Barenberg Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful get together with my side of the family on Thursday, December 23rd. Thanks everyone for the good company and food!

My nieces Kaeleigh and Kristian

My sister Bobye, her husband Jim and two of their girls.

Me and my handsome little guy

Lauren being a good helper and picking up the wrapping paper.

My Nieces and Nephews, Steffan and his wife Haley, Kearah, Spencer, and Samuel

My niece Karessa

All 15 of the Barenberg Grandkids

Mom and Dad with my nephews Austin and Silas and my niece Kharis

My sister Mary Ann, her husband Chris and their son Paden

Lauren with her cousin Kharis (they both got a baby doll like this from Granny and Papa)

My sister Tammy with me and Colton snuggling

My dad with his grandsons Samuel, Austin, Silas and Spencer

Me, Lauren, Kraig and Colton pushing a chair around in the background

Tammy with her kids Katlyn and Austin

Merry Christmas 2011

We made chocolate chip cookies for Santa...so of course we had to have some too!

Lauren sleeping on her giant pillow pet from Aunt Cindy in California...thanks Aunt C!

The kids helping me open my new purse from daddy!

Kraig modeling his new coat

Family Pics by Lauren Ames - November 2010

She's Making Her List for Santa

Decorating the Christmas Tree 2010

Decorating their trees

Colton's Tree

Granny and Papa Barenberg

Sunday my parents watched the kids for a few hours so Kraig and I could have a dinner date. Thanks Granny and Papa Barenberg!

Our Precious Hunter

(this is a picture of Bo and Hunter when Bo was probably 6 months old and Hunter was 4 or 5 years old)

13 years ago this last June, Kraig and I got a puppy together. Our first real gift for each other as it was our 6 month anniversary gift. He was the cutest little 8 week old black lab you had ever seen! I used to massage his legs and he would just lay there like "man this feels great thanks mom!" Well, yesterday our 13 year old furry boy Hunter went to doggie Heaven. He would have been 14 years old in April, but had gotten to the point where he was not himself. Even though he would still play with his son Bo to show him "hey, even though I'm your dad I can still have fun for an old man" he was blind and had started not being as active, not eating, etc. He had lost 9 pounds over the last year and was down to 63 pounds yesterday. I took him to our long time vet Dr Mayfield's office (where I worked in high school and is now St Francis Animal Hospital because Dr Mayfield retired last year) and got to hold and pet him while he went to sleep. The vet Kate Williams DVM was so wonderful and made me feel better about the situation. It was his time. They came out to the car and carried him inside for me and even kept saying how handsome he was which made me feel good (even though he looked pretty bad from being outside without a bath, etc). We talked about how Hunter used to run free in my parents field and how he would then jump in the cows water tank to swim and cool off. :-) My 13 year old furry baby Hunter had a great life and is now running free again in Heaven.

I think being raised in house full of girls I always took over the tomboy role so that my dad would have someone who could be tough and could handle anything like he could...but I have to say, driving home yesterday knowing what was coming next I bawled like a baby and cried in the vets office. There was however a sense of relief after the fact just because I knew he would not be suffering this winter with arthritis, the cold weather, etc. My dad had a nice burial site at his house ready for me so I took Hunter out to the place where his life with us started so his life had come full circle. He is now laying peacefully close to his old playmates Suzie and Toby and is probably running around like crazy and swimming in the prettiest water you and I will ever see!

I realize to some people this might be a bit much because your are thinking "it's a dog" but he was our first baby until we had Lauren so it was a big deal. I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until yesterday when it was time to put him down. Now we have to somehow tell Lauren that he is in Heaven in a way that she understands it and is ok with it.

We love you Hunter!

Colton's 2nd Haircut

Last night after work Kraig brought Colton and Lauren up to Rogers so Miss Becca could cut his hair. This is his 2nd haircut as his first was a few weeks ago and it was already over his ears! I'm used to only having to cut Lauren's once a year! Not every few weeks with boys! He did great and Becca knows what she is doing...as a 1 year old is not going to sit long so we put him in the chair (such a big boy now) and she started cutting away. The appointment lasted all of 10 minutes. :-) Thanks Becca!

There was another baby in the background and all he wanted to do was look at this baby.

And now after we went home and took a bath. My handsome little (big) boy!