Some good old fashioned fun back in July. The kids were rocking it out. I will get the videos posted soon.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas that touches on the true reason for the season!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Another oldie but a goodie! In June the children and I went to Memphis to celebrate Josephine's 1st birthday. It was a sweltering day but we had a ball playing and celebrating.

Art at its best!

We tried to get a group photo but this was the best we could get.....not too bad

We had fund turning one with Josie and we can't wait for two!

These pictures are well past due but I've just found the CD that they were on (I didn't take them). Parker's first dance recital was in May while Clif and I were in Fiji. She did great (still waiting to see a video) and did two different dances with two separate costumes.

Here she is showing Ruby some of her dance moves.

The next set of pictures is from mom's camera when she came to Greenwood to keep the children while we were away. Parker has caught a frog and is very excited. Coco somehow convinced her to set it free (good news for the frog).

Langley contemplating her next move in the pool

Shannon, Sarah and Josephine came for a visit too!

Parker, Bennett & Josie enjoying the float.

Langley entertaining herself. She does a good job at this usually.

Coco got Parker and Bennett some fishing poles and taught them how to cast. She said they had to practice casting before they would be able to fish. Bennett is still waiting to go fishing!

More practice!

Parker had a few cooking lessons with Coco. Below she is making pigs in a blanket.

Learning to cut her own apple. Thankfully she doesn't do this on her own.

It looks like they had a wonderful time while we were away!

December came quick and it started with the annual Christmas parade on the 2nd. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures or video this year but it was great. I will try and find you some footage. Then Parker had a birthday party for a classmate that was at the Viking Cooking School. They got to decorate cupcakes. It was very nice. Below Parker is with a few of her classmates. It was Mikayla's birthday who is on Parker's right side.

Before they got started with any of the decorating of the cupcakes they got to decorate an apron. Parker's included flowers and a mustang (for Pillow Academy).

They had every imaginable topping for their cupcakes.

Parker's last day before the Christmas break was on the 15th (a day after they got back from Disney) and they wore their PJs and had a party.

Also in December PA's kindergarten classes present the live Nativity for all the parents dropping off their children in the morning. Parker's morning was a brisk 27 degrees but she was the sheepdog....I'm sure she was strategic in picking the warmest costume there was! This isn't a great picture of her because she was a roaming sheepdog (she is directly behind the cow) but you get the idea.

Most of y'all already know but we had a small flood in early September. Bennett threw up around midnight one night and I stripped his bed and began to wash the sheets. I closed the laundry lid and the door to the kitchen and went back to bed. When I awoke around 6:30 the next morning I opened the door to the kitchen and it felt like a sauna. I could hear the water still running from the washing machine and step into this

There was about 2 inches of water covering the den floor and it was running out the side door to the driveway. The washing machine never stopped filling up. Apparently this is very uncommon and it was an easy fix for the washing machine. The floors on the other hand were destroyed and we had to replace them. Now they are beautiful!

The problem was that the process to replace the floors took entirely too long. We were living on the buckled floors for around 3 weeks and then it took over 2 weeks to rip them out, lay them down, sand and stain. Also, we found some previous termite damage and had to rip out part of the wall so we decided to install beadboard paneling up to the window level. We realized that we definitely need that extra living space. Below Clif is catching up on his TV after the floors were laid but not yet sanded or stained.

The beadboard is going to be painted the same color as the rest of the trim and I'm going to change the wall color but haven't really found the right shade yet. We are also trying out a new furniture arrangement just to shake things up a bit.....it is so very exciting at our house! HA! I will post more pictures when we are done with our mini-remodel.

I know it has been a long time since I updated last but I have a good reason....our modem went out and we didn't realize it and then I finally got a replacement. So, I'm going to get you all updated through the past month with all the fun happenings at the Barnes house. Below, I had to show y'all all the fun we are having since the floors have been fixed. Let's start off with the sweetest two year old you will ever meet! I'm biased of course.

Every year right before Thanksgiving Pillow Academy has a Feast day and the the children either dress as Indians or Pilgrims. We dressed as an Indian girl the past 2 years but next year we might have a Pilgrim.

This year YaYa's birthday fell on Thanksgiving day so the children and I baked a cake that had nothing to do with Thanksgiving! She was really surprised.

This was one of many attempts to get a family card photo but it didn't really turn out as you can see.

I think this might be the only photo of the two of us since she was an infant! Any tricks for getting her thumb out of her mouth?

Bennett was so ready to have his Thanksgiving feast that he was the official table setter. There was one more table decoration before this but he was pleased.

Bennett and his best bud William aka Will Will

Bennett and his friend Tristan

Bennett getting ready for his program.

We were so proud that his loudness paid off! More videos to come!

Langley has really been talking these past few months. She is quite funny when engaged and very polite with her Yes Ma'am. She was enjoying her waffle so much the other morning that I had to get it on video. I hope you enjoy it too!

Our Thanksgiving Tree

Mom had this great idea to do a Thanksgiving Tree and she cut out leaves on fall colored paper and hung them on a branch. So I borrowed the idea! Love it!

This past weekend Sarah and I and the children headed up to Centralia for the weekend. We had one pretty day and the kids played outside and ran around. Of course, Bennett did some work with Poppa Jack and even drove the backhoe! (sorry I don't have a picture of it but he was smiling from ear to ear). Below Langley and Josie are enjoying a cookie. They had a great time playing together.
Parker didn't really want to share the rope swing with Bennett as you can probably tell.

Parker and Bennett found the big pile of fallen trees to play on
The kids had a great time playing on the playset. Even the bigs kids.....like Sarah (see below).

Bennett was super sweet with Josie and they had fun playing together.

Parker and Bennett on the pile again.

Sarah and Josie

More playset fun! Parker has gotten really good on the rope swing.

Sweet Josephine!

We had a wonderful time and can't wait to visit again!