New Developments...

Two new things have happened around here:

1) The kids learned how to work the ipod and choose songs on demand

2) They are big enough to unlock the attic at will (where the old Halloween costumes are located)

The result:

Merry Christmas!

Grace's Barbie house ~ Sam's Legos

New bikes ~ American Girl

Cookie Tree ~ Cousin Roudolphs

Snowmen with G & G Payne ~ G Minster

G Minster made matching dresses for the girls and babies ~

Christmas morning

Merry Christmas!

We hustled and bustled with the best of them this year and managed to get in a lot of Christmas fun. We spent time with 2 sets of grandparents, and our Minster cousins. I hosted 2 classroom parties and a neighborhood party. We went to The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol. We decorated cookies and made our cookie tree, exchanged gifts, went bowling, opened our books each night, made a chain to count down the days, and attended the live nativity at the zoo. We decorated the house and set up model trains and 7 Christmas trees, took pictures and sent out cards. It was exhausting.

Gary and I spent many Christmases without kids and, while we enjoyed sleeping in and having a relaxing day, nothing compares to the enthusiasm of a child who wakes you at 5:30 am having already shaken each gift to determine which were Legos. We felt truly blessed this Christmas to enjoy seeing our kids enjoy Christmas.

One of my favorite things about this year was their enthusiasm for each other. Sam threw two hands in the air and cheered when Grace got her long-awaited American Girl doll. Perfect.

Hope you had a good Christmas. I must say, the exhaustion only enhances the experience, don't you think? Although I slept all day today and it was great!

The Nutcracker

For the last few years we've gone to see the Nutcracker during the Christmas season. This year we decided not to do it. We had tickets to see A Christmas Carol instead, but at the last minute Gary decided to surprise me with tickets. I have to say that A Christmas Carol was my least favorite performance at Theater IV to date, so I was that much happier to know that the Nutcracker was coming.

Our cousins from Northern Virginia and my parents joined us for a fun event. My mom made Grace and her cousin matching Christmas dresses. She even made matching dresses for their American Girl dolls. The kids all enjoyed the performance. The list of "favorites" ran the gamut from the rat king meeting his demise, to Fritz getting spanked for breaking the Nutcracker, the break-dancing-booty-shaking bear, to Bo Peeps's little sheep who are afraid of the wolf. Many of the kids listed getting the Nutcracker ornaments from Grandma on their list of favorites.

We're all humming the music and doing the moves in the kitchen. Somehow we're not getting as much height on our jumps as they did. Maybe we need tights ...

Run Gary!

Richmond 1/2 Marathon

Last weekend we went downtown to cheer Gary on as he ran the Richmond 1/2 marathon. Yes, that's 13.1 miles. He was happy to finish in 1:50. Yes, that's almost 2 hours of running. On purpose, and no, he wasn't being chased by anything. :-)

The kids liked seeing him cross the finish line and taking turns wearing his medal. Way to go, Gary!

Then, to further prove what a great dad he is he managed to go on a bike ride and play kick ball with the kids later that day. They have no idea how sore his legs were, although they did manage to score more runs than normal.

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).