What a Difference a Year Makes...

November 10, 2010

UVA Hospital 

THANK YOU, Heather, for dropping everything and moving in... 

 

 





and helping us get from here...



to here...

THANK YOU, Jeff, for coming to B.V....

and to the Barnes for a FAB Thanksgiving Feast...

And THANKS to ALL of you for your love and prayers that helped us get to where we are now...

November 10, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BARNES FAM!!

xox,

Celia, Emma and Samuel

Time Out for Women

It was so fun to be together at Time Out for Women in Richmond.  Thanks Angela for the awesome seats!  I wish we lived closer to you.

-KB

Halloween

I would just like to show everyone what I consider my greatest work of art in my life.

-Samuel

p.s. I'm planning to be The Jimmer for Halloween...

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to the Best DAD a girl could ever want!

Thanks for the memories!

     

 Thanks for giving me the world!

I am grateful to know that families are forever and that we will be together again!

                I LOVE YOU DAD!!!

My Big Girl Job

Last week I got a new job!  A big girl job!  I really wasn't looking for anything considering nannying/personal assisting/whatever you want to call it really wasn't that bad, but here is the story:

About a month ago Rick Fulkerson (my now boss) came into my Student Alumni Board meeting to discuss Keys to Success and the help we will give them in the spring.  In closing, he mentioned a job opportunity that they hadn't been able to fill but were looking for someone.  I didn't think anything of it past that, but last Monday I thought I would send in my resume just to see what it was all about.  I really had no idea what the job even was?

Monday I sent it in, an hour later I was asked to interview on Tuesday, and on Thursday I was offered the job across the table.  Supposedly they had 150 applicants, interviewed 50, and were about to hire a BYU graduate, but I beat them all out!

My job is a lot of marketing-which is definitely not my major so it's real scary for me.  I was trained this past week and Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and plenty of other programs went right over my head.  I have A LOT to learn!  I work specifically with Rick and my immediate boss is Barbie!  Yes, she is a darling blonde named Barbie!  I work in the "Community" department of Ken Garff which involves their foundation, Keys to Success (their scholarship program in High Schools) and Road to Success (their literacy program in Elementary Schools).  Right up my alley.

Funny thing, they had me take this personality test and my results came back as me being very "reserved", "not interested in small talk", "shy", "private", and "timid".  Little do they know......

So now I work M, W, F from 8-5 and do school T, TH, and everything else I'm involved in.  

Fun to be busy I guess.

I work on 495 South Main Street on the 11th floor of the Ken Garff building. I feel cool saying "I work downtown."

This is my big cubicle.  I had to sneak this pic...I felt too embarrassed to get the whole thing, but when decorate it I'll show you all.

This was my first day of work outfit!

word for the week

Here is the new word for the week:
JOY
Color it yellow.
Hint: BoM pages 275 - 280
When you are finished it will be like sunbeams dancing across the pages of your scriptures!
Hope to hear from ALL of you soon!

Quicken

Quicken:  Understanding the things of God. How can we quicken ourselves here? All of us have to be "quickened" and touched by the spirit.

      

FHE thoughts from the Blairs: Tom, Heather, Nick, James, Peter, and Kate !

We can't wait to read yours!

How is it coming?

Still waiting to hear from many of you. Three are in so far.
Added bonus: Look in Moses 6 and John 6.

Idea

This morning while sitting in the temple I had an idea.........scary thot, I know. I was reading the D&C while waiting for the session to begin and I kept coming across a word that I love. And here is the thot that came......

As a family we have a weekly word that comes from the scriptures. We mark it in a specific color and write one sentence about what that word means in your life.

We post this on the blog and each write in the comment box our response.

Tools needed: Personal scriptures -- if yours are all marked up, you might want to get a paperback set that you can mark in this way or just remark your own.

Colored pencils to use for marking.

Before long our scriptures will look like a virtual flower garden -- all dotted with many colors.
I will begin the exercise and then we will begin to assign different families or individuals to come up with a word and color.

If you are in the game, please respond!

In the meantime, here it is.....


Word for the Week: QUICKENED

Hint on where to find it: D&C 88 (there are many other places but this is a good beginning)

Color: Orange When you find it color it orange

In the Comment Section write one sentence on what this word means to you.....and you might add how many times you found the word. (some of you might want to explore beyond D&C 88)

This would be a fun FHE or Sunday activity.

Now the big question: Are you in! It will only be effective if we all add our comments. That way we learn from each other. Right now, respond if you are in. We will give you a few days to gather what you need.

Heather on the Hill

Remember when Lord Wedgewood was going to take Heather to see the Heather in bloom in Scotland..........
Well, he failed....but here it is!!!

I don't want to brag.....

But I'm going to!  The twins started school last Wednesday and I will admit that I've been dreading school starting for one reason.  Most of you could guess why if you know our history with school and particularly last year.  Anyway, Emilie has done great!  She has woken up happy, has not complained about her tummy hurting or anything else, and has not once said she didn't want to go to school!  I don't know what has changed, but I'm taking it and couldn't be more happy and grateful that she has done so well.

Also, I got this email from her teacher today and Jeff and I couldn't be more proud of her!

Hello Mrs. Barnes,

I want to let you know how happy I am to have Emilie in class.

Mrs. Starnes allows new students to invite two friends to have a special lunch in her office.  Our new student invited Emilie to lunch.  She so graciously accepted the invitation.  Emilie is kind and considerate to our new student.  I know that makes him feel more at home here at Shoal Creek.

You must be proud to have such a great kiddo!

J Emily Jones

Fanny Boy and Back to School

I just wanted to wish a Happy First day (or belated 1st day) of school to everyone.... I felt sick and still do just think of it.... Best of luck, learn a lot and have fun with it.

And i wanted to give a shout out to Fanny Boy for getting his papers in... Where does everyone thin he will go??  I am guessing France....
Happy times here in DC
Pedo

A Quick Pictorial Trip with the Folsoms

Trinity College in Dublin......

Statues representing the starvation that took place during the potatoe famine -- 1845

Mollie Malone -- don't look too close......!

In Dublins fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

She wheeled her wheelbarrow, Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels Alive, Alive, Oh!

Looking out on the Irish Sea -- complete with lighthouse

Who could leave Ireland without a few shamocks!

The wind blows hard but the view is spectacular!

Our new best friend. Our guide was a member of the church and so she let us in free!

Just another bridge........every river has them.

Home at last! (A castle in Wales)

And so if he quits his day job..........there's always another church!

15 Wadham Road. Remembering Gr. Hinckley

Smallest house -- right here in Wales. And the man who lived in it was 6'4"

How's this for a great bunch of kids!

Grandpa Hinckley's digs when he lived in Nelson. It is reported that at one time, during his stay in Nelson, he suggested to his companion that they just shoot everyone and preach baptism for the dead! Probably would have had more success!

It was a great trip. Hopefully the Folsoms will add more to the blog.

Temple Trip with the Bensons

Last week we got to attend the temple with the Bensons.  It was Sam's first time with baptisms and Peter got to baptize both Sam and Emma.  We are so happy they would let us participate in this special trip. 

Afterwards we of course had to go to Cafe Rio.  No you did not read that wrong, Washington D.C. has a Cafe Rio and the food is amazing.  The whole place was filled with Utah natives and is apparently the place to be after going to the temple in DC.  We felt right at home!

1st ER Visit!!!

5 Kids and 1st ER visit -- Not bad but could have done without it!!!

So about 8:45 last night we had finished FHE and after many late nights lately, we were trying to get our kids in bed.  But....  of course they were not liking that idea and thought it would be more fun to be completely disobedient and keep escaping out on the deck and down onto the trampoline!

Funny thing -- my Relief Society lesson this Sunday is on Obedience! 

So at one point when they ran outside to escape us and disobey, and shut the door behind them.  Well...  William was standing near and had a finger in the hinge part of the door.   Yep OUCH!!!  When I ran over to pick up screaming William I saw his finger that was dripping blood all over and his finger nail that was ripped completely out of the nail bed and barely hanging on by a thread by the tip of the nail. 

So me being the mother of 5 children had no idea what to do so I had Rich frantically call the ER doctor across the street ...  he said to run him over so he could look at him.  Once over there he gave us the unfortunate news that we needed to take him to an ER.   LOVELY!!!!  Just what we wanted to do at 9:00 at night when all the other kids should have been in bed! 

So off we went to Primary Children's ER where we saw countless nurses, residents, doctors and everything else in the ER!!!  They took x-rays which all looked good and then made us soak it in some stuff.  Then hours later ---  they came and gave him some stuff to make him loopy and then put him on the table wrapped him up tight and shot 2 shots into the top of his finger to numb it while they then proceeded to push the nail back up into the bed and stitch it back on!  Yep it was tons of fun!!!  Now he has a nice splint and bandage all over it and will eventually lose the nail but keeping it on for now they said will help create a healthier environment for a new nail.

So when we finally got home about 1am and got him settled in bed, I got in bed about 1:45 just in time for a huge lightning, thunder and rain storm to start that was soooo loud and made something go crashing down of the shelf in our family room.  So then the storm woke Joseph and Eliza up and they were in our bed!   Basically I didn't get to sleep until about 3:30 and then William woke up screaming at 5am!  

I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!!!!