House of Paynes

Heavenly Father Gave Us Bodies

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of Sundays ago Capri's primary teacher was teaching a lesson entitled "Heavenly Father gave us bodies". Sister Curtis was explaining to the sunbeams that Heavenly Father gave us arms, eyes, hands, etc., at which point Capri chimed in with this memorable fact, "my brother has a penis". Hey, she's just keeping it real. Would you rather she have used Steve's brother's family terminology and said, "my brother has a front bottom"! Sorry if your internet filter sensors this post!

A Couple of Good Laughs

2012-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Best prize ever from a gumball machine. Can you name that weapon? It came on a necklace rope that Sophie proudly wore around her neck until I busted up laughing and explained what brass knuckles are! She won't be caught dead wearing it now...no pun intended...really, no pun intended!

Steve and I took the kids to the library yesterday and let them each pick out three or four books. They get so excited to use their own library cards and do self checkout. I held Capri up to scan her first book and noticed that it said "First book of sushi" on the screen, so I had her rescan because I thought for sure it was a mistake. The same title came up, so I turned the book over and sure enough...Capri is interested in Japanese cuisine. She had me read it to her over and over last night. She especially loved the lines "miso in my sippy cup" and "salty on my lips, yummy in my belly". And if you're wondering what she's wearing, come over nearly any day of the week and you can see for yourself! This Boise State cheerleader outfit from grandma is the gift that keeps on giving!

Budding Musician

2012-01-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

Sophie rocked it during her second Let's Play Music recital. She played a little number on the keyboard, sang some beautiful little diddy's (the kind that get stuck in your head and drive you crazy), complete with hand signs. Apparently she was supposed to wear her class t-shirt, so she stuck out like a sore thumb...a really cute sore thumb!

Easter Duds...Need I Say More?

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

I love Easter outfits and this year is probably my favorite so far. I found these lemon yellow dresses at Marshalls and instantly fell in love, as did everyone else who saw them. Too bad I took the last ones! Max's seersucker suit came from the clearance section at Crazy 8. I loved it so much I bought him the next size up. However, I'm not sure how such snazzily dressed kids can spiral by the end of the day to the attire in the second picture. I'm not sure why Max is in an Under Armour shirt and plaid shorts! Also if you look closely, Capri is putting out a gang sign!

Of the Same Mold

2012-01-02T07:48:00.001-08:00

We invited several families over to ring in the new year with us, and boy did we ring it in. I think we rang it in loud enough and long enough to wake anyone who was boring enough to fall asleep before midnight! Capri blew her horn with gusto, even though she was in a bit of a sleepy daze, complete with dark shadows under her eyes. It would seem that the adults were boring, just chatting the night away, but as you can tell from Steve's face in this picture, there were surprisingly entertaining stories told by all. It looks like he's thinking "did you really just say that out loud?" I had family games planned for the evening but all the kids wanted to do was play boys versus girls wars and ghost in the graveyard. Maybe I can use my ideas on a more dull group that can't entertain themselves! As we were putting our kids to bed that night, or early morning, whichever you want to call it, I told the kids we would clean the house up tomorrow. Many of you know, that is not my style. It is nearly impossible for me to let a messy house stay that way for too long. Well apparently Sophie is of the same mold, because as I was putting Capri to sleep I heard a little ruckus in the family room, only to discover that Sophie was busy cleaning up the mess...at 1:30 a.m! I joined her and after only 10 minutes we had everything in tip-top shape! And just to make you all a little more jealous, the next morning I awoke to a little ruckus in the kitchen...my little Sophie had unloaded the dishwasher. Please pinch me!

I'm a Sucker for Christmas Lights

2011-12-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

I love looking at Christmas lights, even if it means walking around the botanical gardens in freezing cold temperatures while your children have discovered that their favorite part of the night (even more than Santa) is rolling down the hill and collecting dead grass all over their hair and clothing. Good thing the Johnsons and Browns had the exact same sentiments. The moms were all oohing and aahing, probably to a level of annoyance! It was so beautiful. I also met another Lyric for the first time, as her children discovered that rolling down the hill was more fun than Santa too! Interestingly, her last name is Smith (which is my maiden name of course).

Parenting payoff

2011-12-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

You always hear older parents say the payoff for all that blood, sweat and tears offered as parents will present itself eventually. I am starting to understand that a little bit. Maxwell has made me really proud several times the last few months. The kind of proud that is a little bit of parent payoff! I have always hoped he would become like Steve, who happens to be one of the most thoughtful and kind people I know, and I see little signs of that happening. Max went through a stage of side semi-hugs when he would see grandmas, grandpas, aunt and uncles. He has officially outgrown that stage and is now a big squishy hugger! When I watch him on the basketball court he is the first to high five his teammate who made a good play, especially if they don't normally get that kind of attention. His 4th grade teacher told us that Max is the All American kid. He said that he has never seen Max treat anyone unkindly. And Max is his favorite kid in the class to tease because he can laugh at himself, which I actually think he gets from me. I was forced to learn this because I am such an easy target! During Thanksgiving dinner, my mother-in-law invited her good friend, Anne, to join us because she didn't have anyone else to celebrate with. Anne is a huge sports fan and couldn't miss out on watching the Dallas Cowboys game after dinner. Max plopped right down next to her and cuddled up to her for the entirety of the game. They were teasing each other and talking football stats and just really enjoying each other, even as all the other cousins were running amok. It was a really tender thing to watch. Anne passed away last Sunday of a sudden heart attack, and as I spoke with Pat about my last memory of her with Max, Pat said that Anne had told her several times that she couldn't believe how sweet Max was, especially as a 9 year old boy. She shared with Pat how much she had loved that afternoon. He has given some really thoughtful answers to questions we ask during scripture study. One day we were talking about miracles and we asked the kids to tell us of a miracle they could think of. Max told about the wicked man, Saul, changing and becoming the righteous man, Paul. That is a miracle, but not the kind we typically think of. I won't even apologize for my overindulgent bragging because it is things like this that make it all worth it. Now I'm getting it!!

Capri-isms (some borrowed from siblings)

2011-11-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

I must record these Capri-isms before I forget them, because they should provide some good laughs for many more years to come!

At the beginning of every prayer Capri says, regardless of whether it is at mealtime or not, is a statement similar to one many adults use..."please bless this food to nourish and strengthen our bodies", and honestly I've never paid really close attention to it...until this morning. I now know what she is saying, and I had to hold the laughter in. "Please bless this food so it won't break our bodies."

This next Capri-ism actually started with Maxwell and all three of my kids still say it to this day. The only time the word privacy is ever used in our home is in regards to the bathroom, which will help you understand how "private seat" is used in place of "privacy".

I love listening to children sing songs, because often times the lyrics are new and improved. One of my favorite lyrical changes made by Capri is to the Primary song "I Love to See the Temple". The first verse ends with "this is our sacred duty", but Capri sings, "this is our secret beauty". True too!

Tackle Football...Really?

2011-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Yup...really. Maxwell played tackle football for the first time this year. His neck looked skinnier than ever when he was in full uniform! He played on the Stryker Orthopedic team again, and they went undefeated again. They manhandled every other team. I can't believe I'm using the word manhandled in the same sentence as 4th grade football! Max (#61) mostly played cornerback and learned the position quite well. He had some great tackles and two interceptions. Toward the end of the season the coach decided to mix things up a bit, which I think is pretty important in 4th grade football, so Max was able to play quarterback a little bit and had several good runs. They got to play on the Boise State blue turf during their opening scrimmage, which was pretty exciting. I also loved watching Max's face as he would come through the tunnel created by the fans after each game. I wish this tradition would continue on through high school, because it gives me an opportunity to slap Max's bootie and see a huge smile on that adorable, sweaty face! The Stryker team also had the best, and biggest, coaching staff, complete with matching shirts and one really hot guy named Steve!

A Weekend With Mulligan

2011-11-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

In Sophie's kindergarten class each child had a turn taking Mulligan the Monkey home for the weekend and then were to write about it in Mulligan's journal. I think it is such a clever idea. We decided to take Mulligan to Pinnacle Sports Grill for dinner. Well actually, Max decided we were going to Pinnacle and the rest of us, including Mulligan, were just along for the ride! This is Maxwell's favorite restaurant, not because of the food, but because of the massive screens all over the restaurant that play a continuous stream of sports, which equals Max Heaven! Notice how Max's body is turned away from the family in the picture of him. He was facing the big screen, not the good company he was with! This was our first trip to this restaurant, and we have returned one more time on Maxwell's birthday, but the food snob in me has decided that Pinnacle is a no-go from now on, except MAYBE on June 1st (Max's birthday), if he's really good.

Sun Valley - A Summer Favorite!

2011-10-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that we LOVE Sun Valley in the summertime? I think I have a post exactly like this one each year, because it never changes for us. We never love it less! Especially when we are with the cousins. A few things to note that might be different from last year's post:

1. Capri loved the Hailey 4th of July Parade more than anyone else. By the time all the other kids were bored and had found a bit of shade to sit under while chowing on parade candy, Capri was still totally entertained. She continued waving at every float, horse rider, street sweeper, pooper scooper, not even realizing that she was a lone two year old on a busy street!

2. We went to the rodeo! The adults loved it. The older kids were semi-entertained. Capri played Uncle Mike's iphone the whole time...and she got sunscreen in her eyes. Not the hit for her!

3. Look at Sophie's face in the picture of our family under the shade of a tree in our red, white and blue attire. Notice how much more red it is than everyone else's? Scary moment for Mommy. We were at a community root beer float feed after the parade. A very populated root beer float feed, because it's free! We got our floats and all sat down under a tree. We counted kids and realized Sophie was missing. Not too disturbing yet because Sophie is ultra responsible. She could have been cleaning up a spill made by someone, she could have been picking up litter, any number of things! All four of the adults canvassed the area and could not find her, at which point I began to panic. I cannot believe I'm admitting this, but I actually said a prayer that went something like this, "Heavenly Father, please help me find Sophie. She is the one I really cannot live without." Now I love all my children equally. I really do. And I have favorite things about each one. That being said, Sophie is my biggest helper. She is my sanity sometimes. She is more responsible than me...truly! There is a happy ending of course. Thankfully, Uncle Mike thought to check the van that was parked down the street. Sophie was sitting in there crying...and baking. Apparently she thought we were getting our floats and heading back to the van. She had been sitting in the van for 20 minutes or so in near 100 degree heat. Hence the flushed face. Boy was I happy to see that flushed face!

Valentine's Day with the masses!

2011-10-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

For some reason we always spend Valentine's Day with friends! I've never really thought about it until writing this post, but I guess there's really no romance in that, is there?!! In Arizona we had the tradition of hosting a Valentine's Party with a bunch of couples, and the best part about it was the guys were totally in charge. We ate pretty gourmet because they would pull out all the stops. I guess watching my man cook is pretty romantic! Watching his friends cook...not so much, but still impressive! This year we joined several of the most fun couples we know and ate dinner at my favorite restaurant in Boise, Barbacoa. Their website slogan is, "Stimulate your Senses, Elevate Your Mind". Pretty sexy right? And actually very true. The food is absolutely amazing and the decor is swanky. It is such a hip place that I don't really feel like I belong, and I don't feel like that often. I saw Sam and Hollie there, and told Hollie how I was feeling, and she said, "you don't belong here...your wet wipes are totally sticking out of the top of your purse"!

Truth in Reporting!

2011-10-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Steve and I were watching the news last night and heard the most honest statement ever spoken by a weatherman..."the chance of fog tomorrow is a definite maybe." He quickly corrected himself by saying, "I mean a definite possibility", but not before Steve and I caught it and had a good laugh!

Stop Lookin' At My Mom

2011-10-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Have you tuned in to the X-Factor yet? It is Simon Cowell's new show that is very similar to American Idol, but has some differences that I am loving. If the two female judges (who do an excellent job) would wear more coverage on their upper halves, I would love it even more! I let Sophie watch it with me, and I feel like I have to repeat myself several times each episode and say to her, "that's not modest". This always makes me feel like I'm turning into my Dad, because whenever there is a swear word in a movie we are watching together, (and yes, he still does this even though I'm 36) he says, "that's not nice". It has become a family joke, and all the son and daughter in-laws love to pipe in with it too! I have a feeling I'm headed down the same path of being the butt of many jokes! Anyways...the reason for this post is to share with you our new favorite song, which is rapped by a 14 year old contestant on the X-Factor. Max sings it all the time and he wants a shirt just like the "Astronomical Kid" that says "Stop Lookin' at My Mom". That's my boy!! Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glTozYOOqX0

Mormon Pilgrimage

2011-10-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's not an official pilgrimage that Mormons are required to make, but it kind of feels like it should be. I feel a little more complete after visiting Temple Square, This is The Place Heritage Park and a 24th of July (Pioneer) Day Parade in small town Utah with my hubby and kids! Highlights of the trip in no particular order:

1. Panning for gold at Heritage Park.

2. The fish rodeo at Spanish Fork Pioneer Days, which lasted about 2 minutes, which is also how long the fish lived after being caught!

3. Meeting Cosmo at Spanish Fork Pioneer Days. Ahhh...memories! This is when I start singing the BYU fight song.

4. Lagoon with the Romneys...anything with the Romneys would make this list! This is one reunion that needs to happen more often.

5. Spending some quality time with O'Brien cousins and Las Vegas Smiths. FYI: Spanish Fork Pioneer Days rocks!! It's a weekend long party...especially with the cousins!

6. Swimming at the dinky, muggy, chloriney hotel pool. The kids chose this over going to a big outdoor water park. Hey, Steve and I got to chill on comfy chairs and not worry about the crowds as we had the pool all to ourselves.

7. Touring the conference center...unbelievable.

8. Walking the grounds of Temple Square...magnificent.

9. Eating at In-n-Out...I added this one for Steve, but I think I concur!

10. 5 hour energy drinks to keep Steve awake as he drives so I can read or snooze or zone out without worrying about my narcoleptic hubby!

Spring Break...sunny style!

2011-10-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Spring Break in Meridian has been cold and windy for enough years in a row that I finally decided we need to get out of dodge. Steve is always hesitant to take work off, but I used my Jedi mind tricks and before long he was totally on board! vrbo.com (vacation rental by owner) is my new favorite way to find lodging. With three kids hotel rooms are getting cramped. I much prefer a large 4000 sf house with a pool, and the price is right when you share it with your really great friends, The Browns. St. George, Utah happens to be the closest warm destination, so that is right where we headed. We went to Zion National Park, which was spectacular. We visited the St. George temple at night, which was breathtaking, and probably the favorite destination for the kids were all the hiking trails around the "Dixie" sign. There are so many paths and trails, and narrows, and places to jump from, and places to scare even a non-worrier like me as you imagine your children falling off cliffs to their demise. St. George may be seeing us again next March!

Cousin Laurie the Jetsetter!

2011-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

I have a lovely jet-setting cousin named Laurie (pronounced Law-rie...everyone says it wrong including her in-laws!). She has been in my life all my life, because she is older than me, but I've known her quite well for about 15 years. It all started when she was my host family in San Diego. I had just graduated from BYU and was not yet ready to start real-life, so I ventured to the sunny southern coast for 6 months. Laurie, and her then boyfriend/now husband, Michael, put me up, provided me a job, and were my sole family for those months. My job consisted of working in a restaurant about 10 hours a week, which made me just enough money to eat and go to concerts! They even let two of my friends come and freeload as well! Ever since then, Laurie has been a very close friend. She and Michael are now the proud owners of a very beautiful private plane, which they brought to come visit all their Idaho relatives.

At the end of the school year when Max brought his school journal home, I discovered this little gem he wrote the Monday after Laurie and Michael's visit.

Helicopter Flight by Maxwell Payne

My Mom's cousin Lori (slight misspelling!!) and her husband Michael had come to our house on Friday. They slept with us on Saturday. I guess they loved the room since they woke up super happy. They were glad to see us. I had an Upward basketball game. We won barely, the score was them 40 us 42, so we are glad we beat them cause they are super good. But before that I went on a helicopter flight (it's actually an airplane!). It was super, super, super fun. I went on Michael's plane called Goldie. Everyone loves Goldie as much as themselves. They loved the plane cause it is gold. We went to this place called Hailey. It was fast it took about one hour to get to Hailey and back to Boise. When we were almost home I saw the Boise State field. We went to KFC for lunch then it was the awesome basketball game. Upward rocks!

Dirty Dash

2011-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect race for a former tomboy. A typical 10K run would not have been my ideal Saturday, but all the muddy obstacles kept me in heaven. There is a massive slip-n-slide with about 20 yards of a mud pit to trudge through before you cross the finish line. I got bruises on my hips from launching myself onto the slip-n-slide, and then I backstroked to the finish line...and loved every minute of it. Steve was supposed to join me and several other couples in our ward, but he conveniently had to coach Maxwell's football game. This is a picture of all the single ladies who ran together...we don't need no stinking men!! My sister Cali took Steve's place at the last minute, and slayed the race. I was so proud of her. The worst part of the race is the freezing cold community showers you wait forever to rinse off in. Next year I'm wrapping myself in a garbage bag and driving home to my own warm shower!

Capri Look-a-like

2011-10-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Do you see the little chubby faced girl in the bottom right corner of the picture...the one with the pink sponge curlers and the tip of the tongue sticking out? That's me! I'm guessing I'm 2 1/2 or 3 in that picture, which is the same age as Capri. A cousin of my Dad's just e-mailed this picture to him, and I am so thankful to him because pictures of me before I entered school, and got the annual school photo, are extremely rare. I loved seeing this because it is so fun to see the resemblances Capri has to me. There are five of us Smith kids in the picture and my oldest two O'Brien cousins. I have absolutely no idea who the other children are! I would love to know what time of day it was, because it appears to be broad daylight and my sister and I are already in sponge curlers! I would also love to know what the temperature was outside, because my cousins are wearing full-on summer outfits while the Smith kids are in long pants and long sleeved shirts!

Love Notes from Sophie

2011-09-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sophie has discovered that she can email me, and because she uses my email account to send them, the sender shows as "me". I saved them in my in-box for several weeks and then my type A side reared its ugly head, which it does occasionally, and I decided to literally gut my in-box. I always want to remember these, so I am saving them here for whenever I need a pick-me-up. I just copied and pasted, so this is exactly as they were typed.

i luv you mom you r so nis luv sophie

ilvu you so muth you are so prite luv sophie

Mosquito Eaters

2011-08-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

This morning Sophie, Capri and I were eating breakfast outside at the patio table when the girls spotted several mosquito eaters on the wall of the house. Sophie asked a brilliant question. "What would happen if you dressed up like a mosquito for Halloween and a mosquito eater saw you?" She asked it in all seriousness and I answered in all seriousness..."well, it would probably start eating me one little bite at a time."

Baby Boys in the House!

2011-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple of opportunities to have nephews hang out with us, and my kids have loved it. Jake, who is really not a baby anymore, stayed with us for several days while Dillon and Nicole went on a much needed cruise. He is such a happy, easy going boy. I thought Capri would befriend him, but instead she be-mothered (or be-smothered) him!! It took several months for the instant terror he felt when he encountered Capri to subside!

We also got to babysit Krew for a few hours one day and had an absolute blast. Again, Capri did some mothering/smothering, and surprisingly Max is the one who seemed to love it the most. I thought Max would play with him for a few minutes and then move on to more exciting 9 year old stuff, but instead he stayed with him for an hour and a half. Max wanted him up in his bedroom, so Krew could watch him build Lego creations. Max even made a comfy and safe little nest of pillows for Krew and propped his head up so he could see. It was quite endearing.

Jenni's Big Bash

2011-08-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

What woman doesn't love a little attention on her birthday? Hint to all men: Even when we say we don't want any special attention on our birthday, we don't mean that, we mean the opposite of that! Jenni Terry's birthday was celebrated with lots of ladies, and not just any ol' ladies, really really fun ladies. We went to dinner at Cafe Rio and then bowling at the Boise State student union building. I think I had worked out at the gym that morning with my friend Julia, who has rockin' biceps, so I was in need of some positive body affirmation (i.e. "you're smart enough, you're strong enough, and I CAN see your bicep!"). I challenged Jenni to an arm wrestle because she was sucking it up in bowling and needed some positive affirmation as well and assumed it would come from beating me. She didn't get what she needed...because I beat her. Yea, I was surprised too! This led to an arm wrestling competition between a bunch of middle aged mormon women. We were getting all kinds of stares. The championship match was between Kim and Lindsie McD. I don't even remember who won, I just remember that I beat a couple of people in arm wrestles and got the positive body affirmation I was needing!

Getting Caught Up

2011-08-21T19:11:00.001-07:00

Be patient with me while I update my blog for the whole year. I was on the verge of ending my tradition of using my blog to create a family yearbook, that is until I completed the 2010 yearbook and received it in the mail two days ago...and am in love! I love the journaling included in it. So I'm hoping I can remember some of the adorable things my kids have said the last 6 months. And I'm hoping I can remember the fun details surrounding all the pictures I have organized on my computer. So when you see us wearing winter clothing in a blog posted in August, you'll understand why!

Wahooz Family Fun Zone..."Your Family Fun Day One Day Getaway"

2011-08-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

You know those radio jingles that you don't particularly like, infact they're kind of annoying, but get stuck in your head, sometimes for years at a time? Steve has been stuck on the O'Reilly Auto Parts jingle for a year or two ("O O O O'Reilly Schucks Auto Parts") and Wahooz Family Fun Zone is one of my repeated jingles ("Your family fun day one day getaway"). Anyway...we went with the Johnsons for a family fun day one day getaway. It's not really a one day getaway, it's more like a two hour getaway. The boys played laser tag. The girls were loving skeeball. We all played air hockey and lame arcade games and earned LOTS of tickets - enough to buy some airhead candy and silly bands! And I can't let history be written without including that I rocked Jared's world in the hoop shoot...twice.

Brothers Gotta Hug!

2011-07-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Capri, but before "it" was a she, Steve and I were discussing what we were hoping for. We already had a boy and a girl, so it wasn't a hot topic for either of us, but when asked I told Steve that I hoped it was a girl because then Sophie would have a sister. Steve stopped me and said, "I was hoping for a boy so Max could have a brother"! I love my brothers a lot, but there is just something about a girl having sisters, and I have five of them so I should know. Steve says the same thing about his brothers. They were normal brothers growing up...lots of teasing and the occasional violent episode, but they are such great friends now. They play tennis and have lunch with their Dad every Wednesday at noon, which I think is such a perfect tradition. They go on a big backpacking trip nearly every year. They have so much fun together. I actually love hanging out with Steve's brothers because they are so funny and full of life. They are all very intelligent and interesting and curious. Just a nice brood of boys I would say! Although I'm happy Sophie has a sister, seeing Steve with his brothers does make me a tich (that's a word I think I might have made up) sad for Max. My Dad would tell me that means I should have another, but I'm only a "tich" sad...I'll get over it!

Capri gives new meaning to the word personality!

2011-07-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Capri adds a good measure of zest to our lives. She has huge amounts of personality, whatever that means to you! She has no inhibitions or fears...except the car wash (she literally screams as we get near the drive through!). She loves people, especially men, as well as animals. And because she has no inhibitions, she gives out really great hugs to just about anyone...especially men. There have been many a Sunday that she disappears from our church pew and we find her on the lap of another man. She seems to always pick the tall, dark and handsome ones! She takes the liberty of giving people nicknames. We have a friend named David, who goes by David, and Capri has officially shortened his name to Dave as if they have been buds forever! She has a superb sense of humor. She has all kinds of attitude and spunk and pretty much owns any room she enters. This has made for difficult photo capturing because Capri does what Capri wants to do. Hence the following series of pictures. I think I may have just made my child sound like a narcissist, but actually she is probably my most sensitive, cuddliest and forgiving child, which balances her out very well.

Sophie had a birthday party to attend at U-Swirl, so I decided to stay and socialize with other Moms for the hour long party. Capri was the hit of the party and the birthday girl even wanted her in the group picture. To say she knows how to leave her mark would be an understatement!

This is at my doctor's office. Sophie and Capri got a hold of my cell phone! Ask me how productive this office visit was. A picture can speak a thousand words!

We've Been Jimmerized!

2011-06-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a BYU fan. Max and Steve are Boise State fans...that is until Jimmer Fredette came along. Suddenly BYU is on the radar for Max's future. Thanks Mr. Fredette.

For our Family Home Evening activity a month ago we listened to this rap song about Jimmer and now the entire family has it memorized, including Capri, and it is played about 20 times a day in our home...and I'm not exaggerating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqX_b_Bu4hI

This morning Capri was looking at a Time magazine for Kids and she came running up to me calling out "Look Mom, it's Jimmer Fredette!" This is the picture she was looking at:

It's actually an actor named Jesse Eisenberg, who is a voice in the animated movie Rio, and was in the Social Network. It took a two year old to notice the resemblance! I think we've officially been Jimmerized!

Eski"nose" Kisses

2011-05-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

I just walked in the door after coming home from the gym this morning to a most excellent greeting from Capri sitting at the bar. She always welcomes me home with such enthusiasm and very tender and sweet hugs and kisses, and this morning was no different, except that this morning she wanted Eski"nose" kisses (instead of Eskimo kisses)!

The Elbow Thing

2011-05-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Sophie is almost always a very mild-mannered and even tempered little girl...except when I am brushing her hair. She has a very tender little head and she has been known to freak out when the tangles are bad. Every morning is an adventure. We've tried distraction and bribing and positive encouragement, but it must really hurt, because we still have escalated moments. One day several months ago she was nearly bursting in anger/pain as I was brushing, and that particular morning I found it comical, so I started laughing, which made her even more mad. She looked at me very intensely, balled up her fist and brought her arm perpendicular to her body and said, "Don't make me do the elbow thing". Her body language was telling me that the "elbow thing" would be to elbow me, possibly in the ribs. "Don't make me do the elbow thing" is now a running family joke that makes us all laugh every time we say it.

P.S. The picture is a little bit dated but shows her cute little face and her propensity for tangles! It was taken right after she lost her first tooth. She has since lost three more.

Derby Time!

2011-04-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Maxwell is chomping at the bit for me to post about his first Pinewood Derby. He claims he got 8th place (out of 25 racers)...not too shabby. However, at school today, one of the other scouts said he thought Max got 17th! Maybe I'm biased, but I did see several first and second place finishes for him in all the hundreds of races they did (or so it seemed), so I'm thinking 8th is a little more accurate. Can you see where he got his competitive genes?!! A big thanks to Uncle Dave for helping Max with his wheels and axles at the HP machine shop. I am the Cub Scout committee chair in our ward, and I may have let a few things on Max's car slide under the rules radar. There have got to be some perks with this job right?!!

Capri's Crazy Hair

2011-04-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Capri's morning hair. I'm really tempted to leave it like that all day, but Steve thinks she looks homeless. I think she looks stylishly unkempt!!

Rare...and Not So Rare

2010-12-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

RARE: Capri falling asleep without major coaxing, rock-a-byeing, book reading, and lullabying. This happened after church one Sunday and it was such a welcome event.

NOT SO RARE: Sophie helping with household chores. Thankfully, this is a very common occurrence around our home. Sometimes I just want to freeze her in time so this does not go away. She is always very willing to help and often times doesn't even need to be asked. Last Sunday Steve and I were attempting to take a little power nap and I heard some commotion in the kitchen, which I was able to drown out. When we awoke the dinner dishes were all safely in the dishwasher, the table was washed (even Steve misses that step!), and Sophie had moved upstairs and was working her magic on the bonus room. I hope my gushing over her helps her understand how much a Mom really loves this.

NOT SO RARE: Capri watching Sophie clean! It's not that Capri isn't capable of helping with certain chores, it's that Sophie always does it for her so she is learning to live a life of ease riding Sophie's coattails!

Santa Succeeds!

2010-12-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Santa was money again this year! Capri got a little dollhouse with lots of people and furniture, and for some reason it wasn't in a box and looks a little used. Does Santa use craigslist?!! Sophie got a huge Barbie dollhouse that was still in the box because Santa was way too tuckered out to put it together. And Max got another massive Lego set. Steve got a negative present...a new suit! I think the hit of the day was Max's new Boise State jersey and basketball shorts. That might be the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving...

The Paynes get the "Real" Deal

2010-12-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

The Payne Family receives a special visitor each Christmas Eve and it is the real deal. His costume is authentic, as is his beard. Tug on it and you will see!

Jersey Shores Christmas

2010-12-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

We hosted an ugly sweater party for the Smith Family, but while I was shopping at Goodwill and Deseret Industries for ugly sweaters, the leopard print, wife beater tank tops and black leather pants kept screaming out my name (actually, I already owned the pants from my Axl Rose costume), so when the Smith family arrived in all their ugly sweater glory, this is what greeted them...Christmas at the Jersey Shore. Sadly Max wants to wear his oversized black Porsche windbreaker to school now, and his black wife beater tank top gets sported many nights around our house! I have tucked all the other clothes away for costume use only!

The Christmas Card That Never Was!

2010-12-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

I was going to make a two-sided Christmas card with one side showing the first picture below and a caption of "How 2010 really went for The Payne Family". The second side would include the next picture with the caption "How we want all of you to think the year 2010 went for The Payne Family"! I never got around to it, so everyone got "the perfect family" version!

Shopping with the Johnsons

2010-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

I can definitely appreciate a good shopping partner. One who is patient with your indecision, and might even be more indecisive than you! One who might have to bring her kids, which is perfect because you have to bring yours, and they are the best of friends. One whose opinion you can trust because often times you end up with the same things in your cart and occasionally your husbands or children show up to church in the same clothes! Sometimes your kids run rampant through stores, and they might have once formed a train around the lobster and crab tank in Costco!

Graham Cracker House

2010-12-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad kindergarten teachers take it upon themselves to do Christmas crafts like gingerbread/graham cracker houses in the classroom, because I'm failing my children in the craft department at home! At least I am a willing helper in the classroom.

A Warm and Sunny Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things is leaving really cold and miserable weather, board an airplane, to arrive in a warm and sunny location. One of the many reasons I am glad I was born in the latter part of the 20th century! The Hundley family reunion (which is a very rare occurrence, infact this was our first) was held in sunny Arizona over Thanksgiving weekend. For some reason the only time I busted out my camera was at the train park we love, but it was after Steve headed home to get back to work, and none of our friends or relatives were with us for this segment of the trip, so you get the four of us over and over again! We had such a wonderful time reconnecting with our friends in Gilbert and our aunts, uncles, cousins and Grandma during reunion events. My Mom's side of the family is surprisingly functional...and more importantly fun!

We Didn't Fail our Kids!

2010-11-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

The adults had a crazy fun Halloween, but we didn't fail our kids! They had fun too. Capri borrowed an adorable kitty cat costume from Aubrie Johnson. Sophie was the most beautiful mermaid ever, except her adult sized wig kept sliding off her head, so we had to bribe her to keep it on for the ward trunk-or-treat because it was the best part of her costume. Maxwell dressed as a ninja, and he carried around a super flimsy sword that he talked me into buying at the costume shop for $12. I think a paper towel tube would have held up longer! Enough candy was collected at the trunk-or-treat on Saturday night to make up for not being able to go through the neighborhood on account of Halloween falling on a Sunday. Always a bummer! Although Vicki and Derek Johnson hosted an awesome Halloween party on Sunday evening that made up for it, and then some.

Can you say "mid-life crisis"?

2010-11-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Really I don't need to add words to this blog because these pictures explain much more than any words could, but I am a woman of many words so I'll do a bit of journaling. Brittany Johnson and I decided it was time for a party, and Halloween was the celebratory time of choice. We had an amazing dinner, but before dinner was officially served Steve and I made our debut as Axl Rose and Slash from the hair band "Guns 'n Roses". When everyone arrived in costume they were quite upset to see their hosts in street clothes. Steve and I pretended to be in a little tiff about our costumes, a tiff which led to a supposed costume protest! As everyone was sitting down to dinner we discreetly slipped away and put our costumes on in record time. We then strutted down the hall to the "Welcome to the Jungle" guitar intro and then lip synced like Simon Cowell was judging! The funniest part about this whole episode is that it was Steve's idea to surprise everyone with our costumes. I love it when he gets a little wild hair, because then I don't feel so immature! I was so impressed with everyone's costumes, and am so glad we got pictures to capture the moment.

We Love our Friends

2010-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

These are actually two different dinners with friends...because not only do we love our friends, but we love eating out, so we try to do it quite regularly! Girls Nights Out (or some people shorten it to GNO as code) are always a great time, as are couple nights out (which needs no code). Notice how Jared is blurred because he is going in for the kiss!

Team Stryker

2010-10-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

Maxwell had the funnest year ever in football. His skills improved and he moved from being all-time center last year (his first year) to running back/wide receiver/lineman. Center is a great position, but he loved being in the action a little bit more! His Dad was a coach (he called himself a glorified cheerleader and back slapper because the other coaches were all ex-football players...Steve plays tennis!). He had the best coaches ever. His head coach played for BYU and in the NFL for a few years, meaning he knows his stuff, but he also helped the kids have tons of fun, and let everyone in on the fun. Their team also had the best sponsor...Stryker Orthopaedics. We're talking high quality t-shirts for players and coaches, beanies for the kids, hats for the coaches, and most important...pizza! I'm not sure how I feel about my little 60 pounder playing tackle next year!

Things I Try to Avoid: Grocery Stores with My Kids!

2010-10-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

Things look quite calm and happy in this picture, but notice we are in the produce section, which is at the very BEGINNING of the grocery store. Also notice that we already have an Icee and opened Teddy Grahams in hand!

Hair...Behind the Scenes

2010-10-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a sneak peek into what Capri hair looks like behind closed doors! Smashed ponytails from naptime, mullets, and curly fauxhawks. It's amazing what a little water can do!

Capri is 2!!

2010-10-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Capri reached a major milestone in October...she lived to see the age of two, which means her Mom somehow kept her cool often enough to let her live! We did low key birthday party...McDonald's happy meals and playland and most importantly, Grandma Pat. For weeks before her birthday all she requested was balloons, and Grandma Pat delivered. She nearly floated away as she held them! She was intent on eating her cake with a knife, and I never stand in the way of a birthday girl's wishes...even if they are a health hazard!! Although Capri has been my mess maker and my trouble maker, she is also one of my favorite little people. She has more spunk and personality than any two year old I have known. I can guarantee that she will add joy and laughter to our lives always.

Photo Shoot Swap

2010-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Johnsons have a super nice camera...and we don't, so we thought it would be to our advantage to do a photo shoot swap with them. Capri was totally cooperating during the first setting, from which I included a group shot (notice the adorable smile). Of course that little window of time did not include my favorite pictures. Good thing she's still kind of cute. By the way, I'm not sure how I ended up in so many twosome pictures!

A Glimpse into Capri's Mind

2010-10-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

I wish I could see into the mind of my child, and every once in a while she blurts something out that gives me a glimpse. Example: For Family Home Evening we were discussing Adam and Eve and I was holding up a picture of them in the Garden of Eden. Capri waddled over, pointed to Eve and said, "Barbie"! And then yesterday, as the kids were watching the final minutes of The Polar Express, she called out, "Jesus" when Saint Nick entered the screen! It seems that we are keeping things pretty balanced between spiritual and secular around here!

Steve is a coddler!

2010-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Steve and I still "touch-up" Maxwell and Sophie's teeth brushing jobs. I guess it's the dentist (and dentist wife) in us that can't quite let us relinquish this fully. The other night I was touching up Sophie's teeth and she asked me if she had done a good job. I was brutally honest and told her "no", because I had just seen her brush her teeth very distractedly for about 45 seconds. She said, "Daddy always says I do a good job even when I don't". The next night I heard Sophie ask Steve "why do you always say I do a good job brushing?" and his response was "because I love you". And there you have it...Steve is a coddler!

Disneyland...It's a Wrap

2010-09-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

I know you all haven't had enough of outdated Disneyland pictures!! Okay, you have, but humor me, and let me wrap it up with the classic Disneyland poses. We were there for the unveiling of the Halloween decorations, which were so charming. The Haunted Mansion turns into Nightmare Before Christmas, which Steve and I loved. And what better way to wind down after a long day at the park...very focused meditation!

Girl Time

2010-09-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sophie is one lucky little girl. She has been to the American Girl Doll store twice now, and I thought Kentucky Fried Chicken was about as good as it got when I was her age! She is such a sweet little girl that is always so grateful, which makes it fun to do things like this for her. Her friend, Aubrie, was visiting for the first time, and it was so much fun to watch these two adorable little five year olds look wide-eyed at all the accessories. They each got to pick one new outfit for their doll and oh the possibilites! Sophie really wanted underwear for her doll, Elizabeth, and seriously, how can you deny that request...she's just trying to keep her modest. As you can see Sophie and Aubrie had matching hair, which led to lots of "are you twins?" inquiries! I love seeing them together! They made doll wardrobe changes as we were eating lunch afterwards. See the new hot pink number?

Beach Time Baby

2010-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

We loved our day at the beach, actually everyone else loved their day at the beach, but I was FREEZING. It wasn't really that cold, but a little breeze was blowing, and as soon as I am a little bit cold everything starts spiraling down. Somehow I can go from being a little bit uncomfortable to chilled to the bone and the temperature is in the 70's or 80's. Being buried in the sand was my favorite and warmest part of the day. Actually, watching the kids and Dads play in the sand and water was really my favorite part...when I stopped thinking about how cold I was! Luckily my kids are warm blooded so they thought it was the perfect temperature for frolicking in the water. Max especially loved it. He could have stayed there for many more hours, if his Mom wasn't such a frozen stick in the mud! Sophie loved playing in the sand but she didn't love being buried in the sand, with sand falling in all her facial orifices. Oh, I just thought of one more reason it wasn't my favorite beach trip. I had cut my finger in a blender pretty bad (yes, a blender) a week before our trip and had it in a little splint for protection and then it was all wrapped up with stretchy tape. The doctor said not to get it wet for two weeks so I covered it with a plastic bag and wound a rubberband around my finger, which led to purple finger syndrome! Not a big deal, just another reason in addition to my hypothermia to mostly avoid the water, which is not like me and made me feel like a party pooper!

Fine Dining (!) with the Princesses

2010-09-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Once again Costco came through for us. We booked our Disneyland trip, including lodging and park tickets through Costco, and it came complete with a fine dining experience with the princesses. I am an admitted food snob, so I'm not sure that I would consider foods made in super mass quantities and eating on sticky tables fine dining, but watching the girls light up (and maybe the boys!) when the princesses would greet us at our table made up for it.

Disneyland...the thrill of the rides!

2010-09-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

We seriously conquered Disneyland and California Adventures. We went on almost every ride, even the ones Max thought were lame (which were usually my favorites!), and we went on the adrenaline pumping rides countless times. I could only do California Screamin' two times before my lunch almost reappeared, but Max and Steve had no regurgitation issues. The first picture is obviously a picture of a picture, but it shows the typical response of each rider, with the exception of me...I was usually screaming. The camera caught me at a good moment! If Sophie would have been on this ride (it was the only one she was too short for) she would have had a smile plastered on her face. By the way, in this picture Maxwell is saying "whassup", not screaming! He is a true adrenaline junkie.

Disneyland...the WAIT is on!!

2010-09-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

I am officially back in the blogging world and primarily because it's time to create my Family Yearbook, which I make from my blogs, and so I have a lot of work ahead of me because I stopped somewhere back in September! Onward ho! We surprised the kids with a Disneyland trip after school had been in session only three weeks! I'm sure that made their teachers happy...sorry, but isn't that review time anyway and I like to think that my kids are smart enough to skip review! We decided Capri would really throw a wrench in our big kid fun so we boarded her at both Grandmas houses and Aunt Jens, which was probably way more fun for her than Disneyland anyway. Then we added the Johnson Family to our entourage. We spent five nearly full days at Disneyland and had an absolute blast. This first post includes pictures of our wait time. Much of a Disneyland adventure involves waiting, and I am actually pretty good at waiting. I don't mind sitting on a bench and people watching, or chatting it up with my kids or hubby or friends or strangers in line. Our kids got pretty good at the whole waiting game too, and the Dads were usually preoccupied with fast pass strategy!

Let's Play Music

2010-09-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sophie is in a fabulous music class called Let's Play Music taught by Tina Gosney, who is big part of the reason it is fabulous. It is a three year course that gives the students a music foundation and then introduces them to piano. At the end of the three years Sophie will be at an intermediate piano level. She is currently in the first semester of her second year and I am truly amazed at her progress. All the basic things, that I kind of thought were "just for fun", from the first year are all leading beautifully into her piano and singing capabilities. Each semester a new CD of songs is introduced, and this semester's collection has become a favorite of Steve and Capri as well!! Capri is going to be so prepared when it's her time to join. Maybe Miss Tina will accept her first 3 year old prodigy!!

First Day of School

2010-09-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

As you have probably noticed, my blogging mantra is "a blog does not have to be current"! The first day of school was two months ago, but at least I'm not 10 years behind like many scrapbookers are!

Sophie started kindergarten and Max entered 3rd grade. They each have wonderful teachers this year. We were reluctant for summer to end, but excited to get back into the learning groove. I think it's because of Sophie's girlness, because I didn't follow Max around on his first day of school, but after driving the kids to school, I walked Sophie to her classroom, and could not tear myself away from looking in the little window in the door. I was proud and sentimental at the same time. I am quite sure I was the last Mom to leave!

Capri loves the full-time attention she gets for half a day. She would make a perfect only child!

Maxwell is in that stage where it's not cool to show affection to your little sister. It's okay when it's your baby sister, but not your 5 year old sister. I know he will grow out of it quickly, because he is such a lover boy, but I have to admit that this stage really annoys me. As you can see in one of the pictures below, Sophie is stretching to put her arm around Max because he wouldn't follow Dad's directions and do it himself.

Sophie made it home on the bus safe and sound and we were all there to greet her. She is truly a wonderful child to parent!

This is not the official first day of school, but sometime in the first week. Steve and I headed down to the bus stop to pick the kids up, and this is how many munchkins we ended up with. We made all kinds of stops that day! I am one of those party girls who feels pure joy in moments like this!

Smith's Are Fun!!

2010-09-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have yet to meet anyone else who has a family song. I'm not sure why my Mom hasn't made any money as a professional songwriter or lyricist because the Smith Family Song is the bomb. It goes like this:

Smith's are fun.

They're full of energy.

Smith's are fun.

They're on the ball...

They're one great, big, united family.

Smith's are fun!

See what I mean! And Smith's are fun. We had lots of Smith fun this summer. Hilary and Andy were with us for a couple of months, which we always love, even if she is overly protective of her baby Norah! Chubby, adorable baby Owen was blessed, which brought us all together. We swam, we had girls lunches, we hit the Boise Farmers Market, we mourned with Lexi as she had emergency back surgery...again. And we took her to a movie a week or so after the surgery, with pillows in tow so she could lay down across the seats! We met Joe's new girlfriend, who we love. We forgot to sing our song for her, so that might seal the deal!

Pharisees

2010-09-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

As we were waiting for Maxwell's turn to be baptized at the stake baptism, they showed a beautiful movie about Christ's life and ministry. Max was cuddled up to me, which I love (that's an unrelated sidenote), and the movie was portraying Christ healing a man and also forgiving him of his sins. It then shows some men on the other side of the room condemning Jesus of blasphemy because no man can forgive another of his sins, only God can they say. Max leaned over to me, shaking his head in disgust, and said, "Pharisees". This little boy of mine, (actually I must remember that he's just on loan to me for safekeeping), reminds me time and time again that he's paying attention during scripture study even when I am absolutely sure he's not!

Sand Jumping

2010-09-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

My sister Cassi and her husband Brennan live just below a concrete plant, which means sand jumping. Well, to most people it means sand piles, but to Brennan, who is a true boy, it means sand jumping! We joined in the fun this summer and loved it. From the bottom of the hill it looks kind of easy, but when you climb up and look over the ledge to a near sheer faced cliff of sand, it is much more daunting. It took the little boys and the big boys a few jumps by Brennan to get their courage up. Steve got an A for form and Maxwell got an A+ for his dare devilish skills!

Quirkiness

2010-09-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Putting sock on hand and doing everything else with remaining hand...just one of the cute and quirky things our children do that we find so adorable we bust out the camera phone!

Red Robin is our Go To Restaurant

2010-09-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone else out there who has decided that Red Robin is the best family restaurant? Maybe it's because the noise level is so high that it drowns out your kids, maybe it's the balloon animal guy, maybe it's the menu options, or, if you're like us, it's the bottomless fry basket! Here are a couple of our Red Robin excursions, including Emily's birthday dinner and a celebration following Sophie's music recital.

Last Glimpses of Summer

2010-08-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Summer is my favorite season. I would love it if summer lasted 6 months and the other seasons lasted 2. I don't want year round summer, like in Arizona, because I still want my fall leaves and spring blossoms and winter snow, but just a few weeks of them, then let's soak up the sun and play in the water!

Charlie's Angels

2010-08-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is the Verona Ward Relief Society Presidency, which some of the women in our ward lovingly (at least I hope it's lovingly!) refer to as "Charlie's Angels". I am surrounded by three gorgeous brunettes, Kim, Julia and Kristi, which I guess makes me Farrah Fawcett (I say this because of the blonde hair and for no other reason!) I must admit that we work well together. Our fearless leader, Julia, sets the bar high, and Kristi and Kim have no troubles keeping up. Me on the other hand...we'll just say I'm learning a lot! We have so much fun together, we share a lot, including lots of laughs and a few tears, and we especially love any reason to do lunch!

You Know You're Getting Old When...

2010-07-29T21:35:00.001-07:00

The song you choose to give you a little boost for the sprint at the end of your treadmill run is "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. And this was not just a one time slip of the finger on the i-tunes play list, it is my daily routine!!

Romneyfest!

2010-07-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

The Romneys are one of those families we know will always be in our lives, partly because Mike is such a dork...a loveable dork (as is evidence in the pictures above) and who doesn't love someone like that in their lives, partly because Brooke and I never run out of interesting things to talk about, and the topic of conversation is not always about our kids which is refreshing, partly because their kids know how to party just like them, and partly because they are loyal friends, the kind where the rule "out of sight, out of mind" doesn't apply. The aforementioned Romneys treated us with a visit this summer. We loved it...and Mike couldn't keep his hands off my eye candy! Oh well...I was busy talking to his wife, so I was okay with it!

Eye Candy

2010-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Poor Steve has a wife that doesn't always think of the repercussions of what she says before she says it, which has led to some embarrassment on his part. Luckily, he has learned to handle the attention! Three years ago I called Steve "eye candy" over the pulpit during a sacrament meeting talk...he has yet to live that one down as this picture is evidence of!!

Y Not Tri

2010-07-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I will pay $50 to swim in a duck poop infested pond that has a sign on the edge that says "No swimming", then bike quite a few miles on a borrowed bike that I'm not familiar with which means when the gears get stuck I have no idea how to fix it, and then run on the greenbelt which I'm sure my tax money paid for? To compete, that's why!! I'll admit it, I love a good competition. Also, I loved having a reason to spend time with two of my sisters, Hilary and Cali. There is also an energy at races like this that that I just can't resist.

Reaching our Deductible!!

2010-07-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Four surgeries in one year definitely reaches our deductible...infact, we reached our out of pocket maximum! First Capri got her adenoids out, a month later she got tubes in, I had back surgery, and Sophie's tonsilectomy makes four! Right when we arrived home from the hospital she ate like a champ, and the doctor had told us that the sooner they eat, the faster they recover, so I was stoked. I even bragged about her quick recovery to friends. THEN...the drugs wore off! She didn't eat or drink for 7 days, with the exception of small sips to avoid dehydration. She must have lost nearly 10 pounds, and much of that came from the neck region! It seems that a neck always shows weight loss first. Too bad it's not the butt! My very independent five year old morphed into a very needy and very skinny five year old. And then on day 10, just like the doctor said is the norm, I got my Sophie back. And now we look forward to less snoring and no strep throat!

Cropped Bathtub Pictures

2010-07-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

These pictures are cropped a little tighter than I wanted them to be thanks to the prompting (understatement!) of Max and Sophie. It's pictures like this, when there are no distractions of clothing, jewelry, cute hair (obviously missing from this picture!), that I see the striking resemblance of my kids.

Love Notes

2010-07-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Steve and I found these sweet little love notes from Maxwell sitting outside our door after a Sunday nap. It was a wonderful surprise.

Like Mother Like Son

2010-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Steve thinks this picture is soooo funny, probably because he took it. He calls Maxwell and I his little book nerds. This was taken on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Seriously, what's better than this? Do you know what I think is funnier than this? It's that Steve has only read three non-textbooks in the 12 years we've been married!!

Cheerleader Wannabes

2010-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Cheerleading camp equalled masses of little girls, straining the eyes to make sure your daughter and all your carpool girls were accounted for because it was super fun for them to sneak off and run down the high school halls, popsicle stickiness, but most of all, adorable dances and cheers to last a summer. Little Sally Walker was Sophie's fave and she played it with anyone who would oblige her.

Sun Valley - the perfect summer getaway

2010-07-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Mike and Jennifer Payne are always so generous in sharing their Sun Valley condo with us. We especially love going there with them, because not only do we love spending time with their family, but they also know all the perfect things to fill our days with. They have a weekend in Sun Valley down to a science, and I am so content just following along! This particular weekend consisted of swimming at the YMCA (which has a slide, a lazy river and fountains...basically enough stuff to keep the kids occupied for hours), Art in the Park (which attracts different, and in my opinion, better, artists than the Boise event...the price tags are a little higher too. You could even order your very own hut made of sticks!), and finally a night out at the Ice Show (headlining Evan Lysacek who makes ice skating quite manly!). The drive home was made a little more exciting with a stop at the old army tank sitting on the side of the road. Perfect photo-op for a boy who draws battle scenes nearly every day.

Maxwell is 8!!!

2010-06-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Older people always tell me, "Enjoy it, because it will be over before you know it", in reference to raising kids. I'm sure there is some truth to that, or else it wouldn't be said so often, or maybe it's because their memories are failing them! It's probably a little bit of both. I must admit that there are moments, or rather days, when I wished it was over before I knew it, but always, even on those days, Maxwell is my little nighttime cuddler and loverbug. He always has been, and I have told him that he has to be even when he is a teenager. It sounds a bit wierd to cuddle a teenager, so we may to have to make adjustments! As you can tell this is one of my favorite things about my boy, but another one of them is that he loves to have fun and he can have fun with just about anyone. His birthday party was no exception. We took a herd of boys to Wahooz for unlimited video games, miniature golf, laser tag, bumper boats and race cars. Then we topped the night off with dinner and huge shakes at Iceburg. I had to call and apologize to all the parents for feeding their kids dinner at 9:30 pm and getting them home at 10:30! Can you tell where Maxwell gets his fondness for fun? I think we wore Capri out, but the rest of the kids were going strong...after bubblegum milkshakes!

Sophie Turns the Big 5!!

2010-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful Sophia Chere' Payne turned the monumental age of 5...monumental because school is right around the corner. If you haven't yet noticed, I love to throw big birthday bashes for my kids. Each year I tell myself that next year will be a family party only...but then my right brain rears it's head and changes my mind! This year we took the party outside of our house, which was a welcome change. We took a gaggle of girls to Rafiki, which is a super fun indoor play center, and then we herded the gaggle to Red Robin for dinner and dessert. Grandma Pat and Grandma Smith's attendance was so much appreciated, by Sophie, but even more by Steve and I! They helped maintain a very small degree of order! But who am I kidding...I love a little craziness during party time! The final picture in this very long post pretty much sums up how Steve and I felt by the end of the evening!!

She Did It!

2010-06-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

We weren't sure if she would be able to complete the rigorous requirements, but we are proud to say that...Sophie graduated from preschool. We're kind of thinking Ivy League...or BYU (which in my opinion is Ivy League)! Sophie attended Grandma Janet's preschool for the last two years and loved it. She enjoyed each day and came home with many beautiful art projects. She also loved her carpool buddies, Spencer and Bridger.

San Diego to Calm the Nerves!

2010-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Julia, and I were in desperate (a very slight exaggeration!) need of some sunny weather during our way too cold and long Boise spring, so we planned ourselves a little trip to sunny San Diego. Somehow the hubbies managed to work their way into our plans (!), and so the four of us had a crazy fun and relaxing weekend. We visited Sea World, where Julia and David got drenched on the water ride, and Steve and I managed to stay mostly dry. Julia says the after shot makes her look like Ozzy Ozbourne's daughter! We ate delicious food. Julia and I took super long walks along the beach every morning while the guys waited semi-patiently! We visited the History of Man museum...hence the Bigfoot picture. Steve and I were also able to spend an evening with one of my favorite cousins, Laurie, and her husband Michael. I always love spending time with her, and Michael just adds spice to everything!

Modest Bath Buddies!

2010-05-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sophie had a playdate at Aubrie Johnson's house, which turned into a late-over (just shy of a sleepover) and these pictures are proof that they had WAY too much fun! Aubrie's mom wasn't sure how I would feel about the girls bathing together, so she decided to play it safe and have them wear swimsuits. Little does she know that we haven't yet discovered modesty in our home! But I'm glad the girls are clothed because otherwise I would not be posting them on our blog!

Spring Break Stay-cation

2010-04-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

Could someone please remind me next year to plan a warm weather vacation during Spring Break? Seriously, whoever reminds me of that will get a prize, and it won't be one of those home crafted prizes that many blogs give out, because you wouldn't want that from me. Maybe if you're lucky it will be a disposable toothbrush! The weather in Meridian, Idaho in mid-March is not worthy of a break from school! With my complaints being noted, we still managed to have some local fun. We took advantage of many Boise attractions, including the Discovery Center, the movie theater, and our favorite pizza shop and candy store. Here we are with some of Maxwell and Sophie's very best buds, Aubrie and Kaleb Johnson at Flatbread Community Oven. Capri has become Miss Independent and wants/needs her own EVERYTHING...including drink with straw!

Sharing a Rainbow

2010-04-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Rainbows are like a colorful little smile from heaven. To me there isn't a more cheerful and lovely creation. I love sighting a rainbow with my kids, and who better to share it with than Caleb and Aubrie! Take note of the burns on Caleb's forehead after an unfortunate bacon grease incident at Fathers and Sons campout!

Rollerdrome...We Own You!

2010-03-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

The Johnsons, Terrys, Paynes and Weavers hit the only existing rollerskating rink in the entire Treasure Valley, which happens to be in my old hometown of Nampa and is right around the corner from the Arctic Circle I used to work at in high school. Can you say "glory days"? We really had so much fun and pretty much owned the rink that night. Jenni Terry and I were cracking each other up because we got our groove back really quick, doing the crossover on turns and keeping beat with the music! I know as a 35 year old mother of 3 I should feel at least a little bit out of place at a 5th grade hangout spot, but I actually felt super cool. That's one good thing about myself...I can feel cool pretty easily! Several of us made it to the final rounds of the limbo competition, and my graceful exit was even captured for posterity! My personal favorite part of the night was watching my husband and his buddy Jared wear their matching black and shimmering gold almost Ed Hardy shirts with pride. We finished off the night adult style and ate at a really good restaurant that 5th graders can't afford!

Our Second Home

2010-03-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Gilbert, Arizona was our home for four years and when we moved away we thought we would be back to visit once a year or more, however, life seems to get in the way and it took us nearly three years to get back to our second home...and home it still was. We decided not to tell anyone we were coming, except Mike Romney, which was kept totally confidential because he was in Haiti prior to our arrival! The evening we flew in we decided to drive through the old hood and just start knocking on doors. As we were entering The Gardens Steve said, "I think we'll see Matt Porter playing at the park with his daughters" and sure enough Matt was our first sighting! We then crashed the Jelinek pad, tried a couple others but there was no answer, and called it a night at the Nielson's. I highly recommend this kind of arrival - it was crazy fun! Even on short notice our friends were able to hang with us a bit. Our bishop and his wife even fit it into their schedule to join us for dinner. We ate lots of good food, laughed hard, and were reminded over and over why these people make Gilbert our second home.

Steve Celebratin' with Da Boyz

2010-02-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

After surprising Steve with a "new to us" Ford F-150 for Christmas I officially had the surprise bug and couldn't get enough, so I decided to surprise him again for his birthday. Any of you that know Steve well know that he rarely splurges on himself, in the form of time, money, anything. My body doesn't want to let me ski anymore because it likes to vomit after only two runs, and this translates into Steve not skiing much anymore either, so I called a few of his favorite boys to join him in a Sun Valley ski trip. I even had his office manager clear out his Friday appointments, and to avoid any suspicion on his part, she scheduled fake appointments.

From what I hear the trip was quite a party. Lots of guy things, like playing cards till all hours of the night (is that a guy thing?), eating huge amounts of food, skiing hard, and did I mention eating huge amounts of food? There are some Bart Hamilton food consumption stories that will go down in history!!

The Fuddy Duddy that Wouldn't Skate

2010-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Notice who's not wearing ice skates in this picture...can you say f-u-d-d-y d-u-d-d-y! Although he does have a semi-good excuse - he claims they hurt his cankles!! Capri didn't ice skate either and was probably climbing up and down, up and down, and up and down (repeat about 20 more times for the full effect) the stairs of the rink lobby while this family picture was being taken.

Capri in '09

2009-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

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.

My BABY sister got married!

2009-11-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

The youngest of our gaggle of 10 Smith Kidz (my Dad's license plate says "10 kidz") just got hitched...well she got hitched several months ago, but I finally have the pictures to show you. She was an extraordinarily beautiful bride. And Brennan, our newest in-law, was dashing. It was an amazing experience to be in the temple with my parents and every one of my siblings. I could tell by the tears streaming down her face that it was a very special moment for my Mom, as well as my Dad. I can only imagine what that might feel like. I hope I experience it someday.

I think it was on my wedding day that this tradition of having all the boys sweep the bride up and lay her horizontal started in the Smith family. It is a very uncomfortable tradition, but is always good for a laugh!

This is a snapshot from the reception in which I look like I am forcing my eyes open wider to look like I am so well rested, Steve isn't even attempting to look awake and Capri was so sick we almost took her to the hospital later that evening!

I included two "sister" pictures because everyone except me looks great in the first one (I must be laughing at a joke that the others didn't get!) and I think I look better in the second one, which is WAY more important!

"The Line" stayed busy all night long. I guess that's what you get when you combine two hugely likeable, popular, charming, successful and gorgeous families...maybe I should have stopped at two HUGE families!

The reception was a collaborative effort of LOTS of people, but for some reason I took ownership and have bragged about it to anyone that will listen! It was a beautiful evening, with yummy food, gorgeous flowers, pumpkins, silhouettes, candy at the exit, and lots of people who all shared in celebrating Cassi and Brennan. I was so happy to help make it a special night for them, as well as for my parents.

Meet Mr. Dot

2009-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Freckles are a funny thing, it's even a funny word. Say it out loud a few times and you'll probably chuckle in agreement. I have talked to many people who have no love for their freckles or have bad memories of their younger more prevalent freckle days. As a child I had the spattering of freckles, you know the freckles across the nose and cheeks with the occasional cluster throughout other parts of the face. I loved my freckles. My Mom always told me that people with freckles don't get acne. I'm not sure where she got her information and I really don't know if it's true or not, but I bought into it completely, and I really didn't get much acne, even during puberty. I also have very fond memories of adults looking down at me and expressing their love for my freckles and my cute little button nose. I really didn't give my freckles too much thought, but when I did they were adoring thoughts. Now I understand that some people have more than just the spattering of freckles, in fact, my own Maxwell has more than what I would consider a spattering, so to each their own freckle feelings, but I do know that I am completely endeared to Max's freckle face. Don't get me wrong, I think an olive skinned, spot and blemish free child is absolutely beautiful, but seriously, look at that little cropped picture of my cuddlebug and to me there is nothing more adorable (inlcluding the crazy 2nd grade teeth...I'm admitting my bias)! I want to make sure he loves his freckles as well, so ever since these little splats of pigment started arriving on his nose (around age 3) I started telling him how much I love them. I haven't shared the acne angle yet! I would count them each night and he loved it. By the age of four I had lost count, but I still pretended to count and would always stop somewhere around 100, and it was around that time that I found my favorite. Meet Mr. Dot! Do you see the almost perfectly round freckle below his right nostril? It's a little bit bigger and a little bit darker than the rest. To me it is the epitomy of the perfect freckle. I no longer count his freckles, but nearly every night I give Mr. Dot a kiss, and Maxwell loves it. Sophie started to feel left out, so we found Mrs. Dot, who resides at the top of her neck. It is probably even more of a perfect freckle than Mr. Dot, but it's kind of in a ticklish spot so I'm not really allowed to give it kisses, unless I steal them, which means it doesn't get the same attention from me as Mr. Dot, and usually falls off my freckle radar!

Play of the Year

2009-11-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Maxwell played flag football for the first time this year. He picked it up pretty quick for someone whose deadbeat parents had never even thrown a football with him (very slight exaggeration). He played center on offense, which is a great position for someone who is brand spankin' new to the sport, because they get in on each play without too much liability for the team! He actually was a very good snapper, and even perfected the shotgun snap. In this league the center does not have anyone opposing him on the defensive line, so after the play is over the center has to search for someone to block. Maxwell had struggled with this throughout the season, which is very typical. However, he had the play of the season, according to the coaches, when he finally figured it out. They were winning the game quite handily, so the coaches were letting some of the younger, less experienced boys take a few handoffs. One little boy named Eli took a handoff and headed to the right. Maxwell decided to head that direction as well, which happened to be the direction of the head coach who yelled out, "block someone Max". Max looked up field and beelined it to the closest defender and completely leveled him (mind you this is flag football). It dropped him and Max to the ground, leaving Eli wide open to score a touchdown. The best part was all the praise he received after the game. Maxwell and Eli were giving each other fives at the end of the game, and Max said, "great touchdown", and Eli responded, "I never would have made it if it hadn't been for you." It was way way way too cute!

Halloween is Here Again

2009-11-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

Uncle Mike and his staff dressed up like the Twilight characters for Halloween in stunning fashion. We stopped in to check out Dr. Cullen himself. Capri, who adores Uncle Mike, was not really sure what to think!

Part of me wishes I enjoyed sewing and crafting, so my kids could have one of a kind Halloween costumes, but the bigger part of me is so happy to buy Maxwell the Clone Trooper costume he begged for(I even let him use his spending money to buy a super cool and overly expensive blaster), let Sophie wear her Belle costume she got for her birthday last year, and borrow an adorable ladybug costume for Capri.

Fall Photo Shoot

2009-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Kim Matthews took these fabulous pictures of our family back in November and I am just now posting them. Is it okay to call your own pictures fabulous? I think it is as long as there are other people in the pictures with you! I LOVE the color yellow, which makes me love these pictures even more. I even bought yellow and grey throw pillows to go in the room where the kids pictures are hanging. It was a must purchase...right? You will notice that there are not many individual pictures of Capri, and also that she is wearing two outfits. That is because she was not at the cooperating age for pictures, so we did retakes. The retakes went about as well as the originals! Something you would notice if you saw the entire DVD of pictures is that Maxwell has become a clown. He used to be so photogenic and looked perfect in every picture, just like Sophie does now, but he has taken to making peace signs, bunny ears and probably even gang signs in nearly every picture. I just about drop kicked him! Luckily he toned it down for a few shots, which are all the ones I am printing up.

Busy Bees Preschool

2009-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Love this preschool! Love the teacher. Love the art projects. Love that Sophie is writing her letters so well and I haven't hardly worked with her. Love carpooling with Bridger and Spencer. Love that both those boys are in touch with their feminine sides and are so fine playing barbies, kitchen and anything else Sophie wants to play. And could there be any cuter bunch of busy bees than this?

Removal of the Enlarged Adenoids

2009-10-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Capri had a constant flood of drainage coming out her nose for nine months. Everyone got used to it - the daycare workers at the gym, grandmas and grandpas, babysitters. They all knew to keep the kleenex very handy when Capri was around. I literally wiped her nose every five minutes. Maxwell and Sophie even came up with their own warning system. They would call out to me "booger alert, booger alert"! We visited her pediatrician, an allergist, even a chiropractor to figure out what the problem, or more importantly, what the solution was. After months of no success we took it upon ourselves to take her to the top - a pediatric ENT surgeon. Within a couple of days the CT scan showed majorly enlarged adneoids. All the drainage that normally goes down the back of the throat was coming out her nostrils. Surgery was scheduled right away. Here is the pre-surgery picture, which was taken right before I gave her a few drinks of water because she was going crazy waiting for her turn, which I guess is a major no-no before surgery (I thought clear fluids were allowed). We then had to wait two more hours because of my indescretion. AAGGHHH!

Post-surgery. Coming off the anethesia was a nightmare. After 50 minutes of this I vowed to bring Steve with me if there was ever a next time (which there was three weeks later to get tubes put in her ears....AAAGGHH again). I finally asked the nurse if I could leave even though she had not stopped crying. I think it was against protocol, but they seemed quite relieved to get rid of us! As soon as we walked out of the recovery room, she calmed down and fell fast asleep in the car.