Teaser

Here is an awesome picture that I took at a local state park. I'll post about it in the next few days but I just couldn't wait to share.

I want you to know that I've re-committed (again) to updating this blog more regularly. I don't know if it will be weekly or bi-weekly but I really want to keep it current. So expect a lot of posts in the next few days & weeks.

We are really loving it here & it is so beautiful. The leaves are all changing & all I can say is WOW! The colors are truely breath taking. I found myself telling Payton to look at the trees that were changing colors & see how pretty they are, to which she replied "yeah, just a minute mom I need to finish my picture" & I flashed back to a car trip we took up to Wyoming where my mom was telling us the same thing & we were responding just like Payton. :) And all I could do was smile & then I claimed I saw a pink tree & for the next 45 mintues she helped me find more pink trees. Yeah I know how to get her attention & some really did look pink!

Did I mention we see deer?

Yep we see deer... all the time.
For Payton it doesn't get old... ever!
Her favorite is to find the babies with their 'families'.
But when she does see one alone she wonders why they are all alone.
She is convinced that some of them are actual pets. (note the tracking collar on the one all the way to the right) But she knows that we aren't going to get a pet until we have a fenced in yard, so she hasn't directly asked that question yet... but I'm sure it's coming.
The males are starting to have their antlers grow a little more, I'll hear her say 'that deer doesn't have forks at the top yet, don't worry you'll grow up bigger someday!' Seriously where does she come up with this stuff!

Cayuga Heights Street Fair

I went to pick up Donald from school, not prepared to go anywhere in public, & we were heading home when we heard music. Payton was convinced that there was a party & we drove to check it out. She was right, there was a strip mall that was having a 'come see the shops' fair. A local radio station was there, the Fire & Police Departments & the Country Club was giving away hamburgers & hotdogs. As soon as we figured that out there was no getting back in the car.
Payton was happy to get a sucker (even though you can't tell in the photo) & Katie was all smiles!
One of the beauty shops was giving away flowers & Payton put it in her hair
Katie, being the good girl that she is slept for most of the time.
It took about 1 hour but Payton finally decided that she did want to see the face painter. We got in line & about 10 minutes later she closed the line.
At first Payton wanted a rainbow that started on one side of her face & ended on the other side... luckily she saw an example of a unicorn & that was that.
She chose the colors that she wanted.
Pink body.
Sparkly golden shoes.

And red hair.
She was absolutely thrilled with it. On the way home she just blurted out that she wasn't dirty anymore (she didn't want to take a bath!). We were so late in getting home that I was fine with that.
It lasted for 2 days & Payton loved having it.

Finishing projects...

Some of you Pasadena Ward ladies may recognized this... better late than never right? How long has it been? 2 years or just 1... oh well it doesn't matter.

Payton wanted to help so I let her rub it before I started to pull off the backing paper. I was expecting it to be a lot harder than it was mainly because of how long I had waited but it was farely easy.

My favorite thing about these pictures & I didn't even realize it until after I was looking at the pictures on the computer, was that she is dressed up as Cinderella. I have yet to get it actually hung up in her room but now that she's in school I've been able to tackle more projects so it's on the short list.

I don't know if it's just me but she looks so much older in the picture! My baby... :( is growing up!

Walk to school

We found out 1 month before school started that Payton was able to get into the local elementary school's pre-kindergarden program. We are so very fortunate to get in & Payton is loving it...

So the day we found out we went on a walk over to the school. There is a paved walking path that begins right by our apartment & ends at the school. Payton decided to ride her bike...
While Katie 'enjoyed' her carrier.
Can't you tell how thrilled she is? (She's a little taller now so she fits a lot better now.)

On our way we saw 1 deer in the bushes & after we got out of their way we saw there was a lot more.
This was a first encounter with deer so it was a big deal... now it's a regular occurrence so Payton doesn't get quite as excited. She is really good at spotting them now.
The whole time they were running away I just kept praying, Don't get hit by a car! There is a busy road up there & I didn't want to taint Payton's first experience with deer.
Payton rode & walked her bike home.