2015

Here's everything memorable from 2015




1. Moved into my very first big girl house with Jessica Huckabay. It's cute in there. The door is orange. We only had a mouse problem that one time. 

2. Impulsively purchased a ticket to NYC to see Emma Stone and Alan Cumming in Cabaret on Broadway with Kathryn Hoven. Emma left for ONE PERFORMANCE to fly to the SAG awards, and it happened to be the one we had tickets to. Oh well, she still signed our playbills and we still had a blast. I think I made Hoven wheeze with laughter as she watched me discover modern art at MoMa (Jackson Pollock is total bullshit you guys I could do that.) 

3. Literally ran train on everyone and their dog in the Large Junior 3 division of all-star cheerleading. Fame won first place in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Council Bluffs and every time we competed in Kansas City. They won a summit bid in Council Bluffs, which was an awesome way to end a shitty weekend for me. We did 7 competitions 7 weekends in a row, and I got sick week 2. Coaching with the flu is HARD work. 

4. Okay fine there was one time we didn't completely destroy everyone and that was at NCA Nationals in Dallas Texas. My kids got second place by less than a point and it was so sad to be so close, yet so far! BUT the coolest thing ever was to watch my kids do so well on that large of a stage. I cried pretty much the entire time they performed. When I wasn't crying i was jumping in the air which is unfortunate for the music stand guy because I think my red dress was a smidge short. Also Victoria Zonko and I got to shake our very own coach Lance N Marriott's hand in the top 3 winners circle at the end of the weekend and that was so special to me. 

5. Had sort of a pathetic Rock Chalk Revue this year. LOVED going back to critique with Emily Elizabeth and crew, but only was able to go to opening night and didn't even get to sit with Taylor Brooke because she was "working" at "her job" "teaching kids" or something. I DID, however, get to sit with Alex McElvain who was 30 minutes late and wondered why nobody was asking for his autograph. We're old now, dude. Nobody remembers Claire and the weird naked bird (though if they were going to remember somebody it would be Claire just saying). 

6. Did New Orleans with the fam for Rich Lewis 60th birthday. Andy Lewis wore a hat that looked like a cow for the majority of the evening. Idk what else I need to say about this. 

7. CINDERELLA THE LIVE ACTION MOVIE CAME OUT IN THEATERS AND I SAW IT ELEVENTY TIMES AND STILL WATCH IT ALL THE TIME OMG SO MAGICAL. I'm probably going to watch it after I finish writing this. (Cara Christyne Jenna Keeble Katelynn Keeble) 

8. Celebrated the engagement of Elizabeth Albani and Cole McGregor!!!! It was the happiest best thing, you guys. Can't WAIT for the wedding (and the amazing paper goods that come with just sayin' Liz) 

9. Did Cheerleading Worlds round 8 with the whole gang. Didn't really end how we thought it should have, but damnit I am proud of Fierce 5 and Fearless. Harrison Whitney is an angel saint you guys and it's the most important and best thing for me to watch him be so successful as a leader of that team. I hugged him so hard when they were done as I welcomed him into retirement. (Also had another fab year of rooming with Ashleigh Whitney Kate Hill and Christy Montgomery Hill...see you fools again in April) 

10. Spent a hilarious week in Florida between Worlds and the Summit. Mary O'Connell Lewis drank white wine with Olaf from Frozen and then yelled at me for drinking beer out of a straw with a twizzler. Alex Kimmel made us awesome spaghetti at the beach, Zonko almost killed Shanna Stonestreet and I in a paddle boarding incident, and we all cried tears of joy that Chick Fil A let us have lunch food at 9am. 

11. Wrapped up an incredible year with FAME at the Summit all levels championship in Orlando. I absolutely adored coaching this group of gehls. They will always have the most special place in my heart. Doing a day of disney with Amber Donahue Masters and C Joseph Masters was also a highlight of this weekend. Em Cal and Poo were excited about Cinderella's actual carriage in MGM, but not as excited as me : ) 

12. Drank lots of wine in honor of Mother's Day. Mary Lewis is the best human you guys. 

13. Nathan Watson breezed into town for a weekend and now I can't drink Fireball anymore. 

14. Headed to Portland Oregon to watch Megan Anne graduate with her Masters in Family Counseling. Good thing for me. I need a lot of help. She's good at it . Also hooked Aunt Patty up with Instagram. Don't try to follow her though, she's very selective (which is too bad for you, her account rocks).

 

15. Got hit by a cement truck while I was minding my own business at a stoplight and then I thought I was going to get fired because I missed a whole day of work because I got hit by a cement truck but it turns out I got hired full time instead. So, SILVER LINING YOU GUYS (also I didn't physcially get hit, my car did. everything's fine.) 

16. Celebrated Lance and Daniel Persing's big gay wedding in Kansas City. We had so much fun being part of the wedding and dancing with all the KC Cheer pals! 

17. Saw some awesome stuff at Starlight. Pippin was cool and I SAW CINDERELLA TWICE WHO CARES THAT I HAD TO SIT IN THE RAIN!? Bri Wink and Chelsea Rich are saints for sitting with me. It was as magical as always of course you guys I love it so much. Would've been even cooler if Katie Wells would've been the prince half of the face hole, but you know what I'll take what I can get. 

18. Had a fun time when Ann O'Connell Grace visited for like two weeks. She and my mom helped me get my life together by teaching me how to grocery shop and she bought me ice cream when I had a fever. In July. Who does that. 

19. Crashed a 14 year-old's birthday party to see One Direction in concert with Sarah Vanlandingham. We got to sit in a suite in Arrowhead and it was the coolest thing of all time. Amy Becknell Rose is a OneD Fairy Godmother. 

20. Took our second annual trip to New York City with Lauren Vanlandingham, Jesse Dalton Hoffman, Sarah and Hoven. We did literally everything. Saw Jimmy Fallon's monologue rehearsal, took an awesome booze cruise around the Hudson, giggled through the Met with Drew Auer, Sarah cried from laughing at Something Rotten with Kerry Grace Benn and Kyle Benn, we drank picklebacks in Greenwich Village with Kyle Grace and Shannon Morgan, I cried as I sat in the very front row of the Lion King, and of course we ate Mister Softee and delicious pizza in central park and at the apartment. 

21. WENT TO THE PRINCESS PARTY AT 54 BELOW HOSTED BY LAURA OSNES SHE AND VARIOUS OTHER BROADWAY STARS GATHERED TO SING ALL THE PRINCESS SONGS THAT EXIST WHILE WEARING PRINCESS DRESSES AND I DRANK VODKA AND ATE ICE CREAM AND WATCHED LAURA OSNES SING A MEDLEY OF EVERY CINDERELLA SONG THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF 2015 CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE? 

22. Had a kickass day on August 29 as me and Travis Ryan successfully attended two weddings at once. Chelsea and Drew Rich and Annie England and Chris England you guys both know how to throw a hell of a wedding, and Chels and Annie you were both STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Also Trav's a hero for following me around back and forth for a whole night without wanting to slap me. 

23. Finally got a chance to visit Elizabeth Raplinger Taylor, Olivia Hay and Shanah Gaskill in Dallas with Meredith Lynn. I didn't even get the flu or get stuck in a snowstorm. We had the best time doing Dallas things and ate good food. And by good food I mean Whataburger and Cane's. 

24. Got to go to LA for the first time ever to visit Lauren Vanlandingham. Of course I made her come with me to Disneyland where we rode every single merry go round in the whole dang place, and left before the fireworks even started because we were just too tired. We went to the Bungalow, which is just a really good smelling LA version of the Hawk, and spent a Sunday at the beach in October. LA is cool you guys, and Lauren Vanlandingham is even cooler. 

25. Had the GI adventure of a lifetime in 2015. I debated whether or not to share this with Facebook, but if you've come in contact with me at any point since like May, I've probably been forced to tell you that I have problems with my stomach. AND THATS SUPER FUN AND NOT EMBARASSING AT ALL YOU GUYS. Because would it really be a complete year if I don't have to have some sort of bizarre procedure or visit the ER a time or two? 

26. Got to shop with Erin Elmore for her wedding dress! SHES GETTING MARRIED TO Joe Bessler and I COULDNT BE MORE EXCITED. Also celebrated like 9000 other engagements. I can't wait to go to all these weddings in 2016 (and 2017 lol). 

27. Got to exist in Kansas City during the Royals World Series win. Some will tell you that's a lot cooler than I think it was. I mostly just had anxiety that I couldn't go anywhere during the day of that parade. Have you seen Salvy's instagram though? Absolutely hilarious. Screw the Mets. 

28. Started another awesome season coaching Fame with Zonko. There are 9 million of them, and they are loving as ever. This is one of my favorite things to do! I can't wait for this winter with Fame. 

29. Had my very own princess party to celebrate my 25th birthday. Jesse and Huck decorated our whole house and all my pals came. Even Zee, who flew from Dallas just to surprise me. smile emoticon 

30. Had a great Thanksgiving in NYC with literally every single one of my cousins, old and new. I'm not kidding you every single surface of my Grandma's house had someone sleeping on it. It was so fun, and my Goldberg's order only got screwed up once. 

31. Spent Christmas in Park City with both Lewis fams. I can't do the mountains you guys. I got pneumonia and spent a day in the hospital and then the rest of the trip strung out on pain killers, but overall it was a good trip. I need Megan Lewis always. I need the fam always. 

So there you have it. A lot more really cool stuff happened, these are just some of the highlights. Looking back I had a lot of stupid stuff happen to me, but in retrospect it doesn't seem like it was that bad because of the fact that my people are literally the best of all time. It's always gotta be a "whole thing" with me, and they're all aware and ready to deal with it. I love you guys all so much and can't wait to keep having "whole things" for you to deal with and laugh at in 2016 

BRING IT ON