After a year of struggle, she’s back.

If you attended the 2009 Hatling & Flint Circus party, you may have heard the horrible news that Barbie was launched from the cannon and got trapped in a tree.

Original footage has been lost. This is not the actual Barbie.

Despite our efforts, she could not be rescued. We tried and tried with no avail — we had to count our losses. We watched autumn turn into winter, winter to spring, and now, spring to summer.

She has been through turbulent wind, pelting rain, bitter cold temps, freezing blizzards, blinding snow and scorching heat. She survived plagues of bugs, threats from squirrels and cuttings from territorial birds.

We’re still not sure how she got out of the tree. With thoughts of another winter on the horizon, she may have been a jumper. The birds may have grown tired of her purple tutu and big smile. Maybe the tree grew tired of her constantly perfect posture. Either way, she was back on solid ground. Once on the ground, she had the ants and a riding lawn mower to contend with. Luckily, Bill saw a purple ballet costume and stopped the mower just in the nick of time. We don’t know the events of that Thursday in July, but we do know that she landed on the padded lawn with that expression and pose that only Barbie could hold.

An excited Barbie. Once on the ground, she had a hard time leaving her tree.

Through all of this, she hasn’t lost that sparkle in her eyes or that big, genuine smile. Her clothes may be a little tattered and sun bleached, but by golly, her hair is still perfectly coiffed.