country pumpkins

Disneyworld 2011

2012-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Travis!!

2012-01-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

This kid celebrated his eighth birthdaymore than a month ago (yes, Im a terrible mom!) and has grown leaps and bounds. It has been wonderful to watch how he has grown into the cute boy he is now. Travis has always had a big spirit, with a drive to live in the biggest way since the begining. In fact, I often tease him that he would have had a grand time in the 19th century. Travis is a tree climbing, barefoot running, ball throwing, high jumping, outside the box thinker kind of boy. I have been pleasantly surprised by his interest in school, really trying to do well and reaching his academic goals. He is my most competative child, taking competitions to a whole new level at the Barton home. The quality I admire most about this guy is that he lives in such a big way,which has made for some memorable memories!

Clearwater Fl-pier 60

2011-12-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

This really was one of my favorites on our Thanksgiving journey. I LOVED being at the beach and this beach was especially fun! This is one of the first beaches I have been to that has been family oriented. There were performing artist (of every kind) an awesome play area, an outdoor movie playing and a live band. Then there was tons of vendors selling all sorts of cool stuff on the pier.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time at this Golf Resort outside of Tampa. This is a picture of us in our Hotel room. The weather was picture perfect everyday-beautiful!

Father and Son

2011-12-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

Although having Jared gone alot is a huge downside, when he is around he makes the most of every moment.....even those little moments. This was one of those moments that I happened to catch on film.

Tooth Fairy visits Chloe

2011-11-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

This has been a BIG year for our dear little Chloe....She has started Kindergarten, she is learning to read, she is in the big girl's dance class and has now lost her FIRST tooth....The tooth fairy has been "on-call" for the past few days....her wiggly tooth was just begging to come out....luckily it held on long enough till Jared was around. At dinner, Jared offered to pull her tooth for her and I think he was most surprised when she accepted his offer. The two of them stepped out to the shed and only minutes later, she comes through the back door beaming! I gave her something to put her tooth in, and I kid you not with in five minutes the whole family was on their hands and knees in the kitchen looking for the tooth which had already disappeared. So Chloe and I wrote a lovely note to the tooth fairy explaining the problem and begging for mercy so she can still cash in on all the teeth brushing she has done to keep them sprarkly! Thank you Tooth Fairy!!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2011-10-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is Jacob on his 10th birthday, after playing soccer, he flew up in a WW2 plane!!

Each of my children bring a different kind of love to my heart....the love thing is the same, but
it is as different as each of my lively children....Jacob makes my heart full for totally different reasons than my girls, with him, I see so much of Jared and so many of the qualities I love about him....Like all my other children, he too has a big giant sized spirit. He likes to tinker and fix things like Jared. I remember coming in on him in the kitchen when he was 4 or 5 years old. He had a screw driver and was unscrewing the screws which held my cabinet doors on. He is facinated when Jared is working on one of the vehicles, and can actually assist him a great deal- I have zero mechanical understanding and know that all comes from Jared! He has always loved trucks and motorbikes, but know he is old enough to really get into them. In fact, he is saving his money for his first dirt bike (I think Jared is more excited than him,which is hard to believe considering that Jacob isVERY excited!) He is a prankster like Jared and finds great joy in scaring/teasing his siblings/mom! But just as he is fun, he can be so sincere. I can count on him to follow the rules, and do what he is supposed to. Jacob is the first one of my children to say he is sorry- what an example to my other children. Happy Birthday dear Jacob!!

Free Airplane Rides!!

2011-10-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is like the millionth reason why I LOVE to live in small towns....Castroville airport did a Kids Fly Free day, and my kids went to the small town airport....they explained the ins and outs of small aircraft and flying and then went up to the sky.....it was Jacob's birthday-what a fun way to spend his special day.....the above pic of Heath is him enjoying the show!

B/C Chloe was so little, they let Jared ride with her, which gave us some fun pics of them in the sky!

Jacob's plane,was an actual plane from WW2 that actually trained the young pilots before going off to Europe!!

This is a picture of Megan getting ready to take off.....the pilot said he let Megan take the controls for a while so she was actually flying....

Soccer Saturday

2011-10-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Megan!!

2011-10-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

This is Megan on her eleventh birthday!! Like Chloe, she wanted a cute pair of cow-girl boots.....we probably visited a couple different boot stores a couple different times, looked a tons of different styles, tried on every kind of boot- she was definately 11!
It's hard to put into words all the things that I love about this cute girl-there are things about her that just make my heart smile, yet to find the words to fully understand why can sometimes be hard. There are special things about Megan, which have been apart of her spirit from the begining(eternally). Since a young age she has been a dearing friend and loving to those around her. She always treated others kindly and included those around her. Megan has also been anxious to live, and in the biggest way. I still remember when she was only 6 years old standing in line for the diving board, not the lower diving board, but the BIG diving board! All of my children are helpful, but Megan does things in a way that only Megan does (fresh cut flowers on the table and a special note to go with the deed).....Megan has traded barbies for make up and clothes.... she dreams about how fun high school will be with lockers, make-up and of course the PROM!! Megan has such a big spirit and brings so much joy and energy to any activity! She carries such a fun attitude, it's hard to not smile.Despite how sad I am that she is no longer little, I have enjoyed watching what a fun, beautiful young woman she is quickly turning into...Happy Birthday Miss Megan!!

Favorite past time

2011-10-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Jared has a big bucket of golf balls (why, I dont know)....when these boys get together (with the help of Ethan), they will spend all day or night dumping them out, putting them back in and then starting the fun all over...They even take the balls up to the slide, where the will drop them down, then slide down to pick them back up....Im not exaggerating on the time scope either-they can do this one activity for eternity it is so fun....I have a picture of the three of them but couldnt resist the urge to throw this one out there...note Heath's cowboy boots (very cute)!

September Birthdays!!

2011-10-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

We had a small family party to wish Heath and Chloe a Happy Birthday!! We did chocolate cupcakes for Heath and white cupcakes with girly sprinkles for Chloe.....

Heath is now the big two and his world is getting bigger and bigger- he acts like he's got it all figured out, he can mimick the older children perfectly, so sometimes we forget he is still little, b/c he is such a good big-kid shadow!

Chloe is now six, and has grown leaps and bounds! She has her own way of doing things and anything pink is her preference.

Soccer Season 2011

2011-10-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

This year Chloe is a "Purple Butterfly" ...this is her second year playing soccer and has already improved greatly! She has come from the little girls sitting picking flowers, to the little girl who chases the ball, and has even made a few goals this season- it has been loads of fun watching her grow into sports!

Heath is cute as ever, he makes a great spectator and you can even hear him cheering the team on during the game- serious cuteness!!

Soccer is one of Travis' all time sports and he has spent most of the season as a goalie and is a die hard goalie at that. It doesnt matter what position he plays, he is very competitive and gives it his all-goalie included!

Here Jacob is after his game with Heath. Jacob has spent most of the season as a forward post, so he gets to run all over with the ball. With those long legs he gets some serious speed!

Megan has also become more competitve and athletic-minded.....she has become more of a go getter than in years past, but does get a little nervous about getting hit with the ball in the head....

happy Birthday Miss Chloe!!

2011-10-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

This cute girl is sugar and spice and everything nice.....if I had one word to decribe her personality, it would be: FIRECRACKER (a sparkle and kaPOW rolled into one).....Chloe is alot of things, she is tenderness and strength,sweetness and mischief, spontenaety and determination...since she was a little sprout, she has been a friend magnet. We would go to stores,parks,walks- you name it and a crowd of little girls would gather around us- we could never put our finger on why other little girls were drawn to Chloe.....she didin't even seem to be the one initiating the approach, was it her sweet voice, her sparkly smile, or the mischief in her eyes? Since she could walk she has carried a skip and a hop in her walk along with a melody in her voice (her nickname is songbird). Last year, she got to pet a horse, Chloe volunteered to help take care of the horse, our friend told her she needed to have boots to be around the horse.....so, of course what did Chloe want for her birthday : (pink) boots....I had completely forgotten the reason for the request but not Chloe, she remembers EVERYTHING. We often tease her about her super-senses (she actually takes great pride in them) we tell her she has eyes like a hawk, ears like a cat and a memory like an elephant! We are so blessed to have Chloe in our family, our home has been filled with laughs and giggles ever since....but don't be fooled by her sweet smile, she can be fiesty!!

Happy Birthday Heath!!

2011-09-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

This little guy is all kinds of happiness bundled into one small package.....he brings joy on so many levels, it feels inadaquet to put words to them. He may be in a small body, but his spirit feels so big.....When I watch him interact with my other children, I cant help but feel he has been around us more than his short two years, I know that he has been with us forever, and even though we had been apart for a while, he was still close by us. I cant help but feel as though there is more happiness with this baby, not because he is any different, but our experience with Heath is on more levels-watching my older children love him and he love them just adds to the experience....He makes car sounds, and gun-shooting sounds, he loves to play ball with dad and the boys, and when theyre not around he plays by himself (basball,soccer,football and esp golf- he has a melt down when I take the golf club back outside)....loves to sit by the shoe bucket and try on everyones shoes....he is just a little busy guy, trying to enjoy every moment along the way.

Some of the words he can say are: ball,sit,outside,go,shoes,no,dad,mommy,jacob!!

Mother Duaghter Campout

2011-09-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

This year was the first year my girls and I went without my mom....my mom and all her love for camping (hehehe) In fact, it was on the 1 year anniversary since her passing.....it was weird to be doing it without her, and even though we missed having her, we all had a good time....

*note the cute pillow cases I made for such activities...I am not a gifted person when it comes to sewing projects, so the fact that I have something to mention is impressive (to me)..

Jared's birthday observed

2011-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Misc Summer Fun

2011-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am still in awe that my boys LOVE to watch,help and learn anything that has to do with automotive repairs... Heath loves anything with wheels, and so much wants to be able to ride a bike....but for now will settle for a ride with a big brother or sister.....

This summer was spent mostly inside, which makes for a long summer....

We enjoyed a turkey this summer and the kids wanted to try a leg.....

Scout Night with the Missions Baseball Team

2011-09-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Every year we go to scout night with the missions baseball team and it is such a fun family night.

We had to leave the game a little early, but on our way out a ball landed on the other side of this fence, with inn seconds Travis scaled this fence like spiderman and retrieved the ball, this is a picture of him in all his glory.....

A Mobile about Megan

2011-09-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of the first projects Megan did in 5th grade was collect items or pictures which showed the class a little about her. She had so much fun gathering things to include, she probably could have filled up another hanger!!

Day at Six Flags

2011-09-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

six flags has a reading program which gives the children a chance to earn a six flag ticket by reading a certain number of books.....my children are readers so it is a given that we go to six flags once a year- let me just say that it was an especially brutal visit, the temperatures were cooking, there were lots of people having experiencing heat exhaustion, yet here we are!!

Heath is a hat boy, he loves to put hats on and wear them for an extended period of time. He is wearing a hat Jacob one at one of the carnival games-shooting water at something.

Happy Birthday Jared!!

2011-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

I found this old picture and came face to face with how fast my children are actually growing up!! This picture also captures what Jared is to us!! We are on a campout with a scout troop, and the children are having a blast with Jared. Jared is campouts, marshmellows over campfires, a bucket of popcorn at the movies, fixing engines, loud and lively voices throughout the house, bullrides and kick the can all rolled into one, holding hands and love notes. Jared takes us on adventures of every kind. Hope you have many returns of the day Jared- we love you!

meet the teachers

2011-08-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

well, summer has FINALLY ended...we have a new school in our back yard and my kids are sooo excited to go to this sparkly beautiful new school! my kids actually have been looking forward to school starting for a while (Ill try not to be hurt ).... This is Megan with her 5th grade homeroom teacher Mrs Kunze....

This is Jacob w/his 4th grade homeroom teacher Mrs Hildebrand....

This is Travis in his seat in 2nd grade- he especially loves school, which actually surprised me.....i always expected him to just show up at home during the day, it wouldn't have surprised me to have him just walk out of school and come home,but he never did....

Travis and his 2nd grade teacher Mrs Bendele....

Chloe hangin with Heath in her new Kinder class....

This is Chloe with her new Kinder teacher, Mrs Echtle, who was actually Jacob's 1st grade teacher... fun times ahead of us....it's weird though, part of me is really sad and trying not to tear up with Chloe going away to school, but the other part of me is bursting with a kartwheel!!

Hike to the Y

2011-08-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

This really was one of my favorite activities I shared with my kids.....I had great memories of when I did it in college days......I will be the first to say that this was one killer workout!!

my kids had so much fun sharing this activity with their cousins as did I, Sydney was totally right, we should have been out the door earlier and it would have made a huge difference.

this is my sister at the bottom of the trail, next time she's making it all the way to the top!

utah summer vacation 2011

2011-07-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Meidna Valley Track Team- 2011

2011-06-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Barton have a new tradition.....this was the first year we participated in the Track Season, which in the summer it is open from 5yrs of age to 13 or 14.....it consists of 3 track meets at different schools and loads of ribbons. My kids had so much fun trying all the different events and being with their friends as well as making new friends from Medina Valley....

Chloe inherited my sense of athleticism, this is her "running" but the hurdle she is supposed to jump over was already tipped over, so she goes around it. She actually has a run I like to call the "butterfly run" when she actually does run....

At the first track meet, Travis participated in all the different runs, including the mile....but I dont think he realized that he would have to run the track 4 times to have it count as the mile, which he did finish, and even recieved a ribbon, but on the next track meet he was much more selective on the runs he did :)

We received a handful of ribbons of every color, even a few first, second and third places....What you don't see in these pictures from the track meet is that it is actually between 100-1003 degrees outside in the blazing sun- and I do mean BLAZING!! Nor do you see me following my children( following 5 children in all different directions is ribbon worthy in and of itself) with the sunscreen spray reapplying and reapplying, and me threatening my children that they will not participate in the events if they do not have enough sunscreen on. man, it was HOT!

2011 Recital- Chrissy's Dance Acadamy

2011-06-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

The girls are with their dance teacher- Miss Katie, whom they just LOVE! They both have had her as their teacher and just adore her....

This is Megan and Chloe posing together backstage of the Scottish Rite Auditorium, which was a really fun auditorium it was very beautiful and formal which made their recital night all the more special....

This is Megan with her classmates backstage waiting to go on, Megan is 3rd from the right....

This is Megan in her tap outfit.....

This is Chloe and her classmates in their cute costume, Chloe is the one with her head tilted over....this was Chloe's 2nd recital and she had so much fun....

Easter Egg Hunting

2011-05-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

I don't even know if all of my children were in this picture, in fact, I'm pretty sure Chloe is wandering in the background somewhere.....

2011-05-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

2011 Year End Talent Show

2011-05-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

thie is a picture of Travis in "Golidilocks and the tree bears" -he is father bear....these are some of his first grade friends.....

Megan and her friend, Sydney in the talent show.....Megan wrote a comedy fashioned after the show, Sonny with a Chance and it was very cute; Jacob was happy to keep his spot with his friends in the audience....

Easter.....Barton style

2011-05-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo parade

2011-05-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

So many reasons why I love small town living.....every year our little school does a parade through the neighborhoods with costumes, mini floats, instraments and tons of smiles!! Here we are with our prime spots......although Chloe was a little disappointed that no one passed out candy....

Jacob's Prize Cabbage

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, the school sent home a cabbage seedling for the children to grow....they could enter the cabbage into a contest where the winner wins a scholarship.....scholarship or not, Jacob has taken care of the cabbage and this cabbage has exceeded all of our expectations.....This picture was taken around Easter 2011....

Baseball Field

2011-05-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

We are "watching" Travis' baseball game.....but little 1 year olds get bored fast!!

Walking inTravis shoes

2011-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Mr Heath LOVES shoes....he can spend all morning at the shoe bucket, pulling them all out and then going through them to try different shoes on......In fact he can say the word shoe and if you ask him about shoes he will go get his shoes....this boy loves shoes!!

Mothers Day/Birthday morning

2011-05-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

I was in good hands Mothers Day/Birthday, even though Jared was out of town.....my children showered me with thoughfulness (like pancakes in bed-early in the morning)

Cub Scout Pack 471

2011-05-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is Travis' troop heading out on a Hwy clean up service project.....

Forgotten Favorites

2011-05-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

we got the idea for this game (Reindeer Game) from a ward Christmas Party and has become a tradition for the Barton family and here we are at the end of the game.....yay for Christmas!!

Heath

2011-05-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

This baby is growing so fast.....it seems he growing overnight....

Home Sweet Home

2011-05-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

when i was in high school.....i doodled a picture of my dream life.....it had a house surrounded by trees and flowers with a dog, duck and a cow.....it was a two story house....standing next to me was a man wearing a tie decorated with hearts and in need of a shave- the man of my dreams.....i am by no means artistic but i did have a clear vision that i wanted to live in the country surrounded by country life with a man that was everything "manly" (thnks Laura Ingalls) and yet could be everything sunday too.....and when my neighborhood is covered with a patchwork of everything country (sunflowers,corn,wheat and cotton) i can't help but think back to that doodle from high school and smile!!

A tribute to my mother.....

2011-04-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

My mother was the recipient of an award foran honorary mother from the Texas State Association for American Mothers (AMI)... the following is a write-up I did in honor of her.

Jacob's Derby Race

2011-04-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Jacob with his winning car that he worked on with Jared.....he fashioned it after one of his hot wheels .....

As always, baby Heath was happy and cheerful....enjoying the derby race with everyone else.....

slumber party

2011-04-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

I had promised Megan and the rest of my children a cousin slumber party....so we squeezed one in just in time before the Hawthornes moved.... the above pic is of Travis and cousin Luke who slept ALL night outside on the trampoline (with Jared).....everyone else slept inside and had way too little sleep and got up way too early in the morning....you can't have a slumber party without serving a big pancake breakfast the next day which we did....

here the girls are bright eyed and bushy tailed at Jacob's blue and gold babquet....

Megan and friends

2011-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Megan found some of her friends to hang out with at baseball tryouts......otherwise I think she was on the verge of dying from boredom

Travis' Blue & Gold Banquet-Derby Race

2011-04-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

this is Travis receiving his Bobcat patch......

Chloe and her ribbon for having such a "cute" entry

The boys in their official picture....

This is Travis with the rest of the Cub Scout Pack and local Girl Scout Troop.....

2011 Baseball Season begins

2011-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

the Bartons are big ball players.....and even though Jacob and Travis are the only ones signed up this season, they all love to play as a family- even Heath

Family Picnic Day

2011-04-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Every year, the last day before spring break, their school does a family picnic for lunch (and then they encourage all the parents to take their children home after lunch:)) I always pick something up from a fast-food place, this year the kids requested Subway.....what they didn't tell me was that everyone else in LaCoste elementary was requesting Subway as well....It seriously took me 40mins in Subway (huge disadvantage to living in a small town) but it was lots of fun none the less....we took a big blanket to sit on and enjoyed a fun lunck together.....It was incredibly difficult to get all 5 of them in the picture at the same time, in fact, as I was leaving, I told them I wouldn't sign them out of school if they wouldnt go stand by the tree so I could get a group picture of everyone...so there you go, wise mother of five!!

Baby Heath....

2011-04-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

Spring has Sprung

2011-03-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

I love spring in Texas, it really is beautiful and the weather is wonderful.....we decided not to fo a full size garden ( just some onions and Megan has a corner full of seeds planted-tomatoes and broccoli)this year with Jared being out of town so much this season, but we did do a flower garden with poppies and I am in LOVE with them, they will be a new tradition for us to have beautiful poppies in the spring.....Every year, the 3rd grade class receives a cabbage seedling to grow and if they want they can enter that cabbage in a state competition....Megan wanted to do it when she was in 3rd grade but only for a few days, that poor cabbage never left our kitchen window.....Jacob on the other hand has diligently taken care and looked after and has done all the work with the transplanting and everything and looks forward to entering his giant cabbage.....

snow?!

2011-02-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

well, kinda.....it was more like snow dust.......it was fluffy and powdery but hardly enough for a snow ball, a snow man was totally out, somehow it was enough for the schools to shut down and it was an official snow day! We "celebrated" with a snow day breakfast and hot cocoa for breakfast....snow days are great if your a kid but snow days were a pain if your a mom- gloves,socks,shoes,hats, coats and jackets times 4!

Heath in January!

2011-02-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

These are misc pics of Heath in January....it's weird b/c if there arent any posts for January it almost as though January never happened.....Heath goes to nursery in March and no one is happy about it esp mom who is not ready for him to get big- even a little bit!

Blue and Gold for Pack 304

2011-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

These are the Barton Boys at the Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scout Pack 304 (Jacob's pack)....Jared has just been called to be a den leader....he does have a shirt but he grew out of his old one (go figure) and his wife didn't get his patches on in time......Travis is a Tiger this year and was stoked to finally have his scout shirt......it was a fun night- soup and potatoes!

Time with Dad!

2011-02-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Jared surprised us one day and quit work early, early like before the older kids came home from school. This meant Chloe and Heath had dad all to themseves, so they made castles and dug tunnels in the sand box.....

I'm stuck!!

2011-02-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

It seems that overnight this baby has turned into a notorious climber...so, to avoid him climbing up, I keep my chairs all pushed in under the table...only to run into this problem : being constantly summoned to rescue this cute baby from under the table and between the chair!!

chloe the rainbow

2011-01-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

"chloe go get your primary clothes and bring them downstairs."
"Can I pick out my clothes?"
"Yeah, go pick something out for primary tomarrow and bring them downstairs"
She brings down her spring dress with a sweater to go over, which I gave into and said yes.
"Go get your shoes"
"Um, Chloe....those shoes don't match the colors in your dress"
"that's okay, I want to be a rainbow"

that is so chloe-a rainbow!!

Chirstmas Sunday

2010-12-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

I try to take a picture of us Christmas Sunday and Easter Sunday.....so here we are Christmas Sunday, minus Jared who was busy going to church with Donny Osmond.....Sundays are such crazy days....yet here we are all dressed up and even a few smile from some of us.....

Not just a pair of shoes

2010-12-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

The week before my mom passed away, she took each of my children shopping for back to school clothes....she even took Chloe, and while she was shopping, she came across these cute shoes and wanted to get them for her for this upcoming Christmas.....With all the crazines of the funeral and then Jared's dad passing I had totally forgot about these shoes.....When my sister and I were going through her stuff I found them.....Every time I see these shoes, I remeber that moment she came back with Chloe with cute new clothes just for Chloe and I remeber how excited my mom was about these shoes and how darling Chloe would look in these shoes at Christmas time....for me, these shoes are my last moments with my mom.....these shoes are represent that this Christmas, my mom is missing from all the festivities,dinners and fun.....everytime I see these shoes I see someone who isn't with us....

Brothers are the Best

2010-12-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

In all the craziness that goes on in the morning before church(which just so happened to include 4 dz cookies for primary friends) I came around the corner and saw this....totally unexpected and made me feel all warm and fuzzy....it's the little things like this which makes the world go round....

Making Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

I wanted the little ones to have an opprotunity to do a Christmas activity before the big kids came home for the holidays, so Chloe and Heath with the Pressgrove cousins made gingerbreadhouses to decorate (eat) and it was fun-lots of fun.....

Heath and Blayne

2010-12-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Heath enjoyed his time visiting with his cousin Blayne while Chloe and Ethan decorated their gingerbread houses....it was fun to watch Heath interact with him....cute cute cute!

homemade gifts.....

2010-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

I am sooo grateful for creative friends who share their "creativeness" with me.....The girls needed a gift to pass out to their dance class friends, but it needed to be super inexpensive.....so we made these clips which are really cute!!

Birthday done Barton style

2010-12-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

Travis received a paint ball gun for his birthday so of course we had to have a game of war....Jared paired up with Megan and went against the two boys.....Chloe was crushed that she wasnt included in all the fun, but quickly forgot about it when mom whipped out a slice of pie :)

New Dryer

2010-12-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

Jared was supposed to be in NYC until the end of the month, but was given tickets home for a weekend...so in addition to having as much fun together before he goes back, he also picked up and installed our new dryer....Jacob loves to help his dad on tinker projects .....

Christmas Play

2010-12-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Miss Megan has never been shy.....she had lots of fun with one of the lead roles at their school Christmas play

Mr Travis was very excited to be part of his role which he shared with his 1st grade classmates singing, " I dreaming of a white Christmas"

This is the second year Jacob waived his part in the production....but it makes a bigger fan club for those who do want to be in it.....This was the first year doing the play in the districts fine arts building, which they sold tickets to....we also enjoyed the company of Grandma Barton as well as Aunt Rebecca and her family.....followed by chicken noodle soup for dinner :)

Happy Birthday Travis!! (december 11th)

2010-12-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

I don't often find myself unable to express how I feel....but to put my feelings for this little man into words is on the difficult side....How to convey just how wonderful and at the same time about to drive me crazy just doesnt even begin.....I never knew just how boring and ordinary my life was without this little guy....and since then, it's as though another color has been added to the rainbows :) When people would ask me about him, I would tell them that his spirit is sobig and full of life, his little body is about to burst!! And that is exactly what Travis is to me....full of life, full of those things you never think to tell your children not to do until he is already knee deep doing whatever it is....In fact, at my mom's funeral, many of her colleagues who I had never met or spoken to, approached me with their condolances and then immediately asked if they could meet Travis- they had heard so much about him they wanted to see the boy behind the stories ....it was almost legendary..... Aside from all the funny memories and hysterical stories which are much more funny now that they have come and gone, my favorite thing about Travis is that he has the warmest heart I have ever met-ever!! even in that 7 year old body.....to make friends with Travis is to make a friend forever! May fireworks fill the skies on your special day:)HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVIS!!

Jared in NYC

2010-12-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

We Miss you Jared

2010-12-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

Scout Service Project

2010-12-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

This morning my boys had a service project cleaning the side of the road in the adopt a highway program....they had lots of fun, and the weather was perfect-not too cold but not too warm(or muggy)

Jared in NYC

2010-12-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

These are a couple cool pics Jared has taken on his trip....this bottom pic of Time Square is actually right where his hotel room is.....if you look close to the lower right hand corner where it says Mariott, that is his hotel- very cool!!

soccer = friends

2010-12-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Heath

2010-12-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

What else do you do at soccer saturday than take a million pics of a cute baby learning to walk...

Father Son Night

2010-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Each year, the kids take a turn going to a Spurs game with Jared, since it was Travis' turn, we thought we would squeeze just one more fun thing in b/4 Jared went to NYC.....Travis was on cloud nine, and to make it even more wonderful- the Spurs won !!

Happy Birthday Travis!!

2010-12-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

Travis turns 7 on Dec 11th but b/c of Jared's trip to NYC, we held his party early and it was lots of fun!! ( Megan made the cute cupcakes)

Heath and Jared look totally partied out !!

This is the line up for the pinata....

We had some of the girls pose on the moonwalk, which was the best thing in the world.....

Happy Birthday Travis!!

cousins

2010-12-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

Ethan came for a visit and this is the view I had :)

Jared's vacation....

2010-11-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

Jared has landed a few commercial contracts which have taken him out of state.....In fact, this is the view he gets to look at while he works at areally swank hotel ($3000.00/night).....my older children understand that he is still "working" but my dear Chloe thinks dad is on vacation, which if you put all of the information together it spells vacation to me too!! riding an airplane+ staying at a hotel+ Miami Beach is the location+ getting to do what ever you want after hours = vacation...... if he can land a fun one in the summer time, maybe we can join him at "work"

soccer

2010-11-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Jacob kicks the ball into the net while he practices with his team before a game...

Megan is on the side throwing the ball in (note: we left our team shirt at a friends house, the shirt she is wearing is Travis' from last year :) )

Travis sharing some goodies from his spirit bag after a game.....

This is what Chloe did the first half of the season(the entire game), if not sit and pick grass, she begs the coach to let her be the one who sits out......To Chloe's credit, there have been 3 or 4 instances, where she has made contact with the ball during the game, and does seem to "participate" for a few more minutes as each game passes....

Chloe and her fellow Pink Panthers!!

misc pics

2010-11-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Chloe's birthday party

2010-11-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Somehow, between funeral stuff, we managed to find the time to officially celebrate Chloe's birthday......she had been dying to celebrate her special day since her LAST birthday...she is really enjoying this whole birthday thing :)

I'm gonna marry....

2010-10-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

On the way to church today little miss Chloe announced to everyone that she was going to marry (brother) Travis....He looked like a deer in the head lights, "uh, uh!!" is all he could mutter for a response (still in shock) "But I like you Travis!!" Jacob tried to tell Chloe that she couldn't marry her brother.....She then responded, "Then I'll marry Jacob" By this point we were smiling, "NO!" is all Jacob said......"Then I'll marry baby Heath"......Then it was Ethan, then it was Baby Blayne......we tried to explain that she had to marry some other cute boy.....Megan then reminded her that she had so much fun with (cousin) Easton in Utah....but he is far enough removed for her that we left it that....Chloe plans to marry Easton.....she is such a funny girly girl :)

When I grow up.....

2010-10-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have shared many dreamy moments with my little ones as their eyes look upon the future as their own.....some of them have been super cute, others a bit ambitious. But my dear Mr Travis shared with me his very first hold on the future and it about knocked me out of my seat! It was a few weeks ago, and to be honest I am not sure what we were doing or even where we were.....but his comment is still very real to me....he said, " Mom, when I grow up, I want to fight in wars!"
If had been any of my other children, it would have been completely out of character....and even though I was shocked to hear it coming from my little six year old, if you knew Travis the way I know Travis, it fits him like a puzzle piece (much to my dismay- don't get me wrong, their is nothing more noble and brave than to lay down your life for others, but no mother wants to send her boy to war).
Travis is more brave than my other children combined- that's just a fact. His physical fitness and athletic ability is above average, he also has strong convictions which will move him to confront any giant.
I vividly remember going on a walk with my four (when I only had four) children, three were riding bikes, and Chloe was being pushed in the stroller. Meg and Jacob were 2 or 3 houses ahead when they came charging back to me. They werewhite as ghosts, huffing and puffing about a dog that had tried to get them. Without any more information, Travis jumped off his tricycle, grabbed a nearby stick on the ground and began to charge after the accused dog....He did this with such conviction and certainty, my older children were shocked with his bravery and humbly followed behind him....Situations happened like this over and over throughout the past few years....I have even seen him confront boys much older (and bigger) about some wrong they have commited with such ferocity, they backed off of what ever it was they had done, and were speechless to this "little" kid ! He reminds me of Capt Moroni or even Heleman... As much as I hope he finds a much safer career, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't!

Family.....

2010-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have actually been in a picture taking funk- I just haven't been in the mood to take pics like I usually have, espc given the many places/things that I have been doing these past couple months....but here are a few of the pics I did manage to take of my children with their Utah cousins.....it was so rewarding to watch how well they all played together and the fun they did have- that was very special.

oh, of course we did have to make a house visit to see Dr Condie....the spoon's a nice touch!

Family

2010-10-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

At home, my children have been blessed to live close to most of the cousins on the Barton side pretty much their entire life.....when my mom passed away, they got the chance to get reaquainted with cousins on my side of the family, which they were thrilled that they had even more cousins!!

Cousin Erin eating with the next generation of Bandley decendents.....

I love to see the temple......

2010-10-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am working on a photo book for our family about going different temples, so every time we pass a temple I drag my family and the camera to take some pics....this is one of my favorite temples to take pics.....(My Megan took this nice one of Jared and I )

This has become one of my NEW favorites of the kids, with the entire temple in the background and so much personality on each of their faces.....love it!!

this is Megan, she had the cutest idea, and it did turn out cute:)

Family

2010-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Mexican reseraunts.....I have fond memories of eating at this resteraunt with my mom and sister, my husband and children, even my grandparents and now I have fun memories of eating there with my cousins the Gregsons!

Clari and Megan holding on San Francisco style on the trolley in S.A.

this is Luke and Jacob, the only way to stand up to so many girls is sticking together....

This is Heath having fun, the way Heath likes to have fun :)

When my mother passed away, we we're blessed to have the support of our family.....to help lighten the mood, we took the children out on an adventure San Antonio style.....

Happy Birthday Jacob!!

2010-10-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jacob!! This boy may have well been named Jared Jr b/c he has so many of Jared's qualities it still amazes me....One of the strongest similarities he shares is his gift to feel deeply(which he guards ) he feels for others and can be saddened by others more deeply than any one else(except his match- Jared)....he will say and make comments which show his deep concern or love for those around him........much like his dad, he has a mechanical mind and used to entertain himself by unscrewing, taking off, then putting back on and rescrewing the hinges to my cabinet doors.....he likes to build and is currently undertaken an everexpanding fort on the other side of my fence.....he has a weakness for chocolate and more chocolate.....he loves to bike ride, skateboard and other cool things...He never tires of playing with babies and taking care of our little Heath.....I am surprised at how well rounded he is, taking an interested in so many different types of things (cooking, building stuff, skateboarding, reading to Heath and Chloe)....Happy Birthday dear Jacob and may fireworks fill the skies on your special day!

Boy Language

2010-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I make no pretense in even beginning to coming close to understand boys(we'll go as far as husbands too)...I don't understand how theire mind works, how they connect their thoughts or even their motivation or desires and what drives them to do or NOT do for that matter....Seriously, I could write a book on all the things I see my boys {husbands too} do or DON'T do.....to be specific: Travis was grabbing some clothes to wear for school this morning, and I noticed that it was the SAME pair of pants he wore for the past 3 consecutive days....Now, on the third day I chose to look past this and not make a big deal, but the 4th day was just too much (esp if you saw how hard this kid plays, crawling in the dirt, climbing every fence, burrying himself in the gravel rocks at the play yard)...The kid has about 6 or 7 pairs of pants and several pairs of shorts that look practically brand new and will probably be to small hear soon and never have been to school....In fact when I tried to "persuade" him to wear another pair of pants, the only other pair of trousers that were even negotiable were a pair of plaid shorts that he has the same tendencies with (to wear them until his mother hides them in the laundry chute)....he made a big stink told me I was the worst mother in all the world and even made the meanest face I have ever seen him made, he did in fact put on another very nice pair of shorts and looked rather nice {I was feeling good about how nice and well dressed he looked} I went to helped Megan finish getting ready for school, I noticed that he hadn't left yet and found him hiding in Jared's office behind the couch in the dark, switching out the nice and clean shorts for the dirty grimmy 4 days worn pants....and as I am asking him why, he says "they just don't feel right!" and he left for school....his teacher must wonder why Megan and Jacob look so nice and he looks like he slept in the dirty clothes hamper!

Celebrating Megan's 10th Birthday

2010-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

We no longer occupy a table, but we must reserve a corner at resteraunts.....

We invited the pressgroves, and our friend Greg to join us for Megan's big birthday dinner and had alot of fun!!

One of Megan's (all of ours actually) favorite resteraunts is the Texas Roadhouse....w/unlimited fresh rolls to eat while we wait for our meal.....LOVE IT!!

cont

2010-10-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Megan takes home first

2010-10-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Just before my mom passed away, we were notified from the school that Megan's artwork had been submitted to the county fair and would be judged against all the other elementary children in the entire county.....when we returned from all the funeral business, her teacher informed her that 3 first place ribbons in her division we handed out, Megan received 2 of the 3...we are so proud of Miss Megan, what a cool talent to have (she gets it from her dad)......

Misc Pics-sept 2010

2010-10-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our litte man Heath.....

I love it when we buy appliances....b/c my children turn the boxes into the most amazing artwork :)

I feel like our house is a zoo sometimes, and yet this cute baby manages to fall deep asleep despite all the noise and craziness around him....

Happy Birthday Megan!!

2010-10-16T19:59:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! her birthday is actually October 17th, but this girl almost always beats me out of bed, so here I am staying up late on the 16th to tell her just how special she is to us {me}....Megan has always had a big spirit bursting with life from the moment she was born (fall rainy day)....There are so many wonderful things about our dear Megan.....from the time she was a little girl she has always had a sense of conquering the world and living life to it's absolute fullest....like her dad, she has always had an entrprenurial spirit about her which has left her dreaming up all sorts of ways to earn an income (even at 4 and 5)She has been blessed to have many talents which include dancing, art and even singing.....she is always cheerful and willing to help others (esp her mother who is always a few hands short), a friend to everyone, and an imagination big enough to satisfy to most indulgent....even in a little body, her bold and daring sense of adventure makes her old mother timid....Happy Birthday Dear Megan and may fireworks light up the sky on your very special day !!

Jake's Place

2010-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Jacob (all my children really) has inherited much of Jared's entrprenurial spirit....much of his dreams and aspirations include owning his own business (as do my other children I've noticed)...his most recent aspirations include a resteraunt called Jake's Place where he serves things like pancakes hamburgers and other delicious food, but the dreams don't end there, he plans to divide his time with the restaraunt and a custom bike shop where he plans on designing motorbikes (he has additional dreams of a furniture store and clothing shop, but now I think he is getting a little in over his head) he has even been working on the design of the shops and various promotional techniques he is interested in.....how special to have the whole world ahead of you to fill with dreams and happy endings....

the good the bad and the ugly

2010-10-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

I always try to show my children{daughters especially} the beauty of being a mother......but there are lots of moments when my oldest Megan can see through those not so wonderful moments.....it was a few days before Grandpa Barton's funeral, and we were spending almost all day and a good part of the evening driving back and forth from San Antonio to our house....we were tired, out of our schedule and just plain exhausted....somehow somewhere a stomach virus moved in on ALL of us....slowly taking us out one by one.....it was with it's first victim which caught us of guard....it was late at night and I was driving home alone with all the children on the last stretch of our drive (maybe 20 miles left) Chloe starts throwing up in the back, several times over , my car was plum full of stuff from my mom's house and the two boys who had been sitting next to her were fighting for the nearest window ....Chloe was screaming at the top of her lungs {for obvious reasons} the two boys were fighting/screaming over the smell and they thought they were going to now throw up....Megan, who had been sitting in the safest part of the car (as throw-up is concerned) smiling over all the drama says, " Man, it's tough to be a mom" ......AMEN I thought, at moments like this, it is tough to be a mom!!

my new favorite pic

2010-10-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

this picture was one of a million we took at Jacob's birthday last year( Oct 2009), and yet my mind plays this pic in my head over and over with the passing of Jared's dad....we will miss Jared's dad.....we have heavy hearts over the loss of so much this past month....we are begining to see that our earthly journey really is a blink of the eye....

Happy Birthday Chloe !!

2010-09-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Miss Chloe's 5th birthday.....she has brought much sunshine to our home since the day she was born.....we call her our little songbird b/c she is always singing a song (my favorite songs are the ones she just makes up).....she still has her "yellow" hair (my other children are facinated by her yellow hair), she is a friend magnet....where ever we go, it seems a group of other little girls will gather around us- more specifically Chloe, no matter what there ages.....like my other children, she too has a BIG spirit about her which fills our home and makes our family feel so complete.....We feel very fortunate to have Chloe in our family, she blesses our lives with smiley faces, tenderness and a twinkle of mischiveousness :)

Remembering......

2010-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Jacob asked me if I miss Grandma....."yup, I miss grandma"
He said, "I miss grandma too"......It's been really heartening to look through pictures and tell stories of why we love her and why we miss her......I was always aware this day would come, and yet it doesn't make it any easier.... it's a weird place to be, without someone you love......how grateful I am to know that families can be together forever....

2010-09-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Heath

2010-09-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated Heath's first birthday (sept 29th is his actual birthday-but Chloe's is Sept 30th) .... we are sad to see how fast he has grown, and keeps growing.....it's amazing that even such a little body can such a big spirit that it makes our family feel so complete, it is impossible to imagine our family circle with out him....Jared and I have such fun memories of our older children loving him and taking care of him, which make it all that much more special....Happy Birthday Little Man !

Our favorite things about Heath : his smiley face, he sucks his thumb, he does not use his knees when he crawls, his cheerfullness

1st birthday traditions

2010-09-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

We have a tradition where we celebrate each first birthday at this Peter Piper Pizzza in San Antonio....I couldn't help but think about Megan's first birthday, it was onlythe grandparents, Mary Ellen & Kevin, John & Kelly with little Savannah- no other cousins...now at Heath's party, by the time we even got part of our group together- you don't even care how everyone looks in the picture you just take it before little ones start walking away.....

Jacob the chef

2010-09-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Jacob has always enjoyed cooking/baking.....I can always count on him to not only help out in the kitchen, but he wants to do it himself.....In fact him and Megan can both cook a handful of breakast dishes..... 8 and 9 are fun ages where they can do lots of things and enjoy lots of things....