AWWWW........

Payton has been practicing writing his alphabet lately. He is very interested in learning to read and write right now. The other day, we were at Office Max. They had a dry erase board with letter outlines on it, so Payton could trace the letters and learn to write.
We were practicing on that board, when Payton says, "How do you spell 'Mom'?" I told him, and he wrote it in scraggly, uneven little letters. It was awesome. I love this kid!

I thought it was my Christmas gift

Ray got ME an elliptical machine for Christmas. Someone, however, has been on it much more than I have.

Reviving old fun

When I was a kid, as soon as there was enough snow, we would tie an inner tube to the four-wheeler, and take turns whipping everyone around on the tube. Dad decided Payton and Luke should continue the tradition.




And, of course, no snow play is complete without a snowman. Which Payton promptly Kung Fu kicked over as soon as this photo was taken.

To Grandmother's House We Go

After opening presents at home, we headed out to Grandma and Papa's house.

Christmas morning

I was so excited for Christmas, and Payton's reaction to Christmas morning, that I was up at 5:30. I was able to catch Payton's first reaction on video. It wasn't quite what I was expecting.



(A little background.....I sent Payton to pre-school wearing jeans with rips at the knees. He got sent to time out. During time out, he ripped the holes completely across the knees, and down to the hem. Think of a "T" shaped rip. Yep, grounded from video games for a week. Total bummer, since he got 2 new video games for Christmas.)

But, we had a terrific Christmas morning.

White Christmas

Another storm is rolling through. Payton, of course, has to be out in it. Here's some photos and video. Can you see the snow on his eyelashes in the 2nd photo?

Have a Charming Christmas

I decided Payton needed a suit to wear to church the Sunday before Christmas. So, Brenda, Lukey, Payton and I went to Burlington Coat Factory to buy the boys Christmas clothes. I found a navy suit with a yellow shirt and blue and yellow tie. (Whoever invented those zipper ties is the MAN!) I had Payton try the suit on in the dressing room, I got it on him, and put him in front of the mirror to check it out. His little chest puffed up and he says........."I look like Prince Charming!" Totally cracked me up. Then Lukey, who was wearing a dark red shirt, black and red tie, and black slacks saw Payton in his suit. Lukey says, "Mommy, I want jacket." So Lukey ended up with a suit for Christmas, too. Cute stinkin' boys!

Last Christmas

This is going to be our last Christmas in this house, God willing. I took a couple of pictures for prosperity. Ignore the burnt-out lights, I'm going to fix those.......








































































And a video of naked Batman, just because it's funny.

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a quiet little Thanksgiving this year. Brenda and Carrie celebrated with their in-laws, so it was just Mom and Dad, Ray and I, Payton and Heather for Thanksgiving. We ate delicious turkey....Thanks, Mom! And watching football, of course.
I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for good, steady jobs for Ray and I during this economic downturn. Isn't it amazing how well God provides for us. I am thankful for a happy, mostly healthy, functional (verses dis-functional) family.
And, I'm thankful for my new house, WOO HOO, that Ryan is currently making up plans on. We are going to have land, and space and storage. I won't know what to do with myself. I'll post some pictures when the actual ground breaking begins!

Flashback Saturday

To steal an idea from Shauna, I'm having flashback Saturday today. Mainly because I found this really cute video of Payton and Luke. Check out our cute boys!

Pumpkin Pickin'

Payton's pre-school went to Linder Farms to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Besides pumpkin pickin', we went on hay ride where we saw a zebra and a camel. All in all, lots of fun!




To decorate Payton's perfect pumpkin, we found little plastic decorations at Wal-Mart. You just stick 'em into the pumpkin. No messy pumpking carving. YEA!!! Cuz' I hate carving pumpkins, it's nasty.

For all Boise State Bronco Fans!

Go Orange! Go Big Blue! Fight, fight, BSU!

Swimming Lessons

Payton has been in swimming lessons on and off since he was ten months old. He has really started to improve!

Zoo Boise

We went to Zoo Boise on Columbus Day. Us government employees don't have to work those obscure holidays, LOL. Zoo Boise recently acquired two giraffes and three lions. We had to go check them out! (Doesn't it look like Payton is climbing into the giraffe's butt on the slide?)




Holy smokes! How cute is that picture?!?

Monster Spray!

So, like Monsters, Inc., Payton as gotten to the age where there are monsters in his closet and giant spiders trying to crawl into his bed. After waking me up at 3:30, 4:00, and 4:30 Monday morning, I decided something needed to change. I went and "bought" Monster Spray. Monster Spray consists of a can of Oust air freshener, with a homemade label taped on the can. The label says this:

Monster Spray

Guaranteed to remove from any room all monsters, spiders, spookies, scaries and any type of creepies.

Directions: Spray a two second burst in the room to repel all monsters. Repeat as necessary.

At bedtime Monday night, I presented Payton with this can of Monster Spray. I read the label to him. We sprayed the room, as needed. I didn't hear a peep out of him all night. When I got him up in the morning, he told me "There was one spider arm trying to climb into my bed, but I sprayed one drop of my Monster Spray on it, and it went away." WOO HOO! It worked!!! He keeps it under his pillow for those middle of the night monsters. Too bad he won't always be this gullible.

We got promoted!

The word has gotten around, but I'll post it here anyway. Ray and I both got promoted Sept. 1. I was promoted to Lieutenant, and Ray was promoted into my Sergeant's position. Our bosses pulled us into the Sheriff's office at the same time, and promoted us together. How cool is that? So, I am now back in the jail, after eight years. Ray is a patrol sergeant. We're settling into our roles. Ray a little easier than me, LOL. After two days at my new job, my boss had to leave the state for a family emergency. I had to handle a jail inspection, on my own. Yee Haw. But, it went OK. Nothing like trial by fire.

Photos I've been meaning to post

I've been meaning to post these photos for, oh, four and five months. Just never got around to it. Obviously, they are Heather's 1st Prom picture, with her friend, Ashley. (They went stag.) The other is Payton's 1st (pre-)school picture. I almost didn't order the pictures, thinking they were just trying to suck more money out of me. Then I decided they could be his four-year-old photos, since they were taken about two weeks before his birthday. I was so glad I ordered them, because they turned out sooo cute!

Not sneaky enough!

One of Payton's favorite tricks is to sneak toys into his bed at night, and play with them rather than go to sleep. I don't have any photos, so I hope I can tell this story and do it justice.
Payton likes to sleep just in his jammie bottoms. I don't know where he got it from. So, he is wearing Lightening McQueen jammie shorts, and nothing else. Got a mental picture? OK, good. He's been put to bed about fifteen to twenty minutes earlier, book, prayers, kiss, hug, etc. He comes out from his bedroom, holding his crotch, the international sign for "I have to go potty." Ray tells him to go. (There are usually anywhere from three to eight potty trips each night before he falls asleep.) From where Ray is sitting, he can see Payton, but I can't.
Payton closes the bathroom door to go potty this time. An anomaly. He usually never closes the door. Hmmm, something's up. We hear Payton peeing, and the toilet flush. We wait for him to come out of the bathroom.....nothing. Remember, all he has to do is pull up his jammie shorts. Ray calls, "OK, Payton, get to bed." I didn't see what happened next, Ray told me this part.
The bathroom door opens, and Payton side-steps out, with his back to the living room. Still got a mental picture? Ray tells Payton to come here. Payton turns and walks into the living room.....with a large bulge in his shorts (not that, you sickos LOL). Ray asks Payton what is in his shorts.
Payton pulls his newest Transformer out of his shorts, and hands it to Ray. In a completely serious voice, Payton says "I was just bringing this to you, Dad. And it's wet." (cuz he'd been playing with it in his bath earlier. Sickos!) Ray's trying hard not to bust up, and I'm not doing very well holding in my laughter either. It was so funny! Ray sent Payton to bed, and we both lost it! Maybe you had to be there. But kids say and do the darnedest things, don't they?

The Saga of the New Bed

When we bought a crib, before Payton was born, we spent a little extra and bought the crib that converts to a toddler bed, and then a full-size bed. I thought I was being exceptionally thrifty. We would only need to purchase a full-size mattress eventually, and that would get Payton through until he moved out. So, Payton is now too tall for his toddler bed, and we went looking for a full-size mattress, to convert his toddler bed.
We shouldn't have taken Payton mattress shopping with us. At the second store we went to, they had a loft bed with a SLIDE! I threw a blanket over the slide part, hoping he wouldn't notice. It didn't work. Once he saw that bed, we couldn't get him off of it. I left the store without buying the bed, exercising some restraint. But, Ray and I discussed it. Buying the bed was going to be a couple a hundred dollars more than buying a mattress. And, we could use the full-size bed with Payton's crib frame in the guest room when we build our new house. So, we asked Payton if he would have at least two hundred dollars worth of fun on the slide bed. Guess what he said?

Oregon Coast Vacation

We spent a week at the Oregon Coast, splitting the time between a beach rental and G'ma and G'pa Faulhaber's house. Here are some pix!