our first Christmas letter:)

I sent a letter out with our Christmas cards this year...I hope to keep up the tradition. My gramma and mom write one every year (and yes, my gramma mentions EVERY kid, grandkid, and great-grandkid!) A few years ago my gramma gave me a notebook of all her Christmas letters (starting back when my mom was a baby) and I just think they are so neat. A little piece of history! So here is my first attempt:)

Barney Christmas Letter 2011
Hello Everyone! Ben & I have been married for over five years now and I have yet to ever write a Christmas letter! So I figured this year was a good time to start, so here is a little recap of the past five years...
This year we bought a new house! With the current very low home prices, we were fortunate to be able to buy a much bigger house in a much nicer area. We absolutely love it and have already gotten good use out of the pool!
Ben started a new job this year at Grand Canyon University as an enrollment counselor and is doing well there. He also just started doing some taxidermy work on the side, so if you know anyone interested, let us know! Last year, Ben finished his Bachelor’s degree in IT Security from University of Phoenix Online. He has plans to start his MBA in the near future at GCU. Ben enjoys everything outdoors...in fact, if he could, I think he would move our family to the mountains and live off the land! But his wife says no...because I enjoy hot showers and a flushing toilet! Before we moved, Ben served as the Scout Master for our church, which was the perfect calling for him! It was lots of work but he sure did enjoy being outdoors with those boys. He is a hunting fanatic and his highlight of 2011 was getting drawn for an awesome elk tag. He was able to tag a HUGE one on opening morning and the proof is already hanging in my living room! Ben loves most all sports and is able to get his ‘fix’ in by playing softball and basketball once or twice a week.
Jessica is pregnant again! Pregnancy sure is hard on me, but I am excited to have another little girl coming in March! Poor Ben...as someone told him...it is his lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful women! As a little recap for me, I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Arizona State University in 2008 and landed a job with a public accounting firm where I worked as an auditor until we had our first daughter. Right before the birth of our daughter, I completed my Master’s degree in accounting from University of Phoenix Online. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to stay home with our little girl and I love it! There is nothing more
rewarding than being a mommy. I recently started doing some part-time work from my home as a data analyst. I hope to be able to do bookkeeping and tax preparation from my home someday in the near future (but obviously not next year since my baby is due right in the middle of tax season!) When I am able to, I enjoy playing in softball leagues (sometimes co-ed leagues with Ben). My favorite activity is just being with our families, especially when that time involves a lake! Before we moved, I was serving in our church as the 2nd counselor in Young Womens. I loved that calling and I truly miss those girls! In our new ward, Ben and I serve together as primary teachers. I love the little boys that we teach and it is a nice change up!
Allyson is our spunky 20 month old. She was born on April 8, 2010 weighing in at a whopping 9.5 pounds! She started out so chunky and is now our skinny, petite little girl! She started walking at her one year birthday and hasn’t stopped moving since! She is such a busy-body; gets into EVERYTHING! She climbs up on everything and loves being outside. She is obsessed with babies and doggies. Her vocabulary is quite impressive for her age and she can point out almost all the body parts! As a warning: she is not scared to lift up your shirt if you ask her where your belly button is! She loves to dance. She will shimmy her shoulders on cue every time you say ‘shake it’! She is a social butterfly and loves most everyone. She says hi to complete strangers all the time (usually while we are grocery shopping). Whenever anyone, and I mean anyone, comes to our house, she always wants to leave with them. Mommy must be pretty boring! Good thing a little sister is coming soon to help entertain her! She is definitely a girly girl. She loves to paint her toes and put on makeup with mommy. Anytime she puts on cute shoes or clothes she says ‘awwww’! She is the light of our lives and brings us pure joy every day.
Alissa needs her own short paragraph because she is sort of our adopted daughter this year. She moved in with us in August and has been attending ASU. We don’t see her that often due to her school schedule and social life, but we enjoy having her (I think Allyson likes it the most!) and it is definitely nice to have a live-in babysitter!
We have been very blessed the past five years and we are so grateful for such loving and supportive friends and family. May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love, and your life with laughter.
Love,
The Barney Family