Our Big Adventure

Saturday night we went on a "BIG ADVENTURE". I told Kent on Thursday night that we had plans for Saturday night, but that it was a surprise. On Saturday morning, I gave the kids an invitation to go on a big adventure with me. Then I gave them their first clue. All throughout the day, I had them earn clues. The poor kids, of course they had to earn the first several clues by doing their Saturday jobs. Later that afternoon, one of their clues was a map. So we got in the car, and had to find the place on the map. It lead us across town to have dinner at Cafe Rio. It was yummy.

The next clue was another map that lead us to the Trax station. We were supposed to all get on the train, but it ended up that I had miscalculated how much it would take for us all to ride. We decided that we would just drive to our next destination. We had one little devastated boy (Reed) when we said we weren't going to ride the train. So, Kent ended up taking the boys on the train, and the girls drove in the car. Before we left, I gave the kids the last clue- tickets to the Salt Lake Bees game. We have wanted to go to a game all summer, and a friend of mine from work gave me tickets. I was excited. So off we went to the Bees game.

We had a really fun time at the game. The weather was beautiful, and we had good seats. The kids did get a little restless after awhile, so we got up and walked around for a few minutes. There were a lot of open seats, so we moved down to the bottom. It started raining, but it was not too bad. We got REALLY lucky, and Kent caught a ball. We were all pretty exited about that. Thankfully I had packed his mitt for the adventure!

We did not make it to the end of the game, but got close. As you can tell from our family picture, Morgan was DONE! I was impressed that they did as well as they did. We left the stadium, and on the way home, we all got Slurpee's for a treat. We had such a good time. It was great to have a day full of fun. Needless to say, the kids were beat when we got home, but we got them right to bed, and even made it to church on time the next morning.

 

 I had to add this little piece of video. Morgan is so funny. She was doing this to McCray for a couple of minutes before I got my camera. McCray is so patient with her. I wouldn't let her do that to me. He even took his hat off for her. Maybe she has a future in hairstyling?

08-08-08

McCray is so lucky. His birthday was 08-08-08. Not everyone is lucky to have one of those birthdays. Now if he turned 8, that would have been even cooler, but he is only 6. That is ok. He is already getting big way too fast for me. We had a week of celebrating. We had a bar-b-que a couple of days before with Grandma Payne and Erin were there with us. We did presents then because I had to work on Friday night, and that was the only time we were all home at the same time.

It is always so funny to watch when kids open their presents. The other kids mobbed him, and wanted to assist with the present opening. I could hardly get a picture because they were surrounding him. I guess it's fair, because they all do that to each other.

McCray got a Maglite from Erin and Kelly. He thought that was pretty cool. I keep reminding that it is a "tool" and not a toy. He is pretty protective of it and loves to use it at night in his room.

McCray's big present was a new bike. He was pretty excited. His other bike was getting too small, but this one is a little big. It took him a couple of minutes, but got the hang of it pretty quickly. He was excited that it had 4 pegs on it- and hand brakes. I am just praying that he does not know what you do with those pegs. Hopefully he won't try any crazy tricks for a long time.

We didn't have a friends birthday party this year, but on Friday, we met some friends from playgroup, and went to play at McDonald's. It was a huge deal because the kids got Happy Meals. We are pretty sad. We never buy these, usually just a .99 burger, fries to share, and water. Cheap Mom. When I told McCray we were going to get Happy Meals, Cray asked, " Do we have enough money for that?" He was shocked. I made some little baseball cupcakes to share with the playgroup friends, and that was his cake for the year. They had a great time playing, and I got off easy with no real party.

This is Camille and her friend Susanna.

Morgan was pretty happy with her cupcake. Good thing I took the picture BEFORE she had it all over herself.

McCray is such a good big brother. He is always very patient and kind with Morgan. She goes to him and sweet talks him when she wants something.

Reed was excited about the Happy meal toy. It was a spy kit. He had no idea how to use it (me either really) but just the word spy made him think he was pretty lucky.

It is hard to believe that my little boy is 6. He is not so little, I guess he never has been really. He is such a tender hearted kid. He cares about others feelings. I am a little sad that he will be going to Kindergarten. We had him stay home an extra year, and I am SO glad that we did. He has matured so much, and is really ready to go now. I will miss having him home, but he needs to go. Thankfully it is only half day. He needs some friends his age, and to have some special things of his own to do. McCray loves sports, and is really pretty coordinated and good at whatever he tries. He is an easy, happy boy. He always has a huge hug for me, and as many kisses as I can handle. I am so blessed to be his Mom. Happy Birthday Cray!

Happy Fathers Day to our Grandpa's

Happy Father's Day Grandpa Miles and Grandpa Payne! We all love you!

Reedy Pie Turns Four

Good thing Reed can't read. He continually reminds us that "it is not Reedy Pie, it's Reed." Well he is still my Reedy Pie, and I am the Mom, so I get to call him what I want to! I can't believe my baby boy is four. He has been so excited to turn four. It is actually a good thing, because no matter how much he practices, he just can't say his "th" sound to say three correctly. So now, being four will be a breeze. He can say his F's. Take note that he started out with a clean shirt- I noticed the other pictures all look like he spilled something down his front. :(

Reed wanted a Lightning McQueen cake. I usually make and decorate all of their cakes, but this year he got the store bought cake and I just put some Lightning McQueen stuff on it. He didn't know any difference and loved it.

Reed was so excited because he got a Lightning McQueen bike for his birthday. His reaction when we brought it in was so fun. He said, "What? Is that for me? YES!!!" He put his arms up in the air when he said "YES!" So cute. He calls it a Lightning McQueen bike, but it actually is his cousin Uli's hand me down bike, that happens to be red and very cool. He was thrilled!

He loved each present he opened. His reaction each time he opened another one was just as excited as the time before. What a great age!

Reed was very spoiled to be able to have so many of his cousins there for his party. It worked out perfectly that that was the weekend everyone came. Here are some of the family.

It was all too much for Allie. Even with a FULL house, she slept almost the whole time. She did wake up for a second, had a couple of bites of cake, then went right back to sleep!



I am so grateful for my little Reed. He is so animated and curious. He always has a look of wonder in his eyes. The wheels in his mind are always turning, and he gets the cutest look on his face when he is about to learn something or figure something out. He is very determined when he wants to be. He is a gadget boy and loves to fiddle with things. He loves trains, cars, airplanes, big trucks, the garbage truck, and anything loud that moves. He loves attention, and snuggles. He loves to make me happy, and loves when I give him a high 5 for doing something well. He is such a sweet little boy, and I love him so much. I am so blessed to be his Mom.
Happy Birthday Reed!

I am here

I am sorry about dropping off the face of the earth. Life has been really busy the past while, and blogging just wasn't something that I could get done. Thankfully my brother Jason put some pictures on for me. I wish he could always take my pictures for me. He is good at taking them, and has an amazing camera. Now we are back to just my little old 4mp point and click. It was nice while it lasted. :)

I have had a very busy past few weeks. It has been filled with family, which has been wonderful. At one point, we had 5 Payne kids (and families) here in town at one time. It was not planned exactly, but what a treat. My little sister Lindsay, her husband James and their two boys came for a couple of days from Colorado over memorial day weekend. It was so nice to have them here. I wish they were closer- like the rest of our family who is far away! My brother Carter and his son Uli came from southern NM for their yearly trip. We always look forward to having them come. The kids LOVE playing with Uli and look forward to it every year- for months in advance.

My brother Jason, sister in law Joy, and their 3 kids came to stay on and off for a couple of weeks. It was not a planned trip. Joy's brother Vic and wife Molly lost their sweet little daughter Lucy. She was just a couple weeks shy of turning two and was their only child. She choked on a tiny piece of apple that went to her lung. ( I am not positive that I explained it perfectly) They were not able to get it out before she was without oxygen for too long. It was such a sad, heart breaking time. Lucy was kept alive for about 5 days, so Jason and Joy were able to come right away from NM and be there to support them during this time. I was so grateful that we were here to stay with and be able to help with their kids during this time so they could be there for their family. It was heart wrenching for me to hear what was going on, and to imagine what Vic, Molly, and their families must be going through. I think as a parent, when you put yourself in their shoes, it is unimaginable what they must be feeling. I cried. And cried. And cried. I also prayed for them. A lot. It has changed me as I have seen their struggle. And their blessings. I have prayed that somehow Heavenly Father could make their burden lighter. I have been much more patient with my own kids. I have held them all more. I have tried to be a better mother and more grateful for each moment I have. Vic and Molly are inspiring. And, as I have learned more and more about Lucy and her life, I know she was too. I wish I knew them. I have only met Vic, one time a long time ago. This is their blog address if you want to get to know their beautiful little Lucy, be inspired by their amazing strength, and see the incredible outpouring of love shown to them. www.jacksonparkcity.blogspot.com. Joy was an amazing support to them during this time, and was a great example to me of doing anything you can to support your family. She is an amazing person as well. It was fun to get to spend time with my niece Allie, and nephews Luke and Wesley. They are such sweet kids. You really get to know them when they are here for more than the usual couple of days. This experience has made me realize even more how blessed we are to have family. That is what it is all about, and I am so grateful for both of our families and all they do to support us.

Running through the Sprinklers... a personality test

Ahh, summertime was here... for about a week. It has been rainy and quite cool for the past few weeks. I am not complaining though, because the cooler weather won't last long, and I will be too hot soon. While it was hot, I let the kids run through the sprinkler one afternoon. It was so funny to me. First of all, it brought back memories of my childhood, when Erin and I would run through the sprinkler. One would be holding the water squirting the other. The other would be crying, on their way to tell Mom. Fast forward 30 something years. Same story different kids.

It was also so funny to watch each child and how they reacted to the situation. It was such a reflection of their personalities. Really!

Camille enjoyed it and got wet. She started with just her foot, and gradually got to where she enjoyed running through quite a few times. She wanted to be the one holding the sprinkler most of the time. She also thought it was funny to squirt the others. This is how she is with lots of things. She goes into things cautiously, but always enjoys it once she gets used to it. She also enjoys the power she has over her brothers that comes with being the oldest. With that power comes a lot of responsibility, so she probably deserves to have a little.

This picture says it all. McCray LOVES to have fun. He is daring. He doesn't just start with just a toe, he dives right in. He is the first to try something that seems fun to him. He doesn't care if it is cold, hot, hard, etc. He really gets into what he is doing and enjoys himself. He is competitive, and takes games seriously. He is a happy, easy going kid, who likes to be doing something he thinks is fun.

Reed tried it once, decided it was COLD, and didn't want to do it anymore. He liked sticking his hands in the water, or going under it when it was a rainbow and he would not get wet, but going full on into the water, no way. He is like that a lot of times. If he decides he does not like something, he can stick to his guns and he is not going to do it, unless it is on his terms. He must not have a lot of internal padding, because he gets colder than the others. Even swimming in the dead of summer in St George, his lips would be blue, and he would be freezing. He likes to participate and have fun, but on his terms, his way.

Going under the rainbow

And little Miss Morgie, poor girl she misses all of the fun. She will be there in the middle of it all soon. She loves to be like the big kids, and thinks she should be able to do anything they get to do. But she is pretty patient with me, and hangs out beside me, providing me with sweet smiles, and hugs. She is such a sweet little girl. I have come up with a good description for her lately. Sweet and Spicy. She is so sweet 99% of the time. But, she has some spice to her, and if she doesn't like something, she will definitely let you know. (Hence, the intensive internet searching I have been doing lately on what to do when your child hits you and says NO. Thankfully, I have found out it is normal? and she is just trying to exercise her independence.)

I sure love all of my little ones, and am grateful for their sweet personalities. They each bring so much joy and happiness to our lives.

Dreaming of Summers Past

1. Isn't this the prettiest picture? I love it! It is of Kent and the kids . It reminds me of last summer. We went on an exotic family vacation.... to Logan. It was actually a great trip , and it was so beautiful . My sister Erin and my brother Taylor (the oldest and youngest) got married within a week of each other last June. During the week between the weddings, we all were able to hang out together and do fun things around the Logan area. It was so much fun. I got these pictures from my sister in law this week. Even though they are WAY old news, I wanted to share them with you all. I am really looking forward to summer. And for the first time in years, we are not living in the desert. We may actually be able to go outside and enjoy it.

2. This is at my older sister Erin and her husband Kelly's wedding. This is all of my brothers and sisters and my parents. I am the second oldest, if you can't tell. :)

3. Aren't these kids cute, if I do say so myself? I love this picture with our kids.

4. This is McCray with his first fish. He doesn't look like it, but he was THRILLED!

5. And this is how I spent my vacation. Holding this spoiled little girl. This vacation was at the very worst of Morgan's horrible clingy stage. She didn't let anyone hold her except for me. By the end of the trip, I was worn out. Thankfully 9 months later, she is way past this. Now she is extremely independent. I don't know if that is better or worse than clingy.