California

After the Games Papa drove me to San Luis to meet up with Chad and Laurel. From there they drove me to Westmont and Papa flew home. Westmont was beautiful and I was so blessed to attend the conference. Chad and Laurel prayed, hoping that I could come and it worked out. The call for revival of the church was the theme and being among the fellowship revived my spirit. I learned how much God really wants to work in me. He will do it if I just call on his name. It's so encouraging to be reminded of that. I saw that God is always working in the church; working to prepare his bride for the feast. I am so delighted to be a part of it.
After the conference I spent a few days in Pasadena before heading to UCLA. Eric LeClair welcomed me to his affiliate for a workout and afterwards took me out to breakfast with his crew.
4 rounds:
400 meter run
50 backsquats @ half BW(55 lbs)
It took me about 23 min and completely wrecked my legs just in time for Gym Camp.
UCLA was a blast. Chris Waller, the assistant coach remembered me and congratulated me on my progress. My roommates weren't very social but I got to see Jessica and Sabrina from SLO. That was great; they were really excited to see me. In the gym I really improved my vault and floor tumbling. The coaching was very helpful. They were almost twice as many campers as the last year but it was great anyway. Just a little crowded. There was a skit night and the skit that my group did ended up winning the BEST SKIT prize. Hooray.
After UCLA I joined the Puente Valley Fellowship for Sunday service and a large group of us went out for lunch at Pei Wei afterward. Dave offered to take me on a hike. On Monday I really wanted to get another workout in at Eric's place but Laurel didn't want to drive in LA traffic and Chad had to work so it didn't work out. Dave picked my up at about 6 pm and took me on a hike up and along a canyon ridge to a thirty-foot waterfall that he had known about since him and his buddies were kids. The pool beneath the falls was twenty feet deep. It took me a long time to jump in the water but I finally did and it was colder than I expected. Dave did his 5.11 boulder problem up to the top and then did a gainer flip off the top into the pool. I got enough adrenaline from watching him so I decided not to jump. Water is not my favorite thing.
Monday night Per drove me to Claremont. Tuesday I got a hold of Megan and I hung out at her house for the day. Megan was pretty tired because she had stayed up late at her friend's house the night before. We went for a walk in the Village(There is a whole new section of it now, all modernized.) and we caught up a little on the last three years. She got a little more energy when we walked to the highschool and met up with Megan Young to play tennis. I saw quite a few of my old peers from school just stroll by. It was weird, they were all grown up.
Tuesday I just sat around at the KD's and Per treated me to this new frozen yogurt place in the Village called Cefiore(Claremont's big on the frozen yogurt thing). Tuesday night I spent at the Chu's. They were very excited to see me. We chatted a lot about school and dance(Desi made the highschool dance team). I told them all about the new and updated Kallista crediting Zone and CrossFit. Mrs Chu seemed very interested in the Zone, which made me excited. They took me out to dinner and to see the Dark Knight in theatres(it was wonderful, but I think I need to see it again.) I've had so many dreams about Claremont in the past four years it was totally surreal actually being there. Claremont was my first home that I have solid memories of so I have a sort of emotional attachment to it.
Leaving Claremont was sad because it meant that my trip was almost over. About and hour after I got back to Pasadena, Laurel, Chad, and I hit the road in their new car(Samson) to head to SLO for Grandma and Grandpa's 50 wedding anniversary! Yay! I was really happy that all six of us "kids" and Pa got to be there.
Sunday morning Pa and I drove home home home to Seattle. Bethany and Aimee and Stefan stayed a couple more days and got home Thursday morning and guess who they brought with them? Emily!!!!! oh yah and don't forget Caden.
This week at gym we started morning practice. It was a little hard getting back to routine. Riding the bus and all that. I was really spoiled mentally going to California so this week I was just getting back into the groove. Yulia and Guennadi are sure happy to see me back. Yulia gave me a Russian nickname that I cannot pronounce and definitely can't spell. but it's pretty. She said girls with this name are calm and composed and she said she would change it to something else when I get more aggressive and brave. Haha.
This morning Lisbeth Darsh a CrossFitter who works on the staff called me for an interview. Her name signs the posts on the CF affliliate sight, she owns an affiliate on the east coast and I think she edits the Journal. She emailed Papa a couple weeks ago asking to interview me about my experiences at the Games for the CrossFit Journal. I was stoked!!! I was just thinking about how all this attention is very overwhelming, but I am so happy and honored that the community is behind me and supporting me all the way. The interview went very well.
So it is Caden's birthday today. He is 2 and beautiful.
And guess what that means? My birthday's tomorrow!!! 15. yep.
We were thinking of throwing a really big party with for all the summer birthdays: Papa(July 14...haha I forgot again), Caden, me, Bethany(Aug 20). Laurel's birthday is on the fifth, I wish she could be there to celebrate with us.
Man, it's so sad how summer just flies by so fast. It's been so awesome and unreal.
all, have a wonderful weekend.