The video below shows Grant and Dallin's reaction to their success. It cracks me up.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Roller skating = confidence
The video below shows Grant and Dallin's reaction to their success. It cracks me up.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Independence Day
When I was a kid, our Barker family get-togethers for the 4th of July were epic.
Yes, epic.
It was the time of year for camping, boating, skiing, and motorcycle riding. For fishing, talking, laughing, and joking. For flea-market shopping, potato gun shooting, and stick frisbee.
It was aunts and uncles, cousins and grandmas, old dogs and new puppies. It was the proving ground for new family members who dared marry a Barker and try to fit in.
It was "who-could-tell-the-biggest-yarn" and "what-kind-of-prank-would-outdo-last-year's" and "who-would-run-out-of-fresh-water-in-their-trailer-first."
I think it's safe to say that for every Barker who made camping at Phillips Lake their 4th of July tradition, it was a few days of heaven. Most certainly some of my fondest memories are from those days spent with my family at Phillips Lake. And as surely as the sun rises and sets, good times come to an end, and camping with the Barkers at Phillips Lake was no exception. But as one tradition fades, it gives rise to the opportunity to form new traditions, new memories, and new family bonds.
This year, my brother Jason and I seized the opportunity to create a new tradition for our Barker family as we gathered at our cousin's house in Prineville and set up camp. Over the holiday we forged ahead to create new memories, and we were richly rewarded.
We enjoyed the company of my Uncle Eldon and Aunt Bernita. I would say they were the Guests of Honor. No one could replace their presence and I enjoyed reconnecting with them and hearing more stories from Uncle Eldon's rich oral library.
My dear cousin, Eric, was there and I can hardly believe we're both old enough to be adults and on our own. I have many, many memories of him together with my other close cousin, Candy--all of us staying up late, watching scary movies, giggling in our sleeping bags, or other such cousin nonsense. It was nice to reconnect with him on an adult level and see the kind of fine young man he has become.
For me and my family, in particular, it was exciting to form new relationships with cousins we had never met or whom I had only seen in my early childhood. Nicky, Shaun, and their four kiddoes are a delightful bunch that we really enjoyed getting to know. We very much look forward to spending more time with them in the future and nurturing our new-found relationship.
We created our own memories for ourselves and our children this year. Swimming in the lake and exploring local lava tube caves were the highlights of the holiday. We mapped out four lava tubes in the countryside around Bend and headed out to explore them. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the first cave, we realized we had forgotten our flashlights and lantern back at camp. Smart! After a few minutes of digging in our vehicles, we found an emergency flashlight, a rifle scope light, and a few other random flashlights tucked under the seats to get us through the caves. It was an adventure!
I'm grateful to have spent the time we did with my extended family. It helped me remember how much I love and admire my family heritage. I miss the Phillips Lake days and this time together helped me rekindle those memories in my mind and begin to create new ones. Here's to more memories ahead.....
(Now, close your eyes visualize a slideshow of photographs here with my family in cool caves and having great adventures. I CANNOT get the pics uploaded onto the blog and I've already waited weeks to try to figure it out and now this post is seriously outdated and I'm MAD. So, just play the pics through in your mind, okay? Over and out.)
Yes, epic.
It was the time of year for camping, boating, skiing, and motorcycle riding. For fishing, talking, laughing, and joking. For flea-market shopping, potato gun shooting, and stick frisbee.
It was aunts and uncles, cousins and grandmas, old dogs and new puppies. It was the proving ground for new family members who dared marry a Barker and try to fit in.
It was "who-could-tell-the-biggest-yarn" and "what-kind-of-prank-would-outdo-last-year's" and "who-would-run-out-of-fresh-water-in-their-trailer-first."
I think it's safe to say that for every Barker who made camping at Phillips Lake their 4th of July tradition, it was a few days of heaven. Most certainly some of my fondest memories are from those days spent with my family at Phillips Lake. And as surely as the sun rises and sets, good times come to an end, and camping with the Barkers at Phillips Lake was no exception. But as one tradition fades, it gives rise to the opportunity to form new traditions, new memories, and new family bonds.
This year, my brother Jason and I seized the opportunity to create a new tradition for our Barker family as we gathered at our cousin's house in Prineville and set up camp. Over the holiday we forged ahead to create new memories, and we were richly rewarded.
We enjoyed the company of my Uncle Eldon and Aunt Bernita. I would say they were the Guests of Honor. No one could replace their presence and I enjoyed reconnecting with them and hearing more stories from Uncle Eldon's rich oral library.
Our hosts, cousins Dick and Sue, were gracious and welcoming as they shared their food, their home, and their potty with all my children. We enjoyed spending most of our time together relaxing on the deck and visiting with them.
My dear cousin, Eric, was there and I can hardly believe we're both old enough to be adults and on our own. I have many, many memories of him together with my other close cousin, Candy--all of us staying up late, watching scary movies, giggling in our sleeping bags, or other such cousin nonsense. It was nice to reconnect with him on an adult level and see the kind of fine young man he has become.
For me and my family, in particular, it was exciting to form new relationships with cousins we had never met or whom I had only seen in my early childhood. Nicky, Shaun, and their four kiddoes are a delightful bunch that we really enjoyed getting to know. We very much look forward to spending more time with them in the future and nurturing our new-found relationship.
We created our own memories for ourselves and our children this year. Swimming in the lake and exploring local lava tube caves were the highlights of the holiday. We mapped out four lava tubes in the countryside around Bend and headed out to explore them. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the first cave, we realized we had forgotten our flashlights and lantern back at camp. Smart! After a few minutes of digging in our vehicles, we found an emergency flashlight, a rifle scope light, and a few other random flashlights tucked under the seats to get us through the caves. It was an adventure!
I'm grateful to have spent the time we did with my extended family. It helped me remember how much I love and admire my family heritage. I miss the Phillips Lake days and this time together helped me rekindle those memories in my mind and begin to create new ones. Here's to more memories ahead.....
(Now, close your eyes visualize a slideshow of photographs here with my family in cool caves and having great adventures. I CANNOT get the pics uploaded onto the blog and I've already waited weeks to try to figure it out and now this post is seriously outdated and I'm MAD. So, just play the pics through in your mind, okay? Over and out.)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
On her own
Jason picked up a free bike for Karina a few weeks ago on his way to work. Since then, she has been bugging us to put training wheels on it so she can ride. Well, training wheels aren't at the top of my priority list (sorry to admit it, but it's true) so it just hasn't happened. But, the other night when we were at the BMX track with the boys I spent some time with Karina to see if she could ride on her own and, VOILA! Just like that, she took off and started riding solo. Way to go, Bucket!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A 12-year-old in the house
Mariah had a fun birthday with her friends who came and endured camping in the backyard--rain and all. She chose to have milkshakes as her birthday treat and pizza for dinner. Unfortunately, I have hardly any evidence of her party as I took pictures without a memory card in my camera. Smart.
How in the world could I possibly be the mother of a 12-year-old? I can't seem to escape this incredulous feeling as I watch my children grow older each year. Life just seems to be speeding by and I have little control over it.
How in the world could I possibly be the mother of a 12-year-old? I can't seem to escape this incredulous feeling as I watch my children grow older each year. Life just seems to be speeding by and I have little control over it.
Monday, July 2, 2012
June of Joy
June was filled with joy....
- Playing with our new kitten, Twig--she makes me smile with her playfulness.
- Watching Mariah succeed in her first horse show and seeing her confidence grow---then celebrating with her as she won 5th place in showmanship at her second horse show. Go Mariah!
- Escaping with my hubby to downtown Portland for a night without kids--enjoying each other's company and staying in a SWEET hotel room.
- Seeing Mariah graduate from elementary school to junior high. Can this really be happening?
- Knowing baseball season is OVER! Now I can reclaim my late afternoons/evenings.
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