The Barton Family Blog

Stay tuned for more camping p We headed to the beach for a few days in Mid-July  to take advantage Johnny's two-days-off-in-a-row-miracle and to spend a little time with my parents!  I arrived a day before Johnny  and set up camp almost single-handedly!  I had never camped at South Beach before and it was a lot of fun to experience such a wonderful  campground, be close to the beach, and just watch my kids have so much FUN! I talked Johnny into snapping a shot of me w/ each of my girls and I"M SO GLAD I DID! I never have had anyone do that for me before. My kiddos and I will snap group pictures occassionally but one pix with each girl was so fun! (: And lastly, the boys were at the top of the dune at a lookout point, screaming LET US OUT!!! (: But they sure were cute peeking through the bars! Stay tuned for two more camping trips this summer! (:

This year was so weird because Natalee and Shyanne left after our bbq to head spend a few days with Nonnie & Papa.   So our fireworks consisted of Hollie chattering NON STOP and Brock sleeping through 99% of the show.  We did get to snap a few shots for the memory book!

So...  From the millions of first-birthday-theme-options, Naomi and I decided on a "Construction" theme for the boys' birthdays. It was so much fun to plan and I have to say that it was GREAT to be able to finally have an outside birthday party! It was a little warmer than we expected, but a nice breeze picked up as the evening wore on and it was actually quite pleasant at the park! Some of the fun construciton items included: A dump truck that dumped chips into a bowl: A dirt cake, complete with a dump truck/tractor-lover who couldn't keep his eyes off the cake! (: Dump truck party favors that doubles as labels for our construction trail mix: Build your own construction mix: The twin cousins: Yah!! Its my birthday! I think I could scrapbook a page similar to one I did for Natalee's first birthday entitled "Not too sure about cake"...  (mostly he didn't like his hands getting dirty - he did...

Can I talk about my sister's adoption for a minute here? Naomi is hurting. The adoption has been stopped. The birth father is fighting the birth mother for custody and therefore she can't give the baby up. It looks like all of Naomi and Jason's hopes and dreams have come crashing down.  It feels like God's not there, or maybe like He just doesn't care.  We know that God IS there, and that He sees the bigger picture. And He DOES care.   Naomi can share the details on her blog later.  All you need to know is that they are hurting, hurting so very bad.  We're all hurting for them. Of course all the questions that Naomi is struggling with don't make it any better: "What will people think? They just donated money to baby Ariah, and now as far as we can see, there is no baby Ariah." "Now we'll need to give all the money back." "When will I EVER have a baby??? Life is just not fair."  "How can I ex...

please click the link & support my sister!! http:// bringinghomeourbabygiveaway. blogspot.com/   (hint: I'm going to be an Auntie again!!!!!!!!!!!!)

3 years ago today, these two sweet girls came into our lives.  We had no idea at the time all that God had planned for us. I love these two girls so very fiercely and I am so thankful for the chance to be their Mom.  The plan of adoption is so very much like God's plan for us.  He takes us and he rescues us and becomes our Father.  What a beautiful picture of God's love for us. Thank you Jesus for my beautiful girls and this precious family you have entrusted to Johnny & me.  We are blessed beyond measure!!

and he loved it! (: