Doggie Door

So we are officially Doggie friendly here at the Barney house. Of course Josh wanted to see if he could move around just like Jack so he had to try out the new escape route.






I thought it was cute, so I took some pictures. As I went about my household duties, I came back through the kitchen just in time to avert a certain tragedy. If Josh would have gone through with his plans, I would not be happily blogging now.



Be Grateful for the small things, like Garden Hoses that are outside of the house.

How Did I Gain 5 lbs??

I knew what I was doing was not wise. In the summer months when it was 110 degrees outside your mind plays tricks on you. I would have dreams of this yummy treat. It literally would torture me. Sometimes I could resist, sometimes not. Here is the culprit.




I never had the courage to look up the Calories until now. Now that it is cooler and I can think clearer.


Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème
Rich mocha syrup, Frappuccino® chips and milk, blended with ice, topped with whipped cream (optional), mocha drizzle.



Serving Size 16 fl. oz.
Amt Per Serving
Calories 510
Fat Calories 170
Total Fat (g) 19
Saturated Fat (g) 11
Trans Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 50
Sodium (mg) 300
Total Carbohydrates (g) 78
Fiber (g) 2
Sugars (g) 59



Here is my new Favorite Drink. The Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate. I wish Starbucks wasn't so dang close. Mike gets major points for bringing this home for me. I'll have to encourage Golden Spoon instead!!





Calories 430
Fat Calories 180
Total Fat (g) 21
Saturated Fat (g) 12
Trans Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 35
Sodium (mg) 115
Total Carbohydrates (g) 56
Fiber (g) 5
Sugars (g) 47

One-Eyed Jack

Well, we added to our family. It is another boy who follows me around all day, wanting some attention and always ready for a snack.

When we decided to get a dog, I had dreams of a cuddly little thing who I could give some love too and send it outside to play. As we started our search I looked on Craigs List for puppies for sale, but Mike insisted on the pound. One Saturday, we went to the pound and found a cute puppy that we liked. After the kids had time to play with the dog, we decided that it was a good fit. I took the Adoption application to the front desk and they informed us the dog we picked out, bit a child and couldn't be adopted to a family with kids under 12. The kids were sad, but of course it was for the best.

The following weekend, we went to PetCo. They have dogs for adoption that are from various Animal Rescues. As we arrived, one dog in particular caught our attention. We played with it and also thought it was a good fit but...someone else had staked their claim, if we only got there 15 minutes earlier.

The lady from the Animal Rescue suggested we wait for about 15 minutes, because another dog was coming that she thought we would like. His name was Jack. Well, we filled out the adoption papers in the meantime and when I handed it over to them for the "Pre-Qualification." I got a funny look.

"You want an outside dog?" said the nice lady.

"Ummm, well aren't most dogs "Outside" dogs?" I said.

"Oh, no!" Not in the Arizona heat!! We need someone who is going to take care of their pets!" She continued to read my application while giving me the evil eye.

Mike chimed in, "Well, of course, the dog will come inside most of the time."

Then, Jack walked in. He was cute (relatively) and he had big ole' ears. As we knelt down to pet him, we noticed that he had One Eye! The boys played with him and loved him. Mike looked at me and said, "He has one-eye, we have to take him don't we??

Mike mentioned to the lady that we enjoy going to Pinetop for vacation. She looked at me dead serious and said, "Oh, You will have to get him a coat!" As I kind of chuckled, they told us to take a day and think about Jack before we commit.

As we left, I thought maybe next weekend we can look again for a dog. The next day they gave us a call and wanted to know if we were still interested in Jack. We told them Yes, and they arranged a "Home visit" to see if our environment was right for Jack. Lucky for us, we passed the test and Jack was ours.

The first night he was pretty skittish and it took about 4 hours for him to calm down. He put his little head in my lap and looked up at me with one-eye and I knew I was in trouble :)

Here are some pics of our One-Eyed Jack. Well, the best ones we can get so far. He is a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier Mix.

Happy 18th!

We have been married for 18 years. I can't believe it has been so long, until I look at the old pictures, then it looks about right :) Thanks Mike for making 18 years never boring. Thanks for standing behind me and pushing me forward. Thanks for supporting me while I stood on your shoulders. Thanks for holding my hand while we find our way through this crazy life. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I love you!









(I love the picture of the Mac..Why did we not invest money into this company?? I guess we missed that one!)

Preschool Begins!

Preschool started for Josh last week, Yay! He goes 3x a week for 2 1/2 hours. He loves it and so do I :). His Preschool Teacher gave him a cute backback with his name and a picture of a bear on it. We carpool with twin girls that live down the street, Lily and Daisy. After the first day of carpool Josh said to me, "Mom, Lily and Daisy are my friends. I love them and I want to Kiss them!"

Slow down tiger, I am afraid that dimple of his is going to get him in trouble some day. Let's wait a few more years please...

20 Questions

Brett is in a fun stage and he is always asking questions about everything. From Home prices, differnt jobs, how the library makes money if they give everything away for free and of course when is he going to get a dog. Anyway, Brett and I were in the car and he was playing his favorite game...Yes or No. He asks the questions, I answer.

"Will I eat pizza?" ....Yes
"Will we get bunkbeds in my room?"....No
"Will I see Shamu this Month?"....Yes (going to San Diego in a couple weeks.)
"Will I eat a Snake's penis?"....Pause, WHAT?
"Will I eat a Sn...".....Umm...No.
"Good, I was worried about that one"
"Will I go to Mexico?"... Yes.

This is when I stop the game. I should have just let it go, but I couldn't. First I didn't want to get into a discussion whether or not a snake has a penis and where it was, I kept that interesting question to myself. But, I just had to ask.

"Brett, why do you think you will eat Snake?"
Brett's answer, "The guy on the Food Channel was eating all kinds of penis's. I don't think I want to eat that."

Okay, now I have to monitor the Food Channel, lovely. If you think it is safe to go into the kitchen, you have been warned!

Cleaning out my Closets

So what have you been doing since school started? I have cleaned out almost all of my closets and sent 17 garbage bags full of clothes, etc. to Deseret Industries. As I was loading them into my car, I could hear Lynda (My Sis-in-Law) in my head screaming, "Why aren't you putting this stuff on Ebay!" First of all, too much work. Second of all, too much work. I rather take the tax credit and call it a day.

My next project is to scan some pictures that are stacked on my desk. I need to do it soon, because if not, it won't get done till after Christmas! This year I am the President of the PTA at Brett's school and Fall activities are going to come fast and furious. I can't wait for Christmas vacation all ready :).