Family Camping Experiment

I never posted this--whoops!

We stimulated the ecomony by buying a really big tent and then driving to Leo Carillo for one night of beach camping. We packed our van full of s'more ingredients and hoped for the best. It actually turned out well! We had to fight off some very persistent squirrel scavengers (they apparently like GF bread) and played on the beach for awhile even though it was cold. The kids slept great! The best part: after the kids were in bed when Chris and I got to sit by the fire with no distractions, a sky full of stars (rare to see in the city), and time to shoot the breeze. I think we might even do it again next year! The worst part: The 4 hour drive home during which Sam threw up his s'mores. Not pretty...

He's an early laugher

Ben started laughing at about 2 months. My sister-in-law found an article that said most kids don't start laughing until 3-6 months old. So I guess that makes Ben an early laugher. That doesn't surprise me since my other kids were all ahead in things, too. Like Lucy, for instance, knows approximately 20 percent more than the average 2 year old about anything to do with Ariel. Sam excelled in his own way, too. He can spin 40 percent longer than most kids his age before falling over. I guess I'm just blessed. But really, they are great kids and I can't get enough of this little guy's giggles!

I love Boats!

My brother-in-law Jason bought a boat last fall and now that I'm not pregnant, I get to reap the full benefits of the purchase. I LOVE BOATING! We got to go out for a short trip to beautiful Lake Perris tonight for FHE (it was kind of a bogus FHE because Chris stayed home with their toddler, Lucy, and Ben since we aren't all legal on the boat). Although we battled some rocky water, there's still nothing like being out on the lake at the end of the day and trying to hold on to that rope until your arms give out. The kids jumped in with me (Gabbi, Luke, and Sam) and they took turns honing their future skiier skills by getting towed in while holding the rope. What great family time and what a great way to enjoy the outdoors even in our urban jungle. Now if I could just find someone to watch the kids at 6am so I can join in on the early morning runs....any takers?

Sea World

We went to Sea World for the first time as a family. Shamu rocked and we got to pet some pretty wild sting rays. Lucy loved holding the starfish. Sam braved the shark tunnel even when one swam right over us bearing his teeth!

Blogging for Idiots

I've spent hours on these blogs and yet you have already read and looked at everything I've done in less than 5 minutes! Well, let's just say I'm learning. But I want to say thank you to all of you who supported me in this blog endeavor, namely my sister-in-law Sarah, who wrote me some gibberish about how to fix things and make things cute that ended up being very useful once I figured them out. Thanks for Sheri and Sarah for inspiring me and setting me on the right track. And I guess I need to thank my mom who has just always believed in me. Yeah, it's late. I'll add something worthwhile soon, but thanks for checking it out.

Welcome to the Barney Report

This is my first ever post. WOW! I've been wanting to start a blog where I can post whatever I want. Here it is! I hope this can be a fun way to keep connected. Stay posted for more.