Gymnastics

Carter and his friends have been taking gymnastics together since last summer. He absolutely loves going and at least attempts everything that Coach Amanda asks him to do. The warm-up... not everyone participates.

Learning the forward roll.

Attempting the hand-stand... looks more like a donkey kick to me.

Here's my monkey boy!

Pulling his legs up to make the "L" shape... such perfect form! Good ab work!

A little balance practice

Ethan, Carter, Myles

Coach Amanda holding Lana and Tessa

Girl's Weekend!

Jaime invited me to join her for a road trip to Waco for the Baylor/Kansas State basketball game. Initially I turned it down... not wanting to see my Bears lose again. But, then the idea of some fun kicked in and we hit I35. We did a little shopping in Hillsboro and Waco before heading to the BU ballpark to watch the opening weekend of baseball. BU beat Purdue in the 11th inning. We went on to the Ferrell Center to watch undoubtedly one of the best college basketball players score 40 points on Baylor. I'm sure Beasley will leave KSU and join the draft... or at least I hope so. Even with his record setting game we won. YEAH! So, from there Jaime and I hit George's Bar. It's actually a famous spot.... Pat Green has a song all about George's Bar. Once we got there it was clearly super-crowded so we didn't stay too long. I thought we would be there with all the young college kids, but surprisingly it's more of a country, Waco bar that was filled with more 30s... a "mature crowd".... Jaime tried to show me a good time, but exhaustion caught up with me and we went back to my parent's farm and crashed.

Thanks Jaime for taking your "old dud of a college roommate" out for a good time. There was a time when I threw the best parties. Now I'm that girl who doesn't know how to be cool anymore. :-)

Caleb's School Plan

Caleb has the education system down...

He tells me each morning on the way to Kindergarten:

"First we go to elementary school- for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade.
Then we go to middle school- for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.
Then we go to high school- for ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelth grade.
The we go to college- at Baylor."

I just beam in the car and say you are exactly right.

Then he adds...

"But Grammy says there's lots of other colleges I could go to. There's not just Baylor."

I think I need to have a talk with my mother-in-law.

Finding New Ways to Lose

I am sad. I really, really dislike OU. Hate is not a nice word, so I won't use it for the sake of my children. And there are many other things I'd like to say, but won't. Why did we foul on a 3-point shot? Why did we miss our free throws? To lose by 1 point in OT is as painful as it gets.

In the lives of all the stay at home moms reading this my post will seem silly. To my family and friends invested in Baylor Basketball... you are also in mourning with me.

Tag...7 Weird Things About Me!

I was tagged by many friends for the "7 Weird Things About Me"- this is basically a chance for me to get to share some odd things about myself. But, after reading what my other friends wrote I find that I can relate to many of their "weird" traits... not sure if that makes me weird or normal. :-) Here goes:

1. I do NOT like to take the first bite of a banana. I peal it back and if no one is around to take the first bite for me, then I pinch it off and throw it away. I think it all goes back to my childhood when my mother would peel the banana, take a bite, and then pass it on to me... probably never her intention to make me wig out on taking the first bite... but that was the result.

2. I create "special places" throughout my house for things that I cannot find a place for. Then I can never remember where the special place is. For example... I get a neighbor's house key. I decide it makes most sense to keep it in a certain drawer; the time comes to use it... no idea where I put it. I am a super organized person and yet have trouble finding most "special things." I've now learned to tell Steve where I put things so when the inevitable time comes to find it I can ask him where I decided to keep it.

3. I was scalped as a child. When I was 2 years old I pulled an upright pinball machine down on top of me. The glass cover sliced a quarter-size chunk of my head off. I have a bald spot and no hair grows on that part of my head. Therefore I always part my hair on my left. The weird part of this story is that my mom has saved the chunk of my scalp in a baggie... it still has my baby hair on it.

4. I am a huge college basketball fan... most women could care less. But all winter and leading into March I am glued to the TV... specifically Big 12 games and more specifically Baylor games. We loved that Caleb was born during the Sweet 16. Everyone in the waiting room was watching basketball during his birth. We go to Waco as often as possible to catch BU games.

5. I had terrible luck with car accidents from the age of 16-23... one a year... and none were my fault. It's as if I had a huge sign on my car saying "hit me"- it was so bad that at our wedding reception my dad put a bumper from one of car wrecks on an easel next to my wedding portrait. We have strange humor in my family.

6. I took on some crazy things in college for money.... no, not what you think... and it seems some of you have dirty minds.... My friend, Jaime, and I were hired with my friend, Megan, and 2 others to dress up for a Tea Party for this 90 year socialite. Megan was Alice in Wonderland, her boyfriend at the time was The Mad Hatter, and another girl was The Queen of Hearts. Do you know what Jaime and I were? Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. This party went on for hours with people coming a going throughout the day. We all were outside to greet the guests and open the doors for them. This was a rich-people's party and we were the paid staff. Our costumes basically had a hula hoop around the waist so it was very difficult to help the old people in and out of their cars. It was in July and at least 100 degrees outside. We had on full make-up and hats. We would greet the old folks echoing each other... "How do you do? How do you do?" as is we were the real Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. The lowest moment for us was when we accidently dropped one of the old ladies while helping her down the marble stairs into the entry of the house. I think I got $5 an hour. But, Jaime and I made it into the Society section of the Waco paper. Our names were listed as "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum"- we were just hoping no one recognized the real us.

7. I prefer to have the bed to myself. I know most women out there love to snuggle up or spoon with their spouse, but that's not me. When Steve and I go on vacations we have been just as happy getting 2 queen beds so I can have all the covers and pillows I want. I toss and turn a lot and poor Steve is stuck on the corner of the bed. This probably has come about because he traveled for the first 8 years of our marriage and I had our bed to myself most of the time.

So, now that I've completed my list I want to tag: Jami, Sunni, Stacy, Michelle, and sister-in-law Emily... I wonder if there's anything weird about any of you that I don't already know about??

I also want to tag any of my VCC small group... you know who you are: Jenn B, Jenn W, Julie, Kendra... it's time for you girls to represent!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Back to School

Caleb is finally going back to school! We are so excited!!! Both of us... really, really are excited to get back to the routine. Hopefully this fever and flu are gone for good. The miraculous part... the rest of us have stayed well! (knock on wood)

Sunni & Kayli

Here is Sunni holding baby Kayli. They went home today. The baby is doing great, but Sunni has a huge migraine from the spinal block she got.... she had epidural issues. So be praying for her.

Check out more pictures at her blog.

http://barnesfamily-sab.blogspot.com/

The Fever Continues...

Well, we're on day 8 of the flu. Just when we think he's better, the fever comes back. He doesn't even say anything to us. He just stops what he's doing and curls up on the couch with the blanket. He's never once complained. He's so tired of us touching his cheeks and forehead that he automatically says, "I feel ok." Poor boy. Of course we then take his temperature and it comes back somewhere between 100 and 102. More Tylenol and Motrin. One day we'll get back to normal life... one day....

Baby Day!

Update: Kayli Elese Barnes, born on February 7 at 2:08 PM... 7 pounds, 0.3 oz... 19 1/2 inches

Here's my sweet Sunni! 9 months prego and in the hospital right now going thru labor and delivery for their first child. Brad and Sunni have been married 9 years. They were content in never having children. She really never had the strong desire to have children. She is so good with children, though. She dotes on my boys and all of her other friends' children. She always gives the perfect gift for Christmas and birthdays. I knew she was always destined for motherhood, but there were times she was not so sure. Here's what changed her mind... now I'm telling her story so I might not get it exactly right, but it's a cool story none-the-less....

A couple of years ago she had a dream... a vision from the Lord. She was at the end of her life and God showed her a child. He told her that this was the child He had planned for her and Brad and that they had closed themselves off to the opportunity. She felt strongly that the Lord wanted to bless them with a child, but she was taking fertility into her own hands and not allowing it to happen... in turn being closed off from His blessings.

So, what was her response??

Well, here we are today. She's in the hospital awaiting the arrival of a huge blessing... a little girl. I can't wait for her to get here.

Quarantine Alert: The FLU

So, I thought Caleb was feeling better. His fever went down Monday afternoon and I sent him to school on Tuesday. It was the 100th day of school and something not to be missed. Maybe we just willed him to be better. He acted totally normal.

Then last night he curled up on the couch after hardly touching dinner. His fever was back- up to 103. He continued his fever all night. This morning I got him up and checked it. It was 102.5- so time to see the doctor. Only problem... my doctor closed her office last week. So, I called our old doctor- who left the practice the year before and got in with him (long story) but the good news was he was available to see us this afternoon.

Poor Caleb fell asleep even before we left to see the pedi. I could tell he was just not well. Sure enough after getting there and filling out mounds of new patient info they took the swab and ran the test... positive for flu! In a way, I'm kind of relieved to know what we're dealing with. My mind started going to all kinds of dark places... 5 days of fever on/off makes me start thinking of meningitis. So, lucky for us it's ONLY the flu. I don't know if that's good or bad. I'm terrified for the rest of our household. The odds are not good. I cannot keep myself away from my son. I have been washing my hands like crazy and using lots of anti-bacterial soap. So, please pray the rest of us stay well.

Happy Birthday Mason!

I'm a day late posting this... but I still want to wish my youngest nephew a Happy Birthday! Turning one is such a huge milestone. I'm so glad the Shans brought you in this world. We love you and can't wait for you to move back to Texas so we can all celebrate every birthday together!

100th Day of School

It seems like he just started kindergarten! Today was a huge celebration in the K wing of school. They did all activities around the number 100. Luckily Caleb's fever was gone and he was all excited about getting back to school.
Now he's home and showing me all the fun things he did with the number 100- his mask, his hat, his counting chart, his baggie of 100 fruit loops, and his baggie of 100 marshmellows. Some days he comes home and I think, "Man, it must be fun to be in kindergarten!"
Now the sappy part of me is sad that he is that far into kindergarten... it's more than half over! Nothing is as magical as being in kindergarten! I wish I could keep him 5 forever!

Fever

Caleb got a sudden fever Saturday night. One minute he's fine... the next it's 102.5! So we stayed home from church. Hung around the house yesterday. Checked his temp on and off. He'd have a fever... give him Tylenol and it would go down... 4 hours later the fever comes back. No other symptoms. So, last night when his fever crept back up I knew he would be missing school. So, this morning he comes downstairs and he has 101 fever... not as bad, but still not well. So, we are hunkering down trying to wait this thing out and hope that it doesn't pass along to us. Say a prayer for our family, please.

Reed & Reece Visit!

Carter had 2 playmates this evening... the twins, Reed & Reece. They played trains, cars, and all the musical instruments they could find. Here they are trying on hats for the camera.

Bathtime X 3! The boys had so much fun. Carter kept calling them his brothers. It was so cute. When we were getting ready to get in the tub Reed was no where to be found. Carter looked at me and said, "Where is the other one?" (Steve found him upstairs still playing.)

Couldn't resist getting a snapshot of all 3 in towels. It's amazing to see how well 3 1/2 year olds play together. They really connected with one another and enjoyed entertaining one another. Just listening in on their conversations was precious.

In-Laws in Southeast Asia

So, my in-laws left for a 3 week trip to Southeast Asia about a week ago. They are traveling with two other couples, with whom they have been friends since they were “early marrieds”, and are having a wonderful time. Their trip began in Cambodia and the above picture is them on a tour through Angkor Thom, the old capital of the Khmer civilization. By now they have finished their quick tour of Hong Kong and have boarded their cruise for Vietnam, Thailand & Singapore. Thought ya’ll might like to see a pic of the adventurers ... holding on for dear life!!! Please join us in praying for their safety.

Cold Cousins

Here's a picture of Carter when he was 2 and a picture of Caroline from this week- almost 2 years old. They got snow up in Tulsa this week. Can you tell by her reaction how she feels about the snow? They look equally miserable.