Happy Bears

Such a happy day to be a Bear yesterday!  The girls had their big cheer competition this weekend.  A long day full of cheering, clapping, waiting, cheering, sitting, standing, dancing, sweating, smiling, waiting, cheering....and on and on it goes!

This day is the culmination of a lot of hours of work.  For me, coaching 20 girls and teaching them a dance?  Not an easy task.  I had the joy - JOY! - of having a sweet lady join me this year.  She made the sweet offer of "if you ever need any help....".  And I jumped on it!  It ended up being the start of a great friendship, lots of laughs, and a partner to share both my nerves/stress and joy with.  Without her, this could have been a very different experience for me this year.

This was the moment we realized our girls won!

Beth's squad was prepared and just so cute and happy.  Ya never know how it's going to go on the day, but I knew they were as ready as they could get.  And yeah, yesterday?  They ROCKED it!  It was amazing to watch, and hearing the crowd love them and get into it just warmed me all over inside.  When those 20 girls came running off the floor, Stacy and I hugged them and hugged them and several of us cried and we jumped up and down and high-fived and whooped it up in general.  A pretty special moment to share with those girls!

Much, much later in the day it was finally Brenna's turn!  Those girls...in their last year of this program!  That alone put a big lump in my throat.  And then to watch those girls go out and dance their hearts out...I'm so proud of my girl.  Loved watching it and loved cheering for her.  Such composure, such energy and enthusiasm, so much that I admire in a group of 13-year old girls!  I love this group...

And in the end?  Every single Bear squad took home a medal!  I'm so proud of that, it's a reflection of a whole lot of work.

And my girls?  My squad took 1st!!!! 

Brenna's squad took 3rd!  (First in my totally biased opinion!)


I have to say, I have a soft spot in my heart for every single on of those Bears.  But these two Bears?  They are my heart: 

congrats to these sweet girls!