Encore Celebration

After only a couple days into the winter break, it was time for Kaitlynn's next cheer competition. This time, it was Encore Celebration in downtown Houston, which made a perfect opportunity for the family and other local friends to cheer her on. Day 1 was full of fun and excitement as Kaitlynn felt the love from so many supporters. The Nighthawks performed great and were really starting to hit their stride in their Aladdin-themed routine. It was awesome to see them perform, and then we were able to hang out as a family to grab some food before heading back to the venue to watch some of Kaitlynn's friends compete. We loved having the flexibility to enjoy the performances but still head home and sleep in our own beds for the night. Overall, Day 1 was a success and we were ready for Day 2!

However, Day 2 of the competition started off quite a bit more chaotic. It was the final day of the World Cup and there were all kinds of parties and celebrations downtown which made our arrival a little rushed. Then we headed inside for team photos, but shortly afterwards, there was an electrical fire in the convention center that scared everyone and caused us all to rush outside in the celebratory World Cup crowds. It was mass chaos but still a fun and festive atmosphere to get the girls' blood flowing before they hit warmups.

Regardless of the chaos, the Nighthawks took to the stage and killed it! They performed their routine in amazing fashion and ended up taking home the titles of National Champion, Best Choreography, and Entertainer of the Year for their division! Wow! It was an unexpected honor and the team was beyond thrilled! We were so excited for these girls and reveled in all the celebratory fun into the late hours of the night! Go Nighthawks!!

December Updates

Now that we were in December, it was full speed ahead on all the usual end of year and holiday activities. Kaitlynn's school cheer squad performed at one of the final basketball games of the semester, and it was nice to see her in action on the court - this time in her cheer uniform!

Amidst the busy month, I carved out a few days to travel to Dallas to catch up with my work colleagues and attend the annual holiday party. It was such a nice visit with some of my favorite ladies, and I always enjoy the beautiful luncheon and holiday atmosphere.

I wasn't the only one enjoying the holiday festivities. Kaitlynn's school cheer squad held their annual Christmas party, and there was no shortage of fun and laughs. The girls enjoyed a massive spread of yummy holiday treats and exchanged gifts for a great night together as a squad. 

Once the holiday break was official, the kids were SO happy for the much-needed rest and usual Christmas fun. Kaitlynn was excited to hang out with one of her longtime besties, Lily, while Connor couldn't resist torturing Kaitlynn with their sibling shenanigans any chance he got. Kaitlynn and I managed a much-needed haircut, and Jeff and Kaitlynn saved Christmas by putting up the tree and enjoying a Cici's pizza break. It is one of our favorite times of the year, and we were soaking in all the fun!

Spirit Celebration

In early December, the time had finally come for the official start of cheer competition season for Kaitlynn's Nighthawks team. We were kicking it off with a bang at Spirit Celebration in Dallas. This competition has always been one of our favorites because it's a Christmas theme with festive surroundings and décor in downtown Dallas. Kaitlynn and I arrived on Friday night and were up super early on Saturday morning, dressed and ready for a fun and full day of competition ahead!

It had been a long time since we were able to watch cheer teams compete, so we were excited for some down time before our official team meet time. We enjoyed watching some great performances, and we met up with some friends for photos in front of the Christmas tree. 

The Nighthawks, in all their glory with their unique gold bows, were soon ready to meet for warmups before their Day 1 performance. Excitement was in the air for their debut competition, and they were ready to hit that stage! At the end of Day 1, they had performed great and were ready to enjoy some down time around town. 

Kaitlynn and I were happy to be at a hotel within walking distance from the convention center, and she was all smiles after the fun first day of competition. However, the day wasn't over yet; it was time for our somewhat new tradition of meeting cheer friends for a fun Day 1 dinner with post-meal fun by goofing off in random hotel lobbies. We love our time with awesome cheer families and friends!

After a fun night, we were back up early the next morning for Day 2 of competition. The Nighthawks performed great and took home the win for their International Junior Level 2 division! It was so exciting for the girls to get that first taste of victory and bring home the championship backpack. What a way to kick off the new season! Congratulations Nighthawks!!

 

Courtright v. Courtright: The Final Challenge

As Kaitlynn was hitting her stride during her basketball season, she had some unfinished business to take care of with Jeff. It was the long-awaited challenge between Kaitlynn and Jeff - the final edition of Father versus Offspring in the challenger's sport of choice. Dating back to when Collin was a kid, Jeff has promised $100 to each of his kids when they challenged and beat their dear ole' dad in any sport. For Collin and Kevin, the sport was swimming and for Connor, it was basketball. Kaitlynn followed in Connor's footsteps and challenged her Sweet Daddy in a game of hoops, the best of 3 games for "around the world" basketball. The time felt right, since Kaitlynn was in top form during her 8th grade season of basketball - which was exactly the same age as Connor when he won his challenge as well. 

When Challenge Day arrived, Connor was home and ready to be the hype man for Kaitlynn to cheer her on to victory. Connor quickly assumed the role of reporter and commentator, and Kaitlynn and Jeff were ready for the match.

Once the challenge was underway, Connor and I watched the drama unfold from the end of the driveway. And drama it was... Kaitlynn was off on a hot streak, making many of her shots to kick off the game. Connor's commentating game was also strong - so strong, in fact, that Jeff soon asked him to "knock it off" or something to that effect, likely because Jeff wasn't making his shots and was highly irritated at Connor's snarky reporting on the matter. Connor responded by switching to "golf mode" where his commentary was understated and quiet to avoid upsetting the competitors. Ha!

After Kaitlynn easily took Game 1, however, the drama intensified when Kaitlynn began missing shot after shot in Game 2. Jeff was steadily progressing, but Kaitlynn couldn't find her comfort zone and was becoming visibly upset and frustrated. The tension was building in the commentary as well; the spectators were really feeling the pressure. Kaitlynn's only hope was in Jeff's Achilles Heel - the one shot close to the garage that he just couldn't seem to make. Try after try, he kept missing that shot. While he struggled, Kaitlynn stealthily recovered and began to creep in toward victory. The crowd (a.k.a. Connor and I) were on the edge of our seats as the tone of his commentary began to build in nervous anticipation and excitement.

Before we knew it, Kaitlynn had come from behind and hit the hottest of all hot streaks, making every shot around the world one by one as Jeff remained frustratingly stuck at the shot by the garage that could've won the game for him time after time. It all came down to the final shot, where either one of them could've taken the game. Kaitlynn's confidence was high and the spectators went silent. With a flick of her wrist, the ball went up and then... SWOOSH! She won the game, an incredibly shocking come from behind win to take the $100 challenge and defeat her old man!

Kaitlynn was elated but before she could celebrate, it was time for post-game interviews with our commentator extraordinaire. Kaitlynn was on Cloud 9 and Jeff's description of his defeat was, well, "defeated." He then revealed that he had hoped to make it to age 60 before losing to his 4th and final kiddo, but alas, age 59 it was. Our sideline reporter summed it up perfectly with his final remarks. "This just in: Jeffrey Courtright RETIRING! We didn't see this one coming!" Ha!