Hours of Fun

It surprised me that Kendi was able to navigate around on my old desktop computer, but since I haven't been using it she hasn't been able to play on the computer much. Today she came and sat by me on the couch and asked if she could do pbskids. I put the laptop on her lap and thought that I was going to have to do all the scrolling and clicking for her. To my surprise, she could use the touch pad like she's been doing it for a while. Kendi always surprises me with all the abilities she picks up on just by seeing.

New Sketch of Christ by Jared

This picture does not do this sketch justice. Pencil sketching is one of Jared's specialties. He loves to draw and he's very good at it. We are offering these original sketches on the website for $45. If you would like to know how to earn a free one and you're not already on our mailing list leave a comment or email epicart@mail.com.

I've also added most of the products from the "art blog" to the website so you can pay through a secure checkout. There's always special deals and products so contact me personally if you have any questions.

HAPPY BALENTINES DAY

Kendi used to pronounce very word exactly like a grown up. It surprised everyone that someone so young could talk so well. Lately she's gotten into some habits of replacing V's with B's and Y's with L's. Maybe she'll be a normal intelligence child after all. :o)

We have been very sick lately so we've been stuck at home trying to entertain ourselves. We started to make valentines, but Kendi got tired and layed down on the couch and went to sleep. Wish every night was that easy, but I'd rather have her feeling well.

We also made valentine cookies, but with all the coughing we decided to not give them out to anyone. Hope you all understand.

New Items

There are new items on the art blog. I'll be adding more all day long so keep checking back.

Also, I want to give everyone 50% off any one item on the blog. This includes canvas prints of any size. Just mention it in your email.

When do I get my brain back?

With my first pregnancy I remember feeling a bit absent minded. At first we thought it was funny when I was cooking and emptied a can of chili into the garbage and set the can in a pot. I couldn't believe how stupid I was throughout the entire process of emptying the can, I didn't once realize what I was doing. But then it got even worse when I did it AGAIN with a can of soup!!


Apparently, the absent mindedness never went away because it has been far worse with this pregnancy. I had made sugar cookies on Christmas Eve with Kendi and they didn't really turn out real great. Recently, Jared needed something to take to his home teaching families so, since I have an achievement day activity coming up that I will be supplying cookies for I thought that I had better practice. As I was making them I realized that after you add all the dry ingredients it says to add a tsp of baking powder for every cup of flour. I figured out that that must have been where the previous cookies went wrong. After I pulled the first batch of cookies out of the oven, they looked even more flat then when they went in, and I realized I had forgotten the baking powder again. I knew they were still edible, but I was feeling bummed about it for making the same mistake twice. I couldn't find a good icing recipe either and I hate it when it tastes like powdered sugar, but Jared seemed to like it so I let it go. After icing the first batch of cookies, I looked around and couldn't find the last batch. I even asked Jared, "Where did the cookies go?" in a very impatient tone. I noticed the timer on the oven was off and I even remember turning it off. Then I realized that the oven was still on. I opened it and there they were. BURNT!! I wanted to explode, but then I realized that at least I can throw them away now and be done.

On another occasion, I had loaded a large batch of towels in the dryer. Ten minutes after I had turned it on, I heard it stop. I wondered if it was broken, but I decided to try it again anyway. After ten minutes it turned off again. There were no other signs of something being wrong so I decided to just keep turning it on every ten minutes. I eventually forgot about them until the next day when I went to load another batch. The towels were still quite wet so I figured that maybe the load was just to big. So I ran them another three or four times before I decided to spread out the towels all over my house to dry. When I went to put the next load in the dryer I noticed that the setting was on the fluff cycle instead of the high heat cycle. I can't believe it took me two days to figure that one out.

Yesterday, I had to fill out my sale tax return. I knew this could turn out badly, but I've done it dozens of times before. I noticed that there were a lot more lines than usual. For some reason they sent some extra forms to fill out this year. I was supposed to fill out Schedules A, B & X besides schedule TC-something something. What in the world is Schedule X? I've never heard of it and they didn't send me one. After reading the instructions over and over and over I think I figured it out. My father-in-law would die if he saw how many scribbled out lines there were on all these forms.

Jared has finally admitted that it is the pregnancy that is affecting me somehow. He told me that there have been times where he'll go into the kitchen after me and turn off the oven or a burner that I've left on. I can feel myself hesitate when its time for me to do anything even a little bit challenging.

Barnes Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family tree templates - Free genealogy

Snowmobiling

We took Kendi snowmobiling for the first time this week. Here are all four of us on one snowmobile.

At first Kendi didn't like how loud they were, but by the end she would yell wahooooo whenever we went fast.

If you ask Kendi about the trip she will tell you a big story that goes something like this: "She rode with Gpa and there was a click, click and then they stopped and turned the snowmobile one way and then the other and that the snowmobil needs a new bearing. And then they had to walk until mom and dad came back. And Gpa was racing and lost his hat and had to run back. And he was riding on his knee." It's tradition for at least one snowmobile to break down when we get out there. Some of them are older than I am.

Jared and Kendi built all kinds of things in the snow. A chair, a slide and a snowman.

Just For You

This is for you blog readers. I only have a few calendars left. Since its mid January already I won't be ordering them in bulk anymore. So the ones that I have left I would like to sell for $7.99. I can ship these for a $1 anywhere in the U.S. If you are interested please email me at leannbarnes@mail.com.

Christmas

Kendi and I made cookies for Santa. When we set them out on Christmas Eve Kendi wanted to leave Santa a piece of cheese too. It was so worth it. This is the first year that Kendi has understood what goes on with Christmas. When she realized that Santa had come and left presents, she had to check the cookies and cheese. She got really excited when she saw that Santa had eaten them.
Kendi got this baby doll from some of my younger cousins. She has loved it to death. It goes with us everywhere.

Kendi got so excited about the whole thing, even the power cord to her Nitro Notebook.

All the cousins got matching PJ's from Gma & Gpa Barnes.

Christmas Time

Kendi is going through a "Let ME do it" stage, which has been fun for us. I love to watch her figure things out and see how she would do things her way.

She wanted to wrap this present all by herself.

This is what it looks like under the tree.

She also loves to help shovel the snow. She helps till the very end and then asks "what else is there to do?"

We don't have a nativity of our own so we made the one that was in the Friend this month. Kendi can almost tell you the whole story.

It was fun to have help decorating the tree this year. After we put all the decorations up she kept telling me to go get more.

Kendi was so excited about Santa this year until all the kids in line before her started screaming. Now she doesn't know what to think. The only thing she said was, "I want a candy cane."

Empathy Symptoms

This pregnancy has been even more interesting with a two year old around. There have been times where Kendi has thrown up for no reason other than she is trying to copy me. I don't know how she makes herself do it, but after she did it several times we had to sit her down and have a talk.

Also, yesterday, she was in our home office where we have a space heater. She knows it gets hot and doesn't usually touch it, but curiosity got the best of her yesterday. She turned to Jared and said, "I touched it and it gave me heartburn."

Some other funny things she's been saying is: "I have a neckle. You have a neckle too. Daddy has a big neckle." We think she's referring to her adam's apple.

We have been trying really hard to get her to not cry whenever she wants something. So now she says, "Can I have that, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!"

Christmas Sale

Linda said this worked really well for her and suggested I try it. If you want to see Dixon's art go to their blog.

If anyone has noticed, Jared's website is diminishing in items for sale. We are getting ready to launch a whole new website with all new products. I'm afraid that it isn't going to happen before Christmas though.

So I'm going to try to sell all the products that we have left on hand to make room for the new ones. No one will ever see these products or these prices again. There isn't much left, but it's enough to fill a closet in our home. Please take advantage of this sale.

Go to jaredbarnesart.blogspot.com to see whats left. Once it's gone, it's gone for good.

Thanksgiving Pictures

We spent thanksgiving with my side of the family this year. Everyone was able to come. It was so much fun.
Almost the whole family. Adrian volunteered to take all the pictures.

Cari, patiently waiting to eat. Occasionally we have to have a very serious game of monopoly.

Kendi and Abby prove that you don't have to speak the same language in order to be great friends.

Jana, getting ready to eat.

Jared and LeAnn watching the Wii. Tammy and Adrian, first Thanksgiving together.

Robbie and Stacia, Wii boxing.

Grandma Koami and Kendi, coloring.

More wii boxing.

Tammy, preparing food.

To Jeremy & Ti

These past two days have been great for my side of the family. It's the first time in a little while that we have all been home together at the same time. Today is my sister's birthday so we all went to Pizza Factory for dinner. When the waitress brought the bill she said, "Your tip has been taken care of and here is your bill." When we opened the bill this is what it said:

To the Family,
My buddy and I were passing through and happened to notice you. We just want to wish you a happy holiday season and a Merry Christmas.
Your table neighbors,
Jeremy & Ti
Merry Christmas

We think we know which table neighbors they were, but we really didn't know who they were. Our bill was large for just one person to pay and we are still overwhelmed by this person's generosity. We wished we could have said thank you personally, but they left before we even knew what was going on. We will each be looking for a way to pay it forward sometime during this holiday season. Thank you for sparking the spirit of giving in each of our hearts at this special time of year.

Ultrasound Results

It's another GIRL!!! Can you believe it? All the cousins on both sides of the family are girls. We are really excited. Kendi has known that it was a sister the whole time.

She had her hand in front of her face the whole time. I wanted to see if she looked at all like Kendi because you can really tell that it was Kendi from her ultrasound photo's. I honestly think the 2D's were easier to make out. It was hard because we had such an amazing ultrasound with Kendi we were expecting the same experience, but we'll take what we can get. It's amazing that they even have this kind of technology. I measured about 30% more amiotic fluid than what is average, which is a good thing except that it makes me look about 3 months further along than I really am. :O

I've wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped us out with this pregnancy. We have the most amazing neighbors, friends and family. I wish I could repay everyone for everything that has been done. It might take me the rest of my lifetime. Jared keeps telling me that I'm a trooper, but I honestly think it is just as hard on him as it has been on me. He has handled it so well. He has been by my side the whole time. Without him I would've been in the hospital and Kendi would have had to live somewhere else which would have killed me. I think we are through the worst of it and we're looking forward to having this new little one join us.