Birthday Weekend Celebrations

Did you know someone in our house had a birthday yesterday? Brynlee is now 6! We celebrated this weekend with a tumbling party with friends at Sports Academy on Saturday. The kids got to play for an hour on all the trampolines and gymnastics equipment. Then it was another hour of cake and ice cream, opening presents, a scavenger hunt for goodie bags, and more games. Do you know the best part? All I had to do was invite the friends and sit back and watch…oh and give them my credit card…but it was SO worth it!

Landon trying to keep his balance on the beam

Nice jump, Cooper!

Sicily hanging from the bar

Nicole doing tricks on the trampoline

Waiting for the lighting of the candles

Make a WISH!

Fun presents from friends...thanks to all!

"Don't Eat the Treat" game

On Saturday night, I asked Brynlee what she wanted for her birthday breakfast in the morning. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon….in bed, was the reply. I guess she caught on to the fact that I get breakfast in bed on my birthday and Mother’s Day :)

And for her birthday dinner? She chose her favorites…chicken on the bone (aka drumsticks), potatoes (she couldn’t decide between mashed or baked so Rob suggested Twice Baked to which she agreed), steamed broccoli, and jello with bananas (the kind Aunt Cheryl makes for holiday dinners…I’ll leave that to Cheryl from now on; my first attempt was less than successful!). And for dessert…brownie skookies with ice cream, hot fudge and sprinkles. Grandma and Grandpa Barton came and joined in the yummy celebration.

Yep, her birthday was delicious!

Sledding

I took the 3 older kids sledding during the afternoon of Christmas Eve while Kirsten stayed back with T, who was napping.

Too bad the golf course where Ashlee broke her leg and the park where she broke her tooth didn't have DANGER signs. This sledding trip was much more injury-free than some.



An interesting pattern on the retaining wall near the top of the hill.



Ashlee zooming down the hill. Speaking of zooming, zoom in on this pic for the expression on her face.



The long trek back up the hill.



Resting on a jump someone built in the middle of the hill. We did go off the jump. Brynlee and I caught a little air, but Ashlee was going so slow she barely made it over the top. We did shoot some video of the jump and a couple other rides down the hill, but the memory card freaked out. I was lucky to recover the pictures, but no luck with the video.



The long, sad walk back up to the car to head home and make some hot chocolate.

Christmas Wrap Up

Our plan for the Christmas break this year was to be home on Christmas and then drive to Arizona on Friday and stay for a week. I wanted to be able to relax on Christmas day so we had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. We had T-bone steak and baked potatoes, spinach salad, homemade rolls and Pomegranite 7Up. We had brownie skookies and peppermint ice cream for dessert and left some brownies and milk out for Santa. The girls thought Santa would really like that since he probably gets lots of cookies instead of brownies. We told the girls they couldn't come into our room until 8:00 a.m. and surprisingly they obeyed! They had come upstairs a few minutes before and I could hear them as they saw what Santa brought. The funny thing is they thought Santa brought a tent but really it was a trampoline. It, of course, wasn't set up and the pads were sitting on top of the box (we debated setting it up in the house but decided against it). I guess they didn't see the picture on the paper on top of the pads. When I told them it was a trampoline, Ashlee said "But where is Tumbles My Rollover Pup and where is Brynlee's Baby Born?" Ummm....Santa didn't bring that, he brought a trampoline. Then the tears started welling up in her eyes, along with sobs of "but I really wanted Tumbles!" Great, Santa screwed up this year! Honestly, I thought that the trampoline would be a huge hit and Tumbles and Baby Born would be forgotten but I was mistaken! In Santa's defense, in years' past he brought a very similar Fur Real dog that barks, sits, shakes and does all sorts of other cool tricks as long as you speak clearly and are in an absolute quiet room (when does that happen around here?) and the dog isn't moving while you're giving it a command....oh, and a doll that talks, cries and knows its mommy's voice. No worries, though. Later that day, Grandma Barton asked Ashlee if she was angry that Santa didn't bring Tumbles. She said, "Yeah, I was mad but now I'm over it. My mom said I could buy it with my own money or maybe I'll just ask Santa for it again next year."

Trevor got a few of his own trucks and tractors but was happier playing with Landon's police car...

Landon loves his new workbench and quickly found his construction hat in his room and went to work. The girls in their matching Christmas jammies...

Since there was a huge storm that blessed us with lots of snow, we decided to not make the long trek to AZ on Friday. We ended up going to Provo Friday night (took us 45 minutes longer than usual because of packed snow/ice on the roads) and then made the journey to the land of warm sunshine on Saturday.

Here is the last of the snow we saw as we stopped for gas in Kanab....

A beautiful sunset with cacti on the horizon about an hour north of Phoenix...

We enjoyed a week of 60+ degree weather (Brynlee was mad that I didn't bring shorts and swimsuits!) They loved playing out in the backyard on the trampoline and in the sand box (and found leftover money from the treasure hunt) and going to the park...

Trevor wasn't too fond of the tube slide. A bonk on the head coming around the curve probably had something to so with that...

For my parents' Christmas gift this year, my siblings and I redecorated a couple of rooms in their house. We (or should I say "I" :o)) painted, my sister took pictures of the grandkids and we all bought new frames for the pictures of the grandkids and families and made new picture arrangements on the walls in two rooms. It was a fun project and brought new life and openness to the rooms!

The grandkids wall (I still need to make a wood sign that says "Some of our greatest blessings call us Grandpa and Grandma") It will go in the big space in the middle :) And that big hole is the vent and my dad was ordering a new cover for it...

All the grandkid pictures used to be on the fireplace mantle but it was getting pretty squished with 17 (now 18 as of Jan. 2 and soon to be 19 in March). Now it has wedding pictures of me and my siblings...

All the family pictures, my parents, and my oldest sister who died when she was 2...

We are back home after another loooong drive. Now I have to put away Christmas, get back into the school schedule, and stay in my house because I don't enjoy going outside when the temperature is in the single digits! Happy New Year everyone!

Welcome Baby Gavin!

My brother Tim and his wife Heather had baby #5 yesterday. He was a week overdue and entered the world at a whopping 10 lb. 5 oz. and 21 inches. He almost broke the weight record from their first baby, Spencer, who was 10 lb. 8 oz.! They named him Gavin Thomas. Congrats Tim and Heather! He's definitely a cutie!

We've been playing in the warm sun of Arizona the last week so I'll have to get caught up on all of the fun we've had.

What color is my eye patch?

For a couple weeks in high school, I was known as 'that colorblind kid from biology class' thanks to my lab partner who turned me in when we were talking about colorblindness and dominant vs. recessive genes. At least I already knew I was colorblind. Another kid in the class found out he was, since he saw the same stuff on the Ishihara tests that I did. Surprise!

So I'm used to the 'what color is ...' conversation, if you can call it a conversation. It is generally not so much a conversation as a series of questions about what color various nearby items are. Out of nowhere today, Brynlee asked me what color my shirt is, but the conversation went a little different direction than it usually does.

Brynlee: What color is your shirt?

Rob: Red

Brynlee: You're not colorblind.

Rob: Yes I am. Color deficient is probably a better way of putting it. I can see colors, but some of them just look the same to me.

Ashlee: There's a boy in my class who is colorblind.

Brynlee: Is that the boy who wears an eye patch?

Ashlee went on to explain how he had a problem with one eye, so he needed the patch on the good eye so the weak eye would get stronger. I don't know why having color issues would make someone need an eye patch, but to a Kindergartner, it probably made perfect sense.

It's beginning to look...

Monkey's Birthday

My little Trevor turned 1 yesterday! We sang Happy Birthday to him at the Barton Christmas get together yesterday but we didn't end up cutting the cake since there were so many other treats. Today after church the kids were dying to eat Trevor's monkey cake. So we sang Happy Birthday again and let our little monkey dig in! We let him pick at the cake and then cut him a piece to eat. He pretty much inhaled the whole piece of cake. After the cake, he went down for a nap so he still hasn't opened his presents, yet.

No more cake? I guess I'll just eat the plate...

I think there are just a few more crumbs I can lick off...

The other night I was pretty emotional thinking about my little baby turning one. I fell asleep crying and then woke up in the morning and more tears started falling. I don't think I've ever been so emotional about my kids turning one. I think it was a combination of that, plus Ashlee turning 8 next month and being baptized that really got to me. I decided to write down a few of the thoughts that were going through my head the other night in the form of a letter to Trevor...

To My Little Monkey,
It’s so hard for me to believe that one year ago it was Christmas time. All the presents were bought and wrapped. I was all ready for Christmas early last year because I wanted to be ready in case you decided to join our family a few weeks before Christmas. You decided to wait, though, but when I saw my midwife the day before your due date and she gave me the option of being induced, I took it. Maybe it was a little selfish of me, but my only Christmas wish was for you to be in my arms. The next day I called and called and called the hospital to see when I could come in for my induction. They were so busy all day that finally at 10:00 at night I got the call to come in. Grandma Barton came to stay with your older sisters and brother, and daddy and I were off to the hospital. I was so anxious to see you! We got to the hospital around 11:00 on December 19th, and the nurse started the pitocin at midnight. Just 4½ hours later on December 20, 2007, you were in my arms, all 7 little pounds of you, and no one could wipe the smile from my face.

A year later, you are starting to show your independence. This morning I nursed you for the last time, but know that I will still hold and cuddle you as you hold your own bottle to feed yourself. I don't think I can give up that "just you and me time". At breakfast the other day, in an attempt to finish off the remaining box of rice cereal mixed with bananas and applesauce, you wanted to hold the spoon yourself with your right hand while shoving cereal in with your bare left hand. I have a feeling the days of multiple baths are in the near future. It’s bittersweet as I watch you learn basic new skills that will help you grow and take care of yourself.

Ashlee, Brynlee and Landon adore you as their baby brother. They affectionately call you T-Monkey, Monkey or just “T”. The girls squeal with delight when they see you first thing in the morning or when they come home from school and smother you with kisses. You are already forming a “buddy” bond with Landon as you follow him around, crawling from room to room to find where he is playing.

You are the cutest little thumb sucker. I may not think that if you are still doing it in a few years, but for now it’s adorable. It’s funny when you find something soft or fuzzy on the floor and play with it in your left hand or rub it against your face and ear while sucking your right thumb. You look so peaceful and content. Most of the time, I just want to squeeze you and cover your chubby cheeks with kisses.

You have yet to take your first steps, but really, that is just fine with me. You can stay little for as long as you would like. I’m in no hurry. You love to copy sounds and actions of others, and Brynlee loves to point at you and laughs when you point back. You love to growl back and forth with me and pant like a little puppy and then laugh when I do the same. You shake your head and say “no-no”. Sometimes I think you just like to say the sounds but don’t really know what it means, but then the other night when you saw me touch an ornament on the Christmas tree, you gently reminded me to not touch the tree. You point at things you see and jabber while telling me all about it, as if I know exactly what you are saying. Sometimes your jabbering really sounds like you just said something and everyone in the room turns and looks at each other saying “Did he really just say that?”

Trevor, you have blessed our family with so much love. I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a sweet, happy, cuddly baby. I love you Monkey! Happy 1st Birthday!

Love,
Your mommy

Barton Christmas Parties

Yesterday we had two Barton family parties. First was with all of Rob's extended family (Rob's grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins and cousins' kids). Here's all the adults getting ready for the ever exciting White Elephant game. There is talk each year that we are going to get rid of it, but each year it's part of the annual get together. I ended up with a bar of fruit cake and some candies and Rob got a DVD of the movie "Tristan and Isolde." This year everyone took a present (but didn't unwrap it) and we went around the circle. If you rolled doubles, you got to trade your gift with someone else. Rob's Uncle Kent makes pottery and his bowls are the gift that everyone is after. We brought a fish bowl with some rocks and a little frog statue in it (we also bought two feeder goldfish to give to the lucky recipient) and evidently everyone thought it was one of his bowls because it kept getting stolen. Then everyone opened the gifts and to everyone's surprise, it was not one of THE bowls! We went around the circle one more time and if you got doubles, you got to trade again. This time around the real bowl got traded multiple times.There was also a gift exchange for kids under 12. Rob's dad comes from a family of 9 children so the youngest grandkids are the same age as the great grandkids.

After that party, we went to Rob's sister's house for a smaller Barton get together. The cousins decorated cookies and exchanged gifts (we did books this year). The kids also got to open present from Grandma and Grandpa.

Rob's mom makes the cutest piece quilt books. We have a color one and a transportation one. This year she made a "touchy-feely" one for Trevor.

Brynlee and her Olivia books... Landon was so excited about his gift. On the way home, he insisted on holding it so I had to go fish it from the back of the car.Ashlee loves these "Rainbow Magic" books. They come in different series of 7 books. She has the Color Fairies, Jewel Fairies, and Weather Fairies. She is now starting her collection of Pet Fairies...

Grandma made cowboy vests and handkerchiefs for the little boys.

Thanks to everyone for the fun gifts and good times!

Elementary School Christmas Music Program

Ashlee and Brynlee had their school Christmas music program this past week. They do 3 performances during the day with various grades, since there is not enough room for everyone to see all the kids at once.

As the program was about to begin, Ashlee was excited to see Monkey sitting in the front row.


The first song the second graders sang was Jolly Old St. Nicholas.


Ashlee had the special task of handing out the bells for this fun song, Santa Claus Is On His Way.


Next up was a fun song, There's Someone In The Chimney, with a fifth grader helping out as Santa hiding behind the chimney.


The second graders left the stage and waited while the fourth graders came on and sang a few songs. Monkey was dancing to the music.


Lando was, well, playing with the camera.


The second and fourth graders joined up to sing a medley of Deck The Halls, Up On The Housetop, Jingle Bells, and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Those are our neighbors waving at the camera.

The two afternoon kindergarten classes came in for the last session of the program. Their first song was Tell Me The Colors Of Christmas.


Next up, O Christmas Tree.


They finish up with the short but sweet I'm A Little Snowflake.