A New Journey

Kylie Jade is competing in her first ever gymnastics competition tomorrow. I am full of anxiety, nerves, stress and that sickness you get in the pit of your stomach. Kylie is full of excitement, nerves, enthusiasm, and hope.

I mentioned Kylie was competing, but I didn't mention that she is competing for a new team (she just started on Tuesday!) Moving Kylie's gymnastics center was a HUGE leap of faith. She has been with Jill's since she was 2 years old. I remember throwing her thin hair into pig tails and putting her little body into a child size leotard as she toddled off to class. I remember being pregnant with Madilyn and Jill working with Kylie on the beam. I remember my In laws taking Kylie to gymnastics as I held new born Madilyn in my arms. I remember Kylie moving into "big gymnastics" with Gym 1 and working on backhand springs with Coach Kaleigh. I even remember when Coach Bill put a not even 6.5 year old Kylie on Team Technique. You can imagine all the emotion it has taken to move her and I away from our gymnastics family and step into a new world of gymnasts with their family. I feel a bit like I am intruding and maybe that I am a bit obnoxious with all the questions, but they've given me no reason to feel that way. I just feel like I stepped into a whole new world and I am still not sure how to take it.

Kylie has such mixed emotions. One minute she is excited to be on a team with girls her age and the next minute she is crying because Ms. Jill won't be able to see her compete. It's been a hard transition for us both. 5 years of our life spent making memories with wonderful people and now it is gone. Kylie is very flexible, but this has been a big transition for her.

My little girl is so ready to compete though and unfortunately, she wasn't able to get that right now with Jill's team. Kylie is definitely not going to be perfect, she is going to make a ton of mistakes, and she is going to fall (I'm sure) more than once, but it isn't about being perfect it is about showing her passion and getting out there and seeing this world all for herself. She is ready to take that leap and see where it takes her.

This leap is going to be close to Nashville. A little over 2.5 hour drive from where I am now and I am going in blindly. I was thankful enough to have such kind ladies respond to my post in the moms group about what to expect. I will be a ball of anxiety tomorrow, but it will be worth it to see my girl doing what she loves.

Even as sad as I am to leave our home gym I know being at GCC will open up many new opportunities for Kylie Jade and I am excited to see what she does with it. Thank you to everyone at Jill's who has worked with my girl and been patient with us and thank you to all our new people who are putting up with my worry wart self. And thank you to my Kylie who is making her dreams into a reality.

 

2 year old Kylie

Where her love of gymnastics began

On the beam with coach Jill

 Christmas themed gymnastics

This kid growing up on me

A 3 year old gymnast

3 years old

Posing at 4

Won the front Hip circle challenge

Climbing the rope in Gym 2

My gymnasts

First learning that back handspring

6 years old and made team at level 3

Open Gym

These two gymnastics picture

Her favorite place on earth

6 year old hand stands

She got her competition leo

She never wanted to take it off

Tumbling queen at age 7

Open Gym with Allie and Jill

After a sweet Vault

New Leo 

Competition Leo for GCC

The Next Season of Life

Oh man fall is definitely around the corner. As a matter of fact fall starts on September 23rd. Not much longer now and we are finally getting into the fall spirit.

The weather has been in the 70s all weekend. It really makes you feel God's presence. We've spent the majority of the weekend outside. Saturday I decided to take the girls up to Signal Mountain (with a friend of course) and we spent 5 hours up at the Pumpkin Patch playground. The girls had the BEST time. They instantly found a stage and put on a show for me, they slid down the gigantic slide hand in hand numerous times. They got to zip line back and forth pushing each other and letting me run and push them. It was amazing. That playground is so big we spent the entire day there. We found a toddler area and they had a pumpkin playhouse and my girls immediately started pretending there was a monster and they had to seek shelter. It was just so fun to watch them. We ate lunch (and a large snack) and they played with their friends (when they arrived). It was such a beautiful day. When we left we came home and rode bikes/scooters for the rest of the evening. It was just absolutely perfect.

Today we went to church and then spent the day shopping. Kylie Jade got a pair of black boots and Madilyn got her Halloween costume (wasn't able to sneak out without it she picked it up and carried it with her around the entire store) Either way we are done with one kid =).

Back to school tomorrow and conferences with the teachers will be set. I can't wait to hear about my girls progress so far! Cannot believe it has already been a month since they've been in school.

Kylie is getting ready for Oct. it will be her first time competing! She has been busting butt to practice, practice, practice. I am just so happy/nervous for her! It will be just her out there. Can't wait to see how a meet is run!

I haven't been quite ready to say goodbye to summer, but as the weather begins to cool and I know the leaves will be changing and falling soon I think I am ready for the next season and see where God leads us in this next season of life. I will never get this summer back. My kids will never be this young again I will treasure and love every moment. I was blessed enough to be their mother and I need to take full advantage of it! We will be ready for whatever comes next. We will be silent and listen to where the Lord calls us. We just have to be prepared to take the plunge together in this new season.

Church in their fall outfits

Eating lunch with this cool kid

Lunch time with my Prekindergartner

Prek picture

2nd grade picture

Pumpkin patch girls

Playhouse

Fun day

Fall Is In The Air

So thankful today is Monday and I am spending the day with my girls (John will join us around 4). I never take long weekends for granted because they don't come around often! 

Fall is in the air. Soon we will need hoodies/jackets as the mornings will cool down and the evenings will have a nip to the air. Shorts and t-shirts will be replaced with long pants and long sleeved tees. Bathing suits will be stashed away and coats/hoodies/blankets will make their way into our drawers. Pumpkin patch trips, gymnastics competitions, John's birthday, Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner. The girls will have fall breaks for school (as will I) and I will begin the first steps into getting my CDA. 

I definitely have been a summer girl this year (usually fall is my favorite time of year). I am so sad to say goodbye to swimsuits, vacations, cool water on a hot day, sun and warmth. As the summer 2015 chapter closes we begin a whole new chapter of Fall 2015 and I am getting excited to see what the new season brings to our family. My dear husband turns another year older, the girls will be another half year older, and the holidays and festivities begin. Fall is the beginning of magic. The leaves turn beautiful colors and start to wither off the trees, so many family and friend outings happen around this time of the year. It brings warmth within your heart to celebrate life with people you love!

The girls have settled into the school year now and they LOVE it. Kylie started up guitar lessons this week and Madilyn starts drum lessons next week. They are both well into their gymnastics classes and Madilyn is very much enjoying her ballet/tap class. I cannot believe we are already into September. The months are just flying! 

Before long I will be bidding September a farewell and saying hello to October. The months are just flying by and I can't even keep up! 

Well off to check on the girls chalk drawings they made me. I leave you with a few pictures.

dance baby

my big gymnast

school mornings

my chargerette before the big game

out with my siblings

me and this handsome fellow

notre dame vs ccs game