The Barton Family Blog

Thanksgiving is about family right!??! Good... cause that's all I've got pictures of! (: but I'm glad I have them... sweet memories. We spend Thanksgiving in Pacific/Auburn Washington. My Uncle Greg & Aunt Mary hosted and my Aunt Mary prepared a FEAST! (What a blessing!) Here's Johnny & me (this is what he gets when he won't take a serious picture!) My Granny & Gramps Gramps just got out of the hospital and we are so glad that he is recovering. He's my dad's dad. He's on dialysis but we are just glad that he's still with us! We love him so much! Jas & O-me Jen & Mom Naomi & Jenners! Sweet sisters! Me & Gramps It was a sweet sweet Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful time. My cousin Erin & her husband opened their home to us and just totally blessed us with 3 rooms to sleep in and access to a kitchen, bathroom, living room which was WAAAY more than we would have had if we had shared a hotel room w/ Jason & Naomi like...

Happy Thanksgiving family & friends!! I am so grateful for my blessed life here in Corvallis! I am so grateful for my wonderful husband... he keeps me sane daily! and is an incredible blessing to my life every day. He prays for me and surprises me and blesses me with his sweet spirit. He loves on our girls and does crazy things with them that makes them laugh more than I could ever! I am so grateful for my sweet baby girl Natlaee. She is a bright jewel in my day and she makes my heart ache with love. She is so tender and sweet. Her observation skills amaze me daily. She is fascinated with the funniest things and her little phrases crack me up. She has a heart of gold and has opened her heart to her new friends (Shy and Hol) with open arms! I am so grateful for the time in my life that I can have Shyanne. She makes the funniest faces and makes me laugh all day long. She challenges me and brings out things in me that help me know how imperfect I am as a parent and she helps me...

Well in my last post... I mentioned that we had gone to see Santa. Hollie was totally losing it in the line. She was DONE. And we forgot her binkie... which just made things worse. She finally calmed down when we got inside Santa's house... UNTIL... I set her on his lap. Then she was really done...! Next was Natalee. She decided to be shy around Santa. She was brave and sat there... but we couldn't keep her finger out of her mouth and def couldn't get her to tell us what she wanted for Christmas! Shyanne chimed in and said "a bike!" for Natalee... so Natalee agreed.... A BIKE was what she wanted. GREAT. Shy was a pro! She just jumped right up there but wouldn't sit still long enough to get a good shot. She'd smile HUGE.... and then look away as the flash went off! [sigh] I wanted to get 2 good shots for the girls' mom! o well.... Overall we had a fun time! The girls were excited and talked non-stop about it the next day. Too sweet!

...CHRIST MAS! What are these girls looking at? Hint... Look at the top of Natalee's hat! IT'S SNOWING! (WE DIDN'T TELL THEM THAT IT CAME FROM A SNOW MACHINE!) Hollie was NOT into it! Can't imagine how she'll react to real snow (: Shy and Natalee were lovin' it! We were at Woodburn Outlet Mall waiting in line to see Santa and enjoying the snow even if it was artificial! Side story about Natalee's hat: Natalee has 2 of these hats. Allison brought them back for her from Bolivia a year or two ago. THEY"RE adorable!!! And Natalee LOVES them. She calls them her "olivia hats". When I ask her who got them for she says "Tia Allison... and Olivia!" When I try to explain that Tia got them IN Bolivia... she just says... Tia got my hat at the store! Tia & Olivia! (so I gave up trying to explain it to her... and just enjoy her cuteness!)

Here's a pix of us 3. We don't take pix like this very often these days (: We needed to take a family pix for Johnny's grandpa & my grandparents who have never met and may never meet - our foster kids. We are giving out a family photo of us 5 for Christmas - but also thought it would be nice to give an updated photo of us 3 to some of our grandparents .

Look at these 3 sweet peas! Aren't they just cute? It was so sweet cause Kyah was sitting in the chair... then she scooted over for Natalee... and then Shyanne wanted up... and I told her not to climb up because there wasn't room.... and then Natalee just scooted and scooted and said, "Come on up Shyanne!" (isn't she so sweet!?!) And look at this little doll... is this a sweet pix or what?? Here's me and Miss Misery. She had a fever for 5 days. It broke the day before... but she was still super clingy... she has just woken up. Is that a pathetic look or what?!

4tunate is having a give-away! Just click this link: www.murraycrew.blogspot.com and head on over to their blog for a chance to win a Halo Sleep Sack! (: