Carys!

After waiting for what seems like forever, Bethany and Kelly's new baby girl is here! Meet Miss Carys Eliza Brockman Barnett. And her birthday is SO COOL - 9/10/11!!! We can't wait to hold her come Christmastime!

Beach Fix

I'm not sure why I took a picture of the list of things I had to get done before we went to the beach with the Fix family. But I'm glad that I did because it is the ONLY photographic documentation I now have of the trip.
So you'll have to believe me when I say that we had a great time on our beach trip with the Fixes. Highlights included:

Having the whole Fix clan together, including the Zerfosses who flew in from Seattle.
Staying in a lovely house with lots of porch space and a pool and hot tub.
A very loud alarm to alert you if kids were going out to the pool.
A bunch of bugs - they could stand to find a new exterminator for said lovely house.
Lots of yummy meals with no dairy, corn, wheat, garlic or soy - There are LOTS of allergies in this family but thankfully there are lots of good cooks too!
Lots of tennis watching!
An anniversary dinner for John and Kerry at a local seafood place.
A birthday dinner complete with a Mater fire truck hat from the Mater card Rock picked out for his dad and two yummy chocolate cakes made by Aunt Susi.
Lots of help from the family with Rock and Lou when Fix had to go back early to go to class.
Lots of lazy time.
A girls coffee break with Auntie H, Aunt Susi, Nana Kerry, and Little Lou.
Lots of Playmobil time for Rock and Caleb.
A puppet show all about Blackbeard the pirate who had also been to Corolla, NC>

It was all delightful. I am so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family!

Fix's Birthday Date

Since we were going to be at the beach on Fix's actual birthday, I took him out to dinner the weekend before he turned 33. We went out to dinner at H-e-double-hockey-sticks Point in Annapolis. Okay it's not called H-e-double-hockey-sticks but I'm not going to write Hell. Double dang. We are still working on taking a decent picture of the two of us with my iPhone.

It was a lovely evening just the two of us.

After I gave him a new pair of Rainbow flip-flops (which I knew he would want for the beach week ahead), Fix could look toward his future with hope. At least I think that's what he's doing here.

Back to School

Fix started a doctorate program in Ancient Near East Languages with the Semitics Department at CUA. Good thing we'll be having a new baby soon 'cause I'm sure adding full-time school to his work schedule will leave him tons of free time. Anyway, Rock has been learning how to write so he made a sign for Dad's first day of school. It says "Have Fun" and I wrote "at school." Don't believe me? Watch this:

Mall Happenings

Louisa is now big enough to really enjoy playing in the mall playground(s).

Rock was more than a little peeved that this boy wanted to be his friend and be in this photo.

But (after a talk about being kind to people even if we aren't feeling like making new friends) he soon cheered up.

That is, until after Story Hour when we saw this HORRIFIC SITE! Chick Fil-A is boarded up?!?!?! Thankfully, while we were eating lunch (from an inferior establishment), someone came by and put a sign up that they are merely remodeling this site, not closing it! It should be open again come November. I hope we can make it that long.

Earthquake

I took this picture in July,but on August 23rd, I was at Annapolis Mall with my mom and my two kids, enjoying the new play area pictured above. All of a sudden the building started shaking. The little rings around the inset lighting started falling out of the ceiling. People started running. Juju grabbed her Chick Fil-A Coke so hard she popped a hole in the side. I grabbed my children so fast we almost forgot Rock's flip flops.
We ran down an employee hallway through the emergency exit door and out of the mall. Everyone else was gathered outside and we quickly learned that we had just lived through an earthquake. Perhaps it was because I am pregnant and tired, but it really shook me up. Everyone was okay, but Rock had plaster in his hair from the ceiling above the play area! I thought I was done with those things after I left San Diego. Crazy times.

Engaged!

You all know about Rock's first girlfriend Becky.

Well, she went and found herself another boyfriend, Matt.

And then he gave her this.

And we were all there to celebrate right afterwards! SO SO SO SO SO happy for them! And SO SO SO SO SO SO excited that she asked me to be a bridesmaid and Matt asked Fix to be a groomsman! And although Matt is taking away his first love, Rock has still agreed to be the ringbearer. I think I might die when I see him in a tux.