Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We will be out for the week so no blogs for a while.
We wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.
Love you all lots!!

Lord of the Dance

Months back Emilys Irish Dance group bought a bunch of tickets for their Irish Dancing group to go watch "Lord of the Dance" that features Irish dancing. Last night was the performance. It was amazing! While the troupe no longer features Michael Flatley they had an impressive performance. Just ask Steph.
A few things I learned is that the "Lord of the Dance" is based on ancient Irish Folklore. The story follows the character "Lord of the Dance" and his fight against the evil dark lord from taking over Planet Ireland. The "Lord of the Dance" defeats the dark lord's invasion with help from a little spirit. There is also a story with a "love vs lust" theme expressed through dance throughout the show. "Saoirse, the Irish Cailín" fights for the love of the "Lord of the Dance" against the wicked "Morrighan, the Temptress".
From the moment the lights went out and the energy began, and we were captured by the magical beauty of the Irish. The dancing, singing, music, including the violin solos was absolutely amazing. Its no wonder why its " The worlds greatest dance show" ever! Thanks Girls for a fun night out!

Christmas Tag..

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love Wrapped gifts, they look great under the tree.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real tre a must, Nobel Fir
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the 1st or 2nd week in December
4. When do you take the tree down? The week after New years
5. Do you like eggnog? YUCK!!!!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Dont remember one.
7. Hardest person to buy for? I dont buy if its that hard.
8. Easiest person/people to buy for? Kids
9. Do you have a nativity set? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, Email is so impersonal.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Don't have one.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I love all Christmas movies especially the classics.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Dont
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sweets
15. Lights on the tree? Lots and Lots of lights with Snow
16. Favorite Christmas song? Love them all..
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'd love to stay at home but we travel fro the last couple years. The Kids love to feed the homeless on Christmas morning
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Sure Can.
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Cant open them on Christmas eve cause Santa doesn't come till the morning.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Too Commercialized. People forget the eal meaning of Christmas.
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? Dont have one. Its what the kids have made over the years and what ornament last from the previous year.
22. What do you want for Christmas this year? A safe and fun Ski Vacation with lots of snow and lots of fun.

Driving in Snow

Tips from Chucks page... Hoodoo.com

1) When driving in snow have on good tires, preferably snow tires possibly with studs. Carry chains, even if you don’t need them, it is the law.
2) Always drive in control. This means stay at a speed that is reasonable. Stay under 45 MPH. That gives more reaction time if some other knucklehead does something stupid.
3) Don’t let the guy behind you push you into going faster. If he or she (although normally it would be a he) starts to ride your bumper, pull over as soon as it is safe and let him pass. He is probably being stupid, but remember the safe speed for you in your car might not be the same for him in his car.
4) Keep your distance from the car in front of you and only pass where you are sure it is safe.
5) Make sure your windshield and mirrors are clear. It is a good idea to let your vehicle run for a bit before leaving.
6) Unfortunately, our biggest problem is the other guy.
7) If your are going to drive make sure you have plenty of food and clothing to keep warm just in case.
Driving in the snow is really pretty easy when you obey the most important rules, good tires and slow speed. Drive defensively and give yourself plenty of time.

The Snow is Coming, The Snow is coming!!

I have to tell everyone how excited I am that the big Blizzard is coming to the great North West this weekend. This Christmas we have decided to opt out on presents and have planned a Christmas Ski/Snowboard Vacation instead. YEAH!!!!! Kids have been extremely excited. We have had one problem, No Snow. The Ski Season should have opened right after Thanksgiving and is still not opened and now they are hoping that they will open December 19th. Well Emily Looks like our snow dance has finally paid off. They should have no problem opening this week now ~ We are gonna have a blizzard in the Mountain's!!
It also looks like we will have snow starting here at our place too. I love waking up to freshly fallen snow and cool crisp air to walk in at night, its so peaceful.
Have a great weekend, Stay warm and Drive Safe..

Man loses everything Prays for Pilot

I wanted to share this story with you. Although it is only parts and pieces of what I felt was the importand parts to share. I am touched by this man who has just lost everything and can find it in his heart to forgive this pilot and even prays for him so he does not suffer. Another reminder if the true meaning of Christmas. Its not in the gifts that we buy in a store but the gifts we give from our heart.

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- A Korean immigrant who lost his wife, two children and mother-in-law when a Marine Corps jet slammed into the family's house said Tuesday he did not blame the pilot, who ejected and survived.

"Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident," a distraught Dong Yun Yoon told reporters gathered near the site of Monday's crash of an F/A-18D jet in San Diego's University City community. "He is one of our treasures for the country," Yoon said in accented English punctuated by long pauses while he tried to maintain his composure. "I don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could," said Yoon, flanked by members of San Diego's Korean community, relatives and members from the family's church.

Yoon named the victims as his infant daughter Rachel, who was born less than two months ago; his 15-month-old daughter Grace; his wife, Young Mi Yoon, 36; and her 60-year-old mother, Suk Im Kim, who he said had come to the United States from Korea recently to help take care of the children. Fighting back tears, he said of his daughters: "I cannot believe that they are not here right now." "I know there are many people who have experienced more terrible things," Yoon said. "But, please, tell me how to do it. I don't know what to do."

Yoon's minister, Daniel Shin, told reporters the Yoon family had moved into the house a little more than a month ago. He said Yoon came to the United States in 1989 and had since become a naturalized citizen. Yoon works as manager of "a variety store -- a store where they sell a variety of things," Shin said.

Yoon's wife came to the United States about four years ago, Shin said. Yoon spoke softly when he talked about his wife. "It was God's blessing that I met her about four years ago. She was a lovely wife and mother," he said. His voice fading, he added: "She loves me and babies. I just miss her so much."

Emily

Today was Emily's first day in Young Women's and I had the privilege of introducing her to all the girls. This is what a proud mother has to say about her daughter:

Today I have the opportunity to introduce you to someone very special to me. This is Emily and she just turned 12. her favorite food is lasagna. Let me tell you a little about Emily. She is in the 6th grade at Enterprise middle school where she is Explorers " student of the month". She is smart and loves to read books. I asked her about how many books she's read and its probably hundreds. Emily loves to sing and is learning to play 3 instruments; The violin, Clarinet & the Piano. She loves the symphony. She is also learning Irish Dancing. She loves to learn new things. She also likes to sew and do arts and crafts. BUT, don't let all that girly stuff fool you. Emily does have a wild side. She loves to play soccer, volleyball, snowboarding and Rock climbing. She loves hockey games, especially when the fights break out (they don't last long enough). One of Emily's most favorite things to do is go motorcycle riding with her dad. As you can see she is very well rounded. The best thing I love about Emily is that she is kind and cares about others. She loves to serve those in need. She loves the gospel and is always there prompting us to start FHE. Emily is ready for Young women's. I am excited to watch her learn more about the gospel and become a valiant Daughter of God. I m excited for her and I thank her for being such a wonder example to me. Emily Barkley.

As I watched Emily get her graduation certificate today I realized that my little girl is growing up and growing up fast. I am excited to see her grow and experience a new phase in her life, Being a Young Woman. I love you Emily, You will always be my little Boo Bear. Mom

FHE Night for the Holidays

If anyone needs a good FHE for the holidays heres a great new tradition to start. This will take a few weeks to do so plan. A great way to involve your kids in missionary work and service.
Supplies needed: lots of candy canes, a few of your favorite scriptures, decor scissors, hole punch, cardstock paper or scrapbook paper, glue sticks, ribbon, mailing boxes with padding & missionary addresses. You could probably do this in less days but are putting together about 200 candy canes.
#1 Spend a night finding having everyone find a couple of their favorite scriptures and then read them. Find scriptures that non-members could relate to.
#2 Moms/Dads will have to prepare during the week for the next FHE night. Type onto computer and print making in label size labels for each scripture found. Dont forget to put the scripture reference. Print on sheet of paper for the next FHE night.
#3 The second FHE night have Decor scissors and glue ready. Cut your label size scriptures and glue onto a heavier card stock or even scrapbook paper. Hole punch in corner
#4 Moms/Dads time to go get the candy canes.
#5 For the last FHE night attach the labels made to the candy canes using a ribbon or string. Then pack and send to the missionaries in the field.
This is another tool for them to use during the holidays. What a better way to leave a spiritual note to those who may not be ready to hear the Gospel. I look forward to sharing our favorite scriptures an pray it touches the hearts of those who are in need of spiritual guidance. The gospel is a wonderful gift.

Its in the mail...

Sorry guys for taking so long getting the goods in the mail but..... Julie I was having too much fun wearing your Ughs, they are adorable!! Kohen I had to watch you Elmo movie over and over, IVE BEEN VERY GROUCHY!! Jer I had to rewash your shirt, Mark wore it to work and stretched it all out. JK everyone.. they have been packed, ready and waiting for me to get out of my PJ's. I think I got everything, Yours to Grandpa Bronec. OH Jason I think theres a shirt I sent to Stef thats yours. Love you & miss you all!!

My Heavenly father does love me!!

This weekend I was down for the count with a small cold I have been fighting. Sunday I woke up and I could not talk, I could bearly get a whisper out. It was terrible. So, Mark being the wonderful loving husband he is, gave praises to the Lord by saying,"my Heavenly Father does love me!!!" As I imagine Oh Blessed day in the back of his mind. He repeated " Kids, Heavenly Father really does love me. My prayers have been answered". He is such a silly goose. But it looks as if he is blessed man again today...

This last Week

This last week has been a very good one for the Barkley Family.
Tuesday Emily played in her first Orchestra concert. She plays the Violin and is doing very well. And then on friday, which is the best of all days, this is what happened!!!!
#1 ~ For those who know our original builder of our home has slapped a lawsuit against us. Did he have a great case?, not really. We have alot of evidence to point to why we could no longer have him as a builder. But nevertheless, we settled out of court as quick as possible to stop the incuring attorney fees and to move on with our lives. Going to court would have cost way more than the return we would get. I think we came out on top.
#2 ~ It was Halloween. As hecktick as it was, Emily said it was the best halloween ever. I would agree. About 4:00, the Jeremiah Barkley family arrived at the house. Of course I was already excited that they were here but this time they brought a suprise, as I walked up to the car I saw Stephanies pillow case, I thought thats odd, and lookd behind the pillow and there Stephanie was. The bestestedly suprise ever!! Of course we were all teary and hugged forever!!!! Emily went to dance. We arrived at the church just in time to go trunk or treating. This year I decorated the back of the Montero. It was fun and almost ran out of candy. After Trunk or treating the kids went trick or treating in the neighborhood. Came back to the house to have our traditional " Mom's Chili and an old classic halloween movie, This year it was " The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" One of the kids's favorite.
#3 ~ As most of you know Mark has been fighting high cholesterol for years, Since he was about 28. It really didn't matter what he ate hit would never go down. Once he even went on soy and salads for a good 6 months. He has tried several cholesterol medications and none really worked that great, maybe only lowering it a few points. Our new doctor here in Richland decided to try a new medication. And it worked. Lowering his cholesterol to the normal range. I was soo excited. This was the best news of the day!!! In fact of my life!!!! I want my husband to grow old with and to watch our grandbabies grow up.
On Saturday was the 3rd annual Barkley Murder Mystery. Stef wrot this one and it was great!! The setting , the characters, the script was all soo perfect. You'll have to check out her blog to see all the pic's. My camera is broken. :(
Thank you everyone for coming!! We look forward to the next get together.

The hole in your Heart

Thought for the week. At a time in my life (age 40 :)) when I expected life to be at its best, It is. Today I have blinked. I know the people around me who love me and think of me as a good person and I love them. No longer will I be part of a broken record. I have a wonderful husband, children that we both share together and they love me. Life is too short to try to fix the problems that we know are unfixable. I like Dr. Lauras insight.

The Night at the Symphony

I love the Tri-cities! We have so many opportunities here that a large city has. Saturday night we had a girls night out and went to the Mid-Columbia Symphony. They play a fun arrangement of Charles Ives "America", A little Gershwin and ended with Aaron Copland's Rodeo. This was the girls favorite, all because it was the same music played in Fievel goes west; An American tail. It was fun and spunky and the conductor even wore his cowboy boots to keep the western theme in full swing.
It was a nice night. The girls got dressed up in very fancy attire and were very beautiful. They are growing up so fast. I can't wait till our next date.

Emily Band Concert

Tonight was Emily's first band concert. She plays the Clarinet. She was wonderful. I love watching her. She was very excited and you could definitely tell she loves music. It was a very short concert with the songs only lasting a few measures. They did very well and I was impressed to see how well they all listened and watched the teacher. My camera is broken so here are a few pictures from my cell.

Tri-City Americans 6 , Seattle Thunderbirds 4

This last Friday was my 40th birthday. I Can't believe that I am 40. I don't feel 40& I hope I don't look 40. I guess I can say life gets better with age or is it Ripened with age. Anyways, It was fun. I planned my birthday. It was a suprise for the kids and was driving them crazy just guessing. All I said is that they needed to dress warm because where we were going it was going to be cold. They laugh and asked, "Where are we going, Iceland?" I said pretty close. They kept guessing and of course I'd play back, not giving too much info to ruin my suprise. We left the house and arrived at the Toyota Arene. Angela was mad, she thought that we were going to watch the motocross races. Emily and MJ were excited. When we walked in the door they seemed confused. A Hockey Game? "But Mom you dont even like hockey", I heard. Oh no, Hockey is my favorite!! Really? they replied..I have been wanting to go to a hockey game for over 10 years!! It was a new experience for them never watching hockey before and sitting in the first row against the glass. And of course, MJ wants to play hockey now. It is going to be a fun season. Who will beat the 2007-2008 US Division Champs this year, I'm guessing Tri-City Americans will win again!!!

A constant in the mist of change

I love the Gospel and the fact that it gives us a constant in the mist of a changing world. I loved the talks spoken in general conference this last weekend as they spoke about trials, faith, endurance and virtue and I found myself making a list in my mind of things that I needed to improve on. And remember that I can not be exalted in ignorance. I am looking forward to becoming stable in our new ward, having a calling and going to the Temple. I miss that. And though I have never felt so far from our Savior, My testimony has been strengthened. I know he is always there and still Loves me.

Out of commission no more!!

Well we are now back up and running. Internet is on and we are in our home.
It seems as we have been climbing Mt Hood this last year but I think we are over the top and on the way down. We are settling in for a cold winters nap and ready to get comfy and cozy by the fire with the smell of a warm pie.
It has been a little difficult to get out of the "putting out the fire" mode when there seems to be so much still yet to do. But I am working on it. I need to realize that everything doesn't need to be done right now and that it will take me awhile to decorate and get ideas that fit our style. Especially when you have little furniture. Thats the fun part I guess.
I am getting excited for this weekend. I love Conference weekend. I love listening to the speakers send their messages to us in a way that it is so touching to each person in the way that they needed to hear it. I love the church and excited to start in our new ward which starts October 12th. The Candy Mountian Ward. We have over 1500 members in just 4 ward (thats counting the new ward formed Sunday). Can you believe it, 1500 + Members in the little city of West Richland alone. We have 3 wards meeting in our new building. The Young Single Adults ward, our old ward, the Lakes ward and the new ward, The Candy Mountian ward. There is already talk of the Stakes getting revised and we would be part of the Stake center the Temple is in. I love the area. The church is strong and the youth are great. And on top of it we have over 300 days of sunshine a year. Who could ask for more??
Yes, this is the pep talk to get everyone to move closer to us. For now I guess we'll have to settle with visits. Cant wait to see you all this weekend. Love Ya !!!

Out of commission

Well it is official, We are out of our apartment and into a hotel room for a few days. The Home has offically been late again and we hope to get our CO tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. And our aprtment managers want us out so they can get the apartment rented . I thought maybe they would give us a few more days but no is the final answer. Wish us well with our CO. Hopefully we will have a home this weekend.

Checking out for now. Danna

School finally Starts

Today was the first day of school. Me of course am so excited to have a little quite time again (not really quiet since I work full time, yuck!).
Angela is a sophmore this year and is really excited to do well in school. She will be driving her car by March if her grades are good enough.
Emme is in a new school this year. A little tiny sixth grader this year. I walked her to class and the older kids are huge! Then we got to the sixth grade hall and the sixth graders looked so small.
MJ is in the fifth grade this year and is on his own this year. He said he is really going to miss being with Emme. I'm glad they get along so well.
The last few days we have spent getting shoes, haircuts and supplies. Clothes will be coming soon. Its still been nice weather the kids can wear their shorts still.

A trip to the fair

Friday night we went to the fair. It was a perfect fair night. Clear ski, Slight breeze and about 70 degrees. The Kids had alot of fun and Mark went on a few rides with them, one that free falled. MJ was soo excited to go on that one but when he got to the bottom his face was so pale. He was happy he did it! It was fun to just hang out together as a family. No worries to think about except have a fun time. MJ got a little sick and so he hung out with Mom and Dad and walked around the booths. He found a rock club that he wants to join and I would like to enter a quilt or some jam for the fair. MJ wants to enter a model. Emme and Angie just want to go on lots and lots of rides. Can't wait till next year's fair. Maybe we'll hit the Washington State fair too.

Not so Great 2008..

I thought this year started out great, it was the year 2008. But lo and behold I dont think it was on the books to be that great. This last few months have just been a drag! I wont go into all the wonderful events we have been through because I am sure you have heard enough of our whining, crying and moaning. All I can say is that if we ever do get to move we are going to have one heck of a New Years Eve Party to celebrate the fact that 2008 is past and we made it thought another tough year. So sorry I have not been updating but we've been extreamly busy, an extreamly would be an understatement. Not enough hours in a day to get what I need done done!

blah, Blah BLAH!!!!

Of course the house is still going. We have been patient so far and hoped to move in this next weekend. Of course that is not happening because we cant seem to get finished. So of course we keep hearing one excuse after another and then have to take charge and do it ourselves. We still have alot of work to do and just need to be done with the house. Very frustrating!! I am hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Its Monday Again!!

I am starting to dread these Mondays. Working up at the house Friday, Saturday and Sunday till midnight can be so tough when you have to go to work during the week. It is rewarding however to see the house come together duing this final stage. This last weekend we (or should I say Mark) layed the tile in the both kids bathrooms and the utility room. It looks great. I am so thankful for my talented husband. I think he can do anything. I am so proud of him. He has been working with Emme and MJ this last weekend and he has a pretty good system. The kids love to work with their dad. Emme's smile is from ear to ear as she talks about working with her dad. I love the relationship that he has with them (and the patience too). I know Pictures are coming, soon.

Mr PB's or should I say Mr. Snuggles

This is our fat cat PB, Short for Porky Ballerina. I call him Mr. Snuggles. For the last 2 months PB has been acting a little on the strange side. You see, PB has never really been much of a snuggler and if he is snuggly its because there is no food in his cat dish. For the last 2 months he has been extreamly snuggly. At night he has to sleep in by bed and feels he must take up the whold bed. At 2:00 in the afternoon I can always count on PB jumping on my work desk and making himself comfortable. I don't really mind but sometimes its hard to work when he's laying on my table. I just think he is lonely and misses his best bud Stephanie like we all do.

How Thoughtful

This last few weeks/months have been hard. The house is taking longer than we had liked, Stephanie has moved out of the house rather suddenly, We have spent every weekend and weekday for the last 4 weeks working on the house or going out of town. Needless to say it has been very stressful.
Today Emme and Angela went to the store to get some toothpaste and to just get out and go for a walk. I got a call that they needed to be picked up at Subway and they had something that would spoil if they walked home. As I drove up to subway I could see them smile so big. My thought was 'what are these two characters up to now'. I thought maybe they were trying to schmooze me over because Emme wanted to get some minutes for her phone. I walked in and they had flowers, chocolate and a card for me. It was soo sweet. Thank you girls for cheering me up. I love you soo much. Things are getting better, Slowly but surely they are getting better. I am excited for our move coming up and to be done with the house issues. I am excited for Football season to be here and the smell of falls crisp air. I am excited to bake apple pies and sit by the fire watching football and relaxing. I am excited for our first Thanksgiving and Christmas in our new home. I am excited for all the new memories to come. Good times are coming and they are just around the corner.

CRAZY

Sorry for the late up date with the Barkley family but it has been very CRAZY here. Friday morning we started laying flooring down. By the time we got it all together we started friday night and finished Tuesday night. We have been working all day from 8am to midnight on Saturday and Sunday, after work on Monday till midnight and Finally finished last night early. I must say it looks pretty dang good. I told Mark now that we know how to use a paint sprayer and lay flooring we can really do some good. Habitat for Humanity here comes the Barkleys!!!
The kids have been having fun putting it in and are learning how to work for money. The money they are earning is going to help them buy stuff for their rooms. They have earned a couple hundred bucks so far. They have already started window shopping. Emme has a lamp picked out, its really cute. They are excited and so are we.
The heat pump, trim and interior doors are going in this week and the cabinets will be here next week. So we are almost there. We are going out of town this weekend and will fill you up with pictures next week on the progress. TTFN

I guess we need to clear the air!!

For some reason people are getting the impression that because we went to the Casino that we are also Smoking and Drinking. Lets clear the air... WE ARE NOT!!! If we did I certainly would not hide it, I have no need to. I am who I am, an adult. What bothers me is that people would believe such things before being an adult and coming out and asking me. I can't stand people who try to make others look bad & I can't stand people who judge others before they know the real truth. So be careful how you judge....That really hurts that people would judge me that way.

Ahh the memories...

Here is a fun little game... leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It is pretty funny to read the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. On your mark... get set... blog those memories

House Update

OK I wasn't going to post any pic's till the house was done but my arm was twisted and here they are. I am really happy with the colors, they are warm and soothing. OH!! the stucco has started too. This process will take about 2-3 weeks and then we will be ready to install UGS and landscaping. Fun...

After 21 Years we finally got smart!!!

The weekend started out and ended wonderful!!! Friday was our 21st wedding anniversary. I can hardly believe that we have been married for 21 years now. WoW, time goes by so fast! Through the ups and downs of a marriage we are both very happy and wouldn't change it for the world. I LoVe YoU, MaRk ! XoxOXoxOXO
So this is what our weekend entailed (which started Thursday BTW)
Thursday ~ I had scheduled Thursday and Friday off to paint the kids/guest room but they were not primed yet. So, Wednesday night we met with a painter that would come in and prime/seal the drywall Thursday Morning. Excited I was that I could start painting. The kids and I finished picking out their room colors; Angie picked a golden cream color, Emme a very light purple color, MJ a sky blue color and I picked a silvery lavender color for the guest room.
Friday ~ Emily and I got up early and started painting her room. Angie and MJ showed up with Mark a little later. I thought I'd be nice and let them sleep in. I think we got alot done on Friday. We Painted 2 rooms and a bathroom and cleaned the piles of contractors garbage around the house. We did need to go back and do touch-ups but not much.
Since this was our anniversary we decided to go to the casino. Was alot of fun. we always go there knowing we are going to lose but we came home breaking even. That was a fun trip. Mark put in $5 on a $1 slot machine and won over a hundred dollars. I put a $5 on a dollar slot machine and won $75. Of course we played it down a little and cashed out. But it payed for gas, food and fun for a few hours. We had a few hours to spare so we went to the casino up the road. I hit a royal flush and won another $100. If I had not been so cheap I could have won abour $1200. Oh well, all in fun.
Saturday ~ Mark has been looking to get the kids dirt bikes for a while and stumbled accross one on craigslist. So, Saturday morning Mark, Emme and I got up early and went to take a look at it. It was in really good condition and just needs a few repairs so Mark bought it. Emme couldn't keep a straight face for hours. MJ was just a little excited, he'd rather have a 4-wheeler but he's still happy. Mark of course is extremely excited and quickly goes to the Honda shop to buy the parts he needs, a few spokes, oil, new tires and a fender. While at the Honda store we looked at a street bike that I would approve of Mark getting, but only when his dirt bike is paid off and we get in really great shape so we look hot!!
So we played the anniversary card as an all weekend anniversary and went back to the casino up the road. For $10 you can play in the tournament they have each night. We decided to play and the game was Spanish 21. A little different than regular 21 because of the way you can bet. So out of 18 players I took second and won $75. YEAH!! We learned a couple new games and still stayed ahead so it was fun. It will be a while before we go back again, for us it's like going to dinner and a movie.
Sunday ~ Mark dropped me off at the house so I could start painting the closets and do touch-ups. The Painter forgot to prime the closets and it took me about 2 hours to paint Emmes closets. Mark and the kids picked me up to get some lunch and then off to Home depot and we picked up the paint for the final 2 rooms to paint and after 21 years of marriage we finally got smart and bought a paint sprayer! It took no time at all and Mark had painted both rooms, the closets and the last bathroom. It would have taken us all week and I am convinced that it is one of the best investments we have ever made. We only have the master bathroom accent to paint, YEAH!!!
So that was our fun weekend. As soon as I have pic's of the house I'll post them.

House Update

Well things seem to be going very smoothly now. We are past the 90 days from when our old builder could put any liens on the property. Our new builder is doing a great job getting the stucco done and we should even be painting this week. We some great main colors picked out. The kids have been working on colors for their rooms. We are all getting very excited now, Things are coming together nicely. Heres some updated pics..

I love Moments Like this...

So some of my favorite memories are when my kids are all having fun together. Stephanie has been home this last week and the kids love having her home and have missed her soo much. It's nice to see them all have a smile on their face again. Almost evey night I have gone to bed and the kids have stayed up watching movies or playing games. This is what I have been waking up to.. I love moments like this.....

Our fun weekend!

This last weekend we went to Silverton to Pick-up Emily and spend some time with Jer, Stef and Kohen bug. It was Kohen bugs 1st birthday. He is such a honey baked ham!! Honey Baked because his skin is so dark and handsome. Stef went all out for his birthday and really did a great job. She is so artistic!!
Saturday morning I needed to get some excercise time in so Emily and I went for a 2.5 mile hike up at Silver Falls. We hikes the stairs of tears to the lower south falls. Painful, but I made it. We went up early before it got too hot. It was beautiful and I cant wait to do the full trek next year.
Unfortunately between the heat and Angies allergies we decided to call the weekend short and leave saturday Night. Its a good thing we did. It would have been a miserable trip home today. Its 105 degrees already at noon and the AC doesn't work very well, if not at all. It was a fun but short weekend. Check out the pic's....

Will be gone

We are heading out for a few days to Or-e-gon... To pick up Emme and for Kohens 1st birthday. I am soo excited to see her she has been missed alot. TTFN..

Speed Limit 25MPH

Yesterday Angie and I went out on an adventure to search for a Chinese recipe. We were going to cook Chinese food last night but could not find the recipe for it so we went to Panda Express to settle our appetites. While we were out we went to some open houses on homes for sale. It was fun and rejuvinated my excitement for our home to be finished. So I thought I'd give you some updated pictures, yes, they are excessive, so enjoy.

This sign is posted in the front of our house. I think the builders got confused and thought it was for our house and not the speed limit. I need a sign that says 60 MPH!

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

THE OUTSIDE

THE FORMAL LIVING, KITCHEN & FAMILY ROOM

THE BATH & BEDROOMS

As you can see we still have lots of work to do. Some of the extras we have added that have caused some delay are the heating elements for under the tile in the kitchen and all the bathrooms, a security system and wiring for our septic. We are underway now and hope to be in the end of July. Yeah!! OH!!! My favorite we are going to put in a little mini golf area in the front yard. So dont forget your putters when you come to stay.

Hangin with the Boys..

So this week has been very very boy time. Angela went to the Pioneer Trek this week for girls camp and Emme went to Aunt Stef's & Uncle Jer's for a couple weeks. So that leaves me with Big Mark, MJ, PB and Tiger. This is what we have done so far:
Monday - Watched shoot'm up movies
Tuesday - Watched the Celtics win the Basketball championship, YEAH!!
Wednesday - We are working on the new motorcycle trailer Mark bought, getting ready to buy a couple more motorcycles for the kids.
Thursday - Angie comes back so I'll be saved, YEAH!!
Friday - Get out Mani's & Pedi's Done, I'm sure angie will love that.
Saturday - Rest and Relax. Take a nap!!!
Oh, I almost forgot.... Snuggle with PB.

Fathers Day Weekend!

It was a fun filled relaxing weekend. Friday Jer, Stef, Kohen, Jeffie, Julie and Doug came up for a Fathers day celebration. We had a great time mostly just sitting around talking, swimming, eating or going shopping. And of course we had lots of food. Thank you all for coming up and spending the weekend with us it was fun and I can't wait to do it again ( next time we'll have beds, I promise :) ). Time always goes too fast when company is here to visit, I wish we had a few more extra days.
Mark, Thank you for being such a wonderful father. You have always been there to love and support us, expecially me and I love you lots and lots. I couldn't ask for a better husband to be by my side, through the good times and the bad. Thank you for setting a great example for MJ so he can learn to be a good father too. Your daughters love you lots and I hope they are as lucky as I am to have such a great husband. Thanks for being my best friend. I Love You, XOXOXOXO

UUUGGGHHHHH!!!

OK So I had to weigh in today . It has been 9 weeks since I started working out. I can't believe it but I gained 5 stinken pounds. We also took measurements and suprise, I have lost inches. So on a good note my trainer says I have probably gained muscle. I sure hope so, otherwise I might be really upset. I am on a 60 week walking program and starting out really slow to build both in speed and distance. My goal is to be able to run a 5K. I have always wanted to do that. So I guess I keep plugging away. Sooner or later somethin' gotta give..

E~M~I~L~Y

I can hardly believe it but this school year has gone by so fast. In a blink of an eye it is over. I might say that I am really glad to see it over. I have been driving them to school and back every day, not that I mind but it really takes up alot of time that I would rather be diving them to other places like sports or dance. This next year will be nice because the bus stops exactly in front of our new house, yeah!! I am excited for that.
So, Yesterday Emily has offically completed elementary school. The school had a small completion ceremony with lots of awards given. Emily recieved a Certificate of Excellence for outstanding performance as a "Special PE Class Assistance". This is where students get to go and help other students with special needs. The Completion kids all had matching t-shirts for the ceremony and afterwards they got to have cake. It was really cute. It amazes me how fast time goes by. Another year and I will not have anymore little ones anymore. They are all growing up so big and so fast.
Some of Emilys accomplishments this year were big and some were small but I think they are all great; here is a list of a few ~ Emily went to a new school where she had never been before with no friends. She went to a school rollerskating party not knowing anyone and had the biggest smile on her face. She past her WASL with ease and is in the top of the brackets. She is reading at 9th grade level. She knows what her weakest areas are and works harder in them. She took an overnight science adventure to Seattle with the 5th graders in her school all by herself. She is learning Irish dancing and loves it. She has read alot of books this year. She got her ears pierced ~ It seems whatever Emily does, she does well because she tries her hardest. I love her drive and determination, her courage to press forward. She never say's she can not do it beacuse it is too hard, she just finds a way to do it. Emily is growing up into a beautiful young women and I love her so much.

Its time to make a change

As you all know life is forever changing. With all the events happening in the last few weeks and months its time to make a change. I love changes and in a previous blog I have probablly talked about this before. I am excited. I have finally recieved my college transcripts from Chemeketa. I might say I am a pretty smart cookie.. holding a 4.0. One of my goals was after Mark was done with school I was going to go back. I am seriously thinking that now. There is nothing better in life than to have a family and to go to school. I am going to start with taking a few basic classes such as math, writing & German this fall. I have always wanted to learn German. Someday I will go to Germany, it has always been my lifes dream. And brushing up on my math would be great If you don't use it you loose it, and somedays I can't even count to 10. Dang, I am really loosing it. The only thing I will miss out while going to school is the late night Games with Jer and Mark which will be a real bummer. I loved those days!! Do you think I'm too old for school?

My Post's

After reviewing my post I realized it didn't look right. I didn't mean to post the Stephanie and Sarah together, it looks as though I was comparing the girls together and I am not. Both happened yesterday. Sorry, A rough day for me.

Sarah Dane' Widing

Last night was Sarah's High School graduation. It was exciting to see her graduate. She has done many great things. For the last three years Sarah has gone to Roosevelt high School POWER Acadamy. She graduated with several Awards, here's the list: Honors Acadamy Award, Certificate of Achievement Award, Jacque C. Jaegar Humanitarian Award, Certificate of Completion ward, Geraldine C. Cartmel English Trophy, Excellence in Science, Authur George history Award, Health Services Outstanding Leadership Award, Certificate of Adavanced Mastery and Second Place in the Oregon Small Schools Film Festival from the NW Film Center for " The Heart of Roosevelt" Power Acadamy. Sarah has also graduated with a Scholorship from Good Samaritan Hospital for volunteer work the last few years.

I am excited to see her future start. Highschool is only a very small step towards the big goal in life and she is now off to Southern Oregon. She has had her mind set on being a OB nurse for as long as I can remember and she can do it. I am very proud of her, She has turned into a beautiful woman and I believe she will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to do. Love ya Sarah, Whoop, Whoop!!!

Stephanie

Most of you know what is going on with Stephanie but I will fill you in on the latest news I have. As of Monday Stephanie was going to be coming home We were all so excited and I think she was too. I called to confirm on Tuesday but she was not home but at Jason and Dana's. I immediatly knew that she would not be coming home then. For some reason my family thinks it is better for Stephanie to live at Jason and Dana's rather than with her own family. Apparently her Aunt can help her more than her mom. I guess that's fine and now that Stephanie is not coming home the family doesn't want to get in the middle of it. Well I have news for you.. A little too late for that. You know, I could understand it a little more if Stephanie was abused but she not, she is the most spoiled kid of them all. I truely don't understand what she can do at someone else's house that she can't do at our house. Her statement is that she wants to go out when she wants to. I suspect that she will be doing alot of clubbing in the underage clubs in Portland with her great friend Amy. She want to have her free agency to make mistakes and learn from them. In my opinion some mistakes can be prevented. Why not have the joy & freedom of not living with the consequences of our actions. I know if I had to do it over again I would love to have that joy & freedom.
So I guess we can now deal with the consequences of all our actions. I can't help it other than to be hurt by these actions. It is going to take a while to get over it, but life goes on. I do wish Stephanie the best and wish her lots of success for her future. Good bye Steph, I love you. Mom.

PB

Our kitty PB (short for Porky Ballerina) has been acting pretty weird lately.
He has been so snuggly. I try to sleep he's on my pillow, I try to work and he is laying on my desk. He doesn't stop purring. I think he misses Stephanie. He would follow her around all the time and I think maybe he his getting lonely or maybe he sees I need extra loves and kisses lately. When I was a kid kitties always made me feel good. Thank you PB for makeing me feel better.

May 31st

Saturday was Stephanies birthday. I was really bumbed Saturday since she was not at home. I had a big 18th birthday planned BBQ and Pool. Lots of people were invited but I had to cancel. Instead Steph spent the day with her friend Amy & Amy got her a couple body piercings for her birthday.
Satuday night we spent in the hospital. Mark had an accident with his Bike on Monday and scrapped up his are pretty good. It had gotten infected and He was taking an antibiotic but it wasn't working. The infection had gotten into his bloodstream and was making him really sick. So they gave him an IV with a heavy dose of antibiotic and sent him home. He is doing much better today.
So pretty uneventful weekend here in the Barkley home.

Just checking in....

I thought I'd just check in today. Nothing much going on. A little bumbed today.
For those of you coming up this weekend it has been cancelled.
Have a great weekend. Hugs to all.. Danna

A short but very fun trip.

Thursday night we headed to Boise State for the State track meet. Jeffie went to state for the 1A Discus . I think he did very well out of 16 kids Jeffie placed 3rd in State. All of the kids on the stand were Seniors. What does this mean? Well to start off you have to be really good to go to state. To get to State takes lots of time and your skills are usually not perfected until you are into your Junior and Senior years. Jeffie is a Sophmore, this means he has two more years to become better. So he will be going to state for the next two years. Exciting!! Way to go Jeffie.
After the track meet we headed to Fairview Idaho. A very small almost deserted town. Doug gave us a tour of the town and then drove up to Soldier Mt. Ski Resort. The scenery is breathtaking. We are starting to love these high plain towns.
It was so good to see the family. Kohen is growing up so fast and little Jaxon is so adorable. I miss Doug and Julie already. Thank you for inviting us and always making us feel like the family. Thanks Jason for sharing your game with us. I can't wait to play again ~ no really, it was fun. Jer, I will make it up to you by having to leave early, I promise. We really did want to stay longer. Stef and baby, We love you lots and lots! See everyone soon.

Structure

Its amazing how structure and disapline play an important part in peoples lives. It determines our character, our inner well being. I wonder time and time again how my life would have been if I had structure as a child. Would I have been a better person, I believe I would. I do know for a fact that I would have never done certian things had I had the watchful care of parents over me. I would have known and seen what was important and what I should do to shape my future. I see this with strong LDS families. The structure that they have given to shape a child in the path which they should go. I respect those families and wish mine could be the same. I respect the children that turn into adults and have great families themselves.
I don't believe or respect the parents who say " oh honey, things will be fine , you turned out ok" or "your doing better than your parents were ar your age" . Or better yet, tell your kids the problems you had growing up. The point in life is to make life better, not to make excuses for the actions that happened You can not EVER take that attitude with children. I don't know how many times my kids have brought up my childhood against me. When they know the bad things that you have done as a child/teenager it is just an excuse for them to do the same. They also look at you differently, with no respect for the parent whatsoever. It just shows you that these parents either, 1) have no respect for you as a parent or 2) need to blame the child for the actions because they were irresponsible parents themselves.
We all go through our trials. Some are not necessary but happen because of the path we chose. Some doors will open and some doors will shut, and shut right in your face and hit your nose. Some paths we can never, ever turn back on. The trials that we have have determined our character. I know for a fact the path I was living at 17-18 would have turned out terrible if Mark and I had not gotten together. He is truely my angel. It has been a long hard road to somewhat get our head above water and no one did it for us. We spent 22 years to get here. Had we had structure and disipline when we were younger maybe it would have only taken us 10 years.
So my point ~ Stucture is necessary without it we will just go through life never achieving anything. Sometimes we don't like the structure but it will shape us and our future will be better than if we had none and if we are doing our best the trials that will come will be small. So both stucture and trials help define who we are and who we become, but how long does it take to be the best you can be is determined by the path you choose.

Its finally offical

After a very long process we are finally offical home builders again. It has been a very stressful time the last few months with the on again ~ off again , back and forth, side to side, up and down, upside down and rightside up (well you get the point) rollercoaster ride we have been on. When we started this process we knew it would be difficult, and it was. Never in my right mind would I ever do this again. Doug said it would be hard and I think he had some intuition right off the bat about our shyster builder. So I will start posting about the house again and we can finally be excited again!

Our Road trip to Bluewood.

Saturday was a great Day. After we finished a few errands in the morning I thought it would be a great idea to go on a roadtrip to the Mountian, especially since it was going to be 104 degrees. So we got in the car, went to Boarders for a Washington State Atlas, and hit the road. It was wonderful to go from the desert, to the rolling prairie and then up into the snowy mountians.

Sacagwea, Lewis and Clark Climing the hill.

MJ.. aka Clark. I love this picture of him. He is growing ups so fast.

The kids really had a great time. They were a little hesitant at first to just go. They didn't really understand what exactly we were doing. I am glad they said it was one of their best trips ever. As soon as we headed up the mountian the temperature dropped into the 60's. It was so nice to have a break from the hot weather we were having at home. Thank kids for going with us.

Due to the higher temperatures there was lots of waterfalls from the melting snow. On the way down we stopped to look at. Another great picture. I am so glad we went on this adventure. We now know where Bluewood (Ski resort) is and look forward to some hiking and skiing so close to our desert home. I can't wait to see where our next adventure will take us.

Parental Help!!

OK, So we all know parenting does not come with a manual. I have always loved to read the self help books and I love listening to Dr. Laura, but I have a problem and need some advice from the ladies in the house.
My eldest who will be 18 this month is wonderful and I could not ask for a better daughter. In fact I have several times called her " Cinderella " , which she does not like. She is obsessive about cleaning , which I have several times told her to stop and let the other kids handle the cleaning for a while. But she is so happy doing it , thats why I have called her " Cinderella" . But this is not my problem. My problem is that she doesn't seem to put the importance of herself in front of others. She gets distracted , especially with "the boy", and gets way off track with homework. At one point she had a standard not to be exclusive with any one person. She has been with "the boy" for the last 5 months now, He has been very persistant, which I don't like. He is going to be gone for 2 years and where does that leave her? Alone again. I think he is being very selfish and only serving himself here in this situation and is very unfair for Steph. This has also caused major issues with getting her homework done. We have explained this several times to both of them but their little "puppy love eyes" just cant see the big picture.
She also wants to be treated like an adult and make up her own mind. How can I sit back and let her do that and not have her priorities on order. I once talked with a sister in our ward ontime and asked her, " how do you just let them go and do what they want with out letting them fail?", She said " I just let them govern themselves and I would step in if needed so they didn't fail. I have done this. It's not working for me. I have exausted all the resources I have. So, do I let her go and hope things will work out for her? What about her future? I am really scared for her and the struggles she will have without her education.
As you can see I am rambling on and on here but clearly need your advice.

O ~ U ~ C ~ H

OK, I am really trying to get fit this year. My goal is to be able to go hiking again. I am planning a trip to the Wallowa Mountians next year.
It is a 12 mile hike into the wilderness with beauty beyond imagination. Anyways, so since I am trying to get in shape I see a personal trainer twice a week who is really working my butt off (literally)!! This last week I noticed knots in my back. Not wanting to delay progress in my workouts I went to see my Physical Therapist who gave me the torture treatment from hell. A deep tissue massage.. OUCH! I feel like I have been run over today. It's ok. I will survive. so Lesson # 1.. Dont neglect your body!!

Motorcycles, Piercings and Cha~ching....

It was a fun weekend and I thing the pictures say it all. The cousins came to play. Saturday was a fun filled day. Big Mark got a brand spankin' new motorcycle this last week so Saturday he took the kids for a spin at the Motorcycle park. Stephanie, Jayden and Emme were in Heaven and of course had to go faster, do lots of wheelee's and go on the whoop~tee~doo's.
After Dirt Bike riding Emme Wanted to get her ears pierced (she has been planning this for two weeks). The rule in the house is that when you turn 12 you can have your ears pierced. Emily is 12 in November. I told her no that I just didn't think it would be fair since Ang and Steph had to wait till 12 but if they said it ws ok then she would have to gt it approved through dad. Dad said Sure... When your mom lets me get my dirt bike you can get your ears pierced. We'll I didn't agree that Mark got his dirt bike but he did get it and so Emme gets her ears pierced. The cousins watched and Jayden was especially excited and wanted hers done too... So we did. jk .. Daddy made her wait. Dana and Jayden have a special piercing day coming really soon. I love her come on Mom, I can't wait anymore look as she sits in the piercing chair.
After all this excitement the Big kids (Mark, Jason & Danna) went to try a new casino. We have been playing Roulette, Its kinda fun. Mark and Danna came home with a big L on thier forehead while Jason was a lucky winner..... I think those four leaf clovers came in handy for someone..
Another great day filled with fun and excitement... Barkley style..

Lucky....

Yesterday while picking up Emily and MJ from school they were sitting in the grass very contently. I patiently waited and enjoyed the scene. A few minutes passed by and the kids hurried to the car. They were so excited. I thought maybe they had found a bug or maybe had lost something small. As they got in the car they were so excited to show me what they had found.. A 4 leaf clover and not just one they had found 4 of them. I don't know about you but I have searched all my life to find a four leaf clover. How lucky they were to find 4. They gave one to a friend and the other is a book to Cherish later on.

A proud mommy I am

Yesterday was take your child to work day. Of course Emme and MJ we excited that maybe they could go to work with dad but No kiddies allowed without National Security approval, so OK no problem. I assumed that they would be going to school.

We woke up and Emme was quick to get ready for school but MJ insisted that it was take your child to work day and that he was going to stay home and sleep. I didn't think that was a good idea since they already know what I do and are home with me when I work anyways so we have had lots of take your child to work day's.. He said that he was staying home so I bribed him with a little treat. A donut! Ah I couldn't believe that came out of my mouth. I hate sending the kids to school having sugar in the morning. It makes a terrible day for the teacher.

So anyways, off to Albertsons we go.. They quickly get their donuts and eat them while I pick-up a few items such as the usual bread, milk and shampoo. We get throught the check-out and off to school we go. Half way there Emme yells "MOM, We forgot to pay for our donuts!!" I told her we'll pay for them next time we go. MJ prayed, he thought maybe I would be going to jail. Nope, I'm here and picked them up after school was over. Emme asked, "Mom did you go pay for those donuts?" "Not yet", I said. I took a few dollars from my purse and gave them each a dollar and off to Albertsons we go. After paying for their donuts they both said. I feel much better now. I am so lucky to have my kids be concerned over a $.69 donut they ate. Isn't your

So Much to do ~ So little time.

Have you ever wondered how in the world you will accomplish everthing you want to do in life? I do every day, bogging myself down with what I would like to do with my life, after all I am going to be a big $) this year.. Ahhh, Such Joys that come with aging. There is so much that I wanted to do and it feels as though it will never happen; At least I am coming to realize thats what the man downstairs wants me to believe. I have 40 more years of life in me and now with my life halfway over I am going to start living!! I have decided that I am young and many people accomplish great things in their later years. I am starting with the basics. In order to accomplish my goals I must first get in good enough shape to live a long,long time. Long enough to torture my children and hopefully great-grandchildren someday. I have a Great Aunt that when Mark and I first got married she was out hootin' and hollerin' on her snowmobile going mock 10 around the trails. I want to be able to do that. Later that year she broke her leg doing something crazy she was in her early 70's then. So if I whine and complain kick me in the butt and tell me to stop it off.. then give me a hug of course and tell me you love me.

The Tale of Tatterhood

Friday night a group of kids from Angelas Drama class put on a few short skits for the Sons of Norway. If was a fun night for Angela ~ her first drama performance and she was amazing, a natural. She played the queen that wanted children in Tatterhood.

Sypnosis of Tatterhood ~ A folk tale from Norway

A king and queen wanted children, but having none, they raised an orphan girl in their castle. One day, the orphan began to play with a beggar child, and the queen tried to separate them, but the beggar girl said that if the queen knew that her mother knew how the queen could have a child, she would not send her off.

When the mother would not, the beggar girl urged the queen to give her something to drink, and when she was drunk, the mother told her take two buckets of water, wash in them before bed, and throw the water under the bed. In the morning, two flowers would spring, one beautiful, one ugly, and she was to eat the beautiful one. The queen obeys, except that she eats the ugly one as well.

Soon, she gives birth to an ugly and troublesome girl, and then to a beautiful and gentle one. The ugly girl they called Tatterhood because she was always dressed in rags. She rode on a goat and always carried a wooden spoon, and she and her beautiful sister were inseparable.

One Christmas Eve, there was a great clamor, and Tatterhood demanded until she learned that some trolls and witches had come to celebrate Christmas. Tatterhood went out to face them down, but while she was fighting, her sister put her head out to watch, and a witch turned her head into a calf's head.

Tatterhood rebuked them for their carelessness and ordered a ship fitted out, so she might find a way to free her sister. She sailed the witches' land, and there she fought them so hard that they had to free her sister from the spell.

Then Tatterhood sailed to a far off kingdom, where the king was a widower with only one son. The king fell in love with Tatterhood's sister, and Tatterhood refused to permission for them to marry unless she married the king's son. The king talked his son around, and a wedding was set.

On the wedding day, Tatterhood asked her bridegroom why he didn't ask her why she rode a goat, and when he asked her, declared it was a grand horse — and then it was.

She then asked him why he didn't ask her why she carried a wooden spoon, and when he asked her, declared it was a silver wand — and then it was.

She then asked him why he didn't ask her why she wore a tattered hood, and when he asked her, declared it was a golden crown — and then it was.

She then asked him why he didn't ask her why she was so ugly, and when he asked her, declared she was more beautiful than her sister — and then she was.

Tagged:

I was tagged so here goes:

Ten years ago...
Ten years ago I had just had Mark Jr. and had just moved into our new Molalla home.
5 things on list to do today...
1. Take the kids to school
2. Work
3. Pick the kids up from school
4. Get tortured by my personal trainer
5. Find time to sew on my quilt.
What would you do if you had a million dollars...
Right now I would pay off student loans, payoff my house and give the rest to my parents.
3 bad habits i have...
1. EATING ~ I have this love hate relationship with food!!
2. Procrastination is mine too.
3. Not spending enough "happy" time with the kids.
4 places I have lived...
1. Portland, Oregon
2. Molalla, Oregon
3. Rochester, Minnesota
4. Richland, Washington
4 jobs i have had...
1. My first job was at Taco Time @ 16
2. Cleaning Stalls
3. Liteco (work with my dad so no complaints there)
4. Being a Mom ~ the hardest job ever!!!
5 things people don't know about me...
1. I love to hike
2. I want to be a Jazzersice instructor.
3. I can design cloths and make with no pattern.
4. I love math
5. I am sensitive
Whats your hubby's name...
Mark Lloyd Barkley
How long have you been married...
20 3/4 Years almost 21
How long did you date...
I don't remember it was soo long ago.. but it was the end of my freshman year in High school 1983
Purposed March of 1987
Married July 11th 1987
Who eats more...
Thats a tie....
Who said I love you first...
I probably did.. I was such a leach.
Who is taller...
Mark is much taller
Who sings better...
I do.. For sure. Mark can sing good if he would just let it out and not hold it in.
Who is smarter...
Mark is smarter.. but I am smarterestedly smart
Who's temper is worse...
I think my temper is worse... especially at TOM time :)
Who does laundry...
Mark is really good at keeping the laundry going
Who does the dishes...
Mark is good with dictating who does dishes, but I am good at getting them done.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed...
I sleep on the right side of the bed but we both sleep in the middle...Ahh cutte!
Who drives when your together...
I used to but now he does. He doesn't like my car...
Who is more stubborn...
We are both stubborn.. but I think Mark wins by a few hairs on that one.
Who is the first to admit they're wrong...
I am usually the first because I probably cause most of the problems.. What? Who me?
Who's parents you see more often...
I think we see my parents more.
Who purposed...
Mark purposed in a funny sort of way. He says, "What would you say if I asked you to marry me?" I of course being silly said, "no" . He says, " No, really what would you say if I asked you to marry me?" Of course I would say "yes". and so on....
Who has more friends...
Mark has more friends for sure. He is a likeable guy. People love to keep in contact with him..
Who has more siblings...
Mark has more 1 sister and 2 brothers.
Who wears the pants in the family...
Mark wears the pants in the family, for sure and I don't mind one bit.

This tag is past on to Brydgette, Angela and Stephanie.....
TAG YOUR IT!!!

Happy Uppie Pants

After a longs days work and the kids at school we needed a little R & R time. So we finally got a family gym membership. I thought it might help all of us to relieve some not so needed stress and tension around the house ~ Well it did just that. Somehow the kids started wearing uppie pants. I have no idea where they would have gotten this idea from.... Dana, any ideas???...lol.. I am hoping that today when we go to the gym that they burn more energy and come home pooped and want to go right to bed, at least thats my plan. I really think they were excited to swim, play DDR, rock climb and play basketball last night that it was was too much fun to calm down just yet. Me on the other hand am quite sore today and went right to bed. I have hired a personal trainer, her name is Katie and so far she has been great. She really worked my buttocks off yesterday. I can wait to go again this week. I really do love to work-out. My problem is my motivation ~ thats where Katie comes in. She is helping me getting me started again working on those core muscles. YEAH!! I'm a feeling the core today. Next comes Yoga, I love Yoga!! Maybe Mark will go with me. Its quite to workout. So here's to Uppie pants and the smiles on those uppie pant kid's. They are all so silly. Gotta love those silly Barkley kids.. I have no idea where they get all this sillynessedly attitude from....

Memories

I was cleaning off my desk this morning and came across an unmarked disc so before throwing away I thougth I'd check it out. A good thing I did because all these great pictures from Aunt Kims camera were on there. This is from one of our first fishing trips with Aaron and Kim at Siltcoos lake. We have had some great times there and the kids really love and miss Siltcoos lake. Last year wasn't a great year at Siltcoos but I am hoping that this will be a great year to go for a week or so.

Counting my blessings

This last week has been really hard for me. We now face the fact that we may lose our home that we have worked so hard for. Our Builder NS Construction Group has not been cooperating with the bank or us; which completely stops our home from being finished. In the mist of this mess we have come to realize that blessings come in many different ways. Sometimes we lose site on the blessings that we have and focus in on the "things" that don't matter. So we will see if the house works out but if it does not that’s a blessing too.
This last weekend was conference weekend and I was so looking forward to going out of town to see family but I really needed to be home. We watched all four-conference sessions and I was humbled. My perspectives have been so far off that I am embarrassed to the fact that I have not been counting my blessings, which are many. I have a husband who loves me, a family that is close and loves to be silly. There are so many people in the world that have no homes, food on their plates and have lost their family. I am so blessed to have what most people do not and I thank the Lord everyday for that.
So I challenge you to count your blessings. It’s easy to look toward the “things” that we think will make us happy, but while doing so we focus so much on getting these "things" that we lose site of the Big Eternal Picture of what life is truly about.

A very busy Morning..

A very busy morning at the Barkley house
4:30am ~ Emily, Mom and Dad ~ Get our lazy bums out of bed.
5:10am ~ Take Emily to school, stop by Albertsons for Emily snacks and batteries. Emily's off for an overnight field trip to Seattle.
6:00am ~ Emily's bus leaves for Seattle. Mom's very nervous to let her go.
6:30am ~ Dad drops Mom off at home She cooks breakfast and gets ready for the day.
7:10am ~ Mom takes Angie to school so she can get there early to talk to her teacher about math.
7:30am ~ Another trip to Albertsons for Stephanie's lunch.
7:45am ~ Take Stephanie to the Benton County district Attorneys office where she is doing a job shadow with the prosecuting attorney. Mom's excited for her.
8:10am ~ Take MJ to school. Get him there early for safety patrol.
8:30am ~ Having computer problems. Got the computer restarted with a little help from Charter.
8:45am ~ Mom takes a small break for the morning and gets her work day started.
WHEW!!!! I am very proud of my kids and the opportunities that they are having today. How lucky we are to live in America where we have the freedoms to do what we want, when we want to do it. Have a great day America !!

MJ turns 10!!

Mark turned 10 today!!! YEAH!!!
It started out a sunndy day that quickly turned to snow. What a fun suprise. A little too cold for me this time of year ~ we were just starting to break out the summer cloths.
So our new tradition is that Mom and Dad take the "Birthday Kid" out to a dinner of their choice. MJ chose Olive Garden because they have good bread sticks, we agree.
When we got home MJ was so excited to open his presents and have cake. He was really excited because when he walked through the door everyone yelled "SUPRISE!!!!"
It was a great day! Jason, Dana and the kids came up early Friday and after presents and cake we went to their hotel and the kids swam in the pool, went in the hot tub, jumped in the pool, and it was a never ending circle of fun!! MJ said " this is the best birthday ever".
On Saturday we went out to the Yamaha shop where the kids watched a few guys do some fun jumps. To Cold to stay so we went out to eat and went swimming and played games for the night. A Fun Weekend.........6 WEEKS!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday MJ!! You are growing into such a nice young man.. I love you Lots..XOXOXOXOXOX


He said it was his best birthday ever.

It's Here, Its Here....

Its Here, It's here... Enchanted movie has been released on DVD. In my opinion it is one of the best movies out there AND its PG. A fantastic musical movie. If you havn't seen it yet you must go buy it today!!!! Its a magical tale of true loves kiss. I don't want to say too much to spoil the story for those who have not seen it yet, So enjoy the music.....

March 17th ~

Happy St. Pattys day to you!!
Remember to wear something green.
And if you must pinch, Don't be mean..

Calling all cars..

Maybe I can pass for an old beat-up car. I sure feel like it. What do you think..

Urgent Casting Notice

We are looking for OLD, BEAT UP CARS & TRUCKS for the feature film TWILIGHT. The vehicles can be dented, scratched, wrecked, etc.

You and you car would need to be available NEXT WEEK (MON through FRI) to work on the film. Shooting will take place in Kalama, WA (about an hour north of Portland). The pay is $65/day, OT after 10hrs. You would also receive $40/day reimbursement for travel and a $20 car bump.

If you are interested in being considered, please e-mail the following to sally@extrasonly.com:

Name
Contact Info
Recent Photo of you AND your car

Thank you and we will contact you if we are interested.

Happy Birthday Eric!!

Today is Eric's Birthday but he is nowhere to be found.
He's out having fun, while my paper work mounds and mounds!!!!

It's not fair as I sit here all day..
While he's out having fun with no work and all Play!!!!

Eric's the oldest brother I got..
I'm glad he's my brother and I love him alot!!!

So I don't really mind that he's gone to Mexico..
Where the people are nice and he has lots of amigo's!!!!

Celebrate your birthday today with a smile..
We send you hugs & kisses from over the miles!!!

We love you Eric Hope you have a great Day!! XOXOXOX

My Mom and Dad

Yesterday was my mom and dads 45th Anniversary. I have to say that I am so proud of them. They have been through soo much the last 45 years and through all of the struggles and joys they are still together. They have been a wonderful example for me too look up to. I believe that marriage is a commitment and wether things are going great or going south, your in it together (even though it may not seem like it). There are not very many marriages that last this long. Thanks Mom and Dad for being an example of Love, Patience and Endurance.

Poem to MOM

Sorry guys this is long. I heard this on Dr. Laura yesterday I thought it was cute.

Poem to MOM


My son came home from school one day, With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough, To put me in my place.

"Guess what I learned in Civics Two, that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today, The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room, Don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think, Or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion, And regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head, And I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want, And pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like, Get tattoos from head to toe.

And if you ever spank me, I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges, With the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me, My body's only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses, that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals, Like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control, And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights, So you can't influence me,
Or I'll call Children's Services Division, Better known as C.S.D."

Mom's Reply and Thoughts

Of course my first instinct was To toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully, I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face, he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping At the local Goodwill Store..
I told him, "Pick ou t all you want, there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D .. Who said they didn't care
If I bought you K-Mart shoes Instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment To take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. Is unconcerned So I'll decide what's best. "

I said "No time to stop and eat, Or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn To make your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite, And wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions, A favorite dish of mine."

He asked "Can I please rent a movie, To watch on my VCR?"
"Sorry, but I sold your TV, For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room, You'll take the couch instead.
The C .S.D. Requires Just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now, I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get, Will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski, Dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights', It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying, Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out, Instead of C.S.D..?"

MOM (Mean Old Mother)