Family is Everything!

Boston, MA

What does one do when one finds herself in the heart of Boston?

*Visit the USS Constitution - The oldest commissioned battleship still afloat.  Hazah!  Her sides are made of iron!

*Walk the freedom trail ...

with your dear friends of 29 years, John and Linda Chaston!

*Attend the Masters ceremony graduation of niece Darilyn at Boston University!

*And of course, you absolutely must take in a game or two (or three) at Fenway Park!

Especially if your nephew is the starting 2nd baseman for the Chicago Cubs who happen to be playing the Red Sox at Fenway for the first time since 1918!

So cool that Darilyn's graduation just happened to be the same weekend the Cubs were in Boston.  It was the ONLY way Darwin could attend his baby sister's graduation.  And it was super convenient for us!

Do you see the "Barney chin and mouth" repeated three times above?  Darilyn, Me, Darwin.  Yup.  We are definitely related.

Boston, MA -- A good time was had by all!

Senior Ball

Melanie and Cole Broadbent headed out to Senior Ball on Saturday night.  Melanie is Senior Class President. Cole is Student Body President. These two have been friends since Kindergarten and have participated in student government stuff together for years. They decided when they were Freshmen that they would attend Senior Ball together. And attend the "masquerade" together they did!

Barkley was sad to be left behind :(

 

Senior Pics

Our good friend Scott Jarvie (the photographer that went with us on our Mexico Humanitarian adventure) came up to Logan to take some belated Senior Photos of our Melanie.

I think he caught her personality perfectly! And her 1974 super beetle is pretty photogenic as well :)

Graduation is in just TEN days!

3 Graduates, 2 Graduations, & 1 Blessing

On Friday Nicole and my Nephew, Andrew, both received their Masters Degrees.  Nicole in Political Science and Andrew in Engineering.  Grandma and Grandpa Barney were very proud.

Addie was unimpressed.

On Saturday Talon received his bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Again, Addie was unimpressed.

Because of Addie's unique birth experience and our desire to keep her away from germs, Addie was blessed in our home with just family surrounding her. Addie's white dress and bonnet were so sweet. And she wore the booties Grandma Barney made for Nicole over 26 years ago! It was a tender and precious few minutes in which our home felt Celestial and I'm sure angels were also in attendance.

 

Random Thoughts

The Cubs lost today.  But Darwin didn't play today.  You'd think the manager would learn.

Dustin finally got to hold Addie!

And so did Chase!

And I finished this quilt:

And this receiving blanket:

And got four -- FOUR -- flannel Christmas quilts tied, one of those is bound.  Made them with random flannel I had in my stash.  They're for our secret family Christmas project.  Shhhh.

I finished reading Sarah's Key.  Read it.

My friend Susie Kerr recently found these photos of our family and sent them to me.  Greg had a lot of hair back then, and Chase had some sweet little muscles!  Our family did not yet have Dustin :(

 

I saw a commercial on t.v., I can't remember what it was advertising, and they were making smores. So I just had a few smores professionally made by me in the microwave:)

We had three nice and sunny days.  It is now raining.  Supposed to rain for four days.

Pathetic Parenting & other musings

Last night, Melanie had the opportunity to perform her violin concerto, Allegro Moderato by Samuel Barber, with the Cache Symphony Orchestra.  She was chosen as one of two soloists to perform.  It was a big deal and honor.

Did I remember the video camera?  Or to tell friends and neighbors?  Or flowers? 

NO!!!

None of the above.  

Pathetic.

I hope one day she will forgive me.

This morning I also forgot to send a check with Dustin to pay for his AP Chemistry class.  Good thing the folks at the school will let him bring a check tomorrow (I called to be sure).  He is currently, this very moment, taking the test. Without his payment.

Greg, on the other hand, gets the good parenting award. He got up and made bacon and eggs and hashed browns for Dustin and Talon for breakfast so they would have brain food before their exams today.

I gave up on reading War and Peace. After only 150 pages. Maybe next year.

My current read is Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. Really enjoying it thus far.

It is my son-in-law, Talon's, birthday today! I will be making a chocolate chip cheesecake very, very soon.

You know how most people like their hair on the day of a cut and style? Not me. I will be sporting Hawaii hair again within the hour.

I filled the candy dishes with the leftover Easter candy I found stashed in the cupboard. BAD idea.

Adalyn grunts and cries in her sleep. Generally when she is trying to pass gas or poop. It is kind of cute and sad all at the same time. 

Addie, aka Adalyn, now weighs in at a whopping 6 lbs. 12 oz. Hooray!