Better Later Than Never...

We were so feverishly busy in June finishing up school and Tim getting ready for USA Weightlifting Nationals that I forgot to post his report card and now it's time for school again.  Between his Popsies passing and funeral to end of school year to Nationals to my Aunt passing it was a very crazy June for us.  So here's his report card from his freshman year of high school.  You may have to click on it to make it larger so that you can read it.

Sunsets...

Sunsets are so beautiful.  My favorites are the ones at the beach but every so often we have an absolutely beautiful one here at home. We had one such sunset this past week when we came in from Tim's training session one evening and I was able to get a picture of it for you all to enjoy here.

Quote from Kobe Bryant...

"Are you just putting in the time, or are you maximizing every moment?

When it comes to achieving greatness, it's not enough to simply show up. True progress comes from being fully engaged, mind and body, in every second of practice."  ~Kobe Bryant (Mamba Mentality)

Tim engages both mind and body with all that he is doing with weightlifting.  He understands, better than most, that you can't achieve anything great by just showing up and that you have to maximize every moment.

Kobe Bryant was an amazing athlete that we loved following.  His work ethic was incredible.  He was one of the greats that Tim really appreciates and is glad that he has his book that he can look at and read over and over again.  He shared such depth of wisdom in the time that he had on this earth.  What a blessing he was to young athletes.  

Are You Creating A Better You?

No truer words could ever be spoken.  Tim exemplifies this.  He grinds.  He pushes.  He has taken every defeat/setback that life has thrown at him and turned them into stepping stones.  

Tim has had so many things to overcome in his young life.  I look at him in amazement at how God has watched over and protected him through all that he's been through over the years.  From a broke finger on his growth plate that took several months to heal, to an undiagnosed strip throat that turned into a life threatening situation that resulted in 5 years of aftermath from it and to a loss of most of the salt in his body that led to yet another life threatening situation that landed him in PICU.  Somewhere in all of it he also had a foot fracture.  All of that and he's continued to push forward and not give up but use it all as stepping stones in his moving forward.  He also never gave up faith either because God saved him from death twice.  He's got a plan for our boy and Tim keeps that ever before him as he seeks to find out what that plan is as he grows into a man. We look forward to all that God has in store for him as well.  And we are all ever so thankful for his protection over Tim and us through the years.

As a family we are all about creating a better us.  As we continue to make steps forward in life we do so with making the best of it in mind and creating a better future for us and our loved ones for generations to come.

What A Difference...

So the 2 upper photos were taken a year apart showing the change that happened while he worked with a body coach to get to the optimum weight that he needed to be at for the sport that he was doing at the time. He was still doing Elite TaeKwonDo Sparring at that time and had to maintain a weight division that just wasn't realistic for his body type.  He struggled so much to stay in the division that would even give him a hill of beans chance at accomplishing what he wanted to in the sport and in the end it still wasn't enough.  It just wasn't worth it to continue.

The 2024 photo is a year after weightlifting training where he's been able to eat, grow & gain muscle mass. He's been so much healthier and happier in this sport.  In just a few months time he took Gold at the WSO Championship.  In 10 months time he came in 4th at USA Weightlifting Nationals.  There has been such a huge change in our son physically as you can see in the photos but there's also been a huge change in him mentally.  Mentally he's in such a great place.  He's the best we've ever seen him.  

What he wants to accomplish hasn't changed but the avenue to accomplish it has for certain changed.  We love where he is at this time in his life and we so enjoy supporting him in any way that we can.

2 Reasons I Don't Usually Fit In...

This is not only true of Tim but also of myself and his dad too.  He may look like his dad but he's a mixture and me and his dad in his personality.  

Tim has drive.  He doesn't know the meaning of the word quit.  He keeps moving forward no matter what.  He doesn't care what others think and he's a very strong minded individual just like his dad and me.  

Most teens don't understand Tim.  They didn't understand me either.  Tim gets along more with adults than peers his age.  I had to grow up fast being the oldest of 7 kids.  I was like a second mom to my brothers and sisters.  I knew how to cook and clean at a very young age and had to help my mom a ton growing up.  Tim is an only child and at a young age was articulating well above his years in conversations with others because being an only child most of the conversations he had were with his dad and I.  We never did baby or little child talk to him because we wanted him to be a well spoken kid as he grew up and he is every bit of that today.  He finds his peers act so childish and his peers probably feel that he doesn't act his age.  He doesn't care though.  Tim is Tim and that's all there is to say about that just like I am who I am as well.  Tim doesn't change to please anyone other than God and neither do I or his dad.  

There'd be no denying Tim was ours even if we wanted to which we don't.  He is Scot and I through and through.  Watching his mind think in how he talks now makes his dad and I so happy.  He's got such a great head on his shoulders and we hope that he will always be this way.  

God has amazing plans for Tim.  Tim will never be a follower of the crowd.  He will always think for himself and not give two hoots about what anyone else thinks about him.  He is so like me and his dad in that regard.  

Here's to continuing to not fit in and being your own person Tim.  Keep doing you.  And Keep following God.  

Meet Announcement...

Tim's next Meet is WSO State Championship on October 20th!  Pray that he doesn't have any more injuries between now and then and that he's able to get back up to speed fast so that he can be lifting at his best for this Meet.  Thank you!

You Can't Change What You're Willing To Tolerate! ~Ron Carpenter

Sometimes, the chains that bind us are the ones we've grown accustomed to.  But God doesn't want us to live in bondage - He wants us free!

We can't accept the things that weigh us down; we have to hate those chains enough to run toward Jesus and stretch out our hand in faith.

Are you ready to stretch out your hand in faith to God today? He's ready to restore what's been withered in your life.

#BreakTheChains #FreedomInChrist #NewBeginnings #LetGoAndLetGod #FaithfulGod #RonCarpenter 

Tim's Back...

Tim's Chiropractor released him to be able to train again on Monday.  Yesterday was his first official day back lifting.  He was so excited that he was dancing a jig saying, "I get to lift today" over and over again...LOL! Even though he's not lifting the weights he wants to be lifting he's just happy to be lifting again.  He knows that he will work back up quickly to what he was lifting before the shoulder injury.  It was a minor injury but his coach is happy to have him back.  All he's been able to do for several weeks is lower body and Tim says that only doing lower body just sucks.  He was having to see everyone else lifting and he couldn't.  That is a bitter pill to take when you are as driven as Tim is and love to lift as much as he does.  

Now that he's back he works towards getting ready for the WSO State Competition.  That's his next big Meet.  He can't wait because it is also the first Meet that he did when he started lifting last year.  It will be a full circle moment for him this year.  He gets to see how far he's come in a year's time at this Meet.  What great fun that will be for him.

Weightlifting has been a whole new world and one that Tim has embraced.  He loves being able to pack on the protein and eat.  We couldn't believe how fast he went from 112 pounds last year to 130 pounds.  It was like a snap of the finger and he's stayed at that weight all year long and he hasn't had to work at staying at that weight either.  Seeing him at such a healthy weight has not only made him happy but his dad and I too.  We love seeing him healthy and happy and not having to stay on such a specific and strict diet that wasn't healthy for him.  We can see now just how unhealthy it was now that he's been doing Weightlifting for a year.  A year out of the old sport and a year into the new sport has given us so much perspective that at times it blows our minds.  We've been shaking our heads that we stayed as long as we did in the other sport and wishing we had made the change so much sooner than we did.  Everything happens for a reason though.  And seasons change.  Everything Tim's done over the years has helped him with what he is doing now.   Some of what he went through was very hard but it prepared him for this moment in time in his life.  He is such an amazing and strong young man.  

Sometimes life throws us lemons and we make lemonade.  We just have to make the most out of it is all!  That's just what Tim is doing and we are so happy for him and proud of him.  We can't wait to see all that God has for him in the future.  

Here's Tim flexing his muscles...LOL! 

People Come & Go...

Growing up I was told time and again that people will come and go in your life but the real ones will stay forever.  When I saw this meme on social media and I couldn't help but share it because I know how very true it is.  

From my youth to now I have had so many people come and go in my life.  Some when they went out of my life were harder than others because I was so close to them.  But, when it's time to move on whether in life or in death there's nothing that can be done to stop it from happening.  All we can do is let go ourselves and continue to move forward with our lives.  

Saying that last statement is easier said than actually done.  There have been times when I held on too long when I should've let go and moved on way earlier than did.  Sometimes even after they were already gone from my life I clung to the memories way longer than I should.  Hanging on more often than not can be to ones detriment.  It can keep you from a life that God has for you that is much better than the life that is behind you.  

The real people in your life that are meant to be there for a lifetime are the ones that God will orchestrate to always be there as well.  He will make ways that will keep them in your life.  I have a handful of those types of people in my life.  Along with God they are a constant in my life.  Ones I hold close to my heart.  Ones that I make an effort to remain close to as well and they to me.  

Real happiness happens from the people in your life that you are meant to walk out this life with.  Those that make a difference in your life and you in theirs.  Lives that are intertwined together forever.  They are happy when you are happy and sad when you are sad and vice versa.

Those that are only in our lives for a season are a bit of a harder pill to take.  Especially if they have been let in close as if they were going to be in your life forever.  There's no way to know who will be lifetime and who are seasonal though.  If there was a way to know then there would be things about life that would be altogether more simple, better and different.  That's for sure.  

Keep your lifetime people super close though.  Make sure they know how important they are to you.  Make a difference in their life.  And above all be happy with your life and a blessing to those of utter importance to you.