The kids in Action!

We have had a busy week! Grace had a Winter Concert about Melton the warm hearted snowman! Which was fabulous! Savannah had a game! Derek had a few games he played in and went to a few Idaho Vandal games - dressed like a fan! Savannah gets so embarrassed! They have been painting for the Vandal games all Season and the team and the crowd LOVE them!!
Austin Kiblin, Derek Pennington, Aaron Donaldson, Cael Wear & Tanner Morgan -
All are from his Basketball team! They are getting so popular - even the little kids at church when he passes the sacrament point and say " there's Derek!" hahahahaha

Grace Singing away at the program!

Savannah and her rockin Basketball Skills

Savannahs team is called the Maniacs!

Basketball 14-0

Derek had another basketball game tonight. They won and are now 14-0. Derek had a good game - he had 11 points. My picture taking is getting better!

Here he is breaking the Press

This is how Grace likes to watch the game

Derek had a lot of fans tonight
Lauren & Randall -have been friends since they were 3!
From clear back in the Memphis Days!
(He leaves on his mission to Spain in about 3 weeks)

Nice shot - His is good too!

Can You say OVER ACHIEVER!!!

Lauren had a Physics Project due for school - she was suppose to make a roller coaster and show all the math and physics angles and what not (not a real physics person)Most kids just drew it on paper or made it out of tissue paper and I am sure at a much smaller scale. We had to take it to school in my Sequoia - And Lauren already told Grace she could have it after it was graded! UGH!!! Where are we going to put it!!!! Anyway - she of course can not just do a project she has to DO the project - this is what she came up with! I wish I could take some of her over achiever Gene and give some to Derek!

The finished project!

Those are the riders - skittles

Here is how she labeled the angles

I Love little Girls!

Grace got an American Girl Doll for Christmas and LOVES it! She named her doll Lauren! (cute-I know she loves her big sister) Her friend Ashley also has one and named her Annie! ( the real Lauren -her sister- has a best friend whose name is Annie! Cute! ) Anyway Grace was going to play at Ashleys house today after school and wanted to take along Lauren (the doll) but didn't want her to suffocate in the back pack - so this is how she fixed the problem so the doll could breath! hehehehehe Little girls are my favorite!

Lots of breathing room for Lauren

Grace and Mackensie (our neighbor) off to school

They walk to school - rain, snow or shine- or right now ICE

Birthdays & Basketball

Thank you all you camera people - great advise - plus I found a great website that gives me tutorials on my camera! It was also my birthday yesterday! It was great! I worked out in the morning, went to lunch with Lauren, took a lot better pictures at Dereks games (they had one on Friday and one on Saturday) - which they won (both games- which still has them at undefeated) - and then had a great Mexican dinner - Arroz con Pollo - MY FAVORITE!! Lauren gave me a fabulous purse, Derek gave me a super soft blanket, Savannah gave me a super cute frame with pictures in it and Grace gave me beads she is going to make a necklace for me, Jackie and Justin sang to me a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday over the phone & Steve gave me that great ski trip we went on last week! Friends brought homemade bread (thanks Holly!) and muffins (thanks Kendra) and lots of cards even from my long lost best friend Alisa! Thanks Family & Friends- It was a Great Day!Just before going in -Really paying attention to the coach!! Always a good idea!

Notice where he is shooting from - 3 point line- Nice action shot Rachel!!!

Even these were not so clear last time!

Look at that great action shot!

Nice block - and the boy knocking my son over didn't make the basket! WOO WOO!

Basketball - Figuring out my new camera

Derek had a basketball game tonight - I took about 100 pictures but with all the moving around they were mostly blurry! They won - of course! They are still undefeated in basketball too! Tonight wasn't his best game he only had 6 or 7 points - very low scoring game for him - But the team won! Any picture shooting advise from all you photographers out there! I had to put the ISO up to 1600 because the lighting was so bad! I think I need to change the shutter speed or something!Derek & Aaron taking a break in the game

Derek with the ball - notice two defenders - not a problem for him

Stole the ball and took it down for a shot - (a little blurry-sorry)

School?????? NOPE!!!!!

We really are feeling like we live in Alaska - except the kids would still go to school!!! Today was to be the kids first day back to school and we woke up to a couple feet of new snow and the wind blowing - that is the perfect combination to make a snow day! Needless to say the kids were very excited - 1st snow day of the season! The snow was so deep Our neighbors the Brockbanks decided instead of shoveling so much snow - they turned half their driveway into a sleding hill! I love snow - but even I am done!! The kids are now hoping for another snow day - could happen more snow is expected tonight? Global Warming?????This was a good idea! But I didn't get over there to take pictures until it was getting dark!

Savannah & Taylor on the sled!

Going a little to fast! Gotta love Snow days!

Ski in the New Year!

We spent the last few days up at Schwietzer Mtn. Ski resort - It was great! That is one great thing about a lot of snow - SKIING! I didn't get many pictures - we were having to much fun! Justin learned how to ski and did Great! Derek & Steve even made it up for a couple of days! Derek Loves his new snowboard - Thanks Uncle Cory (you're the greatest!) We made it home safely- the roads are still not real safe around here! The kids are all sad school starts tomorrow! They are all hoping for a snow day! They just may get it - big snow storm moving in tonight!Derek & Savannah getting ready to head out to the slopes!

Relaxing in the hot tub after a day of skiing!

This was this morning off my back porch! One thing about snow - it sure is beautiful!