4 Generation Pedigree

Pictures of Me & My Family

Here are some pictures from throughout my life--in no particular order. Hope you enjoy them!

November 2013--Me, my wife, DaNae, and our son Braxton on his blessing day

A 5-Generation picture--my great-grandma Mildred Mecham in the Red, my grandfather Sherman Mecham in the suit, my Mother, Teresa Merrill in the Brown, me, Kevin Barnard, and my son, Braxton Barnard

On my mission in Thailand (2007-2009), being picked up by an elephant

My wife and I on our Wedding Day April 10, 2010 in the Idaho Falls temple

I liked to dress up as a cowboy. 

My family and I loved to play in the snow and snowmobile

Me with my great-grandma Barnard, my grandma and grandpa Barnard, my sister Julie, brother Kent, and my cousin.

Me knee boarding

Me and my dog Max, who is no longer alive. He eventually became a 3-legged dog, and it was a very sad day. 

Loving the snow

Handsome young chap

My sister Julie and I rode bikes a lot, especially with my grandpa Sherman Mecham

Playing in the water, something I love to do.

Driving a Tractor, another thing I enjoy

I really liked the horses and think this is a fun picture from when I was a boy

I did not get a dirtbike until after my father passed away, but riding dirt bikes and taking my younger brothers and cousins on rides was fun to do.

My mom, me, and my two younger brothers at Disneyland

Life Goals/Future Plans

Self-Application

Answer the Following Questions—Type your answers below the questions:

1. Write your favorite quote from the provided list.

“Failure can be divided into those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.”

2. Write your feelings about family history work.

Family history work is something that I have struggled to motivate myself to do.  I always thought that I would need to retire before, I could do it.  Now I know that if I don’t do it now, I may never get the chance to do it.  I don’t know how long I will even be around.
I have really enjoyed getting to know my roots and am thankful for the good habits that others passed down to me from my ancestors.  To show my appreciation for all of my ancestors I can periodically evaluate my life and assess how I can do family history work during the different seasons of my life.

3. Define in writing a character trait that you desire to work on in order to realize more success in your future family history efforts. 

I desire be more obedient in doing my family history work.
I want to change my attitude that I feel like family history work is boring and find joy in the work.

4. Write specific goals you feel to set for yourself concerning your future work in family history and temple service. Consider breaking the goals into short, medium, and long-term.

Short Term:
Continue doing small Family History projects that I like.

1. Write in my Journal once a week.
2. Index at least two times a month.

Daily Scripture study
Medium Term:

1. Take my own family names through the temple 6 months from now.
2. Visit the family history center and take a class from them.

Long Term:

1.  Every December set New Years family history Goals.
2. Interview one living ancestor per year and document the interview in Roots Magic.

5. Identify challenges that may derail your goals.

Some challenges will be recreation pursuits that are more “fun” than family history work.  Another challenge is finding quite time when my kid, wife, and young men’s organization don’t require attention.

6. Make plans that will enable you to realize your goals. Don’t just identify what you want to do, also state how you will do it.
1. I will not let my head hit the pillow on Saturdays until I have written in my journal. I will place my journal by my bed to remind me.
2. I will schedule time for my callings, scripture study, temple, Family Home Evening, and set alarms in my phone to help keep myself on task.
3. Tell my wife my goals and ask her to help me remember what I wanted to do and why.

My Dreams	Goals
---Goal 1--- Lose 8 pounds.	Daily: ---Eat smaller portions ---Eat a vegetable with every meal. ---Don’t drink soda. Weekly: ---Exercise every Friday, (run or go to the gym) ---Play Basketball every Thursday at 9pm ---Take my wife out to eat once a week on a date. Deadline: ---10/4/2014
---Goal 2--- Get a promotion at Petersen Inc.	Daily: ---Get to work at least 10min early every day. ---Get to know the names of all coworkers (call people by name). ---Steadily work on company trainings. Weekly: ---Compliment someone every week (genuinely). ---Observe what my boss does and take note of what works and what doesn’t. ---Find one small way per week to reduce costs. Deadlines: --- June 2015
---Goal 3--- Get a Toy (Dirt Bike for me and a Four wheeler for DaNae)	Daily: ---Eat a homemade lunch at work. ---Do not use the vending machines at work. --- Weekly: ---Take overtime opportunities ---Discuss finances with wife. ---Reduce the wasted food at home. ---Monitor spending and budget. Monthly: ---Pay a generous fast offering. ---Pay tithing Deadline: ---6/4/2014

Ancestral Histories

Lott Russon

Born: 1 January 1829

Died: 13 April 1916

Lott and his wife

Lott Russon lived on this earth for 87 years.  His time on this earth was full of hard work and trials.  He was born and brought up to his manhood in Nehterton, Worcestershire, England.  Having converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Lott latter moved his family to Lehi, Utah, USA to be part of the building of Zion.  Lott was not a stranger to work.  He started working at a boiler plant when he was 7 and then spent the rest of his career as a miner in England.  His daughter wrote in hear account that there was not room enough for you to touch your finger tip to Lott’s back that would not be touching a scar.  His back was covered in scars from working in the mines for most of his life.  Lott converted to the church when he was 23 years old.  There was a missionary by the name of John Price who had a large part in his conversion and latter sent him the money that it would require to make the trek to Zion.  Lott was married to Eliza Rounds and was later sealed in the temple when they arrived in Zion in 1872.  Eliza taught as a Relief Society teacher for 30 consecutive years and had to give it up finally due to ill health.  Lott and Eliza sacrificed much for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and have continued to influence their posterity to this day.

Paul Mark Barnard

Born: November 27, 1962

Death: December 3, 2001

Paul is the grown man in this picture. I am the one that is up on the stairs the highest. We don't have a lot of pictures of my father, but this is one family pic that we do have.

Paul is the son of Mark and Leona Barnard.  He grew to be a man in Firth, Idaho.  As a boy he had a passion for drawing and working.  He started plowing fields with the tractor when he was between 8-10 years old.  Paul enjoyed working with his Dad and decided to do that as his occupation as an adult later on in life.  Paul loved to hunt, jet ski, snowmobile, and wash his car as a teenager.  He went on a mission to Chile in South America where he learned to speak Spanish.  When he got home from his mission he took night classes and completed his apprenticeship as an Electrician.  He went into the family business with his Dad (Mark Barnard) called Idaho Service and Supply.  The majority of his work consisted of servicing irrigation pivots for farmers, submersible pumps for home owners, and wiring residential homes.

It was often said by Paul and of Paul that he worked hard and played harder.  He really enjoyed telling jokes and making people laugh, including himself.  He got a brick truck phone when cell phones first came out.  He used to get a laugh when people would call the wrong number.  He would answer his phone while driving and tell the person on the other end to hold for a minute and that the person that they were looking for was driving in the car next to him.

Paul married Teresa Mecham in the Idaho Falls temple.  They had 4 children, Julie, Kevin, Kent, and Keith.  Paul was killed in a work accident at a Dairy Farm in Firth Idaho while trying to install a new water line.  His Father Mark John Barnard was running the backhoe when the accident happened.  Paul was down in an 8 foot deep trench when the walls caved in on him.  I (the author) went to the scene of the accident later and found his wood handled shovel.  The handle was broken in about five different pieces about one foot long.  The weight of the dirt must have been incredible.  Paul’s wife and children were devastated and the only comfort they found was in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Five years the family struggled until Teresa married Brutch Merrill from Blackfoot, ID.

Personal History

 

Discovering what I wanted

    This is the life history of Kevin Paul Barnard, written by me, myself, and I.  I have chosen to entitle this personal life history “Discover what I wanted” because that is the best way to describe my life thus far.  Often, I thought I knew what I wanted and then the Lord would show me a new and better way to live.  Quickly, I change my mind and discover what it is that I really wanted in the first place.  Enjoy the read, and I am glad that you have decided to get to know me better.  I must warn you, I am just an ordinary guy, so don’t be surprised if what you read consists of several mundane tasks that most everybody does.  Hopefully you will also be able to see between the mundane tasks and pick out some of my “hidden talents”.
     I, Kevin Paul Barnard, was born June 4^th 1988 at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC).  This is located in Idaho Falls, Idaho and the locals call this hospital “Err-Mack”.   At the time my parents, Paul Mark Barnard, age 25, and Teresa Mecham Barnard, age 23, lived near the Snake River in a rental home just off the Yellowstone Highway on the south end of Idaho Falls.  My Dad really enjoyed Jet Skiing.  He had two stand-up Jet Skis.  Julie, my older sister by two years started bossing me around at an early age and she did not stop until I later went on my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 19 years old.  I also have two younger brothers, Kent Price, who is just under four years younger than me, and Keith Grant, who is nine and a half years younger than me.
     I do not remember much about being a little boy.  However, I do remember my mother telling me that my first words were “screwdriver” and “vroom vroom” (what I said for snowmobile).  If you are wondering how I ever managed to say screwdriver before cow, or an easier word, I am too!  My mother made me a stick horse and I rode that pony everywhere.  My favorite toys to play with as a youngster were my toy tractors.  My Mom used to get tired of me because I would insist on playing right underneath her feet.  She would constantly have to coax me into playing in the living room while she worked in the kitchen.  I must have really just liked to show off.  I had a really fun childhood and loved playing outside with my dump trucks and other toys as well.
     I remember my Dad when I was very little was about 5’ 8” and had a pretty hairy chest.  My mom was about 5’ 3” and very skinny.  As a small boy I always remember her having a perm and shorter hair.  I think that it was a late 80’s early 90’s fad.  My parents loved Christmas time and us kids were always very spoiled.  We got several gifts from Santa, Mom, Dad, and each other.  I used to get kind of frustrated because my parents would put code names on our gifts under the tree.  Instead of having our names on the gifts, there would be names like Rudolph, Penelope Penguin, Morris the Moose, and others.  They would not tell us until Christmas morning what our code name was.
     When I was about five years old, I was bothering my older sister Julie.  She had her dolls set up on the hearth in front of the fireplace at our home on Taylor Highway in Shelley, Idaho.  I believe it is 1300 N (the road), the house is about a mile east of the Yellowstone Highway.  Being a very stupid boy, I decided to tease my sister and play with her dolls.  This caused Julie to be very upset.  She grabbed my right arm from behind and pulled me backwards; this dislocated my shoulder.  My parents took me to the doctor and he put my arm back into place.  Looking back, I think that Julie got the worse end of the deal because Grandpa Mark Barnard gave her a good scolding while he and Grandma Leona were watching Julie during my trip to the doctor.
     When Julie and I were a little older (I would guess I was about 8 or so), my Dad got us some sheep to raise.  I think we raised them a few years in a row but only one pair of sheep stand out in my mind.  I named my lamb Skip and I think Julie named hers Ann.  We got these bumb lambs and bottle fed them from the time they were little babies.  I would check on the lambs after school.  We would lock them in their little shed when we were not around because leaving them out in the fenced area unsupervised always turned into a chase the sheep game.  One day when I came home from school, Ann the sheep had gotten tangled up in some twine hanging from the roof of the little lamb shed.  I got there just in time to see Ann finish strangling herself to death.  It made me cry.  It was the first time I ever saw the life leave a living thing, I felt really bad that I did not react quicker and get a knife and cut her down, but I was in shock when I found her.  Soon after Ann died, Skip was gone too.  (Skip ended up in the freezer and eventually on my Sunday dinner plate).  Julie and I learned how to be responsible as could be expected of kids our age and successfully kept some sheep alive long enough to make good meat if I remember right.
     My father had his Contractor’s Electrician License that he got by going to some night classes.  He serviced and trouble shot Center Pivots on farms and serviced submersible home water pumps.  Before I was of age to go to school I used to ride around in his service truck all day.  It was my job to run to the truck and grab him the tools that he needed.  I quickly learned the difference between a 5/8” and 3/8” end wrench and learned the names of all of the tools he used.  Stripping pliers, meter, dikes, lineman pliers, channel locks, crescent wrench, etc.  This type of hands on experience has benefited me my entire life and I want to be sure I create that type of learning opportunity for my children in some way, shape, or form.
     I do not have a whole lot of memories from elementary school that stand out at the moment.  When I was in second grade my teacher, Mr. O’Brady, taught us Morse code and we had little transmitters that we could use to send messages to another student.  It was a fun time and I have forgotten almost all of it by now.  Another time when I was is first grade, it became school policy to not allow the children back inside the school house during lunch break.  The teachers would not let you go back inside, even to use the restroom.  I remember having to go poop really bad and not knowing what else to do.  There was a little log cabin on the play ground for playing in.  I went in there when no one was looking and did my business.  I did not have anything to wipe with so I remember being very embarrassed of my stench the rest of the day.  Later on they cut several windows in that log cabin, (I wonder why they did that?).  I was very quiet at a young age and did not make much noise.  I always secretly enjoyed school but did not want to look like I liked it because to my Dad and Grandpa Barnard, school was lame and going to work was a lot better.  My Grandpa Barnard had better than 16 horses at his place and I would help my Dad feed them.  I think at about 6 or 7 years old I felt like the coolest kid in the world because my Dad would have me drive the four-wheeler while he pitched hay out to the horses from the little trailer I pulled behind the four-wheeler.  I enjoyed riding the horses whenever occasion would permit and learned how to saddle a horse by myself when I was about 12.  My Grandpa Barnard was always trying to teach me how to be a tough cow/farmboy and to work from dawn until way past dark; he still works hard.  My Grandpa Sherman Mecham was a coach and school teacher, so he was always asking or telling us things about history, taking us on bike rides, and teaching us how to play sports like basketball and football by the rules.  He taught me how to dribble a basketball and do a crossover to get away from a defender.  He also taught me how to follow my shot and get my own rebound.   A lot of technical basketball was learned on the concrete pad out behind Grandma June and Grandpa Sherm Mecham’s house in Firth, ID.
     Ever since I can remember, we had snowmobiles and jetski’s.  My Dad always drove a diesel pickup for pulling trailers and so he could have a vehicle with a lot of power.  My Dad was very partial to Ford trucks perhaps because his brother in law (Tom McLean) worked high up in Ford and gave him really good deals on new Ford pickups.

My View of Life

  In its simplest form, my view on life is that we should all have joy.  The best way I have found to experience true joy is to do things God's way.  Sometimes this means that I sacrifice "fun" in order to have joy and happiness.  God put us all on this earth to learn and to grow and that does not happen if all we do is seek after "fun".

There is a song that says "I can't get no Satisfaction".  This I think is what happens when we listen to the voices of the world and think that happiness comes from finding the path of least resistance and taking it.  In our modern day and age people are always trying to find easy ways to do everything.

Our lives are much more fulfilling when we work hard and go through trials and unpleasantness circumstances but find a way to be happy in the midst of it all.  I know that God lives and is trying to teach us his way daily.  God will not force us to live his way.  It is necessary for us all to choose to listen and study about God our Heavenly Father.  When we study his word and knock on his door through prayer with a question in our heart.  He will show us how to obtain true joy.

The Saviors Last Week

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7 (Sabbath)	Day of Resurrection
Arrived in Jerusalem. Rode the colt into the city.  Went to the temple.	Cleared out the temple, which challenged Jewish leadership, Jesus Returned to Bethany.	Clearing the temple raised problems with the priests. Jesus is question and answers in parables. He condemns the Pharisees.  Jesus did not teach the public, only to the 12.	Jesus knew of the Plot to kill him, he stayed outside the city.  Not much is known of this day.	Arranged the Passover, introduced the sacrament, and prophesied his death.  Offered the intercessory prayer.  Entered Gethsemane, completed the Atonement, rejoined the Apostles. He was betrayed and put on trial.	Jesus is charged with blasphemy. Pilot found Jesus guiltless.  But by this time the Pharisees had riled up the crowd to have the intention to kill Jesus.  He is crucified.	Jewish Sabbath.  Jesus remained in the tomb.	Jesus was resurrected.  He appeared to many to bear witness that he indeed was the son of God.

The Savior lived his life guiltless, he was regarded as a prophet and by some as who he really was, the Son Of God.  Those who betrayed him that day who were in the crowd shouting to crucify him were clearly not in the right state of mind.  I was told a story once of someone who attended and armature UFC match realate the experience quite well.

He told of watching a match where one man clearly dominated the other.  The beaten man was on the ground on all fours bleeding.  He had clearly given up.  Yet, the crowd who had come to see more action, not a match as short as this started to yell; “Kill him!, Kill him!”.  No one in this crowd when taken to the side individually would ever advise that one good man should kill another.  In a group though, many individuals can allow satan to influence them in horrible ways if they are not careful.  May I always stay away from crowds that stand a chance of influencing me in such a horrible way.

When I look at the crucifixion in this light, I have a little easier time understanding why the Lord would say “forgive them, for the know not what they do”.