summit

Mary's level 4 cheer team worked hard all season to get a bid to a World Cheer Competition called Summit.  They just missed getting a bid three different times by less than .001 of a point.  It was really stressful for them by the end of the season, and by the very last competition, they were literally crying from nerves.  It was their last chance for a bid.  They nailed their routine!  It was a beautiful routine and they hit it two days in a row.  They had to wait 3 days before they found out if they made it to summit or not.  The day arrived, and the team met at the gym.  They announce the teams that win summit bids live on TV, so they had a TV set up.  The suspense was crazy.  When their team name flashed up on the screen they literally screamed and yelled and cried.  They were so excited!  It was awesome!

The last week of April our family boarded a plane at 3:30AM and headed to Disney World in Orlando,Florida to attend Summit and support Mary.  It was definitely the biggest trip we have done as a family so far.

We went to Magic Kindgom

Animal Kingdom
(Luke was able to be a Jedi in the Star Wars act here.  It was a dream come true for him!  He soaked up every second of it.  It was so cool.  It was a flipping sauna outside the entire trip, and we were dying of heat while he did the Jedi show, but it was worth it for sure!  It made Luke's trip.

Sea World
This was by far the favorite place.  There was WATER to cool off it (it was sooooo hot), there was something for everyone to ride, the shows were amazing, and it was less crowded.  We all loved Sea World.

and the ESPN Center where the competition took place.
It was a two day competition, and then the top 5 teams went on to the finals.  Mary's team hit a solid routine on day one, but they had one tumbling touch down.
The second day they hit a perfect routine!!!  They would have made it to the final 5, but the judges called out a stunt violation on a stunt that they had previously said was ok.  It cost them .01 of a point, and it cost them the finals.  Their coach tried to appeal the score and did everything he could, but the score stayed.  The team was pretty upset, but at the same time, they did an amazing job on a huge stage!!!  6th place at Summit is a huge honor.  We were so proud of them.

The trip was definitely a little bit of everything.  Really fun moments, really frustrating moments, smiles, fighting, laughing, crying, exhaustion, heat, lots and lots of caffeine for some of us, exciting, rewarding, aggravating and so on.  We had layovers in Colorado both there and back, so we got to spend a lot of good time with Mike and Mel.  It was so great to see them again!  We love them so much.  They are more than just friends to us.  They took us in, fed us, let us take naps, and helps us rejuvenate after traveling so much at horrible hours. 

This trip was the first time most of our kids got to ride in an airplane.  At first, that is what they were the most excited about.  It made it fun.

All in all, it was a good trip.  We learned a lot.  Most importantly, Mary has no regrets and came away leaving her absolute best out on that competition floor.

Way to go Yellow Jackets!