Yahoo for Tahoe and Yosemite April 16, 2007
Posted by Eric in Barnes Extended, Eric, Mallory, Nathalie, Stacey.2 comments
We just got back from our 10 day trip with big bro Jerry and family to Lake Tahoe. The trip was one to remember…we did it all!! Snowboarding, skiing, swimming, hot-tubbing, casino gambling (could have done without that one), and big family sit down dinners in the suite. Upon the end of our Tahoe trip, we decided to tag along with Jerry and Pam down to Yosemite, where we stole one more day in what is truly the most spectacular valley on earth. We felt cheated only having one day for Yosemite, but the visit left an indelible mark that surely draw us back for a longer stay.
A Little Vino in Napa November 13, 2006
Posted by Eric in Barnes Extended, Eric, Mallory, Nathalie, Stacey.add a comment
This past week, we journeyed up to Napa to meet Dad and Cheryl for a special wine weekend in Napa. We’ve been looking forward to this trip all year and it surpassed expectations! Click here for (more…)
Twick or Tweet November 2, 2006
Posted by Eric in Eric, Holidays, Mallory, Stacey.add a comment
Ah….Halloween..the first of America’s Triple Crown of holidays (the second and third being Thanksgiving and Christmas, respectively). Annually we kick off the occasion by watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown“. We’ve established some great traditions over these past seven years living in Aliso Viejo, and Halloween is no exception. First there was our annual pilgramidge to the pumpkin patch with the girls to pick out our pumpkins and enjoy some carnival rides. Yours truly (Daddy) once again got to carve two intricate, detailed pumpkins, first at the Jackson’s annual party and then at the Reagans party. I made the mistake of letting Nathalie and Mallory watch Michael Jackson’s Thriller, after which Nathalie was crawling in our bed every night scared to death that werewolves were going to eat her. Mallory put considerable thought into her costume this year and was a very scary Spider Witch, while Nathalie donned her Sleeping Beauty dress (of which she wears almost every day of the year anyway).
Happy Birthday Stacey / Mommy!! September 26, 2006
Posted by Eric in Birthdays, Stacey.23 comments
We hope you have a wonderful birthday. You are an enormous gift of joy to us every day of life. We love you very much!
- Eric, Mallory and Nathalie
And the Hamburger Cookoff Champion Is…. August 18, 2006
Posted by Eric in Barnes Extended, Burgers, Eric, Stacey, Videos.add a comment
Mr. Barnes. Mr. Eric Barnes, that is. Yes indeed, the strategy of focusing on good beef instead of some crazy magic marinade paid off as I managed to win both the Pit and Grill competition. The competition was hot (pun intended) and intense. After a brief “sit-down” of the Barnes / Bloink / Ridge families to firm up the rules, we tossed our wrapped-in-foil burgers on Mr. Jerry Barnes Jr.’s immaculately created fire pit. Five prominent and impartial judges sampled each burger and scored their burger cards. Following my major upset of Jerry and Jimmie (they was a 200:1 Vegas line on Team California pulling the upset), the noble and attractive judges proceeded to vote Team Cali’s grill burger perfect – receiving a perfect score of “5″ by all five discerning and wise judges. In all seriousness, this had to be the most fun I’ve had with my family in my 38 years of being a Barnes!
The Cabo Report: Pool, Sun, Cerveza and Zucaritas July 16, 2006
Posted by Eric in Eric, Main, Mallory, Nathalie, Stacey.add a comment
Yesterday we flew back from Cabo, Mexico via Alaska Airlines to Los Angeles. Many thanks to Troy for keeping our car all week and picking us up! We had an incredible time. Both Mallory and Nathalie got some serious sun after spending the entire week in the pool. Before the trip, Mallory wouldn’t put her face under the water, but by mid-week she was fully swimming under water from side to side. We did absolutely nothing on this vacation except lay out by the pool and meet new friends.
July 4th in Cul-De-Sacville July 6, 2006
Posted by Eric in Eric, Main, Mallory, Nathalie, Stacey, Videos.add a comment
Hard to believe this is our 7th year in our little neighborhood and the completion of yet another great cul-de-sac 4th of July. All the infants of 1999 are now becoming big kids, but the moms and dads don’t seem to change with the exception of alchohol tolerance. Old standbys of good food, bouncy houses, and Tom Traylor’s tequila hoof (he doesn’t own the hoof, the hoof owns him – inside joke) were joined by louder speakers (with multiple iPods competing for airtime) and the first organized water fight. Doc Burkhardt treated (or scarred…depending on your point of view) the kids with his 70’s throwback coach’s outfit. All in all, yet another beautiful day in the paradise known as Aliso Viejo.
A Little R&R in Los Cabos, Mexico June 28, 2006
Posted by Eric in Eric, Stacey.add a comment
Next week we’re all flying down to Los Cabos, Mexico to enjoy a full week of fun in the sun. Mallory and Nathalie are really excited to hit the beach and pool everyday for seven days straight…..I just hope their parents are ready for it 
. We decided a few years ago to make sure we took week-long family vacations to build strong childhood memories and stop the four-day “mini-vacations” Stacey and I would take prior to the girls arrival. Although I seem to enjoy working all the time, the transition to 7 day vacations is agreeing nicely with me. Stacey and I went to Cabo for our first time last September to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary and immediately fell in love with place. The direct flight from LA to Cabo is just under 2 hours, so it’s very accessible for west-coasters. Everyone knows about Cabo-Wabo (Sammy Hagar of Van Halen fame’s tequila bar) and Squid-Row (where are all the spring-breakers get looped and loose), but Cabo has actually become quite a nice resort town. We’re going to be staying at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach in Los Cabos is situated on the western side of the tip of Baja, overlooking the Pacific.
