After Lincoln's birthday bash, Katie, Nick, Linc and I drove to Holland to watch the Pull. The Pull is a tug-of-war competition between the freshmen and sophomores. The Pull is one of the longest college traditions in the US. The Pull family is kind of like a cult. The Pull is three hours of insanity. The Pull is hard to understand unless you actually see it.
Today Linc got to see the Pull for the very first time. Since Nick was the Pull God, during his career of being a puller and then coaching, and Katie was also even year than Linc got to wear a red Even Year Pull shirt today too. He'll be the class of 34.
The guy up on the platform gives call sets by yelling things and doing certain arm motions. The moralers, the girls on the side of each pit, yell into their pullers ear what to do next. The pullers are in the pit, lying on top of the rope, working harder then they ever have before. All of this yelling and pulling is totally synchronized. The call sets have been memorized and practiced dozens of times. Whichever team can pull and heave and hold the rope in perfect unison will pull the most rope.
The rope crosses over the river to the Odd Year team on the other side. I am Odd Year and cheered on my friends that did the Pull for all four years of college. Ellen, our friend that works at Hope, is always a line judge for the Pull. Linc got to go inside the pits with her for a little bit.
I was beyond thrilled to see some of my very favorite Hope people today. Tracy on the left was my freshmen roommate and one of my best friends. She pulled and then coached for Odd Year. Sara Nielsen on the right was a SIB a year younger than me but one of my closest friends. I loved getting to see them today.
Odd year quickly took the lead today. The rope is spray painted at a certain spot at the very beginning of the competition. You can tell whether your team has lost or gained rope by watching the orange painted line on the rope.
I also ran into Erin Drews, a Tecumseh counselor this past summer, saw Meg, another old SIB, and waved at Virginia, my GG Sib baby across the river.
Katie and I went on a secret adventure to get a piece of the Pull banner for Lincoln. Nick got to hang out with his friend Mike who is also a new dad.
Odd year won and pulled enough rope to end the battle just after 5:00, usually it lasts for three hours. If your team wins you get to reel in all of the rope and then go swim in the River. Even though it's disgusting, getting in that water is so exciting. I think Lincoln loved his first Pull day.
Next we went to mom and dad's new Holland house! I hadn't seen it since they were just looking into buying it last Thanksgiving. Now they're totally moved in and it feels like their new home.
I got to see the kitchen...
my new room with all of my old stuff...
Mom's new quilting room...
the new fabric cabinet and the living room. I love this new house and am so excited for my parents to be here. For the rest of the night we get to just hang out with the whole family which sounds perfect to me.
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