The Barney Family: November 2014

Maren played the mellophone in the Lafayette Lancer Regiment for the last three years. This has been her life. Practices every day from July through October. Football games on Friday night and competitions on Saturday. She has been such a busy girl. It has also kept me pretty busy. I was the chairperson over spirit wear and the pizza trailer for the competition that Lafayette hosts every year. Geoff and I also spent many hours on Friday nights selling funnel cakes and other football concessions. It was fun to get to know the other parents and to see Maren in her element, doing what she enjoys so much. She has so many good friends in the band. It has been a highlight of her high school experience. But man! I am glad it is over! I love seeing her car pulling up in the driveway at 3:30 instead of 6:00. We have missed spending time with her. (and Adam!) Now I am trying to schedule family activities in here and there to make up for lost time. (Six Flags, movies, ice cream, etc) I know that Maren will be gone before I know it, and I am already dreading the day she leaves. She has been a great teenager. I feel lucky and grateful for that.

By the way, at Maren's school, she is Barney.

At Adam's school, he is Barney.

I imagine that Trevor, Alec, and Annalisa will also be Barneys.

I didn't realized that having Barney for a last name meant that my children couldn't use their first names. :/

Maren and Hayden are the only two mellophones in the band and have become great friends through the years.

Homecoming Parade

Here's Adam's band on their last day of competition. He was a member of the Marquette Marching Band. Maren and Adam go to different high schools because we moved from Wildwood to Ballwin. The band has the tradition of writing a messages and sending them away on balloons before their last competition. I knew what Adam wanted to write- "Yes! It's finally over!!" But he refrained and wrote nothing at all.

Adam's experience with the marching band has not been the same as Maren's. (to say the least) He endured it and did not love it. He had to learn a new instrument, a baritone. Trombones don't march at Marquette. I heard over and over again how heavy that instrument was. Marching band is a huge commitment of time and energy and it just wasn't his thing. I was proud that he still went to all the practices and did his best. He is looking forward to having some relaxing weekends in November. The week after band ended, he unloaded the dishwasher every morning before seminary, walked the dog after school, spent lots of time with Annalisa, and was all around cheerful and pleasant. He thoroughly enjoys not having band.

Watching the balloons float away

One lone balloon did not have the oomph to keep going up and slowly descended back into the hands of reaching band members. They were all eager to read the message and find out whose balloon did not make it. They grabbed the note and saw that it was blank. Hmm... I guess we know whose balloon that was. It seemed fitting.