catchin up

WWE here I come!!



Grandma- here are a couple of shots of Jake at his band concert.

What a Sunday. The boys hung the lights outdoors .

Mom, Steve outlined the peak of the house with Grandma's purple lights. He thought I would enjoy the memory!! :-) good boy!!

Riley could not stand being inside missing all the fun so we bundled her up in her fleece coat from Grandma and she got to go outside for a little while. (tonsillitis and an upper resp infection? ugh!)

I just love my wreath...it is a fresh one that Paragon was selling.

I baked for a few hours yesterday(wearing my snowman apron my mom made me)....peanut butter fudge from scratch....a little stumped when the recipe suggested I cook the base until it reached the soft ball stage? I asked Steve and he could only tell me that a soft ball was a little bigger than a baseball, no help. I guess my guess was ok because it is soft, creamy very yummy peanut butter fudge. We also baked sugar cookies and candy cane bark. Tonight I made cowboy cookies, snow swirled fudge, and Cheerio bars and the kids decorated 3 dozen sugar cookies. (Mom, Steve was coloring frosting tonight with food coloring for the kids....and he made purple frosting accidentally.....the boys were all certain there was a reason....like the lights on the house......Grandma is watching over and helping us decorate this year!! Grandpa must be golfing?)

Have just 2 more kinds of cookies to make before Saturday....snowballs for Bill and mint chocolate chip cookies for Tim! (brothers)

Great Concert

Ladies- I shared the pictures...did you get the invite from Snapfish? Let me know.
I love my new camera- could not believe the awesome pics I got! Thank you Santa!!
The concert for those who read and were not along for the fun...Jake Owen, Little Big Town and Sugarland. AWESOME show.
I must say- I think I felt my age on Friday!! The concert got over around 11 so I was in bed around midnight but up for work at 5am- this OLD lady felt like I had a hangover all day on Friday- work was NO FUN!! I felt tired and whiny all day. ( YES! Mom, just like the old days after a slumber party- remember those days girls?)


YUMMY Jake Owen

Little Big Town

Sugarland

I finally have a start on my Christmas shopping. Steve and I went again this morning. I took back the BIG item that I had ordered online- but found THE ONE that I REALLY wanted today. Yeah, that helped me get in the Christmas mood. Still have a long way to go.
Christmas is next weekend at my brother Bill's house. (Mom, have your phone charged and ON - we will call after NOON)

My baby girl is sick. She started acting weird Thursday night- coughing, gagging, etc. Still doing it on Friday-Steve took her to the vet- they kept her until 530- xrays showed no obstruction- she has tonsillitis and an upper respiratory infection! Antibiotics, steroids x 7 days and back for a checkup next Friday. I never thought that she would be so much like having another kid!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

What's new?

Haircuts....Wrestling....Koda's new talents... UGH.

Check out how much hair Steve lost.

Christmas shopping Sat for a short bit- just Steve and I....and Santa Steve bought me my present- a new camera. LOVE IT. Hope to get loads of pics on Thursday at the concert. (now Steve can use my old one to take pics at Jake's concert too!!) and pics of all the kids and family next weekend!! I have a 8.1 megapixel with a 7x optical zoom....much more than I had!! :-)

Happenings at the Barton's

Just a few shots of my nightly battle with my toddler...We are almost to our birthday!! Dec 13th Riley will turn 1 !! LOL

1. "Riley, get out from under that tree!"
2. she barks at the bulb
3. " No biting the bulbs and lights on the tree"
4. The bulb falls- she looks at it like "what is that doing here? wasn't me!!"
5. Then she hides from Mom

STINKER!!

Wrestling has begun. Tomorrow night we head to Stockbridge- first meet. Koda will wrestle JV at 215#. I cannot beleive that! He weighs 191 just 2 over the class below the 215#. Yep, we are hiding the pudding and snack cakes from Mr. Wrestler now! This will keep us busy into February!!

The other 2 boys- school, daily grind, band, and socializing of course - 6th grade camp coming up and Steve decided he does not want to go- we decided not to force the issue.

Christmas is fast approaching.....very little shopping done here. Must get busy!! :-) Is everyone done shopping? Have anything yet? Have lists from the boys...kind of.

Heading over to catch up on blogs.....

Jake and his new glasses....he loves the new look, can you tell?
Koda with the new wrestling haircut and his new sexy specs. He actully likes them and being able to see.

Steve II- his 2nd pair- and a litle stronger now.
Riley is donning her new attire as well- but she is being held tightly therefore you cannot see it. Grandma- she LOVES IT!! She stands waiting for it to be put on her then prances through the house and yard - but she does NOT want it off. **Grandma made her a fleece shawl that will keep my 'no undercoat' puppy warm in Michigan!!
Crazy week at work. Dad got blood tests back that all show the levels are now back to normal. YEAH and we have not heard from the CT scan yet. Beginning to lean towards a reaction to the cortisone shot they gave him in his knee the day before the fevers started ?? (he needs a new knee soon- however he is joining the snowbirds in SC come Feb and he does not want to be down then= so maybe afterwards? he is a MAN and he will do it when HE wants to! LOL
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. When I count my blessings, I count each of you TWICE.
Thanks for reading!

old mother (Barton) Hubbard's freezer..........

..........remains BARE! I sent 3 hunters out and no one saw a deer, until they were on their way in after dark driving back to camp....and a 6pt crossed in front of them. ugh. boo hoo.
No poker winners either- but they had fun.

Dad goes tomorrow for a CT scan of his abdomen....he seems to be feeling better but NOT good. Keep ya'll posted.

Rushed back home today and worked 3 hours already....so off I go to unpack and rest a little before a crazy week. Half the office staff is off this week so it should be FUN!

TTFN :-)

Goodbye Boys

My boys have left for deer camp- Wednesday afternoon they set off- just Steve II and I home- and he asked me " Mom, have you ever gone to deer camp?" whcih begins my post...
Yes, I have been to deer camp BUT never overnight!! and when dark falls I am eagerly waiting to go......

10 reasons that I do not go to deer camp

1. It is cold- inside and out!!
2. No electricty - in the past they offered me the generator- no thanks then I can see what is out there lurking
3. No running water - hello ? No shower for 4 days? ICK
4. Scary wild animals lurk in the dark -cougars, bear, coyote, and more! ( I have proof)
5. No plans to go slave over the other men too
6. miles from civilization
7. 10x the # of burping and farting men - no thanks.
8. I can't play poker
9. Sitting for hours in a tree or blind just watching and waiting-I would be thinking and making lists and miss the shot for sure...give me idle time I make to - do lists or remember this! lists
10. An outhouse in the dark? need I say more?

But on the other hand, I am envious and would love to .......1. be in the woods to take pics 2. listen to nature 3. enjoy campfires 4. have to snuggle with my honey to stay warm 5. get to see the wild life up close 6. see my boys in action ready for the hunt 7. be there to see them drag in their first kill 8. Laugh out loud with all their stories .........so would I ever go? YES

A 4 pt and a 5 pt were taken so far from guys at camp but not by my group. Hoping today will be THEIR day!

Steve II and I are heading north to check in on Grandpa (my dad) and deep clean his house. (he has been very sick for 2+ weeks and they still cannot figure out what it is? fevers, sweats, lost 12 lbs, no energy, high white count, high glucose and liver enzymes) More blood tests today, CT scan and dr appt Monday!! ugh.

Have a great weekend hope your hunters are lucky!!

This one is for you Mom!!

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

our weekend

Deer camp in the Manistee National Forrest near Rothbury, MI. I love this place- although I would never have the desire to stay all night!! I love the fact that my family has been hunting there together for years and now my boys are all old enough to join the fun!!



My boys all went to deer camp to get it cleaned up and ready for opening day!!




My Dad, Steve and Jake



The neighbor's camper .





My boys will all be leaving me on Nov 13th and heading for camp. Steve II is too young this year but he is going to hang out with Grandpa. I will go up on the weekend to my dad's and hope to hear about all the BIG deer they are taking.

This is from my weekend with the girls in Spring Lake.....we had FUN! Pages and cards and even a little something for my cubicle at work....and loads of laughs and fun! I even slept in until 830 one morning- that may be a record!!

Happy Halloween!!

Hope everyone had a safe and yummy halloween!

Cory, Steve and Jake
Koda
Riley's tshirt
Witchy POO

Witchy poo

Crazy chic seeking fun CCC weekend......hooray this weekend is over and we are that much closer to my getaway!!
All in all a weekend that desired more positives, however NO MORE WHINING HERE!
We got the roof tore off on Friday and I woke to my VERY OWN Niagra falls in my kitchen at 422AM! The rain did not go away until sometime Sat afternoon!! It was hit and miss all day!! Steve and I ran to Home Depot to buy another big tarp - and covered it up! However, today is a NEW DAY!! The rain stopped- we started over this morning and they have made great progress!! +300.00 m ore than we had planned in supplies and repairs....UGH!
HOORAY, tomorrow it should be in even better shape!
Need to still go get 'gumpies'. (Jake's old term for pumpkins when he was small) Tomorrow after eye appts they are heading to Ive's. Hoping to get them carved tomorrow night too!!
More fun pics to come.

My adorable witchy poo!!

end of the season.....

Parkside Eagles 7th Grade Football!!

The best record since 1994- 5 wins and 1 loss.

Glad to be done with football...however, just in time to start hunting and wrestling!!

just a note*feeling better today

NO more !

Flu Shots for this chic!!I have taken one every year for the past 5 years and always been fine. Until THIS YEAR! Monday night I was very restless, felt warm - but the dr seems to think I am sliding into my change which could explain my night! Woke on Tuesday feeling BEAT and kind of warm again....went to work (had to gear up with BIG GIRL panties as I really felt crummy!!) Got to work and I felt worse and worse....my arm was swollen, HOT and I was now COVERED with hives head to toe!! Took 2 Benadryl. The nurse that gave it to me sent me to my dr.... YEP! allergic now to the flu shot...what part who knows. The dr gave me a steroid pack to fill and take if the symptoms continued. After work...just laid around and as the evening progressed my bronchials started feeling a burning like the beginning of Bronchitis and my voice went. BUT no trouble breathing YET. Called the dr....he said take 2 more Benadryl NOW and IF I started to feel short of breath at all....go straight to ER and fill & start the steroid in the morning!

Feeling like CRAP this morning....going to go in and try to do a half day....Jake's last game tonight too! and a dinner afterwards!! HELP! Going to go fill the steroids and get started....

Asking myself....what's so bad about the flu? I think I would trade this for that!

GREAT NEWS! and sad news and ....

My great news to share...my Dad went back to the dr on Wed- expecting to plan the date, time etc to start radiation. They were doing frequent blood tests since the surgery and the last appt they were seeing a little climb in the PSA counts again....long story short....the counts have stayed within the norm range for 3+ mos and they have classified him as cancer free now. No treatments necessary at this time....just monthly blood work and no appts until after the holidays!! HOORAY! Talked to him again this morning and he had me tearful....joyful tears! He said he did not relaize how much the diagnosis had played on his everyday moods and feeling well UNTIL yesterday after the news, a busy day going all day long - he plopped in his E Z chair and he still felt good? Then he mentioned what a great restful night's sleep he got in!! Thanks to all for the prayers and kind words....they got us through!!

Sad news....my mom has left for her sunny beaches, warm weather and suntanned toes getaway!! She left early this year as they are going to a race in TX- huge Nascar fans!! Happy that she has earned the ability to do these winter getaways after years of hard work raising three kids as a single mom and working full time, but she is MY MOM and I MISS HER!!

More bummer news....no Cedar Point this weekend with the Hamlin's. Weather looks very uncertain so we cancelled the trip. No sense spending $350 on tix to walk around in the rain!! Both families made a Plan B just in case and the Barton's are heading to Muskegon to watch our favorite IHL (Muskegon Fury) team play hockey. It is the season opener- free tshirts to the first 500 in the door and autgraphs after the game. Boys are excited!!
Hamlin's are headed to Crystal Mountain!

Great news! Just 2 more weeks until the Crazy Croppin Chics weekend long crop! I am READY for a getaway but no pages planned or organized!! LOL Thinking about some pages and cards....maybe my Christmas cards? We'll see. Beyond the croppin....I just love the laughs, the friends, and having someone wait on me and cook all my meals!!

Last weeks game pics - great game !

Busy weekend...Koda bow hunted for the first time alone on Sat- he had 2 deer came in under his tree stand - he was ready but they stayed behind a branch and he was unable to get a shot- but he was stoked and ready to go again this week!!
This weekend was Mom's farewell dinner. We drove up today for dinner at Logan's Steakhouse. We have gone there many times with a big group and had great service. This afternoon the service was ok by the wait staff but the kitchen messed up royally. They kept sending a couple plates out at a time- we all ate in shifts. A group of 13 of us but by the time I got my plate my sister in law sitting beside me was done? Needless to say- we ate for free. Their mgr came over , apologized and told us the bill was on them ! That was a big bill. Good food. Great visit with Mom....always too short- now she is leaving this week for TX! Not to come home again until April! :-(

Took the kids to get Halloween masks on Sat afternoon...they cracked me up so much in there....I was crying!! I will post pics soon. Jake hates the movie, Childs Play- Chucky doll movie? Steve put the mask on and Jake took off....he would not come near us...then Steve started chasing him....on my. We had fun.

Cooler damper weather expected this week....hoping for a nice weekend....Big CP trip planned this coming weekend.

a day at the spa

A day at the Puppy Day Spa (groomer) was a FUN experience this time for Riley! We changed groomers - the last one was a terrible experience for ALL OF US!!
We actually ALL approved of the cut this time and the boys LOVED her bandana!! No bows or foo foo just a SWEEEET bandana. LOL

Road trip

Tonight our 7th grade team traveled to Ionia and played their 8th grade B team-

and

WON 16-12 !!

Way to go boys!

I missed the game, but all of my boys traveled and met my mom who traveled 1 1/2 hrs to catch a game before she heads south.

Love you Grandma- thank you!!

Thank you Steve for catching a few shots for me.....

Off to bed...late night....

Sunday = Funday

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VOTE! VOTE! Which one do you like best?
We drove out to the Waterloo area yesterday and took these with my digital and the tripod. We had loads of fun and I think we got a few nice pics!! If you ask Jake he will tell you that we took about 500 - just a little exaggeration but we had FUN!
What do you think....share, please!