January was a Blur of Cheer and Dance

I promised to tell you why Morgan wasn't home for Christmas, and I will not make you wait any longer!!  Morgan went to the bowl game in San Francisco with the BYU marching band.  She has a great time, although BYU lost the game.

The tuba section

My very favorite picture of her whole trip, maybe her whole band experience!!

School started up soon enough.  January is serious cheer competition season.  I just know that if I live through January, I'll be ok.   January means practice 4 days a week, at least 2 basketball games a week, and competitions every weekend.  The first of the competitions is a state cheer and dance competition in Daytona.  It is a really fun competition to go to and it is the beginning of the big competitions for cheer.  It is also the big state competition for the dance teams.  Cheerleading went on Friday.

The entire Fleming Island Cheer Program - Varsity and JV on Daytona Beach

We always kick of the weekend with a photo shoot on the beach which lasts about 2 hours, as we get pictures of each team, each grade level, funny pictures, friends, coaches, etc.etc.etc.  

Varsity and JV pyramid - 46 cheerleaders!!

Next we compete.  We struggled a bit at this competition and we weren't very happy with our performance;  however, our opening stunt looked really great!!

Both Varsity and JV won their divisions, though, so we were happy.

The very next day, we had to be back in Jacksonville for the FHSAA Regional Meet.  This competition is part of the Florida High School Athletic Association, so it is very important.  We have never won at this competition, either, and we were going up against some serious talent in Choctawhatchee (Choctaw-hatchee).  This school has some great programs.  Their band is one of the best we would see every year at state band.  Well, we recovered from our poor performance on Friday and hit a great routine on Saturday, winning the Regional meet and beating Choctawhatchee. While Travis and I were up in Jacksonville at the Regional meet, the girls were in Daytona dancing in their prelims.  Once my competition was over, we raced down to Daytona (get it?) and were able to see them dance on Sunday.  This year, the dance theme was Ninjas and our cousin Hayley designed a t-shirt for the team!!  Everyone just loved it!

Pre-dance picture - Hayley's shirt looks GREAT!

Maddie is all set to dance

Rozzie's senior dance performance

This next move in the dance required everyone to be in a circle and bend at the knees and lower themselves onto the knees of the girl behind them.  When they did this at the school pep rally, the place gasped in amazement.  Then the kids in my English class wanted to try it - HAHAHA. no. 

When the team went down into this circle, it really wowed the crowd.  

And then they won - third year in a row!!  This is a great accomplishment for these kids and they were so pleased!  No one has ever won the hip hop dance title three years in a row.  

Yay!  We're so happy (Nora, Rozzie, Maddie)

 The three state champ teams wore their championship jackets to school the next Tuesday and gathered for a picture after school.

Champions - Dance, Varsity Cheer, JV Cheer

Next up was the FHSAA State Championship.  We won last year, and to repeat was going to be really hard.  Travis came in town and I let Rozzie and Maddie skip school and ride the bus with the team.  They were great to have along on the trip.  Travis took a lot of pictures, including this next one.  This has turned out to be a team favorite.  We were getting ready to go into finals and were stretching and all.  I had to run and get something and Travis was peeking around the curtain and had his camera up.  I really didn't have time to talk or anything, but I game him this little wave.  The picture became an iconic image of my career (haha), not really, but everyone thought it was funny.

What up?

We performed twice - a semi-final and a final.  In our semi-final round, the kids did a little pre-performance chant and we were docked 4 points for it.  Easy fix, don't do the chant in the finals.  Both performances were clean and the final one was near perfect!

This is one of my favorite action shots with the girls up in the air like they are!

 And we won.  Which means a second championship ring!!  It was a great day, made even better since Trav and the girls were there with me this time (except for Morgan who was missed

Stay tuned for February.  It could come at anytime.  And I need more comments, so…comment!!

Now That You Have Recovered From Your Surprise, Here is What Happened in November and December

How did it happen that I have gone 8 months without updating?  I know many of you have expressed feelings of anger and frustration with me.  Well, I have been a little busy.  I though I'd pick up where I left off.  You have most likely heard these stories and seen these pictures.  But since my last post only got 2 comments, I don't know if anyone out there will read, or care.  But for what it's worth, I give you November and December 2013.  We started off the month with a little trip to Utah - just Travis and I.  It was the Big Game - BYU/Utah.  Morgan was marching, and all that.  It's always good to see Morgan do her thing.  We stayed at Rick and Holly's and so Morgan and her friend came up there.  We went riding all over the mountainside and climbed up to the peak above the highest chair lift at The Canyons Resort.  We were up at about 10,000 ft.  Not much air to breathe, but a great feeling to see out to the Great Salt Lake.  Morgan didn't want to climb up, but I made her and I'm happy she was there with us!!

Morgan is unhappy.  

The game was fun, other than losing…again.  I love to be there for the pregame and postgame marching of the band!  I always tear up as Morgan marches by - glad for her opportunity to be part of something special like this.  Over the years, BYU has changed its logos and colors.  I still love the royal blue the best and lucky for me, this game was a retro royal blue game!  

This is one of my favorite pictures of us in a very long time

And the highlight is watching the bands.  The Utah and BYU bands always combine the halftime show.  They do an American theme as their collective colors are Red, White, and Blue.  

Looking all regal and such.

Travis and I arrived home to Homecoming week at Fleming Island.  Yay.  It really is fun,  just tiring.  It was my last year to ride along in the parade with my cheerleaders.  Luckily I have really great parents who were willing to build this amazing float.  The Homecoming theme was "Time" and so the cheerleaders picked New Year's Eve 2014 - the beginning of the year the seniors graduate.  And they wanted it set in Time's Square.  The pictures tell the story - it really was a sight to see.  There was a mechanized ball that dropped, confetti, noise makers, and Auld Lang Syne playing.  We won 1st place!!

My Chariot

A good look at the float - all the signs lit up!

Happy New Year!!

The parade ends at the stadium and then Gold Rush starts.  The different clubs and classes do a skit.  Cheerleaders cheer.  Dance team dances.  The dance team chose to do an "Old People" to go with the theme of "Time".  They looked so funny in their masks!

Rozzie is in the center!

Close up of Roz

Close up of Maddie

Senior Night

 Then the Homecoming game was on Friday night.  It was also senior night and we escorted Rozzie down the field.  She has been dancing all four years and now the football season is done.  Travis was able to delay his move in order to be present at senior night, the dance, and Maddie's birthday.

Both girls went to the homecoming dance, but not with dates.  Even tho Rozzie and Robert match, it was just a fluke.  But they are good friends and they made a handsome picture.  Maddie celebrated her 16th birthday with friends and a dance

Robert and Rozzie

Maddie turns 16 and goes to homecoming

At some point, Rozzie received her Young Womanhood Medallion!!

 Then it was Thanksgiving Break and we were off to Detroit and then on to Minnesota.  While in Detroit, the girls were insistent on International Travel, so we drove to Windsor, Ontario.  It was FRIGID, but we got pictures anyway!

The Detroit skyline

Another great thing in Detroit is the graffiti.  It is AMAZING!!  It is some of the best I've ever seen - great for pictures!!  But remember how I said it was COLD?On to Minnesota for Thanksgiving.   Jake hosted 72 (?) people at the Lafayette Club for dinner and it was tops!!

Just a nice family picture!

When no one else is at the club, you can do headstands in the hallway.  

All the girls in the club...

The best thing about going home…COUSINS!!  Sara hosted a game or 2 of Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, and all was good!

COUSINS!!

 We didn't have much in the way of furniture in the house for Christmas, so we hosted the dance team Christmas party.  Rozzie chose a blue and silver theme and everything looked really nice.  A friend of mine delivered tables and chairs which fit nicely into our empty spaces.  Then we really filled up with girls and had a fun night - no one cared that I didn't have all my decor out.  The tables looked festive enough.

DT dinner

It was a quiet Christmas without Morgan - I don't even have much in the way of pictures!  But stay tuned for January's update and I'll tell you why Morgan wasn't home for Christmas.

I just found these.  After 14 years here in Florida, Travis and I finally went to a University of Florida football game at The Swamp in Gainesville.  My cheer choreographer had taken a job at UF as the head cheer coach and so she gave us tickets.  We were in the 2nd row to watch the Gators lose.  Again.  It was fun to see Cortnee do her thing with her new team.  We worked together for 2 1/2 years and I'm so thankful for all she taught me about the sport!

Me and Cortnee - I even bought a Gator's shirt!

The Swamp

The Last 2 Weeks - Part I

I'm going to try to do a little catch-up over the next few days.  We have had about 2 weeks of intense activity and we should "quiet down" now for a week or two (hahaha - I say that to convince myself that it's not too bad).  Travis is off to Detroit permanently, except for when he's here.  So, here are some things that have happened:

Maddie had her first chorus concert.  You are now confused as you see her playing her violin.  The chorus did a folk music concert and Maddie and Kyle accompanied one song.  Kyle went on to play for a number of other songs.  It was pretty great to see them play together.

Maddie used to sit and give Kyle dirty looks during Rozzie's and Morgie's lessons.  

Halloween happened.  Rozzie led the family in celebrations.  She carved our pumpkin.  Then we watched it mold and attract fruit flies for 3 days before we threw it into the jungle.  

Rozzie is a working woman, you know, and her employers threw a big Halloween Party.  Since her employer is basically a child-care center with added amenities, it was all hands on deck for the party.  Rozzie borrowed my Snow White costume and was adorable.

Then there was the YM/YW Halloween party at church.  Maddie is a zombie and Rozzie is a peacock. Halloween isn't quite like it used to be, but we still enjoy it all!!

Last Saturday as I taught a pillowcase class at church, Travis took the girls to Columbia, South Carolina, to a Gamecock football game.  Travis works with a lady whose son plays there, and she gave him some tickets.  The girls were so excited to go out of town!  They got all dressed up in burgundy and black for the day.  Lauren went along.  They had such a good time!!  After the game, they met Missy's son Ahmad (#4).  

In sunny South Carolina - it was a win for the Gamecocks

Pictured with Ahmad post-game

Stay tuned and hopefully I'll get homecoming and senior night pictures posted for everyone's enjoyment!

A Little Side Trip

There was another side trip that I did not post about.  Travis and I went to Detroit for our 24th anniversary and found a little house for him to live in.  It is in Dearborn and we are really happy with this find.  It was a little scary there for a while...  But we found something that had been completely renovated and brought up to code for $20,000 cheaper than anything we looked at.

Welcome to our home!

Detroit isn't known for its romantic getaways, but we managed to enjoy ourselves.  We stayed at the Dearborn Inn right by the Ford Campus.  It is a very historic place and was just beautiful.  We had a nice dinner.  And we looked at houses.  I have to say, I can't wait to move on to this new chapter!!

Happy 24th Anniversary to us!

 Back at home, football season is underway and the girls are busy dancing, dancing, and dancing.

Pep Rally

On the field with both Rozzie and Maddie in one picture!!

 So now we are in Utah.  Travis is on a board at the BYU School of Management.  The dean is a former bishop and upon finding out Travis was in the rail industry, he asked him to be on this board.  Travis had to go to BYU for a day of meetings and such, so I decided to tag along.  We are staying at the Rick and Holly's.  Morgan's roommate came up with Morgan on Friday night.  Morgan forgot to tell her the general rule - you never know what's going to happen when you spend time with Rick and Holly.  Well, we went for a ride on the Ranger.  As they live up in the mountains, it is fun to go riding around seeing amazing views.

The Ranger

Travis drove up to the tip-top of the ski resort.  It was very windy, but so beautiful.  It was a perfect day.  Rick suggested that we hike the last 100 yards up to the VERY TIPPY-TIPPY TOP.  Morgan was a little nervous (as was I) but we did it.  This was very difficult.  First of all, I am used to an altitude of 2 ft.  We hiked up to about 10,000 ft.  My heart was pumping fast.  My legs were straining a bit, too.  I'm not used to hiking up such steep terrain.  It was pretty windy.  But...WOW!!  Standing on top and seeing the view of both sides of the mountain!!!  We took pictures and enjoyed it.  However, it was very scary standing there because there really wasn't anywhere to stand!  It was literally a tip!  A couple of times the wind nearly took me down one side or the other.  This is an interesting shot in that we are hiking down the spine of the mountain, Holly leading the way.  The chairlift you see in the distance is the end of the line for the resort and the runs from up here are double black diamonds.  

On the spine headed down.

Looking the other way, you see the yellowish expance of the Great Salt Lake.

Travis drove us back down the mountain at a nice safe speed.  We stopped at the mountain resort and had lunch.  Can I just say once again that it was a beautiful day?  It was a beautiful day!!  Then Rick drove us back to the house.  It was the wildest ride I have ever been on.  No roller coaster anywhere has anything on Rick's mountain driving.  I have no pictures or video because I was hanging on for dear life and screaming the entire time.  As we were off -roading it a bit, we went through all these weeds and the seed heads were flying at us like missiles!!  We had to keep our mouths and eyes shut, but we peeked and screamed and laughed.  I think I was still recovering this morning as I woke up.  Morgan's roommate, Amber, was just beside herself.  Morgan was right there, too.  They were laughing so hard.  We had to pick all those seeds out of our hair.  They weren't just on TOP of our hair, but nearly embedded in our scalps.  About four hours later, I felt a tickle in my nose, wiped it, and pulled out a seed!!  Travis pulled one out of his ear.  Truly a day to remember!!

Next, we needed to head to Provo for the BYU vs. Utah game.  I'll just say now that Utah won 20-13; however, BYU scored 2 TD's that were solid, but the refs called them back.  The refs did BYU no favors and it was pretty obvious.  Aside from the loss, we had a great night.  It was a "Royal Blue-Out" meaning to wear the royal blue color that used to be the official color until it was changed to navy for reasons unknown to me and I wish they would change back.  The stadium was sold out.  It was a gorgeous night for football.  

Waiting for the marching band.  This was the current logo when we were at BYU.  

Finally we heard the drums and knew that the band was on their way!  Most of our friends who have kids in the college marching band in Florida go see their kids march at every home game.  In Morgan's three years of marching for BYU, this is the 2nd time we have seen her march.  However, I have never wished her closer to us.  It is always a little teary when I see the tubas coming.

I love seeing this!!

When BYU and Utah play each other, the bands combine and play music on a topic they can both agree on - America.  Plus, their combined colors are red, white, and blue!  It really looks cool with the silver and gold tubas, too.  

Morgan is the very corner tubist

'Murica

MORGAN!!

Last but not least, Rick and Travis decided to go on a little plane ride.  Rick has a plane and so they flew down to St. George to see Mom and Dad Smith!  We kept the secret so that Travis just showed up at the house and surprised them!  How fantastic!

The Start of Something Special

Last week was the hottest week of the summer.  That can only mean one thing:  BACK TO SCHOOL!!!  YAYAYAYAYAY!!!  And what a week we had!  On Monday, Rozzie's friend Hannah went off to Utah State to play volleyball.  When we first met Hannah and her mom, Donna pointed and said, "My daughter is 4 also."  On the way home, Morgan commented that she didn't see any 4-year-olds.  That week, their family met up with us at the pool and the kids played and had a good time.  On the way home, Morgan commented, "I have never met a 4-year-old who is taller than me!"  Hannah continues to be taller than most of us.  We will miss her SO MUCH! (by the way, Rozzie is 5'6")

This combination spelled lots and lots of laughs

Off to seminary & school in Celia.  She's been a good car.

 Tuesday was the first day of school and seminary for us.  Rozzie is a senior and Maddie is a sophomore.

When I first started working at Fleming Island High School, the school was new and kids had been relocated from 4 other schools:  Clay, Orange Park, Middleburg, and Ridgeview.  All the kids complained about the school and wanted to go back to their original high school.  Thank heavens they are all gone now (although one of them is my JV coach!!) and these kids know what a great place they have in Fleming Island High School.  School spirit has just increased every year and traditions continue to grow and strengthen.  On the first day of school, no one worries about what to wear.  All the classes (except freshmen) organize and get t-shirts made.  The juniors also wear a bandanna (see it in Rozzie's car).  The seniors get Burger King crowns.  They paint and be-jewel them and wear them all day.  It is the one hat we allow kids to wear in school!!  All the kids get to school early and take pictures and pictures and pictures.  Our new principal is out in the parking lot with them taking pictures and welcoming them to their school.  Then the seniors all enter the school together through the front door and head to class.  

Rozzie and Nora - bestest friends.  These shirts have the names of everyone in the class on the back.

Many of the seniors.  The principal took this picture.  They really try to get as many of the kids to wear the shirt as possible.  

 The sophomores had the most clever t-shirt - it even impressed the seniors.  On the back, it has DJ mix bars and the phrase "Class of 1-6".  It is a really fun way to start the day.  It brings a sense of unity to the classes.

Maddie and Ciera (center) were in Kindergarten together!!

 Another tradition is the senior football, dance, and cheer picture out at the front sign.  The kids really look forward to being part of this and having their moment.

Rozzie is just to the right of the very center

We all had a good week.  It is still pretty crazy for me, just getting organized and staying on top of everything.  Once a lot of the paperwork is done, it should mellow out.  I have large classes.  My 4th period is my Sweathog class.  There are a few "rough" ones there, and it is very large.  But they seem to cooperate pretty well if I don't give them a chance to rest.  Cheer is in full swing - we have our pre-season game this coming Friday!!  Be prepared for lots of Rozzie and Maddie dance pictures!!

The movers came this past week and boxed up most of our belongings.  The house is clean and on the market!

Summer: Part 2

In which Travis finally gets the job in Detriot!!

That sums up the 2nd half of the summer.  I really don't have any pictures to post.  We got home from camp and Travis got the job and we started getting ready to move and go back to school.  Here are the finer points:

1.  Travis will move to Detroit in Novemberish.
2.  No, we don't know where he will live yet; however, I believe that something will happen and he will live somewhere.  We just haven't gotten there yet.
3.  Rozzie, Maddie, and I will stay here in Florida and finish the school year.
4.  I have started my last year of teaching.
5.  I will not teach up north as most places require a master's degree and either the bachelor's or master's needs to be in education.  I have neither.
6.  No, I do not want to go back to school
7.  Travis will have the GM account for CSX in Detroit and he is extremely happy about that.  So am I.
8.  The movers are coming on Monday and Tuesday of this coming week to pack up everything going to Detroit.  We figured this was the easiest way to declutter the house.
9.  The house will go on the market on August 16th.
10. We will then move to a local townhouse, or apartment, or something.  Whitey's, maybe?
11. Once Travis moves, he will fly down for a visit about every 2 weeks, depending on his schedule.
12. It will be ok.  We know many people who have done and still do this - with fewer visits.
13. Next year, the plan is to take Maddie to Minnesota, where she will attend Minnetonka High School.
14. Because it is closer to Detroit than Jacksonville.
15. We don't like the prospect of Detroit schools right now.
16. We are really excited for these changes.
17. I have my room and classes all set to go for next week - MY LAST YEAR TEACHING!!!
18. Rozzie starts her senior year on Tuesday.
19. Maddie is a sophomore and is really excited about moving to Minnesota next year.
20. She has researched the schools on her own!

That's about it.  It was a very long, busy week at school.  I feel ready for the year.  I am teaching a new class this year.  I have always had English IV, but they changed it to a College Readiness English class.    This means all new stuff for me.  Some will remain the same, but it is layered differently and will be taught differently.  I'm looking forward to it!!  I'm still teaching English III, and Design 1-2-3 (no level 4s this year).

Happy back to school!!