Basketball season

If there were only two words I could use to describe this winter, they would be these:

Upward

Basketball

Bryon, who really never played much basketball growing up, is quite the basketball coach!  He has had lots of success with this league and has coached all of our kids each year.  In fact, so much so that he was asked to take on coaching 4 teams this year!  Since we oldest children have such difficulty saying no, Bryon has had a very busy two months! He coaches two 1st and 2nd grade teams, as well as MB's 3rd/4th grade team, and Thomas's 5th/6th grade team.  This means Monday and Tuesdays nights are booked with practices, and 3 or 4 games every Friday night/Saturday.  Matthew has really helped Bryon by coaching one of the little boy teams. Wasn't he just playing in the 1st/2nd grade division? ;)

Mary Beth, who would probably enjoy Upwards Arts and Crafts over basketball, has really improved this year!  In fact, she was the top scoring member of her team on Saturday!  We were very proud of her.

Thomas is also having a great year!  He is the low man/rebounder on his team, and is enjoying perhaps our most favorite Upwards team ever.  They had their first loss of the season on Saturday, but if they win next week, they win their division!

On top of Upwards games, Bryon gets invited to various tournaments during the winter.  He was invited to participate in a tourney this past weekend in a nearby small town.  He combined members of two Upwards teams (most from our youth group) to make one team to play.  Despite the fact that these boys had never had a single practice together, they ended up in the championship game and lost with a buzzer beater in double overtime!  What an exciting 6 basketball game Saturday!

Bryon really loves coaching and has found a dear friend who coaches with him.  His friend has three kids: boy, boy, girl right around our kids ages and our families have gotten very close over the past 6 years of Upwards.  Next week is our last game!

After that, *gasp*, we will have NO spring sports!  The first time I can say that since Matthew was 4 years old.  Believe me, after our three football teams this fall and 4 basketball teams this winter, we are going to enjoy the break!

 Our 5th /6th grade Upwards "select" team.  Love these boys!

 Thomas always seems to meet famous and semi famous athletes.  Dirk Nowitski, Joe Montana, and many Baylor players.  He's the Forrest Gump of ESPN! Ha!  At our tournament this past weekend, he met Quan Cosby, who was a wide receiver during UT's glory days, and is still in the NFL.  He spent about 10 minutes talking to us and invited Thomas to participate in his football camp this summer.  Quan even stayed around to watch our Upward boys play in the championship game.  You couldn't meet a nicer guy, and I absolutely adore any athlete who takes the time to be kind to my kids!

Christmas!

It only took two months, but I'm finally getting around to blogging about Christmas! It was a great holiday this year. Nothing terribly out of the ordinary.  After the final Christmas party, we headed down to our favorite bar b que restaurant near Salado and shopped in Salado on the 22nd.  We were happy to have Michael and his family there!

Nana is always so great about making cookies with each grand child.  Here is Mary Beth making cute melting snow man cookies.

 And begging me to open "just one!" present early!  Not going to happen, Sister!

Christmas Eve was at our house this year, and I made pork tenderloin, which is a different thing this year.  We usually have Mexican food!

Santa was very good to the Barnhill children this year!  Matthew got his own iPad, Thomas got a Calloway driver that he had been wanting, and Mary Beth got a doll bed for her American Girl doll.

After Christmas morning at our house, we headed over to Nana and Deedah's house for more Christmas fun!

 Mary Beth was very excited to receive Marie Grace from her grandparents!  Mary Beth loves all things French, and Marie Grace is a recent French immigrant.

 The gingerbread house that Mary Beth tried to make with Nana was a lemon!  This was one unhappy girl!

 Eating beef tenderloin on Christmas day.

 All 8 grandkids!

 Bryon gave me this beautiful pitcher for Christmas.  It was a 1940s antique that matches the silver given to me by my grandmother.  I love it!!

 After Christmas, we dropped the kids off with my in laws, and came back to Waco to help Bryon set up his new practice!  After 7 years of working for a big firm, he decided that it was time to work on his own again.  It was a great decision...more time for the family and Bryon has always preferred being his own boss.  I got to help him get his office up and running again, as well as lots of cleaning!  Having a few days alone has become one of my favorite post Christmas traditions!

 Then we got the kids right before New Year's Eve.  Mary Beth was ALL OVER the sparkling grape juice!  We are looking forward to a wonderful 2013!

December

Here are a few random photos from December before Christmas...

Our high school football team went up to 5A this year.  We weren't expecting to have such a great season this year, but went deep into the playoffs undefeated.  Here we are at Midlothian for their final playoff game.

 Mary Beth always finds a way to have fun at these events!

 Celebrating Dad and Thomas's b-day.

 Baby girl looking so grown up!

 Matthew's Christmas choir concert.

 My hair dresser retired!  I had been using her since I was pregnant with Thomas.  Found a new GUY to do my hair and I'm happy with the results!

 Mary Beth, aka Rapunzel, when she talks me in to straightening her hair.  What a chore!

 Mary Beth and Thomas (with Nana and Deedah) after their piano recital.

 Girls Baking Night!

 Mary Beth's Christmas party at school!  It was combined with pajama day.  Here she is making Christmas Pot Pourri.

 One of her best friends, Avery Anne.

 Avery Anne, Whitney, and MB having a ball in the back yard leaves!