The Barnes Family

Camping Pictures

2011-12-21T09:39:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures of our camping trip over Thanksgiving.Whitney was ok with the camping part but hated putting on all the layers. She didn't care how cold it was she didn't want to wear all the clothes. My sister bought each of my daughters a pair of gloves and matching hat when they were each born. Whitney is the only one that was able to wear all of them.
Whitney trying to eat Austin's hot dog.

William showing off his elk "bone" (antlers)

Posing for pictures.

This is how we got Whitney to sleep. We would take her for a walk in her stroller. At this time she liked to go to sleep in her swing but we didn't have room to pack it so this was the next best thing.

I Little Understanding

2011-11-30T09:51:00.002-07:00

I now know why the pioneers were able to settle places like St. George or Mesa with out Air Conditioning.

The kids and I decided to tag-a-long on Lyle's Elk hunt this year. It was over the Thanksgiving holiday so I knew that it would be colder than the other times that we have gone camping. We packed layers of clothes but we still froze.

Just like the pioneers, I NEVER want to be that cold again. The wind would blow and it felt like it went right through your jacket. I can't imagine having to cross a frozen river or be run out of your house in the middle of a snow storm. I do know how cold I was and how cold the baby was. At one point Jared's lips were blue.

We do have some help. A while back Lyle's mom offered for us to buy her pop-up trailer from her. We took her up on the offer and have gone camping in the trailer a couple of times. I would not have gone with Lyle if we did not have it. It has a heater in it and we would turn it on and run it a couple of cycles before turning it off for the night. Then in the morning we would turn it on before anyone got ready and run it so that the trailer was warm to get dress in.

When Lyle and I go camping he does all the cooking while I get the little kids ready for the day and keep them warm. Because we were tagging along Lyle would leave camp early and not come back until after lunch for a quick sandwich and then be gone again until after dark. Austin really stepped up and would start the water for hot chocolate and get the fire going. Josie would also hold Whitney so I could make the meals. Friday morning I was making breakfast and William was so cold he was crying at my side. I told him to go see Joey so she could get him warm but he just wanted me. I informed him I was making breakfast and couldn't pick him up. After a couple of minutes he turned to me and said. "Mom, you need to make me happy!" I couldn't help but laugh.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T09:46:00.002-07:00

For Halloween this year we went to our church's trunk-or-treat party. Jared went as his Grandpa Sauls (complete with the Mt. Dew)
Austin was an army guy.

Josie went as a witch.

Whitney was a pumpkin.

Anna was a cheerleader.

William was Bob the Builder.

Helping Dad

2011-11-04T09:39:00.002-07:00

Having an old truck means that Lyle does a lot of the work himself. Before we had kids I would be out helping him by holding the light or handing him tools. The whole time I would be helping him I would be thinking about everything that needs to be done inside the house. After I had the kids I told him that they are his help. The kids are finally starting to get old enough to help. Austin hates getting dirty and would rather not work on the truck.

Josie is to busy with school work to help, so packing the bearings fell to Jared. He LOVED to get in there and get his hands dirty. Lyle said he did a good job.

Growing Little Girl

2011-11-04T09:32:00.002-07:00

Whitney is getting so big! I keep forgetting how big they get so fast. Yesterday she rolled all over my family room but ended up under my chair many times. Don't you wish you could be this flexible?
This is her favorite place to be while I am cooking dinner. It is a Johnny Jumper that she jumps in and spins around. Her legs start pumping before we can get her in it!

10 Years Old! Already!

2011-11-04T09:25:00.002-07:00

Jared turned 10 this year. He has really grown up the last year. He has worked hard in school this year. I do not need to remind him to do ALL of his homework and he has studied so well he got Honor Roll this last quarter.

As his birthday was approaching he asked if I could just give him money that he could put toward buying himself a DS, just like Austin did. Lyle and I thought that he has done so well that we got him a DS light for his birthday. He is one HAPPY boy!

When we went to get his cake they only had a Halloween cake left so he had them take off the plastic "Happy Halloween" and replace it with "Happy Birthday Jared". He had them leave the ghosts and skeletons on, he thought the were cool.

Josie is 12!

2011-11-04T09:16:00.002-07:00

Josie turned 12 this year! She has started Young Woman's and is already passing things off in her Personal Progress book.

The kids are getting older now so I let them pick what they want for dessert. Lyle always gets pumpkin pie for his birthday and I like ice cream sundaes. Josie decided to have Key lime pie. It was very yummy and no one complained about he change.

Josie also wanted to ride a horse for her birthday. She did this a couple of years ago for her birthday but we had a rough time getting with Lyle's boss to have her ride his horse. Since that time my BFF moved to and back from Idaho and got horses. I got with her and Josie enjoyed riding the horses by herself.

She also wanted a volleyball. I guess it is the new thing at the school. I think she had a great birthday.

He Will Not Do That Again

2011-10-05T12:23:00.002-07:00

I was making lunch for the kids and William was "helping". After taking the pot off the stove top I turned around to put it on the counter top. William decided to make a drum out of the stove top. (The one time I forgot to remind him that is was hot) He starting SCREAMING right away (you would too, just look at the pictures). It took me over a hour to calm him down.

I ran his hand under cold water for about 10 minutes and then wrapped it in gauze and a wet paper towel until Lyle got home from work. When Lyle took him to the pharmacy the pharmacies told us to take him to the ER. She obviously doesn't have kids, has GREAT insurance, and/or has never been to girls camp. We just kept it wrapped for about 5 days and changed the gauze 2 times a day. (These pictures were taken the morning after he did it)

These pictures are taken a week later. The human body is so AMAZING! He is healing great and enjoys picking off the dead skin (it is defiantly feeling better).

What is really funny is that now when I take something off the stove top or out of the oven he leaves the room. Lesson learned I guess.

Canned Peaches

2011-10-05T12:15:00.002-07:00

So a couple of weeks after canning pears for the first time I tried my hand at canning peaches. Both were about the same for canning and easier than I thought they would be. I ended up canning 30 quarts of peaches!

I love feeling like I am helping the family and that I know that I can do it. The peaches and pears all look so pretty sitting next to each other on my shelves just waiting to be eaten.

Another plus side is that the kids are eating more fruit. They always ask if this was the fruit that I canned.

Canning for Dummies

2011-09-22T10:28:00.002-07:00

I have never canned a day in my life. I don't remember ever seeing my Mom can. I decided that I would try my hand at canning. While I was waiting for the peaches to come in a friend had a problem with the storage of some pears. She knew that I wanted to can so she offered them to me. After asking her a ton of questions, asking my sister-in-law more questions, and researching on You Tube I was ready to go.I was able to make 12 quarts and they turned out great! I can't wait for the peaches next week.
I think I did a good job for my first time. We will be eating some tonight for dinner.

Jareds Glasses

2011-09-22T10:14:00.002-07:00

Jared is REALLY hard on his glasses. On Sundays during church I will do some adjustments and cleaning of his glasses. When we went in this year to get new glasses I asked them to adjust his old ones. While she was adjusting them the broke in two. She told me that if I payed for new lenses she would replace the frames.

It was a good investment at he broke his new glasses (see picture) a couple of weeks ago and had to wear the ones that broke in the doctors office and we bought new lenses for.

I just hope that these will last until we can get him into the doctor at the beginning of the year. Thank goodness Lyle's insurance cover new glasses (frames and lenses) every year!

Another Thumb Sucker

2011-09-22T10:09:00.002-07:00

Both Jared and William were thumb suckers. Jared stopped about the time he started school but William is still sucking his thumb.

The other day I took these pictures of Whitney. She does this at night and keeps herself asleep throughout the night.

At least I will save money and not need to buy pacifiers.

First Day of School 2011-2012

2011-09-22T09:59:00.002-07:00

I know that I am a month late but here are the pictures of my Elementary School kids heading off to their first day of school. Even thought William did not start school he wanted his picture taken also.

All About Austin

2011-09-22T09:49:00.002-07:00

Austin turned 14 this year. He is getting taller and his voice is changing. He will go up to people that we know and see if he is taller than them yet. He is VERY close to passing me up.

This year he joined swim team. He has not fat on him so he is getting more defined muscles and tan.

This is a picture of my WHITE arm against his back.He also joined JROTC. Don't tell my brother that he was very upset that it was

the Navy JROTC and he wanted the Air Force. Got to LOVE a guy in uniform.
Spirit day at school. "Nerd Day". He is really enjoying High School life.

Young Woman Cupcakes

2011-09-08T09:16:00.003-07:00

Last March I found this recipe in my "Family Fun" magazine. I thought they looked cool but also realized that they had all the Young Woman Value colors in them. I kept the recipe knowing that I would make them for the Young Woman for Birthday Sunday (The one Sunday a month that we celebrate all the Young Woman's birthdays for the month).

We started planning this years Young Woman in Excellence (This is the opportunity for the girls to showcase what they have been doing in their Personal Progress Books for the last year), and I was put in charge of refreshments. I knew I had to make these cupcakes.

They were a little more time consuming than I thought they would be but they turned out so cute. I topped them off with Cool Whip and gold sugar crystals.

I Want to Feed Her Too.

2011-09-01T10:39:00.002-07:00

When I got home from the hospital with Whitney William watched me nurse her. The way he was looking at me I though, "How am I going to inform him that he can't eat the same way?" I found out soon enough that HE wanted to nurse Whitney. He would lift up his shirt and say, "I want to feed her." We gave him the chance just to see what he would do.

We all had a good laugh at him trying to feed his sister.

He's ask to taste my mommies milk so one time while I was pumping I let him taste some. He has not asked since.

He is such a good helper with her. He also is a great "Big Brother". When he wants to do something on his own he will tell us, "I do it! I a big brother!" We've had many spills of milk and lemonade to clean up but I am very happy that he is doing it on his own.

Whitney's Blessing

2011-08-11T09:25:00.002-07:00

Whitney was blessed on Sunday, August 7, 2011. My sister-in-law made her blessing dress. When I told my sister-in-law that Lyle and I were expecting a girl the first thing out of her mouth was "I am going to make her blessing dress!" Then she congratulated us. It is a beautiful dress and she looked very cute in it. This picture was taken a month ago but on the day of the blessing I took the dress with us and put it on her right before church started. She kept it on and didn't scream through her blessing (shocking) but as soon as Lyle gave her back to me she WAILED! I took her outside and took the dress off. She was hot. She didn't put the dress back on. I think this Sunday I will put it back on her and take a picture with Lyle holding her and then with both of us and act like they were all taken on the same day.

I took her to the doctor on Tuesday and she now weights 11 lbs 12 oz and is 24 inches long. I am try to figure out were my baby went.

William is 3

2011-07-19T17:16:00.002-07:00

My baby boy is 3 years old. This little man is very opinionated and will let you know what he wants and what he doesn't want. He has an obsession with the Disney movie Cars. Lyle took him to see Cars 2 for his birthday and he got a new cars scooter for his b-day.

This little boy is getting so big.

Whitney, One month old

2011-07-19T17:11:00.002-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flies. Whitney is already one month old!At her one month appointment she weighted 9lb 12oz and was 22 inches long.
She is such a joy to our family.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-07-19T16:58:00.002-07:00

If remember earlier that for Valentines Day my husband installed one of the toilets that we gave each other for Christmas into the kids bathroom. For my Birthday he installed one into our bathroom and updated the flooring.

He decided to try his had and laying the tile on the angle. It took longer but I think it turned out GREAT.

I am very blessed to have a husband that is so talented.

(These are the before pictures)

Our Newest Addition

2011-07-06T11:32:00.002-07:00

Whitney LeeRetta Barnes was born on Monday, June 6, 2011.

She weighted 6lb 7oz and was 21 inches long.

Everything went well with the delivery and she is a welcome addition to our family.

Anna turns 7

2011-07-06T11:22:00.002-07:00

Anna turned 7 this year. Her Dad and brothers went on the Fathers and Sons outing on her birthday so we had a big "Girls Weekend". This including picking Josie and Anna up from school (the last day, which was a half day). We went to Sonic for lunch and Cold Stone for dessert. We then rented a movie that Anna picked out and came home to watch it. We then went to ATS's Promotion Ceremony as I was PTO President this year and had to present the scholarships. We then went to Big Apple for Dinner. In the morning we got up and had Duncan Donuts for breakfast and attended my Sister-in-Law's baby shower. On our way home we stopped at the store and Anna picked out her cake and ice cream.

I had a coupon for a Bashes cake so she was very happy with her CareBear cake. After the boy's got home (and cleaned up) we celebrated her B-day. I think she had a good Birthday.

Austin's Promotion

2011-07-06T11:16:00.002-07:00

Austin is DONE with Barcelona Middle School! I do not know who is happier, Austin or myself.He is getting his diploma from the principle, Tyson Kelly.
Coming out of the band room to walk across the "stage" to get his diploma.

I promised him I would buy him a suit for his promotion. He's wore the suit every Sunday since we got it.

Congratulations Austin! Only 4 more years and you start paying for your education.

Anna is now a Brownie

2011-07-06T11:10:00.002-07:00

Anna "Bridged" from a Daisy Scout to a Brownie Scout this year. She is so happy that she will be able to sell cookies at the store like her big sister.

I still can't believe that she is going into 2nd grade already. I am so proud of her!

My Valentines Day Gift

2011-07-06T10:55:00.002-07:00

For Christmas 2 years ago Lyle and I bought each other toilets. Yes, I know, very romantic. They were on sale for a good price, we needed them and Lyle used part of his bonus to get them. As we have four toilets in the house we couldn't pass up this deal.

So this year for Valentines day we bought new tile for the kids bathroom and Lyle replaced the toilet and the tile.

As you can see the tile was coming up and needed replaced.

We had already replaced one toilet in the downstairs bathroom as it was leaking. So we only have two more to go.

I will say it again: Home ownership is so much fun! Look at the great gifts you get.

Smarty Pants

2011-05-25T15:01:00.002-07:00

Josie has really tried hard this year and it payed off. She made Principals Honor roll 3 of the 4 quarters and Honor roll for one of the quarters. Her school has a night just for kids like her and they get a trophy and a certificate. She has gone every year since 1st grade.

I am so proud of her and all the hard work she has done. This is her with her teacher this year.

Rollero

2011-05-11T08:59:00.002-07:00

The kids school has two community building activities every school year. This year I was in charge of the Rollero event. (Rollero is a local skating rink) The kids had a great time and I loved reminiscing as this is the skating rink I went to as a kid. First time on skates and he just wants to play the video game. Of course it is the one with the gun. Like father like son.

Jared getting use to his skates

Joey doing her thing

Last year the event was held at Great Skate. Anna went around one time and put her shoes back on. This year she stayed in her skates all night and had fun.

William found it was easier to crawl on the floor than try to skate, but when I tried to take his skates off he was not happy.

P.S. Austin went with us also. I don't know why I don't have any pictures of him.

Austin's DS

2011-05-10T08:49:00.003-07:00

Every year for Christmas Austin has on his list a DS. We did not want to get him one but told him he could save up his money and get one on is own.

For his birthday he asked for the money so he could save up for a DS. He was able to save $ 100.00 due to odd jobs, birthday, and mowing lawns. He walked up to Game Stop and didn't have enough money to buy the DS with tax.

He got home very disappointed. We went to Game Stop's web site and they were selling them for $ 70.00 plus shipping. We bought it and he paid the extra to have is shipped overnight!

It came in on a Wednesday, he bought a game on Thursday, stayed up all night playing his game and got the DS taken away on Friday. He finally got it back about a week ago and I haven't seen him since.

I am very proud of him being able to save his money for something he wants and I only have to yell at him two or three times before he gets off and does his chores. (lol)

Fresh Rolls

2011-04-14T09:02:00.002-07:00

I LOVE Rhodes Rolls. They are so easy to put in a pan in the morning before going to church and they popping them in the oven when we get home. Yummy, hot rolls! When I run short on time I've made them for family functions over the holidays.

I bought my mixer about a year ago and decided to see if I could make the rolls by making the dough (I only know how to make over 100 rolls at a time) and freezing half the dough right before the final rising process. (I bake the other 1/2) They have turned out great!

After some lazy days I have not made rolls in awhile so I had a coupon for Rhodes rolls and bought them. I still had 5 rolls left from the last batch I made so I decided to see how mine did compared to the Rhodes.

I found, as you can see, that mine look almost the same going in but they rise and bake quicker. They are both still yummy but if your kids are like mine, the big rolls went first.

The Joys of Owning a Home

2011-04-13T10:32:00.003-07:00

A couple of months ago I noticed that a spot in our yard was not drying out. I took me about a month to remember to tell Lyle about it. We waiting about another month until we did something about it.

Lyle had the boys help dig up the ground and then they had to break the concrete because the pipe, of course, was broken under the walkway.

The next day we had rain and Lyle had to wait for the ground to dry out before he could do anything else. We also had to get buckets and buckets of water out of the hole.

This is the fixed pipe. It will be interesting to see my water bill next month to see if there is any difference because Lyle also fixed a dripping pipe out in the back yard about a week later.

What country would you like to visit and why?

2011-03-23T09:51:00.003-07:00

I would love to visit Ecuador because that is were Lyle went on his mission. He has told me that he would not take me to many of the places he served because we are not on the Lords mission and will not have the protection that he had. After he came home they built a Temple there and we would love to go and see it.

Lyle and I have talked about going to all the Temples after we retire. We thought it would be fun to do.

High School here we come.

2011-02-23T09:04:00.002-07:00

I just found out last night that Austin got accepted into Apollo High School! High schools are limited and this one is a good one that has a lot of LDS students. It is only two miles away, but we are out of the district so I had to get a variance. They called last night and said that he was accepted! We meet with the Dean next Friday. I was really happy because my back-up was Metro Tech, and I really didn't want him going there. BTW: I can't believe I have a child old enough for High School!

Updates

2011-02-17T10:12:00.002-07:00

Due to Austin breaking my camera right before Christmas I have been camera less until Christmas Eve, when Lyle bought one for me for Christmas. I just recently found out how to get the pictures off the camera. The following are thing that have happened to us in the last couple of months.I told Lyle that I wanted a box of chocolates for Valentines Day. He didn't get home until around 9 pm the evening of Valentines Day but had this tucked under his arm. I have been slowly working my way through the box and am very surprised that the kids have not asked for some.
The Glendale Stake has Youth Olympics every year and this was the first year Austin was able to participate. He didn't do to well during the sports parts but won first place with his pumpkin roll. He was very happy!

Jared's cub scouts had a Pine Wood derby race in which he took second place. He is showing my his "Drivers License"

On a sadder note, we had to put our dog Duke down about 10 days ago. He had been put on medication because of a rash and we don't know if it was the medication or the rash but he started to get more aggressive over the last couple of months. With the baby coming we knew that this was not good and could not take any chances of him attacking anyone. It was a sad couple of days afterward but the kids took it very well.

What is your Favorite Poem & Why

2011-02-02T09:49:00.002-07:00

I don't really have a "favorite" poem but there are some that bring back memories. Some that I made myself, some that are put to music, and others that I just remember for the stories.

When I was in 8th grade we had to memorize a poem that was at least a certain number of lines long. I looked through a book and found and memorized the following poem:

Lazy

lazy

Jane.

She

wants

drink

water

she

waits

and

waits

and

waits

and

waits

and

waits

for

rain.

It met the requirements and I don't remember my grade, but I am sure it was not good.

I also LOVE the Hymn "I Believe in Christ", and there are many that I have made-up myself that were either for YW lessons or something I was going through at the time.

Big News

2011-01-20T09:21:00.002-07:00

Austin is 14 years old today. The time goes so fast. He has been helping out so much around the house because I have been sick for the last two weeks. He is very excited about starting High School next year.

We also found out that we are having a Girl in June. Now to get everything ready. We have 20 weeks.

What Do You Do If You Have Time To Yourself?

2011-01-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

When I do get time to myself and will read a book, take a nap, or watch something I want to on the TV. I might take myself to lunch or to a movie. I had someone ask me if I was embarrassed to sit by myself for lunch and I told them "NO WAY!" I do not have to worry about drinks being spilt, the behavior of anyone but myself, and I usually bring a book to read. I love taking myself to lunch!

What was your First Paying Job?

2011-01-20T09:13:00.002-07:00

If you do not count babysitting or newspaper routs my first job once I turned 16 was Jack-in-the-Box. My BFF's mother worked there and she got us both a job there. I started at the beginning of April and quite around Christmas time. My first day on the job I broke a $ 100.00 coffee pot warmer. I thought I was going to get fired right there and then.

What is your Favorite Fair Tail?

2011-01-20T09:09:00.002-07:00

My favorite fair tail has to be Cinderella, but not the "Cinderella" but all the shows that are like it. I love "Ever After" and the Hillary Duff/Chad Michael Murry one. I just love the spin offs that are the story of Cinderella but with a twist.

Two Blog Questions in One.

2011-01-06T08:46:00.005-07:00

Due to the Winter Break and Christmas and everything else I missed two blog questions. Here is my make-up:

The first blog challenge question is, What is Your Conversion (in the LDS Church) Story? I grew up in the LDS religion and I don't have a "moment" when I KNEW the church was true. I went to church as a child because all of my friends were doing it. As a teenager I went so that I could socialize with my friends. When I turned 18 I was trying to decide between following some of my friends down the path that looked really fun or get more serious about my church attendance. This was luckily about the time I met Lyle and he helped steer me in the right direction. So I have to say that I have always been converted but sometimes more than others.

The second blog challenge question is, How Does Color play a roll in your life? I have never thought about color having a big roll in my life, but I guess if I was color blind or blind I would miss the colors. I know that I am in a better mood when I am around some colors than others. I enjoy driving through Oak Creek Canyon during the Fall and after a good snow storm all that snow looks cool but can get tiresome looking at all that white. In the spring I love to see the desert in bloom, and I really enjoyed the drive back east 18 months ago and seeing all that green during the summer.

What is Your Favorite Grown-up Christmas Memory

2010-12-10T09:43:00.003-07:00

This one is easy for me. Six years ago we bought the house that we are currently in. Moving day was Christmas Eve. We did not even decorate the house knowing that we would just be taking it down. We had a good turn-out of people to help us move and we were out of the old house by 10 am. By noon all the beds were set-up in the new house. By the time we got settled, it was time to get ready for Lyle's family Christmas party and by the time that was over we were so exhausted and just fell into bed.

Santa left a note for the kids stating the because he had to find us we had to find our gifts. We looked for the gifts, found them, and brought them back up to Lyle and I bed to open them. I love all of us on the bed opening gifts and having a good time.

Lyle then took us to Denny's for breakfast. It was one of the best Christmas'.

What is your Favorite Christmas Movie?

2010-12-08T10:23:00.003-07:00

Confession time: I LOVE watching any and all Christmas Movies. They are all inspiring and sometimes a tear jurker. I like this time of year because almost every channel has some movie about Christmas on. So I don't have ONE favorite.

What is Your Favorite Holiday Tradition and Why?

2010-11-30T09:41:00.002-07:00

My favorite holiday tradition is getting together with the family. Every time we are planning the get together we talk about playing cards or other games but more times then not we just talk the day away while the kids play.

I LOVE getting together on the holidays wither it be with just my husband and kids or with my parents and siblings or my in-laws. Family always makes the holidays.

What is Your Favorite Day of the Week and Why?

2010-11-17T14:05:00.002-07:00

Question for this week. My favorite day of the week is Sunday. Not because I get to fight with all my kids during Sacrament Meeting or that Lyle doesn't get home until after 3pm. I enjoy Sunday because when everyone finally does get home from church we usually don't have anywhere to go and we are able to spend time as a family. It is very rare for Lyle to work on Sunday and we spend the time watching a movie and eating popcorn. I have a picture of every one of my children sharing a bowl of popcorn with their dad. He starts them young by eating the rough part and giving them the soft part to gum when then are just a couple of months old. The kids look forward to this every week.

What was your Favorite book to read as a child?

2010-11-13T07:53:00.003-07:00

Some friends and I are doing a little journal writing on our blogs. One of us asks a question and everyone else needs to reply on their blogs.

The question this week is "What was your favorite book to read as a child?" I was a HUGE Judy Blume fan. Any and all of her books I would read. When I was smaller I loved "The Monster at the End of This Book" I still enjoy reading that book to my own kids. Its so cute to hear William say "You turned another page!"

September 11th

2010-10-27T08:56:00.002-07:00

On September 11th Lyle and I took the kids to a National Guard street fair by Deer Valley Airport. One of the guys that Lyle worked with is in the National Guard and invited us.

The kids had fun playing on the Helicopter and riding in the fake boat. It was a great trip for the family.

Our Little Campaign Manager

2010-10-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

Josie was a campaign manager for one of her friends during Student Council elections. This was the poster that she put together. I thought she did a good job. I like the voting booth in the first picture.

What the HAIL!

2010-10-13T09:42:00.002-07:00

Arizona got not just one but two weird hail storms in a 5 hour time. The first one came at 12:30 pm and had pea size hail, but a lot of it. The second storm came at 5 pm and had golf ball size hail. This one did the most damage. My older kids were still on the bus and I was very happy when they finally made it home. We didn't get too much damage other than one window on the house, both passenger side mirrors on both cars, some running lights on Lyle's truck, and our ADT sign.

This is a picture of the first storm. I scooped up some hail to show the kids later, but they were able to witness it first hand on the way home from school.

It caused a lot of damage to a lot of people but I still enjoyed the storm.

Time Out!

2010-10-05T09:13:00.002-07:00

Anna was using a box for a table to take notes during Conference. William decided to sit on the box and fell through. After calming him down he picked-up the box, told it that it was "a bad boy" and "Time Out!" He then picked it up and set it in our time-out place. Then he came to me and told me, "Box, bad boy. Time out!" After a couple of minutes he went back and took it out of time out.

I can aways count on William to give me laughs!

Like Father, Like Son

2010-09-24T09:04:00.002-07:00

When Lyle was about 1 year old he cracked his collar bone crawling out of his crib. About 1 week later he took his walker off of the stairs and finished breaking it. Then when he was 13 he broke it again. Well Lyle Jr, aka: William, broke his last night.

Anna thought is would be a good idea to take the rolled up sleeping bag that Austin was taking camping and have her hold one end, William hold the other end, and have her 6 year old friend jump on it. Needless to say William was spun around and landed on his shoulder. I knew something was wrong when he cried for about 25 minutes. Then he wouldn't reach for any toys. I called Lyle and he was on his way home.

Lyle got home and off to Goodnight Pediatrics we went. He has to wear a brace that looks like a backpack without the bag part that pulls his shoulders back. When we were loading him up in the car afterwards he told us "Backpack off". We just had to laugh.

Lyle and I made a date out of it and took him to Johnny Rockets for dinner. It's my own fault this hap pended because I was telling Lyle that morning that this was the first night we didn't have meetings or anywhere to go.

Fun Ride at the Barnes Home

2010-09-23T08:54:00.002-07:00

William found the time honored ride of his older brother leg! Austin will get home from school and William will hop right on.

Austin is such a good big brother that he lets him do it day after day.

Couldn't ask for better kids.

Elder Robert D. Hales

2010-09-22T09:11:00.002-07:00

We had the wonderful opportunity to have Elder Robert D. Hales come to our stake and speak to us. I was honored to be asked to sing in the choir. I have been singing alto because we have so few in our ward choir so I was a little bummed that he would be sitting on the other side of the stand than I was. Imagine my joy when he sat two rows in front of me! I could have leaned forward and touch him! He gave a great talk and I was motivated to go to the temple more often.

Even though we got there early Lyle and the kids had to sit in the overflow because everyone got there early. I thought that the kids would be able to see anything. Lyle said that when Elder Hales came in and everyone started quieting down and standing up even William felt a difference in the room. Austin was able to bet the rush and shook Elder Hales hand. He was even more exited because he asked him how you feel the spirit and he answered him! This was a MAJOR boost to Austin's spiritual health.

After it was over I just wanted to avoid the crowd but was stopped by everyone. Elder Hales turned to me and shook my hand. Elder Hales is all the kids talked about during dinner. What a great Sunday!

Teaching Austin

2010-09-17T09:14:00.002-07:00

Austin decided that he didn't have time for his laundry and let his whites sit in the dryer for 2 days. On Saturday I made him get them out and told him he would need to iron his shirt. (He started to hang it up telling me it looked ok) I had him get the iron and ironing board out and told him he would need to ask his dad to teach him how to iron.

Lyle is a much better ironer than I am thanks to his mom. After ironing the first shirt with him Lyle made him iron his second shirt by himself. He did a good job.

Now I have pictures that they can both iron.

Anna's Daisy Scout advancement

2010-09-08T10:15:00.003-07:00

I finally found out how to get the pictures off my phone (just had to go on-line to my account). These are pictures of Anna at her Daisy Scout Advancement from last year. She was so happy and proud of herself.

This is the last year as a Daisy Scout. She moves up to a Brownie next year.

When you need your cookies I can get them for you. Both Anna and Josie will be selling them this year.

D-Backs Game 2010

2010-09-08T10:09:00.003-07:00

As a lot of you already know, Lyle's Union gets D-Back tickets for the Union members on Labor Day. This is the third year we have gone and have enjoyed every one. This year William was old enough to really take everything in. His eye's were huge looking all around the stadium.This was after a lot of hard work to get him to sleep. I have the same picture of Lyle holding William asleep from all the games.
I try to take this picture every year too. The problem this year is that I remembered the camera but forgot to put the memory card in it. This would no be a problem because I always carry a back-up in my purse, but I left that at home also. These are the pictures from my cell phone. At least I got some pictures.

Loves the Rain

2010-09-02T08:30:00.003-07:00

Did you know that William LOVES water? It was raining the other day so Lyle let him go out and splash in the rain and run underneath were it was coming off the roof. He had a BLAST.
(I tried to upload the videos that we took but I am having a problem. I might try to upload them later.)

New Hair

2010-08-18T08:42:00.001-07:00

So I was inspired by my daughters and decided to cut my hair. Lyle had to work on Saturday and I thought that it would be the perfect day to do it. I took myself to lunch and went to a place that is right by my house. Other than the bangs being a little to short, I like it!

Havasupai

2010-08-15T09:26:00.002-07:00

This year Austin's scout troop hiked Havasupai. I have not been able to develop his pictures yet (he ran out the first day), but this one was printed up by his scout leaders (so its a picture of a picture).

He had a lot of fun, but ended up with HUGE blisters on his feet. One of which he broke open on a toy the night he got home and had to ware a sock on that foot for church the next day. I asked him if he would do it again and he said "NO!". I will ask again in a couple of months.

Can I borrow some money?

2010-08-15T09:19:00.002-07:00

At the last visit to the dentist he took x-rays. I was surprised at how many teeth were about to be evicted by adult teeth coming in. This was on all three middle children. The first round came to be on Friday when Anna lost one of her front teeth with the other one to follow soon. (school pictures are going to look wonderful)

Does anyone know where the tooth fairy can get a loan?

He is offical

2010-08-13T15:44:00.002-07:00

After cleaning our bedroom I finally put Lyle's certificates in there frames. He graduated in 2005 and I bought the frames shortly after that so it has only taken me 5 years to get all of it together. Lyle hung them up and after much shifting they are finally straight.

2010-2011 School Year

2010-08-13T15:32:00.002-07:00

The kids started school on Tuesday. They were so happy! (as was I) This was taken right before we walked out the door.My big 1st grader, Anna. She wore the same outfit to Meet the Teacher the Friday before. I think it is her favorite.
Jared starts 3rd grade this year. He is happy to be in the same class as all his friends this year. I don't think the teacher will know what to do.

Josie starts 5th grade this year. She is ready to get into the thick of things and learn more. I think she is also excited because she has to read for homework so she can have her face in a book and I will not bug her to do her chores around the house.

Big Man on Campus, Austin, starts 8th grade. When we went shoe shopping he is wearing the same size as his mom. He is always going up to people we know and checking on if he is taller then they are. About 6 more inches and he's got me beat.

I am looking forward to a great year. I know the kids are also.

We are OVER!

2010-08-09T10:58:00.002-07:00

After 15 years and 5 kids we are parting ways. Although there was support at first it has been lacking in the last couple of year. I can't relax and end up with a pain in my back! I am moving on to bigger and better things.

Lyle and I finally got a new bed! We went from a Queen size to a King size. We spent all morning cleaning our room and getting the room ready. Then in the afternoon we picked-up the bed (saving $ 60.00 in a delivery charge) and brought it home. After we moved the old bed downstairs and let the kids jump on it for the last couple of days. This is my 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. So far one has not fallen off.

It has been GREAT with the bigger bed, but Lyle and I still end up meeting in the middle.

Water, Water Everywhere

2010-08-09T10:51:00.002-07:00

William loves water. Always has. Even his first bath he sat calmly through and to this day would love to stay in for hours. When we go swimming he wants to jump in and just go (it's very scary). We went camping and it rained (which we all enjoyed). William took off his hood and let the rain fall on his head. Then he found that it would drip off the edge of the trailer faster so that's were he went.

You can just tell by his face how much fun he is having.

Happy 15th Anniversary

2010-07-22T08:36:00.005-07:00

Today is Lyle and I 15 year anniversary. I can't believe we have been married that long! I love this man so much. He goes to work everyday and works very hard so that I can stay home and take care of the kids, the house, and be involved in different organizations. He is my best friend and a wonderful support when I need it.

2 years old

2010-07-14T08:16:00.002-07:00

My little man turned 2 yesterday. I can't believe how time flies. The doctor asked me if he uses a spoon ok and I told him yes, but you can tell from this picture that he prefers not to use one.

We called everyone to come and get cake and ice cream. William did not wait for his brothers and sisters. He was patiently waiting with a big grin on his face.

This is the cake a picked up from Coscto. William loved dinosaurs and he wanted to eat his cake as soon as we picked it up from the refrigerator at Coscto. (Sorry its on its side, I couldn't flip it)

Going, Going, GONE!

2010-07-13T17:51:00.002-07:00

Josie decided to donate her hair again to locks-of-love. This will be her second time. I was so sad to see is go as I REALLY like her hair. I was going to have it cut right before school but both her and Anna couldn't wait.

I am shocked that I did an ok job on her hair, even with the tears in my eyes.

I'm proud of her decision to donate the hair.

She is such a big person for the decision that she made.

She loves the new look. Right before school we will go to a professional to fix the mess I made, but for now she is ok with how it looks.

Youth Museum

2010-07-12T10:37:00.002-07:00

I got a Culture pass for the Youth Museum. I thought it was the Children's Museum that is downtown. This was located in Mesa by the Temple. It was really cool. The kids didn't want to leave. I loved it because it gave them something to do and didn't cost anything but the gas to get us there. The girls doing an art project. They had different projects throughout the museum for the kids to do. Anna playing house. They had a kitchen with all the fake food and pots and pans and also a living room with books and couches.

The kids had a BLAST building these blocks up and crashing them down. I don't know if Austin had more fun or William or everyone in between.

This was right at the beginning. The kids wanted their pictures taken in the windows.

These are those sound things were you put your hand between the bars and it plays music. The boys enjoyed this part.

The also had art work and other musical instruments to play throughout the museum. There was also a special room just for drawing on the walls. I would defiantly do this again!

Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-07-10T10:57:00.002-07:00

I wanted something sweet but different one day. I was looking through my cookbook and found this recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. It turned out really good. Some of the kids only liked the meringue part and others the lemon part but there was nothing left after we were done.

It was yummy!

Cool Cupcakes

2010-06-28T07:54:00.002-07:00

I found this idea for cupcakes in the Family Fun Magazine. I thought I would make them for the Young Woman for Birthday Sunday (One Sunday a month that we celebrate every ones birthday. We do it even when none of the girls have a birthday that month because its someones birthday that month).

I thought they would be perfect because the theme for girls camp is VIP, Very Important Princess. The crowns are made from Laffy Taffy and kept melting on me.

This is a close of of the cupcakes

Some crowns that didn't make it.

The Young Woman thought they were so cute, but that didn't keep them from eating them up quickly.

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-06-16T09:50:00.002-07:00

Anna loved kindergarten this year. She loved learning to read, doing math, and socializing with her friends. She had the same teacher as Josie and Jared (and William, when the time comes). Anna with her diploma
Anna and the Teachers Assistant Mrs. Opal.

Anna and her Teacher Mr. Wray.

Anna's 6th Birthday

2010-06-15T14:39:00.002-07:00

Anna was very happy to have her birthday cake and ice cream. I think William enjoyed it more than anyone. A couple of days later I took her to the store to spend her money. She was so happy to be in charge of everything. Her brothers and sister were trying to get her to buy what they wanted. It was funny to watch her turn them down.

Kindergarten Awards

2010-06-04T08:46:00.002-07:00

Alhambra Tradition School held their Kindergarten Awards Ceremony about a week before school ended. Anna was so happy. She loved kindergarten and can't wait until school starts again. She got an award for reading more than 25 books and doing good in math. She is a social butterfly just like her sister and loves all her friends that she met this year.

The good thing about the school she attends is that the likelihood of her graduating from 8 grade with the same kids is high.

Disneyland

2010-05-10T16:02:00.002-07:00

I had the great opportunity to go to Disneyland with Austin and his class from band. This was Austin's first time at Disneyland and I haven't been in 16 years. (I know we live sheltered life's) All the schools in the district met at one school at 10 pm on Thursday and were back at 6:30 am on Saturday. There were a total of eight kids going from his school that went, four girls and four boys. That is how the band teacher split them up and I got the four boys. One of the girls in the group had a crush on one of the boys in my group and wanted us to stay together, so we did. This is the group.

This is Austin outside of The Indian Jones ride wearing his Indian Jones hat that he bought.

Austin sitting inside the A from the California sign, outside California Adventure.

Austin and I on the tram from the parking lot to the entrance of Disneyland.

Disneyland has gotten much smarter since I was there last. Almost all the rides had this little compartments on them to hold your purse of bags. I thought this was GREAT!

All in all Austin and I had a good time and were able to get a much deserved nap on Saturday.

Our Van

2010-04-29T10:05:00.002-07:00

We sold our Ford Expedition about 3 years ago as the payments were to much and we were able to get what we owed plus some more. We then bought a van, used, with payments that we could afford. We also got the extended warranty. The van was having some issues right off the bat. We were able to save money and a year later got it into the shop. We have had it in and out of the shop for the last year and a half. It has gotten to the point that my service guy and I are on first name basis and he calls me by my nick-name. I took it in AGAIN on Tuesday and on Wednesday got the call that they were going to put in a new engine! I'm really glad that we got the extended warranty as we only have to come up with $300.00 and the warranty will cover $ 6,300.00 for the engine. I hope and have been praying that this will fix the problem. The Barnes family is really tired of making van payments and also paying to have it fixed with money that we have been saving to fix the truck that we are not making payments on.

FYI

2010-04-22T09:18:00.002-07:00

Just to answer some questions that were asked of me on the Blog.

All the soaps lost 1 oz when we washed our hands. Do it didn't matter if it was the expensive stuff of the cheap stuff they all lasted the same.

The reason Lyle was unable to go to the airport with us was because it was Priesthood session of General Conference, Austin was upset not to go to the airport also, but I heard the session was worth it.

Great Skate

2010-04-22T09:08:00.004-07:00

The kids school has a Great Skate night at least once a year. We have missed the last three times because we had something else going on. We were finally able to go (The kids were so excited).

William is just a little two young put he had fun when we first got there putting on Anna's skates.

Here I am trying to hold Anna up while in skates myself. I am surprised we made it around.

Jared and Anna could not wait to get on the floor.

Anna went around twice and then got off the floor and took her skates off and put her shoes back on (I think it was her way of telling us she was DONE). Lyle ended up turning in her skates and getting some for himself.

All in all the kids had fun with out a lot of falling down. Austin was the only one that had been skating before. Lyle and I had not been for about 10 years.

World War II Fighter Plane

2010-04-15T08:58:00.002-07:00

Jared's scout troop took a trip to the Deer Valley Airport to see a World War II bomber and a training plane. The kids had tons of fun. Josie and Anna in the training plane
Josie posing after getting out of the plane

Josie helping William in the small walkway from the front of the plane to the back.

The bomber.

Did I mention how much I like Jared's scout troop. They have so many things that they do with him that we didn't get with Austin.

Bedtime???

2010-04-14T09:08:00.002-07:00

Once a month I take all the bedding off beds and wash it. It is easier to take it all off and pile by the laundry room and work my way through the pile. I was washing dishes and hearing William say "Night, Night." I thought this was weird because it was still early in the day. I turned around to this.

What a GREAT Big Brother

2010-04-13T10:15:00.003-07:00

One morning Josie came down and wanted me to braid her ponytail. I was in the middle of making breakfast and told her that I would when I was done. Next thing I know I look over and there is Austin braiding her hair for her. I didn't even know that he could braid. What a great big brother she has.

Science Fair Project

2010-03-04T09:24:00.004-07:00

Josie had to do a Science Fair Project this year for school. It was very family involved (Lyle sister even came over with her new toy to help with the display). Josie got 100% on the project but did not place in the Science Fair (All the kids that are 4-8 grade must participate). She is already think about next year.

Who know that soap would take on A LOT of water when they

are soaked in it. This was a bar of Dial.
The soaps expanded so much that we had to break the jars to get them out.

Soap build up on my hands after washing 6 bars of soap for

5 minutes each so see which one loses the most weight.Josie getting the soaps ready.

Part of the display.

Kids Pictures of our Trip

2010-02-19T08:50:00.002-07:00

I finally got around to developing the pictures that the kids took of our trip this last summer. I bought them all 35mm cameras because it was cheaper then buying digital. The down side to it is that you can't see the pictures until they are developed and you can't delete the ones you don't like. Costco also charged me $ 35.00 to put them on a disk (Which they did not tell me until I question the amount that I was to pay). These are some of the "winners" This picture is not that bad other than Anna used all 24 exposers at this one spot the second day into our trip
Anna again-I think she did a good job taking a picture of the block.

Josie trying to get a picture of the windmill while we are driving.

Extreme close-up of Austin's finger.

Great use of shadowing!??!

New Toys

2010-02-18T09:52:00.002-07:00

I am VERY exited to post photos of the new additions to our family. After many year of using my mom's Bosch I decided that when the tax return came in I was going to get my own as my mom was coming to get hers in March or June. I use it about every two weeks to make bread and much more during the holidays to make rolls so I knew I needed one of my own. This machine can make up to 6 loafs a bread or over 100 rolls at a time.

Did I tell you how much I LOVE this machine! I decided to get the chopper, food processor and blender attachments also. I can then get rid of all those extra appliances taking up room in my cabinets.

I am also trying to eat healthier and bought the wheat grinder. I have already played with it, but because I just bought 10lbs of wheat flour earlier I need to use it up before I can make my own.

Because I spent so much they threw in a 50lb bag of wheat.

So...when you start smelling bread, it's my house.

Anna's Valentine's Day Cards

2010-02-05T09:40:00.003-07:00

Anna's Daisy Scouts are having their Valentine's Day Party today. After going to the store 4 times in the last 3 days and forgetting to get her cards I decided we were going to make them. She loved making the cards. This is her putting the names on the cards
Close up of the card

All 21 of the cards that were made.

I think we might make all the cards this year.

Austin Birthday

2010-02-01T12:20:00.002-07:00

One of the things that Austin REALLY wanted this year for Christmas (besides a Nintendo DS-which I told he he was not getting) was the K'nex roller coaster. Well when Santa did the shopping they were all out of them. When his birthday came around I asked him if he wanted the money or the roller coaster. You can tell by the pictures what he got.

He had is set-up with in a hour and has been playing with it all weekend.

This was his cake from his birthday. He had to settle for it because I forgot to order it and Costco didn't have the one that he wanted.

It was still VERY yummy!

Austin is 13!!

2010-01-20T08:56:00.002-07:00

Austin is turning 13 TODAY! I can't believe that 13 years ago today I became a mommy! He can be a pain in the you know what but he is a GREAT help around the house and taking care of his younger siblings.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STINK! (he is going to hate that I posted his nick name)

No More Crib for Me Mom

2010-01-19T08:47:00.002-07:00

At 18 months I take my kids out of their cribs and put them into "Big Boy/Girl Beds". I decided to keep William in his crib until he was 2 years old. He thought other wise. I put him down for a nap yesterday and got on the computer to pay bills. About 10 minutes later he comes walking up to me. I went upstairs and asked which kid had gotten him out. It was the "not me" game. I finally decided that someone just didn't want to get in trouble. I put him into bed again and told all the kids not to get him out! He again joined me about 5 minutes later. I then put him back into his crib and this is what I saw:

He is my only child who has climbed out of his crib. I guess he didn't want to be in there anymore. He slept in his "Big Boy" bed last night and it went better that I thought it would.

Box Car Races

2010-01-16T15:45:00.003-07:00

Jared is involved in the Cub Scout program at his school. It is a good program and have the BEST Den leaders and Cub Master. They have many great activities that they do as a Den and Pack. This is there first year so they are trying to do almost everything to see what the boy's like and what doesn't go over to well.

This is the Box Car races. The Cub Scouts invited the Girl Scouts from the School so Josie got to join the fun.

This is Josie and Jared's box cars. Josie did her all by herself and did a pretty good job. Jared got his box done but I helped with the painting and lettering.

Each race consisted of three people and 4 pit stops. On the first stop the racers had to"Get their windshields washed" this meant that they had to get their sunglasses wet with a spray bottle and washed off. The second pit stop was "Change their oil" This involved sipping water and spitting it out three times. The third pit stop was "Changing the Tires" this involved taking off the racers shoes and turning their socks inside out and putting everything back on. The last pit stop was "Re-fueling", the race had to drink a cup of water. Then they raced around the track one more time.

We found that most racers with a mom as their pit crew won because mom's know how to take socks and shoes off quickly and put them back on.

The kids all had fun. Jared won 2nd place (Austin was his pit crew and the "tire change" is when he lost the lap that he was up) and Josie was 1st place (I was her pit crew)

The FRENCH BRAID

2010-01-15T09:28:00.003-07:00

Anna HATES for me to do her hair. She will let me make sure she has no tangles but will not let me do anything to it unless I talk her into it. Imagine my surprise when after taking a bath she wanted me to french braid her hair so that she would have wavy hair like Josie, in the morning. She has short hair so I didn't know how it would go, but if you look at her face you can answer that for yourself. This is the finished product. I think I did an ok job, but poor girl has hair like mine and the waves only lasted for about 1/2 the day. Oh well, she was happy to have the wavy hair.

Playing in Leaves

2010-01-14T09:14:00.002-07:00

Austin had to rake the leaves up and thought it would be fun to let his brother play in it. Josie they decided to take pictures. They had fun playing in the leaves and throwing them all over again. Austin didn't even complain about having to rake them again.

Close up of the leaves on William taken by Josie.

My oldest and youngest.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-13T08:46:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures of Christmas 2009.

LETS GO COYOTES!!!!

2009-12-29T15:15:00.002-07:00

Some friends of our invited the Lyle, the kids and I to the Coyotes game on the Monday before Christmas. The really had a good time (it also helps when the Coyotes win). We were in the nose bleed section which is PERFECT when you attend games with kids. William fell in love with Howler, the Coyotes' Mascot.

This is Anna eating Dippin' Dots. She told me "They taste like ice cream!"

The older kids got to sit in their own row about two rows below us. I think they loved the freedom.

Lyle and I went back the Saturday after Christmas with another group of friends. It was another great game (Coyotes won), and it was nice not to wrestle with the kids.

My Quiet Time

2009-12-28T09:11:00.002-07:00

After I drop the kids off at school and the bus the babies and I come home. I still have things to do before they go to bed so this is how I get them done: Both of them love to watch the Teletubbies, then they take a nap. This is the only way I was able to take a class online this last semester. What did people do before TV?!!

Wrangler Butts!

2009-12-26T11:09:00.002-07:00

For those of you who know my husband, know that he doesn't wear anything but Wranglers. My BFF gave me some Wrangler jeans that fit William, so I found some boots that Lyle's sister gave me when Austin was a baby and put them on William with the Wranglers. He looks so cute.

Little Baker

2009-12-25T19:04:00.002-07:00

For Anna's class holiday party they got to make cookies. The homeroom parent got all the kids matching bakers hats and aprons. Now when ever she helps in the kitchen she has to wear them. This is her getting the seeds and stuff out of a pumpkin so we can make fresh pumpkin for pies, muffins, breads, cookies, pumpkin rolls, and anything else that I want to try.

Sing-A-Longs

2009-12-24T14:39:00.003-07:00

Here are pictures of the kids during their sing-a-longs. Josie (glasses) and Jared's(glasses) pictures didn't turn out so good, but they were in the back and I couldn't get any closer. With Anna I was pretty close to the stage and she was in front (pink shirt). They all did a good job and knew all of their songs. They really enjoy singing. Austin had his band concert earlier that week but I forgot my camera. So I will not get mother of the year, but this will be the 12 year in a row-so I'm not so upset.

Christmas Gifts (CAUTION: back side exposed)

2009-12-23T10:38:00.003-07:00

Lyle and I this year decided to be practical in our gift giving this year. He got me two porcelain statues and I got him 2 porcelain commodes. (all four are pictured to the left of your screen) The down stairs toilet started to leak, and Lyle found a deal that he couldn't resist.

Lyle playing plumber.

This gift is one that we will appreciate all year long!

The Barnes Garden

2009-12-22T08:32:00.002-07:00

The Barnes Family decided to try to do a garden this year. I would like to say that it did great, but it did not. We need to find a better place to have it. Austin and Lyle tilling up the ground.

Our cheap labor getting the rocks out and the ground ready. The manure that we bought really had a BAD smell to it, and the kids did not want to help shovel it, not that it stopped us from making them help.

William and the Train

2009-12-21T16:40:00.002-07:00

Lyle added about 6 feet of track to our train this year (plus another car). Every time Lyle is near the train William is right there beside him. He really likes the train. Here he is being a tunnel for the train to go under.

As soon as Lyle walks in the door William says "Mama...Daddy... Choo Choo!" (Lyle is both mama and daddy).

One day I was doing dishes right after I took the kids to school and the babies were being too quiet. As I walked into the front room, William is standing by the train controls and has the train running in reverse, full blast. Some of the cars had already derailed but the engine was just pushing them along. He had flipped the switch to turn on the train and had started it up, after watching Lyle do it once!

We now unplug the train when we do not have it on. Lesson learned.

"Little Megan"

2009-12-20T18:17:00.002-07:00

Josie LOVES my niece Megan, who is about 5 years older than her. We call her "Little Megan" (we would call Megan "Little Katy, after my sister whom she idealized). When we go to family gatherings she always wants to know if Megan will be there. The last time we got together Megan was not there and Josie was very upset.

While we were getting ready to go to Thanksgiving dinner at my sisters Josie asked if Megan was going to be there. I told her yes. She then stated that Megan "will probable want to do my hair and put make-up on"

When we got to my sisters I mention it to Megan and a short time later I could not find Josie. About one hour later Josie came down the stairs with hair and make-up done. She just looks too grown-up.

I am very glad that Megan is a great influence on her.

Cousin Pictures

2009-12-17T09:30:00.002-07:00

Lyle's sisters and I would get pictures done of the cousins who were close in age. We have not done it in a couple of years. After Jared's baptism one of Lyle's sisters took them to get them done. Don't they look beautiful. The big boys.
I can't believe how big they have gotten. I'm sure pictures were much easier to take then the first couple of times.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"

2009-12-16T08:44:00.003-07:00

Josie had to do a diorama for her class on "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." She had to do it on her favorite part of the story. She also had to write a paper on why she chose that particular part and why it was her favorite.

This is when Lucy first came out of the wardrobe. She said that is was her favorite part because that is when all the excitement starts. She also drew a picture on her summery sheet but I was unable to get a picture because we were running late this morning. You can't tell in the picture but she used glitter glue on the trees so that they would look like they have snow on them.

I think she did a GREAT job.