Obamas

Because it is sweet!! Look at all those secret service men looking different ways! I thought it was cute.

New Addition to our little Family

This is Cheza! She is a sweet little cuddler and makes the cutest chirping noise when she is loving on you. We are super excited to have her exploring our home to hopefully settle in quickly.

Thank you for your prayers and thought

I AM IN!!!!! Yeah for going back to school. I am so excited and am looking at pursing the tract in medicine for the underserved. I will still need your prayers as on-line classes start March first and I will be working full time until this summer when we move back to Seattle. Who am I kidding? I will always need your prayers!!! Also, there is so much to get figured out before the school starts: financial aid, moving (again :( ), and everything else in between. My love to you all!

Blessings,

Barbara

Once Again

...A million days have passed since my last post. At this point so much has happened I don't know what to share. The Holidays were wonderful. I was blessed with tons of snow in CDA which meant we all had to stay in together and hang out. It was so nice to be lazy and I read Twilight (yes the whole series). In Yakima we ran around a great deal more and while navigating through jet lag it was hard but great. I am so thankful for loving friends and family. We saw Ashley, my best friend since forever, and had a wonderful meal with her family. This was followed by cramming in as much as possible and sleeping very little. Due to the snow in CDA though we recouped pretty quickly. My fabulous husband spoiled me with my first set of diamond earrings, which I wore every day for the next well going on month. :) On New Years Eve I sent him off to Boston while I languished in Bellevue for the next week preparing for my interview and spending great and much needed time with family and friends. Thank you Valerie for your hospitality. New Years Eve was great, fun times with people from Mars Hill. After a rousing Jenga competition we headed to Alki beach to watch the fireworks and toast in the New Year. The rest of the week flew by as I visited with people from Bone and Joint (my old work at UW) and friends from college. Then Wednesday came and after a night of very little sleep I headed to the U district for my interview. It was a long as hard day compounded by the fact that I was flying a red eye that night to Boston. The interview consisted of two essays and three separate group interviews; basically 3 people being interviewed and 2 people doing the interviewing. My writing was much better than this scattered update. ;) I don't know how I did. I wish I could tell you. I know this: I worked hard and prepared and had tons of people praying (THANK YOU!!!!!!!). It is in God's hands where is was from the beginning. I will keep you all updated on the process as much as possible and try to get pictures up shortly but there is the brief (haha) synopsis.
Much love and many blessings,
Barbara

SNOW!!

51 inches this month in CDA/Spokane....ahhhh!!!

Very Exciting NEWS!!!

So, after months of waiting and expecting nothing....I have been granted an interview with the University of Washington Masters program for Physician Assistants. My first thought was praise Jesus (in a deep southern baptist way) followed by joy at the opportunity to continue my education. I am very excited. Jordan will attest to this as I broke out in tears when I tried to tell him. I would would like to express my gratitude for those of you who were praying for me during this waiting period and request more prayer. Those of you who didn't know to pray or didn't pray...start now. My interview is on January 7th. This is very complicated because I am in Boston working full-time and still on probation because I am a recent hire. This means I am not truly allowed any time off until I have been here for 3 months. That doesn't occur until the end of January. Please pray that my boss will be understanding of this situation especially since so many people have already requested holiday time around this date. Pray also that I would be prepared for the interview and in all things that God's will would reign. Many blessings friends and family.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Christmas Traditions - Family Pics

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate with whipped cream.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa's big hands could not create the complicated bows (knots) we have on our gifts.

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white?

Depends on the look you are going for that year.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

sadly we don't decorate our home because we are never there for Christmas. We spend the whole season in other places.

5. When do you put your decorations up?

We decorate my parents house whenever we can all make the trek into the mountains to hunt up a tree.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Ham

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

No specific moment, just the general feeling of family and comfort, being truly blessed.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I honestly don't know that I ever believed in Santa. Having older siblings brings the truth out really quickly and I don't think my parents ever really put forth the idea that Santa brought the presents.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No, we are at church all day and night

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

With the ornaments we’ve collected over the years but now there are so many we only get to choose like 10 each not including all the angels, joys and balls. Julie is in charge of the lights (colored) which I usually assist her with. Then we put the balls on and then the other ones. The finishing touch is the angel on top which I usually put on because I am the tallest :). I still have to stand on a tall stool and use a walking stick to get her up there. We get really tall trees :).

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?

Love it.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes, backwards, forwards and in circles. I am not so good at the jumping though.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

My family

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you?

Jesus.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Pumpkin Pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Christmas Eve service and Christmas day lines up of family events.

17. What tops your Christmas tree?

An angel

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

being

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

O Holy Night

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?

I love them...especially the cherry ones

21. What do you want for Christmas?

Quality time with my family

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?

Yes, but the location is always changing. So, annual but not the same party.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?

We dress up for church.

24. Do you own a Santa hat?

Yeah, my dad got us all hats for Christmas one year.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?

My fabulous family.