Birthday Breakfast

I was spoiled yet again with a birthday breakfast at Marie Callender's the Wednesday after my birthday. It was wonderful to visit with some of my closest and dearest friends. Most of these girls aren't in the same ward as me any more, and I am so grateful we've stayed close. The day after the party I took a minute to open the cards and gifts they gave me. I felt so special and grateful for the cards, gift cards, and gifts they gave me. It was a wonderful birthday and a real treat for me!

Me and Stacey again (she must be tired of all these birthday celebrations)

Cindy and Kathryn

Starla and Katie

Tami and Lauri

And thank you to Ashleigh who didn't make it to the breakfast. She offered to watch everyone's kids instead. What a selfless act of kindness!

I Got a "Time Out"

My 35th birthday was a fabulous day from beginning to end. I got up and went to have a pedicure. I always love it when my toes are freshly painted! Then my close friend Stacey and I went to the Sacramento temple to do a temple session. We ate my favorite lemon muffins from Marie Callender's on the way there. It was so fun to visit with Stacey on our drive to the temple. I think we both enjoyed the peace and beauty of the temple. I love to look at the mural painted in the telestial room. It's not often that we get away from our kids to go to the temple so this was a real blessing for us. I know how important it is to renew my temple covenants. It helps me to keep an eternal perspective and remember why I am here. After our temple session, we went to one of my favorite restaurants that we don't have in Modesto - The Cheesecake Factory. Stacey treated me to lunch and they even gave me a birthday sundae. I told them they didn't have to sing to me, but I did get to blow out the candle!

Then we went to check into our hotel in Sacramento. We met 13 other girls and women there for a "time out." Time Out for Women is actually a conference given by Deseret Books. I was able to attend two other Time Out for Women conferences before this one. I was really excited when I learned that the this year's Sacramento conference would be held on my birthday. I knew I had to make a party of it and invite everyone I know. These conferences are so uplifting and motivating. It's like a mini EFY for moms. The conference began Friday night with speaker James Ferrell (the author of a favorite book of mine, The Peacegiver). The theme of his talk was "Up is down and down is up, as long as down is before the Lord." He talked a lot about avoiding pride and humbling ourselves before the Lord. The musical performances on Friday evening were done by Cherie Call. Her music is beautiful and she shares how she gets the ideas for her songs. I would highly recommend her work. One thing she shared that I really like was "Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips" which are listed below.

* For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

*For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

*For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

*For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

*For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

*People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

*Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

The pictures below were taken on Friday night. Amber, Sharece, Kim, and Marcie Emily, Debbie, and Lori Me, Stacey, and Regina

Tanda, Lori, and Ann

My mom and sister-in-law, Chareen

The whole group
My birthday ended with a little party back at the hotel. I got two of my very favorite desserts - cheesecake and Texas sheetcake. I got some to open some presents. I felt very spoiled, but also very grateful. I feel so blessed to have such special friends and family.

The Time Out for Women conference continued on Saturday. The music was performed by Kenneth Cope. I remember him doing the music when I attended EFY. When I was 14 years old, the theme was "Win the Race" and he came out with the song "Never a Better Hero." This song talks about how Christ is our hero and it is still a favorite of mine after all these years. Mary Ellen Edmunds was the first speaker of the day. She is such a funny lady and had the entire audience cracking up throughout her entire talk. She spoke about us having more patience and love with one another. She reminded us how much patience and love the Lord has for us. I like a question that another speaker, Carolyn Rasmus, asked us. The question is, "What are you NOT doing that prevents the Spirit of the Lord from being with you?" Of course, she reminded us that prayer and scripture study are essential if we want the Spirit of the Lord with us. Jason Wright spoke the atonement. He stated that many of us understand and accept the atonement for its redeeming power, but we fail to use the atonement's power to strengthen and enable us. He reminded us that we are not asked to do everything on our own. The Lord will help us carry our burdens if we only ask. He also spoke about coming to know the Savior as a person and not just someone we read about in the scriptures. Sharon Larsen ended the conference with a talk entitled, "Make Room for Joy." "A Joyful Life" was actually the theme of the entire conference. I came to understand how much peace and joy are related to each other. Sometimes I feel I have so little peace in my life, with a house full of kids, crazy schedules, and so many demands that are put upon me. I am glad I had a "time out" from all of that so that I could set some personal goals. My first goal is to develop a more personal relationship with the Savior. I want to know Him better and more fully partake of His atonement. I want to take time to feed myself spiritually. I want to be more loving, more patient, and less quick to judge. One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Nephi 2:25, "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." We were meant to have joy in this life. The entire conference can be summed up in a line from the church song Learn of Me, "The peace I feel, my joy in sacred things, surpasses all the world could ever bring." I left the conference feeling like I was on cloud 9. I told Lloyd I have really had a change of heart and have no desire to do evil. Unfortunately, I know this feeling will not last forever. I know I will become discouraged again. I will sin again. I will forget to rely and trust in my Savior. I want to make the time to nourish and feed my Spirit. It's hard to find this time at this stage in my life, but I understand how vital it is. I learned from the conference that the Lord wants us to succeed. We were not sent here to fail. With the Lord, all things are possible.

Family Birthday Bash

On September 6, we ended "birthday season" at our home with a family party for the four of us who had birthdays. The picture above shows us with an ice cream cake. Each corner has a set of candles for a different person.

Bryce and Chareen came down from Woodland to celebrate with us.

They got Cameron this huge Thomas the train balloon that plays music. He would see it and want it every time we went to the grocery store. I would say, "Maybe you'll get it for your birthday." Well, they made him one overjoyed boy when they actually did get it for him for his birthday.

Courtney got a new soccer ball since she needed a bigger size this year.

They got Kylie a game. She's our competitive one. They also got me some scrapbook supplies.

Grandma and Grandpa spoiled us yet again with gifts for the entire family (even those who did not have a birthday).

Kylie loves her guitar that plays tons of songs and music. Grandma had to confess that she got an amazing deal on it from the thrift store.

Cameron got another fire truck to go along with the one we gave him. This one is the Little People one.

Courtney got lots of clothes and jewelry. My mom and Jay gave me tons of clothes and jewelry too. My mom likes to shop and we get to reap the benefits of the great deals she finds. We are so blessed to have family not too far away. The kids love it when family members come to visit.

Bittersweet/Primary Talent Show

On September 7, I was released from my church calling in the Primary Presidency. It was bittersweet for me. I had been serving in the Primary since May of 2006, which made it about two and a half years. I really loved serving in the Primary for several reasons. First, I have always loved working with children. My first job was at a preschool and I ended up choosing elementary school teaching as my profession. I love the cute things young children say. I love to watch their faces light up when they learn something new. I love to get hugs from them. Children are so innocent, teachable, and eager to please (most of the time). I loved working with the primary children in our ward. I liked serving in the Primary because I was always busy on Sundays. Church just seemed to fly by and I was never bored. I had an excuse to "roam the halls." I loved the women I served with. The Primary president was my good friend, Ann Seymour, who I met in seventh grade. Although I have lived in the same ward as Ann for seven years now, this was the first presidency I ever served in with her. We had a lot of fun and I came to love and appreciate her even more. Our secretary that served with us is Teresa Fields. She is very talented and creative. She is single without any children of her own, but obviously loves children because she works at an elementary school. Ann had two counselors that served with her besides me. The first one was Rebekah Wyckoff. She planned and carried out the most amazing quarterly activities I've ever seen. She has the most grand ideas and was never afraid of a challenge. Some of the amazing activities we did with Sister Wyckoff were a 3-day pioneer day camp, a Primary MTC and mission visit, a Plan of Salvation reenactment, and a Meet Your Teacher breakfast. Here we are on the last day of the Pioneer day camp in June 2006. I was pregnant with Conner and it's not the best picture because there was a smudge on my camera lens, but it still brings back the memories. The other counselor that served with us is Shari Johnson. I think the calling was a blessing in Shari's life since she served when she was going through a divorce. Shari is a very hard worker. She loves the children and watches out for them. She also has a great sense of humor. Some activities we did when Shari was in the presidency was a family day at the Oakland temple, Christmas caroling on a trailer (we all sat on hay bails and drove throughout the neighborhood), and a talent show. Here is the presidency pretending to be midgets at the talent show. I was sad and very surprised when I found out we were being released. I will miss serving in the Primary. I loved all the Primary teachers we served with. I got to know them well and had some special experiences with them during teacher development. I felt the Spirit during many of our sharing times. I am amazed at how valiant the spirits are of the children who have been saved for the latter-days. Immediately after I was released I learned that I would have the opportunity to serve in the Young Women's program as the secretary. Ann was also called to YW. Two of my other close friends are in YW too - Regina Reavill and Lori Case. So I am excited about my new calling. I will be in there with Courtney, and maybe even Katelyn. I also feel extremely relieved because I don't have to write and carry out the Primary Sacrament Meeting program that will take place next month. Anyone who has ever done a primary program knows it's a tremendous amount of work. I feel bad that the new presidency has to do it, but with the Lord's help you can do anything. I am also excited about being able to attend the Gospel Doctrine class. I really want to improve on my personal scripture study and since we're studying the Book of Mormon this year, it's perfect. Here's a picture of Shari, Ann, and me on the day we got released. Change can be hard, but it's what makes us learn and grow. I am grateful for all that I have learned from my service in the Church.

These other pictures are of my kids at the Primary Talent Show on August 23. Each of them shared a different talent. Courtney danced to Cotton-Eyed Joe with her friends Kelly and Courtnie.

Katelyn baked cookies and brownies with her friend Brianna.

Kylie did gymnastics (a love she got from me).

For Cameron's talent I made a 20 page mini scrapbook about his love for trains. I included pictures of all the train rides he's gone on. Also included was the picture above of him with his Thomas the train collection. This is a project I've wanted to do for a while so I'm glad the talent show forced me to get it done. Cameron loves looking at his train scrapbook.

Lloyd also got to share some of his talents at the talent show. He made a DVD of some of the primary children acting out their talents. He did a great job putting it all together and even added some sound effects. Lloyd also grilled hot dogs for everyone to eat at the talent show. He was really in his element; he loves to cook or barbecue. Conner showcased the talent of being cute like he always is.

The Primary Talent Show was a huge success for everyone involved. Our presidency didn't know this would be our last activity so it was great to finish on a high note.

And the Winners Are...

Well, we just did the drawing for the Cold Stone gift cards. Thank you to the 20 people who entered and left a comment. I really appreciate you playing my little game. It was really fun to pick the winners. We put all 20 names in a bowl and I had each of my three girls pick a winner. Courtney picked first and she got Katie. Katelyn picked Holly. And Kylie picked Karen (who she declared is her favorite person). We were all laughing and cheering as we picked out the names. It really is fun to be in charge of your own contest! I'm going directly to Cold Stone to buy the gift cards for Katie and Karen. I'm going have to do some research because Holly moved to the UK and I don't know if they have Cold Stones, it may have to be McDonald's or a $10 bill, but Holly is pregnant with her fifth and deserves a treat. Thanks again to everyone. Keep reading, I enjoyed doing this contest so much I just may have to do another one soon. I'm thinking maybe around Thanksgiving. I love all of you!

MY 100th POST -My 35th Birthday!

Today is my 35th Birthday and the 100th post on my blog. All of you faithful readers may remember I promised a prize drawing if you leave a comment on my 100th post. So I am asking, encouraging, requesting, and okay, even begging you to leave a comment and enter my contest. The prize is small- a $10 gift card to Cold Stone, but I think we all love the place. They even have low calorie yogurt for those of you who are being health conscious. You have two weeks to post your comment. I will do the drawing on September 19. In honor of my 35th Birthday, I am posting 35 random things about me. When you leave a comment, include a random thing about yourself. Consider your comment a birthday present to me! If you’ve never left a comment, it’s very easy, just click on the word “comments” below. You can then login through google or just leave a comment by clicking “Anonymous” and sign your name at the end. I am really looking forward to reading a random fact about each of you. Thank you for entering my little contest. I’ll post the results on September 20. Here are 35 Random Things About Me:
1-I don’t own a cell phone and have never sent a text message.
2-I got my drivers license after I got married when I was 20.
3-Both of my parents and all of my siblings, including me graduated from BYU.
4-I played a stripper in my high school musical
5-When I was in college, we did a “pencil test” to see how many kids I would have. It said 3 girls and 2 boys and ended up being right!
6-Utah is the farthest east I’ve been.
7-I got my first bikini wax this year.
8-I am training for my second and possibly last marathon.
9-I have two (Courtney and Cameron) and maybe three (Conner) kids who are left-handed.
10-I took my first pregnancy test at Target.
11- I’ve met Mary Lou Retton, Robert Redford, and Steve Young.
12-I do almost all my shopping at Costco.
13-I can recall birthdays and phone numbers very easily.
14-I can’t whistle and my kids always tease me about it.
15-I avoid taking any medications, if I possibly can.
16-I almost always fall asleep when watching a video.
17-My new favorite gym class is the Spin class.
18-I don’t have glasses or contacts.
19- I can name all the Bachelors and Bachelorettes.
20-I don’t know how to shuffle cards or play chess.
21-I had two “surprise” pregnancies and both of the babies were born on August 29 –nine years apart.
22-I moved six times as a child.
23-I enjoy balancing my checkbook.
24- I only wear Emeraude perfume, just like my mom.
25-I’m not allergic to anything.
26-I love to take baths and sometimes take 2-3 a day in the winter.
27-I’ve been a Girl Scout leader for 8 years and was a Girl Scout as a child.
28-I’ve never owned a bikini.
29-I would like to serve a mission with Lloyd some day.
30-I would not be able to live without my Body Pump class at the gym.
31-Gymnastics has always been my favorite sport and I competed as a young woman.
32-I absolutely can’t stand clutter. I take things to the Goodwill or DI trailer at least once a month.
33-I love water slides and always have dreams about them.
34-I love desserts.
35-I’ve had the same comb for 17 years. I bought it in 1991 right before my freshman year in college. I get stressed out if I ever misplace it!

So, that’s my list. Anything surprise you?
Please leave a comment with at least one random thing about you! Good Luck to everyone!

P.S. I've extended the contest until Monday, September 22 and thanks to my mom will be giving away two gift cards!

Kylie's 7th Birthday

Birthday season at the Payne home continues with Kylie's birthday! Four birthdays in a week can mean a lot of cake so we went simple this year and just did cupcakes. Kylie had her friend birthday party on Saturday, August 30. She took four friends to Micke Grove Zoo. They loved seeing all the animals. It's a small zoo, with mostly different types of monkeys, but we also saw some tortoises, a seal, chickens, goats, bunnies, an eagle, geckos, turtles, and different birds. After the zoo, the girls rode a mini roller coaster. They loved it! It was so fun to see the excitement on their faces!
At this point, my camera battery died so I didn't get any more pictures of the party. The girls had pizza lunchables for lunch and then played on the playground. Kylie opened her presents and the girls ate cupcakes with zoo animals on them. Then I took them to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. All but one of them got pink bubblegum ice cream. This was always a favorite of mine as a little girl! Here's Kylie with a cupcake after I charged my battery.

Wednesday was Kylie's actual birthday. We had her open her presents in the morning so Lloyd could be there. She took donuts to her class. Then, her one request was to go to Red Robin and have them sing "Happy Birthday" to her. So I took all five of the kids to Red Robin without Lloyd. It was really crazy and I couldn't wait to get my "zoo" out of the restaurant. Kylie did love being sung to.Kylie with her Red Robin sundae.

Kylie is now 7 years old, but she still seems like my little girl. I do think I baby her more than the other girls because she is younger. She has a strong personality and is either really sweet or the exact opposite of really sweet. She still loves to play with dolls and stuffed animals. School work comes so easily to her. I can barely remember a time when she didn't know how to read. She is also very athletic and loves both gymnastics and soccer. She is always asking to play on the computer. She works very hard to get her way and is easily frustrated when it doesn't happen. She has told me several times that she never wants to grow up. She adores Family Home Evening, especially the treat part. She is very social and loves to be with friends. We are grateful that Kylie is in our family and enjoy watching her grow up. In a year she'll be getting baptized and I promised that each of the girls could have a slumber party when they turn eight. I'm sure Kylie will have it planned out six months in advance. She definitely adds adventure to our family. Happy 7th Birthday, Kylie!

Courtney Is a Teenager!

Yes, it's true Courtney officially became a teenager last Friday on her 13th birthday. She was lucky enough to have the day off of school due to a teacher inservice. It was a fabulous day for her. We started the day with our family breakfast at Marie Callender's. Then she got to open all her presents. Her biggest gift was a gift card to the mall so she could go on a mini shopping spree. (She ended up going to the mall on Monday. She got some "skinny" jeans, a hoodie jacket, a Tigger from the Disney store, and lunch at Carl's Junior). After she and Cameron opened their presents, we took off for her birthday party. She invited five friends to Shadow Cliff Lake for water sliding and time at the beach. I love water slides so I was really excited about this birthday party! It was a very hot day so the water slides and lake were very refreshing. The girls had the time of their lives (except when one of them threw up in my car on the way there, luckily it cleaned up pretty easily). Yes, Courtney is just about as tall as I am!Grandma and Grandpa even joined in on the party! After water sliding, we all went out to dinner at Fuddrucker's. It was a perfect party.

It's hard to think I have a teenage daughter now. Next year she'll be in high school, and then she'll be off to college before I know it. I am so privileged to be Courtney's mother. I honestly believe she is a very choice and righteous spirit. I hate to admit it, but she is more mature than me in so many ways. I am so blessed to have my daughter as an example to me. She is very selfless, easy going, responsible, and good natured. As the oldest of five, she has to help me out so much and she rarely complains. Courtney is also so talented. She's very athletic. She also is talented in art and music. She is smart and gets along well with others. She's the peacemaker in our family. I love her so much. I wish I could take credit for teaching her to be like this, but I can't. Heavenly Father sent her to us just the way she is. She is a joy to our entire family. Happy Birthday, Courtney!

Cameron Turns 4!

It's hard to believe our first boy is already four years old. He is indeed growing up and his personality is developing. He is energetic, curious, thoughtful, loving, and mischievous. He was so excited about his birthday this year. He really understands what birthdays are all about now. I was able to convince him to have something besides a train party this year, and he chose to have a firetruck party. He loves to play in the firetruck at the McDonald's play land so we decided to have his birthday there. He wore a firetruck shirt that lights up for the occasion. He invited four of his little friends from church. They loved playing on the play land and eating their happy meals. It was the easiest birthday party ever! I didn't have to clean my house before or after the party and I even got to visit with the other moms. All kids this age think McDonald's is the coolest place on earth. The party boys

Cameron and Aidan

Cameron and his preschool buddy, Collin.

Cameron and Skyler

Cameron and Joey

We ended the party with mini cupcakes with firetruck whistles.

On Cameron's (and Courtney's) real birthday we all went out to breakfast at Marie Callender's. It was so fun and so delicious. On his birthday, he kept marching around the house saying, "Happy Birthday to me" or "Happy Birthday to Cameron."

Our birthday boy and birthday girl with all their presents!

His new firetruck ( from Costco if anybody wants to know)

Another train set - I think he can attach the tracks by himself so that's a big plus.

As I look at my boy growing up, I just have to name a few things I love and adore about him. I love that twinkle in his eye that he gets when he smiles really big. I love how he watches out for Conner. If Cameron gets himself a snack he always get some to share with Conner. He calls Conner "my baby" and always says, "I love my baby." I love how honest he is. Whenever we ask "Who made this mess?" or "Who ate the cookies?" He proudly proclaims, "I did it!" Of course, I love it that he's finally potty trained. I think it's kinda cute that he still loves his nigh-night so much, but I'm wondering when he will finally be done with this ragged and ripped blanket. My brother wanted me to leave it in Hawaii! I love how excited Cameron get about the little things like a treat or a trip to the park. He insists on eating his cereal from the same blue bowl every day; he has to eat it with a huge serving spoon. I love to read books to him - one is never enough. I love to help him say his prayers. He's our family's alarm clock almost every day. At the crack of dawn he yells out, "It's morning time!" I am enjoying watching my first son grow and develop. It's hard to imagine him as a teenager, missionary, or grown man. I know someday he will be all of these. For now, I will cherish the precious times we have together and hope he doesn't grow up too fast.