Family Reunion at Cheersport in Atlanta

As we prepared to travel to Atlanta for Kaitlynn's next cheer competition, I jumped aboard the Super Bowl / Kendrick Lamar meme frenzy for an apt message to Connor. Since Atlanta is only a 3-hour drive from Tuscaloosa, we were so excited to meet up with Connor for our weekend at the Cheersport competition downtown!

It was the perfect opportunity to hang out as a family while supporting Kaitlynn at one of her big competitions. We were hopeful for a great Spartans performance, but we were just as excited to reunite with Connor in the fun Atlanta atmosphere. We rented 2 hotel rooms and enjoyed having space to spread out in the insanity of cheerleader-packed hotels all across downtown. We quickly fell back into family routines, but all eyes were on Kaitlynn as she got ready for her big performance.

The Spartans performed amazing all weekend, hitting zero both days at Cheersport! It was so exciting to see them do so well, but unfortunately, they still fell short and ended up in 3rd place. SO disappointing!! We still tried to enjoy our time in Atlanta with Connor, but it's tough to walk away thinking they deserved to place higher and so frustrated over the outcome. 

Yet again, we had to turn the page and prepare for the next competition in hopes of securing a title. At least we were left with some great photos from the professional shots at Cheersport!

ACA Grand Nationals in Fort Worth

In mid-January right after the southern winter blast, Kaitlynn and I headed up to Fort Worth for the Spartans' first competition in the new year: ACA Grand Nationals. We were looking forward to spending some time downtown in between performances, and we made sure to pack the blankets and warm clothes for the cold weather. In between her prep time and performance, Kaitlynn made sure to get some reading and studying in because those AP classes don't mess around, ha!

When we learned that our favorite pizza place in the DFW area, Cane Russo, had a Fort Worth location nearby, we were SOLD! I didn't want to mess around with icy streets, so we took an Uber there before their doors even opened for a hearty pizza meal. Kaitlynn LOVES her pizza, and Cane Russo's is so delicious and the perfect pre-competition lunch. 

We were so excited to experience the Spartans performance at ACA, and Kaitlynn was becoming quite the perfectionist with her cheer hair and makeup and that gold sparkly team bow. Her winter cheer look is always complete with that iconic NCA jacket as well! As for me, I'm always willing to sport the team spirit gear and accessories to cheer on our Spartans!

During our downtime in between performances, Kaitlynn and I enjoyed exploring the downtown Fort Worth area and especially our meals at the nearby restaurants. I never get tired of the one-on-one time with this girl, such a blessing to have these moments together!

While Spartans' hopes were high for ACA, unfortunately they fell short of 1st by a slim margin and came home with 2nd place. It was a super disappointing loss for the team and a long drive back to Katy, but we were proud of their fight and had to turn the page quick for the next competition.

Winter Blast

We weren't long into the new year of 2025 before WINTER decided to pay us all a visit. In the most surprising and insane snowstorm that I can ever remember, a record-shattering winter front swept through the southern US, giving us all a rare taste of snow and along with school cancellations across the south. We had so much fun on our 2 snow days in Katy, and even Connor was able to get into the fun with his own day off from classes at Alabama. Quite the sight to behold - Saban Field at Bryant Denny Stadium covered in the white stuff!

Kicking off the New Year

2025 was off to a great start, because I got to kick off the new year with one of my all-time favorite activities: visiting the monthly Canton Trades Days with my mom and brother Ben! It was a relatively sparse market, but we still enjoyed the beautiful weather and exploring all the booths for some post-Christmas deals. There were some funny displays at some of the booths with Trump wax figures and all kinds of pro-Trump merchandise. I made sure to snap some photos because I thought they were hilarious. I really enjoyed the quality time with my mom and Ben, and I also got to hang out with Tux and enjoy some puppy cuddles with this mischievous little stinker, ha! MeMe and Grandaddy's lives had officially been turned upside down with their new addition, and they wouldn't have it any other way!

Also in the new year, my brother Jeb was officially promoted to Fire Chief of his Haslet Tx fire station. This was quite the honor and a long time coming. I loved these photos shared of Jeb with his team and family. So proud of this brother of mine!

And it wouldn't be a new year without the continuation of January traditions. For Kaitlynn, that meant nonstop cheer practices to prepare for the thick of the upcoming competition season. And for Jeff, well it was all about those Texans, who made a back-to-back run in the playoffs, which meant tailgating with ribeye steaks hot off the grill! Go Texans!