Other tidbits about our Mesa Thanksgiving

So we got to Mesa on Friday afternoon, after, count them.... SIX pull overs for Aubrey's delicate traveling stomach. It almost doubled our travel time, but gratefully we were not in a rush, and there was no actual vomiting IN my van. We enjoyed Zoo Lights, a few cousin sleepovers, lots of FOOD, a mission call, pie in the park, my first (AND LAST) experience with Black Friday, and lots of FAMILY. I got to see and visit with my Gramoose Barton, a couple aunts, a uncle, and a few cousins I hadn't seen in forever. I was feeling rather sentimental and nostalgic, not to mention a bit homesick this time around. For those of you that don't know, I am the only member of my family that is not in Mesa. All of them are within about 5 miles of each other (or will soon be), and I live almost 2.5 hours away in Snowflake. It makes me feel a little lonely for my family sometimes.... But, anyhoo, it was a great time visiting with my family.

The weather was FABULOUS!! My mom kept telling my kids to put their jackets on because she thought it was so cold. They would, but their jackets always ended up laying all over the backyard, because we with thicker blood, thought it wasn't cold in the least! I had to almost laugh at those Valley Folk, all bundled up in there coats and scarfs. Ahhh, it was heaven!!! All in all it was a wonderful visit to Mesa. I love that place.... But, I might be kicked out of Snowflake for uttering such blaspheme.

Mission Call #2!!

Last month I wrote about my parents, who are going on their second mission. They served three years ago in the Philippines MTC for 18 months, and just recently decided that it was time for another one. They have be anxiously been waiting for their call to arrive, checking the status online, and generally getting a bit antsy about it all. We happened to be in town visiting when it came in the mail! Nathan and Aubrey were the ones that brought it in from the mailbox, and handed it off to Grandpa. The family gathered, and they announced that they would be serving in the....

Nauvoo, Illinois, Visitor Center Mission! They are SO excited, so much so that my mom spent the next day or so jumping up and down, dancing and squealing with delight over it! I love the example that my parents share when the chose to serve a mission. It is hard being without them for 18 months, but I can't hardly wait for the blessings that come pouring into our family because of their service. I love and am so proud of them!

Zoo Lights 2010

We went to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo on the night we got to Mesa (Wednesday). It has become a tradition with the Barton family, and the kids sure love it. The zoo was where my camera fell from my pocket, was kicked hard, and busted in a few pieces. I spent a good 10 mintues wandering around with a small flashlight looking for pieces, and then gave up after I found the actual camera, and the memory card. At least I had the card, so you could be treated with the few pictures I managed to take before the death of my former camera: After we wandered around the zoo for a while looking at the neat light displays, we rode the Merry-Go-Round, and made it back to the parking lot where we had our traditional apple and cherry fritters and hot chocolate. YUM! It was a fun night with all the kids, and they really had fun!

Another project accomplished!

We recently finished our platform for the wood stove, and it looks pretty DANG good. David worked hard on all the tile cuts, and fortunately we had the help of our wonderful brother-in-law, Mathan. They worked together, and got the tile laid, and later, the stove moved back in and set up. Here is a picture of the tile laid, isn't the pattern pretty? I still don't have a shot of the finished product, but we have THOROUGHLY been enjoying a warm crackling fire since, and our furnace has been turned way down. It hasn't turned on since we installed it! Gotta love that.

Emilys' Thanksgiving Program

On the last day of school before Thanksgiving Break, Emily's kindergarten class put on their Thanksgiving Program. David happened to be home from work, and Betsy and Jay were snoozing, so I got to go, ALL BY MYSELF, to the school to watch sweet Emily. They all sang a few songs, and each class had a short poem or song also. Emily is such a wonderful little girl, and I was SO happy to be there to watch her, UN-distracted! Here is a shot of Emily alone, and one of her whole kindergarten class:

Cameras don't like being dropped or kicked...

I have a lot to report about all the things going on lately, but I admit that I have been a slacker. See, my camera got broken when it was dropped and then kicked at the zoo during Zoo Lights in Mesa during Thanksgiving. In the meantime, we are waiting for Wal Mart to replace said camera (gotta LOVE the Product Replacement Plan we bought). I really don't like blogging without pictures, especially when I know that I have perfect pictures for what I am writing about. So, I am just checking in, changing up the background, and patiently waiting for a BRAND NEW camera! More to come soon. The end.

Out of the mouth of babes....

Our family went on a Sunday drive last night. As we were passing the temple, Aubrey announces from the back seat, "Mommy, when I see the temple my heart starts to beat, and says love". What a wonderful girl I have.