Back to Back State Champions

It's the end of October, heading into November and all high school cross country runners know what that means:  Championship time. State meets start being held every weekend and people prepare for the post season. This comes with tradition and new adventures. For my team, a tradition is the state week animals. 

Farmer and I both got the idea to put Halloween build-a-bear clothes on ours!  He and Coach Owens picked out a pig for me because, like pigs, I eat a lot, yet I'm picky about what I eat. 

I was so excited about this cutie that I went home and had a photo shoot with him before all the leaves were gone.
He can climb trees...

He can spy on me!

He can play in the leaves with me, too.

Hey, he can even be my dinner. Shh!  Don't tell him that!

We also get team shirts made for the big day, and this year the colors were green and purple, which convieniently matched a pair of socks that I got for my birthday!  

The Friday morning that we were to head out after first block classes was a but chilly, but I had to get in the purple again.

Ready to load the bus!

After traveling to Nashville, we had dinner, then went to the mall for around an hour. Christmas was just getting started, but I enjoyed getting to look at the early stuff that was out. Calendars of my favorite dogs make my heart melt.

So does build-a-bear. It brings back old memories and makes me feel happy inside!  These are adorable miniature pajamas.

I love all the seasonal stuff more than any other time, so I had to go in the store an shop. This is what I finally decided on buying.

Farmer stuck his animal's butt up in the window of the bus...lovely.

So the race wasn't my best, but I have learned many lessons this season. God will humble you when you take your eyes off of Him too often. It is painful to come down off of mountains, especially when you are expecting so much success, but it is good to know that God wants my devotion so much. I am working at lowering myself, but it is a struggle. Satan works hard, too!

However, another aspect of humility is not only putting myself lower, but making God first and foremost then others higher. I am a member of a back to back state championship team and teammates with some of the top runners in the state!  More than that, we have a spiritual relationship with God and each other that I could not live without!  I am blessed to be able to go through every race with them there to encourage me and talk through the struggles of it in our "therapy sessions."

Cross country is also an amazing opportunity to make new friends with other fantastic people!  I love seeing them and keeping up with them across MileSplit. This is our twin picture after all-state pictures with me, the shortie, stick in the middle!

State champions yet again...💜