The Barnett Newsletter

Dear Family & Friends,

Well, 2007 has come to a close and we wanted to make sure to wish you both a belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

For our family, this year has really been another season of change. Once again, the Lord has seen fit to challenge our math skills by giving us little Aric Joseph on August 28th. Our family catch-phrase is now “PLUS-ONE”. I think that brings the number to 10…or is it 11? Who am I forgetting? Anyway, Aric is quite a handsome fellow. He was born with a full head of hair, but after 2-3 months, he began to loose his hair on top. That confirms he is a Barnett!

Amber (3 yrs) is little Miss Feisty. She is kid #9, but will not be silenced by anyone. When told by her older siblings to do something, she might or might not, depending on how she feels at the time. I think Dr. Dobson would refer to Amber as the typical “strong willed child.” If she is on the receiving end of an offense, the whole family will know from her “blood-curdling” screams, which sends everyone running for cover. We’re working on that.

Alyssa (5 yrs) is the Queen of Affection. She just loves on everyone, strangers included. If you need a hug or kiss (or even if you don’t) Alyssa will be Johnny-on-the-spot for you, giving comfort and kindness. She has also developed a very high opinion of herself. Sometimes, if you ask her, is your name Alyssa, she’ll say, “No, I’m Princess Alyssa.” When asked why, she responds with, “Cuz’ that’s what Alexis says I am in the stories she tells me before I go to bed.”

Alex & Allen (7 & 9 yrs) continue to be the best of buds. It’s hard not to ‘lump’ them together. They do so much together. And just like last year, they both played soccer again. This time they were on different teams, due to age differences. Alex became a goalie maniac as his coach (Adam) encouraged him along. We are pleased that Alex is not hesitant to jump in and compete, even when outsized. Now if we can only get him to show the same level of enthusiasm for the violin. Allen also thoroughly enjoyed soccer this year. He threw his little body around like a ballistic missile. Yep, he was a one man wreckin’ crew. Allen has emerged as Mr. Verbosity. He has an opinion, comment, or question on every subject, much to the chagrin of his siblings and sometimes his parents. But, it is clear that Mr. Verbosity is a communicator. As he grows, in every situation, the world will know what Allen is thinking…like it or not.

Andrew (12 yrs) has found his true love…already! No, it’s not what you think. Man, this kid can cook! He has already determined that he wants to be a chef and one day own a restaurant. For Christmas, he received his own set of “Chef Dewey” cooking utensils. I’ve never seen someone so excited about spatulas and measuring spoons. He is beginning to spend more time on the internet searching for recipes and less time on Runescape (his favorite on-line video game). He is also beginning to see himself as a role-model for his little brothers and is intentionally trying to be an encouragement and good example for them. Wow!

Adina (14 yrs) is growing into a wonderful kid (she said I couldn’t call her a young lady). She is very patient with her younger siblings and cares for them with amazing tenderness. She has been changing diapers since she was 8. When it’s time to play soccer, all that tenderness stuff goes out the window. She had another great year of YMCA, outdoor soccer. She’s a tough cookie. It’s so much fun to see her defend the goal and take out a kid from the other team. She helps them up, says “you ok?” and then later takes them out again when they get too close. She also continues to sharpen her viola skills as she plays with a strings octet at church. It also doesn’t surprise us that she is following in Adam’s footsteps by learning to play the acoustic guitar.

Austin (15 yrs) has decided to do a repeat performance of last year, but this time he did it in style. Last year he broke his wrist on a skateboard. This year (October), he broke his leg riding a dirt bike. Austin worked hard this summer and saved $2,000. He promptly spent it on a KTM 250 dirt bike…too much horse for the rider. On his 2nd time EVER riding, he decided to go off on some trails with hills with a friend. Still trying to remember where the brake is, he took off. He made it back…in pieces. Last year we thought the Tennessee Titans were his destination. No more. I’m convinced now that over the years, Austin has been secretly studying under the late Evil Knevil. Who knows what his next trick will be. We’ve already secretly placed a call to the emergency room to let them know he will be visiting again…hopefully not too soon. Austin also served as soccer referee for the 5 year old kids in the YMCA outdoor league. The kids loved him! He called all the kids “buddy”, would pick them up and give them hugs, and offered encouragement at every turn. Laura and I received loads of feedback from the parents, who were so thankful that someone in this role genuinely cared about their kids and demonstrated it so effectively. Great job Austin!

Alexis (17 yrs) is now in “life choice” making mode. She has developed a true love for music in general and the cello specifically. She has really excelled with the cello and plays with the Eastern IL University orchestra. This year she competed in the district-5 music competition with other students (public and private school) and was selected to participate in the state competition in Peoria in January. College is the next big choice for her. We will see where the Lord leads. She continues to serve around our home with faithfulness. Alexis has developed as a masterful story teller at bedtime. I’ve stood outside the door and listened to her spin tales for Alyssa and Amber that would put George Lucas (Star Wars) to shame. What a wonderful daughter. In her leisure, Alexis has begun a family blog site on the internet. It has lots of photographs. So, if you want to keep with what’s happening with our family, go to www.barnettribe.blogspot.com

Adam (20 yrs) has finished his Associate’s Degree at Lakeland College and is counting down the days before he moves to Pensacola, FL, where he will be attending Pensacola Christian College to get his BS in Business. Classes start the 3rd week of January. This is really bittersweet for Laura and me. We are very proud of him and the choices he has made over the years (friend choices, choosing courtship vs. dating, setting priorities, etc.). We will really miss Adam. He is truly learning the importance of family, as he has over the years taken the opportunity to minister to his siblings and show them the love of the Savior. He is a fine young man and some young lady will one day consider herself fortunate to have found him…after he graduates!!! We’ll see.

Well, it has been a wonderful year. The kids are growing/maturing and Laura and I continue to love each other deeply. Our family continues to make every effort to put Jesus first. There is no greater priority in life. As our world spins into further chaos (wars, conflicts, etc.) the pending return of our Savior appears more eminent. This fact (His return) both excites us and creates a greater sense of urgency in our hearts to live for Him. It is our hope and prayer that in 2008 each of you find yourselves faithfully walking with Jesus. There is no more secure place to be. He says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We believe that intensely. If you don’t, we hope and pray that 2008 will be your year to believe it too. God’s Blessings in 2008!

Love,
Myron, Laura and the Kids

A-kid of the week...Alex!

Alex is the jokster of the tribe--always running up an older sibling to tell his latest joke. Although occasionally absent-minded, Alex is a very caring and gentle little boy, very sensitive to the needs of others. Thank you mini-man, for lighting up our world.

Adam's home!

Hurray! Adam just came home from his trip to Mexico! But to our horror, he didn't take any pictures, so I'm going to try and upload a few of his little videos. Hang tight!

Alexis

Yum!

The two things I love about Mrs. Stick is her ambition and enthusiasm! Whenever she has an idea, she immediately puts it into action.
These were some of the gingerbread houses that we made (that is before they were gobbled up)

Alyssa, Amber, Allen, and Hannah

Rachel and Hannah feeding the baby
(I'm tankful for my two wond-o-ful bah-by helpers!)

Ryan and I were at the Wal-Mart Subway waiting for Austin to get his drink. Bored to a tizzy, Ryan "whips" out some whip cream, proceeding to spray it straight into his mouth!

(Sorry Ryan, I just had to post this one!)

More Stick Photos

As you can see from below, we really are having a blast with the Sticks over (although it does get a little crazy sometimes) With fourteen kids in the house, it doesn't get any better than this!

The brother and sisterhood

Mrs. Stick

Luke and Ryan

(Thanks for pinning him Ryan!)

PBS Heads to Broadway

Hi again! Thursday, we headed to Broadway Christian Church to play for their annual Senior Citizen's Christmas Party. After the performance we headed to the banquet hall for a really yummy lunch!

We love you John!

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

Ryan and Austin--stayin cool

Ryan and Aric
(Ryan--also a shutter bug--seems to enjoy taking the spotlight!)

Adina, Ryan, and Alex
building a snow fort

Adina

The Sticks Are Here!

Yesterday, some friends of ours came over for the weekend to hang out with us and enjoy the snow!
This is Hannah Stick feeding Aric

Line Dancing at Adam's Graduation Party

Visiting With Grandparents and Cousins!

Today, Grandma, Grandpa, Elisha and her baby (our second cousin) came over to have a nice chat. We had so much fun introducing McKenzie to Aric, although he wasn't quite sure how to react. It was so wonderful to be with family again!

McKenzie: Hi Aric! Man, are you still sucking your thumb?
Aric: Hey, I wouldn't be a man without it!

Me, McKenzie, and Elisha

Dad and Grandpa
(Grandpa's the king of funny faces!)

Adam's Graduation

Today we held a celebration for Adam's graduation, and boy did we have fun! The festivities were started by lunch (compliments to our chefs: Mom, Dewey, and Adina) followed by a music video tribute (Alexis ran out of the room for this one) that we taped. After that, Adam stood up and said a few words about his goals in life, and then played with Alexis in a rambunctious Irish Jig, topped off with their remixed version of "Johnny-B-Good". Our Dad then stood up and gave a few wonderful pieces of advice to our brother, encouraging him to be strong, and telling him how proud he was of him. Our evening was then completed with many great rounds of country line dancing hosted by a friend of Adam's.
It was truly a great evening.

Pics coming soon!

You know the say, " Don't play with or play with fire"? Well mom & dad did not think that was important so they skipped that for Andrew. I guess they should have told him?!

Yes we do feed them! :)

Life

Sometimes, life is tough--plain and simple. Lately, our family has literally been swamped with activities: Baking for the graduation, music lessons, theory class, doctor appointments, orchestra concerts, and believe me, if my mother was beside me now she could produce much more. But hey, just because life is hard, doesn't mean it can't be fun! One of the greatest blessings of having a large family is conversation--time simply zooms by when telling your older brother how cool is robot dance is, or explaining the meaning of friendship to your sister. While homeschooling, our Mom taught us the meaning of teamwork...and torture! haha...kidding. Usually swamped with chores, she will frequently (with out reserve!) deligate tasks to us older kidlings. Whether its was laundry, washing walls, or raking the yard, we all pitch in to get the job done. As we work, we tell jokes, make up songs, listen to the radio, have a sock fight (really fun!), pop eachother with towels, and talk about our day. What we really enjoy the most is when Adam tells us funny stories about his days at school, or when he sings us a funny song. On car trips, we all sing songs, play card games, and complain about the cold. There's so much more that I haven't shared, so much that our family as experienced that has brought us closer together. My mom and dad are wise and loving parents, our eldest brother is more than supportive, and our younger siblings--though sometimes a trial--are fantastic little balls of energy that light up our world.
Some say life's a tough--I'd say it was crazy.
However, as long our family loves eachother and stays focused on Christ...I think I could live another day.

Future Comedian?

This has yet to be determined, but most of us agree that Aric will either be a comedian or an actor!
He has such funny facial expressions!

Just Out of Curiosity....

DOES ANYONE LOOK AT OUR BLOG?!

If you do...we sort of like comments

Oh, and let us know how we can improve our blogging skills!

The Adam Chapter

In Honor of Adam's upcoming graduation, Adina and I have decided to post some pictures of Adam in his prime!
The best pics are yet to come!

String Workshop

Hello again! Sorry for the inconsistent posts (I know you all are on the edge of your seats...haha!)
Here are a few shot's of Adina and Alexis a string workshop in Champaign. Fiddling is now Adina's first love!

Patrick comes to Play

Elia and Mom

Elia and Mom (Umm...it appears she has lost the baby)

Mommy and Amby