Game On!!!!

For the first time in three years, the entire Smith family came together at last this Christmas. It's been hit and miss the last few years with two weddings and a baby due. But we finally did it!!! And what a family they are. :) BTW, the only one missing from this pic is Mom/ Gram. She was at home baking. We deemed that worthy of absence, especially on Christmas Eve.

The Smiths have a fabulous tradition of sportsmanship. Some of my first memories of Kev's family are just hanging out in their family room on a Friday night, and they would find a flashlight and a small ball and get a game of baseball rolling. Right there in the family room. 'Course if they hit Mom's blinds, it was all over. But other than that, it was game on. Since Kev and all his siblings were newspaper carriers at one point or another, they always had bags of rubber bands laying around and let me just say that they all are SKILLED marksmen with those dealies! I once saw Kevin shoot a "mosquito eater" out of the air and the little wings just came spiraling downward... Awesome.

So it's no surprise that one of the Smith family traditions is to pile into the cultural hall at the stake center here in town and play football, wiffle ball, basketball, and soccer until we drop. Then (hopefully) we shower and get ready to eat and play some more (usually a new and exciting board game or an old favorite). And that's what we all did this Christmas Eve.

Behold.... 'Da Smiths:

Here are some of my favorite action shots. BTW, there were babies roaming around. So the rule was that if you hit a baby and/or made them cry, you lost possession of the ball. NO exceptions.

Dad after a touchdown pass.

This is "C." She rocked out there!

Maeli deserted her milk and wanted in on the action.

The babies in a huddle. Not sure what they were discussing, but I think it had something to do with how to make someone lose possession of the ball! Little imps... :)


In the end, I'm not sure who actually won each game. But that's not really why we play. We play because we're Smiths... and because we can. And because Dad ALWAYS seems to have a key to the church building. :)


Love,
Another Smith Girl
@>->--