Kids' accomplishments

You know how you spend lots of time fighting with your kids to get them to practice or do the things they need to do? Please tell me it isn't just me! Our kids had some successes lately and it was great to watch them feel a sense of accomplishment and pride for all of their hard work. I won't lie to you... I felt like I'd accomplished something after all the "encouraging" I do to keep them on task.

Sam finished his first set of books for his piano lessons and earned the theme from Star Wars music from his teacher. We're hearing it a lot! His teacher had to laugh because Sam paused during his latest lesson to explain how piano can be really hard, but when you just practice it gets easier and easier. Hmmm... where has he heard that before?

He also finally earned his green belt at Taekwon Do after 8 months of practicing twice/week. It was a big accomplishment for him and it was fun to see him work hard to earn it.

Grace is in first grade this year and entered an art project into the Reflections contest at school. She won 2nd place for her self-portrait. It was fun to go to the award ceremony and watch her receive her ribbons. She worked hard on sketching and painting. We were proud of her.

Keep up the good work, guys!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Halloween

Make a Smilebox collage

Halloween Traditions

Gary pushed the kids on the rope swing in the barn for a long time.


Some of our traditions were more successful than others this year. We met Ron & Beth's family at our pumpkin patch/corn maze/pig race local for some fun. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. They were good sports (as always) even when Zack decided to swim in some of the bigger puddles. Did I mention it was cold? The kettle corn was good enough to make it all worth while, even if we left the pumpkin patch without any pumpkins!

New Cousin

Sam and Grace are excited to welcome their 26th cousin into the family. Congratulations to our Kansas Cousins on their newest little guy, Aaron.

Aaron, we thought we'd show you some of the fun stuff you have to look forward to. Can't wait to meet you!

Click on the "Play" button, then click the tan arrow in the middle to turn the page.

Maymont

Maymont

We had a nice visit with our Kansas Cousins who have just become Northern Virginia Cousins. We even persuaded Grandpa to leave his Blackberry at home... well... to check it only semi-frequently anyway.. and join us.

It was nice to have my mom and dad here and they were good sports about my off-roading adventures I led them on at Maymont. Perhaps the best sport was my sis-in-law, Nancy, who had to push a stroller straight up a hill... over cobblestones... with her baby in it.

We all survived and had a great time relaxing, playing in the stream, and getting piggy back rides from Grandpa. I even got one for old-time's sake.

Gary met us with some lunch and was our hero! It was a great day.

Grandpa's babysitting service.

Pony Pasture

Pony Pasture - James River Park

I braved reentry into the James River Park after the mountain biking debacle. Grace was disappointed to find that Pony Pasture doesn't actually contain any ponies (nor much pasture, to be honest), but we had a great time exploring last weekend.

It was nice to watch our kids go from fighting over toys at home to holding hands and helping each other across the rocks at Pony Pasture. I didn't get any pics of the big rocks on which we climbed out into the river. We took some snacks and had a little picnic... hence the duck. He would not leave us alone and didn't seem to mind being whacked in the face with an old shirt. Nothing scared this guy. He started to scare me a little!

Gary helped everyone across an old log we floated between some of the bigger rocks and then promptly fell in when he tried to cross. He was a good sport (as always). Of course, it was the highlight of the trip for Sam and Grace!

I met Gary at work the other day for some lunch time bike riding. We have hiked around Belle Island and part of the James River Park before, so I thought it would be a nice ride. I was expecting this:

Little did I know that Gary led me on some other trails. I can't find pictures to post,

but the trail was only 4 or 5 inches wide in some spots, with rocks and roots in the

trail and (and this is the most important part) at 10-15 foot drop off the side of the

trail. I was just looking for a picture when I came across the following warnings online:

Route Details

This trail runs through the heart of Richmond. Well maintained,

but definitely difficult.

Do not ride the trails when they are wet or when the signs say

they are closed!

Tagged with: Recreational, MTB, Steep, Difficult, Offroad, Rough,

Urban, Scenic

	Richmond's James River Park and Forest Hill Park are reputed to have some of the best urban mountain biking trail systems in the country. Steep ravines, tight turns, and technical challengs of all types are what make the country's top mountain biking fanatics call the Richmond trails a rollercoaster of a ride. Yeah, that's right... even MTB fanatics think it's crazy!
		So I thought I was going to be riding on this:
		There are a mix of very easy and extremely difficult trails revealing beautiful river vistas and important historic sites. The 1-mile loop around the perimeter of the island is an easy trail with no major inclines and is covered in mostly fine gravel. This is a fun leisurely ride when you wish to get out of the rush of downtown business and back to nature. It takes you beside river rapids and then back around by an old hydroelectric plant and an infamous Civil War POW camp. But instead got this: Warning: Informal trails on the top and sides of the island can be dangerous. They are considered to be extremely challenging for mountain bikers. I wanted to take pictures, but I feared for my life and didn't dare stop to get the camera out!

At the Lake

Donevan & Christine did a lot to entertain us while we were in Idaho, but near the top on everyone's list at the end of the week was tubing at the lake.     We driopped everyone off at a floating dock in the middle of the lake.  Gary & Donevan inflated the huge water trampoline and the kids had a blast playing on it while others went out on the boat.   Donevan's death defying tube rides are the stuff of legend.  It was too rough to ski, but that figured perfectly into his plan.  Gary, Brook & I went on the tube together and had some awesome wipe-outs.  

It was windy and we lost a few chairs into the lake  - including one holding Suzanne's phone and camera.  Brooke jumped in to save them.  On several different occasions.  Her best save of the day came when Donevan pushed her into the lake and she managed to keep Christine's Coke above her head out of the water.  This girl's got skills! 

  D.J.  drives the boat.  
 Taylor, Brooke & Grace brave death on one of Uncle Donevan's famous tube rides
  Taylor and Jackie O.  ...er... Debbie
  Brooke had to do all the dirty work - she even took D.J. and Gemma for their first tube rides.   
  Playing on the tube

  

Independence Day 2009

We took a trip out west to see Gary's sisters and their families over the 4th.  They showed us a great time and the kids got to spend some time with their cousins out west (including Brooke who is at BYU Idaho for college).   Idaho Falls has an amazing fireworks show and a fun city parade on the 4th.  This was our 3rd year and it lived up to the hype (mostly coming from Donevan).  :-)  

  Cousins at the zoo
  Gary & his little sister, Christine
  Mom & Dad Payne watch the parade... and the grandkids watching the parade
  Grace FINALLY found someone who wants to match her outfit (to Sam's relief).  Grace and her cousin Ashleigh pose in their 4th of July digs.
  Donevan, Rodrigo, & Gary sport the red, white & blue.

Gary & Donevan ran in the Firecracker 5K early the morning after we arrived.  They each PRed and did great in the race.  Way to go, guys!   

  D. J. and Gemma celebrate a happy "Philippian American Friendship Day"  (how they celebrate the 4th of July in the Philippines, we learned from our bro-in-law and resident expert on all things Philippino in the Payne family).
  Emma shows off her patriotism
  Brooke poses with Taylor & Gemma
  They've still got it!
  The end (and a happy ending for Sam, who really adores his cousin, Caitley). 

A cougar is seen at a zoo. Using nothing but her quick wit and ...

(AFP/File) - A cougar is seen at a zoo. Using nothing but her quick wit and bare hands, a Canadian mother fought off a cougar that had pinned down her three-year old daughter in a forest north of Vancouver, police said Wednesday.(AFP/File/Miguel Alvarez)

My kids were looking over my shoulder as I sat at the computer.  They wanted to know why there was a picture of a cougar (THIS picture... this mean, scary, terrifying looking picture).  I told them that a cougar had attacked a 3 year old and that a regular mom like me had fought the cougar to protect the little girl.  

Silence.

Then, "Mom, did the COUGAR die?"  

Perhaps I should dial it back on the "mean mom" routine, what do you think?  :-)

Counting our blessings

Just feeling grateful...

A friend I love is just starting her fight with cancer.  Yesterday was her surgery to remove both breasts and surrounding lymph nodes under one arm.   While she and her family are definitely being challenged by this new development in their lives, she remains optimistic and positive about the fight ahead of her.  Her two little girls are lucky to have such a strong, feisty mom with such a great sense of humor.  Anyone who can find something to laugh at under these circumstances has a pretty amazing sense of humor, wouldn't you agree? 

Her attitude of gratitude has rubbed off on me.  Perhaps the things I'm worried about really aren't that important?  (Gary has been telling me this for years, but I figured I should worry about his denial.)   I'm so grateful for my family, for great friends, for our home and country, for the really blessed life I'm privileged to live.   I don't express my thanks often enough.   Life is good!  

We're praying that she's going to soundly whip cancer's butt.  If anyone can it would be her.  

(cue HSM 2 music here)  

"What Time is It?  It's Summer Time... 

It's Our Vacation..."  

Yesterday was party day! School was only 3 hours long.  We

had treats at school, treats from the bus driver, treats at the bus 

stop and then went to a picnic at some friends' house. We left 

the picnic to run to a pedicure. Grace invited her friend and the 

moms tagged along for some toe time. This was Grace's first 

pedicure and she loved it (despite the massage chair that hit her 

on the neck rather than lumbar area and the fact that she scraped

off all the polish on one foot before we left the store.) Good 

times.  Today we have a primary activity, taekwondo, and a 

birthday party before my brother and his wife come to visit.  

When does the relaxing part happen?

  We've been counting down the days.   Sam said the morning prayer and asked that I'd be okay while they were gone for 3 hours on the last day, that I wouldn't be too sad without them.  Hmmm... let's just say that prayer was answered!  I took my last long bike ride by myself and got ready for the chaos and fun of summer. 

  School's out, school's out...  Grace made a card to thank the bus driver.  That girls thinks of everyone!  
  We brought M&M icecream treats to the bus stop to share with our friends.  One of the kids is just a tiny bit excited for summer.... that's Sam.
  Mmmmmmm....
  "Yahoo!"  (accompanying booty dance not pictured)
  Did I mention Sam was excited? 

  The aftermath of the icecream.  I swear this kid has no nerve endings in his face!   He was working on something else oblivious of the need to clean up!
  Everyone was happy to see this after a long count down!
  Sam brought home a few last-minute things he'd left at school... and then "left" them on the kitchen floor.   Mom not feeling warm and fuzzy about summer at this point. 
  Grace got her good reading award.  Both kids got Advanced Reader certificates.  They both did great.  They each got the highest marks they could get on their reportcards.  No room for improvement there.  We're proud of their hard work this year in school.  Good job, guys! 

When I casually mentioned to Sam the other day that he was going to have "homework" over the summer (to keep us reading and writing) he threw himself off of the bar stool, writhed on the floor in agony and moaned "I thought I was just going to the pool!!!!!"   I told him that we were going to the pool, but we would also have time to do other things.  More writhing in "pain" on the floor.    We may have to work the kinks out of this summer schedule for a bit.  

Happy summer everyone!