Cousins

The girls love getting time in with their cousins.  We live about one mile apart and I can see their house from my school, yet we don't see each other enough.  While our lives are consumed with swimming, their lives are even more some busy with hockey.  We did get the pleasure to watch Naomi, Jane, and James a couple of weeks ago while Elizabeth had a meeting.  They were all so cute together I had to get my camera out.  Olivia is blossoming into such a responsible young girl.  She always wants to help with the little ones.  I watched her reading to her cousins and realized that my little girl was growing up.  A melancholy feeling overwhelmed me.  There's a sorrow I feel for the loss of my little girl, but pride when I see what an amazing girl she's becoming.

James snuck in on the action too.

Time for dancing.  I'm not sure why girls love to dance so much more than boys.  Both my girls and Elizabeth's girls enjoy dancing a lot, while Elizabeth's boys are mortified at the idea of dancing.  If Elizabeth and I ever want to embarrass them, we just have to dance ourselves and the job is easily accomplished.

Group hug.

Dancing to the singing Christmas tree.

We've managed to make it to a couple of hockey games to watch the cousins this year too.  These pictures are from Asher (4) and Titus' (5) game in Battle Creek last Sunday.

Asher taking a shot on goal during warm up.

Titus on the ice.

Asher at the drop of the puck for the beginning of the games and Titus off to his right.  It's terrific to see the brothers getting to play together.  We've seen one of Jadon's games as well.  Now we just have to make it to one of James' games before the season ends.  They are quite the athletes.

Swim Season

We are in full swim season mode in our household.  Andy is at the pool daily for the high school swim team practices.  Monday nights Mia has swim lessons and has set a goal to try and be able to swim one full length of the pool all by herself.  Olivia is at the pool every Tuesday, Thursday, and many Fridays for swim practice for Stingrays.  Saturdays are often swim meets as well.  We have even traveled to a few more away meets than in seasons past.  The photo below is of Olivia and Mia with good friends the Helen and Jillian Randolph.  The Randolphs also have two sons Graham (seen on the far right) and Jayden who are all excellent children and swimmers.  They were a welcomed addition to the Sturgis community about three years ago, but a new job meant they left straight from this swim meet in Niles to head to Chicago where they would fly out to California the next day.  We sure miss them all.

The Feyes and Randolph girls getting their last hugs in.

Mia getting ready to enter the water.

Here she is after swimming a full 25 yards of the pool.

I love this girl sooooo much!

Time to jump off the block.  I'm so glad she is fearless when in comes to things like this.

Getting to ride on the lift chair after lessons.

Mia with coach Melanie.  We love Melanie too.

Andy's swimmers are having a good season too.  They are in a new conference this year, so new competition and learning about all the new teams has been different, but I think Andy and his swimmers are all enjoying it.  

CHRISTmas Day

We headed over to Nana and Papa's house shortly after finishing up gifts and food at our house.  Pajamas still on for the girls, after all it's Christmas.  Time to be comfortable, and there usually are some new clothes at Nana and Papa's under the Christmas tree.

Mia doing one of her usual weird faces showing off her new combine and sporting her new watch.

Olivia, my child who usually poses much better than Mia, is sporting creepy crazy eyes in this photo with her new Mustache Smash game.

Mia got a singing stuffed Christmas Tree.  He sings Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

Nana has a large Clothtique Santa collection, to which she decided a few years ago, to start picking out one for each family member that she thought fit them well.  As I decorated for Christmas this year, I got out the one she chose for Andy, for Olivia, and for myself.  There was no getting it passed Mia.  She was very aware that she didn't have one.  Good thing Nana was already on top of it and had one wrapped for Mia.  These will be treasured gifts the girls can keep and remember their Nana for years to come.

Robert opening up a large tool box if I remember correctly.

Olivia and more Under Armour headbands.  Not that she needs them, but they make her smile.

Aunt Jen and Robert thought they'd be funny and threw a few gifts out in the bushes on the girls.

Here's one of Mia's gigantic gifts.  Double wrapped at that.

And here are four kids, yes I include Andy and Robert in that count, playing with Mia's new combine that she was pretty sure Aunt Jen got her.  She pointed it out at TSC, and when she went back another day with Andy it was gone and she yelled, "Aunt Jen must have bought it for me!"  She's too smart for her own good, even though Aunt Jen didn't buy it there, she still got it for her.

And what good is a gigantic combine without a humongous barn?  

It was a wonderful Christmas day, that continued being surround by family, eating way too much food, enjoying our new gifts, each other's company, but mostly remembering the gift that God gave us on this special holiday.  

Happy Everything

So I've been bad and missed Christmas, New Years, and swim meets.  Such is life with two busy girls.  So I will do a speedy version through Christmas and save New Years and swim updates for another blog entry.

Since Dad and Patty have moved to Alpena, they drove down to stay at our house the days leading up to Christmas.  Uncle Jere, who comes every year for Thanksgiving, but was unable to since he was sick this year, we convinced to also join us on Christmas Eve for dinner.

CHRISTMAS EVE

 getting ready for church

Don't ask me what Olivia put on her lips.  She says it was chapstick, but they were so bright even after washing it off.

Sisters getting along (a rare moment, that we had to capture on film)

Mia and our good friend Alice were black sheep, while Olivia and Maggie were the white sheep in the flock for the church's children's pageant this year.

Olivia helping Alice take her gift up for baby Jesus.

All the children were asked to come forward and hold hands for a prayer at the end.  Here you can see Callahan Lamb up with the girls.

Mia getting some time in with Papa at the end of the service.

As usual, the children's service was extra special seeing all the children in their true glory, unscripted and acting as themselves, not as a part for a big production.  Don't get me wrong, no production is quite as big as Jesus' birth, but I believe the true spirit of Christmas lies not in a flawless rehearsed performance of what we as Americans perceive to be the birth of Jesus, but in the children being true children of God, exhalting his birth.  It gives me goosebumps each year.

On the drive home from church I happened to drive down S. Clay St. and lo and behold caught a glimpse of this adorable house all decked out for the holidays.  This home is where I spent my first 11 Christmases and holds many cherished memories for me.  

After church with both sets of grandparents and Aunt Jen and Robert, we headed home for dinner with Jere and dad and Patty.  A delicious meal was in store, but we were all worn out with anticipation.  Soon after dinner the annual Christmas Eve gifts were opened (always pajamas) and the girls also opened their ornaments from Grandma and Grandpa.  

The girls went to sleep excited to see what Santa may bring them as presents to celebrate Jesus' birth.  Neither girl had specifically asked for any one thing this year, so the surprise was suspenseful to say the least.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Christmas morning brought the girls and I both up way too early.  I think it was just after 5:00 a.m.  Thank goodness for a Christmas Story marathon to keep us entertained for awhile.  I was amazed with the patience the girls showed in not rushing to see what might be under the tree.  Once Andy was awake, those patience were shot, and we had to wake up Grandma and Grandpa to go see what Santa brought and tear into some gifts.

anxiously awaiting to go out to see the gifts under the tree

Checking out Mia's gift from Santa

Some of Santa's top elves made Mia this awesome kitchen set.  Both girls have been having a blast with it ever since, constantly cooking up various foods and playing restaurant with us.

Olivia opening her Little House on the Prairie book set.  She was thrilled that Santa brought them to her.

Olivia was more excited to give gifts this year than receive.  That filled my heart to see how excited she was for Mia to open her Elsa from Frozen towel that she picked out for her with her own money.  She even mentioned she didn't care if she got anything, she just wanted to see Mia, open her gift.

Mia loves it, and gave Olivia a big hug to prove it.

Mia was excited to pick out a few gifts for some recipients this year as well.  She hasn't quite grasped the concept of 'tis better to give than receive, yet.  She picked out things she liked, but I had to try and intervene. while still allowing her the liberty for her to choose.  Here she is giving Andy and dinosaur egg that you soak in water and a dinosaur hatches out.  She told Andy that he could give her the dinosaur once it hatched.  That so was me as a child.

Waiting for the cousins to come, the tree is filled with gifts and stockings from Grandma and Grandpa.

Mia playing in her kitchen while we waited.

The Smith clan tearing into their stockings.

More Smith members.

George Titus on Christmas morning.

Mia with her new Elsa doll from Grandpa and Grandma.  Andy loves that it she sings Let it Go.  Ha ha.

A sleepy Naomi, who's favorite gift of the day seemed to be Goldfish crackers.

After the all too many gifts were opened, our annual Christmas breakfast casserole, with cinnamon rolls, and wassail was devoured.  The Smith family headed home to have their own family Christmas, dad and Patty headed back to Alpena, and we headed to Nana and Papa's house for Christmas day.  We truly are blessed that we can see spend such a blessed holiday with so much family.