The Barnhurst Family

Life in the country

2010-05-10T20:35:00.002-06:00

We are loving the country. Last night we enjoyed a quick hail storm that dropped marble-sized hail stones. I enjoyed the lightning and the thunder and the hail was incredible. The kids were worried about the thunder. We actually parked our cars in the backyard under some big trees so the damage would be minimal. This morning I found dents in my "garden" where the hail had hit. Pretty amazing stuff.

Also, our adventures have included a copperhead snake on the patio a week ago. He was quite a sight to behold and I was grateful that Chris shot him twice so he wouldn't be a threat to us. Every member of the family now owns cowboy boots or work boots. Awwwww....country living at its best.

Still trying to find a lender who won't claim that the house in is a flood zone (which it obviously isn't) and hopefully closing on the house at the end of this month. Chris is loving the tractor and I actually had a hard time getting him to come into dinner. ;)

It is so beautiful living here and quite peaceful. We have so much space that we decided it was time to get a dog. We are trying to adopt a springer spaniel and we get to go meet "Sam" on Wednesday. Wish us luck.

The Big Decision

2009-09-14T16:55:00.002-06:00

So we finally did it. Our house is on the market. We are making a jump into the unknown. Chris and I have decided that having debt is totally uncool. We want to downsize our home and increase our land ownership. So currently we are looking for around 15-20 acres with the hopes of having multiple homes on the property to entice family members to move to Texas. We might even have some livestock to help decrease our taxes. Definitely going to get the dog we promised the kids when we first moved here. The biggest thing is that Chris is wanting to build our dream home--which is our ultimate goal. Yipee!! (that's Texan, I think) We will keep you posted on our progress. We've had our first nibble: a wife saw the house and wants the husband to come and see it. Keep your fingers crossed.

YouTube is run by boneheads

2009-05-26T18:19:00.003-06:00

YouTube removed the audio from the original posting, so here it is again.

Did he make the grade? Stay tuned...

2009-05-24T20:08:00.001-06:00

Joseph and his group of payasos doing their group project in Spanish class.

A Slew of Christmas

2009-01-13T13:11:00.008-07:00

Shameless Scrabble addicts smile feebly after
an attempted intervention failed.

Aspiring thespians at a nativity rehearsal.

He might make a lot of noise and throws tantrums,
but he makes the trains run on time.

Whoever this guy is, he showed up for Christmas Day,
ate some wrapping paper, mumbled something about
the surplus population and then disappeared.

"The Thinker"

"The Stinker"

The Fortress of Sillitude

Joseph made me post this crap here

2008-11-10T19:41:00.001-07:00

A Day for Gratitude, Pride, and Rejoicing

2008-11-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

There is reason to rejoice today, and to feel deeply proud of our country.

Virtually all nations have at least some deep racial or tribal divisions. Many countries include relatively small racial minorities who are despised, oppressed, and devalued. Even in Europe, where we seem to think they are somehow more enlightened than us jingoistic redneck Americans, the racist leanings are much more overtly hostile and frequently and publicly displayed, in ways that in America would result in lawsuits, outrage, and relentless public shaming of the perpetrators.

What makes America such a freakish exception to the history of the world was on display in the electorate last night. I don't know of any other country where such an aforementioned minority has gone in a single generation from the former status to having one of their sons elected to the highest public office in the land.

The peaceful transition of power from one President to the next in this country is a miracle in itself. That Americans have once again put history on its head not only by continuing this rare and precious tradition, but also by electing a member of a racial minority as chief executive, when such an event was considered a complete impossibility even earlier in my own lifetime, shows an amazing and admirable idealism among our citizens. This idealism is one of the chief strengths of this nation, the greatest to ever arise.

Of course I have still some serious misgivings about the ideology and mettle of Barack Obama. No objective reading of his past record, statements, and associations can leave the serious mind completely without worry in that regard. But he will be the President of the United States, and I believe that the solemnity, the magnitude of that office's power may chase away some of the radical silliness he has exhibited in the past.

So congratulations to President-Elect Obama, and my gratitude for John McCain's statesmanlike words in his concession speech. I hope that Obama's expressed commitment to bipartisanship and to being the President of the entire country is sincere and that he finds a path to make it a reality. My hopes and prayers are with our new President to be, his family, and the nation he has been called upon to govern.

So today I thank God once again for the miracle of American representative government, and implore His blessings upon America, our leaders, our citizens, and that He smile on our continued liberty and prosperity.

Some Video Memories

2008-11-02T10:42:00.004-07:00

Johnny from his memorable February 2008 performance
art (featuring possibly modern dissonant music):

Somewhat reminiscent of a December 2004 performance
by his big sister:

July in Utah

2008-09-30T11:36:00.006-06:00

Sandy chillin' with Jeremy

Could be Gollum in the background there...

Emily isn't always amenable
to paparazzi stalking her
with cameras.

Check it out! We've discovered DIRT!

Grandmas can't resist babies.

So happy it's Emily's birthday!

Johnny takes a breather
between watermelon binges.

Meet Percy!

Actually, they look like this
even when you're not
taking their picture.

What is that classy looking gal
doing, hanging around that
NERD? ;)

Happiness is a cool toy with
wheels and having the evening
free at Grandma's house.

Moto Mishap

2008-09-30T09:58:00.003-06:00

Joseph trying out a downsize motorcycle
at a friend's house. Looks fun, eh?
No way this will end in the
emergency room. Nope.

An enjoyable little dig on some
public land nearby.

End of lap 1: Everything is fine.

End of lap 2: Everything is fine,
except for a bit of a scrape on the knee.
Something about trying to do a u-turn in
some gravel down the road.

Ouch! Looks like it might need
some dermabond.

Or, possibly, a stitch or two.

...or 6.

Evel Knievel here was profoundly traumatized.

Vernal, 2008

2008-09-30T09:49:00.004-06:00

The new museum of natural history
fieldhouse in Vernal is pretty cool. Lots
of stuff for the kids to try out hands-on.

Johnathan wasn't thrilled with the huge
mammoth staring down at him. And
he didn't think it was much of a
Kodak moment, either. I told him
I only shoot using Canon hardware
but he wasn't having it.

My kids never misbehave. They certainly wouldn't
be caught with their finger up their noses when
a picture's being taken. Hmph.

The Fairbankses! We laughed, we cried, we caught
a lot of fish at Steinaker, and a good time was
had by all.

Ashley Creek

2008-09-30T09:39:00.004-06:00

There's a road that comes off of Taylor Mtn
Road, then there's a trailhead, poorly marked.
Then a long hike (with "little feet" in tow
about 2hrs down, closer to 3hrs up).
Some of the most beautiful scenery
in the world.

The stryations on this tree don't look like any
man-made tools. There is evidence of beaver
dams nearby in the creek.

A stitch of the panoramic view seen
during the hike down.

Hiking the Loop

2008-09-30T09:29:00.005-06:00

It's an annual tradition that helps us keep track of
how progressively out of shape we are.
(All of us except grandma, but she can tell you all about that.)

Wardle Reunion 2008

2008-09-30T09:11:00.008-06:00

I think Johnny put about 10k miles on
this dump truck during the trip.

Merlin (yes, the one from the 70's) is the
most advanced electronic entertainment
we allowed on the trip. :)

No matter how hectic your toy truck playing becomes,
never forget to stop and pick the dandelions.

Shangrila, courtesy of Cabela's and Sam's Club. And others.

If you watch this subversive long enough,
you might get the idea he's got a thing
for baseball.

The outdoor shower has gotten progressively less
craptacular over the years.

Patty!!!!

I don't know these ruffians. Yes, I'm sticking with that story.

Grandpa watching the grandkids speeding by.

A new look for Emily. It didn't last long.

Meagan trying her best to pout for the camera.

These slackers refused to clean the fish.

Johnny finds a use for the screen enclosure around the
trailer awning.

Emily figuring out which way is up.

Meagan performs for the reunion amateur hour--
ouch! I mean, um, talent show.

New Backyard Playset

2008-06-01T15:04:00.007-06:00

The predecessor play set, which we've
dragged around since we lived
in Colorado.

Pine lumber, pressure treated, rated
for ground contact. And a lot
of it.

Cutting all the pieces took the better
part of a Saturday.

Each piece labeled to indicate
what part of the structure it goes to.

Rounding the edges of all the lumber
using an edge router. Each piece was then
sanded using a random orbital sander.

Applying a semi-transparent redwood
sealant to the wood prior to construction.

Leveling a 10' x 6' area for the base
of the fort structure.

Raising the basic frame

Decks and lower ladder...

Safety boards and tarp boards...

Railing done and adding the swingset beam

There are a total of 3 slides to be
installed. The yellow one is a 14' scoop.

Installing the first roof tarp, the 10' scoop
slide visible to the left (green).

The third, final, most expensive,
and most problematic slide, finally done.

All done! (For now.)

Some sort of clubhouse enclosure will be
added below the upper deck, but for
now it's playable and daddy's resting
from these labors for a while.

FHE Idol

2008-05-13T08:51:00.001-06:00

(And yes, I had to bribe Joseph with a trip to Braum's)

Another Saturday, Another Load of 2x4s

2008-05-10T18:55:00.004-06:00

This week, we made a work bench and a set of shelves for the other side of the garage.

Fairly basic work bench, 16" deep shelf below with a backstop,
work surface made of 2 layers of 3/4" plywood laminated together
with Elmer's carpentry glue and a lot of screws.
You may note the considerably cluttered garage area behind it,
which is where the shelves are going.
Actually, Stephanie had already done a lot of clearing away
stuff to get it this good...

Hooray! Now we can see the east wall!

The cleats installed along the east wall

Vertical supports and top plate added

Horizontal supports and south wall cleats done

Shelves (3/4" plywood) cut, notched,
and installed with glue and screws

A few custom-sized spaces now occupied...

A bit more stuff to add to complete the
organizing of the garage, but this
is a nice step in the right direction.

4 Easy Steps to Burn a Saturday

2008-05-03T20:39:00.004-06:00

Step 1: Bag the ambitious plans for the adjustable shelves
involving gang-routing slots through banded sets of 2x4s
and instead go for the laddered utility shelves (i.e. - the
ones you have a snowball's chance of finishing in one day).

Step 2: Chamfer the rear top plate so thatyour cable TV still works,
install the cleats to support the rear of the shelves, and
add the front vertical beams.

Step 3: After all shelf supports are installed, dry fit the 3/4" plywood
shelving before installing them with Elmer's carpenter glue
and securing them to the supports with screws.

Step 4: All done. Then the wife put a bunch of her stuff on the shelves
and went shopping with Meagan.

A Trip to the Zoo with Grandma

2008-04-05T01:40:00.003-06:00

What could be more fun?

Two cute fledgling wild beasts who pretend to accept captivity and the rules of their existence. And a couple of giraffes.

The tiger in the background gave grandma a good show while we were there.

This kid was quite entranced by a number of the critters we saw that day.

Haircuts (one of the myriad reasons we have to keep going back to Utah)

2008-04-05T01:35:00.003-06:00

I explained I don't know how many times to Johnathan that John is a highly talented professional stylist, but he approached the experience with his usual suspicion and skepticism.

Now that's a handsome kid.

This cute girl was there and somehow managed to talk me into paying for her haircut too.

Easter and Spring Break in Utah

2008-04-05T01:26:00.005-06:00

Hey, no one said good eats weren't messy.

A heap of Barnhurst and Fairbanks kids.

Always a treat to see Grandpa Horrocks!

Future Chess Club president?

Johnathan got this Easter egg hunting thing down pretty quick. I'm pretty sure I heard him singing the "Clean Up" song while darting around Alex & Amy's back yard filling up his shopping basket.

Jenny's Wedding

2008-04-05T01:02:00.005-06:00

By my rough estimate there were approximately 1.3 million pictures taken of the events of Jenny's wedding day, on about a thousand cameras. Here's a few candids of my own.

President Foote happened to be at the temple the day of Jenny's wedding for a similar event in his own family. Quite a surprise and treat to see him and Sister Foote at the temple!

New House, New Life

2008-04-04T00:19:00.005-06:00

Emily has a busy pre-school!

Snow in Dallas, or, as the thumpers here call it, the Pale Rider.

One of life's simple pleasures: packing peanuts and a cardboard box.

Johnathan improves on the opportunity to just sit and be.

Grandma J came to vist. And quilt. And play with the grandkids. And make frames.

Johnathan loves cheesecake. Obviously.

Honest to goodness snow, in Texas. Two snow storms in a week, in fact. Folks here are convinced the end is near. And a lot of snowmen perished in the sun after very brief existences.

Johnathan finds his niche in the new kitchen.

Emily's self portrait.

Johnathan pondering this strange new device that makes such curious noise...

The Johnsons came and spent a few days with us. We found a GREAT restaurant called The Bavarian Grill.

Entryway at the new house.

Emily was a bit sick when we moved in. Here she's crashed out at the Residence Inn in Plano (where we lived for a few days until the movers brought the furniture).

The Move, Part 4: Great Sand Dunes National Park

2008-03-12T19:53:00.006-06:00

Loads of fun at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

The Move, Part 3: The Durango / Silverton Train

2008-03-12T19:45:00.004-06:00

Life on the road. The girls got out of bed finally, after I started folding them the rest of the way into the couch. Incidentally, the two-room suites at the Residence Inn are TOTALLY the way to go when road tripping with the fam.

When Steph and I took the Silverton Train a few years back, we got seats inside an enclosed car, and regretted not being able to be out in the open air. So this time we took one of these "outdoor" cars. The only problem: IT'S COLD THERE IN OCTOBER and the trip is about 3.5hrs each way.

Fortunately, they had refillable hot chocolate mugs and we were right next to the chow car. These things kept us from turning into icicles on the way up to Silverton.

Johnathan LOVES trains and was thoroughly entranced with the entire experience.

The Move, Part 2: Megalithic Ruins and Spruce Tree House (Mesa Verde)

2008-03-12T19:32:00.005-06:00

Very cool stuff at Mesa Verde. At one time a thriving area with thousands of dwellings clustered in tribe-like communities, inhabited for centuries, abandoned over a few decades.

Emily coquettishly showing us a sunburst pattern.

Entrance to the keva.

Johnathan discovering the ray of sunshine inside the Spruce House keva.

Emily showing she can be cute anywhere

These kevas are a constant temp of about 58 F, nice and dark, naturally sound-proof... run some wiring and you've got a perfect media room!

Joseph confused by the signs. Which is it, no food or drink, or bring drinking water?

The Move, Part 1: Four Corners and Balcony House (Mesa Verde)

2008-03-12T18:30:00.009-06:00

This one is actually before we moved. It shows that poor Johnathan has two sisters who are convinced that he (a) is a dress-up doll, and (b) would be cuter as a girl.

Four Corners. Two of these states have been our home.

Balcony House at Mesa Verde. Gotta watch the kids, as there are no handrails or other guards to keep you from taking a jolly good plunge off the cliffside.

Entrance to the Balcony House via an authentic reconstruction of the original means. Sturdy ladder, though, even if a bit unnerving to climb.

Someone's former living room?

The only other way into / out of Balcony House is this little tunnel. Either this was intended to be an impediment, or these people were all Johnathan's size.

"No way to design an entrance hall."

After another ladder, you climb up a rather perilous seeming rock face on your way back to the trail head.

We made it!

A trip to the hospital and back

2007-03-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

Get me out of here!!!

He held it together pretty well most of the time, but five days confined in a hospital room taxes the patience of even the best natured babies.

A lot of hugs from his sisters ensued at his homecoming.

Yes, Meagan can look dignified and aloof even with a cute baby draped around her neck and a younger sister too short to give her proper bunny ears.

Hanging out with mommy before church.

This taken just before he performed "Puttin' on the Ritz"

Do you know these hippies?

2007-03-19T14:53:00.000-06:00

10 minutes of Guitar Hero on the PS2 and they're back
in their misspent youth, banging tambourines and
making sarcastic remarks about Republicans

You want pics? You got 'em!

2007-01-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a big bunch of assorted pictures of various silly kidlets and other family antics.

Remodeling!

2007-01-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

After about 7 years living in Colorado, we moved back to Utah in April of 2005 and are fixing up the house we're living in. The plan is to get it done by this Spring and relocate to a hub city of my employer, thus greatly reducing my traveling.

Pictures to come soon.