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!