Capri in '09

Can't leave these classic pictures out! Notice the text on Capri's onesie. How true is that! I'm not really sure why I love the screaming picture but there is something adorable and memorable about it. She looks like such a little munchkin in that picture. And I must mention that the sweater she was wearing is one of my very favorites! Is it obvious that I love dressing my girls!

Our Sweet Little Sophie in '09

Just a few pictures of Sophie that somehow missed the blog this year, but are definitely Family Yearbook worthy! We love our Sophie.

Maxwell in '09

These are a couples of pictures of Maxwell that somehow missed the blog this year, but I just can't leave them out of the Family Yearbook. I love his little face. He is my little cuddle bug. I just love everything about this kid...except his occasional moodiness, which he probably learned from me! As I look at the first picture below it reminds me of one of my favorite little things about Max - he loves to wear crazy socks, and he loves for all to see him wear his crazy socks. He has these really long (knee-high) bright yellow soccer socks which he loves to wear with shorts. It makes it quite easy to spot Maxwell during his football game...just look for the yellow socks. He also has some long black, grey and red striped socks, which he wore to basketball practice just last night. It's a quirky little thing that I adore.

We Love Cousins!

Sicily is one of Sophie's favorite little people to play with. Hollie and I both agree that when the two of them are together the Moms don't even see them for hours on end. House is usually their game of choice!

We love cousins, and thank goodness we do because we have LOTS of them! Sophie adores her cousin Emily. Emily is actually Maxwell's age, but she is so good to play with her younger cousin.

Luke, Landon and Maxwell and Sophie, Jake and Luke after baby Jaxon's blessing. So many family events...so many memories!

A Whole Lotta Love!

There was a whole lotta love in the Payne home in 2009. Now don't misunderstand me - there was also a whole lotta whining, arguing and pouting (even by Mommy and Daddy), but love seems to reign. Maxwell is an outstanding older brother. Capri and Sophie adore him, and he has this nurturing instinct like his Daddy. I'm quite sure that he will make a superb babysitter for his little sisters by age 10! Actually, take away that exclamation mark...I'm not kidding. Sophie adores Capri, although I'm not sure that the reverse is true yet. I don't think I would like someone who tries to carry me around in very very uncomfortable and even painful positions. I tell Sophie all the time that she and Capri will be best friends when they get older. Aren't siblings great? And I speak from experience...lots of experience!

Maxwell's First Pet

Maxwell went to a birthday party where the party favor was a goldfish, complete with a bowl, pretty rocks and a little bag of fish food. On the drive home he said to me, "Mom, I finally have a pet!" I asked him what he wanted to name his fish and right away he knew that it's name was to be GARY. Yes...you read that right! That was on a Saturday evening. The next afternoon, after Steve and I had awoken from a Sunday nap, Maxwell was sitting at our bedroom door. He said, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I drew you a picture. The bad news is that Gary is dead."

He was actually okay until I asked him if he was okay, and then he mourned for a little bit. He couldn't bear to flush Gary down the toilet for several days, so Gary sat on the counter (in his bowl) until Max was ready to part ways. Probably the saddest part about this story is that Maxwell probably won't ever have another pet, unless someone decides to give out hampsters as party favors, and actually, I'm not sure how anyone could call that a "favor"!

(Scene has been recreated...obviously!)

Definitions of Begging

Every morning Maxwell gets Capri out of her crib and brings her down to Steve and I in our bed. Usually Sophie wakes up at the same time and joins them for the procession. They walk into our bedroom and Sophie and Maxwell say, "look who's awake - it's Capri!" Then they all plop on our bed and we become 5 little snuggle bunnies! I love this little ritual of ours. It brings joy first thing in the morning.

This morning, after a little snuggling, Capri began begging to play with the phone, which is not allowed. It was banned after she made a 911 call. This is when Maxwell made this very profound statement:

"Mom, there are two kinds of begging. There is the bad kind when kids beg to play something (he is referring to the x-box) and there is the good kind like when Moses and Aaron beg the king to let the Israelites go."

I just love my kids! By the way, these pictures are after the Primary program several Sundays ago. Sophie was smack dab in the front row for the program and she sang SUPER loud. It was awesome. Maxwell's class recited the 3rd Article of Faith together and he knew every word.