The Barton Family Blog

My dearest friend Allison has left for Bolivia. (waahh.. I miss her already! It's only been 3 days!) She went to spend an entire month immersing herself in the culture and language... 1) to better prepare herself to teach Spanish in the fall (here in Corvallis!) 2) to get a break from regular life 3) to dream about what it will be like someday when she marries a dashing young man who speaks Spanish and wants to spend his life serving God, hopefully in a Spanish speaking country south of the border! (does anyone know someone who would qualify? Please email me and I will send an application. All inquiries must go through me. :) tee hee!) Anyway... before she left, Allison made a video with Natalee so Natalee can practice her Spanish while Alli's gone, and so Natalee won't forget her (how could she!?!?!?!). Natalee knows the words "Pansa" (stomach), "Mas" (more) and "Beso" (kiss). I'm going to try to teach her "Hola" before All...

This is the video I was trying to upload on my dumbo post last week. I think I have figured out what I've been doing wrong... so hopefully that was the the last time I'll have to say "I tried to post a video... but..." HOPEFULLY (: This video just cracked me up because Kyah is so much more steady on her feet... and I'm guessing she probably wrestles with Dad a bunch. Natalee spends more time with Dad being tickled and thrown in the air... I think we'd better start working on self-defense soon! (: Be prepared to laugh. These 2 are just too cute together!

Natalee was enjoying this new place for her car seat: in the middle of grandma and grandpa's living room! She probably climbed in and out of it 20 times today! (: Here's a silly little video... not much to it... Natalee just had the most goofy look on her face driving this little toy around the living room this morning. She was very pleased with herself (: On Saturday Johnny and I got to spend ONE WHOLE DAY together! We went to Portland (honestly I couldn't believe he would want to drive there one more day that he already has to!) and just played! We ate lunch at the Spaghetti Factory, went to Saturday Market (Johnny had never been) and the spent hours at IKEA. Johnny just had to buy Natalee this little toy when I told him how much she fights over it at Sweet Pea's Kid's Cafe... We also bought some pink containers to store Natalee's toys when me move (in 3 day!!!) because she will finally have her own bedroom! (:

A beautiful baby boy was added to our family on June 24, 2008! Cameron Mitsuo Smith 8 lbs, 10 oz. Natalee's 1st boy cousin. John and Cheryl's first grandson! Look at that proud PaGa! Natalee wasn't quite sure what to think! (: Aunt Auttie & Cameron I love this over the shoulder shot of Johnny and Cameron. Johnny wants a boy now! Figures! (: Oooo isn't just too sweet!??! Just makes me want to eat him up! It's strange having a baby in my arms... I picked up Natalee afterward and tried to make her lay down and be my infant... she wanted nothing to do with that idea! (:

Natalee, Kyah and I headed outside today to play.... not realizing just how warm and beautiful it was! Of course once we got outside, it would have been tricky to talk them into coming back downstairs to change into some water-playing-clothes... so I just filled the pool a bit and let them play... they both had long sleeve, light clothes on so it was easier than sunblock! The girls had a BLAST! Kyah kept getting out of the pool to get various toys and bring back... and to bring back as much dirt as she possibly could... so that Natalee could stay in the pool and never get out... and... drink the water... and dirt... and everything else gross in the pool! so so gross! I kept telling her to stop but I was laughing so hard I think she thought it was a joke! She just kept bending over face flat on the bottom of the pool lapping up the water! ug!

Well... it all started with Aunt Auttie: She gave Natalee a toy dumbo from Disneyland. She's been carrying him eveywhere! She calls him something like "di-do" although it changes from day to day. I think it's a combination of "ba-ba" which is baby and dumbo that she hears me call it! Anyway... Kyah and Natalee always want all the "dollies" as Kyah calls them, and dumbo has become one of the dollies that they fight over! These girls are obsessed! (I think she was kissing his rear here...) Well today Natalee decided to lay dumbo down for a minute. Presumably to go acquire more dollies from Kyah's hands... And that's when it happened! Kyah stole Dumbo!!!! Uh oh! I think i see a fight on the horizon! (: First Natalee asks politely: Excuse me Kyah, did you know that's my dumbo? I know I steal your dollies all the time, but uh, that's mine! Then she tries the trade tactic. It almost works! Kyah drops Dumbo to take the ball... but now sh...

Johnny and I have spent the past few days clearing huge chucks of memory on our hard drive. One of the things we did was off-load all our old videos and many old pictures. ooo how much Natalee has changed over the last year. It's insane. Here's one of our favorite videos from when she was little - just under 1 month old. She was our swaddled baby!

On Monday, June 16, 2008, we held a baby dedication at our church. We were having revival services with Pastor Mammen so Pastor Rice wanted him to pray for any one who wanted to have their babies dedicated (that way Pastor Rice could have their baby dedicated as well!) Johnny's family and my family came. I asked uncle Jason to take pictures and he did a VERY GOOD JOB of getting, me, Natalee & Johnny! Unfortunately, he didn't get any pictures with our families... oops! So Patti Rice shared a couple pictures that they took, but they are just side shots... you can see John & half of my dad! (: ha ha o well!

I know this is pretty pathetic.... I don't have any pictures of Johnny's Father's day ): I got up super early, prepped food the night before too... and made him Crepes with 3 different kinds of fillings... He LOVES crepes so I thought that'd be a nice treat for him! I had never made them before so I wasn't quite sure how they were going to turn out but they were scrumptious! Johnny's Father's Day present was an Amplified bible: He's been wanting it for a while so he was thrilled to get it! After church (Pastor preached on Fathers and being Manly-Men) we went to lunch with Johnny's "Spiritual Father" as Johnny called him... Pastor Rice and their family. Overall I think Johnny had a wonderful day. He is such a good daddy and a wonderful husband. I will never forget those first few days in the hospital with him as he transformed into a Daddy. So precious! In the hospital: On our way home for the first time (he drove so carefully!): Thos...

Taylor Setsuko, Natalee's one and only cousin (for another week, that is, till Cameron makes his appearance!), just celebrated her 3rd birthday. Jesse and Amber hosted an amazing feast "Roadhouse Style" with Steak, bbq chicken, 3 bean baked beans, homemade scalloped potatoes, etc! It was super yummy! (: Jesse's side of the family came, along with the Bartons. It was a beautiful sunny day and the girls enjoyed playing ball together outside before we ate, and then we headed inside to open presents! Taylor received princess dresses galore, a few clothing items, a trampoline, a golfing kit, and several other gifts. We brought Natalee wearing the outfit that we gave Tay as a gift... I wanted them to be matching at least ONCE when they were together! Amber and I always forget to coordinate these things! (: Anyway.... Taylor's final present - the grand finale, was a Barbie Jeep, battery powered, with an FM radio! Natalee and Tay rode around yard bumping and jerkin...