First (and Last) FFA Show

After 6 of caring for and raising her 5 rabbits, Kaitlynn had learned so much about the animal raising process in FFA. As the days and weeks went on, she began to realize how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to these precious creatures that she had poured so much love into. She was struggling with feelings of guilt and sadness, and I'll be honest, I was really struggling with it myself. I've been a witness from afar to so many students who participate in the FFA animal raising, but I had never really thought about how difficult it must be to know you are sending your animal friends... well, to their death. As we got closer and closer to the rabbit show, those feelings welled up inside. On at least one occasion, I stood and looked outside our kitchen window at Kaitlynn's rabbits while I sobbed for those poor bunnies. Kaitlynn was feeling the same emotions and broke down at least once at the thought of saying goodbye. It was around this time that we both realized that veterinary medicine might not be the right field for Kaitlynn after all. It was just too emotional and painful for her to know that these innocent animals would be facing their death in the days to come, and this was just one aspect of the difficult job of veterinarians. While this was hard idea in the moment for her to process, it was such a valuable lesson that she learned to refocus her future path elsewhere. 

When mid-February rolled around, it was finally time to show off Kaitlynn's progress to the judges at the Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show. The rabbit show was held on a Thursday, and Kaitlynn was all dressed up and ready to show her rabbits as she had been taught. She and Jeff loaded up the bunnies in their travel cage, and they were off for the big event. She wasn't nervous, but Jeff and I were curious about the process and happy to attend the judging to learn what it was all about. 

Jeff tagged along with Kaitlynn and watched from the arena bleachers while the rabbit showers and judges got all set up. I barely made it in time to see Kaitlynn show her rabbits. We didn't have a clue about the process or what the judges were looking for, but I was mostly hoping her bunnies didn't hop around on the table, ha! From our vantage point, it looked like her 3 selected rabbits did well. We waited for a long time while the judges viewed all the rabbits and went from cage to cage giving feedback to the students. In the end, Kaitlynn's rabbits weren't chosen for the final event, which was a blessing considering we were about to hop a plane to Atlanta for her next cheer competition. We were thankful for the distraction of cheer, because it made things easier for Kaitlynn when she said her final goodbye to Rabbits #1 through #5. I'm so grateful she had this experience, and I loved the professional photos taken of her with her first (and last!) FFA Show.

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!