a little bragging.

Elisabeth starting swimming at about age 4 and has always loved the water. During the summer Olympics 2012 the US swim team lip sang THIS song...and my red head was hooked...the pool was calling her name. She asked to be on a swim team the following year. I said ok...I honestly thought if anything else being a strong swimmer is a great life skill to have.  The first year she joined, she swam in a few meets, she didn't place, or qualify for conference, but she had fun. 

This year was a whole different story. Swim really grabbed a hold of her heart. It was exciting to see her times improve, and then to see her start to place, and then to see her name as the girl to beat.  She earned 24 ribbons, or at least that is what we could find at the end of the season...Lyla may or may not have hidden a few. She qualified for conference, became part of two relay teams, and nabbed her self 12 FIRST place ribbons in the events of backstroke, free relay, and the medley relay. She ended up getting 8th over all in the backstroke in the entire Northland conference for ages 8 and under, keep in mind she is only 7. She was also one of only two 7 years to make top 8 in conference in backstroke. While at conference backstroke was not her strongest swim of the year, but her free relay ended up getting 4th overall. They also swam in the 8 and under group, and their team was made up of an 8 year old, two 7 year olds, and one 6 year old. She did a fantastic job this year and still has one more year in the 8 and under group, so I am very excited to see that damage she can do next year. :) 

This summer she spent an hour at practice 5 days a week...would come home and beg to go back to the pool...most days we took her...and she would swim another hour or so...and then even after all that most nights she would try to convince us to go back to the pool after dinner...needless to say the girl might be part fish...or mermaid. :)  All bragging aside, I could care less if she ever won a ribbon, qualified for conference, or placed...ever. I love that she loves it. I often pray that she would have something that could be all her own, something she has a passion for, at the age of 7 I think swim might be it.