My Amazing Nieces

Is there ANYTHING that my 4 wonderful nieces CAN'T do?!? I know I am a wee bit biased when it comes to my girls, but I think that I have every right to be proud of these girls! Where to start...

Misti Leighanne- She has beaten the odds when it comes to getting where she is today. She just completed her second year of college with flying colors. She makes great grades... works while in school... plays several instruments (and plays them very well too!) and performs in the University's bands and groups. She recently got married to her high school sweet heart and is still making the grade at school... She is beautiful in every way, inside and out. There is nothing that she could do (well legally at least) that would disappoint me.

Syrina Nicole- My second little angel who has definitely beat the odds. She started life as a teeny tiny baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the first 12 weeks of her life... she has endured multiple surgeries to repair her palate, fix her teeth and now orthodontic surgery to continue the dental process. She is really growing into a beautiful young lady who has many talents of her own. She, like her daddy, loves to draw and sketch. She conquered clogging and this year took on jazz dancing. She is learning to cook and is proud of her creations. She is passing her EOI tests like they were kiddy games... This child never ceases to amaze me!

Ana Rae- Although not my blood niece, she is still one of my girls. She is talented beyond measure. She can dance (tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop), sing (oh my goodness can she sing!), act, play soccer, swim like a fish and excel in school. She is beautiful and has a big heart. She has stolen the heart of everyone in her family and in her life.

McKenzie Ann- My princess. She's been my princess from the beginning and my princess she will be forever. Much to my dad's chagrin, she has been a spitting image of me from the get-go. She has spunk and sass and doesn't take no none-sense from anyone. She can dance like an angel (hip hop and now clogging), calm an animal like no other... make up silly stories and jokes. She is adorable and sweet.

My girls, will always be my little girls... although they are now 21, 17 and 11, they are still my little girls. They are all beautiful, caring, sweet, loving, faithful, loyal, responsible, respectful, smart, focused, determined, special, unique, talented, energetic, crazy, athletic, spunky, sassy, loveable, patient and they all have the most amazing hearts of anyone I know!

Girls, if you ever read this, know this: Aunt Tracey (Meme) loves you with all her heart and there is NOTHING that will ever change the way I feel about you!

Spring Pictures

Last weekend we gathered as a family at Woodward Park to take some springtime family photos. We were not at a shortage for cameras... we had a total of 5 digital cameras and my manual camera on hand. I think we got a few good shots to go into the memory books and that are worthy of sharing with my family and friends that read my blog!

More Spring Pictures...

Even more spring pictures from Woodward Park...

Even more Spring Pictures with my girls

Here are more pictures f rom last weekends photoshoot at the park with all of the girls!

Christmas is here again...

I can't believe that it is already time to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus!!! It seems like just yesterday I was iced in at my friend Brian's house (see blog from Jan 07) over MLK Jr weekend!!! Alas, it is that time of the year again and we have, in usual family fashion, started the holiday process...

Last weekend I actually got to decorate the tree WITH my family, not a weekend AFTER them... Kenzie was very happy to have me there with them!!! She enjoyed seeing all of the ornaments that were hers and mine and her sissy's...

Here she is hugging her Clifford ornament... this is the ornament that she got her 2nd Christmas. She even picked him out herself!!!

Just like her Aunt Tracey, Kenzie is carrying on the Barnes tradition of taking pictures of EVERYTHING at all family get togethers... although, I would hope that I am a little more methodical about HOW I take the photos and WHAT I take photos of... thank heavens for digital cameras!!!!

Last weekend I got to decorate the tree with Blake and Ana, another tradition that was started way back when Blake was little... in all of Blake's 20 years on this planet I may have only missed a handful of years decorating the tree with him and his parents! Ana and I have a tradition of putting her first ornament on the tree together. We have a picture of me and her when she was only a few months old looking at the ornament... here (above) we are putting it on the tree in her room.

Blake just came home from working at a TU basketball game... and yes we all had on Santa hats...
Another tradition... the Blake, Ana, Tracey picture in front of the tree... this year Blake had the honor of being Santa, I am an elf and Ana is one of the reindeer...

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season despite being iced in and powerless for the past week!