Success!!

This past weekend was the BIG RACE! If you have been following Sabrina's cross country progress, then you know that this was one of the most important races of the year. It was the 2009 USATF Region 15 Junior Olympic Cross Country championships that would qualify Sabrina to go to Reno, NV to run against all the top cross country runners in the United States, otherwise known as the 2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.

She had to qualify in the top 20 of her age group in order to go on to Nationals.

So here's how our weekend went.

Gian, Sabrina and I left Saturday afternoon to travel down to Escondido. We left Tabitha and Charlee with Tiff. We have some close family friends, The Seaton's, that happen to live in Escondido, so they were kind enough to let us stay at their home. Let's just say that it was above a 5 star hotel stay...The Seaton's home has a gorgeous view and is even more beautiful inside.

Sabrina, enjoying the veranda and view of Escondido.

This is the master suite...which had the same gorgeous view!

And get a load of this bathroom. Sabrina loved the jet tub!

After we dropped off our things at our "5-star hotel", we ventured off to Kit Carson park to check out where the race was going to be held. Luckily they also had a course walk-through and Gian and Sabrina got to "feel-out" the lay of the course.

Sabrina loved that she was going to run through the snake in her race.

After the course walk we went to the mall and Sabrina got to get a new Build-A-Bear as her reward for making it this far in the season. (Last year she got a watch with a stopwatch on it.) She actually chose a horse and named it Storm...the horse because she LOVES horses and because her old team had a horse in it's logo and the name Storm because she liked that name and because she has taken this season by a storm!

After the mall trip we went out to dinner and then went back "home" to sleep.

The next morning we headed off to Kit Carson Park to check-in, get warmed up, and do the course walk one more time prior to the race. I went to the coaches meeting while Gian and Sabrina did the course walk. When the meeting was over I was just sitting waiting for them to come back when I looked up and saw MY ENTIRE FAMILY (Drew, Tiff and their 6 kids and my 2 kids and 1 friend...and my parents) all decked out in T-shirts that said "TEAM SABRINA". I just started to cry! (and still do every time I think about it)

They must have gotten up at 6am and left shortly after to drive 1 1/2 hours to see her run...what a huge sacrifice!! It was a total surprise...and I am so grateful for this wonderful family that I have!!!!!!

Here's all the cousins....look at how happy Sabrina was to have every one there!

Oh yeah...they even decorated the van!!!

This is the start of the race. Sabrina is in all black on the left. She started off pretty fast...but consistently stayed in about 14th-16th place the whole race.

She ran her 1.8 miles with a time of 13:14 and ended up in 16th place to earn her a spot in Nationals!! Yep, I was still crying...

A very happy runner!


So, my friends, we are off to RENO, NEVADA in December (December 12th) for her chance to become a Nationally ranked cross country runner. And we couldn't be more happier for our sweet Sabrina!

A huge THANK YOU to MY FAMILY for being there for her this weekend...you have no idea how much that meant!

Thanks to The Seaton's for the 5-star resort!

And finally, THANK YOU to our Heavenly Father, who has blessed this girl with such a wonderful talent!

For you, Jalen.

P.S. Anyone have any suggestions for our trip??