Spring Break Trip

Spring Break would be the last chance we could get away before Barnhurst Baby #5 came. We decided this would be a great chance to go see the Grandma's in South Carolina. Dan was in Washington the week before we left and I had an incredibly busy week. My sweetheart surprised me by taking a red-eye on Thursday night. At 530a.m. he got home but didn't have a house key. Of course that was the one night that week when Ellie didn't wake me early to go out, so he slept in his cold car until we woke up and I saw his text. He helped me get the kids off to school and worked a little before catching up on a little sleep. I went to be helpful to Bonnie and then we both tackled packing when the kids got home from school. We originally planned to leave Saturday morning, March 19th, and head to Hollie and Cris's but since our week was so crazy, and Dan was just put in the new bishopric we decided to stay until after tithing was done on Sunday.

SUNDAY
As soon as Dan got home from church we loaded up the car and drove 6 hours to the Raleigh/Durham area. I hadn't seen their new home or my cute niece and nephew in a very long time. Xan is such a sweetie and Ellie is adorable. Abby was in baby-watching heaven and the kids played great together. I wish we could have visited with them longer but packed up after breakfast on Monday and drove 3 hours to Blythewood.

MONDAY
Grandma Great is always a highlight of any South Carolina trip. The kids adore her and love driving her golf cart. I love eating the RK treats she always make for me. She loves me! (This time I also got to take home a pecan pie she made for me!) Grandma is 97 and still manages to do so much she is amazing. Every trip the kids can't wait to see Uncle Harold. This trip he totally spoiled them by taking them to a gas station and let them "brown-bag" all the candy they wanted! Dan said he spent over $50 on candy for the kids! They were in hog heaven! Clara was pure entertainment with him. She had us all laughing at her candid remarks and spunky personality. We spent the night with Grandma Great and then left for the Zoo mid Tuesday.

 The "brown bag" stash.

TUESDAY
Grandma Donna and Blake met us at the Zoo.  We had a great time seeing the animals, riding the carousel and doing the high ropes course. I love the Columbia Zoo. There are so many animals, not a lot of walking and usually isn't too crowded (definitely not a Maryland/DC experience). We first saw the otters. Clara is at that magical age of complete wonder at everything she saw. It was so fun to watch her explode with excitement over every little thing. Two moments I don't every want to forget: 1. Abby trained an elephant to flap its ears! She hollered "flap" and waved her arms. She was so proud of herself and truly believed she was the reason that elephant was flapping its ears. It did it on her cue! Donna and I were laughing about it. As two zoo keepers passed Donna mentioned to them that if they needed anyone to train the elephants Abby could help! 2. Donna, Blake and I watched as the kids (with Dan) ran around the carousel and chose which animal they were going to ride on. Abby had a hard time deciding. She climbed on an elephant just as the ride started. When she came around to where we could see her she was all frowns and disappointment! Her elephant didn't move! Donna, Blake, and I were hollering and smiling at the kids as they went past us but Abby's frown would not budge! It had us laughing so hard I was in tears. Luckily with Donna's year round zoo pass comes all the you can get of carousel riding so Abby got to chose another animal and go again.
Grandma Great gave the kids some money to spend at the zoo. Tess chose dangly earrings, Abby chose a little stuffed elephant to always remember her amazing skills, Clara got a stretchy pink snake, and Jake decided to save his money.

WEDNESDAY
We haven't been back to Charleston ever since we moved from Aiken. This trip we decided to go to Charleston and visit Ft. Sumter and the Yorktown Aircraft Carrier. We had about one hour to tour the Yorktown before needing to board the fairy to Ft. Sumter. Abby, Tess, and Dan rode in a flight simulator. Clara was an absolute pill running from us constantly. I had the water bottles and stroller right next to each other in the garage to pack but they got left home in our hurry. Jacob was in heaven seeing all the airplanes and learning about the ship recovering the crew from Apollo 8. After Ft. Sumter we spent another hour touring the Yorktown. That ship was in 3 wars. We saw the jet that would have flown in Vietnam to help my Dad! It was the air craft carrier that Dan had a dance on during Youth Conference back in the day. It was very cool to explore!

We rode on the fairy for about 30 minutes to get to Ft. Sumter. I think we were all kind of disappointed at the lack of things to see at Ft. Sumter. Clara was full of energy that needed to be spent so Dan took Jake and Tess to look around while Donna, Abby, Clara and I sat and allowed Clara to run around the grassy area at the flag pole.  Clara gave me the scare of my life-- wish I could forget it. Abby had gone off a little ways and Clara went to join her. Before long clara climbed through the railing and onto a part of the fort that was slanted with a 20 foot drop to the sandy/rocky beach of the ocean. I was up and after her yelling as fast as I cold. She wouldn't stop until I got close enough and she could hear the sheer terror in my voice. I was in tears as I scolded her. After that I carried her to find Dan. Running and then carrying her did me in. The pressure I felt from my huge belly hurt.

Before heading back to St. Matthews to Grandma's house we stopped and ate some YUMMY sea food. But so overpriced! And then since we were so close to Ft.? and the beach we had to stop to let the kids play for a bit. I waddled out to the beach and  Donna and I sat and visited as we watched Dan and the kids play. The sun was setting and it was a gorgeous night.  A perfect ending to the day.

THURSDAY
We spent the morning with Grandma Riley and Aunt Rhonda. We had the traditional root-beer floats and the kids played with all her toys. By about 2 we left and made a quick (but not so quick) stop at the Museum gift shop downtown Columbia looking for some SC socks for Jake. Unfortunately we didn't find the kind we were looking for. However, everyone ended up with something to take home. My feet and ankles were so swollen and hot that I had to purchased some flip-flops. I didn't' realize just how much water I was retaining! Dan and I decided to go "halfsies" with the kids on what they wanted to buy. Clara was all over the place (wish we had some rope to tie her to us) so we shopped as quickly as possible. Jake got a model of the solar system to hang in his room, Tess bought SC earrings and necklace, Abby go a necklace with her name on it and some colored rocks, and Clara got a shark bath toy. Abby was so cute and grown up when she told me she was ready to buy her things all by her self. Sure enough, she went to the register and confidently bought her things all by herself. Dan and I were so proud and amazed by her.
Then off to Prosperity. We stopped and visited Aunt Lottie first. Aunt Lottie is Dan's great Aunt, Grandma Great's sister, who he spent a lot of time with one on one when Hollie was born. She is the sweetest, spunkiest 90 year old.  She had a ton of candy, pie, and donuts ready for the kids to devour. The kids played while we visited with her and Clara entertained us. The kids could eat anything they wanted, play with anything they wanted, DO anything they wanted. If Dan or I tried to get them to eat in the kitched she'd get after us. She has goats and a little pony we got to see.
It was a little after 6pm and we still needed to say hi to Bud and Patty. We spent and hour and a half visiting outside with them. Dan and Jake enjoyed talking with Bud and Draton, seeing their cars/tools/and guns. I tried to carry on a conversation with Patty while keeping the 3 girls happy. Abby had lost one of her tennis-shoes so she spent the day with one tennis-shoe and one slipper. The slipper wasn't much to protect her foot from the rocks and sticks of their yard. Then as they climbed on the wall of rocks one slipped and hit Tess's foot. Clara stepped in an ant pile but luckily it scared her more than hurt her....By the time we left at 830 I was exhausted and my tail bone was hurting so bad. Stink'n pregnancy keeps me up at night and made this trip even more exhausting then it would have been anyway. We all crashed when we got back to St. Matthews (except Dan who stays up late no mater what).

FRIDAY
After packing up our things we stopped in Blythewood for one more visit to Grandma. And Uncle Blake met us there with his balloons. We visited and were entertained by Uncle Blake before leaving around 130 for Maryland. Dan booked a hotel in Roanoke to break up our trip. It's a good thing too. It took us 3 hours to go what should have taken 1 hour due to crazy Charolette traffic! So frustrating. We ate at DQ and then swam at the hotel pool until 9pm to complete tire out the kids. I think the best part of that night was when we were all seated eating our hamburgers when the song "Everybody Dance Now" without any hesitation my arms went up dancing and all the kids followed. We rocked out to the song while in our seats. We got some big grins and laughs from the family seated close to us! I made Dan turn red...he then joined in the fun.

SATURDAY
We made it home by 3pm. I was suppose to meet with the new Bishop that evening but it got postponed a day. Dan had a bunch to do to be prepared to conduct and be 100%supportive to Bishop Marsh. Tess and I did manage to stay awake long enough to watch the Womens Broadcast together. Dan only slept 4 hours that night. Happy Easter Sunday!

Eating Highlights: I ate at Bojangles for the first time. We all loved our Southern breakfast biscuits. It was so yummy we had to eat there twice. We ate the best burger at ??? on our way home.

Lessons Learned:
1. Any little day trip we make anytime soon we will buy a harness for Clara and attach her to us!
2. It's a good thing we did this trip now, I am only 27 weeks pregnant and so huge that the walking made my legs/ankles huge. I will be released from RS President soon and I think that's a good thing!
3. We could happily live in Prosperity or Charleston SC.
4. Dan and I need a vacation! Just the two of us!

???

We are completely surprised to be having another GIRL.

Dan and Clara came with me to the ultrasound. I texted a friend who made the yummiest cupcakes with pink filling as the way to tell the kids the gender. They loved the cupcakes! It has taken a little adjusting to since I had us all convinced it was a boy. Abby is now insisting that this baby have blonde hair like her! Tess decorated the cutest Valentines school party box in a baby girl theme and Abby is constantly drawing babies and writing out the names we are thinking of. Everyone is excited.

She is perfectly healthy according to the ultrasound and we feel so relieved and blessed. I do have placenta-previa but that is likely to change and shouldn't interfere with a healthy delivery or so I was told. I will be getting another ultrasound at 32 weeks and then the last month I'll have a stress test done on a weekly basis thanks to my magical age of 35.

Baby Barnhust #5

We are pregnant. I am 18 weeks now and need to record the last couple months before we find out the gender:

After two years of praying and wondering if it should/would happen now that it has Dan and I feel like it's a first child again. (Totally out of practice and feeling overwhelmed like the first.) Jacob will be about 12 years older than this child. Clara will be 4 years older. I began with the awful all day sickness right at 5 weeks. I quickly made an appointment to get on some anti-nausea medicine. It helped to be able to keep food down better but made me to drowsy to use during the day. I was driving back from Jake's piano lesson and struggling to keep focus on the road which totally freaked me out so I only take it at night. I have felt so horrible but still had to manage to care for the family, keep grocery shopping, and be Relief Society President.

Dan and I decided to tell Jake and Tess pretty early so they'd understand why I felt yucky all the time. I really needed their cooperation and help.  They both were so ecstatic. It's unbelievable to all of us I think!  Most mornings Dan has helped to get the kids to the bus and then left for work. By the time the kids came off the bus I was stuck on the couch from which I'd help with home work and the nightly routine. After dinner was done I've often had to head right to bed leaving Dan with bedtime. Or I'd lay in Jake's bed while doing Clara's bedtime routine.  Jacob, Tess and Dan have done so much to help. Tess learned to make pancakes and a rice casserole with my instructions from the couch. Jake made a lot of the school lunches. Clara and I became very speedy at the grocery store most of the time with our noses covered. I had to stop being helpful with watching other peoples kids, making RS visits (other than food orders), or volunteering at the school temporarily.  Smells, oh the smells! My house has stunk for 11 weeks! I could hardly stand to brush my teeth and the feeling of the shower and smell of the bathroom was nauseating. Dan and I really didn't want the word to get out until I was past the latest I've miscarried, 13 weeks. We discussed flying my mom out several times and talked to her about it several times...but we powered through it wanting to enjoy her visits healthy!

Tender Mercies:
Shortly after the sickness started a friend showed up at the front door one morning with two freezer dinners. She had noticed I didn't seem to be feeling well. It brought me to tears and I told her. She checked up on me and brought several meals for us. It was so sweet and helped me to remember the Lord was aware of me.

Sunday's were my best days. Coincidence, I think not. I managed to get through ward council and often told Dan at sacrament meeting that I just didn't think I'd make it through the rest of the meetings but somehow I did. If I had to leave RS twice I didn't return. After that happened a couple times I told Jennifer, my first counselor. Then Jennifer got called as the new Primary President. Oh how I miss her but am excited for my kids to have her as their leader. (Dan and I have joked that he is one of my RS counselors, though at this time it really felt like it more than ever.) One Sunday two good friends were nursing their babies and heard me vomiting. I spent the rest of the 3rd hour in a recliner with them and they put two and two together. At my first presidency meeting with my new counselor and secretary I shared the news so they'd understand if I bolted for the bathroom.

Thanksgiving:
We had made plans to go south for Thanksgiving. When I got so sick Dan and I discussed the option of me staying here while he took the kids down. I had a hard enough time driving the 15 minutes to Jake's piano lessons so I just didn't see how I could make a long drive down.  I really didn't want to be away from my family during a holiday but didn't want to be more miserable than I already was. A couple days before Thanksgiving Abby overheard me talking about staying here. She quickly went to tears, "mom, you have to be with us for Thanksgiving!" Dan and I decided we had to explain to her why I'd probably be staying. When I told her I was sick because of a baby her response was "nuh-uh". She didn't believe me. As we talked the disbelief turned to total excitement. She still cried waning me to go to Raleigh and South Carolina which broke my heart. I stayed here while Dan and the kids went to Raleigh. Dan decided not to make the quick trip to South Carolina without me. It was so strange to be here on my own. We only told a few close friends, who already knew I was pregnant, that I would be here. It was a nice break from being RS president. I only had to handle one thing that week.  It had been a very busy couple weeks getting the Giving Tree ready for our ward, and Thanksgiving baskets set so a break was nice. I put up all the Christmas decorations and watched several Christmas shows. My sweet friends that got together for Thanksgiving brought me a plate of food. Mash potatoes were about all I could stomach but man were they divine! I took medication and slept a lot!

December:
Being so busy with my church calling and trying to still maintain some of our holiday traditions was so exhausting. But we did it. I even made gingerbread houses. I finished delivering the last "giving tree" gift for our ward on Tuesday, December 22nd. I made it to Christmas which put me at about 14 weeks. I struggled through week15 but by week 16 I started to feel so much better. Dan had surgery scheduled January 4th. Once again we discussed flying my Mom out to help during that week but Dan thought we could muscle through it. I prayed I'd feel well enough to take care of him and the kids. Amazingly enough, the week my sister Aimee came out I started to feel better. She left on a Saturday and Dan's surgery was that Monday. Other than being really tired and constant head aches I am good. I can function again and not a moment too soon! Tender mercy...yes! I lost 13lbs before starting to gain. Last pregnancy I lost 18lbs and didn't feel better until about week 20! Glory Hallelujah! I can enjoy a shower again.

One week from today we find out if we are having a boy or a girl!

Snowzilla 2016

"Snowzilla", as it was affectionately named, dumped just over 3 feet of snow on us. The state declared a state of emergency before the storm even started with predictions of 50 mile an hour winds and massive power outage throughout the area. Dan called it "SnowBama" because it came in, snowed the people and wrecked the place. Anyway...

We learned our lesson when it happened two years ago and were so much more prepared. Since Dan was recovering from surgery and couldn't lift more than 15 lbs we had to ask for some help from others.  Rob Bastian came and taught me how to use an axe but really he did all the chopping for kindling. The kids and I with Dans help (he shouldn't have) brought in a lot of fire wood to the storage room. Dan made sure we had plenty gasoline. I moved the tractor up and into the garage where the missionaries helped Dan put the snow blade on.  Dan and Ryan Kigin moved the generator in place as the snow began. I made sure we had plenty of food and water. We were prepared.

The power did flicker once, which made my heart stop beating while Abby cheered, "YAY!" (Dan had them excited to use our generator and campout by our fireplace.) Gratefully we didn't lose power.

The snow began on Friday, with no school, but didn't become a storm until the night. Dan set his alarm to wake up at 3 a.m. to put more wood in the fire place and plow. We decided not to plow, we should have. By 6 a.m. the snow was too heavy and too high for our tractor and blade to move it very far. I shoveled throughout the day keeping a path out the back for the dog and kids to play. We just had to let it fall and accumulate. On Sunday our neighbors, Mark and Mike, came with their snow-blowers and cleared our drive way for us. So kind! We watched as Montgomery County trucks turned around at the road to head back to their county. Susie Collins, our neighbor, had to work on Monday and so our amazing neighbors all pitched in and snow-blowed a path for one vehicle to get out to the road out of our cul de sac. No Frederick County trucks made it here until WEDNESDAY! For some idiotic reason our county executive called off the trucks Saturday night and didn't have them back on the roads until Monday.

The kids spent everyday out in the snow. Dan baked and I ate, a lot!  We slept in, played games and watched shows. It was great. The kids ended up with 6 days off of school. Dan's trip to Florida got pushed a couple days thankfully.