Out with the old....

And in with the new....

Look what I got for Christmas! It was definately time for the old couch to go. When I was pregnant, I could not even get out of the couch. I had to roll onto the floor and then get up. Pathetic! I love my new couch and love seat! We actually got them just after Thanksgiving. We went into a store that was going out of business and got a steal of a deal. We were planning on just getting a sofa since our place is not so big. But with a sale like that we had to get the love seat too. Our family room is pretty squished, but I am still so excited! Plus, it only took us 4 hours to get them in the house. We had to remove the legs, and take off doors, but we were finally able to inch through.

Before we went to Gunnison for Christmas, we had our own family Christmas here at home. We opened our few gifts to each other, and helped Jordyn open her presents. It was so fun with her this year, I can only be more excited to spend Christmas with our cutie next year!

Look how big she is sitting all by herself in her bumbo!

'Tis The Season!

We have already had so much fun this Christmas holiday! To celebrate the season we have...

...Acted out the Nativity with Jordyn and her Dyreng cousins...

...Visited Santa at the Riverwoods....

And shared cheerful holiday smiles :) Isn't she so cute in her Christmas dress?!

Merry Christmas to All!

Family Pictures

We had some pics taken a few weeks ago. Here are a few of our favorites!

Blessing Day

We had the opportunity to bless Jordyn on November 7th here in our ward in Payson. It was so awesome! Chad did an amazing job and I was so proud of him an our little girl. We had a little luncheon here in our home and were able to fit all our family and loved ones. Thanks to everyone who traveled to share this day with us!

Nap Time!

So, we are sleepers in our house. I love naps and my favorite thing is to lay Jordyn on my chest so we can nap on the couch. Chad loves to sleep in and his favorite part of the day is from 6am to 8am when she snuggles in bed with us after I feed her. It is no wonder our little baby is a champion sleeper, and a great snuggler!

Blonde

Ask yourself... Is Mandi stupid enough to lock herself and her baby out of the house? Answer... yes.

Ask yourself... Is Mandi awesome enough to get the window open and jump through? Answer... yes.

I think this is proof that my awesomeness overpowers my stupidity. Don't you?

Happy Halloween!

Jordyn was not happy about this situation! This is as dressed up as Jordyn got on Halloween. In fact, we did not dress her up at all on the real Halloween, this was taken a week before after my mom's Grandma's Halloween party. She went to the party with her cousins, but did not really participate! There was so much noise and commotion with all the other grandkids there that she was kind of freaking out! We are not that noisy at our home!

My mom bought her this outfit before she was born. It is a newborn size and barely fit! Who knew our 3 week old baby would be out of her newborn clothes before Halloween! I am actually really sad not to but her in the tiny little clothes anymore. But I do have some way cute 0-3 month outfits, and I cannot wait for an occasion to dress her up!

So Fresh and So Clean

We gave Jordyn her first bath a couple weeks ago. She HATED it the first time and as you can see, she just screamed the whole time. Since then she has really come to like it and just relaxes and lets loose! She still hates it when I lotion her up afterward though. Oh well, get used to it baby, cause I like how the lotion smells!

Baby Girl

So, even though our little girl has a name, we still just call her baby girl, or sometimes just baby. She is going to have some kind of identity crisis someday. Oh well.

We love having her around. She is a very good baby. She sleeps for about 6 hours during the night before she wakes up hungry. After I feed her she sleeps another 3 hours. We had her 2 week appointment a few days ago and the doctor told me she needed to gain more weight. My mind was so confused, cause to me she looks like the chubbiest baby ever! So, we are coming up with creative ways to wake her up and eat more often. She is extremely ticklish, so that is lucky.

There are definately things that have taken us by surprise since we have brought Jordyn home. For starters, she is lactating! I guess that is normal though. She barfs up more milk than I thought a baby could be capable of. I mean, both she and I have to change every article of clothing after one of these erruptions! Luckily, they don't happen often. She can't get the concept of going to the bathroom in her diaper. For some reason she thinks it is time to go in the few milliseconds between taking off the old diaper and putting on the new one. Lets just say I never new one small thing could provide so many loads of laundry!

Just in case you have not seen what a cutie pie she is, here are some more pics!

This first pic is an attempt by my mom and I to take pictures for a birth announcement. It was a lot easier to take pictures while she was asleep than it was when she was awake! BTW, my sister in law Sam made this cutest beanie for her! So cute!

Good News...

Jordyn is home and doing great! We love her to death and are having so much fun taking care of her. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. I think that is my favorite part about being a mommy, watching Chad be a daddy.

Speaking of my awesome husband, I need to give a delayed Happy Birthday shout to out out to the great man I get to call my mine. It was his 25th birthday on the 26th of September, Jordyn's original due date. The Colts were playing in Denver that day, and I wanted more than anything to send him to the game. The only thing he wanted was to be a daddy. Even on his birthday, he put the focus on me and our baby. During my labor and c-section, he never left my side, always holding my hand. While in the hospital he wanted to be involved in everything. If I got up to go to the nursery and feed the baby at 3 am, he came with me just to sit and watch her. He has been so sensitive. The day I was wheeled into the nursery to see my baby hooked to all those monitors and all alone in her own little nicu corner, not able to be held unless to be fed or even to be swaddled in a blanket, I broke down a little. He was so senitive, calmed me down and put everything into perspective and letting me know everything would be ok and we had great doctors and nurses taking care of her. He was so anxious to bring her home, he had my hospital room backed up and cleaned before I even knew what was going on. This morning, her put her in bed next to him and just snuggled and held her til she fell back asleep. It might have been the cutest thing I have ever seen! Anyway, Happy Birthday Daddy! 2010 was a good one!

Jordyn Jane

Jordyn Jane Barton
Born on Thursday, September 30th at 5:18 pm
Weight: 8 lbs 7 oz
Length: 21 inches

The day Jordyn was born, Chad and I came to the hospital at 6 am. I was admitted, induced and started feeling contractions by 7:30. I was given an epidural (a true miracle in medicine!) at 11:30. At this time, I was dialted to a 3 and 90% effaced. By 12:30, I was dialated to 4 cm. During the next 4 hours, the doctor came in several times and said the same thing every time...still at 4 cm. I got my hopes up once when he said, "Maybe I would consider you at 5 cm, but it is still pretty close to 4." At 4:30, I was not changing, and Jordyn was showing she was under a lot of stress. The stress could have been caused by a number of things, pinched cord, being overworked (I had been in hard labor now for 9 hours), or just simply being too big for my body to handle. So he decided to do a c-section. As it turned out after delivery, she was not pinching a cord, just overdue, and both our bodies were taking on stress we could not handle. It all happened so fast. The decision was made around 4:45. The operating room was prepared, I was given more drugs so I really could feel nothing from the shoulders down, Chad scrubbed up, and within 30 minutes of the decision, Jordyn was born!
The c-section was so strange. My arms were strapped down out to the side and Chad sat there holding my hand and keeping me calm the entire time. I felt the dr put some pressure on my upper abdomen and I felt her slide right out. Everyone in the delivery room, just went "Woooaaahh". I heard them chat back and forth about how big she was. Someone even said something about her face being as round as a basketball (it was all a little foggy at this time.) Chad brought her over for me to see, and I got a quick glimps before they whisked her away. Chad came back from the nurses station with her stats and told us all she was 8 lbs. 7 oz. One doctor said, "And what does the other cheek weigh?" Her cheeks were so huge! They have gone down a lot, but oh man were they huge!
Back in the delivery room, the nurse came in and told us she did not pass her room breathing test and was going to be put in the nicu, which in this small hospital is really just a bed in the corner of the nursery with curtains separating it. I was not able to see her until 2 am; almost 7 hours later. At that time, I could not hold her cause she was under oxygen and could only be taken out to be fed. They let my try and feed her at 4am and we finally got to hold our little girl.
I have been discharged from the hospital, but we are still waiting to Jordyn to get off the oxygen so we can taker her home. The oxygen problem could be caused by a few different things. When the dr broke my water, he noticed there could be a problem with her swallowing some stool that had gone into the fluid, I think this is called myconia or something like that. The oxygen problem could be caused by an infection. Jordyn was put on antibiotics the night she was born in case this is the problem. Or the problem could just be her trying to transition from the womb to the world. On the outside, she is healthy baby girl and you would never know there was a problem until the monitors she is hooked up to start beeping.
She has made a lot of progress. In fact, she has not had to have the oxygen on for over 24 hours now. We are just waiting for her dr to be sure we can take her home. We may have to wait until Thursday for her to finish a full 7 days of antibiotic. Right now, it is just kind of a wait and see thing. Either way, she is doing so good and we hope to be home soon.
We think she is the cutest little thing with chubby cheeks ever! We love the time we get to spend with her in the nursery feeding, hold, snuggling and talking to her. She is so sweet and we are so grateful she is here and is a strong girl. What a blessing a sweet baby can be!

Ready For Ya.....

Do any other of my Gunnison Valley Elementary alumni remember when the lunch callers used to come to the classroom and yell, "Ready for ya..." and then it was finally your time for lunch? Well, I keep telling this baby we're ready and she is just not getting the hints. I had a sad moment when I opened my blog and the little baby counter says "40 weeks and 1 day pregnant". Bummer.

To keep myself busy, I have been working on nursery decor and thought I would post. Here are some pics:

Trying to be frugal, I either altered or made most of it; the quilt, bedskirt, curtain, frames, baskets, mobile and coverslip for the chair and ottoman. I had so much fun! I just love doing this kind of thing, and if had the money to make over my house all the time, I would! I wasted so much of the summer looking at sewing and DIY blogs.

Ok baby girl, we really are ready for ya!

A Whale of a Tale

So today was my first day back at school. I am having a crowd of emotions ranging from overwhelmed, confused, exhausted and yet still excited for a new year to start. I love my school and the faculty and laughed so hard with them today that I had to take a second to share....

So, me and two other teachers went to Subway for lunch. As we got done and drove back to the school, a monsoon of epic porportions hit Spanish Fork. Water was flowing down the streets like rivers. We got to the school and I knew we had to make a run for it. With my arms full, I tried to jump out of the huge truck, this is where my problems started. I nearly dropped everything, smashed my sandwich, but decided that because I was getting drenched to press forward toward the building. As I was trying to run, I remembered that I am roughly the size of a whale these days and my body does not move the way I think it is supposed to. It ended up being more of a quick paced waddle than a run. I twisted my ankle. My stupid maternity pants were halfway down my thighs. I was getting absolutely drenched. The other teachers had already made it to the building and I was still in the middle of the parking lot! By the time I got into the school, I was laughing so hared I nearly wet myself! I am sure I looked like such a fool and I wish I could have had it on tape, and that you all could have been in my head as I tried to figure out why my body could not run!

Oh it will be awesome not to be pregnant in a few weeks!

The Oregon Coast

We were able to visit the northern coast of Oregon with Chad's family a couple of weeks ago. I had never seen the coast that far north and let me just tell you... gorgeous! I loved it! Everywhere we went was a new scenic sight! If you are looking for a scenic vacation, definately head here.

We spent a night visiting the Barton's old homestead, Baker, Oregon. From there we went to Portland/ Vancovour and spent a night with Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jeff. They were such fun hosts. We spent an afternoon at the Portland Zoo. Chad and I LOVE the zoo, and this one was awesome! From there, we spent two or three days driving along the coast in the RV seeing a couple lighthouses, beaches, an aquarium, riding bikes, collecting sea shells, sharing laughs and good times! Thanks Rod and Lisa for such a great trip!

I also made a discovery during this trip...Chad likes to take pictures! (As you can tell by the many pictures on the slide.) So, the prospect of a nice camera in the future is looking brighter!

Go, Go, Go

I have had several comments from readers that they are sick of looking at tree weed, so I guess it is time to update my blog! But before I do, I know you have all been wondering about tree weed... it has not come back. It has accepted defeat.

Since the last week of June, Chad and I have been going, going, going. We spent a few days at Lake Powell with my family. It was such a great trip and so fun to get away with my parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. We have been going to Lake Powell since before I was born. I still get so excited to go, the kind of excited that makes you not sleep the night before! I love pulling up to the water and just being so happy to be there I can hardly contain it! I am lame and forgot a camera but here are a couple pictures I stole from others, so if you are thinking "Hey, I took that picture" you probably did.

The boys built a water slide on the beach. It is quite the process and a lot of work, and they take their job seriously!

But not too seriously! Here they are ready for the first run!

And here is my niece Rilee taking her turn!

Chad and I floating. I got fried and spent a lot of time in the water trying to stay cool.
This is the last day. Can you tell? :)

Just after getting home, we headed back down to Gunnison to participate in the hometown 4th festivities. The 4th of July is without a doubt my favorite time to be in Gunnison. I love the small town celebrations. This year we heard a Neil Diamond impersonator, got candy at the parade, and followed my nephews around at the carnival. Thank goodness for the little kids in the family that keep us entertained until our own gets here! (Again, no pictures. Chad is not going to let me get a nice big camera until I learn to take more pictures with the one I have. I am failing miserably!)

Later that evening we headed up to Salt Lake to spend some time with our great friends Soren and Ashley. They just welcomed an adorable baby girl into their home and we just had to see her before they move at the end of this month. They are venturing out all the way to Ohio for law school and we will miss them terribly!

The following week we went to Gunnison to go through the temple with my youngest brother Connor and to spend some time with him before he goes on this mission. He leaves the 4th of August and I think I speak for the whole family in saying we will really miss him!

If you can believe it in all the running around, we still missed out on so much. We missed Grandpa Barton's 80th birthday party and felt so bad we could not see Chad's family and all the cousins. We also missed a special day with one of my most cherished friends, Stacy, as she and her husband Jared were sealed in the Manti Temple. So to those we have missed this summer, we apologize, but know that we love you and wish we could have shared these special times with you.

To add a cherry to our summer sundae, we are headed to the Oregon Coast next week with Chad's family. His brother Tyler is leaving on his mission on August 11th. We are excited to spend some time with him, but sad for the time to come to say goodbye. We will miss you Ty! (I promise to get some pictures of this trip!)

Between weekends running around and hours in the car, we have both been in classes. Chad is still working as well. I am now in the last week of my master's classes and could not be more anxious to be done. Sitting 8 hours a day is much more difficult than I could have imagined.

As far as the pregnancy goes...still pregnant. She is kicking and moving all the time. At my last appointment the doctor commented on how high she was sitting. I thought, "That explains a lot cause I can't breathe and I feel like my ribs are being forced in an outward direction." But, only 10 more weeks! It is coming fast and we are soooooo anxious for her to be here!

Tree Weed

This is tree weed. We call it this because it was a weed that somehow grew big enough to be considered a tree. I walked out into our backyard a few days ago, and this weed sprouted out of nowhere. It was non existent one day, and taking over the next. It was as tall as my chin. It had thorns, so I did not want to just pull it out, plus I don't think I would have had the strength! I looked for a shovel in the garage, but to no avail. The only thing I could find to destroy tree weed forever was a small garden shovel. Using it as an ax, I hacked away at tree weed. The stem was about as big as my wrist. Hopefully tree weed is gone for good!

On another note, I am still pregnant and it is taking forever! (It's ok...you can go ahead and laugh cause I am only 25 weeks... I had to add countdown to help me keep track.) Now that school is out, I am just at home waiting. Waiting for Chad to get home and be with me. Waiting for the weeks to pass so I can hold my baby. Waiting for more money to appear in our bank account so I can go buy baby stuff. Just waiting, and I am not a patient girl!

Things to do keep my mind off "baby":

• Paint interior of house. Bedroom and bathrooms done. Baby's room tomorrow.
• Yard work/ battle of the tree weed.
• Cleaning and laundry....snore.
• Online shopping. Is is considered shopping if I just look at all the baby stuff without buying?
• Still teaching Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Drumroll please....part deux

Against all odds... we've got a GIRL!

Everything looked great at the ultrasound, which is such a relief. I don't know if most expecting mothers feel this way, but I was more anxious about them finding something out of the ordinary and telling me bad news, than I was about the gender . It was quite an experience seeing the heart and hearing all the measurements. Amazing. No more words.

The reason I say 'against all odds' is that there seems to be a tradition of boys on both sides of our family. On my side, I have 6 nephews and 1 niece. Rilee will be happy to finally have a girl cousin! On Chad's side, each Barton family only gets one girl, if they get one at all, and the rest are all boys. This goes back for a couple generations I believe (Lisa, you can correct me if I am wrong!) Chad says it is their way of slowly taking over the world! Regardless of the odds, we are so stinkin' excited to have our girl first!

p.s. Our little girl was very modest and extremely concerned about keeping her legs crossed and her hands covering anything we wanted to see! The little stinker! She did not even want us to take her picture, so for her sake, I am not posting it online!

Fun Stuff

The past few weeks have been super busy, but full of fun! The first weekend in May I graduated*! The reason for the * is that I still have some summer classes coming up in July. But, because I have less than 12 credits to take, I was able to go to Cedar City and participate in the graduation commencement. It was awesome! To be hooded by some of my professors, and shake hands with important SUU people was so cool. I was not able to walk when I got my bachelor's, so this was a big experience for me. Senator Bennett spoke on Friday night to all the graduates, and then we had the individual college stuff on Saturday morning. Great weekend!

And of course, Nikki graduated with me! I stole this from her blog cause all my pics are on my mom's camera which means I will get them in about 8 months!

That same weekend was my birthday. The big 25. Chad got me some new DVDs and tickets to a show at the Hale Theater. He also made and appointment for me to get a pregnancy massage. What a sweetheart!

Later that week, we took some time to check out the golf course here in Payson. It was a great time as you can see!

As you can tell, I have awesome form and I am really good ;)

Chad is a lot more serious about it than I am, but we always have a good time when we go.

This past weekend, we spent some time with Tarrin & Tyrell's kids. It was fun and they are such cuties. But when we got home, we were exhausted. We were asleep on the couch by 9! Let's hope our energy builds up before our own little Barton comes!

And last, but not least, Mother's Day! Chad took me shopping for some maternity clothes to celebrate my first Mother's Day. On Sunday when the young women passed out the flowers, I actually got one! I felt more like I should be passing them out than receiving one, but I take what I can get. We also went to Gunnison to have lunch with some of the coolest mom's ever... Cami, Nona, and my own fabulous mom! What a great mother's day weekend it was to think about all the great mom's I am privaledged to be aquaited with. I hope you all know how great you are and what an impact you have had in my life and what great examples you are! One mother I must mention is my own great mother-in-law. Thanks for raising such a great guy :)

Take a Breath

This past week was like one bomb was dropped on me after another.
Bomb 1: With budget cuts in the district, lots of changes are coming for next year. My principal pulled me aside this week and told me I would be teaching 3rd grade next year. I have mixed feelings about this. I have always believed that being stagnant means I am not progressing and not improving myself. I have felt a little stagnant in the 4th grade. Being my 3rd year there, I have my curriculum under control. With the work I have done in my master's classes, I have put a lot of thought and work into what I have taught and the things that used to be difficult for me in the 4th grade have become second nature. Moving to 3rd grade will give me a chance to challenge myself and will keep me from being stagnant. Plus I am going to be working with some awsome teachers who have already been so open and helpful this week. Another plus, my pal Lyndsay is moving with me, so we will still be teaching together. And while a change is exciting and new, it will have it's challenges. The biggest being that I will need to make 6 weeks of maternity leave sub plans in a curriculum I don't know. Lucky for me, I will have Lyndsay and my other friends in the 3rd grade to help me out. They are the nicest ladies and I know they will help me out. In fact, Lyndsay and I are going 3rd grade shopping this afternoon. It also gives me a little boost knowing that my principal has enough faith in me to move me in the first place. At least someone thinks I can tackle this! (Note: There will always be an emtpy place in my hear where my 4th grade team once was. I love you guys!) So, wish me luck!
Bomb 2: Other stuff at school. Teaching other people's kids is stressful. With testing at my heels right now, and other issues in the classroom, I have experienced several sleepless nights the past few weeks. Lets just say I have the most awesome husband in the world who will come home from his long day at work and school to spend his evenings listening to me vent and doing everything he can to comfort me. If he could, he would fight my battles for me.
Bomb 3: Finding a babysitter is proving to be very difficult. Fortunately, I work in a school full of young mothers who have given me phone numbers, information and lots of advice. One piece of advice they gave me was to start looking for a sitter early. Unfortunately, every sitter I have called will not have room for a newborn. The best solace I can take is that if Heavenly Father has given me this baby, he will provide a way. I don't know if I have mentioned this, but Chad and I were not really planning to start our family just yet. But if the Lord will have it be, something will come up. I still have time, I am just not a good waiter!

How Grateful I am for a new week and a fresh start! I know that if I just take a breath and put all this into perspective, none of these things are a big enough deal to put me out or get me down. Besides, I have too many great friends, family, and an awesome husband to let me fall in the first place!

Fiasco in the Kitchen

Sunday dinner. I loved it growing up in my mom's home. I was excited to get married and have someone to cook a good meal for on Sundays. Today, I attempted something not so difficult but still scrumptious, and it turned into a fiasco.

It started with splattering cooking oil, EVERYWHERE. On my hands and up my arms, now blistering. On my kitchen floor, which is where I slipped and ended up on my rear end. Does being pregnant make you more of a klutz? Let's not mention clean up, it will just make me more tired.

Turns out Chad does not really like scones and honeybutter anyway.

Family,Conference and Easter

This past weekend, we had an opportunity to attend the Saturday afternoon session of conference. It was so spiritual and uplifting. What a great way to spend an Easter weekend. Thanks Adam for hooking us up!

Following the session, we met up with Chad's family in SLC to celebrate as his younger brother was set apart as an elder. As I sat there with the family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa Barton's, I could not help but think how lucky I am to have both sides of my family so strong in the gospel. It was cool to see so many men in the Barton family stand in the circle for Tyler. They are a great family and I am so blessed to be a part of them.
Next weekend, my oldest nephew Canyen is being baptised. I cannot believe he is that old! My younger brother Connor is going to be doing the baptism. They have such a special relationship and I am so excited for both Connor and Canyen. Also, next weekend Cody will be blessing my newest nephew Porter. With this generation of grandkids that is coming into my family, it has been difficult at times to narrow down the priesthood holders who will be standing in the circle because we have so many willing and able men who share their preisthoold blessings.

I felt like this conference focused a lot on families and parenting. That could be just because this is the phase Chad and I are entering in life, so that is what caught my attention. Not going to lie, there are a lot of things that scare me about bringing a baby into this world. But I get so much comfort and relief knowing that Chad and I both have strong, awesome families to back us up!

This next week is my spring break. Kind of bad timing, cause chad is so busy getting ready for finals and finishing (and, let's be honest...starting!) projects. I don't really have any plans besides cleaning and housekeeping and maybe some yard work if the sun ever decides to come out this spring. I am going to be one bored and lonely Mandi, so please call me and we can hang out!

Drumroll please....

Because Chad and I both come from small towns, and mothers who like to talk, you may already know this but I guess we should make it official....

drumroll please...

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!

I am 13 weeks along, due September 26 (Chad's birthday). We had a dr. appointment last Friday and got to hear the heartbeat. What an experience that is! I have been feeling pretty good. Yes...tired, nauseous, and hungry ALL the time. But I am functioning just fine and can't complain.

Chad and I are so excited. I cannot believe we have been given this opportunity. We feel so blessed and...well...excited! Chad has been singing me this song. Because of that, and the fact that is might be the most awkward song ever written, I have posted it here for you all. Also, we really like Glee!

Tune-in

Those of you who know me well, know that I am kind of a music junkie. I always like to have music playing whether I am in the car or cleaning the house or doing my hair. I LOVE my music! I sometimes think I was born in the wrong generation because I love the 70's and 80's, both soft rock and classic rock. Boston, Def Leopard, Styx, Journey, Tom Petty, Guess Who, Moody Blues, Neil Diamond, Air Supply, Doobie Brothers, Elton John, Queen, and my list goes on and on! I listen to The Arrow 103.5 every morning on my way to work, and when they play a good song, it just sets me in the best mood! I heard Blue Oyster Cult with some cow bell the other day, and I could not help but smile :) A few weeks ago I was enjoying my music as I was browsing around youtube. I love to look for songs I have not heard in a while and just jam out on my couch with an after school snack. On this particular day, I came across Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler. I started the song and my heart skipped a few beats because I absolutely LOVE this song! I started watching the video and I was just....taken back. This is the weirdest video I have ever seen. Take a look! If you have any idea what it is about besides strange glowing eyed men... please let me know!

Hypocrite

The title of this post is my confession to you all. I always look at the blog list on the side of my blog and the last dates that my friends have blogged, wishing you all would blog more so I had something to read while I sit on my couch and unwind from the day! Then I looked at the last time I blogged... ummmm... hypocrite! In my defense, not much has been going on lately.

My cousin Kelsey and I have been crafting. I have made a new bag for my school books, and painted some blocks to go on top of my piano. Maybe I will get some pics sometime.

We had a rockin super bowl party. I meant to get pictures of that too, but I was too busy eating and chatting to take any! We had the house decked out in blue and white. Chad came home from school one day to give me my very own Colts t-shirt. Although the game did not turn out as we had hoped, it was a great party anyway.

We spent the lasts few days visitng my family in Gunnison. We celebrated birthdays for my Dad, nephew Dillon, and Grandma Delma. I love them all so much and wish the happiest of birthdays.

Tomorrow we are going to meet our newest nephew... Tatum Tyrell Philpott! We are so excited for Tarrin and Tyrell and the new addition to their family. They are some of the coolest people I know, and great parents to boot. Congrats to the Philpotts!

Chad and I have decided to post-pone our Valentines til next week this year. We hae had a lot of family stuff going on this week, and what is the difference between Feb. 14 and Feb. 20?! We love each other either day!

Right now I am watching the olympics. I just finished the men's moguls. I have no idea what is going on in that sport (which is how it is for most olympic sports for me), but I just get so into it! I love team USA! I love Bob Costas! I even love Canada! I love that for the next two weeks, there with always be something worth watching on TV. I love the unity that comes with the olympics. I love it all! GO TEAM USA! I am now going to watch the movie "Miracle" to go along with the olympic spirit, along with a bowl of raspberry sherbet because I love that too!

There you have it... my update. Now, to all you bloggers out there, keep blogging! Not for yourself, but for all those like me, who care about you and what you are doing, or just need something to read while we unwind!

The Break...

Christmas break has be absolutely FABULOUS! We started the break by driving to Powell to spend Christmas with Chad's family. We left on Wednesday, and were lucky enough to spend 6 days there. It was such a great Christmas. It was the first Christmas I have ever spent away from my family, which was sad for me. But if I must be away, there is no one else I would rather spend it with than with Chad's family. We had a great week playing games, Super Mario, and eating like there was no tomorrow! Thanks Barton family for making our Christmas so enjoyable!


This is all the boys, and then Chad and I, in our Christmas Eve pajamas.

We were totally spoiled this Christmas. Chad bought me an elliptical. I absolutely love it! So, if you could all do me a favor... next time you see me ask me if I have been working out, and I will be able to say YES! Chad's parents gave us a wii, and we are having so much fun with it! Chad has always been a gamer, and I think I am going to walk into his web with this wii. Chad got a couple video games and some more Colts memorabilia. His dream is to someday have an entire room dedicated to the football team. My parents gave us a super cute ottoman. It goes so well with our older than the hills floral velvet couch, don't you think?!



After a long drive home, we had to shovel the driveway before we could pull in the car. Then we relaxed for a few days. I probably laid around too much, but it was just so great! I had this whole list of things to do during the holidays, but nothing got done, and I am ok with that! We spent New Years Eve with Nikki, Blake, Meggan and Kade. We ate the largest pizza I have every seen at Pirate Island. Chad and I decided to embrace life and sing some kareoke, "Don't Stop Believin'". After watching the video Blake took, I cannot believe I did that! I would post the video, but I am much to embarassed, so you just get to see a snapshot!


On New Year's Day, I went to Gunnison to spend the day with my family. They are so great and I always enjoy just sitting around and talking with my mom. I helped Connor write a paper for a scholarship application. I cannot believe he is 18 and getting ready to graduate. We had a panini party and spent some time with my grandparents and some of my cousins. It was not a really eventful day, but as chubby little Russell from "Up" (one of my new favorite movies) would say, "It sounds really boring, but sometimes it's the boring stuff I think I remember most". I hope you all had some time to enjoy the "boring" stuff this holiday season!

School starts for me tomorrow and for Chad in a couple days. I will be back at night classes and continuing working towards the Master's degree. And...Chad started a new job just before we left for the break! Yay! No more water delivery boy! I am so proud of him. He will be working at UVU with the same networking stuff he wants to do in his career, so it is a perfect job for him and a great opportunity. We will both hit the ground running next week, and will suffer in the first few days because of our laziness during the break. So wish us luck!