Easter Day

Cheerleading Competition

Friday night and all day Saturday I had the honor of judging the Great Northern Cheer & Dance Championships in Helena. This is my 3rd year as a judge and I love doing it. 

Over 500 cheerleaders this year!

Akram, myself, and Russ at the judges' table

This was taken after Friday night's dance and high school competition.

Fascinating Artistry

I just came across an amazing artisan worth sharing.

Shay Aaron is a non-traditional artist, but certainly an artist nontheless. All of these miniature foods are made using polymer clay.

I used to make beads and small miniature foods using polymer and baking in the oven. Mine did not come out nearly this good.

flickr photo stream

Etsy shop with jewelry for sale

St. Patty's People Pictures

Notice the big Irish flag on The Quarry's building

Enjoying corn beef and cabbage at the Knights of Columbus

Blarney Stones at work (an Irish cake dessert covered in frosting and peanuts)

Green beer at The Quarry

At midnight to begin St. Patrick's Day, a giant green shamrock is painted on the street at the intersection of Broadway & Main.

Bagpipes playing in The Quarry while we were there.

My Mom and Dad came to visit Butte on St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Here are the photos I took of the parade on Sunday in Butte. I took many more of our group and those will come soon. 

It was a great holiday, although the weather was very cold and windy. My mom and dad came for their first St. Patrick's Day in Butte. I was very proud to show off my new, adopted town. It's times like these when I wish I could call myself a true Buttian. 

May the luck o' the Irish be with ya!

Saint Patrick

Irish Potato Queens

Edmonton Police Bagpipes

CrossFit Gym

A unicycle starts off the parade

(Notice the green firetruck?)

One of many leprechauns on this day

Even the homeless dogs have a spot in the parade

Spectators and a giraffe

Another leprechaun 

Female bagpiper

Stunting Videos

For a change of pace, here are some old videos of me stunting in college. It was my favorite part of cheerleading, aside from wearing the coveted Griz uniform and setting foot on the turf in Washington-Grizzly Stadium every Saturday. 

Bird Front Basket Toss, usually thrown higher outside but we were limited with our ceiling at practice in the Adams Center.

Goofing around - toss hands, extension, full down, pop out, toss liberty, walking liberty, pop off

More goofing around in the stadium after practice.

This is the kind of repetition we would do for conditioning. There is no better way to get in shape for stunting, other than by stunting. 

Irish Music

I went to a very fun concert last Friday night. Solas is an Irish/American band with a new album just released called "Shamrock City." It was written entirely of Butte and her people. All but one of the band members hail from Ireland. 

Big Sky Champs!

The Grizzlies and Lady Griz have done it again! Congrats to the Griz for beating NAU Saturday night to win the Big Sky Conference title. They are back-to-back champs!

Photos by Samuel Wilson for the Montana Kaimin

CPA Party Date

Come one, come all!

The date has been set for Saturday, June 1st. Please save the date to celebrate that I've passed the CPA Exam after 3 years and 19 tries! 

I have reserved a private room at Metals Sports Bar & Grill for a no-host dinner and drinks at 6pm. Formal invitations to follow. 

I would also like to have an additional gathering earlier in the day for any out-of-town guests who would prefer to get back home earlier. Weather permitting, I'd like to provide cake or dessert at a park. Details to follow.

Viva Las Vegas!

After two trips to Las Vegas within 4 months last year, I am headed back to Sin City! This time I am going with my Mom. She told me all along the CPA battle that we would go when I passed all 4 parts. Now that's it's done, I'm ready to go.

We also had prior intentions of going for our birthdays when Mom turned 50 and I turned 21 the next day. Because of my cheerleading schedule in college, that didn't happen either. 

We have booked our tickets and will be staying at Harrah's Las Vegas. I prefer to try new hotels each time I go. I've stayed at Tropicana, Paris, and New York New York. If you look closely in this picture, you can probably see why I am so excited for this hotel (right next to McD's!).

We are staying for 5 days and 4 nights. Mom loves to gamble and I love to drink. What could be better?

Engagement Session

I had the pleasure of taking some engagement photographs last Sunday in my hometown. Katie and Matt met online last Summer and are now engaged to be married in September! Katie teaches at MSU and Matt is a CPA for the State in Helena. They will be living in Helena once Katie moves there this Summer. 

It was cold and very windy so we moved inside the Capitol building. My favorite photograph is at the very end. Please check them out:

Looking up at the Capitol rotunda