The Barnard Family

I have an obsession...

2010-04-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make....

I CAN SIT ALL DAY AND LOOK UP DECORATING IDEAS!!!

It's kinda weird I know...but to me it's such eye candy that I can't pull myself away! So I thought I would share some of my "eye candy" with you.......

Here it is ... my inspiration for decoration..... maybe you will be inspired too!

Love the chandelier and colors of this beachy entry..

Ideas for Mackenzie's room.. love the bright colors

Entry ideas

I LOVE the slate floor .... 'don't know how practical it is in a bathroom - but it sure is purrrdy...

I have decided that a chandelier is a MUST in Mackenzie's next room redo.. and I LOVE the glass bedside table... just one thought though.. who cleans the fingerprints off of the mirror everyday?!

Oh beautiful kitchen... how are you?

This is truly my kitchen WINNER .. I love the counter tops and the white cabinets and the brushed silver accents... my heart is twitter pated for you...

The house that started it all... I fell HARD for this house when the movie "Father of the bride" came out. It has now become my quest in life to live in a house like it... what's funny is with all of the moving that my family does you would think that this wouldn't be such a difficult quest! However.. a colonial home with a beautiful drive through portico and basketball hoop in front of the detached garage is proving VERY difficult to find... I think I NEED to build........

I also have photo's saved on www.houzz.com - it's an AWSOME web sight if you are like me and love to look at decorating ideas - thank you Mrs. Roms for introducing me-

Poem by Mackenzie.......

2009-08-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

A SONG.........

A song fills your heart with peace and quiet
That is all I need to know.......

Birds make music,
beautiful music

I like to sit outside and listen to the birds
It fills my heart with peace and quiet........

by
Mackenzie Barnard
Age 7 years old

A STAR IS BORN........

2009-07-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

An ALLSTAR that is..... Jake was chosen to be on the All Star Lacamas Little league team this year......something to be very proud of ..... out of hundreds of Little League baseball players only 20+ of the best were chosen.... proud parents?!... I think so!

Jake is an awesome 1st baseman if I do say so myself!!

And below is Presley.. our token, super duper cute cheerleader...she could get the crowd going!!

ok,ok I know that this post is out of order since baseball ended in the 2nd week of July and Jake's party was on the 17th....but come on... aren't you proud of me for getting back into posting at all??!! :)

Jake's Birthday Bash......

2009-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

My Boy..... he turned 11 on Friday.... I just keep thinking "How in the world do I have an 11 year old pre-teen?!?!!".....

He had a "camping" birthday party..... it was great fun.... just a few boys invited from school, his baseball team and family... 6 boys in all and let me tell you that is enough when you are combining boys, a campfire and a sleepover!!

Don't ya like my cake?? Complete with stars and a campfire and camp flag??!! For someone who is NOT very creative... I was pretty proud of myself!!

I kept saying to Todd "At what age do they actually sit and watch the birthday boy open up presents instead of crowding around and "helping" to open the presents!" Clearly... it's not at 10 or 11 years old!

Our backyard camp! I was happy with how it turned out.... the boys roasted hot dogs, then made s'mores next an exciting game of Flashlight tag followed by hanging out in the tent telling some awesome ghost stories.....

More pic's to come.... I could only upload x4 pics from picasa....so think of it like the next chapter in the book!

To Catch You Up.....

2009-04-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling overly creative... 'just thought I should update the blog with some new pics..... we've been pretty busy since my last post! This is always the HARDEST time of the year for me and my family...pretty much due to the RAIN!! Todd CAN'T STAND IT!!! I truly believe he suffers from SADD... which in turn makes the rest of us suffer from SADD ;)!! Thankfully this year we were able to get out of here for springbreak and enjoy some "sun time"...........

We went to Disneyland for 1 day....

We stayed in Palm Springs for 10 days... this is a view near out hotel room.... Actually ..... it's my backyard... I thought I would just share it with some people! ;)

Ahhh... palm trees and pools.... I love you.........

Favorite Christmas Pictures....

2009-01-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite Christmas pictures. They aren't in any great order ~ just posted as I found them! 'Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas....snow and all! :)

The picture above is of the Thomas crew (Josh, Lauren and Jonathan and my kids Jake and Mackenzie) my sister Amy and her kids were still flying up from Sacramento on Christmas day....

Here we are as Santa's helpers waiting for the Nash crowd at the airport ...thankfully I was put on standby at work so I could be with the gang and see my sister and her kids....gotta love those girls on L&D!

Mackenzie and her new bike Christmas morning....notice how DARK it is outside.....the kids woke us up at 0600 am....nice.

The tree before Christmas morning....anxiously awaiting excited kiddos!

There was sooo much snow on our back deck...it was absolutely beautiful with the lights shining...

Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa Barnards....we usually go to the Christmas eve service but it was cancelled this year.....due to the snow...it was missed, but we had fun anyway!

Winter Wonderland of 2008!

We made "gingerbread~ or ~ Graham cracker " houses on night we were all shut in from the snow....making the house was fun but eating the house was even BETTER!!

This was the first snow man we made....we hurried to make this guy because we were sure the snow was going to melt soon....little did we know that we would have WEEKS to make more!

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas. For whatever reason I've had a hard time getting "into"the season this year. But after the snow yesterday the "Christmas feeling" is starting to invade my soul......and I like it. So here are a few of the seasons finest this far.........

The Tree. Do you like how Jake is teetering off the arm of the chair to hang an ornament? I was sure he was going to fall into the tree and knock the entire thing over. Lucky for him it didn't!

Mackenzie told "Santa's helper"... (which is who mall Santa's are to my kids because the "REAL" Santa can't be at all of these different locations taking pictures with kids when he has to get ready for the BIG DAY) that she would like "Biscuit" the moving horse you can sit on...you know the one that is like $150.00......the one that we DIDN'T get. AHHHHHH. I'm not sure how this is going to turn out...I'll keep you posted.

Aren't they cute?

SNOW! COLD!

I think this picture of the dog's first experience with snow is so funny! I love his snow beard....

Anyway...I hope the spirit catches you too....Merry Christmas.

The Goods.....

2008-11-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

My kids ALWAYS come home and IMMEDIATELY dump out all of their candy.....you know..they got to check out the loot! Here's Jake in the ritual known as the GREAT CANDY WORSHIP - we do this often at our house!

Then he and Mackenize set out organizing their goods....I'm not sure of the purpose but maybe it means Jake is going to be an accountant some day...who knows?! Candy has been known to bring out the BEST in people!

What??!!!! What is this we find in our stash??? That evil DENTIST up the street snuck a TOOTHBRUSH & FLOSS in our bag of tooth decay?! What was he THINKING?????!!!!!

I'LL SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS!! Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh Ahhhh! Says the green faced little girl who is embarking on the biggest sugar high she has ever had!

Scary!

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is what happened to my kids on Halloween! .....Their MONSTER side was revealed !!! OOOOHHHH SCARY!

Trick or Treat part One....

2008-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

This year my church had it's very first TRUNK or TREAT...it's an idea I stole from Heather Rom's church ..thanks Heather! Anyway it turned out to be a great success! People were sooo creative with their cars..I loved it! My car is above...and I have to say it was the least decorated of almost all of them! Most people had theme music to match their decor and wore costumes to complete the idea...it was great! Jake decided to be a Mafia Gangster dude...I told him he had to leave the machine gun at home....Not so appropriate for church...call me crazy! :)

Here's my good little witch checking out the food table! Notice the Ohhh so casual stance like ... don't mind me .. I'm not doing anything! Yeah right! You may also notice her green face....well that's a great story... you see I forgot to get green face paint and Mackenzie was VERY disappointed...so in my haste of looking through my pantry I found GREEN FOOD COLORING....I thought...Hey this is green...I bet it will stay on Mackenzie! So away I went wiping it all over her face and neck! It's wasn't' until AFTER I tried to wash my hands did I remember that FOOD COLORING DOESN'T COME OFF YOUR SKIN!!! OOOHHHH my gosh...what had I done to my beautiful babies face?!? Was she going to be green for forever?? So I ran to the computer and googled "how to get food coloring off skin" and of course the great google gave me an answer....ohh thank you google...what would I do without you? It turns out shaving cream takes food coloring right off! So remember that girls ...the next time you want to dye your kids face a nice color of green, blue, yellow or whatever color you like..just keep the shaving cream handy!

One car had a fog machine...Jake had GREAT fun with it...No one could breath after he was done!

Tara - who goes to church with us- had a great Trunk....it was a beach theme complete with a surfboard and Beach Boys music! Very Cute!

The Carving......

2008-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

So we carved and carved and carved those little pumpkins! Todd's is the top,Mackenzie's is on the Left, I'm in the middle and Jake's is the far right! Pretty cute eh? ...I was trying to be a little "Martha Stewarty" and used a large drill bit to make my holes! It was super fun and every time I drilled the pumpkin - curly fry looking pumpkin guts came flying out! The kids thought that was pretty cool! ;)

The Gang.....I have to say that I love that spider! I think next year I'll get a few more!

I love taking the pictures without a flash on...the pumpkins look so good! Jake is especially proud that he remembered to give his pumpkin ears!

"Look mom... I'm punching this guys eye in" which was immediately followed by belly laughs...she cracks me up! After we finished carving we got all of the pumpkin seeds and baked them with olive oil, garlic and salt....they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself! ;)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well we finally made it to the pumpkin patch this year....it just seemed so darn early! Where is all of the time going?? Like last year and the year before we went to "Bizi Farms" in Vancouver. The kids love it and they do a really nice job of getting you into the "season"! Anyway I thought I'd share a few photos since it's been a while since I have blogged!

Mackenzie was lovin' the gourds this year! Every time I look at this photo I think of "Veggie Tales"...if you know what that is....Mackenzie is holding "Gourdy"!

Ohhhhh my goodness....this was the corn maze of Hell! We tried desperately for at least an hour to find the "Exit" and we simply could NOT do it! It was CRAZY hard! I'm actually dieing to get back in there and try it again....I just know I can figure it out!

Todd and his wheelbarrow of pumpkins...I think we left with 8 pumpkins! Poor Todd and Jake had to pull them all the way back to the car...hee hee!

HIP HIP HOORAY !!!!!!!!!

2008-09-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

HIP HIP HOORAY!
It's the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

I thought I would list a few things about what the first day of school means for me:

1. The first year with BOTH of my kids in school FULL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. The ability to clean the house and not have it messed up within 10min.

3. The ability to go shopping without CONSTANT complaining

4. Having time just for me ..... I mean more than 1 day in a row .....it's been a long 10 year wait.... my mind can't even grasp what to do with that much time! But I'm happy for the challenge.... ;)

I keep joking with Todd ...." Ohh ... bon bons and People Magazine here I come!!!!" He only kinda laughs!

Now don't get me wrong...there is a very big part of me that feels soo weird that a part of my children's life is now over. I will no longer have kiddos at home with me (except for sick days and holidays).... and I just know that with them at school full time .... life will seem like it is FLYING by. I mean Jake is 10! I only get him at home another 8 years ..... WOW.... I can't even think about it.

Anyway Happy First Day of school to all of you!

Football......

2008-08-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

This year Jacob decided after many years of soccer, to try something new....FOOTBALL!! After trying VERY hard to talk him out of it, he persisted in his need to play.....I have to say that the amount of training these little guys go through in the beginning is ROUGH...but after watching the first football game and seeing how much fun the kids have.... I think Jacob made a good decision for himself.....I hope we still feel that way at the end of the season! You will all need to come watch a game with us this season!

PS Jacob is number 21 - if you're trying to pick him out in the pictures!

Oneota Gorge....

2008-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

Growing up as a child my family always went hiking around Oregon...on the beach, in the gorge ect.... So I was very excited this year when my kids had finally grown to a size suitable for hiking! I planned to ease them into it easy...my mom had heard of hike called Oneota gorge that was supposed to be about a mile and a half long and.... bonus... you get to walk in a "very cute little creek most of the way"Yeah!!! The perfect start to hiking for the kids and I! So we picked a hot day and met in the gorge with Jake and Mackenzie's cousins and set off on our hike. The first picture above was the start of our day.....beautiful... we were so excited to get started on our "Creek Hike at Oneota gorge".....

So we started our walk and it was straight up a hill with no creek in sight..we thought "Hmmmm.....it must be at the top of this hill" so we kept walking and walking... when we finally got to the top of the hill we didn't find a creek to walk in.... but we DID find a super cool cave and AWESOME water fall! This made up for the lack of creek walking up to this point..... so we decided that the creek walk must be just a little bit further up the trail......

Again up another VERY steep hill....this kids were doing OK....but not loving it..they were hungry, tired, hot and wondering where in the heck was the "cute little creek"....Mom and I just kept saying "I'm sure it just up ahead".....we actually had no idea!

Well...we finally found a nice place for the kids to play in the water and eat some lunch...it was only 3.5 miles up a steep mountain!!!!!! Needless to say we were on the WRONG trail! Poor kids had a really tough start to there hiking adventures.... but honestly they did sooo good! (about 7 miles total) The trip down the mountain was much easier than the trip up and hey...on our way down we saw the trail head to Oneota Gorge......maybe next time :)

PS - Jacob had a 3 hour football practice AFTER that hike.....he was dying....not the smartest move on my part ;)

Tag Your It....

2008-05-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Kara - who now lives in Spokane, "tagged" Mackenzie.....
So here you go 7 random facts about my wee one.....

Mackenzie is a great sleeper - she started sleeping 10-12 hours a night by about 10 weeks of age.......I think this fact alone saved my sanity during her "colicky" phase. However, what was really strange is that the girl NEVER fell asleep in the car....it was sooo weird, I remember one night driving home from my mom's house in Wilsonville (about 45" from my house) at 10pm when Mackenzie was about 8 months old and she stayed awake the entire ride home!!! I was amazed when I looked in the review mirror and she was just looking around...she's so funny!
Her screams reach such a high pitch that I'm sure she is communicating with all the animals in the neighborhood!
She is very outgoing and makes friends everywhere we go...which can be a blessing and a curse. I love that she is friends with everyone....but I'm so worried she's going to walk off with some stranger thinking that this is just some "new friend".......She is soooo tired of my "stranger danger" speech!
She is reading very well for her age...it's fun to have her read me a story!
Mackenzie is in gymnastics and loving it....she can do flips on the trampoline already!
She will eat Green beans out of the can and she likes to lick cream cheese off of her bagels..eeewwwww!
She is my "craft" girl..always coming up with new crafts to do for the day...pictures to create, albums to make, cards to draw and send....busy,busy, busy!!!

And there you have it .... 7 random facts about Mackenzie...

Now Iwill Tag .......Lilly Roms, Noah Johnson and Katie Digby .....

oooooohhhhh a video!!!!!!

2008-05-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah!

I successfully added a video to the blog!!! These guys crack me up...I giggle every time I watch this ... Jake just had to talk about "myth busters" and the exploding toilet .... and Mackenzie kills me with her ..." it's weird, yeah.... it's really weird" They are sooo funny!

The Road Trip.........

2008-05-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

For spring break this year we thought it would be fun to try and catch some sun in Palm Springs...the funny thing is that we actually thought it might be fun to drive there! What in the heck were we thinking???? That is the LONGEST drive EVER...and soooooo BORING!!!! Needless to say the kids did great (with a little help from our friends the DVD player)

The above picture is at lunch on our second day of the trip at IN-N-OUT BURGER...this place is absolutely CRAZY! Todd raves about this place every time he travels to California... so when we saw one we HAD to stop. It was a mad house!!!! There was a line out BOTH doors and around the corner...at first I thought...there is NO WAY my husband will wait patiently in this line for a burger....but oooohoho..was I wrong! Todd wouldn't leave...He was going to eat an IN-N-OUT burger even if he had to wait for 1 hour in line! I had NO idea that he could muster this type of patience! Needless to say the line moved pretty quick and we got our totally Awesome burgers in about 1/2 hour! I do agree with Todd....they are good...but in my mind nothing really beats Red Robyn! ;)

On the 2nd day of our trip we made it to Santa Monica (right next to LA) and stayed the night! By this time we met up with Todd's parents and played on the Santa Monica Pier all night! This was the first time that Mackenzie was tall enough to ride ALL of the rides...so OF COURSE we had to ride them ALL!!

The next day we were surprised by Todd's dad with a Limo tour of Hollywood....we felt like Hollywood royalty! This was one stop we made at a grave yard where many famous actors were buried...at first thought it was kinda weird ...I know....but it actually turned out pretty cool! Jake and Linda our at Marilyn Monroe's grave site... she gets fresh roses every week for eternity (or until the $ runs out) from Joe DiMaggio's estate!!!

Part of the happy clan in front of the ever famous Hollywood sign.....

Easter....

2008-05-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hello?! ... Is anyone out there?! I'm finally back from my "blog vacation" and think I'm back on track! I thought I would do some catch up from the spring....starting with Easter!

The annual Easter Egg dying

We had Easter at mom and dad's again this year...unfortunately it was raining so the "Bunnies" hid their eggs in the house...How thoughtful....

The Bunny gang.....

A Cup of Tea ......

2008-02-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

I was reading all of my favorite blog spots when I came across this saying and it really spoke to me.....so I'm posting it on my blog spot so that I can read it and remember the important things.....

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general. Offering his guests tea, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of tea and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh tea. When each of his former students had a cup of tea in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering. ‘’You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourself, this is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems.” He continued, “Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the tea. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was tea, nota cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups. Then you began eyeing each other’s cups.’’ ‘’Now consider this: Life is tea. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the tea that God has provided us. God brews the tea, but he does not supply the cups.

"Enjoy your tea!’’

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, but they make the best of everything they have.

So please remember:

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

What's next????

2008-01-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

I generally don't blog without posting a picture but I've had this question running around my head for a little while now and just need to get it out somewhere. I'm not sure that this is the best place but maybe some of your insight will help me move on.....
You see I've made it. What I'm trying to say is that ALL of my life I have been dreaming, fantasizing, striving for and focused on this exact moment.......the time in my life when I would finish school and accomplish my goal of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, meet the man of my dreams, have children and become a mother to them.....buy a house and settle down. These have been my dreams and goals as a child and a young adult. And it's true...when you set your mind to accomplishing your dreams you can GET IT DONE..... and the great thing is that I did!! Sooo I should be happy right?!? Don't get me wrong...I am very happy and for the most part Love my life.... It's just...what's next?
It's such a weird place to be in life. I've accomplished my life long goals....(life up to this point)I know, I know....I still have a goal of raising these kids to be happy, well adjusted young adults....which in and of it's self is quite a task these days.....
I mean a goal for me personally...where am I going? What is the next thing I should work for? I guess what's getting me is I feel I know how my life is going to go....I've seen it in motion...I see myself in my mother. She's a nurse and has worked at the same job for 40 + years and is now retired and traveling a ton!!!!! Don't get me wrong...she has an awesome life....it's rock solid, comfortable and for the most part, I believe she's happy. Not a bad life to follow..... and in much the same way I don't see myself changing jobs - EVER- why should I...it's comfortable, dependable, pays well and I work with some of my BEST friends EVER....it's a great job. And truly...I don't see Todd and I ever moving out of the Pacific Northwest..even though we talk constantly about it. Our family is here, our livelihood is here we are comfortable here..... so really.... nothing is going to change.
As I type this it is becoming more and more clear to me.....maybe that SHOULD be my goal. Instead of expecting my life to follow in my mother's footsteps..maybe my goal should be to keep my life in her footsteps. Keep life for my family solid, comfortable and dependable. I mean..I'm not trying to tempt fate and I know I can't see the future....I guess life after finishing school, getting married and having children is about keeping all of that plugging along on a fairly routine, and dependable track, avoid the pit stops and the dangers....that's the goal. OR IS IT????
Well....there you have it my current quandary......I'm pretty sure I can't answer this question today, tomorrow or even the next day.....it's just something to think about......

It's a BOY.....

2008-01-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

Introducing: Riley Barnard
He's 4 months old and he is a King Charles Spaniel.....basically he's a mix breed between a King Charles Cavalier and a Cocker spaniel! Needless to say he is absolutely ADORABLE and a very good little boy! So far all is well...the cat (Smokey) is not so found of our new family member but is adjusting accordingly! Riley is doing GREAT! He's sleeping through the night in his kennel without any crying and has only had one little accident in the house....Yippee!!

I know, I know...we are crazy for getting a dog in the winter....but what can I say?! How can you ignore that face?! He's just what the doctor ordered to get us through these dark, rainy days!

I can't get rid of the "demon eyes" ....it's still a cute picture though! I hope you all get to come visit little Riley soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! 2008....

2008-01-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Family, Fun, Fireworks, and Food....that's the best way to bring in a new year........................Happy New Year everyone! As Mackenzie kept singing on New Years eve...."It's gonna be GREAT in 2008!" :)

'Tis the Season....

2007-12-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post some "firsts" of this Season.....the first picture is Mackenzie putting the first Christmas ornament on the tree....

This is a picture of the first snow this year....it didn't stick but Mackenzie had fun running around in it anyway!

This is the first "kids tree" we have cut down for our basement....I'm going to let the kids decorate it with whatever they decide! It will be fun to see what they want on it!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons why this was one of our BEST Halloween's EVER.......

1. Awesome weather...cold, crisp and perfectly clear....no wind, clouds or rain....a really pretty night

2. Chocolate...need I say more?!

3. Finally meeting many of our new neighbors

4. My kids are both the perfect age for trick or treating

5. Everyone was happy!!! :)

6. My mother in law was able to walk along with us

7. Jake made the perfect Harry Potter!

8. Mackenzie will always be the perfect princess!

9. Both of the kids being SOOO excited at the amount of candy they received

10. After all the candy, sugar, and running the kids fell sound asleep in about 10 seconds! :)

That's it...my 10 reasons.... I hope all of you had a nice Halloween too!

Bizi Farms.....

2007-10-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ahhh fall...it can be so beautiful here in the fall when it doesn't rain! This year we went to Bizi Farms in Vancouver to get the pumpkins. We actually just went spur of the moment because it was a pretty day outside and only stayed about 1.5 hours not thinking this would be the only time we would go to the pumpkin patch this season. Alas, it is a week before Halloween and I don't think we will be able to make it again! Oh well, maybe next year we can go and hang 1/2 the day and play...

I absolutely love this picture of Jake and Mackenzie in the tire!

Todd and Mackenzie launching their pumpkin...the goal is to make into a metal garbage can really far away..good luck! :)

Mackenzie's First Goal.....

2007-10-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of Mackenzie's first goal EVER!!!! She was SOOOOO excited! She actually got the ball at the other end of the field and ran it all the way down to her goal...it was very impressive if I do say so myself! The 2nd picture is of Mackenzie and her new buddie on the soccer team McKenna.

It's official...I'm a soccer mom.....

2007-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here she is the next Mia Hamm! (sp?) My life has been nothing but soccer this fall! Jake has practice Tue/Thurs for 1.5 hrs. with games on Sat. and Mackenzie has practice Wed. /Friday for 1 hour with games on Sat.!! I'm so coming to terms with the saying "soccer mom". I feel like we are doing "soccer" 24-7! At least we are getting plenty of outdoor time right?!

At first I have to say Mackenzie wasn't sure what to think of soccer. She kind of liked it but the idea of trying to get into the middle of a bunch of girls swarming around a ball and kick it away from them was very intimidating! The only way I can describe how she played at first was something like this:

There is a swarm of girls all huddled together around the soccer ball following it wherever it goes...no strategy... no organization...just screams and laughter! Then there is Mackenzie who is the "sun" orbiting around the swarm .... no direction....no intention of kicking the soccer ball...just running around the group of girls who are running with the ball..this is fun enough for her! :)

At the end of a game she would often leave crying saying " no one gave me the ball"! :(
Ahhhh competition....I'm not sure it is made for 5 year olds!

Now that's A GOOD time!!!!

2007-09-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picture of Jake! He takes the BEST pictures....I can always count on him for some fun! This picture was taken as all the kids were being towed at about 20 mph behind the boat! The fact that Louise (who took the picture) was able to catch this as they were flying by is amazing! Just another day at the houseboat.......good times!

I'V BEEN TAG'D !!!! TWICE......

2007-09-12T12:05:00.001-07:00

OK...OK I'll do it...!!!!

I have been tagged by both Heather and Tiffany to write 8 random things about myself. It seems to be kind of a game and I am to tag 8 new people. I'm pretty sure I don't know 8 people who read this blog but here goes anyway!

1. Anyone who knows me very well knows that I have a passion for real estate! I LOVE to go on line and look at houses for sale. I even find myself driving around picking up flyer's all the time. My kids hate that part :}. I've made the comment several times that in my "other life" I was a real estate agent. I don't know...maybe someday!

2. I love camping, hiking, and ANY water sports. I love the water....it is sooo peaceful to me. And walking through a forest with tall trees and lots of ferns ect. brings pure peace to my soul.

3. My dream vacation at this point in my life would be a two week cruise through all of the Caribbean Islands...or any tropical islands! It would include lot's of snorkeling and scuba diving side trips and many, many spa treatments! Ahhh..... dreams! :)

3. I am NOT good at returning people's phone calls. I find that I simply don't have the time to sit and talk with people. When my family is home they completely demand my attention at all times. I have learned that if I do call people back when they are home I am interrupted all of the time...so talking on the phone is not fun for me!

4. I LOVE to buy things for my home...but HATE to shop for clothes for me...mostly it's the size I hate to buy...but let's be honest I've had to buy this size for the last 10 years.....it's not going anywhere too soon :(

5. I am a Labor and Delivery nurse at Emanuel Hospital on night shift ..... and I have decided that I like working night shift over any other shift! Who knew?!!!

6. I saw my husband for the first time in the cafeteria at University of Portland (while I was dating another person) and thought to myself "Now that's the guy I should marry". We met for the first time about 1 month later, and we got married two years after that! Crazy!!!

7. I Hate to cook. There. I said it. I hate buying the ingredients...I hate the mess... and I hate having to do all the dishes. I feel like it takes so much effort to come up with something that my family will devour in 10-15 minutes.

8. I know for a fact that my husband and I will NOT retire in the Northwest. It will either be Southern California, Phoenix, or Florida. You can bet on that! :)

There it is 8 random things about me and my life! I am supposed to tag people now. Most of who I will tag don't have blogs...but don't worry... they are easy to start and this might be the thing that gets you going! So Blog Away.... Louise, Amy, Kara, Mom, Heather Clarke, and Amy Meiers!!! Hope to see some blogs soon!

Mackenzie's First Day on the Bus!!!

2007-09-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

September 4th 2007....After 10 years of taking care of kids at home during the day...I am now home alone on my days off from work! It seems CRAZY! What do I do? I am excited and sad all at the same time.

This marks a ' new era' in the Barnard household. I am hopeful that with my free time I will actually take some time to get back into shape......what an idea!

Mackenzie is LOVING her new school and teacher. Thankfully her teacher is someone we already knew from church.... what an answer to prayer! :) So far the move to Helen Baller Elementary has been a good experience. The kids both like their teachers and they are both making new friends.

Jake is VERY excited because there is a Science Club he wants to join. He is also excited because Helen Baller has HBTV. A TV program run by the kids of Helen Baller. Jake is SOOOO excited to be apart of that club. He says he can't decide if he wants to be the News Anchor or run the camera!!! I said " Do it all...what do you have to loose?"

Anyway...just wanted to tell all who USED to read my blog the ....I'm back!!!

Two Years Ago.....

2007-05-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was watching my screen savor and saw these pictures of our family trip to Disney World and the Disney Cruise.... TWO YEARS AGO!!!!! I can't believe two years have gone by! It was SOOOO much fun...I would recommend it to anyone! We went as a BIG group...16 people in all! We pretty much did our own thing during the day and met up for dinner each night! I CAN NOT wait until we go again!!!! Now that our kids are older I can ride all the rides!!! (''cause it's all about ME don't ya know!) :)

Yes...that is me being dowsed by water guns by Jake and Jared at Typhoon Lagoon!
The "lagoon" at Typhoon Lagoon! GREAT FUN!!!!

YUMMMM....Mom 's going to love that I posted this picture! Everywhere we went in the "Disney Kingdom" they sold these Massive chicken legs! We HAD to try them! An Atkins dieters dream!!! Cheers to mom for having her picture taken with a big hunk of meat! Heee Heeee Heeeeeeeeee...She loves me!!!!!!

The Kahl Trait Lives!!!!

2007-05-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

It is a known Fact that you CAN NOT have a Kahl (my mother's maiden name) family function without OLIVES!!! Yes ....the Kahl's and their descendants LOVE olives and it seems the "olive gene" has descended to yet another generation! Mackenzie loves them! She often asks me to open a can of olives "just for a little snack"! She even places them on all of her fingers the way my sisters, cousins and I used to! Family traits are funny!

Here's to the next generation of olive lovers!!!!

Baseball Season Is Here!!!

2007-05-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Jake is enjoying a VERY fun baseball year because he is one of the tallest and oldest in his baseball division! We keep telling him to enjoy it because next year he'll be in a new division and knocked down to the youngest and most likely, smallest on the team! In the picture above Jake hit this AWESOME, long drive to outfield...we were sure it would be a home run ....but this little boy (seriously, I think it was a kindergartner) held his glove up with his eyes closed and sure enough the ball land right in his mitt! It was amazing!!!

This is one of Jake's best friends. His name is Jake Lane and he is in Jake's class and on his baseball team and lives right down the street from us! He and Jake have so much in common. They both like science, the history channel, baseball and making up grand adventures!

GO ASTROS!!!!! The team huddle before the game! Aren't they cute?

Tulips, Friends and Cold Weather

2007-04-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

I was reading a bunch of different blogs today and everyone in the Portland area seemed to have pictures posted of their kids at the Tulip Festival in Woodburn. So I decided I needed to post my pictures too!!! We actually went a couple of weeks ago with my friend Stephanie and her two boys Lucas and Killian. The flowers ARE amazing but so is the mud (on a rainy day) and the BIG BLACK CLOUDS we saw!!! What's funny is that the Tulip festival has been around for a long time...but this is the first year we have ever gone. I'm pretty sure we will make this a new tradition for us...even if it is cold and muddy...the flowers are too cool!

A Very Busy Day.....

2007-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

OK....obviously I have the hang of this 'posting pictures' thing! There are a lot of pictures here but that's what you get when you combine Easter with a birthday! April 8th 2007 was a VERY busy day for us! First, we started with our "home" egg, basket and present hunt around 7:30 am then a quick clean up because we had a realtor bringing by an interested buyer by 10:30 am (can you believe that? On Easter Sunday?) Then we headed to Church at 10:30 am to hear our fabulous pastor Ken give us Easter inspiration and joy...actually only Todd got to hear the sermon because they needed help in the nursery. Maybe next year! Then we raced home, grabbed Easter brunch stuff and more Easter eggs and headed off to moms house in Wilsonville. After having a beautiful lunch with all the family, we had another Easter egg hunt with about 200 eggs (and only 6 kids!!) ! But wait...the party continues in the form of Mackenzie's birthday party (notice the quick change of hats!)! Anyway...it was a great day, full of fun, love, family and WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR!

Happy Easter and Happy Birthday to Mackenzie!!!

2007-04-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all! I hope the Easter Bunny treated everyone well!
I also need to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to my Girly who turned 5 year old yesterday!!! YEAH!!!
I can't believe it ...I know all mom's say this but it is true...how do they grow soooo fast?!? This fall she will be in kindergarten at Prune Hill w/ Jake! Both my kids in school?! What?! Don't get me wrong...there are definitely those times when children can't grow fast enough...(you know what I'm talkin 'bout)! But when they actually do grow....it's exciting and heart breaking all at the same time. I find myself having little panic attacks that I haven't taken enough pictures or videos and that I will forget the amazingly cute things they used to say or do and how they felt in my arms as babies. I pray I don't forget.... I pray I don't forget. I also hope that I have recorded enough of their life that at any moment I can be taken back there.....(only the cute happy times...NOT the temper tantrum, screaming fits part....I can be sentimental but I'm not CRAZY!!!!!)
Anyway, Mackenzie at the age of five is sooo fun to be around! Thankfully, we have pretty much left the unreasonable, needing to be entertained phase behind and are graced by a very sweet, VERY outgoing and Very cute little girl! I have been amazed at how she will sit upstairs and play barbies or Lego's or Polly pockets for hours (at least one or two!) by herself...and for all who know Kenzie, you know this is AMAZING!
Here are a few things that Mackenie LOVES at 5 years old

Her family (especially her brother, who she always wants to sit by, sleep by and play with, much it his dismay!)
gymnastics (she goes every Saturday to VEGA)
Water (she would bathe or swim 5x's a day if I let her)
Breakfast: Peanut butter Waffles and Lunch: Chicken Nuggets!
Barbies, Polly pockets, Care Bears and My Little Pony
The Park (which park? ANY!!!)
Playing games on the computer...especially Star Fall (an online game).
Blue's Clues. She can't get enough of that cartoon! (We have it On Demand, so she can watch all the episodes over and over!)

A few things Mackenzie is NOT to fond of at 5 years old:

Getting her hair brushed (she wants REALLY long hair...but doesn't want to brush it:( )
Bugs (She screams at the sight of anything that could possibly resemble a bug)
Not being able to pick out what she wears in the morning ( She usually wants to pick out Jake's clothes, my clothes and clothes for Todd)
Spaghetti (she HATES the tomato sauce!)
Watching Jake's cartoons or any TV that he likes to watch!

There is so much more about her....that is just the tip of the iceberg!

Pictures to come soon....I think I left my camera at mom's house yesterday! Have a good day!

Let's try again!

2007-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here some cute pics of the fam.

Mackenzie in full 'flower power' mode!!

Todd and Jake in Maui!

I use a Kodak camera and the way Kodak uploads the pictures onto the computer makes them very difficult to find and trans. to this sight. Heather (my great buddie at work) keeps telling me I need a new camera...come to think of it, Tiffany keeps telling me the same thing.....I'm beginning to believe them! They are both smart cookies in this camera, blog spot, scrap booking thing!

Anyway, I read their blogs everyday...I have them both on my "Favorite" list and it is sooo fun to see what they are thinking or what they have been up to during the week. I love it so much I decided to start one too...like I said, with great help from my friends! The only problem is that I am not a great writer...and I'm not sure what I would write about.....it will be an adventure for all who read my sight! Actually, the idea of having a place to write my thoughts and ideas down uninhibited, is pretty cool! So here's to blog spots!

I Just Found My Blog Again!

2007-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

The only problem with having someone else help you set up a blog spot is that you may forget how to get back there again (case in point). I know you are SHOCKED at my computer capabilities!!! Anyway I am going to try and upload my own picture today....we will see how that goes!

Yeah!! I was successful! This is a picture of Todd and I in Maui this year....great fun!

2007-03-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

My Snow Beauty!

HELLO WORLD!!!!!

2007-03-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

WoW!
I've done it; started my own 'blog spot'...with the help of my good friend Tiffany Johnson!