Life Elevated

Friday Flashbacks - Moving Edition

2012-02-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

In one month, we will have been here 6 years. Which makes Park City the place we've lived the longest.

We lived in 3 different apartment/triplex/duplex spots in Provo. Couldn't find any pictures of them, but we always wave to the triplex on 9th east when we're in P-town. That place was such a sweet deal, I'll bet it still is only rented to people who tell their good friends about it as they leave. They should have some kind of occupant history on the wall in there to see how it is passed from friend to friend. Here's Sara in front of the bushes on the first day of kindergarten:

Provo - 1995 - 1996

With 10 day old baby Nixon and 6 year old Sara in tow, we headed to sunny Quartz Hill, California. We stayed 5 years, had Easton, finalized Sara's adoption, took care of my Grandma, had my brother Tim live with us, made good friends, and fell in love with Disneyland. When it was time to pack up, we had willing helpers:

Quartz Hill - 1996-2001

Then it was on to a brief stay in Scottsdale, Arizona. Have you ever unloaded a moving truck at midnight in 110 degree weather? I don't recommend it! This is the only place we've ever lived that we don't have friends from. Sad! I'm sure the people were very nice, we just weren't there very long. We swam a lot, Sara fell in love with dance, and they boys turned into good friends and partners in crime.

Scottsdale - 2001 - 2002

Next we were off to Mission Viejo, a great elementary school for the boys and performing arts school for Sara, a ward family that we still love like we never left, having Becky and her family live with us, all kinds of growing experiences, more love for Disneyland and the beach and new found loves for hockey, surfing and skateboards. We ate our Christmas dinners outside and hunted for Easter eggs in the yard instead of a snow-surrounded house. I still think of this as the place the kids grew up. In the driveway, first day of school 2003:

Moving away - so hard! Not just because all of our stuff was in this and we were transitioning from one uncertain job to another!

Mission Viejo, CA 2002 - 2006

More or less, that's how we got here:

Park City

Where we (some of us) fell in love with snow and skiing, where the summers are spectacular! Where we've learned a *few* instruments, had even more growing experiences and made friends I wouldn't trade for anything.

I certainly have learned that you can be happy anywhere you choose to, that there is beauty everywhere if you only look for it and that it's good to seek the Lord's advice on these kind of things - he really does see a bigger picture than we do.

Friday Flashbacks - FOURTEEN?! Edition

2012-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

Guess who just turned 14? This guy!

Easton is in the 8th grade, he is a ferocious reader, he loves to play ice hockey - mostly for the part where he gets to hit people. He is an excellent peer tutor at school - it uses his special gifts of loving everyone, finding the best in everyone, making people feel comfortable and making people laugh. He just finished building a mini ramp and rail to ski on on the side of the house. He loves his scriptwriting class and keeps everyone laughing in there I'm sure. He is a life scout and is trying to decide what his Eagle project will be. His babysitting services are in high demand. He is confident enough to have pulled off that vest on Christmas day. He brings so much joy and laughter into our house - love you Easton!

Here are some of the rest of us at 14:

Nixon - August 2010

Sara - Fall 2003

Jennifer - Fall 1983 (really 13 1/2 years old)

Geoffrey, his dad and Grandpa - February 1988

Happy Birthday Easton - we love you!

Friday Flashbacks - Ski Edition

2011-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

In ~~honor~~ protest of the new inches of snow on my lawn and still falling from the sky this morning.

Karen Markin and friend - circa 1969

Apparently neither of our parents were big skiers - this was the "snowiest" photo I could find!

Jennifer (6th from left in bright pink) 1988

There are a LOT of jeans in this picture. I see a few people a year trying to ski in jeans at PCMR, and it makes me laugh. Let's be honest - this is in the midwest, so it barely qualifies as actual skiing, and I really hated falling on ice. It would be fair to say my interest level in skiing has not improved since then, but I am grateful for the softer landings here when I do go.

Geoffrey - early 90's - probably in the Cottonwoods

A fine example of how the underdeveloped male teenage brain will jump off of anything, anytime, anywhere, with anything strapped to their feet.

Sara - 2006/2007 Season PCMR - She loves to ski like I do!

A few shots from Geoffrey's phone the last week of the season this year (which is when I wanted it to

STOP snowing!). I owe him a big thank you for taking these - I did not take ONE picture of skiing this year - boo me :(

This (hopefully) concludes any winter related blogging for the season. Summer where are you?!

Friday Flashbacks - He Is Risen Edition

2011-04-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

In Honor of Easter, a day of hope and new beginnings. Please click the link, because if you only look at my pictures, you'll think Easter is only bunnies and chocolate!

Karen, Jennifer, Jerry Markin - Easter 1973/4

Tim, Jeremy, Becky, Jennifer - Easter 1981

Tami, Carol, Lindsy, Kara, Rachel, Krista and Geoffrey - Easter 1983ish

Sara - Easter 2003 Nixon - Easter 2003

Easton - Easter 2003

This Sunday will find us spending our morning at church and relaxing in the afternoon, probably eating ham. We're hoping for less snow and more sun, although the current forecast is not in our favor. I think we've outgrown egg hunts, but not waking up to at least one small treat. We'll get to talk about what Easter means to each of us and enjoy our time together. Hope your day is as sweet as I think mine will be - Happy Easter!

The Wonderful World of Color

2011-04-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

The world is a carousel of color,

Wonderful, wonderful color.

The miracle of imagination,

The marvels of earth, sea and sky,

These wonders untold

Are ours to behold

In the funny world,

The sunny world,

The wonderful world of color.

We celebrated Holi at the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork last week - so so so so fun! They estimate 40,000 people came on Saturday alone - this is the biggest Holi celebration in North America. I'm going to spend all year thinking of how to protect my camera from all that colored dust so I'm not afraid to take it! I did take a few pictures while we were on the outskirts of the crowd, but of course we headed straight for the middle for the big color throwing count down! This is my favorite of the many videos on You Tube:

Friday Flashbacks - Baby is Born Edition

2011-04-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

In honor of my friend Brittany, who I was lucky enough to visit in the hospital last week and spend some time snuggling her sweet newborn boy.

I still remember the wonder of it all - first a little person was growing inside of me, moving around, kicking me, killing my chances for a good night's sleep. It seemed like each pregnancy would NEVER end, then I blinked my eyes and they next thing I knew, there I was in the hospital, holding this perfect little person that I could NOT believe had been growing inside of me and that was about to kill my chances for a good night's sleep EVER again. It is such a magical time, it's a shame it goes so fast!

Jennifer

The youngest picture I could find of Geoffrey - with his sister Tami

Sara

I went in for an induction at 7:00am. It was a little over 2 weeks before my due date, but I had already been the in hospital for a few days for toxemia, and they couldn't wait anymore. Plus, it was Thanksgiving and I think my OB was avoiding his in laws, because he induced 3 women that day. That pitocin is nasty stuff. By the afternoon, I was tired of the contractions every few minutes and discouraged that I wasn't even dilated to a 5 yet (they wouldn't give me an epidural until I got that far). It took me until 5:00 to get to the magic number 5 and the pain relief! About 45 minutes later, I kept telling the nurse I felt like I should be pushing. She assured me I was wrong because I had only been at a 5. Finally, she decided to check me - whoops! Time to have a baby! Delivery was easy. I was so in love with that sweet girl right from the start and so amazed at the whole process.

Nixon

It was a few days before my due date. We were moving to California, we had finished our lease on our duplex in Provo that weekend, our stuff was packed, and we were staying with Geoffrey's parents until we had a baby so we could move. It was Sunday and a storm was moving in . I was making dinner for the whole Barber family (pork chops), I sat down for a minute and when I stood up, there was a tiny trickle of water leaking. No contractions, no gush of water, so I finished dinner and then we decided to head to the hospital around 4:00. I wasn't in labor, but my water was leaking, so they had to induce labor (more pitocin!). Lucky for me, progress had been made in the medical community in regards to women and pain and labor. I was able to get the epidural right away, and I celebrated with a quick nap. Even better, it was a self administering IV - just click the button when you want more. Again, it took me a long time to dilate to a 5, but once I did, it was 5 to 10 in under an hour. Nixon took about an hour to push out (big head!). He was perfect and I was instantly in love again.

Easton

The doctor took mercy on me one week past my due date. Easton was pinching a nerve in my back and I was in a lot of pain and couldn't pick up the cute 17 month old I already had at home. I arrived at the hospital about 8:00 am on a Thursday. I brought graph paper, as I was working on handmaking a word search for Sara's school class with the names of all the students for Valentines Day. Pitocin once more for me! By 2:00, I was at the magic 5 and by 3:30, we had an Easton. Delivery was easy except for the fact that the epidural was wearing off, and no amount of pleading on my part convinced anyone in the room that there was time to give me more drugs. Easton was a snuggler from the start and I fell in love again!

Friday Flashbacks - Just Say No (to Overalls!) Edition

2011-03-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

This week Sara informed me that she had seen overalls in several stores and they were making a comeback. I feel it is my duty to perform the public service of reminding you all that overalls are NEVER a good idea. Not even if they are $288.00 True Religion overalls. They do not hide your extra pounds, they just make you look MUCH larger than you really are. If you are tempted, even slightly to purchase a pair, think of this post and just say NO. Thank me later.

The proof is in the pictures. Sadly, there is noooo shortage of possible pictures I could use for this post.

Greg Barber and Nixon - November 1996

OK, Sometimes they are cute on babies.

Jennifer and Easton - August 1999

They are never cute on women - especially if they are shorts!

Sara and Jennifer - November 2000

Double negative X 2 - Overalls with sweaters and sweatshirts over the top - yikes!

Sara and Geoffrey - July 1995

Never appropriate for rock climbing (or any other sports)

Jennifer, Geoffrey, Easton, Nixon and Sara - 1999

If none of the other pictures scared you off of overalls, this one should do the trick!

Friday Flashbacks - Anniversary Edition

2011-03-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of 16 awesome years. I already flashed back to weddings once, so this time I'll stroll down the anniversary memory lane. Turns out, this is a pretty low key event for us - so low key, I couldn't come up with one picture of us celebrating an anniversary! Instead ...a picture to go with an anniversary story:

Geoffrey and Jennifer in one of our favorite Disney spots - Jan.2005

I do remember celebrating on our anniversary day in 2004. It was a Thursday, and Geoffrey had taken the day off to celebrate the other most important day in March - the start of the NCAA tournament. As luck would have it, BYU had a slot in the tourney that year and their first round game was that morning. I arranged for everyone to get home from school where Becky would look after things until we got home. We headed to the ESPN zone in Downtown Disney, and cheered our little hearts out for the struggling Cougars. That didn't turn out the way we'd hoped, but thanks to an early game time, we still had the day ahead of us.

We went to Disneyland and spent a day wandering leisurely through the park. It was a perfect date - not too hot, not too cold - all we needed was a light jacket. We rode rides when we felt like it, we sat on benches and people-watched and talked. We strolled along holding hands, not worried about where we had to be next or what time it was. We just enjoyed each other's company, which is what the day is all about. Here's to many more years of enjoying the company!

Friday Flashbacks - Coming to America Edition

2011-03-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

In honor of this week's visit from Uncle WanMa. This is my sister's husband who drives long haul trucks. We're always glad when he can stop in Utah, even if it is usually just for a few hours! He was shocked at how tall Nixon is!

3/6/2011 - Nixon, Easton and WanMa

In 2003, my sister moved in with us while she was expecting her oldest Kairon and wading through ridiculous amounts of paperwork so her true love could come to America legally. Anyone who has ever been through that process understands at least a little why so many people bypass the legal system to come here - the whole process is confusing, slow, flawed in a million ways and frustrating! While we waited and waited and waited ... a baby came! A baby that was loved on not only by his mom and faraway dad, but by all of us too.

2/11/2003 - Giving Kai his first look at his Papa

It was hard for them to be apart! Becky would hold the phone up to Kai's ear every chance she got so they could hear each other's voices. Finally, the paperwork giants had been slain and it was time to pick WanMa up from the airport. WanMa is Tibetan - his first language is Tibetan, his second is Mandarin (this is the language he and my sister communicated in), and English was about to be learned. It was a long overdue and happy reunion:

9/15/2003 - Sara, Kai, Nixon, WanMa, Easton and Becky at LAX

We couldn't do much talking with WanMa, but he was a great daddy to Kairon and we loved him right away. I have two strong memories of that time - one is WanMa walking and walking and walking with Kairon in his arms, he never wanted to put him down! The second is of WanMa putting this hot hot hot chili sauce on EVERYTHING. Waffles, toast, roast beef, chicken - you name it, he added the chili sauce! The stuff would burn my fingers if I touched it while I was doing the dishes. I also remember that it seemed like we would say something that took 5 minutes to say and Becky would translate it to WanMa with one sentence - I would have loved to know what she was telling him sometimes! We were all so excited to show off California and America in general to him - I'm super surprised it took us 15 whole days before we went to Disneyland! His first look at the Happiest Place on Earth:

Becky, WanMa and Kairon - 9/30/2003

We're glad he is part of our family!

Friday Flashbacks - Baptism Edition

2011-03-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

In honor of the 17th Anniversary of my own:

Elder Hughes, me, Elder Barber - 3/5/94 - Waterloo, Iowa

One of the best decisions I've ever made

Sara's big day - 12/6/1997 - Quartz Hill, California

Me, Easton in the belly, Nixon, Geoffrey, Sara

Sara said the best part was the warm feeling in her heart

(I especially love the gold metal divider background - nice!)

Nixon's turn - 9/4/2004 - Mission Viejo, California

Nixon and Geoffrey

He was so serious about the whole event, he wanted to be ready!

Easton's big day - 2/4/2006 - Mission Viejo, California

Easton and Geoffrey

I love that you can see how special the day was to him in his face - he was an angel all day!

Not entirely sure if this is Geoffrey's baptism or not, but probably pretty close to Feb. 1982 -

Rachel, Kara, Tami, Krista, and Geoffrey Barber

Just in case - here's one from Geoffrey's 8th Birthday:

Sweet Moments

2011-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

I had to share these pictures that warm my heart from Nixon's Jazz Band Sweetheart Gala Big Band Fundraiser. They are not the greatest photos (from my phone), but it sure was fun to see my two oldest having a blast on the dance floor! Is it just me, or is Nixon taller than Sara even with those heels?

Nixon's only an 8th grader, so he wasn't playing - he was working, and so was I. Following dinner, the Varsity Jazz Band played for 3 hours of dancing. They are so fun to listen to! This was our first experience with this annual event and I'm already looking forward to next year.

Friday Flashbacks - Jeremy's Edition

2011-02-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of my little brother Jeremy, in honor of the fact that he is one of the few people actually still checking this blog and telling me he is missing new posts.

Four years younger than me, we were buddies as children and did our fair share of arguing as teenagers! Jeremy graduated from the Naval Academy and flew F-18's - which makes him a SUPER cool uncle to my kids.

Now he lives overseas consulting a military that fortunately came out on the favorable side of a recent revolution. We're glad he is safe and hope he and his lovely wife can visit us soon!

Jeremy - Christmas 1977

Jeremy and Dad - July 1995

Jeremy - third from left

Local neighborhood watch action

Why Scouts should not have Video Cameras at Camp

2010-08-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

Friday Flashbacks - Backpacking Edition

2010-08-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

It's OK to call these Friday Flashbacks even if I'm a day or two late sometimes, right?

Summer is slipping away and that tiny pull that reminds me to not miss a minute has turned into a giant rope playing a killer game of tug of war between the stuff that needs to be done and the last days of summer joy:
-the morning pile of boys in my bed just laying around and chatting,
-the lazy morning pancake feasts that have no time limit,
-riding bikes to 7-11 for an afternoon Slurpee,
-Sculpy clay creations just because,
-games in the yard while I fuss over the garden,
-dinner at whatever time we get around to it followed by staying up too late having a 30 Rock-a-thon.

Nixon and Easton are home safe and sound from their big adventure. There were THREE Jamboree troops on their flight home (so sorry for the 3 or 4 other people on the plane!). That was a quite a crowd at the airport and the hugs were tight and long and as sweet as I had imagined.

Nixon left two days later for our ward's High Adventure - a backpack to the highest point in Utah - King's Peak. They hiked over 40 miles to 13,528 feet in 4 days. He was sooo tired when he came back. The word fun hasn't come out of his mouth yet, but he was proud of himself and glad he went. I'm proud and glad too!

My first backpack trip came when I was about the same age. I went for one week in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, ending at Big Bear. It was a co-ed trip and there were only 2 or 3 girls. My pack weighed about 1/2 what I did. I do remember it was hard and I was super glad to see those ski lift chairs in Big Bear and know we were almost home!

Jennifer getting ready to backpack - 1983ish

Nixon getting ready to backpack - August 2010

Nixon on the top of King's Peak - August 2010

Friday Flashbacks - National Jamboree Edition

2010-07-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

What else would be on my mind?

1993 - Sara and I took a road trip with my mother, grandmother, sister Becky and brother Jeremy to Washington DC where we traipsed in and out of museums like super tourists and visited my brother Tim and dad at the National Scout Jamboree. I remember it was hot, it was muggy, we saw cool stuff, it was hot, the fire alarm at our hotel sent us fleeing to the parking lot in our PJ's at 3 in the morning, we spent too much time in a van together getting there, and it was hot. I distinctly remember the fire alarm incident because when we got to the stairwell, it was full of smoke and rather scary. We reached the bottom floor and the emergency exit where 6 or 7 people were trying to get the door open with no success. Suddenly, Becky - with all of her 10 year old strength - came flying past me, uttering a war cry that would scare the most savage warrior. She threw her body into the door and it flew open as if it was made of balsa wood. I bet those other people felt pretty dumb, but I've never feared for Becky's safety since then - I know she can summon her inner superwoman when she needs to.

It turns out that every night I had Sara color a picture and we wrote what we had done that day. I put all those journal pages along with every ticket stub and brochure and picture we took into a 3 ring binder. This furthers my theory that the drive to preserve our lives is in fact embedded in each of us!

Sounds a little like a trip - minus the fire alarm incident - that Nixon and Easton are having now.
Some comparisons:

Sara and Jeremy in Recreation Hall at the Naval Academy - August 1993

Nixon and Easton's troop visiting Recreation Hall at the Naval Academy - July 2010

Sara dancing with Grandma Sommers at Fort AP Hill - August 1993

Nixon, Tanner, and Easton at their camp - Fort AP Hill - July 2010

A Journal Page from our trip. Sara was quite the artist! I'll be thrilled if the boys come back with ANY kind of journaling!

Jennifer, Becky and Sara - easily entertained by fountains in Washington DC - August 2010

Easton, Nixon and Scout buddies - easily entertained in Washington DC by just about anything, including tacky souvenir T-shirts?! - July 2010

Waiting for the Kick

2010-07-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this is not currently a dream that I missed the kick out of. Did you know the title of the kick song means I have no regrets? I saw that on the internet, it must be true, right? Hopefully, that movie will stop making my brain spin soon.

Really missing my boys today. They sound exhausted when I get to talk to them, but they are having fun! Good thing I have so many pictures of them to keep me laughing!

Easton and Nixon entertain themselves while during some marathon antiquing stops across the west

They have big plans for their hard earned money at Weapon Blender

They are skilled at not cooperating for pictures, but I still love them!

Friday Flashbacks - Jellystone National Park Edition

2010-07-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Nancy McHone, me, Gretchen McHone, Karen Markin, Paul McHone, Tim and Jeremy Markin, Erich McHone - Old Faithful 1983

Larry and Margery Cozzens with their grandchildren (including Geoffrey!) - Old Faithful 1988

Kalli, Lesa, Hannah, Tanner, Jenna, Geoffrey, Easton and Nixon - Old Faithful 2010

Here are pictures of three trips that prove Yellowstone is more fun with good company! My family often met the McHone family for camping trips - we had kids that were similar ages and we must have all gotten along really well. I'm glad my parents had such good friends!

I'm so grateful for friends that we can travel easily with. We have camped and hoteled and toured and driven many miles and cooked many meals and hiked with this family and it has always been great. Our kids have so much fun together and the adults do too! We share the same vacation philosophy - we don't stress about being over scheduled, we love to go do things, but we have fun just relaxing by a pool or playing phase 10 in a cabin too. We are comfortable starting a day with scriptures and prayer or saying "I need a nap" or loving each other's kids like our own. I feel so lucky to have shared so many great times with them!

We spent a long weekend in Island Park - fishing the lake, visiting Virgina City, floating and fishing the Madison, and a quick stop in Yellowstone and Jackson Hole on the way home. It was super fun! I'd like to camp in Yellowstone next year, although I'm not sure I want to in July. There were enough people there to make it feel like Disneyland. It's easy to see why Yellowstone is the crown jewel of the National Park System. Thanks for a great trip traveling friends!

Flash Forward

2010-07-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey and I are living in a flash forward right now - to our lives 7 years from now. We have children - we talk to them, we talk about them, Sara stopped by for dinner for last night ...BUT we have no children at home right now. We figure by the end of these 3 weeks we'll have a good idea of our lives as empty nesters!

Wade, Lesa, Geoffrey and Jennifer getting ready to drive

Yesterday was Geoffrey's day off of work. We slept all the way to 8:30 or so, he went to PCHS football practice (Geoffrey does the play by play of all their games for PCTV), I watered my garden, "cleaned" the house (which it turns out is super easy to do when no one is around to mess anything up), studied my scriptures at a leisurely pace, we went with good friends to lunch, to the temple, to Red Mango (Yum!), and to the Miller Motorsports Track to ride Go-Karts, Geoffrey went to Bishopric visits while I worked on some Girl's Camp things, and then we had dinner with Sara. What a fun day! I'm so grateful for a husband and friends that I could enjoy all of those things with! I can't wait to take the kids to the go-karts - that was a blast!

Life is good. Life will keep being good even when the kids are grown.

Still missing those cute boys - you can follow their adventures at http://jambo604.blogspot.com. What a great trip they are having! You can read about some of their mishaps the first day - lost medicine, boarding pass, hat, wallet. That was nice of them not to name names on their blog. We knew Easton must be responsible for at least one of those things. Try two - he managed to leave his hat on the plane and his wallet at McDonald's. Everything was retrieved and the leaders haven't killed him yet. It takes 4 brave men to agree to herd 36 boys around the country. Can't wait to squeeze them, but I'm so thrilled for the fun things they are doing!

Tales From The Wasatch Back

2010-07-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Tales from the Wasatch back is a local radio series that tells about life here in the Park City area. This year, Easton's writing teacher had the students write their own TFWB story and then she chose a few to submit to the station. They called Easton and asked him to come in and record his tale - a literary classic about mosquito's. I had never read it until the day he recorded. Let's just say that Easton makes me laugh!

You can listen to his story here

In Jamboree news - the badges are sewn, the boys names have been sharpied onto everything they own, the bags have been checked and rechecked and packed and they are off! They are on a plane as I type and I know they are already having fun!

Easton is the youngest scout going in his Jamboree troop. Plus he is very short. He looked tiny this morning with all the other boys. I was standing in the cold dark grocery store parking lot with a charter bus and a crowd of boys dressed alike and a crowd of moms who never want to buy anything at the scout office or sew another badge again. I was thinking "Is Easton old enough for this? Have we talked enough about Nixon and Easton looking out for each other? Have we talked enough about keeping track of his stuff and his wallet?" We've talked about nothing else for weeks! The Senior Patrol Leader was checking the boys in and he gets to Easton and the next thing I hear is Easton yelling to me "Mom, do I have any money? Where is it?" Wait ....Whaaaaat? We spent like an hour last night arranging everything into his wallet, practicing putting it in and out of his pocket and securing the pocket after he used the wallet. The pocket his wallet was in AS HE WAS ASKING ME THIS QUESTION. Let's just say that Easton makes me laugh.

The boys can't have phones, but I sure am glad their leaders do! Will, Tanner, Easton, McKay and Nixon in the SLC airport this morning.

Friday Flashbacks...hijacked! Toy Story Edition

2010-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is Geoffrey, Jennifer's devastatingly handsome and brilliant husband (her words not mine). Recently I was drugged and forced to go see Toy Story 3. I had resisted for several reasons but as I watched the movie the reason for my hesitation became clear. Seeing Andy grown, and out growing those characters is my fear for what was happening in my life with my Buzz and Woody.

Easton and Nixon Christmas 1999

My two sons were tiny little guys when Toy Story came out. They were in LOVE with Buzz and Woody. Nearly every article of clothing, every toy, every cereal had a picture of either Buzz or Woody on it. When we went to Disneyland they would follow Buzz around and yell "to infinity and beyond" as they trailed behind him. The laughed and played together and loved each other, looked out for each other, and especially they both looked out for Sara.

They are not tiny little guys anymore. They are two very different, beautiful young men who I am very proud of. But seeing Andy put his toys away and prepare to go off to college brought home the realization that my time with these two is short. My little Nixon will be on a mission in 5 years, Easton in 7. I guess my biggest fear is that in my case I am the toys and eventually they will outgrow me.

Those were my thoughts as tears rolled down my cheeks watching Andy leave Buzz and Woody behind. We all have so little time with our children, I want to make the most of mine. I want them to know that they are loved. I love them completely, I love who they are and who they are trying to be. I'm proud of the way they work, they raised the money to go to Jamboree on their own (special thanks to all who supported them with donations and work projects to reach that goal). I hope they don't outgrow me, they will always be my little buddies. I love you boys, be safe and be good examples, remember to pray and bath, mix in a toothbrush. Look after each other and help others be part of your group. Don't forget to come back to me and if you could each stop growing for a while that would be nice! I love you!! Dad

Friday Flashbacks - Away From Home Edition

2010-07-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Nixon and Easton leave on Monday for the National Scout Jamboree. They won't be home again until August 6. This seems like a terribly long time to me. I have seen some signs of nervousness on their parts also. Signs like Nixon saying "I'm getting nervous". It's hard to pack up your kids and send them out the door. Will they remember to shower? Brush their teeth? Will they lose their money, their group? Will they be lost on a Subway in New York or a street in Washington DC?

Sara's first times away from home were for EFY, Girl's Camp, BYU Ballet Camp. I knew she would be able to keep track of her clothes and remember to shower everyday. I wasn't worried about her losing her money or getting lost. She is a girl and an oldest child! I hugged her tight and missed her and counted down the days until I could pick her up. She always came home chattering a million words a minute about what a great time she had. She was learning things and growing in ways she couldn't have at home.

Sara enjoying her favorite part of EFY (meeting boys) - July 2004

Sara at BYU Ballet Camp - July 2005

I went away every summer from the time I was going into first grade. Always to the same place and I'm sure I always had fun and always came back in one piece because my parents kept sending me. When I was tiny, I loved sleeping in the TeePee's and doing crafts. I loved the campfires and the silly songs ands skits the counselors would do. I thought they were so cool. As I got older, it was at camp I spent a week on horseback and another week backpacking in the mountains. I learned things and grew in ways that I couldn't have at home.

Laura Hines, our camp counselor and I at Arrowhead Lutheran Camp - Summer 1978

I'm so excited for the adventure my boys are embarking on. They are going to get to see and do amazing things. They have worked so hard to be able to go on this trip - I hope it is all worth it for them. I know they will learn things and grow in ways that just couldn't happen at home. I'll hug them tight and miss them and count down the days until they return.

Friday Flashbacks - When I Was a Pioneer Edition

2010-07-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sara in Wyoming during our move to Utah - June 2004

Not when I pretended to be a pioneer on Trek, but I really came across Wyoming to start a new life! I was a newly baptized member of the church, a single mom with a darling 4 year old that my whole world revolved around. I had quit a great job I loved directing volunteers at a Medical Center, and I had sold my house (in 7 days in a recessed market - a sure sign I was doing what the Lord wanted me to!). I drove an 89' Honda Prelude - a stick shift that I loved to drive! The Honda dealership in town refused to install a hitch on it, but the U-Haul store said they would put one on if I promised to only tow the smallest trailer. So I sold my furniture, dishes, pretty much everything except our clothes and Sara's favorite toys - we loaded up that trailer, threw a tent in the back seat of the car and headed west!

I couldn't actually back the trailer up, so all along the way I only stopped places I could pull forward. This plan was successful until we stayed at a campground in Nebraska that only had spaces you backed into. This was the best I could do:

I don't remember every detail of the trip, but I do remember it was pretty fun until we hit a thunderstorm in Wyoming. I remember the wind and rain and hail scaring me to death - that trailer was blowing all over and huge semis were all around. Night came quickly - I was clutching that steering wheel with a death grip and praying like I had never prayed before. We finally made it to Evanston and spent our first night in a hotel. Like the storms of our life, it didn't seem so bad the next morning!

If you're ever going to move to Utah, I suggest coming in June and driving through Provo Canyon - you will think you have just come to the most beautiful place in the world. Eventually you will learn that's only true for a few months of the year! Sara and I had quite the adventures during that time of our lives. It was so easy for me to be confident I was doing the right thing and so easy for me to see the hand of the Lord in our lives when I look back, but also so easy to say "What was I thinking? That was Crazy!". Thank Goodness I can also say - I love my life today and I wouldn't change a thing. I feel so blessed for a Savior that loves me, a husband that loves me and puts up with me everyday, and three awesome kids!

Sara on our drive into Utah - June 2004 in Provo Canyon

What I Have Learned from the Pioneers - Lesson #1

2010-07-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey and Jennifer at Trek - July 2008

Lesson #1 - I NEED FAITH IN EVERY FOOTSTEP

For a mother crossing the plains, burying babies, hungry, seeing her children hungry this was literal. Every footstep forward required faith. I do feel like the same faith is required of us today, it's just easier for us to be distracted and not realize we should be leaning on the Lord like the pioneers did. I remember reading a story of a woman who was praying for a situation to work out and she realized, What if the Lord has something better for her? So she changed her prayer to "let this work out or something better if you have that in mind".

I think this is the greatest lesson of those who have gone before us - whether they came across the plains or not - we can learn by the examples of faith that are so moving, so inspiring that it makes us say "If they did that, I can handle my life right now!" There is a very temporal thing promised to me in my patriarchal blessing that has yet been unfulfilled in my life. Sometimes I think "When Lord, when?", but there have been many moments that the faith I have in that promise has been what keeps me putting one foot in front of the other. Grateful seems too small a word for what I feel for the countless tender mercies I have had and continue to have in my life.

President Hinckley said: "It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world but out of whose dreams ...has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us. For each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family and many of us pioneer daily in seeking to do God's will and lift and serve those around us."

Action Plan #1 - Seek to do God's Will Daily

What I Have Learned from the Pioneers - Lesson #2

2010-07-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Stephen, Nixon and Easton - Pioneer Day 2005

Lesson #2 - LOOK FOR MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE

I'm so glad that so many of the pioneers kept journals. Some wrote about the stuff they did each day, some wrote about how they were feeling, some wrote about the spiritual experiences they were having. Without these records, most of the inspiring stories would be lost to us - how tragic that would be! I read their stories and love their optimism - people are dying, they are starving, their feet are freezing, but they remember to write and be grateful for the one tiny good thing that happened that day.

During the year I was preparing for trek I read everything I could get my hands on about the pioneers (specifically the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies), but the best book by far was The Price We Paid by Andrew D. Olsen. He told the Willie and Martin stories separately instead of mixing them together like most books do and he did a good job of examining what could have been done differently. He relied, as most authors do, on journals to tell the stories.

In one of my favorite conference talks, President Eyring says: "Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him."

I know Heavenly Father has blessed our family more times than I could ever count. There have been blessings that have been accompanied by overwhelming feelings of the Spirit and blessings that I'm sure have gone unnoticed. I need to do a better job at recording these events! Action Plan - Write It Down!

My biggest blessings! April 2010

What I Have Learned from the Pioneers - Lesson #3

2010-07-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I Need Pioneer Qualities - Unselfishness, Sacrifice, Obedience, Unity, Cooperation, Hard Work

Since my experience spending a year planning our stake trek, the biggest changes I have made have been trying to eliminate extra "stuff" from my life and working on these qualities. I've felt such a pull to do things the "old fashioned" way. Don't think I've given up my vacuum for some kind of hand cleaned carpet, but I have found great joy in my garden and trying to avoid processed stuff when cooking and looking for simple joys with the kids. I try to "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". The things that are uplifting for my spirit also seem to be the things that are good for the earth we live in and for our bodies. As I study the principle of virtue (especially in Proverbs 31), I am amazed at how connected I think a woman of virtue and a woman who lives providently are.

Snap Peas in my Garden - the plant that leans on a good friend for survival!

We've LOVED volunteering at This Is The Place Heritage Park where once a week we get to dress up like pioneers and spend an afternoon living like them. Our time there just flies by - the boys are quick to find some project to keep them busy - sometimes it is work like digging irrigation canals for the corn or stripping and whitewashing a fence and sometimes it is pure fun like making a wooden bat and ball at the carpenter's shop and finding other kids to play stick ball with. I think when it takes most of the minutes in your day just to meet the physical needs of your family and do the things required for survival it is easier to stay focused on what is important.

Nixon working in the corn field - Summer 2009

Easton in the Carpenter's Shop - Summer 2009

Easton and Jennifer at the Fairbanks House - Summer 2009

On trek, we each had to "trek for someone". We had to find a pioneer who had crossed the plains and know their story. We had a badge around our neck with 7 oz. of flour on it - what the daily ration of food was during some of the snowstorm in Martin's Cove - and our person's name/story/picture if available. I trekked for the first pioneer I read about when I started looking - Elsie Rasmussen Nielson. Elsie traveled from Denmark with her husband and 5 year old son and a 9 year old girl they were taking to her family. They had sold their farm in Denmark and could have afforded to join one of the wagon trains, but instead bought a handcart and gave the rest of the money to other families to help them cross the plains.

When their handcart company was caught by snow and out of food, both children died. Elsie's husband had frozen feet and at one point sat by the side of the road and told her to keep going, he was just going to die. She looked at him and told him to get in the cart - she would pull him. Sometimes we need to be pulled, sometimes we need to do the pulling.

President Hinckley said : "Stories of the beleaguered Saints and of their rescue need to be repeated again and again. They speak the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that those days of pioneering are behind us. I am thankful that we do not have brethren and sisters stranded in the snow, freezing and dying... But there are people ...who cry out for help ... Ours is a great and solemn duty to reach out and help them, to lift them, to feed them if they are hungry, to nurture their spirits if they thirst for truth and righteousness."

Action Plan #3 - Work on those Qualities!

What I Have Learned from the Pioneers - Lesson #4

2010-07-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Jill, Valine and I at the end of Trek - 2008

Lesson #4 - I CAN DO HARD THINGS WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD.

M. Russell Ballard said "Life isn't always easy. At some point in our journey we may feel much as the pioneers did as they crossed Iowa - up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our dreams along hte way. We all face rocky ridges, with the wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes it seems as though there is no end to the dust that stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow our passage. Always, there is a Devil's Gate, which will swing wide open to lure us in. Those who are wise and faithful will steer a course as far from such temptation as possible, while others - sometimes those who are nearest and dearest to us - succumb to the attraction of ease, comfort, convenience, and rest. Occasionally we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we have just traversed. Tapping unseen reserviors of faith and endurance, we, as did our forebearers, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing: 'All is well! All is well!'"

Yep, sometimes life is hard. I do not know anyone who has led a life free of struggles. When I have times of trial, of heartache, I find inspiration in those who have gone before and not only survivied - but are grateful for - these experiences that strengthen us, give us empathy, bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. I find comfort in the words of Ether 12:27 -

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things becaome strong unto them."

One of my favorite things about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that He only asks us to do OUR best. He takes each of us where we are, and He makes up our shortfall - different as that may be for each of us. I know that I can't be just like any of my fantastic friends or role models, but I do know that in the strength of the Lord, I can do all things I have been asked to do, even hard things! Action Plan #4 - Start where I am - be better tomorrow!

What I Have Learned from the Pioneers - Lesson #5

2010-07-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Nixon and Stephen - Pioneer Day 2004

I needed a few weeks to clear my mind and sort out the fact that in one post I was saying I was going to use this blog to record what was important to me and the very next post I was talking about Star Wars toys. Geesh!

I used those few weeks to camp, swim, hike, work in the garden, hang out with my boys and decide once and for all that no, Star Wars toys are not that important! Lucky for me, President Monson has given us some direction towards even better riches:

"The Master spoke of riches within the grasp of all - even joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter. I wish to provide the three pieces of your treasure map to guide you to your eternal happiness. They are: 1. Learn from the past. 2. Prepare for the future. 3. Live in the present."

So in the spirit of July - the month we celebrate Pioneers here in Utah by taking a day off of work, attending parades and rodeos, and blowing stuff up - I've decided to write about the things I have learned from studying the people who walked across a country to start a new life. If you've ever spent any time in Wyoming, you feel admiration for the strength they had and a deep understanding of why they kept walking!

I'll hold myself accountable for completing what I started by counting down:

Lesson #5 - There is only room for so much in the Handcart - what is worth taking?

Have you ever done the FHE/Sharing Time lesson where you use masking tape to mark the size of a handcart and try to fit everything you think you need to live in it? You should try it!

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - "I've often thought, and I've said to my children, that those parents who kept going past Chimney Rock and past Martin's Cove (and a few didn't get farther than that) where those little graves are dotted all across the historic landscape of this Church - they didn't do it for a social activity, they did it because the faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ was in their soul, it was in the marrow of their bones. That's the only way those mothers could bury that baby in a breadbox and move on, saying, 'The promised land is out there somewhere. We're going to make it to the valley.' They could say that because of the covenants and doctrine and faith and revelation and spirit. If we can keep that in our families and in the Church, maybe a lot of other things start to take care of themselves. Maybe a lot of other less-needed things sort of fall out of the wagon. I'm told that those handcarts could only hold so much Just as our ancestors Had to choose what they took, maybe the 21st century will drive us to decide, 'What can we put on this handcart?' It's the substance of our soul; it's the stuff right down in the marrow of our bones."

There are so many areas of life I need to sort through and rid myself of the excess, the unnecessary and the downright harmful. What is in the cart of my physical surroundings, the cart of my talents, of my time, of my spirituality? Action Plan #5: Unload the Excess!

Easton and Cameron - Pioneer Day 2004

Amanda, Jessica, Sara, Megan, Courtney, Kari, Luke, David - Pioneer Day 2004

Friday Flashbacks - Treasured Toys Edition

2010-06-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Nixon and Easton are holding a yard sale tomorrow to earn the last of the money they need for Jamboree. Neighbors and friends and relatives have been so generous in giving them stuff to sell, we just need to cross our fingers that the weatherman is wrong about the rain coming!

We're at an age with our kids where we really don't buy toys or stuff much anymore. Gifts are usually equipment for sports or lessons or some kind of ticket to something fun they want to go do. Toy wise, we're down to 7 or so bins of toys in the garage - pretty much the stuff we don't use a lot now, but we don't plan on getting rid of. We did have a long talk about the giant bin of Star Wars Legos last night though. The boys don't play with them anymore. Even though we have the boxes and instructions for all the sets in the bin and the sets are mostly assembled, fitting all of that into one bin did require us to break some of the sets down and let's just say it would take some sorting out to get all back to where it belongs.

We looked on line to see what some of their Star Wars Lego's are worth. This is the first one we looked up. Are you kidding me? Needless to say, a spirited discussion of their new found riches ensued. Nixon thinks they will be worth "a fortune" when they are older. Easton thinks we should be heading straight to Ebay right now, but frankly, the sorting the sets out and pricing is more than my brain wants to deal with today.

This really made me think about the Star Wars toys of my youth. My siblings and I are sick that our awesome figures (remember the Jawa with the cloth robe?) and ships (I loved the Land Speeder) went the way of the garage sale sometime in our lives. It's probably good they did - otherwise we would all be fighting over them now! I did find a picture of my brothers with some of said toys though:

Jeremy and Tim Markin - 1981- ish

The toys left in our garage to be saved for grandchildren are a box of American Girl dolls and stuff, a Brio train set, almost every Chevron car made, the infamous Star Wars Legos, and a box of Toy Story toys. Buzz and Woody were our constant companions in one form or another for YEARS. After seeing those movies, how could anyone possible ever get rid of a Buzz or Woody?

Easton and Buzz - Christmas 1999

Easton, Nixon, Sara and Woody - October 2000

Do you have toys that you are glad your mom saved or sad they are gone?

100

2010-06-10T07:15:00.001-07:00

Were you scared this post was going to be some kind of 100 list? You should know I don't have THAT kind of time! This is, however, my 100th post! Hmm...I started this blog in February 2007 - there have obviously been long periods of silence from my typing fingers! My blogging goals remain the same though - keep a record of our family, stay in touch with friends and family, and a newish goal that I will be working more on in the future - record what is important to me.

It's possible 100 things have happened I could talk about since my last post. Here's a quick run down:

-Triathlon done! It was COLD and rainy, so they canceled the swim and added an extra run instead. So we did run-bike-run. I hate swimming, but I hate running too, so whatever. It was super fun and even more fun to do it with friends and Sara. If I did it again though, I would DEFINITELY use a road bike instead of a mountain bike!

-May/First Week of June was busy! Besides the tri, we had so many nights of School Plays (Easton was in TWO!), Band Festivals, Band Concerts, Orchestra Concerts, Jazz Band Concerts, National Honor Society Recognitions, Field Trips, End of the Year Parties, Scouts, Baseball. If BUSY really stands for Being Under Satan's Yoke, than May might be his favorite month.

-I have to include pictures of the yummy treats the boys made for the ward auction. Easton found a video on You Tube showing how to make tuxedo strawberries and Nixon found a cute cupcake book. They both made their treats all on their own and I thought they turned out great!

-School's Out! Mother Nature was kind enough to flip the switch from winter to summer the last week of school and now we are outside as much as possible - we don't want to waste a second!

-Garden's In! I made my own upside down tomato hangers out of buckets. I'll post pictures sometime, but I hope they work!

-Only a little over a month until Nixon and Easton leave for the National Boy Scout Jamboree. They have been working since last summer to raise money for this trip and are working REALLY hard right now earning the last bit of money they need. This week alone, they have hauled siding to a dumpster, babysat, pulled weeds, and are working on a garage sale for this Saturday. I'm so grateful to all the people who have been generous in hiring/donating/supporting them. I'm super proud of them and hope that they have a great trip and feel good about all the work they did to be able to go.

Friday Flashbacks - 7th Grade Edition

2010-06-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

School's Out for Summer! There are three days of the year I LOVE - Christmas, 4th of July and the last day of school! The Last Day of School may be the best - all the fun and smiles, none of the shopping or preparing! We celebrated by hanging in Salt Lake with some good friends, a temple trip and a friends' giant bonfire (about 100 kids showed up) to burn schoolwork. So fun!

I can't believe my baby will be a 7th Grader next year. In honor, photos of our family around the 7th grade.

Nixon and Easton after a Jazz Band Concert - May 2010Sara at Big Bear - Summer 2003

Jennifer getting ready for to backpack near Lake Arrowhead - Summer 1983

Geoffrey with his Dad - between 1986 and 1988

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I feel so cool in my minivan now! No seriously, this makes me want a new van!

Friday Flashbacks - Tri, Tri Again Edition

2010-05-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Let's flash all the way back to 2008 - when Geoffrey signed up for the Jordanelle Triathlon and trained for it by walking from the house to his car in the driveway every morning. I was nervous we would be scanning the bottom of the lake looking for him - seriously, how many years had it been since he had swam a lap? I should have had more faith, he did fine.

This of course only serves to add more pressure to my foray into the tri world, scheduled for next Saturday.

May is a terrible month to sign up for a tri in Utah - I have had very few chances to train outside - we were snowed/rained out all this week and relegated into the gym. Except, ironically, for the swim training, which has been in an outdoor pool during snow/rain/hurricane force winds. I really hate swimming. The other downside to May is that life is so busy with end of the year school events it is very difficult to carve out that training time every day. Some nights I have been in the pool under falling snow at 9:00 at night. That's just wrong.

The upside to a May tri is that I have been working out during this busy time. If I wasn't committed (and by committed, I mean I PAID MONEY for it) to this tri, there would have been zero working out this month. So yea for me. I'm grateful for a great training partner. Lots of mornings I would have bailed if I wasn't meeting her.

Now the last week is upon me. Time to figure out what I am wearing and start praying that I can finish. Wish me luck.

Friday Flashbacks - Mother's Day Edition

2010-05-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

It is almost the day we honor mothers. Today, I was so busy mothering, I almost didn't have time to do my Friday Flashback. I wasn't just burning the candle at both ends this week, I was setting another bonfire every time I turned around. Our next two weeks are a solid block of baseball, Jr. High plays, orchestra concerts, Jazz Band concerts, band concerts, Honor Society ceremonies, Jr. High Shakespeare plays, and who knows what else!

My mothering philosophy is similar to my living philosophy - we are here on earth to progress, to be a little better tomorrow than we were today. We are humans, so we frequently stumble on this path, hence the need for a Savior and the Atonement. As I live, or mother, I believe in starting where I am and doing the best I can, and having faith that the Savior will make up the difference for me.

I come from a mother, and I count many other women as influencers of the mother I am today. I know they each do the best with what they have and I strive to do the same. I may never be perfect, but hopefully I am improving. Hopefully, my daughter will do the same and be a better mother than I am. Hopefully, her daughter will continue the tradition. As the world changes, so do the challenges to motherhood and improvement is necessary to navigate the murky waters of pressing time commitments and less than desirable influences that creep into our lives. I love this quote from this amazing talk from Elder Ballard at the April 2008 General Conference:

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."

I am proud to be a mother, proud to love my children deeply, and proud to prioritize them above all else. Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Karen and Jean Fredericks - in the 1950's

Jean Fredericks, Karen Markin, Sara and Jennifer Barber - 1990

Rachel, Tami, Carol, Geoffrey, Krista and Kara Barber - 1980

Sara, Easton, Nixon and Jennifer Barber - May 2009 -Pico Beach

Friday Flashbacks - National Parks Edition

2010-04-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is my family circa 1983 about to embark on the kind of adventure where you load up four kids in a motor home and spend a few weeks driving around the western United States visiting National Parks and (hopefully) you don't lose any kids and no one kills each other. We look super prepared - I hope we have some shoes packed in the motor home somewhere, and a shirt for Tim. I know I saw a lot of great sites on these annual trips, but to be honest, I don't remember much about them. I remember an appreciation for the beauty of our country. We always hit up Zion and Bryce and Yellowstone. We went to the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest and Glacier National Park. I remember being amazed by the Northern Lights. I remember heating up soup out of a can on the stove in the motor home.

I posted this picture instead of one of the gazillion view shots my dad took because of the memory I do have of riding in the back of that motor home with my three siblings and spending HOURS pumping our arms up and down out of the back window trying to get truckers to honk. They almost always did, I guess we were too cute for them to ignore.

Nixon and Easton (Sara in her younger days too) love to wildly pump their arm in an (often vain) attempt to get truckers to honk their horns. Are truckers less friendly today? Where did my children learn to do that? I don't ever remember showing them that. I don't remember anyone showing me that as a kid either, but I sure thought it was fun!

We're so lucky to live in Utah - this state has incredible landscapes and fantastic recreation opportunities. My poor husband grew up here and his parents exposed him to very little of it. I saw more of Utah as a child then he did, so we work hard to take advantage of as much of the outdoors as we can. I wonder if my kids will remember specific trips and happenings or just remember that we loved to be outside. Here's some photos to help them remember how much fun we have had enjoying the sights and the company!

Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bear Lake

Lake Powell

Moab

Provo Canyon
Unitah Mountains

Friday Flashbacks - Let's Go Ride A Bike Edition

2010-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of the greatest time of the year in Park City - it is warm enough for bike riding!

Jennifer - 1980

Geoffrey - sometime in the 1970's

Sara - 1995

Easton and Nixon - 2007

“There are no grades of vanity, there are only grades of ability in concealing it” -Mark Twain

2010-04-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

How vanity gets in the way of me being in shape:

Exhibit One:

In December I signed up for a triathlon. A few weeks later, I decided to switch up my gym routine by biking AND running on the same day. I biked 10 miles and then rushed over to the treadmill and started running. After one minute, I had run a whole .1 miles and every breath sounded like a desperate gasp for life. After one and half minutes, a woman got on the treadmill next to me. Still gasping for my life, I could not focus on anything except my intense worry that she would glance over to see how far/long I had been running to be working so hard. I was so torn by my internal struggle of whether or not I should tell her I had biked first and was not this out of breath from 1 minute of running that I finally just gave up and decided to go home instead.

Exhibit Two:

There are a lot of things about this triathlon that should worry me. I cannot swim a freestyle stroke without dislocating my shoulder, so my wimpy adaptive swim style is weak. I enjoy biking, but often lose focus while I am out with the boys and end up swerving into their paths and/or bikes, usually resulting in my falling over. Now I expect to bike with a group of people? I hate to run. However, the thing I am most concerned about is what I will look like during all of this, more specifically, what I will be wearing, what I am doing with my hair, you know - the important stuff. Also my only goal for the race besides finishing? Not having anyone over 300 lbs. finish before me. Set your goals high kids.

Exhibit Three:

My training partner and I went shopping for swimsuits on Saturday. See Exhibit Two for why this is so important. We went to two stores that had suits and five or six really cute consignment/gift/vintage stores that we saw while we driving in between those two sporting good stores. It was a super fun day, but no suit has been purchased yet!

I'm not sure how the whole tri thing is going to turn out for me, but I do foresee plenty of laughable moments. As the French philosopher/author Henri Bergson said: "The only cure for vanity is laughter, and the only fault that is laughable is vanity."

Friday Flashbacks - Wish I Was There Edition

2010-04-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful day in Park City - I think we might have even hit 60 degrees! I ran around all day in a skirt with bare legs and no coat. Why did that make me miss Disneyland so much today? There are some pretty fond memories from Disney from my childhood, but FOR SURE the tug on my heart is from all the fun times I had hanging out with my buddies - Sara, Nixon, and Easton. I could have months of Flashback Fridays and not post all of my favorite Disney pictures!

1987 with Kathy Hardin

2002 - That's right, a World Series celebration!

2004 - First Tower of Terror Ride

2000 ish? Geoffrey surprised us by coming home early from work, loading up the car and off we went for 3 glorious days of Disney hotels and parks. Best vacation ever!

Friday Flashbacks - Bad Hair Edition

2010-04-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

We're having too much fun on Spring Break for blogging. So far we've experienced 3 feet of snow, serious powder skiing, snowman making, driveway shoveling, temple trips, air soft wars, the least amount of homework possible, and hanging with friends! Now for the bad hair ...

Jennifer 1980 - Easily the worst hair years of my life.

The Barber Family - 1986. I'm not trying to say any of these cute girls have bad hair, but check out the crooked, too tall flat top on Geoffrey!

Friday Flashbacks - Wedding Bells are Ringing Edition

2010-04-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey and Jennifer (and Sara running in the background) - 1995:

?, Carol and Greg Barber, ?, Margery and Larry Cozzens, Phyliss and Lowell Barber - 1971:

(Love both of the Mom's big hair!)

Jerry and Karen Markin - 1970:

Random!

2010-03-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Saw this in a tiny town in Wyoming - who thought this was a good idea?

Nixon and Easton and I spent an hour stopped on the I-80 for an accident. I let Nixon get out and skateboard. I wish I had just gotten out myself to get a decent photo. Look at that smile!

I don't care how beautiful this is, I'm done with winter clothes and shut windows and shoveling and being cold. Summer can not come fast enough!

Friday Flashbacks

2010-03-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Camille does this every Friday. I'm going to copy her!

Here is what my mother had written on the back of the photo:

Jenny taking care of "bigger" brother by pushing him in swing

March '76

Jenny - 30 lbs! - almost 5 years

Jeremy - 20 lbs! - 8 1/2 months

Geoffrey, Kara, Rachel, and Tami Barber - 1983ish?

Who Do You Think You Are?

2010-03-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching this show?

We love it! Nixon and Easton joined me last week for a Friday night trip to the Family History Library and we had a blast. Not that we have plans to move (wishful thinking!), but I have been feeling like while we are in Utah, I need to take advantage of that place and the awesome resources there.

Mormon Boy

2010-03-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Our stake did a very fun activity where each ward was asked to make a video based on this year's mutual theme:

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest. - Joshua 1:9

Maybe I am a teensy bit biased because the lead actor is soooo good looking, but I thought our ward's entry was awesome! This was all written, filmed, edited by the youth (OK, in our ward, mostly by one really talented boy).

They had a fun awards night complete with a red carpet entrance, popcorn and candy and watched all the videos from the stake together. There were no less than TWO Office knock offs, and no less than TWO videos that brought tears to my eyes - if anyone knows anything about being strong and courageous these days, it is the young men and women who live in the world today and try to make good choices.

How to be a Champion Without Going to the Olympics

2010-02-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

When we first arrived in Park City, beautiful blond teenage daughter in tow, I'm sure the boys were impressed. She went on a few dates, but I don't think very many second dates, and while I'm sure they were nice boys, they are unimportant to this story, so we'll move on ...

That summer, we took a fun tubing trip down the chilly yet scenic Provo River. More entertaining than the green mountains towering on either side of us was the shameless flirting being done by none other than the previously mentioned teenage daughter. She even pulled out such classic moves as my-tube-tipped-over-and-now-I-need-to-be-saved. It was humorous to us adults, but effective at winning the attention of her target - Buck Bailey - also affectionately known in our house as Buckaroo, the Buckster, or Buuuuuu-ck.

Lucky for us, Buck was a great boy. He was a little shy, busy with other things in his life (leaving not too much time for girls), an awesome ski jumper, always kind to the little brothers, and had parents we adore who were (and still are) great examples to me of how to effectively parent boys with lots of energy without crushing their sweet spirits.

The whole Buck and Sara thing only lasted a few months, but we still liked that boy, and after a standard post break up period of awkwardness, they managed to stay friends. A few ward boundary changes later, we were even lucky enough to end up in a ward with his family. We always knew he was a great kid and would be a great missionary and now we have an awesome news story to prove it:

Click here for awesome news story - way to go Buck - thanks for being such a great example!

Now there is a Picture In My Heart too

2010-02-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

We've been trying to make it to the Salt Lake Temple to do temple baptisms since Easton's birthday. There has not been ONE single time that someone was not at work or school or a church meeting and the temple was open. Who would have guessed that our scheduling dilemma would turn out to be a tender mercy?

We made it Thursday morning, minus the always too busy Sara. We shared some moments too sweet and tender for such a public forum, and then ...there was Thomas S. Monson, oh and Henry B. Eyring too, walking through the hall, stopping to walk over and talk to us and three other sweet boys and their dad. President Eyring is peeking around the corner, just grinning at us as we all stand, wide-eyed, I'm sure, listening to President Monson.

He told a story about some boys in Germany, who despite a broken water heater did baptisms for 45 names. When asked how they were feeling, they said "Oh, we didn't feel anything after about the 3rd name!.

Next, President Monson said he hoped that our bishops had talked to us about what we were doing today. He said we were "doing something for someone that cannot do it for themselves. That's what the Savior did." He told us we were doing a good thing and to go home and write in our journals about our experiences that day.

After he left, Nixon kept whispering to me "That was awesome! That was so cool Mom". Easton said "I can't stop smiling". Geoffrey and I wiped a few of those good tears away.

Oh, we made sure to write in our journals too. When a prophet tells you to do something, it's probably best to obey. The bar has been set pretty high for Easton's temple visits. Sorry buddy, you don't see the prophet every time, but you will always feel like you can't stop smiling.

There is a Picture in My Head ...

2010-02-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

that I don't want to forget. It is a moment from sacrament meeting, where cameras are frowned upon (although I do have to confess to snapping and emailing a few i-phone photos during the Primary Program to my dear friend who was away and missing her cute girls talks!).

Easton recently turned 12 and received the priesthood. One of the first duties of a new deacon is to pass the sacrament in church. Easton's first Sunday to do this was Feb. 7. Before the meeting, I saw Nixon, the older brother and deacon's quorum president leaning over to give last minute instructions to his brother. I watched my two boys share a hymn book and a precious moment.

Easton is a joker, a funny guy, a get-the-giggles-when-things-get-serious boy. I had a few butterflies in my stomach that everyone would be reverent! I never should have doubted. Easton was so serious about his responsibility. He walked carefully, carried his tray solemnly, and here came the boys back up to the table and there it was:

My two sons standing next to each other, wearing their Sunday suits, holding trays carefully in front of them, standing tall and looking straight ahead. Their hair has been carefully combed and their "gig" lines carefully aligned. Easton is in front of Nixon, only coming up to his shoulders (!?), and right behind them, sitting on the stand is my sweet husband, completely choked up and obviously feeling the tenderness of the moment as much as I was. All three of my boys doing their best to serve their Savior. This friends, is what is known as sweet tears.

Lucky for me, only one of us had to stand up right after this heart swelling moment at a microphone and try to conduct a meeting. That one of us was Geoffrey, and bless his heart, he did manage to *sort of* hold it together as he opened our fast and testimony meeting. There have been some hard years recently at the Barber house in a few areas, but this Sunday was such a visual reminder to me, that in the important areas, our blessings are overflowing.

What the World Needs More Of ...

2010-02-11T21:50:00.001-08:00

... powder days for boys who get 4.0's in school.

Keeping an Eye on the Prize

2010-02-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

I know it is good to focus on the end goal. The end goal in this case is shepherding my children along the path to adulthood and having them come out on the other side with a good relationship with their Savior, as kind people, and as responsible, accountable citizens of their communities. The goal is clear, but occasionally the path feels confusing and littered with obstacles.

Today's Crisis: Easton

Look at that face! Geoffrey would have you believe I have been wrapped around this little guy's finger since day 1. Possibly. But my eye is on the prize, and I try really hard to subscribe to this parenting technique.

We had a 10 minute discussion last night about PE and if he needed his winter clothes today. He was insistent that they had one more day of health class before they switched to snow sports. I said I wasn't sure, maybe he should pack his boots, gloves, beanie and snow pants just in case. I was not surprised to get a phone call at 10:45am that sounded like this:

"Mom? PE starts in 5 minutes and I need my snow clothes. Can you bring them?"

I am usually not a "bringer". My kids know this. We just talked about snow clothes last night. So I said "Sorry, this was your responsibility and you will have to suffer your consequences" I said it as sweetly as I could and I really did feel sorry for him. He wasn't upset, but I could tell he was bummed.

Then I felt sick to my stomach for the next 3 hours thinking about poor Easton either freezing during PE or sitting inside unable to participate in something really fun. I wondered if this not a great parenting idea at all. What if along with learning responsibility, my kids are learning that mom won't help me? There was a lot of thinking going on, some tears on my part, and a good friend to reassure me that I did the right thing.

Of course my first question after school was about PE. "I just picked some stuff out of the lost and found to wear. We went cross country skiing and it was awesome!" Turns out, this was only a crisis for one of us.

I'm not sure Easton learned any lessons today at all. But I am sure that I learned one in my hours of self-analysis. I learned that I need to be sure my kids hear the love part in the love and logic - that even though I'm sure I always say and they know I feel bad when they are having hard times - I need to verbalize EVERY time that I am willing to help them talk through what their possible solutions are - a crucial step of the process that I fear I often skip.

This motherhood thing can be a crazy journey sometimes - I feel lucky to be where I am and with these people!

Because it is Time ...

2010-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

I've had lots of clever (to me) thoughts percolating in my brain for a new blog post, but never the time to sit down and do it. My poor mother-in-law has no desire to join Facebook and feels left out of the comings and goings of all of us who seem to have abandoned our blogs for facebook.

For the record, this is how I still feel about Facebook. It has been a great tool for reconnecting with past friends, but is not a place I spend a lot of time, and certainly not the keeper of our family's history, which was always the intent of having a blog!

So I recommit, to writing on occasion about:

*our happenings

*some of our random thoughts

*some of the life lessons we learn along the way

*some of the embarrassing moments that slip into our lives (Me: shoveling in a robe and pajamas this morning because I knew once I went inside the shower would be too tempting, AND slipping and falling, sprawled out in said bathrobe on our driveway)

*most importantly - about the way my heart swells like it will burst from all the love I have for these people:

What do you need to recommit to today?

Warning! This will give you Nightmares!

2009-04-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sara has been in Costa Rica (went with her employer Skullcandy). The view from her room:

She has a few mosquito bites. We have teased her endlessly that they might be bot flies. I know, we are sooo mean. WARNING: Do not watch if you are squeamish. I saw a different video of bot fly removal on the Discovery Channel about a week before she left for Costa. It took days to get it out my head!

The Winter Soundtrack

2009-03-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things that change with the seasons besides air temperature and leaf color.

For instance ...summer laundry (less loads! More beach towels and board shorts) is different than winter laundry (lots of socks, and sweatshirts, and wet snow clothes!)

Winter Dinners (stews, soups, mostly heavy foods) are different than Summer Dinners (It's 8:00 at night already? Throw together a salad and yummy veggies from Farmer's Market!). Can you tell I'm really looking forward to summer eating?!

And the soundtrack changes. As the weather warms up, I'll hear more summer noises -lawnmowers and basketballs bouncing on the driveway and hockey pucks hitting the garage door. Even as I desperately yearn to wiggle my toes in the grass or hike a shady trail and to feel the sun on my arms and legs again, we are still entrenched in the last moments of the winter soundtrack -

Avalanche Canons Booming
Snowplows scraping by early in the morning
Snow blowers buzzing and shovels scratching over the driveway and sidewalks
Boots and snowshoes crunching over snow
Ice skates and pucks and sticks Scraping over the pond
Boots and skis and poles clanging together in the back of my car, then the boots stomping up the metal stairs and across the plaza at the resort, only to be followed by ..
Skis swishing through powder (OK, maybe a little scraping on spring corn today)

and the ultimate winter sound ...

"Powder day today Mom! Please let's skip school!!!"

It's been fun, I've had lots to love the last few months, but I'm ready for change - time to change your tune Mother Nature!

Facebook In Reality

2009-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

Ni hao

2009-02-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

I have 3 kids. I have had to sit through a lot of long and boring school events, concerts, recitals, plays. Hands down, Mrs. Wu - Nixon's Chinese teacher- wins the prize for the BEST school event since the 4th Grade Utah Play (which I have enjoyed twice)! The Chinese Spring Festival started with a Lion Dance ...

(the little lion on the right is Nixon!)

It included traditional Chinese dancers ...

Tibetan Dancers ...

Chinese Toy Demonstrations ...

Kung Fu, Singing, and a Dragon Dance. Even the Park Record thought it was cool - thanks Mrs. Wu!

Stuff We are Looking Forward To ...

2009-02-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

In-and-Out in Draper. It's about time.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Those kids are going to have gray hair and grandkids by the time they wrap this up.

Guitar Hero Metallica - reserved it the first day possible. Want to come play? See you March 29.

Summer. You can't come fast enough!

Scrap Weekend 2009

2009-01-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Put 12 ladies in one room for 4 days, + buckets & bags & stacks of paper + pictures + adhesive + embellishments. This is 2009, so also + 8 laptops & 6 Cricut machines. Throw in lots of chocolate + Diet Coke + chick flicks.

Subtract -Sleep- kids - getting dressed.

The Result? Laughing, story sharing, friendship building, missing your family and loving them even more as you document your lives.

Scrap Weekend 2007

Scrap Weekend 2008

Scrap Weekend 2009 - missing Stephanie dearly and wanting a date for her next visit on the calendar NOW! Lisa Bearnson stopped by and brought us treats - so sweet of her!

photo coming soon :)

Park City Kids

2009-01-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

don't feel the cold. Bathing suits and snow? No worries

Ice cream in your winter coat? Yum!

During Christmas break, we spent a whole day running around Park City redeeming our PCTV Summer Reading Program rewards. Swimming, ice cream, slurpees, Staples money, more ice cream. Thanks PCTV!

I Am ...I Said ... A Fan

2008-12-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

of Neil Diamond! Lesa celebrated her birthday in a big way with a girl's night out trip to the Neil Diamond concert. It was way better than a trip to Chuck E. Cheese and a goodie bag! Our seats were awesome and who doesn't love to get all sequined out and go scream at a 67 year old man?

For a 67 year old man, Neil's still got the moves. The moves haven't changed a bit either! Also of interest ...we were just about the youngest people in attendance! Thanks to these great ladies - I love them all!!

Election Perspective

2008-12-04T12:07:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since the big day, but I had a post election moment too profound to skip over.
The day after the election we had some snow. I was rushing to get the boys to school, backing slowly out of my driveway when I felt the van bump against something. The bump didn't alarm me as much as the shattering glass noise that came with it. I whipped my head around faster than a group of 13 year olds who just saw Zac Efron.

The bump? Our empty trashcan that had been neglected the night of trash day. The shattering sound? My rear window. So here I am - in my gym clothes - kids to get to school, snow falling and getting heavier. What's a girl to do? Drive her kids to school of course. As I'm driving more and more of the window is falling down into the back of the van, each bump in the road followed by the pleasant tinkling sound of cascading glass. It entertained those boys all the way to school! I didn't even go home - just kept driving to Salt Lake to an auto glass shop that Geoffrey had visited for work the previous month.

The shop is next to a salvage yard. I'm in this one room office/waiting area in a hard plastic chair feeling the winter air every time the door is opened, listening to the phone ringing off the hook and the price quote given to all these callers, the workers coming in and out with questions, and the pleasant sound of power tools. As I'm sitting (in my gym clothes!) waiting for our window to be replaced, the owner and his workers are discussing the previous day's events. One worker turns to me and says "Did you vote? Wasn't it great? You have a black man for your president. What a great country!"

He proceeds to tell me that in his country, he had no opportunity to vote for who he wanted. Then he tells me how in the winter his family would flee to the mountains and live in caves to escape the government who was trying to kill them because of their ethnic background. How they used to say the mountains were their only friends. Now they say their only friends are the mountains and America. How great he thinks America is because America helped his country.

He is from Iraq - a Kurd. And he could have cared less if Obama or McCain won our election. He was so excited to talk about it - like a little kid talking about Disneyland! He thought the process, the fact we could vote - that either man could have won was awesome. That a person who belongs to a minority in our country was elected. And he's right. I may not have been thrilled about the election results, but I should be grateful for the opportunity to participate!

On the other election front ...

Nixon rocked his speech. He went the Dwight route - carefully listened to Dwight's speech over and over and changed it to be about 6th graders.

6th Graders of Ecker Hill Unite!
We are Students!
We must never cede control of our education!

He wrote on his little speech each time he would bang on the podium (Bang 2 times). I was soooo nervous - you've got to sell something like that, not just stand up and read off of a piece of paper. My nerves were wasted. He was hilarious. I doubt many kids got the Dwight Schrute references, but they did know they loved Nixon. They laughed and cheered and I knew before we left he would win. Two girls walking out in front of us were talking about who they voted for. "Of course I voted for Nixon. EVERYONE voted for Nixon."

We left for Arizona right after the speech. They were not announcing the winners until the next day, so I asked a nice lady from the school to call us while we were gone and let us know if he had won or not. Then we had the front desk from the hotel call our room and deliver the good news. I caught the moment with my trusty Canon:

Now someone has to be early to school every Wednesday for Student Council Meetings. Congratulations Mom!

The Post Where I Try to Catch Up

2008-12-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Long time, no post. Sorry 'bout that. We were doing all the stuff everyone else has already posted about like

Fall Leaves

UEA Trip

Voting

Football Playoffs

Visiting Bodyworlds

Halloween

By now you've read plenty about that on other blogs. Think of our experiences as similar. Only probably less organized and involving more loud laughter. Check out the links to photos if you're really dying to see my family do that stuff.

I may be the only woman in blogland without links to something Twilight related. Teenage vampire love story? I'll pass thank you very much.

We moved into a new house about 5 weeks ago. I'm a lot closer to feeling settled, made it through the 1600 pictures I had on my camera and I'm ready to rejoin the world. I felt overwhelmed at all those photos untouched and needing attention, but as I buckled down and went through them I remembered why I love to take pictures so much:

These people melt my heart. I love it all - the laughing, the occasional crying, the snuggling, the moments of joy and pride and love, the crazy busy schedule, the coveted lazy afternoon together, even the piles of ski stuff and bikes and books that appear out of nowhere and the army guys hung off the stairs - love it all!

As our sweet Elder Wirthlin said: "Come What May and Love It! The pictures are my way of remembering how much I really do love the journey part of this life. I never even really realized that is why I loved photographing my family so much until this summer when I was editing pictures from our Stake Trek and Girl's Camp and I was crying, yes crying - my heart was so full of love for those young women and I recognized that was how I felt about my family ALL the time.

I realize I may not always be the best mom - the one these kiddos deserve or the best wife. I'm not super sugary sweet like a lot of moms I admire. I make my kids do a lot of things other moms do - they have to make their own lunches and help with laundry and make their own beds and I'm very little help with those dumb projects for school. I'm often too quick to criticize and too slow to praise. I'm not sure I tell my husband how much I love and appreciate him enough. But I see love for them in every photo I take and I take a lot of photos. I catch all of them (even Geoffrey) looking at pictures and scrapbooks so I hope they see my love there too. And maybe I'll start saying I love you out loud every time I snap that shutter so they really do know how my heart is melting at that minute!

When You Name Your Child ...

2008-10-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

...Nixon, have you been secretly planning his first student council campaign since birth?

You'll have to ask Geoffrey! You're Welcome parents of Park City Middle Schooler's for educating your children about a great American president. Because not a single one of your kids understood these campaign posters and Nixon has had to explain it over and over:

Geoffrey also wanted to take a picture of Nixon with a dog and have a "Checkers is Not a Bribe" poster. Even Nixon thought that was too much. Unfortunately, the school has a policy against any kind of button, or shirt, or handout. Too bad, because we wanted to make some of these:

or maybe:

Tuesday is the day for the big speech and election. Nixon is deciding between two different speech styles. Poor kid - our sense of humor in this house is so warped! Do you think he should try a Michael - carry the music in and throw out cliche's, or a Dwight - pound his fists and yell a lot? (this clip of Michael misses the best part - the beginning where he carries in the CD player)

Yea Conference!

2008-10-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

When Geoffrey coaches hockey or baseball, whenever a kid comes off the ice, he tells them something they did good and something they can work on to improve. That's how I always feel about conference - there's always a few messages that make me say "Yea, I'm on the right track there" and a few that make me say "OK, I should be working on that a little harder!" I love conference!

This was the first time Nixon could go to Priesthood, and we had tickets for Geoffrey and Nixon for priesthood and for all of us Sunday morning. We stayed downtown in Salt Lake and had a GREAT time! It rained all weekend, but nice steady rain, no miserable downpours. It was so fun to walk everywhere and just hang out. While the men were at priesthood, Easton and I went to Deseret Book Ladies Night, then we walked to the Capital Theater to pick Sara up from dance, then we all met for dinner.

We might have had too much fun. We had to be up pretty early Sunday - by the time we got into our seats and listened to the choir practice for Music and the Spoken Word, we were all pretty tired. So the lights dim - Music and the Spoken Word starts and about 25 minutes later I wake up to see my WHOLE FAMILY asleep. Not subtle-nod-the-head asleep, but sprawled out on their chairs, probably snoring asleep! Nice! Well, I let them all sleep 5 more minutes before I woke them up for the start of conference. It was a great weekend!

You say Tomato ...I say Yummmmmm

2008-10-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to work with some of the most TALENTED ladies ever in my calling - I love them! Valine is capable of doing all things - sewing, scrapbooking, card making, quilting - she excels at everything, but it is her culinary skills I am most in awe of. I have not yet mastered cookies at this elevation - you should see the BREAD she makes!

To get to the yummy part ...she has raised a daughter as talented as she. This recipe came from the kitchen of Camille. I splurged on heirloom tomatoes at farmer's market. They were so sweet I didn't need to add any sugar to this recipe at all!

Tomato Bisque Soup

6-8 Roma Tomatoes (or any kind)

2 cans Tomato soup (10 1/2 ox. cans)

1 cup Chicken Stock ( I use homemade stock from my freezer)

1/2 cup beef stock (or canned beef consomme')

1 small bunch fresh basil

1/2 cup sugar (you might use more or less)

1 1/2 cups cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Roast tomatoes in oven at 375 degrees until tops begin to blacken (about 1-1 1/2 hours). To roast the tomatoes cut them open and place them cut side up in a 9x13 pan. Drizzle olive oil on top with salt and pepper.

In a large pot combine tomato soup, chicken stock and beef stock. Take the tomatoes from the oven and place three or four in a blender with some liquid. Puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining tomatoes and liquid. Add puree to pot and let simmer on medium heat (do not boil). Add sugar until mixture is slightly sweet, then add cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The recipe didn't say when to add the basil - I added it at the sugar step. I also had a few purple peppers from the market - I roasted and pureed those with the tomatoes. I topped with fresh Parmesan cheese and homemade croutons (chunks of sourdough bread; shake in bag with melted butter, garlic, and Parmesan cheese - bake in oven until crispy).

If you're in a nice mood - make your hubby's favorite desert while the tomatoes are roasting:

Soup weather is here! Do you have a favorite?

Remember that One Time at Band Camp?

2008-10-02T22:50:00.001-07:00

Picture the first day of band/orchestra for the year. 40 eager students each about to make a decision that puts them on the path to greatness, musical genius, or possibly the path to nerd-dom, marching band and band camp.

Teacher (aka, adult who missed the first path and landed smack in the middle of the second): "Today we will choose instruments."

5th Graders: "Yea! We're so cool! We're in the 5th grade!"

Teacher: "Here are some small, inexpensive instruments that will be easy to carry to school and affordable for your parents. Plus, 90 % of you will choose these small instruments and I will never know which one of you is screwing up the songs we are playing. Here are some enormous instruments that are hard to handle, hard to play, hard to take care of, hard to transport back and forth to school, and super expensive for your parents. Only one or two of you will choose these instruments and I will always know when you are screwing up and constantly single you out in class for being off beat or playing a wrong note."

95 % of 5th Graders: "I choose small, cheap, and easy!"

Nixon and Easton (arms straining in the air, faces red from maxium exertion to be noticed by teacher): "I choose tuba/bass! There is noooo place in our tiny house for something that big. What could possibly make our 5th grade year even longer? Oh wait! This continues into the 6th grade?! When school is even further away and this will be tons harder for our parents to manage?! Sign us up!"

And that is the possible story of how we arrived here. The blog post where I can say ...

Introducing the next ...

Just like ...

Wants to play like ...

OK, I could not think of one famous tuba or bass player to finish those sentences with. I guess that means we're on the path to anonymous greatness. (I swear these pictures do not even begin to show how much bigger than my kids these things really are!)

Seriously So Funny

2008-09-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt depressed after looking at blogs for awhile?

Wondered why everyone else had such a great life and just went to Hawaii/Mexico/Disneyland while you were at home surrounded by piles of unfolded laundry, unanswered emails, unshopped for groceries?

Why they had kids who were clean and perfect while yours are currently stepping in the ice cream they spilled on the kitchen floor, tracking it around the house at the same time they are having an air soft battle with all the neighborhood kids in which the INSIDE of your house appears to be some sort of base and weapons are being fired at and from all doors and windows on the first floor?

Why their husbands bring them flowers every week when you are grateful for 5 minutes of uninterrupted conversation in any one day?

Well, I don't know anything about any of that, but I think that must be how this person felt when they created the ultimate mockery blog. Need a good laugh? Try www.seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com If that doesn't work, come hang with me for an afternoon - I love my messy, air softing, busy life and I'd be happy to share with you!

Book of Mormon...

2008-09-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

...battles that my mommy plans for me. hehe Some kids can sing about the stories their mom tells them, mine can sing about beating each other with foam swords! This is a waaaaaay after the fact post (this happened a year ago!), but due to popular demand, here are the details of the

Stripling Warrior Family Home Evenings and Battle:

At Education Week 2007, I took an AWESOME class taught by Richard Robins called RAISING AND PREPARING LATTER-DAY STRIPLING WARRIORS - PARENTING PRINCIPLES IN THE WAR CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

This class totally changed how I read those chapters and inspired me to be a better mom and gospel teacher in my home. After Ed Week, my sweet friends always have an ed week lunch where we all share notes from the classes we went to. At this lunch we decided to implement this class together through some joint FHE's. Here's the invitation that went out (this thing has been on my fridge for a year, never mind the smudges!):

You know the invitation rule of thirds? Only 1/3 of people invited will attend?! Ha! That is how I ended up with over 50 people crammed into my little house for our first meeting - yes, that was almost 100% attendance! Any of you who have been to my house or were stacked on top of someone else that night are cracking up at the thought. Anyway, the first night we talked about why this was important:

From Ezra Taft Benson:
"The Book of Mormon was written for us today ...God, who knows the end from the beginning, told Mormon what to include in his abridgment that we would need for our day. Therefore, if the Book of Mormon prophets "saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, "Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Mornoni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age? In the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming ...The record of the Nephite history just prior to the Savior's visit reveals many parallels to our day as we anticipate the Savior's second coming."

Yea, those war chapters you just breeze through? Guess what?! That was right before Christ came the first time! And that nation, on the brink of destruction is us - on the brink of spiritual destruction. And guess who saved them? A group of covenant keeping, prophet following, valiant, courageous, and obedient YOUTH. Who were taught by their mothers. Who knew their mothers did.not.doubt.

And dads, you are totally not off the hook here - We are told 7 times that they were TAUGHT, 4 times it specifically says by mothers. Well, guess where the dads were? If you Stripling Warrior, were too young (younger than 7) to covenant in 80 BC to lay down your weapons, then you are, at the oldest, 23, but probably closer to 16. And your dad is most likely found in Alma 24:22 - willing to die rather than break a covenant with your Heavenly Father. So dads, you count!

So our first night together focused on Alma 49-52- Fortifying. Each family had a pan of sand and a variety of sticks and building materials to read together and build and talk amongst themselves what heaps of earth and timbers and pickets and towers were for their family.

And thus we find what I think is KEY to successfully studying these chapters. YOUR FAMILY IS DIFFERENT FROM MY FAMILY. I can't tell you what defenses you need, or what tools Satan is most likely to use against you - I can only do that for my family. So we all went home from our first night with suggestions for the next 6 weeks of FHE ON OUR OWN.

The 6 suggestions were:

1. Alma 23 - Tell about Anti-Nephites/Lehites. Decide what needs to be buried in your family. Bury it! (We used paper swords that we wrote on and buried them in the backyard)
2. Search/Hunt your house for "weapons" Satan can use. Set family standards.
3. Alma 48 - Search house for signs of who your heroes are. Add/Replace with pictures of worthy heroes. What character traits are you looking for in heroes and friends?
4. Alma 43 - Decide what makes your armor and how you put it on daily. Build some armor! (Ours was made from cardboard and duct tape and we wrote the spiritual "stuff" on it)
5. Decide what weapons you have against Satan. Build some!
6. Alma 45 - Talk about raising your standards as a family. Make a Title of Liberty for your family.

At the end of the 6 weeks, we met together again. We had potluck dinner and a BATTLE. We ended up finding foam swords at the dollar store that were PERFECT, so everyone had the same swords, but the armor was all different. We had a testimony meeting too and it was awesome! The kids still talk about the battle part, but I remember most that first night singing Armies of Helaman and feeling so overwhelmed by all these people wanting to strengthen our families together. It was so cool. Lots of battle pictures here.

I do have more detailed notes from the class and I would be more than happy to email those to any of you. Just leave a comment.

And in case I sound a little too *whacko* about that battle stuff for you - we're not strapping any bomb backpacks on the kids! It is serious stuff though - please read this:
"There is another war that has gone on since before the world was created and which is likely to continue for a long time...That war, so bitter, so intense, has gone on and has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who have denied Him...The war is waged across the world ..day in and day out ...in our own lives...in our homes, in our work, in our school associations; it is waged over questions of love and respect, of loyalty and fidelity, of obedience and integrity and we are all involved in it....a great eternal struggle that concerns the very souls of sons and daughters of God." Gordon B. Hinckley

Summer, Oh Summer...

2008-09-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

...how I long to grab you in my hands and squeeze as tight as I can so that you will just stay a little longer. You came so late this year (remember that snow AFTER school got out?), don't we deserve for you to leave late too?

By the time Fall is over, I'm ready for winter- pretty colors gone, bring on the snow! By the time Winter is over, I'm READY to move on. Spring? Blink and you might miss it up here, but summer ...I never want you to leave. Just a few more lazy days in the backyard, please?There are more air soft forts to be built:

More friends to hang out with:

Yet it is undeniable that fall is in the air. The mountains are turning beautiful colors, our windows have been shut at night for over a month, the schlepping of the hockey bags in and out of the rink has begun:

High School Football is in full swing (Geoffrey is the play-by-play guy for PCTV for Miners Football) and blogging about it once in a while here:

The salsa has been made (3 friends+12 hours = 48 quart jars!):

And the real signal that summer is dead: Nutcracker rehearsals are in full swing. 93 Days Until Christmas!
Yes, that's Sara leading those little soldier boys during auditions!

Sarah or Tina?

2008-09-14T13:35:00.001-07:00

Sarah Palin and Tina Fey are different people? When I first saw McCain's running mate, I thought he HAD chosen Tina Fey!

Public vs. Private

2008-09-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Some background ...I have friends who have gone private with their blogs, and I did it for a while too, but anyone who knows us knows we are pretty open books about our lives. Who has not left a dinner with my husband and said at least once in the car on the way home "I can't believe he said that!"?

That having been said, my sweet daughter has someone bothering her online. They have tried to friend her on Facebook, sent messages after she has asked them not too, joined her networks as a sneaky back door attempt to see her profile, and NOW they are consistently viewing our blogs, and worse, our family photo site - looking at our precious memories and stealing our photos - creepy! She has let them know that their contact with her is unwelcome, yet they continue to behave this way.

So there's been some conversation in our home. She thought we should get a lawyer, send some kind of legal warning. We talked about making our blogs private, changing our Smugmug password to something only people we told would know. We talked about what it means to be respectful of other people and how best to respond when other people are not respectful of you.

The thing is, I don't mind sharing my life. I love sharing my pictures and smugmug has been blessing for my calling this summer - getting photos people wanted out a different way would have been a full time job for several people!

If you're reading this and you know me, chances are I love you and I'm glad you're reading this! If you're reading this and you're a stranger, let's be friends - I always love making new ones! Anyone is welcome here unless you have harassed my daughter - you're messing with mama instincts now! If you're reading this and you know I'm talking about you, please be respectful. Delete pictures you stole from me and don't return to this blog or Sara's or Geoffrey's or our picture site, and for goodness sake, leave her alone on Facebook.

September 11 was a good day to have this conversation. We haven't stopped getting on airplanes or going to public places because of terrorists and we decided as a family not to change the way we live online because of cyber terrorists.

Thanks for letting me share - Life is too short for worries, instead we'll focus on the fact that Life is Good.

Jack Bauer for Secretary of Defense

2008-09-11T06:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry I couldn't get this to show up in the previous post, but here it is!

Don't You Just Want to Squeeze Her?

2008-09-11T06:49:00.001-07:00

Look at this cutie - the new daughter of my brother Tim and his wife Romla. They are in Thailand, so it will probably be a while before I get to hold her. Yea for the internet - at least I get to see pictures of her!

Introducing Hana Madeline Markin:
And is just me, or does it look like Tim is trying to channel Jack Bauer? Tim after a few years laying on the beaches of Thailand: Jack Bauer after a few years in a Chinese prison:
That's OK - if we're lucky Jack Bauer will be our next Secretary of Defense:

2008-09-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have two new blogger friends I'm super excited for! First is Kara - too bad for all of you, she's private. She's also one of the kindest and most creative people I've ever met. I never get to talk to her anymore so I hope she blogs a lot!

Second is Stephanie. Her kids are hilarious and she always says "If I had blog I could write about that ....". So now she can!

She doesn't have any pictures yet, but lucky for her I took a few while she was visiting a few weeks ago! We spent a whole glorious week at Education Week and then her family stayed one way-too-short night with us and were here for Nixon's priesthood ordination. Thanks Talon!!

She probably wants to kill me for putting this picture of Sarelle about to make a tasty snack out of our friend Wade, but I couldn't resist - how darling is that little princess?
And why couldn't our kids help us take a normal picture anyway?

Love you gals! Hope to see lots of updating and pictures :).

12 Years Already?!

2008-08-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

Our little buddy is 12 today (oh, after midnight already? Make that yesterday!). I can hardly believe it! His big day started with presents before dad left for work (his dreams came true when he got a unicycle!).

His siblings made the traditional birthday breakfast in bed, which somehow was eaten at the table instead of actually in bed.

He registered for middle school - yikes! Don't you think if kids can actually fit in the lockers they should have breathing vents and emergency releases inside?

We were fleeced by George Lucas, er sorry, we went and saw Clone Wars, had his suit fitted for alterations, and finished the day with his request for dinner - peppery steak done by dad.

Nixon has always been our old soul, the man in the little boy's body. He can't wait for Sunday - he and his best friend Wade, who also just had a birthday - get to speak in church together, get ordained to the priesthood at the same time, and we'll have a BBQ with our families and friends together. Love you kiddo!

Is My Neck Glowing?

2008-08-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

'Cause it feels a little red! These red neck symptoms have arisen due to a recent outing to the Summit County Fair Demolition Derby and the fact that it may have been one of the highlights of my sons' young lives!

Those drivers are crazy! Naturally, Nixon and Easton are already planning their entries into the demolition derby as soon as they are old enough.

We went with our fun friends - love you guys! Some other friends were driving one of the tow trucks, so the kids all hopped in for a while. They loved it!

In other fair news, the kids made some sweet cash off of their fine arts entries - in fact - everyone in my house brought home at least one Judges Choice - great job!

We already can't wait for next year!

Give Me a Break!

2008-08-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

This is why I'm paying over $80.00 to fill the tank on my mini-van. Yes, my MINI VAN. I think this article says a lot about what is REALLY behind our high gas prices. You can't even buy a Natural Gas car yet in Utah, but believe me, our family will be getting one at our earliest opportunity.

Big Oil posts its biggest quarter ever

Profits of 6 top firms jumped to $51.5 billion on surge in crude price
Aug 02, 2008 04:30 AM

New York–Chevron Corp said yesterday record oil prices drove second-quarter earnings up 11 per cent to its highest-ever profit, but weak margins from gasoline production led to a big loss at its refining operations.
U.S. oil prices averaged slightly less than $125 (U.S.) a barrel in the quarter, nearly double the average from a year earlier. But gasoline prices only rose 25 per cent during that same period, resulting in weak profit margins for the fuel.
Chevron, the second largest U.S. oil company, said net income rose to $5.98 billion, or $2.90 a share, from $5.38 billion, or $2.52 a share, last year.
Analysts, on average, expected the company to earn around $3.02 a share.
Like its competitors, Chevron made the bulk of its money at its exploration and production arm, also known as the upstream, where income nearly doubled from a year ago to $7.25 billion.
Chevron said the average sales price for crude and natural gas liquids was $109 a barrel in the quarter, up from $57 a barrel in the year-earlier period.
In addition to Chevron, soaring commodity prices led to record quarters for Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips, BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Exxon Mobil logged the largest-ever quarterly operating profit for a U.S. company. Barring companies that made huge profits on one-time gains like bankruptcy settlements and spinoffs, Exxon Mobil holds the top 10 records for biggest U.S. quarterly earnings.
French energy company Total SA said yesterday its profit climbed 38.7 per cent in the second quarter to $7.38 billion as sales rose 23 per cent to $75.25 billion.
Total's earnings were at the top end of analysts' expectations.
Unlike some other oil majors, Total reported production growth of 1.3 per cent in the second quarter.
Altogether, the profits of the six companies jumped more than 40 per cent in the second quarter to $51.5 billion, the first time big Western oil companies have ever reached that level.
Also yesterday, Norway's state-controlled StatoilHydro ASA reported a 37 per cent rise in second-quarter net profits, to $3.7 billion.
At Chevron, the company division that refines and sells gasoline actually swung to a loss of $734 million in the quarter after earning $1.3 billion a year ago. The culprit: those same crude prices that lifted upstream earnings.
Like its peers, Chevron doesn't produce enough oil on its own to feed its refineries, forcing it to buy some on the open market.
Chevron said overall production in the quarter fell about 3 per cent from a year ago, hurt in part by production-sharing contracts.
It said startups will lift output in the second half.
From the Star's wire services

Amazing Stuff

2008-07-25T23:31:00.000-07:00

So trek was incredible in every way. It has been exactly one year since Valine, Corrine and I were called to our callings, and that is exactly how long we have been planning trek. Not quite a year for Jill, but it feels like she has always been there. These women are my dear friends, and I came back from Martin's Cove with such a deep gratitude for many things - among them the wisdom of our Heavenly Father for the callings we have, for the way the 8 distinct personalities of our 2 presidencies were each vital in this process, a deepened respect for the YM leaders, who totally stepped up and led this thing, love for these ladies who will be friends forever, newfound friends along the trail and of course love for our awesome youth - they rocked! Don't ever call Park City kids wimps - we literally had to hold them back most of the time!

I could not believe how blessed we were in so many situations on trek. Weather, bugs, safety, water level (we were the FIRST group this year allowed to take our carts across the Sweetwater!), spiritual experiences, fun factor, families meshing together - it can all be summed up as BEST case scenarios. All day Sunday as I visited different wards, talking with people, the blessings would come into the conversation and I could not keep my eyes dry. All day! My heart is so full!

I am sooooo thrilled that I was able to share this all with Geoffrey. He and Paul (Valine's husband) were so vital to things running smoothly, I am forever grateful. He made sure I ate, my Camelback was full, my tent was set up. I literally could focus all my attention where it needed to be. Love you, love you , love you. I think his blog will have to return so he can explain how it is that he was our first trip to the hospital of the trek - ON OUR WAY TO CHECK IN. 9 stitches - good work babe!

Here we are crossing the Sweetwater - somehow he thought those stitches were an excuse to not carry me across.

Even though our house has been all trek 24/7, the kids have managed to slip some other stuff into summer lately - most notably - Sara has made us forever jealous by sitting 12th row at the Police concert:

Nixon and Easton took a break from cleaning up at Farmer's Market to skate a hockey clinic with Luc Robitaille:

2 weeks until Girl's Camp and maybe? a slower pace, but probably not since then it is Education Week and then school starts :(- crazy!

365 Days until the Next 7-11 Day

2008-07-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

My boys have been COUNTING down to 7-11 day. The best day of the whole year if you ask those two - the day you can get a slurpee for FREE at 7-11. Every time we drive by a 7-11, they talk about it and I've been hungry for a slurpee and wanted to stop and get one. But I didn't want to spoil the anticipation of 7-11 Day, so I've kept driving. Shhhh...Don't tell 7-11 their marketing plan has backfired!

It reminds me of Free Pretzel Day:

4 Posts in One Day?

2008-07-06T22:26:00.001-07:00

Sorry to throw up on my blog like Geoffrey that one night (when he ate an entire box of Kroger brand frozen shrimp at 2 in the morning after a hockey game). Sorry, that was gross and I can't believe I would admit to having a box of Kroger brand frozen shrimp in my freezer - but Geoffrey bought them, so I think he totally got what he deserved with that! I have an excuse - I have a TON of trek stuff to do, isn't wasting hours blog surfing the natural reaction to having too much to do?

Anyway ...last thought for the night is really a question - what do you do to keep organized during the summer? Man, we struggle with keeping bed times and keeping up with family scripture study. It's so much easier during the school year!

I'll share what we're up to this summer, but it hasn't solved either of my previously mentioned dilemmas, so I hope you all have some good ideas!

We have summer books -

The kids write every morning a list of what they "have to do" before they can play. The list has some stuff that is the same everyday - make beds, clean rooms, read for 30 minutes. It usually has one or two other small chores (vacuum a room, wipe down the walls in a room, that kind of stuff). Then I try to put something fun on the list too. We have a Summer of Fun banner hanging up downstairs that has stuff we sat around and said we wanted to do this summer on it. After we do something at least once, the little guy gets to jump in the water. It keeps me mindful of the things we want to do. Hope we get to most of it before summer is over!

You can always find photos of what we've been up to on Smugmug.

So please share! What are you doing this summer for organization? Or for fun?

I Do Have a Daughter

2008-07-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

I know she doesn't make a lot of appearances here on the blog. She's so on her way to adulthood now! We're glad to have her in the house for the brief amounts of time she is around - we know those moments are precious and fleeting!

Sara's been dancing her little heart out. You can catch a glimpse of her now and again at The Ballet West Blog. The summer schedule has been 8:00 - 5:30. I always worry that she will burn out, but the more she dances, the more she seems to know that is what she wants to do - good for her!

She had the 4th of July off - lucky us! We had a super day - our friend Lesa knows how to throw a party like no other! That women has some serious skills and party throwing is near the top of the list. Here is Sara playing with the Mac camera with Kali and Nic -

And here she is at Deer Valley for the big 4th of July symphony:

We love what a great person she has turned out to be. We got to go and hear her talk in the singles ward last month - what a treat! She has a calling she is going to be great at (organizing Family Home Evenings)! Love you Sara!

So Sweet!

2008-07-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

I had to record this sweet talk Nixon gave in Primary today ...isn't this sort of thing the reason to have a blog in the first place? I'm so sad I didn't do the same thing for the talk Easton gave on the Resurrection a few months ago, and I know we didn't save the paper he wrote his talk on! Lesson learned! I took a picture of Nixon's cute written out talk and the picture he held up.

Have you ever thought about what you would look like on your mission? I have. I think I will look just like this. (hold up picture of dad). This is my dad on his mission. Have you ever thought about what kind of missionary you will be? I have. I want to be a good missionary like my dad. To prepare myself today I can read the scriptures and pray. Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah prepared for their mission by studying the scriptures (Read scripture in Alma 17:2-3). Bear Testimony.

He did bear a sweet testimony and it was a tender little talk he wrote. This is his last talk in Primary - can you believe he will be a deacon next month?

Little Businessmen!

2008-07-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Nixon and Easton had this "great" idea to make and sell swords and bows and arrows at our local Farmer's Market. Being the super supportive mom that I am, I explained to them the economics of how once you pay for your booth and your supplies you probably wouldn't actually make any money. Clever monkeys decided to inquire about booth prices on their own, explained their product, and were offered a booth for free. Yea boys - you've created another calendar item for your mom!

What could I say but "Sure, you do all the work and we'll have your booth." Come on, two boys? They generally have the combined attention span of a chihuahua! I gave it two days to go away. WRONG. Those two planned, made a materials list, went to the store, and spent two weeks designing a banner and making product. So this week, we had the debut of:

Toys by Boys - 2 Yahoos, Inc.

It was pretty successful. I got to wander Farmer's Market for a few hours - they sold their little hearts out, made a profit, and already invested back into more materials so now they are debt free and will have 100% profit next week. They are going to add marshmallow shooters to the inventory and even though this week will be another short one (we have to leave for hockey again), after this week, they can stay for all of Farmer's Market and reach an even larger audience.

I love these cute boys!

Sorry! I couldn't resist!

2008-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

What Celebrities Would Look Like If They Moved to Utah - Upload a Document to Scribd

Welcome to Summer

2008-06-17T00:47:00.001-07:00

Our first full week of summer is behind us! Let's take a trip down memory lane of summers past ...

June 28, 2003

School has been out for one week. Easton breaks his collarbone running and Superman leaping from our front sidewalk to roll down the hill. (sorry, no pictures!)

July 5, 2004

At least we got 2 weeks of summer in. Nixon and Easton are leaping down the stairs in our house trying to touch the ceiling. Nixon can't fight his impulses anymore than his father on most days and reaches out and grabs Easton's ankle mid air. Result: Broken arm

June 26, 2005

THREE days after school gets out! Easton attempts to Tarazan swing out of a tree after church and it doesn't work out like he planned. Our worst break by far ...painful, requires "reducing" in the emergency room, only to slip so that our poor baby needs to have surgery to re break the arm and pin it. Pretty much the whole summer in a cast!

In 2006, we moved to a new way to torture mom. After all, it was our first winter in Park City, and those ski passes were begging to be used. Oh wait, Easton broke his arm the week after Thanksgiving and exactly 4 days after the resorts opened. This was accomplished by "grinding" on an icy balance beam on the playground in his tennis shoes (now against the rules at Trailside Elementary):

Just to be sure we killed the whole ski season and not to leave 2007 out, after the cast had been off for a few weeks in January, he re broke it. Here he is celebrating his cast coming off the day before we leave for Lake Powell for spring break:

Oh, did I mention Lake Powell? Well, we'd hate to leave Nixon out - the FIRST day at Lake Powell he fell off of a CLIFF and we were grateful that the only damage was a broken arm. Never mind the part where it took about 16 hours to drive to a hospital, get fixed up and get back to the Lake.

After all that, I deserved the summer of 2007 off, didn't I?

Well, boys and girls ...I'm sure you've already guessed the only place such a post could be headed - not fun notes about:

Our trip to Bryce with lots of friends AND my sister!

Nixon's 5th grade Clap Out and Movin' On Celebration

Our End of the Year Field Trips

Sara's Seminary Graduation

No ...

Welcome to Summer 2008! (Nixon, Easton, and Noah getting ready to bust through the Welcome to Summer sign on the last day of school):
June 16, 2008 - 10 days after school gets out:

Easton. Thumb. Baseball.

Looking forward to Summer 2009, where we can try, try again!

(PS We have been assured by medical professionals that this child does not have weak or brittle bones. "You SHOULD break a bone when you do this stuff.")

Blog is Back (in Black)

2008-06-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

What could bring me out of blogging hiatus? How about Nixon rocking the (elementary school) house? Yes, that is my cute, quiet, reserved little boy as the toe tapping lead singer. We tried to get him to head bang a little, but no luck. We think he'll be pretty awesome once he hits puberty. Geoffrey kept telling him to get his voice lower - he said "Dad, I'm 11. This is as low as it goes."

This video is of their encore (I didn't even know they had practiced more than one song). So the crowd was pretty wound up already - their first number was TNT, this is Back in Black in case you can't tell. They also performed at the end of year BBQ and they added Long Way to the Top. What a bunch of cuties!

Oh yea, so one of my summer goals is to update this baby every Sunday. My paranoia has passed and I'm not on private setting anymore, but I did have to change my address, so if you have a link, please change it to http://www.jenniferannbarber.blogspot.com/. You can always see what we've been up to on Smugmug, but I had 2 main goals for this blog - recording stuff that was important to me and keeping in touch with friends. We'll see how I do!

Rise and Shout

2007-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

the Cougars are out!

Here are a few things I learned this weekend ...
*November football games are COLD!
*Drinking hot chocolate helps with the cold. If you look at Nixon and Easton, the more on your face, the better!
*Tailgating can be fun, even at BYU.
*Sitting through a cold game is totally worth it when it brings joy to my boys.
*17 is more than 10, and that makes 2 years in a row Utah - ha!

I thought we should let the boys rush the field after, but Geoffrey's dad was security right on our side of the field. Apparently, he's threatened his kids since birth about the evils of field-rushing. Maybe next time - doesn't it look fun, though?

Preview ...

2007-11-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Priesthood Preview that is. It was on Sunday and yes, Nixon is turning 12 next year, so we got to go! May I present the Deacon's Quorom of 2008:

One of the speakers told a story about a deacon jumping over something while he was passing the sacrament and spilling all the bread. He probably thought the story was funny, I thought he was just giving the boys ideas.

Not that you can tell from that photo, but Nixon is so serious about receiving the Priesthood next year. Looking at that boy just warms my heart.

I'm pretty sure that I'm not old enough to have a 12 year old son to go with that 18 year old daughter (not to mention the almost 10 year old youngest child!).

The Simmmmmmpsoooons ...

2007-11-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

da da done done done done done done done dadadadone dadadadone. Yes, my family was a tribute to being inappropriate for Halloween. Except Sara, she had to dance until 10:00PM (really! 3 Musketeers opens this weekend!).

The Simpsons is a show we don't even watch in our house. But Geoffrey did wear me down eventually and we went to see the movie this summer. The boys laughed and laughed, and when I say boys, I mean all THREE of them. If you didn't see the movie, you had no idea who we were for Halloween, but here we are:

Spider Pig:

Harry Plopper:

Marge (yes, I made the wig - it is cardboard and cotton balls):

Geoffrey was a Silo of Pig Crap(photo coming soon):

It was a busy day with parties at school, the most amazing dinner at the Peers - check out how cute the Peers decorated the table for Halloween:

then it was trunk-or-treat and trick-or-treating. This was the first year that Geoffrey and I just stayed home and the boys went out with friends. It felt a little strange and a little sad that they really are growing up fast. I'm so grateful that they have good friends that we could be comfortable with them out going door to door with!

It worked out great for us because we got to snuggle Indy while Paul and Alisha took cute Cal out. Once the doorbell starts to be rung only by groups of middle schoolers, I'm ready to turn off the light though.

More pics on Smugmug, of course. Hope your Halloween was great!

Bodychecking, Goals, and Grizzlies

2007-10-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bodychecking Definition: Using the body to slow or stop an opponent.

You know, shoving/slamming against the boards/taking the other guy down. Why the hockey lesson on the blog? Because this sweet boy:

is officially old enough that it is LEGAL to CHECK in his hockey league. Nothing takes a mom's breath away like the sight of your son's face mask pressed against the glass right in front of you (2nd game). Nixon is pretty much the smallest person on his team. So he needs to learn to play heads-up-hockey, and he needs to be fast, and he needs to strengthen his core which will help him absorb hits. He has had his bell rung a few times in practice, but the first game of the season, he scored a sweet breakaway goal, so we think he's going to be OK.

In other hockey news, Geoffrey is coaching Easton's team and on Friday all three boys got to skate out on the ice at the Utah Grizzlies home opener. One of the players came in the locker room and talked to them before the game,:

they were on the ice for the pre-game stuff and the National Anthem:

they played a scrimmage game in between the 1st and 2nd periods (Easton in the red helmet celebrating his goal with the Grizzlie Bear:

and they got to pick up the foam pucks that people threw on the ice in between the 2nd and 3rd periods!

Just because Nixon and Easton thought this was the funniest thing ever: The headless hockey players:

The Grizzlies tied the score with 14 seconds left in the game and won in overtime, so it was a great game! Feel the excitement:

As usual, more pictures then you have time to look at can be found here.

Sweet Deals!

2007-10-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

The wonderful, amazing, full-of-great-stuff scrapbook store here in Park City, is - sadly-going out of business. RIP Gone Scrappin'.

Sad for those of us used to waiting until the last minute to do big projects, not having what we need, and running into the store to get just the right ribbon or paper or embellishment. Good for all the bargain hunters!

Everything in the store is 60% off! Don't think that means it is all picked over and the good stuff is gone. I am AMAZED at how much is still there - great Making Memories ribbons and trims and tons of brads and paper flowers and sooo much paper still. The store carries most brands of scrapbook supplies.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part - want to organize your scrap area? All fixtures for sale! Wire and Wood paper racks - 12x12 and 8 1/2x11 ...slat wall and all the hooks and baskets to go with it. Sooooo much stuff.

Sorry my California friends! Hurry on up my Utah friends - you can hit the outlet mall too, maybe we can have lunch!

Last day is Friday, November 2!

It's A Utah Thing ...

2007-10-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

when your daughter gets asked out on dates by elaborate things. Here is Sara's Homecoming ask this year ...a perfect replica of Napoleon Dynamite's sketch-ask, (and the really good part!) a box of YUMMY cookie flowers wrapped all pretty and topped off with a pair of pink Skullcandy headphones:

Her answer? A big sign in his yard that said: YES, I'd be a Dum-Dum not to go with you; and a yard full of Dum-Dums stuck in the ground (harder to push into a lawn then you would think!)

And the cute couple on dance night:

Tyler is a darling boy in our ward, Sara said it was so fun to go with someone she is friends with and has hung out with a lot before - they had a great time!

I'm sure you're shocked to know I have more pictures here!

Sara's had a crazy schedule lately - she has a solo part in Ballet West's nutcracker - and as a result did all of her dress shopping on her own. I love that she knows modest is hottest!

Feel free to share any clever dance ask/answer ideas you have in the comments. Someday I'll be helping with the boy half of all of this!

Trekkin'

2007-09-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

So I spent the weekend with some other stake leaders at Martin's Cove for trek training. We are taking our stake next summer and so we were REQUIRED to attend this training. We really had to trek with handcarts, cross the Sweetwater, see Martin's Cove, do a women's pull and camp out. We got a taste of wild Wyoming weather - a big rain/lightening/wind storm all night long!

I am sooo excited for trek! What a great experience to walk and camp and be right where the pioneers were. There was a special spirit about the place and the couple missionaries who are serving there were DARLING and having so much fun. What a great place to serve a mission!

We left with some strong feelings about what we want our trek to be like for our youth and some goals we have for them. It's going to be great!

So did you trek as a youth (or as an adult)? What do you remember as the most powerful parts? Any advice?

There's Always Room for One More Flanders!

2007-09-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

That's what comes out of the Ned Flanders toy that this darling boy loved playing with at our house. I wanted them to take the toy with them, I can't figure out why Robyn and Dave didn't take it?!

Have you ever seen such cutie?

Robyn, Dave, and Trent stopped by for the afternoon. We were all so thrilled to see them and hope they can stay longer next time.

We lunched on Main Street, visited a miner museum, and went to the zoo.

My boys think Trent is so fun, it was a great day! More pictures here!

Git Yerself Ed-you-cated

2007-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Almost a month since my last post! Where does the time go?! Fall is here and for us, winter is creeping up, it's already down in the 30's at night. We've all been working on our educations!

The first day of school!

Stephanie came for Education Week! We had soooo much fun! Here we are with Lesa and Holly. The week went so fast and I was so sad when it was time for her to go home. I left inspired to be better, which is what anything we invest our time into learning should do for us.

Fastest 11 years EVER!

2007-08-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this boy is 11!

He had a celebratory week - we went Lazer-tagging, to TWO waterparks, bowling, school shoe shopping, and Sunday will be the big birthday dinner (his choice? hot dogs!).

It's a joy to be Nixon's mom. People just love him. He is polite, thoughtful, smart, and funny. He thinks a lot about spiritual things and takes his responsibilities very seriously. He is a good example to all of us in the family. He can be be a worrier at times, but he's always the first to trust in Heavenly Father's plan too. Thanks for being great Nixon, we love you!

Risky Rides

2007-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Actual Conversation - June 2006 - After entering gates at Lagoon:

Nixon and Easton: "Mom, are these rides like at Disneyland so we can ride them, or are they UNSAFE like carnival rides?"

Sara: "Look around, they're scary!"

Since we covered rat phobias in the last post, I thought I'd move onto phobia #2 - CARNIVAL RIDES. Come on, anything that gets set up and taken down in a few hours and moves around cannot be safe. My kids don't even ask to go on these things anymore, and despite my assurances (even if I didn't really think so) that Lagoon was perfectly safe, they spent most of the time in line examining all the things that could be wrong with the ride they were about to go on! (Come on Lagoon, if you don't want us to look at you like a carnival, then don't be dirty like a carnival!)

I never felt like my kids were deprived not getting to ride things. For goodness sakes, we went to Disneyland 2 times a week, they experienced plenty of ride joy! But now, 1 1 /2 years removed from regular Disney fixes, we will be attending the Summit County Fair. Should I let my kids ride things? Part of me says "Yes! Live a little! They are just kids!" Most of me says "No Way - Check out this website"

(Here are highlights from JUST THE LAST 5 WEEKS):
Two dead in carnival ride crash(Saturday, August 4, 2007)
Boy, 3, injured in 25-foot-fall from Ferris wheel(Saturday, August 4, 2007)
Girl, 15, injured in fall from Coney Island ride(Friday, August 3, 2007)
Girl, 6, injured in fall from Octopus ride(Friday, August 3, 2007)
Two children ejected from Sizzler(Wednesday, July 25, 2007)
Log flume malfunction injures 5(Sunday, July 22, 2007)
Park worker dead after fall from roller coaster(Tuesday, July 17, 2007)
Girl, 16, falls to her death from freefall-type ride(Saturday, July 14, 2007)
Boy, 4, drowns in wave pool at Great America(Thursday, July 12, 2007)
Ride operator killed in path of swinging pendulum ride(Sunday, July 8, 2007)
Ride operator killed in Scrambler accident at Rye Playland(Friday, June 29, 2007)

I have roughly 24 hours to decide before we embark on our fair adventure that will include looking at the HOME ARTS displays (I'm particularly looking forward to the categories of What-not shelves and homemade ONE piece ski clothing); checking out the kids artwork, and attending our first ever RODEO.

Maybe next post, I'll enlighten you all as to how I feel about water parks and GERMS.

Make Me Sick!

2007-08-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

What makes me sick? There is a long list, and RATS are near the top, yet, here they are, in the home of my beloved angels ...

If you think you can stomach it, read here.

Let me just say, I am so grossed out right now. Vomit retching up my throat like I just took a Cliff Shot.

(actual photo of THAT event)

Yes, I blame you Mr. Moreno. Let's just chalk it up to karma for your LAME name change. I'm not sure even your sparkling 65-46 record can help me forget this. You'd better be bringing home some serious hardware in October.

The-Boy-Who-Lived

2007-07-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Don't freak out. I'm not commenting on how things ended, just what we've called Harry since this all started 7 books ago.

The adventure is at an end. Thanks for a fun ride J.K. Rowling (aka the-women-who-never-has-to-work-a-day-in-her-life-again).

The-women-who-ignored-laundry-all-morning-to-finish-a-book-by-1:30 (that's me), is glad that although some of what she thought needed to happen did, she is still satisfied with how it all turned out.

I'll leave it at that. Please don't post any comments that could be spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished yet.

Here are some pics from the book release party at the BYU bookstore:

That's Luna, Draco, and Harry along with some Muggle friends and parents (although Geoffrey did claim to be dressed up as a nargle).

We ran into Draco's parents while we were there.

Geoffrey's mom made the BEST Mrs. Weasley. I can't believe I didn't take a close up of the shawl she made. It had the greatest patches on it!

Geoffrey thougt it would be HILARIOUS to "read" the last page of the book loudly. The people who were freaking out over his fake ending made his day.

What the heck do I have to look forward to now?

Blue Steel

2007-07-08T08:13:00.001-07:00

The shirt says it all ...

HadaGreat Time at Havasupaii

2007-07-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Being responsible for 52 teenagers and adults on a 12 mile hike in 117 degree weather and in a place where you entertain yourself by throwing your body off of 40 feet cliffs is STRESSFUL!

That having been said, I would not trade this experience for anything. It was amazing. We laughed, we cried, we "slept" on rocks with crickets and coyotes, we built a shed, a fence, and planted fruit trees at 15 different homes, we all made it out of that canyon alive, and endured the longest bus trip (complete with broken air conditioners and tires on fire).

I learned we have the GREATEST youth. I love them so much. I strengthened friendships and made some new ones with some pretty great people. I'm so glad we went!

Lot of pictures on smugmug, but here are a few of my favs ...

No kidding, this place is like the garden of Eden. The water is so beautiful. There are different waterfalls to go play in. Here are some of the young women at Havasu Falls.

This is Sara and I at Mooney Falls, which can only be hiked to using chains and ladders (scary!)

This might be my favorite picture. These are the 3 kids I hiked out with. They are 12 and 13 and were some of the last to arrive at camp the day we hiked in. Here they are soooo proud of themselves for being in the 2nd group to make it out. We called ourselves the shade walkers because we beat the sun to the top!

This picture is on the side of the road, when we had to evacuate the bus for the tire fire. Keep in mind, prior to this incident, we'd already spent 2 hours hanging out at a Rite-Aid while the air conditioner was fixed on the bus. Oh yea, we also hiked out of a canyon this morning and haven't showered in 5 days! Those smiles show how well the kids did handle everything!

Trippin'

2007-06-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Field trippin' that is! Our elementary school year came to a spectacular end on Friday, even if the par-tay events of Thursday had to be held inside due to snow and other generally gross weather conditions.

I thought I would take a moment and reflect on the year. First, Nixon and Easton both had fab teachers. I'm grateful for both of these ladies and the love they gave my children this year. Second, we really do have a great school. The facility is superb, the parents are involved, there are more fun events than I could list here. And lastly, the kids have fun! I'm thrilled that my children are enjoying their learning experience! Part of it might be all the field trips. Between my 2 boys, here are all the field trips I've tagged along on this year ...

Clark Planetarium

Ballet West performing the Nutcracker

Strawberry Reservoir to see the salmon run

Coldstone ice cream (the kids rode the city buses - which are always free!)

Jordanelle Reservoir/Red Cliffs Nature Area

Great Salt Lake/Antelope Island

Ballet West performing Sleeping Beauty

Swaner Nature Preserve

This is the Place State Park

I also missed a field trip to downtown Park City to see a play at the Egyptian Theater.

I learned that beavers secrete oil that you can see on the water. I got to wade in the Great Salt Lake and collect shrimp brine. I learned that in pioneer times, where we have a mattress, beds had reeds woven to form a base to sleep on. Sometimes you had to tighten them before sleeping, hence the term "sleep tight". I learned ice cream that you make with 3rd graders is DELICIOUS before it gets frozen. I learned there are salmon in Utah! I learned about wetlands, salty bodies of water, and how to "read" ballet moves.

The kids also left the school for other things. The 4th graders walked everyday in the wilderness by the school. Even in the cold! By the end of the year, they had walked enough to "walk around the state of Utah". My boys were able to snowshoe out in the wild, and to play in the great public park across the street from their school. The 3rd grade had swimming lessons. They had fun days to celebrate mountain men, and field day, and they were in plays, and there was a great end-of -the -year movie with pictures of their school from the whole year!

Yea for a great year! Yea for Summer!

Dear Weather Person ...

2007-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have a comment. It is 32 degrees and something that looks and feels suspiciously like snow is falling from the sky in Park City. Perhaps a check of the calendar is in order. I believe you may have confused June with January. This could put a damper on the end-of-the-school-year beach themed party scheduled for tomorrow. I trust the situation will be corrected in a timely matter. Thank you.