Barnsie Bunch

Catching up......

2012-02-13T13:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, Okay.....so I seriously have some catching up to do!! Here we are in February of 2012 and I have not written about one thing! I feel horrible, but rather than dwell on how naughty of a journal keeper I have been, I should just start from here and move on.

Here's the rundown......J.D. and I, still ridiculously in love - despite the fact that he is out of town at least twice a month and sometimes more......We are grateful for a job that he enjoys and that offers him quite a bit of satisfaction......I am grateful for the job because that allows me to stay home and do what I love to do and that is be the mom to this crazy bunch of 6 (sometimes feels like 16). I still LOVE to run and try to get out 3 or so times a week. I could not imagine myself doing anything else with my life than to be the wife and the mom! What a blessing it is.

Morgan.....whoa, Morgan.....where do I begin with her she is currently dating quite seriously, yes marriage is on the horizon for my sweet little baby girl. She went to the singles ward and BAM! Where has the time gone? She is also keeping herself busy with working for an orthodontist and she loves her job.

Brenna......still cheering her little heart out and making us all laugh. I wish I had the energy that that girl exudes.....she is loving her Junior year of high school, dating (cute Tyson), driving, and she also has a job that she enjoys. It's perfect for her busy schedule, teaching 2 tumbling classes a week to about 20 girls.

Drew......he has decided over the last few months that for him returning to Summit High was what he wanted to do. He made this choice all on his own, leaving the Crescent View Middle and going back to somewhere smaller. He feels like he will have oodles more opportunities to play sports which is his first love. He is also discovered that girls are a bit of a priority and has started wanting to 'hang out' on the weekends......yikes, not sure if this moms heart is quite ready for that.

Jensen......my boy that loves to be creative, loves to be 'do-ing' rather than sitting. Hanging with his buddies, Jake and Bubba is what he loves to do most. They build tree houses, build fires and zip lines, play "Survivorman" and just get dirty. Ripping holes in his pants and coming home with muddy shoes. That's my boy.

Ella......my first grader.......my sweet, sweet girl. She loves school and her classmates. She is losing teeth right and left and J.D. often winces when she gives him a big toothy (or lack thereof) grin. She is a smarty pants and loves to read, never needs to be asked twice when it comes time to doing her homework. What a gem. She still has issues with her clothes though, and if things are fitting and feeling just right it is quite easy to start our day with a meltdown. I figure though, if that is one of her only faults, I am pretty dang lucky.

Ji-ji......nearly 3 and has my heart. He loves me and is a momma's boy. Wants to be held and cuddled and loved.....we have successfully potty trained him - let's be honest, the boy did it himself. I put undies out for him in December and he decided that he wanted to be a big boy and has done an amazing job (minus the poop) - oh well, can't have everything. He is a busy boy and I wouldn't have it any other way. He loves his big sisters and brothers and has rounded out our family quite nicely.

Wrap up in a nutshell.....more to come! I promise I will do better :)

My girls and their boys.....

2011-12-10T16:50:00.001-08:00

Yep, 2 daughters and their boys......Morgan with her boyfriend McKie.....

I sent Morgan to the singles ward this last fall and just that fast she came home with a darling guy who has stolen her heart. Completely.
Brenna and her boy Tyson.......Brenna and Tyson go to Alta together.
They met at the beginning of the year - he was the Varsity Quarterback and she the Varsity Cheerleader.....cliche, I know, but boy they are darling!!

My girls have made me proud. They have chosen to put themselves in places in their lives where they have met and dated awesome young men! I am proud of the decisions that they have made so far in their lives and hope and pray that they will continue to do so.

Championship weekend!!!.....

2011-11-14T09:02:00.001-08:00

Oh the love of a boy. I am eternally grateful for my son Drew, who at 15 years old is not afraid or too embarrassed to give his mother a tear filled hug at the end of the championship game. I was emotional as well, watching theses boys who had worked like dogs come up with the win at the end of an amazing season! Good job Drew! I have loved each and every moment watching Drew play football - it is a little sad to see the end of and era happen for him.....now on to bigger and hopefully even better things in High School.

Best brothers after one game and before the next.....keeping our fingers crossed for 2 wins today!!

Jensen was going to face Bingham in their Championship game.....

Boy did this game get cold. Drew's game was cold (we thought) and then down came the sideways snow and rain.....the wind blew and we were all frozen solid. The game was a close one, there was no score in the first half 0-0 and we were all just keeping our fingers crossed. The second half started and the snow kept falling, we scored a touchdown early on in the 3rd quarter and missed our extra point, 6-0......

It was too good to last and Bingham of course got a lucky break-away and the game ended with a heartbreaking loss 6-7......those dang Bingham Miners, they seem to do it to us every time!

Jensen is a little stud on the football field. He is just like Drew when it comes to having no fear! He will go hard and fast at anyone who is coming at him and won't let go until he has his tackle. I absolutely adore watching both of my boys play the game they love and look forward to another season next year.

Better luck next time, Jenky!!

Look whos 40!!!.....(and some other stuff!)

2011-11-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

The dreaded 40 has hit!! It is almost unbelievable to me still as I write this post......I guess the saying 'time flies when your havin fun' is true. I am a blessed woman, the life I live as wife and mother is the only thing that I have ever dreamed of doing.....it is the most rewarding, busy life I could ask for.

J.D. asked me to give a small 'speech' during our traditional Halloween/Birthday party and I think turning 40 is typically a day of sadness, but for me all I could say was that how could I possible be sad when I look around and see what the last 40 years for me has produced. My husband, my 6 kids, our health and home, good friends and an amazing family is really all a girl could ask for, right?

We all dressed up of course, and this party has become one of my favorites. I am always so excited to see how everyone looks when they come over.....we all usually just spend the first 20 minutes laughing at each other.
Ji, all dressed up as a cute little lion.....he had matching slippers and kept growling all night. I was certainly happy that he warmed up to the ears and face paint, because earlier he was not having any part of it. Luckily he watched Ella and realized that it was all for fun, so then it was okay with him. I love how he loves his sister, she told him it would be all right, and he believed her.

Goodness!! What a proud mom I am of my teenagers.....they wouldn't let me see their costumes until they emerged from the basement 'white-trash' is what they came up with for their costumes this year......Brenna, pregnant teenager, dressed in a very tight and very small dress.......Morgan with a lovely animal fur vest topped off with a black eye. They put extensions in the boys hair and created mighty real-looking mullets, Taggertt was a great sport as well. Good, good times! I am so thankful that they are quite the opposite of this in real life! All in good fun, after all, what is Halloween for anyway??

Ella and Leah having a bowl of yummy taco soup!! We love to have parties and love to serve good food.

Aliza and Ella, cutie-patooties!!

Cave people!! Aunt Jana and Uncle Trent......seriously hilarious, it took her hours to comb out the ratted hair after the party - the things you will put yourself through for the party :)

The Anderson's came dressed up as "Food", Corey and Janeen, eggs and bacon....

Millie was a darling cupcake and Owen a delicious hamburger.

Aunt Julie and Uncle Bradley - shoot em' up cowboy

My very funny mom and dad - Hans Solo and Princess Leah!! Bless their hearts for always participating.

Aunt Jill and Leah dressed up as Miss Hannigan and Annie - I think that their costumes were my favorite this year. If I gave away prizes, they would have won for most original! The Wahlquist family moved to Vancouver, Washington this last August and we all miss them everyday! Jill made a special trip with Leah and Lucas to come home for my birthday.....Love them!

Brenna and her boyfriend, Tyson.....lookin' good, but definitely so glad this is not our reality!!
Tyson and Brenna have been dating since August. He is a great boy and they are so cute together. I always tell Brenna that they are the couple that people like me hated in high school, she is a Varsity Cheerleader and he is the Varsity Quarterback of the football team.

Suzy and Sarah are some of my oldest and best friends! We normally don't invite friends to the Halloween party, but this year we did since it was a 'big one'!!

My cute friend Andrea Arlt - I told her that we must be great friends because we picked out the exact same costume - I love this lady!!

The five coolest sisters ever!! We all feel blessed everyday that we were born into the same family, because we are truly all just the best of friends.

Well, what would a 40th birthday be without some kind of prank. The night had wrapped up and J.D. and I were downstairs cleaning up the after effects. Jiles came down the stairs and started saying "Mom, fish" - I was not sure what he could possibly be talking about, but after he seemed to adamant about me following him I picked him up and we went into my bedroom. There I found Morgan with a bit of a smirk on her face and inside my bathtub they had put 40 goldfish in there, all swimming around, with a card that read...

"Happy Birthday, we hope you live longer than these fish!!"

It's a good thing they wrote that, because those fish had already started dying in my tub. Funny, funny girls.

I am so thankful to turn 40, and here is to another 40!!

Beautiful weather, football Saturdays!!

I love football. I love warm weather. I love watching my boys play football. I love spending time with my family. I love having J.D. as my husband. I love this picture.

Oh yeah, Barnes boys are the BEST!!!

This was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Even though Brenna came and snoozed on a blanket instead of watching the game, it really doesn't matter, it's all about being together.

Miss Ella, she loves to tease her big sister - and today Brenna did not mind the teasing!

I especially love the look of his gloves strapped to his face mask.......

Getting ready for Halloween

Taking the mess outside. J.D. is a pro at scraping out the insides and not making messes.....this was a perfect Sunday afternoon activity. I love the look on Jiles face when he makes his most cheesy grin.

Brenna and Jiles teamed up and did their pumpkin together - it's a classic pumpkin face.

I helped Ella out and then she chose to take some markers to it's face, I say whatever makes her happy, makes me happy.

Jensen got gross this year and wanting his to appear as it was barfing - good one Jensen. He did this pumpkin all on his own. I was proud of him, he is such a fun boy. He keeps us laughing with all the faces and voices that he uses - He and Brenna have very similar personalities.

Halloween Night 2011

I only have 3 trick or treaters in the house, that is kind of a weird thing. Every Halloween we get together with the Coveys and have soup and goodies at their house, the moms stay back and pass out candy while the dads take the kids out to get the loot. This year, Morgan and Brenna stayed with Suzy and I and we just sat around the table talking and eating. It is nice as the mom to realize that my teenage daughters don't mind hanging with their mom. We laugh alot and I get to know all about what is going on in their lives. J.D. took Ella and Jiles out, through our neighborhood, only about 32 houses and that is plenty for them......Jensen on the other hand was out for about 3 hours and came home with a pile of candy bigger than any one I had ever seen!! He is the winner and the most 'die-hard' when it comes to trick-or-treating. Truly, when he dumped it out on my bed when he got home I was speechless......Good on you, Jensen!

Happy Halloween everyone!! It was a fun one!!

Fall,ins and outs.....

2011-10-16T14:39:00.001-07:00

Well, we did it again!! We hosted another Japanese foreign exchange student for 2 weeks. Hiromi is a 10 year old boy that came to live with us for a couple of weeks this fall.....He was a bit of a hand-full compared to our other 2 and I think he may have put us over the edge on wanting to host again.
That sounds harsh, but I think that our lives are just a bit to crazy and chaotic to voluntarily have another boy come to live with us for the fun of it. Maybe again in a couple of years we can get a girl that is Ella's age, but for now the Barnes family is officially out of the hosting game!!

Hiro on his first night with our family.....he liked to wear a gorilla mask and run around the house trying to scare us......he would pretend to 'shoot' us with his fingers and make gun noises, and he was not all that pleasant or great with the little kids, especially Jiles.

We took him to the Real stadium where the Alta football players we playing and Brenna cheered. We tried to do fun things, but he just seemed a bit annoyed with the whole situation.

Day 14.....time to go home and it was time! He is a good kid, just didn't mesh with our family the way our other little boy did.....

It's all about the experiences, though, right??

Halloween Fall Festival in Draper

Brenna, Owen, Jiles, Ella and Millie girl.....

Precious little lady, Miss Millie.

They had carnival type games and small prizes for all the little kids. They each got to go pumpkin picking in a trailer full of perfect sized little pumpkins. It was a fun night for us all to go and spend time together as cousins. Aunt Janeen and Aunt Julie and Uncle Bradley came with and we made sure to go for ice cream after!!

Jiles looking for the his most favorite pumpkin. It is so fun to watch the little kids and the wonder in their eyes with each new experience. I am looking forward to this upcoming holiday season with a 2 year old, it is quite magical.

Even tossing hay in the air can be fun!!

Frankenstein trying to strangle me and Janeen giving it her best to save a sista :)

I think Brenna is in love......

I guess the feeling is not mutual......haha.

Braces for Jenky.....

2011-10-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day!! Braces on Mr. Jensen. He was happy as could be to take this next step in his life. Along with the big step was the coolness of having his big sister be able to be the assistant and help put his braces on. Thank you Morgan for working for an orthodontist and helping us get a killer deal on getting these braces put on!!

Morgan is loving her job as as an Orthodontic Assistant and because of that the push was a little earlier than I had originally planned on taking Jensen in for braces, but Dr. Ben is assuring us that now is a s good of a time as any to get them on and started. He is hoping to have them off, if all goes as planned in 2 short years. Jensen will have just become a deacon if that is really how it turns our (gasp!).

He was hilarious in the chair getting them on......when Morgan finished and handed him the mirror he was a bit surprised at how he looked and wondered why the wire on his braces was going up and down (in a crooked motion) - we had to explain to him that it was because of the crooked teeth that the braces were on. He made some crazy faces and had the office giggling.....he is a funny, funny boy!

His mouth is sore this morning and I am pretty sure he is questioning just why he was so excited to get them put on.

Good luck Jenk!!! You are one handsome devil, and just imagine when you have straight, pearly white teeth :)

Pretty Girl and Football Boys.....

2011-10-07T14:23:00.001-07:00

So.....just a couple of random pictures of my kids......my camera got lost/stolen during the summer while I was in Las Vegas, needless to say, it has slowed me down on the pictures and made me less motivated to blog. I am determined, however to stay on top of my life......this is my way of journaling and I don't want these moments to pass unnoticed.

My boys are amazing!! I love watching them play football all season. They are so great, I am love watching them leave it all out there on the field, playing because they love it!!

Two sides of Miss Ella......all done up and ready for church and then just hanging at the park on a Saturday afternoon. Beautiful and different in both pictures!

Why can't time just stand still for a minute..........

Whoa.....I'm tired.....

2011-10-07T13:45:00.001-07:00

Jiles continues to grow and grow and is truly turning into the 'terrible two-year old' - I love him so stinkin much, but wow!! This little man exhausts me. My sweet mom just laughs and laughs every time I fill her in on the ins and outs of our day - she keeps telling me that I need to write it all down, so here is my attempt.

He climbs like crazy!! He is always wanting to be in the cupboards, up on the counter and wanting to 'jump' to anyone who is willing to catch him. We said 'good-bye' to his crib about a month ago because he has decided to climb out each night around 3:00 a.m. and join me in my room. I will admit, that I got spoiled when it came to how great of a sleeper he was, so now, just like Ella used to do, Jiles is sleeping on the couch in our room. He sleeps all night long and there are no more interruptions - except the occasional fall of the couch (which he usually sleeps through). Go figure.

We have put locks on the front and back door, locked the pantry, and the fridge.....including the water and ice dispenser on the front. He will drag a chair to the doors to 'try and reach.....to let himself out to play.

He LOVES fingernail polish!! The kid is always finding a bottle of polish and no matter how tight we have put the lid on he can manage to get it off to do "pretties" on his nails. I hate to admit it, but he has actually become quite skilled at just getting the polish on his nails.......practice makes perfect and believe me there has been alot of practice. We have ruined several items of clothing, gotten nail polish on the tile, the carpet, yes, our very light carpet, and my kitchen table.

He has flooded my kitchen more than once climbing up onto the kitchen sink and pulling the sprayer out of the faucet, drenching the floor and counter top all around. One day he managed to ruin quite a stack of important paperwork that had gotten left out and demolished a couple of my favorite cookbooks.

Early one morning I could hear some kind of spraying.....there he was on the counter (do you sense the repetition) spraying bug spray all over the floor.....needless to say, it was quite slippery when I got to him and nearly went down before I could take it away.......He has also done this with Pledge one afternoon as well. My little helper.

He has dumped out a full box of brand new yummy chocolate chip cookies and topped it off with emptying the dog food out as well on the pantry floor. Yes, I watch him!! I can tell that is what everyone is thinking - the kid is super fast and quiet as a mouse until you hear the crash of whatever it is he has tipped, knocked or kicked over.

He loves to help himself to the leftover ash that is in the fire pit, he has more than once covered himself in the lovely blackness of last nights s'mores!

I am smiling the whole time raising this rambunctious boy......he is a fire-cracker, a bull-dozer, a one person wrecking machine and we love him each and every day!! I have the picture of him on my fridge, so little and helpless when he was 3 days old in the NICU, it is a beautiful reminder of what I have been so beautifully blessed with!

Thank you Jiles for keeping me on my toes.......

The cast comes off.....

2011-09-21T06:16:00.001-07:00

Well wouldn't you know it......the first week of football practice this season and we start off with a broken arm! While we were sitting up at Jensen's football practice on August 10th, a warm and very lovely summer night, Miss Ella fell off of the monkey bars and SEVERELY broke her arm. I had just walked away from the playground for a quick second and just upon returning I watched her fall from the bars while trying to cross. The poor girl let out one of the most awful groans I think I have ever heard and when I ran to her she got up with a face full of bark......I began to clean out her mouth because that is what I thought she hurt and when she pulled back from me I could easily see that her poor little arm was all bent out of shape.

I think I panicked for just a moment......Jiles would not let me put him down and I had swarms of little girls around me wanting to know what was going on. J.D. was with Drew at his practice and I felt lost! I quickly got him on the phone and had him rush to meet me at the playground.

To make a long story short, we took Ella to the Emergency Room at Alta View Hospital where they treated her quickly. They could see the amount of pain that she was in and hooked her up to an I.V. of pain killers within minutes. We learned upon X-ray that Ella had broken both the bones in her wrist and would need to be put to sleep to have it set. We have had broken arms in our family in the past, but I have told Ella that she is the winner for doing the most damage!

Ella started 1st grade this year with a cool pink cast on her right arm and spent the first few weeks writing with her left hand.....she is quite good at it actually.

Luckily she healed within 7 weeks and is as good as new today.....I do not believe that she will attempt to cross the monkey bars any time in the near future!

Another year has begun.....

2011-09-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Brenna.....first day of her Junior year at Alta. Driving to school on her own and loving the prospects of what this new year will hold for her!!

Dang! Look at that handsome devil!! Drew talked us into letting him go to Crescent View Middle this last year of middle school for him......9th grader!!

Ji-Ji.....wishing and hoping that he was joining the kids at school this year.....I think he is really going to miss all the action that having everyone at home has. I hope he does okay with just his mommy!

Wow! Where does the time go?? Ella "Sophie" is now in 1st grade! Big girl going all day long.....I am going to miss having her around but am excited for her because she is so dang excited.

Could they get any cuter?? Jenky boy is starting the 5th grade this year and he is a smart cookie! He is loving the friends he has made at Summit and is looking forward to another year.

Being the mom of these kiddo's is the best gift that I could ask for! I love watching them grow.

Ji-ji's two!.....

2011-04-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

My little boy.....he is 2!! I look back over the last couple of years in wonder and amazement at the blessings that we have recieved in our family.

Jiles early arrival into this world and the rough start that he had is a constant reminder to me of the blessing that life is, that it can change in a heartbeat.
He is sunshine in our everyday life and I cannot even begin to imagine what our world would be like without him in it!

My blue-eyed boy! He is a momma's boy and I do not mind it one little bit.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy! Mommy and Daddy love you with our whole hearts!!

Spirit Spectacular.....

2011-04-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 8, 2011 - Spirit Spectacular. End of the year performance.
Watching Brenna and the other Cheerleaders was a fun moment for us this year. I feel so proud of her for wanting something so bad, and for trying so hard to get it. She has great friends on her teams and also has an amazing coach who I think she will be friends with for many years to come.

The Sophomre squad being introduced to the crowd.....
"And here we have one of the Head Cheerleaders.....Brenna Barnes....."
A surprise was in store for the girls as well as the audience, when a group of the dads came out in full cheerleader mode, and J.D. Barnes was one of those dads!!
They all practiced a dance that goes along with the school song and then did a cheer. It was awesome to watch, and especially awesome that all the girls loved their dads and were able to go out on the mat and cheer with their dads.

They even did a lift....one of the scarier moments of the night! I thought my guy was going to come home and have to be in traction for the weekend.....J.D. also entered the mat with his most famous 'round-off' - What a lucky gal I am to have my husband be able to tumble with the best of them!! It was hilarious!
Daddy and Daughter :)
Brenna was supported by loads of family that night, Grandma and Grandpa Hackwell, Aunt Jana with Brittyn, Aunt Julie with Aliza, and Grandma Pat and Grandpa Brian.
This is a sidenote from the Cheerleader herself..... I found this later on and there was no way that I wanted to delete it. This just goes to show her personality and the silliness that we get to enjoy each day!

Aside from watching my beautiful brenna and her gorgeous body flaunt across that blue felt, the rest of the show sucked peach. J.D. did an alright job too.

thankyouandgoodnight(:

Jensen's 4th grade program.....

2011-04-07T13:01:00.001-07:00

Jensen had his 4th grade program back on March 17th.....yes, yes, I know I am behind in my blogging. I cannot even begin to describe the way that time flies. Like warp speed some days.

The program was all about Indians and Explorers of Utah History. They sang songs, had speaking parts the whole shebang.

I don't know why, but at nearly every program that I go to of one of my kids, there comes a time in a song that I get a little teary-eyed. What is that?? I don't think that I am crying over the whole list of counties that are in Utah, or about the Navajo Indians....it is just watching a group of little ones, so cute and innocent in their lives that makes me sentimental. Knowing full well that I am raising 6 of these kids, hopefully, to my best ability.....wanting the very most for them in their lives!!

The innocence of children is a beautiful thing.

Cute kids, all dressed up, and, for just a brief moment of the day to be out of school uniforms! Proud of my Jensen for getting up and doing his part so well.....

Jensens and his best friend Jake (the one in the crazy Trapper Hat) Love both those boys~

Prom Night 2011.....

2011-03-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Morgan and Brenna - Junior Prom.

New dresses. Check.

Nails done. Check.

Hair appointments. Check.

Picked up Boutonnieres. Check.

I think I must have done something right in Heaven to get these 2 girls. They are beautiful and amazing ladies.

Not wanting to be taller than their dates, and also for comforts sake they wore Keds to the dance! Before any other boy gets a kiss, the girls owe one to their dad, he brought home them home each a single white rose and brought me home a dozen pink ones. Prom is a lot of work for the mom too! I have the most thoughtful guy around.

Riley Johnson and Morgan......

Spencer Peck and Brenna.....

Brenna said the funniest thing about her dress, it is really pretty and looks amazing on her, but she was not comfortable wearing it just the way it was off the hanger. She felt like she was showing too much. She added the black shade under it and then topped it off with the black shrug. When all was said and done she said, "Now I look too modest."

Silly girl.

Date #2, West Jordan.

Andrew Hogan and Morgan.....

Pretty flowers for a pretty lady.....

Don't stick him!!

J.D. is the dad that pins all the boys flowers on. I don't think any of them have minded so far, but who knows. I think it lets the date knows just who is in charge here!!

Snow Caves and Pinewood Derby

2011-03-04T13:34:00.001-08:00

As the mom, does anyone ever get comfortable with the term "Snow Caving"? When I hear that is what the scouts are planning on doing for a weekend activity, somewhere a pit in my stomach begins to form. I don't understand it, don't get why anyone would do it, but of course have to say yes when this boy says that is how he wants to spend his Friday night. I know that he will be going with very capable men in our ward, I know that Drew is a smart kid, and I know that boys everywhere do it.....but still. The thought is claustrophobic and scary.

Drew quickly realized the claustrophobic and scary part too after waking around midnight and having a small panic attack in his close quarters. Luckily, they were only up at Snowbird and cell phone coverage was good, so I got a text from my big boy at 12:15 a.m. -

"Mom, are you awake?"

J.D. and I were able to call him on the phone and talk with him, have a long prayer and let him know that we loved him and that he was going to be alright.

He was alright, returned home Saturday morning with a lot of very wet clothes, but he had a smile on his face and was grateful for the opportunity. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who comforts and protects us, I am thankful for Drew's strong testimony of prayer and the way that he uses his Father in Heaven in his life.

Pinewood Derby 2011

Jensen dream car - a Pink E-Racer

My boys spent some serious man hours designing and building this car. I love projects that bring families together, so how can you turn down a good pinewood derby. Even Ella wanted in on the action and was just as excited about the race as Jensen was.

Day of the Race.....nervous energy.....not really. We are truly just in it for the fun of the day, but when you do come in 2nd in your age group and 2nd overall that is for sure icing on the cake!! Ella sat just as close to the track as was possible - she was Jensens biggest fan!

Look at the load of awards he came away with.....not to shabby!

Valentines Day and Dances.....

2011-02-15T14:17:00.001-08:00

Valentines Day.....ahh. What a crazy/over-rated holiday. First order of business for Valentines day this year was the dance at Alta. Somehow, J.D. and I got talked into letting Brenna who is not yet 16 go to the dance. She and Morgan pulled it off by saying....."this will be the only dance that we will be able to go together in high school...."

Since the dance is girls choice, and I am thrilled that my daughters love each other as sisters as well as best friends I of course said yes. Brenna and her date - Andrew Scheffner. We have been friends with their family for about 5 years now. Drew and Jensen have played on football, soccer, and baseball teams with the other brothers and needless to say we think the Scheffner's are awesome. So when Brenna wanted to date one of them, I figured that would be okay with me!!

Cute, cute Morgan......she has plenty of options on boys to take to the dance that are her own age, but since she was going with Brenna and a whole group of Sophomores, she decided to ask a younger man to the dance. I told her that I am sure that made his week/month/year to be asked by a beautiful senior girl to Sweethearts. Jake Owen. They had fun.

Again.....another year of making Valentine Day boxes for the card exchange at school -

Have I ever mentioned how awesome Morgan is?? This big sister spent an entire Sunday afternoon locked in Jensen's room with him helping him make his Robot Valentine box....they wouldn't let any of us in the room, because they wanted it to be a surprise.

Also, when you are 9 years old and your name is Jensen Barnes, you have a hard time not pulling a funny face when the camera is out! Love you man!!

And here is my lovely little Ella, and here is another work of art done by Morgan! That was my Valentines day gift - not having to worry about the boxes.

I love you too, Jiles!!

We decorated sugar cookies after dinner for our Valentines Day treat - yummy!

I love my family! I am thankful for this day to tell them once again that I think that they are THE BEST!!!!!

Growing up.....

2011-02-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

It's official......Ella is growing up.

She was once the little one that I would snuggle up to once everyone else had gone to school in the morning, now has things of her own to do. She takes a dance class once a week with Meg and Rachel, but the best part is her teacher is my darling forever friend, Tera. We love Teacher Tera!! She is darling - she is pictured here teaching the girls how to hold one of the others in a lift and the end of their dance. I cannot wait for the recital!

Ella does not wear the typical leotard, tights, and ballet shoes to dance.....oh no, she is much to sassy for that!! Her favorite is the pink and black leopard print, pouffy skirt with black leggings and top.....she also likes 'messy' buns instead of 'ballet' buns in her hair.

Ella loves Kindergarten, and I love her school. There is much to say for a charter school. I am so impressed with the teachers and the academics that go on in these classes. Ella entered Kindergarten without any kind of pre-school behind her. I am not a fan of pre-school. These little ones grow up and leave the house much too soon for me, so to push them into school so soon has never been anything that I have liked. I want my time with my kids while they still want to spend time with me, these moments are precious and priceless and I don't want to share them with anyone else.....

Summit Academy pushes these kids. This was one day at school when Ella had to prepare and present a science experiment that could be shared with her class. We decided to show how light reflects through a glass with water in it and show how when you place a pencil in the water that it looks like it has bent. The kids in the class were amazed....lots of 'ooohhhs' and 'aaahhhs' coming from the crowd.

I am happy to announce that just having parent teacher conferences with her teacher, Ella is doing 1st grade math, and is reading books that she would not be required to read until the end of this school year......yes, I am a proud mama!

It's always something.....

2011-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

Jiles makes me smile.

It is always something with this little boy of mine. This is what happens when we get home from church at 4:00 and he misses his regular nap.....falling asleep before he can even get a bite of food in his belly. He slept there like an angel for nearly an hour and a half with all the noise and confusion of the family on a Sunday afternoon, he was really tired!

This is what I came into the other day......note to self "Never, ever put him to bed without a onsie on underneath his jammies!!"

He had undressed himself and was completely happy to be hanging out in his bed without his pajamas or diaper on. Thank Heaven that the diaper he had taken off was only wet!!

Toothless.....

2011-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last night was a big night at our house for the tooth fairy. Ella had a REALLY loose tooth......Jensen had a tooth that was not very loose, but he was determined to pull it out.

It took a lot of convincing, but after a few tears and some bribery, Ella finally let me get my fingers in there and pull her tooth. In fact, I think that this was the first tooth that I have ever pulled for one of my children. It's hard to believe, but after 5 kids, she only wanted me to do it!

It is always a shock when the first tooth comes out, but when they are on the top it is a REALLY big shock!! We are now leaving the years of darling, cute, little girl and entering the years of awkward, crooked and big.

Smiles all around!! When Jensen pulled his tooth, that really was not very loose, it fell into the bathroom sink and with some blood J.D. screamed "Oh no, he pulled the wrong tooth!!" That was enough to send Ella over the edge....she was absolutely horrified that that could possible happen and it took some time to get her to realize that we were just joking with her. Bless her heart.

Boys will be boys.....

2011-01-18T09:24:00.001-08:00

Boys will be boys.....this is the thing that I have learned being the mom of Jiles. He is a super cute boy, a super good boy, but along with comes alot of curiosity and mischievousness.

Our day started out with him helping himself to the bathtub with Ella.....why bother taking jammies off?? Does it really matter that much anyway.

It also amazes me how much 'boy' stuff comes in their DNA - take for instance the tool box with real working drill that the little guy got for Christmas. No one needed to show him how it worked, he immediately picked it up, pushed the button and began to drill the plastic little screw into place. Crazy.

Last night while folding laundry in the hallway, Jiles turned the corner with one of Jensen's air-soft guns, a big black rifle. He points it right at me with a 'pow, pow' noise - honestly.....really.....this boy is a true boy!!

Girls and Sweethearts.....

2011-01-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Brenna came to me earlier in the week wanting to go to a high school dance together. Brenna is not 16 yet, however, I thought if my daughters want to hang out together and be friends who am I to stand in their way. This may be their only opportunity to be in the same group since Sweethearts is girls choice. Last weekend, they got together with 3 of Brenna's other friends and asked cute little Sophomore boys to the dance. It is still a while away, but better to get your first choice than to wait to long and miss out.....

Brenna asked her 'boyfriend' (again, she is not 16, yikes), his name is Andrew and they are friends of our family. He is a great kid and I am so good with them hanging out together. Morgan asked one of his friends, a Sophomore, going with a beautiful Senior girl - I am sure she made his day when she asked him. I am not sure what his parents thought of it, but they are in the same seminary class, so hopefully they are not too freaked out!! :)

Both Morgan and Brenna got their answers earlier this week, Morgan got shot with a 'yes' arrow shot by Cade Trudo who was dressed up as Cupid. She said this was far and away the best way she has ever been answered to a dance, so dang funny and very brave!! Brenna got a gigantic bear cake that she needed to dig through to find the answer, needless to say, she still has not found. Hopefully she is not being overly confident in believing he has said yes.
I am excited for them to plan and go on this fun date together.....they truly are each others best friends!

January, 2011.....week one

2011-01-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

Our year started out with Jiles pulling one of the stocking holders down from the fireplace and having it crack him square in the middle of the forehead. This required a trip to Kids Care and by the end of the night he had 7 stitches....2 underneath the skin and 5 on the outside. He surprises me each day with how well behaved he can be. When the doctor and nurse were not in the room, he was busy tearing things apart, but the minute they would come in to look at him he layed there quiet and still. He got his shot to numb him up and did not even flinch.....then while they were stitching him up he almost didn't even have to be held down. He would try to tilt his head back, out of curiosity, to see what the doctor was doing, but otherwise held completely still.
The stitches came out 5 days later, and he does have a scar, but most likely his hair will cover it up. Crazy little fella.
Let's face it, there is not alot to look forward to during the month of January. It's cold, dark, and there is an overall feeling of 'letdown'. We get the occasional surprise when we open our back shutters of finding deer in our backyard looking for something to eat. It is a little bit of a surprise and something that puts a smile on our faces during this time of the year. The deer have showed up every year since we have lived in this house, and the sight of them never gets old.

Tumbling class for Brenna....she is busy working hard and learning to tumble better so that when cheer tryouts roll around again in April she will be ready to rock!! She has her heart set on making the Varsity squad next year. I am keeping my fingers crossed for her. Cheering has been something that fits her personality to a tee. She has made some great friends and is enjoying every minute of it.

Jensen plays basketball with some of the guys from his football team, and this has been a welcome blessing to an otherwise long and boring winter. He practices once or twice a week with two games each week.
On occasion we are lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa come to his games.....Julie and Bradley with Aliza and Tate also add to his cheering section!!

CHEESEY!!

Jiles is the kid that none of us can keep our hands off of. We all love smooching and squeezing on him as much as possible!! Sometimes he likes and welcomes it, sometimes he does not. Either way, we keep on doing it!

I rode the bus with the cheer squad as the chaperon to one of their away games the other night. The cheer coach just met us at the game, so they needed a mom helper. I had never been to one of the basketball games, so it was fun to go and watch them cheer. Morgan came with us, it was a fun night out!!

Brenna and Lindsay in between cheers.....

Time goes by....sometimes it seems so hard to keep up on what is going on in our lives. I continue to try to stay caught up.

And there goes 2010.....

2011-01-04T12:40:00.001-08:00

What would New Years be around the Barnes home without our traditional 'Taco Night'?? This is one of the things that my kids so look forward to each and every year. I was trying to count back, and I believe that this is year 5, maybe 6 that we have had all of our family and friends over for TACOS!!

It all started because J.D. was travelling so much to Mexico for work and he grew to love the people there as well as the way they can make a taco. It is no secret, but at our house we all love to eat - and we all especially love to eat Mexican food.... (that is all of us but Drew).

'Taco Night' was born out of a need and a want to spend the holiday with our family....lots of time with our kids has always been one of the things that J.D. and I treasure the most in our life. New Years is one of those holidays that really had never meant much to either of us, in fact, it was hard to even stay up to see the clock strike 12:00. We now host a fiesta of sorts for anyone and everyone to stop by, say hi, eat a taco (and some sort of treat, of course) and either stay for a while or leave. It is one of J.D.'s favorite nights, he loves to serve those that he loves.

The kids love getting involved in the preparation of the food and the decorating of the house....you can always find Jensen in the kitchen with his dad. He loves to help with whatever he can.....

Waiting for guests to arrive.....one of the questions this year from Ella was "What if no one comes??" I thought to myself.....yikes, we will be eating tacos for a month. J.D. likes to plan on serving somewhere between 200 and 300 each year. I think it is a crazy idea, but really, the more I thought about it this year the more I am convinced that this will be one of our families traditions that will last -

I am in constant amazement at watching Drew grow. He is becoming a young man. He is kind. He is quiet. He is respectful. He is loving. He is prayerful. He is happy. He is the one that does not like to eat the tacos..... :)

The Hackwell women.....this is our first picture all season of the 6 of us. I love my mom and my sisters. They are all amazing women, and thanks to them I know that I will always have 5 best friends that I can count on!!

Our friends the Griffins.....we can always count on them to come and support our wild and crazy ideas. I love my friend Jenn. She is one of my longest and bestest friends - we go back over 20 years now, high school friends, and our daughters have been friends for their whole lives.

Brenna, Ashlyn, Megan and Morgan

After the food wrapped up, somewhere around 9:00 - the majority of friends had left and we just had my family over. The way we spent the rest of the night was playing 'Just Dance' on the Wii. What a fun thing to watch all of the kids and all of the adults getting involved. I loved having an activity that we could all enjoy and do together. Some were better than others, but it didn't matter, because we all had a great time.

Ella, Robbie, Aliza and Leah doing their thing......

Trent, Andrew, Mike and Corey getting in on the action. I love how none of them are doing the same thing.....that's what I meant by, 'some were better than others' - this group, not so good. I say that with love though :)

Me, Morgan, Megan and Ashlyn....I think this may be my new work-out for the winter. Loads of fun followed by loads of sweat!! Good, good times.

McKenna Griffin, Jensen (in his skinny jeans), Jake and Drew. Drew is my most reserved of my children, so to be able to pull him out of his quiet bubble to play this game is a dream - and by the way, he rocks at it!!

Ella, Aliza, Leah and Brittyn - all the little girl cousins.

Finally, after a long night of playing it was time to ring in the New Year. Silly string and poppers on the front porch with lots of screaming was how we celebrated. It was so cold outside!! I believe it was somewhere around 4 or 5 degrees.....much to chilly to stay out for long.

It is a fun thing to have our home filled with all the people that we love and care about. Celebrating a year that has passed and looking forward with anticipation to all of our new adventures in the future. Heres to 2011.....I hope it is a good one!

December.....

2010-12-23T14:17:00.001-08:00

December has sped by at warp speed ( I am sensing a re-occurring theme in my posts). As usual the Christmas season has been one filled with rushing around the stores, worrying about the gifts we are going to give, (and get, in the kid's case).....and trying to keep the spirit of Christ as the focus of our holiday season. This month we have wrapped a door in our house - only half way up because of Jiles, needless to say he has the tendency to rip, pull, take apart anything and everything he can. Our tree is now only decorated about 3/4 of the way up, it is a hot mess!!

I digress....the purpose of the door is that each time anyone in our family does an act of service we get to put a bow on the door - it has been fun watching the way the bows get put up. There have been things from purchasing gifts for the Angel Tree in our ward, pushing a lady's car out of a snow bank, fixing a neighbors light, making one anothers beds, or cleaning up the dinner table. Big or little acts all count equally and Ella has been the one who has really gotten in to this. This will be a tradition that will be one that lasts - we are going to spend our Christmas Eve as a family talking about the service that has been performed and hopefully there will be a desire to continue with the service even though the door will soon be back to normal, a white coat closet door.

Morgan attended the Christmas dance at Alta this year - thank heaven there was no need to purchase or worry about a fancy dress - I love the more casual dances. The stress levels go WAY down and I think that everyone has more fun because of it. They spent the day sleigh riding, then off to Training Table for dinner.....good, good times.

Ella's Kindergarten class put on a Christmas program.....she has been singing her heart out all month at home in preparation for the big event. One of my favorites that I have heard her singing is about a 'Fartridge in a Pear Tree' - sometimes I just don't have it in me to correct her. The days will pass that she just isn't quite sure what she is saying, so I am enjoying all her little bits of silliness.
Me and my girl.....

Ella's class did the Hula and sang 'Mele Kalekemaka', and I must admit that girl can shake her hips and do the hula with the best of them. Her dancing skills I am sure come from her big sister Brenna.

Grandma and Aunt Julie joined us at her program. I am pretty sure she felt proud as could be with all of us there supporting her in her short, but very sweet Christmas program.

Jensen has replaced football with basketball for the next few months. He was invited by a friend of ours to play on his team. There are 3 others from his football team and a few boys that he has played soccer with in the past. Jensen has never played basketball....I will be the first to admit that probably going to a super-league was not the best idea, but he is having fun and his team is doing well. Having a sport that is indoors and not effected by the cold and rain is a nice perk also. Still, football reigns supreme at our house as everyones favorite.

My Jiles.....there are so many words to describe him. This last week one of the words of choice was 'straggly' - the boy needed a hair cut. J.D. has taken him one other time, but I needed to get the 'Cookie Cutter' magic. He loved it there. Watched a movie (which he does not do at home, because he will not hold still for long enough) and driving in a little car was super fun for him. The girl that was cutting his hair got such a kick out of the way he immediately posed for the picture as soon as I got the camera out.

A less 'straggly' version of the boy. There was oodles of hair on the floor. I am so glad that he enjoyed the hair cut, it makes it so much easier for next time.

J.D. wanted to do something nice for my family this Christmas. We have stopped drawing names for the adults and giving gifts. We don't have a whole lot of parties that we go to so this year as part of trying to show service he planned a party at Incredible Pizza for the Hackwell clan. Everyone was able to come and the kids ran around like crazy people for 3 hours, eating and playing games. It is fun to be able to spend time with cousins and aunts and uncles and Grandma and Grandpa. Isn't that what the Holidays should be about anyway. Family is all we truly have.

Jensen tried his hardest to add up all his tickets to get the 'big ripper' - he is such a crack-up!! Not many people that I know would let me take their picture while pulling such a scary face.....I am glad that my kids will be silly.

J.D. pulling out all the stops and showing Ella all of his mad football skills (I am not quite sure how many balls actually went through the holes, but Ella was impressed and that is all that matters, right?)

Again, what is up with my kids and the faces that they will pull???? I don't know what else to say.

Jiles is going to be a pro at swiping cards when he grows up. He figured that is how the games worked right away - he is going to rival Ella and swiping my debit card at the grocery store (she even has my PIN memorized......)

Drew and cousin Jake.....they played shooting games and driving games all night - I don't even think I saw them for more than 15 minutes at the beginning while they were eating their dinner. Drew is officially taller than me.....he is weighing more than me as well. Kind of a strange place for a mom to be. When he gives me his big bear hug and the beginning or ending of a day, I have to say...."Please don't hurt me," - I am living with another grown-up. He is a joy to be around. He doesn't get to say alot living with the sisters and brothers that he has. They are all so outspoken and loud.....Drew is my gentle giant.

Aunt Julie and Uncle Bradly with Tater boy....everyone got into the game playing. You know those prizes are spendy with the tickets, you have to get as many as you can if you want anything worth while.

Uncle Trent, Aunt Jill and Aunt Jana

Brenna and Morgan with Aunt Janeen. Morgan and Brenna took their game cards and after they were finished they gave all the tickets that they had earned to Brittyn. She really wanted a Lava Lamp and it was like 1500 tickets.....thanks for the kindness ladies. You continue to make me proud.

Ji-Ji riding the Merry-Go-Round......I laugh when I see the faces he pulls.

Owen, Aliza and Tate

Me and my boyfriend, thanks for the fun night honey!! You are the best!! I am so thankful that he loves my family so much. I am truly a very lucky lady.

Climbing in the Play Place - Gosh, Brenna.....you are so lucky that you still fit up those small tubes!!

The family had a great time. Good Food (well, maybe) Good Friends (a.k.a family) and Fun.

My girls decided that this year that they were going to make homemade gifts for their (yikes) boyfriends. We spent hours going to the fabric store and trying to figure out how to get these blankets sewn for them. I am not a seamstress, never will be, but the experience has been fun. I am glad that I was able to help them out.

The naughty little poot Jiles got himself put in time out yesterday. Morgan thought it would be funny to put him up on the top shelf of the pantry. He thought it was hilarious, and would have stayed - Ella was worried that he might fall. I am glad someone was concerned for his safety and well being, because Morgan and Brenna certainly were not. They love to see how far they can push sometimes.

Equally as frightening as Jiles at the top of the pantry is the amount of junk food that I have in there!! Sugared cereals, potato chips and cookies.....yikes.

So, this was a wrap-up of our December so far. I am positive that there is stuff that I have left out. Trying to stay on top of my blogging is going to be one of my New Years Resolutions.

Basically, I love my people!! I love my life and am thankful for each and every day that I am blessed to be with them.

Time gone by.....

2010-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

I have not been the best blogger as of late....I keep thinking to myself "when is my life going to slow down??"

We had a Christmas party the other night with our old neighborhood friends.....we were asked to send pictures in of our days in "Cranberry Hill" - those days are long gone. Those are the days where we sat out on the lawn , each afternoon when it was good weather and watched our little ones play while the moms were able to sit and visit. There were no carpools to run, no where that we needed to be. The biggest decision of the day was what we were each making for dinner.

Morgan and I went through boxes of photos last Saturday morning (these are the days long before digital) and we were able to remember our sweet times with little ones growing up. Morgan spent every waking moment she could with her best friend T.J. Murphy, this was their backyard. They were 5 when they met and now they are both turning 18 -
Brenna and her friend Zach Murphy waiting for the bus on the corner just across the street from our house on their way to Kindergarten, what a little peanut she was. That is something that I will always remember about her.

This was one of our outings with the Coveys, Thanksgiving Point petting zoo.

Little Drew with glasses, Wid Covey and Brenna and Mary....those 2 girls have always loved each other.

What a face!! Words cannot describe the way we felt about Drew, our first boy after 2 girls. When he was 3 we found out that our little guy needed glasses. I am sure we could hold some sort of record when it comes to how many pair of glasses that we went through. Drew was a wild child and was chuck full of energy!! We spent more time with him in the emergency rooms getting stitches in his face than I have with all my other kids combined to this day. He has grown into such a mellow kid - a far cry from the toddler that he was.

J.D. was fortunate one year to dress up as Santa for our ward Christmas party. Still to this day it is one of the highlights of his life. He enjoyed every second of it! Morgan knew it was her dad, she sat on his lap and played along.....Brenna was scared to death, we told her who it was and it did not make a bit of difference to her, there was NO WAY she was going to sit on his lap. Morgan was 8 years old in this picture. It makes me sad to see her so small, our first little girl, baptism just around the corner and now we are facing college just around the next corner.Mary Covey, Morgan and Brenna playing dress-up one afternoon.
This picture makes me smile every time I come upon it. Morgan may have been playing only because there was nothing better to do, but the point is, she was playing. Spending time with her sister is something they have always enjoyed.

I loved our days in Cranberry Hill. Those days are a priceless memory. I treasure those times.

This all made me stop and think, my kids are growing at a remarkable speed and I just want to push the pause button on my life.

A championship game, lost.....

2010-11-15T14:39:00.001-08:00

Jensen had an amazing season of football this year....they won 9 of the 11 regular season games and then went on to the playoffs, beating one of the teams and then as we have had done to us in the past with Drew, we face Bingham in the Champion ship game and come up short.

The score was 0-0 at the end of regulation time and we went into overtime....dreaded overtime. We had the ball first and were not quite able to make it into the end zone, and then it was their turn. Punching it in for them was like a punch in the stomach to me. The game was just how they should be in playoffs though,....tough, tense and hard-fought.
Jensen got through it just fine. I think it is just as hard, if not harder for the parents at this young age, to watch them work so hard, and truly deserve the win.....
It is always hard to have a season come to an end. You become so close to the families that you are involved with day in and day out for nearly 4 months of your lives. We always make awesome friends, and usually end up playing with at least some of them again the next year. Keeping our fingers crossed. So blessed to have been a part of such an incredible team!!

A season over.....

2010-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Another season of football for Drew has come and gone, This has been one of his funnest years since starting football as a little Gremlin. Drew made the Alta A2 team this year....he was most happy with the placement.

Football, needless to say, is one of the highlights of our years...both of my studly sons absolutely love the sport and to top it all of they are both really very good at it.

Drew was able to show his leadership skills on the field again this year by being one of the captains of the Defense. He was the one that the other boys would listen to, he would call the plays and make sure everyone knew what was going on.

Drew sacked the quarterback several times this year, and in the final game of our season stopped Bingham from scoring on the 2 yard line. Right before the half, it was 4th and goal and Bingham was in position to put the first touchdown in the end zone in a 0-0 game.

Everyone on the side lines was on pins and needles, this was the semi-finals, and who ever won today would move on to another week of football.

Drew was the one who stopped the Bingham player from making a touchdown, and then something strange happened....I had a tear in my eye, because that was my boy that saved the play. I have cried several times over disappointment in seasons being over, but this was a first that the tears were over sheer pride and joy in my son.

Needless to say, Bingham ended up scoring in the 12th minute of the 4th quarter, the game ended at 6-0 and Binham will now go on to the finals this Saturday.
It was a heartbreaking loss, and there were tears from the boys, the coaches and the parents. It has been an amazing season, one where Drew learned alot and enjoyed each and every game and practice. It was nice to see him thrive and enjoy football again after our awful season last year.

Drew has been absolute joy to raise. He is respectful and kind. He loves his mom, and is not afraid to show it. I love having him grow taller and taller each day....he has now officially passed me up, and I believe on most days, he weighs more than I do as well. My little boy is not so little any more. I think he thinks it is funny when he hugs me and squeezes me so hard I can barely breathe....he still wants to hug and kiss me each night, praying with him before he goes to sleep. I hope that these days do not pass to quickly.

Halloween and Birthday time.....

2010-10-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our annual Halloween party all started because of my cute Drew. He and I share a birthday...October 24. I had him on the day that I turned 25....I have always told him that I could never have asked for a better birthday present. He is an incredible boy who I am lucky enough to call my own. I love sharing our day together!!

So because of our birthday's and getting together with family anyway, we decided a few years back that it would be awesome to have a costume party, and year after year, my family does not disappoint!! Everyone comes dressed up, and each year I am continually surprised.

Jiles, my little penguin - he hated the hat part of the costume, so I am glad I got a picture of him in it with a smile on!!

My Mom and Dad, the cowboy and cowgirl, with Grandpa and Grandpa Nelson....could you just die laughing at the top she had on!! Look at the cleavage......

My cute family - minus our dad, he got stuck at the office that night. We all missed him, and he loves this party as well, so it was sad not to have him around for the better part of the night. He eventually got to come home, just in time for a bowl of taco soup and cake and ice cream of course!

Mike and Jill, quite the 80's couple - he even had on eyeshadow and lipstick, and Jill can do a mean Madonna - and their kids, Leah, Jake and Lucas

Trent and Jana, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf/Granny and their crew, Brittyn, Robbie and Beau (the one behind the mask) :)

Brad and Julie, NERD ALERT with his Geisha Girl and cutie pie Aliza and Tater-tot

Corey and Janeen and Owen, aaaargh matey!! A family of pirates.

(Best comment of the night, "Janeen and Grandma must have gotten their chests at the same place....") hehehe!!!

Morgan and Andrew with baby Hulk - this was a last minute costume that they pulled off quite amazingly!! Love the pearly white smiles!

Couldn't resist a picture of the 2 nerds of the night!! I couldn't believe it when they walked in and Jensen and Brad looked like they had come from the exact same mold. The rule is, no one tells what they are going to come as each year, so it is always a surprise. This year these two boys were on the same wave length!! Funny, funny.

Brenna with Vern - she is such a funny girl, I think she likes to make people a little crazy, and one of her ways is by calling Grandpa by his first name, Vern, Grandma thinks this is wrong, and I am pretty sure that is why she does it.....Brenna, Brenna, what am I going to do with you??

Last, but not least.....me and all my favorite ladies!! What would I do without all these amazing women in my life?? I adore each and every one of my sisters and my cute mom as well. We are all best friends as well as family which makes it all the better!!

I love you all. Happy Birthday Drew!!
and Happy Halloween!!

Alta Cheer, times two.....

2010-10-27T13:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the Alta Cheerleaders put on a mini cheer camp for little girls. Ella of course was over the moon about the possibility of being able to fill the same shoes as her big sister. They went and learned a dance and a couple of cheers and were able to perform at half time during one of the football games with the big girls. "A-L-T-A, Alta Hawks are here to stay" are just a few of the words that Ella repeats several times a day. Cousin Leah also joined in on the fun and I am positive that this is something that Ella will not soon forget.

Brenna had her last football game of the season on J.D's birthday. We went to watch her cute squad cheer on the football team one more time!! I can't believe how Brenna just fits right into the cheerleader mold. She has a confidence up there that is unmatched and I am so proud that she went after that dream. To be honest, I was unsure how it would turn out, but so far so good.

Now, onto Basketball season..... :)

Daughter of Divinity.....

2010-10-24T13:15:00.001-07:00

The other night for dinner we got Chinese take out. At the end of the meal we all got our fortune cookies and proceeded to break them open and anxiously read our fortune.

Ella was eager to have me read hers to her, "I hope it says that when I grow up I will be a princess!"

What does a mom do at that point.....of course I read her the fortune.

"When you grow up you will become a princess."

Ella beamed. Jensen argued with me that it really did not say that on Ella's tiny piece of paper. Drew stole it and ran off, and I then followed it up with "I guess Drew wants to be the princess when he grows up".

They all laughed and our night from then on was fairly uneventful.

Sunday our lesson in Relief Society struck a chord with me in our life and in wanting to grow up and be a princess. I was reminded that we are all daughters of our Heavenly Father and we will, in fact grow up to be the princess that we want to be when we are a little girl. Right now, it is the dream of my sweet 5 year old, but on Sunday, I realized that I want it to be the dream of my 15 and 17 year old daughters as well. I want them to remember that they are 'Daughters of Divinity'. This world we live in is hard. There is evil and temptation in every direction. For now, my children are on the right path....they love knowing that they are a part of an eternal family. They choose the right. They go to church and say their prayers. I can only do my best as a mother to help guide and direct them.

I am blessed to have 3 of our Heavenly Fathers princesses in my life, to be their mother is joy that cannot be measured.

Big Daddys, big birthday.....

2010-10-22T14:35:00.001-07:00

Well, it is official. I am married to a 40 year old man! On October 21st we celebrated J.D.'s biggest birthday to date.....Together with my cute kids we managed to pull of a surprise open house in honor of our best dad, husband, and friend. Actually, I don't know how much of a surprise it ended up being because as soon as Ella got home from school that day she quickly exclaimed "Dad, when are all yours friends coming over for yours party?" (in Ella's exact words) Oh well, Drew, Morgan and myself just shot her a look and she knew she had uncovered our very well kept secret to that point. She kept apologizing to me, but all in all, what does it matter and who better to spill it than Ella.....
I wanted to make sure that I got a cake with 40 candles on it - although, I didn't realize it at the time, but the candles that I bought we some sort of trick candles and so they kept on spontaneously lighting even after J.D. would blow them out. Can't you just see the frustration on his face? Once the birthday cake and singing were over with he relaxed just a bit and ended up having a really nice time. He does not like the spotlight to be on him, but for this one night I invited family, friends and neighbors over to come and give the birthday boy a big squeeze!! He is an amazing father and husband and I wanted him to realize just how much we all love and appreciate him.

All his favorite goodies were the gift of choice....

Except for his Dad who bought him the funky hat with hair and Adam and Becky Osthed who gave him red neck teeth and glasses with dark black side burns attached....who wouldn't love that face?? Lucky, lucky me!

I have celebrated 22 birthdays with this man. We met when we were just both turning 17 and 18 years old. There have been so many highs with just a few lows and I thank my lucky stars each day for him in my life. He makes me laugh more than anyone can and he has made my dreams become a reality. I pray each day for a long and happy life with J.D., and celebrating at least 22 more birthdays with him!!

Nursery.....

2010-10-18T16:36:00.001-07:00

Well, we have made it. I am not sure if I am happy about it or not, but Jiles went to the nursery yesterday...and, unlike my other kids at his age, he didn't even need me. No crying, no tears, no pulling on my leg. He went. And then I went. I felt naked, not sure how to handle myself. I didn't have a diaper bag or a baby and my hands and lap were empty. I guess it is now time to start bringing my scriptures and participating in the lessons. Hmmmmm, not quite sure how to feel about this.

Now, maybe I will actually make it through all 3 hours of church, because, to be quite honest I think it has been nearly 6 months since that has happened....I am sure people thought that we had become inactive. All good, the Barnes have not become devil worshipers.

On a side note, as I am sitting here blogging Ella just came up to me with a Family Home Evening DVD and Ella says to me....."When are we going to do Family- No- Evening?" What a RIOT!! That sums our life up these days.

Mmmmmm.......

2010-09-27T13:47:00.001-07:00

Not much I can say about Jiles.....but this is the face that I feel blessed to look into each day!
Mmmmmmm. He. Is. Delicious.

He is still hands down my best baby. Not that my other kids weren't good (I would not have continued to have them if they weren't) - but Jiles is particularly good natured. Still an amazing sleeper....sleeps for 11 hours or so, then wakes and stays in his bed playing for another hour or so. Sometimes I just start to miss him so I go and get him up!! Eats well, plays well, and loves everyone. He is a 'trouble maker' though, too....just like the shirt says. Don't let the smile fool you!!

The Pink Cupcakes.....

2010-09-27T13:34:00.001-07:00

The Pink Cupcakes.....this is Ella's 3rd season playing soccer. As luck would have it we have had some sort of pink as our team color each time. They have always used 'pink' in their name...this time around what could be better than cupcakes?? Yum. We are lucky to have had the same group of 8 girls play together each time, so they have all become friends and really enjoy their time together.

Ella is in no way a very aggressive player......but for the last 2 games she has scored a goal!! She gets so proud of herself and runs all the way back to Coach Suzy and gives her a high 5. I am so thankful for the amazing weather that we have had this month for all of the sporting events that we go to. Having the opportunity to sit and enjoy our children during these nice nights, I feel like there is nothing better. Happy, healthy kids, the opportunities that they have to grow and learn, a mom and dad that love each other and want to spend time together, too many blessings to count!!

Miss Morgan.....

2010-09-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Homecoming 2010 - Alta High School

The stress for Morgan began when she realized that her date was not much taller than she is....so the shoe frenzy started. We had neighbors, friends, her shoe closet emptied and even went and purchased a pair to try and find the perfect pair for Homecoming this year. She was so funny, there was no way that she wanted to be taller than Clint. As it turned out he was wearing a black pair of vans so Morgan wore her white pair....silly girl. I don't know if that is something I would have ever tried - but Morgan can certainly pull it off.

They looked cute together and had a full day. Dances were not this extravagant when we were growing up, she was exhausted by the end of the day. It all started around noon with rock climbing with a group of 18 other kids, going to Goodwood for dinner and after the dance they watched a movie outside at one of the boys homes. She is happy as can be back at Alta and enjoying her senior year in High School.....so proud to have her as my daughter!

Football season again!!!.....

2010-09-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

I LOVE FOOTBALL!!! There is no other way to say it. I love everything about it.

I love that my boys love it.

I love the 2 hour practices on the field in the warm evenings.

I love picnic dinners while watching practice.

I love the time we spend together as a family because of it.

I love making new friends.

I love my boys in their uniforms.

I love new red 'pimped out' cleats.

I love watching Drew and Jensen rock someones world.

I love Ella in her cheerleading outfit.

I love game day Saturday.

I love winning (and sometimes losing).

I love watching Drew teach and take care of Jensen.

I love exhausted boys - tired boys are good boys.

I never thought it would be such a big part of our life, but it is and I wouldn't change it!!

I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!

Tired little girl....

2010-09-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ella is tired.....that is the only way I can describe her. She has become a little sponge since she started school a few weeks ago. She is learning each day and comes home and reports everything that she now knows.

"Mom, do you know who lives in the White House?"
"I do, Ella....do you??"

"Yup, Aqua Bama."

Said it matter of factly and with a sense of 'big girl' in her voice. I loved it. She has also gone on to tell me all about the 'glove' (globe) and how it shows where there is blue it is water and where there is green it is where people live. She said the other day while practicing writing her numbers... "Mom, I know how to make 'cha-chings'..."

I said, "What??" - she then proceeded to draw a dollar sign for me, $$, you know 'cha-ching'

Duh.

She is like a light that has turned on. Not that she wasn't bright already, but she really digs this school thing. I am so glad, because it makes each day easier when it is time for her to get ready and go. She has homework each night and loves to do it. I realize it most likely won't last, the enthusiasm, for now is perfect.

At the end of one of our long and busy weeks this is as far as she could make it after she fell asleep on the couch watching T.V. - walking only 20 steps to the kitchen floor and laying back down. The girl was OUT!!

Don't you wish that you could only sleep so soundly???

Off to Kindergarten.....

2010-09-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Where do I start other than I truly don't know where the time goes....you have a baby, take an extra long blink and then she is off to big girl school. Yes, I am a crier. I had my meltdown late Sunday night once all the kids were in bed and I realized that the day I had been dreading was here. My baby, my best girlfriend, my lunch partner, my shopper, my snuggler was on her way out the door.

How did this happen??

Then I look at her in these pictures. She is a beautiful 5 year old who is ready for the world of school. She is ready for learning. She is ready for more than I have to give her. I have loved each and every day that I have spent with her this far and I am looking forward to this next step, although painful, exciting.

Ella was nervous about school once she got there, she didn't want to put on the name necklace that her teacher had made for her. Once she was settled in her chair, backpack hung, name tag on and her first assignment underway it was time for me to leave.....

The afternoon was quiet. Jiles asleep and me wandering my house. I am sure I will get used to the quiet, and on most days, quite enjoy it. I love you Ella....thank you for being my girl. I will miss you with my whole heart!

On a side note....

Ella has only been in school now since Monday and this morning she said to me..."Mom, I want to skip school today." I told her that was against the rules, and she followed up with "That's so dumb, I have already gone for 2 days!"

My cheerleader.....

2010-08-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

Brenna has now cheered officially in 2 games for the boys of Alta. I think this is one of those things that she was meant to do. She seems to have such a natural ability to get up in front of a crowd and do her thing. She learned the cheers quickly and is having such a fun time with her new friends. She had to wake at 5:15a.m. for the last 4 weeks of summer to go to practice everyday...never complaining (she would just come home and crash at the end of the 3+ hour practices) All their hard work is paying off though, because they all looked awesome during the games.

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that this is my daughter. This is only something I would have dreamed to do. Never being brave enough (or talented enough for that matter) to give it a try. I am in constant amazement with all of my children, they seem to live life to it's fullest. They are all blessed with talents that they are magnifying and this I am so thankful for.

My Ji.....

2010-08-26T13:56:00.001-07:00

Let me start out by saying just how much I LOVE this boy.....however, he is exhausting. Jiles is now at the age where he loves to make trouble. He is so curious that I have had to put hair bands on all my cupboards, J.D. has installed locks on our pantry door because he gets into the garbage or climbs up on the shelves and brings me all sorts of canned goods. We keep all the bedroom doors shut because he can destroy a bedroom in a matter of minutes. He knows how to turn on the bathtub water and turn the faucet around, he has nearly flooded my bathroom more than once. He quite likes sitting on my folded or not folded laundry piles, getting in the baskets is one of his favorite things to do. He can get out the back door, so it must stay locked always.....he drags our poor dog around by his leash and loves to empty his water and food dishes. Yikes is about all I can say.

Playing in the dirt and making mud at football practice the other day was one of his 'boy things' that we caught on film. He will try to sit on any strangers lap while at football, he backs in slowly, kind of like a truck, and then just gives them a grin.

What?? Why can't I sit in the toy cupboard?? He is such a joy, but I find myself looking for ways to slow him down. Buckling him in his high chair, stroller, or wagon for instance....also giving him a bath tames the beast for short periods of time. I will also lock him in my bedroom with me during the day and I will try to get as much as I can done from one room....pay bills, fold laundry etc.

In so many ways Jiles is our very best baby. He sleeps for hours....and is so dang nice. He has a dreamy temperament and is will lay on the kisses. We are grateful for his craziness, but we are also grateful for bedtime.

We love you, little man.....

Firsts.....

2010-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, with another summer that has quickly gone by. Lots of Lagoon days, lots of swimming pools and water slides, a quick trip to St. George in the hottest time of the year, lawns to be mowed and countless trips to the gas station for diet Pepsi's and icees. My children are growing up before my eyes and I wish at certain times to just be able to freeze these moments.

Morgan started her senior year at Alta and Brenna began her high school days.....I am hopeful that they will have a fabulous year together. They are amazing friends and I am so glad that Morgan has decided to transfer back to spend a year with her sister in high school. I think that these will be some of the memories that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Drew and Jensen.....another year at Summit Academy. Drew is in the 8th grade and Jensen has started 4th. It wasn't until I took these pictures that I realized how tall Drew is getting. Granted, he has just passed up both me and his sisters, but when you see him in a picture next to Jensen that tells the whole story. They are good boys and I am hopeful that they will have a great year also. Oh and did I mention how much I love uniforms!! No stress in the morning...

Jensen is 9!!.....

2010-07-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to believe that my Jensen is 9. We were in the car last night and Jensen started to ask me about the day he was born. It started with "what time exactly will I be 9?" and "how much did I weigh?" - and then I was brought back to that day. I was induced with Jensen, just the same as I had been with all of my children. He was born at around noon and weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 11 ounces.....holy smokes he was a large child! His size has not kept up with the way he began this life, but his personality has absolutely kept up with his 'bigness'!! He is spilling over with personality on most days with his big laugh and big smile. He always has a story to tell and a crazy face to pull.

Sleepy faces early in the morning. We like to start birthdays with presents and breakfast. This birthday was no different....we were missing Drew who has been at scout camp for the week. Jiles was also not apart of the celebration, because that little dude can sleep like a crazy man (that is all for another post). J.D. had to get up and go to work, and I was on my way out the door for my morning run (this too, all for another post. My new-found love for running.)

No, we don't have another child.....this is our cute foreign exchange student. She is from Japan and her name is Eriko. She has spent the last 3 weeks with our family and it has been a great experience....

Woo hoo!! Jensen got another new pair of shoes!! That is one of the things he will ask for for every holiday and birthday....gotta appreciate a boy who cares about the way he looks.

Chocolate chip pancakes was the request from the 'Birthday Boy' .

I love this little guy. He loves life and embraces the moments he spends with his family. He is always wanting to have family nights....watching movies, or sleeping on mom and dads floor. It never has to be anything major. Just spending time together is perfect for him. He is grateful for everything he gets and is quick to say 'thank you'. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday this last week, he thought for a minute and then told me that he really didn't need anything, and that he has everything he wants.

What a good boy.

15 year old girl.....

2010-06-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Brenna's birthday morning. All that she wanted this year was to have a big party with friends and food and decorations. Oh ya, and breakfast with the girls. Luckily Dad counts as one of the girls on birthday morning. He would have been pretty sad if he would not been invited to spend the morning at Mimi's Cafe with all of his favorite ladies.

My kids are silly - yes they planned to all have their eyes shut in this picture. What goof balls all of them are!

Cheers to Brenna!!

Yes, I know, you would think that Ella is the birthday girl with that crown on. Let's face it, she is the princess of the family and she very rarely lets anyone of us forget it.

Family birthday party with a 'Nothing Bundt Cake' cake............delicious!!!

Blowing out her 15 candles. Of course with a little help from the brothers and sisters and cousins.

So, now all we have to pull off is the friend party. Afterall, it is the only thing that she asked for. We sent out invitations, bought darling decorations, birthday party outfit for the birthday girl. Dad wired speakers to the backyard, fire-pit was ready, yummy food was there.....then along came the wind and the rain. Seriously, you would think that we could plan an outdoor event on June 16 withouth worrying about the weather!! It put a damper on the party, but I think for the most part everyone survived and was okay with wearing hoodies and ducking for cover in the middle of June.

We were finally able to convince a group of them to come inside and eat, but it took alot of coaxing. Teenagers are a strange breed. There were 3 seperate schools represented, so girls didn't know some of the girls, and boys didn't know some of the boys. After a couple of hours no one cared and everyone blended well.

I don't know if it was what she had envisioned, sometimes parties are like that. You know, you picture bigger and better....I hope she knows that her Mom and Dad love her and wanted her to have an amazing night.

We love you Brenna, thank you for being such a bright and fun spot in all of our lives!!!

Validation.....

2010-06-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight while I was at Relief Society we had a getting to know you game. I am not a game player, but I put a smile on and went for it. We have had lots of new people move into the ward as of late and it was time to get acquainted and reacquainted with the sisters in our ward. One of the questions that we were all asked to answer was

"What is one of your amazing talents?"

At first I thought, who knows, do I even have one? I answered with....

"I can juggle my 6 kids and household duties with the best of them."

What I was not aware of was what was happening at the Barnes household at that very moment.

Spilled paint

Spilled 44 ounce Pepsi

A lost dog

A very curious 14 month old

A very tired 5 year old

When I walked through through the door, J.D. said (with a smile on his face no less)

" I don't know how you do it."

I almost thought I could hear angels sing. It was validation of my sometimes mundane and never-ending job. It was like getting a bonus check, my 'boss' was seeing the value of all my hard work and efforts. I absolutely had no idea that the answer I gave at Enrichment tonight summed it all up for me. I am so happy to be the mom. It is the only job I ever want, and I can juggle it all pretty darn well. :)

Broken armed boy.....

2010-06-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

After all of the many, many injuries that Drew has had in his lifetime, after oodles of stitches, fractured skulls, ambulence rides and concussions, nearly ripping his big toe off on the treadmill to a black eye he has finally broken a bone. He was at a party during the first week of summer vacation and jumped off of a trampoline and landed on his arm. He came home around 11:00 that night and said...
"Mom, I really think I hurt my arm. Can I have an ibuprofen??"

Little did I know, that the next day he would stop using his arm completely, but of course continue playing and hanging with his buddies. It finally hit me that his arm really must hurt when I saw him riding his skate board, but holding his left arm in this weird, kind of a 'don't touch me' position. At that point, I convinced him that it was time to go to the doctor and have it checked out, and sure enough, a broken wrist to start his summer off.

The joys of boys!!

Ella.....

2010-06-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

While we were driving home from Aunt Janeens house last night we passed the temple.

Ella starts to sing, "I love to see the Temple, I'm going there someday....."

A proud Mom and Dad moment.

She sang the song several times before I realized how she was ending the song.

The last verse goes "this is my sacred duty."

Ella sings it "this is my secret beauty."

Funny, cute, and worth remembering.

Last days of school.....and party bbq.....

2010-06-02T20:56:00.001-07:00

So during the last week of school instead of wearing the uniforms the kids were all able to dress up and wear the 'theme' of the day.....For Jensen it was Hawaiian Day and for Brenna and Drew it was 'Era Day'. I am so glad that my kids choose to participate and dress up. Look at Drew!! The kid is hilarious. For such a quiet and reserved kid I was surprised that her had the nerve to wear the enormous Afro wig and the only tie-dyed shirt that we could find belonged to Aunt Janeen. Thanks for the pink shirt!! We loved loved it. Brenna dressed up 80's and wore colored jeans and leg warmers....it was nice that the weather was not yet so hot and they could enjoy their day at school.

Later on that night we decided to have an impromptu wienie roast to celebrate the end of the school year and say a big 'hello' to summer. I am so glad that I have a family that is usually ready for a party, because I don't plan very much in advance. That is just not how I roll. Like it or not, we are very spontaneous. Grandma and Grandpa came, along with Julie and her family and Jill and her family.

Kids always have fun in the hot tub....we turn the temperature way down for the summer months that way the kids are able to use it just as a smaller version of a swimming pool. Jiles loves to float around and he doesn't care who is cannon-balling in around him. Meg Covey is always the first neighbor to show up when the hot tub cover comes off....I am positive that she likes it more than just about anyone.

Handsome little man.....can't believe he just finished the 3rd grade!! Cursive and times tables. A very big year.

My soon to be Kindergartner!! I never really thought this day would come. She has been my little buddy for such a long time, I will miss my girl.

Aunt Julie with Tater-bug and Jiles.

Morgan's boyfriend Andrew called J.D. on and wanted him to have a 'chicken fight' - I couldn't believe that either of them actually went for it. They both hesitated at first, not knowing who was going to make the first move and then all of a sudden J.D. lashed out and took Andrew down in a matter of seconds. I think he was just trying to show Morgan who the real man in her life was!! Keeping boyfriends at a distance has been something J.D. has prided himself on. This one doesn't seem to be too afraid of the 'dad'.

Jensen is quite the acrobat on the trampoline. He will do a back flip, take a bounce and then follow up with a front flip....over and over again. Just watching him makes my head spin. Skinny little body!!

Our night was a lot of fun. Hot dogs, hot tub, trampoline action, and chicken fights.....

I am looking forward to a fun filled summer of family and friends!

Dancing is done.....

2010-05-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

Wow, who would have ever thought that Brenna would be done dancing?? For now we are at the end of an era for her. She has spent the last 5 years of her life so heavily involved with her dance company that I am wondering what she will do without it. The tears flowed freely and abundantly during her last number on stage. She has looked forward to the break and is anxious to try something new, but the realization hit her hard. She will miss it all I am sure. Ten hours a week at the studio, fun friends and teachers, frilly dance outfits and fake eyelashes. Growing up and change is hard, but I do believe that she has become a better person because of her dance experiences and I also believe that her little sister Ella will follow proudly in her footsteps!!!
Great job to both of them for the awesome job they did during the Spring recital....you both make you momma proud.

A week in the life.....

2010-05-26T13:36:00.001-07:00

Trying to play "catch-up" in my blogging/journaling world can be a tough one....you just get a little behind and before you know it a whole month has passed. Here are just a few of the little things that have been happening in my crazy world.

Sunday's are relaxing around here, we really do take full advantage of being able to spend time with just our little family. One of our favorite activities is taking a break and getting in the hot tub. Jiles surprised us all this last week with wanting to get in with the big kids, he loved the warm water and he was perfectly happy floating around on his back with the life jacket on. He didn't care that Ella was doing cannonballs of the side and that the boys were having a water fight around him. The more splashing that was going on it seemed to him the better.

The pose down....I get a kick out of seeing Jensen give me the flex. He is one proud little dude of his own body.

Cutie #3 and Cutie #6 - We are often told how much Jiles looks like Drew, but we are also often told how much Jiles looks like Jensen.....hmmmm I am not sure which is right. I just see them as my kids.

Ella and the cannonball....she loves being in the water. She is getting really brave this year. I think she may actually want to learn how to swim this summer. She is so different from the boys, who took like fish to the water when they were just little tikes.

Mmmmm Good......

Our school's fund raiser for the year is a Jog-a-thon, lovingly called the "Jogapalooza".....each student was asked to raise/donate $25.00. In return, they got this awesome t-shirt and the chance to dunk the principal in the dunking machine. It was a really cold day (we have had way too many of them this last spring) but everyone had a good time. Brenna and a couple of her friends ran the 2 miles that they were asked to do as well.

Thank heaven for great principals who make it fun to be in school.....Mr. Z made our transition to Summit Academy more bearable for Jensen in those first days of the school year. He got dunked quite a bit that day :)

The 3rd graders warming up before their run with a little karate....Jensen felt like he was a pro because of some past experience with trying out karate earlier this spring. Needless to say, we didn't sign up - you wouldn't think it could be as expensive as it was!! Yikes. Thank heaven for the $20.00 2 week trial.

Jensen ran around the track one time and then was so cute and let Ella join him for his run. They continued around for the rest of the 2 miles together, holding hands the whole time. I don't know if the picture does her shoes justice, but they were mini high heels and she was wearing a dress. What a great lady!! She was so proud to have Jensen as her big brother that day. The smile on her face was almost permanent.

Still hanging out with Jensen and his best buddy, Jake. (Pay special attention to the shoes!)

The end of the year is always busy. This year the 3rd graders had what was called a "Portfolio Party", where they showcase their work from the year. Each student got to invite one person to join them, that could be a mom or dad, grandma or grandpa. Jensen was quite concerned with the fact that he could only invite one of his parents. He was so sure that he was going to hurt one of our feelings.
"Mom, I have a really hard decision to make....." was the way the conversation went. Luckily, quick thinking on my part was, "how about take Morgan??" He was thrilled with the idea, and so was she. This is a picture of them on their date together.

The program. They were all told that they should wear nice clothes, the kind you 'wear to church' - is was nice to see him going to a school function wearing something that the standard blue pants and white shirt of his uniform.

Jensen and his first crush, Kate. He once asked her, "do you think you could die your hair blond??" Oh my heavens. Slightly embarrassing, but really funny at the same time. She is a cute girl and they have exchanged both Christmas presents and Valentines Day gifts....starting a little young.

This is a picture of the Fathers and Sons. aka "Freezing Fathers and Sons". This is what I get on my camera when they come home. One picture of dinner. Oh well, at least it is something. They boys called me at 1:30 in the morning letting me know they were coming home. It was way too cold, windy, and rainy to stay. They all got up early Saturday morning and headed back because J.D. was in charge of breakfast.

My question is why don't they have it later in the season?? We have never had much luck with warm Fathers and Sons, and it is something Jensen looks forward to each year. Who do I talk to about that??

Our first trip to Lagoon for the 2010 season!! Yay!! We didn't get passes last year because of the baby, so this year every one was ready to go! Ella loves the 'whale' ride....looks like a couple of pictures that I have of myself in the very same spot.

Jiles did not get out of the stroller for the entire day. It was cold and he was tired, but what a little trooper to stay put for the 5 hours that we were there. He only fell asleep for just a short while, otherwise we just kept of feeding him. He is truly a dream child.

We invited friends for the big kids, Brenna and Ashlyn, and Morgan and Andrew (a boy that she met on the cruise to Cabo, luckily enough he lives here!!)

My kids all love the spinning, make you dizzy, want to throw-up rides. Drew, Jensen and Ella all on the Scrambler. Not the best picture, but really hard to get a decent one when you are going around and around that fast.

Another soccer season came and went for Ella. She stayed with the same team as last year, having "The Pinkies" turn into "Cotton Candy" - the pink shirt and blue shorts are not my favorite outfit. The weather this year has not been great. Monday nights come and so does the rain. We were lucky I think to have 2 games where we all weren't freezing to death. Unfortunately this meant that Ella had very little support and cheering going on from the sidelines. It was usually just me who went to the games and her dad a handful of times. We forced the issue on her last game of the season and it was a requirement for all to go and be her cheering section.
She really hustled this game. She knew that there were people watching and rooting for her. It made all the difference in the world for her.

I love it when I get a good action shot. I love the candid moments of our lives. I love looking at the intensity on her face and the way her body is moving as she is watching the ball. My little girly-girl in shin guards and cleats is something that puts a smile on my face.

I tried to take a picture of J.D. and I at the game. I am a little bit of a dork and did not realize that my zoom was all the way in because I was trying to take pictures of Ella on the field. Needless to say, I thought this picture was funny and a little bit cute. I kept it and blogged about it. :)

J.D., Morgan, Aunt Julie and Tate.....

Janeen, Owen, Brenna, Aliza and Drew.

I informed everyone that they are all required at each and every game that Ella has in the future, because the girl played out of her head. She was really trying to make an impression on all of us.

So, yes, it was cold. Ella did not want to wear the pink jacket that I brought for her, so unfortunately for Jiles it meant that his mom was sticking it on him. I think he looks like E.T. walking around the field.

Pretty, pretty in PINK!!

A week in the lives of the Barnes......sometimes nothing special, but at the same time very special. I love my blogging/journaling. I love being able to remember the simple times.

Life as the mom.....

2010-05-12T19:52:00.001-07:00

I so often feel like I need pictures to go with my posts, but as I have sat reflectively this morning I wanted to take a moment to write about each one of my kids and what is going on in their lives right now. Mothers Day just passed and as always, I feel extra blessed. Each of my kids making me a homemade card with a similar theme, they all love their mom!! What more could I ask for? We live in a busy world, I am not immune to it. I am usually up and going in the morning, before lunch with errands of any kind, ranging from doctor or dentist appointments to grocery stores and banks. Today we have been all kinds of lazy.

As J.D. and I sat in bed last night discussing our days we were watching a particular T.V. show where the son was graduating from high school. I suddenly found myself teary eyed in the realization that Morgan only has 1 more year left. Sure I have known it, I have talked about it, but it wasn't until I actually thought about it did it hit me like a wave. It almost makes me lose my breath. Maybe it was because of the day she and I had enjoyed together 'We have done all grown-up things today, Mom...' was her reply when we got home from opening her a checking account with her very own debit card and picking up a job application to the"Treehouse". I cannot begin to explain the amount of pride and joy I take in knowing that I am her mother. She got accepted into the Dental Assistant program for next year at the Jordan Technical Center, leaving regular high school every day at 11:30 and she couldn't be happier. She is ready to be a grown-up. She is ready to move on. I, however am not ready to let her.

Brenna is so excited to go to High School. Yesterday we had a doctor's appointment for her to have a physical in order to cheer, she went from the 15% in height to the 75% in just 2 years, no wonder people keep telling her how tall she is getting. Watching her grow is amazing. She is full of confidence, something that I always dreamed of. She has grown from a stuffy-nosed little girl with teeth too big for her mouth to a gorgeous 'tall and lanky' (as the doctor put it) young woman. She is funny with personality oozing out of her!! She will make an amazing cheerleader at Alta High - they are lucky to have her!!

Drew, my strong and silent boy. He is growing also, I said to J.D. the other day "we are raising a man-child..." I always wondered what it would feel like to have my son be as big as me. He got on the scale the other day and I actually gasped when he told me he weighed 131 pounds. I love watching him wrestle with his dad. I love watching him pass the sacrament. I love watching he and Jensen curling up and going to bed together at the end of each day. I love watching his confidence grow at school when he pulls his 'not so good' grades up. I love watching him teach himself how to juggle. I love watching him try to use big words and act like a grown-up. I love that he still loves his mom.

Jensen is a boy that I get a giggle out of almost every day. He is one of the happiest people I have ever known. Jensen is such a responsible boy, he loves knowing that his 'tasks' are done. He is a self-motivated child when it comes to homework and helping around the house (not so self-motivated when it comes to waking up in the morning!!) Jensen loves to eat! He always orders off of the big kid menu, loves bacon on his burger and Chili Verde burritos...his eyes are almost always bigger than his stomach, but he gives everything he chooses to eat his best effort. Jensen is the best kisser around. He is not afraid to 'pucker-up' and just plant one on us - sad for me to admit, but sometimes they are more than I want. I need to remember that each time he leans in I need to savor the moment and realize that one day he will be sharing those luscious lips with other girls.

Ella is just Ella. I can tell she is growing and wanting more than just me all day every day. Sad for me to admit, but my little girl is ready and excited for bigger things. Kindergarten in the Fall is something that she is looking forward to. She is learning to prefer her own bed instead of the couch in mom and dads room. She surprises me with the knowledge she has of her letters and numbers. I am realizing with each child that I feel blessed to have smart children. They do not struggle to learn. They enjoy the process and are eager to learn more. Ella is playing soccer again and for the most part likes it, on some days I still see the 'princess' come out in her and she wonders to herself if soccer is really what she wants to be doing. She loves her chocolate milk in the morning with melted cheese on bread, all served to her on her Princess plate - I know, I have created this....I will take full responsibility.

Jiles is growing (notice the continuing theme) - why can't time just slow down. I want to remember these days, but they go by at such speed. He is a great sleeper, 10-12 hours at a shot, a great eater, almost anything you put in his mouth, and a great smiler, will give it up a just the slightest look. He has 2 teeth and I don't see the signs of any others coming in. He loves to stand at the open window in my room and look in the backyard, he likes to yell out to anyone or anything (the horses). I wish someone in our house was named "Abbey" because that is what he says, I am not sure if he is trying to say 'puppy' or if I am giving the kid too much credit. Maybe it is just the sound he likes to make!! :)

Black eyes, lawns and DOGS!!.....

2010-05-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

There is no rhyme or reason to this post....

Starting out with Ella coming home from her buddy Gabe's house the other day in tears and what seemed to be at the time, the tiniest cut on her eye after she fell, somehow, off of his slide. Within a couple of hours the eye got a little swollen and started to turn purplish blue. I felt bad because I really didn't give her much sympathy when she came home crying. The eye continued to get a little darker for the next couple of days and I think she was a bit proud of her injury. She felt like she was one of the 'boys' - my girlie girl with a black eye....something to remember.

Is it appropriate for 8, (almost 9) year old boys to be mowing the lawn?? At our house it is. Jensen has learned this spring to help out his dad and big brother Drew in doing the yard. He does a great job and it goes by quite a bit faster with another one helping out. J.D. broke down and purchased another mower, so while Drew does the backyard Jensen works on the front yard. So far everyone is happy with the situation and eager to help....once mid July rolls around and the heat kicks in we will see if the smiles are still there.

This tree is one of my favorite parts about my yard in the spring. I think to myself every year, 'I really should take a picture' and I never have. Usually a storm rolls in with amazing winds and blows all the beautiful pink blossoms off before I get around to it, so this year I was determined to get a picture. Unfortunately, it is hard to get the full effect of how pretty my pink tree is. It is right in the middle of my front yard - and as silly as it is, I am very thankful for that tree. It puts a smile on my face:)

I know, I know....what are we thinking?? Ella has never quite given up on Lily, (our last Yorkie). So after 2 full years of her praying (literally, every dinner and bedtime pray included her) for our long lost dog - not really lost, just found her a new home. I broke down and J.D. found us a 2 year old, house trained dog. He is turning out to be a really great fit for our family. Although we all loved Lily, she was small, 3 pounds, and VERY needy. Bruce, yes Bruce, is bigger, around 9 pounds. Drew and Jensen can really rough him up and he loves it. The dog is great with Jiles and Ella is over the moon. She keeps saying to me, "Mom, thank you for bringing me home a new dog!"

Life is crazy busy. There are so many things I could write about....not all super inspiring or interesting. This is my life. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Perspective.....

2010-04-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling very reflective these last couple of weeks. Only 1 year ago it seemed that I couldn't look past the moments that I was living in. Each day seemed like 3 and every time I stepped into the NICU I wondered when I would be able to bring my little boy home. Those days were long and grueling. It was an experience that brought me closer to my husband, my 5 kids at home, my new little guy and my Heavenly Father. I learned a lot about patience and about, how in fact, we can only control our own lives to a certain degree. I am thankful for my experience, I have more empathy for others in the same situation and am so grateful for the absolutely perfect boy I have now.

J.D. bore his testimony on Sunday, it was all about 'perspective' - look at our lives now....

Jiles has learned how to open all the doors in our house (those darn levers). For some reason the ones that he is the most interested in are the ones that lead to the pantry (the garbage cans, eeewww!), the laundry room and the toilets.....he also really likes to go into Ella and Jensens rooms also because they have lots and lots of little toys - the perfect size for his little hands. Lego's and random coins, Petshops and Polly Pockets. All of them fun, but unfortunately the perfect size for choking. I need to be on my 'A' game at all times, constantly chasing down my 1 year old keeping him safe from stairs, poisons, falling off beds, and like I said, choking hazards.

As I post this blog, he also ripped apart one of my hanging plants that I brought inside so it wouldn't freeze last night. I could read his round little face "but Mom, the purple and red and yellow flowers were calling my name!!"

Why are boys so much more curious than girls?? Ella never ever opened up my kitchen cupboards just to see what was behind them.....Jiles on the other hand opens all of them and leaves them that way. He tips over picture frames and rips all of his diapers out of the basket in my bedroom - he loves wet wipes, and pulls as many out as he can before I can stop him.

Dishwashing tablets, oh my!! What fun!

His smile and the pats on the back that we get from him, along with his kisses on our shoulders when we get him out of bed, his blue eyes and faux-hawk hair do, his babbling "mamamamama", blowing bubbles and loving the bathtub, his waving both 'hi' and 'bye', eating everything in sight and learning to walk, knowing how to crawl not only up the stairs, but down also....all of these things in only one year. From being so fragile and dependent to becoming a little boy with his own mind. He puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh every day.

Birthday Boy.....

2010-04-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

Our little guy turned 1 last week while we were out of town....

What a difference a year makes! I had Morgan take a picture of us, because we didn't have a party that day and I wanted to remember exactly what his beautiful little face looked like the morning of his birthday. He is such a blessing in our lives.

My cute group of kids - what an adorable family I am blessed with!

I am almost positive they get sick of me taking their picture - Luckily they are all good sports and allow their sometimes crazy mother to take 'just one more picture'...

Present time! He got into the action and ripped all the tissue out of the gift bags. Ji got lots of good stuff from all his cousins and a brand new wagon from mom and dad.

Birthday cupcakes! Holding his hands back long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out his candle....

He knew exactly what to do when it came time to eat his cake, this little boy knows how to put the food away. He loves nearly everything we give him. This was one of my favorite pictures. Look at his eyes, they are almost as big as the cupcake that he is trying so hard to stuff in his mouth:)

First birthdays are a milestone. They are filled with happiness, but also for me a little sadness of the year that has sped by at record speed. I hope and pray to remember the times with my little family as they all grow. I thank my Heavenly Father each and every day for the blessing it is for me to be a mom, to have 6 amazing, healthy, and happy children. I cannon imagine a life without each one of them. I am so blessed.

Too tired to play.....

2010-04-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

I am kindof a sucker for pictures of my kids when they are sleeping. I love it, they are so peaceful and darling. I looked over the other day in the middle of the afternoon while Ella, aka 'the princess' was laying in my bed, playing a computer game and was sound asleep!! She didn't move for an hour or more, the hand stayed on the mouse the entire time - I thought it was picture and blog worthy. What a cutie.....

Alta Cheer.....

2010-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true.....I have a daughter that made Alta Cheer.

Brenna will be on the Sophomore squad next year with one of her best friends Lindsay Dixson. She flew home last week early from our family vacation so that she could try-out, and with only 1 day to learn the cheer and dance she pulled it off and found her name on the list for 2010-2011!! I am so proud of her!! She needed me to take a picture of the list with her name on it, because she still can't quite believe it herself. What a darling thing.
Way to go Brenna-girl!

Easter (cold and grey!!) weekend.....

2010-04-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

Warning!! Loads and loads of pictures in this post, usually pictures say it better than words though.....

When I think of Spring Break or Easter weekend I usually don't think of cold and gray, but each time I looked out the window this weekend it was either snowing, raining or threatening to snow or rain.....it made it a little hard to get into the spirit of spring.We tried to look past it and have a good weekend, but to be honest, it put a damper on all of our moods.

We started our weekend with our neighborhood annual Easter egg hunt which turned out to be a "Put your coat on and go find your dozen candy-filled eggs and run back in the house to get warm!" - maybe the kids didn't notice as much as I did, but I was freezing!! We then all got together after the Priesthood session of conference to dye our Easter eggs. All of the kids were there, which is rare for a Saturday night at our house, usually someone has a date or a party, but all of them decorated their eggs and had a good time. I enjoyed the family time and we all watched Aladdin afterwards-one of our favorites.

The Easter bunny brought baskets this year that were filled with things for the kids that they could use on the cruise. For the girls it was sunglasses and swimsuit cover-ups and for the boys it was goggles and flip-flops. Little bits of candy too, because what better way to spend your Conference/Easter Sunday that eating chocolate and jellybeans in your p.j.'s while watching the prophet speak!!

Cute Ella didn't wait to open several of her treats just to take a taste of all of them - she continued to nibble on them like that all day. If it would have been me they would have each been gone in 2 bites.

Ji's first Easter morning. It was a little bitter-sweet today because last Easter I was still pregnant with him. He will be turning 1 on the 17th and it has been one of the fastest years of my life. I wonder where the time has gone. We started out with such a rough beginning and to look at him now it is just a distant memory of the time spent in the NICU. He is an amazing blessing in our lives. A very happy and healthy boy. I thank my Heavenly Father for him and each one of my children daily.

Brenna took these pictures of us. He was so funny because every time she would go to snap the picture he would turn and look at me. I don't know what it was, he would be smiling and looking at the camera and then she would take the picture and he would turn his head. It truly took about 7 or 8 tries to get him to face forward. I will pretend it is just because he loves his momma so much that he wanted to watch me instead of the camera!

I loved this picture. Ella is waiting in line for to get her dinner and I looked over, don't know where the fingerless gloves came from, but whe just looks so happy. All is right with the world. Her cousins are over and she is surrounded by all the people she loves most in the world. What a great moment for me to be a witness to....not to mention the missing teeth on the bottom!! Love my girl!

I rarely get a picture of the boys at family parties because they tend to disappear. Besides, look at the ham and cheesy potatoes....and what would a family party be without every kind of soda imaginable!! This is for sure one of our worst habits!!

Cousins eating in the dining room, a rare occasion that they all sit in one room together!

Big girls at the big kid table.....

My little brother Brad and his cute wife Christina

Getting ready for the very cold and wet Easter egg hunt (notice the snow on the ground and coats on the kids)

Ella and Jensen in the backyard with all the rest of the cousins. It was hard to get a picture of all the cousins going for it because it was over really fast!

-All my best girls-

Christina, Mom, Jana, Janeen, Julie, Jenn, Jill

love love, love my sisters!!

So all in all it was a safe and happy Easter weekend. Not the sunny warm weather with tulips and green grass that we all dream of, but hopefully that will be the case next week when we leave for our cruise to Cabo!! Hallelujah!

Special Needs Roadshow.....

2010-03-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of this last school year Morgan was called to be a Youth Counselor in the Special Needs Young Women's program. This is a calling you get from the Stake President and it is a year long commitment. She goes every Thursday night and has been assigned her 'buddy' - Jenny is her name and it has not only been a blessing in Morgans life, but it has been a blessing to all of us. She looks forward each week to going to Special Needs and comes home with not only pretty funny stories, but also some inspiring ones.
J.D. and I went and watched the entire group put on their annual Roadshow.....the girls did lots of singing - simple songs like 'Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree' and 'Once their was a Snowman' all the way to 'I know that my Redeemer Lives', Morgans group sang 'I feel my Saviors Love'....the boys really liked doing skits, dressing up like Nephi and swinging swords carrying "CTR" shields. The whole night was emotional for me, not only seeing these special spirits get up and perform, but seeing the youth that have been called be so tender and loving to their new friends. I am so proud of Morgan that she has embraced this calling and made every moment of it count.
This has been a fun year for her, and one that I am sure she will remember for a lifetime.

Is the marriage strong enough??.....

2010-03-22T20:12:00.001-07:00

J.D. and I generally don't fight. We may disagree, may argue about different things, but overall we do not fight. Not saying it to brag, it's just the way it is. I am not sure what happened one Sunday a few years back, but on a walk in the early spring we had one of our knock-down, drag-outs!! It got heated enough that we had certain neighbors who heard the yelling and when I got home I actually got in the car and drove away. Enough about that, because obviously, we got better.....but it has made us eerily aware of Sunday afternoon walks and what it can do to us as a couple. Kids getting too tired to finish riding the bikes that they brought along, wanting drinks or the kids whining because we stop and talk with too many neighbors. So this last Sunday when I suggested such a walk, J.D. quickly responded "is the marriage strong enough?"

I laughed at him and off we went..... One thing about my boys, Jensen who used to be an absolute FREAK about what he wore, how his hair looked and if he matched okay has now gone completely opposite since having to wear uniforms to school every day. It makes me a little to sad to have my little fashionista gone. Now he just takes whatever is on top of the pile and puts it on. Drew has always been a little bit that way, now I just have 2 boys who look like they have a mother that doesn't bother to care what they go out in public looking like. Sad.

We luckily came upon some of our best friends that also were out on their porch on this yummy spring day! They got a new swing set in the fall and we were able to let the kids run and play at their house for a while - not to mention homemade chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven...we love you Ostheds!!

Little Ji-man loved the swing!! He is just the happiest, smiliest baby we have had -

Coming to the end of our Sunday stroll Jensen thought it would be funny to lift his shorts up high and do a power walk down the sidewalk - the comic relief we have in that little boy is awesome!! He is always thinking up things to do to make us laugh, he and Brenna are a lot alike in that regard. I am so thankful for funny kids, my mom used to always say to me that if a person could make me laugh I wanted to be their friend - so luckily for me I have silly kids.

Our Sunday walk was a huge success!! Thank heaven. Hopefully there will be many more this Spring after being cooped up all Winter long....

A rite of passage.....

2010-03-20T17:25:00.001-07:00

What 8 year old boys life could possibly be complete without the Pinewood Derby?? Wait, did I say that right? I do believe that it is as much for the young scout as it is for the dad of that young scout. This last Saturday, after about 2 1/2 weeks of blood, sweat and tears (not really) our ward had it's Pinewood Derby.

This would usually come and go without much to mention, but this one has a story behind it. My boys, (and Ella) were really excited to participate in the race this year. It was Jensens first time, and Drew and J.D. thought it would be fun to build a car also....knowing they could not race, but why not? (I say why??)

Anyway....they all spent a considerable amount of time sanding, painting, and re-painting their cars...adding decals, adding wheels, and adding the right amount of weight. The night before the race came and it was time to take the cars in for the official weigh-in. J.D. had to take the Deacons on an overnighter camping trip and I was put in charge of the cars...'the responsible one' - I was called. I do believe J.D. must have jinxed me with the title because within moments of being given thethat title I dropped the only car that mattered for the race on the garage floor while getting ready to take it to the neighbors for the weigh-in. The weights that were so carefully place in the bottom of the car popped out and the axel on one of the wheels was bent!! This could not be happening! Oh yes it did, and not only did I know about it, but so did Drew and Morgan who watched the whole thing happen (I most likely said a few choice words out loud because I know for a fact I thought them). J.D. was on his way with the boys for a camping trip that he wasn't exactly thrilled about so there was no way in the world I was going to add the pressure of a broken car to the mix. I begged Drew not to say anything, I begged the guy in my ward to give it a once over and do whatever he could to fix the car - explaining to the both of them that they were looking at a dead woman at this point....

Saturday comes, I can't go to the Pinewood Derby because of a baby shower, (and partially because if I wasn't there, maybe I couldn't be blamed for the car). I called J.D. and he was quick to inform me that someone must have dropped Jensens car because it didn't even make it down the track the first time....oh snap! I instantly had a stomach ache and could not relax at the shower. I had to get out of there, I had to come clean with both of my boys....it was their moms dumb fault that the car sucked!

To make a long story short, after a little TLC by the dad at the race and another try down the track my cutie Jensen came in 2nd place out of all the boys in the ward. He got an awesome trophy to prove it and a change to compete on a stake level later on that night.

Jensen was able to race his car with 28 other winners from the other wards. He came in 14th out of the 28 cars - not bad for what we had gone through to get it to that point.

Who knows, maybe the drop did the car some good - I like to tell myself that - we will never know. J.D. is sure he would have 'smoked' everyone else if it had been in it's original awesome state...

I am just the lucky mom that was able to have both my boys forgive me for making a mess of the Pinewood Derby car - maybe next time I won't get the job as the 'responsible one'...after the 24 hours that I spent stewing about it I would be happy to give that title to anyone else.

Baby steps.....

2010-03-16T17:45:00.001-07:00

My little Ji-man is 11 months old today and he is trying to learn to walk. He is in no way there, only taking a few steps at a time before he gets chicken and sits down. This is not my favorite idea, in fact, I encourage the sitting. Walking is good, it just makes it real. He is growing up and there is not a darn thing I can do about it. With each new accomplishment he is proud of himself and we all love watching him grow, I just love the babies, everyone knows that and I am not quite ready to give that up! I know I have said it before, but I truly don't know where the time has gone. He is an amazing boy and adds such happiness to our family. I can't imagine our life without the little bundle. I think he helps to keep J.D. and I young - (that's what I tell myself anyway)

Zions.....

2010-03-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

We decided we all needed to get out of the gloom earlier this month so we thought it would be a great idea to head down to Southern Utah - Zions, to be exact. Little did I realize that just because you go 'south' doesn't mean that you go 'warm'. I found a cabin on the Internet to rent and it was awesome, all except for the 5 feet of snow and the cold weather that surrounded us!!

We went with some neighbors of ours who also are blessed with 6 kids - so the grand total of those traveling was 16!! They have kids that range from 16 all the way down to 2, so we match up pretty well.

Driving through Zions we went from tons of snow to no snow by the time we left the park. It was interesting to see how much it changes during the 30 minute drive. It was beautiful in any weather.....

Blue, blue, blue skies!!!! Just what the doctor ordered.

Brenna did a great job taking pictures of the canyon - all of these pictures were taken on the same day, same drive...just goes to show you how fast things can change.

The cabin we stayed at had a hot tub, so that is where you could find the little kids 3 to 4 times a day. By the time we left 3 days later the dirt and grime ring around the edge of the water was enough to make anyone queasy!!

Ella and Jensen with the friends, Adam, Josh and Sam Chandler.

This is what happens the minute we would get in the car - she would crash!! I think it was due to lack of sleep and probably way too much sugar (notice the chocolate covered pretzels).

We drove into St. George one afternoon and went bowling at the most GHETTO bowling alley I have ever seen. It was small and dingy - and you had to push the reset button every time someone would bowl -

I am pretty sure St. George is a big enough town that it warrants a new bowling alley....

My cute guys - J.D. Jiles and Jensen

Like the shirts?? The big kids all bought these funny shirts at the outlet, apparently they are cool?? Shows you how much a mom knows because I would have never, ever, picked any of these shirts for any of my kids to wear.

Also, I don't think Drew got the memo to make a crusty face for the camera, love my smiley boy!

We spent our weekend doing alot of nothing. Playing games, sitting in the hot tub and most importantly eating - the amounts of food that we took and consumed were disturbing!
We stayed up way past all of our bedtimes and had 3 solid days of partying!!

The Chandlers brought their 4 wheelers and that was alot of fun for all the kids!! Ella loved riding with her big sister and for the most part that is where Drew spent most of his time. I let Brenna take me for a ride, and I think she tried to dump me over on purpose! I couldn't spend too much time out there because it was Freezing!!

Jiles got his very first Oreo cookie - he looks about as happy as I do when I eat Oreos (they were mint filled - even better than the original if you ask me)

Jiles also cut his very first tooth the day we left for our trip - what a handsome little devil.

All in all the getaway was just fabulous...minus almost breaking into the wrong cabin (a whole different story) and having loads of snow instead of sun, we had a great time. It is fun to travel with friends, luckily we have been blessed in our lives with many of them.

Purple flowers, purple dresses.....

2010-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

I learned a lesson today.....taking advice from your 5 year old daughter can really pay off. Ella and I had been in the house all morning, me doing loads and loads of laundry trying to play catch up from our weekend away and I had stuck Ella in front of video after video. Jiles slept all morning and we were both going a little stir crazy. We drove to the gas station to get our daily drink (and donut for Ella) and on the way home Ella said to me "Mom, remember when we had a picnic outside?" Well - yes I do remember and it was then her suggestion that we do it again today. To be honest, it was not my favorite idea, I still felt like I had alot to do, and after all it is only March 1st, still a little cold for a picnic. I agreed to sit on the front porch and eat our lunch and to be quite honest I was so grateful for my little Ella at that moment.

The sun shone on our faces, we took off our shoes and ate our lunch. The time-out from being inside and doing laundry was just what we both needed.

Seeing the world through my babies eyes today was fabulous. He had a few first's...

First fist full of dirt, quickly followed by his first MOUTH full of dirt....

First tickle on the face with a dried up flower from last fall

followed by a great shiver caught on film.....

First touch of the grass, and to my surprise he didn't mind it....hopefully he will like GREEN grass just as well.

Today I was reminded, that taking time out to have moments with my babies are far more important than any load of laundry....

Today I was reminded with the purple flower that bloomed in my yard that, thank heaven, it will be spring again someday....

Hopefully that someday is sooner rather than later.

20 years and counting.....

2010-02-22T14:29:00.001-08:00

Just a side note before anyone goes on to read this post - I don't know if I have proper words or feelings adequate to express the way I feel about my guy - I tried my hardest to put it down on paper, so to speak.... I don't know if I have ever said this before on my blog or not, but I have the best husband in the whole world!! He is always wonderful and amazing, but this last weekend he went above and beyond for me!! He is a blessing in my life that I am thankful every day for - my life would not be the same without him in it. He is my dream come true and I feel so lucky to have him all to myself! This last Saturday, Feb.20th was our 20th anniversary. It is unbelievable to me that we have been together for so long and that I am as happy today as I was on the day when I married him all those years ago.

We went to Cancun a month or so ago, I thought for our anniversary celebrations, but he also planned out a small weekend getaway for us. Saturday morning we got up and left the house early, 10:00 and headed out the door - How lucky am I that I know that I can leave and my babies will be in good hands with the 2 big girls. Morgan and Brenna are awesome!! We spent our day shopping at Gateway, eating a delicious lunch and having a couples massage. Later on that day we checked into 'Little America' where we spent our honeymoon night, just 2 decades ago (yikes!!) J.D. spent the whole day surprising me with little gifts, a short book about the 20 years we have spent together through his eyes and a bottle of my favorite perfume (all the way from New York). He told me that we had dinner reservations that night and off we went. Much to my surprise - probably the biggest one of my life with him - he had invited 20 of the people that I love most in this world to spend the evening having dinner with us. I cried like a baby when I walked into the restaurant and saw my whole family sitting there waiting to celebrate with us. You would have thought from my reaction that I never see any of them! He is just usually not able to keep any secrets from me and so this was unusual for him. We had a great dinner together and enjoyed our night out!

These are the pictures of all the people who joined us... My uncle Bob and aunt Sandy and my cute mom and dad.

Janeen and Corey Anderson, Jana and Trent Williams
Both of my sisters were just little girls when we got married!

Mike and Jill Wahlquist and our good friends Adam and Becky Osthed

Blake (who was only 6 months old on our wedding day) and Brad and Christina Hackwell

Brian and J.D.'s mom, Pat. She brought a whole album full of pictures of us on our wedding day - what a fun thing to look at and needless to say, we have changed!!

My cute cousin Michelle (who was my maid of honor) and her husband Nate. They are so fun to be around, she was the first person that I saw when we got to the restaurant - I looked through the window behind her and thought to myself - 'weird, I wonder what she is doing here??'

Chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider in our room - one of my favorite treats!! We brought the yellow rose home to Ella and that made her day, this is a girl that loves flowers. Hopefully her husband can keep up with her girly-girl taste!!

I can only hope and pray that each of my girls get their Prince Charmings like I have. I hope that they are learning how they deserve to be treated when they grow up and I hope my boys are learning valuable lessons on how to treat women. J.D. is an amazing example of love to all of us.

I hope I have another 20+ years with him!

Hey look what I can do!.....

2010-02-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here we are February 17 and dear baby Jiles is officially 10 months old! Where in the world did the time go? I cannot believe my little dude is nearly a year old. Since he has learned to crawl each day holds a new adventure for him. He is constantly bonking his head on the railing, the floor, getting stuck under the kitchen table and a whole host of other places to get hurt. Now that the stair climbing has started I cannot leave him alone for even a minute. I just follow him around the house and hope he stays out of trouble. He really is proud of himself for learning such a fun new skill and will be nearly all the way up before I even realize he has left the kitchen. So far he stays away from the top of the stairs and has not tried falling down the stairs yet...do I dare hold my breath?

My bath tub.....

2010-02-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

As I sat in the tub the other morning I started looking around. I am in my bathroom, but by the looks of it, you would never know it. I am surrounded by little kid shampoo, 2-in-1 with a monkey on the bottle that smells like coconut....baby shampoo, smelling like babies.....a Sponge Bob razor, mirror and shaving cream.....a white rubber ducky.....a Hello Kitty loofah.....a handful of different sized cups for rinsing, dumping and 'making shakes' as Ella and Jensen would put it....2 little pet shop fish that often end up joining me in my bath. I think "this could drive a person crazy" - but as soon as the thought enters my head, I am quickly reminded of how fast the time goes. How someday when I am sitting in a tub that I have all to myself with all my grown up lotions and potions how sad it will be, that I will miss these moments. Being a mom teaches you to share - everything in your world, from your bath tub all the way down to the daily diet coke.

I wouldn't trade these little reminders for the world.

A month full of simple pleasures.....

2010-02-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Morgan, Brenna, and Drew dressing up 80's for a YMYW activity - according to Brenna she wishes she could always dress this way!! I say a 'no way' the 80's were not a good look for any of us. Good music I will admit, but for the fashions I say eeewwww!

After having a sleepover with cousin Leah and coming home more exhausted than she could even handle - falling asleep on the stairs on the way up to her room. Bless her tired little heart!

Yummy!! Cute Jiles eating licorice for the very first time. This little guy loves to eat - he instantly drops his binky out of his mouth whenever any of us put anything up to our lips. He doesn't know how to drink out of a straw yet, but he pretends to just by putting it in his mouth, imagine how surprised he will be when he finds out there is something else on the other end of that funny little plastic tube!

Sweethearts for Morgan - I told her I thought she looked like a little cupcake. My only wish is that Valentines day didn't have to have such pressure for teenagers. She had a fun time at the dance with 'Zach from Lehi'.

Spending a school night in the hot tub after dinner and homework were done. Ella loves to get in, it is just hard for her to find willing participants sometimes. She is always up for a quick swim and is so happy when someone will get in and play with her.

New Years Resolution.....

2010-02-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official we have all made it through another January. January is one of those months that is both good and bad. Good for it's a chance to reflect, make changes in your life and make any number of 'resolutions'. You all know the typical, loose weight, stop gossiping, making more meals at home or cleaning the toilets on a more regular basis!! Well, this year I thought it would be meaningful for me to do something that I have never done before, I have decided to read at least 1 book every month.

To some, this probably doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but to me it is.

Having 6 kids keeps me busy - I have decided though, there is a lot of downtime...waiting for kids in the carpool lane at school, dance lessons etc.

Here is where the story gets good....I have officially finished 3, yes 3 books for the month of January. Thanks to a 6 day vacation to give me a head start and a realization that reading is quite enjoyable. It gives me a chance to escape the real world and use my imagination!! What a concept - "The Hunger Games" - "Beautiful Creatures" - "The Lightning Thief"

All of these books I would recommend, I would also love any recommendations, with a side note, I read for enjoyment, not to cry, become depressed or scared...

Caged baby.....

2010-01-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Jiles has only been on the move for a little over a week and this is what it gets him.....

The mom and dad run errands on a Saturday afternoon and leave the baby with 2 teenage girls who are trying to get themselves ready for the day.

Jiles wouldn't stay out of the make-up and hair product today and Morgan came up with the bright idea to put my boy in a make-shift cage...taking 2 laundry baskets and tying them together with ribbon. He didn't complain, didn't cry....I think that he thought it was funny. Both girls wondered why I got him out of it when I came home, two words...Child Abuse.

Crawling and climbing.....

2010-01-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

Jiles is now 9 months old - I took him to the doctor for his well child check on Monday and he is weighing in at 21 pounds....he is continuing to grow like a weed and is happy and healthy (if you don't count the 2 ear infections back to back that left him with an extreme case of diaper rash due to the antibiotics!!) All is well now.

While J.D. and I were in Cancun Jiles decided it was time for him to learn to crawl and climb and try to walk around furniture, he also thinks it is really neat to try and stand on his own. What happened? I left and he was TRYING to move and I come home and can't keep him down. He is constantly trying to climb up to the fireplace and the bath tub - both of which are dangerous places to be climbing. I guess it it 'good-bye' to my fireplace for the season, which makes me want to cry, seeing as I have had it on almost constantly for the last 2 months.

He thinks that he is pretty cool, you can see it in his face. He knows that he has learned something new and is excited about showing it off. When I got the camera out last night to try and sneak a picture of him up on the bath tub, he immediately wanted to come and get me.

He is still a very happy little dude, wanting to eat and be a big boy. He screams for my diet Pepsi even though he has no clue how to suck out of a straw. He pretends, and for now that makes him happy:)

Cancun in the wintertime.....

2010-01-20T08:02:00.001-08:00

Ahhh....Cancun in the wintertime. Could there be anything better?? We love to go on a couples vacation after Christmas. I am becoming less and less tolerant of the snow each and every year. The cold, the gray, the drab...it is so yucky. Last year we didn't go away, we took our kids on a cruise instead, which was equally as fun, just in a different, less relaxing way. This is a photo of J.D. and I, day one in Cancun - we are a lovely shade of, who knows what due to the spray on tan the night before. I don't know if I am a fan or not. The jury is still out on that.

This is a shot from the pier at the resort that we stayed at....most beautiful. It was especially charming at night with all the lights and the water.

Day two....beach, beach and more beach. We laid on our chairs and read and sunned ourselves all day. No where that we had to be, no time frame, I didn't even bring a watch. When we got hungry we ate, when we got tired we slept. It is so awesome to pull the swim suits out in the middle of winter. J.D. doesn't like to get sunburned, so he keeps pretty covered up. He got called the 'uni-bomber' at one point, thanks Big Wid.

We went to a class to learn how to give a massage, I did learn alot...it was fun. Later on in the week we went back to the spa where we got the full treatment. Starting with water therapy, sitting in the steam room and sauna, and going into FREEZING cold water. We all then had a 50 minute massage followed by a 50 minute facial - so relaxing. I felt very spoiled.

Outdoor lunches of all you can eat guacamole and chips (with loads and loads of other food also) with a mariachi band in the background. The food was unbelievable. We ate until we were sick at most of our meals. Isn't it funny how you starve yourself up until the day of the trip and then throw it all out the window while there, I came home 8 pounds heavier than I left and J.D. gained 5 pounds....luckily it is coming off each and every day. I have just decided you can't worry about it while on vacation, it is a part of the fun.

We took a bike tour one morning and rode into a little town up the beach, don't we all look just stunning in our reflective vests and helmets?? It was a fun way to spend a morning, after all, we had done nothing to exert ourselves in anyway for the entire time we were there. It is always interesting to see the way other people live. We are so blessed her in the United States to have all that we do.

The boys....Wid - Adam - J.D.

The girls.... Becky - Jenn - Suzy

This was the group of us the day we went to the spa....don't we all look lovely!

The view from our balcony. Our resort was amazing!! Waking up in the morning and opening our door to our balcony and having the fresh air was just what we needed in the middle of winter.

Our last morning in our tropical paradise. This vacation really felt like a vacation, sometimes we pack our days so full of activities that when we come home it feels like we just barely left. Luckily this time it felt like 6 days on the beach....I would highly recommend this for anyone who can do it. Leaving the kids is a hard thing to do, it is sad to say good-bye for a week, but then you come home and everything is the same. It is so good for the parents to get away and focus on time together. Remembering just what makes your relationship so special. J.D. is my best friend, I am so grateful for him, he means everything to me. I love you!

Smokin' hot.....

2010-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

Ella says funny things alot, but today was one of those days that she had me giggling a couple of times....

We were walking out the door to go and get her haircut and run a few errands when she

matter-of-factly says

"Mom, I look smokin hot today."

There was no embarrassment or shame in how she felt, I don't know what provoked the thought that she looked extra good on this particular morning, but whatever it was I hope she can keep the positive attitude towards herself.

Later on, on the way to dance she then announces -

"I wish my name was Austin."

What in the world?? What is my daughter thinking? I wish I knew what was going on in that 5 year old head of hers.

Taco Night at the Barnes.....

2009-12-31T14:20:00.002-08:00

As we have done in years past we had our annual "Taco Night" for New Years Eve...and might I add that it was a smashing success. J.D. loves to make tacos for as many people are willing to come and eat them. This year he figures we served somewhere in the range of 270-300 tacos, not bad. My brother Brad was so nice when he said, 'you know, I think that they get better every year' -

My cute Jensen is always willing to pose for a photo and we got Grandma in with him - sorry your eyes are closed mom, you still look beautiful!!

I gave Morgan the camera for the night and asked her to take pictures, I get too busy trying to make sure people are fed, and that the cheese, salsa, chips and sour cream dishes stay filled for eager taco eaters. This is just a shot from the kitchen with people all milling about - cousins, nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers, neighbors, high school friends, etc.- like I said, all are invited.

Morgan again with one of her crazy faces -

Notice the cups, I kindof feel a little a little strange that I make everyone use lids and straws with their soda, but whatever works to keep the spills and the mess at a minimum. Thank heaven for Costco.

Cute sister Janeen ready to fill her plate, right before we all start our News Years diet -

All the Hackwell women, plus new little Tater-bug.

Jiles was absolutely amazed with the balloons, it was fun to see him get so excited. He did so good and actually made it to the New Year (with an small nap earlier in the night).

We only ended up with a handful of people at the end of the night to ring in the New Year. All my kids had cousins and friends sleep over. All the little girls along with Brad and Julie and Mike and Jill ended up in our bedroom watching Dick Clark - wow, that dude is old!! We opened our shutters at midnight and we were able to see fireworks going off all over the valley. From Draper clear up to Salt Lake, it was pretty cool to see and we were nice and warm in the house.

Looking forward to a happy and healthy 2010!!

It's Christmas!.....

2009-12-31T14:20:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve at our house always consists of opening up new jammies - I believe it is what almost every family does. This year was a little different for us because J.D. and I finally got smart and gave our kids money to go and 'fill' our stockings....it was good for 2 reasons. It was especially fun to see what they would pick out for their mom and dad and it was great because while they were gone shopping J.D. and I were able to get nearly all our wrapping done with an empty house. Not worrying about who might try to bust down the door at any given moment.

We always spend Christmas Eve with J.D.'s mom. This year it was our turn to host and we invited his grandma and his aunt and uncle. Our kids are always a little bored because there are no other kids to be with, so this year we tried to add a few extra people. It was fun to spend time with them and J.D. wanted to make them a nice dinner. We went around the table trying to think of our 3 favorite things....they couldn't be the obvious, house, family, etc. We wanted some thinking to go into it. Drew mentioned a fresh haircut and contacts....also football. Jensen loves his dads cooking and learning to wrestle this year. Ella hid under the table and didn't want to talk about things she enjoyed, oh well. Morgan said that Brenna was one of her favorites, spending time with her watching movies and staying up late, gum, and her love for reading good books. She also loves freshly shaved legs and rubbing them on clean sheets. Brenna loves chapstick, Dr. Pepper and of all things sleep (on the cold side of the pillow). What funny kids I have. J.D. loves the fireplace in our bedroom and I love tevo....hmmmm. We both love spending time with each other after the kids have gone to bed watching all the shows we have recorded (I love reality television, sad but true.) and staying warm in our bedroom.

All of us in our new P.J.'s on Christmas morning before the big reveal of what Santa had brought.

Ella has been wanting the "Touch and Brush" for months now. She would see the infomercial on T.V. and would say every time - "I want that...."
I wasn't able to find it for her birthday and boy did she notice. "What about the toothbrush thing??" So luckily, on one of my Walmart runs look what I found at the checkout. I am so glad I found it, because on Christmas night as I was putting the kids in bed I asked Ella what her favorite gift was, expecting to hear that it was the new build-a-bear, or her DS, but if fact it was her new toothbrush thing. Isn't it funny how sometimes the simplest things bring you the most pleasure. Like the shaved legs, the contacts, the fireplace, daddy's cooking, and Dr. Pepper.

Ji's first Christmas. Having a baby in the house is one of the things that brings me great happiness. It was fun to watch him try to open the gifts, he was more interested in eating each piece of paper that he ripped off - typical baby. Santa brought him some toys, all of which make noise and some new clothes because he is growing so so fast.

Christmas day at Grandma and Grandpa Hackwells consists of 13 adults (not including mom and dad) and 18 grand kids. So once we all get in one room to open gifts it is chaos. 33 people all trying to sit in a circle to see what we all get and give. It is loud and crazy, but we love it. The benefits of large families are all the great times that we have together.

Merry Christmas to all of you. I love you and am so glad that we are all apart of each others life.

Happy Birthday Morgan!.....

2009-12-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

My, my, my how time flies!! Miss Morgan Marie turned 17 this year. I can't believe it. You hear people say all the time that you blink and your kids are grown, well I am officially a believer.
Morgan just 1 day old - December 24, 1992

Morgan with J.D. - she was around 6 or 7 months old at the time. It is summer in our first little house in West Jordan. Quieter, more simple times. J.D. had just gotten home from playing softball and needed to have one last good-night kiss from his baby girl.

Morgan for her birthday this year wanted to go to breakfast with all the girls in her life, mom, sisters, aunts and grandma. We wend to Mimi's Cafe and enjoyed a darn good breakfast. She got to open lots of girly things and spend time with the ladies!

Things I love about Morgan....

1. She has always gotten herself up and ready for school without me asking.

2. She still orders food from the kid's menu at most restaurants.

3. She loves to play and practice the piano.

4. She is an old soul, wise beyond her years and doesn't get too caught up in typical teen-ager 'stuff'.

5. She still likes to be seen with me, going to the mall with her mom has never bothered her.

6. If she sees a need in our family, she fills it. Changing a diaper, loading the dishwasher, helping with a hair-do on a Sunday morning....things like that.

7. She doesn't abuse driving and car privileges....

8. She expects to be treated right by the boys she goes out with, she does not take any of their crap....and is willing to stand up for herself.

9. She loves her sister Brenna like crazy!! They are best friends and spend countless hours together, hiding in 'their' basement.

10. She has taught me how to be a good mom. I feel like I learn from her, as much as she learns from me.

Most likely when Morgan sees that this is one of the pictures that I posted she will want to kill me!! I, on the other hand, think she looks cute. It shows a side of her that not many people see. She is a goofy girl who knows how to make us laugh. She is the best big sister and the best oldest daughter anyone could ask for. She is kind, considerate, responsible, smart, honest, caring and a peace-maker in our family. There is a whole list of other things, but if I keep going I will most likely end up in a heap of tears.

We took our family to Olive Garden for birthday dinner. It was not exactly the trip to New York that she got last year, but it doesn't mean we love her any less!!

Birthday girl with Ella and Drew. Fettuccine Alfredo all around - one of the kids favorite meals.

Happy Birthday lady - we all love you!!

Dancing, dancing, and more dancing.....

2009-12-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Brenna and Ella had their very first dance recital together -
Brenna has been dancing now for 5 years, with an average of about 10-12 hours a week, she has multiple competitions in the spring time and we have even traveled to Disneyland with her dance company. She gets better each and every year and she really enjoys the time and effort it takes....she is constantly dancing around the house, practicing her splits, pirouettes, fuetes and all sorts of other ballet dance moves that I cannot spell. I enjoy watching her and I am so glad that we are able to provide these types of things for our kids. Letting them grow their own talents. Ella has watched and learned from her big sister, but this year it was time for her to take her own class. She has really enjoyed her class and her teacher, Miss Charae....
When recital time came I have to admit I was a little nervous. Ella is an extremely shy child by nature and she even cried the day she brought her costume home in anticipation for dancing on the 'big stage'. We have all told her how fun it is and how good she dances, just trying to get her geared up for performing in front of people. So the big day came and she was actually the one in her class that the other little girls were looking at to see if they were doing it right. "Warm and Fuzzy...." kindof a silly song that I have never heard, but let me tell you Ella has a darn good curtsy, bow and kiss-blowing technique at the end of their dance.

J.D. stopped and got the girls flowers for the end of the recital (all because Ella was sortof demanding it - "we need flowers when we are done....")
The dance recital was a long night, Ella being one of the first to perform in the first show and Brenna being the LAST to perform in the second show - couldn't the teacher work that out a little better for families?? Oh well, we all had a good time, and..... looking forward to the spring recital!!

Temple Square.....

2009-12-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Going to Temple Square during the holidays is one of those traditions that, sadly, we do not get around to every year. For me, it is one of those things you have to gear up for. The long drive at nights, which almost always means kids falling asleep in the car (which then means a rough bedtime), dressing extra warm for the cold weather, dealing with parking and then the crowds that are always on the Temple grounds. We luckily have friends who invited us this year - on a Monday night, no less (FHE), so off we went. It really is worth it though, getting the family picture with the Temple and Christmas lights is a good moment....again, no Jiles, asleep, and warm in the stroller.

The Griffin and Barnes kids - what great friends.

There are so many different nativities set up all over the place, these were just a couple of our favorites, stiff baby Jesus and marshmallow baby Jesus. Is that inappropriate??

The girls.....

The parents.....

The boys.....

One final picture.

During these crazy holiday nights, I am most grateful for my family. For the love and joy that they each bring into my life.

Only a week later.....

2009-12-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

We went to Costco the other day. Brenna sluffed school and I had some shopping to do so with a little help from her we were off. I was busy picking up our Christmas cards at the photo deptartment and Ella was playing with Jiles. She had been biting his feet and he would give her a kick. They were both enjoying this little game and laughing about it when with one good kick Jiles knocked Ella's loose tooth out. I didn't see it happen but Brenna did. Ella looked at Brenna and said "my tooth is gone, I think it is on the floor!" Suprisingly enough, she actually found that little tooth on the floor and was quite proud. She ran over to show me - luckily she was unaware of the blood that was all over in her mouth. That would have sent her over the edge. She was just so excited that the tooth that she had been working so hard on for the last week was finally out. She ran up to Jiles and said "Thank you Jiles for kicking my tooth out!!" - and she meant it. She thought that was awesome. The tooth fairy came that night she wanted 'coins' so she could add them to her missionary fund (a little red cup that her primary teachers gave her). What a good girl. I still am having trouble believing that my little Ella has lost her first tooth.

Family Christmas Party.....

2009-12-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Nelson family Christmas party a couple of weeks ago. I am terribly behind in my blogging, I don't know if it is because the month has gone by so quickly or if it is because we have been so busy with all of the different holiday activities. Either way, I am determined to get caught up before Christmas day. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

We have our party at a church usually because there are so many of us that come to the party. We enjoyed lunch, visiting with cousins and then of course a special visitor.

When Santa came through the door, Ella went under the table. Eventually, thanks to my sister, Jill, Ella got brave enough to give Santa a try.
Jensen is always game to sit on Santa's lap. He is a boy that is so full of personality and quick whit. He is wanting drums (for the 3rd year in a row) and a gecko for Christmas. What the heck?? I am afraid he is going to be sorely disappointed on Christmas morning.

Morgan and Brenna even got into the action and sat on Santa's lap. Drew was missing for nearly the entire party. He is too 'big' to sit on Santa's lap - :(

I even got into the spirit of things - after all grandma was handing out giant candy bars to anyone who would have a seat - yum!!

J.D. giving him a big squeeze!!

There is a difference.....

2009-12-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you have a little brother.....Cute Ella, what is a mom to say?

Smell-o-vision??.....

2009-12-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Last night after everyone had gone to bed it was just Ella and I awake (J.D. is out of town). I always let one of my kids sleep with me when he is gone and last night it was Ellas turn. We were flipping between two movies, her choice, Elf, and my choice, The Wedding Planner. Ella and I enjoy lots of girl time together, she is a fun little girl to be around. I enjoy her company, (thus one of the reasons she doesn't go to pre-school), she grows up too fast as it is and I am not ready to share our time together.

Morgan and Brenna had popped some popcorn downstairs and the smell was drifting up to my bedroom. Ella didn't realize that the smell was coming from our house because while watching our movies she says to me "Mom, I can smell the T.V." - the way she said it was sort of 'matter-of-fact' and sort of surprised at the same time. I let her think it was the T.V., I thought it was cute.

A loose tooth.....

2009-12-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

During church today Ella was talking to me and I noticed that one of her bottom teeth looked funny - sort of crooked. I asked her to let me look inside her mouth and what would you know, she has a loose tooth!! Unbelievable. The girl is 5 for all of 3 weeks and already she starts to loose teeth??

It has taken her all day to get used to the idea that one of her teeth is going to fall out. Out of all of my children Ella is the one with the weakest stomach and having a tooth wiggle in her mouth is not exactly exciting to her. She has finally warmed up to the idea, and not thinks it is pretty cool that she will soon have the tooth fairy pay her a visit. "How does she know when my tooth falls out?" - Never has any of the other kids asked such a question. I told her that she works alot like Santa and that she will just know. I have a feeling though that Ellas tooth will be hanging by a thread, and she will most likely either swallow it while she eats or swallow it while she sleeps because she doesn't even like her toenails clipped - it hurts -

This should be interesting!!

The Pirate Face....

2009-12-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

So I am not sure what it is about my boys, but both Jensen and now Jiles have pulled this face as babies. I remember we used to all sit around and laugh at Jensen when he was about this age. He would sit on the table at Grandma and Grandpa Hackwell's house after a Sunday dinner and just pull this silly face over and over again. The more we would laugh, the more he would do it. Now 8 years later we have another 'pirate face' - and he acts just the same way Jensen would - as long as he knows he is getting our attention, the more and more he will do it. The eyes shut with his nose scruntched up, and his jaw kind of pulled over to one side, don't know why they have both done it, but one thing I do know is that it makes anyone who sees it laugh!

Turkey Day.....

2009-12-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a big day around our house. It all starts early in the morning with some of us going and running the 5k, J.D. is darling and he stays home with the little ones and gets the house and the turkey ready. This year Jensen was particularly interested in helping with the bird. J.D. spends almost 3 days soaking the turkey in a brine solution with lots of spices....Jensen's mouth was watering for it even before it was cooked (eeewww!). He really enjoyed helping his dad this year, and I think J.D. really enjoyed having someone as interested in the preparation of the turkey as he was.

The girls, dressed and ready to go!!

The boys in all of their handsome-ness!!

Here is our especially long table. We love being able to sit everyone all at one table. It makes this day seem special. We move all the furniture and bring in 4 extra tables. I am not fancy enough (or crazy enough) to use nice dishes, I say the less clean-up after a meal like this the better. Don't we all have better ways to spend our time after eating (like looking at the ad's for Black Friday) rather than do the dishes. I think it all turns out okay and looks nice enough. No one has complained yet about the Dixie cups!

Dinner is served- Morgan, Brenna, Ella, Jake, Drew, Jensen, Lucas and Aliza.....

This year we decided to try something different. My sisters and I have always wanted an activity after dinner. We have done movies in the past, but usually no one really wants to get bundled up and leave the house. We are all usually too full and too relaxed to really go and do anything - plus we need to save our energy for the shopping.

Having a Gingerbread house making contest was J.D.'s idea and it went over really well!! And for an activity that was mainly meant for the kids, it was the adults who took over and suddenly became very worried about how their house would turn out.

Jensen was really the only one of the kids that stuck with it and wanted to see it through. He did a great job and next year he has informed me that he wants a house all to himself. He loved making the frosting drip into icicles off of the side of the house. He was very meticulous and wanted the house to look just right. We all had a few building malfunctions, the icing was not drying as fast as we were putting candy on, so our roof slipped a few times and I had to hold it until it dried. Corey and Janeens completely fell apart, so they ended up making theirs into a Manger scene with Mary and Joseph as the gingerbread men...very creative. No picture though. Sad.

Even Grandma and Grandpa got into the action. It was fun to see everyone have such a good time together. We were all covered in this yucky, sticky frosting by the time it was all said and done.

Julie, Bradley and Aliza were the big winners. Their house ended up looking just like the one on the outside of the box. They definitely win the prize for being the most patient with their house. They did a great job and they are using the Gingerbread house as the centerpiece on their kitchen table -

Jill and Mike worked on their house all alone - I don't think that any of their kids even tried to help. Mike raided my pantry and found some frosted mini wheat's and he used those for the shingles on the roof which made it WAY too heavy - it ended up sliding apart I think too. Oh well, what mattered is that it was a fun way to spend the evening on Thanksgiving.

We missed having Trent and Jana and their kids this year, also Brad and Christina with their family. Our table has been bigger in past years, so this year it actually seemed a little small. When you only seat 20 instead of nearly 30 there is a big difference. Hopefully next year we will all be able to be together again!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! This has become one of my favorite family traditions....

The Human Race.....

2009-12-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

One of our fairly new family traditions began 3 years ago. It all started with Jill and I and has grown each year. We run/walk in the Human Race, a 5k here in Draper designed to help the Utah Food Bank. It is Thanksgiving morning, and is really pretty fun. There were over 5,000 runners this year - they come in all shapes and sizes, young and old.

This year our group was me, Morgan, Brenna, and Drew, my sister Jill and her boy Jake and her friend Brenda, my sister Jana and our brother-in-law Brad (the runner of the group).
It was cold, but we all got by okay - it is a fun tradition and I hope that it continues to grow every year. We are doing something good for the community and it also makes eating Thanksgiving dinner a little better knowing that you did something good for your body that morning!

Brown-haired baby.....

2009-11-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Jiles Dunn

Our little guy growing so quickly, and almost everyday I think of his name. Jiles. No one really liked the name when I picked it, they all thought it was maybe just a tad to strange. Too last name-ish. I don't know. I remember looking at him in the hospital under all the wires and tubes with beeping going on in the background and just knowing that needed to be his name. It fit.

After the first name was finished we needed to come up with a "D" middle name, this I left up to the daddy, Dunn is what he decided on. I always have to tell people the spelling, D.U.N.N., not D.O.N.E. - that is what J.D. would have people believe "you know, it fits, we are done" he will say...and as for me, that is something that I am not willing to commit to quite yet, time will tell.

On to the real reason of my post, the name Dunn means "brown-haired man", my little brown-haired man. I have never had one of these. All of my other babies have been blondies or baldies. Mostly blondies, though. I just get get a giggle every once in a while that names might really mean something in a childs life. Who knows if he will stay my 'brown-haired man', but for now he sure is.