Competition Season Has Begun!

At the end of February we started the 2018 baton competition season.  This is Cohen's 5th year competing.  It really doesn't seem like that many but she loves this baton life and I love doing it with her.  She blows me away with how talented she is every year.  I get to see her grow as a twirler and just learn so many new things.  To say I'm proud of her would be an understatement.  These competitions get tougher and tougher each year but she is a competitor and loves it.  This year we started our season in Statesboro, GA and Cohen came home as the title winner for her age group, she was the open modeling winner, open strut winner, and was 2nd place in open solo.  It was a great way to kick off the season!

The next weekend we headed to Athens for the Bulldawg Classic competition.  This time Cohen had some good open placements for her events but came up 6th in her title after having a rough solo.  She had several drops which is not her ordinary self but its those bad days that will help to make you better so onward we go...

This past weekend we headed to Jesup, Ga for the GA State competition.  This was another good week for Coco.  She was 2nd place in her title, had some top 5 finishes in open strut and solo, and was the Beg. Juvenile State 2 Baton champ.   So proud of my girl!   We are now about halfway through with the season so hopefully she can continue to improve and keep climbing to the top!

While Cohen was twirling the day away in Jesup, Kelly took Kate and Bryce on a little adventure to the Okefenokee Swamp.  He actually got to meet up with Kayla (Davis's girlfriend) since she lives down there!  He had made this trip with Kate a few years ago and they enjoyed it so he decided to go back and Bryce got to get in on it this time.  I think they really enjoyed their day.  They did stop in to see Cohen on their way down and made it back to the gym in time for awards.  Hubby doesn't do well sitting in a gym all day watching baton twirlers.  Watching Cohen yes but watching everyone else all day isn't his idea of fun.  I'm still waiting for one of these competition directors to have the "Dad lounge" complete with T.V.'s showing any and every sporting event.  They would each have a pager to let them know when their daughter was about to go...LOL.
I would have really loved to bring that 80 degree Jesup weather home with me.  Instead I have 25 mph winds knocking me down!  Come on spring!

Art Show!

The girls both recently got to see their art on exhibit at the high school for the county art show.  Art teachers from the 3 elementary schools, and also from the Middle and High school,  chooses artwork from their students to be displayed.  Both Kate and Cohen had artwork chosen and this was Kate's very first art show!  Cohen actually had 2 pieces of her work chosen, a clay face pot, and her Starry Night picture.  We were proud of our little artists!  I'm so glad they both enjoy art so much and I hope they will continue to like it.  There were so many good pictures and pieces of artwork from students all over the county.  I was impressed!  This is just a neat way to see some of the things the kids get to work on at school.  I'm so glad they do this!

And a side note, I hope my sister sees and reads this so she can pay close attention to Kate's picture...I'm pretty sure her portrait has a pig nose on the girl's face.  LOL!  The kids aren't sure of what artwork they have until they see it on display at the show and Kate wasn't quite thrilled with hers.  She had decided she didn't like that picture.  If you know Kate you will appreciate this little fact! She is one of a kind!

Daddy Daughter Dance 2018

Last weekend was the Daddy Daughter dance at the girl's school.  This was the 2nd year that they have had this dance and the girls were so excited.  Poplar Springs Baptist Church hosts the dance at the school and they really do such a great job.  I am so glad they do this!  What an awesome way to reach out in the community to these sweet girls.  They do another event for Mom's and Sons too so the guys aren't left out!  I just really love this event.  Cohen went last year with Kelly and since Kate is in kindergarten this year she got to experience her first daddy/daughter dance.  Cohen knew what to look forward to so she was more excited than Kate but they both ended up having a blast just like I knew they would.  They looked adorable too.  I think their Daddy was feeling extremely lucky and proud to have such cute little dates.  This year was a circus theme.  I always love seeing the pictures Kelly gets on his phone and the school always has some too that they will post on Facebook.  It also is great having friends that work at the school that will send me little video clips of them dancing.  I love it!  Thank you to everyone who makes this sweet dance possible!

 Kelly decided to play a little joke on the girls and come out in a ridiculous little get up-cowboy hat and my furry vest.  I love Kate's face in the second picture!  She looks like she's wondering what in the world she's got herself into.  Cohen was quick to strip the hat off!

 And my sweet friend Amanda sent me these cute ones at the dance

A Fun Day at the Capital

A couple of weeks ago we got to experience a fun opportunity.  My father in law, Larry, or Pop to my girls, was asked to be the chaplain of the day for the Georgia House of Representatives.   We got to make this a family affair and all went along to support Pop.  He also thought that this would be a great educational opportunity for the oldest girls, Cohen and Savannah, so they got to miss school and go too.  It was such a special day for them and they really felt important.  They got to sit on the front row with Sug and Pop and meet several of the state representatives.  I know this is one day they won't ever forget.  Larry did such a good job and we were all so proud of him.  I wish I had pictures from him speaking but we couldn't take pictures.  After finishing up our morning at the capital we made our way to lunch at the Varsity.  We had to make it back in time to pick up the other girls at school.  Maybe they will get this same opportunity one day when they are older and can appreciate it!

You may notice Savannah and Cohen with their Mardi Gras beads.  We were there on Fat Tuesday and one of the representatives gave them both beads.  They kept looking up into the galley showing them to us but we really couldn't tell what they were until we came down.

Up in the galley

soaking it up on the front row

Inside the Speaker of the House's office 

Front row seats and smiles!

The whole family with Alan Powell, our representative

seeing the famous 2 headed calf

All in headed home 

  

Basketball Season #2

Catching up on some blog posts and I have to talk a little bit about Kate's basketball season.  She finished up in February and this was Kate's second year playing basketball.  I know she really enjoyed this year and seemed to learn a lot more about the game.  She and her best bud Nolan played together again this year.  This was the last year she would play co-ed.  They had such a fun little season and we were so excited that Kate got her first baskets this year.  These little Bulldawgs did a great job!  They finished with a party and trophies which is always fun!

When these 2 weren't playing I caught this cute picture of them talking on the sidelines

Three buddies from preschool

A big thanks to Mrs. Kathy for all she did!