Carpe Diem

This is our theme statement for track this year. (Despite the throwers' heavy begging to have it be "Why would you run and puke when you could throw and eat?"...) Carpe Diem means "seize the day". At the first track practice, our coach showed us the backs of our team shirts and explained "Carpe Diem" to us although most of us already knew what it meant. He used it and applied it to track. Don't waste today's practice or today's meet. Seize it. Do your best, and never wait around for someone else to beat you because there is always someone is working just as hard or harder than you are. He is completely right, and I totally agree with him, but I also think that this saying could be applied to other things in our lives as well. Things that hold a little more significance than throwing implements into muddy pits. For instance, sharing the gospel. In the Bible it clearly states that it is our job as Christians to spread the good news of Christ (aka: the gospel) to people everywhere. The Bible also clearly states that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Why wait to reach out to unbelievers? Seize the day.

Speaking of track, our first meet was Friday. It was at Lincoln Southwest. I found it very funny to hear the other team talk about how this was their JV only meet. Most of the teams only brought freshman and sophomores, we brought our entire team.

Shot put went great! My farthest throw was 28 feet 8 inches, which is a personal best. Still working towards breaking 30 feet this year! It was a relay meet, so each team had a group of 4 throwers, and the totals were added together. My team got first! Discus went okay. I think I threw too much before hand because my shoulder was killing me when I was in the ring. It is pictures like this one that make me realize why my shoulder is all messed up. Look at the awkward position my right arm is in. I'm not a  nurse or doctor or anything (...yet...), but I'm pretty sure my arm isn't supposed to do that. Ally says it gives her pain to watch me throw because of the awko positions my arm goes into. My best throw was 79 feet 11 inches, which is also a personal best, beating my previous PB by a little under 2 feet. I was hoping for more of an improvement, but we'll just see what happens. My team got third in discus. Over all, it was a pretty successful meet.

After the meet, my Momma took me home and I was greeted by most of the Stofer side of my family. My parents successfully planned a surprise birthday party for me. I had no clue. As I walked through the kitchen about ready to take my uniform shorts and shirt off (thankfully Momma stopped me before I could expose my extremely white tummy), they all yelled surprise and it about gave me a heart attack.

The entire dining room was decorated with music notes and treble clefs! It was absolutely amazing. As always, Dad almost started our house on fire while he was attempting to light the candles on the cake. I swear that man has started more fires than he has put out. I love my family.