so, what now?

Now that Christmas is over I guess it's time to focus on a new project. So, I am asking .....what do we do now? New Years Resolutions... have another baby (j/k lol) ....what do you suggest?

I love the beginning of a new year. It's like a fresh start and a way to put the past behind you. So, I am curious, what are your new year's resolutions, or do you even have any....and what should mine be?

Happy New Year! (maybe I should try setting a goal to get to bed at a decent hour?)

the Christmas program is over...

Today was the second part of the Christmas program that I have been obsessing about for months. Last week, Brent spoke about the Prophet Joseph Smith and another speaker spoke about the atonement. I wonder sometimes if my husband knew the prophet because his testimony is like none I have heard before. I love to hear him speak, he always does a great job. Also, we were lucky enough to have some of our family come to hear him too. I love that our families live close to us, especially around the holidays. It means a lot to me to have their support on the little things....thanks fam! I look forward to our Christmas traditions around Christmas Eve.
This week was my turn to speak a little. Also, the choir sang beautifully. When I was a kid, I dreaded the ward choir singing. Our choir is the best!!!
All-in-all, I was happy with the turn out and grateful for the many people who helped make it a great program.

Merry Christmas, my friends. I love you all and hope your holidays are happy and safe. :)

Things that make me happy...

One of my oldest friends had a post like this on her blog and it inspired me to make a happy list. Just so if I am feeling down I can remember a few things I am happy about.

1. It makes me happy to listen to really good music. When you are in the car and you hear all your favorite songs on the radio....isn't that the best?

2. It makes me happy to see my kids succeed. I love to see them proud of themselves. I even feel a little happy when they struggle to succeed. I see the amazing people they are becoming and I feel so proud.

3. It makes me happy to sit by my husband. I fall asleep next to him on the couch almost every night. He watches t.v. late sometimes and I don't like to go to bed without him.

4. It makes me happy (and a little proud of myself) when I let things go. I have struggled with anxiety all of my life and am learning the joy in being at peace with my short comings.

5. It makes me happy to talk on the phone. As a stay at home mom, I feel isolated sometimes and my phone is like a connection to the outside grown-up world. When I was a teenager, the only way my parents could punish me was to take away the phone...brutal.

6. Santa Clause makes me happy. I love the idea of him sneaking in to leave presents so no one can see him. The guy is the ultimate in unselfishness. I love all my Santa's in my Christmas box. When I buy one, I look at his eyes and face. Each one means something different to me. My dad was the best Santa. He was a great example of giving without being noticed, never keeping anyone on the naughty list and he even had a kin of ho-ho-ho laugh.

7. It makes me happy to think about my dad. He has been gone nearly 10 years now and I miss him. Right after he died, I got sad when I thought of him because I missed him so much it hurt. I am glad that now I am happy when I think of a funny thing about him or even some irritating quirk that I now notice in myself.

8. Diet coke makes me happy....(don't judge me) I know it is shallow but diet coke with lime is the best. (sigh)

9. It makes me happy when my family is all at home with nothing to do. I love to relax with them. Each of the kids are so different but they are all funny and fun to be around.

10. It makes me happy to watch Jared pitch. I am proud of his abilities and also the way he keeps his composure when he is down in the count.

11. It makes me happy to listen to Katelyn play the piano, she is talented and has come far in a short period of time.

12. It makes me happy to listen to Tyler talk about how he entertains his kindergarten class. Every day he has to think of something funny to make his friends laugh. Yesterday, after he finished his work he stood up and said, "sha-boom, I'm done!" That was all, but he makes his friends laugh. I apologize in advance to any primary teachers who will witness his act. :)

13. It makes me happy to listen to Jason. He learns new stuff each day....most of it naughty. I love the terrible two's. I had give him a little consequence the other day to which he replied, "that makes me so sad!" I had to leave because I was laughing.

14. It makes me happy to be Mrs. Brent Barton. He is so handsome and amazing! He is so smart, I am glad every day he is with me. I feel lucky to be with him.

15. It makes me happy to do hair. I love my job! My clients are my friends, I love to make them look and feel good about themselves.

16. It makes me happy to read the Book of Mormon. I have read it many, many times and love the message and peace I feel when I am close to the Spirit.

17. Lastly, bed time always makes me happy. I love the craziness of having four kids, and I love when they are worn out and go to sleep.

Finally, the Christmas tree is up

I love Christmas, I don't love putting up and taking down the tree. The kids did the ornaments, so I still have some "unclumping" to do. My favorite part of the evening was when I was so sick of ball ornaments that I decided to get artistic and throw them at the tree like little baseballs. It looked cute so I left them where they landed. BTW, I only broke one. Now onto the wrapping and to try to finish shopping. Fun, fun, fun!

I know it's over, but....

This was one of my favorite demotivator posters. I had to share. :)

It's official... Christmas time is here!!!

I LOVE Christmas! I especially love Santa Clause. How cool is he. He brings toys to good little girls and boys. I have NEVER known anyone on the naughty list which means he is very forgiving. He only comes when you are asleep so he won't be caught leaving gifts. He's a jolly old fellow.(Happy people rock!) Nobody cares if he's skinny and he eats loads of cookies.

I also love the opportunity to reflect on the birth of Christ and the significance of His life. The reminder each year to be a little kinder, to give a little more and be a little better. So, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a wonderful, safe holiday season.

Peace out....

Happy Thanksgiving!

I like Thanksgiving. Since both of our families live here, we take turns every other year with our family. This year is our Barton year. We don't get together with them often, but when we do it is always fun. Mostly I am glad that Brent gets a day off work. It seems like life is so busy anymore and all we do is go separate ways. So, I am thankful that on Thursday Brent and I will sleep in late and someone else will cook us dinner and our family will all have fun together. Hopefully with no injuries. That's all I want for Thanksgiving....and pie.

Monday morning at the DMV

For 8 months now I have been driving with an expired license. Why? You may ask....because I never legally changed my name 16 years ago when I got married. I told Brent that I wanted to see if things worked out first (ha ha) So I took Jared to get his learner's permit today and decided it was time to take the plunge. I called ahead to verify all the legal docs I needed so I was prepared. I step to the window to speak to a lovely DMV employee ( I mean stereo-typical DMV employee) to do my 'thang'. She informs me that I must have brought in the necessary info because my name was already changed, I explained the letter I received informing me I could not renew by mail because of the discrepancy. She seemed confused and told me I could renew without the docs I brought. (good thing I hunted down my marriage license) I didn't argue because all I wanted was a new license. I filled out the paper work and paid my money and was on my way in no time. The lady was not nice. I don't know why, I was nice. Sometimes, when someone is rude to me it is a like a game for me to try to win them over by being even nicer....It didn't work. Jared was at the next window....his lady was nice.... Either way, we are both legal to drive now. Jared took the written test and I will admit that if I had to take it I may not have passed. Now I get to go back to the Social Security Dept. and change my SS card....maybe next Monday.

The moral of the story, Be nice. My dad always said, " You can catch more flies with honey". Who wants flies? Oh wait...

A happy post

I'll admit it...I vented a little yesterday, so today, a happy post.

I was listening to my (Jared's) ipod a few nights ago. I had a couple of songs on repeat. In bloom by Brother Nirvana and Land of Confusion by the Brothers Disturbia when all of the sudden the sacrament Christmas program started coming to me. It has actually morphed into two meeting. So I had a lot of time to cover. But I am excited because I have a good rough draft now and can work on finishing it. Don't you think music is so inspirational? I do....


...this is the world we live in ( wa-oooo) and these are the hands we're given ( wa-ohhhh) use them and lets start trying (wa-ooooh) to make this a place worth living in. :)

Christmas program blues

I am having a difficult time trying to figure out what to do for the Sacrament Christmas program this year. Last year, I was smart and had Brent write it. I don't think I can ask him two times in a row, right? So I am shouting out to the blog world for any links to fun ideas or anything you may have seen/done and enjoyed. Thanks for any help, if it comes down to it, I could just stand up there and sing something which wouldn't be pretty......trust me.

Pumpkin carving...Barton style

We finally got pumpkins tonight. Katelyn and Tyler were the only ones who wanted to carve a pumpkin. I remember the days (before I was married) when pumpkin carving meant breaking kitchen knives ...no more. Get out the tools!
Who needs a kitchen knife?

Careful planning, comparing drawing to pumpkin.
The final result was great! I am soooo thankful for my husband who is the pumpkin carver in the family. He always does a great job.

Happy birthday Tyler!

Today Tyler turns 6 years old. It's hard to believe because it feels like he's been here a really really long time. :)

Ty loves soccer and is really good at it. The boy in the middle of this pic always wanted to hold hands to which Tyler replied, "dude...not cool!"
Sometimes Tyler would score over 15 goals in a game, but he always made sure to pass the ball as much. His team was undefeated with 2 games that ended in tears ( the other team). In spite of total field domination, the always had great sportsmanship.
Tyler loves the snow. He had a blast playing in it yesterday.

Some of my favorite things about Tyler are, he is a mom's boy. He REALLY loves me. :) Also, he is smart. He already reads on a first grade level and gets a little smarter every day. He is kind to Jason, they will be good buddies when Jason gets a little older. He has the best laugh, he cracks me up every day. He is a big boy in a big body. Growing up so far with the older siblings, he has matured far beyond his years in his taste of music. Anything Jared likes is great with Tyler. He loves all things sports. He has a fiery temper. We have learned to let him blow off a little steam from time to time (usually once or twice an hour). I have grown to love that part of his personality because he is tenacious and willful. If I can keep him on my side everything will be fine. (sigh)

He has truly been a blessing in our lives. He was a bit of a surprise, but we have loved the space between the kids, it keeps things interesting. lol
Happy birthday Tyler, thanks for coming to our family and being such a fun kid!

Monday Monday Monday

Today I have decided that I will have a good attitude about mondays. In the past( by past I mean last monday) I have been less than enthusiastic about beginning the week. You all probably know why, getting on top of laundry, weekend clean up, etc. But today I have decided I LOVE MONDAY!!! Every week we get a new start. A new chance to make up for the mistakes of last week. A brand new opportunity to try again. In fact, I need a monday on thursday too. That's all, thanks for reading.

What's the matter with boys these days?!?!?

A few days ago, Katelyn informed me that a boy at school had his friend ask Katelyn if she would "go out " with him, to which she replied "no, I don't go out with boys." (whew!) So, today the same boys' friend came up and said, "are you sure you won't go out with him?" She said no. So then the friend says, "would you kiss him?" (in my head I said WTH..eck?!?!?) She said no! THEN he said "what about a hug?" She said no AGAIN and he walked away.

I have given Jared an assignment to watch out for these boys and do the appropriate big brotherly thing. (whatever that may be)

vomit happens

......at 3 A.M.......why is it always at 3 A.M.?

How to read the BOM in 30 days....or so

16 days ago, I decided to read the Book of Mormon all the way through during the month of October. I did it 6 times while I was pregnant with Jason so I figured it would be fine. I remembered that you need to read 17 chapters a day to get finished in one month. So I started and did really well for 10 days when I realized I was getting through it pretty fast. Silly me, you only need to 17 PAGES to finish in one month. Hee-hee I have tried to keep up a quick pace, but not 17 chapters! The reason I am posting this on my blog is that I wanted to share a few blessing I have received because of this goal I set for myself.
Every day, I learn something that profoundly impacts my life. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the lessons in it. It has strengthened my testimony of our Father's love for each of us. It has given me examples to share with my kids to help them through problems in their lives. It has made me realize that I can do more for my friends and strangers. The biggest thing that has stuck out to me this time is the advice the dad's give to their boys and families before they die. It has made me think of my own dad and the advice and warnings he gave me before his death. In fact, it has been so touching that in Alma when he was counseling his boys for the last time, I could hardly get through it. I wished I wrote down things from the last blessing my dad gave me. I remember only a little. I am grateful for the time and effort they took to keep the history.
I love to read the Book of Mormon quickly, it helps me keep every one's families straight. Next time I look forward to taking a little more time to ponder stuff. :)
Thanks for letting me share. I only have 135pages left and I am looking forward to starting over.

Ya' gotta' love 'em....right?

Ever had one of those days? (he knows he's in trouble) ( I think he's saying, "save me, my mom is crazy!")


Jason's new favorite "naughty" is to play "monkey bars" on Katelyn's bed. It really is kind of funny, however, the bars aren't that strong. It's the kind of thing you catch you kid doing and take a picture, then forbid them to ever do it again.....ya right.

You're going DOWN!!!!

I'll admit it. My name is Linda Barton and I am (sniff, sniff) a very competitive person. Thankfully, they have found a way to turn General Conference into a competition. I rock the house at Conference bingo. The little kids always want to be on my team. All I can say is ...bring...it...on. Man, I love General Conference! We should have it every week.

Santa is coming....oh wait, it's my brother!

My little bro Nate is coming to visit this weekend. It's been too long since I have seen him. He lives in Texas (Hook 'em Horns!) and has an amazing wife and two kids. I look forward to visiting with him because we always have great talks. He's a smart and funny guy and I wished he lived closer so we could see each other more. This picture is way old, it was at his wedding with my dad. (not that he married my dad, the pic is him and my dad :] ) ( I could have re-worded that but I thought it came out funny) I know he reads my blog so this post is mostly for him. YEAH!!!! MY BROTHER IS COMING!!!! Love ya Nate!

It's your birthday, it's your birthday...oh yeah, it's your birthday!

For the record.....I am 5' 6".
Today, my baby turned 15. The only reason it's okay for me to be 35 is that I need to be old enough to have a 15 year old. I decided to write 15 reasons why I am proud of my little Jerry-Berry.

1. He is honest and trustworthy. (that could have been 2 but I won't have a hard time with 15)
2. He is kind to his brothers and sister.
3. He is a hard worker.
4. He is a talented athlete.
5. He always opens the door for me.
6. He has a strong testimony of the Gospel.
7. He is a good student.
8. He has respect for women and girls.
9. He does the dishes every night.
10. He is a loyal friend.
11. He wants to choose the right all the time, and tries his hardest to do so.
12. He doesn't complain....much
13. I am proud of his example to his siblings.
14. He is physically and morally strong.
15. He has a positive attitude.

Okay, now some things I like about Jared...
He is so much fun to be around, he always makes me laugh. He can imitate funny lines from movies that always crack me up! He's a nice kid, he tries to include kids who may not have many friends. He has a lot of self-confidence. He knows who he is and has goals that he wants to achieve. He isn't easily distracted or deterred off course.
Jared is excited to get his learner's permit. I am excited for him to drive, too. But, I get a little sad because we have good talks in the car.
One thing I used to always tell Jared is that you are never too big to sit on your mom's lap......I am starting to re-think that position.
I know it's obvious to everyone who knows me how much I love Jared and how proud of him I am. Happy Birthday Jared....I love you!

..who's the bravest one of all?

Tyler had his first loose tooth. He was so excited to have the tooth fairy come that he wanted to pull out his own tooth. I decided to go along with it and tied dental floss around it. He yanked one time and the floss slipped off. I tied it back on again and with one giant tug, it came out! A look of sheer panic/excitement came over his face when he realized what had happened. He is my first kid to have the guts to yank his own tooth out! I always knew he was tough. (I hope the tooth fairy remembers to come tonight, I'll admit that in the past she has forgotten)

Extra....Extra...read all about it!!!

Tonight for my homework, I got to write an editorial about Katelyn. (I hope I get an "A")
She is so amazing, I thought I'd share it with my blogtastic friends.

Katelyn is Amazing by Linda Barton

When walking through the halls at South Hills Middle School, there is one girl who stands out above the rest. Katelyn Barton is a 7th grader who loves middle school. She can always be seen with a smile on her face. Her bubbly personality coupled with her contagious laughter makes her so much fun to be around.
I asked her brother Jared, who is in 9th grade at SHMS, "Why do you think everyone likes your sister?" He replied, "there are tons of reasons! I think, mostly because she is so funny and she is nice to everyone...even me!" He went on to say, "Also, you won't hear her saying mean things about people, she can always find something nice to say about everyone."
The people I spoke with all agree that Katelyn is a good friend to have. She is there for you if you are sad and need a good listener. She can always make you laugh, and, if you need help with homework, she is very smart.
All-in-all, you would have a difficult time finding a more loyal, kind and honest friend.
I know I may be bias, but I think she is the most beautiful girl at South Hills Middle School. I mean it, have you seen her eyes?!? But, more importantly, she is beautiful on the inside. If you get to know Katelyn Barton at South Hills, you will never be without a great friend.
A few important things about Katelyn are that she loves BYU football, she plays softball and basketball, she is a very talented piano player and she likes to cut hair, she even once cut seven inches off of her mom's hair. She is good at keeping a secret and she is the best daughter in the entire world.

I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. She is turning into and an incredible young lady right before my eyes. (sniff, sniff)

10 truths about me

I copied this from a friends blog, (no that isn't my first truth)

1. I love make-up... Lancome's gift with purchase is the best. I will call all the major stores to see "who has the gift" so I can get it. (Purchase with purchase is great too! All my cute church bags are from Lancome)

2. I always wanted six kids. (until I had one....now I'm not too sure)

3. Every day I am scared that my daughter will make the same mistakes I did in Jr. High.

4. My favorite food is ice cream. Sometimes I have it for lunch because hey, I'm an adult...I can choose my own lunch now.

5. I love to run on my treadmill. (which helps with my ice cream problem...a little)

6. One of my biggest fears is finding out that I could have helped someone if I hadn't ignored a prompting from the Holy Ghost.

7. I adore my husband. He has never let me down and I feel lucky every day to be married to him.

8. I wish I knew more about computers.

9. At this moment you could eat off of my kitchen floor. Not because it is spotless, but because I think you could find pieces of a whole meal on it. :-/

10. If I were playing "truth or dare", I'd rather pick "dare".

All Aborad???

*warning: If you have an aversion to potty stories, please skip this post.

Tonight, Jason went to the bathroom door and said "Jason see bathroom."
I asked if he wanted to go potty to which he excitedly replied yes.
I put him on the potty and began saying the encouraging things a mom says when her boy is on the potty. He started in a quiet voice saying, "Come on.....come out...." which led to a louder "COME OUT.....COME OUT!!!!" It was so cute to see him screaming to his little self so naturally, I called Brent to come watch. After a few minutes of "trying" he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and said, "I done ....it broken."
So, maybe soon we will be on the *potty train*, but not today.

Hopefully, he will want to try 7 times a day (I am typing with the sarcasm keys)

insomnia and soccer

At what point do you fall asleep sitting up from lack of sleep?

Today Ty had his first soccer game. We new he would be good, but no one could have predicted exactly how great he would be. He scored 8 goals. He would have scored more but Brent had to keep rotating him out to give the other team a chance. In the first 2 min of the 2nd half, he scored three goals in a row. Ahhhhh, like mother, like son....j/k
After the game, some people in the crowd started chanting "MVP......MVP......MVP!" Sure, it was Jared and Katelyn but still..... that counts, right?

Pictures will come later, my camera battery died.

So big...., sigh

The first day of Kindergarten was exciting....
Um... Assume the position? Ty is proud of his back pack.
Waving "goodbye" to childhood...(sniff, sniff)

The bus was 20 min. late and we were on our way home to drive to school. We heard the bus turn the corner and ran up the street to flag her down. Maybe she was late because every mom wanted the "step on the bus and turn around" picture?

My 100th post

I saw a blog the other day that was talking about the decorative tiles and vinyl lettering that is so popular these days. She had a list of sayings that just may be the next "big thing".
Here are a few of my favorites:

It is always darkest before God opens a window.

I love you no matter how I treat you.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Everything happens for a reason you couldn’t understand.

Return with honor; I’m holding the iron rod.

Save the cheerleader, choose the right.

Sacrifice. Just do it.

Men are that they might be giants.

Be still and know that I know what you did last summer.

Remember who you are; if you don’t already know, I’m not going to tell you.

The field is white, the sky is blue.

Find joy in the journey, right in the last place you left it.

Faith: knowing is half the battle.

My mother-in-law has a funny sign that says "Jesus is coming...look busy!!"

May the force be with you after midnight.

What if the entire point of your life is to serve as a warning to others?

To hang above the computer.."Remember who you are, but don't tell anyone on the internet"

To hang above the XBox, " Idle hands are the devils playground"

Feel free to vote for your favorite, come up with your own or share one not included.

back 2 school shopping

When I was a little girl, my favorite time of year was "back to school shopping" time. I loved searching for the wardrobe that would be the perfect accessory to my 90's style hair...I had good big hair...but I digress. Hours of searching the mall...no Kmart wouldn't do.... trying on everything in sight (sigh) those were the days. Well, today I decided to do a little B2S shopping with the kids. Let's just say, now I know why my mom took us one at a time.
Why is it that no 2 pair of pants fit the same? Some are too low, some are too long, some are too tight, some are too loose. And they ALL looked the same to me. It that a sign that I am getting old? At times like this I am grateful that K is the only one of my kids who cares about her clothes! Luckily, Jason discovered that the store had a wicked awesome echo.....that was entertaining. Ty went to the bathroom 3 times, and Jared went to Sports Authority. After 2 long hours, we ended up with 2 pairs of pants for K and a shirt for Jared. I guess we will start again tonight......(long sigh...)

I'm ba-a-a-ck!!

Do you every feel like you've dropped off the face of the earth? That's how I've been for the last two weeks. If you didn't notice, that's okay... ;)
I am trying to get back into the swing of things again. Jared is still having issues with his thumb, we've been to the Dr. more in the past 10 days than in the last 2 months. It is healing slowly. I have to do a wet to dry bandage 2 times a day to try to help it heal. It's super fun. K and I had a blast at camp!!! We have never had that much uninterrupted "girl time". It was amazing! Tyler and Jason are clinging to my leg because they are afraid I'll leave again. Honestly, if they don't let go, I might just have to go again (for my sanity). Jason has this "cute" little thing he does when I leave. He screams "WAIT!!! WAIT!!!" So he can follow me everywhere. Isn't it great to be loved?

Brent and I "celebrated" 16th anniversary our almost 2 weeks ago. It's hard to believe that he's put up with me this long. I am a lucky girl. I love him more every day (too sappy?) He is amazing and I don't know how I got so lucky to snag him for a husband. All I do know is that he is my rock. He is my safe place to fall and I don't want to spend one day of my life without him.....Love you Brent!!!

School starts in two weeks. It will be bitter/sweet. I love having the kids home but they are so bored that it will be nice for them to have something to do. Maybe I'll finally finish painting my family room!

BTW, K is babysitting a lot lately. She is an awesome babysitter. If you need her please call. She loves to do it and she really does a good job. (shameless plug?) I can't believe that she is in Middle School this year, I blinked and she grew up :(

Camp Day

I just had to say, even though I am suffering from CAD (camp anxiety disorder) I am very excited to go to girls camp with Katelyn. I also found out more about the cabin we are staying in....it doesn't sound too cabin -like....more house- like. Who I still feel sorry for are the Trek campers who slept on the dirt with their duffel bag for a pillow. THAT is miserable.

camp anxiety has begun

I've never been a "camper". The first time I went to girls camp as an adult, I realized I got extremely claustrophobic in tents. When I was laying in my sleeping bag, I felt trapped like bear food in a sack. Every little noise through out the night brought new images of what was lurking between me and my nylon tent. So, when the bishop asked if I would help with camp this year, naturally I said, "SURE!" (I broke my rule of think twice, speak once)
So, last night I awoke from a nightmare where rat-like bird things were crawling all over me trying to bite me. Sure, this time I'll be in a big cabin with hot showers, but I still am getting the feeling I am in over my head. I mean, what's so great about camping? The best thing for me is Katelyn will be there, so I guess I'll have to be brave. (sigh)

Please.....no pictures

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jared. He was a good boy. He tried all the time to choose the right and to be good in every way. Last week he pitched his very first no hitter in baseball. He pitched 6 fabulous innings! Last night we were in a tournament with his High School league where he gets up to bat and smashes a double to left field. It was awesome. He was on 2nd base timing the pitcher and decided to steal to third when he slid into third base and slid into the cleat of the third baseman and opened up his right thumb. Luckily his cut was shaped into a Y (nice scar, eh?) He ended up with 11 stitches in his thumb...nice. It was his first hit of the game. The cut was so deep that I saw his tendon (gross). He'll miss championship game tonight.....needless to say, he's mad. The good news is it wasn't his throwing hand! We have to watch it for a few days to make sure he still has movement in his thumb, But I think it will be fine.
The very best part of this story is, I was talking to him about how serious it could have been and I, in my motherly was, said "you need to remember to thank Heavenly Father that it wasn't worse, to which he replied"(with a chest fist bump) I already did....I'm like that now, you know". ...So proud.....in fact, instead of sulking, he was in a good mood the rest of the night. He never ceases to amaze me. He woke up at three in the morning in agony and now is finally back to sleep/ I guess it is time for me to get back to bed too.

We love Ma and Pa Emch

I had to give a big shout out to all the wonderful people who made Trek happen for the kids this year. Jared came home a changed young man. He has talked non stop about the many lessons and experiences he had on the trail. Ma and Pa Emch were apparently "the best". I have so much gratitude for them and their willingness to sacrifice warm beds, showers, and general hygiene to be there. Jared is saying how excited he is that he can go again (we'll see if that is still true in 4 years) His nickname was "Ox", because he pulled the handcart the whole time. (not only for his family but for others who were struggling with hills and stuff) Of course, he forgot to use the disposable camera I got for him, so I can only imagine what it looked like. He said that the 24th of July will never be the same for him again. Thank you, thank you!!!!

quick update

I am just updating the ole blog to share what we've been up to lately. Jared is at Trek and comes home tomorrow. I am soooooo excited to see him, I love having the kids all home. K had a b-day and she is officially a *young woman*. (scary) Tyler is only happy if he is playing with friends 24/7. The little guy has officially hit *terrible 2's*, it's awesome....he throws the best tantrums!! My favorite phrase of his is when he yells at the kids and says, "stop it!" But it sounds like "top it". Also, he will lay on my shoulder and say, "lub you mommy". To which I reply, "If you give me a kiss, you can have whatever you want!" Ahhhhhh, summer....

And, BTW, my name is Linda and I am addicted to Scrabble on Facebook. Wanna play me?

39 days till school starts

I am updating my blog to say, I have nothing new or exciting to update! (how lame is that?) I am swallowed up in all things summer, kids bored at home with nothing to do. I need ideas on how you all keep the kids from fighting, driving each other crazy, and just generally following you around the house staring at you.....It's seriously cutting into my phone time. 39 days till school starts.

Rumor control

Hmmm.... I am feeling a little left out. All my friends are getting rumors started about them. I'm not "engaged", or have "swine flu". I am thinking about starting some rumors about me and my fam so we don't feel left out. So I came up with a few acceptable, plausible rumors:
1. Pregnancy- that's always good for a few awkward moments
2. Moving-That won't work, we've tried to move twice and it didn't work.
3. No, I didn't get a boob job.
4. I could start a rumor that I actually died from exhaustion.....
Okay, I can't think of any more. However, if if you can think of one and leave it on my comments, the winner will get bragging rights for the best rumor idea!

Random stuff

My flowers in my front beds aren't looking so hot this year. I came across this pic from last year, and since it had Ty in it, I had to throw it in.

I bought Jared some bandanna's for Trek, I think Jason looks pretty cute in it!

my son is proud of his muscles...

So, I posted random pics tonight because I have been a little busy with summer life and haven't taken new ones. Katelyn is out of school this week (yeah!) So, it will be great to have everyone home. Even though it's chaotic, I love having everyone home!

I went to a girls camp meeting today. I went once as an adult, in the YW pres. This is my first time as an assistant camp leader. I am looking forward to going, especially because my Kater will be there. (not to mention the 4 days away from home) I'm not a fan of camping with dirt so I lucked out because we are going to a cabin.....booo-yaaa! I would appreciate any suggestions for fun activities from all ya' all who have been. It's a little overwhelming to tackle everything that needs to get done.

Happy Father's Day (late)

I know it's a few days late, but this was a hard post for me. (my dad would say "better late than never, but better never late")
I have been blessed with 2 wonderful father's. First of all, my husband. He is so amazing. He is an example to me of many things such as, integrity, commitment, patience, calm, and my favorite...think twice, speak once. Each of these qualities and many more make me feel lucky to have him for a husband and father for our children.
Second, is/was my dad. He died nearly 9 years ago, when I was 26 (he was 53). Each Father's Day without him is, I guess, a little easier. He was also amazing. He was my hero. He taught me to anger slowly, and forgive quickly. He taught me to expect the best in others and find their inner good and help them to bring it out. He taught me unselfishness, by putting my needs above his. He taught me to expect great things in myself, to listen to the Spirit, to study and ponder the scriptures, he taught me to turn to the scriptures to find answers to my problems. The funny thing is, most of these things I have learned more fully since he died. His quiet example is still present in my life. He wasn't perfect, but he was humble enough to know it and tried as hard as he could to be a better person. I'll always admire his inner conviction to try again after he would stumble. I love him so much and still miss him every day.

Recital

Tonight Katelyn had her piano recital. She is amazing! She received her gold cup for her Federation performance, also she received the "Best in Federation" award which is way cool!!! It means her performance was voted best by all three judges for the day she performed. Way to go Katelyn!

2 Jason turned 2 today. Yeah! He had fun tearing wrapping paper, eating cake, blowing out candles and he especially loved his balloons. It's such a precious age, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!~
Grandma and Grandpa Barton made this cool toy that spins, Jason played with it for ever. He got a wagon, some sand toys, trucks, clothes and other cool stuff.
We love you Jason!

Represent! (fist bumps chest)

First of all, I don't know what my title means, I only know my 5 year old says this ALL the time. (thanks to Biggun')

My boys have been playing play station 2 to pass the boredom. On a baseball game, when you hit a home run, the crowd cheers and the announcer says "You can kiss that baby goodbye!" Well, Ty hit a home run and started saying " I'll kiss ya later baby!"

Which also reminded me of a funny Ty thing. When he was 3 he'd sing "Tyler, pyler, pumkin pie, kissed the girls and made 'em.....Happy!"

Represent! (fist bumps chest) ...er something

ode to school

Last week, J went to jr. high.
This week, J just teases Ty.
Today is day 2
which makes me a little blue
I need ideas to make the time fly.

3 months isn't so bad
as a mom, I should be glad (?)
What will be great
is soon we'll add Kate
and so much more fun to be had.

Summer vacation, at first, seems cool
maybe we'll go to the pool
until boredom sets in,
and prospects look grim
and then what looks good, surprisingly, is school.


Tomorrow....day 3...... :):):):):):):):[:):):)

Task oriented vs. People oriented

I read a book a long time ago called Positive Personality Profiles. It's basically like other personality determining books on the market. One thing I learned about myself was the fact that I am motivated with people oriented situations vs. task oriented. I've been thinking about this because I have been trying my little brothers' advice about charting you time in 6 min increments. Even though, as a mom, obviously we have many tasks, I am happier and feel like I am accomplishing more when I am helping people rather than doing the dishes.

So, where's the balance? I feel like I am being a better mom by reading to my kids and helping them do stuff but the laundry tends to pile up when I focus too much on play time. I had a friend who was the opposite, she gained a lot of satisfaction when her kids went to school with ironed jeans. There are definite benefits to both types of people and I don't think one is more important than the other, maybe it's just about finding a balance between the two. Or maybe it's about focusing on your strengths and developing your talents. I don't know.

The reason I am giving this scary in site into me is maybe other moms feel like me. Feeling bad about yourself for letting "tasks" go or feeling guilty for neglecting relationships with kids and friends. From my 6 min. experiment, I realized that I spend the bulk of my time on people, and in doing that, tasks fall through the cracks. But I realized that I do important things, I just can't prove it.........

Linda Barton 1974-????

Ever had one of those days....over and over and over and over again? Chaos and mayhem rule my life. We forget things on a daily basis.....every other thing falls through the cracks. I need suggestions on how to better manage my time so I can get everything done. So, Calling all bloggie friends!!!!!!! What works for you so you can face your day with s smiley face and get AT LEAST 75% of the to-do list accomplished???? HELP?!?!?!?!?! (hey, maybe a "to-do list" is a good start?)

BTW...

Tonight's baseball game was against the same team we played LAST night in championship. We won 14-2. I'll get over it soon, I bet....

It's like kissin' your sister...er something

A week end full of baseball. Games changed because of rain, and delays. We end up at a field for championship game with NO LIGHTS! We run out of daylight...game tied...game called in 6th inning....we split 1st and 2nd place trophies. I'm guessing the league is run by men.
Don't blog angry.....

cool dudes

Tyler and Jason were playing Wii today (Monster Jam) and they both had their sun glasses on. I snuck up and snapped the pic. Aren't these the coolest boys ever????

Hold To the Rod

Hold to the rod~James Christensen

I love this picture. I came across it on a blog that I read. I am no artist but this pic was thought provoking to me. I couldn't help but think about the things in my life that I hang on to that make it difficult to hold to the rod. 2Nephi 1:23 states, "Awake my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust."
To me, the worldly possessions along with sins, anger, grudges etc., are the chains that bind us and prevent us from grabbing hold of the iron rod, which is the Gospel and the plan of Salvation.
I also wonder if the artist was depicting pride with the worldly possessions. I know that when I am consumed with focusing on materialistic things, I am less focused on the Gospel. Life gets so busy and comes at us so fast, it makes me wonder what my hands are full with that make it difficult to *hold the rod*.

So, I'm curious. What does this painting make you think of? Any thoughts on this?

Tattooed and graduation hmmm

In our last 3 games, Jared has been hit 4 times. For all my non-baseball understanding friends, when you get hit and it leaves a mark, they call it "getting tattooed". Nice. At least Jared pitches so he knows who to "thank" for his agony.

Proud mom waiting for the perfect shot.

I'm putting lots of pictures of my ubber-hot/single bro-in law(I'm just saying, he's single) so he can steal them off my blog. He didn't have his camera....so enjoy hee-hee-hee

Killing time with grandpa at the not even a little boring ceremony. ;)

BBF'S

I thought he graduated but then the guy said it was BS. (ha ha lame joke)

Congratulations Uncle Glenn!!

We love you!