This year's First Post

I know I suck at this, but I can honestly say I haven't had a second!!!!! My busy season officially ended today in that this is the first day I have not had an appoitment followed immeadiatly by another appointment!!!! This year is not going to be as lucrative as last, but I'm still trying and there are still 6 more months!!! Come on folks!!! Ya'll know you need some polyester!

In the middle of everything else, all the "babies" are now grown. Twins were 1 in March, Hayden is 1 in June, Clayton was 1 in May, Kristen is pregnant again, and we just fathered 10 black lab puppies...well Drake did! They're too cute, but ever reminding that we're not ready just yet for a "puppy"! I'll just enjoy everyone else's for now!!!

As I write, Jayson is hopefully fishing in Louisiana. I say hopefully b/c I haven't talked to him today and the weather was supposed to be nasty all weekend. He may have found other "refreshing" activities to get him through the weekend!!!

The family is doing better! We're all still praying for God's will with my dad and the job situation! At least school is out for Mama and he won't be by himself just dwelling on things ALL THE TIME as much anymore! Anyprayers offered are always welcomed and accepted!

Well, I guess since I now know what my pass word is, I'll try and do better about updating this more frequently...but for now I shall leave you with the ever famous Best Names Of Busy Season Delta Version
1. Amiricle
2. LaDestinee
3. Dessirree....they liked multiple letters
4. Ladayzha

I'll add more when I can get my lists back out!!!

Lots of love,
Mary Barton

And so it begins...

Here we are again, October 1 marking that most blessed and sacred day....opening day of Bow Season. Jayson, being the dedicated and faithful sportsman that he is, took the day off work so that he could TRULY commit to opening day. What heart! Now if I could get that same type of commitment on clothes folding assistance and other miscellaneous tasks...

Work for me is GREAT! With the year almost over, I am finally enjoying mornings where I can stay in PJs all day and no make up and run errands and take care of my projects at my leisure! It is such a blessing and I do all I can to thank God for it everyday! Most days I get in some good online shopping, exercise, new recipes, and keeping up with my celebrity gossip! My house is clean! Supper is cooked! I get more practice on being a "good wife" and we usually get to eat supper together sitting down with the food STILL HOT!!! It is only because of God's blessings in our lives that we are where we are!

Well in Parker family news, Rachel takes her boards today to get her cosmetology license! She will do great! She also has a new BF who we love and who adores her...all that really matters! She is really happy in Memphis and has a new job! Go by and see her and get yo weave wurked on!!! Hank has not "been stolen" lately, however Bose has taken it upon himself to see just how long it will take him to eat his way out of the dog pen completely. I have now gotten baby sitting responsibilities so he comes to our house a.k.a Daycare and plays w/ Drake and Ruger weekly. Needless to say, Tricia is happy when he comes home worn out! Old Dave is good! Just being Old Dave, waiting til Thanksgiving when his deer season starts!

Hope all are well! Know we love and miss everyone and pray for you daily! Count your blessings! They are so numerous and I know I can never show enough gratitude!

Much Love,
Mary Barton

Newest News...however small it may be!

So this marks my whopping 4th blog of the year! And for those of you smirking at home thinking I have all this time to send updates, you are right/wrong. My time at home has been spent staring at the computer searching for new customers and new trucks, but more about that in a minute. Ya'll all know me well enough to know that I stack a million things on my plate and the do them all on the same day. Have been this way since I was 16, nothing has changed. So deal with it! Thanks for the patience and let's continue.

Ok, first the big stuff! I have officially hit my sales goal for the year (YAY!) and now I can really work hard to not sell anymore because then my goal for NEXT year will go up over what my final total is for '08 and I don't need ANYTHING else to stress over! So I'm going to just "check" on customers for the rest of the year and spend as much time possible praising God for the wonderful year I got accomplished in 8 months!

With this goal accomplished, we had to move on to bigger and better things. Jayson's truck AKA Big Red Fred just had to go....according to him....because he's had it for 8 years. Keep in mind it still works beautifully and is paid for, but he needed a new one. So it now becomes my job to scour the country (literally) to find THE truck. This truck must meet more criteria than anyone ever thought they had to me to qualify for any kind of loan, job, investigation, reward redemption or admittance into the pearly gates...ok well that's a stretch, but he was SPECIFIC to say the least. After 8 long weeks of prayer, attempting to sell Fred, saving, sitting at home staring at one another b/c we were saving and couldn't afford to go ANYWHERE, God opened our window and Jayson found THE truck in Texas. We purchased it off Ebay and I will say that with all control I have (and ya'll know I like to have ALL of it!) I will not go to another car dealership ever! Internet is the way to go! EASY and STRESS FREE! The new truck is making him happy as of today and all is as it should be!

Next news: Babies EVERYWHERE!!! Not here, but everyone has been super busy lately making sure that the earth's population stays up! So exciting though! Kristen and Ben welcomed Mary Hogan on the 8th! Hays and Monica brought Payton here on the 19th! Lacey and Jason Cox are expecting Joley Kerrington in November, Laura and Matt King are expecting Prather in January, Victoria and TJ Kilpatrick are having a girl soon!!! It's something in the water! I am really trying to make sure that my water comes straight from the store and is bottled! While I KNOW and BELIEVE that children are a blessing, we just are not ready on SO many levels! God will let us know when we are ready!

As of today, everyone's health is great! Trisha and David are keeping busy with Hank "aka mini horse" and Bose the dog. Below are the photos from Mama's recent birthday celebration for Hank and Bose's St. Paddy's Day out fit.

You can tell they love life!

Well I guess that's all for now! I am off to my weekly job of yard work and will also pressure wash our house today since we are where dirt dobbers from 10 counties assemble for their family reunion. With gas going down , I plan to be making trips to catch up with friends who I have neglected (Renee, Paige, everyone else you know who you are!) Love all of you and hope to see you soon!

Lots of love,
Mary Barton and Jayson

Catching Up...and our breaths!

So it's been the known 4 months since I was able to give ANYONE including my family any of my time! "Busy Season" is creeping to a close and it couldn't be any sooner! I love my job, and for the most part, my customers are WONDERFUL. However, gas at $3.75 a gallon doesn't help me love it! But so far sales are good and where they should be, so I can only be greatful!

Jayson has been the most patient wife through all of this! While we did have to learn just what these little "lists that I leave around" are for, it didn't take long, and I often came home at 11:00 pm or later to a clean kitchen, no dishes in the sink, laundry done, dogs fed, and (usually) shoes picked up out of the den floor. He truly is one in a million!

Well the first question I am often asked as my year winds down is, "What was the most cultural sounding name you had this year?". While it doesn't even compare to Deflynneequiannah, the 2008 award (so far) has to go to LaJaszzmynne. I don't know why duplicating letters makes it more eloquent, but that's their name and not mine!

Everyone is having all the spring/summer babies at the same time! Etta and Wayne welcomed Clayton Cole yesterday. Meredith and Jason welcomed Michael and Patrick in March. Mary Hogan will be coming to Ben and Kristen in April. Jason and Misty will bring Hayden home in June. And Baby Luke should be arriving at the Pratt Home any day! So many fun babies to play with!

I almost get a summer in just a few weeks! For me this means actually getting to sleep some at night and most importantly having my evenings free to watch The Bachelorette on Monday's and So You Think You Can Dance?! I cannot wait. Neither can Jayson....he'll learn to love it!

Rachel finishes up at Hurh Skool in August and she is more than ready! We are all so proud of her for following her passion and stopping at nothing to acheieve her goals! She real good at hurh, too, so ya'll should give her a shout!

Well I have no pictures to post, becuase most of the people I have seen in the past few months have been customers, and it would be kind of creepy for me to take their pictures! But with all we can, we plan to spend summer outside, on the river, at the pool, in the yard, and just RELAXING! Hope you do the same!

Much love,
Mary Barton and Jayson

BUSY SEASON

It's that time of year! My days of staying in pjs all day and the luxury of not having to wear make up are all drawing to a close! My busy season was officially kicked off on January 25 when I flew to Phoenix for our National Sales Conference! Love love love it there! Gorgeous weather and scenary! Everyone must visit...plus I found a great consignment shop and ya'll know I love me some bargains! But God allowed me to get home safely where I arrived to find my house SPOTLESS and clean sheets on the bed (my favorite thing in life!) How great is Jayson?!?

Speaking of, deer season has come and gone, but not without leaving a momento for us to remember it by....yes, we are now the proud parents of a mounted TROPHY deer...mounted on the wall, not on something else! The limit has been set to ONE on display and only one. If this deer's larger uncle finds himself dead next year by the hand of Jayson, he may just have to take some pictures, because this Foster Family budget cannot see it necessary to allocate funds EVERY YEAR to mount the carcass.

With spring here soon, we are EAGERLY awaying all the new babies that are on their way! Meredith's twin boys, Misty's little girl, Etta's boy, Kristen's TBD, Paige's boy, and I'm sure someone else will be with child before the week is over....not me!!!

We love everyone and miss you terribly!!! Continue to pray for God's work in our lives and know that you and your families are in our prayers! We are so blessed!

Lots of love,

Jayson and Mary Barton

STARTING IN 2008!!!

So Happy Late New Year to everyone! As I said to begin with, this site will NOT be a daily update, but I will do my best to keep you all abreast on the REALLY important stuff! So let's update!

To begin with, Deer Season is ALMOST OVER!!!! WHOO HOO!!!! Well that's how I feel anyway, but lucky for my blessed-in-so-many-ways husband, I will be out of town the entire last week of deer season and he can move into the woods and not hear the first PEEP about staying there!!! So good for him! Side note: please pray that "the Monster" is harvested while I am gone so that this deer season may end on a BANG and I don't have to hear about "prep work for next season" for an entire year! God Bless his Soul!

Work at FCC Yazoo City is still going strong for Jayson. He was in training last week, which meant that he got to go into work at 7:30 am, which meant that I got to SLEEP until at least 6:15 am. Now for those who are first timers with us, Jayson typically has to be at work at 6:00 am, which means that WE get up around 4:5o am.....NO FUN FOR THOSE OF US WHOSE OFFICES ARE 12 FEET FROM THE BED!!!!! But we do usually get to enjoy breakfast together so there's a perk!

As for me, I am about to embark on a "season" of my own....that would be "busy season", to be officially kicked off when I go to Phoenix on the 25th for a week for our National Sales Conference! Fashion shows of all the new products, detailed meetings with the designer, and so much more!!! It's a lot to take in, but so much fun. Then I return home to 250 emails and 17 phone messages from those who do not much understand the concept of voicemail (namely when one should and shouldn't speak), and get to handle all that fun stuff. I am already setting appointments and my life officially ends this year on February 18, the day of my first appointment. If I am lucky, I may get to speak to all of you in more than monosyllabic grunts and moans around say July.....all I'm saying is that while I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY JOB (and I got a raise this year, go me!), the Spring makes me feel the need for a few good stiff drinks on a regular basis! But I have WONDERFUL customers (for the most part) and count my blessings DAILY that I got the job I always wanted!

As for the next question I get about 6 times a week, we are not planning on starting a family anytime soon, and the dogs are great! They love their lives, too!

Our first Christmas together was successful! We managed to spend time with both sides of the family all on Christmas Day, and everyone behaved! What more could you ask for?!?

So that wraps up this briefing! If I left anything out that was too critically important, maybe I'll remember it in July when I get to communicate with society again regarding topics other than synthetic fabrics, pom poms, shoes!

Lots of love,
Mary Barton and Jayson
(and Ruger and Drake)

Merry Christmas

Hello to all our friends and family!

We are really new to this blogging situation, so please be patient! So we'll start off with how CRAZY 2007 has been! I have completely thrown myself into my job as a Varsity Rep and I love it! By God's grace, Jayson got a fabulous promotion and is no longer on TERRIBLE shift work! He is an Inmate Systems Officer working DAYS and has WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS OFF!!!! YAY!!! We got married on September 8 in the most perfect ceremony every. We want to thank our parents and friends for all their love and support....and for putting up with me when I went crazy!

After the honeymoon in Disney World, we are back at home in Yazoo City with the best friends ever. Our two children, Ruger and Drake, are adapting to their confinement in the backyard well, and will grow to love it! Jayson has had a successful deer season which cannot end soon enough! While Christmas is always chaotic, I have been blessed enough to have a slow fall season with work, so I'm not on the road all the time!

Well I guess that is all for now, and as I get more familiar with this, I'll start using it as a better means of communicating with everyone!!!

Lots of love, Mary Barton and Jayson