More Progress. . .

Gosh, we worked hard all weekend!!! It was a gorgeous sunny day on Saturday. Sunday was windy and cold. We worked hard both days and finished decking the deck. Next step is skirting the deck, adding stairs, benches and planters and then the fire pit! Whew! Here is an updated picture from this morning. Oh yea, it's snowing! Springtime in Colorado - gotta love it!
What a difference an hour makes.

Crystal Fire in Larimer County

After an absolutely gorgeous day in Fort Collins, the wind picked up and late in the evening a forest fire broke out in the foothills west of Fort Collins. The site from town was amazing.

Unfortunately, we heard news today that Clay's good friend and co-worker, Drew Santillanez and his family were evacuated from their home and returned to total devastation. Nothing was left.

They said they had less than 10 minutes to grab all of their pets and a few items of clothing and get out of the area. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

This link will take you to a 9 news video with Drew's daughter, Desa. She's a brave girl who loves her horses. xo

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Spring Football Scrimmage!!

What a gorgeous day today in Colorado!!! 79 degrees and sunny! Evan played some ball this afternoon and it couldn't have been a better day!! Preston Pumas scrimmaged the Kinard Mustangs at the Loveland Sports Park. Evan played both offense and defense and Clay and I were IMPRESSED!!! There was one play where Evan came off the line so quick and went after the QB, that Clay and I both said, "Who was that?" Wow, Evan!! All of your hard work is really paying off. Proud mama!

Cheer Photo Shoot!

Blake's team mom, Mary Grace, put together a photo shoot for the Small Senior Limited Co-ed team. There are 6 seniors leaving this year with Blake being one of them. Here are some great shots of her and her team. Thanks Mary Grace! You ARE the BEST!!! xo

We have been so blessed to be coached by such an amazing group. Coach Sybil, Coach Aaron and Coach Kyle have coached Blake for four years now. They have instilled the belief that anything IS possible and WE believe!!!

A work in progress . . .

The sun is out in Colorado and we are finally on track again building our deck. Rob and Clay finished the structure of the deck today. And now on to the decking... We will top the deck off with a fireproof Trex and have a fire pit in the center. I am excited to see the finished project. Oh please, Oh please be done by graduation.

Beer in Chicago

So, yes, traveling for cheer isn't all about cheer. I occasionally get to step out and see some local sites. There was a tavern across the street from our hotel that my roomie and I frequented. We were impressed that certain booths had beer taps AT THE TABLE!!! Now that's convenient!!! It's self serve and the computer screen on the table tallies the ounces poured. Genius, I say!!
I had a fun night with my roommate, Tracy, and Tracy (aka Daddy Sloan) drinking beer in Chicago...and made it home safe...an easy walk across the street.
The photo wasn't so blurry when we took it. ;o)

. . . "I like pizza, Steve!" . . .

;o) te he he he he.

Chicago!!!

We returned from Chicago with a third place finish! The team did fantastic! We are now in serious preparation-mode getting ready for the World Championships in April. The competitions in Dallas and Chicago gave us a great look at our competitors. I believe this team will make a great showing on the Worlds stage!

Spring Football Camp

Evan is enjoying an afternoon tackle football camp this Spring. The camp is coached by the Fossil Ridge High School Football program and they have a lot of guest coaches as well. Evan is having a blast and carries his bruises around like trophies! The fat lip is his least favorite. Stay low, Evan!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Thank you all for your thoughtful birthday wishes!! You certainly know how to make a girl feel special!! Our family enjoyed a nice birthday dinner at Bonefish. They showered me with love all weekend long. I am blessed!!!

Action Images

This is a great picture of Blake.

Evan in Oklahoma!!!

Blake, Evan, and I flew to Oklahoma City instead of Dallas and saved a lot on airfare. Grandma Perry and Aunt Monie picked us up at the airport and we all drove south to Wynnewood. Evan stayed the next few days with Grandma and Granddad while we drove south to Dallas. He enjoyed his visit so much. He even got to go hog hunting again with Clay's good friend, Jeff. We feel so blessed to have so many loved ones around us to love our kiddos too!
Evan had a great time playing with Granddad's new toy, a Segway. He and Blake also enjoyed a ride on Grandma's scooter. Clay was able to meet us in Wynnewood after a business trip and we all flew home together. It's good to be home! xo

Dallas - Nationals #2

We traveled to Dallas over the weekend to compete at the NCA National Championships. Blake's teams competed in a division of 31 teams. 31 in just her division is crazy! They ended up in 13th which is SUPER! The point spread between 5th and 13th was less than one point. It was anyone's game.

They did amazing. If you would like to see the routine, go to
www.varsity.com.
Click on the "Championship Coverage" link in the middle of the page.
Enter "Cheer Central Rise" in the search box on the right.
There are three videos total of their team. The first is a close up where you can see my girl occasionally, the second is day 1, and third is day 2.

Conan the Dare Devil Cat!

The kids sent me this picture today of Conan balancing on the stair rail upstairs. This cat cracks me up!

Conan is a good looking cat. He loves to hang out in the woods behind our house. I was watching out the window over the weekend and some "punk" was walking down the greenbelt with Conan in his arms. I ran out there and said "Hey! That's my cat!!" The kid set the cat down and walked off. I saved Conan from being Catnapped! Don't mess with my cat! xo

Graduation Announcement Photo Shoot

Graduation is just around the corner. My sweet cousin, Abie, came to Fort Collins to take some photos of Blake for her graduation announcements. I am always blown away by Abie's talent. She does an amazing job. We got some fantastic shots of Blake.

We took a field trip around Fort Collins looking for fun places to take photos. We walked along the train tracks high over a wide river hoping a train was not coming any time soon. My heart was beating out of my chest, definately a "Stand By Me" moment. Phew!

Colorado State Cheerleading Competition

State was this weekend at the Coliseum in Denver. Blake's team did fantastic. They never have any competition in Colorado, so they received the State Championship by just showing up. There were 3 other Level 5 teams at the competition in other divisions, her team had the highest overall score and received Grand Champions in the Level 5 Division. Woo Hoo! Dallas, here we come! xo

Hog Hunt in Oklahoma

In Clay's words . . . Evan is a pig killer. He is deadly with the .300. Looks like I am going to be shooting the 30-06 now. Evan got 3 pigs. Didn’t even let me shoot.

They traveled to Oklahoma over the weekend and met up with good friend, Jeff. They had a blast! Evan called to tell me he is bringing home souvenirs, pig feet. Hmmmm, I don't know how I feel about that. ;o)

Gotcha!

Blake's team competed over the weekend in Denver. They did amazing! Our family enjoyed a nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory following the competition. Evan sure is cute in his Cheer Central attire! Click . . . Gotcha!

Snow Day!!

Frigid weather closed Fort Collins schools today. The kids were going stir-crazy at home so I asked them to meet me at my office to eat lunch. ToothZone offers a fun two-story play area that is a good time for all kiddos who visit the dentist here. It's a pretty big temptation for little ones. As the pictures show, my teenagers can't resist either. xo

Blog Reader of the Week!

Welcome Sloan! We just found out that our sweet friend, Sloan, has discovered our blog and spent her entire classtime of web design learning EVERYTHING there is to know about our family. We hope you enjoyed!! xo
Miss Sloan is a spunky lil' spit-fire who I absolutely adore . . . and we share the same birthday, too. We love you, Sloan!!! Be sure to add us to your favorites!