So now that it's November...I'll do some October blogging. I started looking back over my pictures from the month and there are just too many for just one blog post for the month. I decided to start with all the cross country pictures from October from my THREE runners!!
The story of Becca...
Becca got to run at Silver Lake!! Unfortunately, I was too sick to go, but Ed took pictures and the team won the meet! This was our first indication that these girls were not only becoming great friends, but becoming great runners as well!
Becca had several other meets at new location...one at Nooksack Middle School and one at Hovander. I had never been to a meet at either of those places when Sarah & Bethany were in Junior High, so it was fun, but I kinda like going to places I know...then I know where to run to watch and cheer!
Becca improved at almost every meet throughout the month of October and her team continued to win almost every meet! After the above meet all the parents were looking for the kids and we asked the coach where they were and she said, "Oh, they went to cheer on the rest of the runners as they come through the finish line." Not OUR runners...runners from other schools. Man, I love cross country kids - they know how hard every kid out there is working and they encourage everyone - even their competition!
At the last meet at home, some of Becca's friends came to watch her...Becca isn't actually that unusually tall...I think she just has short friends. ;)
This team! They had a great time! Every junior high kid deserves such love and acceptance.
And the sisters. I love this.
The story of Bethany...
Bethany...she runs, loves running, and doesn't care a lick if she's the last runner on the course. She has had some AMAZING experiences with PEOPLE during the course (pun intended) of this season...and we thank GOD for these experiences. They are truly too numerous and complicated to explain...just trust me when I say that God uses her in that position of the last runner. It's not always easy or fun and it means you miss out on some things, but we have also found she gets other experiences that other runners don't.
And here again, there's those friendships on the team...
These girls are a big part of why Bethany runs...
We are crazy proud of her!
Did I mention that October was quite a rainy month???
Runners love the rain.
And this...this...my heart overflows. This picture was in the local newspaper photo gallery from a big meet near the end of the season. This team, sharing their love for each other and coming before their God to praise, thank, and petition together.
The story of Sarah...
...my runner who lives 1800+ miles away from me...
She's got the team thing going on, too. But it's a bigger team, and she's a newbie, so it's different, but it's a team and they are there for each other.
My parents got to watch Sarah race at Notre Dame while on their #amazingadventure, which meant I got some pictures!
My parents watching Sarah run made me miss her and them even more!
I feel like there are some other pictures I have managed to steal from other Facebook posts, but I'm not finding them...at any rate...last week was spirit week and they had a wild animal day. Sarah didn't have a costume, but she brought along the Tigger she's had since she was a baby! LOL!
Sarah sent Ed & I our own "Calvin Greys" - these are apparently the OFFICIAL Calvin Cross shirts. Can't get them at the bookstore. I wear it and cheer from afar.
This was the most recent meet where the team ran for the MIAA Conference Championships...unfortunately Sarah was suffering from some shin splints (we thought) and she & the coaches decided better for her to rest and sit out this race and be able to race at Regionals and Nationals coming up later in November. Then yesterday the coaches put her on a weightless treadmill to see if she was still limping when she ran and she was. :( They are pretty sure she has a stress fracture and so they told her that she is out for the season. Heartbreaking. We know adversity builds character and there are many lessons to be learned in these situations and we know she'll be a stronger person as a result...but that doesn't change that it's heartbreaking. Today she had an X-ray and the trainer put her on crutches so she can't put any weight on her leg at all until Monday when she will get an MRI. So no running at Regionals and Nationals for her this year. I will still wear my "Calvin Grey" and cheer for the team, though (just like I'll be cheering for LCXC at their state meet this coming weekend).
Prayers are appreciated as she deals with this away from home. It takes every ounce of common sense I have to not get on a plane to Michigan. Plus also, I have Ed here and he has way more common sense if I run out...
And now for some comic relief...below is Sarah...in goth make-up for the cross country Halloween party...I'm quite sure they read some Martin Luther writings before going to bed early...
