Saturday, January 5, 2013

AAU Basketball

Brandi played the fall session of AAU basketball last year. There's been a couple minor lineup changes to her regular team but with the exception of Asia no longer being on their team and Elli added to it, it's all the same girls. We're very blessed to have Keeley Teels mom Tanna who's a awesome photographer and loves to practice on the girls! Here's a couple of cool shots from their fall session together.



What an intimidating bunch! Hard to believe that they were all giggling so hard we had a hard time getting them to stop for 2 seconds for this pic!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Happy New Year 2013!!


At long last...New Years weekend arrived and we could head to the cabin!! We've been trying to figure out how many years its been, we're pretty sure it's been at least 10 years now that we've been going up to the Harrington's cabin in Cle Elum for New Years. The year that Tyler was born I wimped out and we stayed home. I just wasn't quite feeling up to taking our 3 week old son out snowmobiling. We used to go a couple different weekends through out the winter but now that everyone's kids are getting older it seems they have taken over our lives. The kids have way to much stuff going on with school and sports to get away on weekends. So for now we settle for New Years every year. The usual crowd is the Harrington family, The Schilperoort family, us Groenevelds, the last couple of years the Cantrells, and usually a few extras here and there that vary every year. It is an absolutely awesome place. Beautiful scenery, wonderful accommodations & even better company. We have so many great memories of being up at the cabin!
If there is any amount of snowfall (which being new years in the cabin you can assume there will be) you have to park at a parking lot towards the bottom of the hill and take the snowmobiles the last few miles up to the cabin. Which means whatever you take along has to ride up with you on the snowmobiles. It seems like with the 6 of us there's always way too big of a pile of stuff but we are starting to get better at consolidating! The kids know the drill. Once we are parked at the parking lot, everybody hop out, get your snowgear on and pack the rest of your stuff in a bin that gets pulled on a sled behind a snowmobile. When we get up to the cabin, everybody take your stuff upstairs to 'our' bedroom, put necessary food stuff away, and put the drinks in the snow to chill! The kids never get bored. There's just way too much for them to do. Lots and lots of snowmobiles available, even a couple the perfect size for Kendra & Tyler. When you  need to warm up you head to the hot tub. Or make some hot chocolate to sip on while watching a movie or playing a board game. It always goes very very smoothly considering how many people are in one house. It is a very very roomy comfortable house and everybody knows the drill. Everyone pitches in and does what needs to be done....ok...the kids sometimes need the occasional reminder about where to hang the wet swimsuits or the dripping snowsuits...or stay downstairs with the food....but overall...it goes really well and is always a great time that we look forward to all year!



Another beautiful day at the cabin!


T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Jordan Lindsey & Ashley getting ready to head out for a ride

Jordan, Lindsey & Ashley. Best of friends since pre-school!
Tyler would ride for hours if he was allowed

Brandi taking her turn pulling the little kids on the sleds




Ryan, Clay & Tyler

Brandi & Aydan getting ready to head out!

Kendra & Tyler getting pulled on the sled

Can never have too much of bananagrams!



Tyler & Devan giggling about something - waiting for somebody to take them out to the hot tub!


I have a very similar picture where all these same girls were around the same table, in their pj's, sitting on booster seats and drinking out of sippy cups!