Olympic Trials

"The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself." Dawn Fraser (Australian swimmer, 3 time winner at the Olympics)

I have a feeling this is only the first of many posts still to come about the Olympics this summer.  If watching the Olympics were an Olympic sport, I would be a gold medalist for sure.  The Olympic Trials of diving, swimming, track and field, and gymnastics are airing this week on NBC Sports Network and my DVR is working over time.  I can't be sure what has caused me to be so obsessed with the Olympics. A huge factor of course is the fact that I have only ever participated in Olympic sports (gymnastics and track and field).  But even more significant than that is the utter drama of the Olympics.  For example, yesterday I flipped on the women's synchronized diving finals.  I thought to myself, "This will be good background TV as I feed Sienna, clean up, etc.  I mean, it's women's synchronized diving...I really could care less."  Well come to find out I cared.  Two teams were practically tied going in to the last dive of the finals. One team would go to the Olympics and the other team would not.  As I watched the reactions of the girls who trained for four grueling years as they learned their destiny and their fate, I noticed tears trying to escape my eyes.  What is happening to me?!  I am becoming my mother!  It's synchronized diving for the love of God!  But it doesn't matter that it was only synchronized diving...that's the phenomenon of the Olympics. The simultaneous emotions of glory and agony, jubilation and devastation, victory and defeat that the Olympic Games dispense is absolutely riveting.  There is nothing like it.  And more often than not, what separates the exultant from the sorrowful is mere milliseconds or inches or a small matter of pointed toes.  It's wonderful and awful all at the same time.  Did I mention I love the Olympics?  Did I also mention that I was already crying and it's only the Olympic Trials? : )


In other news, Matt joined Sienna and I at church today!  Yay!  He has a 6 o'clock game, which meant ample time for church.  What a blessing.  He was really excited because he hasn't been able to go to church with us since Easter.  The ladies in childcare love Sienna...of course!  Every time I go to pick her up, they tell me how beautiful she is and how good she is and how often she smiles.  Last week, they even told me they take pictures of her...which is mostly hilarious and flattering, but maybe a tiny bit weird.  


God has been so good to Matt and I.  Although this baseball season has certainly not turned out the way we would have wanted (not unlike other years), I'm quite confident neither of us has been more full of peace and joy as we have this year.  There is a quiet contentment with ourselves and our lives that we have not had in the midst of other tough seasons.  And moreover, Matt (and I) maintains hope for better seasons to come.  On this day, I feel incredibly blessed...


and excited to watch Italy play (and hopefully dominate) England in the UEFA Cup!