Nephew

My nephew sleeps like a boss.

Parents

I love these guys. They're the best. I dont know where I would be if I didn't have them in my life.

Mom, Dad--you guys are awesome!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is one of the best days of the year. There are maybe five best days of the year, in my opinion: Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, my birthday, and the neighborhood BBQ, in no particular order. They're all one of the best for a different reason--sure they all celebrate something (you may be wondering what the neighborhood BBQ celebrates, but I've always equated the neighborhood BBQ with the true beginning of summer), but each of these days are individual, unlike any other day that we celebrate. Anyways, sorry about the rambling but I was saying that Mother's Day is one of the best days because it is one day where we get to reflect on all the awesome things that our moms do for us.

My mom does a lot. She does a lot, not just for me or the other members of the family, but for EVERYBODY. I've never see someone so ready to jump up and help a person when they are struggling. Mom's always ready to help out with food, help with decorating a place, help clean up after a function. She's always ready to talk to you anyone who needs an ear, and she's always ready with amazing advice. She's Wonder Woman, but without the weird outfit or lasso. Plus, she makes the best smoothies and sandwiches.

Mom, I love you. You are the most amazing person on the planet, and I don't know what I would do without you. Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Heather

Dear Heather,
Mom, Dad, and Kiera are coming down to Guadalajara tomorrow, and I'm really excited for them to come. But I'm also pretty sad too. Want to know why? Well, you and Danny and Brayden won't be there with us! I think you guys would have so much fun down here--and not just because you would be with me. It just makes me sad that you won't get to experience Guadalajara with us.
We've had some rough times, Heather my dear. I know this, you know this, pretty much everyone knows this. Even though we have had some rough times, we're getting better every day. For one thing, we don't fight nearly as much as we used to, and those rare moments that we do fight never come to blows now, ha ha. Not everything is peaches and cream, but we're working at being the best sisters we can be. That's why I love you so much!
I love hanging out with you and Danny. We have a lot of fun together, and I love our discussions that we always end up having. Not to mention, I LOVE playing with Brayden. He's just adorable! So, even though we are having fun here in Mexico, just know that it's not quite the same without you.
I love you lots!
Ashley

Dear Kiera

*It feels like a good month to write letters to my family. This next letter is for Kiera because I stupidly forgot to write a shout-out to her on her birthday, which was August 3rd.

Dear Kiera,
Baby girl! You are growing up so fast. I can't believe you're already nine years old. Sometimes it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago that you were crawling around our house in Australia, looking for the candy cupboard. Even back then you stood out from the crowd. We Barnes girls have always been something special--not your average cookie-cutter girl--and you were no different. Not only were you twice as big, physically, as the only other baby in our ward (poor McKenzie Jones was just a tiny little thing), but you also had a huge heart. You were so happy and loving, and everyone noticed that. You were always willing to let other people hold you and love you, and you would love them right back. Not much as changed, Bubba. Now, there are times when you are terrible spoiled and naughty and you don't do as you're told, and you can throw terrible tantrums, but inside we all know that bubbly, happy baby has just grown up and she's still in there.
Kiera my dear, you are a beautiful, smart, and talented little girl. You've got a wonderful life ahead of you. Don't ever be afraid to do whatever you want to do--and don't be afraid to change your mind about what it is you want to do. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.
Love,
Ashley

Dear Chelsey

Dear Chelsey,
I thought about you and Aaron last night. The hotel that I'm staying at in Nuevo Vallarta (which I have to say is way cooler than Bear Lake--sorry) had a karaoke night last night. It was pretty awesome to hear drunk Mexicans singing karaoke. I kept thinking, "Chelsey and Aaron would love this. I should get up and sing in honor of them." And I really was going to get up and sing, I promise! I actually wanted to sing. I even told everyone that I would. But then I looked at the song list, and I honestly didn't know any of the songs on the karaoke list--even the English ones. So I watched a couple of my friends sing karaoke and then went out to the beach. Oh Chels, you would love it here. It's definitely got the summer vibe going on. It's perfect weather for swimming every single day and there are kayaks and boogie boards and bikes to rent out every day at the hotel front desk. It's pretty awesome.
I just wish you and Aaron could be here to enjoy everything with me!
Love,
Ashley

Danny was right!

So, my brother-in-law, Danny, told us about an urban legend he had heard of from a nice waitress in California. When you have the hiccups, all you have to do is pour a packet of sugar underneath your tongue. I just laughed at him--I thought, why would sugar help stop the hiccups? It didn't make any sense. Well, today I kept getting the hiccups off and on. They usually stopped after one or two hiccups, but later in the afternoon they just wouldn't go away. I decided to put Danny's myth to the test. I took a packet of sugar (I used Truvia, which is the new sugar substitute) and poured all of it under my tongue. I felt really weird, but as soon as the sugar had dissolved, my hiccups were gone!

Danny, your waitress friend seems to be right. Thanks for passing that on!

English 218

I was so excited for this semester for two reasons: 1) there are far less people on campus during Spring/Summer than there are in Fall/Winter and 2) this was the first semester that I could take the first Creative Writing class. I love writing, and I really wanted to take this class because I felt that I needed a little help to make my writing the best it can be.
We do writing exercises almost every class period. We have begun studying poetry, and for one of our writing exercises we had to write a poem entitled "Happiness". This is what I came up with.

Snuggled deep under the duvet,
I hear the noisy whispers of my
nieces and their brother.
I peek out and see them
coming in. They crawl to
the very edge, peering and giggling--
sometimes they dare to poke the
sleeping bear that is their aunt.
As stealthy as giant tractors,
they climb onto the bed frame,
test the ocean on top of me, and finally
they leap.

My nephew stares at me,
the stare of a little wise-man.
I have tried everything--he
blinked at peek-a-boos,
yawned at tickles, and
turned away from silly faces.
The boy still stares, boring holes
into my soul until
I am ready to tell him my sins
and weep on his shoulder.
I smack my lips together,
and there it is--the soft smile
that turns him back into a babe
of six months.

There they sit,
the oldest sisters,
crowned by their families,
the glow of motherhood surrounding them
like dust shaken from angel's wings.
As they chatter about diaper brands,
potty training, and baby food,
I ache to belong to that secret circle,
while my younger sister begs me to play.
They turn and smile,
inviting me, and even the youngest, in.
We all four laugh together,
recounting memories from
far away places and
long ago times.

Our giant, our protector--
the man who could crush a hopeful
young man merely with his presence
even as he lovingly carries little ones
on his shoulder--bellows a lion's roar
from outside. Suddenly we are
ants scurrying from here to there,
patiently waiting for
the picnic to be set.
The sweet smell of smoked meat
is tantalizingly strong, and
our father stands amid his
smoldering kingdom.

With a the grace of a swan on a lake,
Mother glides around the house.
Upstairs and downstairs she goes,
gliding from kitchen to living room,
living room to back porch and
back again.
The glow of motherhood does not
simply surround her. She is
steeped in it; it comes from her very pores.
She is benefactress, counselor, wise woman,
comforter.

I am curled up in the armchair,
a blanket tucked around my legs,
an open book in my lap.
Everyone is gone, and
I am encased in silence.

So that's it--that's my poem entitled "Happiness". I've decided that it could also be called "Fourth of July". Tell me what you think!

What a Week!

This week has been pretty crazy. It's midterm time, so that means lots of tests to stress out about and a few papers to procrastinate. Also, we don't get a spring break here at BYU so that's doubly hard. Our last holiday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so all the students are either going crazy in the classrooms, or just plain skipping classes (you can guess which group I'm in).
The weather this week (and most of last week) was gorgeous! I was wearing T-shirts all week, and the one day that I did try to wear a light jacket, I had to tie it around my waist because I was getting hot. And then...last weekend it snowed Friday night and all Saturday. Today it tried to snow--but it failed miserable. Now it's just INCREDIBLY windy.

Weather aside...it's been a pretty normal week. Until Wednesday night that is. On Wednesday night, right before I went to bed, the bottom lid of my right eye started to hurt. I didn't think too much of it because I was really tired and I thought my eye was hurting because of that. By Thursday afternoon there was a lot of pressure on the tear duct area and it had become red and slightly swollen, so I started to freak out a little. Today, I went to the doctor and found out that I have a sty in my right eye! That was pretty crazy. So now I'm "nursing" my eye back to health.

There is some other exciting news. My sister, Chelsey, called me today and told me that she is getting a greyhound on April 9! I'm so excited for her. Now both Heather and Chelsey get adorable dogs, and I get to play with both of them. Good times are up ahead, my friend, good times.

Christmas toys bring great joy

Ok, first I wanted to say that I missed the first anniversary of the Blog--and I was to write a special annivesary post--and I'm very upset about that. Anyway, the past is the past, so we'll move forward.

How was everyone's Christmas? Mine was amazing, thanks for asking! One of the best parts of my Christmas was the fact that my sister, Chelsey, her husband, Aaron, and their three kids came up from Albequerque to be with us. That way, the entire family was together, and that always makes me VERY HAPPY. The second best part of the Christmas season was my BRAND NEW COMPUTER that I received on Christmas Day. It's beautiful, and fast, and I love it! My last computer was on the verge of committing suicide, so it really is a very good thing that I got a new one.

I'll have to tell you about the Christmas movies we saw: The Princess & the Frog and Sherlock Holmes. I love all things Disney, and this new movie from Disney lived up to their reputation. It was so much fun and Kiera and I really enjoyed going to see it with Heather and Danny (my second oldest sister and her husband). The story was awesome, the songs were fun, and it was very visually pleasing--just as all the Princess movies are. I'm going to have to say that Beauty & the Beast is still my favorite--as it always be--but The Princess & the Frog is definitely my second favorite of the Princess movies. Now, Sherlock Holmes was the complete opposite of The Princess & the Frog. It was definitely a hardcore action movie, and I absolutely loved it! Oh yes, I can love both cheesy Disney movies and hardcore action movies. I'm just a little strange that way. Anyway, Robert Downy Jr. and Jude Law make the perfect Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson team. Of course, Sherlock Holmes holds a special place in my heart, so I probably would have defended it no matter what. But it really was awesome, so I don't need to defend it, and I can't wait for the sequel, which will clearly feature Professor Moriarty.

I hope that everyone had fabulous Christmas, wherever you are, and I hope the New Year brings hopes and wishes and dreams that will be fulfilled.

Role Models

I got a pretty funny email from my dad today. It instructed me to do some simple math in order to find out who my role model was, and as it turned out, the math told me that Brian T. Barnes (my dad) was my role model...with every number I picked!
But that email got me thinking...who are my role models? I came to the conclusion that I actually have 5 role models that I look to every day of my life.
Dad: You inspire me with your strength, your business sense, your testimony, and the way everyone looks up to and respects you.
Mom: You inspire me with your kindness and love, your bubbly nature, and your constant laughter. You don't hesitate to help anyone, no matter who they are.
Chelsey: You inspire me with your sophistication, your fashion sense, and your incredible head for numbers/economics/politics.
Heather: You inspire me with your dedication to your dreams. You've wanted your job since you were 14, and you didn't stop until you got what you wanted.
Kiera: You inspire me with your courage and your complete confidence in yourself.
Thanks for being awesome role models!

*P.S. I want to know who your role models are!

I beg your forgiveness

I have been neglecting you, my dear readers, and for that I am truely sorry. Forgive me?
The reason I have not written a post in about two...no, I'm sorry, it was three weeks ago that I last posted--forshame!--but the reason for that is this: I have nothing of interest to say. My life, I'm very sad to say, has become a daily routine of looking at my computer dolefully and playing Farmville on Facebook. Once in a while, I read two or three chapters of my book (which is currently The Great Hunt, the second book in the Wheel of Time Series), but even that has not captured my interest as it should, now that I'm done with my first semester of college (Hurray for Ashley!). I'm afraid I'm boring.

BUT...I am here, at 1:09 a.m., to pull off that shroud of boredom and apathy, be cheerful and busy once more, and become the dedicated writer I promised I would be at the beginning of this blog.

This week was not boring, my friends. I just got home from a week long vacation (who doesn't love those?) with my sister, Heather, and her husband, Danny, who were so kind as to take me to California for a belated, second senior trip. It was wonderful! The weather was hot, but with ample cool breezes, we visited the Ronald Regan Presidential Library (which is a lot more exciting than it sounds), Heather and I visited the local zoo, where we were scared by bobcats and wolves, and I got to visit the Wildlife Hospital within the zoo (which made me ecstatic since I am planning to become a vetrinarian), and, of course, we all went to see that famous whale Shamu at SeaWorld. Other highlights included going to the Shakesperean Festival in Cedar City to see The Comedy of Errors (which was delightfull), and listening to Great Expectations on the way to California and New Moon on the way back from California. I would post pictures, but I'm afraid there are two problems with that: I don't have a card reader to download pictures from my camera to my computer (which is why I haven't put any pictures up from my trip to Paris and London--I will post about that as soon as I get a card reader!), and I did not bring my camera to California! You may boo and hiss as you like now.
California was wonderful, though, I would highly reccommend it as a vacationing spot (although half the world seems to have figured out that little tid bit), and even if you don't want to go to Disneyland and stand in lines all day (don't get me wrong, Disneyland is one of my favorite places on Earth, but it does get a bit tiring, standing in line all day), there are plenty of other things to do in the Golden State (see above list for a few ideas). I do firmly believe, however, that every person NEEDS to go to Disneyland at least once in their lifetime.

School starts again in two weeks, but I'm shaking things up a bit by applying for jobs. I've already had one offer in a sales position. Maybe I'll have fun stories about cranky (and hopefully a few crazy) people who answer my phone calls!

Graduation or The Missing Senior Page

Last Tuesday, I received my High School Diploma. It was the weirdest, coolest thing ever. When we walked onto the stage, I had the strangest feeling that I didn't really belong up there--I kept saying to myself, "I'm only fourteen; I can't be graduating!" But I'm not 14. I'm 18. And I did graduate. As surreal as the whole experience was, I did it. I shook hands with my principle and the director of the PTA, and I received my Diploma.

AES--while it did have some bad moments--was an amazing school, and I am so glad I went there. The classes are fun and interesting, the teachers are excellent (they actually help you see the point of what you're learning), and the grounds are absolutely stunning. I mean, I love it when kids can go outside while they are in school, rather than having to sit in a cinder block for seven hours a day, like kids who go to high school in the States (not that I'm dissing on the schools in the States!), and seriously, having a million gardners on hand EVERY DAY makes the grounds look pretty much amazing. And yes, even though the IB was disgustingly hard and time consuming, I'm glad I did it.

Of course, school isn't just about the classes you take--the people you meet in high school can really make or break your experience. I have met some amazing people. First, I'd like to give a shoutout to Audrey Walbridge and Natasha Sharma. You guys MADE my senior year. Honestly, without you two, I would have spent my senior year pretty much miserable and alone. Thank you. Second, to Miss Maddie. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found my second best friend in you. Oh my goodness, how on earth could have I survived India without you? Going out every weekend, staying up until two in the morning, having Moti Mahal and Tropicana Apple Juice at my house practically every Friday, exploring Delhi, and eating more food than should be humanly possible--these are all memories that will be dear to my heart forever. I'm so glad we're going to college together! And finally, to Hannah Lorraine. Wow, you are the coolest best friend ever. I mean, who else would calmly (and supportively) let their best friend move to India, and remain their best friend, even though they only get to see their best friend every six months (...if that made any sense...at all...)? I love you; you're like a sister to me. You are an amazing person, Hannah, and don't you dare let anyone tell you different. I'm so excited for our trip!

I would be a horrible daughter and sister if I didn't tell my family how much I LOVE THEM! My parents are--seriously--the coolest parents on the planet. I know this from careful observation of other people's parents. My parents have given me everything I could ever ask for, they've helped me through good times and bad, and without them I would be more than a little lost. My sisters, while they do drive me crazy, are wonderful, wonderful people, and they make me smile every time I talk to them. All I can say is I love you guys a lot. A whole lot.

How's that for a senior page?

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

I know I don't tell you this often enough, but you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You are patient, kind, charitable, sociable (when you want to be), longsuffering, humble, and an amazing maker-of-sandwiches-and-pasta-salads. I look at you most days, and I think, "Wow. She does so much for everyone. I wish I could do the things she does without hesitation." I think it's wonderful how you can give so much of yourself to the people you love, and to the people you know, and to the people you don't even know. That's a precious gift--to be able to love so much--and it's one I hope I learn one day.

I know that there are days that I drive you crazy. I know that, while I've never been a "rebellious teenager," there are many occasions that I am grumpy and sulky (like tonight, ha ha). But never let those grumpy, sulky days make you think that you are not my hero. I am so grateful for you, and your love, and your support. I am grateful for the times when I've had a rough day and you simply let me cry on your shoulder. I'm grateful for the countless pieces of advice I've received from you over the years. I'm grateful for every shared moment and for every long talk. I'm going to miss you, more than you can ever know, while I am at college (and the years after that), but not just because you cook, clean, and do the laundry (although I have to admit that I will miss that too). Don't worry too much though because I plan on calling you and writing to you every chance I get. Just because I'm moving back to Utah doesn't mean you're off the hook--you're still going to hear about every little "exciting" detail of college.

I love you so much, Mom. I hope you had an awesome Mother's Day!

Thailand!

This trip was incredible! It definitely made my "Top 5 Vacations" list (in case you were curious, here is the top 5 list: 1. Mexico, 2. England/Scotland/Italy, 3. Thailand, 4. Ireland, 5. Italy). Both Phuket and Bangkok were so much fun, in their own way. Phuket is definitely a beach island--besides the beach and beachy outings such as scuba diving or snorkling, the only thing to occupy a tourist's time is the very small markets found here and there, and, of course, Thai massages. Bangkok is a major city, with all the attractions, including Australia beef (!), of a very nice, very clean, very efficient city (those attractions also included huge malls with IMAX theaters). Of course, the best part was the Tiger Temple. I don't think words can describe how amazing it is to have a sleepy (but not drugged) tiger laying it's head in your lap. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip (all ten albums of photos from Thailand can be found on my Facebook page):

Game on, Chelsey

Chelsey tagged me in this inter-blogger photo game. The rules are that you have to post the 4th photo from the 4th folder of your pictures folder. Here's mine:

I didn't say it was going to be pretty. This was taken January 2007, the night before I left to go back to India. Hannah came over and we took some pretty crazy pictures. Here are some of my favorites from that night:

Hannah and Kiera making silly faces.

One final hug goodbye.

Long story short, I used to make Hannah leap into my arms while we were walking down the halls of South Jordan Middle School, just to see if I could catch her. Good times, good times.

Fish faces (this is possibly my favorite photo of all time)!

Now I tag Maddie (since she's the only other blogger I know besides Chelsey). Go post some photos!

(Red)

If you're wondering what that giant red thing on top of my head is, it's my hair. I went and dyed my hair yesterday, and this is the color of hair that I walked out with. I didn't ask for red. No, I asked for a deep brown. I don't think that's a deep brown. It's red.

As you can probably tell, I'm not really sure if I like the fact that my hair is red. However, the first thing mom said to me was, "That's Chelsey's hair color. You look like Chelsey." And since I think Chelsey is gorgeous, that's a major compliment, so I think I'll keep the red in my hair for now.

Heather, if you're reading this, you should totally join the club. All you have to do is go to an Indian hairdresser and ask for deep brown (although I think your hair is absolutely gorgeous, so please don't dye it red).

They Call Me Auntie

You want to know what the greatest position in the family is? I'll let you in on a secret. It's not the position of grandmother. Nor is it the position of grandfather. Nor is it the position of mother, father, sister, or brother (although I will admit I've never had any experience with the last position). Those familial positions are awesome, and very, very necessary, but they are not the greatest. No, the greatest position in the family would have to be the position of aunt (or uncle I suppose).

Oh, I see your skeptical glances, and I hear your shocked gasps, but it's true. I feel that it is time to bring to light the fact that the aunt has the best job, with the best benefits, in the family. There is always at least one cool aunt in every family. They get to play with the kids all the time, if they want, teach them the ropes of the family, take the girl's shopping, etc, etc. The best part, though, about being an aunt is that the kids aren't yours! So you can give them back whenever you're tired of them. Plus, they get the added bonus of not having to babysit when mom needs to do grocery runs because, hey, that's Grandma's job. AND (this just keeps getting better and better) aunt's don't have to spoil anyone rotten because that's Grandpa's job. Thus, aunt's save the most money when it comes to kids.

When my sister Heather told my mother, who then told me, that she was going to have a baby, I was totally psyched. Woohoo! I get to be the awesome aunt again. And after two nieces and a nephew, I've got the system worked. So future Baby Wahlquist, you just come right to me. Auntie Ashley will show you everything you need to know about our families.

Note: This opinion will probably change the first year after my first baby is born.

Taco Night

Last night, my family had tacos for dinner. We like tacos. We think they're tasty, especially since you can't get real Mexican food here in India (although we have found one restraunt that does a pretty good job). However, whenever I think of tacos, I invariably think of my sister, Heather.

Now, we all have our curious little traits that make us special. One of Heather's curious traits involves tacos. Heather has a very specific way of eating her tacos. She likes to break the tacos when she eats them. But she has to do it in a certain way. First, Heather gets a taco shell. Second, Heather fills the taco shell with stuffings such as meat, cheese, olives (must have olives because olives are delicious), lettuce, etc. Once Heather has finished filling her taco, she breaks the taco shell in half. Heather then proceeds to eat the taco shell first and afterwards eat the stuffings, as if that was exactly how a taco was meant to be eaten. Of course, Heather CANNOT take a broken shell on the first step. No, no, that would ruin the process.

Don't get me wrong--I am not writing this post to mock Heather in any way, shape, or form. We do that enough as a family on taco nights. I just find it very amusing, and I always think of Heather whenever I eat tacos. So, in a way, you could definitely see this post as one sister's tribute to another, as I do. Heather, I love you and your strange taco habits.

Who knows, maybe I'll write about Chelsey and one of her weird habits next.