THE BIG CATCH!

We went to Rough Creek Lodge for a long weekend before school got started. It is a great place to go with your family because there are many activities included in your stay! Our kids spent hours fishing off the dock. Everyone had some success, and I caught Ross' experience on film! Enjoy!

FIRST DAY

I can't believe summer is officially over! Ross & Chloe began school today and both were equally excited about the new school year! Joe & I are now the parents of a 6th grader and a 2nd grader!! Ross has a locker, 3 teachers, 3 electives, and co-ed p.e. this year. He will, by choice or necessity, become organized this year!!! Chloe has a sweet teacher named Mrs. Walsh. She is about as close to a perfect match for our girl as anyone could hope for!
Joe & I are so thankful for Legacy Christian Academy and the teachers and staff who are there. We love that our kids feel like a real "part" of the school, and in their minds it is not just a place we send them for 6 hours each day. We love that they grow our kids both academically and spiritually, and that what is taught there is easily reinforced at home. I love that when I drop them off in the morning, I don't worry about what goes on all day! Teachers, in general, and these teachers, in particular, take a special interest in making sure every day is a good experience for each child. Their job is not easy, it doesn't come with many financial benefits, but that is not why most people choose to teach. They teach because they enjoy making short-term investments in our kids that result in long-term dividends. I can't wait to see how my kids "cash out!"

CHLOE'S FLOOR ROUTINE!

Here is another sample from the mock meet last weekend. Chloe was nervous about her floor routine, because there is a "round-off back handspring" in it, and that's a tough skill. There are also lots of ballet elements to "hit," and she was a little concerned about getting them in the right sequence. After it was over, I asked her what you're supposed to do when you KNOW you've messed something up in the routine. She looked at me and said, "Well, you just work really hard to have as clean a routine as possible from that point forward." I think she's ready for her NBC interview!!!

GYMNASTICS FUN!

Well, It is August and the Widner Household is consumed with the Olympic games, most expecially GYMNASTICS! Chloe's favorite gymnast, Shawn Johnson, finally won the coveted gold medal last night for her amazing balance beam routine! It was also exciting to see Nastia Liukin, from WOGA right here in Frisco, win the all around gold!

Last weekend, the girls at Chloe's gym had a "mock meet". It was basically a practice meet to get the girls ready for competition season this year. Chloe did great! Her scores:

BARS: 9.0
BEAM: 9.1
VAULT: 9.55
FLOOR: 7.8 (she used a "spotter" for one of her tumbling passes, which is an automatic 1 point deduction)

Here is a little sample of her bars routine. I just got a "FLIP" video recorder, and am learning how to use it. I will try to post her floor routine and vault, too. Enjoy!