Annie Kate swimming freestyle tonight

Determination

Last Saturday was the first swim meet of the season. Jeff went. I stayed home with the crazies. Jeff had to be a timer. We have no photos, not that it would matter they all kind of look the same. The theme was transformers so the team dressed up in boxes. AK swam the breast stroke and beat her time a second. So all was good.

Tonight was the first swim meet mid week. AK swam free style, butterfly and back stroke. She is at the bottom of her age group so she is getting a taste of reality as far as not touching the wall first this year.

During the intermission they let the pre-team do a kick board race. Caroline has been so excited all week and keeps saying how she hopes she gets a ribbon. Well, we had some nice thunder storms that kept delaying the meet and to get it finished tonight they had to cancel the kick board races. Caroline was not quite understanding she would not be swimming as she was just running around in a mass rush of excitement all evening. This is one of her many sassy faces begging for money to buy treats at the concession stand.

Then at 10:00 pm when the last race finished and they started unplugging things and turning off the lights. The only other pre-teamer who had stayed the whole meet to swim one kick board race, started crying realizing they didn't get to swim. My heart was breaking for these two little girls who had waited all night to just swim one lap.
thanks to our friend who is the MC, he said to get the two little girls and we will let them swim their race. When I called Caroline over and told her it was time to swim, she was beside herself with excitement and didn't miss a beat... "Where are my goggles and and swim cap" Keep in mind it was 10:oopm and we had been there since 5:30 pm.
The pool was clearing out but our friend Rich, got them ready to swim. As I handed her the kick board she said, "No I don't want it" She and her friend were sitting on the edge waiting for him to say go and she could not wait any longer and just jumped in and started swimming.
This was by far better than any Olympic race I have ever watched on T.V. This girl just swam her heart out. A crowd started to gather at the end of the pool cheering the girls on. All the youth coaches ran to the end of the pool and cheer on these pre-teamers. Caroline never stopped or grabbed the side of the rope. She was determined. I of course was crying and was numb and didn't take any other photos than this. When she was done she had a smile ear to ear. The coach was there to give her a high five and asked to swim in the main swim meet for freestyle next week (i will be at girls camp - rats!)
Oh man it was just one of those moments that make you love life and keep you going! I could not be more grateful for the cute 14 year old girl who said, "here let me take your family photo you will want to remember this night"
She was right. I don't ever want to forget the proud mom feeling I had for my girls tonight by the edge of the pool at 10:10 pm! (Sally Jane asleep in her tutu swim suit)

Looks like I better get my swim game on if I am going to keep up with my girls.