Being a "has been" isn't so bad!

This past weekend was oh so much fun!

School officially ended last Tuesday! Yippee! With two days of R & R  S & S (scared and stressed) we (Burke and I...Ryan stayed back to get the house ready for the house painters, and also to work on the 2nd bathroom) headed to Cullman for the 30th reunion of my hometown's twirling studio (The Southern Starlets). Yes... scared and stressed because... 1. I did not realize there were as many routines to memorize prior to "the show"... and considering I was noticing this three... yes THREE DAYS before they were to be performed I was a bit of a hot mess. 2. I had never actually learned these routines that were to be performed at the 30th reunion show!

I was stressing over this? Why???

After all, it has been six years (Is that right?!)  since I have had to perform something after only learning it a couple of days before. My mind was once trained for that... now, I struggle to remember to put pants on my child before we run to the grocery store (true story).

As I was driving to Cullman (and running parts of the routines that I did remember through my mind.... because you know a good routine is practiced while you are behind the wheel), I got very excited to see many of the girls that I grew up twirling with. I can not describe how much of a big part of my life were made up of baton, dance, and the Southern Starlets! Then I began to think, "That's what this was all about, right? Who cares if I look like an idiot on Saturday."

So with a better attitude, I went to a three hour practice on Friday night with all the girls! It was so much fun! Memories came flooding back, and I got to twirl with the teachers who taught me and twirl with those that I had taught myself! Even my Aunt Tracie was there, one of Shirley's (who is the studio owner and baton teacher) very first students! We went out to eat late that night, got home at 11:00, popped two Ibuprofen, and prayed my body would move in the a.m.

It did, but barely.

We practiced for another couple of hours the next morning, went back home, and then it was time for the real deal!

We were awesome.... well... as awesome as a "has been" could be that was trying to pull off the same moves as they did in their high school and college days. :D

Below, are some of the highlights of the baton filled weekend... seeing the kiddos that we will be passing the torch to! (Burke, sorry man... girls only- although some people will beg to differ. But it doesn't hurt to hang out in this arena, as you can see. The female to male ratio is highly in your favor. :)

The S.S. Alumni Group

Jackie and her 12 week old boy, Dillon!

Jamie and precious Lakeley

They were so cute together! Lakeley and Burke actually tried to escape the gymnasium- on hands and knees. 

Stacy and her precious 3 year old little girl, Riley Hope. She taught me everything I know... Stacy, that is... not her 3 year old. And Riley actually shared her toys with Burke at the morning practice, AND called him her favorite baby. (I love her.)

Shirley, me, and Burke. If it wasn't for her high expectations, infamous "one more time" proposals when it was 20 min. after practice was supposed to end, or true love of twirling and the discipline, I wouldn't be the same person!

My aunt Tracie! It was so neat performing together. 

And last, but definitely not least, my mom. She sat in front of me many a night being an encourager, criticizer, teacher, and supporter through ALL of my performances, practices, road trips, car rides, and let's not forget- the one to fork the bill for all the costs of this not-so-cheap past time. Thanks mum.

Here's a few picks that I shot while Burke was in water therapy with mom over the weekend.

*On a side note-we went to Burke's first swim lesson today... it was a success... will post about it soon!

So grateful and blessed to have such wonderful memories growing up .... and many of them are all because of this: