The Barlows

Gold Rush

2011-02-25T13:02:00.001-08:00

We recently went to Placerville to visit family. Since 4th graders study the Gold Rush... we went to Coloma for an afternoon to see where it all began.

Kiddos playing in a teepee to keep warm. Tanner thinking about doing highway robbery in the Wild Wild West

The kids learning about how to weave rugs, etc.

It's Great to be Eight!

2011-02-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

A very happy 8th birthday to a very special girl. I'm not sure where the time has gone... but I know we have loads of photos and memories to document it. Makenna is 8... and we're so proud of the young lady she is becoming. She is kind, willing to serve, bright, busy and cheerful.For her party this year... she wanted a couple of girls to have a GNO... Corner Bakery... Pedicures... Shopping!

And her request for dinner??? Homemade pizza shaped like "M"

MIA

2011-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

So we've been MIA on the blog scene for about 6 mo. Excuse is one word... TANNER. He is an energetic boy to put it mildly... five minutes on the computer = 45 minutes of clean up from Tanner being alone.

Anyway... here's what we've been up to:

Remember mission reports in 4th grade?? Well Brooklyn's mission was "Santa Ines" in Solvang. So we took a mini trip after Christmas to visit it. Building... I built this house for the girls for Christmas... for their American Girl dolls. It took every spare minute for a solid month... but I finished on time!

London!! The following photos are in reverse order... but we stayed in London for a few days at the end of our fun autumn trip. It was great to see old friends.

Venice... our cruise left from Venice... we wasted some time before our flight to London.Turkey... nope... not talking about the kids this time... we spent some more time near Ephesus, Turkey. We were able to see some amazing ruins... some of which are believed to be locations where Paul preached. Egypt. We were so lucky to see this beautiful country before the chaos ensued. This is a local market in Alexandria. You can't miss out on the camel rides. Definitely a highlight.

Unfortunately the time if day didn't allow for great photos at the pyramids... but it was still incredible.

Israel... the wailing wall in Jerusalem

the garden tomb

Makenna at the River Jordan...

Zack on the shores of the Sea of Galilee

Soccer!

First Day of School for Z

BYU Football w/ Daddy. Josh and Z flew in for a BYU game!

First day of school for the girls

Tanner just before his eye surgery

Summer Happenings

2010-08-20T12:34:00.005-07:00

We have had kind of a chill summer... so here are some photos: Angels Game
Late mornings in PJs

Natural History Museum in LA

Lots of playing with Tanner

Rainbows (this was a double rainbow... just can't see the other arc with this photo)

Eating sand

Soccer Camp

Losing Teeth

More beach fun

Playing with friends from the UK

Family Fun!

2010-06-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

We had a family reunion in So. Utah... so we spent a couple days in St. George, then went to Zions... then on to visit my BYU roommate, Kate on her ranch in Nevada. St. George temple
The Thurgood girls on the tram in Zions

Tan Man is ready for a hike!

Grandpa & Grandma Barlow with all the grandkids... well minus the four that live in Hawaii

Sean & Kate taking the kids to see the horses

The girls on their new thouroughbred, Johnnie

The girls and Mikelle

If Kate's boys (ages 10, 7) can do it... so can we, right???

They were laughing at us!

Tanner turns ONE!

2010-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

We could not believe it when it was time for Tanner's birthday already. The year flew by. This little boy has blessed our lives so much. He is so full of life, love, adventure, cuddles and always laughter. We are so grateful to have him as the caboose on our crazy family train.

When babies turn one at our house... they get their own cake, and go to town!

Happy 1st birthay Little t... we love you!

Last Day of School!

2010-06-17T11:44:00.002-07:00

Brooklyn & Mrs. Clifford
Juliette (Makenna's little buddy), Mrs. Webber & Makenna

Zackary & Miss Maria (he ended up liking school afterall!)

Just funny...

2010-06-13T11:48:00.002-07:00

Zack is always out to get the bad guys... I think three swords, a light saber, "woggles" and mismatched clothes will definitely get them!

Triathlon

2010-05-31T11:31:00.002-07:00

Our ward sponsors an annual sprint triathlon on Memorial Day. The girls did the kiddo race. It was lots of fun to train for... but definitely more fun to be done!

The girls sportin their medals

Julie and I showing our patriotism before the race

Is this blackmail?

Greenbrook Gators are back!

2010-05-25T11:50:00.002-07:00

Makenna & Brooklyn after one of Brooklyn's races
MKB and her little buddies

MKB ready for the backstroke

The girls signed up for swim team again this year! This year is much more intense... they're working on strokes a lot more and swimming farther in practice. I think they still like it?? I think??

9 Already??

2010-05-12T11:22:00.001-07:00

Nine things we love about Brooklyn:

1. She is very outgoing and friendly

2. She is willing to try new things (activities, food, etc.)

3. She loves all things multicultural

4. She is an old soul

5. She loves to use sign language to talk to mom

6. She loves helping with Tanner

7. She is a natural teacher

8. She loves animals

9. She has a wonderful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ

We went to the American Girl store for lunch to celebrate!

Nine candles!

Muddy Buddies

2010-04-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

Clean??Finish Line

Post-race sneakers

To attempt to prep for our triathlon in a fun way... a few girls and I signed up for a mud run. It was a 10k run through mud pits/obstacles. We did the team run, so we had to dress up and stay together through the finish line!
The course was kind of weak, so some of us made the most of it... I mean it was a mud run afterall!

Buddy is 4!

2010-04-21T11:35:00.003-07:00

Four things we love about Zackary:

1. His energy... please... will you share??

2. His laughter... it fills a room with joy!

3. Slug vs. Snail... he has come out of that shell this past year!

4. His sweet, tender side

We had to put his gifts under a little tent so he wouldn't come down and see the bike! He really wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese with only his friends from school

Even Superman needs an ice cream cone after he gets immunization shots!

Tanner Bananer

2010-04-14T11:21:00.001-07:00

My oh my... where does the time go??? Little Tanner is already 10 months old! He is such a joy... here are a few photos from the past couple of months.

A little black licorice never hurt anyone!

Tracking down all the balls!

A trip to the park!

Showing off his first tooth

This is about the only time we can get him to sit still long enough to take a picture... when he's eating!

Sporting his new glasses... we can only keep them on for a couple of minutes at a time.

The Ranch... again!

2010-04-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn has been taking horseback riding lessons at our friend's ranch. It has been great for her to try something that is her own interest. We take a few other girls each time... sometimes Makenna comes to check out the new spring babies!
Makenna with some of the girls! The girls waiting for their turn!

Brooklyn and Elvis (he's my favorite mini... ahh uhh huh!)

Youth Expo

2010-04-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

During Spring Break we went to the fairgrounds for a little youth expo. They had lots of animals... exotic bugs... extreme sports, etc. We went on a little hay ride, made some big bubbles and enjoyed the day off of school.

Skate Party

2010-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

The girls' school does little skate parties for a fundraiser... Thought this was a cute pre-photo! Could just as well be 1984!

Seriously??

2010-02-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was talking with some friends about kiddos giving themselves a haircut... Unfortunately I said aloud... that my girls hadn't yet done that... Oops! So the week after Makenna turned 7... she cut bangs in her hair! Ugh! The worst part is she actually did a good job... so everyone has been complimenting her since! LOL.

Happy 7th Birthday MKB!

2010-02-17T09:45:00.004-08:00

Here are 7 things we love about Makenna:

1. Her problem-solving skills... she's always willing to think outside the box to fix a problem!

2. Her willingness to help... she's quick to jump when I ask for help with the little ones!3. Her energy... she always wants to be busy!

4. Her kindness... she is very compassionate!

5. Her responsible side... she gets her homework and other assignments done before I ever ask her.

6. Her sense of humor... she writes some funny stuff in her school assignments... always gives me a giggle!

7. Her confidence... recently she gave herself a little haircut... and now she walks around like it's the newest trend!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho...

2010-02-01T09:38:00.002-08:00

A pirate's life for me!

Little T has to wear a patch for four hours a day to attempt to correct the crossing. He's too small for glasses now... but the doc says he'll get them in a couple months. He doesn't seem too bothered by it for now... good thing he's a happy guy... and his dexterity isn't fantastic yet... can't get that patch off :)

Mission: Organization!

2010-01-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Every new year brings to life the desire to be organized. Here is the problem:

Shoes, sweaters, backpacks, etc. under the stairs! Here is the solution:

I have been looking for a bench for a long time... I had trouble finding one with four cubbies... So we took matters into our own hands. I drew what I wanted, took measurements, had our favorite construction consultant (Brother Elsner) review my plans, bought some wood, used Josh's muscles and the kids' painting skills and here is the finished product! Thanks Bro. Elsner!!! You rock!

A day at the ranch

2009-12-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

My friend Kelly has a ranch about an hour away with 35-40 miniature horses (smaller than ponies) and about 5 full-size. We went out over Christmas break to see them. Brooklyn has started taking riding lessons (on the big ones of course) from Kelly's daughter.

These are frozen images from the video footage.

I Believe in Santa!

2009-12-25T09:20:00.003-08:00

The girls informed us that Santa came when they saw the living room like this.

We had to drag Zack out of bed.

Let the fun begin!!! Brooklyn saw her new American Girl Doll, Elizabeth. The girls had been saving every penny for months to buy an AG doll... they almost had enough... then Santa came!

Makenna and Felicity

Zack spent the past few months seeing any toy commercial and saying, "I want that, I want that, I want that!!!" But he really wanted the Batcave.

Tanner just likes to eat everything. The aftermath

Tanner is a party pooper!

Last time at Seaworld

2009-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Josh's parents were able to sneak away from Utah for a few days during Christmas... We all had passes to Seaworld... so we spent one of the days there!

Dear Santa,

2009-12-12T20:20:00.001-08:00

...define GOOD!

Piano Recital

2009-12-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

The girls and Dana (their piano teacher and one of their favorite babysitters) after the recital. They have been taking lessons for about three months... and they love it! Thanks for all your hard work Dana!

Barlow Spa & Hotel

2009-11-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

The girls had been asking if they could do some "spa" treatments from their American Girl book... so we had a sleepover with some friends and they did hair, facials, nails and makeup... super cute!This is their welcome sign to their friends Brooklyn giving Emily a facial with oatmeal and yogurt.
The girls getting the salon ready.

Trottin with the Turkeys

2009-11-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

Does two in a row mean this is an annual event?? Melissa, Julie and me before our Thanksgiving Day 10k run (or trot... definitely not a gallop!)

Family Pictures

2009-11-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

We needed to take some family pictures for Josh's parents' Christmas card... one Sunday we seemed to all be close to the same color palette so our good friend, Melissa took some for us. Zack was super grumpy and Tanner wasn't quite old enough to smile and look at the camera... but it is what it is!

Johnny Jumper

2009-11-18T20:35:00.001-08:00

Remember this thing from the 80s? We have had it since Brooklyn was a baby but none of the kids have liked it much... so before sending it to Salvation Army... we thought to put TT in it... he has his own little party every time!

Disney Days...

2009-11-18T19:53:00.001-08:00

... must come to an end. Our annual passes expired the end of November... these are photos of the kids living up the last couple of times.

3-D glasses for the Toy Story ride The girls trying to beat Josh in the Toy Story competition
Mom & Brooklyn on California Screamin... Brooklyn is finally tall enough!

Girls outside of It's a Small World

All decked out for Christmas

Makenna and her friend Emily

So Big

2009-11-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

First rice cereal

Does it really make them sleep better?

BOO

2009-11-01T09:04:00.004-08:00

For Halloween this year... we took a journey to Neverland and dressed up as Peter Pan characters. I couldn't find patterns/costumes for most... so I ended up making all but Tinkerbell's costume. Heres' the group photo at Josh's work (they have trick or treating every year for the kids)
Mr. Smee and Peter Pan at Zack's parade

Tink sitting at her parade

Captain Hook and his right hand man, Smee

Wendy getting ready for flight

Kids at the trunk or treat at church

Wendy and Tink... friends at last! (and Josh and Makenna's jack o lanterns)

Birthday Bash

2009-10-24T08:56:00.002-07:00

My Gram will turn 85 later this month and her twin brother and sister turned 80 in October... so we had big birthday party/family reunion in Santa Cruz. My extended family has always been close and I have always attributed it to my grandma (the oldest of the 5 kids) being a peacemaker. All of my dad's cousins made it to the party weekend from across the country. It was so much fun to see everyone!

Gram (right), Aunt Lu (middle), Uncle Buck (left)Donna and me... and Tanner. Donna (my dad's cousin) was my nanny when I was about 2 or 3 until she got married. I was a flower girl in her wedding. She has always had a special place in my heart. It was a blast to see her and all her kids... and her new little grandbaby!

Little Tanner...

2009-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

... is getting so big so fast! Perfect place for the chef's helper!I thought this was so cute... he fell asleep (a rare occasion) in the car while playing with his toys.
"My new favorite face to make!"

He is a sweet, smiley, talkative, cuddly little guy! We sure love having a baby in the house again!

San Diego

2009-10-17T08:36:00.002-07:00

We had a chance to spend the weekend in San Diego for the BYU v. San Diego State game. We had a fun little getaway. Tanner at Sea World. Gotta love Shamu!No trip to San Diego is complete without seeing Dieter!

Brooklyn and Jerett and Mikelle (two of my BYU roommate's (Kate) kiddos.... they came from Nevada for the game)

Tanner at the game... unfortunately I had to put this girly hat on him... we were in the sun for most of the game.

Post-game smiles! Obviously BYU won :)

Peru!!

2009-09-30T21:19:00.003-07:00

We had to use the kids' airmiles before they expired... so we chose the furthest destination that appealed to us: Peru!!

The main cathedral in Cuzco's city square (Cuzco is the closest big city to Machu Picchu. It sits at almost 11,000 feet in altitude in the tops of the Andes Mountains.)

A view of the homes in Cuzco

We stopped at an animal rescue center... Go Diego Go!

Brooklyn with a condor

The hairless dog! Or is it a dog/hyena hybrid?? U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi!!!

Our next stop was a small Incan village called Pisaq. These little girls were dressed in traditional clothing playing games and with their lambs... really I think it was a way to make money... but it was cute either way!

We stayed in the village a bit too long and decided to take a taxi back to the hotel... so we took this taxicello (baically a motorcycle with a cover) for 2 soles (about 60 cents)

The kids thought it was quite entertaining!

Pre-Incan Pisaq terracing (lots of potatoes I guess??) Zack in his hat!! The altitude was high... we all got a little sunburned on day one... so the hats came out!

The kids getting ready for our picnic. You can see the height of the mountains and the glaciers in the background.

The locals tending their herds

We met these little kids (Carla... and the boy's name was too hard for us to say). They were 7 and 5 years old tending a flock of about 100 sheep and about 20 pigs. It was fun watching the kids interact with them!

Chowing the fruit our guide gave them!

Salt Terraces (all the white is salt) All of us in Ollyantaytambo (an Incan city)

The girls at the top of the ruins... this is the wall to their temple. You can see the work of the Incan people... these stones were cut and placed on each other in a Lego type system... no mortar!

The kids feeding guinea pigs in a woman's home Machu Picchu in the cloud forest!

The kids loved the llamas at MP

More MP

The terracing for crops at MP (I guess the Incan people liked to build their cities in a high place to be closer to God and so they didn't waste any land... so they terraced the hills for agriculture)

The kids did a great job climbing around and trying to keep safe. We climbed from the middle to the bottom... then from the bottom to the top (where the guard tower is)... they did great... we actually had to try and keep up with them! Zack found his token stick

... and the girls found a butterfly

The view from the Guard Tower. Brooklyn and her new favorite drink: Inca Cola (kind of a bubble gum soda)

Incan ruins turned into a modern day slide!

Tanner is awake!! We brought the school kits to an orphanage... definitely a highlight of the trip. The kids had a lot of fun with the children!

Unfortunately the family photo didn't turn out so well... guess the flash was off??

The kids sorting out the bags to give out.

The children were excited about some very basic things... to have their own bag, the erasers that go on top of the pencils and the glow in the dark bracelets were a hit!
Zack loving his 1 sole ice cream (about 30 cents)
The Incan homes were all built around a courtyard... this one was peoples' homes that they also sold handicrafts from. Zack found another stick! Main Cathedral in Lima

We took the bus tour so we could see the city easily

Peruvian flag flying above their Congress building

The kids at the park near our hotel

Lima sits right on the coast. So our flight coming home was cancelled... and after a long night in the airport, Josh found a flight that routed through El Salvador. So we had an afternoon in this beautiful seaside jungle country.

Yummy food!!!

The girls buying neclaces from the local children.

The sand was almost black... as you can see by the contrast with Makenna's feet.

School Kits

2009-09-20T23:01:00.003-07:00

In preparation for our trip to Peru... we decided to do some school kits for children there. The girls had so much fun helping with these... we did the standard Humanitarian School Kit... but then added a little treat bag to each kit. Everyone loves American candy right??
Makenna posing with the bracelets she made for the little girls

...and Brooklyn!

Yo Gabba Gabba

2009-09-11T23:05:00.002-07:00

The girls had a chance to be on the Nickelodeon kids show: Yo Gabba Gabba. The producer is in our ward and a super fun guy. It was fun to see him in his element and how they put together these shows. The kids all had a blast. Makenna doing hair and make up
Brooklyn following the prompter guy

Z's Preschool

2009-09-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Zack is going to the same preschool Brooklyn went to. He has a little anxiety problem when he's away from his family... hence no video of his first day. He did alright... all things considered!

Looking a little nervous...
"I think I'd rather stay home...""Ok... if you're gonna make me... I might as well enjoy it!"

TIB update

2009-09-06T11:35:00.002-07:00

Tanner is getting so big. At his 2-month check up he weighed 14 lbs 1 oz... same size as Zack did. He's starting to be a lot of fun with his smiles and talking. Here are a couple photos and videos. The kids all came to visit Tanner on my bed before church.
10 little piggies

Zack loves this baby!

Tanner's new trick (or accident... not sure if he gets how to do it on demand)

t will play with this toy for a while... then he gets ticked and scoots himself off it and perpendicular to it.

First Day of School

2009-09-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

The girls had a great first day of school. They both seem to like their teachers. We're just trying to adjust to the new schedule!

Angels Game

2009-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Josh took B, M & Z to an Angels game for a little last-minute summer fun. They had a great time.

In his own world...

2009-08-24T07:42:00.001-07:00

We have these stairs in our house.... have lived here for a year.... and Zack is the first one to sit here. He was eating a lolly having his own little party.

2 months old already!!

2009-08-17T11:04:00.001-07:00

MJ???

A favorite napping place!

Here we come P-Tucky!

2009-08-16T09:51:00.005-07:00

I am from a small town in Northern California called Placerville... aka Hangtown. My cousin renamed it P-tucky... if you've ever been there... you will be laughing as you read. We just returned from a trip from P-Tucky and Lake Tahoe... here are some photos! Tan Man in the hammock in Tahoe
The girls and cousins (Grayson & Anicka) on our way to Emerald Bay.

Zack playing in the Lake

Girls (and Mat) being girls... laying out, etc.

Anicka and Makenna freezing in the snow run off

Sand castle

Kids and Uncle Mat

Makenna at the top of the trail to Emerald Bay

Our family near the cabin

Josh & Zack with their walking sticks

Gram & Tanner

Sprinklers have changed since I was a kid... but summer fun is still the same

Ma (my aunt) giving Makenna a haircut...

... and Brooklyn (thanks Ma)

The kids and Papa Tom...

... and Tanner

Indian Cooking Night

2009-08-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Josh's firm flies the London and Singapore offices out for an annual party. Jas worked with Josh in the London office and is a lovely person and a fabulous cook! She used to cook for us in London. We asked her to come over and teach us how to make some basic Indian food. We had a blast and ate like maniacs. One of the many things we miss about London!!! Jas used to order Indian when I came into the office for a visit... but would get Happy Meals for the kids... until she learned they like Indian too!!! Who doesn't?? Thanks Jas!

When life gives you lemons...

2009-07-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

Make lemonade! The girls had a great time doing a lemonade stand. We used the lemons from our tree and made a big jar of fresh lemonade. The girls sold out in a few hours and made about $30. Not bad!!

OCD??? or...

2009-07-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Jekyll and...Hyde!
Zack is a funny kid... he has a side of him that likes to be very organized and orderly (e.g. lining up all of his cars perfectly) and this crazy fun-loving playful side.

Strike!

2009-07-19T17:13:00.004-07:00

We had a little bowling day to escape the heat... was lots of fun. This is a photo of the girls with some friends from church.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

2009-07-16T17:09:00.004-07:00

Josh took the older munchkins to the beach on a Friday night to give me a break from noise. Was nice for me and the kids had a blast. Zack even remembered his Spiderman kite from his birthday (that has been in hiding in the closet since April).

Mr. T

2009-07-15T17:00:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pics of T T (as Z calls him) from his first month in this crazy family Can you see me??

Makenna likes to put him to sleep.

Wrap

2009-07-14T17:06:00.001-07:00

This is how I carry around little t. He seems to like it a lot and it keeps my hands free. The bottom pic is of him out cold after I took him off... still swaddled in all the fabric.

Name and a Blessing!

2009-06-28T08:31:00.001-07:00

Josh's brother, Brian and mom, Barbara were here... so we decided to go ahead and bless him. Dieter came up as well... and it was a lovely blessing. Maybe he's going to be like Papa Tom... doesn't like ties??
Brian, Josh & Dieter... and Tanner
Our little family

Daddy & TIB

Grandma Barlow & the little guy

Go Gators!

2009-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn on the block.

Makenna's turn!
Makenna swimming freestyle.

Brooklyn swimming her first butterfly race.

Makenna swimming in the backstroke relay finals.

Tanner Israel Barlow

2009-06-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome Tanner!

Tanner Israel Barlow was born on June 17, 2009 at 12:23 a.m. weighing in at 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 20.5 inches long. He was supposed to come via planned c-section on June 24... but he had other plans. At about 6pm I started having crazy contractions every 3 minutes... called the doctor a couple of hours later and he told me to go in to the hospital. We weren't ready for this little guy quite yet... but were able to get a babysitter to stay overnight and off we went. Once we checked in the contractions were painfully consistent every 2 minutes and not going away. So at about 10 p.m. they told us that they were going to do the c-section as soon as an operating room opened up. At about midnight they took us in to do the spinal... and out he came... healthy and quite big for being a couple of weeks early. His name was chosen at the last minute although we had done some research prior. We liked Tanner because of the example of N. Eldon Tanner (a former member of the First Presidency of the Church... who served faithfully for many years... including the reading of the 1978 revelation on the priesthood as President Kimball wasn't well enough to do so). Israel comes from "Israel Barlow," the first member on the Barlow side to join the church. He was a bodyguard to the Prophet Joseph Smith and founded Nauvoo. He crossed the plains as a pioneer and has a large posterity.

First photo!He's not too sure about this yet!!!
Zack came to meet Tanner first as the girls were in their last day of school.
Big sisters=diaper changers... right?

Zack finally held him after a couple of days.
Michael & Nessa (my cousin) came to visit!

Ten perfect toes!

Going Home!!

We wish they could stay like this forever... or at least more than a few weeks!

Last Day of School!

2009-06-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you for a wonderful school year teachers and staff! Josh did a wonderful job getting photos with the girls' teachers... considering he was on the way to the hospital to have them meet Baby Tanner and pulled them out early! Brooklyn & her 2nd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Swain.
Makenna and her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Olson.

Don't Fall!!

2009-06-13T08:20:00.001-07:00

We went on a little Saturday afternoon bike ride to get some ice cream. It was too close to drive... too far to walk. People were looking at us like we were absolutely crazy.

Josh & Zack riding scooters.The girls are ready to roll!

Ducklings

2009-06-12T15:38:00.002-07:00

Makenna's kindergarten class did a project with ducks. They watched the eggs incubate... then hatch, etc. The children were allowed one night to have a sleepover with the ducklings... Kobe & Fluffy. I... being the ultimate pet-hater... decided that I could be nice for one night at least. So we picked up the ducks from the classroom.

Darling, right?

The ducks swimming in a clean container of water... this lasted for 1.2 minutes.
Makenna's little write-up

If you thought this was a great idea... and want your own little ducklings... THINK AGAIN. This is what they did to their bed after a night of peaceful rest! In case you can't see it... it's lots of poo mixed with a little water and food.

Church...

2009-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

... can do this to me sometimes, too!

Brooklyn's Baptism

2009-05-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn was baptized on May 23. We were blessed to have family come from all over to support her on this day. Thank you so much! We love you all! I was super lame about taking pictures... but here are a few.

Brooklyn & Josh just before the service.

Just before church.

Grandpa & Grandma Barlow before church.
Brooklyn's cake!

Eat My Bubbles!

2009-05-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

The girls before the first swim meet... and Sadie! (This one's for you KAM)
Makenna before her first race!
The girls did awesome... as the season progresses we'll post race videos!

It's Great to be Eight!

2009-05-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

While Josh and Zack were at the Father's & Son's campout, I took Brooklyn and some of her friends to the new Hannah Montana movie... then back home to paint toenails. It was a fun little birthday party.

Birthday morning!

Disneyland... she had a great time spending her birthday gift card!

Brooklyn's top 8 at 8:

1. Hannah Montana

2. Scary rides

3. Swimming

4. Reading

5. Playing with friends

6. Hotel for Dogs

7. Waiting for Baby to come

8. Spending lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa

KATE!!!!

2009-05-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

My mark of a wonderful friend is when you don't see them for ages and when you do... it seems like it was just yesterday that you did! That sums up my college roommate, Kate. We have lots of fun and incriminating memories... and was great to reminisce! She was down with her sister and a few of their kids for a couple of Disneyland/Beach days and made some time to come visit!

Grand Cayman

2009-05-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Josh had a conference in the Cayman Islands and his mom was willing and able to fly out to stay with the kids so we could go for a few days together! She is a saint... the kids had way more fun than they ever would have had if we were home... but she didn't leave any proof in photos... so here are some of ours!They have a sandbar off the island a few miles where stingrays gather. We went out and swam with them, held them... and kissed them (for 7 years good luck of course!) Josh wasn't so sure of them at first. We haven't developed our underwater camera yet... so maybe more photos will follow.

Isn't this what you're supposed to do on a beach holiday?
Mrs. Large and In Charge... notice the sign says: No Frowning Allowed HERE!! Even if you're chubby!The only picture of us together! Thanks Barbara... it was a nice week away!

Down on the Farm

2009-04-24T07:54:00.003-07:00

Makenna's Kindergarten performance... she's in front with the bunny hat on.

Leapin Lizards!

2009-04-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

We find lizards all around our backyard... Brooklyn caught one before swim team and played with it for a while.

Z is three!

2009-04-21T07:37:00.004-07:00

Good Morning Birthday Boy!!

Not sure what this one was about... but it's Zack and Brooklyn driving in Autopia at Disneyland.

Now it's his turn to drive?
Zack's birthday cake
We did a combined car birthday party with two other boys from church... they were all born the same week.Doesn't look like much of a party huh? All the other kids were across the grass playing Red Light Green Light... and Zack stayed behind with his empty pinata bag... from the pinata he didn't take a swing at. Josh's take... at least Zack isn't a follower!
Some of the kids racing along the greenbelt!

Zack's top three at three:

1. Cars & Trains

2. Candy

3. Helping Mom & Dad with jobs

Mary, Mary... How does your garden grow?

2009-04-16T09:07:00.002-07:00

So we haven't officially killed anything yet!! Here are some pictures of the garden's status... We planted about 12 days ago. Tomatoes and peppers from plants... all others from seed... The girls decided to do it in their swimsuits and play in the water.
Zack decided to stay in clothes... and spray the girls with water.

If you look closely... there are lots of sprouts!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Zack wasn't feeling the whole "family pictures before church" thing... so here he is eating his chocolate with his buddy Jack the day before at our little Easter egg hunt. And the girls... Brooklyn's hiding her cast.

If something is going to happen...

2009-03-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

... seems like it will happen to Brooklyn

We rode our bikes to the park this week... and she fell off a zipline thinger. She was pretty brave and slept on her arm all night and said she was okay. In the morning she said it still hurt. So the xrays came back and showed she broke both bones in her forearm. This is her temporary cast.

... and her purple cast. Unfortunately she is left-handed and has been a little limited. She seems to have taken on the challenge and does most everything on her own still. We took a little field trip to Dippin Dots ice cream to make up for the bummer circumstances and the mean doctor that put her cast on.

Home Depot + 4 Women =

2009-03-12T18:01:00.002-07:00

TROUBLE!!
One of my friends is sold on a gardening method called squarefoot gardening... so a few girls from the ward got together to build our garden boxes for the year. If I write nothing else about our garden... that means I failed miserably at this fool-proof method. But here's how it got started...

Shanna & I trying to figure out the measurements of wood, etc. we need... and Jenn writing it all down to ensure we're doing our math right :)Zack having his own party in the cartMelissa and Shanna using power tools... and having way too much fun!

One of the finished boxes waiting for seeds, sunshine and a little TLC... unfortunately my belly is nowhere near finished... Arghh!

Mr. Mom

2009-03-02T11:08:00.006-08:00

So Josh gets the Mr. Mom award of the year. He stayed home with the kids for 9 days while I used my airmiles to go to London and Paris. I came home yesterday to happy kiddos with a very clean house!!! He took the kids on field trips after school each day... I can't even do all that! Thanks Josh... you're the best!

Kids on their Disneyland outing with Dad!

It was so much fun to catch up with friends, get a short taste of winter, catch a couple of musicals, see the new babies, and eat Ethiopian food (prepared by our dear friend, Yodit) and at Nando's! Many thanks to friends in London... especially Kerry who had to put up with me at her home for the week.

Makenna is 6!

2009-02-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Makenna's sixth birthday by having a very small birthday party at Build A Bear Workshop... followed by cake at home. Good thing we did it the day before her birthday as Makenna woke up with the stomach flu on her big day.

The girls prepping to stuff, fluff, wash, dress and name their new friendMakenna ready to head homeThe girls making their new promise to make their bear a BFF
Makenna and her cake!

Makenna's top six at 6:

1. Reading

2. School

3. Playdates

4. Webkinz

5. Helping around the house

6. Riding her bike

Bringing up the rear...

2009-01-29T16:30:00.002-08:00

.. with a baby boy!!! This will be the final addition to our family coming the end of June. These ultrasound photos were scanned in and don't look great... but baby is healthy!

Nor. Cal.

2009-01-20T15:52:00.001-08:00

We went to Northern California over the three-day weekend to visit family. We stopped in Berkeley to see Josh's sister, husband and kiddos... unfortunately we didn't take any pictures... but they made a post on the Barlow family website if anyone cares to see them! We then spent a day with my cousin in their home in San Anselmo (just north of San Fran), and a couple of days in Placerville (aka P-Tucky... as it has been renamed). The kids hadn't seen any of the cousins on my side since before we moved to London... so it was a fun little reunion weekend.Kids with Grayson & Anicka for a little movie night.Brooklyn & Viv collecting eggs from their 20-chicken coup. They even get a green egg everyday... the girls thought it was pretty cool!

Orange County!

2009-01-10T08:15:00.002-08:00

The name of our county has taken on a whole new meaning for us. We have a few citrus trees in the garden... but they all seem to produce a ton of fruit! Our tangerine tree was seriously out of control last week (well... I guess it still is). So Josh and the girls went to work. After two boxes full... they stopped. Tangerines anyone???

When Little Boys Think They're Not Little!

2009-01-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

Lately Zack thinks he doesn't need a nap. So he runs and runs and goes into overdrive. After I tried to get him down today and he refused... he sat on the couch with his blanket and covered himself with pillows... then zzzzzzzzzzz. Not quite there yet, Buddy!

Naughty or Nice??

2008-12-25T09:54:00.001-08:00

Since we took an early-December trip to Utah... we enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas morning at home. We stayed in our p.j.s almost the entire day!Kids on stairs... pre-present! Gotta love the Christmas morning anticipation!
Girls and their new (quite annoyingly loud) barbies.

Zack and his new train
This is what Santa brought... anyone want to join Z??

Winter Wedding

2008-12-12T09:44:00.001-08:00

We took a little (well... not so little) road trip to Utah for Josh's youngest sister's wedding. It was fun to have all of the cousins dressed up. We forgot our camera... but thanks to family members who are more on-the-ball than us... we have the following: Annie and all the girls.
Annie, Parker and all the boys... yeah that's Zack being a sissy cry baby.

The incriminating photo!

26 Miles Across the Sea...

2008-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Santa Catalina is the place for me! Josh was so nice to keep the kids for the weekend and Kerry and I went to Catalina Island. We had so much fun and met a few very interesting people. We watched movies, went on a lovely walk (where Kerry had some international visitors convinced that I was a star from Desperate Housewives... I know I know... they're thinking, "she sure is ugly... those makeup artists must be really good!), went kayaking, took a couple of naps... and enjoyed being bystanders at the local karaoke bar. What a perfect way to finish a wonderful week with Kerry here! Thanks KAM... come back anytime!

After our little kayak trip... in our rubber pants which didn't work so well for me. Seriously... there is a reason MC Hammer pants went out of style after a month!

Turkey Trot

2008-11-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Kerry talked me into doing a 10k while she was here. Dana Point has a run through the harbor on Thanksgiving morning. We had a blast. Kerry lovingly brought the rain from London. We were soaked within the first 5 minutes. My pants almost fell off a couple of times from being so wet and our sneakers took a few days to dry out. But overall lots of fun and laughter... and no Ker... I'm not retiring yet :) And no everyone else... we're really not this ugly... are we?

Hey Shug!!

2008-11-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

Kerry and I were able to see The Color Purple. It far surpassed our expectations. The talent and music were amazing... and the story humbling. Well done Oprah!

The Happiest Place on Earth!

2008-11-23T18:52:00.001-08:00

We decided to start our Disneyland passes while my favorite friend Kerry was here from London. We gave the kids a choice of Disneyland or toys for Christmas. Lucky for us... we get a year of happiness from Disneyland... and the girls won't have more toys to clean up :)Our first ride of the day... Soarin' over California. Makenna was thoroughly convinced that we were flying. The castle with the lights on... ready for Christmas!

Halloween, Halloween...

2008-10-31T19:28:00.003-07:00

Trick or Treat!

According to Zack?? Definitely Trick!!! This is me trying to put on his costume for our Trunk or Treat party... clearly he wasn't digging Halloween... so far!

But then... he learned that C-A-N-D-Y was involved... and now it's his favorite holiday! The kids dressed up in different decades this year... B was a hippie, M was a 50s girl and Z was a NKOTB?

Life is definitely better the more candy you have!

Huntington Beach

2008-10-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

We were driving around with Josh's mom in the evening and noticed the sunset was beautiful... so we took a little detour to the beach. This is the pier in Huntington Beach... about 3 miles from our house. Catalina Island is in the background at the end of the pier.

We are soooo happy...

2008-10-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

When Grandma comes!

Grandma came and spent a week with us in October. She is a wonderful guest to have and the kids absolutely adore her. Thanks for all the fun and all of your help Grandma. We love you.

Donuts... mmmmmmmmmm.

A little visit to the pet shop

Breakfast with Grandma

Too Big? Too Small?? Just Right!

2008-10-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual Pumpkin Hunt... although our pumpkin patch has much more than just pumpkins as the photos show. Happy Harvest everyone!Makenna trying to find the perfect one!
B is still a little taller than M.
Girls on the hay stacks.
They have a little petting zoo... the kids tried to feed the goats.
Z trying to figure out why his 4-wheeler isn't working... hint hint... the kids before put quarters in :)
Pre-Haunted house... Makenna didn't make it in... can you tell by her face she was already scared?

Date Night!

2008-10-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Josh and Makenna went on a date to play miniature golf. After Makenna was asked what she liked best about the date she said, "I liked golf because I got the ball in the hole everytime. And I also liked it because I won. I got 80 and Dad got 65 or something."

Brooklyn & I went on a date to Mamma Mia... no photos... but lots of dancing and singing!

If you don't have good toys...

2008-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Make sure your neighbors do!!!

This is Zack with our neighbor boy, Connor. He's super friendly... and he likes to share!! Zack had the ride of his life. Thanks little buddy... whatcha doin' tomorrow??

Life's a Beach

2008-09-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours had a bonfire at the beach... how can you say no when they're in charge of the fire? We had a great time. The girls loved playing in the water and sand and Z... well we'll just say that by the end of the night... he had no problems eating his s'more with sand in it. B & M enjoying the water.
Sisters!
Z making a very Josh face
Brooklyn made friends with a bunny. And since she didn't bring a sweater... it was a perfect match.

First Day of School

2008-09-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

So nothing crazy on the first day of school... no tears, no lost kids, no calculus.
The girls' top three:
1. No school uniforms (they realized at the end of last year that school uniforms aren't "cool"... newsflash... YES they are!)
2. Both girls have a great teacher (who doesn't on the first day though?)
3. Nobody monitors what they eat for lunch and in what order

Air Miles

2008-09-02T12:29:00.002-07:00

So a lame excuse for not updating our blog... but here is a list of our flights over the past month:
1. London to LA
2. OC to Salt Lake
3. Salt Lake to OC
4. LA to London
5. London to Prague
6. Budapest to London
7. London to Salt Lake
8. Salt Lake to OC
9. OC to Birmingham, Alabama and back
Thank you American Airlines... can I have a free trip to London now?
PS We're not counting Josh's travels to NYC and Utah over the next week.
PPS Hopefully I'm back online now!

Tooth Fairy

2008-09-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

That little fairy has been leaving lots of glitter trails in our house lately!

Fountain Valley... A Nice Place to Live

2008-08-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Golden State... looks like we're always having a party!
Empty boxes... looks like we have worked hard (remember... looks can be deceiving!)
Outside of house... looked much better when we had four cars in front! Serious white trash!
Fresh OJ anyone? juicy bits or no juicy bits?

Our Europe Goodbye!

2008-08-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Josh and I had the chance to return to London and take a short trip before we were officially moved back to the States. We spent some time in London, then Prague, Vienna & Budapest, then I stayed with my lovely friend Kerry for a couple of days before a very hard goodbye! Kerry and me in London... check out the double rainbow (especially since you can't really see us!)
Josh & me saying farewell to Ben.
Prague, Czech Republic
Vienna, Austria (seriously... can you be too cool for school with the free bikes? I guess I thought so!)
Budapest, Hungary (they may not do well in Eurovision... but they have a beautiful city!)

Baby Friends

2008-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

While in Utah, I had the chance to meet up with some friends from our BYU ward. We've grown in numbers... seriously... how many little kids can 5 women have? We had a blast. Renae hosted this time and borrowed a super fun summer blow up thinger and the kids (although definitely the fairest of them all) had a great time. Thanks Nae Nae! L to R: Renae, me, Mindy, Amber, Tepoe Girls and Linzee

Z Man

Farewell London!

2008-07-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of our move back to California. But just wanted to take a moment to say goodbye. Our time in London has been life-changing. We will never forget the friends we've made and experiences we have had. On Sunday we said goodbye to so many wonderful friends. It was a sad day knowing that we may never see some of these great people again. It's always a bittersweet thing to move... like finishing a great book that you don't want to end. Thank you dear friends. We will miss you! Thank you for all you have taught us. You have greatly blessed our lives. Our bishop and other counselor in the bishopric.
Yodit is our friend from Eritrea (formerly part of Ethiopia). She joined the church last March. She is a very faithful woman and has blessed our lives immensely. I was able to go to the temple with her in June and it is a lovely memory.
Kerry with the girls and Yodit's son, Beemnet and Joyce's daughter, Tara.

Last Day of School!

2008-07-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Oops... bad mommy. Forgot to post pictures of the last day of school for the girls. Makenna and Mrs. Channel... she was an absolute delight as a teacher. She had a perfect balance of being firm and fun. She played the guitar and sang with the kids everyday. If they were sad (really sad... and not whiny sad) she would pick them up to give them a hug. She is just lovely!
Brooklyn & Ms. Platt... she also is very lovely. She was great to make the kids think and feel loved. She was super creative and always encouraged the kids to be artistic.

Scottish Highlands

2008-07-14T06:21:00.001-07:00

Just back from a trip to Scotland. Since my dad wasn't able to make it for a trip, Josh and I decided to do Scotland separately and without the kids. They are a little tired of travelling. My dear friend Kerry visits Scotland often and agreed to be my tour guide through the Highlands. She planned a wonderful trip. She loves to walk so planned a little walk around one of the lochs. We passed by Prince Charles' summer home... and enjoyed our time in the rain and cold. We went to Balmoral Castle (the Queen's summer home... why they can't share... I don't know? Looks big enough to me). Then went on a hunt for Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. No luck... so we went to see Mamma Mia instead. Thank you Sister Miller! Thanks Josh for staying home with the kids while I was partying... and FREEZING. Kerry and I at Balmoral Castle.
Nessie's Loch
Inverness by night