David Wins Again!

On Wednesday, David won his second Singles match against Israel's Shraga Weinberg. The final scores of 6-2, 6-2 don't reflect the difficulty and tension of the match. Shraga beat David this past summer for the first time in a long time and was heralded as a potentially difficult opponent. However, David came out very strong right from the beginning and totally dominated the match. His next Singles match is tomorrow, Friday.

Today, Thursday, David won his match in the Doubles. He and his Doubles partner, Nick Taylor, beat the Holland team 6-3, 6-4. It was an exciting match with a very big crowd! The stadium holds 10,000 people and was well over half-full today. There are only 6 countries in the Doubles in Beijing. Because David and Nick are seeded as #1, their first match is an automatic win or "bye." This means that today's victory moves them into the finals. The final match is Saturday and will be against Israel. David & Nick can do no less than a Silver Medal in the Doubles!

I hope you enjoy the pictures at www.dropshots.com/cathycarson2000 . It has been fun learning the subway system, trying new foods, and watching tennis. Last night, we went to "The Cube" to watch swimming and it was absolutely fantastic. I've added a couple of pictures from the Cube to my photo album.

Stay tuned for more ...

David Wins First Match Thriller!

In a very difficult draw, David won his first match today against Canadian, Sarah Hunter. It was a rivoting match with David taking the first set 6-3. Then Sarah fought back to take the second set 4-6. Finally, David came out on top in the third set winning it at 6-4. It was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. Be sure and check the pictures on my photo site (I'm told the pictures are in all kinds of strange order ... sorry about that) at http://dropshots.com/cathycarson2000 .

The Great Wall of China

Today we visited the Great Wall of China. It was amazing and an incredible experience to actually walk on the wall. Be sure and go to my pictures at http://www.dropshots.com/cathycarson2000 to see the photos from the wall.

Tennis starts tomorrow, Tuesday!

Opening Ceremony

There are hardly enough words to describe the Opening Ceremony! The "Nest" was packed as you'll see in my pictures. It was a fantastic display of color, sound, and the talents of thousands of disabled performers. Over and over again, it brought tears to my eyes. One of the highlights of the performance was a little girl who lost her leg in the recent earthquake in China. She is a ballerina and she sat in a wheelchair and made her upper body movements while the dancers below her performed as her legs. It was very moving and I hope you see it on the internet video clips of the Opening Ceremony. Be sure and scroll through my pictures which only begin to show a hint of the magnificence of the show. It was with great pride that I watched David come into the arena with the 2008 United States Paralympic Team. This one event makes the journey to China completely worthwhile.

We're off!

"Red" and I are on our way to China!

A big thanks to Mr. Meadows & Mr. Kingery for taking care of things at school while I'm away. I know that they will be impressed with all the Safe, Respectful, & Responsible students at Lewis & Clark.

First Day of School

What a day! Today was our first day of school and I could hardly wait for our new 3rd graders and our returning 4th & 5th graders to get to school! I went to every classroom to welcome the students and saw many smiling faces. It was a great day!

Beijing - Here We Come!

Wow! It’s Labor Day weekend and almost time to go to Beijing! But first, I get to greet 800 children at Lewis & Clark Elementary school on Tuesday. I can’t wait for our students to start the school year! David is in Colorado Springs with the US Paralympic Team getting ready to fly to China. He is very excited about playing in the Paralympics.