Kicking off Summer

School ended with little fanfare because the usual frenzy of summer activities in the Courtright household was already underway. After 2 weeks of tryouts in May for the all new season of competitive cheer, Kaitlynn had secured a spot on the winning team, Nighthawks. She was SO excited to join the team and get started with their summer practices and camps. With the intense practice schedule, she always worked up a strong appetite and kept her 2-pizza streak going at Newk's any chance she had, ha!

Right before the school year ended, Marie got her license and now could share in the driving duties with Connor. It was still such a strange feeling to see them drive off by themselves, ha!

Kaitlynn was so excited for summer break and relished every opportunity to spend time with friends. She and one of her besties, Olivia, are just the cutest pair and love to play outside when they're not Facetiming and playing games online together.

Kevin kicked off summer by splurging on a new ride for himself, his 2nd motorcycle. We were able to stop by one day to check it out and Jeff couldn't resist taking it for a spin. I love the color, it's perfect for Kevin! 

Nana's 80th Birthday

As we wrapped up the kids' year of school at the end of May, Jeff jetted off to California for a much-anticipated surprise in honor of his Mom's 80th birthday. That's right, our dear Nana was turning 80! To celebrate her 8 decades of life, Dave coordinated with many of the family to have them fly in and surprise Judy with a long weekend of birthday celebration together. First, her sisters arrived and she could barely contain her surprise and excitement.

Before long, Jeff and Chris rang the doorbell for yet another surprise, and this one likely was the biggest of all. Judy was floored when both of her sons showed up at her doorstep, and the tears flowed freely. Such a fun surprise!

It was the sweetest of reunions, and they were all SO happy to be together in honor of Judy's 80th birthday. The kids and I were sad to miss the festivities, but there was no shortage of fun as they were able to spend time playing games and touring San Francisco. Such beautiful family time together!

There was yet another surprise in store for Judy when more of Dave's family arrived, making it a full house and adding to the fun. I loved all the photos that Dave shared with us - no shortage of smiles all around! 

We are so thankful for Judy (our precious Nana) and all the love she has brought to her family for 80 years and counting. Here's to the next big birthday milestone!

Big Sis Lil Sis

Speaking of the cheer year ahead, Kaitlynn was so proud to be promoted to "Big Sis" now that she was moving into 8th grade cheer. Each of the 8th graders were paired with a 7th grader to mentor them in the upcoming year, and Kaitlynn was taking her role very seriously to mentor her "Lil Sis" Jaycie. Before the end of the school year, the full squad got together for the Big Sis/Lil Sis reveal and ice cream gathering. Kaitlynn was so excited to meet Jaycie and prepared the sweetest card and gift to welcome her to the squad.

I coordinated with Jaycie's mom to arrive at Jaycie's house for the big reveal. Jaycie was understandably shocked and surprised, which was exactly the way Kaitlynn had reacted the prior year. They chatted nervously in the car on the way to Jeremiah's for some ice cream, and then everyone was able to relax and have fun once the girls figured it all out. It's a super fun tradition for this junior high cheer squad!

After they enjoyed their ice cream treat, the girls gathered for photos and a little ice breaker game. Once the silliness kicked in, we knew they were all feeling excited for the year of cheer ahead. What a fun group and so much to look forward to in the cheer season next year!

Wrapping up Kaitlynn's 7th Grade Cheer Seasons

With a busy year of cheerleading behind her for two different cheer teams, Kaitlynn was excited to participate in the end of season parties to celebrate their accomplishments and wrap up their season together. First up was the end of season party for Team Phantom at one of her teammates' homes. What an incredible group of athletes and families - it was SUCH a special year for this Phantom team in so many ways, and we were so thankful to be a part of it!

On another occasion, Kaitlynn and I joined her fellow junior high cheerleaders and their Moms for an end of season party at a local restaurant. We enjoyed a nice dinner while the girls ate and exchanged gifts to mark the end of their successful year together. 

And in the final days of school, Kaitlynn joined the team to cheer on the teachers and school staff in celebrating their successes from the year. Kaitlynn enjoyed many things about being involved in school cheer, but probably her favorites by far were the camaraderie and friendships she gained throughout the year. She was ready to wrap up 7th grade and really looking forward to the following year ahead!

Kaitlynn's 7th Grade Awards

Connor wasn't the only Courtright who was stacking up the accomplishments and awards this year. In 7th grade, Kaitlynn was having a stellar year herself, far exceeding our expectations (and hers!) along the way! Toward the end of the school year, Kaitlynn was invited to join the National Junior Honor Society for her hard work of achieving high grades all year long. She enjoyed the ceremony with her friends, even if she wasn't all that thrilled about dressing a little nicer for the event. Sounds just like her big brother! And I couldn't help but crack up when apparently my photo-taking was SO EMBARRASSING to this girl of ours while she waiting to walk across the stage. Ah, the joys of junior high, HA!

On another occasion, Kaitlynn was invited to attend the Junior High Awards Night where select students are honored for their accomplishments in their classes and leadership. We were so proud of Kaitlynn when she received the Timberwolf Award, given to those students who maintained an A average throughout the entire school year. Wow! Despite her busy sports and activities schedule, Kaitlynn had blown us away with her work ethic and commitment to her studies all year long. It was so rewarding to see her honored in this special way. 

While I didn't manage to take a photo, we surprised Kaitlynn with a new iPhone for her hard work and accomplishments throughout the school year, just like we had done for Connor. We are so proud of both kiddos for their drive and dedication to their activities and school work. Awesome job, Kaitlynn!