The Barton Family Blog

Background: Out in front of my apt... there is a ramp that goes down to the sidewalk. The edge of it is painted yellow to warn people that there is small step down. (It doesn't work. My dad & grandma both fell off it.) Anyway... I have the girls line up on the yellow line while I load H... and then I open their van door to load them. N: [in a shrill, girly screech] Stand on the Yellow LINE!!!!!!!!!! STAND ON THE YELLOW LINE!!! S! STAND ON THE YELLOW LINE!!!!!!! Me: Natalee... what color is the line? N: Green. [every time!]

Lovin' these sweet shots, framed in black & white... The rest I just hung randomly on this little picture holder! I love the fact that the girls can have their pictures on our walls too! (:

Didn't know which picture to share.... so I shared them all! (: You can choose your favorite.

Maga's been wanting to take Natalee to the Carousel in Salem for a while. Today was the perfect day while the other two girls were at their parent visit. I think she rode 6 times!!! She was in heaven, It was so funny when we were walking up to the carousel, she was so amazed by it, she kept walking and looking back at the carousel and ran into a pole. She does that a lot! Always walking and not looking! I love this pix! Isn't she just beautiful here??! Goofy Girl!

...has to have a bath after almost every meal! She's insane! Her dinner is ALWAYS in her hair. I think she thinks it's hair gel... Crazy little girl! (:

Natalee has a bank account thru Maga at a local credit union. Each month they send "Scotty Bucks" that can be spent at their annual Scotty Dog birthday party... Maga accummulated Taylor's, Natalee's, & Cameron's and saved them for this year's party. We met up w/ Maga and Taylor for a fun hour of prizes, face painting, free food (I think Natalee's fav part was the juice!) & a magic show. The girls had a great time! Natalee has one regret. For the past 2 days shes' been telling me that she just wants to hug the "bear". Over and over again. There was a giant Scotty Dog character there and none of the girls could get up enough nerve to go hug him. Now Natalee regrets that! I think she's ready for Disneyland... she's ready to hug the characters!!!!

I SERIOUSLY have to give this girl a bath after EVERY meal! Face. Hair. Bib. Clothes. Hands. Arms.

It's rare that the girls go for long periods of time without arguing. Just typical sibling bickering... but it does get old. So when the time comes where the bedroom is quiet for more than 2 or 3 minutes... I tend to get nervous. But what a pleasant surprise to peek in the room and see the girls playing sweetly together! It's a photo moment for sure! The pictures don't do it justice... They were just playing babies... climbing in and out of the play pen... and just giggling sweetly together! Gotta love it!

Last Saturday we had an all day outreach for Jacqui & Jon to Vancouver. Maga came and picked Natalee up Friday night so Natalee could stay the night with her. I was dropping S & H off at my mom's the next morning. We were left with just S &H. It was interesting. No fighting. Happy playing. It was really really weird. Honestly I got to see a side of S I rarely see... because of all the bickering and MINE MINE MINE I hear from her all day long... it was good to see the sweet side of her. The side of her that I would always see of Natalee before these two came along. I enjoyed these girls so much that night... what a neat treat! H was pushing S around on t he car... until S decided to push H around w/ the car! (:

Teddy Bear Pic-a-nic

Johnny had a weekend get-a-way... it was super sweet! Friday nigth we had dinner w/ Jason & Naomi at Macaroni Grill... I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time! Saturday Johnny and I ran a bunch of errands & then headed to IKEA with a shopping list in hand. We bought... um... NOTHING from our list! But we did find this: (ignore the wrinkles!) Stinkin' cute duvet cover! I've been wanting one for a long time... my down comforter spews feathers all over my room. It's so so dusty. And... the best part..... $15!!!! for a duvet cover! I love it! Here's the print up close: Made me soooo happy! (: and we found all the other things we needed at good-ol' walmart!

I'll try not to steal too much of Patti's glory (: I know she wants to blog about Tyler's birthday but she needs my SIM card to do it! My dad and Tyler share birthdays... so we've had many-a-year with shared parties as well! This year my dad wanted to have a corn feed... so we got the corn and everyone brought yummy food and we had one heck of a party! YUM!! Blowing out their candles... (Patti just put one candle for each decade on my dad's cake!) Tyler got a bible! Daddy & Natalita! Jen got him a coffee mug (Her hand's in a brace because I smashed it in my van door. Sad.) Dad trying to contain H. What a task! Happy Birthday Dad & Tyler!!!! What a fun day!

My dining room has some color to it! Our apts will paint one wall... of your choosing... one of 6 colors.... it's fun to have a little color.... makes it feel more home-y! My bedroom was the last room I tackled. Pretty simple... just our little haven. (I know it looks a little off centered... I'm adjusting that!) Lovin ' my black, yellow & white bathroom. In our last apt. it was hidden in our Master bath... I love having it out where everyone can see my cutie! I HAD to get the girl's' room done first... so there was a safe place for them to play... but the rooms still needed a few things... I added a few finishing touches to S & H's room... some shelves with Raggedy Ann & Andy and a few toys. Natalee's room is still a work in progress because the shelves I bought, didn't work. I hate it when projects drag on like that... but what can ya do?!? (:

a little background... somewhere growing up... I heard the saying "Home, James"... where we going? Home James. Don't ask me where it comes from. Anyways... I always say that to Natalee when she asks me where we're going... Last night we pulled up to your house... and Natalee said.... "We're home! HOME JAMES! GO beavers!!!" (She has NO IDEA who the beavers are. NONE. Kyah says Go Beavers... so Natalee picked it up!) I was laughing soooooooooooooooooo hard!!!!!

And I don't want to cook! So here's what we had for dinner... YUM!!!!!!!!!!! I love cold food! (:

But Johnny and I are away for a night! shhhh.... sweet Mackenzie is holding down the "fork" while we're gone! Hope she's not crazy when we get back! (: I feel like it's a mental-sanity day for me... Johnny starts school on Monday... and I'll be on my own a lot more... so I'm coveting these precious hours! Dinner out tonight... and IKEA tomorrow! Woo hoo!!!

Natalee was being really quiet. I hadn't seen her in a while... I cracked the bedroom door to this sight: I ran and grabbed my camera... Such a precious memory!

Grandma Westbrook... my mom's mom... came for a surprise visit last week! Can you tell by this picture who "S" has wrapped around her little finger?!?!? It was so so so great! We ALL loved it! As a matter of fact, now that she's gone, the girls keep asking for her! They see a car and ask if it's Grandma's car... They see the door shut to a room and ask if Grandma is sleeping... Waaah!!! Come back Grandma! We miss you!

Try 4! Actually... it's not that bad! HONESTLY! I've heard it said that it doesn't make much difference after 3... must be true! We love having Kyah around and wouldn't have it any other way!