Hannah's 1st Cross Country Meet

My baby girl is running cross country...and liking it!

Did you hear that "liking it!" She most certainly did not get that from me.

I did not enjoy running. I played volleyball and basketball in high school and all of the athletes (I use that word loosely) were required to be in track too. What's a girl to do? I threw the little disc thing...not very far, because it might mess up my hair, and I was really only there to meet the cute boys anyway. Maybe if they had posted the cute boys around the track I might have enjoyed running better.

Since I am not so much a fan of running, I wasn't a very encouraging mom when Hannah started working out with the basketball team. They all have to do the cross country workout in order to play basketball. Every day she would tell me who she out ran and how much her time was improving...and then I said something that I have regretted ever since, yes I became that mother when I casually said, "Baby, if you keep improving you just might make the cross country team and you know that you don't want to do that."

Yes, I did and shame on me!!!! I knew the minute my words rolled off my tongue that I should never have said that. Instantly the Holy Spirit convicted my heart.

The next morning, I woke up early like I normally do to have my quiet time with the Lord before hitting the ground running. The Holy Spirit once again convicted me that I needed to give Hannah my blessing on cross country because even though she acted like she didn't want to be on the team, she really did want to be on the team.

I woke her up early to ask her forgiveness and to tell her that her daddy and I would support her 100% if she wanted to be on the cross country team and she just beamed. Her face blushed a little and she gave me a big hug and told me that she was going to be a runner, "just like Grandpa" and my heart melted. Thank you, Father, for speaking to this momma's heart!

So last Friday night, we did our duty chaperoning the high school band, we got to ride the yellow bus, and corral the skittle throwing monsters, I mean blessings (Mrs. C. if you are reading this~ they picked up every skittle so we were fine), and then early Saturday morning we were Hannah's biggest cheerleaders at her first ever cross country meet.

I thought you might enjoy a few pictures of my favorite runner:

There must have been over 130 girls running:



And she is off:

Go Hannah go! We are so proud of you! You can do it!

The finish line is just around the corner!

She made it and she enjoyed it...and we did too. From the back seat, my little darling said, "I wonder how Grandpa finished in his first meet? Do you think I will be fast like him one day?"

Yes, baby I think you just might be. Keep running; we are so proud of you!