Old post -- finally posted!

I've had issues adding pics so this blog has been sitting as a draft for a long long while. I wanted to add a lot more, but it would probably be March before I get everything perfect, so here it is! I'll post more soon.
New Year's at cousins house -- the kids had a ball! Ben's driving (can't you tell by the direction he's looking? There's a reason 3-yr olds don't have licenses) and Tommy is trustfully accompanying him on a rough and wild ride through the dirt and hills of the backyard.


Oh the fun that we had during our "summer-winterbreak." We enjoyed crazy warm weather (our peach tree is in full bloom -- even the trees believed spring had sprung). We enjoyed crazy amounts of family concentrated in a few days time and into a small space. The glory of the whole experience: almost everyone left wanting more (I just left that open for those who may not have admitted they were ready to flee the Barney household --cough, Courtney, cough). I loved it. I love my family and having them around made Christmas extra wonderful. Some highlights:

getting to know my newest brother and sister in law who I hadn't hung out with much before and realizing how great of choices my siblings have made in their companions. Love you Greg and Em!!!

Working out 'til someone puked - that's what we get for allowing a marine sargeant to lead the group (cough, Danny, cough). The whole thing felt strangely similar to the scene in the movie "Dan in Real Life" where the whole family is doing aerobics on the lawn during their reunion. Our workout was different -- we were doing sets of 30 push-ups and maxing out sets of dead-hang pull-ups.

Shooting rockets off.

Hiking with Bubba and Emily.

Eating See's candy -- or at least picking through the carnage of a See's candy box after many a thumb had poked in the bottom to test the flavor.

Playing the games "Things." Was it just because we were all tired or were there some really funny moments?