The House of Paynes

Update per iPhone Pics

2012-01-20T15:02:00.001-06:00

We had a fantastic Holiday Season! Charcey is loving being the big sister and taking care of Chandler. Chandler is on the brink of crawling. He is so sweet. He has the best personality. Our kids are pure joy.

Family Pictures

2011-12-01T09:20:00.001-06:00

New Family Pictures :).

5 months....really?

2011-10-27T16:57:00.000-05:00

Has it really been 5 months since I blogged last....I guess so. Chandler Max turned 5 months this week. He is such a joy. He is so happy and smiles & laughs with his entire body. He aboslutely loves his big sister. Charcey is busy with pre-school, dance and gymnastics...oh and Taylor Swift. She LoVeS Taylor Swift. We got to go to Lubbock and see her in concert...so much fun! Here are some recent pictures.

Chandler Max Payne

2011-06-03T13:24:00.003-05:00

Chandler Max Payne is here!

May 25, 2011

10:50 am

8 lbs 12 oz

20-3/4" Long

He is absolutely perfect!

Charcey's Dance Recital

2011-05-03T09:22:00.002-05:00

Charcey had her first dance recital on Sunday. We were so proud of her! We were hoping she would do aleast half of the dance, but I think she acutally did about 75%, which I thought was fantastic! She loves her dance class and her teacher.

Other than dancing, we are getting ready for Chandler to come - which will be in the next few weeks. We are so excited to meet him. Charcey is going to be an awesome big sister.

My Kid(s)

2011-03-24T07:24:00.002-05:00

First of all, Charcey turned 4 this week. I am having a really hard time with her turning 4, maybe because I am prego and my hormones are all out of whack. She is such a big girl and brings so much joy to our lives. Happy Birthday my sweet girl~ Secondly, we got to see our newest edition this week - Chandler Max. We had our 30 week sonogram. He weights 3 lbs, 11 oz - already. He looks like a big boy. He is measuring about 2 or 3 weeks early, but we have another sonogram in 4 weeks, so we will see how big he is then. We absolutely can not wait to actually meet and hold this little boy.

We are getting ready for a big 4 year old bash on Saturday - I will share some pictures. Although the rate I am going, it will probably be Christmas before I get them on here :).

Even Bigger News

2011-01-06T07:27:00.002-06:00

We found out this week that a little BOY will be joining us this year! We are so excited that Charcey will have a little brother. Now we can start planning and getting things ready.

Big News

2010-12-14T11:22:00.004-06:00

Come June - Charcey will be a big sister!

We are all overjoyed.

We will find out late December if a little brother or little sister will be joining us.

Halloween Party

2010-10-29T12:06:00.003-05:00

Charcey had a Halloween Party at her school yesterday. She is dressed as a Jester. Her Mamaw made her costume. It is precious. She had a lot of fun with cup cakes, candy and lots of goodies.

Charcey Starts School

2010-09-13T12:55:00.003-05:00

My baby girl starts schoold (preschool) last week. She goes on Tues / Thurs from 9 to 2. She loves it. She is such a big girl! She was not scared at all. She walked right into class as if she had done it a million times. I, on the other hand, cried as soon as I walked out the door. I just can't beleive she is so big. Time truly flies when you have kids!

Catch Up - In Pictures

2010-08-24T09:21:00.003-05:00

We threw Jeremy a Surprise Redneck 30th Birthday Party. It was so much fun, everyone really dressed up for the party - hysterical!

Charcey & Foster went to Knickerbacher Music Camp - They loved it!

They both spend a lot of time lovin' on Laney girl. Laney is 4 months old now and is absolutely precious. She is such a good baby. We just eat her up.

Charcey starts preschool two weeks from today. She is so excited. I can't beleive my baby is old enough to start preschool.

Laney Kate Black

2010-04-23T10:46:00.005-05:00

Laney Kate Black

7lbs 6oz

20" Long

Born at 4:09, April 21, 2010

She is absolutely perfect and we all adore her. She already has such a sweet spirit and I can not wait to get to know her more. We love you Laney.

We are so blessed that God chose our family to raise you.

My sister, always so beautiful.

Being held by Memarj, Laney's great-grandmother

Foster's first time to hold Laney. He was so sweet.

This was right before Laney arrived. We are all waiting and I asked Foster to smile so that I could get a picture of him in his "Big Brother" shirt...and this is what I got. Completely Foster. I think it is hysterical. I love you sweet boy.

Charcey Turns 3!

2010-03-29T16:21:00.004-05:00

That's right. Charcey turned 3 on March 22nd. We had her birthday party at Cheer Texas a couple of weeks ago. It is a fun place with bouncers, trampolines and mats. She had a ball and got tons of new stuff.

She brings us pure joy and so fun. She makes us laugh everyday. Her favorite things to do are jump on her new trampoline, play with baby dolls, help me cook and boss sweet Foster around.

We are waiting on the arrival of Laney, my neice. She will be here in the next 4 weeks and I can not hardly wait!

Happy New Year...only 2 weeks late

2010-01-14T08:12:00.003-06:00

Wow, It is already two weeks into 2010. We hope that everyone had a great new years. We had a calm relaxing new year. We ate and played games. 2009 was a hard year for us, but 2010 will be great.

Charcey & Keenan

Us with our good friends, Kory, Kelly & Keenan

Charcey ringing in the new year.

Things that are going to make the year 2010 great:

1. Charcey turns 3 - I can't believe it

2. My neice Laney joins the family (in April)

3. Foster turns 3 - sweet boy

4. Being a better mother & wife

5. Listening to God more

6. All my family will be happy

Ugly Holiday Sweater Party

2009-12-09T07:39:00.006-06:00

Jeremy and I had an Ugly Holiday Sweater Party with a few of our friends. We had good food, good friends, good football and hysterial sweaters! Even the kids dressed up.

Here is our winner: Brett Payne

He was so funny.

The girls: Bella, Charcey & Coda
The Boys: Brody, Keenan, Bryce & Breken

The Babbitts

The Meltons: isn't this picture hysterical?

The Podzemnys

The Blacks (Kit was hunting)

Kirk & Keenan

The Hartmans

The Paynes

We has such a great time!

Thanksgiving & Stuff

2009-12-07T12:28:00.002-06:00

A little late, but here is the Thanksgiving post. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we all ate entirely too much! We had 4 different Thanksgivings in the matter of 2 days, so needless to say, we were busy. We also got Charcey moved into a full size bed, which she loves. My sister and I got out among the craziness on Black Friday around 3:30, although I think it is worth it.

But the most exciting thing is that on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we found out that Ashley is having a baby girl...that is right, I am having a neice! I am so excited!

Halloween

2009-11-03T07:17:00.003-06:00

We had a great Halloween! The weather was gorgeous.

Foster, the caterpillar, loved trick or treating! He was so funny.

Charcey, the lady bug, just liked to say "trick or treat, smell my feet...".

They are taking a rest after running around outside.

The only halfway decent picture of both of them smiling.

Charcey loved the wand that the costume had.

Now on to Thanksgiving. Charcey thinks that all turkeys are called "turkey, lurkey", not sure why.

Long Over Due...

2009-10-19T13:33:00.006-05:00

Why in the heck is it so hard to blog? I really do not have an excuse. Once again, we have been so busy. Charcey is a mess, she makes us roll in laughter. She is getting so big, and mostly definitely not a baby anymore. Every morning when she get up she says "Look, mama, I got taller and taller...I can go to school now". I just tell her that she has to be my baby a little while longer. Here are a couple of pictures of her and Foster, I tried to get them to smile together, but they were just being silly.

I could eat these kids up. I love them so much.

Also, I turned 30 on Oct 8th. On much to my surprise, Jeremy planned a party. The little trip to Lubbock with my sister and Kelly, was a trick to get me away from the house so that everyone and their dogs (literally) could be at my house when we arrived back in town. It was a great party. It meant so much that Jeremy did all this for me. It was absolutely perfect. I could not have planned a better party myself (and I consider myself the expert :)). I really do have the best husband in the world.

Charcey's shirt said "My mom is 30 and your's is nerdy"...in rhinestones of course.

On Thursday we head to Vegas, for my good friend Kelly's wedding. She is getting married at the Belagio, in front of the fountains. It is going to be gorgeous. Pictures to come.

For MeMe

2009-09-21T08:29:00.002-05:00

We may have a performer on our hands :).

She cracks me up.

PS: Please excuse my messy living room.

Oklahoma City Trip

2009-08-06T12:52:00.002-05:00

We had a great time in Oklahoma City the past 4 days. It was blazing hot! We went to the zoo, played by the pool, ate at yummy places and did a little shopping. Thanks to MeMe & Pops for the great trip!

Catch Up

2009-08-06T12:37:00.003-05:00

Boy, it has been a long time since I have updated! Let me catch you up:

We have gone to Colorado & Oklahoma City, hosted 5 showers, and attended a wedding in the past 6 weeks.

Over July 4th we went to the cabin in Colorado. It was so nice to get away from the heat and enjoy the mountain air!Last weekend, Jeremy's Brother, Brett got married. Reaghan is now officially part of the Payne family. It was a gorgeous day for a wedding!

Still Here

2009-06-18T13:59:00.002-05:00

We are still here. We have not fallen off the face of the earth, jumped ship, been hiding under a rock, or anything else. We have been extremely busy, that's all.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-27T11:30:00.005-05:00

This past weekend, we took a little road trip to Dallas. Our friends Casey, Carli & Coda were there also. The girls had so much fun, but they were completely worn out!

We went to the Fort Worth Zoo:

We stayed with Aunt Kaye & Uncle Bubbles (Jeff). They have a fun pool that Charcey loved!! I could not keep her out of it.

We also went to the Dallas Aquarium. The girls had fun seeing the fish, monkeys and alligator.

We also went an ate at The Spaghetti Warehouse in West End and the Rain Forest Cafe. Also, while we were there Charcey's 5th cousin, Madilyn Lee Lacey was born!

Thanks Aunt Kaye and Bubbles for letting us stay and for feeding us! Thank you Casey, Carli and Coda for joining us on this great weekend!

High School Memories

2009-05-13T16:24:00.003-05:00

High School Memories Tag
~Julia tagged me, so here it goes.

High School Tag:
1. Did you date someone from your school? Yip...then married him.

2. What kind of car did you drive? My first car was a Mitsubishi Gallant

3. Were you a party animal? Not really, I went to alot of parties...but was never the animal.

4. Were you considered a flirt? I don't think so.

5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Nope, can't play or carry a note.

6. What was your most embarrassing moment of high school? I really can't think of one.

7. Were you a nerd? Still am :)

8. Were you on any varsity teams? Nope

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Never even came close

10. Can you still sing the fight song? Of Course!

11. Who were your favorite teachers? I had great teachers...can't just name a few

12. What was your school's full name? Randall High School

13. School mascot? Raiders

14. Did you go to homecoming, and with who? Yes, all four years...actually I went while I was in high school too. I went with Jeremy my senior & junior years. Early than that...I can't remember the order of the guys.

15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? I loved high school, but I can't say I would do it again.

16. What do you remember most about graduation? Some one telling me that it would be the last time I saw some of the people I graduated with...I did not beleive it, but it was true.

17. Where did you go senior skip day? Good ol' Lake Meredith

18. Were you in a club? Too many to list

19. Have you gained some weight since then? Gained and lost and gained and lost and gained.

20. Who was your prom date? Jeremy both years.

21. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? I helped plan it, went to it, and had a great time.

22. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Don't hold back...if you want to do something, do it!

Alright, now I tag the following people: Amber, Ashley (my sister), Kenzie, Leslie, Lindsay & Heather. (Joce - I know you hated high school, so I won't make you :))

Roxey

2009-04-27T12:53:00.003-05:00

Oh how we love our pets...and how our pets love us!

Here are Charcey and I loving on Roxey.(Please excuse my hair :))

Easter

2009-04-14T09:33:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter. Charcey loved hunting eggs, but she loved the candy even more. The Easter Bunny came to visit her (4 times)...sad I know. She is completely spoiled rotten. The Easter Bunny brought her a camera of her very own (although I think the Easter Bunny was thinking Charcey was a little older than she is).

We hunted Easter eggs at B & Papaw's (Jeremy's parents) house. We all hunt eggs every Easter...no matter how old we are.

Then we hunted eggs at Kim-Kim & Doug's (my aunt & uncle) house with Madi, Kyler and Foster. Foster could care less about the eggs, he wanted to run and play with the dogs. It was cold, so the kids hunted quickly.

We had great weekend, and we hope you did too.

Photo Session

2009-03-30T10:43:00.003-05:00

Our good friend, Heather Ladd, has joined the photography biz. We had her take Charcey's 2 year pictures. She did a fantastic job! She was able to catch Charcey smiling & laughing. I think she is going to do really well!

Beads & Plates

2009-03-26T11:33:00.004-05:00

Charcey likes things in large quantities. Beads are her number 1: Sadly, this is only half of the beads this kid owns.

Plates are another:

She wanted Jeremy and I to come and "eat" with her.

Carnival Birthday Party

2009-03-24T09:04:00.004-05:00

On Saturday we celebrated Charcey's birthday with a Carnival Theme Party. All the kids had so much fun and we could not have asked for better weather! Charcey already has great friends! We cherish them all.

My Baby is a Toddler

2009-03-23T08:16:00.005-05:00

As of yesterday, my baby girl is no longer a baby. She is now an indepentant 2 Year Old. It is amazing to think how our lives have completely changed because of this little angel.March 22, 2007: Charcey was born in the middle of a rain storm. 7 lbs 7 oz. 19-1/2" Long. We were all instantly in love with this little girl!

March 22, 2008: 1 Year. Amazing how the first year flew by so fast.

March 22, 2009: Two Years. This pictures was taken Saturday at her birthday party. She is the most precious little thing, full of life and spunk. She will make you laugh and in the next breathe will make your heart melt. She means the world to us and now we can't even imagine what it was without her. What a true blessing she is.

**Pictures of the Carnival Party will come tomorrow.

Sweet Picture

2009-03-20T12:23:00.002-05:00

I love this picture!

Playing Dress Up

2009-03-16T10:45:00.002-05:00

Charcey played dress up for a little while on Saturday.

She is getting so big. She is such a joy!

Amber, Miah & Madi

2009-03-10T08:31:00.001-05:00

You can now follow the life of three of my very favorite people in the whole world here. This is my cousin & best friend Amber, her husband Miah (Jeremiah) & their beautiful and sweet daughter Madi (Madison). Welcome to the blogging world!

"Rock-a-me-beebee"

2009-03-04T07:29:00.003-06:00

Here is a video my mom shot yesterday of Charcey. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this baby girl...well she is not much of a baby anymore (She will be 2 on the 22nd). She is full of life, and she will tell you about it. She talks non-stop. This is so precious! Thanks for capturing this sweet video, mom!

To My Sister....

2009-02-24T09:31:00.003-06:00

You are my guiding star

You are my shining light

You are my everything what

helps me through the night.

You are my heart

You are my soul

You are my savoir

what makes me feel whole.

You are more than my sister

You are my best friend

You are the one that will be

there when my heart needs to mend.

I love you Ashley more

than you will ever know

You are my other half

With you I am whole

I hope today, your birthday, you realize how special you are to me.

I love you more than any words can express.

Happy Birthday!

Handsome

2009-02-18T13:46:00.004-06:00

Here are some new pictures of Foster. Is he not the most handsome little thing? Not only is he handsome, he is so sweet. He gives the best slobbery kisses. Oh how I love this kid!I laugh every time I see this picture!

House Destroyed

2009-02-12T07:35:00.004-06:00

Just a small gimplse of what my mom's house looks like at the end of everyday with two holy terriors, named Charcey & Foster.

How do we contain two holy terriors? Lock them in the pantry, of course. Totally kidding, they go in there on their own.

They love it!

Thank you, mom! You have no idea what a blessing it is for us to know that our holy terriors are being watched and loved everyday by our hero, you!

Love you more than words!

"I dinking water"...

2009-02-10T07:36:00.003-06:00

...from the dog bowl, of course :).

(Hence, the wet hair and clothes)

Recipe Exchange

2009-02-03T10:35:00.003-06:00

I am joining Ashley's recipe Exchange. Are you ready for this one? It is a tough one.

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Pkg of Egg Noodles (Cooked)
1 Large Can of Cream of Chicken
1 Cup of Shredded Cheddar

Boil Chicken until cooked. Shred. Mix cooked Chicken with Cream of Chicken & Egg Noodles into a baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake at 350 until cheese it bubbly. For a short cut, use half of a rotisserie chicken from the store. You can also use a small can of Cream of Chicken & a small can of Cream of Mushroom (my husband will not eat anything mushroom).

That is it. Pretty easy but yummy!

Do You See A Pattern?

2009-01-26T14:33:00.002-06:00

Let me know if you think there is a pattern in the following pictures:

You guessed it...Charcey's fake smile. Goofy kid.

Pray Now!

2009-01-16T22:52:00.002-06:00

Please, Please Pray for baby Harper!

Click here for updates, also.

Give Me a Smooch!

2009-01-09T07:28:00.002-06:00

"Foster, give me a kiss.""Just a little one, Foster, Please"
"Foster Kade, give me a kiss....now!"

"Fine, but you just wait, I will get one!" ~Charcey

Christmas Day

2008-12-31T09:48:00.006-06:00

Santa came Christmas Eve to visit Charcey, as you can tell, she was glad to see him! Santa was Charcey's uncle Josh, aka "Easter Bunny". She did not like Josh dressed up as Santa.
Charcey's B and Mamaw made her a dressup closet. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Every little girl's dream!

Christmas morning Charcey loved all of her gifts.

I decided to paint a table and chair set for Charcey. Whoa, it took me a lot longer to finish than I thought. Well, let me be honest, I am still not completely done.

Here is what Santa left for Charcey.

B & Papa also got Charcey a baby doll set...as you can tell, Charcey thought it was big enough for her....
and for Breken :).
There are alot more pictures that I need to post, but I have to steal my mom's camera.

We hope your Christmas was as blessed as ours.

Brett's Engaged

2008-12-22T11:38:00.003-06:00

Brett (Jeremy's brother) is getting married!

We are all so excited. We just adore Reaghan and we can not be happier!

I can't wait to start planning the wedding.

Congratulations, Brett & Rea Rea!

("Bet" & "Yah-Yah", as Charcey would say)

Christmas Tour

2008-12-18T07:11:00.008-06:00

Better late than never, right...that has become my new life moto.
Welcome to the Payne House. Take a look around.

Christmas is our very favorite time of the year.

This is a set of snow men that Jeremy's aunt & uncle got us when we got married. They match perfect with our new room.

Here is our Christmas tree. This year we deicided to go with a white tree, and I just adore it! We have two full size green trees, but we just do not have room in our house for 3 big trees.

All of the ornaments on the tree are ornaments that we used at our wedding.

This is our new shelves & cabinets in the new office. I love to jazz them up!

This is our entertainment center. The picture does not do it justice. I have lights throughout the top, but I could not get a good picture with them on.

This is a little tree that we decorate with misc ornaments. I like theme trees, so this tree is a "catch all" for all the ornaments that do not have a home. Some of these ornaments are very special to us. They all have a story.

This is my curio cabinet in the kitchen. It holds only a few of my Christmas dishes and platters. I love dishes, I just wish I had a place to display them all!

Plate rack and small tree in kitchen.

This is Charcey's tree. It is so much fun. She loves it! She will be glad to show it and tell you all about it.

Finally, this is Charcey being a goof ball. As I was walking around taking pictures, she was saying "Me, Cheese", which means "take my picture please". Then of course we had to take a picture of Reese, our dog.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday season be filled with joy and laughter.

Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-09T07:46:00.004-06:00

Now that I sent out my Christmas cards, I will show you some of our Christmas Pictures. Some are with Foster, Meme & Pops. Enjoy!

New Way to Wash

2008-12-08T15:52:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus, we have been crazy busy this past week, and it seems that things are not going to slow down. Just a few new pictures for you.

We did discover a new way for Charcey to get clean.

Cleaning Instructions: Wash with like colors, Elmo Bubble Bath, and a rubber ducky. Hug to dry.

Gymnastics

2008-11-13T14:59:00.003-06:00

Charcey has been taking gymnastics for a couple of months now. She loves it! She loves the trampoline the most. Here are some pictures of her in action.

Random

2008-11-07T10:10:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures of Foster and Charcey taken this week.

Have a great weekend!!

Happy, Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T08:26:00.003-05:00

We wish you a Halloween full of laughs and candy!!

Foster Kade

2008-10-30T08:17:00.005-05:00

My sister is horrible about updating her blog...so here are some new pictures of sweet Foster Kade. He will be 15 months on Nov. 10th. He is running everywhere and can say anything.

He is just precious!

Girls Weekend

2008-10-27T07:31:00.004-05:00

This weekend some girls and I took a trip to Dallas to go shopping. We had an absolute blast! We shopped for 12 hours straight on Friday and Saturday. We ate at great restaurants such as the Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's (aka F.P. Chang's). We stayed at Jeremy's aunts house which is gorgeous. We even watch Sex and The City (the movie) in her home theater. It was really nice to get away for the weekend and have some girl time, but it was sure nice to get home to see my baby girl! Kelly, Amber, Ashley, Shayna, and Britney...thanks for an awesome weekend, you girls mean the world to me!

PS - the last picture only contains the shopping bags from Day 1.

Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze

2008-10-20T11:06:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, we went to the Amazingly Fun Farm here in town. We had so much fun! Charcey got to pick her own pumpkin out of the pumpkin patch, ride the cow train, take a hay ride, eat smore's and play in the troth full of corn. Her favorite by far was the corn "box"...she did not want to get out. We went with great friends and had a great time. There are more pictures to the right of the blog.

Newest Friend

2008-10-13T09:22:00.002-05:00

As I have told you before, Charcey loves bugs. Well last night we found this in our yard...a salamander. Charcey was so excited. She wanted to hold it, but we opted for petting and feeling him. It was cold outside, so I had to bring the little guy inside. I can just imagine Charcey holding him and he getting loose in the house. Needless to say, he stayed comfortably in the bucket. We did not keep him long, we put him back the yard shortly after we found him.

5 Generations

2008-09-29T07:45:00.002-05:00

1st Generation - Essa Mae Carter - Charcey's Great-Great Grandmother
2nd Generation - Mary Beth Stubblefield - Charcey's Great Grandmother
3rd Generation - Becky Gail Payne - Charcey's Grandmother
4th Generation - Jeremy Wade Payne - Charcey's Daddy
5th Generation - Charcey Kaye Payne

We celebrated Charcey's Great-Great Grandmother's birthday over the weekend, she turned 97!! What a blessing it is for Charcey to know her great-great grandmother. I am lucky to have married into such a loving family.

The Fair

2008-09-19T14:52:00.006-05:00

Anyone who lives in the Texas Panhandle looks forward to the Tri-State Fair week. Although the older I get, the less I look forward to it. We made our annual trip out there a couple of nights ago with Kit, Ashley & Foster, my mom & dad, and Carli, Casey & Coda. Charcey loved it. She loved the people watching, all the lights, the duck game (you know, the one where little rubber ducks swim around in disgusting water), the water gun game, but most of all the pony rides and petting zoo. Foster loved the big John Deere tractors. He is all boy when it comes to big machines. All in all we had a great time...although is it not against the law to charge $5.00 for a corn dog?

Weekend 'O' Fun

2008-09-15T13:42:00.005-05:00

We had a really busy weekend. Let me give you the run down:

Friday: Randall's Homecoming Football Game (Please excuse the goofy grins, Charcey thinks it is really funny to look silly when I have the camera in front of her)

Saturday: Tri State Fair Parade-it was a very long parade, so we left about halfway through.

Sunday: Church, then playing outside. This is Charcey's "WOW" face. She is looking at a car going by. She loves cars and bugs...seriously, she is a tom-boy!

Sunday Night: Where is Charcey, you ask? Look closely, you might see her. This is her new fun game.

Football Season Is Here!

2008-09-08T08:59:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and I love football season! We love going to the games and watching them on TV. We have found out that Charcey loves to go to the games just as much as we do...although her reasoning is a little different. She has discovered at football games she get to:
A. Scream as loud and as often as she wants
B. Run up and down the isle
C. Eat junk food
E. People watch
D. Her most favorite - She gets to watch the band

Breken's Bike

2008-09-02T13:12:00.002-05:00

Charcey thinks she is big enough to ride Breken's bike. We will have to get one of her own for Christmas. Of course she can't even reach the pedals, but it won't be long. I can't believe my baby is getting so big. I miss her being a baby.

Foster's Birthday...Finally

2008-08-22T10:42:00.006-05:00

Now that my sister finally blogged about Foster's birthday party, I can blog about it. I figured she should be the first to tell everyone about it. It was so much fun...hot...but fun. Foster loved opening his gifts, but of course so did Charcey. Charcey also liked to be the first one to play with Foster's new toys...we are working really hard on sharing and being nice. We still have a ways to go :). Needless to say, Foster had a great birthday.
Here are a couple of videos from that day:

Charcey Kaye is 17 months today, I just can't believe it!

Bugs!

2008-08-18T12:18:00.002-05:00

If you have been around my daughter the past couple of months, you would know that her absolute fascination are bugs. A live one will keep her entertained for a long time and even a dead one for a couple of minutes. I have tried to tell her that they are "shooey" and "yucky"...but she still loves them. This particular evening, she and the dog spotted this beetle and it kept them both busy for a while.

Then I had to show this pictures...it just shows how much fun Foster and Charcey have together.

My Gymnist

2008-08-11T08:12:00.004-05:00

Jeremy and I love the Olymics. We watched it every spare minute we had over the weekend. My favorite is the girls gymnastics and it seems that it is Charcey's also. She is not a child that likes to watch TV much, but she was glued to the TV when the gymnastics started:

Not only did she love watching the gymnastics, she tried to do her own:

We were all rolling because she actually thought she was getting off the ground. She is so funny.

My Sweet Foster Kade

2008-08-08T10:26:00.007-05:00

Our sweet nephew, Foster Kade is turning a year old on Sunday. I can't beleive he is already so big. We love Foster so much. He is so precious and so smart. He is saying so many words...infact he even says "Charcey". When you look into his eyes, and you see straight to his soul. He has his mother's passion for life and sweet nature and his daddy's intellect and curisity. He is such a mixture of them both.

This was the day this little guy stole my heart:

This is today, one year later:

Happy, Happy Birthday Foster Kade.!

We love you so much and we so blessed to have you in our lives!

Put Him First?

2008-07-31T08:57:00.004-05:00

A wise godly man said this to me today: "Don't just put Jesus first, put Him central". This certain man and I have had this conversation many, many times...but it is today, that I actually got it. We hear the cliche "Put Jesus first or put God first" all the time. But why not put Him in everything? Why not make Him central? This man knows the bible better than any man I have ever known. He is not a preacher, pastor or minister...he is merely a man that does manual labor and glorifies God in everything he does. He just turned 81 this year and he said it has taken him this long to actually realize that God our Savior should be central, not just first. His views are very different and so deep. It is hard for me to follow the depths of his soul sometimes, but I love having these conversations with him. For the past 4 years I have been teaching him about grammar because he believes that if people actually read the bible with a knowledge of grammar and the English language, they will see and understand the bible in a totally different way. He believes that if we put God in everything and make him central, we can grasp the true meaning of our life that God has for us. Honestly, I can't disagree...I just hope I learn this lesson.

New Additions:

2008-07-29T12:11:00.008-05:00

This past month as been a month of additions in the Payne family. First, we enclosed our patio to become an office. The cabinets were installed yesterday. The furniture for the room is purchased. Now we just have to paint the cabinets, doors and trim, then the new hard wood floor has to be laid. Next we added a side patio onto our house. We converted the double window in the breakfast nook to a double door, poured concrete, had a pergola built, and fenced it in. The only thing lacking in this area to be complete is a door going from the side patio into the garage. We are so ready for our house to be back together and everything in my house to not be covered in saw dust or dust from the texture. We are almost there:

Finally we added two new animals to the family, Rex & Reney. Charcey LOVES fish, so her daddy bought her two of them. She just adores them. Although she does not understand why she can not hold them or kiss them.

Silly - Videos

2008-07-25T09:12:00.004-05:00

Charcey is so silly, and here is proof:

Can This Really Be Happening?

2008-07-22T12:29:00.003-05:00

Can a sweet child go through the "terrible twos" at the age of 16 months...or is my child a phenomenon? Charcey has become a child that does not like to share, does not like to be touched, and definitely does not like to be told "no". If Foster or Reese (our dog) or anything else that resembles a breathing person or animal comes even remotely close to Charcey while she has a prized possession, she screams. (Prized possession: baby doll, cracker, or anything she can hold). She has also come to realize that when she says "Ouch" or "Ouwee" someone will always look, therefore it has become her new favorite saying, and will yell it anytime over, and over, and over. She has become extremely territorial. And the fun and test of patience begins.

As I have said before, Charcey is just like Ashley, when she was that age (according to my mom and others). Ashley was ornery, head strong, sneaky, independent, and so funny...just like Charcey is now. So if I have to put up with how Charcey is now for her to become a person like my sister...then I am in. I can only pray that Charcey becomes the sweet, God-loving, and amazing person my sister is. I guess there is always light at the end of the tunnel...but how long is that tunnel, I ask?

"Money"

2008-07-18T11:41:00.002-05:00

Charcey has learned a new word: "Money"

Vacation: Take 3 (July 4th)

2008-07-11T07:40:00.005-05:00

On July 4th, we spent the moring and lunch at Lake Tanglewood with some great friends. We all had so much fun. We watched the parade, played in the baby pool and ate burgers. Charcey loves the water, so she was in heaven. Later that night we went back to the lake to watch the fireworks. Charcey loved them...for about 5 minutes, then she was bored with them. Here are some pictures from that day.

Vacation: Take 2

2008-07-08T07:54:00.006-05:00

Charcey and Foster had a great time. They were both completely worn out by the time we got back home. I think they are finally back to their regular routine. Charcey adores Foster. Every time we see him she smiles, waves and yells "Hi". Just in the past couple of days I have realized that she has been saying Foster, but we did not understand it. She calls him "Daw Daw". I guess the "F" sound is hard to make. She has been saying this for a while and finally we know what she is talking about. Anyway, here are some pictures of them from our vacation.

Vacation: Take 1

2008-07-07T15:30:00.018-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted, and alot has happened since you have last heard from me. We went to Colorado last week for vacation. We also went to the Denver Zoo and the Downtown Aquarium in Denver. Charcey had such a great time.

We have learned that Charcey has the talent of many different occupations. She can be whatever she wants when she grows up!

She could be a Gardner:

A Fast Food Window person:

A Window Washer:

A Comedian:

A Fisherman:

A Shoe Shiner:

A Well Worker:

A Zoo Worker:

A Tour Guide:

A Monkey (She really wanted to be in the cage with the monkies):

A Lifeguard:

A Diver:

A Marine Biologist:

Colorado Here We Come

2008-06-26T12:00:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we are heading to the cabin for a week. We are so ready for a vacation! We are going with Kit, Ashley & Foster and my mom & dad. We will also be going to Denver and Colorado Springs for a couple of days to take the kids to the zoo and do some shopping. While we are in Denver we will get to see Josh, Jeremy's cousin, which we are super excited about. We may not get any sleep because the cabin is a big open place...so if one baby is awake, the other will be also. None the less, we will enjoy our relaxing time in the fresh air.

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July. I will post pictures of our trip when we return!

First of Many (I am sure)

2008-06-23T07:38:00.005-05:00

It has been two weeks since I have done a post. Last week was a blur. Jeremy and I had our 10 year reunion over the weekend, so last week we spent all of our time getting ready for that. We had such a great time and we got to see some of our favorite people in the world. I did not take very many pictures, which I am very sad about. Charcey spent her first night away from home on Saturday night, with B & Papaw. She did great...alot better than I did. It was tough on me.

The other exciting thing that happened this weekend is that Charcey received her first shiner...yip a black eye. We really can't figure out how she managed to get it. She was playing in the kitchen floor at B & Papaw's last night, and she started crying. All I can think of is that she hit the corner of the cabinets. I shot this video shortly after it happened. The lighting was not very good, so you can't actually see her black eye...but you can tell how much pain she was in:

Here are some pictures:

Lions, Tigers & Bears, Oh...not so scary!

2008-06-10T12:44:00.003-05:00

This weekend Jeremy and I took Charcey and Foster to the zoo. We packed up their little cars, covered them with sun screen and loaded the diaper bag full of juice and treats. They really enjoyed it. They got to see leopards, lions, bears, and tigers...but their very favorite were the donkeys and the cows. Here are some pictures from their first zoo experience:

Splish-Splash

2008-06-02T15:22:00.003-05:00

This weekend Charcey and Foster went to their first swimming party. It was Luke (3) and Addie (1) Schniederjan's birthdays. They kids had so much fun. They love the water!! Also, please look past that my daughter is not wearing the bottoms to her bikini, some how we ended up at the party with out them. Oh well...she did not care!

She wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny...well you know the rest

2008-05-27T11:29:00.002-05:00

This weekend was finally warm enough to get Charcey's new pool out. She absolutely loved it! She wanted to be in it all weekend. The pool came with two blow up fish, a blow up dolphin and a blow up turtle. She carried the fish and turtle around everywhere she went the past couple of days! She also got to wear her yellow polka dot bikini from her aunt Kaye!

My Big Girl

2008-05-19T07:52:00.003-05:00

This past week Charcey has officially transitioned from Baby to Toddler. I can't really say that I am ready for her to do this, but it happened anyway. Just this past week she has learned so many new things. Here is a list of them:

1. She has become the marathon runner - she will walk/run for hours

2. Says new words - Ball, Baby, Duck, Quack Quack, Bug, Up, No-No Reesey (our dog)

3. Realized that being outside is more fun than inside - and will gladly tell you about it!

4. Learned her feet do other things than just help her walk like - kicking the ball, stomping, and standing on Rance's (our cat) tail.

5. Learned that Foster does not like for her to take the toys away - he lets her know his feelings now.

6. Hills are not fun to run up or fall down

7. All hair bows are called "Hats"

8. Drinking out of a big cup is alot more fun - even if that means spilling it every where

9. Her training potty is more fun to stand in than potty in

10. She has become an expert and dramatic kiss blower - my favorite!

She learns things everyday, it is amazing how little kids become sponges at this age - they absorb anything and everything.

Center of Attention

2008-05-13T11:25:00.003-05:00

Friday night, we went to a surprise graduation party. Not only was it is party, but they had a band and dance floor. I made the mistake of putting Charcey down on the dance floor to walk around. The minute she realized that she was the center of attention on the dance floor (because no one was dancing)...I could not pull her away. She would try to dance. She would also wave to everyone that was looking at her and smile. She was a total ham. She had all of us rolling. We have come to find out that she loves being the center of attention...which is total opposite than me or her dad. These pictures do not do the occasion justice...I should have taken my video camera!

Best Friends

2008-05-08T07:49:00.003-05:00

My heart melts every time Foster's face lights up when he sees Charcey. They love each other so much and they truly miss each other when they have to go a day without being together. They are getting to the point where they can actually show how much they care for each other. They are so sweet.

Having said that, I can see many fights in the near future. Although they love each other, they also love to have the same thing. Up until a couple of weeks ago, Charcey could take anything she wanted away from Foster. But now, they will play tug-a-war and the one that does not win, gets really upset. My mom and I have been working with Charcey on sharing, but sometimes she tends to forget her manors. She is a bit strong willed (have I mentioned she is just like her Aunt Ashley?) .

I pray that Foster and Charcey will always remain close. I have three cousins that I adore. They are my best friends and I love them so much, so I know that Charcey will always feels the same about Foster. They will always be best friends....

New Pictures

2008-05-05T07:23:00.003-05:00

Take a look at some new pictures of Charcey & Foster. Lezlie Andrew, the photogragher, did a great job!

http://www.lezlieandrewphotography.blogspot.com/

Better...

2008-05-05T07:19:00.002-05:00

It official, Charcey had a stomach virus. She is doing much, much better. We got all sorts of great medicine from Dr Scott on Friday. She is back to her normal self.

The Bug...the ugly kind!

2008-05-02T12:18:00.002-05:00

Well this week has not been fun around my house. Charcey has the "bug". Poor little thing has had diarrhea since Tuesday and she has been throwing up since Wednesday night. We are heading to the doctor this afternoon to see what we can do. Charcey is a trooper, she does not act sick besides she can not keep anything in or down. I have been down this road many times with the disease I have, and I know how it makes me feel, therefore I can't imagine how she is feeling!

To top everything off, my mom and sister had the "bug" yesterday and now Kit has it. We just pray that Foster boy does not come down with it.

I will keep you posted. Have a great weekend.

Around, and Around, and Around We Go!

2008-04-28T08:31:00.004-05:00

This weekend Charcey and I walked in the March of Dimes. We had great fun, mostly because of the company we were with...Ashley & Foster, Carli & Coda, my mom, Carli's mom, sister and niece, Autumn. After the walk we went into Wonderland Park for a minute. Charcey had her first Carousel Ride. She only liked it for a minute...then she wanted me to hold her as we went around. But once the ride was over, she wanted to go again. We had a busy, but great weekend!

D.G.L.

2008-04-23T09:07:00.003-05:00

For those of you who watch Rob & Big on MTV, you will know what D.G.L. stands for...for those of you who don't it means "Dirty Girl for Life". Now the way they use it on the show is in a totally diffent context than I am using it. Jeremy and I love Rib & Big, I know, I know...but we still love it.

Jeremy and I were outside last night playing with Charcey and we have come to the realization that Charcey is a D.G.L. It has taken me a year to face that fact that my sweet, pretty little girl is going to be a tom-boy (just like her Aunt Ashley was).

No matter how many times I wash her hands, she will always have dirt underneth her nails.

No matter how many times I brush her hair, it will always be a mess.

No matter how many times I change her socks, they will always look as if she just walked through mud.

I can dress her in cute outfits, but she is still going to be a tom-boy at heart. We were sitting on the porch last night watching Charcey dig in the dirt, rub in through her hair, and smile the whole time. At least she is happy about being a D.G.L. (Look at her socks in these pictures)

Kisses for All

2008-04-17T07:25:00.003-05:00

If you know me & Jeremy at all, you know that we love our animals, but I think Charcey loves them more. We have three pets: Dog - Reese, 2 Cats - Rance & Roxey. Charcey's favorite is Rance, because she can lay on him, pull his hair and he never moves. Here are some pictures of Charcey giving kisses to Rance and Reese, now I know this may offend some people, but like I said before We Absolutely Love our animals!

Walky, Walky

2008-04-16T10:08:00.002-05:00

Now that Charcey has become a pro at walking...she is now running. It makes us laugh, because she literally makes laps around the living room. She runs around talking to herself. She has always be able to entertain herself, but now she is miss independent. She is getting so big.

She knows exactly what you are saying. Example, she will go and get whatever my mom asks her to get..whether it is a diaper, Foster's passy, or a toy. She is happy to fetch anything because it means that she can run to get it and run to bring it back.

She talks all the time, but we have no idea what she is saying most of the time. She loves saying "light" & "hot", she tells us that everything is hot. I am trying to teach her that the oven and stove are "HOT!"...so that when she says hot, she holds her hand as if she is saying stop. She is working on saying "don't know"...she holds out her hands with her palms up, but she has not grasped how to say it.

I am telling you, Charcey is the sweetest little thing. I know that I might be a bit partial...but she is such a joy. She has the sweetest soul that you can see through her eyes every time she looks at you. I am so blessed.

Wild Woman

2008-04-11T07:16:00.004-05:00

After Charcey got out of the bath last night, we decided to try out a new hair style...what do you think? It is the Ace Ventura meets the Gerber Baby hair style!

It is Better to Give, than Receive

2008-04-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and I have been talking and praying about we can "give" for literally the past 6 months. We have had so much given to us and we want to give back. We finally officially joined Hillside Christian Church last week. This was the first week of the series NEXT by Tommy Politz. The series is about giving back to the church but also giving back period. Yesterdays message really spoke to me and Jeremy. We left there thinking "how odd is it that this is what Tommy is talk about...because we have been talking about it for months". Then I had to sit back and realize, it is not "odd" at all...this is all in God's plan. Jeremy and I have decided that we need to trust God alittle more and quit trying to take things in our own hands. This year is going to be a great year for us, based on the decisions we have made. We would like to become more involved in our church and to find an organization that we can volunteer with.

Here is one example: This weekend Jeremy's mom had a garage sale. I finally decided to go through all of Charcey's clothes from the past year (4 totes full) and sell all the outfits that did not have special meaning. I ended up with 2 huge baskets full. By noon on Saturday, we had sold a few of Charcey's clothes, but not much. Shortly after noon, a young couple walked up. The girl was clearly pregnant. Jeremy started talking to them and realized that they were having a girl in the next month. They made the statement "we hit the jackpot"...referring to Charcey's clothes. They had started making a huge stack of clothes they wanted to purchase...which was probably around $50 or $60 dollars worth. Jeremy said to them, "You know what, you guys can have all of these clothes for $50." They thought he was referring to the stack they already had, and got excited...and said "No, you can have everything, including the all the toys". They were so excited and so appreciative. That was the least we could have done. It made us feel good, to help out a couple who may or may not be as lucky as we have been. This is so small compared to what all we can give. Just like Tommy said on Sunday..."everything we have is Gods, we just manage it for him"

Helpless

2008-04-03T07:13:00.004-05:00

Shortly after I wrote the previous blog, I got a call from my mom telling me that Charcey was not feeling well (my mom watches Charcey and Foster during the day). I asked her what she meant and she said that she was running fever. I left work early and rushed home to see my sweet angel. When I walked in to get her, I could tell immediately that something was not right...her eyes were so sad. She was running a 101.7 temp, had no energy, did not want to eat...just wanted to be held. For those of you who do not know Charcey, she is a wild women...never sitting still, and most definitely never wanting to held. Therefore, I knew she did not fell well. That night was horrible, her fever never broke. She only wanted to held by me. I had the bright idea of giving her a cool bath...which turned into a train wreck. That was not what she wanted to do at all. Yesterday morning she was not much better...still running a temp of 101.4. I ended up calling the doctor yesterday and she said to rotate Motrin & Tylenol every four hours and to push lots of fluids on her. She did finally eat some yogurt. By yesterday afternoon things were better, but not back to normal yet. The poor thing, she is never sick and to see her like this, just brought tears to my eyes. I think we are on the down hill now, she slept really well last night and seemed much better this morning.

You ask what caused this sudden elevation of temp and lack of energy....the MMR shot she received on Monday at her doctors appointment. The MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) shot is given for the first time at 1 year (at least ours was). Now I know it is better to have the vaccine rather than the real measles, mumps for rubella...but with all the technology we have and all the information that is available, you would think that they would find some way to not make the sides of this shot so drastic.

I have done some research on this subject and I have found that this shot is linked to a number of "problems". Now I am not saying that is shot is going cause any of these problems, I am just sharing information that I found: http://www.medinfo.co.uk/immunisations/mmr.html

1 Year Dr Appointment

2008-03-31T15:13:00.002-05:00

This is another picture of Charcey climbing.

I took Charcey to see Dr. Scott this morning for her 1 year checkup. We love Dr. Scott. Anyway, Charcey weighed 19 lbs 3 oz. Charcey went from being in the 95th percentile in her weight when she was born to the 10th percentile now. Ever since she started crawling when she was 7 months old...she has not stopped moving. That and the fact that her diet consists of Spaghetti Os, Beefaroni, Ravioli and fruit. The doctor did not seem concerned that she was not gaining much weight. She was also 29" tall, which was in the 25th percentile. Unfortunately, Charcey is going to be short like me. She also got three shots..which hurt her feelers more than her legs, but she will for sure let on as if she is in complete agony. We are going to start whole cow's milk this week. All in all the appoinment went really well.

Ashley & Foster

2008-03-27T12:41:00.007-05:00

I just wanted to take a little time and brag on my sister, Ashley and my nephew, Foster. They are so precious to me. Ashley is my best friend. I just love being with her and I would drop everything to do just that. Foster and Charcey are already best friends, both of them light up when the other comes in the room. Foster is the most handsome little boy and has such a sweet spirit about him. I love his slobbery kisses and his big brown eyes. What a blessing he is in my life.

Ashley is a such a great mother. She loves Foster more than life itself, and would absolutely do anything for that little guy. She has grown so much as a person in the past year, and I pray that God continues to use her. She has so much to give and so much talent. She is an amazing teacher. The way she works with her special needs students brings tears to my eyes. They all love her and she loves them back. God has given her so much patience and love for those kids!

I thank God everyday for giving me Ashley as a sister and best friend and for allowing Foster to become part of our family.

Our Easter Bunny

2008-03-25T07:19:00.002-05:00

We had such a great Easter. When Charcey woke up on Easter morning she had two Easter baskets waiting on her. In these baskets she had the movie 101 Dalmations (one of my personal favorites), new toys and new clothes. She loved her new Easter Bunny ears. After we opened all of our Easter baskets, we got ready for church and went to watch MeMe play the handbells. Then we went to B & Papas for burgers and to hunt Easter eggs. Charcey still was not that interested in hunting eggs, but Jeremy made up for it, he lagged her around and picked up eggs. Finally we went home and all three of us took a 3 hour nap. What a great day. I hope you had a great Easter also!

It was a Hit!

2008-03-24T07:28:00.001-05:00

The birthday party went great. We could not have asked for better weather or better friends! The Easter Bunny was a hit to most all of the kids...then there were some who were scared to death. Thanks so much Uncle Josh for being the Easter Bunny...we could not have asked for a better a person to fill this spot! We had a big Easter egg hunt...although most of the kids would have been fine with one egg, they were mostly too young to realize that the object was to get as many as possible. We had so much fun. It is days like this that Jeremy and I realize how blessed we are to have such great friends and a wonderful family surrounding us. Thank you! Check out the slide show on the right to see all the pictures from the party.

She's a climber

2008-03-21T07:36:00.000-05:00

The night before last, Charcey and I were doing the dishes as we do most every night; I load them in the dish washer, and she takes them out...but she is happy doing it, so I don't stop her. Well this particular night, Charcey took "loading" the dishwasher a little too far. I was scrubbing away on a pan and turned around to see that Charcey decided that she needed to be ran through the dish washer....which in all honestly, she did...that is a different story. All I could do was laugh and run to get my camera. Now that she is an "expert" at walking, I guess she is trying to accomplish climbing. She has figured out that she can hike ler leg on things and climb on top of them, and she tries to do it all the time. Whatever is in the floor, she will try and conquer it...including me, Jeremy, Reese (our dog) or our fat cat Rance, not to mention pillows or boxes. She makes us laugh everday, these are times I cherish.

It's Her Party...and She will Cry if She Wants To

2008-03-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we are having Charcey's first birthday party. Now anyone that knows Jeremy and I, knows that we love having parties, showers or just get togethers at our house. We also love to have themed parties. Well Charcey's birthday party is no exception. We have gone all out. We are having an Easter theme (of course, since it is the day before Easter). We are going to have a big Easter Egg Hunt! This past weekend Jeremy and I spent Saturday filling a little under 300 eggs with toys and candy along with goodie bags for all the little ones that come to the party. This does not sound that bad, right...just wait.

As I started going through the closet that I filled with everything we need for the party, I started realizing that I have not over done it! Let me know tell you all that I have: Easter Egg plates (big & small), Easter Egg napkins, polka dot napkins, Easter Egg platters, polka pot platters, polka dot serving plates, flower shaped platters, a huge Easter Egg tray (for the Easter cupcakes, of course), a purple, yellow, & green pitcher and finally three flower shaped serving bowls....and all of this is just for the food. Now for the decorations, I have everything that you can image that says "Easter" or "1st Birthday" on it...yard signs, banners, balloons, posters, hangy-down things, table decorations and so on. Not to mention all the house decorations that I bought so that we would looked decorated for Easter (as if it were not obvious, already).

Oh and did I mention, the Easter Bunny is going to come and visit. I just hope Charcey does not decide she needs a nap around the time the party is going to start and that all the kids are not afraid of the Easter Bunny. I will let you know how it all turns out.

Just getting started...

2008-03-14T14:02:00.001-05:00

Well we are just getting started on blogs...they are so neat and so easy to keep up with everyone. Our daughter Charcey is about to turn 1, on March 22nd. Time flies by so fast. My goal is to try and write atleast one blog a week, so keep checking back.