Impromptu Photo Shoot

Our good friend, Lee Funes, is a really great guy to have around, mostly because he is so fun and nice, but also because he has an expensive camera and a good eye! One sunday afternoon he offered to take a family picture for our Christmas card. We just drove down the street from our neighborhood hoping to see a good backdrop for the occasion. About one mile from our neighborhood we drove past this setting, which happens to be the entrance to a new fancy neigborhood, which I'm sure is currently on hold in this market! As soon as we got out of the car Maxwell began posing solo for the camera, as if he were some hotshot celebrity. It was hilarious. Then he wanted to hold Capri so she could get in on the modeling action too. I remember Capri being really cooperative, but she must have had a moment, because we captured a great picture of her painfully screaming! Sophie is obviously a natural poser as well, because she looks nearly the same in every picture, even the one when were all supposed to do silly faces! And yes, I know my boobs look big (my sisters all told me). I'll just blame it on breastfeeding...even though Capri is bottle fed!

Capri's Blessing Day

What an absolute angel our little Capri is. She looks like a porcelain doll in this picture with her Daddy...which would be Steve! He gave her such a beautiful blessing that was so filled with the Spirit and heartfelt. It even brought tears to his own eyes. Actually, I don't think it was his words that brought the tears, I think it was the overwhelming feeling of love he has for his daughter that brought the tears. I was true to form and cried from the moment the first words fell from Steve's mouth!

Grandma Smith has a very treasured tradition of sewing each of her grandchildren a blessing outfit...in all of her spare time (which would be the wee hours of the night)! I really really really love this dress. My Mom spent hours and hours sewing all the gorgeous stitchwork BY HAND. Don't seamstresses call that "couture"? Capri may have some pretty high expectations for sunday wear now!

Just look at that face. That is the face of a nearly perfect child!

4th Picture Tag...this is one I couldn't resist

This is the 4th picture in the 4th folder in the "My Pictures" folder. A really hip and cool picture of my sister Hilary and her husband, Andy, during their engagement photo shoot. I thought this should be one of the pictures on their wedding announcement, but Andy thought it was too "BYUish" (which I guess equals cheesy). I sure didn't let any guy lay his head on mine at BYU. I think it was against the rules!


I thought it would be fun to see what the 5th picture in the 5th folder is. Maxwell in the early stages of coloring. The 6th picture is pretty cute too. Max is deep in thought. Maybe thinking about what color to choose next?

Yummy Scrummy

Yummy scrummy...need I say more? Actually, I'll say a little bit more! A big thanks to Cheryl Bennett (a.k.a Cheryl Bennett Photography) for these teeth gritting photos I will always treasure (does anyone else grit their teeth when they see a little baby or do I need therapy?). And a tip for anyone still in the baby producing stage...take newborn pictures before the baby is three weeks old. They recognize their nakedness after a couple of weeks, and therefore won't sleep through naked baby photo shoots!

Baby Hungry? Then Don't View This Post!

If you have children then these pictures should bring back memories of when they were newborns. Remember the adorable sleeping positions? This is Capri's sleeping position of choice. Irresistible isn't it?


And the stretching is hilarious. It's like they haven't had good sleep in days, even though they slept 23 of the last 24 hours! This picture doesn't show it, but I especially love the wrinkled up forehead stretch!

Calling All Boys and Ghouls!!

When Steve and I were first married I was asked to make a flyer for the Elders Quorum Halloween Party and the first line of the flyer said "Calling all Boys and Ghouls". I thought it was pretty clever, but Steve teased me about it, and 10 years later, continues to do so!

Speaking of...my little boy and ghoul looked as cute as ever this Halloween. Sophie wore her Supergirl costume, just like Mommy requested, but Maxwell was not fond of the itchy dreadlocks on the Jack Sparrow pirate costume I picked out for him, so he made the choice to wear his Power Ranger costume from last year instead. It was a little tight in the area Steve's brother, Dave, refers to as the front bottom, but I doubt people were paying much attention to that!


Grandma Pat wanted to see the kids costumes, so we made a lunch date of it. I had to bribe Maxwell with Gameboy playing time to put his itchy dreads on for this picture!

After the ward trunk-or-treat we headed over to the Albert's house for a great Halloween party. Sophie joined her friends Brecken and Shayden Albert for some more candy gathering with the Dads, along with the bigger boys. The next morning we asked the kids if they wanted to trade their candy for a toy of their choice (under $10) from Target, after they each picked their 5 favorite pieces. The toys were a hit, and they haven't even asked for more candy, even though it is sitting right on the counter still. When Max got home from school yesterday he asked for a snack and I told him he could eat one of his pieces of candy. He replied, "but then I'll only have four pieces." All five pieces of candy are still sitting on his bedside table!

Attack of the Clones!!

Steve and I have created another clone!! Here are pictures of each of the little munchkins. The pictures don't quite do it justice because they are each taken at different stages of the facial unswelling process! They are in age order, starting with Clone Maxwell, then Clone Sophia, and finally...Clone Capri! By the way, her full name is Capri Alexis Payne and she weighed in at 7 lbs. even.

The family of five.

Next time the photographer needs to tell me that the person of the hour (baby) is covered by her mass of hospital blankets!

Maxwell cannot get enough of this little sweetie. He doesn't even want to go to school or soccer practice because he hates leaving her. After school yesterday he wouldn't let her go until I forced him off to soccer. He is such an amazing brother to Sophie, so I knew this would be no different. He really has a sensitive side. I tell him all the time that he is going to be just like his Daddy when he grows up, which by the way is a very very good thing. Just before we left to the hospital on Wednesday morning at 6:30 am (and no sleep for several days) my sweet little guy, who by the way had already woken up because he was so excited for the big day when Capri would arrive, called in to my bathroom as I was brushing my teeth and said, "Mom, you look beautiful...no, you look more than beautiful." If that doesn't make a pregnant woman feel good I don't know what does.

Sophie also can't get enough of Capri, but in an independent 3 year old way...hands everywhere! I know this will wear off soon because Maxwell was the same way when Sophie was born, and because I am not a germphobe, it is actually quite adorable, in an annoying sort of way! I also now have two extra arms for doing the little things, like getting diapers and wipes, throwing diapers away, getting bottles...you name it, Sophie will get it, and she does it on the run!

I had forgotten how little newborns are. She looks like such a little munchkin in this car seat. And I love that her sleeves and pantlegs are each rolled up three times!