SK.....swimmer of the day!

SK was chosen this week as the Swimmer of the day for her swim clinic! She is trying so hard! She so wants to do this...to learn to swim...so she can be a part of the swim team this summer! But it's hard...and it has been a true test of her courage. The water is not her happy place...probably due to her countless ear issues. But she is giving it her all! We are so proud of her! She is proud of herself too....she was so proud of this little card! She proudly hung it on the refrigerator!

Swim Championships 2012

The day had finally arrived! After a great swim team season and qualifying the boys were ready to swim at Championships! Riggs was going to swim and Rollins as an alternate! We got ready for the red, white and blue pep rally.....

 and decorated cars, cheered...and got all pumped up for our big day of swimming!

 The swimmers loaded up in Limos and party buses

 and we were off to Plainview!

 It POURED buckets of rain...but it finally stopped and the meet began!

 Riggs and Colin rocked their medley relay! They came in 7th place.

 Next up was Riggs' IM....he was really excited and nervous about this one....

 Swimmers take your marks......BEEP......and in he went!

 FLY......

 BACK...

 BREAST....

 FREE.....and 10th overall...not too bad considering this was the 3rd time ever he has done this event....

 Next was the big one....the FINALS in breast stroke.....the second heat...the one that really counts....

 and he tried so hard...and I was oh so proud...he came in 4th!

 Riggs also swam in the butterfly and came in 13th. It was an awesome day of swimming! Glen Oaks came in second to Douglass Hills...a BIG deal as this has not happened in 30 years..so I was told! We celebrated at BW3's! GO Gators!!!

 and medals were handed out and proud parents and happy kids ate, laughed and smiled!

 and my little alternate...who sat on the side lines and cheered all day long....was proud as punch with his superstar alternate ribbon!

 The night ended with the boys on the trampoline in their boxers! What a day!

qualifications

It was swim team qualifications day so after basketball camp I took the boys to Olive Garden to get those carbs in!

It was a big night for the boys and the fab four was ready to go! BIG nights are better when you share them with your best friends...this I know for sure!

Riggs & Colin......

and Rollins & Braden.....

The night was emotional and exciting...only the top 14 swimmers in each event would move onto champions....and get to ride in that big party bus with the team! We were checking times...awaiting results....and cheering like it was the Olympics!

Riggs had an amazing night of swimming! He was on fire! He qualified in all five of his events and even took 10 seconds off his IM time! He secured his spot in the party bus....

Colin also had an amazing night......qualifying in his events and securing his spot in the party bus!

I was so proud of these two! At half time we went ahead and got root beer snow cones to celebrate!

Little brother struggled a little bit more tonight.....

HIs goggles came off in his first two races and his times were a little slower than usual...not good when you are trying to be in the top 14.....

after ever race I would try to get to him.... knowing he would be in tears but every time I got to him he was still wearing his sweet...I gave it my best smile....God, I love this little boy...

Braden had a tough night too...his little body was so tired from basketball and football camp...he would dive in and try so hard...but just loose steam in the end...

 He was able to come back at the end of the night and Breast stroke his way into Championships and secure his spot in the party bus!

Rollins had one more shot...we had been working on his butterfly so much...he does a little flutter kick and has a tendency to find himself with a DQ on this event...but he swam his heart out....won his heat....took 8 second off his best time......and did not get disqualified! We were so proud of him and he was so proud of himself!

But....sadly....it wasn't good enough to secure him a spot at Championships. My heart fell on the floor as I realized this. How was I supposed to tell him that gently that Riggs, Colin and Braden had made it and he had not. That even though he had worked just as hard....and given it his whole heart...that today his best wasn't good enough. Images of him standing in the Glen Oaks parking lot while the other three climbed aboard the party bus on Saturday brought tears to my eyes....I wasn't sure what to do....

But I did what I do....and I figured out the best way to present this to my sweet boy....we filled him up with love and told him we were so proud of him...how proud we were of all of them. I did a little investigating and discovered that Rolls was in fact on the alternate list....So we pumped him up about that and told him how exciting it was that only swimmers and alternates got to ride in the party bus to championships. He took it like a champ...and although he will be in his swimming gear...goggles at the ready on Saturday the chances of him swimming are slim to none. But he will be happy to be pulling away with his friends in the party bus and he will cheer for them...... and love them every step of the way....that is my Rollins...my sweet, precious, wonderful, Rollins. In my heart...he qualifies over and over again every day...

Dive in Movie Night

One of our many...fun and wonderful... swim team activities is the Dive in Movie night.

We set up the big screen...bring drinks and popcorn..and the kids BYOR (bring your own raft) to float in the pool and watch the movie!

 It is a great way to spend a hot, summer night...with friends in the pool!

 Swim team have been so much work...but I know I will miss it when it's over...it has been one fun thing after another!

new pool

The Schaffner's have a new pool this summer. The kids have been there in different segment this summer...sometimes it is Lexi inviting Lila over..Lauren inviting SK...or Colin the boys...and sometimes all four of them. It has been fun...and although it just seems like another part of summer..I have this feeling that we will look back on the first summer they had their pool with fond memories...although we may not realize how much today.

This was the summer Lila and Lexi learned to swim.....

 and the first summer the boys had a little freedom to hang with friends and a say in their social time....

 and how can we forget them..."All jacked up on Mountain Dew"!!!

Thanks for the pool time Schaffners!

One week down

Today was the first Friday swim practice! Oddly enough it was freezing! Like steam coming off the water, blue lipped kids, shivering kind of cold.....

but the boys were troopers!

 and they practiced anyway!

Friday is so fun at swim practice because we have doughnuts and the prize cart is out! Today the boys is their hoodies for warmth got ring pops!

 Happy First week of the swim season!

Back in the water

It's been a rough little patch with the extended family....we have prayed a little bit more...hugged a little bit longer....but kept up the routine of our calendar all the while. We got back in the water for one....

The boys started their swim clinic last Sunday.....

It gave me a glimpse of days to come this summer as we packed bags with towels, goggles, and snacks....I'm already hungry for the sun and we have had the most mild winter ever.....

The boys said it felt good to get back in the water....

I know it felt good to watch them....I loved seeing them kick one leg after another and get from one side of the pool to the other.Sometimes that is what you have to do...focus on the tiny steps...one kick at a time...and before you know it you have made it all the way across.