Garrett All Stars

This year Garrett was invited to play on the Bel Passi All-Star team, which would be coached by the same coach he had this year during the regular season, Nick.  We were overjoyed to find that he would be playing with Drew, Dillion, and Jace.  The team performed admirably in the Ceres tournament where they would play some of the best teams in Northern California.  Joy's family was around during the time of the tournament.  When the second tournament came around the Bel Passi American league 13-14 U team came out on top, defeating the National league All-stars 15-2.  One of the craziest stories was the food clearout giveaway at the championship game in the tournament.  Free tri-tip sandwiches, free sunflower seeds, free Gatorades, and free candy!  Bryce and Griffin want Garrett in All-Stars next year.     

Timing the new pitcher.  

Ready and standing by

The cousins were able to witness our victory over Waterford

Drew and Garrett

Garrett and Dillion

CHAMPIONS !!!

The Bel Passi All-Star teams battled with the AL victorious.

The medal ceremony 

The final huddle 

Shaking coach's hands 

Here's the pitch...

From tallest to shortest

Teammates from T-ball to 13-14 All-stars  

Bryce and Griff hung out with Caleb during the tournament 

Home Remodel Finishing Touches

Our contractor was done with all of his stuff, but we were waiting on the final stuff from our carpenters for an extra 4-8 weeks.  In the end, it was worth the wait as we love everything they did.  The last pieces were the bar table behind the couch, the cabinet doors at the end of the hall, the barn doors separating the school/office room, and the barn door over the TV area.  There were some final tweaks to get the doors to slide well and stay on track, but we are officially done!

The bar table behind the couches so we can eat and watch TV without getting food on the couches.

The bar table also added the possibility of having more people fit for a home group or watching a sporting event.

The barn doors added to enclose the TV, so we can pretend we don't have one sometimes.

Our new living room with the expansion walkway behind it to the new part of the house.

New master bathroom with jacuzzi tub and shower behind.

The change in our dining room:  reorientation of the kitchen table, easier to expand, more open, shelving and china hutch moved to the walls.

The kids are going through things to give away, but Joy would want you to see the new mantle over the fireplace.

New end of hall closet doors, which have since then been painted too.  These match the theme on the barn doors in the living room.

Summer Family Birthday Party

We have the opportunity to host the summer birthday party for Brett's family when we celebrate James, Poppy, and Bryce's birthdays.  It came at a great time because we were finally done with our home project and so able to use the space for the party.

Not sure where we found this cartoon character plate for Poppy, but he loved it.

Birthday boys ready to dig into the cake...

...after blowing out the candles.

Making their wishes before blowing out the candles.

Presenting Poppy with the shirt that Brett had Dave Stewart sign for him.

Bryce enjoys the attention as he opens his Scout Walker from his cousins.

Bryce reads his card from Grammy and Poppy.

Some amazing appetizers await.

Bryce's 11th Birthday

After celebrating the rest of his family's it was finally Bryce's turn.  For his birthday Bryce requested to have donuts in the morning followed by a whiffle ball game.  The game turned out to be a 17-16 kid victory over the parents.  Then Bryce opened presents received calls from family members.  Also that day Garrett had baseball practice.  We planned to go bowling but we still have not done it.  For dessert, we had Triple Berry Ice cream pie chocolate and m and m supreme.  It was amazing.         

My 9 plus 2 birthday cake

I can't wait to share this cake with my brothers 

\Bring that chocolate syrup over here  

Thanks Aunt Jeanette for this amazing song card

Thanks guys 

The Tantive IV.  We are definitely going to defeat Adrian now 

Garrett and Griffin's Han Solo and Chewbacca card 

My tower of presents 

Ready for the whiffle ball game 

And here's the pitch...

Our birthday tradition 

Bass Lake and Yosemite

Having escaped to Bass Lake to a very large house with enough bedrooms for all of us and one to spare, we settled in for a few days of fun.  We would alternate days at the cabin and the lake with days in Yosemite National Park.  The first day we took our inflatable boat out on the lake and scoped out the place for the 4th.  Then we took a long day trip into Yosemite, hitting Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, and the Yosemite Valley.  The next day, we lazily got up and made our way back to Bass Lake for a day of games on land and water before witnessing the fireworks over the lake on the 4th.  We wrapped up our time with a hike in the Mariposa Grove in the Wawona area of Yosemite.

Alecia and Matt investigate the spacious kitchen.

Brett prepares to launch the first rafting adventure of the day which included Kaleb, Griffin, Garrett, and Bryce.

Are we preparing to battle on these rocks?  "What is that above my head?" asks Griffin...a snowball?

When you don't have a motor, you acquire some strong kickers...

Kaleb blasted a double in our whiffleball game and is safe before the tag.

Dad, you are kinda weighing down the front of the boat...that is not very aerodynamic.

Logan jumped out of the boat midway across the lake and swam all the way back with Kaarli.

The boy cousins gather by one of the sequoia redwood cross sections.

Running races while Uncle Aaron conducted his work meeting at the only spot with some WiFi access in Yosemite Park.

Sofia wondered where the rest of her cousins were...but she'll enjoy the solo attention for now.

Now I am with all the cousins!

Starting the Sentinel Dome hike...Kaleb had to be hoisted into position.

Sofia liked her perch on Uncle Matt's back.

Loving the brothers with Half Dome in the back.

Cousins on top of Sentinel Dome...nice clear day, just weeks before the fires would hit.

Family pose on top of the rock.

Griffin is rock climbing.

Updating our picture gallery with a revisit to Half Dome.

The Dads motivate the crew to continue on.

The beautiful granite face of Half Dome.

The whole crew:  Joy, Brett, Alecia, Matt, Sofia, Griffin, Kaarli, Kaleb, Aaron, Logan, Garrett, Bryce.

Can you see the people on top of Half Dome?

Ascending to the base of Bridalveil Falls...not possible when the water flow is more.

The ascension team:  Bryce, Griffin, Garrett, Brett, and Aaron.

At the base of  Yosemite Falls...longer walk to get here than originally promised.

Walking as  a family...into adventure.

The whole crew in front of Yosemite Falls perfectly framed by the trees.

The kid table...

Watching some World Cup Soccer and recovering from a day of hiking.

Garrett and Sofia hang out at Bass Lake.

Our 4th of July beach day set up.

Fireworks over the Lake!

That is a lot of roots to a huge tree...we look tiny compared to it.

These benches are made so we can look up at the true height of the sequoia redwoods.

Tallest living things on the planet: redwood trees

Taking a picture on the edge of a rock cliff, that from here doesn't look nearly as scary.