Chloe gets a trim

This isn't her first haircut...but she is still so dang cute climbing up into the big chair and getting her hair trimmed....Here she is at our favorite beautician- Miss Amanda....she has been making us beautiful(and handsome) for years....

My other children are very facinated about her "yellow" hair....they often ask when it is going to go dark like the rest of us....she's jusy cute!

Happy Birthday Travis

Travis had waited a long time to celebrate his birthday....here he is blowing out the candles...

These are some friends and family that helped us all celebrate his birth.....We love you Travis !!!

Country Stuff

I thought by living in the country, my children would have exposure to things that "city" kids don't....like, my kids watch the corn grow till it is harvested...same with cotton (thats where sheets and clothes come from-some anyway), my children see trains on a daily basis, different farming equipment...Travis can pick out a crop of cattle corn versus sweet corn andy day of the week...all types of animals...but somehow I have failed Chloe in her "learnin"...we were driving past a field of animals...it is close to our house so we pass it a minimum of two times a day every day....she is looking at everything and then, "AAWWW, mom look at those cute little horsies"...
They were in fact goats....

A Conversation with Travis...

"Mom, I need some scissors"
"No Scissors"
"Why?"
"B/C we aren't doing any art projects, and you can't have scissors (always a bad idea w/Travis"
"Why does Megan get scissors?"
"b/c Megan is almost 9...when your almost 9 you can have a pair of scissors"
" But I NEED a pair of scissors!"
"no"
he walks off and is definately up to something...then QUICKLY goes upstairs
"Travis?"
he keeps walking up the stairs till he gets to the top and THEN comes back down- mom is on to him
"Travis, do you have any scissors?"
"no"
"let me check your pockets"
b/c of a few incidents in a few stores, he is used to being "searched" for evidence
"see mom, no scissors"- he is still very calm and cool, but mom is still onto him...
He QUICKLY runs back upstairs....
a few minutes later he comes back downstairs (still very cool and calm) and sits by me and makes conversation (actually I think he is trying to redirect my attention so I will forget about the previous interest in the scissors- he is very smooth)...
"Travis, I'm about to go upstairs, and I will be VERY grumpy if I find that you've been up to something you shouldn't be..."
"you won't FIND anything"-shrugging his shoulders, still very calm...
"are you sure you don't want to go double check and bring something back down before I go up?"
"no"
"I will be LOOKING for stuff when I go up"
"Will you be looking EVERYWHERE?"
"everywhere" this is where I beging to follow the clues...
"will you be looking in my room?"
"Yes, I will be looking in your room"
"Dont look under my bed!"
"I will definately be looking under your bed!" _now I will
"You can go upstairs and look, but don't look under my bed"
As I go upstairs, I can hear him slip out the back door....and just like he suggested, the evidence was under his bed(along with the cut up box)....He was busted had to serve time on his bed....

cheap gas= happiness

I don't know what it is....but when you buy gas at a cheap price, a warm fuzzy feeling comes over you that compels you to smile....Now, I am sure it is hard for those who live in town to appreciate such a feeling...but for those of us who drive 30 miles(one way) to church, 30 miles (one way) to Wed. activities, 30 miles (one way) to sam's and other decent grocery stores....cheap gas is serious business....Today was one of those days....After spending an hour & 1/2 at Hobby Lobby with my 3year old and trying to figure out Valentine decor for the upcoming dinner/dance (One of us was probably going to start crying- there is just something about a place that puts breakable things on glass shelves that are crowded with stuff)....anyways, I definately wasn't smiling going home.... I pass this gas station that was celebrating their GRAND OPENING with cheap gas.....$1.57 for unleaded....Jared filled up at $1.87 for Diesel (that is the real whopper, last summer it was almost $5.00!!!)...all 40 gallons!!! Then, that feeling that I was talking about...all smiles (and I wasn't even drinking a Diet Coke :) )

I see London, I see France.....

It seems that when we discover an (obnoxious) activity, it takes FOREVER to move past it(only to really replace it with a new "obnoxious" one)....for example, we had only recently stopped the arm-pit, noise making sounds...it seemed as though every time I turned the corner (at church, at home, in the car, at someones house) I was telling my kids to stop it....and now what do we have?? yes, "I see London, I see France...." you get the idea....poor Chloe, insists on getting dressed behind the door or behind the furniture to prevent anyone from "seeing" her....but don't feel too bad for her...she finds great joy in every chance she gets to sing the song!! The real kicker in this story is that, after busting my two older kids from this whole craziness, they quickly ratted out the one who taught them this song.....DAD!! (his name often comes up in confessions like this)

Travis sometimes means TROUBLE

This is a picture of Travis when he was 2 (almost 3)....I am not sute how he got up to the top of our pantry fridge-but he did....this was not the only time he was BUSTED on top of the fridge....the only reason he is still on top of the fridge and not on the floor eating the giant container of cheesballs that are now spilled all over the floor is b/c I guess it is trickier to get off the fridge than to get on....

My last 35 mm

I developed my last roll of 35 mm....I used to LOVE my 35 mm...but it seems prehistoric after having a digital camera....like all 35 mm, I had no idea what was on that roll and if any of the pics were decent....This is the ward Trunk or Treat Party 2007.....Jacob and his friend Logan

This is Grandma Houghton with Megan and Travis.....

This is Megan just after her cute new haircut (2007).....

This is a picture of our family at Trunk or Treat-2007 (it is a miracle to have a picture of our family at these events since I'm in charge of these activities, I am usually running around going crazy)

Megan again posing with her cute new do....a little glich in the sequence dept.....

Memory Lane....

Jared and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in a couple of months....so, I ve been pulling pictures to work on a couple of projects....

Sorry about the double take here...this is Jared up in Utah when he was little....

Jared wins again...

Sometimes, I think Jared feels a little left out of the blog thing b/c most of the things I write about are our little ones....so I'd thought I would include one of his most recent accomplishments in the family blog....Jared is trying to break into the golf scene...The winter time is kinda the off-season for golf, with the exception of some small local tournaments...Well, he won today's tournament (he has won before)....This tournament doesn't have a gallery or anything...and our family is anything but "soft voices" so there will probably not be many pictures of Jared at his winning game, at least for a while...way to go Jared :) It will be fun to help him spend his winnings!!!

Not the science type...

Now I know I'm not the science type....but my kids and I had an opprotunity to conduct a "SCIENCE" experiment...I pulled out the bag of brown sugar and of course it had been left open so if was all hard as a rock....I had each of them squeeze the bag to examine it for them self to see just how hard the brown sugar was....I told them that if we put a slice of bread in with the brown sugar and then seal it up that the brown sugar would soften right up...we then left it on the counter....with in a few hours it was as soft as it is when it's first opened....My kids though I was a genius (or magician)- nothing like impressing a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders :)

Barton Family Foto Shoot

We had some pics taken by Hardin Photography....they turned out BEAUTIFULLY...if your in the area and looking for someone to take cute family pictures....

More pictures......

Thanks again BreAnne!!!

Travis ....Travis....Travis

Yesterday we did our monthy Sam's run...in doing so, there are TONS of groceries....while we were shopping, Jared kept asking me how we were going to keep Travis from getting into the food (we have a freezer in the shed & another fridge in the pantry)... I assured him I would make sure the locks are all in place (yes, we have had to put locks on the pantry, and there luckily was already a lock on the shed's freezer)...anyways, I had Travis playing outside...he had been out there for a while without much comotion (which is usually a quick indication that he is doing something, he probably shouldn't)...I peeked out the window and he was eating a FROZEN corn dog..... Chloe also was eating a frozen corn dog ( Travis learned that he gave Chloe a cut of what ever he was into, she wouldn't rat on him- they may not know how to read, but they are definately working the system).....Apparently, he measured up the lock and picked it with a shed full of screwdrivers and stuff, b/c the key was still in my pocket....Jared thought it was brilliant and smiled from ear to ear- Brilliant wasn't any of the words I was thinking off....I am not sure that LaCoste elementary is quite prepared for Travis in Kindergarten next year, I am sure I will be asked to visit often.....so, I fixed the problem w/Travis ....he went to work with dad!

That's what MAN do

We were at Grandma Houghton's the other day and the boys were trying to endure the cold outside and ride their scooters...Megan too was trying to rollarblade...a cold front snuck up on us so we were all unprepared....Travis scrounged up a little jacket and girly polka dot socks from the van...Megan tried to get the boys to give her any extra bit of clothing to layer up with (she of course could not find anything in the van) Jacob gave her a quick NO, but when she asked Travis, he quickly started taking his jacket off and gave it to her...surprised by his generosity, she humbly thanked him....he shrugged it off and simply said, "that's what MAN do (man- not men)" Travis is a sweetie:)

My Christmas Wish...

In years past, I never really have something specific (or exciting) I want for Christmas.... A new outfit, perfume or decor for my house...although I have wished for paint and a new countertop...but nothing really interesting....Well, I don't know if it is b/c my children are a little older that has allowed me to get "out" more often or if it is b/c I have somehow "evolved" on wanting fun things...regardless, my Christmas list this year was long....(vinyl letter cutter, photoshop program, digital photoframe, new countertop for my bathroom) Jared surprised me with this beautiful digital photoframe....it is AMAZING!!! It displays up to 1000 of my photos (I have already uploaded over 200!!) and slideshows them....there is also the option to add music to it....Anyways, the whole point of this post is talk up the digital photo frame...I always have a million photos I want to display and now they are all being displayed in one frame (of course, now I want one for every room!!)...EVERYONE should have a digital photoframe...p.s. for those of you who still don't own a digital camera(Lori) some of my pictures were scanned onto my computer and then uploaded onto my flash drive...even those old family pictures are on it...did I mention AMAZING?!

2008 Family Letter

I sent this letter out to loved ones who lived out of town...hopefully everyone got their Christmas cards in time, although I know there were a handfull that might be coming the day after-sorry!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
It sounds so cliché to say how time flies….but 2008 came and went in the blink of an eye! Now that our children are older, we have been busy keeping up with their schedule. So, here I am, putting a few things down for the record.
Jared… busy as always. He finished his fifth house this spring, and is hoping to get number 6 going this upcoming spring. He still serves as the Elders Quorum President, which keeps him busy as well. In his spare time, he golfs, golfs and golfs some more. He has started entering local tournaments-which he enjoys. He is getting a little close to the obsessive side- but not yet! His schedule always opens up for a game of basketball, a new episode of This Old House, paint balling, and a movie with me:)
Mandy… has been a taxi driver (ballet, soccer,baseball,football,school plays), a cheerleader, an after school tutor (home work, reading and spelling words), a baker (after school cookies and smoothies), a fashion consultant (getting dressed and out the door), a culinary genius (doing wonders w/ PB&J and spaghetti- not together though!), interior designer (made drapes for my dining room), and a book collector (don’t read as much as I’d like, but somehow found time to read the Twilight series). In my spare time, I do Achievement Days, Nursery, and the Activity Director (party planner) for the ward. In an ideal world, I would have more time to make cute signs, travel, write a few stories and eat as many homemade chocolate chip cookies with out gaining a single pound!
Megan…2008 has been a big year for her. Top 5: #5. Dance recitals #4. Going to Achievement Days with mom #3. receiving a trophy for soccer #2. raising (and selling) rabbits #1 turning eight and her special baptism day! There are never too many play days/girl parties with her friends, she LOVES to go shopping with mom and WITHOUT the boys. Painting fingernails, playing with makeup and “doing” hair are a favorite past time for her. She is in the bunny business, with a few very cheap employees (Jacob, Travis and even Chloe are more than happy to help take care of the bunnies for only a dollar or two!!) She loves to write music on her keyboard and play songs on the piano.
Jacob…Is a big 1st grader. He is constantly growing out of all his clothes- he has less than a foot to grow before he is as tall as I am! He has tried his hand at a few different sports this year: baseball and football. He says Golf is his favorite. In fact, he was telling me that a professional golfer can make more than a doctor and other top jobs- he might be spending too much time with Jared on the golf courses!! He never gets tired of riding the 4wheeler and catching/chasing bunnies. He holds the top score (108) for spelling tests in the Barton home (Megan held it for a while with 106). He looks forward to his special day next year when he turns eight and gets baptized like Megan.
Travis… would be most happy if he never had to wear shoes, climb trees all day and eat continually. Although he does like to take baths- sometimes as many as 3 in one day! He likes chocolate chip cookie dough, pizza w/mushrooms and bananas(not together). I often tell people his spirit is so big, his little five year old body is about to BURST! To know Travis is to love him.
Chloe… is a cutie, making tons of friends where ever she goes. She is still our little song bird, now she has a little move and groove to go with it. She talks up a storm and thinks Megan’s Barbies are lots of fun. She gets into tons of trouble with Travis, but he ditches her in a heart beat as soon as I come down the stairs, leaving her to fend for her self in the mist of trouble! Her big brothers and sister adore her- must be nice to be the baby of the family!
We hope you all feel of our Savior’s love and take the time to appreciate the many miracles that surround us all this upcoming year! Love,
Jared, Mandy, Megan, Jacob, Travis, Chloe

Daddy Daughter Campout

Jared organized a Daddy-Daughter campout for the Priesthood activity.....I forgot to pack blankets for them, so I drove back to drop blankets off...what I found was all the "older" girls like Megan were all hanging out together.....

And the "little" girls were following all the daddies around....All of my campers had a great time....In fact, my kids could go camping every weekend and be thrilled!!

Megan fishing at night....

While the girls were with dad, the boys and I had a date at the skate park- actually a double date...we met up their friends and a mom at the skate park where they had pizza and we went to a movie- Madagascar...it was probably the most obnoxious movie in the world...but we looked at the boys, and they were rolling in the isle!!

Happy Halloween

I love fall and all the fun traditions that go along with it....

Sorry it is Dec and I am just getting my Halloween pictures up!!

Pumpkin Carving

This is little Chloe, with her pumpkin carving partner....

She liked the pumpkin guts the best....

Miss Megan, working on gutting out the pumpkin....

Travis is all smiles...carving pumpkins is his kinda fun....

This is Mr Jacob, his 1st grade class went to a local pumpkin patch, where he picked that pumpkin and brought it home...it was a nice looking and perfectly shaped pumpkin- good job Jacob :)

Happy Birthday Jacob !!

I will be the first to tell you- I am terrible at decorating cakes...I am sorry children...that is why I love cupcakes

We rented this bouncy thing instead of a pinata...and I much prefer the bouncy thing. This is some of Jacob's friends (and cousins too) at his party.

His party was on Halloween night, and so we loaded the wagons and drove the kids all over town trick or treating...it was fun...and to top things off he even had a friend sleep over....He had a very special day- HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB!!! (doesn't he look a year older- my big 7 year old)

Cupcakes...Cupcakes...Cupcakes

Between Chloe's birthday, Megan's birthday and Jacob's birthday (23 day span)...My kitchen turned into Mandy's bakery, specializing in cupcakes. The chocolate ones are Jacob's-he love chocolate...

These pink and green ones are Megan and Chloe's....serious cupcake overload!!!

I did the math (w/cupcakes to parties, baptism luneon, class mates at school it came out to some ridiculous 12 dozen- did I mention the 23 day thing?)

Megan's Baptism Day

On Oct 19th, Megan was Baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, by her father Jared in Hondo Tx....it was a beautiful day- many, many friends and family traveled out there to share that special day with her....

Megan looked beautiful....

2008 Football Season

This is my big six-now 7 year old toward the end of football season....he liked it, but didn't love it...football is kinda complicated...

The Pop Warner program definately goes all out...it felt almost like a High School game...

Soccer Season comes to an end

The above picture is Megan, a Pink Flamingo. She was an awesome goalie!! All the girls on the team received a beautiful trophy (Megan has been coveting a trophy for YEARS!!).

This is a picture of The BLUE PANTHERS, we finished 2nd in our division( by one point!). The boys each received a bobble-head trophy....Travis had it just 48 hours (he just couldn't stop holding it) and the head came off- lucky for him his dad knows how to fix things!

Travis turns FIVE !!!

Travis has anxiously been waiting for his birthday for forever....and it has been especially hard watching everyone else celebrate a birthday before yours...so, with Dec 11th close approching, he let me take him to Miss Amanda's for a special BIRTHDAY haircut, for his special BIRTHDAY pictures, to send out his special BIRTHDAY invites to his party....

He was so excited to be taking his BIRTHDAY pictures, we had tons of cute shots in only a few minutes- he is so grown up!!

These last two are my personal favorites...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVIS!!

Don't be fooled

Just because I have a rudolph red background and carolers on my blog does not mean the Bartons are ready for Christmas...In fact I still have a giant plastic pumpkin on my front porch and mixture of Halloween/Fall with my Christmas stuff....Decorating is a major production, or I should say transitioning to a new holiday is a major production...I still have a list as long as Santa's naughty/nice of things to do hopefully before Christmas to get ready for Christmas....

Bunnies for sale

Right now (it is 42 degrees outside), Jared and the kids are trying to catch a bunny....Someone stopped by to buy a bunny....if you have been to our house and tried to catch a bunny, you know that is no easy task...(we have tried to keep them in their house, but Chloe kept letting them all out)...anyways, a family showed up to buy a bunny, Jared some how talked them in to helping them catch one, so all my children, Jared and a whole other family spent about 20 mins (did I mention it was 42 degrees?) chasing about 20 bunnies in our yard (our bunny population has grown)....It turns out the father buying the bunny is the one who caught the bunny......I told Jared he should change the sign by our fence to say:
pay us $15.00
you can catch a bunny
we'll let you keep a bunny- which ever one you can catch!!

108

108.....no, that's not an address....nor is it a measurement....it is Jacob's spelling test grade....He spelled all the words on his list, PLUS his bonus words....for a beautiful total of 108......Megan thought she was safe with her top score of 106....but Jacob has set a new Barton Spelling Record!!