Olympic Withdrawl

Hey all- are you having Olympic Withdrawals also??
I realized over the last couple days how much I miss the Olympics. We as a family spend time together rooting on TEAM USA in sporting events we other wise wouldn't pay much attention to..like beach volleyball. We loved the excitement of watching misty and Kerri knock out their opponents and and to their record of no loses. The Gold medal round was more than heart-stopping against the Chinese in the rain-we were literally praying out loud for these 2 women to win-it was something I will always remember. I have many favorite moments from the games, here are just a few:

1. Micheal Phelps (of course)-every race was so worth watching but our favorite that brought cheering throughout the house was the 1st relay race where team USA came from behind at the last second and won!

2.Watching Micheal Phelps mom in the stands-knowing she was so very proud of her kid and the emotion she showed was priceless.

3. The women's gymnasts-the entire team but especially Shawn and Nastia. I think the only times I cried (and I cry easily!) was when Nastia won her Olympic Champion Gold medal for all-around and when she got the silver for uneven-bars (she was robbed of the Gold as far as I am concerned). The closeness of her and her Dad was so obvious. That is something that touched my heart.

4. The diving-when the Australian diver took the Gold at the last minute-it was what the games are about-pure determination and never really knowing how it will turn out.

5. The USA women winning the 4x4 relay after having such a bad race on the previous relay when the baton was dropped.

I am always intrigued with the stories behind the athlete-it seems everyone has their own battles, with the Olympics we get to see first hand how strong some individuals are not only in body but in spirit. The Games were packed full of awe inspiring moments and stories and for 2 weeks we were glued to the tv with our eyes, ears and heart.

Little tidbit: The Para-Olympic Games will be starting in September in Beijing. My sister-in-law Debbie (Rod's sister) is a massage therapist and will be serving on the team one of their official therapists. She has actually taken part in at least 2 of the Para Olympic games thus far. (she has traveled to Athens and Rio prior to this). She will get to stay in and see the Olympic village. Very Cool! We are excited for her as well as proud. Can't wait to see the pictures when she returns. Keep Imagining!
Tracy