The Hay Is In The Barn
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I may not have looked quite like this kid on the outside, but that overexcited twirling, pointing, quick step move was definitely happening on the inside. I may have done a little skipping and jumping and squealing on the way to the car.)
If you didn't get the memo, I am here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this weekend. I came up for a bobsled combine (yes, we have to retake the combine every year). It just so happens that my friend Christa Bowman lives here with her family. Definitely a win, win. We were rowing buddies at K-State for 4 years. It's been so great to catch up with her and her family. It's been almost a year and a half since I've seen them. Definitely too long. I've been looking for a reason to come visit, and voila, a reason appeared.
So I flew in last night and caught some ZZZ's before the big day. Barb, Christa's mom, came with me today to take it all in. She was my surrogate mom for the day, and I'm so glad she could come. She was there to cheer me on, keep track of my stuff and take some pictures and video (which I'll load when I get back home). And today went so much better than I ever expected. I'm over the moon! And I can't stop smiling!
This verse is all that keeps coming to mind:
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
Ephesians 3:20
That's precisely what happened today. I don't know any other way to describe it. I know I've been working very hard, putting in lots of time at the gym to get better, but I had no idea how much that would translate to the combine. I'm so, so thankful to all the people who have been encouraging me to keep at it this summer. And especially thankful for all the people that push me to be better and inspire me to keep after it. And super thankful for people who can see in me what I can't even see in myself. They know there's greatness in there, and they draw it out of me. I couldn't do this without all of you! So THANK YOU!
So today I ran faster, threw farther and lifted more than I've ever done in my life. Last summer I got way better, so I wasn't sure how much better I could get. I went into the combine with what I considered to be realistic expectations. And then I blew them out of the water! I have to give a shout out to Katy Wittich, Greg West, Megan Hill, Brittney Reinbolt, Sineaid Corley and of course my family Mom, Dad, and Aunt Kay. They kept telling me I was going to do way better than I expected, but I have to admit I didn't really believe them. Again, so blessed to have people that see potential in me when I don't.
I had a blast today. Three other girls showed up that had never taken the combine before. I know what that feels like to show up and everything is foreign. I was able to encourage and coach and cheer them on today. It's always so fun to see people accomplish something new, to help them believe that they can do anything. I love it! And my experiences of failing the combine several times give me a platform to encourage them to never give up on their dreams. Keep trying and anything is possible. You just have to believe that you can. It was a blast to do well myself and see other people succeed. Such a great day!
I'm sure I'll have more to say soon, but Christa and I are headed off to the Mall of America. I've never been to Minnesota before, so I'm here to take in the sights. Enjoy your weekend and check back next week for another post that's sure to have something Olympic since the 2012 Games are almost here! Get excited!!!
If you didn't get the memo, I am here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this weekend. I came up for a bobsled combine (yes, we have to retake the combine every year). It just so happens that my friend Christa Bowman lives here with her family. Definitely a win, win. We were rowing buddies at K-State for 4 years. It's been so great to catch up with her and her family. It's been almost a year and a half since I've seen them. Definitely too long. I've been looking for a reason to come visit, and voila, a reason appeared.
So I flew in last night and caught some ZZZ's before the big day. Barb, Christa's mom, came with me today to take it all in. She was my surrogate mom for the day, and I'm so glad she could come. She was there to cheer me on, keep track of my stuff and take some pictures and video (which I'll load when I get back home). And today went so much better than I ever expected. I'm over the moon! And I can't stop smiling!
This verse is all that keeps coming to mind:
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
Ephesians 3:20
That's precisely what happened today. I don't know any other way to describe it. I know I've been working very hard, putting in lots of time at the gym to get better, but I had no idea how much that would translate to the combine. I'm so, so thankful to all the people who have been encouraging me to keep at it this summer. And especially thankful for all the people that push me to be better and inspire me to keep after it. And super thankful for people who can see in me what I can't even see in myself. They know there's greatness in there, and they draw it out of me. I couldn't do this without all of you! So THANK YOU!
So today I ran faster, threw farther and lifted more than I've ever done in my life. Last summer I got way better, so I wasn't sure how much better I could get. I went into the combine with what I considered to be realistic expectations. And then I blew them out of the water! I have to give a shout out to Katy Wittich, Greg West, Megan Hill, Brittney Reinbolt, Sineaid Corley and of course my family Mom, Dad, and Aunt Kay. They kept telling me I was going to do way better than I expected, but I have to admit I didn't really believe them. Again, so blessed to have people that see potential in me when I don't.
I had a blast today. Three other girls showed up that had never taken the combine before. I know what that feels like to show up and everything is foreign. I was able to encourage and coach and cheer them on today. It's always so fun to see people accomplish something new, to help them believe that they can do anything. I love it! And my experiences of failing the combine several times give me a platform to encourage them to never give up on their dreams. Keep trying and anything is possible. You just have to believe that you can. It was a blast to do well myself and see other people succeed. Such a great day!
I'm sure I'll have more to say soon, but Christa and I are headed off to the Mall of America. I've never been to Minnesota before, so I'm here to take in the sights. Enjoy your weekend and check back next week for another post that's sure to have something Olympic since the 2012 Games are almost here! Get excited!!!