Cheer Power Southern Nationals in San Antonio

In early February, Kaitlynn and her teammates were off for their next competition. This time it was in San Antonio for the Cheer Power Southern Nationals. This was our 2nd time attending this competition, and Kaitlynn really enjoyed spending time with her teammates on Nighthawks. For the first time, we broke the rules and didn't stay overnight in San Antonio (shhhh!!) because Kaitlynn and Maddie wanted to come back to Katy for a birthday party of their sweet friend, Libby. I didn't mind one bit, because we traded off the driving with Maddie's mom and the girls enjoyed the extra time together! The best part of all - the girls walked away with a WIN and new jackets! A great and fun weekend for these girls!

Texas Academic Decathlon - Regional Competition

In late January, Connor participated in the Texas Academic Decathlon regional competition. He traveled with his coaches and fellow team members to compete in the Honors division, and he ended up placing in several subjects and helping his earn the highest place in school history! They were officially qualified for the state competition, and their results ranked them as #5 in the entire state. In such a tough division, this was such an incredible accomplishment to be proud of! Connor and his team were given a huge shout-out in the weekly high school newsletter, and we received so many messages of congratulations in his honor. With the countless hours Connor and his teammates put into this "sport" - a test taking competition as Connor would describe it - we were so proud of him and happy his hard work was paying off. Next up... STATE!!!

Blankenship Trip to Puerta Vallarta

I recently passed the 5-year mark of working for Blankenship Consulting based out of the Dallas area. When I joined back in 2019, I had no idea of the adventure I was signing up for, but I have really enjoyed the opportunities presented to me with this awesome firm. One of the many perks is an annual trip for consultants who reach a certain level of billable hours. In early 2024, I was honored to be included in the annual trip with many of my favorite colleagues. We traveled to Puerta Vallarta for a long weekend of fun in the sun, and it was such a lovely time to get away and reconnect with friends. I managed to get a few photos but mostly just relaxed and caught up over sun, snacks, and drinks. So thankful for this great company with awesome ladies!

Jamfest in Indy

During the second weekend in January, Kaitlynn and I took off for one of our favorite cheer competitions - Jamfest Super Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jeff was originally scheduled to join us, but he had a last minute change of plans when our beloved Houston Texans were hosting the Cleveland Browns in Houston for the Wildcard round of the playoffs. (Go Texans!!) Kaitlynn and I were so excited to reach Indy, because we had such fond memories of this competition from the year prior when her Nighthawks scored a 99.2 to win the title and a paid bid in 2023. She was hoping for a repeat, this time with her new Nighthawks teammates, Allison, Maddie, and Kayla. 

As typical in January, it was a super cold weekend in Indy and we froze every time we walked outside. The girls had a blast at Day 1 of competition, which was scheduled late at night before a cold front was blowing in. After competing, the team met up at a local restaurant within walking distance to have dinner together and hang out. But by the time we walked over, we were at the start of the winter blast blowing through downtown and we all felt like we were walking through a blizzard to get to the restaurant. After dinner, walking back to the hotel was even worse. We laughed and laughed at how crazy it was to felt caught up in the snowy, icy streets of downtown Indy without proper winter attire - poor Kaitlynn was in her cheer uniform with just a light blanket!

The next day, there was a white coating of snow and ice on everything! It was a COLD day but we were warm inside and excited for Day 2 of the competition. In the end, the Nighthawks performed great but not enough to secure the national title. Regardless of the outcome, we always have so.much.fun at these competitions. The fun travel and memories with friends are just so special, and we appreciate every moment we have together in this crazy sport of hers. 

During each competition, professional photographers take countless photos of the teams and athletes and the parents come together to purchase the team package so that we can download individual pics of our girls. I downloaded the photos below where Kaitlynn's stunt group, team, and individual shots were highlighted. So fun to see her doing what she loves!