Introducing Barrett Park, M.D.

Our daughter, Bethanie, her husband, Barry, and their sons, Brody, age 4 and Maverick, age 22 months
are starting an adventure.  Barry just finished Med School (last day today, last test tomorrow, EVER) and has been assigned to Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia for his 3 year Residency.  They are moving out there very soon and all of our lives will be changed, different.  We are excited for them, but will be so sad not to have them part of our every day lives.  Best of everything, you guys.  We love you!!

Omi Makes Fleece Blankets for All

Omi's Aunt Phyllis gave her bundles of fleece to make cuddle blankets for the kids.  Mara chose Elmo (Mo-mo) and the Sesame Street monsters.  Claire has little girls with a pink back.

Brody and Max both chose Nemo and Mav's is purple.  They sure do love blankets!  Thanks, Aunt Phyllis, for sharing your fleece with us!

The kids have always been very scared of the cows in the backyard.  We always tell the kids that the cows can't get them cuz they are behind a fence.  Today, for some reason, they are no longer afraid.  Now we have to wait for them to touch the electric fence, cuz they are determined that it cannot be bad for them.  They are even talking to the cows ("Hi, cows!", "come, boss, come, boss").  Summer is going to be much better this year.

Mara and Maverick are catching some rest on the couch.  Claire loves getting people snuggled up, so she put down pillows and got baby blankets for them.  Funniest part, they go along with her!  I have noticed that it is pretty easy to get Mara to snuggle up with any type of blanket or pillow, even when she isn't tired!

Goal - Plan

Read an article in a magazine last night about how many people fake their entries on Facebook.  Pretend and fabricate and enhance.  Then another article about gathering with friends who are so busy checking out their smartphones that they aren't really "in the moment" of the gathering.  So determined to get a good photo of the event to share on their social network that they weren't really at the event.  Anyway, I'm gonna keep it real.  (Even though I admit I do try to capture myself and the kids at our best.)  I am so lucky in the job I have, the home we've created,  a farm just shy of "showplace", my husband has two very successful careers going that make him happy, I have time to read and craft.  But I have a problem with my weight.  No excuses.  Time to get going, make some changes, own it.  Starting today.  Working my way to feeling better about myself physically - and having more energy.  Maybe even enough energy to do my job.  Spring is here and I'm ready.

Girl Adventure

Today was Claire's turn for an adventure with Omi.  We went to JoAnn Fabrics and shopped for a piece of fleece to make the top of a snuggly blanket for her.  It was so fun to watch her look at all the different patterns and decide which was best for her.  She looked at Hello Kitty and butterflies and flowers, and the one she chose was little girls of all different ethnic backgrounds.  The photo doesn't show it, but she is all decked out with a scarf and everything - so fashionable!  We stopped for a treat after our shopping.

I'll talk about the fleece blankets more later, when I can attach photos of all of them.  My Aunt Phyllis inherited a lot of fleece fabric and shared enough with me to make a blanket for all 5 of the grandkids and their dollies.  I got the fabric last week (thanks Rynda) and have made 4 so far.  I'm giving my cutting hand a little break and thinking about a new pair of scissors!

ZOO DAY - March 2014

We finally made it to the zoo!  We have been trying since Christmas, but something always got in the way - mostly the cold weather!  Max, Claire and Brody are enjoying the penguins with no other kids around - we were the first ones there!!

Always gotta take a pic on the turtle, right!

We spent a little time in the almost empty Bee Hive.  Max was quite the actor!

Claire liked showing Mara the ropes!  The flamingos are always a favorite.

All 5 captured at one time.  They all did such a great job.  No fighting, no whining.  We got there at 9, had our first snack at 9:30 after Bee Hive play and a coffee for Omi and Papa, stopped for a treat at 10, listened to story time, walked the Tropics, had our photo taken before the Minnesota Trail, ate our lunch at 11 and snuck over to see the fish before heading for home.  Perfect plan!

A very special group!

We were going to walk VERY QUICKLY through the underwater area, cuz Claire does not like the scuba diver - vewy scawy!  Guess what!  The scuba diver was a girl and she could hear her voice and decided to stay for the show!!!  When I asked her about it later, she said, 'well, Brody was right there with me, so I wasn't scared.'

Mara LOVED the freedom of running around the Bee Hive!  Everyone thought she was adorable!

Mara LOVED the zoo, she loved every animal and stared and pointed at everything.  Papa was pushing the babies, so he got to see it all and was so tickled that she enjoyed it so much.  I think it has been awhile since she was at the zoo, so it was all "new" to her, again.  That is one of my favorite parts of taking the kids to the zoo, each time they see something different or enjoy something different.

I guess I already mentioned that Mara loved running around!

Maverick was amazed by the penguins zipping by in front of him in the window.  I think he would have stayed there all day.  The penguins ARE very peaceful to watch, I enjoy that too.

We wear our    sunglasses...    Zoo Day was a big hit - the weather got to 50 degrees!  Before you know it we will be back there in swimsuits running through the big sprinklers!!  Can't wait...

the Winter Days, they go on, and on, and on...

Claire enjoys reading to the kids, when they will sit still.  Warm and cozy in the living room.

Mara is such an angel.  Oh my...

We found a new kids' cookbook.  Our first recipe was Cinderella Cake.  After we put it in the oven, the kids went to bed for naps.  When they woke up, they found a round pink cake.  They didn't understand why it didn't look like Cinderella.  I said I thought maybe the pink was the Cinderella part.  Claire informed me that Cinderella wears blue.  Oh my...   (note the pink cheeks from playing outside!!) (and sneaky Mav doesn't think I see him sneaking a finger full of frosting!)

Mara thought she was hot stuff wearing Claire's boots all around the house!

Mav just plain wore out this morning and fell asleep on the couch.  I covered him up with Max's dolly blanket and he snuggled right in. 

Thought it would be fun to capture what my frig looks like on any given day.  Too much, I know.

One of the last days with snow before the warmup and the kids were determined to shovel off our deck - all 4 feet of snow! 

Claire loves to sing Christian songs

Winter Happenings

 When the kids are feeling sick, they all want rock-a-bye time.  We do what we can!

 They do love to watch movies.  Plus, it's toasty warm in the living room and they all love blankets.

 Papa came to visit and snuggle, too!

 Playing kitchen and salon are favorites, sometimes they are all in one place at one time!

 Brody and Claire have learned to take photos on my iPhone.  Some days there are dozens of them.

 Here is one of the first selfies I found.

 Max and Brody enjoy shoveling.  Our back deck is the perfect size and depth for them.

 Maverick gives a great hug.  Tighter, tighter.  Claire eats them up!

 While Max & Brody were shoveling, Claire and Maverick were doing projects.

 Claire's goofy look during their surprise (to me) photo shoot.

Max was so proud of the outfit he picked out for himself.

 The big boys pose for a shot.

 I think Maverick is explaining the plot to Mara.

 Maverick is a very good kisser - pucker, smack and everything.  Over and over and over.

 Winter days' projects - snowflakes and sunflowers.  Spring is coming eventually, right?  The sunflowers had real sunflower seeds in the center!  They were amazed at how different each snowflake turned out!

Mara loves to sneak into the porch and crawl into Claire's booster seat.  It's a real process when she does it.  I think she thinks it mealtime any time, all the time!