A New Adventure!

 June 1st is tomorrow.  It is the beginning of a new adventure with a Master that T has respected and loved for years.  He's going to be doing all of his TaeKwonDo training with him.  There will be lots of learning because this is a new beginning of sorts with this Master.  Tonight T helped with class since he couldn't train himself.  He helped his fellow teammates fix mistakes they were making and also helped the younger ones with what they were doing as well.  He helped make sure that they were kicking and holding paddles and kicking pads correctly.  T really enjoyed doing that.  He is so looking forward to all that he can learn with Master Doug.  It's a whole new road that he is traveling now with this new TaeKwonDo school.  He seems to be in a much happier place and we are seeing more and more maturity happening with him.  He is ready for this next step in his TaeKwonDo journey and we are looking forward to walking this out with him as he continues to make forward progress towards his goals and dreams.  #GodsPlanistheONLYPlan

T and Master Doug at AAU Virginia State Championships 2022

Recap On T's Tournament Weekend

 Just to fill you in and give you more details of this past weekend I'm doing this post.  

I wanted to take a moment of reflection and give you a deeper look into everything.  We arrived Friday morning around 10am after starting our drive Thursday afternoon to Forth Wort Texas.  It's a 17 1/2 hour drive straight through but with stops for fuel, food, and potty breaks it ends up being about a 20 hour drive as long as you don't make a stop to rest and if you do that then it could take 22-24 hours to drive the trip from where we live.  We got checked in on Friday around 2pm.  T had to be at a training session from 5-6:45pm.  During that training session the coach told all the kids don't hurt one another and go easy.  Well, that didn't end up being the case with the partner T had.  During the drills his partner punched T too hard in his ribs.  They weren't wearing chest guards because the coach was just doing an easy session.  This particular partner is still new to sport TaeKwondDo and I don't think they really know how to go easy but still pull off the techniques well.  At any rate that training session caused T lots of pain from that point forward in his chest where he got punched.  He had a hard time being able to take deep breaths because of it.  Breathing normal was fine but when you are sparring you take deep breaths pretty frequently.  

Side bar, T went to the Chiropractor this morning and he had 3 ribs misaligned because of the punch(es) he took from that training session from that partner on Friday.  T doesn't complain or say anything to the coach because he doesn't wanna get yelled at or look weak so he just sucks it up and doesn't say anything in the moment but tells us when we are alone.  I was just glad we could get him in to see the Chiropractor so quickly.

The team had another training session on Saturday from 11-12:30pm but T just did stretching so as to not get any more injuries because he had to fight on Sunday.  

This kid walked around all weekend with his foot bothering him, from another injury from a teammate two weeks prior at a training session, it was just soft tissue still irritating him, plus his ribs were hurting, without once letting on to anyone that he was even having any issues.  The only time he let anyone know he was having issues is when he told his dad and I.  Not one competitor had a clue and he didn't fight letting them see it either.  He was determined to stay strong no matter what and deal with the injuries in the aftermath when we got home.  

It seems he always gets injured in training but never in an actual competition.  

T has now been instructed by his Chiropractor to do no training for the next four days.  The Chiropractor wants him to have time to let his body heal and recover so that is just what we are going to do.  

T really did have a great time at this event this weekend even with his injuries.  He learned a lot while watching the fight offs.  Fight offs were of the kids who are the top five in each division in order to be able to earn the USA Team spot to represent our country at Worlds.  T won his first ever International fight with a competitor from Tahiti.  That kid had won gold pretty much everywhere he had fought in his country and T beat him easily.  That made T feel so good to have had his first international fight and to have won it.  The bracket T was fighting in was large and it was going to take 3 matches to get to where he could earn a medal and T lost his 2nd match.  One match shy from getting a medal in an event such as this one was still a huge WIN for T.  Every open event up to this one that T has been in he was beat in his first match.  We saw lots of improvement in his fighting at this event and we couldn't be more proud of how he did even though it didn't result in a medal this time.  True fighters absolutely hate losing and T definitely hates losing.  At the end of day if you lose and you learn it's not a loss at all!  It's something we've been teaching him for a long time now.  Because if you learn then you can continue to move forward but if all you do is lose and not learn then you will keep losing.  It's the learning that sets him apart from just losing.  He's really starting to understand that now.  

Now after we get past this downtime while he heals and recovers he begins training and getting ready for the Grand Prix in Daytona on Father's Day weekend.  This event is the qualifier for USA TaeKwonDo's National event that will happen in Salt Lake City, Utah later this summer.  We are still undecided if T will actually attend this event but we have him doing the qualifier just in case.  

Thanks for your prayers everyone as we drove there and back and for our health as well.  We so appreciate and deeply covet your prayers.  They mean the world to us and T as he continues to do what he loves to do.  God Bless you all!  #GodsPlan

T’s Techie Outfit

T wanted to buy his own outfit with his birthday money and this is what he chose. He’s into the tech look. It looks good on him too. His shirt says, “Only God Can Judge Me”. Love this kid so much. 

Before Leaving Texas…

Before we left Texas we got these shots. It’s not a trip to Texas unless you get pics with these:

Before Leaving Forth Worth

Before leaving Fort Worth we got these pics. T’s hair is seriously wind 💨 blown…LOL! 

Water Gardens in the background. 

Videos of T Matches

First Match he won and 2nd he lost but he learned a ton and is taking that with him back to fix so he can continue to move forward in this new weight division. 

Won 1st Match

T won his first match. He did so good. It’s best of 3 rounds now and T won the first two rounds. Match over and T winner. Videos to come when we get home. 

Fight Day

T has a report time of 8am in the morning. His first fight is with a kid from FPO (French Polynesian). We know nothing about this kid. Out of all the teammates here T, Greg, and Emerson have the hardest brackets. T especially. There’s a lot of really good fighters in his bracket. We got to watch some of them fighting today for team spot (only gold medalist) to represent Team USA in Costa Rica then Bulgaria this summer. T didn’t qualify for that fight off today because of his injuries last year. Win or learn T is in a good place physically and mentally. Looking forward to watching our boy tomorrow. He has already learned so much watching the fights today. I’ve highlighted in green the ring/time and also highlighted his name on the bracket sheet. #GodsPlan

Results:

JFK Memorial in Downtown Fort Worth

Here’s a couple of pics at the JFK Memorial. 

Although I wasn’t alive when he was President JFK is one of my favorite Presidents. 

In Line to Weigh In

T is in line for weigh in. Once they start he’ll been done fast and can go eat. He was 3 pounds under this morning @ 96.3. He’s in a really good place and looks so gooood and healthy.  #GodsPlan

T’s Credentials 😊

They did something smart for once and emailed the credentials to the athletes. Such wisdom and it will save a ton of time.  #GodsPlan

Found This Interesting…

Found this interesting as we walked around downtown Fort Worth this afternoon. 

Us In Front of the Fort Worth Convention Center

So excited to be here and looking forward to seeing T compete. Pray 🙏 for his left foot. He has had a soft tissue injury for a couple weeks now that is still causing him some pain. It’s better than what it was but still bothers him. We covet your prayers. 

T has to be -99.2 and he’s 96.1. He’s well under where he has to be. Eating healthy for the win and doing no cutting🙌🙌🙌!!!  

Fort Worth Water Gardens

We had fun walking around downtown Fort Worth this afternoon and evening. My dogs are hurting me like crazy. Got a couple of shot at the Water Gardens though. 

Looking Forward To The Competition

Team USA is Kicking Off Competition at Not One but Two Events this Weekend; the PATU Pan Am Series 1 and the 2022 Team USA Cadet and Junior Fight Off. T did not qualify for the fight off because he has no points because of his injuries last year so he’s just doing the PATU Pam Am Series event.   

The collaboration of Team USA and the Pan American Taekwondo Union is launching the first event of the Pan Am Series this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas.  In parallel to this event, Team USA is hosting the Team USA Cadet and Junior Fight Off Competition to identify the athletes that will earn their way onto the United States Taekwondo Team.  

T is looking forward to watching the fight offs so he can learn the fighters in his division for next year. 

We Made It!

We are in Fort Worth and checked into the hotel. Our first stop in Texas though was The Galleria Mall in Dallas. It’s a four story mall that I wanted to show T plus we had some time before we could check in to burn too. 

Here’s some pics from the sunset last night after we got past all the rain and storms. 

Traveling

We are just outside of Memphis and getting some rest until daybreak then we will be hitting the road for the last leg of the trip to Texas for the tournament. 

Texas Bound

We are in the throws of packing right now for Texas.  It's hard to believe that we leave tomorrow for Texas for a tournament.  T expects to gain lots of knowledge at this tournament that will help him with his training and moving forward in this sport.  The more knowledge that he gains its more that he has to be able to guide and teach his own students some day.  He is very motivated towards that end win or learn.  While he loves to win, as all athletes do, he is also focused on learning so that he can coach his own students someday to winning.  It will be an adventure for us because we are driving to Texas and back and not flying.  Road trips are fun and exhausting as well but we always see and learn things along the way that we would have never seen or learned while flying.  Pray for us as we make this trip there and back.  We are looking forward to a fun event filled time.  

On a personal note.  It will be fun to back in that neck of the woods of Texas again.  I went to bible college there and loved every moment of it.  I'm hoping that we will have time to go by and I can show T the campus and book store.  Spring session should be ending soon and, if they still do it, the summer camp sessions should be starting.  The summer camps are so much fun.  Such great memories of going to school there and I'm looking forward to sharing those memories with T.  

Also, I'm secretly hoping we get a chance to go to the Galleria Mall in Dallas.  It is quite a mall.  I've never seen anything like it in my life.  I was blown away by it the first time I went there.  T will love it.  

Love to everyone and I will do my best to keep you updated as we make this trip and T competes.  It's not about the medal this time although if he earns one that will be awesome too.  He really wants to learn as much as he can this year to get ready for his new age and weight division next year.  Love this kids heart and attitude when it comes to TaeKwonDo.  

The next time you hear from us we should be in Texas.  God Bless!  #GodsPlan

Eye Exam Is Done

T went for a contact exam today and was fitted for and got contacts.  He is so happy right now and he was really ready for them this time.  He got them in on his own with no help from me.  He chose to do the daily wear contacts so he can throw them away every night.  Right now he's in the monthly ones until his daily's come in the mail.  He's been all but begging me to do this and now that it is finally done I wish I had done it weeks ago.  Here are some pics of him at his appointment today.  

End of Year Band Concert

Here’s a video of Tristan’s end of year band concert. So proud of this kid. He’s done so well with band. I pray he continues. He’s so good. 

Dental Checkup and Cleaning for T

T is getting his teeth cleaned and checked up at his six month checkup today. Two dental appointments in a week. First was the orthodontist and now the dentist. At least they will look nice and purdy🥰….LOL! 

We were told that T needs to come in every 3 months to have his teeth cleaned until his braces come off today.  Not news that we wanted to hear but he's not been cleaning his teeth as good as he should and they are trying to keep him from getting a gum disease that could cause major problems for T down the road.  Of course his dad and I have already had a stern talk with him too about the way he's brushing his teeth as well and he's fixing to change his bad habits now!!!  He's going to brush and floss more and he's going to take better care of his teeth from here on out.  Thankfully though, even with all this that we are dealing with, T still has had no cavities to address.  That's amazing considering it took them an hour to do a cleaning that should have taken about 30 minutes.  It was a painful lesson for him to learn as they cleaned his teeth today and I hope it's a lesson he takes to heart and makes the necessary changes to make sure he never goes in with his teeth like that ever again to his dental appointment.   They look really good now though as you could tell in the pic above.  

I THINK I SEE GOLD....

 I THINK I SEE GOLD is a Ray Boltz song that to this day I have cherished.  It's a song that meant a lot to me during some of the absolute worst times in my life that God brought me through and out of.  I want to share the lyrics and music video link with you here now:

                       "I Think I See Gold"

I see you struggling every day
You think, how long
Can I go on this way?
On and on
Again and again
Oh, when will it end?

You think, I just can't go on
Much longer
But inside, my friend
Your faith is growing stronger
You feel the fire burning
Deep in your soul
But I want you to know

I think I see gold
I think I see gold in the fire
Right there in the ashes
Is all you've desired
Oh, it's hard
As you press toward the goal
Don't give up
Don't give in
Don't stop now
I think I see gold

Until this moment
You've always believed
When life grew darkest
By faith you could see
Open your eyes
Look for the light
You see, you were right

These lonely hours
Like a fire refining
Something that's precious
Something that's shining
There in the darkness
Surrounded by coals
Is starting to glow

 Here's the video link:  https://youtu.be/1N_Gpq6v8as.  

If I was going to give someone a song to listen to that speaks to the heart of my testimony this would be the one because of all that I've been through in my younger life and all that God brought me through.  God has been so good and gracious to me even with all I've been through and blatantly done even when I knew better.  I have such a great life now despite all my younger years but God kept telling me over and over again "I Think I See Gold".  It took me so long to really understand what that really meant.  Years later I really get it to the depths of the core of my being.  And now when I think of my son and look at him I also think those words that God said to me, "I Think I See Gold".  He's growing up to be such an amazing young man and I'm looking forward to watching him as he grows into his adulthood and becomes the man that God wants him to be.  Such a precious song with such a huge impact and meaning.  Listen to it when you get it a chance and let the heart of it really touch yours.  God Bless!  

USA TAEKWONDO SPECIAL TRAINING ON ZOOM SUNDAY...

 USAT did a special zoom session online Sunday afternoon.  T got to participate and enjoyed every moment of it.  T knew both Coach Tim (T's body coach) and Coach Stephen (2016 Olympian) personally. They've both been instrumental in T's life in regards to TaeKwonDo over the years.  Although the pictures don't show it this was a big core workout for T and he was feeling it afterwards.  One of T's big goals with TaeKwonDo Sparring is to get his stamina where it needs to be and also get his core strength where it needs to be.  He is also working on his speed when doing techniques.  Speed is key when you are a short fighter.  Speed keeps you from getting dominated by the taller opponents.  Here are some pics:

We are just a few days out from traveling to Texas for an event.  T feels good and ready for this event and looking forward to being able to learn his new weight division going forward.  He is on weight for this event too.  He weighs in Saturday and Fights on Sunday.  When you don't have to cut and just eat clean it makes a big difference in how you feel.  Eating clean is all it takes to get him on weight.  That's a great feeling to be able to do that.  After what happened last summer he will never actually cut to be on weight ever again.  If eating clean doesn't get him there then he fights up and that's all there is to that.  The coach he will have going forward starting June 1st is on that same page too.  It is so nice to be on the same page and everyone wanting to help T move forward in all that he is wanting to accomplish.  Keep checking back as I will be posting and updating everyone as everything happens this weekend at the tournament.  We are looking forward to seeing how things go to because it's a big adjustment when you move up weight divisions.  Learning and growing is what it's all about.  #GodsPlan

Everything Is Coming Up Puzzles...

I just ordered two more puzzles for us to do.  Scot is going to love these two puzzles.  Mom loved them when she saw them.  Here's what they will look like.

 

T is Looking Good!!!

T is looking really good right now.  He's been eating totally clean for a couple weeks now and it shows.  We have to send his body coach pics weekly.  I've missed a few times getting this done because we've had so much going on but he's looking real lean and strong right now.  He's not too heavy but not too light either.  A much better place than where he was last year when he was trying to cut too much weight to make a weight division.  He looks so healthy.  Loving that we decided to let him fight up in weight.  Such a good decision.  

    

Another Puzzle Finished!

Mom, Scot, T, and I just finished this beauty of a 1,000 piece puzzle.   

ISAIAH 54:17

This verse has become a verse that we turn to a lot for T in the sport he is doing.  We have been drilling this into him for many many years now but not just the portion you will see in the photo below but the entire verse.  Here it is in the KJV version of the Bible:  "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."  

We actually put this in our language and point to him and say you instead of thee to him though when we recite it to him.  And when he says it we have him put in me instead of thee to make it more personal to him.  

We really want him to take this scripture to heart because being in the sport he's in is a tough and you have to have tough skin to do this sport.  If you are wimpy and a whinny baby who can't take pain this sport is definitely not for you.  Know yourself and know your limitations is something we have been guiding T to do.  T is very much a realist, something he gets from both his father and myself, and he knows his limitations and the realities surrounding being able to make it to the the highest level of this sport.  He's no fool and isn't trying to make himself to be bigger and badder than he really is.  He's in a happy place right now in TaeKwonDo.  He wants to continue doing competitions and all of TaeKwonDo.  He is going to continue to do his best Win or Learn because at the end of the day if he learns something it is something he can pass on to his students when he has his own dojang someday.  I love his attitude and his focus.  He is becoming such an incredible young man who loves the Lord!  It is our hope and prayer that when he has his own school someday that it will stand out and be different because he will intertwine God into every aspect of it and make it a place that followers of Christ will want to bring their kids to learn TaeKwonDo.  

ONE EXCITED KID!!!

 T is excited because his renewed passport finally came in today.  Woohoo!!!  In the Open competitions they require a photo ID and we've found we get no push back of any kind if T always shows this at competitions.  You can do other forms of ID but we have always chosen this form because of the value of it and no one generally will say anything to you about wanting other forms of ID as long as you have this one.