Summer Solstice Meet

This weekend was the Summer Solstice USA meet. It never fails that at this meet, you either freeze or fry. We got quite the mixture this time around. Hannah was scheduled to swim on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday but because of the terrible weather on Friday (the freeze part), the meet was cancelled. We did however, get to go long enough to set up the club's tents, and pay $8.00 to sit in the rain for two hours. When we returned Saturday morning, we found that one of the tents had been blown across the pool and the metal bars were snapped in half. We later heard that the Kalamazoo area had three confirmed tornadoes Friday night. (Thankfully we were spared any damage at our house.) The rain and wind finally stopped and we had 88 degrees and 85% humidity (this would be the fry) today. The missed events were divided between Saturday and Sunday and that made for quite a tiring schedule. Hannah swam the 200m I.M., 200m fly, 200m free, 100m fly, 100m back, 100m free, 400m free, and 50m fly. She did great and swam so strong. The coach was impressed with everyone's swims and was happy that after swimming so many hard events (especially in an outdoor pool) they all looked so good. Here's a few pictures of the weekend.

Jon, Evan, and Hannah huddled under Hannah's blanket. The girl's always tease Jon that he has a man crush on Evan. I think this look says it all.

Hannah and Kelin. It's tradition that I take their picture together every year at this meet. Kelin will be a senior this year and goes to the rival high school of Hannah's. They are so excited to get to finally swim high school together even if it's for different teams. Kelin has been a great support to Hannah for a few years. When she moved up to practicing with the senior group, Kelin welcomed her with open arms and made her feel so comfortable. They are also the "fly girls" as Kelin's mom has dubbed them. It has been great to see such a strong friendship develop between these girls.

The 50 fly.

The breast stroke leg of the 200m I.M.

freestyle

Today...

this made me sooooo happy!

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

Nathan is taking treats to school tomorrow for his "un-birthday". When I saw these a while back,

I knew I wanted to make some. So I did. They don't look quite the same.

Oh well. Still cute nonetheless. And as Hannah pointed out, they're second graders, they won't care. Nathan thought they were great, that's all that matters.

This is what friends are for

One of my very dearest friends, Cindy, turned 50 this weekend. She and her family were out of town for a sporting event, so our friend Marti and I could not pass up the opportunity to leave a little something special waiting for her when she got home. I kept hoping they wouldn't pull into the driveway as we were setting everything up. I cut out a ton of 50's and Happy Birthday's and we strung them from tree branches, taped them to the door, stapled them to tree trunks, and hung some around the flamingos necks. It was all topped off with a nice big sign wishing her a happy birthday. Now I can't wait for them to get home. I'm thinking of staking out the joint for when they return so I can see her face. I'm sure my phone will be ringing the minute they pull in...

Dance

Hannah had her Farewell Dance on Saturday. The theme was 8th grade at the movies. At first we thought it might be kinda silly, but the decorations turned out sooo cute! They had a giant directors board with all the dance details at the front door, all lit up. The hallways were decked out with lights, disco balls, movie posters hanging from the ceiling and a red carpet lined with papparazzi cut-outs and a huge Oscar at the end. One of the coolest things were some giant movie reels with the film rolling down the hallway and pictures of the kids on the films. The cafeteria was similar with big red and white popcorn boxes filled with white and yellow balloons. Pretty snazzy for a middle school dance!

Hannah attended a party before the dance where parents gathered to take photos and the kids could eat. The dance was a couple hours long and they all complained that it went by too fast. They were having such a great time. A group of kids got together at Culver's afterwards to continue with the evening but were forced to say goodbye when the restaraunt closed their doors at 10. Hannah says the night was amazing and totally fun. She commented that there wasn't even any drama with anyone, something that surprised us both. We all know how teeneagers are ;) I stopped in at the dance for a short time to take a couple pictures, and as I was heading out, the principal commented on how this was a great group. Normally, he said, boys line one side of the room and the girls fill the other. But these guys were really dancing! I am so happy that Hannah was able to have a great time with her friends and make some wonderful memories. It was emotional for me, to see her getting ready. I choked up and cried for a bit when I put her necklace on. I know there will be many dances to come, but I will always remember how fun it was to spend this first time with her shopping, getting her nails done, doing her hair and helping her get ready.

Ramblings

Lately there's been alot going on that has given me pause for reflection and thought. Some great, others not so much, and some down right terrible. But in any case, I have learned alot about myself and my family and I've also been reminded of things I already knew. Here's a few examples:

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Family is EVERYTHING

Mike truly is my soulmate and my best friend

Faith kicks in when hope ends

Laughter is the best medicine

It's okay to ask for help

Friends are a must

Change is difficult but necessary

I am stronger than I give myself credit for

This Season's MUST-HAVE!

Can't you just see me in this dress? I'm thinking of wearing it to the grocery store, the pool, EVERYWHERE!