Swim Meets

We have had two swim meets so far and they were pretty good, even though we lost both of them, haha. :) In the first meet I swam

- in the 200 medley relay 50 freestyle
- 50 free
- 50 breaststroke
- and 50 free in the 200 freestyle relay

In the second meet I swam

-In the 200 medley relay 50 backstroke
-100 IM
-50 butterfly
- and 50 free in the 200 freestyle relay


In the second meet though, I got bumped down to the B relay, which made me really mad, and I was like " What the heck?! You aren't supposed to change relays in the middle of the swim season! " 


I really really REALLY hope I am in the A relay for the next meets


But I did pretty well, considering the fact I don't swim year round like most of the swimmers on my team. 


Oh, and I was too lazy to take pictures, but maybe I will next time

And I got a new swim bag, woo hoo!!!!

Thanks for reading, and spread the word about my bog!!!!

Mary Grace

Volleyball Camp

This past week I went to volleyball camp at Kennedy High School! It was a lot of fun, and at the end of the week my team actually won the volleyball tournament! ( woo hoo! GO Thunder Rainbows!!!) During the week, we worked on a bunch of things, like

- Bumping
- Setting
- Passing
- Serving
- Hitting/Spiking
- A bunch of defense moves like
          - sprawls
          - pancakes
          - tomahawks
          - catch and throws
          - hitting with our fists
- Just playing the game of volleyball!

At the end of the week we got t-shirts, and we also got Kennedy draw-string bags and chocolate . :)

It was really fun overall!

Thanks for reading,

Mary Grace

Swim Team

Yes, it is that time of year again. If you have been reading my blog since I first started it, then you know that I LOVE swim team SO much!!!! And since my blog wasn't working for the looooongest time, I couldn't post about it! It actually started on May 29th, so I have been doing swim team for 2 weeks, as of today.

 Twin Lakes swim team is perfect for everyone!! If you aare in the age range of 4 to 18, then swim team gives you a perfect activity to take part in for June and July! It is great exercise, builds up muscle, and plus it is really fun and you get to be with your friends!! To make you feel proud of yourself, you get a ribbon for every swim events that you do at the meets, which are twice a week. At each meet, you usually take part in 4 events, two singular, and 2 as a relay. Also, to cut you some slack, the coaches give you Fridays to have fun! ( fun Fridays) We usually do a couple of sets, but then we get to play games for the rest of the day, like Jump or Dive, Penguin, ( team game, because we are the TL penguins ) Sharks and Minnows, and other fun games.

 For the parents, you get to watch your children succeed at a sport, and the meets are always really exciting, especially home meets! Another unique thing about TL, not sure if this is good or not, but we have the smallest pool area in the Southern Swim Division, but we are the only swim team with a top-class golf course! Also, we only have 4 swim lanes. :) This means that swim meets at home go a little bit longer than others. (They end around 10 o'clock) Nonetheless, it is SO MUCH FUN to be on swim team!

So here is to another great year of Twin Lakes!

MG

Volleyball Game!

This past weekend, our volleyball team won our first game on Saturday, ( yay! ) but we lost on Sunday. :( I think that I personally did really good, with a lot of overhand serves, a couple spikes, and tips as well as bumps for returning the ball over the net. And, our uniforms are awesome! I think some of the teams were like, "woah " when they saw us, haha.

Volleyball

Excitingly, volleyball has started ! Practices started about a week ago, and we are still working on our bumping, serving, setting, playing, and lots of other skills at our practices. I successfully got 25 overhand serves at my first practice, but sadly haven't gotten as many at the other practices.  Our first game is next weekend, and we zstill haven't found out who and where we are playing. On Wednesday, we decided what our uniforms would look like. We are doing a lime green t-shirt, with our number on the front and back, school name, and the font in neon pink. We are all going to go to Champions and get tye-dye socks to match our uniform, and then just plain black shorts. Original, huh? And also, I am number 12 because I love that number, it is the number of my other sports jerseys, and also, I had to battle for it against my friend Andrea. We both wanted it, but unfortunately for her, I won! And I am extra happy because I seriously never win those things! :)

GRACIE <3

 I know we don't play beach volleyball, but who cares?!

Soccer Banquet

Tonight we are heading over to Round Table pizza for a soccer banquet, and we are going to head out at about 7:00. I don't think they are handing out awards or anything, but it will be good to converse with my teammates after a month. Tomorrow I believe that they are going to Sky High,  a really awesome trampoline place. But we can't go because my Dad is working all day tomorow, at this thing at our church called " Faith Trek" , but I don't really mind.  The day after we are having a Superbowl party at our house, and my two friends Audrey and Andrea are coming over, and we are just going to hang out. Go Patriots! Then next week at school is the Penny Drive, and it is kind of complicated. I will explain in another post so yoo don't get too confused. Right now I amlistening to Adventures in Odyssey, which I will also post about later. so, some things to expect in the next week are...


- Superbowl Party
- Penny Drive
- Adventures in Odyssey
- And maybe a couple other things.  :)

Well, have a happy weekend! :)                    

GRACIE :P =P =D :D :) =)
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3                                      

Soccer Game

Today we won our soccer game 2 to nothing! Claudia scored both of our goals, which was good for her! It was really really rainy at the beginning of the game, but then it cooled down a bit. For a while I was worried that we were going to have a rainy Halloween, but the weather declines! :) Excited for the rest of the soccer season, and for Halloween tomorrow! :)

What I am doing this week . . . end

Well the week is almost over, but I am starting the rec-cup for soccer this weekend, which means two soccer games a weekend until December 3rd! So that means a LOT of running, and a LOT of soccer! :) Tomorrow I am going to a Halloween party, but what makes it so cool is that it is like a saint Halloween party, because what is the day after Halloween but All Saints Day! We can go dressed in our costumes OR a saint costume, but we all are going to bring our favorite saint quote and everyone there will have to guess! :) So I am excited for that and for soccer! Besides that, I am just planning to chill, relax, and chillax. hee hee. :) have a great weekend!

Newspaper!

Our soccer team was mentioned in the Federal Way Mirror, along with a picture from when we won the soccer tournament! Here is the article:

SPORTS BRIEF: FWFC Panthers win Apple Cup title

By CASEY OLSON
Federal Way Mirror Sports editor
Oct 14 2011

The Federal Way Football Club girls under-12 Panthers won the 2011 Wenatchee Apple Cup 12-13 Silver bracket on Oct. 9. The Panthers won four-straight games to take the title.

The Panthers won their first game, 2-1, over the Key Strikers, beat the Wenatchee Sharks in their second game, 6-0, and downed the North Bend Black Widows, 3-1, in their third day. The Panthers beat the Ephrata Extreme in the championship, 4-0. During the tournament, six of the 13 players on the Panthers’ roster scored goals.

Federal Way’s Raelyn Gradel also defended her title from last year in the Goalie Wars by winning the u-12 bracket in three-straight matches. Goalie Wars is a first to five goals or a two-minute match where the two goalies play head-to-head in a 30-yard by 20-yard field divided in half with two full-size facing goals on the end lines.

The team included Mary Grace Curran, Claudia Steed, Calista Rubish, Jadyn Hatch, Emily Logan, Dana Wolf, Claire Thoreson, Leanne Bryant, Anne Marie Curran, Raelyn Gradel, Victoria Goldsmith, Megan Schafer and Cheyenne Welker. The team is coached by Shane Caney and Roland Schafer.

:P :) :D 

Saturday

Ahh..Saturdays.  Well this morning I woke up feeling happy and not happy. Happy because I got to sleep in. :) And because I have no school. :) But sad because I have a little homework left. Ya, I couldn't finish it yesterday cuz my one of my friends came over, which was really fun. :) And I am also sad because I have a soccer game at 2:15. I love soccer, but I HATE games that are really late in the afternoon. Because that means that we have to leave at 12:30, get there at one, game will start two fifteen, end at three twenty, we get home at 3:45. Ulgh. And I have the same thing tomorrow. But, I guess, if you really love soccer, it's worth it!  :) Still feeling a little sleepy....Have a fun Saturday!

MG

Soccer Tournament

This past weekend we had a soccer tournament, and we got FIRST PLACE in our bracket and for the 12 AND 13 year olds! We all got first place medals, and we have this giant trophy that the team shares! On Friday night we got in the car around 5, and then arrived in Wenatchee at about 8:30. We stopped for a quick dinner, then headed to our hotel. The next morning we had a game at 8:00 ( waking up at 6:30 -elch! ) which we won I think 2 to nothing, and which I scored a goal in-very exciting for me! We won our next game, which was at 12:30, and then that night our back up goalie Raelyn, ( Rae ) did the goalie wars with our other full time goalie, Cheyanne and Rae won the whole thing, which was really exciting!  the team came over to our hotel and we stayed up late in the pool goofing off,  and it was really fun! The next morning, we had another game at 8, that we won, so we were off to the championships! We also had the most points overall, so that is a nice fact as well. :) To show our spirit, we all dyed our hair blue for the last game -hee hee. We won our last game 4-0, which was super duper exciting, and the other team was SO mad because they were used to making a lot of goals on other teams. :) :) Our team was SO SO SO excited at the end of our game, and then we all got our medals and trophy! It was a really fun weekend overall, and it was also VERY pretty there! Overall, it was SO much fun, and I cannot wait to do it next year!

 Did you know that Wenatchee is the apple capital of the WORLD?

 Playing it up on the field

 After our game, when we found out we were off to the championships!

 receiving my medal

 Getting high fives from parents

Team picture

The Apple Cup

This weekend my soccer team is going to take part in The Apple Cup in Wenatchee! We will leave tonight around 5, then tomorrow morning we have our first game at 8 o clock- elch . We will have I think 3 games on Saturday, and 3 games on Sunday, and then we will head home Sunday night I believe. I am really excited, and although me , my mom, Anne Marie, and two of our younger siblings are the only ones staying in a hotel with a pool, and a couple other things, I am VERY sad not to be able to stay with my team. But another thing is, it takes 30 seconds to the field from our hotel, and it takes a half an hour for the rest of the team. I am also excited to read some of my new book. I have to savor it.  :) Cuz I only have 100 pages left. :(  GOOOOOO  PANTHERS!  :)

Soccer Game

Well we had another soccer game in the total rain, we all got drenched, and we lost again 1-0 bu we did pretty good! It is kind of harder for us than to regular teams because we aren't select and all of the teams we play are, so it is a bit more difficult. But I thought I played really good. :P

Running - YAY!

Tonight I am going running at the track where Mary Catherine has soccer practice - I am EXCITED! Later I will put some cool pics I took today up or tomorrow. . .

thnx for reading,

MG

Mariners Game!

Last night me, Anne Marie all the way down to John Luke, my dad, and Katie  went to a Mariners game to help support Gloria's Angels! The Red Sox won- woo hoo! And it was really fun. There were some people to the stands next to us who were either REALLY big baseball fans or a little more than tipsy . . . but it was really cool because they started a wave over the ENTIRE stadium, and EVERYONE did it, even this guy who was all alone way up high...hahaha.

Soccer Practice

Soccer practice tonight was okay, and I really liked the exercise part, and the running around, practice, scrimmage part, and the girls are really nice and funny, but the assistant coaches son is SOOOO mean and annoying. He says how good he is at soccer, and he swear the whole time, and he yells at us, and he says we are lazy and terrible players, and ALWAYS takes the ball away from us and is REALLY mean. I wish he wouldn't be able to come to practice. Grrrrrr! But we are already getting excited for our tournament in the winter in Wenatchee! We make hotel reservations even and stay there and play soccer! So I am excited. :) Our first game is the second weekend in September, and we are in the gold bracket, not the silver bracket, so we play against better, faster teams. Our games our 90 minutes long, and we play on professional sized fields, so you really have to be in shape to play. Not weight wise, but running wise. So I am going to start running about 2 or 3 miles 3 times a week with my mom - I'm excited! But, we only have 12 players and there are 11 on the field at the same time, so if you play or ave ever played soccer, we would REALLY love you to play! My coach is looking for players, so email me A.S.A.P ( my address is on the sidebar ) and I will let him know, it would be a GREAT help, even if you aren't any good!

Before-Swim Meet Post

Well the swim meet hasn't started yet but it's like the BIGGEST one of the year .  BUT, we are going against Marine Hills, and they are going DOWN!!!! Because the scores last year were pretty close, and we have beat Kent this year, so the bets our on us. I am swimming in the 200 yard medley relay, 50 breast, 50 free, and in the 200 yard free style relay. I am really pumped, and this morning was the penguin breakfast. It has been a tradition at Twin Lakes for some of the parents to make pancakes and sausage and stuff for us to eat after practice, and it was really yummy this year. But after breakfast . . . well let's not talk about that. Hahaha. Well anyways, wish me and my fellow penguins good luck, so see ya later!
MG

Swim Meet

WOO HOO we won ANOTHER swim meet last night against Gregory Seahurst!!!! I don't remember the score, but I did get a bunch of pictures! :)  I swam in the 200 medley relay, and I swam the 100 IM ( 1 lap of each stroke ) and 50 butterfly, and a 50 freestlye in the 200 free relay! I got 2 first place :) and 2 3rd place, which isn't too bad, because we have 4 lanes at our pool. Then ( as a Twin Lakes tradition ) we went to Godfather's pizza, which was really fun! This morning my coaches Jenna and Lauren could hardly talk because they had been yelling and cheering so much in the past 3 days. :) Here are the pictures, and some of them aren't of my friends or family, just pics of kids swimming in their events!

 Mt crazy friends ( from left to right ) Alex, Carolyn, and Andrea!

 'Oh yeah, strike that pose" !

 Getting ready to dive in

 A blury picture of Mary Catherine diving in! hahaha

 Mary Catherine taking a breath on breaststroke

 waiting for the score

 trying to get one of our swim coaches in the pool

Me and Andrea...yes I know I look terrible but whatever.

Swim Meet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday we WON OUR SWIM MEET AGAINST KENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! Now I can see why you might be thinking " So they won, so what? No big deal!" But winning a swim meet for Twin Lakes is like BIG because we haven't won a meet for over 3 years, AND Kent swim team hasn't LOST a meet in 15 years, so the pool that never wins beat the pool that always wins 382 to 362!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were planning on just going home because we thought we were going to lose, but here's what happened. ( I'm so sorry I didn't get any pictures, but my camera was dead. :( )

Scene: Twin Lakes Pool. Everyone is really REALLY pumped up, because we want the score and the score has been  surprisingly SUPER close the WHOLE time, at one point we were actually TIED. That is SUPER rare for a swim meet. The whole swim team is in their swim suits, hair wet, cold, around the pool, waiting for the score. We had the last race a minute ago, and the staff is calculating the score. I am standing next to two of my fellow swim-mates, Emma and Alex ( 12 and 11 ) , there is music on, and we are all dancing....

Emma: Oh my gosh, the suspense is KILLING me!!!!!

MG- I know, couldn't they just hurry up with the score?

A boy walks through the crowd with an envelope

MG- OMG!!!! Here they come with the score!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(The crowd falls silent, and the score reader opens the envelope with the score. The music ceases. )

Score-reader- We have our score. Kent Swim Team....362...........Twin Lakes Swim Team.......382!!!!!

Everyone jumped in the pool, even the coaches, and they had their clothes on!!!!! Everyone goes CRAZY, because this is BIG news!!!!!! Everyone is screaming and yelling and cheering and is just SO happy, and THEN fireworks go off in the distance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you would NOT believe the faces of the Kent swimmers! They were SHOCKED!!!!!!!! The coaches on that team were literally open-mouthed!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear, it was THE BEST day of my ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading,
MG

Volleyball Camp..over!

Today volleyball camp ended. My team, The Exterminators, won one game, and we lost the rest, but it was fun and we got tee shirts! My team's color was navy blue, which we all wore, and our motto was " EXTERMINATORS! WE'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE A BUG! " hahaha. Our cheer was " Texas longhorn, Arizona cactus, we play your team, just for practice! Put 'em in a highchair, sock 'm in the jaw, Let's go Exterminators, ra ra ra! It was really great and I am doing the Kennedy one in July!