Santa Claus

Parker didn't freak out! We took him to see Santa and he was A OK with it?! I was competely sure that he would lose it, because last time we ventured out to Chucky Cheese, Parker took one look at him and said, "I don't like that mouse." After that, for the next 30 minutes I had to keep prying him off of me to get him to play the games. Only after he was convinced that we were safely far, far away from Chucky did he losen up and get a little more independent. Anyway, he talked to Santa, and even rode the little Christmas train they had set up. A good night for him!


I also took a few pictures of Makenna in her Christmas dress the other day. Most of them ended up being "action shots" of her putting her hands in her mouth or falling forward trying to put her hands in her mouth. I've decided that I need one of those cool, expensive camera's that takes like 15 shots in one click because everytime I try to snap a good shot of the kids, that's the second they stop doing whatever it is that I wanted to take the picture of.



P.S. Will someone please tell Andrew about the essential need for a "Christmas dress" with matching $6 headband (he was not happy about how much the headband cost). (:

We got elfed too!

A good friend of mine had this on her blog and I thought it was so cute, I did it too! (Thanks, Reagan!) So, here is our family as dancing elves!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1445372459

P.S. For some reason, you have to copy and paste the address in your browser. Sorry, I'm a little computer challenged.

Goggles are fun!

So, the other day while Parker was taking his bath he decided that he wanted to wear a pair of goggles that he found in the bathroom. I thought he'd want to take them right off, but he loved wearing them! He even wore them for a while after he got out of the bath! I knew I had to get this on camera!


This next picture documents a little known genetic inheritance that has been passed from Andrew to Parker. Anyone in Andrew's family will tell you that Andrew has always played with his hair. Whenever he's watching t.v., reading, etc... he does it. So, it makes sense that Andrew's little genetic copy (Parker) has also been doing this pretty much since birth. His hair always comes to a point on the front of his head because he plays with it so much. That's why I almost never bother to do his hair. Well...that and I'm too lazy. (: Last night, the two of them were watching t.v and, of course, were both playing with their hair. So, I got a picture.

Beautiful girls!

Here is a picture I took a few days ago of Makenna. I swear that her smile is the most beautiful thing on the planet! Today was also my little sister, Briana's birthday. She would have been 23 this year. That's so hard to wrap my brain around. Her smile was also the most beautiful smile on the planet and I still miss her dearly. She taught me more in the 16 years that I was blessed to be her sister than anyone else could in a lifetime. I love you Bri! I know you and mom are having a wonderful time and I can't wait for the day when our family can all celebrate together!

Thanksgiving pictures

We spent Thanksgiving at the Barnes' house and had a great time! The occasion was also the debut of Makenna's piggytails! She looked so adorable!


And this is Makenna after we took her piggytails out! Still cute, but with some wild hair going on!


And here is Parker who, as usual, had a ball playing with his cousins all night!


The Monday before Thanksgiving we went up to my dad's house for FHE and make turkeys out of candy and apples. Parker ended up eating most of his turkey before he actually finished it!


Andrew, on the other hand, was very serious about his turkey making skills and came up with one awesome looking candy turkey that was proudly displayed on our kitchen counter top until it started to look a little not so fresh...


It was a wonderful weekend and we can't wait until Christmas for some more family and good food! That combination just can't be beat!

My super cute kids!

Well, we are finally settled into our new house and loving it! It took forever for for us to get internet because they lost our original order and were booked out for 2 weeks! I took a few minutes to do a little photo shoot with my kiddies and got some cute pictures! Makenna is doing much better! She sleeps through the night now and gets less fussy every day. Parker loves Toy Story lately and is racking the up the Thomas the tank engine trains. He even got a toddler bed when we moved and he's doing great in it. He's got a wild imagination already and cracks us up with the things he says on a daily basis. All in all, things are crazy, but good. I am so blessed!

Sleepy?

This is Andrew. We sure love our little Makenna, or as Parker calls her: My Kenna or baby Kenna. She sure is an angel during the day! But each night as Brooke and I are getting ready for bed she get's grumpy! She cries the majority of the night. It is pretty taxing on Brooke and me but we're trying to be patient and loving. She has torticollis, acid reflux, and colic. So she has every right to be upset! We're doing everything we can to make sure that she's comfortable though.

As far as our move goes it looks like it will be some time next week, near the middle or end of the week. We'd love any help we can get, whether moving boxes or tending the kids. Let us know if you're able to help. I'll call to let you know our exact moving dates.

The front of the house....finally!

No time for a long post, but here is a picture of the front of our new house. It is getting late here and sleep is at a premium right now. So, ta-da!

Our New House!

Our new house is officially finished! We did the walk through today. It was so fun to watch is come together! Andrew took some pics of the inside that I thought I would post a few. It's probably the cleanest it's ever going to be! We should be able to move in the end of next week and I can't wait. Makenna and Parker are keeping me super busy. Makenna had her 2 week check up today and she now weighs 9lbs. 13 oz. and is 21 inches long. She is healthy and doing well, which is all we can ask for. Parker is excited to move into his new house. He is talking like you wouldn't believe. Everyday he says new words and puts together sentences that I never imagined he could. The other day he was playing in another room, so I popped my head in to check in him. He looked up at me and said in a rather annoyed tone, "I'm just playing mommmy." Apparently my hovering was cramping his style!(: What a cutie! We are looking at the first Sunday in November to bless Makenna, so just a heads up to everyone. I will post a picture of the outside of our house soon. I'm not sure why Andrew didn't take one?

Am I really a mom of 2 kids?!?!

It's official...I have 2 little munchkins! It still weirds Andrew and I out to think that we have more than one. I am recovering well from my c-section and Makenna is doing well too. She has some trouble at night, so Andrew and I spend most of the day in a sort of a haze, but this too will pass. I think she has some of my mother's features, but the same mouth and chin that Parker had. She's not quite the cookie cutter image of Parker that I had imagined her to be, but so beautiful! And, yes she was 9lbs. 9 oz! Obviously, the gestational diabetes that I had with Parker returned this pregnancy even though I passed my glucose tests this time. I wish my mom was here more than ever, but I guess that will never change. I feel a part of her whenever I look at Makenna, knowing she was so close to my mom and Bri just a few days ago. Parker loves her and is always patting her head and giving her kisses. He is such a gentle, sweet little boy and will make a great big brother. We are very blessed!

My tribute to the best cat ever

Yesterday was a sad day for our family. We had to put our kitty cat, Gus, to sleep after the vet found that he had cancer. He hadn't been doing well at all that day and so we were prepared to hear the news, but it was still hard to let him go. He had been a part of our family for 16 years. We got him as a kitten when Jamie was 8 and I was 10. We named him after the chubby rat on Cinderella because the enormous amount of fur he had made him look much bigger than he actually was. Over the years, we gave him more nicknames than I can even remember! He was the best of both worlds, an avid mouse and bird hunter but also very kind and gentle with people. Gus was different from most cats in that he was never aloof. He was always eager to be cuddled and have his ears scratched. He loved kids and even our dogs. His best friend was our dog, Mackensie (who died about 9 years ago). Gus loved to swat at Makensie's tail and he would even curl up next to his doggie friend at night. I think that he must have learned a few things from growing up with Mackensie because he would actually follow us on walks around the neighborhood just like a dog. Gus really was a sweet cat who loved to be loved. I will always have a special place in my heart for that little orange and white puff ball and we will miss him! I'm sure that if there's special place for animals (and how could there not be!), he's there enjoying a nice nap in the sun. Thank you Gus, for being the best cat in the world!

Camping at Utah Lake

Well, sort of. We didn't actually stay the night, but spent most of the day there so I guess that counts. I chickened out in the end and decided that my big pregnant belly would be more comfortable in my nice, soft bed. Parker had a great time playing outside with his cousins. He loves dirt now! Most of his time was spent picking up rocks, sticks, and dirt clads and throwing them as far as he could. He also loved being with his grandma and grandpa Barnes. They are so good to him! Andrew got stuck on a sea-doo when the battery died so he spent quite a while out on the lake. He said it was "peaceful" though. Thanks to the Barnes' family for putting together such a fun day!

Toe Puppets

The other day I decided that in the unlikely event that Makenna decides to come before my scheduled c-section I should have a few basic things ready for her. So, I pulled out the infant car seat to give it a good wash. The next thing I know, Parker is lounging in it, perhaps remembering that this used to be his not to long ago. It was nuts how huge he looked in it when it used to look so big compared to him! He really has grown up.








We went to a birthday party for my step-sister's husband last Sunday and Parker had a great time. He even got some neat little finger puppets. While he thought it was cool to put them on your fingers, it wasn't long before he figured out that they fit on your toes too! That, of course, was much more fun!

Parker loves dirt!

We went out last night to see the progress they've made on our house so far. They are working fast and our house is now competely sheet rocked and most of the exterior is up! It has been fun to see it come together and we can only hope that they continue at the same pace (unlikely, but we can think positive, right!) So, as we were walking out, we ran into a new neighbor of ours and we had a little chat with him. While we were talking, Parker decided that he was going to check out the dirt. Now usually he's a little weary of getting his feet dirty, but not last night. He was running around in it and throwing it. He was in a little boys heaven! By the time we left, he was covered in dirt and happy as could be! Here are some pictures I took (some of them, he is actually throwing dirt at me!) Hmmm, maybe we need a sandbox for this kid?















PS-I didn't get any of our house. I don't know what I was thinking?!

Parker turned 2!

Well, we have been busy here in Barnes' household latley! Last weekend I was off to San Fransisco with my aunts, cousin, sister, and grandma for their annual girl's weekend. I had a great time with everyone and even did a little walking around town. I'm so glad I got to go and see just how fun and silly my aunts can be when they all get together! I'm already looking forward to next year's trip! Parker and Andrew had some good bonding time and both seemed like they really enjoyed it being just the two of them. Here is a pic of a few of us on the trip. I think they all look so beautiful in it!






I got back just a few days before Parker's 2nd birthday! It's hard to image that he's already 2 years old. It's so fun to watch him grow up, but hard to see that he's not my little baby anymore. The party was wonderful! We had so many family members come to wish him a happy birthday! I don't think that we could ask for a more loving and supportive extended family! He got A LOT of gifts! Parker pretty much just wanted to play with everything he opened right after he opened it and so we had to coax him to open each present. As you can see from the pictures, we had a Thomas the Tank Engine theme (one of his favorite characters). I think his favorite thing that night was just running around with his cousins! We couldn't even get him to slow down for some of his cake and ice cream! I'm so grateful to have a healthy, happy, smart, cute as can be little boy! I'm so lucky to be his mom and everyday with him brings new joys! Looking back at all we went through to have him and what he's meant to our family, he really is a miracle! Happy Birthday my little man!

September 13th is the BIG day!

We have a date set for Makenna's birth! So, let the countdown begin! I have to admit that while I'm very excited to meet my little girl, I'm a little nervous about being a mother of two. I keep thinking that I am much too young and inexperienced for this, but I guess that's how we all start out. These next few months are going to be big ones for our family! Andrew is back in UT for good this time! It's great to all be together! We also have our house under contract again. We are being cautiously optimistic this time around. So, keep your fingers crossed that this deal goes through. Our new house has a scheduled completion date of around Sept. 19th, which is exciting. Parker is less than 2 weeks away from turing 2! Yesterday on the way home from my dad and Kathy's house, he was in his carseat chatting away to himself and he counted from 6 to 10 all on this own! What a smart cookie! I can't wait until he sees his Thomas the tank engine birthday cake! I think he will go nuts! Here are a few funny pictures that we took a recently.

Sorry I'm a slacker!

It's been a crazy month, but here I am again. We had a great time in Tahoe and I even took part in a bike ride despite being seven months pregnant. Parker reallly enjoyed being outdoors so much and being the center of attention most of the time. Andrew has been in town these past couple of weeks and it has been heaven! I can't wait until that is the permanent arrangement again. Things are looking up on the house selling front too. We've had a lot of interest in the last few weeks and I think we should be able to get it sold by the end of the month. Now we just have to hope that our new house will be finished on time (it's supposed to be finished the 1st of Sept). Here are some pics of our trip while we were on the beach in Tahoe waiting for the fireworks to start.










And here is are some pics of our trip to visit Andrew in California. We got to go out to LA to see Spencer and David one weekend. They have a pretty neat lion sculpture in their condo that Parker was fascinated with.