Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Hi Eagles fans!  So, I left off at Friday January 27th, with our day full of appearances.  Fast forward to Saturday January 28th…Ohana Day!  Ohana means “family” in Hawaiian, and this event was exactly that.  It was a fun family and friends day at Aloha Stadium.  We cheerleaders at our usual team breakfast at 7:00AM that day (that was late for us compared to the rest of the week!), and then we headed to Aloha Stadium for Ohana Day.  The event was basically a practice at the stadium that was open to the public.  My boyfriend Jesse went with another cheerleader’s boyfriend, and he was able to get lots of pictures!  It was a great opportunity to us to get a feel of what game day would be like.  We got to introduce ourselves on the field and perform a bunch of our dances for the fans.  You Eagles fans are familiar with this type of event if you have ever been to Eagles Flight Night.  It’s a very similar event in that it’s a great way to see the players practice and cheerleaders perform, while participating in fun games and activities for the whole family.

After Ohana Day, we had to stay at the stadium for our pre-game rehearsal with the band Hot Chelle Rae.  We were all exhausted from performing outside in the heat all morning, but once the band and the stages were set up, we all got a bit more energy and had a great rehearsal.  Later that evening, we participated in the Pro Bowl All-Star Block Party, which was tons of fun!  An entire main street called Kalakaua Avenue was closed to traffic, and there were tons of stages set up for meet and greets and performances.  The streets were PACKED with fans!  We went around to about 5 different stages throughout the night and performed some of our Pro Bowl dances and also helped aucition off NFL items for the Special Olympics.  One of the cheerleader’s calendars sold for over $100!  It was so much fun getting the fans pumped up for the big game, and you could really feel the energy in the entire town!

Sunday January 29th…Game Day!!!  On Sunday, we all woke up early, had breakfast together, and went right over to Aloha Stadium for our final rehearsal before the big game.  At 2:30 PM (Hawaii time), we were ready to go!  All of our hard work had paid off, and we were ready to just go out there and have a blast.  I can remember our directors telling us to have as much fun as possible out on the field and not to worry about how we stand, when we move to another part of the field, etc.  They told us to just interact with the fans as much as possible and have a great time, and  that’s exactly what we did!  The game tons of fun, even though the NFC lost   Jesse got lots of great pictures at the game too!  I can’t wait to get the photo book that I made online with all of the Pro Bowl pictures!

After the game, all of the cheerleaders and our directors were treated to a delicious dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse.  It was a beautiful restaurant with VERY good food.  What a wonderful way to end our big day!  While all of the other cheerleaders got ready to hit the town after our late dinner, I decided to stay in and start packing, since I was on the first flight leaving Hawaii   I had to be ready to go to the airport at 5:00AM on Monday morning.

I was so sad to say my goodbyes and miss our final breakfast together when I was being driven to the airport bright and early on Monday morning.  As soon as I checked in for my flight, I was told that my flight was delayed and would possibly be canceled.  About a half hour later, it was confirmed that my flight was canceled due to plane maintenance.    The next flight that they were able to give me was not until Tuesday evening.  At first, I was panicking, because I had to be at work on Tuesday morning.   Once I was able to find a substitute to cover my classes on Tuesday, I was sooo happy to have an extra day and a half in Hawaii!  Luckily, Jesse was not scheduled to fly home until Tuesday night as well, so we were finally able to spend some great quality time together, lay on the beach, do some sightseeing, and even go to Pearl Harbor.  It was the PERFECT way to end my trip in Hawaii.

I took a direct flight from Honolulu to Newark (12 hours!), and then from Newark to Philadelphia.  I arrived back home in Philadelphia at 1:30 on Wednesday afternoon and was back to the dance studio to teach class at 4:00!  Talk about jet lag!  I was extremely tired for the next 3 days, but I got right back into work and even did a few fun appearances for the Eagles.  I haven’t had a day off since!  As much as I miss Hawaii, it’s also good to be back home   I can’t wait to see all of my teammates at our end of the season banquet in a few weeks and share my Pro Bowl experience with them.  I hope you all enjoyed it!!  Take a look at a few more photos!  (I’ll be sure to most more soon).

Aloha!

Jen

performing at Ohana Day

Ohana Day

performing at the block party

posing with John, one of our directors, before the block party

Game Day!

SWOOP and I at the game! One of my favorite photos

performing on the sidelines

 

sightseeing with Jesse after my flight got canceled!

 

what a beautiful view!

 

Jesse and I visiting Pearl Harbor before leaving Hawaii

It’s Officially BUSY SEASON…

…in honor of this time of year. I would like to share with you this little gem that I find so hysterical.  Maybe it’s only funny for accountants, nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

President Lincoln and the Cowboy

Two interesting pieces of bronze sculpture in Fairmount Park are near each other and well placed.

Abraham Lincoln

All of us know that Abraham Lincoln became President when our country was badly divided.  Making matters worse were the sharp divisions within the North and South about going to war and terms of peace.  Draft riots occurred in New York City since young men understandably did not want to serve in the military.  Prominent figures, such as William Lloyd Garrison and Horace Greely, thought Lincoln was not pressing enough for the emancipation of slaves.  Members of President’s Cabinet tried to pull him in different directions like wad of bubblegum.  As late as April of 1864, it seemed likely that the Republicans would not renominate him.  In August of 1964, it looked like the Democrats would win the general election in November.  Union victories helped Lincoln in both cases.

And so in today’s Philadelphia, Abraham Lincoln stands at one of East River Drives worst intersections. Crossing it to view the statue close is a mad dash; actually people can see him much better across the the highway.  Abraham Lincoln is brooding with his depression and the problems of a divided country.  The traffic there today is a modest depiction of the disorder he faced.  Lincoln’s expression appropriately evokes the spirit of times rather than sentiment or sorrow.

The Cowboy

This Remington sculpture has a counterpart in painting.  I had an inexpensive reproduction of the painting that I gave away.  The Cowboy seems really alive cantering at a good speed on the east side of the drive.  When first seeing it as a kid, I was looking for the cowboy driving the cattle across the Schuylkill River.  It a reminiscent of the two movies; Red River starring John Wayne or The Tall Men starring Clark Gable.  The traffic destroys some of the romance of the work itself.  With the speed the cars go, it seems like drivers are trying to pass the Cowboy.

Long cattle drives lasted only about five years until the railroad made them unnecessary. The  trail herd passed through some beautiful country; but of course the drive itself was a miserable experience not really conducive to enjoying the scenery.   Philadelphia has a beautiful skyline; but commuting on the three expressways is anything but pleasant.

IT’ SHOW TIME!!!! :)

Happy Friday Eagles Fans! It’s finally the weekend and I bet you all are just as excited to see it come as I am.  I just got home from an appearance this morning down in Southwest Philadelphia, where fellow cheerleader Jen and I partnered up with Habitat Humanity to give a single mother a newly finished home.  Now, our construction skills are not up to par but we were experts with paint brushes.  The experience must come from the annual Playground Build that we do with the Eagles Youth Partnership and I recently repainted my bedroom so I must said we did a great job.

An awful picture of one of the walls Jen and I painted at our Habitat Humanities Appearance.

I feel like I have so much to tell you guys in such little time.  As you know as a squad we traveled down to Mobile, Alabama to cheer

First day in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl

at the Senior Bowl which was an amazing experience.  We all had a blast and the weather was to die for!!!!  Eighty degrees at the end of January….I could get used to that.  Unfortunately though, the dream had to end as we headed back to the freezing cold city of Philadelphia.  I have to fill you in with a day-to-day recap next time we talk, right now I think we should get back to the journey to Kuwait that I have been telling you about.  I feel like its has been forever since I talked about the trip, where did I leave off?  Thats right our first ever show over in the middle east….IT”S SHOW TIME!!!

After de-boarding the Robert Smalls Army Ship we went to dinner and prepared ourselves to take the stage.  Prior to the show we were all excited with anticipation and hoped that all the soldiers would enjoy the performance, which they did!!! Many of them came up to us saying it was the best show they have seen and they throughly enjoyed every party of it, they didn’t want it to end.  The show we did consisted of a variety of different sections.  We started off with a dance portion which lasted about 15 minutes.  We then went into the game section, the best part of the show!!! It was a blast interacting with all the soldiers and getting them involved.  In the game sections, 5 of us went out into the crowed and pulled volunteers.  There was an Eagles trivia round, a push up contest, the cheer contest, and the most-loved model walk contest.  In the model walk contest the soldiers showed there true side as they strutted down the runway we made and “flaunted their goods”.  It was hilarious and the crowd always went crazy while the contest went on.  I swear I am going to see one of them in the Victoria Secret Fashion Show next year, they were naturals!  Our first show was a success and we were ecstatic!!!!!  We wanted to perform repeatedly and never wanted it to end.  Following the show we had a meet and greet right away where we got to meet everyone in the audience.  When the meet and greet concluded, SGT Benson, SGT Eder, and SGT Almary presented the six of us with certificates of appreciation.  At that moment I was in shock.  Don’t be thanking us, we thank you for everything that they are doing, they are truly the most amazing people ever!!  Our first official night in Kuwait had come to an end and I will never forget it.

Our poster that was posted all over the bases.

Certificate of Excellence !!

At the National Guard's Birthday 5L Run with the oldest and youngest member at Camp Arifjan

Tuesday started off with us waking up bright and early to cheer the soldiers on at the National Guard’s Birthday 5K run.  You would think being in the middle east it would be warm, but apparently we just missed the beautiful weather and the week we came was the first week of the cold, wintery weather.  We brought it from Philadelphia all the way to Kuwait, GREAT!  It was so awesome to see all the soldiers running, they really get into the zone.  Jess evn almost got run over by the 1st place winner and our main security guard Marvin I think had a heart attack, it was the funniest thing I have every seen.  Jess was perfectly fine, she actually felt bad cause she did not want to mess up the soldiers’ running time.  As the soldiers crossed the finished line we cheered them on and they were all so grateful for us being there.  In true cheerleader fashion, we ended the run with a delicious piece of cake which made for the perfect breakfast.  Time flies when your having fun and before we knew it, it was time to travel to LSA and Camp Morrelle.  On our way there, we got into a fender bender!!!  If you think driving in Philadelphia is bad, you have never experienced the streets of Kuwait.  Supposedly over in Kuwait they don’t really have any rules when it comes to driving, or if they do they aren’t enforced and the citizens drive however they please.  It all started when we were sitting in traffic waiting to get off the exit and a car came plowing by, literally, and swiped the entire side of the bus.  Doesn’t seem to bad, right? But he hit us while driving on the SIDEWALK and after hitting us continued his way to his destination WITHOUT STOPPING!!!  It was so crazy, we were all stunned and couldn’t believe our eyes.

As we arrived at the base we met up with Major Engle and Chief Hippler.  We started our visit with a commanders call and learned that the entire base was made up of tents which is where all the soldiers spend there nights.  It was a base made for transitioning soldiers.  This means that any soldiers that are making there way home because their tour is over, come to LSA to spend their last 2 nights in Kuwait before heading home.  The bases main responsibility is to keep track on all soldiers entering and exiting Kuwait.  After the commanders call we were invited to go and observe a special mission called Blankets for Kabul.  Kabul is the largest city in Afghanistan and the soldiers were packing boxes with blankets and supplies that are no longer in use for the war and donating them to the citizens of Kabul.  It was extremely touching and showed us how all the troops give back to the countries in the middle east.  We continued our visit by going over to Camp Morrelle to greet the Navy Seabee’s.  The Navy Seabee’s are construction battalions who go into an area to construct Forward Operating Bases (FOB’s) for the soldiers to use.  This was one of the coolest meet and greet we did over there because we were just given an hour and half to just hang out and get to know all of them on a personal level.  We got to learn each of there stories and where they have had tours.  It is very popular to write your travels on the inside of you hat consisting of dates and where you went so you could always remember.  Before leaving Camp Morelle, we left a package for a fellow Philadelphian who was based there but was out on a mission, so we were unable to meet him.  His mom had reached out on the Eagles Facebook page and just wanted us to tell him that they love and miss him and to give him a hug for her.  It was so amazing to know that we were part of that and were able to make both mom and son happy, it was another memorable moment I will never forget.

After the meet and greet, we had a few hours of free time before our show.  We walked around the base where we found

Jess and I in the bunkers!!

bunkers and got to take pictures on an MRAP that just happened to drive by.  Since we started the day so early we went to Green Beans, which is considered to be there Starbucks.  On the way we met two Black Hawk Pilots who were on their way home for the holidays.  Kevin and Darrel were also on there way to Green Beans and insisted on treating us to our coffee.  Just like the meet and greet with the Navy Seabee’s, this was an opportunity for us to get to know the soldiers on a personal level and hear their incredible stories, especially doing the job they have.

Following our coffee break, it was time to get ready for our second show.  Again it was a success and the model walks were outstanding!!!  This show was especially memorable because of the changing area we were given.  Instead of a locker room or a bathroom which we normally change in, we were given our van that we have been traveling in.  It was a challenge being in such tight corners but we pulled through and again had a blast with it.  Another funny part to this show was that in the opening dance portion of the show, Paige came on stage ready to perform with the wrong set of poms and didn’t realize it!!!! The entire time she didn’t even know, mean while we were all cracking up at the huge, bright green 1960s pom’s that don’t look anything like are regular pom’s.  But hey, just like our choreographer Suzi always says, “it’s live theatre, anything can happen” which did and made this show special in its own little way.  After the show we had another meet and greet with hundred of soldiers that came out to see our performance.  The next thing we knew we were back at Camp Arifjan, signing more cards and getting ready for the next day’s activities.  Camp Buehring he we come!!!!!!

Alright guys I think I am going to go do some laundry since that is what I am supposed to be doing right now.  Make sure to bundle up this weekend, I hear snow is in the forecast. Hope to talk to you soon!!!

xoxoDanielle

Catching You Up On Pro Bowl!

     Hey Eagles fans!  So, as promised, I have a lot more to tell you about my Pro Bowl experience.  I’m pretty sure I left off after my long day of rehearsals followed by a fun luau on Wednesday.  By  Thursday January 26th, I was FINALLY adjusted to the time difference in Hawaii.  We cheerleaders all met at 6:ooAM for our daily team breakfast and then headed to Aloha Stadium for our first rehearsal on the field.  It was so much fun rehearsing the pre-game dance and our sideline dances that we had been working so hard on.  The long rehearsals on Tuesday and Wednesday really paid off when we got to the stadium, because we felt very prepared and were able to just let go and have fun.  I must say, I wasn’t used to rehearsing in the hot weather though, since it was so cold back in Philadelphia when I left!  I love the hot summer weather though, so I definitely was not complaining! 

     After rehearsal, we went back to our resort and had different appearances to go to.  My squad (NFC 1) did an appearance at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, which is a beautiful restaurant near our resort.  Wolfgang’s Steakhouse was generous enough to provide all of the cheerleaders with a delicious dinner after the Pro Bowl game, so it felt good to be able to do an appearance there and thank their owner and staff ahead of time.  The Pro Bowl trophy was on display there, so we took some great photos with fans in front of it.  Later that evening, we had a team dinner at Dave and Busters.  It was nice getting to have some dinners together and have fun and relax with each other after very longs days or rehearsals and appearances.

     On Friday January 27th, we all met for breakfast at 7:30 AM (that was our chance to “sleep in” haha).  Friday was a day filled with appearances, but it was tons of fun!  After breakfast I had about a 2 hour break, which was a lot compared to the rest of the week!  I took full advantage of that down-time and hung out by the pool to get in some sun :)  Then I had the pleasure of teaching one of our sideline dances to a group of Japanese dancers with fellow cheerleader Lindsay from the Seahawks.  Since I’m a dance teacher, this was right up my alley!  The Japanese cheerleaders were my age, and even though most of them didn’t speak English, I felt that we really bonded and had a great time together.  They were terrific dancers too!  They performed their dance later that day at a nearby shopping mall and did a great job.  

     After teaching the dance clinic, I had a little more free time and was able to meet up with my boyfriend Jesse for a little bit.  I didn’t get to see him very much up till this point, since our schedule was extremely busy.  That night we had an amazing appearance at an event called Sunset On The Beach.   The event was open to the public, so Jesse was able to come and watch our performances.  At Sunset On the Beach, a big part of the Waikiki beach is closed off and there is a huge movie screen and a stage set up for performances.  The movie Remember The Titans played on the beach after we cheerleaders did a few performances.   Hundreds of fans came out to watch us perform and get autographs.  At one point, I was signing my photo cards and posing for photos, and I stopped for a minute to take a look around and realize that I was in the middle of so many fans flashing their cameras at me and asking for autographs, and the whole thing seemed so surreal.  I could not believe that all of those people were really there to see us.  It was such an amazing feeling and something  that I will never forget!

Enjoy some more photos, and check back soon for the my next update!!

Aloha!

Jen

Rehearsal at Aloha Stadium

Getting some down-time with my teammates!

 

Posing with the Pro Bowl trophy at Wolfgang's Steakhouse

 

Another photo taken at Wolfgang's Steakhouse

 

Performing at Sunset On The Beach

 

NFC 1 Squad at Sunset on the Beach

 

Back from Hawaii!

Hey Eagles fans!!  It’s been a while since my last blog, but I have a great excuse….I’ve been in Hawaii for the last week to perform at Pro Bowl!  What an incredible experience it was!!!  Instead of writing a super long blog to tell you about my trip, I’ll write a few shorter blogs.  Before I begin, I just wanted to give a special thank you to our director, Barbara, for giving me this amazing opportunity.  I am so honored to have been chosen to represent my team at such an unbelievable event. 

So, where do I even begin?  I guess I’ll start my explaining how I was chosen to go to Pro Bowl in the first place.  It was so interesting meeting the other cheerleaders from the different NFL teams and finding out how they were chosen as well.  Most of the other teams take a vote, so they are chosen by their teammates.  We don’t vote for our Pro Bowl cheerleader though.  We had to fill out an application and write an essay about why we wanted to go to the Pro Bowl, and then we are chosen for a number of different reasons such as dance ability, leadership ability, involvement in community events, public speaking ability, etc.  Many of the women on my team would have been deserving of going, but I’m so incredibly honored and thankful to have been selected.

I left for Hawaii on Monday January 23^rd, and the 12 hour flight was totally worth it!  On the day I arrived I met the majority of the other women from the different teams and we started bonding right away.  On Tuesday morning, we jumped right into our first rehearsal at 9:00AM.  We had breakfast together each morning, which was a wonderful tradition and a great opportunity to continue bonding with one another.  Since we only had 5 days to turn 26 women into one “team,”  we knew we would need some long rehearsals.  We rehearsed for about 7 hours on Tuesday and then had a team photo shoot by the hotel pool followed by a meet and greet and autograph session with the fans.  I met a few Eagles too!  Our team poster came out so beautiful!   

We started our day on Wednesday at 7:00AM, and boy was I sore!  After 7 hours of rehearsal, my back and neck were incredibly sore, but we had another 5 hours of rehearsal to get through.  We spent most of the day learning our pre-game dance, which we performed during the pre-game show with the band Hot Chelle Rae.  It was such a fun, high-energy dance, and I loved learning it!  After our long rehearsal, we got to attend a luau for people that were involved in the Pro Bowl.  It was so much fun to get a little dressed up and enjoy spending some down-time with my Pro Bowl teammates.  Enjoy the photos from these first few days, and be sure to check back in for my next blog.  I’ll be filling you in our rehearsal at Aloha Stadium and lots of other fun events that took place on Thursday and Friday! 

Getting off the plane at Honolulu International Airport with 4 more cheerleaders

Having fun with the other NFL Cheerleaders as soon as we got to Hawaii!

Meeting up with my boyfriend for a little while

taking a quick photo in the lobby with my roommate Kim from the Colts

One of the many wonderful gifts we got at breakfast! An awesome Pro Bowl bag with iPod speakers, a beach towel, hat, and football

The end of a VERY long day of rehearsals! Exhausted and ready for bed, but loving every minute of it!

Some of the cheerleaders at the luau on Wednesday night

Aloha!

Jen

Forever in Our Hearts and Minds

Hey Eagles fans,

Happy Wednesday! I just got home from the gym where I completed an awesome work out! How about those football games this past weekend? They were two incredibly close games and were so much fun to watch! I am anticipating the Super Bowl in two weeks, especially the commercials; they are often my favorite part! All right, time to wrap up my adventure to Kuwait. I have to admit, I am rather saddened to stop blogging about Kuwait as it made such an impact on my life and I absolutely love sharing my journey with others. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about our travels and hope you have gained even more of an appreciation for our Armed Forces.

We woke up early our last day in Kuwait and were told to meet in the lobby. The previous day, we were informed we needed to dress warmly and to make sure our arms and legs were completely covered. After meeting in the lobby, we loaded the van and made our way across Camp Arifjan. We pulled up to the helicopter pad and saw two helicopters flying toward us. MSG Gabriel then informed us that the Blackhawks flying toward us were our ride to Camp Virginia. We all screamed in excitement, as we were so anxious to fly in a helicopter. After a safety briefing about boarding and riding in the Blackhawk, we were ready to go. Danielle, Jess, and I boarded one Blackhawk, while Paige, Casey, and Lauren boarded the other. When boarding a Blackhawk, our security leader Marvin informed us that you always approach the helicopter straight on to ensure safety. The wind the propeller gives off is enormous and our hair was blowing all over the place. After being slightly blown away, we successfully boarded the helicopter and were in complete awe of our surroundings. When inside, our pilot and crew introduced themselves and made sure we were buckled in properly. Before we knew it, we were taxiing and getting ready for take-off. I wish I could explain the feeling in my chest and stomach when the Blackhawk took off and we were in the air. It was the most exhilarating feeling I have ever experienced. Once in the air, we were immediately looking from left to right to look out over the country of Kuwait. We saw an endless desert and camels roaming in the sand. Throughout the 45-minute flight to Camp Virginia, the doors of the Blackhawk were often left open so we could feel the air blowing as well as get a better view. There were so many moments where Jess, Danielle, and I would look at one another and smile, all realizing what an incredible journey we had been on.  Before we knew it, we could see Camp Virginia in the distance and we were ready to land. The take-off, landing, and flight were smoother than I ever anticipated.  Upon landing, our crew gave us a tour of the Blackhawk. The “Flying Monkey’s” were from the Kansas National Guard and they all offered us a flight patch which we able to keep. They informed us our Blackhawk was named “Black Betty” while the other helicopter was named “Yuck Yuck”.  After taking hundreds of photographs and asking the Soldiers hundreds of questions, we were off to our Commanders Call.

Our Black-hawk!

The 6 of us, ready for anything

Jess and I, ready to take off!

A view of Kuwait from the air!

"Yuck yuck"

Windows open - looking out over Kuwait

Black Betty!

At the Commanders Call, we met with more members of the Minnesota National Guard. This commander’s call was different than others because it was very laid back. The officers asked us questions about our NFL cheerleading careers and appeared impressed  we are either full time students or hold a full time job. We were awarded another certificate of appreciation and that’s when it really began to hit us that our trip was coming to an end. Following the meeting, we got ready for our final show in Kuwait. This show was extra special not only because it was our last, but we also needed to properly celebrate Paige’s birthday. The commanding officer came on stage and had the entire audience sing Happy Birthday to her and we could all tell how incredibly touched she was. Also, at the end of the show, we invited the Soldiers from the audience to do the “Cupid Shuffle” with us. It was such a great moment of the trip and a phenomenal way to end our last show. After performing for our final audience we had one final meet and greet and then it was time to make our way back to the helicopter pad to fly back to Camp Arifjan. Our flight home was just as exhilarating as the flight there, but this time we were flying in the dark and we got to see Kuwait lit up at night.

Camp Virginia from the air

After returning to Camp Arifjan, we had some free time to pack, shower, and get ready to head home. We decided to eat in the D-FAC one final time. During dinner we sat down with our security team and thanked them endlessly for their hard word. By this point in the trip, they had gotten to know us so well we had become like a family. They even memorized parts of our dance routines and introductions. What really stuck out to us was how much they thanked us for talking to them. They informed us that many entertainers they deal with refuse to talk to them and get to know them. We wouldn’t leave them alone. We wanted to know everything about them, their families, and their future. They are such an incredible group of Soldiers whom I am so incredibly grateful to have met. After dinner, we headed back to our rooms to gather our things and to say goodbye. We were all incredibly emotional and spent much of the ride to the airport crying. Little did we know the hardest goodbye was going to follow; saying goodbye to our security team at the airport was incredibly difficult. We each cried and said “goodbye” over and over again. Marvin, Melvyn, Oscar, Manny and Lawrence had become like family and it seemed like we had arrived only the day before and there we were at the end of our trip. After an emotional goodbye, we checked in at the airport and before we knew it we were boarding the plane back to the United States. 13.5 hours later, we landed in Washington DC and had to rush to our connecting flight to Philadelphia. In Washington DC, we said goodbye to Jody our tour director who was like a father to us and was absolutely incredible! It was such a bittersweet feeling to be home. Of course I had missed my family, but now I missed Kuwait.

Our security team doing our cheerleader pose

Our amazing security team

I knew before going on this trip, it would have an impact on my life, but I never could have anticipated how much it has changed me. The men and women of our armed forces are the most selfless, kind, and dedicated people I have ever met. They are the true heroes of America. I thank God and the Eagles organization for making this trip possible. Every moment since I have returned home I am thinking of our Soldiers not only in Kuwait, but also across the globe. I will NEVER forget the Soldiers I was so honored to meet, nor will I forget the honor, integrity, and loyalty each one of them possess as they continue to protect our freedom each and every day.

God Bless our troops!

Xo-Dani

ForExtra photos again – enjoy!

MSG Gaberiel

Farewell Kuwait

So much to do…So little time

Hi Eagles fans!

Since the Eagles football season is over, you may have thought us Cheerleaders are just twiddling our thumbs until August for the Pre-Season.  That is 100% a misconception.  All of us Cheerleaders have full time jobs, or are full time students.  For instance, I’m the public accountant of the group.  So while the Eagles “busy season” may be over, I’m ramping up for my other “busy season”.  Yup, with December 31, 2011 passing by all too quickly, that means its time to get those year-end financial statements done, and to file those taxes for good old Uncle Sam.

By the end of January, I’m busy going out on audits, not too much tax work has begun to come in through our office.  Forms from the IRS are still being updated daily, so my tax work won’t really start until mid February.  That being said, audits aren’t waiting on updated forms from the IRS, so were out and about at different clients.

That’s usually enough work to keep someone busy for 40-50 hours a week (that’s just during January of course..Come February, March and April its more like 55-60 hours a week).  Since rehearsal have been limited, and work isn’t extremely busy yet, I’ve used my “spare” time to study for the CPA exam.  I’m currently studying for audit, and have to say I feel confident in passing it this time around (yes, I failed it the first time….not enough time was devoted to my studies as there should have been, not surprising).  However, if in about 6 week you don’t see a post about me passing the exam, then assume I didn’t and don’t bring it up. Thanks!

Now the fun part, I get a few days away from my study books and the office, and get to go with some of the other ladies on the team to Mobile, Alabama for the College Senior Bowl.  Although before I can go I need to pack and do laundry, which have both fallen by the waist-side between working and studying and rehearsals.  So it may be time to get my life in order before I leave.

I’ll be sure to share more about the trip when we get back. In the meantime, check out the game on NFL Network on Saturday, January 28 at 3pm(CST).

HEY EAGLES FANS!

Sorry its been so long, it feels like forever!! So I actually just got home from my very last rehearsal of the season.  I am sad to see it end, but at the same time happy for the much-needed break.  We have about a month and a half off until auditions for the new squad starts up.  This does sound like a long time; however, it goes by super fast.  This is the time where I take the long hours spent for the football season and spend them in the most-loved placed in the world, the GYM!  Each year we still have to audition with the other beautiful, talented women, in hopes of keeping our spot on the squad.  It would seem like it would get easier as the years go on, it’s actually the complete opposite.  So like the other future women looking forward to the auditions in March, I also will be working extremely hard, making sure I am 100% ready, both mentally and physically.

At an Eagles Game this past season.

Now we were officially done the season in the beginning of January which is also when our practices concluded.  Despite the early end to the football season, we still do have one more game to cheer for before the official end of the cheerleader season.  If you haven’t heard yet, the Eagles Cheerleaders are making the trip down to Mobile, Alabama, where 21 of us will be cheering at the annual Senior Bowl.  We will be cheering on the North and South to see who will win this years game.  We will be leaving Thursday morning, bright and early, and returning home Sunday.  While we are there we will be doing many appearances in anticipation of the game that will be played on Saturday afternoon.  This is the first time the Eagles Cheerleaders are appearing at the Senior Bowl, so it is a very exciting time for all of us and I can’t wait to go.  This will also be my first time visiting the state of Alabama and supposedly the weather there now is amazing.  I personally enjoy high 60’s low 70’s instead of this freezing, snowy weather that we are having now.

Along with getting ready for the trip this weekend, I started my spring semester of my junior year at West Chester University.  I have been working hard for the past year so I could finally declared my major.  I officially started my major classes and I’m ecstatic!!  When I first came to West Chester University I was a Nutrition Major which I did enjoy, but I decided that it wasn’t the right pick for me as a career and began the process of switching to Marketing.  Same as last semester, I have classes only two days a week.  Every Tuesday and Thursday for the next 16 weeks, I will be sitting in lecture halls from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. working towards my degree in Marketing.  Today was my first day of classes and I’m actually excited to get the semester started.  Now we just went over the syllabus today in all my classes so the actually learning didn’t begin, but they all seem interesting which will help keep me awake through the long hours.  I am a little behind in the major because I switched so late, but I planned it all out and I will still graduate on time; I am actually in the process of looking for an internship for this summer.

"I've learned that your college friends become kind of family, you eat together, you take naps together, fight, laugh, cry, and do absolutely nothing together until you can't remember how you ever lived your life without them in the first place."

Well it’s getting pretty late and I still need to finish packing and get some beauty sleep, so I will talk to you guys next week when I get back from Mobile.  I will give you all the details from the trip and hopefully continue the journey to Kuwait that I have been taking all of you on.  GOODNIGHT

Until Next Time…

xoxoDanielle

Bullies and Their Victims

Last week a grammar school boy nearby committed suicide from being bullied.  This has been ongoing problem that is getting some well deserved attention.  Victims of bullies are afraid to go to school; spend time away from school in fear over what’s coming up the next day; and often have health problems.  Be it boy or girl, they should come to parents and faculty members.  Especially parents must be careful and not automatically brand their victim/children as a coward, sissy, or weakling.  Being assertive is not the same thing confronting a bully.

Concerning ourselves only with harassed students is like a opening the window and turning up the heat.  We have to address the bullies themselves.  They may have mental problems; be abused or neglected at home; have learning disabilities; or perhaps are just afraid.  Before resorting to extreme measures, I think school officials should look into the background of each person constantly bullying.  Faculty and staff have stated they do not have time or staff for this.  For that I say, use this as a example in your budget requests.

Most importantly, bullying involves all parents, faculty, and students. Parents have to be firm in telling their kids not befriend the bully in any way.  Don’t regard being in their circle as a sort of status symbol.  One day that bully will no doubt turn on them.  Don’t lecture bullies on their conduct and the damage they are doing.   They are well aware of both.  This preaching approach only gives them the attention they crave.  Hopefully, some students will  befriend the  victim and all students should ignore the bully.  If all students isolate them, the bully will feel the rejection and disgust.

Finally, remember all of have been bullies at one time or another.