GOTR

 Yesterday was a big day for Carrigan.  After 10 weeks of practice, she and her Girls on the Run teammates had their end of the year celebratory 5k.  C.C. worked really hard over the course of the season and by the time yesterday rolled around she had already run two full 5ks in preparation.  Unfortunately, when she woke up yesterday, she did not feel well.  We all have really been struggling with allergies and it hit C.C. hard yesterday.  She woke up with a cough, sore throat, and barely any voice.

The adrenaline of the day got her out to the race course and she was doing ok.  We started our prerace celebration with a dance party, tattoos, and glitter and chalk hair.  By the time we got through all of that and we were ready for the race to start, the adrenaline wore off and Carrigan was in tears.  At first she told me she just wanted to go home.  Then, when she found out one of her friends was just going to walk the race rather than run, she decided maybe she could try that too.

I have a real problem with competitiveness so it was difficult for me to walk with her and watch her walk when I know what she is capable of, but walk we did.  I did my best to encourage and support her as she struggled through. We did finish the race and I was super proud of her for pushing through when it would be every easy not to.

Unfortunately for her, post-race she didn't get to come home and rest, but spent the day out on the dusty baseball field while her brother played baseball.  Speaking of baseball, Merrick has had a great tournament this weekend.  Yesterday his team won both of their games by a large margin and Merrick hit his second homerun.  Today, Merrick missed his first game while we are at church and his cousin, Isabel's baptism, but his team pulled it out to advance to the championship game.  After the baptism, we ran Merrick down to Keizer for the championship.  Merrick was scheduled to be the reliever for that game but the starting pitcher was dealing so the coaches let him hit his pitch count.  Merrick ended up getting called in to pitch for the last out of the game.  He got his first, and only, batter out and the team won their first championship of the season!