Taking a break

What a wild couple of weeks....I am taking a personal day today to try to catch up at home - ok and a little work too.

Had a great time Tuesday night - girls night. I think I loved the movie but so hated the ending. Hope we can do the evening fun nights with Beth a couple more times before she is done working in Jackson.

Heading north this weekend for my mom's farewell - she will be heading towards Texas soon!! Making my ultimate favorite apple snack cake and baked beans for our little dinner get together.

*Please add my sister in law and brother and their families in your prayers. My sister in law lost her mother Wednesday night. She had been fighting Alzheimer's for years and was overcome by an infection that she just could no longer fight. I will be attending the visitations this weekend as well on Sunday.

I took this pic yesterday morning from my office window....the sunrise / colors / the skyline it was worth a picture.

Hope everyone has a great week end!

**Updated**Hunting update and more updates to come

Stephanie my niece that is 5 weeks older than Koda landed a 130# doe last night !! GIRLS RULE !! ( oh and I have to add .....she is not bow hunting lol)
WOW !! The pressure is ON! Now we need bigger or buck!!





Koda saw three this morning - took a shot a doe - MISSED . .................................................AND then a BUCK came in....he took a shot- YES!! ......
he waited and we went looking ( yes he and I ) and this what we found.....







We walked and followed a blood trail......and then the other guys came back ( they were hunting a few miles away!) and they are tracking it now. Looks as if he went down to the swamp.
Cross your fingers for Koda!!

After 2 hours of searching ( a whole group of hunters) and covering over a mile of land.....staying on a trail of blood....they lost him at a creek!! Koda is so bummed!!

They are back out tonight trying again.....C'mon Mamma wants to fill a freezer with venison!!

Caught in the Act !!

Someone had been stealing gum and leaving wrappers on the floor and no one would admit to the crime....and then I found this!! Just like a toddler...always into something and that 'who me' look upon her face is the sweetest!!
Jake the sleepy hunter......got to see 7 deer this morning and had a doe run right up to his tree he was sitting in.....but she caught a glimpse of them and it was over!!
The mad bow hunter was hunting alone in his tree stand at his uncles house this year...he had 2 does come in under him ....he stood up too quick - nervous and excited and they sensed danger and booked. The buck never came in.

They are all on their way out again for another try!! Updates to come.

Girls Getaway 2008

Awesome weekend !! We had a great time. Met everyone at the hotel on Friday night. We started the weekend with cocktails and pizza in the room!! Turned in shortly before midnight!!

Woke early on Sat and headed over to Turkeyville to the craft/ antique/ flea market.

The group...starting with the driver ...my favorite crazy REDNECK cousin, Stephanie, behind her, my loveable most awesome friend and myMOM. Sitting on the steps to the driver..... my favorite silly sister in law, Barb, behind her my most awesome and favorite Aunt Bobbi , and ME!

Turkey Pumpkin Kit

We went to Schulers for lunch on Saturday.....I loved reading the quotes on the walls, we had tons of fun.....the food was great too! Saturday evening we went to the dinner show at Cornwells - it was tons of fun, great entertainment and loads of laughs!! ( the food was much like Thanksgiving dinner)

We stayed up until between 1 & 2am this morning to watch 'Baby Mama'. Then this morning we shared breakfast and headed our separate ways....weekends like this make me miss home....oh how I wish I could move!

Awesome Tuesday

Great Tuesday evening.....went to get the piggies cleaned up before they hibernate for the winter - with Beth and Karen! It was awesome - the fella that did my pigs gave an awesome massage on my feet and calves too. OH I could have fallen asleep!! Beth in the massage chair after the royal treatment!!

( Can you share the pics you took? please?)

Dinner at Finley's followed...Thank you Karen for the treat!!

This package was left at the front desk for me last week from a scarappin gal that I have done a lot of little extras for lately. I was quite surprised....inside there were stickers, brads, the fall stack of 12x12 papaer from Joanns and a Me & My Big Ideas 12x12 fall special stack and even some adhesive and a handmade card!!

I'm listening

Too cute!!

Jake was reading his hunters safety book - and Riley snuggled up and looked as if she was listening to his every word....and then the pooped out ( below ) except someone was peeking!! LOL

Time flies and scary scary!

I have AGAIN been a blog slacker - life has me in quite a whirlwind right now. Hoping to get caught up and find a slower pace again soon!!
Worked all week, school started, football practice pick ups after work every day - but Jake did give up and quit! :-( , I am sad, ran up north Sat am to stay with dad until this afternoon.

Dad is doing well - I talked him into getting up enough courage to go down the stairs and get in my car yesterday. HUGE steps. Scary for him when he just had surgery and has not done the steps since the day I brought him home. We took about a 45 minute ride down by Lake MI, watched a few boats come in and go out - then headed home. I was driving very defensively - I did not want to have to stomp on the brakes or anything - we had fun!!
I was able to catch up on some house cleaning that he cannot do while there, did some shopping for him, washed his hair, etc - all those things we take for granted when we have 2 good legs...lol
Had to go to work when I got back to Jax as the computer program I use for payroll was down on Friday- which meant I was behind! ick. Stayed just about 2 hours and then ....................Steve called- scared the daylights out of me.....my 2 nieces, 1 nephew and a friend all left for a walk about 330pm this afternoon and could not be found at 530- then 6- Steve and the boys all went and started searching with the others and I went home and waited to learn where I was needed. I made many phone calls asking if anyone had seen them, heard from them, etc....and about 610 they were found on a walking trail. OH my heart was relieved - this world is crazier and crazier and all I kept thinking was time is crucial and praying like mad! HOORAY they are home safe with some lengthy lectures and loads of hugs!!

Jake and Steve II both passed their hunters safety this weekend....today actually and now all I can hear is how they all want bows for Christmas. OH brother. :-) Koda has one - just 2 more to buy!! Going for broke!!

The Barton's are all fine and dandy....crazy busy....but just dandy!

Heading north again next weekend for dad's bday and to check on him as well.

Sept 19th - GIRLS WEEKEND!! woo hoo. This year there are 7 of us. We are going to a dinner show at Turkeyville....and hoping for loads of fun and lots of laughs!! :-)

Update !!

Hooray! Dad's surgery went well. Everything is going quick and smoothly! I have been here since Thursday afternoon and busy!! He came home yesterday early afternoon and is beginning to zoom around.
Today we had everyone over for a nice dinner. Steve brought his brother, Mike, Koda, Steve and Riley up last night for an overnighter. They went Lake MI fishing this morning at 6am. One King Salmon was all they brought in....but they had fun.
Thanks for all the prayers and support.
Love ya

Sweet 16 Camping

Happy 16th Birthday - Dakoda David Barton!!

Made pies over the fire. Steve cheesin...enjoying. Riley stole my fav chair

campfire friends since kindergarten - Koda and Kyle

Played lots of card and dice games Mom and Steve THE BOAT was a HIT!

We had a great weekend. Lots of family time. Steve's mom, Cassie camped with us Wed, Th, Fr. We had Koda's bday celebration on Sat afternoon - family came - and a few friends. We had fun. We cooked by the lake and had cake. Grandma North came down , Grandpa McKessy, Great Grandma Meek, Great Aunt Shar, the Bliss family, Grandma Cassie, Grandpa Barton, Unle Mike and Aunt Jennifer, Jordyn and Kaitlyn......it was loads of fun. Koda's finale was when his Uncle Mike and Aunt Jennifer took him and Kyle to the truck pulls at the Chelsea Fair!!

Back to school?

Can you believe the kids go back in just 2 short weeks?

OH MY !! am I ready?

Yes and No!

Yes- they need a schedule and get back with all their friends

No - I like getting up at 6am alone and being ready to walk out the door by 730am- AND have changed loads of laundry and picked up the house before I go.

and it also means sports and their social calendars keep the tires HOT on the car

How ready are we?

• Some school clothes
• backpacks
• class schedules
• bus schedules
• career center letters / phone calls
• orientation dates - Koda = Aug 20, Jake and Steve = Aug 27
• Football meet the coaches meeting = Aug 25

Are you ready??

question.....can we go someday?

http://www.scrapmap.com/sm_caribbean_0109.html

What a weekend...

• Took gram to her girl get together with her friends from high school in Eaton Rapids.

• Steve went on a fishing charter - they were cancelled and offered a half day rain check.

• Visited with Beth and her mom at the garage sale!!

• My house is back to being full of boy sounds, smells, and piles of their stuff everywhere!

• Stopped at the mall in Okemos on the way back from picking up the kids in Portland. The boys like Steve & Barrys and Spencer's there. Steve & Barrys has everything 2/ $15 this year - we were amazed. They have some cute girly stuff? and cool stuff for the boys. WOWZA did we clean up - 3 BIG bags !!

• Then to Spencer's for 2 concert tshirts!!

I am exhausted. I worked 11 hours today!! 645am - 545pm! Happy moment of the day = Koda has decided to play football. His buddies have talked him into it. :-) I am happy! Busy boy with sports = busy boy out of trouble!! MORE letters and metals, I LOVE it !! woo hoo!! Now, cleats for 2, sports physicals for 2, etc!!

Physicals tomorrow at 430. Koda can wear Jake's cleats from last year!! woo hoo.

Have a great week all.

spolied boys

Our boys have been up north with my dad then my mom since Monday! They have been busy!!

• Monday night - out to dinner - wading in Lake Michigan
• Tuesday- homemade breakfast ala Grandpa, Lake Michigan swimming fun, all u can eat pizza buffet for lunch, more swimming fun, grilled chicken ala Grandpa
• Wednesday- traded off with Grandma. Met at 10am. Went to Michigan's Adventure for the day! Got rained out at 8pm.
• Thursday - boys built a windmill for Grandma when she was at work. Played basketball at the park where I grew up!! Got ice cream at the ice cream porch - my first job!!
• Friday- horseback riding for the very first time for each of them!!
• Saturday- back to Grandpa's - riding with Uncle Bill in his 68 GTO!!?? weather permitting and Grandpa has surprise plans for Saturday night!! Another first!! They will LOVE it too!!
• Sunday- home to their everyday boring life with us!!

Priceless !

Awesome concert. Great music. Hot performers. Front row parking spot - a FREE one at that!!

Ferris wheel ride. French fries for dinner. SKEE BALL. Elephant ears.

All with my best friend. What a fun night!!

Updated with pics !! I love Fishermen

ahhh, just a bit of ramblings ....
Why I love fishermen? I am a lucky lady right now....all my men are off fishing! WOO HOO !! Can you see the Kandi dance happening?? uh huh! oh yeah!! Just me and my puppy!!

• I am in heaven....no men this afternoon/ evening!! ( fishing and one in Cedar Point with friend)


• Washing clothes all day trying to gather enough to ship the boys off for a week


• Helped Dina clean the dr office Friday night BEFORE walking at the Relay from 10p - 12 MIDNIGHT! WOW am I out of shape!! OUCH! %$^&^(*


• Weeded for 2 hours on Sat in the garden! What a job - and a dirty job!


• Weeded and picked green beans today - I think I am sore in places I forgot could be sore?


• Many text messages from Jake yesterday and today - he is having a blast - first time in Cedar Point!! ( he was so excited to tell me about the rides he rode he called at midnight last night!! lol He had no clue what time it was and was trying to stay awake for his turn in the shower!! lol)


• Planning a trip to Michigan's Adventure for the kids with Grandma on Wednesday.


• Wednesday is Josh Turner and Jake Owen at the Jackson County Fair! Box seats front row center.... Beth and I are heading there after work for fair food before the concert!! :-)


• One dinner date planned for this week with no kids....just Steve and I !!


• and lots of cleaning and throwing out the old clutter OR some R & R and S & K time.

Have a great week

Busy Barton Schedules

WOW - where did summer go? Weekends are almost all filled up on the calendar!!
Jake leaves for Cedar Point Saturday afternoon - returns home on Monday.
All three boys leave Monday afternoon to go with Grandpa up north then to Grandma's- they will be away for a week.
Beth and I are going to see Josh Tuner and Jake Owen at the fair on Wed.
Steve is going walleye fishing with guys from work Sat the 9th .
Then we are on to August happenings....my sweet first born will turn 16 on the 22nd.
Dad has surgery the 26th!!
School starts Sept 2!!

Christmas in July 2008

Just a peek into our awesome weekend.

2008 Christmas in July / Spence family reunion.

This year my mom was the hostess and she ROCKED! It was a great time.

Everyone had fun - even those that usually stay quiet all day. :-)

My mom created a theme for this year - Family Olympics. Complete with a torch to begin the fun, and team games, and gold, silver and bronze awards !!

We played bingo and a new dice game that evening !!

Thanks Mom for another weekend full of awesome memories.

Camp Barton

Thanks Beth and Kyle for allowing us to have the boys for a couple days. The boys had a blast.
Just a couple quick shots I got from the fun.

Busy* Crazy *and Still Sick!!

Oh I am so out of the loop and way past due to update.

Just a quick 'hello' to let everyone know all is well. The Barton's are busy getting ready to head north for the yearly Christmas in July celebration!!

I have been going to bed early, napping when I can .....and I am still fighting like mad to be healthy again...this darn pneumonia is lingering and just will not let me free!! I was a good girl - skipped the Martina McBride concert that I had tickets too- thanks Beth for being ok with missing it and helping me pass the tickets on to someone who could use them, missed a card making party, and 2 days of work!! Enough! I took the nasty meds and suffered with all the side effects and it is still hanging on!! I am going back to the dr next week and they are doing blood work....to check and make sure I do not have mono again....I had it when I was 21. Stronger antibiotics coming my way, I do believe.....which itself can be a challenge for me, as I am a lucky one with many many allergic reactions to antibiotics.

The boys have been busy with friends. The hubby has been awesome since I have been 'down'. Riley is wild!!

OH and ............The garden has started to show up on the dinner table....YUM! Fresh green beans and zucchini so far!!

A fun update to come soon....as soon as I feel spunky again!!

Snapfish

Did you all get this?

50 prints for 50 cents?


Use coupon code JUL4PENNY08 at checkout. Hurry, this offer ends July 12

yucky day x 2

WOW - Tuesday night the boys were horsing around in the pool- and I came up from doing laundry to a screaming crying child. Thought I was at the wrong house for a minute....then I saw a bloody child I recognized being escorted in by his 2 brothers.....YEP, Steve II !!
They were dumping each other off their rafts and he tried to leap at Jake, Jake was too quick- moved to the side and Steve hit his face on Koda's hip bone. Cleaned him up , applied ice and decided to wait and see what things looked like in the morning-
Called him in the morning - he is sore, bruising and had a headache....doubted my momma skills about now. Emailed Beth asking if I was totally a bad mom and what her opinions were...then called the Dr. Dr could not get us in so I took him to Express Care!
10a- 2p = 4 xrays, a Dr that says there is a suspicious area near the flare of his nose - not much we can do....they will call us with results and a definite answer in 2-3 days! ?? Hmm, thinking he will now look even more like his daddy- oh Me. Crooked Nose himself....only daddy's are because he was a brawler in his younger days!! :-)
Much better now...in fact off to stay the night at his aunt's last night with Koda. Jake is off staying with another friend for a couple days!!

THEN..........I started the sneezy allergy ick yesterday morning - came home last night - started with Tylenol Allery Sinus.....not much relief....then I remembered and started Dimetapp- just like the drs used to give me when I was a kid....feel better now but am 'trotting' along from either a bug I picked up at Express Care or from medicine belly?
I am home today!! Just Mom and Riley - watching movies and napping!!

Is it Friday yet?

4th of July Fun

We went to Mike and Jennifer's for an afternoon cookout on the 4th! We all had a great time. Only one mishap and thankfully it was not as bad as many are.....one of the lg fireworks fell over and the bottom blew out....the inside packing - NOTHING ON FIRE- came out the end with great power and hit Jake....he tried to block it with his hand so- he has bruised finger tips and a HUGE bruise on his thigh!! WOW was that ever enough to put an end to a fun night! This mom was running - yep girls it's true- I can still run!! :-) He is fine= just bruised and sore !! Otherwise, the night was a blast!!





We had so many party invites this weekend - it was awesome but almost too stressful to figure out which one to go to. On the 4th we went with family - as Steve is back in touch with his siblings and it has been years since he has celebrated anything or had fun with them.....and it was just that- great fun, pics and memories. :-)





The 5th we spent crossing many things off the 'honey do list'. Steve with Koda created the ring toss game for Christmas in July! Very cool, will post pics soon!! ( Need to place an order- call. :-) The pool is up and ready!! The basement is MUCH cleaner. yadda yadda








The chefs - complete with their refreshments. Mike Jr and Steve Sr - boy they look a lot alike as they get older.























the kids all played volleyball


















Koda being the typical Koda Clown!! :-)

A glow stick as a nose ring? The connector broke - he was oh so creative!!


















Jake the Thinker?


































Steve and Mike made a trip to Ohio on Thursday - and here is one of the blasts we were shown. They did a great show for us all