Swim Season

To most people, as the cold sets in, it's time to close up the pools and lake houses and forget about swimming for the next 6 months.  Well, we are not most people.  When the cold weather comes our way, that just means swim season is upon us.  Olivia is officially on the Sturgis Stingrays Swim Team this year.  She's swam two meets so far, with her third one coming up this Saturday.  So far she is loving it.  I was afraid getting her started so young, she'd burn out.  She's in her third year of dance and doesn't mind it, but sometimes it's torture to get her to go.  I've never seen the passion or love for it like I do swimming.  She truly is in her element in the water and loves hanging out with the other swimmers.

Here's her attempt at diving off the starting block.  Yes, I was that mother that they had to make an announcement about after her event.  No flash photography at the start of each race.  Oops!
 

Attempting her freestyle.  Backstroke is her preffered stroke of choice, but her freestyle has come a long way in a short time.
 

Here's the scoreboard.  She was in lane 6, so 2nd place in this heat.  Not too shabby, especially since this year she has to swim against older swimmers.  She just turned seven and she swims against some students that are two years or grades ahead of her.
 

She's also inherited my love for all things art.  Aunt Jen got her a pottery wheel for her birthday and this was her first attempt.  Our aspiring artist at work.  We enjoy watching all of her talents unfold in front of us each day.

Swim season has started for Andy as well.  He's enjoying his 2nd year as the high school boys' swim coach.  It's early in the season so not too much drama yet.  His birthday was the day before Thanksgiving which I had off work, so the girls and I made a treat and took it in to his swim practice.  I had arranged with some of his swimmers to throw him in the pool in honor of his birthday.  I had my camera ready and everything.  They started to try, but with Andy's warnings not to, they chickened out.  They did convince Andy to get in the pool with them and go for a birthday swim.