February 2008: Something to Leap About

The Red Barns celebrated this extra-long February by traversing the Metroplex to spend time with friends and family. At the beginning of the month, Phillip and Claire went to Fort Worth to hang with Claire's friends at a Vegas night which benefited a local Catholic church. Phillip blew through his $1,000 fake dollars in about 15 minutes and was forced to take up a collection to pay for his gambling problem, while Claire struck it big at blackjack. The Red Barns also took part in their first silent auction, where they walked away with a gift certificate for a 40-person wine class and more gift certificates to dinner and a play. At Phillip's brother's house, the Red Barns checked up on their youngest nephew, Christian, to see just how much he'd grown. At the end of the month, the Red Barns hit Lake Tawakoni for a fishing outing with Claire's dad and brother. Claire landed a whopper hybrid, while Phillip was consistently creating rat's nests in his fishing reel for father-in-law to get out.

How The Red Barns Stole Christmas

The Red Barns spent Christmas in Dallas/Fort Worth and later journeyed down to the Crosley Farm in Schulenburg, Texas. For Christmas, Santa brought Phillip an XBOX 360, his first 20-gauge shotgun and Guitar Hero III. Claire received season passes to Broadway at the Bass, which included off-Broadway performances of A Christmas Carol (her favorite), Steel Magnolias, Chicago, Tuna Does Vegas and Spamalot. She also received eight bottles of wine, an accompanying wine rack and a fancy bottle opener. After hopping to and from both families' houses, the redheaded duo traveled south to the farm. There, they met up with the entire Crosley clan and roughed it for two nights. Pictured below are Claire's parents, Mark and Teresa, and brother, Sam.

Our Little Turkey on Thanksgiving '07

Turkey Day 2007 was spent at Phillip's parents' house in North Richland Hills, Texas. While there, they feasted on all the traditional Thanksgiving fare (turkey, dressing, potatoes, etc.) and spent some time with the littlest turkey of them all, our five-month-old nephew Christian. It also snowed for the first time all year.

No Dove Left Behind

At the LG2 Ranch in Proffitt, Texas, the Red Barns put down their PETA posters and embrace their inner carnivores. It's the beginning of dove season, and after a quick history lesson from his U.S. History-teaching wife, Phillip realizes that he and the rest of the American population have the right to bear arms. Armed with 20-gauge shotguns, the redheaded duo embark on a quest to nab as many flying objects, identified or not, to add to their trophy collection. Phillip and Claire evolve into "Hunter and Huntress."

Three Flights of Stairs, Two-bedroom Apartment, One Happy Couple

The Red Barns moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Addison, Texas -- 15 minutes north of downtown Dallas. With young legs, Phillip and Claire climb three stories to their humble abode. The apartment is positioned within 12 minutes of both of their works, so hitting the snooze button a few extra times is never a problem. Phillip found out how thin the walling was at their apartment when he attempted to be sizzling bacon, and the neighbors beneath complained that his bacon had too much sizzle. Claire has done a great job of sprucing up the place, and the redheads continue to make their apartment feel more and more like home.

A Gringo Honeymoon in Cancun

After the wedding, the Red Barns took their first international flight to Cancun, Mexico for a week of honeymooning on the Mayan Riviera. The redheaded duo stayed at the Moon Palace Resort, 10 minutes south of downtown Cancun. The honeymoon started with a delayed flight out and ended with a sprint through a Mexican airport terminal to make the flight home. In between, Phillip suffered a nasty sunburn hours into their honeymoon and was relegated to a shirt and SPF 70 sunblock for the remainder of the trip. While there, they visited Chichen Itza, Isla Mujeres, Xel Ha and Wet 'n Wild. At the all-inclusive resort, Phillip and Claire played a round of mini-golf, sea-kayaked, played tennis, had spa treatment, ate luxurious meals and watched the sunset on the beach ... the perfect end to seven perfect days.

07-07-07: Lucky Man Marries Lucky Woman on Luckiest Day in History

In the beginning, there were the Red Barns. Phillip, a 24-year-old redheaded Texas Tech graduate found the most beautiful 23-year-old redheaded Aggie, Claire, to make his bride. The two were married on July 7, 2007 at St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Fort Worth, Texas. It was only fitting since the two met there when they were 6 years old. After the wedding, Claire and Phillip joined their 200 guests at the Petroleum Club in downtown Fort Worth for a night of feast and festivities. Witnesses at the club said they took part in the longest conga train ever assembled. It was a magical evening that family and friends will remember for generations.