howdy from the paynes

Little Miss

2012-02-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

Little Miss One Big Mess- Full of sass this one...
Little Miss Making My Heart Beat Again- this picture goes straight to my heart. Really, how did I get so lucky? Little Miss Root Beer eyes- sometimes it's chocolate, occasionally it's coke (that would be my doing I'm afraid), but most of the time she picks root beer. ;)
Little Miss Sweet Pea- her favorite color is pink. I've told her about the cheerfulness of yellow, the adventurousness of orange, the passion of red, the mystery of purple... but none of those will suffice. It must be the prettiness of pink.

Little Miss Don't Worry About Me - This kiss is for you Daddy!

Little Miss Rachel Lynn.

Family Pictures- All of Us!

2012-02-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

I wish I would have put these up right after he left. Its making me feel like we're just starting again. What a yucky feeling! I'm so glad we took some impromptu pictures- even if it was the night before he left. One day we'll do a real photo session!

Looking at this picture makes me feel complete. Whole. Wow, I can't tell you how good that feels.

This picture makes me want to kiss something. badly. Come here you pillow! hahaha!
We have fun together. Don't be fooled by that llama face Rachel is making... really we have so much fun together! So much fun.

Daddies and Daughters- one of the strongest bonds on earth. Bar-none.

These two- gosh these two. They are best friends. He is like magic with her. Sometimes it makes me jealous! She misses her Daddy so much.

Daddy and Maggie... It's so refreshing to know that at least one of us will always be completely happy, completely clueless, and completely sweet no matter what is about to go down. That is Maggie for ya!

Rachel always looks for the moon. She looks for it in the middle of the day and sometimes finds it! This time they found it together...

There's only one thing that matters- we'll be together again. There's no doubt about it. Now that is a good feeling.

"God Be With You Till We Meet Again."

What I'm Made Of

2012-02-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

GOALS. GOALS. GOALS.

There is one question that has been ringing in the back of mind ever since Tyler left.

"Who are you when no-ones looking? Jessica, what are you made of?"

No one is around to ask me questions like... "Have you read your scriptures today?", "Have you said your prayers?", "Did you work out?", "Did you stop everything to play with your girls?", "Have you read to them?", "Have you taken them fun places?", "What time did you go to bed last night?", "How many Dove chocolates does that make for today?"... and the list goes on and on.

This reminds me of a quote I read recently that applies perfectly:

"Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I’ll try again tomorrow.'"-Thomas S. Monson

Deployment Goals
I am an Eternal Companion.

-pray every day for my sweetheart.

-write him a letter once a week and mail it to him.

-send him a nice, big package once a month.

-And THE BIG ONE- 16 blog posts a month. Man, I'm not sure about this. It's only 4 posts a
week, right? I can do that. (I think) Tyler loves to look at the blog at the end of
  the day and see what we've been up to. I think this would be a great treat for him. Supposing
he doesn't get good internet out there- I'll just have to mail it.

I am a Mommy.

-Read books to my babies every day.

-Never miss Scripture Power time or FHE.

-Keep my voice down.

-Take them out on dates.

-Dance with them every day! or tackle or give piggy back rides.

-Go on an outing every week.

-Do something fun every week, something planned.- do a craft, teach a lesson, or teach a skill.

I am Jessica- A Daughter of God.

-Read something uplifting every. single. day. The Ensign, general conference addresses, or my scriptures. EVERY DAY! Even if it's only one verse or one paragraph.

- EXERCISE EVERY STINKIN DAY (except Sunday of course). This is key to a happy Jessica. It has always been my
stress relief, my ME time.

- Races and CrossFit Goals: Tough Mudder, Half Marathon, Sprint Triathlon, and possibly
another Marathon after the summer??? Still thinking on that one. Anyone what to do it with
me? Also, figure out how to get the Army to pay for receiving my CrossFit Level 1 and
CrossFit Kids certification.

- I have a vision, a vision of a beautiful home. I will continue to make, build, sew, organize to
prepare for that glorious day when we step into our own space. It's going to be
Christmas times infinity folks!

- Go to bed at a decent hour. 10:30 is the ideal. But no more staying up past midnight! I tell
ya, it's hard for me to fall asleep. I have always been a night owl, but I so want to be an early
bird!

- Pray. Pray hard and pray often. Rely on my Savior instead of myself.

- Fast. Fast hard and fast often.
- Remember the "Forget Me Nots" (more on that later)
That's it for now.
*I reserve the right to change and tweek these goals whenever I deem necessary.

I don't want to just survive. I don't want to just "get through". I want to THRIVE. I want to GROW. I want my husband to see a different woman when he gets home- A better woman.

I am not suggesting that I suppress discouragement or loneliness. Heaven knows I couldn't if I tried! I just want to act. I just want to be driven. Joseph B. Wirthlin puts it best when he says,

"If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness." Come what May and Love it

Speaking of adversity- man how loved to play sports growing up. It was a love that my Dad instilled in me at a young age. I loved them all especially volleyball, softball, and wrestling. Despite my love for these sports, oftentimes I felt extremely frustrated with my performance. I would come home completely discouraged. Oh the feeling of getting smacked in the face with a softball and not being able to open your left eye, all the concussions, the missed plays that could have won us the game, the getting pinned right in front of your family and boyfriend. Holy Smokes the humiliation! And yet, I loved it. The good times always made the bad times worth it. The home runs, the great catches, the spikes, the getting your arm raised... there isn't anything much better!

Lately, I've felt nothing but discouragement with my self discipline. I continue to do things that I know I shouldn't. I have prayed and fasted for the character and courage to do what I know is right when no one is looking. But, quite often I have failed at these goals. Hence the reason for taking so long to put them out there!
But then I go back to those good ole days when missing a fly ball was my greatest disappointment in life. It taught me a great lesson- keep trying, and don't give up. And that is exactly what I plan to do.

"Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I’ll try again tomorrow."

Tomorrow it is. It's time to see what I'm made of.

A Bright Day in Black and White

2012-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

The girls and I had the park all to ourselves on this sunny afternoon...

Up close blurry pictures make me laugh. We were playing hide-n-seek and Miss Maggie turned a corner and found me! A-HA!

And the snot just keeps on coming... It certainly never changes Maggie's sunny disposition though. I love this cute expression she makes...

Hi there my baby... I think it's cool how one side of her face was hit by the sun and the other wasn't- it made for some crazy eyes!

This little girl was born with sunshine in her soul...
Ah yes! Here she is... Princess Rachel.
She found me again!

Her boots are always on the wrong foot these days ,but it doesn't slow her down one bit.

Rachel made it to the top!
Don't worry Mags, you'll be up there in no time!

Whatcha got cookin?

2012-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

I love love love love love Mexican food. So, I pretty much "invited", "nudged", "hinted" myself over for dinner at Jacob and Itzel's house. sneaky sneaky! And boy was it worth it. We had happy tummies. ;)

The girls love playing in their doghouse... and Maggie loves eating the dog food! Oh dear!

"Here dog! Quick get rid of it before my Mom tries to put this thing back in my hair!"And yes, Maggie fell in the dogs water bowl...

Tia Itzel making dinner! {can you believe she had a baby two months ago? Some things in this world just aren't fair! Hot Mama!} Notice all the Spanish labels around the house... Jacob is trying to learn. I like it's awesome!

Tio Jacob made this one... hahaha!
"Don't worry Mom, baby Elijah is doing just fine."{riiiiiighhhhtttt} Rachel sure loves "taking care" of the baby, and Maggie loves taking his toys and ripping his pacifier out.
Ahhh yes, much safer up here in the Bumbo seat. Seriously one of the cutest babies I've ever seen! Oh Lord, please give me a little boy next!!!! Dinner's ready!!!! SOOOO DELICIOUS. Can't remember the name- I call it Mexican Chicken-Fried Steak...

My little Momma...

Watching Pocahontas after dinner...

Rachel loves visiting Jacob and Itzel! Last week in church Jacob and Itzel walked in during the opening announcements and Rachel shouted from the front of the room, "HI JACOB AND ITZEL! COME UP HERE!" She kills me. Thanks for having us over guys!

Sunday Best

2012-02-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

This picture makes my heart happy.

I love fast and testimony Sundays. There's just something about them. I feel recharged. And if you are wondering... We are doing good. We're rollin' with the punches,taking baby steps,watching Tangled,hangin in there,running around town, fighting the good fight,playing hard,eating pink and red M&Ms,gettin 'er done,occasionally staying in our jammies all day long,riding that highway,And all that jazz.

Chevron Houston Marathon 2012

2012-01-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

I DID IT!!!!

26.2 miles

Give me a second to take this all in...
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Okay, lets start at the beginning. That would be January 2, 2012. One of the worst days of my entire life. You all know why. Did I feel like running? Heck no. But I did anyway, and it wasn't fun.

I'm not afraid to admit that I've struggled with depression before. I know what it feels like and I can see it coming from a mile away. Despite my awareness of this, it's still one hard S.O.B. to get rid of. While Tyler was home, I did next to nothing with my training. My longest run in that ten day period was 4 miles. As soon as he left I felt nothing but anxiety about this race. I even let myself begin to ask questions like, "Am I still up for this?". This was very un-Jessica like of me. I have a strict no-giving up rule. There's no turning back now. I've worked too hard.

So, like I said I continued running anyway. The week before the race I'd come home from a short 2 miler completely gassed. I mean the works- red face, panting, cramps- everything! I'd make it to the driveway and start bawling. I thought, "How in the world am I going to run 26 miles when 2 is giving me a hard time?" I was psyching myself out- big time.

Running is all mental. Really, it is. It doesn't matter your age, weight, if you're blind or disabled- you've just got to have your mind right. If you think you can do it then you can. And man was I having some "stinkin thinkin".

So, I faked the best attitude I could muster. Then it came. The day before the race. I ate 2 breakfast burritos, a bowl of pasta, two powerbars, 6 bananas, another huge bowl of pasta, and about 5 liters of gatorade that day. I had to go to the bathroom all night long! haha, too much information? haha. I read a few emails from friends that reassured me that I was going to survive and talked strategy with my Dad. And of course, I got a pep-talk from my sweetie too.

Finally night turned to day- It was time. My Dad dropped me off downtown and I made my way to the Expo to start stretching. I made lots of friends right before the race. Angels I tell ya! I didn't feel alone at all. When people learned that this was my first marathon, they automatically began encouraging me and telling me I'd do great. Someone even let me have some of their chapstick. haha! I was so grateful to be around so many friendly people. I think everyone could tell I was nervous. I'm not very good at faking it.

Here I am about to leave the house... Unfortunately the last pretty picture you'll see of me...Did I really expect to look good while running 26 miles? A girl can hope, right? haha!

Waiting in the port-a-can lines... I used them 4 times before the race. I didn't want to waste any time using the bathroom during the race so as soon as I was finished I headed to the back of the line again. haha. Here's my "what in the heck was I thinking" face, followed by my "fake it" face.

They blew the horn! See those bright lights up there? That is the real start line. It took me about 10 minutes just to begin! There were so many people! 7,637 Finishers total. I wasn't sure where to pace myself at first. I didn't want to overdo it and wear myself out too early, so I stayed with the 11 min. mile pacers for a while.

"HEY DAD!!! Look, I'm running!" This is at the 8 mile mark. It was about at this time that I realized I could definitely pick up the pace. All throughout the race there are pace teams that carry big signs with balloons attached to them. On the sign would be your goal pace- I started with the 5:15 group and by about 12 miles I passed the 5 hour group. I think I had the goofiest smile on my face the whole time. The miles were just flying by! Gosh, there were people everywhere! Live bands, Elvis impersonators, belly dancers, people handing out candy, bananas, oranges, and course the all the water stations!!! It was insane, and so much FUN. I was definitely overstimulated. It was a stark difference compared to nothing but cows and stray dogs for entertainment.
On my bib was a microchip that measured my average pace. At 10k, half, 20k, and 30k a text message was sent out to my friends and family with my time. I ran with my phone so that I could answer if Tyler called. This also allowed me to receive text messages. Every time someone texted me my arm would buzz. I think I ran a little faster every time I felt the buzz! Thanks everyone- it helped so, so much! Tyler called me 3 times during the race to see how I was doing. I'd just put the phone on speaker and we talked while I ran. It was everything to get to talk to him. It felt like every time I started to feel the burn, someone would be there for me. My Dad was at mile 8, 12, 17, and 25.5, Grandpa and Wylie were at mile 10, Susan was at mile 22, and my Mom was at the finish line with the girls. I felt so blessed to see their faces during the race. I just can't describe the feeling of having someone be there for you in a moment of need. Sure, I would have been fine on my own, but that's not the point. The point is, I wasn't alone. I can't express my gratitude! Feeling strong at mile 17 and coming in for a big high-five! By this time I had caught up to the 4:45 pacers and decided my goal would be to stay in front of them...
Here I am with only about a mile left... I was determined not to loose my pace... thank goodness for those people handing out oranges and bananas. I sucked on that orange for a whole mile. It was fun wearing an orange slice smile! Wish I had a picture of that one! I never stopped to walk. That really surprised me. I was feeling really beat up at mile 23 and decided to walk, but after about 5 steps I knew it was a bad idea. I was getting stiff way too fast, so I decided to continue to stomp through the wall...

I DID IT!!! At the finish line!!! I am very pleased with my time, however I feel like I could have done even better had I started out a little faster. But that's okay, I did it. And I did good!

I finally made it to my babies!!! So good to see those beautiful faces.

I love this picture. Maggie is as cute as can be, and Rachel is telling me that her tummy is growling. Believe me, mine was too. This was where I began to wonder how I was going to chase these girls around for the next few days, not to mention just standing back up. After a steak, some Dr. Pepper, and a long bubble bath I was as good as new! Those things work wonders for this girl! haha. ;)

I am now going to share my testimony with all of you.
I know without of shadow of a doubt that my Redeemer lives! I know that Jesus is the Christ and that he came to this earth to take upon himself the sins of this world. Not just sins, but weaknesses, heartache, and sorrow. He has felt it all. He knows each of us, and loves us more than we will ever know. I have felt His love as I have struggled with my own sins, weaknesses, heartache, and sorrow. And He has never abandoned me. I know working towards good goals can bring us closer to Him. Faith is action. This was definitely true for me while preparing for this marathon. I never knew that I could do something like this. But He did. He knew all along.

Where I Come From- My Insane Family

2012-01-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to run a marathon. Seriously, no joke. I've always wanted to! Most people think it's insane to run 26.2 miles- some even find it dumb.
That's okay though. I come from a family full of insane marathon-running, triathlon-doing people. I guess I'm starting to fit right in. haha!
Every time I need a boost, a little inspiration I think of them. I think all the marathons Tricia ran while raising her beautiful family. I think of my Uncles and their insanely long weekend bike rides. I think of the all the Boston Marathons Uncle Wylie has ran. I think of my own Daddy and the stud of a runner he was (he rides a Harley now! haha). I think of my Aunt Susan and all the hard work and determination she had to prepare for and DO an IronMan. Oh, and there are so many more!!! They have always been an inspiration to me- in more ways than one!

Here's my Dad in the glory days! Look at that air-time! And there's Susan eating a sandwich during that 15 hour long IRONMAN. Incredible.

Some of my generation. Look at Caitlin... wow, I mean- WOW! A picture really shouldn't make you this jealous! haha! And Niki under there... do you see that time? 11 minutes and 23 second 2 MILE! The girl is a gazelle.

Hi Susan! Who knew being insane made you so happy? haha.

Cross Country Derek and Ken, Susan, and Wylie after a race...

Hot Mama Tricia during the St. George Marathon! Oow OoW! And Susan, Ken, and Diane after their Fourth of July run... I wish I had even more pictures. But then this blog post would never end. Thank you everyone for sending me your pictures and letting me share them! And even more thank you for all the advice and all the pep-talks. Ya'll are the best.
P.S- My marathon post is coming soon! I'm having difficulties with a picture I ordered. So annoying! just a little fyi.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

2012-01-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

While I was pregnant with Maggie my Mom frequently bathed Rachel for me at night. We would swap- she'd do bath time and I'd do the dishes. It was a nice break for me. Plus bending over the tub with my big pregnant belly wasn't pleasant. Since then it is something that she always does when we visit. It is fun to watch her play with the girls- She is much more fun than me. Most of the time bath time is my "catch up" time. I put the kiddos in and try to pick up the house before bedtime. I know- boring!

This time though, I peeked in and listened...

Rachel: "Don't wash my hair Nana!"

Maggie: "giggle"

Rachel: "No! No! No! washing my hair!" {she ain't kidding}Maggie: "dadaa, maammaa, aaaaaahhh!"
Rachel:"{water muffled screams}"Maggie: silence

Rachel: "full blown screams"Maggie: "gotta cry if sister cries"sidenote: I've got to admit that it's quite refreshing to know that she doesn't just do this with me. Look at that face! Oh the horror! Sometimes I tell her to imagine shes a mermaid and that mermaids love water in their eyes! haha, sometimes it works too! Obviously not this time...

Things started looking up once they noticed the stack-able cups! All better now. When Nana bathes the girls they aren't the only ones who are all wet- Nana is too! There's always lots of splashing going on!
Thanks Mom.

Lunch Date with Nana-Nana

2012-01-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

It was a chilly day, so instead of going the park we went to the Woodlands Mall. Very very dangerous place- for me anyway. Living out in the country can make you go a little crazy when you step into a place with a Jamba Juice and a baby Gap. My two vices in the Woodlands! Luckily, I wasn't alone! We played at the "playground area", ate lunch, and then rode the carousel. That's the one thing about the Woodlands mall that hasn't changed since I was little- they still have that same carousel. good times.

she enjoyed climbing on the turtle the best...

Where did Maggie go? Ha! There she is!

These two boogers spent most of their time sitting at the top of the slide causing traffic jams than actually sliding! Like I said- boogers!

I think it was a hit! I'll have to remember this when it's 100 something degrees outside this summer...

finally! There she goes!

All babies love Nana-Nana...

She's such a beautiful lady- even toddlers notice...

hehe, I like this one. They love playing with her jewelry and asking for lip gloss. ;)

Carousel ride! And the Zebra is still my favorite!

Until next time!

I'm used to it.

2012-01-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

The girls and I drove up a week early before the marathon to catch the big game- LSU vs. Alabama. I wasn't going to let anything come between me and my Dad and Grandma's Gumbo (yep, I capitalized gumbo). Not to mention the shrimp cocktail and hush puppies. {heaven}
Unfortunately, the food and the company was all that was good that evening. And unfortunately considering A&Ms season, I'm used to this sort of thing. {sigh}
gotta love it... I thought my brother would get a kick out of this- Taylor and his white LSU shirts. Taylor and Mike have been best friends since like... FOREVER. We love the Thomas family. Anyway, they are die-hard Tennessee fans and Mr. Terry watches just about as much football as my Dad. They have attended several LSU vs. Tennessee games together. And everytime LSU goes to the National Championship Taylor wears one of these shirts--
Geaux Tigers!

The girl yelled her head off! I caught one of the tail end of a yell- I love it!

After 5 hours in the car and about 30 people over at the house, Rachel got to stay up super late. I think its one of the only times Rachel has actually slept in. She ate a lot of cookie cake. Look at them purple teeth, haha....

I can't wait until A&M plays LSU next year! We are going to have a good time. SEC here we come!

A Knight to Remember

2012-01-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

Before Tyler left we took the kiddos to Medieval Times! We had so much fun! I was a little concerned about having to hold the kids in our laps the entire time, but it actually wasn't so bad. They loved it! Especially "Princess Rachel".

She was sooooo excited to get to go to a castle!!! She talked about it for days afterwards.

Oh my this picture! Can you tell Rachel is a bit worried? I'll admit the bird dude made me nervous too! She loved wearing her new princess dress to the castle. I was hoping to curl her hair and put on a little crown, but we had to wake her up from her nap to get there on time. And you don't want to mess with Rachel right after naptime- trust me, it's not a pretty sight. ;) Remember how I mentioned we had to hold them in our laps the whole time? Hence only one picture from the show. I'm telling you- they loved it, I mean look at Rachel's face! Thanks for taking your princesses to Medieval Times Daddy!

One Year Older

2012-01-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

these pictures are just for you...

(thought that'd make you smile!) xoxoxoxo

Fuzzy Halos and Guardian Angels

2012-01-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

The girls and I had a great day today- nothing but blue skies and chilly weather. But that's not the only reason why it was so great! We got to play with our friends- Mommy included!

Maggie and her fuzzy halo... I always knew she was an angel.

Maggie's hair is so wild! I've dubbed it un-tameable. The worst part about it is that she won't keep a dadgum bow in her hair to save her life. Goodness gracious, I guess we'll just have to hang in there until I have myself another ponytail girl... But I have to admit that I love her crazy hair especially on days like this. It's just so darn cute! Feathers! Softy fluffy feathers! Like a baby chick. I love it when the sun shines through it like that.I believe in angels. Always have. Not just the ones looking out for us above, but all the ones alive and living among us. This girl always comes into my life when I could so use a guardian angel. Funny thing is- we met in high school, but never really hit it off until college (how did I get so jipped in high school? sheesh!). We wound up in the same Genetics class and lab at Texas A&M. It just happened to be my last semester and I was pregnant and taking 19 hours. Talk about a long and crazy semester. We'd study together and look at dumb fruit flies under a microscope together until finally that long semester was over. Whew!!! Then while Tyler was at Ranger School and I was 9 months pregnant she happened to only live 5 minutes away. And now, Tyler just left on deployment. And guess who happens to be there to hang out before my big marathon day? That would be Denise... I so needed a day like this. Really though, you have no idea.
My little roo... always on my hip, in my arms, or in this case- in my lap. Hi there little Momma...

Rachel needed a day like this too...

Look Denise! Look at this picture you took! Incredible.

Yep, a natural.

Us plus Maggie... haha... its been a "teething day".

BOO!

Such pretty colors...
Another fuzzy halo!!! hahaha!
The boys and Rachel dug for worms for a good long time. We got home today and all Rachel wanted to do is go outside and look for worms. I really liked it! We should hang out with boys more often! Someone liked the trampoline...
I hardly ever get pictures with ME in them! My dream is to get all three of us in a picture one of these days! I'm talking about all smiling and looking at the camera picture! Rachel was too busy playing. But Maggie was more than willing, I mean she was already in my lap! haha. Thank you Denise for the amazing pictures!

I love being a Mom, in case you couldn't tell...
It was fun. I'm ready to do it again! haha!

I'm so grateful for all the guardian angels in my life. Seen and Unseen.

you look so good in love...

2012-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

What little girl doesn't love horses? Girls and their ponies...{sigh}... there's just nothing that can come between them. I remember I wanted a white horse with dark mane when I was a little girl.

she could go all. day. long.

These two pictures I couldn't pass up although they were severely overexposed SOOC. I hate when I'm not ready with my camera and miss the best moment of the evening. Maggie lights up when she gets to ride Glory.

pure happiness.
look Momma, I can be a cowgirl too!

this photo just exudes confidence to me... chin up and everything.

my two little cowgirls. Can't you tell they are in love?

hehe, Maggie Moo whatcha smilin' at?

I'm pretty sure this pony made Maggie's day...no week... month even!

hahaha! This picture cracks me up. The many faces of Maggie Payne-

My little girls are in love. And I can handle it- as long as it's just ponies. ;)

Braums Date

2012-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Braums is THE place to get ice cream up here in north Texas. Growing up I've always been a Dairy Queen girl and for a while there it felt like I was cheating on my best friend every time we went to Braums instead of Dairy Queen! I know want you're thinking... "It's just Ice Cream!" But, there's no JUST about it. If I'm going to blow it, I must blow it on the best there is. And that's Braums. So so good. Tyler loves taking the kids and I to Braums and spoiling us rotten. And we never object!

A pair, a match, two peas in a pod these two...

All three of them. Their faces crack me up. Rachel- total concentration, Daddy- mid-bite,and Maggie- "What new flavor is this?"

Maggie's Ice Cream Smile-

She wears it quite well, don't ya think?

messy face and big smile= success!

It's Christmas Morning! It's Christmas Morning!

2012-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Rachel seriously woke up at five a.m. on Christmas morning. I couldn't tell you why I didn't see that one coming. I guess I thought she was too little for such things. Apparently not!

The BIG ONE. The Castle. You did good Santa Clause. She has played with it every single day since Christmas. I know that's only two weeks, but it's a record for Rachel.

Oh my talk about a hit! There's no turning back now, this is definitely a girl household. Dress-up and all. No need to worry though, we can still beat you up. Don't be fooled by the sweetheart in the pink dress...

Oh goodness- this picture!

yep, I'm cute.

Miss Maggie with the chaos. The tea set was definitely her favorite, and still is today. Wanna know why? It has absolutely nothing to do this princesses or tea. It's simple really, it makes a big noise when it's dumped out and can be scattered about everywhere. It met all the Maggie qualifications.

Reading her new books with Daddy.

I think the girls did pretty good if I do say so myself. And the best part? Relaxing with my sweetie after the present extravaganza. {sigh}

Christmas Eve

2012-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

Here we are reading the classic Christmas story; we always start with that one first. Rachel really grasped it this year. We set up the nativity pieces together and told the story. She loved it!! So much fun to see.
What is that girl thinking? Here are a few guesses... "Is Pop being serious right now?", "Pop's got glasses? I want to wear them!"

No room in the Inn for Jesus? Rachel was distraught!

And now for the story that my Dad read to us every single year since I can remember, The Cajun Night Before Christmas. See those alligators climbing up on the roof? I believed that for the longest time. I wish everyone could hear my Dad read it. It's an experience you'll never forget, let me tell ya!

Maggie and the magical button that lights up and plays Jingle Bells! Oh how she danced to that button!

And now for a long winters nap.

A New Year, a new beginning, a new life.

2012-01-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

What a way to begin a new year. The big D. And I'm not talking about Dallas. I'm talking about deployment. It really began a little over a month ago, however I knew this goodbye would be much harder. Thank goodness for priesthood blessings. Thank goodness for the gospel. Thank goodness for family. Thank goodness for my two little girls.

kisses for Daddy

There it is...

We can do this.
blurry, but it's my favorite of the day. She loves those walking thingys. As soon as we said goodbye she couldn't wait to run down it. Obviously she didn't realize what had just happened. Still, she made me happy. She was an example without even knowing it. She does that a lot. 2012, I will learn to love you.Let the good times roll.

Dream Stroller

2011-12-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

Yep, I got one. A Bob duallie revolution stroller. Craigslist finally came through for me. And I love love love it! Unfortunately real life for me begins in about 48 hours. {sigh}

So until then it's time to PARTY!!!

Happy New Year!

Sugar Cookies

2011-12-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas cookies have always been a big tradition in my family. Every year we'd make tons and tons of cookies and deliver them to all our friends and family. It is a lot of work, but we always enjoyed it. With all the rush of getting home from our family reunion, I was grateful for the scale down. Two batches was just right. The girls enjoyed "decorating" the cookies...

She knew this was going to be a good time before it even began...

for me? Why thank you Maggie!

They made a good team...

The whole decorating crew...

She knew just what to do! See the evidence for yourself...

I love traditions that involve cookies. We'll definitely be keeping this one around.

Where I Come From- Tyler's Claim to Fame

2011-12-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

This story made national news. Despite Mom and Dad Payne's attempt to erase it from their memory, the story still lives within the Payne household and is always remembered around this time of year. Let the laughing commence! I think the journalist did a fine job telling the story...

hahaha! What a reunion! Can you imagine that? I can just hear the little Tyler screams coming from the bathroom, and I can see all the kids climbing in that big brown family station wagon with their Wendy's hamburgers going back to Nashville to pick up Tyler. Boy oh boy that must have been a long day.

Tyler claims that he was misquoted in the last statement- he actually said, "I'm never using THAT bathroom again!". But I agree with the journalist, "I'm never using the bathroom again!" is OH SO MUCH better!

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

Consider yourself Christmas carded! We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family. We love you all! Thank you for reading my blog, it means so much to me! Merry Christmas, or how little Rachel says it-

Happy Christmas!!!

Austin- "Home Sweet Home"

2011-12-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd say this but I LOVED living in Austin. Yes, it was only 6 weeks, but it seemed like so much longer. And in a good way.

I've become an expert at temporary living. When Tyler called me and told me that we'd be living in Austin the month before deployment started I said, "you've got to be kidding me!". I was so stressed out. And yet it ended up being the absolute best thing that could happen. Let me just say that the past year and half of moving around from training to training has been... hard. You just don't see things like this coming. Even with all the preparation, schooling, and praying we found ourselves caught in the dreadful land of unemployment. Let me tell you, it's not a fun place to be. In fact, we found ourselves wishing and hoping that deployment would just come sooner. Now that is just sad.
That being said, I can tell you something that I doubted and I dare say didn't believe 6 months ago and it is this- Heavenly Father know's our situation. And He has a plan. Not only a plan, but a marvelous one at that! I can feel it in my bones. It's true.
I daydream, fantasize, even squeal like a little piggy at the idea of having my own home one day. I'm not talking about a dream house or a new house... just a space that's all mine to do with as this Mommy pleases. Oh to organize, to decorate, to build! Like I said- squeal. But I know that I have to be patient, my time will come. All I can say is what I've already said- Heavenly Father has a plan. Look for the bare necessities.
Austin for me was a dream come true. I got my little space to do with how I please. Every morning I went to CrossFit Camp Mabry, came home and took Tyler to work, played with my babies, picked him up from work, played with my hubby and babies some more, and then cuddled all night long. Now that is what I call, heaven. Oh and the amazing running trails in Austin! fabulous. It's were I really lengthened my stride and ran distances I've never ran before. It was home. It was an answered prayer. It was a dream come true. I cried the entire way home! hahaha! What a big baby, right? I could so live in Austin again! Here are a few pictures... I'm afraid it's not much. I was too busy being in Mommy heaven.
Inspired by pinterest. I may not have anything of my own in this apartment but I had to make it homey somehow! I love my wreath!

While on the topic of pinterest... it's amazing! I saw a picture of a little girl with her hair done like this and decided to give it a try on Miss Rachel... I like it!

The Capital of Texas

And another one... neither one of them are all that great, oh well!

Us out to dinner the night before going home...

trying to get family pictures with a tripod--- such a pain!! I so need to get a good family picture. Of all the shots I tried this was the most decent... and it still needs some serious help! Maggie look at the camera, Rachel please try to smile for the camera, why is there a big gap between us?, Tyler are you slouching or is the stone wall just uneven? Goodness Gracious. We need some serious help! Any takers?

The girls weren't cooperating so we ditched them! HA!

And just like that- goodbye Austin. I will miss you.

Aggie Girls

2011-12-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

My Mom always said that my Dad brainwashed us growing up. And it's true. My Dad brainwashed like nobody's business. I loved LSU. And now, I'm doing it to my children. I know some of you might think this is wrong, but let's be clear- my kiddos can go to any school they want and I will support them. Just as long as they know which school is the best. ;) hehe.

My Aggie Girls... oh that last one is classic- "Get the heck off me!"

I love this picture in black and white...

I love this crazy toddler... yep, I've decided she's a toddler now. SHE'S INTO EVERYTHING. holy cow, it's no joke!

This expression says it all- She's a MESS!

Oh, but such a sweet mess. :)

"Hi, Rachel. Thanks for smiling at me."- Mom

Hangin out in the trees...

haha! Follow the Leader! She likes to lead.

I adore this one. Something about it, I love that sweet gaze on Rachel's face.

My amazing friend Cheylee made these beautiful skirts for my girls! Aren't they adorable? So flirty and fun. I would totally wear one. Thanks Cheylee for the beautiful skirts! Sorry it took me so long to get pictures of them!

Haven't you heard? Dirt is good for you.

Oh Rachel! You are too cute for your own good. Seriously, cut it out. It's killing me!

So POOFY I'm gonna DIE! haha!

There's nothing wrong with a good, healthy dose of school spirit. At least that's what my Dad always said. ;)

Gig'em Aggies!

And this one's for you Dad-

BTHO ALABAMA! GEAUX TIGERS!

(gotta be true to my roots.)

Runners Block

2011-12-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

I have been suffering from a very serious condition. That is a very serious condition if you are a runner. Especially a runner who is due to run a marathon next month. The condition is called Runners Block. I first reached this diagnosis the week after Thanksgiving. I contributed it to all the turkey and bad eating habits, but after a week it just didn't seem to fade like I had hoped.

I have been running like a crazy person the past few months! Totaling 6 half marathons in the past 2 1/2 months and I don't know how many miles. There have been moments where I've felt like I'm just gliding across the pavement! Five miles the week before felt like a breeze, a recovery day. But now, five miles felt like fifteen. Every step felt like drudgery and I couldn't keep my thoughts in a happy place. You see, Tyler left last week. I didn't think it would be a big deal since I'll be seeing him for Christmas, but I suppose the thought of only seeing him for ten days out of the next year has taken a toll on me, and I was letting ole' scratch get the best of me. All I could think was... one day at a time, one step at a time. Eventually enough days will lead to a homecoming and enough steps will lead to that glorious 26.2 mile finish line. This had been my plan all along- something to motivate me and look forward to at the beginning of this deployment.

So I continued to force myself to do everything that normally makes me happy! Running, blogging, photography... Until finally a breakthrough came!

It was 35 degrees outside today and rainy, but it had been two weeks since my last really long run and I could hear it calling my name. I had the perfect opportunity to get out there while Grandma could stay home with the girls. I was determined! I just couldn't let the weather stop me! So I grabbed my keys, a packet of gu, and a couple water bottles and parked my car at the top of the driveway and set out to run 18 miles.

Let me tell you something. It was cold. Very very cold. I finally got around to my last lap when I decided to cut it short and go home, certainly 13 miles was far enough for a day like this. But then I saw this on my dashboard...

Bless that wonderful Mother-in-Law of mine. She was an answer to my prayers this morning. That was all I needed. And I did it. 18 miles.

While running that final lap I couldn't help but ponder the love of my Savior and the tender mercy he had shown me this morning. Oftentimes I feel quite alone, but during that final lap I knew I wasn't.

The words of the hymn, "I Stand All Amazed" kept coming to my mind, particularly this verse....

"I marvel that he would descend from his throne divineTo rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,That he should extend his great love unto such as I,Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify."

That is exactly what I've been lately. Rebellious and Proud. Too rebellious and proud to read my scriptures or say my prayers thinking, "It won't do me any good, I just don't want to, or he never answers my prayers!".

But even with a rebellious and proud daughter like me, he answered one of my most desperate prayers this morning, "Please keep me going, please give me a breakthrough."

"Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

Those beautiful words make me tremble every time.

I wanna PARTY!

2011-12-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

The girls woke up the morning of Maggie's birthday celebration to this... I've gotta admit that I had way too much fun with this! I left these decorations up for two weeks! I know it's hard to see that garland on the wall over there but it's tons of tiny little butterfly cut-outs held by some string. Like I said- I had fun. ;)

Thank you pinterest for the fun streamer idea! Nothing but a hula hoop and streamers... genius!!! These pictures make me miss our little austin home so badly, it was a good little home...

The start of any good party and day... pancakes! The traditional "how old you are" chocolate chip pancake... yummm

ONE! Already trying to pick out the chocolate, haha!

We had a great day of celebrating as a family. We did it a few weeks early so that Tyler could be there and I was so grateful that we did! We had such a good day. One of the best- just being a family.

Later on Nana and Pop joined us for CAKE! Maggie wanted to grab hold of that flame the whole time. Rachel sure didn't have any problem assisting Maggie in blowing out the candle... haha, she finally figured out how to blow!

Ahhhh! CAKE CAKE CAKE!!! Mags sure knew what to do...

Time for a couple close-ups!

messy goodness

And the birthday girl finished out the night reading her new books with Daddy. perfect.

We love you Maggie!

"A Maggie"

2011-11-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

So it seemed like everything went wrong during this photo shoot. I didn't realize until about half-way through that my white balance and ISO were off, and Rachel literally fell in a pond. Yes, I just said that Rachel fell in a pond. Good Grief.

I was so anxious to get out of the car and set up all the wonderful ideas in my mind that I forgot to calm down and realize that this is suppose to be fun! It was everything trying to take pictures of a one year is... hard, squiggly, squirmy, and always on the move.

Oh and how I love this one year old of mine.

Have you ever heard of this old year I speak of? Yes that's the one! I'm talking about Maggie Ila Payne. What is "A Maggie" you ask? Well, I'll tell you..."A Maggie" is every good moment.Her smiling eyes are like playing in the rain. The shape of her mouth is like picking all the cookie dough's out of the Blue Bell ice cream container. Those blue eyes are like a long day out on the lake fishing with Dad.Her strawberry hair is like the feeling of the ball hitting the bat in just the right spot.That fair baby skin is like a slow dance with your best friend.All in all... "A Maggie" is the thing that gets me through my days. (that and another little something called "A Rachel")
I know that was way corny. But, I like corny. ;) That is simply the best way I know how to describe my Maggie girl. She is my calm place, the "roo" to my "kanga". I just can't imagine life without her.
I want to make a bazillion more of these banners now! Too much fun! The girl is always trying to get that bow off her head. Jeez Louise! However, I think I came out pretty victorious considering...     Maggie and her Lamb... She loves that thing! It suits her.  I just can't get over how drop dead GORGEOUS this girl is! Seriously, that smile! And those eyes! The shape of her face and her fuzzy strawberry hair! I'm in love. Obviously.   Rachel and the pond. Like a match to a flame. {sigh}
The crinkle nose. hehe. After a while she paused for a moment and got this look on her face like... "where should I run to now?", making sure that crazy Mommy was still behind her with that black box thingy... haha, I love this look! This is my FAVORITE!!! "I can smile too Mommy!"
squiggly, squirmy, always on the move!haha, I love the one of her standing up... It's hard for any girl to get up in a mini-skirt!   "Lollipop, Lollipop, oh lo lo lollipop!"My secret weapon.
Happy Campers... I was hoping to get some good expressions outta this one, but it took way too much concentration, haha.    The two things that get my through the day...

Where I Come From- It's in your genes

2011-11-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Rachel and Maggie,

I just want you girls to know that your Daddy is an absolute stud. He has always had a passion for sports. Growing up with 10 kids in the family, sports wasn't in the budget or even in the timeline for that matter. However Tyler persisted- he just had to play. After a year of begging and pleading, Mom and Dad Payne finally caved in. After that he's been the Judo state champion three years in a row, varsity football player as a sophomore, and a state qualifier in wrestling.

Everywhere he goes he is the guy to beat. With 8 brothers you know there's a lot of wrestling going on, and lets just say that Tyler's on top. He can beat them all, sometimes 2 at a time! He was known for his wrestling in the Corps at A&M, at basic training, and at Ranger school. {okay, that's enough bragging I guess... some of you are probably starting to yawn- but remember, this is for my babies!}
He smokes everyone. Period.

(and your Momma ain't too shabby either! hehe)

So you may not get the artsy fartsy gene or the musical gene, but you better believe you've got the competitive gene.

Just so you know.

Love,

Momma

There he is! Daddy the stud...

I love to look at the opponents face... haha, he's so finished!
Isn't he cute? Can't you see so much of Maggie is his face? I can.

Senior year

A First: Viewer Discretion Advised

2011-11-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

I killed a chicken! I not only killed it- I slit it's throat. I've shot things before, but never killed anything quite like this.
The neighbors were butchering their chickens and welcomed the help. Tyler could tell that I really wanted to give it a try, so he grabbed the camera and pushed me at the chickens. Gotta be honest and say that I was scared. But Tyler kept calling me a wuss, so I couldn't back down now! There was something very cool about it... made me feel self-reliant and... what's the word?... country.
I look like such a dork! Why am I laughing so hard in the first one you ask? Let's just say that chickens get scared before they die... so scared that poop comes squirting out everywhere. Yep, it got all over me. so GROSS! Tyler and I had a good laugh.

I know this picture is gruesome, but it's real life. The hardest part was grabbing a hold of it's head and yanking it down. After that you just take your knife to the throat and cut fast and hard until you feel bone. Before you know it blood will come gushing out. Once they've bled out, they get chopped, skinned, gutted, plucked, and boiled. Then soaked in ice water, quartered and bagged. Ta-Da!

It was definitely a first for me. I enjoy learning these sorts of things. (minus the poop! haha)
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We certainly did! There is so much to be thankful for. Now it's time to run off this pumpkin pie! :)

Gone Country

2011-11-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

I think Alan Jackson puts it best-

"She's gone country, look at them boots
She's gone country, back to her roots
She's gone country, a new kind of suit
She's gone country, here she comes
Yeah she's gone country, a new kind of walk
She's gone country, a new kind of talk
She's gone country, look at them boots
She's gone country, oh back to her roots"

We've Gone Country!

Thanks for the cowgirl boots sweetie, I LOVE them!

Alamo City

2011-11-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

We "had" to attend something they call a yellow ribbon event last weekend. Basically one of those mandatory army things where they talk about deployment and give you lots of useless information that you already know. It's supposed to be nice, relaxing, and informative, but I've got to be honest and say that I was totally fine with deployment until going to this yellow ribbon event. If anything it stressed me out! I hate it when that happens.
The cool part though was that we got to stay in a super fancy hotel right on the riverwalk. Oh how I love San Antonio! The city just has so much personality and flare. Not to mention amazing Mexican food. yummmmmmmm.....

Here we are at the Alamo- I need to learn to switch the camera to Auto mode before handing it off to someone for a family shot. Such torture to have to switch! They turn out so much better on manual. {sigh} At least the Alamo was in focus...
My three favorite people...Out to dinner...there's something about this picture I couldn't pass up. It's just sooo Rachel. ;) I love that big personality of hers.
Maggie would not take a nap in the hotel or even sleep at night for that matter... but, of course decided the perfect time for a nap would be when we're out on the town. Can't blame her though, I like sleeping on Daddy too. ;)
Look! A mariachi band! The girls LOVED it!
Lesson learned- Camera on Auto this time. And we're all in focus! Dancing the night away... Rachel was in heaven. The famous Riverwalk... it goes on and on... full of shops and restaurants. So much fun, and I must say beautiful at night... After dinner we decided to give into our sweet tooth and try out this Ice Cream shop... I love old signs like this...
Gotta love all those drips down her belly...You scream, I scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!!!

Strike a Yoga Pose: Happy Baby

2011-11-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

"Happy Baby"

Begin lying flat on your back.
Bend both knees and hold onto the outside edges of your flexed feet with your hands. Keep your arms on the outsides of your legs.
Gently use your upper body strength to equally press both knees to the floor below your armpits. Try not to tense your shoulders or chest, but keep everything relaxed.
Stay like this for five deep breaths. To release, let go of your feet and straighten your legs to the floor.

Almost there...
getting closer...

A-Ha! There it is! Nice work!
I must say, she has excellent form...Definitely my favorite yoga pose. ;)

Game day in Aggieland

2011-11-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing opportunity to go to an Aggie game a few weeks ago. It was one heck of a gorgeous day for a football game. I know you've heard me say this before, but I'm going to go ahead and keep saying it. I love Aggieland. The school spirit on A&M's campus is remarkable. I love being an Aggie, even if it's not so easy. One of these days our football team will be on top, until then I'll keep hootin and hollerin until they are!

Kyle Field

We were lucky enough to get to the game with no babies. Now that would have been one crazy football game! Thanks Mom and Dad.

Here we are... Us and Joseph and Teancum. I think they had a good time. ;) My best friend and I where it all began!
I really like this picture, so I decided to include it. I definitely married up. (at least I think so) The pre-game show- It gave me goosebumps. I know, I'm a nerd. If there are any "about to go to college" people out there reading this blog... {cough, cough, MIKE!} Don't forget to consider the best school in the great state of Texas.... Texas A&M University. :)

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year...

Maggie was a flower

And Rachel was a honey bee.

I'd definitely pick her. ;)

A honey bee pretty much sums up Rachel's personality this year. Busy- always buzzing around Maggie the Flower, definitely has a little stinger {hehe}, but still just as sweet as honey. She looks so grown up in this picture to me...

We had an authentic trick or treating experience this year. Since we missed our wards trunk-or-treat and we were in a new town we decided to drive through a few of the neighborhoods near by.

Ahhh, would you look at that! How nice of these people to leave a bucket of candy out even though they were going to be out... I tried explaining to Rachel that the sign said only take one piece of candy... ummm yeah, I don't think she understood. Don't worry, it all equals out- Daddy got one, Mommy got one, Maggie got one, and Rachel got one- and they are all in Rachel's sack...

I just like this one. Maggie didn't know what was going on, but she sure enjoyed being outside. :)

We would practice "trick or treat!" with Rachel in between houses, but every time someone answered the door she'd still get flustered and end up saying, "Candy, please."

Happy Halloween!

Goodbye Everyone!

Until next year...............buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....zzzzzzzzzzzz......buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

"Where I Come From" - Great Grandparents

2011-10-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Meet my Great Grandma, Ruby. She is 99 years old. Isn't she beautiful? I hope I age this beautifully.

Grandma Kelly is the only Great Grandparent I was ever able to get to know. I remember playing cards and baking cookies with her when she came to Houston to visit her daughter (my grandma), Rosalind. Best batch of cookies I've ever made, and I make lots of cookies. I seriously remember that, I would keep eating them looking at the recipe thinking, "What did we do differently? How did these turn out so much better than normal?"
I think I finally figured it out. Everything Great Grandma touches turns to gold. Even a batch of cookies. It's so hard to explain in words. It's more than just someone you want to be like. It's someone you want to be around. A magnet, that draws you in. It's someone that makes you a better person just by meeting them. I always felt like she really looked at me when I spoke, and although I hardly ever spent time with her growing up, I know she loves me. There's no doubting it. She is one of my heroes. If I ever have a July girl, I'd love to name her Ruby.

5 Generation Picture. Rachel and Maggie are her only two great-great grandchildren! For now that is.

Grandma Kelly with my Grandparents, her daughter and son-in-law...

She even attended my wedding. I can't even tell you how much this meant to me. It brings tears my eyes even now. Thank You Grandma, I know it was a long trip.

okay, here come some more tears... happy ones...

After writing my "Just the Two of Us" post, it hit me. I decided that every month I will be doing a family history post or as I'll be calling them, "Where I Come From" posts. I am VERY excited about this. I want my children to not only see their history, but read and see the history of their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. This just makes me GIDDY! Because if there's anything in this world that lifts me up and keeps me fighting, it's my family.
It's Where I Come From.

Since unfortunately I don't know much about my Great Grandma other than that she was one heck of a tough Missouri farm-girl, I asked my Grandma to write a little bit about Great Grandma for me... here's what she wrote:

Ruby Jewell (Cornelison) Kelly was born in Webster County, Missouri, on July 11,1912. She was 1 of 19 children born to Davner Jackson and Florence (Bralley) Cornelison. Ruby married Louis Arthur Kelly in 1934. They had 7 children:Roger, of Key west, Florida;Rosalind Loretta Barrow of Sugar Land,Texas; Linda Metcalf of cedar Fort, Utah; Martin of Wellington,Utah; Ann McAvoy of Lehi, Utah;Stephen of Fillmore, Utah; and Larry Kelly,deceased, who lived in Washington, state, I think.
After a very busy and varied life of work, adventure, and raising their family, Louis and Ruby served a mission in England in 1978 and 1979. after 58 years of marriage, Louis passed away in Springfield, Missouri on July 22.1992. Ruby is still leading an active life and loves to garden. She is very proud of all her children 6 now, and grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. She often receives visits from her children and grandchildren, which brightens her life.

My inspiration for this "Where I Come From" post came from a few recent outings Rachel and Maggie had with their Great Grandparents...

Grandma and Grandpa Barrow had lunch with us at the park. Rachel had a chocolate milk meltdown... haha, this picture makes me laugh so hard!

Grandma took off Rachel's shirt and handed her a new drink. All better now. haha.

Me and my Grandma and Grandpa Barrow. I love you guys so much! Thanks for the outing. We had a great time! As always. And if your wondering where that six pack of IBC root beer from your fridge went... It was TYLER! haha... okay okay, It was me. ;)

Next outing was with Nana-Nana! Where did we go? You guessed it, the park! haha. Can never go wrong with the park. Here's our little gold-digger Maggie. Sheesh, I opened my wallet this morning and I'm missing my debit card. -true story.

And of course Miss Rachel had to test her boundaries and run off the park area and climb to the very top of the waterfall. Almost gave me a heart-attack.

They had a super cool slide!

Mags enjoying the swing! WhEEEEEEE!

Rachel had a blast playing with her cousins... or second cousins, whatever it is.
hahahaha.... someone help Rachel!

There we go, Nana-Nana to the rescue!

Can you tell she loves her cousins? hehe.

Thanks for being such amazing Great Grandparents (and Grandparents)! We love you.

xoxoxo

Footie Pajamas

2011-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's time to pull out the warm jammies again! Switching out to warm clothes is such a pain! I have to pull out every tub of clothes from 12 months to 5T and figure out what the girls can fit into. Yes, you heard me, 5T! Rachel actually fits into a 5T sweater. Of course it was baggy, but I like baggy especially when it comes to winter sweaters. But despite the hassle of crawling through storage and going through clothes, they sure look cute in their footie pajamas!

Can't believe how big these girls are getting! They are really starting to play well together. How fun to have a sister!

P-P-Peppers! and P-P-Peacocks!

2011-10-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Before the weather turned cold, we figured it was high time to pick all the peppers in the garden. Pretty much the ONLY thing that survived the summer. Good thing too, because I LOVE peppers. And as it turns out, so do my girlies.

And, was that P-P-Peacocks you heard? Yes! The Payne's have peacocks! They are beautiful, and the best pet ever! You don't have to feed them, they don't bite, they keep the snakes away, and I think it's fun that they hang out on the front porch sometimes. Yep it's decided, I will have peacocks one day.

Payne girls feeding the Peacocks, or "Peacops" as Rachel says it. haha, Maggie is really speaking her mind here... (and in case you're wondering, Peacocks get their long pretty feathers in the spring! I'm excited to take pictures of them all puffed up. So gorgeous.)

"Come here Peacops!"

Picking P-P-Peppers!

yummmmm...

whoah, these peppers are heavy! There were A LOT of them. And they are now all chopped up and in the freezer. That thought just gave me warm fuzzies... I told you I love peppers!

haha, oh Rachel, I love you.

"my photography"

2011-10-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, that just sounds weird... "my photography". Why does that sound so weird? Well shoot, it is MY photography!

Anyway, I think I've turned a corner in "my photography"... yes, it has become more than just a hobby, but it's now a lucrative hobby. I was so nervous about this... seriously, I lost quite a bit of sleep, but I've decided that my pictures are worth something! And that it is far too much work to do it for free all the time.

Really though, I take so much joy out of photography. It makes me realize all the "little things" in life. All the simple joys that so often I forget. I also believe that blogging and photography has helped me be a better mother and wife. Something about it makes you look back and smile and look forward in excitement. It especially helps me when my husband is away.

That being said, I am still very hard on myself. I don't think that you can ever master photography. There is always something to learn. Which is what I love about it! However, it's hard to look at my pictures without thinking, "I have a long way to go" or while looking at other peoples pictures thinking, "My pictures are never going to that good". But instead of saying those things, tonight I'm going to look at the progress I've made and share a few recent pictures.

All of these photos are from two baby shoots I've done recently. Ahhh baby shoots! So much FUN! Looking back I couldn't tell you why I was so darn nervous! You really can't go wrong when working with a perfect subject. And that is exactly what these two are... perfect.

I could stare at these toes forever. So sweet. I love all the crinkles.

Little Baylin had to be sucking on something! She always found a way to get that arm in her mouth! Either way, I thought it was pretty cute.
okay Jess, don't get baby hungry now... remember you already have two! What a little angel, don't you think?The colors in this one make me happy.
I love it when they wrap their tiny hand around your finger...

And here's little Bruce... what a manly name right? I love it.
I wonder what he's dreamin about... I'd say IBC root beer or Heaven, maybe both! haha.

I LOVE this one. I know it's probably not a likely top pick for most people, but I remember just sitting in Rachel's room while I was pregnant with her trying to imagine what it would like to actually see a baby in that crib. This picture is a dream come true to me.

The only smile of the shoot... And I caught it! I was so excited.

The Bingham Family... All three of them!

So there you have it! What do you think? I'd love to hear some feedback. Actually that's not true, if you don't like these pictures go ahead and keep it to yourself. haha.

poop

2011-10-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you heard me. I said poop.

Tyler called me tonight, like he normally does before he goes to bed. He asked me what the girls and I did today. So I told him... We went to the grocery store, did some garage saling, took naps, went to the park after nap-time and on the way home I got some McDonald's for the girls. {don't judge! You know I'm going to be keeping it real here on this blog... I don't care who you are, those chicken nuggets are good. We even ate outside to avoid the clean-up. haha} Anyway, then he asked, "What are you doing now? What's that noise?"

Well, I'll tell you honey- I'm scrubbing poop out of the tub.

(He laughed through this entire conversation and told me I had to write it down. Here's hoping it's that hilarious in print.)

I took Miss Maggie out of the tub first. As I set her down to go get a diaper I hear a disgusting swishy sounding splat on the floor. Without hesitation, I push Maggie out of the way and wipe up the poop before she has a chance to play in it. {If you can't already tell, I've dealt with this before} Maggie is highly offended that I won't let her play in her poop and starts wailing on the floor.

Then I hear a shreek from the bathroom. And the shreek kept saying, "Ewwww Mommy, I pooped! Get it off me!"

Oh dear, seriously? Did you girls plan this?

I walk in. Sure enough there's Rachel with poop all down her legs and a giant terd on the bathtub floor.

*I am frustrated at this point. The Mommy frustrated voice begins.*

"Rachel, the potty is right there! What were you thinking? You never poop in the bathtub! That is a big NO-NO! Repeat after me, I will never poop in the bathtub! (she repeats after me)"

Then I grab her and lay her on the floor, getting poop all over the bathroom rug on the way down. {jeez, you'd think I've dealt with this before}

As I'm getting Rachel cleaned up, Maggie tottles in, sees the poop and immediately makes a v-line for the poop. What is it with this girl and poop? She certainly doesn't get this excited about mud. I knock her down. Again. She gets offended and cries. Again. I finally get a diaper on Rachel and kick both of them out the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

As I'm tending to the giant terd in the bathtub, Rachel comes in the other door through my bedroom with little offended Maggie tailing her. Rachel exclaims, "Mommy I need a hug!" I shout back, "NO, you NEED to poop in the potty!" {yes, my 2 year old isn't potty trained yet. Once again, don't judge}

Ah, I finally flush the giant terd down the toilet and wipe up the remains with little Maggie clinging to my leg.

Breathe. Don't forget to breathe.This is one of those moments where I'm thinking... "Where's my dang husband when I need him?" haha. Oh well, the tub needed a good scrubbing anyway.

Funny part is- This sort of thing really isn't all that uncommon. It's life.

I said I went to the grocery store today- if only I could explain all the things that happened in-between. Sometimes people will ask me, "So what have you been up these days?" I reply, "Oh you know taking care of these girls." Whether they say it or not a "that's all?" look follows.

If only they knew what happened in-between.

(aren't you glad that I didn't include pictures in this one? hehe)

Caramel and Fallen State

2011-10-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... what have we here? oooo, is this what I think it is? yes, I think it is.
okay, okay, keep scrolling...

These

Plus These...

Equal THIS-

Thank you Eve for partaking, it is truly a beautiful thing...

Rachel the caramel apple perfectionist... must add a few more sprinkles...

ahhh, there! Perfect. A little bottom heavy, but hey- beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And Rachel couldn't have been more proud.

Maggie's hunter eyes- love those hunter eyes...

Family Home Evening is great!

Maggie finally going in for the kill... and savoring every sticky, gooey, gummy bite!

These FHE themes are getting a bit ridiculous. I don't know, what do you think? Do you think the forbidden fruit was a caramel apple? hehe.

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

2 Nephi 2:25

the bathroom stool

2011-10-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

I caught Maggie up on the bathroom stool the other day. I didn't know she could get up there, but she can now! And it's her new favorite spot.

"Hello little girl, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I see. You're up on the stool. My goodness, look how tall you are! But, little girl, do you know how to get down?"

"hmmm... I didn't think so."(insert poor crying Maggie on the floor picture here... {really you're disappointed that I didn't include that picture? What kind of Mother do you think I am? haha.})

"It's alright little girl, we'll just have to work on that one together."

I'm Glad that I Live in this Beautiful World...

2011-10-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Heavenly Father created for me.

What a lovely conference weekend we had! I love getting a break from church and just staying home in my basketball shorts and large t-shirt to watch Conference. It was a much needed break. And some excellent talks! {as always} I thought I'd share three of my favorite quotes from the weekend...

A WOWza moment- you know the high five, do a cartwheel kind of a moment-

"So how do you raise a girl? Love her mother."

~Elaine S. Dalton

Something I've been needing for months, I loved every word of this talk...

In my life I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often “here a little and there a little” because that is all that I can bear or all I am willing to do.Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now! As a young man, President David O. McKay prayed for a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Many years later, while he was serving his mission in Scotland, that witness finally came. Later he wrote, “It was an assurance to me that sincere prayer is answered ‘sometime, somewhere.’”

~Elder Robert D. Hales

Oh my, a tear-jerker. I can't tell you how many times I've looked up at the stars and tried to comprehend my worth. So many times I feel invisible or insignificant.... but that is just "old scratch" in my ear. This talk was incredible. It took everything in me not to copy/paste the entire thing... I have a feeling I'll be reading it many more times... Uchtdorf has always been my favorite- such a rockstar!

And while we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?” God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters.

~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

For FHE we went on a walk and found beautiful things that Heavenly Father made for us. This is what we came up with...(these pictures keep bugging me- I think I forgot to check my ISO setting, they just seem grainy... oh well!)

A feather!

Outside is our favorite place to be!

just a field... I liked it...

Maggie found a rock... Good job Maggie!!!

This is a good one. I love how Maggie's onesie isn't buttoned up. She always gets away so fast, so sometimes I don't even bother...

our accumulation of things... {a pine cone, a rock, a feather, a sticker (that one was stretching it a bit too far for me!), an acorn, and a flower}

I just can't help it! One more, one more!
Having young children is not easy. Many days are just difficult. A young mother got on a bus with seven children. The bus driver asked, “Are these all yours, lady? Or is it a picnic?” “They’re all mine,” she replied. “And it’s no picnic!” ~Elder Neil L. Andersen

Okay Okay! I'm done. sheesh!

Best Friends

2011-10-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

So we left town again. It seems we are always on the road these days. This time though, it was all about seeing BEST FRIEND- Monica Del Valle Morey! Yep, that's the one.

She has been my best friend since I was 13 years old. It was a time in my life where I desperately needed her. And as it turns out she needed me too. It's funny how things have a way of working out when you think there's no possible way they ever will. I guess that's what makes life interesting. I feel blessed to have made a handful of amazing friends in my life. They just don't come by that often. It was so great to see her. We picked up exactly where we left off- hugging, dancing, singing, and making cookies. It's like nothing had changed. That's what I love about Monica- we'll always be friends forever. Won't we? RuuuuRRuuuuRuuuu {Fox and The Hound}
Monica and I. She's so gorgeous! Inside and Out. And you can totally tell even from a picture. Don't you think? I am one lucky best friend.
Getting Ice Cream after Women's Conference... we were laughing so hard we cryed! I LOVE when that happens. And I won't tell you what we were talking about... I'm afraid Nana would get out her wooden spoon and chase me around the house... Sunday family picture! Thanks Monica for letting me wear your cute clothes... {note to self: buy a cute dress and leggings- it works for you.} I ADORE this picture. Maggie has learned to wave and say hi. Pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Here's a good one for the Daddy wall I'm making... You can always count on getting a good smile from Rachel in the swing...Yep, nothings changed.
Cookie time! A best friend tradition passed on the the next generation- I think we succeeded for sure.
Definitely a success. She licked that spoon dry. And yes, I gave Maggie raw cookie dough- I don't care who you are, you're not living unless you eat the dough. Period. Exclamation mark. kaboom. And that's it. p.s.- Monica, let's not wait another 4 years to do this. I think I might die.

Luau- Texas Style

2011-09-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, I made a goal for myself at the beginning of the year. It was to complete 8 blog posts a month. So far I have 7 for this month. I am just now realizing that I only have two hours left in September! Goodness Gracious. I HAVE to do this! Every time I look at my blog archives and see that ugly number 7 I'll go crazy, so here is NUMBER 8!
We drove home from Houston today, and right as we were pulling into Weatherford we realized that it was ward Luau night! ALOHA! This is how Texans do luaus- we sing Beach Boy songs, eat grilled chicken, bust open a flip-flop pinata, and stick little umbrellas in everything. Sounds about right to me. I mean, who doesn't love the Beach Boys? ;)

Look at her eyes... priceless. Can you tell what Maggie wants?

Love Rachel's smile in this one. Nothing like FINALLY getting out of that car seat and playing with tons of other little kids and being loaded with sugar. She had a blast!! And I love that Maggie still has her eye on that chicken.

And last but not least... the flip-flop pinata-

Whew! That was a close one.
now for a little catch up on September...

All Better Now

2011-09-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Most of the time those sweet, amazing, "that's why" moments come and go so fast that I forget to fully cherish them. I hate when that happens. But sometimes those moments happen often enough that I get the chance to completely savor them.
Frequently Rachel comes up to me fussing about some new owie she's gotten. Oftentimes I can't even see the owie. Sometimes I don't think there even is an owie. But nevertheless Rachel will come up to me asking me to kiss it all better. I ask her where the owie is and then give it a little kiss. Afterwards Rachel will exclaim "All better now!" and scamper off.
It is my favorite. I wish this stage could last forever.

Even the smallest owies need a kiss...

Wrestle, kiss it better, wrestle some more.... it's what Daddies do.

It's amazing what one little kiss can do.

Just the Two of Us

2011-09-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

A thought went through my mind today. It was that I miss my brother. He is my only sibling. It has always been just the two us. We were two peas in a pod for a long time. And growing up, complete opposites. Just like two little girls I know.
Mike has always been very introverted when it comes to his feelings. If he was mad or sad you wouldn't be able to get anything out of him. I remember him playing with his action figures for hours when we were little; his room was his favorite place to be. While I on the other hand have always been an open book. If anythings the matter, you'll know- and I'll tell you the whole story. And I thought my room was a prison and always needed a friend to play with. But, despite our different personalities we were the best of friends. I think that's one very special thing about having a small family- your just so tight. I remember missing him so much when I went off to college. He is so hilarious and is the BEST at using one liners from movies- cracks me up every time. And although he has always been the strong, silent type, he is one heck of a leader. People just gravitate towards him and listen when he opens his mouth.
He is currently serving his mission in San Jose, California, and he only has 4 months left. I just love to read his letters. Simply AMAZING. They inspire me every week and give me the urge to get on the wrestling mat and work it out. I love him so much.

These are for you Mike-

I found this picture today and couldn't stop laughing! And you wonder why I'm so paranoid when Rachel gets her hair cut (haha, sorry Mom) And look at that cheesy smile, Holy Smokes! Mike looks completely adorable though...

hehe, so sweet. Love the crinkle nose. I guess that's where my girls get it from.

Getting big now... and look, still sportin the converse!

Hey Now! Don't mess up my wedding hairdo!

First time to be Uncle Mike!

Mission pictures are so fun. Look at that clean-cut stud! And I love the Houston Temple doors... so cheerful and bright... I love my Temple. Yes, I said MY Temple. haha.

I love you brother! I know I'm such a slacker at writing you! Please forgive me. See you soon.
Until then- TEAR 'EM UP out there!

Snip Snip

2011-09-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

It was time. Time for a haircut. {sniff sniff} I know, I'm a big baby. In all honesty, it wasn't all that bad. Thank Goodness I have an awesome sister-in-law who is an amazing hair stylist. I told Rachel that Itzel was coming over to make her hair look all pretty, and she was ecstatic! She loves Itzel. Who wouldn't? And look at how cute her belly is! (she's one of those "make me wanna puke" gorgeous pregnant women, haha) She is going to be a great mother, wanna know how I know? She is amazing with my girls!

Anyway, Itzel knew I wanted just a little bit off. And that's exactly what she did. A little trim goes a long way. No more mop-head for us! Thanks Itzel!

here we go...

super fine baby hair...

excuse me, I can't see Mulan...

all done!

I'll smile for you Mommy, but I'm not going to stop watching Mulan... can't blame her though, it was at that cool fighting song part...
She sure is growing up, and she's such a good big sister. I love watching her and Maggie play together. They are already great buddies.

Sidewalk Fun

2011-09-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome playgroup last week! It was sidewalk chalk painting! My girls absolutely loved it. It throws a little more pizzazz into that regular sidewalk chalk. Thanks Mely!

oooo the excitement!

everyone calm down, there's enough to go around...
little artists busy at work
I think Maggie enjoyed it the most, haha

the more messy, the more fun... I think that's every kids motto... mine too! haha

don't worry, it washed off...

Wanna make some too?

Recipe: cornstarchfood coloringwaterInstructions: dump cornstarch into a bowl, add coloring and stir in a few tablespoons of water. Mix until desired consistency (it's supposed to be pretty runny).

Now that doesn't look too hard does it? Simplicity is a beautiful thing. We'll definitely be doing it again soon.

Maggie Ila- 9ish months

2011-09-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

So we went to the park yesterday morning and everything seemed perfect for pictures. Key word- seemed. It was the first cool, windy, overcast day I've experienced in Texas since I don't know when. I could actually smell football season and pumpkin bread. You know when you walk outside and you just smell and feel the season changing? And there's this rush of emotion and memories from seasons past? Am I just crazy or do ya'll know what I'm talking about? Anyway, it was one of those days. That amazingness mixed with two happy girls and a playground made it a great morning. Until I took one picture of Maggie and my battery died. {insert long huffy breath here} I just couldn't get over it. So after playing for a while and coming home and grabbing a snack and a fully charged battery we went back to the park, and I finally got my Maggie pictures. {insert conquering Jess face here} I can't believe how long those legs are. When did she get so big?Maggie Mooza Booza Dooza Payne
"hmmm, I was certain this was edible..."
Baby overalls are my FAVORITE.hehe... I love this one. That goofy smile makes me so darn happy.
Look at all them teethers! And she certainly knows how to use them, let me tell ya.Maggie Update-Still sweet: ✓Growing like a weed: ✓Thinks everything's a chew toy: ✓Eats more than Rachel times two: ✓Loves to swing: ✓Still a Mommas girl: ✓Waves, says "hi", mama, and dada: ✓Learning sign language: ✓Loves to dig through trash: ✓Loves to pull cords: ✓Thinks an open dishwasher is an open treasure chest: ✓Gives big slobbery kisses: ✓Loves her pacifier and blanky: ✓Loves her big sister: ✓✓Makes Mommy baby hungry: ✓ (believe me if you had a baby this good you'd be too!)Loves to explore and roam: ✓Can run now: ✓Likes to tackle Rachel and pull her pigtails: ✓Loves oatmeal creme pies: ✓Makes Mommy so so so happy: ✓✓✓

Butterfly Hunter & Flower Picker

2011-09-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's safe to say that our favorite place to visit while we are at Ft. Benning is Callaway Gardens. It's so beautiful and there are just enough things to do and see with small children. And I bet you can guess where we spent most of our time... The Butterfly House!!!

They could have stayed in there all day long...

This is how most of the trip went... Maggie was the butterfly hunter and Rachel was the flower picker. No matter how hard we tried to draw her attention to the butterflies, she just wanted to pick flowers.

Getting a shot of her showing me her flowers was tricky! She would show me her flower and then ZOOM off to the next one! This was about has good at it gets... (notice the flower pickers ring, haha)

Here's our butterfly hunter...

Geaux Maggie! Get them butterflies!
There were definitely a couple fatalities in the butterfly ranks...

And here's our flower picker...
Can you tell someone's off in flower-land?

Aren't the white ones gorgeous?

Photographer's favorite picture of the day! And look, she's still got her hunter eyes on...

Maggie flying with the butterflys! Definitely the cutest butterfly of them all...

Too bad she had to come back down...

The End.

5 Years

2011-09-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

We've been married for 5 whole years! Can you believe that? Wow, I mean, Wow.

I woke up this morning and everything seemed normal. I looked and looked but everything seemed the same as yesterday. hmmm... I was certain that something would have changed. Come on, this is 5 years we're talking about. Then I thought about it and it hit me. Something had changed. Tyler and I. We had changed! I just can't explain it, I love him so much more than I did 5 years ago. We have grown and learned so much. It has been so much fun.

Take a look at this picture... Aren't we just adorable? So young, so beautiful. {sigh}

I love Tyler's smile in this one... so happy. He is one seriously handsome guy, if I do say so myself.

I was 19 when I got married. 19 freakin years old! That is young, very young. Too young to be getting married, at least that's what everyone told me. But you know me and my hard head. I knew what I was supposed to do. I knew how to follow the spirit. I knew that Tyler Payne was "The One". What a leap of faith. More like a free-fall.

As we were making the drive from Georgia back to Texas yesterday Tyler and I listened to one of those ibook thingys. It was, "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". It was incredible! That guy was so spot on. Tyler and I laughed the whole time. And there was a whole lot of "Yes, yes! That is it! That is exactly what you do!", "Do you really think like that?", and, "Really, that is all you need from me?". Haha. It was a great time.

Tyler and I haven't had the perfect marriage. I don't think that exists. We've yelled at each other, and we've said bad words. I think that's a given when you marry a 19 year old that think she knows everything. This past year hasn't been easy. It's been a rough one. But, we're still cruising along and learning to enjoy the ride. I am so proud to be Mrs. Tyler Payne. I am so glad that I entered the Houston Temple and on the morning of September 9, 2006 knelt over that alter, looked into my best friends eyes and said, YES!

This morning we took our girls on a long bike ride. We had so much fun. Maggie held on to her apple for the whole ride and Rachel kept poking her head out of the wind protector thing, her pigtails were going crazy! Tyler and I kept smiling over at each other . It was a perfect morning, as perfect as it was 5 years ago. Life has changed, and it is so much better.

Happy 5 years!

If Rachel was in charge...

2011-08-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

We'd spent every waking moment at the pool.

The girl just can't get enough. She loves the thrill of floating on her own and will proudly exclaim, "I did it! I okay!". Maggie is a definitely a fan too. She loves to lower her face down to the water and touch it with her mouth and nose. It is so fun to be a parent and see the excitement in your babies eyes! And the best part... it doesn't take much, just a trip to the pool.

Daddy is always in high demand around here. Even Mommy can't match all the fun Daddy brings. When Tyler first walks in the door he tackles Rachel. Maggie used to be nothing but a Momma's girl, but now she gets so jealous! She'll follow Tyler around yelling DaaDaa until she gets tackled too. It is so cute to watch! I need to get a video of it.

The Mommy with baby monster #2...something tells me I need to get these girls in swim lessons next summer...

And here's some more of my sweet Maggie being sweet... I know this sounds a little weird coming out but I just love to look at her little baby body! Nothing but soft baby chubs... yum yum yum! I normally keep her in a onesie all day long just so she can show off them thighs!

something for his travels

2011-08-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

When Tyler is gone I send him lots of image texts throughout the day. It's nice because I can show him what we're up to instead of telling him. And, he gets to see all three of his girls! I also like to use it when we're on the road or I forget my clunky DSLR. It sure is a handy little doodad. Thank you for the iPhone sweetie. The camera is definitely my favorite feature.

Enjoy!

Georgia Aquarium

2011-08-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

So in case any of you were wondering we're back at Ft. Benning for Airborne school. That means we got to go the the Atlanta aquarium again! And this time I remembered my camera! YAY! Except it was so dang crowded, I could hardly take any pictures. However, even though there were lots of people there, we had a blast. I love the aquarium! When I think about where I might be and what I'd be doing if I didn't have children or wasn't married I could imagine myself working at a place like this aquarium. The girls loved it, and I think Rachel got much more out of it this time around.

Waiting in line... Bright-eyed and ready to go...

I just love this picture. It's not often that my baby cuddles into me like this anymore. So sad. Why do they have to grow up? Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

This is my favorite room of the aquarium... the giant wall!!! Can you find my babies?

completely fascinated...

The belugas! These guys are so cool. They love to rub up against the glass and play with their air bubbles.

The petting pool...

She got to pet sting-rays and bonnet-head sharks!

We were lucky enough to be there during feeding time. Rachel was so into this and kept asking to feed them too.

Hey Mr Grump Gills,
You know what you gotta do when life gets you down?
Just keep swimmingJust keep swimming swimming swimming
Happy Monday everyone!

Ice Cream Truck

2011-08-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

You know that tune that all ice cream trucks play? My Dad used to tell me that tune meant that all the ice cream trucks are out of ice cream and they're going home for the day.

He is the king of outlandish, crazy stories. And I, I believed every single one of them.

Every time he would fart he'd say, "Man, those rocky mountain barking spiders are all over the place!". I was amazed! How did they get all the way down to Houston?

He always played up the Santa Claus bit. I'm pretty sure I believed in Santa Claus until I was sixteen.

Every time I had a cookie, he'd point at the wall behind me and say, "Look a spider!". I'd look and turn back to find a big chunk of my cookie missing.

Tyler hasn't quite mastered the art yet. That's okay though because I'm pretty sure we won't have to worry about ice creams trucks when we get back to Weatherford. Plus, we're on vacation, at least that's what I'm calling "training" these days.

Which one wins?

Ah yes, the pink one. Sundae crunch.

Look at that concentration. Don't drop it!

Now I know what all you people are talking about when you say not to tell your children to say cheese... Holy cow, it looks strenuous...

That headband mysteriously found itself in our cart has we were walking out of Target. I have to watch that girl, she likes to throw things in the cart when I'm not looking. However, I think this headband suits her, and I was too lazy to go back in and return it. Luckily, it was only 2 bucks. There's something about this picture... Rachel is always carrying around a flower, and she frequently gives them to me. I love them all, even the weeds.

We love to share! As long as Daddy only gets a little bit. haha.

Rachel, the princess

2011-08-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I remember someone giving a talk in church about parenting. They said that teaching your child is just like feeding a baby. Food gets everywhere, on their clothes, on the bib, in the highchair, and all over their face as you try to get that spoon in their mouth. And yet, even with all the times you've missed they still get fed and continue to grow.

Lately I feel like I just keep missing. I know that isn't true. Rachel and I have our good days and we have our bad days. The girl is as stubborn as her momma, but I just keep at it. Trying to keep life at a good pace. Trying to stay stern and consistent. And trying to keep my voice down, always making sure that she's knows I love her. As I started thinking about FHE, it hit me. Inspiration... the still small voice... WELCOME, stay awhile and let's chat!
Well, it was worth a try... It was a rather short visit, but I at least knew what the FHE lesson was going to be.

Princesses.

At first I thought, haven't we talked about princesses enough around here? This girl is crazy about princesses. I promised myself that this wouldn't happen, but it was completely beyond my control. My little girl loves princesses, especially Ariel. Greeeeaaaatttt, a story about a disobedient teenager. sheesh.
Anyway, a thought was put into my head... Tell her she's a princess. Tell her what a real princess is. I've done this before, but another time won't hurt.

So we did our usual thing...
We sang lots of songs ("I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" is her favorite, so we sang that one twice), said a prayer, and then I asked Rachel who her favorite princess was. She immediately started listing off all of them. We talked about how pretty they are and what kind of dresses they wear, you know, girl talk. Then I said, Rachel is a princess too! Princess Rachel! She smiled and said, I'm not a princess, I Rachel! Yes darling but you can be both! Then I started talking about all the wonderful things that make Rachel a princess. Her chocolatey brown eyes, her beautiful smile, and that she is a daughter of God. And if she makes good choices she'll be able to go to the temple and live happily ever after too. That's a real princess.
We sang "I love to see the Temple", and that was it.
I could definitely tell that I got the spoon in her mouth.

Later that night as I was looking for a General Conference talk to read, I found "Your Happily Ever After" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. It was a talk given in the April 2010 Young Women broadcast.
I definitely recommend it especially if you have little girls. Plus, it's always nice to be told you're a princess. :)

There have been times when I've wondered about "Happily Ever After". I've seen happy marriages end, and good people stuck in horrible marriages. But after reading this talk I've come to the conclusion that everyone can have "Happily Ever After".
"Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?
Enduring adversity is not the only thing you must do to experience a happy life. Let me repeat: how you react to adversity and temptation is a critical factor in whether or not you arrive at your own “happily ever after.”
I love that... no princess reaches happily ever after without adversity. It could be an evil stepmother, infertility, deployment, a broken heart, sickness, loneliness, or an enchanted beasts castle... we all have to conquer adversity. But, everyone can eventually reach their "happily ever after". I know it sounds silly and girly, but it's true! And so good to know.

a sad story

2011-08-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said I should have been a farmer?

Well, I take it back.

It was doing so good. There's something about corn... it's so tall, so big! It makes me feel so proud. So proud in fact that I used it as our family picture backdrop.

And now it's so dead. That's right, all that hard work, all that water and not a single cob (cob, husk, corn thing-a-ma-bober... whatever the right word is). I told you this was a sad story. I couldn't tell you what happened. I think it was some sort of disease that makes them all mushy, almost like they got attacked by worms. I also attribute this failure to the Texas heat. The Dallas/Fort Worth area experienced 40 days straight of triple digit weather with no rain! This is not summer people, it's a season I like to call HEdoublehockeysticks! Nothing but hot and dry. Talk about rubbing lots of lotion into my heels.
Although the corn suffered, the rest of the garden did alright. Especially the squash! We were up to our eyeballs in that stuff. And it looks like a watermelon is coming!

So, I guess it wasn't a complete failure. But still sad. Oh so sad. Every time I see corn on the cob at the store I can't help but let out a big long sigh.

*sigh*

There's always next year. I think I'll stick with Plan A for a bit longer though.

her big girl bed

2011-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

I finally found one! Yes, a toddler bed. This one was the right price, but needed a little work. So, my handy man husband sanded her down and put on a fresh coat of paint, and now she's as good as new!

Tyler brought the bed in and Rachel knew it was just for her. She was so overwhelmed all she could say was, "Daddy made my bed! Daddy made my bed!". She walked around saying that all day, and I can't lie, it made me walk a little taller every time she said it. I did good, and I loved how grateful she was to her Daddy. It was so much fun watching her jump on it and cuddle with her teddy bears. She wouldn't let anyone else come near her bed. I usually enforce the sharing rule, but not this time. I think there should be a few things that are all yours and that you don't have to share. I don't know, what do you think? Anyway, bedtime has always been tricky with Rachel, especially when we travel, so I was happy that she liked it. And I certainly didn't mind that she was a bit possessive... Yes it's yours!!! Now, go to sleep! haha! :)

Yep, she's a walker

2011-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while someone would ask me how old Rachel was when she started walking. This would be when I said, "7 1/2 months". Most of the time the person would say something like, "No way, that's just crazy!" followed by this funny look on their face. I don't really know how to describe it, it's just a "I don't think so" kind of look. This look drives me crazy because there's no contending it. It's just there! So, this time I have proof. Maggie also took her first step at 7 1/2 months, and now at 8 months she is a full fledged walker. What can I say, my girls are go-getters at this walking thing!

I love those baby blues...

I'm in a vintagey mood today...

Are you going to stand up? No Mama, I think I'll just sit here and look cute...

hehe...

Baby Monster on the loose!

I LOVE her big smile!

Both my girls love getting roughed up by their Daddy...

Now off to teach that noodle a lesson...

Alright, now you can all wipe that funny look off your face.

Thanks.

I'm a work in progress

2011-07-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago I found the pioneer woman website. I initially looked at her website hoping to find some new recipes. Let me just tell you, the pioneer woman can COOK! seriously tasty stuff. Anyway, I found myself scrolling around her site and eventually clicked on the photography link. Boy oh boy, I was in love. I clicked on everything! And I'm pretty sure that I read her "What the heck is Aperture" about 50 times. Good stuff! After playing around with my point and shoot camera for several months, one day a big box came to our door. It said NIKON.
*my heart skipped a beat*
This was it. He had done it. The box was far too big to be anything other than a brand spanking new DSLR camera. I hurried and put it in the back seat and drove off to campus where I knew Tyler would be getting out of class soon. Then, I saw him... Mr. Payne walking up to the car with the widest grin on his face! He knew he had done good. I jumped out of the car and gave him a monstrous hug, followed by a slug on the shoulder (these puppies are expensive! even though I knew he had been scheming for a while), and then another big hug and kiss. I love that man.
Since then I've been a work in progress. There was a lesson I learned in high school about making choices... Many girls played softball year round. They played on fancy club teams and basically drake, ate, and slept the sport... hoping to get a scholarship senior year. But I loved volleyball, softball, and wrestling! I may not get a scholarship, but I want to enjoy and participate in everything that I love. I feel the same way about photography. I'd love to put all my spare time into it, but there are so many other things that are important to me. So, little by little I learn more and more about photography. Sometimes I get really frustrated and feel like my photos just aren't turning out right and I don't know why! There are about a million buttons on this dang contraption, why can't it just do what I I want? goodness gracious. Today I took a picture from a month ago and decided that I was going to make it better. And I think I did! This shoot was almost completely SOOC... I think I may have boosted it a bit... And here it is after the tootling... much better right? crisp and bright don't ya think? I took this photo around 5pm in the Texas summer which isn't ideal lighting... the sun is a bit harsh and the light is uneven, but I still think it looks pretty good. One more thing, my goal is to hardly have to touch it after I put it on the computer. I think that's the sign of a good photographer. However, I think that there are some photoshop actions out there that are just right, and add the pizazz I'm looking for.

Maybe there is hope for me!

the best entertainment

2011-07-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

the hose, a kiddy pool, and popsicles (yeah, we eat a lot of popsicles at Nana's house)what else could you really need?
I'm pretty sure that's the cutest backside I've ever seen. Can you tell that someone is getting a little sleepy? Sometimes the swing can have that effect especially around 10 a.m.
But we tried putting her in the pool anyway. Yeah Mom, this ain't happenin'... Needless to say, as soon as Nana got a dry diaper on her and put her in her crib she was gone. Foolproof formula: Maggie+sleepy cry+pacifier+favorite blanket= out like a light Rachel loved spraying herself with the hose...
Shreek!! I can get my back too!
too much fun...There's nothing like relaxing in the kiddy pool and eating popsicles after a morning run. Rachel loves popsicles! They taste yummy, but her favorite part about them it that they make your tongue change colors. Orange tongue, Green tongue My little Rachel one year ago in the same pool. It's funny how quickly and slowly time can pass. This moment seems like it was just yesterday, but today I thought traveling 6 hours with the girls couldn't go any slower. I absolutely love my job. Staying home with my babies is one of the biggest blessings that I could ever ask for. I never miss a moment.

A big cherry popsicle

2011-07-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

Through all the head rubs, "helping", push overs, choke holds, and eye pokes sometimes a big sister can doing something right...

Maggie definitely approved.

Now it's time to march to the bathtub.

take two

2011-07-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll.
When Tyler is away, I seem to forget to take myself to bed. Instead of doing something more worthwhile, I tootle around looking at fun projects to do. This is something I need to work on. However, I found something that I would definitely categorize as worthwhile. It's another sunday project!!!
I am going to kick some sacrament meeting butt this week, let me tell ya!
This one was way quicker than the last one! All you need is a skinny binder, clear sheet protectors, old Friend magazine issues, and dry erase crayons... These suckers are so cool! Yes, dry erase crayons! wipe on, wipe offNow, if you don't have any Friend magazines don't fret because I didn't either! They are all online! YES! just go here.

This one was fun. I made a coloring page out of one of Rachel's pictures! If you want to do know how to do that go here. This is also that site where I found the idea! Thank goodness for creative people, why didn't I think of this?

There are so many fun activities in these magazines. And for all ages! They have crossword puzzels, word find it thingys, and word unscrambler thingys. I put a couple of the hard ones in for me.... hey, sometimes I need an activity too, especially during some of those high priests talks... did I just say that?

How awesome is that? Find King Lamoni's sheep! Yes, pure awesomeness.

And that's it.

Easy peesy lemon squeezy! Now go make one!

the hardest hour of the week

2011-07-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Sacrament meeting.

I'm going to go ahead and open myself up here. Let it all hang out. I am terribly self-conscious about sacrament meeting. I am constantly asking myself things like... "Is it okay to let her wave to the people in the pew behind us? How many waves is too many?", "Can she walk up and down the row?", "How many snacks are appropriate?", "How loud does Maggie have to cry to be distracting?"... and the list goes on. I see these cute ladies with their children all entertained and quiet and think to myself, what the heck? What am I doing wrong here? And their hair and clothes still look nice, while I look like I just finished a race!
One more thing... Rachel is two. I bring her out of the meeting at least once every Sunday. She knows that when I take her out to the foyer bad things happen, but that doesn't seem to deter her from throwing fits here and there. But we keep going back in until she get's the hint. You WILL stay in sacrament meeting! There are some Sunday's that I come home feeling like I just completely failed.
{sigh}

I have been thinking of ways to help make Sunday's more pleasant, while still keeping it gospel related. I saw someone with one of these and thought I'd make one too. Let me just say that it took me way longer that I had expected! I am not a scrapbooker. I always like the end result, but I don't necessarily enjoy the process. If I were to do this project again, I'd definitely use a 4x6 photo album instead of an 8x8. I found almost all my pictures from old Ensign magazines, and what I didn't find I found at the church bookstore and on the internet.

It's a Sunday ABC book. I started and soon realized that there's 26 letters in the alphabet! I have a feeling this realization is going to hit me about 26 miles as well. One page at a time, one mile at a time...

A- Atonement
B- Baptism

C- Christ
D- Daddy
E- Eternity

F- Faith
G- Gratitude
H- Holy Ghost
I- Independence
J- Joseph Smith
K- Knock (I put a picture of Christ knocking at the door)
L- Love
M- Mommy
N- Nature
O- Obey (I found a picture of people being happy... When I obey, I'm HAPPY all day!)
P- Prophet
Q- Quiet
R- Resurrection

S- Scriptures
T-Temple
U- Universe ( This one was tricky. I found a picture with the Christus and the universe behind him, and an awesome quote about how 'such order bears witness of a Supreme Creator')
V- Values ( I put all the YW values... I'll have to add YM values once I have boys, and I WILL have boys... I hope.)
W- Word of Wisdom

X- Exaltation (can you think of something better?)
Y- You

Z- Zion

And there you have it. Sorry for the suspense, I know it's not THAT amazing, but I'm so glad that it's finished! And I'm happy to report that it DID help today.

what we've been doing...

2011-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Do ya'll ever get completely immersed in a project? I have this problem. I get so into something that I don't do anything else until it's finished. Ughhh, and it's taking me so much longer than I expected! More on that later, but for now I'm going to come up for air and do a blog post.

I decided to come to Houston for a couple weeks while Tyler is in training and for my birthday (which is tomorrow by the way!!). We've been doing all the usual Houston things....

We grilled for dinner and someone found or took (I'm not sure how it all went down) the dogs T-bone... Yup, knawing on raw meat...
I think she liked it better cooked, but it's a toss-up!

We met Pop downtown for lunch at my favorite- Treebeards! (excellent gumbo) We're working on the concept of sharing, but it just doesn't settle when there's cake involved. If anyone else tryed to take a bite, she'd yell, "That's enough!" haha! I've been hearing myself in her voice a whole lot lately. She went a entire week saying, "Hear me?" after every sentence.

We took our teething frustrations out on the bread... better than my chin at least...

We helped Nana make her weekly batch of protein muffins...

And got it all over our dress...We did our normal "happy hour" Sonic run with Nana-Nana... I love their cherry lime-aids...

We played with Nana-Nana...

We hung out in our diaper... (well Maggie did anyway)

We ate lots and lots of cucumbers and bell peppers... What is this face about? No idea, but it makes me laugh.

We pushed Maggie on the swing...
And realized swinging is too much work, so we hung instead...

We visited with Grandma and Grandpa Barrow...

And bribed for pictures... noticed to bag of M&Ms in Rachel's hand... You don't really have even look for the candy, just look at Rachel's smile...

And that's what we've been doing.

Parker County Peach Festival

2011-07-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ever since they hung up the "Parker County Peach Festival" signs around town I've been dying to go. I am such a sucker for small town charm. I love it! I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned this, but have I told you that I love living out in the country? It's so good for Rachel. There's always something fun for her to do. Bored? Go check the chicken coop for eggs, pet the horse, catch grasshoppers, pick wildflowers, and the list goes on. Anyway, although it was blazing hot outside, I packed up the girls and went to the Peach Festival. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't as cool as I thought it'd be, and it definitely didn't compare to a Hill Country peach or a Georgia peach, but they were still yummy. And it was something to do get out the house. I hate sitting around and doing the normal routine the day Tyler leaves. So, it was a nice distraction.

Tearing up that peach!

hmmm, that's an interesting flavor...

My girls eating peaches... I love Rachel's face...

What a lovely picture of me... not! But hey, I was there too!

Maggie sure loved them peaches. They were sweet, but not as sweet as her!

Independence Day Celebration!

2011-07-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

The fourth of July is one of my favorites! Let's see, first it's Easter and then second is the 4th of July. Mostly because it's all about summertime activities... popsicles, swimming, and BBQ! And of course, it's about "the land of the free and the home of the brave". I love you America!

Eating ice cream at Braums (the best ice cream place EVER!) This girl cracks me up! All hail the Ice Cream Queen...

Ha-HA Nana got slimed! This is my favorite way to get slimed...

Donuts 4th of July morning...

Tyler was asked to participate in our wards flag-raising ceremony...Maggie kept playing with his beret, hence it not being on perfectly straight... just thought I'd explain since it really bugged him. But I was so giddy to finally get a decent picture with him and the girls in his uniform that I didn't care... obviously...

Nothing like a tee-shirt with an American flag and a large mouth bass jumping out of it to say, "I love the U.SA!"

Butterdie!

2011-07-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

My parents gave Rachel a butterfly habitat for her birthday. It was pretty nifty, all you have to do is mail in your order number and a jar of caterpillars come back ready to grow and turn into butterflies!

We love it when we get to play with our Payne cousins! Here they all are about to set the little dudes free. They were so excited!

Katie thought it was funny how Rachel kept calling the butterfly, butterdie, so she named it Butterdie!
Rachel wasn't too happy about letting them go...
Good thing one of them had a busted wing and couldn't fly off... well good thing for Rachel that is...

Its such a fascinating process. I definitely want to do this again when Rachel is a little older and can understand all the stages. Thanks Mom and Dad!