Paul took this one...

Paul was out and about working when the mountain erupted. He got some good pics:)

WHOOOOHOOOO!!!!

I just got pictures moment after an eruption (3:30 our time). Im so excited, it was a rather small one, only 35,000 feet in the air but its something! It was awesome to see how fast the ash cloud started to move over us. Incredible to witness a natural event like this. Gosh darn it, why have I not bought a new camera for moments like these??? Oh well these pics look ok and I hope you enjoy them. Im hoping to get more if the mountain continues to erupt. I would like to get one right when the mountain goes but thats kinda unlikely. Heres a link to the web album I just created.

http://picasaweb.google.com/carmellbarlow/MtRedoubtEruption#

Help...

Justina will be 10 on April 15th and I have not a clue on what to get her. Mercy is easy and content with most anything but Justina has higher expectations. I don't want to buy something just for the sake of buying something. I would like to be a little creative with maybe some sort of thoughtfulness thrown into there. Soooo does anyone have any ideas on what to get a 10 year old preferably staying at or under $50??? Please give suggestions! I have it set so anyone can post comments, even if you don't have a blog. So no excuses!!

Thar she BLOWS!!

Redoubt started erupting on Sunday. It has had several small eruptions and several large ones with ash clouds going up to 65,000 feet in the air. We lucked out and did not get any of the ash on us Sunday. Now the winds have turned and the Kenai Peninsula is getting ash from this mornings eruptions. Most of it going South of us towards Homer. The girls and I went to the store and got lightly dusted though. Justina and I had a little bit of a sore throat and my eyes started to burn slightly. I felt bad for taking them out but I didnt think it would drop much on us. Its mostly clear now and Im going to go see if I can see the mountain and get a few pics with the sworms of people waiting for it to blow again. The mountain is about 50 miles from us. On a nice day its a gorgeous mountain to look at. In fact if you look at my slide show to the right you will see pics I took of it a while back. They were taken a few miles from our house.

Nancy tagged me with an alphabet tag. You have to list 10 things you love starting with the alphabet letter assigned to you. My letter was "v".

1. Vitamins
2. Virtue
3. Visiting with family and friends
4. Vision (I'm so thankful to see all that is around me)
5. Variety (of everything like food and clothes)
6. Velcro (my kids have never owned shoes w/o it)
7. Various family friendly movies and TV shows
8. Verses from the Bible that encourage me
9. Vanilla bean ice cream
10. Vacation fantasies

Most people I know with a blog have been tagged already but i am going to take my chances and tag Wendy Vonderahe (H). The letter following your name is the letter you have to use.

Growing up...

Remember that post about Mercy snapping her fingers? Well, to Paul that was a "moment". Now let me share with you my moment...

Mercy received a couple shirts for her B-day, one pink and the other white. She loves clothes in fact its what makes her really smile. When we got home with her shirts she immediately went to her room to try them on. It started out with the pink one and then the white. Suddenly my little Mercy had a bright idea!! She put the pink one over the white one then she came out quite proud of herself and her idea and asked me how she looked. It was PERFECTLY layered!! My girl can layer and look totally cool!! Ohhhh, brings tears to my eyes:)

Oh, The Joys of SPRING...

I took these a couple days ago:)

Better late than never...

Heres a few picks of Mercy on her Birthday. The blue Alaska hat is officially her "fishn cap". Shes such a beautiful girl!!!

Filled with the Holy Spirit or possesed???

Neither! Today I was sitting in Sunday school listening to a teaching in Revelation that talked about the horrible locusts that will come out of the pit and torment men for 5 months in the last days. I was getting ready to stand up and make my way to the restroom when I looked down and saw a spider crawling on my pants. I stood up and completely flipped out and started screaming (as mildly as possible). I was filled with a lot of emotions at the time one of them being humiliated that everyone was staring at me and the teaching had to of course stop. Because of this I seemed to just stand there for a minute shaking my hands in the air while this screeching sound seemed to just fall out of my mouth. I finally ran out with a bunch of squealing Im sorry's. From that point I preceded to the restroom where I threw off my coat and chucked the bible and started to cry while brushing off every part of me. I left everyone speechless until someone said it must of been a spider. Apparently everyone has been seeing these spiders crawling on the pews! UHHHHH I offered to buy and place the bombs in the church. I hope I can get this taken care of before next Sunday. If not I may have to play sick at home:)
Please understand that while this seems a little extreme I have a major and I mean MAJOR fear of spiders! My mom actually wanted to have me hypnotized when I was younger thinking it would help with this fear.

Happy Birthday Mercy!!

Today our little baby is half a decade old. The Big 5!! She woke up today so excited with a big grin on her face just waiting for us to say happy Birthday and give her a big hug. Im amazed at what makes her happy. She is totally happy with a homemade chocolate cake and a few small gifts from mom and dad. It does not matter what she gets she always is so excited and thankful:) Pauls parents sent a card and she was so happy she wanted to make sure and put the card where everyone can see it. Mercy asked to be read that little card several times:) I love that about her!!
Just a few memories:
1. As soon as you were born and placed in Daddy's arms you stuck your little tongue out at him.
2. Your first few weeks home all you did all night was grunt and fart. It kept us up all night! At that time we called you Mercy Grace Grunter Barlow.
3. I called you my nursey Mercy.
4. Paul and I fight over who first nicknamed you Mercy Moo.
5. Now Daddy calls you Mooch or Moochy.
6. You traveled across the country with us to Florida when you were 2 months old. You slept almost the whole way there and back!
7. First laugh June 26th 2004
8. You love to say excuse me.
9. Your an independent little stinker. You like to comb and do your own hair and choose your own clothes. Your quick to get up and get dressed:)
10. You made up the name Papa doppa for your papa
11. You are very much a girly girl but you love to fish and whack them on the head.
12. You love seafood! Especially king crab and shrimp.

HAPPY BIRTYHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!