Barnes Bits

Mom Update - November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers for my mom. I think my parents aren't wanting to "burden" us because they know it's difficult being so far away. I think they've been less than forthcoming with specific details and completely honest assessments on how mom is doing.

I called my dad last night, only to find out that Mom spent the entire day in the hospital in excruciating pain. She did return home, but continues to weaken tremendously. He said she sat up on the edge of the bed Monday night/Tuesday AM to try and get up and use the “bathroom chair” Hospice brought (moved next to the bed because she can’t navigate to the bathroom any longer). She fell back in the bed and was unable to even sit back up, roll over or anything. He said she’s getting weaker by the day and is still in incredible pain, even though they are bumping her meds to pretty high levels.

We are going to head out on Friday for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Wes (Children's Pastor) graciously agreed to preach, and everything is covered as well. The staff and MPBC Church Family have been awesome, and I am so thanful for their support and encouragement.

I really want to get there so the kids can see and visit with mom while she’s still alert and able to communicate, and she is declining at a mind-boggling speed. Her speech is really slowing down, and after her hospital visit she couldn’t really remember what all had taken place during the day. I can’t in my wildest imagination think she’ll be here at Christmas time (but only God knows for sure), so I’d like to get the kids home for a visit asap.

My selfish prayer has been that she’ll hang on until we can get home at Thanksgiving and have some time together. We’re trusting the Lord completely in all of it, but I’m praying that we’ll have some time together and then that her suffering won’t be drawn out any longer than it has already been.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Mom Update - October 22, 1:50 pm

2009-10-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your continued prayer support for my mom.

She had a radiation treatment on Tuesday and had some intense side effects. She hasn't taken any more because she's still in quite a bit of pain and having a lot of side effects from the first treatment.

I'm going to fly home next week to be with her for a few days and take care of some things for her and dad.

Thanks for the prayers. It's been a difficult 10 days to be perfectly honest, but I can't imagine how hard they would be if it weren't for everyone's prayers and the strength that God has given us thus far.

I'll post more later. Thanks for praying.

Mom Update - October 15, 5:45 pm

2009-10-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Good News! Mom got to go home today. She is scheduled to meet a Radiation specialist in our hometown tomorrow. She will be undergoing 10 days of Radiation Treatment there instead of having to travel to the Cancer center. They told her the side effects will be minimal with this radiation being directed right on the 2 - 3 growths causing all the pain.

The ones causing the pain are low on the spine. He did confirm that there are some smaller spots higher up, but said they were too small to be the source of the pain.

She will continue regular follow-up and scans to keep track of what's going on. There were no other spots on her liver or other areas of her body.

Thanks for all your prayers, e-mails, and texts the last day or so. We have felt the power of your prayers. I'll keep you posted on further developments.

Mom Update - October 14, 8:20 pm

2009-10-14T17:20:00.001-07:00

Mom called Shelly while I was at church and said it would still be a couple of hours before they could get her MRI done. She thinks it will be tomorrow before she gets results. I'll post more when I know something.

She's in good spirits though, even seeing the humor in us "telling God what we don't want."

She said she's had 7 - 8 Doctor's visit her throughout the day, the last one with 6 interns in tow. She hadn't thought anything about it at first. When she was encircled by interns she said it dawned on her, "I have an extremely rare cancer." She said she thinks everyone is coming by to "check her out" because many of them have never seen this kind of cancer since so very few cases are reported each year.

"So much for not wanting to be in the spotlight, huh?" was her statement over the phone.

Thanks again for the prayers.

Mom Update - October 14, 1:30 pm

2009-10-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for all the e-mails, texts, visits, and most importantly - prayers since I sent out the e-mail about mom.

I called her earlier and she answered the phone. Her pain has subsided and she's feeling MUCH better today. She said they finally got everything regulated about midnight with a cocktail of IV pain medication and steroids.

They are scheduling another MRI at the Cancer Center today. She wasn't sure, but felt confident they would do a full torso scan this time to get a baseline reading of where things are. I'm supposed to get a call when they get results.

She did tell me that her surgeon who ordered the PET Scan saw the MRI results yesterday and "thought" these spots were "in addition" to the spots the PET Scan picked up in August. Translation (if his "thought" is right): the cancer has moved into and up the spine since August. They are getting all her records from that surgeon for some comparisons and "may be able to" help make the determination by looking at everything side by side.

I'll post more as I know more. Thanks for praying.

Recent Photos

2008-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the last few weeks...

Probably our most favorite of 2008

This was when Daniel was just learning to walk. He had brother and sister by the hand, and was keeping up...he thought he was da bomb!

Daniel's first trip to the beach since becoming mobile. We were just getting ready to work on some rebounding drills, but Daniel wanted to work on his dunk contest routine instead!

Let's Rock and Roll!

This was our first visit to Aquatica (Seaworld's Water Park).

Freak Accident. While innocently strolling through the mall the world's largest M & M rolled out of the M & M Store and was headed straight for Daniel. Caleb and Anna risked life and limb to keep it from rolling over their little brother. Their reward for such a heroic feat? Yep. They got to eat the M & M...mmmm, peanut!

Waiting for the monorail at a Disney park.

Anna's preschool teacher came to cheer her on at one of her soccer games.

Caleb's ribbon winning long jump. He place 2nd this year in this event.

Oh the Joys...

2008-05-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'll try to get some pictures up later, but I had to get tonight's bedtime experiences down while they were fresh...

I asked Caleb where the race (Nascar) was this weekend. He practically has the schedule memorized, so I knew he would know. He said it was in Dover. I asked him what the track looked like because he's been fixated on the shape of track recently. Without missing a beat he took his finger and traced the outline of the track, complete with pit row.

As you can imagine, "it was on!" I asked him the shape of Daytona (because I know and I could double-check him). He traced it in the air, correctly. Then I asked him Bristol (again, I know the shape of that one). He did it right as well. Here, my actually track knowledge ends, but his didn't. Atlanta. California. Talladega. Homestead. Indianapolis. Arlington. The rest of the conversation was me calling out a few more cities (before running out of cities to name), and him making a car noise as he traced it out...and if I were a betting man I'd go with him being right on every one of them.

Anna...
I was praying with Anna before she went to sleep. We ask the kids for prayer requests, then we pray and have them pray after us. Part of Anna' prayer went as follows...and I quote:

"Please help me have a good night sleep with no bad dreams. And help all the animals have a good nights sleep with no bad dreams, except for the nocturnal ones. Help them be safe tonight and have good sleep tomorrow morning when they go to bed..."

Yes, she used "nocturnal" as part of her prayer! However, the truly amazing part was that she finished the rest of her prayer (another minute to minute-and-a-half easily) with me snickering so hard I was shaking the bed. I had tears streaming down my cheeks by the time she finished, and she just couldn't understand what I thought was so funny. Too cute!

Newest Family Member

2008-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

No, we're not expecting again! This isn't a person family member, it's a vehicle family member. After a number of long years the ever faithful Intrepid is being replaced.

Our house finally sold in October of last year, and we tried to wrap up a few bills and get through Christmas before finally making the move.

I've been looking at the Nissan Murano's for over a year now dreaming about what it might be like to own one. Now I know. Through some connections at church a gentleman picked up a 2004 SL, with only 35,000 miles on it! It is in immaculate condition (it still had cellophane plastic covering some of the things on the interior), and runs as smooth as silk.

The kids have been so excited about it, that they wanted to take a picture so everyone could see it. While we're not overly excited about having a vehicle payment again, I am ecstatic about finally getting into the Murano. And here it is...

Favorite Family Photos

2008-01-31T20:28:00.001-08:00

Daniel in Review

2008-01-31T17:11:00.001-08:00

Here are some shots of our budding superstar. You'll see some of his many faces. Daniel is now mobile, and seems to be doing something new every day. He is an awesome blessing to our family.

Here he is cruising around the house in his walker.

He was a Bee for Halloween, and the smile came when we took the hood off that had his antennaes attached to it.

With a great football season and the basketball team seeming to get on track we're all smiles around the Barnes household.

There's a sound that goes with that face, but it would probably get lost in transition.

This sound is one of Daniel's favorites. The kids love to mimic it with him, which often leaves Shelly having to follow along after them with a paper towel...

Daniel was less than fond of having grass under his feet, as you can see. He didn't put his feet back down until we got him back on the driveway.

Daniel is leaning on one of the Lego dogs (who are being walked by the Lego family) at Downtown Disney.

Anna in Review

2008-01-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos and tidbits of information on what Ms. Anna Banana has been into...

Spirit Week included "Mismatch Day." Anna designed her own outfit!

We wake the kids by singing Happy Birthday and giving them a cupcake with candle on their birthday. FIVE years old...as many of you know, it goes by WAY too fast.

Anna "vogued" several pairs of shades at the Daytona International Speedway during our Thanksgiving vacation.

Dress Up is still Anna's favorite game.

What's Christmas without some cook UK stuff? Not sure how pink came to be one of KY's colors, but we don't question, we just buy it.

Anna and her preschool teacher show off her Sequin Christmas tree.

Since we never get the real stuff, they fill a room with shredded plastic, wrap boxes in white paper, and turn down the a/c to about 60 degrees and have a Winter Wonderland Day. Here's Anna's snow angel.

Caleb in Review

2008-01-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

Much has happened since our last post, and I won’t even pretend to try and cover it all in one post, but here are some pics and snippets of information on Caleb from the last couple of months…

He was baptized in September…absolutely one of my greatest ministry moments as a dad and pastor (in that order).

We were blessed that several members of our family were able to make it to Caleb's special day.

Caleb's birthday party with some of his buddies at the Cocoa Beach Public Pool...mid-October.

Caleb was diagnosed with a rare bone disease in his foot (Kohler's Disease) and spent about 6 weeks in a cast/walking boot. He's fine now, and should never have any other complications. He was a trooper.

We spent Thanksgiving week at Daytona Beach, and no trip would be complete without a trip to the Speedway...dressed as Jeff Gordon. That Halloween costume got a lot of usage.

Is there a better gift for a race fan than a race track? We've had some real photo finishes the last couple of weeks.

We stopped in at the Lego store at Downtown Disney on ML King, Jr day. We've got pictures of several sculptures we may post later, but this is a dinosaur made totally out of Legos...astonishing. Caleb was in heaven seeing all the kits, creations, and "How To" demonstrations.

Overcoming Temptation...Anna-fied

2008-01-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

Has it been a while since we've written? Did you think we were going to post new things often? Pbblllttt! So much for that! Three kids, full-time job, marriage, home owners, and extra-curricular activities (ours and the kids)...any questions? No promises for the future either, but here's a little something to tide you over...

Caleb add money from his piggy bank to the money we put in his offering envelope last Sunday. On the way to church he said, "Dad, Satan is really tempting me. He's wanting me to not give my money this week so I can go spend it on a toy instead."

I appreciated his honesty and the sincerity of his struggle, so I told him that the best way to fight that temptation would be to give his money "today" so he wouldn't have to battle that temptation all week.

He was thinking about it when Anna, who had been listening to the entire conversation, blurted out, "Or Caleb you could just say, 'Get off me Satan!'"

Caleb resisted Satan and gave the money, and now he knows better than to even THINK about trying to tempt Anna!?!

Anna's Baby Doll

2007-10-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Looking back through our pictures from the last couple of months I've (Curtis) decided that Anna may be the family member who loves having Daniel around the most. The reason? She thinks she has gotten her very own, living, "dress up" baby doll.

Evidence to support my claim...

The Mr. T look with much bling, bling.

"Wax on. Wax off."

"Didn't pirates wear cool head bands? Surely this doesn't qualify...right?"

"Okay mom and dad, you've had your fun...now please, MAKE HER GO AWAY!!!!"

The $10,000 We Missed

2007-10-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Shelly and I are SOOOOOO kicking ourselves for not capturing the practical joke below on video.

A couple from church kept the kids last week. We had a lovely dinner and decided to walk around the mall for a few minutes. We visited a store that had a "Florida Gifts Corner." One of the novelty items was a small jar of chocolate covered sunflower seeds in pink candy shells. It doesn't sound like much, but the label read, "Flamingo Poop."

We thought it was hysterical and that people would get a kick out of it, so we bought a jar. I was chuckling about what the kids would say when Shelly said, "You ought to make a trail and let them find the jar." That was all I needed.

While the kids were getting ready for bed I made a trail of "Flamingo Poop" that ended at the overturned jar with the label facing up.

When the kids finished I called from the hallway, "What in the world?" and they came running. We got on our hands and knees to examine, sniff, and touch the trail of mysterious pink stuff. Caleb dove in without being invited, and munched on one. "Yummy," he said. Anna also started indulging.

Just like Hansel and Gretel they followed the trail across the floor, into the chair, and to the table top. Caleb got there first and was examining the pile and jar when Shelly asked, "What is it Caleb?"

He said (I'm choking back tears as I write this), "Flamingo...," and his eyes got real big, he covered his mouth with his hand (like he was going to throw up) and didn't say a word. Shelly said, "What is it?" He moved his hand just enough to quitely mumble "Poop."

We didn't get the chance to play along with Anna because we were laughing so hard at Caleb. He was visibly shaken as the thought of eating such a "disgusting" treat settled in his mind.

We let him go for about 30 seconds and told him what was up. Then he got embarrassed that he'd been "gotten," but got over it pretty quickly.

It was soooo funny! Our only regret is that we didn't get the video camera out to record it, because it was one of the funniest things we've ever seen. We feel like it was a certain $10,000 winner, but will never be able to prove it.

Oh well, live and learn. If any of you got a kick out of it and want to send $10,000 in remuneration for your laughter...feel free to do so :-)!

Dad's Fish Identity

2007-08-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

We've been getting e-mails, phone calls, and letters with snide remarks over the fact that we haven't made any posts since Spring Break. Oh my goodness...did I forget to tell everyone that I changed the address again?!? Just kidding...no excuses, pure laziness. If you're so disgusted, that you can't read on, then so be it...thanks for your past support.

No promises on future, or even catching up on the past, but I had to write about something hysterical tonight...and I'll throw in a few pictures as a bonus.

Someone gave Caleb a set of checkers that has cut out fish for one side, and floaters (bobbers) for the other. It's in a cute little tray decorated all "fishy" and stuff. After we played the game (Caleb "won"), he was reading the sides of the tray. The sides have the names of fish painted on them. So Caleb reads aloud, "Dad I'm the Catfish - Bream (some kind of freshwater fish)." He turned the tray around and said, "And you're the Crappy - Bass."

Now, if you know anything about fish, you know that I misspelled the above word, but the funny thing is that Caleb read it "correctly & incorrectly." The word is supposed to be Crappie (pronounced, crop-ee), but Caleb read it like just like it was written, "Crap-ee."

I started howling with laughter. I laughed until I cried (as I write this I'm still cracking up so hard I have tears in my eyes). Shelly came in to see what was going on. She was in the room while we played, but left to put Daniel in bed. She too laughed until she cried. Anna didn't know why we were laughing, but started chuckling too. Caleb got embarrassed because he thought we were laughing "at" him, but was fine when we explained that he hadn't done anything wrong.

When Shelly could finally speak her first sentence was, "Caleb, sometimes dad is a Crappy Bass," which sent us into another round of hysterics.

Man, we love to laugh, and this was one of the best laughs we've had in a long time.

Now for some recent pictures...

Train a child in the way he should go...here's Daniel with the remote...did someone say Football Season?

The boy weighs about 20 pounds (at 6 months).
Anna is 34 pounds, and she's 4 years old!

Daniel's getting ready for the roundball to hit the hardwood.

She's had some great pictures, but this could be one of the best ever!

They are not always this cute or fun-loving...but they are most of the time.

Spring Break '07

2007-04-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Not much creativity here. I preached on April 1st so I spent some time preparing the sermon. We went to Universal on Tuesday & Thursday, and spent Thursday night at a resort. Then we putt-putted, shopped, and hung out on Friday before going to an Orlando Magic game. Short trip, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

A rarity indeed...few words, plenty of pics...

Superheroes in training.

Cutie Patootey!

Giving the Blue Fish some luvin'.

Easy big fella!

Caleb, don't turn around, but walk very, very slowly THAT WAY...don't bring that over here!

Mild-mannered Horton tried to crush Caleb...and smiled the whole time!

Help Me! Help Me! He's tieing me up again!

Daniel got in on the action too.

I just can't bring myself to do it...fill in your own joke here!

Again...no comment! You're on your own.

March 29th...plenty warm enough for a dip in the pool.

Pre-launch countdown.

I wish I had gotten a picture of Caleb's face the first time he saw a "Thunder-dunk." He was blown away.

Just a tad bit too noisy for the little guy once things got started.

Caleb's Still At It

2007-04-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

The kids stopped by the office one afternoon and Shelly said, "Tell dad what you said Caleb." He proceeded to tell me that he was singing in the van. When he finished he asked Shelly, "Was that good singing mom?" She's an incredible encourager and said, "Yes, Caleb. It was beautiful."

He sat quietly for a couple of minutes then said, "Everybody's a good singer but dad, right?"

I pummeled him right there in the office then asked, "Caleb, what IS dad good at?" He thought for a second and said, "Tickling!" So I proceeded to do what I do well and give him a good dose of tickling...little turkey!

Caleb gets so focused on tasks that he won't do anything else, even though he's SUPPOSED to be doing something else. Last night he was building a Lego creation at bedtime. We finally "convinced" him that it was bedtime, and that the project would have to wait until morning.

He got up this morning and finished a Lego Clown! I left it in the office, so I don't have a picture yet, but after school he worked on more creations. The pictures are below. He does all of this entirely on his own. He looks at the picture in his Lego brochure and follows the patterns to create what you see...phenomenal! We give him no help at all...really!

It probably doesn't need explanation, but that's a car, two trees (one of which is an apple tree, complete with apple) and gas pumps. With gas at $2.82 a gallon it's a shame they don't pump real gas!

Here we have a truck, with a bird sitting on top of it (head turned sideways, with red beak), and a sailboat following behind it.

And here we have a small fish!

Caleb's Field Day

2007-03-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Last week Caleb had his first Field Day. He signed up for 4 events, and was absolutely PUMPED about it. At this point I recant all I've ever written or spoken which may have hinted that Caleb may not be a stellar athlete. While I maintain that he's not a bulldog in regard to aggression, he is developing a lot of athletic talent, ability, and skill.

I can't even express how impressed I was with his coordination, speed, and agility. He plays Upward Basketball in the 1st & 2nd Grade League. Because I'm coaching they're allowing him to play as a Kindergartener. I watch him sometimes struggle with the drills and skills and wonder what lies ahead in the realm of athletics.

But seeing him in action with his peers left me greatly encouraged. He was flat out awesome! He finished 3rd in his "qualifying heat" in the 50-yard dash. In the finals he battled between 3rd and 4th place, and forced a "re-run" to get a clear 3rd place finisher. It was so close that they declared it a tie for a second time.

On the Obstacle Course two kids went head-to-head, and their times were recorded. They won't have the results until after Spring Break, but he did well. He actually fell going into the last obstacle, but had built such a lead that he was able to get up, finish the last obstacle, and still win his heat! Very impressive.

But his main event was the Long Jump. After Upward Practice on Thursday I told him to show me how he was going to jump, and then spent about 10 minutes watching, giving him some pointers and encouraging him to jump just "a little farther," each time. On Field Day his first jump was 4 feet, 6 inches (compared to less than a foot, or just over a foot for many of the other kids).

His second jump was over 6 feet. You should have heard people commenting about it. He was really getting after it, as you'll see in the pictures below. His third, and final jump, was 7 feet, 1 inch - incredible. There were 4th Graders not jumping that far.

We were there to encourage and support him regardless, but he was AWESOME! There's no feeling like talking to another parent and hearing them talk about the kid who was unbelievable at the Long Jump. She saw the kid and said, "There he is," pointing to Caleb! Did I tell you how proud I was?

It was a great day. Enjoy the pictures.

Getting ready for some Field Day action!

The 3rd Place 50-Yard Dash Duo (It was funny watching them race. At this age they don't focus on the finish line and let the judges decide who's first, they ran looking at each other to see how they were doing.)

Finishing up the Obstacle Course.

Look at that form...must have had a good coach!

Anna was there too...
Couldn't leave Field Day without sharing about Anna's antics. All the kids recieve a Field Day T-shirt. It's become tradition to take Sharpies and autograph the shirts. The kids were all running around getting as many names as possible. Some of Caleb's classmates even asked me, Shelly, and Anna to sign their shirts.

I'm sitting at a picnic table talking to a church member when in mere nanoseconds my mind follows the sequence of thoughts below...

Anna and Caleb's classmates have been signing shirts with Sharpies behind me...
I can see the classmates, but not Anna...
There's pressure on my back; it's not painful, but...
Ahhhh, No! Anna, not on my shirt!...
Too late, she's already halfway there..."A N..."
Might as well laugh about it and let her finish...

Here's the finished product...

I guess she was just "marking her territory." How could you get angry at a face like that?...and what penmanship!

So what do you think, is Billy Donovan going to Lexington?

I don't know, daddy. Who's Billy Donovan?

Eureka!

2007-03-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly two weeks since we made what may be our greatest Florida discovery to date. On a return trip from the airport we took a detour through a local park. In that park is a...I can barely contain my excitment...18 hole Frisbee Golf Course...the Mother Lode.

That chance discovery was made all the sweeter because the park is located a mere 3 miles from our home. Glory Hallelujah! Less than 3 hours after the discovery, some of the family embarked on an inaguaral round of Disc Golf...

It's a nice course, and a beautiful park. The only drawback is that I'm still skittish about Florida wildlife. There are lots of wooded areas, and some water holes (which means alligators and snakes). Thus far all I've seen are lizards and squirrels, but there's always movement in the bushes and trees and I cannot help but keep a nervous eye on every sound I hear.

Maybe I'll get over it one day, but for now I waver between packing or not packing a gun every time I go and play 18. Maybe I'll get confident enough to leave it at home soon :-)!

Discipline Don'ts

2007-03-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

It probably points to a parenting flaw on our part, because no other parent in the world has experienced it, but in our home, van, my office, and pretty much everywhere we go...our kids fight with each other. I know, GASP, what terrible parents we are. Nonetheless, that's what happens.

After a particularly heated round Shelly put Caleb and Anna in Time Out (a rare situation indeed, because our investigative skills often identify the sole perpetrator). Following the Time Out rule book she gave them a lecture when their time was up. Then, in a flash of brilliance, she decided to try something I (Curtis) had mentioned as being a particularly painful, effective, and horrific disciplinary tool used on me as a child. She was going to make them HUG AND KISS each other.

She finished the lecture and gave the command. The following situation unfolded before her very eyes. The kids hugged. Then Caleb grabbed Anna's head with both hands over her ears and announced, "I'm going to kiss you first." Anna, not to be outdone, quickly grabbed Caleb's head with both hands over his ears and said, "No, I'm going to kiss you first." At that point Shelly knew something had gone dreadfully wrong. No longer was the disciplinary measure a disciplinary measure, now it was a dreaded contest...who would kiss whom first?

The scene is that of two children locked in a "Dances with the Stars" embrace, waltzing in a circle, stressing, straining, pulling, pushing, yelling, grunting, screaming, groaning, dodging, and jockeying to see which one could kiss the other one first. Heaven help us! Neither kiss was ever landed, and they both wound up back in Time Out. We're retiring the hug and kiss one another disciplinary strategy!

Caleb's Spiritual Development

2007-03-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of leading someone to Christ while on my cell phone. Caleb was in the car while I was talking, and overheard much of the conversation. A couple of days later we were riding to school and he said, "Dad I want to get baptized (mumble)day."

I said, "Did you say, 'someday,' or 'Sunday?'"
"Yeah, Sunday would be good" he said.

That led to a conversation about what is baptism? what is sin? have you sinned? who was Jesus? what did Jesus do for us? Caleb knew the answers to all the questions, which put Shelly and I in an interesting situation. We've been talking with Caleb and Anna about Jesus, the bible, sin, heaven, baptism, and salation for several years now in order to lay a foundation for their salvation. Now that he's asking questions and appears to be ready we're wondering whether it's God moving and working in his heart, or if we've given him the "answers to the test" so that he knows the right things to say, but doesn't really "understand it all." We've been praying for God's discernment.

We know that the bible tells us to have faith like a child, and that no adult fully comprehends all that it means to trust Christ as Savior and Lord, but we wonder what his 6-year old heart and mind are thinking and feeling when it comes to this important decision.

Our church offers a First Steps Class for kids who have trusted Christ, or are asking about it. We put Caleb in the class this month to see what the teacher thought. The first week she asked the kids if they had asked Jesus into their heart and Caleb said, "No. I want to, but my dad won't tell me the prayer." (He heard me lead the Sinner's Prayer on the phone). He told Shelly basically the same thing, "Mom, dad's going to tell me the prayer to ask Jesus into my heart and then I'm going to get baptized."

Last week he asked again "Dad, when are you going to tell me the prayer to pray so I can ask Jesus into my heart?"

One thing we've used to "measure" where Caleb is spiritually is how much he stays focused on this decision. We wanted to see if he persisted in wanting to get saved, or would forget about it until a later time. He hasn't forgotten about it, and this weekend he finished the First Steps Class, so I think we'll sit down and talk soon and see where the Lord leads.

Look for an emotional post about that one sometime in the near future.

Alright, Alright Already!

2007-03-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

"We want more pictures!"
"When are you going to put more pictures on the blog?"

"Are you not taking pictures of Daniel after his birth or what?"

Okay, okay...we get the point. Here are some pictures. Stop your whining already, some of us are getting up every 2 - 3 hours every night. Sheesh, you'd think you all were 14 hours away and had never seen him or something!

Looks like the blue eyes and red hair are here to stay.

Let's Ride!

One word...Aaaahhhhh! (Feels nice to finally stretch out.)

You eyeballing me, boy?
First bath - note the four hands in the picture, you can guess probably guess who Shelly's "assistants" were.

When was the last time a bath made you that happy?

Cousin Faith during her visit.

No...Shelly and I are not that photogenic during our 3 am feedings!

Daniel gives Caleb a pep talk before his Upward Basketball Games.

We've discovered that Daniel has a very special gift (talent, ability, or superpower?). See if you can guess what it is from the following pictures...

We call it the Rip Van Winkle Effect...everyone who holds Daniel falls asleep. And as you can see, I (Curtis) am particularly susceptible. Fortunately I can't hold him while I'm driving or operating heavy machinery. That would be a tragedy in the making.

Daniel is doing GREAT. He does not want for attention or care. We have to watch the kids bit because they want to be around (or ON TOP OF) him ALL the time. They don't realize that even though they are small they can hurt him. But there is no doubt that they love him very much.

For the sake of Daniel's emotional and psychological well-being we're working with Caleb and Anna on being quiet and not disturbing Daniel while he's asleep. Both of them will get about a 1/2 inch from his face and say (and neither of them know what a "whisper" is), "Hey Daniel! How are you doing?"

Daniel will nearly jump out of his diaper every time. His little arms flail wildly, and his eyes are like saucers. The kids are getting better, but we've noticed that Daniel is jumpy around any noise (like pulling velcro apart in the aisle at Walmart).

We are blessed. God has been good to us. Shelly had to forego breastfeeding because of mastitis, but has recovered from it and the C-section really well. We're beginning to develop a routine and adjust to life as a family of 5.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and other posts about happenings from recent weeks. Keep in touch. We love hearing from you all as well.

Dad's Special Day

2007-03-06T05:57:00.000-08:00

My birthday was yesterday (March 5th), so Shelly let the kids help "decorate" the cake. She baked and iced it, and let them put something special on it.

Caleb brought a Monster Truck (surprise, surprise), and put it upside down. The icing was chocolate, so he wanted it to look like it flipped over, just like he saw at Monster Jam. If he had thought it was an option he would've probably set it on fire, just like he saw at Monster Jam.

Before Shelly let him put it on the cake she told him to wash it off so it would be clean. He complied.

Anna wanted to put Sebastian the crab (from Little Mermaid) on the cake.

Sappy Moment: To set the record straight...I had a Monster Truck/Little Mermaid Birthday Cake for my 34th Birthday. And I loved it. I have tears in my eyes as I type this just thinking about how excited they were to be a part of my special day, and how proud they were to share their favorite things with their dad. They are growing up too fast! Sniff. Sniff.

Okay, back to the story. Anna brought Sebastian in to put him on the cake. Shelly told her to wash him off, just like Caleb did his Monster Truck. Anna's response was, "No, that's okay. I'll just lick it!"

We gave her the Sebastian piece!

Last note...I felt bad that everyone but Daniel got to participate in my birthday, so this morning I covered the tip of my pinky with chocolate icing and gave him a bite...he loved it! And now the birthday is complete, although Shelly wasn't real happy with my 2 week old son getting a taste of chocolate!

Weekend Kid Highlights

2007-02-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures and notes on the kids from this weekend.

Daniel...

Is doing awesome. He's eating well, is incredibly snuggly, and is stunningly laid back. Even when he cries it's pretty quiet and usually short lived. We love having him around. People told us they really enjoyed rearing their last child. Daniel is our last, and we too are soaking in having him around. From the noises when he's eating, to the snuggling, wimpering, and sighing when burping him...he's an adorable and enjoyable baby boy.

Heading for Home Sweet Home for the first time.

Caleb...
Got to attend a birthday party at the Daytona International Speedway yesterday. I'm posting a picture of the group standing on the podium in Victory Lane. We took a tour of the Speedway, rode around the track, cruised through the pits, and stood in Victory Lane. It was a great day. We got to see Kevin Harvick's 2007 winning car (less than one week after his victory). It still had the champagne and confetti stuck to it. He(we) had a great time.

The Winning Crew!

Harvick's Winning Car...scratched paint, dried confetti, champagne, and all!

Caleb also had his first Upward Basketball game Saturday. The very first time he got the ball he dribbled to the basket and fired one up, and missed. The second time he got the ball he did the same thing, and made it! He was so excited. He was grinning from ear to ear as he ran back down the court.

Anna...
I took Anna out Sunday afternoon to spend some Daddy-Daughter time with her. I was with Caleb most of the day Saturday, and had been at the hospital with Daniel and Shelly since Wednesday, so she and I went for ice cream so we could be together for a while.

We ordered ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, and Anna was SO excited as she watched them make it. Anna has told us that she wants to be Doctor when she grows up so she can "swab little kids throats" (this comes from the girl who once had a pediatrician comment, "I've never seen a child do that before," when she closed her mouth, and only opened her lips enough to such air through her teeth when they pinched her nose to try and cause her to breathe through her mouth so they could swab her throat!).

That being said, as we waited for the girl to ring us up tonight at Cold Stone Creamery Anna said, "I don't want to be a doctor when I grow up. I want to be one of them" (pointing to the girls behind the counter). Is that a love of ice cream, or what? I told the girl Anna's comment. She looked at her, and with a big smile on her face, said, "Go ahead and be the doctor sweety." Too Cute.

Her new favorite activity...and his too!

The Crossover

2007-02-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

I've sometimes bragged that I/we kept the same e-mail address for 15 years. I'm not "anti-change" by any stretch of the imagination, but over time I lost track of people because I failed to update my address book when they changed e-mail addresses as frequently as their pants. It was really my laziness more than anything else, but my distaste at receiving "invalid e-mail address" replies steeled my resolve to change "e-nformation" as seldom as possible.

That time has come for our blog. The reason is simple...we have a new baby. Our old blog address included the first initial of our entire family, and last week we added a new letter. In order to honor his arrival I decided to go ahead and change the blog address so it would accurately reflect our newly expanded family.

We'll keep this blog as updated as possible, but if you have time you're more than welcome to visit our old blog site: sac2barnes.blogspot.com. That stood for Shelly, Anna, Caleb, Curtis (C Squared). I'll let you try to figure out the new blog address on your own!