The First Few Days of Life

A few shout outs for all of the love and support when Laney was born. Mel and Spence were fantastic, the watched the kids while we were in the hospital, did a treasure hunt with the kids, and made us dinner. The rest of my family came up to visit which was so fun for the kids to have their cousins and grandma and pops. It was also fantastic to have my mom here for a week. She was a big help, I felt like we had it together when she was here. It has pretty much been down hill since then, well the dishes don't get done as often :) Ryan's dad and Dee also came up for a visit and brought lunch :) We also had amazing support from our friends and neighbors, gifts, meals, treats, it was awesome. We are very blessed to know so many amazing people.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the first few days of Laney's life.

They always look so small in their seats. I am always amazed that they let you just walk right on out the door with these new little innocent, precious beings.

Hello precious Baby

One of my favorite outfits

It was so warm when she was born. It was probably 20 degrees warmer when we brought her home than when we brought Logan home in May. We had a perfect fall.

Gas smile perhaps, but still cute no matter how it got on her face.

She is saying "hey dad, I love you, get use to your estrogen filled life."

Welcome to the family Laney girl!

The Month of May

May is always a crazy month, here are some of the events that made it both fun and crazy......

We started out the month by finding out what we were having and much to my surprise

It's A Girl

I honestly was completely shocked I was convinced it was a boy. Ryan says he knew it was a girl but didn't want to tell me. So much for evening the score. I guess Logan will be in touch with his feminine side?? After the shock wore off..............we are excited. This little girl has thrown us for a loop from the beginning, I hope she doesn't give a us run for our money.

Happy Mothers Day

I am lucky to have these healthy, beautiful, crazy kids. I am happy I get to be their mom.

The kids and their friends thought they would start Spring/Summer of right by having a lemonade stand. They tried to make the lemonade from scratch and even added real lemons. They mixed it up in that bucket that they all kept tasting it out of. I don't think they sold much, thankfully, but they had a blast doing it and that's all that counts.


COOKING MOM

I had the opportunity to be the "cooking mom" for Ellie's kindergarten class. It was so much fun and the kids always looked forward to it. They were always disappointed if I was at class that day to do something other than cooking mom. Some of the kids in her class even called me cooking mom whenever they saw me. We tried to do things that coordinated with the letter they were on. We made mini pizzas, smoothies, granola, marshmallow octopus, and the final one of the year was letter Y. I felt like we had used yogurt a lot so I needed to come up with something else, plus it was the last one so I wanted it to be fun. At my sister suggestion, they made "you" or self portraits of themselves on sugar cookies. They all did a great job. I will miss being cooking mom. Ellie said, "I hope we have cooking mom in first grade."

Ellie's self portrait

Bailey had her bridging ceremony for Girl Scouts. She is no longer a Brownie :( She has had such a great time in this troop. Her troop leader is seriously amazing. Love her!! Bailey would be a Junior Scout now if she continued, but I think we will take a break. She has Activity Days, her leader is going to be less involved this year so I could be time to move on. I am hoping I can get her leader to do a troop Ellie's age.

Way to go Bay, what a cute Girl Scout you are.

Thanks to everyone for supporting her and buying cookies.

I am proud of her for all of the things she accomplished as a Girl Scout and the good friends and relationships that she made.

Miss Bay also had a busy soccer season. She played with a great team this spring. Her coach is awesome. We got lucky, that man was put on the earth to coach soccer. Bailey really improved and had a fun season. Her team won the championship. They lost won game all season and had to play that same team in the championship game, which they won. We have been playing that team for 3 or 4 seasons and came close to beating them a few times, but it was nice to get a victory. She really loved playing for Ice Purple. I think she will get to have the same coach in the fall, so we will see how that all plays out.

Sweet hardware


The team in action

Bailey, Megan and Natalie have played together for a few years. I am glad they were able to stay together when they got on this team. Cute girls!!

Bailey had her end of the year music program. She did a great job. She had a little one word solo and she was very into all of the songs, dances etc. She loves this type of thing. I could still sing most of the songs because she has been singing them around the house for quite some time.

3rd Grade Picnic

This year the 3rd graders decided to have an end of the year picnic. Our spring weather wasn't the best, so I am glad they had a good day. Ryan was able to come home for the afternoon so I could go help out, and I was glad that I did. It was fun to watch all the kids and help them play the games. Bay was a champ at the potato sack race, and she was a good sport in the 3 legged race when the only person left to pair up with was a boy she didn't really know. It was a fun day.

Memorial Day

The girls are in to wearing hats right now.

We didn't do anything to exciting for Memorial Day. Mel and Spence were in town looking for a place to live, so we just BBQ'd and hung out. It rained early in the day so I was glad that it cleared up in time to enjoy being outside. It did give Logan a good reason to wear his boots. He loves these things and every time we go to Target and he sees them for sale, he thinks all of them are his and yells "my boots, my boots" at the top of his lungs. Great fun. Good thing he looks so cute in "my boots."

May did not disappointed this year, always lots going on. Summer is on its way!!

December

We had to start of the holiday season by decoring the house and the tree (and since I have already taken it all back down, because I am a blogging slacker, I can say it is so much more fun to put up than it is to take down). We went to the mountains and cut this tree down all by ourselves, we have to get some use out of that truck :), Ryan and Bailey spotted it and then came and got me for my approval. It worked out well I think, it is always a little scary when you first bring it in, and I had to trim it up a little, but it was a good tree. Good find Ry & Bay.

The girls loved putting the ornaments and berries on Logan loved taking them off

The next event of the month was the Payne family Christmas party. It was so much fun and the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. We stayed at Julie's house, my kids adore staying there, they always have so much fun. We had a great party out in Oakley, the kids were spoiled as usual and loved every second of it. It was fun to catch up with everyone and just enjoy each others company. p.s. I did eat the Chinese food pheasant and it was actually not to bad. I preferred it in the egg rolls. The guys thought it was amazing, I don't know if I would go that far, but it was much better than I had anticipated. My BIL did find a few BB's I was pretty much done after that.
These crazies thought this would be fun

El looks a little cold

Santa always makes an appearance the kids wanted to give him a big group hug. Logan used that opportunity to play with someones NEW toy, he isn't loving Santa so much this year, a better picture to prove this point will come along later.

Logan has a new love---choo choo's. He discovered all of the Thomas The Train stuff at Julie's and spent the rest of the weekend saying choo choo every 10 seconds. This is not an exaggeration. He packed them all around with him everywhere. Julie had his name this year, she actually went and bought him his first train and took back the other thing she had already got him, she's cool like that. He still packs around that one she got him.

The girls all got some new bling

Bailey also got a new dress and her favorite move Monsters vs. Aliens

Ellie also got a new dress and stuff to play hair salon, she was so excited and in love, she LOVES playing hair salon

Aren't they all so cute and coordinating

Love You Payne Family

Next on the agenda was our ward Christmas Party, it was a fun night our friends who put it together did a great job, and we had all varieties of Costco cake for dessert, my favorite!

The primary sang a few songs for our entertainment

The girls had fun Christmas parties at school this year I am glad I was able to be a part of both of them and spend time with them at school.

Ellie's class had a Polar Express party. They wore PJ's, read the story, saw Santa and got their very own bells and Polar Express tickets. They finished the party with cookies and hot chocolate. I love Kindergarten!

Bailey's class made Gingerbread Houses, all of the kids brought the needed supplies to make awesome Gingerbread Houses. They even had milk cartons to put underneath so they wouldn't collapse, her teacher is always thinkin'. After we helped make the houses the parents went on our merry way and the kids had a little party and book exchange. They made the best presents for us this year, I was very impressed with her teacher and all of her efforts. They made books and painted cute canvas Christmas pictures. I loved it, I don't have a picture of it though, I do have pictures of the Gingerbread House.

We had a neighborhood Christmas party where the kids all acted out the Nativity. Bailey was one of the many Mary's, Ellie an Angel and Loggy and Shepard. It was cute and the kids had fun doing it.

Bailey as Mary

Loggy the Shepard equipped with a lamb

Ellie the Angel that was suppose to take off her cute red sweater but I forgot to tell her, oh well she was still angelic

A Trip to the Mall to see Santa
The line for Santa was long, the burgers and nuggets from McDonald's were devoured by the children, gifts were gotten, and this photo was taken. PRICELESS

I don't know why I think this picture is so hilarious. Maybe I am cruel, but all little kids dislike Santa for a few years and then he becomes their best pal. I just think you have to capture these little moments. Sorry Loggy I will get you another juice box at McDonald's :)

Bailey asked for earmuffs

Ellie asked for a Webkinz

Some Cute Christmas Photos

B A I L E Y

ALL SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS IS HER 2 FRONT TEETH

L O G A N

E L L I E

CHRISTMAS 2009