Christmas pic!

Oh yeah and here is a Christmas pic. My work party! We had a great Christmas, hope you did too!

One baby, two chins

Well, hello there friends! Sorry it has been a very long while since my last blog. We have gone through TWO holidays since then! Here are the most recent pictures of our newest family member. Several things to note - his adorable cheeks and his little feet! He was very shy this visit so he did not show us his face. This was the only picture we could grab of his face. I'm at about 31 weeks right now and I'm HUGE! Seriously, not joking, I'm HUGE! Most people tell me, "you're about to pop!" which is funny since the whole popping thing is not supposed to happen for 9 more weeks. Thanks folks! Oh well, its all for a good cause and I wouldn't change it :) But it is me that I'm referring to when I say in the title of this entry "two chins". I literally have formed a second chin this month. I liked having one and more is not necessarily better in this scenario. But, yet again, its worth it. I'm round and I'm proud!

I had many more profound things I was going to write about and I have either forgotten them or I'm too tired to write them. Hopefully I will write again soon. I miss my blog friends. I still check your blogs but haven't contributed much. So enjoy and may you all have a Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Tami's Pumpkin Belly

I made this costume for Halloween! I guess you can call it Baby B's first costume! I love Halloween - its so silly and fun! Oh and you can also check out how big my tummy was at 23 weeks!
Yes, I did wear this to court with my suit. My judge loved it and so did my little clients!

Reigning Champion

For those of you who know me well, you know that I can be just a tiny bit competitive. I really enjoy competition that is just for fun. I enjoy turning it into an all out war - all in fun of course! Well such is the case for the Halloween Door Decorating Competition at my office. All doors must cost less than $20. Last year was the first annual competition and my office-mate, Susan, and I blew away the competition. We won first place!
This year, with a new office-mate, a bigger tummy and much less energy, I wasn't sure I should even attempt to enter. But at the last minute, Sheila and I created this incredible door. A pillar of excellence in the holiday community. The awards were given out differently this year - Most Talked About, Scariest, Funniest and Most Creative. Sheila and I won...Most Creative! That is really the best one to win, right?
Summary of the Art: A Pumpkin inspired by the "Great Pumpkin" with vines at the bottom (spiders are crawling on the vines throughout but it cannot be seen in this picture). Bats (Sheila's handiwork) are flying out of our pumpkin's mouth and ghosts are flying overhead. The entire artform is 3D and made completely out of paper (except for the little spiders). Our door cost us $2.99 and a backache.
Now that we have reaped our just rewards, we will turn it into a friendly pumpkin that says "Happy Thanksgiving!" We are considering painting it and turning it into an ornament for Christmas!
Martha Stewart even sent us an "award" telling us how incredible we are. But I have a feeling that was something cooked up for the benefit of grudging co-workers who are poor losers :) (Note, I would probably be a poor loser too, good thing I DIDN'T LOSE!) Haha. P.S. I'm generally a much nicer person than this when I'm not in a competition...

End of the World?

Well, it seems like the end of the world outside. It's dark and ominous and smokey. Today is a bit better than yesterday, I can see the sky a little! Clark and I are okay - we are not really near any current fire and have not been evacuated. Of course we do keep a list of our precious, irreplaceables just in case we have to pack quickly. Our friends in Malibu at Pepperdine were evacuated to the gym/cafeteria areas but have been back in their homes for a couple of days. The church that my sister got married in has burned down. My family in San Diego is taking the brunt of this. Thank the Lord we have not lost any people or property but one sister has been evacuated and the other is on constant watch just in case. She is actually housing another family with eight dogs and four puppies! Isn't she a saint? My mom is doing fine along the coast. We are all trying to stay inside and not breathe in the yuck, especially me for the sake of Baby B.
The wind is the worst part for our area. When I drive to work I pass the Santa Clarita valley area and the wind just whips my car into the other lanes. I have to use all my strength and both hands! Guess that means no cell phone, no pretzels and no chapstick! The wind actually took down part of our friends' tree and lifted the entire tree up like six inches at the root! But so far it is still standing...
I hope that you are all doing well, my friends! If you need a place to stay please call me. We gotta stick together in SoCal!

Most Requested Blog Item

Okay friends - here's the fatty! I'm at 20 weeks and this picture was taken October 11th. All kinds of things are expanding. In fact, I'm not fitting into my maternity clothes anymore but that is not b/c of my belly - I'll let you figure that one out! Clark took a closer up picture below so you can see my "maternal glow" aka the flu that I have gotten this week from the flu shot - go figure! So if I look a bit peakish, that's why. I'm a little intimidated by my friends who are further along than me who are not nearly as large - I guess Baby B is gonna be a big boy or I'm gonna have A LOT of weight to lose next spring :)

We registered this week which was fun and a bit overwhelming. I cannot believe how much stuff you need to prepare for a baby. It's more than backpacking and I thought that was a lot of equipment! We've picked initials for the baby - CAB. Clark's initials, his dad's initials and his great grandfather's initials (I don't know what happened to his grandfather who's name is Don). Anyway, the middle name will probably be Hawaiian so this honky kid of mine will know his roots! And that is all the name info we've agreed to give out at this time. We are halfway there now and things are moving along more quickly. The first half felt like 5 years rather than 5 months because of all the sickness and pains. Things are a bit better now, praise the Lord! We are excited to meet this boy and see what in the world he looks like.

Expanding

Okay, people - I'm finally posting a belly picture! This is actually from a few weeks ago when I was at 18 weeks. I'm going to post another picture right away that is more current so you can compare. You might notice the chaos in the background - we have completely turned our house upside down to get ready for Baby B. Lots to do!

Most Embarrassing Moments

Okay, those of you who know me well know that I have had many embarrassing moments in my life. For someone who does not get embarrassed easily, these moments are undeniably mortifying. From the time in high school where I slipped on my butt getting off the bus right as I was saying hello to my crush to the time freshman year in college when the egg exploded on my face with a loud POP in the middle of the cafeteria, I have had some doozies. But yesterday I was humbled in a new way.

As I was driving home, I felt like keeping my window down. It was, after all, a beautiful breezy evening the likes of which we haven't seen for awhile. As I'm driving, the talented Carrie Underwood comes on my radio (Go Country 105.1 - great station fyi) and she is performing her new hit "So Small". Great song that you can really belt out. And that is what I did...loudly. At about this time, the stoplight turned red. I stopped my car but continued to sing along with Carrie. All of a sudden I hear this man saying, "Sounds good!" What?!?! He was in the car next to me and had apparently had the same window down idea. You know those moments when you feel like you are all alone and no one is watching but then you realize that someone IS indeed watching - and critiqueing?! That was me. He told me I was blushing, man leave me alone! And of course that was the longest red light I have ever stopped at.

Been Awhile

Things are moving along nicely in my uterus from what I'm told. I'm at 15 weeks and 2 days as of today. I think our baby is about 3.5 inches long now but will grow to be 7 inches over the next two weeks. I'm generally feeling much better but I still have my days where food is not my friend. On the contrary, food is my best friend most of the time. I have to eat food constantly to avoid being sick. Its actually to the point where eating is not that fun anymore - I know, did I actually say that? Thank you to everyone who sent me encouragement about having a boy. I know the Lord will show me how to parent a boy and He has blessed me with a boy for a reason. I'm getting quite used to the idea!

Clark started back at school last week. He's teaching 3rd grade this year as opposed to fourth grade. So he has 20 students (as opposed to a max of 36) and he has 3 recesses (as opposed to 2). He likes it, duh! The kids are very sweet and of course, as usual, he is great with them. He has this way of putting them at ease with his calm manner and easy going attitude. I think it is unique and special to have a male teacher - it allows kids to do well who might otherwise struggle. Of course, female teachers are important too (Amber!) They have special attributes that Clark doesn't have. It's good to have a balance.

I had one of those "I'm making a difference" days at work yesterday. I had a couple of boys who's caretaker wanted to kick them out for not behaving, doing drugs, etc. These boys were only 11 and 14 by the way! I have never laid it out so harshly for a client before. We had a nice heart to heart and rather than rolling their eyes and not paying attention (as my clients often do when we have these nice talks) they were listening. Whether it will stick or not, we'll see...I could tell they are good kids, they just need structure and guidance. I actually felt like they need a father (caretaker is a female).

Also, my favorite female client came to court yesterday. We have worked so hard on her case lately. I won't go into details but lets just say she has experienced more than any of us probably ever will in our entire lives. She is doing really well now and I'm so proud of her. I realized after the hearing that I might not see her again because I'll be on maternity leave at her next hearing. Then I probably won't be coming back to this job because of the commute. Anyway, I told her I'm pregnant and she was so excited. She's going to come to court in October just to see me and say goodbye. She and I were both very sad.

As I contemplate finding a new job, I have mixed emotions. I just feel like the Lord has put me in this place for "such a time as this". There is so much that I have done and so much left to do. I hope that I can continue to help kids in whatever I do next. But the most important thing to me right now is being there for my own child(ren). I never wanted to neglect my own kids for the kids I work with. That would defeat the purpose! So I'm looking for a job within 20-30 minutes of my home - any ideas? Please pray with me as I go on this new journey. So much is changing but it will be great, I know!

Baby Barnett #1

We are pregnant! After a year and a half or so of loss, fertility treatments and a desire to have a child, we are expecting! This is Baby Barnett #1 just hanging out sucking a thumb. So far, this pregnancy has been full of very bad morning sickness. I seem to be a little better now as we come out of the first trimester. Praise God for our little blessing!

Do you see, um, a male part? The doctor thinks he sees a male part. Clark is ecstatic. I am quite nervous and will be doing a lot of praying for the next 6 months! I will love this kid regardless but I grew up with two sisters and a mom. I will have to learn how to relate to a boy...Any suggestions? We'll keep you posted on any new developments. Thank you to everyone who has been praying and supporting us throughout this journey. We love you and we can't wait for you to meet Baby B.

Catching Up

I'm sorry I haven't written for awhile! It's a good thing Tracey is in Asia or she would be letting me have it! These pictures are from our visit to San Diego a few weeks ago. Technically it was a birthday trip for me but it was just fun to go and spend time with Sue and Todd. This is Todd and Clark at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I love that place! If you ever go (which is difficult to do because so many of them have closed) - I recommend the manager's special with half Mizithra cheese and half marinara. To die for!
Me and Sue - She was so sweet and took me to a fancy spa for spa pedicures! My feet never looked so pretty. This writing is the color of our toes at the end of the pedicure!
These sweet picture is of our dear friends, Jen and JD on the left and Nicki and Nathan on the right. We met Jen and JD through a Pepperdine friend that grew up with Jen. They were new to the area and we wanted to make them feel comfortable. That was two years ago and over time, they have grown to be our closest "couple" friends in the area. We spent time with them about once a week and Jen, Nicki and I met and prayed together every week. Amazing answers to prayer came from those nights. Now Jen and JD have moved and this picture is from their last night with us. They have gone on to be worship ministers for a church up north - they have truly been blessed with beautiful voices and leadership qualities. We are very sad that they are gone but we know God has incredible things planned for them. And we met Nicki and Nathan through Jen and JD and we love spending time with them too! And if you ever need a great haircut, Nicki's your gal! Anyway, we love you guys - all four of you! We wish you the best blessings, Jen and JD, in your new adventure!

More Birthday!

My co-workers celebrated my birthday in style too! In court, my court reporter, Elsa, and court partners, Ezra and Mike, brought in cupcakes. Another court partner, Etty, brought me delicious pastries. My court clerk, Patty, brought me flowers and candy. Another attorney brought me a card with a little gift. Then my office mate, Sheila, organized a lunch and cake. She "made me" wear a tiara and everyone sang to me! Another wonderful blessing in my life - a great job and incredible co-workers and supervisors! From left to right: Ezra, Etty, Alex, Sheila & Mike. And yes, Mike does have a girlfriend, I know you're wondering!

My Surprise Party!

For my 30th Birthday (July 12th for any of you who may want to celebrate next year!) :) Clark threw me a surprise "Friends" themed party. When I say "Friends", I'm talking Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe. Some might call me obsessed, I just think I appreciate the finer things in life! So we ate meatball sub sandwiches in honor of Joey & Neslay Tollooose cookies for Phoebe. We watched "The One Where They All Turn 30" - very fitting! And at the end of the night we played Friends Scene It - it doesn't matter who won, we just enjoyed the game... :) This picture is Angie, me and Kari. Friends from church and life. Both are expecting little ones this fall/summer! Angie is due in August and Kari is due in October (she is adopting). We are so excited for them and they are both, along with their husbands, so supportive of Clark and I.

These are our neighbors - Dixie and Tim! Dixie is cuddling with my niece's dog, Roxie. We are dogsitting for 3 weeks. Um, dogs are a lot of work!

Me and Clark - I'm so blessed that my husband is so thoughtful to throw me a surprise party. He had a bit of help from my friend, Jen, but she tells me he did most of it on his own! I was completely surprised and I really had fun! What a guy!

My 30th Birthday!

These are friends who were at my party - Nicki and Nathan. She cuts some great hair and is one of the two girls I pray with every week. An amazing and Godly woman! Nathan's a great guy too and his dad actually teaches with Clark - isn't it a small world!

This is Renee and Kim - they teach with Clark but they are MY friends! I love these women and I am so bummed that Clark will be leaving the 4th grade team he has taught with for the last 5 years and going to 3rd grade. But luckily we will still have Friday night dinners at Kim's house :)

This is my cupcake tower! For those who don't know: I LOVE CUPCAKES! Sam and Jenny are behind it - they are dear friends from college, church and now our neighbors too!

Visit with friends

I try not to put kids' pictures on my blog but I figure kids without faces is okay! Earlier this month, Clark and I traveled to San Diego to visit with our friends Sue and Todd. Our friends Brian and Heather (now Colorado-ans) were visiting with their adorable son and daughter. This is the 8 of us at Coldstone Creamery - a big hit! Heather is in the middle and Sue is holding the baby.
This is Brian aka B-Smooth back in the day. I met Brian before Heather and then had the privilege of watching this incredible couple meet, set up their first date and quickly (very quickly) fall in love! It's hard to believe that was years and two kids ago. We miss them so much!
This is just plain cute and I had to include it! She is so tiny!

Fourth of July - Go USA!

This year, as we do almost every year, we attended the Dodger Game/Fireworks Spectacular! For only $8 we got to spend time with friends, watch the Dodgers get beaten by the Braves and go out onto the field for some of the best fireworks ever! Here are some flags that were marched out onto the field during the Star Spangled Banner. There was also some fancy US Air Force carrier plane that flew overhead which was cool. We had 52 people in our group from church, Clark's work, my work, random friends and neighbors. Plus people from our "sister" church were there too - I got to see Amber and Jeremy. Also, our friends, Brian and Heather and their kids were in town from Colorado. You'll see more of them in a future blog because we are heading down to San Diego this week to spend more time with them. Anyway, the game was like being with old friends! It was a blast!
Ann-Marie, Renee and Michael. What a cast of characters. These are the folks we carpooled with and boy did we get entertainment. We picked up Michael from the airport on our way to the game and that's when the fun started! We had an interesting car ride talking about relationships, massages and pedicures (all things he wanted to talk about from what I remember!)
This picture is of Jen and JD, our dear friends from Thousand Oaks. I say "Thousand Oaks" because we really met through a friend who doesn't live here anymore. Jen and I are a lot alike - scary! We meet together every week with our friend, Nicki, and pray. Any requests? Anyway, we love them and are so glad they could come and bring their parents and brother, Steven.
Here is a bunch of our group. We got a bit scattered so not everyone made it into the picture. Kim's family; Nicki and Nathan and family; and the previously mentioned folks are all in there. We really enjoyed spending this holiday with everyone.

Rich and Sherry's Wedding

Last weekend, Clark and I attended the wedding of my dear friend, Rich, from college. He married a lovely woman, Sherry, and it is clear that they are perfect for each other! Both are fun and fun-loving, Christlike and intelligent. What a great combination! This picture is one of my dearest friends, Katy, who attended the wedding also. She is always great comic relief when at anything formal! For those of you who know her - doesn't she look great? She's a wonderful friend!

This next picture is Clark and I with college friends, Mike and Shauna. They flew in all the way fro Pittsburgh for Rich's wedding! While we were there, all three of their kids caught the flu but did they panic and go home? No! They stayed and let grandma and grandpa deal with it :) Great tactic! Mike and Shauna are wonderful Heidelberg friends.

This last picture is with Rich and Sherry - the new happy couple! They are off to Hawaii for their honeymoon but hopefully we'll see more of them when they get back. It was good to see some Pepperdine people that we haven't seen for awhile.

Vegas, Baby!

Clark and I went to Las Vegas this week to visit my dad and stepmother. They flew all the way from Hawaii but did not come to LA or San Diego to see their daughters, no - they went to Las Vegas! Of course they did, Hawaiians are crazy for Vegas. But luckily we had the chance to go meet them and spend some of my dad's hard-earned cash in the slot machines! This picture above is me and my best friend from high school, Adrianne. We were inseparable in high school but we haven't seen each other since. A lot of life has happened in between but now she lives in Vegas and we were able to meet up for brunch. She looked great - exactly the same as high school! We had such a great time at brunch and I was able to meet her adorable children too! I hope this is the beginning of more visits with her.

This picture is Clark, me, Beth (stepmom) and Dad. We were in front of the Hilton Showroom waiting to see Barry Manilow in concert. He was absolutely amazing! He is such a class act. Really connected with his audience and band and put on a great show. I highly recommend his concert to anyone because we all know the songs - after all, he writes the ... "Songs that Make the Whole World Sing"!

Music and Passion was the title of his concert and it was very fitting. Even at his age, he was spry and active and really worked the stage. You could tell he was completely passionate about music. And he sounded amazing - his voice was strong and steady. No lip syncing like today's entertainers :)

Clark and I at the concert. My dad about had a heart attack that I wasn't more covered - sorry, dad!

Me and my daddy at the concert.

Dad and Beth

Mr. Manilow shaking his groove thing - he really did shake it! He definitely made me a "Fanilow".