HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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!!!

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!

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

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!!!

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

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?!?

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!