Thursday, February 27, 2020

Kicking off 2020


Though we didn't stay up to ring in the New Year, we did enjoy a fun evening with friends and fondue as we praise God for 2019 and looked forward to 2020

We have a family quote book that only comes out, to be read, on New Year's Day.  There are a handful of quotes that make all five of us laugh heartily every year!

Happy Anniversary to us - 17 years!


Happy Anniversary red wine chocolate cake for us

Somehow the three of us have fallen into a tradition of celebrating birthdays together, and I LOVE it!

Having a sixth grade boy is so much fun!  Rooke was happy to try on the snow gear as we prepared for a day of snow tubing.

Our first time snow tubing - such a blast!!  Thank you, Nana, for that special Christmas gift!



Happy Birthday to Rooke!!  TWELVE?!
Scrambled eggs deluxe, fruit salad, orange juice, and cronuts (a croissant/doughnut) for this guy's birthday breakfast

My birthday gift to him was documenting his growth with lots of selfies!


It took us a while to figure out how to make our 12-year-old son's birthday dreams come true, but in the end Ryan knew best: pizza, video games, and lots of friends.  Too bad these party photos aren't scratch-n-sniff.  The odor of having 12 middle school boys around (many of them having just finished playing a basketball game) was very, uh, special.  We planned to have pizza, drinks, and cookies for everyone, but Rooke thought we also needed some "party snacks".  So I gave him $20 and let him pick out the extra food.  In case you're wondering how much junk food you can buy with $20, Rooke brought home: cans of Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew, a bottle of Fanta, cheese puffs, Doritos, and two kinds of ice cream.  PARTYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!    



He's twelve!


Bridgette loves playing basketball, and really doesn't love losing.  Here she is scoring points for her team with some free throws!

The kids and Ryan headed downtown on the Metro on a very cold day

I met up with them at the Portrait Gallery.  The kids and I love checking out the Presidential portrait gallery.

Oklahoma bison unite






Though our regular community group fellowship has changed over the years, we still love getting together with the families we were first connected with when we moved to Cheverly.  The kids have grown - and there are more of them!   

Bridgette likes to read.  In one of her books, she found instructions on crafting a harmonica and made one for herself.  Clever girl!


Learning about Ancient Greece: the girls worked on paper mache grecian urns

They turned out great!

We love it when Kaye K and Big Daddy include us in their travel plans!!  Ticket to Ride was the game of choice on this particular visit.

A fun field trip to the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum.  Followed by turkish food for lunch that left us wanting to return to the best doner spot near Mom and Dad's house in London.



Monday, January 6, 2020

December



The girls showing off their fans from Vietnam

Every year I watch the movie, White Christmas, and address our Christmas cards.  This is the first year I let the kids in on my tradition. 

Just sitting at a red light on a normal weekday.  No big deal. =)

We met up with friends to see the Christmas trains at the Botanical Gardens.


We've been to the Sunken Garden in Como Park! 

Steve and Vallerie treated the kids to a fun night of Christmas lights and toasted s'mores 


Her most natural and beautiful smile is without showing her teeth, but every now and then we get a glimpse of this smile, and I LOVE it

Birthday fun for the soon-to-be ten-year-old!  We took the girls to the paint-your-own-pottery shop, and then Gretchen hosted her first sleepover with these sweet friends.



Her actual birthday!  So many presents for this special girl

In the Payne family, you can get your ears pierced when you turn ten.  Gretchen was nervous, but super excited!


Sweet Big Brother bought the Birthday Girl a pair of earrings of her choice

Beautiful Gretchen! 

Birthday Buddies: Gretchen and Ms. Toika share a birthday and make a point to see each other each year on, or around, their birthdays.  

We hosted friends for Mexican food and games on Christmas Eve 

New pajamas from Grammy Deb for Christmas Eve! 


Merry Christmas morning!  Stockings come first, then a big breakfast and a Christmas Bible reading devotion, then presents.  It was a slow and quiet morning for just the five of us.  Later in the day, we joined friends for a delicious Christmas meal. 

The face you make when you get a gift you've been wanting for two years!





Kaye K and Big Daddy gifted the girls and I tickets to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at a local children's theater.  The day after Christmas, we enjoyed a girls' date to see the performance, which was wonderful, and enjoy some "girly" food at a local cafe.

We used our Six Flags passes one last time, taking advantage of the free-friend passes


Another fun outing as a family while Ryan had time off work, exploring the streets and shops in Georgetown

We love our MAJOR Payne =)