Barker Family Blog: September 2012

coming soon... March Madness 2013!

It is official, come March 2013 we will have a winning basketball team. We are having another boy! Go Barker Boy #5! Can you imagine how much fun all these boys will have growing up together and later all the wild and crazy family gatherings we will have?! I will be protected for life :). The baby's due date is Feb 28 and he looked so healthy and active in the ultrasound- such a blessing!

Camping for real

Something happens when the first trimester yuck fades away... When I start feeling 'normal' after feeling crummy for so many months, I make 'bigger plans' than I probably should. The kids kept asking when they were going to go 'camping for real' in the mountains & I felt my baby clock ticking (I certainly could not attempt camping next year with a newborn!) so we packed up the van, and headed up the Jemez mountains for an overnight camp out. Jacob and Carter were happy to have Grandma R all to themselves and the big boys were ready to smell the campfire, look at the stars and explore the Forest.

Lately the big man has been into journaling & that is the first thing he did when we got to the campsite... He pulled up a chair, drew a picture of what he saw and stuck it in his journal :).

Team work to get the fire started before the sun went down.

Kyle spent a lot of the trip picking me flowers, what a sweetheart!

Mike and his dad

"It's dark outside, can we roast marshmallows yet?"

Yum!

Time for some card games and talks on grandpa's lap.

Cold morning huddle by the fire eating breakfast.

Technology allowed Kyle to give Jake a call to see how he was doing, I think the partners in crime missed each other!

Hike through the woods.

View point of the Jemez Falls... Notice the rock the man is standing on-

Here is the same rock, this time Mike and the boys looking straight down... Do you notice the death grip that Mike has on Kyle?

The big boys of the family.

Josh made a bow and arrow from sticks and string that he found.

Grandpa & Kyle made a boat that they watched go down the water fall.

He was on top of the world!

So was he!

Part of our family :).

J & K liked to find the biggest rock they could and climb to the top.

I forgot how much work camping is (this is the first time I was the 'camp mom'!) & I don't advise anyone who is pregnant to sleep on the ground even if you have foam padding! But... The joy and smiles of the boys made it all worth it :)!

Soccer Time- Panthers

Soccer has begun again and Josh could not be happier about it! Our little piston has a very competitive nature and has turned up the volume in skill, aggressiveness and speed this year. This year the playing field is larger, the number of kids on the field has increased, the goal is also larger and they have a formal practice during the week (I am sure Josh thinks he is in the pros now!). They got the black uniforms, so they call themselves the panthers... Go Panthers!

Pre-game team lineup. Can you guess which one is Josh!?

Do you see that smirk on his face?

Break away and straight to the goal!

GOOOOOAL!

Talking strategy with one of his best buds!

***By the way, Thank you Martha for taking such great pictures! One of these days I will remember to bring my camera to one of the games!!

Farewell Summer.

I am always sad to see summer go. While I could do without the dry out heat of August, I love the long evenings and the days filled with outdoor water play. Fall is nice with it's cooler weather and beautiful colors, but I dread the long dark winter (can't imagine living somewhere really cold and dark like Alaska!). From a mother's heart I also dread the fact that a door is closed in the age and stage of the kids... Next summer they will look a bit different, grow a few inches & be doing different stuff. I have to hold tight to the memories made and pictures taken. As I deflate the kiddie pool and take out the box of jeans, I will send out one more farewell about the fun in the summer sun!

This pool lasted all summer, what fun we had in it!