My Golden Girl!

Wow! What a weekend!

Before I get started, this is definitely a NON-stamping post - but it is also a PROUD Mommy post! :)

Last week was a BIG skating week in our house. Emma was preparing to skate in her first solo competition since our home rink collapsed in the record snow over 2 years ago. (Click HERE for the story) My daughter, who has been skating since she was 4 - she's 14 now - was so upset by losing her home away from home that she came close to quitting this sport which she loves so much. It was a very long 18 months for her and for us as we traveled at best 45 minutes one way to just get her ice time at another rink. She missed her friends, she missed her familiar surroundings and she missed the routine we'd been so used to for so long. Who can blame her for losing heart for a while? Not me. To be honest, it was hard for me too. Nothing was the same anymore and it really stunk.

As I look back on those 18 months, I'm so grateful for the synchronized skating team that Emma skates with - the National Blades. I truly believe that if it weren't for her involvement with synchro, she would have quit. But the fact that all of the girls were affected by the rink collapse helped strengthen their bond and kept them focused and together.
It's kind of ironic then that at her first solo competition back, she got to skate with several of her National Blades teammates. They were all doing their own individual routines, but their camaraderie was so evident as they encouraged each other and cheered loudly for each other.
That's what TEAM does for you.

Here's a photo of four of them together right before their group was called:

Don't they all look beautiful?

Here is Emma with her freestyle coach of 4 years, Rosemary. They have a fantastic relationship and at the end of THIS day, she was ecstatic with the results!

Which were pretty good for Emma!

She took first in her group of 7 skaters!!

Here she is on the top of the medal stand with her ribbon:

The last time she earned Gold in a solo competition was at our old rink. She was wearing a white costume that day too, so I think white is her lucky color! hahaha! This dress she designed herself and the Mom of the skater in the aqua dress made it for her. In fact, she made all three of the dresses in this photo. We are very lucky to have her close by!

Here is our Gold medal girl with Mark and I after the awards:

And me and my awesome girl:

Love this girl!
She competes again on Mother's Day and I'm so excited to see what might happen there. We are so blessed and very grateful.

Happy day everyone!
~~Robin