Rare...and Not So Rare

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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"?

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.