The Bartons

Owen, Dallin and Miles (newborn pics)

2011-05-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I thought I would post my three boys' newborn pictures. They DEFINITELY look like brothers! It's amazing! See below:

Owen Terry Barton

Dallin Lee Barton

Miles Jesse Barton

Welcome Miles Jesse Barton

2011-05-04T16:33:00.001-07:00

Miles was born on 04-04-11, one week overdue, and weighed 9 lbs exactly. We checked into the hospital around 7:00 PM and he came at 9:32 PM. I know, fast baby!

Mom feeling so happy not to be pregnant anymore and happy to finally meet her new little son!

Miles has tons of blondish-brown hair, very unlike our other kids, who were near bald at birth. Who knew I'd get three boys with all different colors of hair? No redheads yet, but I love my variety of boys and wouldn't change a thing!

Here's a shot of him at home, about two weeks old. He's a very sweet baby.

I have a thing for newborn feet! I love their tiny toes! I love to kiss them!

Welcome to the world little one!

Mass Apple-Picking

2011-03-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last November, (I know, I'm lazy that I'm just now blogging about it.) we visited friends and family in Boston and New York. While we were in Boston, we couldn't resist the invite to go apple-picking with our close friends, the Ortons. It was well worth the drive! The kids had a blast climbing the trees and filling the bag with apples. We picked up probably five or six different varieties including Braeburn, Golden Delicious, McIntoch, etc. and it was all FREE! The orchard had already finished their big harvest for the season and said we were welcome to anything we could find. We got sooooo many apples we had to start giving them away because we couldn't fit them in our suitcases. So, the lesson for today is: "Procrastinate, it sometimes leads to free stuff."

To Infinity...you know the rest!

2011-02-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

The official Buzz Light Year dress-up space suit, a gift from Grandma Carol that we all love! I just have to smile when they put this on and fly around the room. There's something about the purple, stretchy, spandex hemet thing that makes it especially cute (see Owen's pic above). If anyone knows where we can find a Woody costume, let me know.

Once there was a snowman...

2011-02-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of the snow, but my kids sure aren't! I promised them we would build a snowman when there was enough on the ground, and boy did we get our wish. Oh well, mom kept her promise and they had a blast. Owen helped me with the snowman and Dallin ate the snow. So everyone was happy!

Happy Birthday Dallin!

2010-10-04T21:16:00.001-07:00

Two years old and white hair already! What's a mom gonna do? I sure love my little man and I'm glad he had a fun birthday with all his cousins. Happy B-day, Little D.

Name That Tune

2010-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

If you can guess what song Owen is singing, you get 50 mommy points! We call it the Nursery Mix because we have identified an itsy-bitsy spider, row-your-boat, heigh-ho the dairy-o and a snowman. I think this is what happens when your toddler misses the Primary Sunbeam cutoff by five days and has to stay in nursery another year.......can we say overload?!

Review of The Princess and the Frog

2010-04-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

My twin sister should write movie reviews for a living. This is what she had to say about The Princess and the Frog. I couldn't resist from posting this. She hit the nail right on the head:

Tiff: My thoughts on "The Princess & the Frog"...it's kind of a throwback to an older style of storytelling (such as that from the Rescuers), not bad, but not good either....Disney is still trying to find its niche in the animation industry "post-Pixar" if you catch my drift. I think they fell from grace and they have been desperately trying to recover.

The characters are kind of cute, but a little predictable with sloppy humor. They try to make it funny for kids and it ends up being silly for adults. Pixar can appeal to both audiences, and the Muppets can do that, too. I'm not sure what Disney's problem is.

I felt the story was more of a celebration of New Orleans than a story about a frog and a princess. It takes very unconventional twists, and the story is really too loose overall. It is somewhat difficult to follow and should have remained in a fairytale period rather than the roaring 20-30s of Louisiana. There was plenty of room for great songs, but the songs were not catchy at all and you got a little bored during them.

Disney needs to go back to classic storytelling and excellent songwriting....this movie had neither. Yep, I agree with you, it is a bit lacking.

If they want to use black culture in a film they should tell stories that are truly about black culture (perhaps one with the underground railroad, or African folktales, or something else). The black characters felt deperately retrofitted into a story that really wasn't about them....other than the fact that the main heroine is from a poor black ghetto.

I'm still waiting for Disney to top Beauty and the Beast. Still waiting.

Goodbye Mia

2010-04-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

After a few months of unsuccessful training, we have decided to take Mia back to the shelter. This was the first time we had ever purchased a dog from a shelter, and she was much harder than we thought. There were some things we just did not anticipate, and were unable to train out of her.

For one, we had to start completely over with potty-training, even though we had been told she was house-broken. We learned that she had been trained with a puppy-pad with her previous owner. Yuck! I don't know why people use those. It's like a litter box for dogs. The only place I can think of using them would be for a person stuck in a studio apartment in Manhattan.

Along with the re-potty-training, we also have had to try out several different sleeping arrangements over the past few months just to get a decent night's rest. She cried liked a baby every night when placed in her kennel. We tried doggie beds, kennels, the garage, outside, inside, all to no avail. Insanity was nearing the point of no return.

In addition to the above agonies, other reasons for giving her up include: barks incessantly when left alone, nips at both children, bolts when taken off leash, bolts when front door is open, refuses to play, lies around all day, refuses to go outside unless we go with her, and has extreme separation anxiety. (You can Google animal separation anxiety. It is a true form of mental illness for dogs and cats, especially those who have come from a shelter.)

We tried several methods of training with her, none of which corrected these bad behaviors. We have owned dogs before and have conquered these problems, but I guess she is just a special-needs dog that needs a diffrent family - one that will baby her, which I won't. I'd rather baby my babies!

At the end of it all, we just felt we were putting a lot more in than we were getting out.

I feel a little guilty putting her back into a shelter again, but at least the one we chose is a good one. It is called Lost Paws Inc., and they are a private, no-kill, 501-C shelter with a good reputation. It is the same one we got her from and I know she will be in good hands.

I am also sad that Owen and Dallin will lose their little doggie-friend. However, they are little enough that they won't remember this. Not to mention, Mia won't be wailed on every other day by two toddlers who don't know any better. That's another story.

The good news is that we will be returning a fully-potty-trained dog, and also a dog who is has put on some healthy weight. She was a scarecrow when we got her and we worked really hard to get her normal weight back up.

So today, I will say my last goodbye to her. I will miss my cuppy-cake, but it is for the best.

I think we will be fish-people for the next few years, or at least until the kids are older. Maybe then, I will finally be ready to let Jesse get his Golden Retriever or Yellow Lab that he's always wanted.

I Have Reserved Seats for Eclipse!

2010-03-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. When your a Twi-hard like me, you have certain connections. I have already purchased tickets to the premier showing of Eclipse on June 29th. And not only that, I even managed to pull off tickets to a special showing at 8 PM, rather than having to wait for the midnight showing. Go me! I have six tickets and they are reserved seats. No waiting in line for hours. If anyone else wants tickets, post a comment. Go Team Jacob!

Happy 18-month Birthday Dallin!

2010-03-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! This post I actually managed to hit right on time! Today is March 24th, and it is Dallin's 18-month birthday. He is becoming less of a baby and more of a man, which is more than I can say for some people. Just kidding. I am excited for him to talk, eat by himself, and especially GO TO NURSERY!! Happy 18 big ones, Noodle! XOXO Love, Mom.

Best Pancake Club

2010-03-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little silly, but this is the BEST Mickey Mouse pancake I have ever made! I simply HAD to take a picture, partly to document my promising domesticality, and partly to display my devout loyalty to all things Disney. Oh c'mon, we all know Walt's headed for the celestial kingdom. I don't mind supporting a guy like that. Viva Disney!

First Day of School - and the bus!

2010-03-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Again, Owen has been in preschool for a few months now, but I need to post the memories! Here is a picture of him with his new school clothes and his "pack-pack." He looks so grown up to me with the pack-pack on, it's weird!

He goes to a preschool at an elementary school a few miles away, so a school bus picks him up right at our doorstep. Honestly, I wasn't wild about it and thought I would just drive him, but he wanted to ride the bus so bad, I caved. The first day it picked him up, he looked so tiny trying to go up those big steps. The bus driver greeted him by name and the teacher's aide showed him to his seat and buckled him in. I waved goodbye and that was it! I lost it! I came inside and just cried myself silly. Jesse held me and just let me cry. I kept saying over and over that I thought I would have a little more time before things like this. He just smiled at me. Then I started laughing at myself for crying. I told Jesse, "What's wrong with me? I usually make fun of moms that do this!" and then we both had a good laugh.

At the end of the day, Owen came home just fine and loves riding the school bus. Some days that's all he talks about. He feels like such a big kid.

Owen Turned Three! (A While Ago)

2010-03-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Even though his birthday was January 5th, I'm still gonna post these pictures. We did a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday party for him, which he loved. I invited ten kids over, yes ten. What was I thinking? I'm glad some of the moms stayed behind to help! We played toss the engine in the bucket, whistle stop, and made trains out of juice boxes. (Sorry, forgot to take pictures of that one.) The funniest part was when we opened presents. It was chaos. The kids kept inching closer and closer until some of them were sitting right in my lap. It was toddler suffocation, but I was in heaven! Happy Birthday Little O! Can't believe you're three! Love you, Mom.

Potty-Training, Take Two

2010-03-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

We tried potty-training Owen last summer when he was almost two and a half. It backfired miserably. The pee went well, but the other one never did. You know the one I mean. Anyway, some friends gave us the good advice to take a break and wait a few months to try again. Well, we took a six month vacation from the toilet and its woes, and tried again, only this time with success!

We spent an entire day watching this dvd (shown above) and letting Owen run around naked. I know, gross, but it worked for us. Owen is now potty-trained! Each time he "goes" he gets a Toy Story fruit snack. Which is WAY cheaper than chocolate, toy cars, trains, and all the other crazy things I tried the first time around trying to find my "in" with him. Fruit sancks cost me just $1.28 a box at my local Winco store. Best $1.28 I've ever spent.

I LOVE not having two kids in diapers! Woo-hoo!! Mommy is so happy!

Bunny Balls

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not referring to anything dirty here, just something funny that happened during breakfast. The other day, Owen wanted something for breakfast, but I couldn't tell what he was asking for.

Owen: "Mommy, I want bunny balls."

Mom: "You want what?"

Owen: "Yeah, I want dose."

Mom: "Can you show me what you want?"

(Owen points to a box of Trix Cereal.)

Mom: "Oh, you mean Trix?"

Owen: "Yeah, bunny balls."

Bless the Bad Guys

2010-01-14T13:08:00.001-08:00

During the last year, we have been teaching Owen to say prayers. He actually loves doing it and says the prayer at dinner and whenever we ask him. One tricky part is that he'll start saying it about 1.5 seconds after we ask. So a lot of times we all have to scramble to fold our arms and sit down, because the kids is already halfway into it.

Lately, Owen has been saying some interesting things in his prayers at night. He says, "Pw-ease bless da bad guys." Huh? I have no idea where this came from or what makes him say that, but I guess it's okay. I decided not to correct him because we're trying to get him to talk more. Then a few days ago, I had a thought. I know in the scriptures it says we should pray for our enemies, so I guess it's a righteous things to do. Go Little O!! You teach mommy everyday!

Almost Got a Dog Last Week

2010-01-11T18:57:00.001-08:00

After staying with Tiffany and her three terriers, and then driving to Denver and staying with Katie and her cute daschund, we soon discovered that Owen's fear of dogs had quickly dissolved into a now very prominent fettish. All of his anxiety melted away within minutes of playing with them. As proof, we even took some photos of him holding the dogs with his big cheesey smile.

After we got home, I sent a text to Katie thanking her for letting us stay and telling her that Owen missed her dog, Zoe. She quickly sent a text back asking, "Do you want her?" Whoa! I wasn't expecting that reply! I have had a life-long adoration for daschunds and this might be my chance to own one! I could hardly believe it!

We all got stars in our eyes imaginging a life with a dog again - one that was completely potty-trained, one that was small and puppy-like, one that was good with kids, one that was social and friendly, one that could fit in our kitchen sink for baths, one that didn't kill chickens, one that didn't eat its own poop, one that couldn't run very fast and we could catch if it ran away, one that wouldn't eat sandwiches off our kitchen counter, one that didn't come with a socio-path breeder, and especially one that made itsy-bitsy poops! That was almost too good to be true (especially after the dogs we used to have as some of you may remember....ahhhhhh! What a nightmare!)

So we made lots of phone calls back and forth and hoped for the best, but sadly Katie wasn't quite ready to say goodbye. She decided to keep Zoe for the time being and see if her feelings changed. I could completely understand that. Zoe is a little gem.

Well as excited as I was, I was actually a little relieved. I was hoping to have a little more time to prepare for a dog again. AS much as I wanted one again, I knew what would come with it. I really wanted Owen to be potty-trained first. I wanted warmer weather. We even thought we'd have another baby before getting really serious about it. So, maybe we will see down the road. Nevertheless, I told Katie Zoe has a home with us if she ever changes her mind again.

Visiting Katie & Garrett in Denver, CO

2010-01-11T18:49:00.001-08:00

Jordan's Wedding at the Albuquerque Temple

2010-01-11T18:42:00.001-08:00

Jordan's Reception (before the wedding)

2010-01-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

I was kinda mean to Jordan. I whispered a Phil Collins song in his ear during the reception, "One More Night, You Gotta Wait One More Night!" I thought it was very fitting seeing as he was doing his reception before the wedding. I don't think he appreciated my clever improv though.

Katy's awesome dress imported from China. Very cool.

Jesse and Brooke - happy to finally have another Barton married...no wait, almost married.

Natalie - who didn't want her picture taken, so like any good older brother, Jesse took it anyway.

The Bartons 2nd Generation, or so Jordan calls us.

Finally they seem to like each other!

2010-01-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Hallow-Giving-X-mas-Eve!

2010-01-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, it really has been that long since my last family post. And yes, I missed creating posts for ALL FOUR major holidays. So in order to get 2010 off to a non-guilty start, I am inventing a new holiday for my post. It's called Hallow-Giving-X-mas-Eve, for those of you who are in too much of a hurry to read blog titles. I am hereby creating this holiday for all of us moms out there who are too busy picking up our kids toys for the ump-teenth time, to post pictures on our blogs for four consecutive months. As such, I am certain there is a plethura of moms out there that can appreciate this new holiday as it so closely follows President Hinckley's advice to live simply. So without further adieu, I present pictures from ALL FOUR holidays in descending holiday order beginning with Halloween. Because after all, it's not like we didn't celebrate these holidays, right? We probably just partied a little too hard, if anything. Either way, here are the long awaited pics. Sadly, I may have to invent another holiday this spring called Happy Valen-Patty-Easter, if this trend keeps up!

Our annual visit to The Pumpkin Patch in West Jordan. Owen kept asking mommy where the Great Pumpkin was.

Owen and Dallin getting a wheel-barrow ride from mom.

Together in front of the tractor that Owen wanted so desperately to ride.

Owen's Halloween costume - his favorite toy in the world.

Dallin, the giraffe, being snuggled by his cousin Kayla dressed as Alice from Twilight.

Cousins Ashlynn and Hailee at Grandma's Halloween party.

Our annual drive up the canyon to see the changing leaves.

Dad and Dallin hiking, and also the last time Dallin legally fit into his baby knapsack. (I hope he can still have children.)

This spot in Little Cottonwood Canyon is not far from the place where we got engaged 8 and 1/2 years ago.

Owen loved climbing on the rocks.

Ah, Christmas time is here! Mom and Owen making cookies at Aunt Tiff and Uncle Jeff's house in Norman, Oklahoma.

Christmas Eve in our new Christmas jammies. Sadly, mom couldn't wear hers

because they were, well, only for dad to see.

The best gift of all was seeing my twin for Christmas, and as an added bonus getting 12 inches of snow on Christmas Eve. A long-awaited snowfall for the Jensons after many years. Them Southerners just don't get dat stuff dat we do.

Family Pictures...We Love You Jeana!

2010-01-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

This year we wanted to try a more urban setting. Jeana Bird, our photographer, knew some old buildings in downtown Salt Lake City that worked great. She has an eye for background textures that really add to photos. We sure loved how these turned out.

A big group hug with mom, dad and the kids. I love everyone's individual faces.

Our boys. Man, they actually look as if they like each other in this picture. I guess that's because there are no toys to fight over.

Mom and Dad's close-up.

Kisses from my sweet Owen.

Dad and his boys.

Mom tickling Owen.

Having a little fun during our photo shoot.

Playing in the leaves at Memory Grove.

Mom and her two favorite boys in the whole world (besides Dad.)

You're a Mean One, Mr. Hall...I mean Grinch

2009-12-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

Good Christmas Gift for any devout University of Utah Fan.

My New Moon Party - Oklahoma Style!

2009-11-21T19:53:00.001-08:00

Here is the invitation to our New Moon party. The top reads, "Just bite me already!" A necessary phrase, because the way we look at it, we're all thinking it, right?!

This is the New Moon cake Tiff and I ordered from Walmart. Talk about eye candy (literally!) And just for kicks and giggles, we made it half vanilla, half chocolate cake. Yummy (in more ways than one!)

Here is Bella's vegetarian platter. On the other side of the table (not pictured) was the Edward veggie platter full of cold cuts and cheeses. I loved eating off of Edward and Jacob's faces and then crinkling Bella's face on my napkins.

The Twi-hards from Oklahoma. (Pictured above.)

Shown above is the New Moon "swag" we collected from our party, complete with chocolates, buttons, stickers, and even type O negative red pop to drink!

In true twin fashion, we have chosen opposing sides. Brooke is Team Jacob and Tiff is Team Edward. And yes, we wore these in public. Thanks T, for being as die-hard, I mean, Twi-hard as I am! Glad I you joined the ranks of all those women out there who have dishes sitting in their sinks, kids with dirty faces, and husband's who went to bed a long time ago - all because we were busy reading Twilight! If you count up all the pages through all four books, and Midnight Sun, you've read over 2,500 pages! Go us! Long live vampires and werewolves!

Owen's Abstract Art

2009-10-07T21:30:00.001-07:00

Mr. Potato Head arrived at our house shortly after Dallin's birthday, yet amazingly enough, Owen has found a new means of expression. If you look closely, Owen has created a tongue-nose and a nose-hat, not bad huh? We think it has a Picasso-esque style.

In this one, Owen must have been going for Salvador Dali, or perhaps Henri Matisse? If you don't know them, Google them.

Lastly, Owen started using his own body as a canvas. Disney stickers were the preferred medium. I call this one "Cartoon Massacre via Polo."

Got My Own Wheels Now

2009-10-07T21:18:00.001-07:00

It's been a swarthy fight since birth, but Dallin manages day-in and day-out to find something to play with. They may weigh the same, but Owen's Nursery survival skills give him the advantage when it comes to dibs on toys. Not to mention, Owen lives by the basic rules of toddlerdom:

1. It you see it, it's mine.
2. If I was playing with it, it's mine.
3. If I am no longer playing with it, it's still mine.
4. If you're playing with it, I'll take it, because it's mine.
5. If you think it's yours, it's mine.

And so on...

As such, Dallin has never had much toy selection at our house. Until now! Dallin was spoiled with wonderful toys at his 1st birthday party and can now claim dominion! One of those toys is, Mater, his push car. He can now speed past Owen without any more worries. Though mom keeps a close eye out for road rage.

Still Wonderful After Eight Years

2009-09-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

(This is our engagement picture above.) Jesse and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary, which plunged me into a few moments of reflection of just how far we've come since we met, wrote during the mission, and walked out of the Salt Lake Temple hand-in-hand.

What I've learned, after 8 years:

I've learned that there's a lot of truth to the saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

I've learned that moms always know where everything is in the house. Things like keys, wallets, watches, phones, shoes, cleaners, extra diapers, and all sorts of random stuff that are hard for other people to find when they need them. I think moms (and all women for that matter) are just born with a built-in radar that help them keep a running inventory of "stuff."

I've learned that I still really look forward to 6:30 PM, when Jesse comes home from work. Now, more than ever.

I've learned that no matter how late it gets, ice cream with my husband always sounds good before bed.

I've learned that love is a living, breathing thing that can be both fragile and strong at the same time.

...that love is a privilege that should never be taken for granted...

And last, but not least...

...that love gets better with age just like cheese, California Redwood trees, and old letters.

Sure love ya Jes. Thanks for the eight years of everything.

Your Eternal Best Friend, Brookie.

Grew Up With This One, and I Still Love It

2009-09-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

I love watching this movie when the holiday season starts up again. Holiday season meaning the air is cold, football has started, the Halloween candy is on the store shelves, and I can start wearing my sweaters again. I just love those movies that warm your heart, so I guess that's why I watch them at this time of year, as cheesey as that sounds. It's one of my favorite musicals, right up there with Singing in the Rain and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I think Judy Garland is adorable and Liza Minelli is hideous. You'll have to tell me what you think...

My Little Man Turned One!

2009-09-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Little Dallin, or shall we say BIG Dallin, just celebrated his very 1st birthday on September 24th. We kicked it off at the park with not just one birthday cake, but two. Dallin got his very own smoosh cake to play in, courtesy of Harmon's bakery. (We asked for red & white frosting in order to start the Ute brainwashing as early as possible.) As you can see, (above) Owen was more interested in the dump truck cake, so the brainwashing has already misfired on our firstborn.

This has to be one of my favorite birthdays with babies! It's one of the few times in life where parents sit and cheer on their kids to get dirty! (Well, I guess that and mud wrestling would be one too.) As you can see, Dallin had no problem with the dirty part.

However, he did have a problem with the FAST part. We quickly learned that Dallin likes to savor life, and goes about eating his cake slowly, relishing every bite. Dad got a little impatient, or hungry maybe, and decided he needed a taste too.

Dallin's reaction to dad stealing his cake!

So here's a clean shot of my little one-year old smiley guy. Pretty soon he'll be talking, playing video games, trading baseball cards, and doing all kinds of older kid stuff. My mom always used to tell me, "Who told you that you could grow up?" I never knew how to reply, but now I know exactly what she meant.

Last, but not least, here is Dallin performing his latest trick, pulling himself up to stand, just in time for his birthday! As usual my tubby kids do everything a little later than most, but mom is always so proud of her beached-whale boys! There's just more of them to love!

Only 54 days to go!

2009-09-26T13:33:00.001-07:00

Because Tiff and I are such Twi-hards, (die-hard Twilight fans) we're going to see New Moon together! I am flying to Oklahoma for a twin-trip, and I figured why not do something together we both love? It's worth a once-a-year trip, right? So, Tiff bought us tickets for opening night at 12:01 AM! We're going to "vamp-up" with some Twilight tee-shirts, host our own junk-it party at 10:00 PM, then skip over to the theater and watch Edward and Jacob battle it out. Go Team Jacob!! November cannot get here fast enough! Only 54 days!

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair

2009-09-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

Owen loves these mechanical thingies, and begs us to get on them, but we can't ever tell by his face. He could be listening to General Conference, by the looks of it.

We got a better reaction out of the LIVE animals.

Dallin just smiles at everything, even the backsides of cows.

Owen touched a goat this year without mom & dad forcing him! Wow!

This is the first time we have ever tried rides. We chose the kiddie train, for obvious reasons, and even as train-obsessed as Owen is, he wouldn't get on. I think we overdosed at Six Flags.

The X2 Experience

2009-08-08T16:52:00.001-07:00

This is the best roller coaster I have ever been on in my entire life - X2 at Six Flags! The hype before you get on the ride is intense. They claim it's a TOTAL sensory experience, and they aren't kidding. You have speakers in your head rest that play hard rock while you ride. Your seat turns 360 degrees. And to top it off, you feel hot flames on your face!! It's pretty incredible!

Most of the ride is done backwards and upside down. This is a must-conquer for any roller coaster junkie! I think I got a year older after just one ride!

And yes, they really do blow fire at you during the ride! My eyebrows are gone. Oh wait, I'm a redhead, so they were gone already! Ha! Ha! J/K

Six Flags Magic Mountain Time!

2009-07-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons we wanted to do Six Flags was not only to escape the heat, but also for Owen to see Thomas Town. This was a dream come true for him!

Owen had to brave the Percy rollercoaster all by himself. They wouldn't allow adults to ride with their kids. It freaked him out pretty good, but he survived. He wouldn't get back on it the rest of the day though! I felt like such a mean mommy strapping my two years old on a roller coaster and waving goodbye!

The favorite ride was Thomas the Tank Engine. Owen rode this one five times and cried when we had to leave. Thanks Aunt Shelley for being a good sport! It's a VERY slow train!

Owen getting a close look at Thomas before we left the station.

We thinking he was having fun, but his face was so serious!

Owen loved these Looney Toones guys! Can you name this one? It took me a while, but I finally figured it out!

Owen also liked the trucks. Mom was a little big for the ride, but hey we all do this for our kids at some point!

I think Owen hoped we would move in, and never leave Six Flags! He could live there!

Road Trip to Cali

2009-07-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

The condo we stayed at in Palm Springs was next to a golf course where we saw ducks every morning.

Owen loved getting to feed the ducks his cereal.

It was 114 degrees in Palm Springs, so we drove two hours to the beach. It was well worth the drive to be in La Jolla at only 95 degrees!

Dallin preferred the sunscreen to the water.

I put him in anyway.

Couldn't get this one out of the water!

Finally Saw the San Diego Zoo!

2009-07-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Got to see giraffes.......in heat. Glad we didn't video tape this.

Owen got to kiss a hippo.

My lifelong dream of seeing a panda was fulfilled! Ever since I was seven years old, pandas have been my favorite animal. So this was a BIG deal for me. I can finally cross this off my bucket list!

Here's my real-life reaction to the baby pandas.

What Dallin did during most of the zoo.

Owen needed some encouragement to pet the goats. Can't blame him. Eeew germs!

Getting up close and personal with a sleeping lioness.

Gross.

My son is so brave!

Water Boy

2009-07-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July Parade

2009-07-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

The parade was serious business for Owen, because we told him there would be trucks and motorcyles. As you can see (above) he's keeping a keen eye for anything with wheels.

My favorite part of any parade is the bagpipes. I guess it unearths my Irish heritage and makes my wee heart dance.

The latest nickname that has evolved for Dallin is Guy Smiley. If you didn't watch Sesame Street as a kid, you were gipped.

Dallin is our happy camper. He's a good sport about going places and smiles at anything that moves. He's a sweetheart. I wish someone would invent a potion that would stop my kids from growing up.

All You Can Eat Sushi Night

2009-07-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

I took a sushi class for my birthday and boy was it worth it! Yummy!

We pulled out all the stops and even dipped some in tempura batter and deep fried it. Oh heaven!

Soon, very soon, we'll have a sushi party at our house. And yes, it is made with raw fish, and yes, we really eat it and yes, it is GOOD!

Things That Have Made Me Cry This Summer

2009-07-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Aside from the cheesy picture above, (Sorry, it's the only picture of a redhead crying I could find on Google Images) I really have cried a lot this summer, and there is still a lot of summer left. I've found myself crying over some things that probably wouldn't matter to most people, but I cried anyway. I've wondered if it's extra hormones from nursing a baby? Or maybe my heart is just getting softer and more fragile as the years go by? For me, I think having children did it. They make you savor life a little more, as some of you can attest. Here are the things I have cried over this summer:

1. Watching the 4th of July Parade. As I held Owen on my lap, we watched floats go by decorated with flags and soldiers and signs saying "Freedom is Not Free." I held him a little tighter realizing that was true. I cried thinking about how many people in the world didn't get to watch a parade with their little sons on their laps, while celebrating their country's independence. Then I cried harder thinking about the many people who had lost their sons because of it.

2. Watching Horton Hears a Who at the Dollar Theater. Not quite as poignant as my first cry of the summer, but nonetheless significant. I cried as I watched Horton save the Whos in Whoville from having their tiny world destroyed, all because someone didn't believe they existed, or just didn't care. Horton is right: "A person's a person no matter how small." Words to live by, or at least have a little cry over while your toddler runs up and down the aisles of the movie theater.

3. Finding an old Ensign Magazine with Gordon B. Hinckley's picture on the cover. I was cleaning out my garage the other day and stumbled upon some old issues of the Ensign magazine. One in particular fell out of the pile. It was the last conference edition before President Hinckley passed away. He looked so happy, so indestructible. I cried a little thinking about all the contributions he made to the world. Then I cried just because I missed him. I think we really hold onto the prophet we have as teenagers, probably the same way our parents will always love David O. McKay.

4. Saying Goodbye to Andi Orton. Enough said. I think I'll cry right now if I type any more than that. Sure will miss her sweetness.

Trust Fund for Andi

2009-06-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

We have opened a trust fund for Andi at Wells Fargo Bank to help Russell and Erin offset some off the funeral costs. If you would like to help you can go to any Wells Fargo branch and make a deposit to "The Andi Orton Memorial Account."

It is taking Wells Fargo some time to get the account up and running so you might have look under my name to find the account. There are apparently there are more than one Jesse Barton listed at Wells Fargo so use my full name, Jesse Lee Barton to locate the account and Andi's memorial account should be listed under my name.

We'll Miss You, Andi

2009-06-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

Andi Mae Orton
October 10, 2002 – June 16, 2009

Andi Mae Orton returned home to her Heavenly Father on Wednesday June 16, 2009. After a six and a half year struggle with I-cell disease, Andi slipped into cardiac arrest and died peacefully at Boston Children’s Hospital surrounded by her loving parents, Russell and Erin Orton. Andi is survived by her brother, Logan Orton (5 years) and her sister Emma Orton (2 ½ years).

Despite the hardships of her earthly body, Andi maintained a gentle, angelic sweetness that encircled everyone around her. Whether she was playing peek-a-boo with her eyes, or rolling playfully to from side to side, it was hard not to fall in love with Andi. As her eyes softly gazed about the room, we often wondered about the angels smiling down on her as they safeguarded one of the Lord’s precious children.

Her parents, Russell Rex Orton and Erin Mary Orton, felt privileged to have had the blessing of Andi’s celestial presence in their lives and look forward to the day they can greet their daughter in our Father’s kingdom. Andi’s departure into our Father’s care will surely be greeted by angels and we will miss her.

Funeral services will be held Saturday June 20.2009. Cards, gifts or flowers can be sent to the Orton Family at 18 McCulloch Street Needham Heights, MA 02494.

Roasting S'mashmammos with Owen

2009-06-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love how Owen says the word "marshmallows."

Two Peas in a Pod

2009-06-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

Dallin at 8 months (above).

Owen at 6-9 months (above).

Well, Owen had more hair, but Dallin has way more teeth. Which would you rather have? Good looks or great chompers? I guess hair is overrated when it comes to being able to chew food. They sure look alike no matter how you look at it. It's like we used the same blueprint when Dallin was born! Sure love my matching kids!

Can't Crawl, But Good At Getting Stuck

2009-06-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

If only we could just roll around our entire lives? If that were the case, Dallin would be set. At eight months old, he can still roll with the best of them. Forward. Backward. Sideways. And even some ways we haven't figured out yet. He's really good at getting himself wedged underneath the couch. He hasn't quite figured out crawling yet, but he's really good at what I call the belly swim. (You know, that Mission Impossible thing that Tom Cruise does when he almost lands on the security-sensitive floor in the CIA vault? Yeah, that.)

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

2009-06-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Jesse teaching Owen how to roast the perfect marshmallow.

Braden wondering what went wrong.

Braden trying to fix the problem.

The Sanford Clan.

Remind me why I'm letting my two year-old play with fire and sharp sticks?

Tub-o-Dallin

2009-06-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

He's 8 months old and fills his Bumbo seat entirely! Weighing in at over 20 lbs, we're hoping he'll go out for ballet. I don't know how/why our kids are so big. They just are. Good thing they're boys, huh? At least they'll never get their lunch money stolen.

2009 Race for the Cure

2009-06-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the Race, don't we look determined?

My pink breast cancer awareness cape (that I stole from some innocent by-stander.)

Proud to be pink.

Karena and I posing with random Spandex Man.
(Click on photo to enlarge, although I don't recommend it.)

Our team at the finish line. Go us! We raised over $700.00!!!

Our race finish time.....yeah, we walked the whole thing if you can't tell.

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-06-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Don't waste your time with this one. I thought even spedning two hours looking at Brad Pitt would at least make it worth a rental, but not the case here. The plot is slow-moving and quite lacking. I found myself constantly distracted thinking up "what-ifs" and better plot scenarious that the producers could have chosen. I'm sad for this movie. It had potential, but will probably join a dusty shelf next to Ben Afleck's Gili and Disney's Air Bud.

My Hero

2009-05-15T15:22:00.001-07:00

I picked up this cape from Race for the Cure. They handed them out to the first racers that showed up, and I wasn't one of them. However, some guy took pity on me and gave me his cape, saying he would never wear it. I knew just the person who would!

Super-Dooper Pooper!

2009-05-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

We're on Day two of Owen's Potty-training and a friend of mine sent me this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNGDQxdAQF4

Thanks, Treena! I needed a laugh! We've gone through so much underwear at our house, my washing machine is protesting!

I'm Potty-Training Owen

2009-05-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I decided I am potty-training Owen. And no, those are not his feet dangling up there. (Google Images is a great invention.) Owen is 28 months old and I have been thinking about doing this for a very long time (ever since he was 18 months). The reason I waited is because we had a new baby, but Dallin is now almost 8 months old, so I think the "major life-change" window is past and gone. Owen has adjusted to brotherhood just fine, so we're good to go...literally.

I have also read enough potty books to give me potty nightmares, so I thought enough is enough. I'm gonna do this! Here are some of the books I read: The Baby Whisperer, Potty Training in Less Than A Day, Pee, Poop and Potty-training, Teach Yourself Successful Potty Training, but this one, shown below, was my absolute favorite: (Diaper Free Before Three by Jill M. Lekovic, PhD.)

Dr. Jill, if your out there, this book described Owen perfectly, I almost looked for his picture in chapter three! Dr. Jill believes in early training, but also has a system for training after age two which is where I'm at. This book makes so much sense to me, I feel like she plugged her brain into mine. Her pace is great. Her method is clean-cut with no non-sense. Jesse is reading it too and has always been an advocate of early training. Maybe Dallin will be the guinea pig on that approach, but as for now we're a "go" with Owen. No pun intended.

Tip-toe Through the Tulips

2009-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

We have started a yearly tradition of seeing the tulips at Temple Square with Grandma.

The tulips are nearly 3 feet high! So worth seeing!

There's only way to take two kids downtown - via baby backpack and a cute grandma.

I was having some fun with my camera. I couldn't resist taking these.

View of JSM Building on South Temple.

The flowers at Joseph Smith Memorial Building gardens.

A happy daffodill.

Grandma and Owen together.

Mom looking down at the best view of all.

Debt Control

2009-05-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Jesse found a great way to get rid of those credit cards you just don't need. Who needs to spend money on teething toys when we have great plastic right in our wallets? Heck, maybe we'll let him just chew on our wallets...

Can Goldfish Die From Carpet Burn?

2009-04-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, Owen tipped over the fish tank. Yes, the Admiral and Wanda (those are the names of our two fan-tail goldfish) went flying with all 5 gallons of water cascading behind them. They were flopping all over the living room rug, and there was Owen just standing there with a "what happened to the fishies?" toddler-ish look on his face.

I quickly scooped up both fish in my hand, and as I got up to run them to the kitchen sink for water, my feet slipped out from underneath me (keep in mind the floor is wet) and I biffed it hard onto the laminate floor. I think I looked like a drunken college kid, and waited for Jesse to laugh at me, but no laugh came. Instead he shouted, "Brooke! Are you okay?!" and had a look of pure terror on his face. I must have hit the floor harder than I thought. I was in too big of hurry to save the fish than to worry about my own injuries though. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured the fish in so they could breathe again. Then we spent the next hour cleaning fish goo-ies off of everything with anti-bacterial cleaner and mops.

This morning revealed a lot more to my fall though..... I think I sprained my big toe! I'm serious! I can't bend it today. But the Admiral and Wanda are alive and well, so I guess it was worth a sacrificial toe, right?

So the current injury status at our house is as follows: One gimpy husband with a bum knee, one toe-sprained wife, one mischevious toddler who's stronger than we thought, and two carpet-burned goldfish. (Oh, and one cute baby who just smiled and laughed as he watched mom and dad during all the action.)

Moral of the story: Don't buy a two-year old goldfish, no matter how much he likes Finding Nemo.

The Power of the Pen Is Worth Its Weight in Gold

2009-04-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

This is slightly embarrassing to admit, but I recently tried to cash in some gold jewelry on one of the TV commercial companies. They air advertisements during daytime TV, so we moms see them all the time. Get cash for gold! It's easy as one-two-three! It seemed easy enough, or so I thought.

After seeing those annoying commercials over and over again I thought to myself, Hmph, makes sense. I don't wear some of my jewelry anymore. Might as well try to cash it in and see if it's good for something besides collecting dust in my jewelry box. Plus, we're in a recession so maybe I could get us some extra money! So, I visited the website (http://www.mygoldenvelope.com/) and received a free jewelry envelope.

After just days, the envelope came and I set to work. First, I dumped out my jewelry box and found a lot of crap in there I had forgotten about, like necklaces from old boyfriends. Yeah, don't need those anymore! Next were the silver rings I sported on every finger, during the mid-nineties. Don't know if anyone else did that during junior high, but I did. The website said they'd take gold, platinum or silver....so I dumped those into my envelope without hesitation. I filled my envelope about half full, sealed it up and I sent it off to some PO box in Ft. Lauderdale. Then I waited. And waited some more. And waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Then I tried searching my tracking number on their website...............and waited again..........and waited some more.

Then, just yesterday, I got a post card in the mail. It stated, "Thank you for your recent submission, but we found it to be non-precious; therefore we cannot pay you. In order to receive your gold back you must send a money order for $25.00 to the address below and your items will be returned to you within 7 business days." What the?! Huh?! Non-precious? I don't understand. I sent a pouch full of sterling silver rings, which they promised to accept, and a pair of 14-karat gold earrings! I also threw in some sterling silver necklaces and charms from boyfriends. That's weird. There was a lot of stuff in there. Well, okay I understand if maybe there wasn't enough to buy. Or maybe it wasn't as "precious" as I had expected. That's fine. No big deal. I'm not gonna cry over it. But pay YOU to get it back? That's absurd! And why twenty-five bucks? There's no way it costs ANY company in the continental U.S. $25 to ship a three-pound package domestically! That's ridiculous!

So like any red-blooded American, I flew into a rage, feeling very ripped-off. I ranted and raved as quietly as I could while my boys were napping. My brain pulsated as I thought of what my next move would be. Then, as any good college grad would do, I put my anger into action.

I wrote a complaint letter. In my letter, I was focused. I was eloquent. I was educated. I was threatening. I was crisp. I was organized. I was thorough. I was clever. But I was too dumb to save a copy of it before I hit send, so I could post it on this blog entry. But just take my word for it; it was good. I outlined my reasoning for my frustration, one point at at time: I worked out the outrageous $25 cost and displayed more realistic domestic shipping charges. I cited examples where legal disclosures could have been more up front. I threatened to exploit them to my family and friends. Then I ended with a threat of contacting the Better Business Bureau, who they proudly claimed they were a member of. Then I hit send, and visited the Better Business Bureau's website. I cut and paste my lovely complaint letter, and hit send again. Take that! And that! And that! I thought to myself with a conniving grin.

No less than 24 hours later, http://www.mygoldenvelope.com/ called me on the phone, made a personal apology, waived the $25 fee and agreed to return my jewelry free of charge. Done deal.

So, the moral of the story is: Things always look better on TV, for a reason. Don't do the gold jewelry cash-in thingy that I did. Another moral: Never underestimate the power of the pen! Or in this case, the keyboard! Lastly: Never underestimate a red-headed, angry housewife with a bachelor's degree in English, especially during a recession.

P.S. If anyone ever needs an angry complaint letter that will get results. I am happy to oblige. It's one of my less noteworthy talents, but I guess there are worse things to be good at.

Solid Eater Eating Solid

2009-04-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Dallin did pretty well for a first-timer. Rice cereal agreed with him, but it liked his cheeks better. Can you tell he likes to eat? He's big enough to be two kids.

Jesse's 29th Birthday With a Bum Knee

2009-04-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Owen making sure dad's cake didn't go to waste.

This is Brooke's version of The Battle of Wounded Knee, complete with toy soldiers wearing medical tape around their right knees, and blood-red jelly lettering. (Click on picture to enlarge.)

The best part about being laid-up on your birthday.

Dreaming about David

2009-04-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Confession: I had a dream about David Archuleta last night. (Don't worry, Jesse already knows.)

The dream consisted of me being engaged to David and trying desperately to get out of it. Over and over my friends kept telling me, "But Brooke, you're bigger than him!" Which is true. He's a half-pint when it comes to most males. He's short, small-framed and baby-faced. (Maybe puberty hasn't gotten hold of him yet?) The other problem was age. I am at least 10 years older than little Davey, which made me out to feel like some kind of pedophile. In a creepy, I-could-have-babysat-you-as-a-kid sort of way.

However, the best part of my dream is when Jesse comes hobbling out of the bushes, on crutches, and confesses his true love for me. This declaration finally convinces me that I must break it off with David.

So I decide to break up with him, in a round about way, at his bachelor-pad pool party. Of course, there is music blaring, lights, dancing, wet bar, the works. (Yet keep in mind this is a PG-13 dream, so the wet bar was only serving Cokes, because as we all know the Archuleta fam is mormon.) Anyway, I can't find David, but I see his mom at the party. So I go up to her and say, "Um, tell him I'm really sorry, but I can't do this." She glares a "how-dare-you-break-my-son's-heart" motherly glare at me and walks off saying nothing. Then I wake up. Does this have teen movie potential written all over it or what?! I just hope I'm not the only one who has teen-crush dreams like this!

Visiting Teaching Cartoon

2009-04-09T12:49:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

Possible Gift Ideas For Jesse's Birthday

2009-04-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Red-Knee Tarantula

Knee Deep Album

Knee Board

Knee Shorts

Knee Socks

Owen Likes Cake (No, the band)

2009-03-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Like any classic, red-blooded, American family, we only subject Owen to the very best music including Cake, Goo Goo Dolls, Jack Johnson and Coldplay to name a few. Once we get the iTunes going, he does the rest.

Husbands beware!!

2009-03-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

So here is how it happeneds, and mind you I have proof because it happened to two other guys that I know. I'm also not going to take credit for this theory since I've heard it from someone else and I'm sure there is paper or blog dedicated to this theory.

So the wife gets pregnant and starts doing pregnant things, like eating more food and the husband start doing husband things, like eating more food. So things progress and the baby is born and the wife losses all the pregnancy weight, in the mean time the sympathy weight starts to add up for the husband. We'll shortly after the birth the husband decideds to go do something that he has done for years, for example church basketball or say skiing, however the husband doesn't really take into account that he now weights 20 pounds more and is not quite at his athletic peak shall we say. That's when something happens.

I put this theory to test about 2 weeks ago on the slopes in Park City. I went with my two younger brothers Jordan and Jacob. About half way into the day Jordan decides to take a run called "Fools Gold." With a name like that you think I would have thought twice about following him but I didn't. We had been doing some black diamonds throughout the day and I thought I would be fine. Well needless to say I hit a mogal about 3/4 of the way down and I tore my ACL. I was unable to walk down the mountain so I had to get strapped in a tobogan and taken off the mountain being pulled by a snow mobile. When we arrived at the first aid cabin my brothers were there taking pictures and quitely laughing at me strapped in the tobogan, like any good and respectable brothers would do. After about an hour, some x-rays the doctor game me the news. An MRI a week later confirmed what I already knew.

Right now it looks like I'll be going into surgery on April 3rd, 2 days before my birthday. At least I'm not turning 30 then I would feel even older than I already feel. In the mean time I get to sit on the couch and watch some march madness. I got out of the first 2 round with 12 out of my 16 sweet 16 teams which isn't great but it was good for 3rd place in my work pool. Go PITT!!!

Don't "Kneed" Surgery, but Jesse Does

2009-03-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, Jesse and I have now received the results from our MRI date together.

Drum roll please..........Brooke's meniscus.........has no tears! Yes, it's true! No surgery needed! The doctor met with me and said he was unable to see any tears on my MRI, which is great news. He thinks I hyperextended my knee while skiing and it has taken a while to get back to normal (swelling, pain, etc.) He gave me a Cortisone shot in my patella (ouch) and my knee feels much better, not perfect, but better. I can't believe how much the shot helped. If I knew it could feel this good, I would have gotten it a long time ago!

On the other hand, Jessse has severely torn his ACL and will need reconstructive surgery. Right now, he is doing mild physical therapy to get full range of motion back in his knee, before he goes under the knife. The doctor believes this will help with both his surgery and recovery time.

We decide to get Jesse's surgery over with and he goes in Friday, April 3rd. Recovery time will be long, but a year from now he should be 100% or close to that. He won't be skiing, playing basketball, football, waterskiing, or any other sports anytime soon. The doc says he can golf and hike, so long as he wears a knee brace. Fun for us! Wish us luck! Now I get 3 boys to take care of at home. Woo-hoo!

Will My Husband Ever Read Twilight?

2009-03-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, can't get your husband to read Twilight, huh? Well, you're not alone. Mine won't either. (And with March madness in full swing, don't expect ANY books to give basketball a run for its money.) However, when the NCAA tourney finally comes to an end, you might want your hubbies to check out this website: http://www.twilightguy.com/guys/ It's a site for men that finally gave in and read Twilight. Pretty funny.

Went to 3 Twilight Release Parties...

2009-03-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

I saw Victoria IN PERSON last night!! I feel like a giddy thirteen-year old girl right now! I honestly just got home from hitting 3 Twilight Release Parties! (If you don't believe me, just double check the time at the bottom of this post. The time may not quite match up, but I am writing this post at 12:13 AM.)

March 21st marked the official release of Twilight on dvd, and naturally no pop-culture phenomenon would be complete with an official release party. I found out about the parties on Stephenie Meyer's official website and knew I had to catch some of the Twi-action for myself.

The best part, was that some of the Twilight cast were going to make surprise appearances in various cities. The exact locations were not revealed, but they did give you a list of stores doing parties and you could try your luck. I hit my first two parties and was on my way home when Jesse said he saw Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) on the news! Yes, it was Victoria the nomadic, feral, red-headed vampire who's out to settle a score with Bella. She was at the Riverton Walmart store signing autographs! So, like any devoted Twi-hard, I made a U-turn and drove my car, in an Edward-like fashion, to catch a peek of her.

Of course, there were thousands of people (who knew you could fit so many vampire-obsessed bodies in a Walmart) and the line wrapped around the entire store! Did I wait in the line? Of course I didn't. However, I did get a chance to see her. She is even more beautiful in person! She looked like a super-model quality with a diamond smile. I feel so star-struck right now, it's idiotic and all-consuming!

It was also pretty hilarious to see WHO came to these events too. I saw a little bit of everything: Emo kids texting on their cell phones, moms holding yawning babies, little girls waltzing around in vampire costumes, high school chicks sporting prom dresses, Sakters, Preppies, Goths, you name it. I even saw two people dressed up like Victoria and James - spitting image, probably trying to get on the news. It was too funny! Now that's a good novel, when it pulls a little bit of everything out of the woodwork.

I'm already planning on going to the next red carpet event, which will probably be the premier of New Moon on November 20, 2009 at midnight. (Move over Harry Potter fans, this one's bigger and better!!) I'd love to get a huge group of Twi-hards to come with me to the premier, so keep your calendars open ladies! And for now, may the Twi be with you!

Have You Given In To Vinyl?

2009-03-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's the latest and greatest Mormon decorating craze. (Actually, it's not the latest. If you've been faithfully attending your ward's Super Saturdays, then you've probably seen your share of vinyl over the last five years.) It's everywhere! It's infiltrating our kitchens, our bathrooms, mailboxes, car windows, and it even found its way onto my bishop's office wall! How did this happen?! Did we over-wreath-a-tize our homes during the 1970s? Did we toll-paint one too many wooden animals at girl's camp? Or perhaps we failed to regulate our dosage of cross-stitchery during our keep-the-hands-busy years? Well whatever the case may be, it seems no Mormon home is complete without some small display of those stickery words. Move over needlepoint, it's time for any-man's vinyl!

As an English major, I find it so intriguing that people would use words and phrases to decorate their homes. It's almost like turning your walls into stone tablets etched with speech and language. Pardon the expression, but Moses would be proud. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "If these walls could talk."

However before I let my wit get ahead of me and find myself poking too much fun at the vinyl craze, I, sadly, have my own confession:

Hello, my name is Brooke Barton and I decorate with vinyl.

Yes, it is true. I have given in to vinyl. Surrendered really.

Below are just a few of the phrases I couldn't resist devouring:

With all boys in my house, I had to get this one. I'm pretty out-numbered.

Made this one all by myself. I like that I can change the photos when I get bored.

Hard to read, but the tiny saying says, "The Best Journey Always Takes Us Home", a phrase I've never seen before. So I had to buy it merely for its non-cliche-ness and originality.

Made this plate at Super Saturday. Not bad for only $9.00 and it's a two-for-the-price-of-one because you can eat on it. Double whammy. (And yes, those are Willow Tree people in the photo. Another Mormon must-have.)

My mom recently gave me this one. It's a quilter's thing. Get it? If you don't, too bad, I'm not going to explain it. Pretty cute though, huh?

My Domestic Observations

2009-03-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

5 Things I Don’t Like:

1. Bad puppeteer-ing. I don’t like it when you watch TV shows with your kids and all of the sudden the puppet’s mouth is moving, but no sound is coming out, as if the sound guy and the puppet guy are not in sync anymore. It just looks bad, and Owen gets a confused look on his face.

2. Children’s books that have dustcovers. They go right into the trash at our house. Owen can't get enough of them. It’s an automatic invite for a toddler paper-shredding party. Plus, the covers never survive long enough to make it to kid number two.

3. Shopping carts that trap your toddler’s feet in the foot holes and you can’t get them out. (Especially because I buy Owen’s shoes a little on the big side, so they last longer – those ones might as well be flippers when I try to get them out of the cart.)

4. Kids at the playground who push Owen off the slide or whack him in the head for no reason – then don’t get disciplined. That bugs me. If Owen was asking for it, well, that’s a different story.

5. When we forget get to put gel in Owen’s hair before church. I don’t have any girls to bow-i-fy, so I’m not asking much to have a little spikey-haired kid to take to church on Sunday.

5 Things I Love:

1. When Owen takes my face in his hands and says “cheeks.”
2. Dallin’s congested laugh that never seems to come out all the way.
3. When Owen gets something stuck, but really only two-year old stuck, and yells “I stuck! I stuck!”
4. Dallin’s two bottom teeth, all alone, and cute as can be.
5. When Owen tries to peel my eyelids open while I’m sleeping. His hot little breath on my face always makes me smile, even if I really want to sleep.

5 Things I’ve Learned:

1. Never try to catch a cheese grater falling out of your cupboard.
2. Toddlers will eat anything soaked in ranch dressing.
3. Daddy’s work shoes are a good place for any toy.
4. You can pick up a lot of things with your toes when you’re holding an infant.

5. It's okay to miss a naptime once in a while for theraputic mom-time.

5 Words Owen Has Learned in Nursery:

“What Happened?”
“He Crying”
“Mine”
“Don’t!”
“Sheeshus” (Jesus)

My First Cool, Homemade Birthday Cake!

2009-03-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

Yes, I made this cake all by self! We had a homogenized birthday party for my mom, Heather, Ashlynn and Logan on Sunday. Of course, every good birthday party needs a homemade cake, so I made up my mind I was going to redeem myself from domestic mediocrity and try a gourmet cake. My sister, Heather, told me about a website (familyfun.com) with cakes that are very user-friendly. She was right. Here is my version of "Gum-Drop Garden" complete with gum-drop tulips, Oreo dirt, sour gummy worms, wafer picket fence posts and personalized birthday seed packets. And yes, it tasted as good as it looked. I may have to try this again soon.

Dallin Is No Longer Furniture

2009-03-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

After 5 long months, we think Owen has finally starting seeing Dallin as a little person. I don't know how he does it, but he can very gently put a pacifier in Dallin's mouth now. Most toddler's would probably just shove the thing in and gag their little baby brother, but Owen is sooooooooo soft! I love it! Now, if I could just get him to change diapers!

Getting Closer to Done!

2009-03-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Last week, our trusty contractor, Grant, came and put up the baseboards and molding. It's amazing how those finishing touches really make a room look like a room! He and Jesse worked and worked until 1:00 AM to get it all up on the walls. I know, such diehards! Can't complain though, I love how it turned out! Thank you so much, Luv!!

Here's the SE corner of the family room. Owen, of course, likes his basketball hoop as the best addition to our basement re-finish. It's nice to have some play space again!

Shot facing the west wall (bathroom is not finished yet, but someday.)

The best furniture addition, in my opinion, is the old/new entertainment center we just got! It fits perfectly into the room and the better yet.....it was FREE! (Thanks Dan & Marci! You had incredible timing! You have no idea!)

My First Sledding Day!

2009-03-03T23:35:00.001-08:00

In accordance with Utah tradition, we could not let a winter go by without smooshing in a sledding adventure and making sure Owen learned how to do winter the right way. Besides, it's way cheaper than skiing and two-year-old-user-friendly.

A shot of Grandma Ilene trying to keep little Dallin warm, hypothermia-boyscout-style.

Mom warming up for her next sledding run. And yes, you do have to warm-up after you reach the age of 28 or older. (You should see me warm-up for rollercoasters; that's a sight.)

Katie and Siera doing the two-for-one down the hillside.

Aunt Katie and Owen snuggling after a cold, yet triumphant First Sledding Day!

Our Little Talker

2009-03-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Just a little sample of Dallin's constant chattering. This is pretty mild actually. Ask anyone in our ward and they'll tell you he's the most talkive person in Gospel Doctrine every week.

Happy 2nd Birthday Owen!

2009-02-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

We have this same shot of Jesse doing this exact pose, as a little toddler in his own dumptruck back in the day. Like father, like son.

This is my attempt as baking a Martha Stewart-esque birthday cake for my son. Owen's into cars, if you can't tell, so I made him his own roadway. This took a lot of creative juices flowing and hours of baking. No, not really, but he sure loved it.

Some guys just never get over their dumptrucks.

He Had It Coming...

2009-02-24T10:17:00.001-08:00

Nice shiner, huh? We'd like you to guess how Jesse got his black-eye, because no one ever believes the real story of a black-eye anyway. See multiple choices below, and post your answer:

A. A result of Jesse's enrollment in a street fighter club, and rather than facing his usual pip-squeak opponent, has now moved up to the heavy-weights, currently struggling with his new-found competitors.

B. The result of a head-on collision with multiple laptops while working strenuous hours as a civil engineer, all of course while forgetting to wear his helmet. (It's a more dangerous job than you'd think.)

C. Brooke, in a jealous rage after discovering Jesse's Internet lovers on Facebook, aggressively bestowed her frustration on his face, fearlessly marking her territory and hoping to deter future love triangles from surfacing.

D. Church basketball.

Dallin vs. Owen

2009-02-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, already dad is teaching his boys how to fight. Not sure how I feel about encouraging them to pound each other, but I guess in the guy world it's just good survival tactics.

The Newest Members of The Family

2009-02-16T11:16:00.001-08:00

I took Owen to the doctor's office for his two year-old checkup and he loved the fish tank the best. Dr. Dan has a huge aquarium in the waiting room that Owen couldn't get enough of. I felt so crappy about him getting shots that day, that I gave in and bought him his own fish. I know, what a sucker mommy I am, but they are the best two-year-old pets in the world! Every morning he races downstairs to see the fishies, or as he calls them, the Nemos.

Don't have names just yet, so any suggestions are welcome. As you can see, Owen likes feeding the Nemos best. Too bad they don't make child-proof fish food.

The Best Toys Are the Ones You Don't Suspect

2009-02-05T15:07:00.001-08:00

Just reflecting on some of the things Owen got a hold of between 12 and 24 months. I'm sure the best is yet to come.

I Have a Toothy!

2009-02-03T19:50:00.001-08:00

It took me about 24 tries to get this picture, but here is is! The inevitable first tooth has finally entered the world. (And yes, it is very early in its debut; he was only 3 months old when it popped out.) Are we shocked? Of course we are! Were we even looking for a tooth yet? Of course we weren't! Dallin had us all fooled and how! He'd been a little cranky, but I thought it was just a guy version of PMS or something. Little did we know he was working on a new tooth for us to see. My little guy is growing up, and I about cried when I saw his tooth. My newborns just don't last very long!

Who's Who?

2009-01-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

One of these babies is Owen and the other is Dallin, but which is which?

Despair.com

2009-01-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

Well we haven't said much on this blog about the University of Utah Football season but I think it is time we break our silence. I think these Posters say it all.

And of course my favorite goes out to all of our friends and family who cheer for "The School Down South"For those who have never gone to Despair.com you need to.

UTE VENGEANCE

2009-01-14T12:03:00.001-08:00

It was a normal day, wintry and cold. We had a good Christmas, the shopping mayhem was over and the Utes won their bowl game. Everything was going right. Yet things were quiet, too quiet. We had finished putting away our Christmas decorations, all but a few. It felt only appropriate to leave the one small tribute to Utah proudly glowing on our front porch. The Sugar Bowl victory just had to be savored a few more days...

Then as Jesse headed out the door for yet another normal work day, he saw IT. Or rather, it was what he DIDN’T see. The University of Utah Christmas lights we so proudly displayed on our front porch were gone, missing, stolen! In their place, a note written in haste: “If you Ever want to see your precious lights again, you’ll have to promise never to turn them on again and they’ll be returned with honor.”

Jesse dashed into the house yelling, “Our lights have been stolen, Honey!” I flew down the stairs in my pajamas. The expression on his face was strange, not quite devastated, but not quite smiling, something in between. A smirk maybe? He knew the game had begun. Quickly we concocted a plan - a mass e-mail offering a reward for any information leading to their safe return. We secretly hoped that through the e-mail perhaps the perpetrator would somehow leak a clue, leaving themselves vulnerable, an open target. The e-mail worked all too well. The only two suspects who didn't respond were the Gardners and the Litchfields, two very devoted and very guilty BYU families.
The following night, we gathered the "reddest" party decorations we could find and set out for justice. Marking the Gardners house seemed like the right thing to do. Red crate paper, balloons and sidewalk chalk quickly taught them that not only does our team WIN their bowl games, but our fans also have triumph and glory running through their veins. They were messing with the wrong MWC team, and they would come to know it.

Feeling proud of the mark we left, we scurried home admonishing the triumph with high-fives and bowls of ice cream. Little did we know the "blue tide" was coming in. For we awoke the next morning to yet another threatening note, coupled with blue vandalism in our snow:

With the eery letters “B. Y. U.” still etched in our minds, we knew the game was far from over. The perps would be caught, it was only a matter of time. If the Utes could win 13 straight games, then we could easily handle a few lousy cougars playing reindeer games.

To be continued...

We Grow 'Em Big in This Family

2009-01-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

Dallin turned 3 months old on December 24th. I've had to put him in the 6-9 month clothes because the smaller ones don't fit his long body. Well they do, but they show his cleavage and give him that off-the-shoulder Flash-dance look, which we are trying to avoid. Not to mention it sure makes his diapers fill up faster having an air-tight bodysuit snapped down there. Those snaps are so tight, he looks like a sumo-wrestler in a thong. So, I try to be a nice mommy and give him a little breathing-room down there. We'd like grandchildren someday.

The painting is done!

2009-01-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

We painted the living room cream, then glazed over the top. The glaze falls in the cracks where we textured. Not as hard as it looks and definitely fun.

Owen's new basketball hoop is in the background, which we've had some fun with already.

The back bedroom, aka catch-all room. This will be the office and Brooke's painting room, as soon as we can install a locking door!

Hard to see, but we painted the bathroom a reddish color called Florentine Clay. That way we can imagine we are in Italy while we take care of business. Every little bit helps.

Christmas Time Is Here

2009-01-12T11:17:00.001-08:00

Owen opened one present on Christmas morning, and then didn't want to open anything else! He just wanted to play with the first toy he opened so badly. He kept getting mad at us for making him open more presents! I was ready to say, "Dang it, kid! Open your Christmas presents!" which seemed a little weird to say out loud. Someday I'm going to start a book and write down all of the things you should never have to say to your kids. This one would definitely go in there.
Owen riding his noble steed, a gift from Grandpa and Grandma Barton.

What we really did on Christmas day.

Family Photos

2008-12-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

We went to Gardner Village last week and had our photo's taken for Christmas. It was a bit harder this year than last year. Owen, being a normal 2 year old, does not like to sit still and look at a camera and Dallin is, well a 2 month old and could care less about what mom and dad are saying. None the less we had a great and patient photographer (Here is her website http://www.jeanabirdphotographyblog.com/) and we ended up with some great shots. Here are some of my favorites.

And my absolute favorite.

Merry Christmas!!!!

The Complete Home Makeover - Barton Edition

2008-12-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

The spare bedroom

(which will actually be Brooke's art room,

slash office, slash sewing room,

slash everything else room.)

The family room.

New bathroom and utility room.

The happy and most-approving wife!

He's Off the Charts!

2008-12-09T13:22:00.001-08:00

We took Dallin in for his 2-month Doctor's appointment and....the results are now in! (Drum roll please.) His head is in the 90th percentile, his weight is in the 95th percentile and...get ready for this....his height is off the charts! My little newborn weighs 15 pounds and is 25 inches long after only 8 weeks! He's gained 4 inches in height from the time he was delvered, which is pretty phenomenal! He's also doubled his birth weight, which makes me feel good. I know he's getting plenty to eat, and then some! WE grown 'em big in this family! My pediatrician said my breast-milk must be like Hagen Daas for him to be growing like this!

It's Getting Better...

2008-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Owen, with a little prodding from mom and dad, will now touch Dallin. It's been about 2 months, and we are slowly starting to see some sibling progress. A lot of people have asked us how this is going, either because they worry about us or they think we're probably nuts for having two kids so close together. Honestly, it's going okay...better than we expected. Owen has been reluctant to share mommy, but is now understanding that this little guy isn't going back where he came from. He's a fast learner and is very sweet with Dallin. He's only thrown a ball at his head once.

Some days Owen tries to help mom by bringing her pacifeirs and blankets. "By small and simple things, doth great things come to pass!" We always make a big deal out of him being a helper. Sometimes we even clap our hands when he does something nice. We used to clap our hands if his arms were still folded when we finished saying the prayer over dinner, but we have quickly learned that this carries over into church, so we don't do that anymore! (If you can imagine a toddler clapping and saying "Yea!" after the invocation, pretty funny.)

Blessing Day

2008-11-11T14:54:00.001-08:00

It's official, Dallin Lee Barton was blessed on Sunday November 23, 2008.

Confession - I read Twilight

2008-11-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am saying this out loud...throwing it out into the universe...confessing my sins...I am an English Major...and I read Twilight. (Hence the use of so many elipses in the previous sentence to emphasize my humiliation, and if you know what an elipses is, well then you REALLY pity me.) As an English major, there is a secret oath...an unwritten law...that we won't jump on the bandwagon of reading those nation-sweeping, best-sellers, especially romance novels. We vow to only read the best. We stick to the classics, the gourmets...I'm talking about the Jane Austens, the Shakespeares, the TS Eliots and so forth. Just as a wine-taster cannot stoop down to quenching a $5.99 wine-cooler from Big Al's liquor mart, our literary stomachs can only digest the finest books. However, my curiosity got the best of me, and I picked up TWILIGHT!!! Well actually, the whole truth is that my girlfriends all conned me into seeing the movie on a depserately needed GNO (girls night out) that I couldn't turn down. So being the literary junkie that I am, I couldn't see the film without at least giving the first book a chance. So I started reading it...put it down...read some more...put it down...had a baby...put it down for a LONG while...then finished it a week before the premiere. And then something funny happened...I liked it. I saw the movie. And I liked it too. Then, like a thriteen-year-old-girl-with-a-pre-teen-fettish, I googled the movie looking for pictures of the crush-worthy cast. Then I googled Stephenie Meyer and looked at how the story began (even THAT story is a good read.) Then, I decided that I didn't mind supporting an LDS author and started reading book two. (I know, another confession.) What can I say though, she's a good writer and she picked a subject matter that no one has touched for a very long time. Genius. Am I Jealous? Of course I am! I'd kill to be the next Stephenie Meyer! What English Major wouldn't? (Someday, I will publish. Something. I will. I promise. (All English Majors say that.) So watch for me, but in the meantime, at least read her first novel. It's an easy-read, good writing and clean...three things good novels don't have now-a-days.

First Smiles

2008-11-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

I am 7 weeks old!

I get my squinty eyes from my mommy!

Mowing and Snowin'

2008-11-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

I know I've seen Daddy do this before, but something's missing.

This is our house last week right around election day!

I know dad will be so proud of me when he gets home!

Happy Halloween from the Man in the Yellow Hat

2008-11-03T14:03:00.001-08:00

Let There Be Light

2008-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

The only way to truly christen your new firepit is by roasting marshmallows. So, we had a Barton family smores night! Mmm, mmm good! Next time we'll do dutch oven stuff!

Drum Roll Please...The New and Improved Backyard!

2008-10-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick run down of what we did this summer to our yard.

We put 2 planters in the backyard,

planted a garden,

tilled up all the grass,

brought in two dump truck loads of dirt,

put in a fire pit

replanted the grass.

We also put in a gravel carport in the front yard. It has been a long summer. Now we are going to move back into the basement. Let's hope we can get it done by Christmas. Wish us luck.

From NBC studios in New York . . .

2008-10-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

I just have to say thank you to Saturday Night for letting me laugh during this election season. This has been the longest election that I can remember and I'm glad to see that it is almost over.

2008-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked how Owen is doing with the new baby at home. Well after 2 weeks, this picture still captures his true sentiments. My mom shot this one and I couldn't resist posting it! He has his good days and bad ones. Days when he'll bring me a blanket for Dallin and days when he'll throw balls at his head. (Yes, we've seen both.) However, my doctor says that there will come a time when Owen can't even remember NOT having a little brother to play with. For us, those days can't come soon enough! As for now, it's still a love hate relationship. So hats off to any of you who have ever had two babies in diapers and also two babies who can't talk yet! It's a handful, but so worth it!

Happy Harvest!

2008-10-07T21:28:00.001-07:00

10 pumpkins later, the fruits of our labors have finally come! We also had a zucchini explosion that lasted all summer long. Anyone want some? They are too big for salad, but great for making bread! I have Tara Call's yummy zucchini bread recipe too, if anyone needs a good one.