kids accomplished this summer will live on forever...

Colfax

Katherine started at Colfax Elem in August of 2004. She attended Colfax elementary for 6 years on on June 10, 2010 she finished Colfax. After a nice graduation ceremony she finish her years as an elementary student. She will now move onto to middle school. It seems like only yesterday she was riding with me to Colfax. I know she is ready to move to middle school. I will miss her. I have had her with me at school for the past six years. Ready or not... she's growing up.

Red Sox vs. Yankees


Normally, in my house there would be no questions at all, Red Sox without a doubt. Now we have an interesting situation. Ethan is playing 2 different baseball leagues and therefore, two different teams. (It wasn't supposed to happen that way, but with a die hard baseball fanatic this is how it ended up). Anyway, Ethan has played on three other teams in his past two years in baseball. He knows that you get drafted on a team and do not choose your team. He was drafted to be on the K-ville Red Sox team and for the Colfax Yankees. So, now we have to cheer on the Yankees two days a week, that is the Colfax Yankees. The rest of the time we will stay Fenway fanatics and cheer for the Red Sox. We will have a total of four games a week between the two teams. Now my 6 year old is getting a chance play the game he loves representing two of the best teams in the MLB. I think at this level his passion and dedication for the sport out ways the jerseys he wears.

Spring Break 2010

(Part 1)

Spring Break started with a 4 day trip to Myrtle Beach for the kids and I. Nathan was off to Texas for a conference. We met my sister-in-law, my niece and my nephew at the beach. It started off very chilly and windy, but by the end of the trip it is beautiful beach weather. We all enjoyed swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools. The kids enjoyed getting wet in the ocean, but it was way too cold for me.

Change of Events

Just when you think everything is going one way, then things happen to change that. Katherine ended her 2 year term as a GAC cheerleader. She loves to cheer and tumble, but her happiness was far more important. She knows she made the right decision, but today knowing she could have been on the floor completing it was hard. The hardest part is all of the friends that are left behind. Rumors are running wild, but the truth is just needs some time to be Katherine. Who knows what the future will hold? For now she is in her school's running club and tumbling one night a week and just being Katherine. Ethan just started a new season of baseball today. So, Ethan doing many nights of baseball will keep all of us busy and entertained.

Katherine, the Coach

Katherine helps 2 moms coach the Colfax
Kindergarten cheer squad. She loves " her girls".
She helps them with cheers and halftime routine.
Today was picture day and she was very excited that they asked to be in the picture. This means that she will be in the yearbook.
This is the same squad she started her cheerleading career on 6 years ago.