NCL Fall Tea

Following Kaitlynn's NCL award ceremony, we had to make a mad dash home to change so that we could attend the fall tea event for our NCL Azalea chapter. Usually the tea is held in the spring, but this year it was moved to the fall with a theme of "Cute in Boots" for the girls. Kaitlynn donned her white cowgirl boots and looked beautiful for the tea with her friends. Of course, she was still wearing that NCA ring - no chance she'd be taking off that winning hardware anytime soon!

The NCL sophomore class hosts the tea event for all classes, 6th grade through seniors. They did a great job and the venue was beautifully decorated for the theme. Kaitlynn was happy to see her fellow classmates and enjoy the afternoon together. 

Nighthawks NCA Award Ceremony

Not long after school started, Kaitlynn was THRILLED for a long overdue celebration with her Nighthawks cheer team. After their HUGE win at the NCA Nationals competition back in March, it was finally time to celebrate as a team and receive their custom championship rings in honor of their national title. Kaitlynn dressed the part and was so excited for the celebration and ring reveal.

With their coveted NCA jackets and huge smiles, the girls and coaches couldn't be happier to celebrate their big win. Receiving their custom ring was the icing on the cake - such a special time of celebration for an incredible season of hard work and success. So proud of this team and so happy for Kaitlynn to experience a winning season with a special team!

Many, and perhaps most, competitive cheerleaders will work their entire cheer careers and never experience the level of success that Nighthawks achieved this season. Earning a division win at NCA is a dream come true for all cheerleaders, and it was so special to see Kaitlynn bask in the celebration and fun at the award ceremony. We took countless photos to commemorate this special moment!

Probably my favorite part of the ceremony was when the girls decided to "mark" their Nighthawks Aladdin-themed routine one final time. They took their spots on the mat and the music filled the gym. As the girls walked and counted through their routine, they were a bit rusty at times but all had the biggest smiles on their faces as they rocked that winning performance. It was a magical season - one we'll never forget! We're so thankful for the amazing memories - Nighthawks for life! :-)

Kicking off the New School Year

As always, the beginning of the school year snuck up on us after a nice and relaxing summer. This year, it felt a bit surreal knowing that Connor was entering his last year of high school while Kaitlynn was entering her first. Probably the biggest perk of the upcoming school year would be that Jeff and I were relieved of school driving duties for the first time in years. With Connor and Kaitlynn back on the same campus again - the first time since we lived in Dubai! - Connor was promoted to official driver status and in charge of getting them both to and from school everyday. Woohoo! 

I think I was still in denial about how grown up these kids have become, but especially about Connor's final year in high school. We were excited for all his senior year festivities in the months to come, but I knew it was just a matter of time before the raw emotions would kick in as my firstborn was preparing to leave the nest. Happy first (last) day of school!