Bountiful blessings day after day!

My dear parents came for Thanksgiving. Having them here was my greatest blessing of the 2012 Thanksgiving season!

Our annual swim and shiver event was freezing fun! Grandma Barry was the generous banker this year for the ten crazies who jumped in the 50 degree pool. (That's $200.00 if you are wondering!) Little John actually seemed to be running on water as he jumped in and immediately pumped his legs so fast that he was out of the water up to his waist in the 8 foot deep end!

 Our family has a thing for flexing our muscles as you can tell!

 Lining up to watch or jump!

 John and I got the THRILL (!) of going to the Donny and Marie Christmas concert at the Gammage Theater at the end of November!

 MMMwahhhh!

 John helped a brand new member of the Church research her family and find relatives to be baptized for. It was a sacred event in the temple with them as John also baptized this woman and her husband for her grandparents and other relatives. Afterwards, seeing the Christmas lights, was the perfect ending to that perfect event!

 I am grateful every day for the Church of Jesus Christ and for the blessings of the gospel.

 I am thankful for the Savior and His eternal gifts to us...opportunity to repent and feel peace, the hope of returning to Him through His atoning sacrifice, the resurrection, eternal life, improving my actions and being able to feel Heavenly love each day through the Holy Ghost...

 For temples and the covenants that make it possible to be with my family forever...

 For the Christmas season that helps me to focus on Christ and on helping my fellow brothers and sisters. My puny efforts are returned to me in joy ten-fold!

For the abundance He showers upon me and you. For giving us work and the strength to perform our labors. For health, safety, freedoms, beauties of nature to gladden the heart!

For John and his deep-down wonderfulness!

For Christmas lights!

 I had to share this picture of John and his dear mom. We were eating at one of our favorite restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory.  Mom Barry got here in time for Thanksgiving; a real treat since she was not able to make it until January last year, due to her dialysis treatments.

 In November we celebrated Sam's 4th birthday, Nina's 10th birthday and Johnny's 10th birthday. Sam and I went to TOYS R US where he chose a transformer, an army unit set and ? (Can't remember!) We ate at McDonalds, (Sam's choice too) with Grandpa. For Nina, Grandpa and I took her to Hobby Lobby. She picked an art set with brushes and a canvas. We ate at Applebees. Johnny wanted Ella to come so we, John, Ella ,Grandpa and I headed to Target and the Paradise Valley Mall to shop and eat. John chose...guess...lego-type blocks but they light up! It is such a pleasure to have one-on-one time with our grandchildren!

 Ashlyn, after having to postpone her fifth birthday party because she had the flu, finally got to celebrate with a Hello Kitty cake and"Brave" party! When we shopped at Toys R Us, she chose a Hello Kitty figure that magically sits on her shoulder and a "Brave" playset. When we opened the set, parts were missing so it went back to the store and instead she got a unicorn "Dream Light". We ate at Barros Pizza for her birthday celebration!

 The Very Barry Christmas party had a few surprises and a whole lot of fun this year!  After eating our MaCayos (sp) Mexican food, we played the white elephant game. The prize that was fought for most was the Wonder Woman drinking glasses that Devin ended up with!

 This is sweet Mom Barry listening to John give his special remarks on a Christmas gift he gave her many years ago (an orange candy dish) and how she received it with such gratitude. He hopes that we receive gifts in the spirit that they are given. Christ gave His gifts to us with the greatest love. How do we receive them?

 The Nativity was precious as usual, but this year we had a donkey-Millie, camel-Wesley, cow-Mollie and a lamb-Ashlyn present.

 Grandpa Santa gave all the adults and the older grandchildren jammie pants. Pulling them up high like Grandpa Norman Barry was a riot!

 Charlee, Oaklee and Nina 'modeling' their new pj pants wrestling style, I guess.

 Sam and Ashlyn doing ?

 Cute Mindy in her jammie pants.

 Rich, Treslee, Nina, Elle, Millie and Wesley

 Cousin time!

Adorable Taylor time! The youngest Barry for a time...until Mindy has number 19 in May or June!

 Brooklynn is a beauty!

Generous, kind, Grandpa Santa passed out big bucks for everyone this year!

This is my favorite picture of our party!
 I am so grateful for our family!!! I couldn't feel more blessed!  After the Santa gifts we were treated to the Very Barry Christmas picture show put together by Anya. (So sad that she, Johnny and Ella couldn't come to the party because John was sick, Ella had dance rehearsal for her ballet) The show was outstanding-complete with laughter, happy tears, memories of this wonderful year and even a tender story that showed the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you Anya! That was a real labor of love!
Thank you family for filling my life with abundant joy and for being good people. Thank you for raising your children to be valiant. Thank you for not moving far away!!!

Halloween!!!

There is nothing like Halloween and grand kids!

It was such fun preparing for our annual Halloween party thanks to Pinterest, the website with every idea in the book!


Ande, the fairy princess (post chocolate doughnut face) and Bastian who became a 'walker' were two of the guests at the party.

 Food!!! All week long I prepared  spooky food!

Bones (pretzels, marshmallows, dipped in white chocolate), fingers, (sugar cookies) witches hats (Keebler stripe cookies, orange frosting kisses) and and spiders!(oreos, string licorice and mini m&m's)

 Worms!  (Jello, whipping cream, Knotts gelatin, set in straws.)

 Witches brooms  (pretzel's and string cheese) and mouths! (apple slices, peanut butter and mini marshmallows)  Our punch had ice-cube eyeballs and an ice hand floating in it! (Freeze water in a surgical glove and cut the glove off before serving.)




Pumpkin creations by Ande, Bastian, Carter the pirate and Ashlyn, the Brave.
                                                                                                  John the skeleton who freaked Ande out and Ella made some clever pumpkin faces too!

 This is normal behavior for Ashlyn and Carter! Sweet little things!

Ella/Dorothy and her happy pumpkin!

 Nina/Alice in Wonderland made a traditional pumpkin face!

 Elle/Mulan chose to make her pumpkin angry!

 Prince Charming/Rich (I take no responsibility for his stuffed pants!)

 The Queen of Hearts/Treslee. She made her entire costume out of things she already had! (Except the wig and collar that she got at discount stores)

 Dopey/Wesley who is the happiest little guy! He is content to wander around, watching all that the kids are doing...as long as he has candy in his sticky little hands!

 Oaklee the buffet with Jaxson the vampire!  (Charlee was an adorable pirate girl. I don't know how she escaped the photo shoot!)

The best bunch of people ever!

Doughnut-bobbing was one of our activities thanks to Devin and Allison. Adam and Anya brought a big caldron and eyeball bouncing balls to see who had the skill of bouncing the ball just right so it landed in the caldron. We had our parade where we all held onto a rope and walked through the neighborhood. We actually had some of the neighbors see us this year! We played pin the nose on the pumpkin and then that same pumpkin became our pinata!

 Here is Jaxson trying his luck at the fish pond.

I don't know how I could be any more blessed! Oh wait...yes I do! Mindy announced that she is adding to our blessings next June!!! WOW!

 Here is a moment with Sam and Mollie outside the pizza restaurant in town.

 This picture makes me giggle! It's Devin and Allison's Taylor in all her adorable, tongue-showing glory!

 Since Devin and Allison live closest to us, we get to share the joy of their family often! This makes me happy!

 Not only was Molly a princess for Halloween but she was also a  dinosaur at our ward's Trunk or Treat.

 These are some of my young women friends whom I love!

 The YaYa's annual trip to the Schnefp Farms pumpkin patch in Queen Creek was another day for the 'happiest days of my life' book! We, YaYa's have been friends for 22 years. We've been making this trek to the farm for many of those years. Robyn Cruz, here brought her niece this time since her two kids had the nerve to grow up and leave the nest! Oh and that's Faith in between!

This is our group: Kathy, Lorin, Madison Partridge and two friends, Faith and Ciara St Clair, Roby Cruz and Lizzy, Brooklynn and I.

 When did Brooklynn get so tall?

 B and C

 We bounced on the giant trampolines, rode the roller coaster, the swings, the Bees, raced pedal cars, watched pig races and dog tricks. We plugged our noses while seeing the 1200 pound cow and tiny baby goats! We played miniature golf, ate yummy food and rode the haunted train through the pitch dark orchards with spooks appearing out of the trees! So FUN!

Greg, Ande and Bastian joined in the fun which made it all the better! Gee, I can't until next year!