Toddlers make you smile :)

Sunday evening bath time. Jace and Brenna are splashing and having fun. Brenna accidentally tips over in all of the bubble madness and goes under for the first time. Mom to the rescue. She is of course traumatized and crying hard. Jace is overwhelmingly concerned and rushes over to kiss and rub her back. He says "Dont worry Brenna, you just got baptized!"

Aloha and Happy New Year!

After braving the cold and snow in Utah, Chad and I got to meet up with my family in Hawaii! Chad's mom and sisters so graciously accepted to watch the kids even though they were both sick. Everything was just perfect. Laying out, reading books(the hunger games by Collins..I recommend), golfing, drinking Lava Flows, getting in a good 10 hour Benjamin Button movie-sorry dad!, eating at Dukes, late night runs to the ABC store, taking pics of anything and everything with Chads new Christmas present, searching for dinosaurs, chasing each other with giant snails, listening to moms words of wisdom, boating along the Na Pali coast, going to bed early and waking up late!

The view from our room

We stayed at the Kauai Marriot and it had this huge garden right in the middle of the hotel. Here we are just walking down one of the paths in the lobby.

The pool here in famous. It is huge!! and takes forever to get a lap around.

The girls- Me, Shannon(who is way taller than me now!), mom, and Diana

Getting a great sacrament meeting in at the LDS church

Hot girls on the beach

Here we are zip lining through the trees. It was a blast!

Here I am pretending I'm Bella flying across the tree tops.

If anyone knows my dad, he is SO afraid of heights. He decided to face his fears and hang out with the family. Didn't mean he had to enjoy it though- here he is hanging onto the tree in between turns. hahahaha!!!

Who is that hot Hawaiian stud! woo woo!

We played a vicious game of keep a way football from the boys. We kept throwing it to Diana so we could watch Brett try and drown her.

Chad and Shannon getting in some yoga before a prime rib buffet

What a great vacation to celebrate the new year. We spent New Year's on the beach(excluding Chad who went to bed at 10 grandpa!) dancing and writing down goals for our family time capsule. The goal is to open it 5 years from now on the same beach hoping that one of us did something with our lives :)

Family vacation in Utah

So I've never seen this before. Chad's sister tied a tube onto the back of the car to drag Jace and I through the snow. Next time I'll try sitting up on the tube like everyone else. Jace and I basically swam through the snow banks face first.

Visiting with Great Grandma and Grandpa Hutchings- glad Jace and Brenna looked so thrilled to see their Greats.

Eating lunch with grandma and Blair in her first grade classroom. Jace was on cloud nine..way too much to see and touch.

Jace's new and ONLY love- Chad's Iphone. As soon as Chad walks in the room- "Dad can I play on your gone(phone)?" He loves Jelly car and bowling.

This is Jace after his Jellycar died. We have some anger management issues to work out.

Jace, Poppa Clint, Brenna- Chad's dad fed us an amazing christmas dinner. I gain 10 lbs just walking into his house. We are always well fed when Clints around.

Wonderful couple of weeks in Utah! We love Chad's family and wished that we lived closer!

Merry Christmas 2008!

We got to experience a beautiful white christmas this year with Chad's family in Provo UT.
Christmas eve Grandma Sandi got us all matching pjs. We were the most stylin' family at the extended family gathering. We read the christmas story, sang christmas hymns, and were so privelged to hear the testimony of Chad's grandpa who is 90 something. You couldnt imagine such a powerful talk coming from such a frail body. We have so much to live up to carrying his family name.

Chads twin sisters Britt and Blair, Chads younger brother Clay(in the long hair wig) and Chad(in the alien mask) right after reading the sacred Christmas story. Just dont even ask!

Sweets for the sweet!

Christmas morning! Clay came and got everyone up at the crack of dawn. I think I was still crawling out of bed. Jace was in a daze just going from present to present without really looking at them.

Chad gave Brenna a beautiful portrait of Christ holding a little infant to remind her how much her Savior loves her.

Aunt Tiff helping Jace into his new spiderman outfit. His favorite present had to be his Leapfrog computer and Diego game. However, when all was said and done, Jace only wanted to play with the games on Chads Iphone. Brenna got a couple of baby dolls but mostly wanted to take anything that Jace had in his hand. Chad got a bunch of hot clothes, church movies for him to watch on Sunday instead of sports. I got myself all my presents- books galore, hair bows for Brenna, hooker boots, new vacum and my mom got us food storage!!

The highlight of Jace's life

Daddy suprised us with Polar Express tickets(aka the Heeber Creeper in Utah with hot chocolate, teenagers dressed as elves, a nice lady reading the book, and Santa handing out the christmas bell.) So Jace and I have seen Polar express probably about a thousand times. Fourth of July, Halloween, Valentines day... the movie of choice is Polar Express. Christmas all year round in the Barnes home! It was snowing cats and dogs, so we were lucky to make it up the canyon. It was all worth it when Jace's face lit up as we pulled up to the train.

Jace asked the elf to tell santa he wanted a computer.(santa brought him a leapfrog computer but Jace still just wants to play on moms)

The lady asked if any of the kids wanted to sing a solo, so of course Jace ran up and sang Jingle Bells. Later mommy and Jace got to sing Silent Night together.

Jace's favorite part "Tickets please!"

Chad's sister Brittany, Grandma Sandi, and Brenna clapping to the music

Grandma Sandi, Jace, and Brenna looking especially excited