Bellsa!!

I'm NOT kidding - SOME DAYS! The other day I was carrying in my groceries and left Bell in the car for a sec - look what I found....

My pop spilled into the middle console and all over the carpet...

Bananas peeled - my purse emptied out - a complete wreck!! I can't keep up with her - BUT, I'm absolutely crazy about her - she just cracks me up! Everyday is a new adventure!

She likes to bathe in the sink now - so all day she asks to get in! "SINK!! SINK!!" Sometimes it's nice - I can get work done in the kitchen and she's contained and happy! Win - win!! (This was bath #2 for the day!) BTW - she makes a terrible mess; she spills a TON of water out on the floor - still, sometimes it's worth it! :)

"NATIONALS!!!!"

I told you it was coming - HERE IT IS! NATIONALS (AKA - regionals)! Regionals finally came - after MUCH anticipation!

How rude is this... I was being SUCH a brat about going! It was cold and I just didn't feel like it! Mike said, "Hon, he's the BEST kid, he doesn't ask for anything - if he wants to go to regionals just let him!" Needless to say - he was right! Bo took first place in his first heat (I think that's what you call it) and second place in the next heat but he still didn't place overall!

I think he thought he would win but it was off your overall time! He was .34? and some cars were .32 - he's already concocting a new design for next year! HE LOVED THE DERBY! It was fun to see him - he LOVED going and I'm SO glad we did it! Proud of you Bodie!

Bo and Bell have the CUTEST relationship! The other day they were out back jumping on the tramp - unaware that Mike and I were watching them! Bella just kept hugging Bo and laying her head on him - he would kiss her and then they would jump and laugh - it just made me bawl! I was SO proud and overjoyed to see the LOVE they have for each other! NO better sight in the world then to see my kids loving one another! I'm especially proud of Bo - my tough athlete Bo who talks baby talk and LOVES to be with his little sister!

Cystic Fibrosis Walk

Every year we are able to show our support in finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis by participating in the CF walk in Cedar City! Mike's sisters daughter, Bailey, has CF and we KNOW in her lifetime there will be cure!

This year was a twist as we ended up at the park and enjoyed fun games, entertainment and food! Bo and Jake LOVED the soccer challenge!

IT WAS COLD! No one listened to me that we would be cold - thank goodness I packed warm clothes anyway!

Here's Bri and Bailey - I think they look TONS alike! We just adore this darling Bai - she is SUCH a sweetie - a heart of GOLD! We want her live a LONG healthy life and always continue to bring the joy she brought to the Barben family! LOVE YOU BAILEY!

Oh Breezy!

Mike was in charge of the kids last week at Bo's baseball practice... Long story short he lost Bri and her friend - when he found Bell (Bri was supposed to be watching her) she was in tears and saying, "No, no, no!" Mike saw someone in the ward who told him that Bri and her friend had to go poop! He looked for about 20-25 minutes - all around the feilds, drove home and back to the fields - got our good friend, Zac, to help look. Drove back to the ball feilds - split up from Zac and looked some more. He was getting more and more paniced - Zac found the girls! They were in a "secret spot" going poop because the bathrooms were locked (which explains why Mike couldn't find them)! Mike was relieved and mad all at the same time. He got mad and Bri; he told her he was upset that she didn't watch Bella better! When they got home Bri colored Mike a picture because she thought it would "soften his heart!" It sure softened mine!

The other day I walked into my room and THIS is what I found - my darling Bri had made me this note - what a FUN surprise! She is the most thoughtful little thing!
Mike, Bo and I were telling Bri that she would make a great tennis player - I would REALLY like her to play some sort of a sport since I'm sport challenged! She replyed, "OH, I have the perfect skirt for that!" (Always about the fashion!)

I went on Bri's feild trip with her to a little farm - they had a couple horses and some chickens! It was nice to spend some time with Bri as we spend most of our time at Bo's school! She was SO proud to have me there - wanted to walk by me and hold my hand! Bri wasn't the least bit afraid - she wanted to pet the horse - she got as close as she could! Bella loved it to until the walk back to school - when she flipped!

The other day Bri was looking at Mike's cold sore in his lip that had got quite large. She thought a minute and then said, "I hope I don't worry so I don't get one of those things on my lips!"

Bri's first grade class! SO cute!

Easter Clothes!!

Our annual Easter egg hunt at Grandma Penny's! My kids always look forward to this one because 1)there's TONS of eggs and 2)there's MONEY in the eggs! They each got over $3! Bri is wearing her cousin's Lindsay's clothes! Mike and I helped fill all the egggs - an entire laundry basket FULL!
Here's my kids with their sacks, money and candy!

Bri picked out her Easter dress - she wanted to match Bella and she wanted YELLOW - her "favorite color." We got these shoes for her pagent and put curlers in her hair - I made her bow! She was very happy with how darling she looked!

Handsome Bo! He's finally OKAY with wearing a suit! I think he looks like a HUNK with his suit on! He wants to grow out his hair - he's been begging for years SO we are trying it! We'll see how it goes - the trouble with that is that I only know ONE hair cut - I'm going to have learn another!

The flowers in Bells hair are REAL! At this point she had pulled off the bow I made her at least 6 times (the glue gun stayed plugged in) - I gave up and put real flowers in from our yard! They looked cuter! She knew she was twinners with Bri and LOVED that!

Easter Festivities

We decorated Easter eggs with Brad and Genis and their cute family this year! IT WAS A PARTY! We had camo, sparkly and tie dye'd eggs - I hard boiled about 6 dozen eggs in all! The HIT for Bo was the tie dyed and Bri liked the sparkly! The down point for Mom was when Bri sat in the GACK and it became permanently embeded in her skirt! BUMMER! I was surprised Bell didn't get into the dying more?!

Bella LOVED the hunt! We had our annual Easter Egg Hunt (thank you Weiland's - you do a SUPER job!) and despite a little rain it was GREAT! Bella didn't want to do it at first - but then Bo and Bri took her and led her around and soon enough she had caught right on!

Easter morning HIDE AND SEEK! This is one of the many empty cupboards in our laundry room - enough room for THREE cute Barben's!

Easter Morning!!

A little Easter catch up... This year the Easter Bunny wised up a bit and brought some gifts that we NEEDED instead of a bunch of things we don't! All the kids got new swim gear, cover ups, flip-flops and beach towels! They each got one LUXURY item (no - this isn't Survivor!) Bri got a Barbie movie she has been wanting - she was THRILLED to see the Easter Bunny snagged the last swim suit in her size - the one she had liked at Target (cute and modest..)!

All that Bo wants is football cards, football cards, football cards... He and his little friends spend hours organizing and trading them - so that's what he got! Along with his other Easter goodies! Also, the Easter Bunny did MUCH better at just bringing candy the kids like - GUM, Hershey chocolate and Reese's!

Bell got a couple Elmo books - she's an ELMO NUT! She was a good sport as she had to be woke up to come see her Easter surprises and join the Easter egg hunt!

Thanx for coming Grandma Julie!!

The weekend before Easter Grandma Julie came! HOORAY! It was SO nice to have our Grandma come - WE HAVE MISSED HER!! :) Bella was instantly warmed up to her - for several days after my mom left Bell would walk around the house yelling, "Grandma, Grandma!"

This picture was my FAV!! Bo and Bri's favorite part about a Grandma Julie visit.... sleepovers EVERY night! My mom is such a good sport about letting them sleep with her - usually Bri in the bed and Bo on the floor - not a treat for my mom!!

I had LOTS of activities planned - Grandma had planned time at home... Quality time! It was really nice and relaxing - we did blogging/Facebook lessons, coupon lessons and cooked YUMMY food! We rented videos and watched conference! Grandma went on her first Barben 4 wheeler ride and played "moon sand" with Bri! She laughed her head off at my NUT CASE - Bella and her new LOVE .... ELMO!

I LOVE YOU to bits, Mom! It has been WAY too long since our last visit! THANX for coming - come again SOON! You are such a treat to have - thanx for the freezer help! 3 minutes after Grandma left Bo said, "Grandma has only been gone for a couple minutes and I miss her already!" He also said, "Oh no - here comes the crying part!" We cry everytime! My mom is such a support and backs me on all my decision - LOVE YOU MOM!! :)

Sunday Morning!!

I couldn't resist this photo op before church last Sunday - mostly because Bell was wearing Bri's old dress we brought her back from Austria! I LOVED Bri in that dress - and Bell looked adorable too!

Oh my word - I LOVE these three! (Mike actually took this picture - he likes the credit!)

How lucky am I?!

Baby chicks!! Sooooo cute!

Well, my in-laws are always full of GREAT ideas! The newest one?! Let's get 14 baby chicks - build a coop for them to live in - raise them - have all the families help to take care of them and eat their eggs!
All the grand kids are THRILLED! They each choose one of their own! Here's Bri and Linds with their chicks sporting a necklace (the bracelet Penny bought them in Greece!)
Ooohhhh!!

Bo said he wanted to choose the smallest chick because HE (Bo) is small! It broke my heart to hear him say that - Mike was always small (until his mission) - we were praying that Bo would get his height EARLY!! :(

My kids wanted to bring their chicks for show-and-tell; here's Bri showing off hers to the class! She was so careful - walked around to each desk so the kids could pet them - after school she invited over all her friends! Surprisingly the chick survived a day at the Barben's - still alive as a matter of fact!

Bo was much TOUGHER about his chicks - it was Mrs. Guy who gushed over them!

Bri asked me to take this picture... I LOVE that girl!