Our baby is one!

So blessed, this sweet girl has me smiling all day long! I can't believe she is one! Excited to see her grow and mature and learn her own personality as we are with all our children but when it's your last baby, well I guess I want to hold onto the baby stage longer, but this little one is moving right through it she knows what she wants most days and makes it pretty obvious to all us around her. Strong independent personality with a bit of a temper. We love you so much sweet Lavender!

Many Nights

Many nights, nights like this one we are teenager less! Meaning they are not around they head out to friends houses for sleep overs on school nights, well not usually but since tomorrow is a predetermined snow day it's allowed. Many Friday and Saturday nights they have plans of their own. So where does that leave us....Well if we had not started over five years ago we would have a lot of alone time. We would have 9-10hours of uninterrupted sleep at night which never happens.We could pretty much have date nights whenever we wanted too. Those things seem to sound wonderful. But you know what????? I wouldn't trade what we have for the world. Yes it's exhausting at times but I know that I know that nothing beats having these two beautiful children still completely in need of our undivided love and nourishment. Nothing in the world beats when your five year old looks at you and says,"mommy I love your heart", or " Mommy you are beautiful". Nothing is better then rocking a precious baby girl to sleep at night. Yes in about 14 years from now we will have all the time in the world to do whatever but for now I'm loving every minute of still having little ones around the house!

My Baby boy turns five 2/6/06

I cannot even believe that tommrow you will be 5! I don't even know where to start.. I guess with what comes to mind. You were born 5 years ago, four days latter God choose us to fill in as your parents. With tons of excitement and joy we rushed to the hospital as a family to pick you up, and as you know this part by heart, when the nurse placed this itty bity tiny little baby boy in my arms it was Love at first sight. The nurse said to me," you remember wow to do this right?", uh ha I said but was completely surreal for so many reasons. One I was taking home a precious newborn baby boy. You were perfect in every way. And then the fact that I was a mama of a newborn yet I didn't carry you for nine months and then go through labor.
The next 2.5 years would turn out to be an emotional rollercoaster but in August of 2008 you became a forever Payne! You have taught mommy and daddy so much about parenting and how no one way of parenting works on every child. Lets just say you have helped us think outside the box when it comes to parenting. I can't imagine my life without you Aaron Moses Payne Love Mommy

Not Complaining

Ok so I'm trying not to anyways. Last week sermon was basically on not complaining and I never really realized how much complaining I do until I start watching for it or listening for it. In that being said I am not a snow person. A few days of it, ok... but then I would like it and the mess it makes to go away. I have been really trying but ok enough it's time for the snow to go away. I have been cooped up in the house for almost a week now considering we have had our go around with the flu. It is not going away anytime soon, infact it snowed more today! And we are supposed to get more Monday and then Wednesday. Ok no more complaining!!! But here are some super cute pics of my littles in the snow

My sisters blog post Go Uganda

"A Change of Heart", is the title of her most recent blog post wanted to share this with my blog friends. She is in Uganda on a missions trip and this post just tugged at my heart and can't imagine seeing what she has wittnessed so far. I have to admit my first response to missions in other countries is yes a good experience and God wants us to so what we can everywhere but my heart is for local children right in our own backyard when there are so many in our current foster system, in our own cities hungry/homeless ect. But boy this post opened my eyes!! I'm so proud of her wanted to share her so go over to my sidebar and read go Uganda!