360- Great Grandma and Organizing

On Thursday morning my Great Grandma we just went to see passed away. Here is the last 5 generation picture we took on her 95th birthday two years ago.

Kennedy had a surgery follow up bright and early that morning at 8:30. She has healed perfectly and they were amazed at how well it looked. We had some errands to run. . Kennedy was exhausted from Christmas.

  Then we spent the day cleaning the house, putting away Christmas presents and organizing.

I should have gotten a full before picture.. but you get a half before picture. We took one of the small freezers out to the garage. Moved over the rack we had and decided we needed a new rack to finish putting out all our Christmas stuff from Todd and Jana. We had a lot left over from last year and wanted to have it out in hopes of seeing it will make us use it more.

 These were the totes we got this year. We loved having the fruit, new soups and dry goods! It had powdered sugar, brown sugar and white sugar. 

 After several hours of organizing, setting up half of the new shelf and putting everything away here is the finished project!

 We learned from last time we can only go one high with cans and try to keep heavy stuff out of the middle because we bowed the last shelves.. each shelf is supposed to have a 1,000 lb rating. We flipped over the shelves we bent on the big rack and put light items on it while they relax and hopefully go back to straight!

 I had to have some energy food while doing that.. green onion cream cheese dip with smoked trout

mmmmm!

 Christmas was taken down and put away. Living room put back together. We went through the kitchen and all our pots, pans, spoons, utensils etc. We cleaned and organized under the stairs and organized all our kitchen appliances. Next step was to put up the new filing cabinet we got for Christmas from JaNeale and Jimmy. 

 Once that was all done Chris headed into town to go help a friend. Kennedy and I went grocery shopping for a fishing trip the next day and then went and shot archery with Mom and Dad

Christmas Part Two and Three

After I got off work I stopped and picked up Chris and Kennedy and we headed to my parents house for Christmas. We had some delicious ham and potatoes. I was starving! I knew we had two dinners to go to so I waited to eat! Kennedy was so excited to see her present from Grandma and Grandpa. She has been wanting a doll that looks like her so bad. 

 We gave Mom and Dad their presents. Dane, Elysha, Parker, Kyle and Liz were there too and had already done their presents while waiting for us.

Chris had to steal Macee as soon as we walked in. We opened presents and got a fire extinguisher (we wanted one!) Some cute kitchen mits and towels, a kettle for our fire place, a rolling pin, and a cute hair thing.

 Zack came and stopped by to visit and bring some gifts

 Macee loves the taste of thumb. She has teeth coming in

 We hung out at my parents for a while eating, watching videos on youtube and having fun. After that we had to head to Todd and Janas where Ash and Derek were waiting for us to get there to open presents.  They had a meat tray, shrimp and a ton of desserts that I once again gorged myself on. It was all so yummy!

 Kennedy and Ry bug went to town opening presents

 Kennedy and Ry opening their big gift from Grandma and Grandpa

 Kennedy got a new pink camo comforter she just loves.

 Ry took a little longer to open hers

 Uncle Chris had to help her some. Her very own pink recliner with sippy cup holder

 Then they had to open their presents from Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Roy

 They got cute princess table and chair sets for their rooms

 Chris playing trucks with the girls

 We were so completely spoiled by everyone! Thank you!! Kennedy kept saying all day long this is the best Christmas I have ever had!

As soon as we got home we had to fill our kettle up with water and put it on the fire place 

(It keeps your house air moist so it doesnt get so dry in the winter)

359-Christmas Morning

We started Christmas morning at 0600. K's dad was supposed to come pick her up at 7. So we hurried and gave her a shower. Got her dressed and let her open her presents so she would be ready to go. We didnt open our presents so she would have time to get hers all done. She wasnt too happy about that. We needed to open ours too! We put everything into piles so it was good to go.

 She was so excited about the jewelry Santa got her

 Her big present this year was a tablet. (I found a KILLER deal on one online ) We figured she can read, watch movies, practice her spelling and words etc

 She thought it was SO cool it came with ear buds so she can listen to music now too! haha

 She was spoiled as usual :) Clothes, toys, flashlight pet, jewelry, boots, a pink camo Duck Dynasty chair, movies... And she was so cute about it. She opened each present one at a time. Looked at it. Put the wrapping paper in the basket. Said thank you and went onto the next one. She was so polite about it. I asked her what she was most excited about and she said I love them all!

 I got spoiled too! I got a super nice pair of snowmobile bibs, a pair of shoes I had been wanting, a sweet set of Vortex Binoculars, a gift card to Rue21 and a Girls With Guns (one of my favorite clothing brands) Montana Silversmith (one of my favorite jewelry brands) belt buckle. Ive been waiting for this to come out and he got me one :)

 We burned all our wrapping paper

and Chris cut up all the boxes for fire starting

 Kennedy didnt take long to start on her tablet

 The Christmas aftermath

 Kennedys dad came and picked her up around 8 and we got ready for the day. I was supposed to work from 6-2 that morning BUT ended up getting a little time off early Christmas morning since its usually really slow and only had to work 10-2. Tank got some cuddles

 He has his paw over Chris's neck hugging him. I have never seen a dog that is so attached to people as he is!

 Merry Christmas from us all!

358-Christmas Eve

 Christmas Eve I had to work for a few hours. When I was off work Mom, Dad, Kennedy and I headed to Bountiful to go see my 97 year old Great Grandma Barton who is taking a turn for the worse. She fell and broke her hip the other day and has some internal bleeding and is on hospice now. She wasn't doing well so we went to visit. She has said shes ready to go. Shes just waiting for them to come and get her. We were explaining it all to Kennedy that we were going to see her because she is dying but we dont really want to say that too her. She knows she is but we are going to visit her because we love her. Kennedy was trying to process it all and said "So I cant tell her have fun in heaven??"

We went in and visited with her for a while. She talked with us for a little bit. My Great Aunt Tammy (Great Grandmas Daughter aka my dads Aunt) and her husband were there. This is my Dads Grandma. My Great Grandma. Kennedy's Great Great Grandma. Follow now lol!

We stayed for a little bit but said our goodbyes and left. We were making her tired.

Chris was home from work and over at his parents so we stopped in there for pizza. We made them open their Christmas presents that night..one because I was so excited and two to spread out the Christmas over load that was coming the next day!

Kennedy was SUPER excited to go home early and get to bed. She kept telling me she needed to get to bed so Santa could come. Box Elder dispatch kept doing ATLS over the radio for a reckless driver or a burglar.. driving a sleigh with 8 reindeer, a fat man wearing a red suit and white beard. Kennedy LOVED it. He kept getting close and closer. We would catch her sneaking over to look out the windows to see if she could see him. She very much has the magic of Christmas alive in her eyes. Its so sweet I love it.

We cheated. My mom made cookies not too long ago and brought us some. Between going to see my Grandma and all the junk food we had in our house I didnt see the need to make MORE treats. So we put out some of the cookies my Mom made for Santa instead and some egg nog. She wrote him a note that said 

"Merry Christmas Love Kennedy HoHoHo"

Taylor came to visit. We all (minus Kennedy who was singing herself to sleep with Christmas songs) watched National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and then headed to bed. Something magical happened during the night

Santa came!!!

357- Barton family Christmas Party

Elysha hosted our families Christmas party this year. We usually have it at her house. The thing about our family is we really are just a huge melting pot. You have real family, friends, people our family has 'adopted' etc. I realized about half way through this that I hadnt been taking any pictures. I was too busy visiting and enjoying all the amazing foods. Todd, Jana, Phil and Chris were there but they left early. Chris had been up plowing for work since 0200 that morning and was exhausted so he went home with his parents and the rest of us stayed. 

Grandma Julie, Dane and Uncle Danny

 Dane, Elysha and Macee

 Boys telling stories in the kitchen

Dad, Kyle, Uncle Ron and Kyle F

 Me, Elysha and Dad

 Kyle, Elysha, Ron, Shafer, Kesleigh and Kyle F

 Dad, Liz, Bailey, Kyle and Elysa

 Kyle and Elysha

Everyone keeps struggling with the twins so its just easier to say who is who.. especially since Elysha is with her brother in law not husband lol!

 Bailey (my cousin from MT) and me

 Lissa, Grandpa Doug and Karly

 Mom and Dad put together a slide show (another tradition) and it was playing downstairs

 My mom and her two sisters Susan and Kathy

 Elysha has a play room set up in the basement. The kids harldy came out of there. They had SO much fun.

Kennedy, Kesleigh, Parker and Dominik

 Lysha Lou, Bailey, Kyle and I

  Cute Grandma Gigi in her Naughty Santa hat

 More story telling

Kyle and Karly

 We noticed there were a lot of beards there.. so we had the guys take a beard love picture. However we noticed Shafer (another one of the strays my parents picked up) didnt have enough facial hair but didnt want to exclude him. Kyle shared his goatee with him since he had enough. You can tell Shafer really wanted that.

 We felt bad for him so Liz took out the bottom part of her extensions and we tapped it to his face. He felt better about that.

 Me, Bails, Zacky an Liz

 Also a shot is a family Christmas tradition at the party. Have to have one of Yeager every year.

 Theres Kyle with his wife finally lol!

 I couldnt wait to give Miss Moo her present so I made her open it. 

 She chose to chew on it instead..

 Uncle Zack bought Parker Despicable Me 2 and brought it over for all the kids to watch. No wonder he's the favorite. They set up a 'theater' downstairs.

I love our family get togethers. Kennedy and I headed home early at 10 that night. We were party poopers but I had to work at 6 am the next morning.