First Recital

Olivia had her first dance recital on December 3rd. I guess it wasn't a recital but a "dance preview." Whatever it was it was dang cute. She may have gotten a bit scared and froze up there but it was still adorable. She was so proud of herself and so happy that we all got to see her dance. Thanks Grandma, Grandpa, and KJ for making my little girl feel so special!!!




She sat up there stuck in the first move for about 15 seconds before she decided she should actually try to dance.


When everyone started clapping my daughter was in heaven and realized this dancing bit was pretty cool.

By the way, Callen enjoyed the show too.

Look what we did!

Look what we did!!!!
New, cute pink earrings!



I asked Olivia if she wanted to get her ears pierced yesterday and she said yes. We have had this conversation before and then she tells me "Maybe when I am bigger Mom." I say "Okay" and we go on.

Not yesterday. She was bound and determined to get them pierced. I was really surprised she actually did it. She may or may not have screamed and cried when the "ladies cut her ears" but she loves them now!!! She has to show everybody and ask them if they like her pretty pink earrings.

My little girl is growing up.

(Love the cheesy smile!)

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas had came and passed once again. And I have to say, this Christmas was the funnest Christmas I have had yet. I think kids do that to you. I was always excited about Christmas growing up but I was SO excited this year because Olivia really gets it this year. She has been counting down the days since December 1st, has loved to watch all the Christmas shows, sings all the Christmas songs, carries the baby Jesus around from our toy manger, and would get so excited every time we happened to see that big, jolly man known as Santa. She didn't want to talk to him and definitely not sit on his lap but after a few attempts she did hide behind our stroller and whispered to me to tell him that she was 3 years old and that she wanted a Cinderella doll so that Belle had a friend.

So Christmas Eve came and she was VERY excited, especially since we had a Christmas preview Friday night with my parents and brother and opened all the presents from them. On Christmas Eve, we were able to go to lunch/dinner at my Grandma's house which was nice to see some of my family. After, Casey and I decided we were going to start our own Christmas Eve tradition of getting a pizza and watching Joy to the World. We have been really trying to teach Olivia the true meaning of Christmas so I was really glad that she sat and watched to whole movie and would get excited to see Jesus. Callen watched to whole movie too but I think sitting on Mom's lap and cuddling helped with that.

After our movie, my parents came over for a minute. On the way over, my Mom got "ran over" by a reindeer and was face down in our backyard. We had Olivia go out and help her up and she was in complete shock that Grandma got ran over. She loves that song and I guess she watched a little bit of the movie at my parents so my Mom was pretty excited to do this. What made it even better was Grandpa and Olivia spotted Rudolph's nose flying away (it may or may not be one of those red blinking lights for airplanes that you can see from our house, I'm not telling). She was so excited but was a bit conserned that Grandma was going to get ran over again so she made sure Papa held her hand on the way home so she didn't get hurt. That night she said our family prayer and with as much concern and love she could she said "And please bless Grandma that she doesn't get ran over by a reindeer again." So cute! :)


Christmas morning came and the kids were so excited. Callen went straight for his race car set and it has been a huge hit since. In fact, it is still sitting in the living room. Olivia was VERY excited for her little princess castle and princesses. We love that it is small and we were able to trade it for the huge dollhouse she inherited that was previously in her room (the dollhouse made its way back to Grandma's were it was originally).



Some other favorite things Lou got this year are Jessie and Bullseye, coloring books and princess puzzle from Callen, a tent, sleeping bag, Cinderella doll, a Cinderella baby from Grandma and Papa, Princess barbies from Uncle Brandon, a cash register, and princess books. You can't tell she likes Princesses can you??

Some of Callen's favorites are his truck that holds the car that go with his car set, a tent, sleeping bag, a yellow matchbox car from Olivia, a yellow dump truck from Grandma and Papa, a wagon and blocks from Uncle Brandon, and a stuffed cow. He is such a boy and in love with anything with wheels.



After Christmas morning, we left our messes and drove down to Bear Lake to spend a little time with Casey's parents. There we had a wonderful prime rib dinner, more presents, and fun. It was a short trip since Casey worked on Tuesday but we were able to stay one night which we enjoyed.

This is what happens when you give a chocolate loving boy chocolate raisins.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas, we sure did!!!
See you in 2012!!!

Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas!!!!

Love,
Casey, Kristi, Olivia, Callen and (coming in April) Carson

25 weeks

Tomorrow I am 25 weeks prego!!! Whoo-hoo.

Things are going as expected with being pregnant. Tired, pinched nerve, heartburn, frequent bathroom trips, getting more and more sweet kicks and nudges, and growing rounder and rounder. I love it.

I really do like being pregnant. I love feeling my sweet baby doing whatever he is doing in there. I love getting a belly and wearing maternity clothes, weird but true. I love that my daughter was able to feel him kick the other day and her eyes completely lit up. I love that she already has plans for Baby Carson when he comes out. I love that Callen has no idea what is going on but likes to touch my big belly because everyone else is.

At the doctor this week I measured 3 weeks smaller than I should. He said not to worry though, especially since I was that small and smaller with the other two. So, looks like Payne baby #3 is following in his siblings footprints.

By the way, did you know it is Christmas Eve?
Merry Christmas.
I thought this was fitting for the holidays.

We are thankful

We are thankful for:

• two beautiful healthy children that absolutely love each other, most of the time.

• a precious little girl that is so smart and independent.

• a happy little boy that is beginning to be a little daredevil but still so sweet.

• a little boy on the way that is getting to be quite the kicker.

• a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of good food and lots of good people (wish I would have gotten a picture).

• the Christmas season in which we can be thankful and think about a wonderful, humble birth.

Boy, oh Boy!!

Well, come the beginning of April (8th if right on time) Olivia and I will be outnumbered by boys 3-2.
Yep, Olivia and Callen are getting a little BROTHER!!!


He is a little wiggle worm and looks completely healthy. He really made the ultrasound tech work, she even said "I'm glad he is my first ultrasound of the day and not my last!" Just what I need, another energetic crazy kid. I guess he just wants to fit in with his brother and sister.

We are so excited and can't wait to meet and see our precious baby boy!! 21 weeks to go!

Halloween

(Our pumpkins- Olivia's, Callen's, and Casey's. Mine got really nasty really fast and was thrown away before I got a picture)

We had a fun, candy filled Halloween. Olivia wanted to be Cinderella and Callen was a dinosaur. Not going to lie, his costume was hilarious and it was so funny to see him walk and his big tail bouncing around. And of course, Olivia was a beautiful princess, but she always is.

We were able to go trick or treating at the credit union were Casey works. It was fun... and warm. Callen caught onto the candy bit very quickly and would run to each bucket and then stand there and march... he may have a slight obsession with chocolate. Casey's work dresses up by departments and Casey's decided to be nerds. After raiding my parents clothes, he fit the part pretty good (sorry Mom and Dad, I guess you are just both nerds).

Cheese!

We did go to a few houses door to door but it was just so cold that we didn't do that too long. Still, the kids had fun and got WAY too much candy, which sadly means Casey and I have ate WAY too much candy. Can't wait to see what costumes they pick next year!

(By the way, we find out what Payne baby 3 is on Tuesday the 15th!! Any guesses?)

Must be doing something right

Yesterday, Olivia came up to me and said "Mom, come look at my temple." Not knowing what she was going to show me, I followed her into her room...

and was surprised by the lego temple that she had built.

It always makes you feel good as a parent when something you have tried to teach them actually sticks. Especially something as important to us as our religion.

During this last General Conference, I had Olivia try to spot President Monson. She found him a couple times and that was about the extent of her conference weekend.
The next week at church, an older gentleman in my ward got up and bore his testimony.
Olivia grabs me, points to the man and whispers, "Mom, I found him!"
"Who?" I whisper back.
"President Monson! He's right there!!"
Pretty good compliment for that man.

While watching Jungle Book one night, when Mowgli is asleep and Baloo and Bagheera are talking, Olivia turns to Casey and me and asks "Do you think Mowgli already read his skip-tures (scriptures) and prayed?"

We are definitely not perfect parents and could definitely teach our children more but when those little bits of knowledge are exhibited from our children, oh boy, it warms the heart.

Callen

This little cutie keeps me smiling all day. He is so sweet. He love to give kisses, which I love too, and will frequently give them over and over. He is going in for one in that last picture.
~

He also has been into climbing. That is joyful. He hasn't mastered it yet, thank goodness but it is close. No cupboard or cereal box is safe anymore.

~

Him and Olivia have been playing so good together. For something to do, I took Olivia's mattress off the box strings and just had the mattress next to it. It was the best idea I have had in a long time!!! They loved it! They played so good in there for about 5 days until I put her bed together again. They would just climb up and down the box strings, jump from one to the other, or get a pile of books and read to each other.
Easy entertainment + no work for a tired, prego mommy = good stuff

(Don't mind them being half naked, that's usually how we roll around here)

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He is currently getting his molars. Not too fun. He actually isn't too bad, just needs some extra hugs and loves every once in a while.
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He has started sticking out his tongue when I ask to see it. Too cute. He doesn't talk much, just Mama, Dada, and KJ once, but he understands a lot. Like, 'sit down,' 'let me see your tongue,' 'go get in your seat' and 'go get blank/bink.'
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He has started holding his arms for prayers. So its not really "folding" but more like putting his hands on top of his head. He's getting it and it is oh so cute.

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He had his last bottle on the 16th and did great. It didn't even phase him! Now to take the binkie away.... I think that is going to be a bit harder.

~

He LOVES babies. Real or fake. Whenever we are with my friend that has a 2 month little girl, he is always trying to kiss and hug her. And he loves Olivia's baby dolls. He carries them around and tries to give them his binkies. Casey isn't too found of his baby doll obsession but I think it is cute. It reminds me of the FRIENDS episode when Ben has a Barbie and Ross wants him to play with a GI Joe instead. "There's my boy, and there's his... Barbie."

Casey mentioned maybe finding a "tougher" looking baby. Men. I think he is just fine.

You make me laugh

My daughter makes me laugh. I frequently tell her "You make me laugh," which she is starting to tell me back. She is sassy, independent, stubborn, smart, beautiful, funny, and mine. I love her. Sometimes she makes me want to pull my hair out, and I am really not looking forward to teenage years with her, but I love her. Every last bit of her.


Here are some funny "Lou Louisms" from the past few months that I have been meaning to put on here. Enjoy!

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Watching a larger man cut down a dead tree at our house:
Me: "Wow, that was a big chunk."
Lou: "Yeah, he is real chunky!"
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"I'm being a turkey butt!!"
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"When I get big and you get little, I can drive."
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Talking about her and Grandma Terri's hair: "We have yellow hair together, that means we are big girls."
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"I'm getting bigger so I can touch the ceiling!"
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After telling me there are two tigers in our house and it was my job to get them out and then me acting like a tiger and trying to get her:
Me: "I'm a tiger and I'm going to get me a Lou Lou!"
Lou: "Mom, you are not a tiger."
Me: "What am I then?"
Lou: "You're just a crazy lady."
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"I'm running around like a crazy girl!"
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Getting pajamas on at Grandma Julie's house:
Me: "Lou, you need to get dressed because we don't want people seeing our privates."
Lou: "Yeah... Grandma Julie has big privates!!!"
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Me: "Lou, you need to pick up your toys."
Lou: "Mom, it's just easier not to."
~

FYI: These pictures were taken at the grand opening of Brooklyn's playground. If you are in the Poky area and have not checked it out, GO!!! It is AWESOME and so wonderful that we have such an amazing, all inclusive playground where kids of all abilities can play together.