Thanks for coming 'round, 2012!

According to the Mayan calendar, we're not supposed to be here. But I've definitely still got bills to pay, a floor to clean and cookies in the oven. 2011 was good. I can't complain. A big heartbreak but a lot of love from my God, family and friends. A summer in D.C., a marriage, a big step of independence in living in Fayetteville, and a big boost in my relationship with Christ. Hope your Christmas was as relaxing as mine turned out to be. I am so truly thankful for the holiday break. Not for the time off of school, but for the time with family.  Mom and I had a few days together.  I loved it.  It might have been scary for the city of Tulsa, at times, though.  We laughed. We laughed.  We laughed so very hard.  Mom now has this laugh when she can't catch her breath that sounds like a dog panting. Mom, if you're reading this, that wasn't an insult.  Christmas was truly about CHRIST this time around. It was so nice to focus on the meaning and not the gifts or anything. Mom and I went to the children's mass on Christmas eve night. We got there a little early- which is a good thing. But we got there about an hour early.  Someone (cough cough) thought mass started at 5:30....yaaa but we saw all the kids and their nativity scene which was great. 


 Onto Christmas morning....Madalyn took over Mom's tradition of Christmas morning brunch.  Ya, you can say it, she's definitely a married woman.  She's hosting family brunches now.  

Zeussss got a new toy! Dinosaur!! 

 Next year there will be a baby on that table...
It's a Barker tradition that the youngest grandkid gets to open presents on the pool table. 

They are starting to look just like Papa Joe...

Probably my favorite gift from Christmas.
It's a Tulsa tea towel- all the top places in Tulsa! Thanks Uncle Mark! You da, you da best! 

Cuties... 

62 years strong...and they still got it! 

Olzawski. Glad I didn't have to spell that growing up.  

Brag moment: Something I love about my family...both the Barker and Olzawski side hang out together during the holidays.  That doesn't happen when all families split. Ya...I'm blessed.

Mom got both Maddie and I got vintage pearl necklaces...mine has two verses.
 Jeremiah 29, Psalm 139, and a birds nest for Matthew 6.

Maddie got one with her and Clem's birthstones! 

My Aunt Terri. We used to have "Aunt Terri days" when we were younger.
 They were the best days of my life. 

The best dog....Barley!! With Aunt Sue. 

The Most Beautiful Day.

I do realize I haven't blogged in a while. Life, family and school has kept me super busy. 
Madalyn's wedding was beautiful. Literally have never seen my sister so very happy! 

The happy couple. 

The rehearsal dinner had some great food...and some sweet babies! 

Remember the post about my brother, Tom?
We had the best time together.  He works for Bacardi.
Needless to say, he introduced me to so many new drinks.  

Barker family.  Shouldn't have worn a white bra with a black dress.
Thanks to my good friend, Allison for letting me borrow the LBD.  

Our good family friend, Diane Ornelas, decorated for the rehearsal dinner.
LOVE HER.

Ain't he adorable in this chocolate brown suit? 

The crew, tying the bows.  Katie, Kat, Nat and Heather came to Tulsa.  So glad they were there there to help celebrate the big day! 

The girls put all the bows on the chairs.  It took some time, but the chairs looked fabulous.
Watch out for the wedding planning company, SWAG, to come to a bridal event near you.  

Is she not so cute? 

It got hot during the rehearsal dinner, so Liv took off her clothes.   

Chloe was a great flower girl!  

Livvi. 

I love this picture.   

Seessstersss. 

Family time on the trolley. 

Rhett, Madalyn and Clem. 

My favorite picture of the night.

I love the new addition to our family. Clem is a welcome joy to our lives! 

Family matters

Remember that show about the two families coming together to create a "blended family" when the mom and dad marry? Oh, ya, the famous brady bunch.

That's nothing like my family.

We should actually have our own reality show (like every American out there, I think my reality show would be hilarious.) We're funny, out of control, we cook some yummy grub and I've found out we only breed toe headed children. Madalyn and I have yet to do the whole kid thing (which is good. considering I need my entire 9 hours of sleep), but I think our kids will be the same way- blonde blue eyed. 

Mimi and Pops got married 14 years ago next August and we all love getting together. Anywho..we get together and have a fabulous time, especially with all the kids. I went to Texas this weekend for some much needed family time.

I cried getting on the plane going home...these kids grow up so fast. This is not a shocker. I cry over a youtube video. Madalyn has known I am an ugly crier when she picked me for MOH. I have been warning her for the last 22 years that I will be a mess at her wedding...

Onto not so sad things (but super exciting) as my sister moving into her own house, her own family, and....okay, I'm done.

Pops love his girls. 

For some reason, we thought they would all sit and take a picture.

Chloe loves hangin' with the Ryder man

Can't you just hear them laughing? 

Ya...that hair has no chance.   

This child eats corn straight off the cob. 

No, this isn't me. Transformer Chloe. 

Something you might not know...

It just occurred to me that not a lot of people know about my foreign exchange student, Tom.  When I was a young lad, more like when I was four years old, my family took in a foreign exchange student from Poland.  His name is Tom Kobus.  When I say we "took him in" it wasn't like he was drifting among the hills of Oklahoma looking for a place to live.  My parents put in the request for a Polish kid- he was 16 at the time- because my mom's family is super Polish.  Her maiden name is Olzawski.  Coincidentally, Tom is my Grandpa Olzawski's name, too! 
Tom is my brother in every way possible.  He lived with us for two years because if he went back to Poland, his high school credits that he completed in Oklahoma would not be accepted..Or something like that.  Something else very cool...Madalyn and I are six years apart...Tom and Madalyn are six years apart....and Tom and I have the same birthday so that makes us EXACTLY 12 years apart.  Legit, right? 


I wasn't involved in this conversation. I was naked, running in the front yard. That's just a guess, though. 


Point is, Tom is coming for Madalyn's wedding! I am so excited I can hardly wait! One of my favorite memories is when my parents were out for the night and Tom was supposed to watch Madalyn and me.  I was, Lord knows, naked and running through the halls in our first house.  Madalyn was trying to catch me and Tom was trying to corral us to bed.  Tom got me on his shoulders, and as we ran down the upstairs, I hit all the fire alarms.  It was cool to do that, right? No.  Not really.  


Anyways, Tom has two little boys now and a beautiful wife, Jill.  I wish I could post some pictures of when we were all younger on here, but those are at home in Tulsa.  I got an email saying he would be arriving in Tulsa on Thursday before Madalyn's wedding.  The last time I saw him was when I was in high school in New York.  He had a baller job with some company in the city.  He is a genius.  


Here are some pictures from the shower Aunt Lori and I threw this weekend in Tulsa. 

The game. One "wedding or marriage" word with each hour of the day. 

The petifores. 

Barker girls.

Champagne in a can! Genius! 

Grandma Olzawski gets her every time.  This is one of Dede's, our great grandmother (and who I am named after, Edith Patton)  baskets.  

The waterworks. One of the Olzawski Christmas heirlooms passed down! 

Only four weeks until the big day.  I cherish my sister a little more everyday.  

Months gone by...

This last month has been crazy! School started, Uncorking for the Cure, went to Arizona, my computer crashed, bought a new computer, first round of exams. Nothing too exciting, but making this first big girl purchase, buying a new laptop, by myself was a little intimidating.  

However, Arizona was a blast with the family.  Madalyn and I flew in on Thursday night and met the rest of the gang at dinner.  The next few days were  full of floating the lazy river, relaxing, playing with the girls, and eating some delicious dinners.  

Chloe doing pilates with me. This is the "cat" pose. She was really into it.  

Pops thought of a new game..."How long can the ice cube stay on your head?" 

"This ice cube game is getting old, Pops. Plus, it's melting in this Arizona heat!" 

Mimi and Olivia.  Liv is such a lover.  

She loved the water.

This family is so stylish and colorful. We look like an Easter basket.  

Madalyn showed little C this youtube video with a talking dog at dinner.  She couldn't stop laughing! 

One of the best pictures of O.  Blue eyes! 

Chowing down poolside! 

Pops got little C and big C both dirty worm treats!

 

First shower for Madalyn's wedding is this weekend! Let the festivities begin!