Team Barton

Interesting Week!

2009-04-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted! We were out of town for 2 weeks for a 33Miles concert in Louisiana and Easter with my family. Here are a couple of pics from Easter Sunday. The pic of Jake crying is pretty funny (he didn't want to take a nap), and reflect the type of week we have had so far. This week is GMA week. That means daddy is gone all day every day, the kiddos are stuck with me which includes a trip to teach a one hour dance class everyday. Fun for all let me tell ya! We have also had house guests (Chris and Joy Lockwood and baby Ella 1 yr). Jonah is at the age of 2 1/2 which means he is territorial of his things and his big brother. Ella loves his things and his big brother so you can imagine how many "discussions" I have had this week with our baby boy. Of course he started loving on her and playing with her on the day they were leaving! UGH!!! The tip top thing that happened this week is that on Ben and Jerry's free scoop day my children had a blast eating ice cream and RUNNING AROUND THE STORE LIKE THEY HAD A MOTHER THAT COULD CARE LESS WHAT THEY DO!!! At one point Jonah was in the window swinging the fluorescent sign! I was soooo embarrassed! When we got back to the car, the conversation went like this...

Disclosure...yes I know I probably shouldn't have said what I said, but I did so anyway:

Me: Jake and Jonah, I can't believe you acted that way and made such bad choices. I am embarrassed boys, and feel like I looked like a bad mommy. Am I a bad mommy?

Jake: Well, that face your making at me when your talking to me is bad!

HA! Yes, I know HA!!! Thankfully someone walked up right as he was saying this so I didn't completely loose it on him. So, that has been my week. And my husband leaves to go back out on the road today. So, today is another day of bringing the kids with me to dance class, and a rehearsal tonight because my sitter is crazy busy this week. Fun times people, fun times!!! I really do love my life in case you are wondering just not so much this week!

IPhone Users Beware!

2009-03-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Jake (4 yrs) has had a love affair with our IPhones since we purchased them a few months ago. There are lots of free kids games you can download from the many applications available. I started noticing that he was pretty obsessed with playing them pretty early on. Jake has an obsessive personality like his daddy which is definitely not a bad thing. It makes for a pretty smart individual, but it can be bad in certain areas. This is why I am hesitant to get a gaming system i.e. the Wii or a Leapster for our home. I know we can have "screen time", and all that business, I just don't know if I am up for the battle. Anyway, we have noticed that some of the games on the iphone have ads that come along with them. We have been watching Jake very closely while he is playing, but the other day a questionnaire came up that asked "Are you a flirt, yes or no?"! Really! It's a kids game. Needless to say, there will be no more playing games on our phones. No telling what will come up when we aren't looking. CRAZY that we have to think about that while our child is playing a matching game! The handheld leapster is looking a lot better right about now. But, it's going to take a lot of convincing for me!

MY LOVELY HAIR!

2009-03-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to get my hair colored like I do every couple of months. Well, let me just say it was not what I was expecting this time. My friend Meredith does my hair, and she is really good at it I might add. But, I had been complaining that my hair has been turning gold couple of weeks after I have it done. Yes, I am a complainer when it comes to my hair. Sometimes, I feel like my hair is the only thing I have left. I am getting wrinkles, some cellulite, and I still have a slight cupcake over my jeans even though my baby is 2 1/2 so my hair is my staple. I know that is so stupid and blah, blah, blah, but I can be dramatic that way. Anyway, so Meredith decided to try something different this time to cut the brassy look I was getting after a couple of weeks. Well, this is what it turned out like....RED/PINK!!! Oh my, it was hilarious! She stripped a lot of it out, but it was still there. So, instead of doing another highlight over it and breaking my hair off, I decided to opt with brown for a few weeks. Yes, I said it BROWN! I haven't had brown hair since I was pregnant with Jake and was so psycho that I wouldn't color it. All that being said, it really hasn't been bad. I still have a few highlights in it, and it has lightened up quite a bit after washing it. But, I will be going back blonde in a few days. Brown hair, it has been fun but I will be leaving you again! I don't think I will go back to my really blonde days, but blonde is where I will stay! I know this is crazy and so superficial, but sometimes a girl just gets that way about certain things. My thing is my hair. Don't hate me for it!!!

ONE ROOM!

2009-02-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have completely ignored my blog for the past few weeks! Our crazy life has taken over. We have been busy moving the boys into one room (our bonus room), and getting ready for house guests. We felt like we had actually moved when we were finished. The boys are loving their new room!!! It is quite large for two little boys, but it works. We are so happy to finally only have to clean up one room of toys instead of three (Jake's, Jonah's and the bonus room). Jason is also so happy to have a little office space in the guest bedroom to display some of his memorabilia, and have a place to work or write if needed. I call it a man cave. He has never had one before, so I am happy for him! Oh, and by the way if you are curious we DID NOT move the boys into one room to make room for an addition to the family! They just wanted to be together, and that makes me smile!

The Wives Club...

2009-02-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

There are certain things that keep you going when you have a hubby on the road a lot. One of those things are the wives that can relate to this fun and crazy life. Thankfully I have two other 33 wives, a couple of the band wives, and other friends with husbands that are artists, musicians, road managers, etc. that travel a ton too! I don't know what I would do without these ladies in my life! There is just something about being able to say one thing, or give one look and they get it! Let me introduce you to a few of the ladies in my life that listen to me when it's hard, and celebrate with me when it's great!

Joy Lockwood(wife of Chris from 33miles pictured above) Joy is my girl! Unfortunately she lives in Mobile, AL but they are moving to Nashville very soon hopefully...YAY!!! Joy is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. We talk on the phone quite a bit while the guys are away, and not so much when they are home. We laugh, cry, complain, and celebrate together. And of course we always think our ideas would be better than the guys...we don't tell them that though. HA!

Jenna Stoddard(wife of Collin from 33miles) Jenna is my other girl! She lives here in town, and it is wonderful! She is also one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! I can always depend on Jenna to lift my spirits, and hang out with me and my kiddos even though she doesn't have any yet. We also don't talk much while the guys are home...that is a recurring theme in this crazy life I think!

Nikki Silverman(wife of Adam 33miles drummer) Nikki is amazing! She is so easy to talk to, and can relate to any topic! She also is a converted health nut that has all the answers I ask when it comes to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and crazy good organic chocolate chip cookies!!!

Rachel Williamson(wife of Aaron 33miles bass player) Rachel is one of the funniest people I know. She has a crazy sense of humor, and I love hanging out with her anytime I can! She also lives in Mobile, AL so I don't get to see her much.

*The rest of these I will just have to let you guess who they are...

Stephanie Lee - I love, love, love me some Stephanie Lee! She has lived this life much longer than I have and always has great advice to give, and not to mention she is one of my best friends! We always have a blast together, and our kids LOVE each other so much! She left me and moved to Atlanta so I don't get to see her as much as I would like!

Emily West - Emily lives here in town, and is always so much fun to hang out with! She is so sweet, and very positive most all of the time. Sometimes I definitely wish I was more like Emily! But, I really love it when she can "tell it like it is"! It makes me laugh so hard!

Courtney Roy - Courtney is a new friend that I pretty much only see at our management's Christmas party every year (our hubby's share the same managers), and out on the road sometimes. When we see each other, we can barely catch a breath trying to get it all in! She has some of the best advice, and our children are close to the same age so that makes it fun! She also started a website for band wives called www.rockerswives.com.

These are just a few of the ladies that help get me through, and make me laugh hard in the process. Even though I don't get to see much of them, it is comforting to know that they are just a phone call away! Thanks girls for the love, encouragement, and support you give!

PLEASE DON'T LEAVE!!!

2009-01-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

Doesn't he look so sweet and innocent! Well, last night before my man headed back out on the road my 4 yr. old (Jake) started giving him a hard time. "Please don't leave daddy!, I don't want mommy, I want you! I don't want you to go!!!" Then it progressively got worse. We have sort of been expecting this for a few weeks because it has seemed to take a little longer for Jase to be able to get out of the door because of extra hugs and kisses. But, we are talking lots more than extra hugs and kisses. This was death grip, screaming, crying, hands and feet pushing on the outside of the van while Jason was trying to get him in his car seat. MAJOR! I felt a little sorry for the neighbors. It sounded like someone was hurting the poor boy! By the time Jason finally got him in the car seat and strapped it (which took a while, the kid is strong), I was hysterical! Thankfully Jake didn't see me, but Jason not only had to deal with a crazy 4 year old, but a crazy wife too! It was just so sad to see him react that way. I know that daddy being on the road as much as he is will affect our children. I am just hoping that we can turn this around, and not allow it to affect them negatively. It just so happened that our small group leaders were at a meeting that I had to be in at church after the drama. I was able to get some good advice on how to deal with it the next time! Gotta love the life of an artist! Sometimes it can be so fun, but sometimes it just really stinks!!!

We're Back!

2009-01-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Well, we have actually been back from our work/vacation for a week but it's not unusual that I am just now getting around to posting. We had a BLAST! The cruise was so much fun, and the boys absolutely LOVED the new adventure they were on every day! They loved Camp Carnival (the little place where the kiddos can go play games, get their face painted, etc.)! But I think the beach in the Bahamas was their favorite thing. We have some great video footage of Jake body surfing and Jonah screaming with excitement when the waves would crash up on him. It was a little colder than normal, but we made the best of it and had fun anyway!

We definitely had our share of dramatic events take place. I threw my back out right before getting onto the ship so I couldn't walk the first night, but the next day I was filled with drugs and flying high for the rest of the trip so I was able to enjoy myself. LOL! Then while we were in the Bahamas the 33Miles bass player (Aaron) and his wife Rachel got into a scooter accident and he shattered his knee cap. He managed to play at the concert that night and worship the next morning! He was flying high too!!! But, the most dramatic and saddening of all is that one of the morning DJ co-hosts (Ron) from the radio station (88.1 The Promise) we were with on the cruise had a massive heart attack while playing basketball on the ship and died. He was 33 years old. It was SO terrible!!! His wife was on the ship with him. Her name is Rebecca, so please be in prayer for her as well as his family during this time!

Overall, it was a great experience for our family! The boys had a blast, and it was so much fun to have all of the grandparents and Jason's sister with us! Most importantly we were reminded that we are not promised tomorrow or the next 5 minutes for that matter. Just like the 33Miles song "One Life to Love" says "You only get just one time around...one life to love"! We desire to make the most of this life that we are given, to be intentional, and love passionately!

2 Days and Counting!!!

2009-01-12T05:54:00.000-08:00

The perks of having a husband that is on the road constantly is that sometimes we get to take really fun trips for free!!! 33Miles will be singing on a 5 day cruise starting at the end of the week! We are so excited to get out of this dreary Nashville weather and experience some warmth and sunshine for a change! The boys are going with us as well as my parents and Jason's parents and sister. We have told Jake and Jonah that we are going on a surprise vacation this week. They are so pumped! I can't wait to see their faces when they see that big boat! I think we will show them a pic before we leave for a little preparation. We can't wait to make new memories with our family this week!!!

Those Eyes!!!

2009-01-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

Look that those eyes! I have to brag a little and say that my baby is growing up to be quite a sweet (and handsome might I add) boy! His hugs and kisses make my day just a little bit (or a lot) better!!! You gotta love the hand in the pocket too!

Family...the pic sums it up!

2009-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

This picture from Christmas is of all of the little cousins. It is impossible to get one of everyone sitting still and smiling at the same time! The pic includes my two boys, my sister's 10 year old Jana, and her 7 year old Josh, and my cousin Laurie's 3 little ones...Jack 4 (him and Jake are big buds!), Camille almost 2 (going on 20), and baby Henry almost 4 months! Yes, my cousin had her last two very close together. I was not about to keep up with that! Anyway, they all love each other very much, and it is such a blast to be home and see them all together. It always makes me sad that we don't live closer to them. I grew up playing with Laurie and her brothers and sisters (well mostly babysitting them since I am so old), and I cherish the memories I have with them! My sister...well, she is the best and so are her children! They love our boys and miss them so much! But, even though we are so far away we keep in touch often and are giving each other advice on a constant basis! There is nothing better than family, and I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful extended family too. My cousins are just like brothers and sisters, and my aunt is like a second mom to me! Last year was a rough year for our family with the death of my grandmother, and the ailments that it brought on the daughters that bore the brunt of it, but I think it has all brought us all closer together! I am looking forward to a new year and making new memories with my wonderful family!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it is the beginning of another year. The time is flying by! This year was a crazy one that consisted of lots of travel and 2 boys growing up way too fast! It has been exciting, exhausting, and fulfilling! Looking back as I approach a new year I have to sum up last year in one word "Survival". I do feel like we did have a great year, but I feel like I was running in survival mode. This was the first year that Jason was traveling consistently on average of 4 days a week. For those of you who have a traveling man understand that IT IS HARD!!! Meeting the needs of two small children, and taking care of the day to day needs of a household 24/7 gets very demanding at times! I also am very blessed to have a husband that is very involved, and takes a lot of the load on when he is home. It is amazing, but makes it a little difficult when he leaves! lol! All that being said, I am moving into a new year and desiring to move into a new mode. I don't want to be in survival mode anymore. I want to feel like I am accomplishing things, and helping my family accomplish things as well. I would like the word that sums up 2009 to be "Consistent". I am hopeful that our family and friends will grow together, and love each other well this year!

TAGGED!!!

2008-12-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I got tagged last month by my friend Bethany and am just getting around to posting this. I have been a slacker!!! Here it goes...questions about MY MAN!

1. Where did you meet? We met in college at Louisiana Tech University doing the musical "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat". Technically we met before then, and I had already said that he would be my husband one day! LOL!

2. How long did you date? Well, in college we dated for a year after being best friends for a year. Then broke up our senior year, and got back together 2 years later when we both ended up in Nashville and then dated another year before getting married. Crazy drama people!!!

3. How long have you been married? in April it will be 9 years

4. What does he say that surprises you? You are beautiful...it still catches me off guard sometimes

5. What is your favorite feature of his? His eyes they are the most beautiful brown eyes you have ever seen (other than my son's who has the same eyes). I tend to still melt a little when he looks at me! I really like his physique too! hee hee!

6. What is your favorite quality of his? His passion for life and love of his family!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Baby, babe, Jen

8. What is his favorite color? I would say green. He says that red is his signature color! HA!

9. What is his favorite food? I good burger and an ICEE if it's an eat whatever day

10. What is his favorite sport? College football, but he likes to play basketball

11. When and where did you first kiss? My dorm room

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Everything! We just love being together

13. Do you have any children? Jake - 4 and Jonah - 2

14. Does he have a hidden talent? Yes, but it may embarrass him...let's just say that he is very creative!

15. How old is he? 34

16. Who said "I love you" first? He did.

17. What is his favorite type of music? Pop

18. What do you admire most about him? His heart. He is such a genuine person that loves God and loves people! People are just drawn to him.

19. Do you think he will read this? Yes!

Ok, so now I am tagging my friends Joy, Laurie, and Dana. You are IT! Can't wait to hear about your men!

We Are Ready!

2008-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

The Barton house is decorated for Christmas! What's that you say??? No judging people! We decided to decorate earlier that usual because #1 The hubby/daddy was home to help (he actually does most of the work), and #2 we leave on December 17th from our home in Spring Hill, TN to make the trek to Louisiana. 33Miles is doing a little Christmas run of shows in TX up until the big week so we are heading down with Jase to see family. Long story short, we wanted to enjoy our tree for a while! Jake and Jonah have their own tree this year in the playroom (the pic shown above). They are pumped, and actually did quite a bit of the decorating! It is exciting to see their little faces light up! They have their own nativity to play with too! Maybe it will sink in! It also helps that they won't be getting into mine! Needless to say, we are excited about the season and for the Reason of it all!!!

The Cricket Toy

2008-11-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

For those awkward moments in life, our friend Jeff Anderson has come up with the idea of The Cricket Toy. When you have one of those moments, just press the button and crickets will chirp! Check it out!!! www.thecrickettoy.com Great Christmas gift!!!

MY BOYS!!!

2008-11-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

Since I seem to not be able to get my act together to post more than once a week, why not keep the tradition! Well I guess we are going on more than a week this time. Anyway, today I thought I would pay tribute to the men in my life. Jason (my incredible man), Jake (my brilliant first born), and Jonah (my precious baby). This week was filled with fun times with daddy home all week. This month's calendar makes me smile!!! 33Miles is only traveling on weekends so that means lots of "kung fu panda" is going on at our house this month! This week it was all about playing outside, finally getting a little date night, going to the zoo, finding fall leaves to jump in (hubby is obsessed with the leaves this year), making crafts to send to the grandparents, and of course eating out! We got nothing accomplished around the house (for example: moving my precious baby to his big boy bed) other than keeping it somewhat clean! It was worth taking the week to spend tons of time with the family! So having updated everyone on our week, here are some things that I love about my boys!

Jason - words cannot express what he means to me! I love him deeply and appreciate the man that he is, and desires to be! I have never met a more hard working and determined man than Jase. He loves God and people passionately! He is someone that will take the time to hear your story, and remember it! He is the most amazing father that I have ever seen! He will play with the boys from sun up to sun down, feed them, bathe them, make crafts with them, and just about everything else you can imagine. He is able to be a mother and a father to them if needed! It is amazing! He is my partner and soul mate...I am blessed beyond belief that God chose him for me!

Jake - he is my first born, with all "first born" qualities. He is a beautiful child with a sweet sensitive spirit like his dad's. Everyone is drawn to him. He is always concerned for others, and will give you a kiss at just the right moment! He has taught me so much about being a lover of others! He adores his brother! Jake is creative, and very smart. It is scary sometimes! He is becoming more assertive as the years progress. I love the fact that he wants to wear his super hero costumes everywhere. It is his way of being outgoing! He is a precious child! I love, love, love Jake...he has a special place in my heart!

Jonah - he is my baby! I adore him, and his feisty little spirit! He is the sweetest child, but will tell you what he thinks in a heartbeat (I don't know where he gets that from)! I call him "a lover and a fighter"! Jonah gives the best hugs and kisses you could ever ask for! He LOVES is mommy and daddy and his "jakey". He would rather us all be together than apart. Jonah is a very observant child that likes to study situations before jumping into them. He grabbed my heart right away, and I still rock him for a few minutes before putting him in his bed. It is the most special 5 minutes that I spend with him in the day! I couldn't ask for a sweeter "mama's boy"!

So, those are MY BOYS! I adore each one of them, and am so thankful that they are mine!

Buzz and Woody

2008-11-01T05:28:00.001-07:00

It was a great day of fun at the Barton house yesterday. We started off with what I called "a date with mommy". Jake had a little party/play date with friends so I left Jonah at home with Jase, and Jake and I went by ourselves. We don't ever get to do much alone so it was fun to have some time with him! (By the way, Jake put his costume on at 9:00 am and didn't take it off until 9:00 pm! EVERYONE saw that costume around Franklin and Spring Hill!) After that we met Jason and Jonah for lunch, and headed home for naps. I decided to head to the doctor while the boys were napping to try to resolve some things with my jaw. For those of you who don't know, I haven't been able to open my mouth all the way since Monday but that is for another post! So, after a shot in the backside and a whole bunch of meds I was on my way. When I got home it was time for the fun to begin! The costumes were on and the boys were loaded up in the wagon. Yes, they had the VIP treatment! At some houses they were just rolled right up to the candy! They loved every minute of it, and we had a blast watching them! Jonah surprised us the most! He would squeal with excitement, and they both would say "trick or treat please", and "thank you"! So sweet! After trick or treating we walked down the the Guice's house for a party then headed to bed! Jason had to fly out really early this morning to meet the 33Miles guys in Florida but we still managed to stay up late, eat popcorn and candy, and watch The Bodyguard on the Oxygen channel! It was a great night!!!

Swimming in October?!?

2008-10-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we were able to spend a little time at my parents house in Louisiana. We had fun hanging out with family, meeting the new baby of the family (baby Henry), and catching up with old friends! Jason is excited that our friends Brad and Jessica Forsyth and their two precious boys have moved back to Lake Charles. They were friends of mine in high school, then Jason became friends with Brad in college when we were all at Louisiana Tech together. He is pumped to finally have someone to hang out with when we are in town that actually knows him apart from me! Wow, that sounded funny. That's how I feel most of the time with him in the business that he is in! HA! Anyway, we actually got to swim when we were home thanks to my parents heated pool! The boys had a blast, and picked up right where we left off from summer swimming! Daddy also had fun taking the boys to the Trinity Center (an inside play place at my parents church). Jonah is finally big enough to crawl through everything so Jason was a big kid himself crawling right along with them! It was a good trip, and a much needed break for our family!

Praise In The Park

2008-10-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I packed up and we headed to the airport to pick up Jase then drove to Mississippi for a 33Miles show. The show was Saturday night, and it was amazing! They opened for Casting Crowns, and there were over 10,000 people packed into this small outdoor arena in the precious town of Lucedale, MS. My parents, my sister and her 2 kids, and Jason's parents decided to come join in the fun! Jake and Jonah were able to go up on stage during the last song. Jake got to play his electric guitar ("just like uncle chris", he says), and Jonah had his little microphone with him. The crowd went nuts when they came out so Jake was a little freaked out, but Jonah just walked right up to the front of the stage and soaked it all in! They were precious! On Sunday, we headed to Louisiana to visit with family for a few days. We are definitely enjoying some time with daddy too! I am amazed at the favor of God! He is blessing 33Miles and their ministry more than we ever could have imagined, and we are thankful to be given the opportunity to serve Him in this capacity! Yes, it stinks that Jason is gone so much, and yes we miss him terribly when he is away, but it helps to go out on the road with him sometimes and see the the impact that they are making! God is good, and we are BLESSED!!!

The Barton Clan!

2008-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

While Jason has been gone this week, I decided to brave a trip to Chattanooga with the boys for a couple of days to see his brother's family. They just moved to the Chattanooga area a few months ago from Missouri so you can imagine how excited we are to have family so close by! We have waited a long time!!! Mimi (jason's mom) was babysitting the kids for the week so I guess we only saw half of the family. Anyway, we left after school on Thursday and came back on Friday evening so that we wouldn't miss Jake's soccer game on Saturday. The boys had a blast playing with their cousins...Hayden (almost 8yrs), Britt (5yrs.), and Brock (2 yrs.), and I enjoyed having a little break. The highlight of the trip, well what was suppose to be the highlight, was fishing in their pond. The boys loved the fishing part, but were not so keen on Hoops (the dog). For those of you who don't know us, Jake is TERRIFIED of animals! It is the craziest thing that you have ever seen. You would think that we threw him in to a bull pen when he was a baby or something. This will explain the funny look on his face in the pic with the fishing pole in his hand. He is trying to watch Hoops out of the corner of his teary eye! You just want to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time when he freaks out around animals! I keep telling Jase that we are going to end up in a counselors office by the end of all of it! HA! We did have a great trip though. They absolutely LOVE their Mimi and their cousins so it was well worth "the experience"!

The Ham Festival

2008-10-04T19:00:00.001-07:00

Yes folks, there is such a thing called The Ham Festival! It happens every October here in Spring Hill, TN. I decided to brave it alone with the boys today after Jake's soccer game. If you know me, you know that I am not always up for braving these types of things without Jason along for the ride. The memory of last years Ham Festival alone is reason enough not to want to go! Jonah was a little over one year, and when he was not fussing to get in or out of the stroller he was fussing at everyone who looked his way! He was quite a frustrated child a year ago. I don't know where he would get that from!?! Anyway, today we needed a change of pace so "Ham Festival" it was! We actually had a ton of fun! The boys loved riding the little train, jumping in the bounce house, playing games, and of course getting candy! Jake especially enjoyed batting some (Jase just taught him how not too long ago), and I have to brag a little and say that he hit every single ball! Maybe soccer is not the sport for him, but that is for another post! Jonah loved feeding the puppet cow. They both thought it was hilarious, and talked about it the rest of the day. All in all it was a fun time with the kiddos even though daddy was not there. We miss him a lot though. We are heading into day 5 without him tomorrow so we are definitely looking forward to his return! So, if you ever happen to be in the area the first weekend in October The Ham Festival may be for you!

My birthday week!

2008-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't blogged in quite some time...so sorry. I have a good excuse. It was my birthday week! Around our house we celebrate birthdays for the week not just the day! My week this year was awesome. My amazing hubby planned to have my mom come up for a few days to keep the boys while we had a little getaway. I went on the road with Jase for a show in Ohio, then we drove over to Indianapolis to see my best friend Shelley from childhood. Shelley has been my best friend since birth literally (we were born two days apart)! Our mom's were great friends so our friendship was inevitable! She is the most loyal, caring, giving person that I know. She has taught me so much about being a great friend not only to her but to many others in my life. We have a blast together, and always tend to eat lots of Mexican food and laugh until our stomach hurts when we are together. Our husbands just sit back, watch, and get a good laugh. I love, love, love her and her precious family! She has passed me up and has three kiddos now. I'm not jealous at this point...just happy that I got to hold baby Maggie quite a bit while I was there!

Not to leave Jason out of this picture. We had a blast together too! We ate out, saw a movie, shopped (I haven't shopped that much since I had Jonah), and had a couple of hours at the spa. It was wonderful to have some great alone time with him, and we didn't even talk about the kids the whole time! I am truly amazed more and more every day by how much he loves me and truly desires to take care of me!

When we got back home we were greeted with two very happy boys. They had a blast with their Nana! The next morning was my actual birthday. I got to sleep in, and wake up to a beautifully painted picture from the boys and a cake with candles ready to blow out. It was great, and so much fun to see the boys excited about my birthday! Later that evening we had cake with some of our best friends in town, the Lentz's and the Anderson's. It is so great having us all back together again (the Lentz's moved away for a couple of years). The kids had a blast! All in all it was such a great week!!! Thanks to my wonderful man for making this birthday and every birthday so special! I love you!!!

Only 3 days left!

2008-09-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Our home is full of excitement these days. We are thrilled that 33Miles (my hubby's band) is releasing it's 2nd album "One Life" this Tues. Sept. 16th! Yes we all know that I am a little biased, but I think this album is amazing! There is something for everyone on it, and I am so proud of Jason for pouring his heart into it. If you are interested but not sure about buying an album without hearing it first, they are having a listening party on their website that will allow you to stream the entire album. Check it out... I know you won't be disappointed! www.33milesonline.com/listeningparty.

Iveycake

2008-09-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Iveycake is a cake/cupcake store that has just opened in downtown Franklin. Ivey, the owner, is one of our friends and she is one talented girl! My friend Meredith and I went to the opening party the other night and tasted on some very yummy cupcakes! She has great names for each of them that all have a special meaning to her, and that everyone can relate to. I have not tasted her cakes yet, but I know that they have to be amazing! The decorations alone make me want to try them. So, if you ever are in need of a cake or just have a sweet tooth while strolling downtown Franklin try Iveycake!

Located in the back of Franklin Mercantile

Phone #

615-714-0421

www.iveycake.com

(here is Ivey-isn't she precious!)

The Velvet Ant

2008-09-03T21:16:00.001-07:00

No, The Velvet Ant is not a children's book...it is very real!!! If you have never seen one in person, this is what it looks like. What??? Doesn't it look like something out of an African rain forest or something! I saw one a few weeks ago at a friends pool, and was so thankful that I didn't have any at my house. Well, I do now! After seeing one yesterday, I immediately called the people that spray our home for bugs to ask them about it. Apparently these scary looking things can pack quite a punch. They are known as the "cow killer". Now they don't really kill cows, it just hurts really bad if you get stung by one. They are part of the bee/wasp family, but only the male flies and only the female stings. They also live in the ground so they are hard to get rid of. Just great!!! Why find out so much about these huge red ants? Because I don't want one getting on my kids while they are playing in the yard! I can only imagine the drama that would surround that! So, be careful out there. If you get close enough to one, you can hear a weird hissing noise. Strange, very strange!

They are here!!!

2008-08-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today my parents aka Nana and Papaw drove up to Nashville to escape Gustav! They had a mandatory evacuation so thankfully they got out in time. They lived through Rita three years ago which completely ripped up our home town. It didn't get the publicity that Katrina did, but the destruction was extensive! It is scary to think that it may happen again, but we are hopeful that it won't. If you think about it, please say a prayer for my family. My sister and her family stayed in Baton Rouge, and my Aunt, Uncle and cousins all stayed in Lake Charles (my cousin Laurie is due with her third child any minute now!). We are worried about them, but feel confidant that they will be well taken care of.

Anyway, now that we have the depressing part out of the way...whooo hooo, NANA AND PAPAW ARE HERE!!! The kids are so excited, and it couldn't happen at a better time for me. Jase will be out of town most of the week so it will be nice to have the company! Jake and Jonah have been playing non-stop with them since they walked through the door. They are now ending the evening with jammies on and watching the movie Cars. Can it get any better? Aren't grandparents the best!

**notice the lovely pictures in the background that Jason drew with Jake. Isn't it wonderful to have a huge art easel in your living room! lol! Now that I have seen it in a picture, it is definitely going up in the bonus room tomorrow!

Geaux Tigers!

2008-08-30T18:51:00.001-07:00

Football season has begun, and the boys are pumped! Well, mommy and daddy are pumped...they just have to wear the clothing and cheer on the Tigers! I have been an LSU fan all of my life. I didn't really have a choice since my dad played for the Tigers in college. I have wonderful memories of going to Tiger stadium and watching countless games on TV. Sometimes it is more fun watching my dad watch the game than actually watching it myself! It can get pretty intense! We call Jason the adopted LSU fan. He didn't have a choice either when he married into my family. After we took him to his first game, he was hooked! If you have never been to a LSU football game, I highly recommend it! The crowd (known to be one of the loudest in the SEC), the band, the friends, and the fighting Tigers...it doesn't get much better than that! Hopefully Jake and Jonah will have the same love for the Tigers that we do. Living in Tennessee and being so close to Alabama is not helping our cause, but we will press on! :)

He has joined the club!

2008-08-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

My husband Jason has decided to join the blog world! This is a person who used to say "no way will I ever do that, who cares what I have to say". Well, after a weekend with the Lee's in Atlanta (which I will post about later) he has decided to twitter and blog. I am cracking up! He has already posted 2 or 3 times, and they are great! As I have said before, I think Jase is an amazingly talented person. I know...I am a little biased, so I think you should check him out for yourself! www.jasonbarton33.blogspot.com.

My soccer boy!

2008-08-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Jake had his first soccer practice last night. Hilarious is one word to describe it. He had no idea what was going on, but he had so much fun. It was so funny to watch him run in his little cleats. He would run with his arms straight down by his side and his head down. He was a fast little sucker though. It was hard for me and Jase to keep our mouths shut because of our competitive nature, but we did it. We just want him to have a blast! We can't wait to see what the season holds. I'm sure I will update often!

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...

2008-08-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

What is up with fire alarms in houses? One beeps, they all beep. They start beeping, then stop beeping for a while. I know the batteries need to be changed, but it is hard to do that at 2:00 in the morning while the kids are sleeping, and the husband is out of town. Last night this was me. 12am is when the beeping started waking me out of a dead sleep. Every five minutes....BEEP! So, I decided to try the reset button on the one that is in Jakes room. See, the other two alarms that were beeping were in the rooms with like 12 foot ceilings! Anyway, so I proceeded to grab the first thing I saw to STOP THE BEEPING. That just happened to be Jakes Star Wars light saber (wow, it's good for something other than fighting his brother!). I pressed the reset button, which woke Jake up, and headed back to my bed with my fussy boy in tow. What happened next...30min. later...BEEP! Oh my! What am I going to do about these stinking things? Finally my brain learned how to sleep through it like my precious Jonah bear did, and I woke up to the beautiful noise this morning. My sweet hubby got to listen to me rant this morning, and then he called one of our friends to come help out before I completely lost my mind. Hopefully tonight there will be no more beeping!

Me time!

2008-08-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, today marks the fifth day my hubby has been out on the road. Since we try to keep our limit without daddy to five days, you can imagine I needed some "me" time. This morning when I woke up I almost had forgotten that I had scheduled someone last week to come and watch the kiddos for a couple of hours today. "Almost" being the key word here! We have had a pretty uneventful week up until yesterday. The boys decided to declare yesterday "whine and cry day". It was lots of fun! Ms. Tara arrived this morning at 9:30 am with a smile on her face. I was already feeling better! The boys LOVE Ms. Tara. She is the kind of girl that gets down on the floor and plays with them. Anyway, I decided to take some "me" time instead of running errands like I usually do. I went running, got a pedicure, and had lunch by myself at the park. It was LOVELY!!! I realize now more than ever that I need to take time more often to just stop. I always seem to fill up my days with the kids, the hubby, the computer, the TV, and I don't take much time to just listen. I might be able to hear God a little better if life wasn't so crazy all of the time. Hello, I have heard sermon after sermon about this, but haven't applied it very much. I guess now is a good time to start!

My Big Boy!

2008-08-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been trying to go through all of Jake and Jonah's toys. This is a task that I dread, but must do! I can't stand having too much stuff in my house, and since the boys just had their birthdays the toys have become the majority of that stuff. Can I say "I hate toys!". Somedays I really do. I know, I know they love them, and it makes them happy blah, blah, blah! It just makes me crazy some days to see so many tiny little cars, trucks, airplanes, etc. laying around!

So, anyway enough of my ranting. Last night before bedtime it was time to "pick up, pick up" in Jake's (4 yrs.) room. To my surprise he was actually helping a lot this time. Usually he becomes a very slow moving child during pick up time while his brother (2 yrs.) does most of the work. Crazy, I know! Well, while I was putting Jonah to bed Jake decided to start picking up the bonus room, my bedroom, and the toys downstairs. I was in total shock! He was pumped about it, and was like "mommy look I picked up ALL the toys!". What, is it finally clicking or is this a one time thing? We will see! All I know is that my baby is growing up. I can't believe he is four! It is a whole new day with him, and I am loving every minute of it!!! He is a big boy now. Just ask him!

The last 2 weeks...

2008-08-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

The last 2 weeks have ranged from work and exhaustion to vacation and fun! Our adventure began in Shreveport, LA. Our trip there was pretty uneventful aside from Jonah taking a little while to figure out that he was going to be stuck in his car seat for 9-10 hours. There were lots of "up" and "out" words shouted for the first hour or so. Shreveport consisted of Jake falling of the bed during his nap, trying to keep the kids quiet in the hotel, and a 33Miles concert. It was scary and fun all in one day. Fun times! Then we headed to good ole Gilbert, LA (Jason's hometown). We left the kids with Jason's parents for a couple of days while I went on the road with Jase. We had fun traveling, talking, and I always love watching my man do his thing on stage. It was a crazy schedule, and I once again realized that his life is not easy! I said more than once "I don't know how you do this every week". It always gives me a new appreciation for him and the calling that is on our life. God gives them some serious sustaining power to do what they do! Once we were done with the road, we headed back to Gilbert and spent some time with the fam before heading down to my parents house in Lake Charles, LA. The kids and I dropped Jase off at the airport in Lafayette then headed to Nana and Papaw's. It was a blast as always! We kept busy by swimming, going back to the airport to get Jase, spending time with our favorite dentist Dr. Bryan, and playing with all of the cousins. We even managed to throw a surprise 60th birthday party for my dad. I think he was pretty surprised!!! After Louisiana, we headed to the beach for some relaxation. Jason's parents and his sister met us there. It was beyond amazing! Can I say, WE LOVE THE BEACH!!! We also celebrated all of the families July and August birthdays there. We were on the beach for Jason's actual birthday too which made it even better! The boys LOVED the sand, and Jake rode a few waves too! Jason's parents and sister helped a ton with the boys so we were able to really get some good relaxation time. Thanks Mimi, Pop Pop, and Kris...We love you!!! All in all it was a great couple of weeks! We loved having so much time together as a family! It made it a little harder to say goodbye to daddy today as he headed back out on the road, but he will be home soon!

Finally...

2008-07-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

So, I think I finally figured out how to post pics. There has been lost of travel this summer, so I just wanted to give an update of happenings at the Barton house. While we were in Orlando with 33Miles, we were given the opportunity to go to Disney for a day. We had a blast! The boys absolutely loved it...rain and all! When we finally got home, we took the boys to Chuck E Cheese for their birthdays. Jonah (2yrs.) had one on the 11th and Jake(4yrs.) has one on the 19th. They loved it, and every time you would tell Jonah happy birthday on his actual birthday he would say "Chuck E Cheese". TOO FUNNY! The last pic is of Jase and the boys at a concert close to home. He let them come up on stage with them during the last song and play the bongo. Jake was very serious about it, and Jonah was dancing around like no one was watching. It was cracking me up to see their different personalities play out! We head out of town again on Wednesday for 3 weeks. Yes, crazy, but the last week of that is VACATION! WooooHoooo! Finally, rest, play, and NO WORK!

Yes, still here!

2008-07-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

So much for blogging consistantly! I still haven't had time for my blog posting lesson from my friends. I don't know how to add pics, and am just trying to figure it all out. I know it is 2008, but you have to remember I went to college without a computer or e-mail! I am a work in progress! So, hopefully when things slow down a little (ha, like that will ever happen) I can start updating. By the way, Guatemala was amazing!!! Since then we have been in Orlando for 10 days and will now be in Mobile for a few before heading back to Nashville. Crazy, but fun! I will catch up soon!!!

I am official!

2008-05-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am officially blogging! I have been a lurker for quite some time on many different blogs. I have decided to give it a try myself. Honestly, I have no idea what I am doing so here it goes! I will warn you that I will already be taking some time off. Jason and I along with 33Miles will be heading to Guatemala tomorrow with Food for the Hungry. We are pumped, and can't wait to see what God has in store! We will be back on Wednesday, so hopefully I will figure out how to post pics, and blog about our trip. Have a great week!