A Walk Down Memory Lane

I thought maybe it was time for a little walk down memory lane.  I was going through some of my pictures and I was happy to see my kid’s progress and mine over the last couple of years.  It was a good reminder to me that I have come a long way.  My kids have come a long way.  We are not as good as we are going to be, but we are better than we used to be (I never get tired of saying that).  Enjoy!  :D

This was my son's first belt test.  December 2009.  This little guy and those big guys made me fall in love with jiu jitsu before I even stepped on the mat.  Thank you!

This was Emily's first belt test and Ben's second.  March of 2010.  They were clowning around for me after the belt test.  That was a fun day!

 Emily gets her gray belt.  It is June 2010.  She was a happy girl that day!

This was my first belt test.  Ben got his yellow belt and I got my first stripe that day.  December 2010.  I will never forget how proud I felt that day.  I thought I could conquer the world!

Here's all us Elite girls after the belt test.  Forever bonded by the first belt test experience.  It's like going to boot camp together!!

And what's better than one stripe, well two more stripes.  April 2011 I attend my second belt test.  That belt test was even better than the first one.  They really are a celebration.  There's nothing quite like the experience.

Emily gets her yellow belt.  It's July 2011.  She is so happy that day.  She had missed several belt tests because of band commitments and she was ecstatic to finally be asked to go and receive her yellow belt.  I was one proud Mama that day!!

We've had lots of great moments in between and after all this great stuff happened.  My kids have competed and I've competed and we've gone to some great seminars and there's always Girls in Gis.  It's been a wonderful journey so far.  I do have to remind myself quite often that it's not about the belts or the stripes, but the journey.  Often we are discouraged when we haven't belt tested in a long time, we often see it as a negative.  But it's not.  It doesn't mean we haven't gotten better.  It doesn't mean our coaches don't see our progress.  It just means that this part of our journey needs a little more work, and when the time is right we will belt test again.