find joy in the journey

one little word 2013: february

This month in my one little word workshop we were assigned to create a vision board.  Rather than cut up magazines and glue them onto a canvas, I decided to digitally cut and paste quotes that I have collected on my thrive // OLW 2013 Pinterest board.

I love all the color.

 

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I ordered this necklace for myself and it arrived just this week!  I love it.

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What's your word?

project life // january 2013

I'm back at it again!  It's been a while since I have worked on my project life album.  In fact, last week Payton was flipping through our album when he asked, "When are you going to add more pictures to the book?"  Well, that was motivation enough to get me going!

Our album sits open in the family room, for everyone to look through.  Payton, I've noticed, spends the most time looking through it.  So when I finished the month of January I went looking for Payton and told him that I needed to show him something in my craft room.  When he saw the new album and new photos he said, "oh wow!"  And with a smile plastered across his face he slowly turned the pages, studying each photo, reading the words, and giggling at the memories.

This is what makes memory keeping so worth it.

Here's a peek at January:

DECEMBER 31 - JANUARY 6

LEFT PAGE // New Year's Eve Party, Christmas Break, ice on the pool . . . . I love the quotation cards.  I can tell I will be using those a lot.  The "Today" card is a folded journaling card and inside I included the recipe for Candy Crack.  I made waaaaayy too much on New Year's Eve.

RIGHT PAGE // Natural History Museum, a double birthday date, and the start of Downton Abbey Season 3 . . . . I made sure to include my one little word, "thrive", on this layout.  Font is Bebas.

HIGHLIGHT // I was so proud that I saved the movie ticket stub from the boys' birthday date!  I created a 4x6 canvas in PSE and threw on a plus sign (+) and the instagram photo from our dinner at Red Robin.  I made sure to leave enough space to glue the ticket stub on top.  

JANUARY 7 - 13

LEFT PAGE // all iphone photos.  Not much going on this week.  I used the journaling cards and arrow stickers to write tidbits about what I was working on and the random things we were up to.  There was a quote that inspired me this week and I attempted to print it, but the background is so light that it doesn't show up very well.

RIGHT PAGE // hanging around the house, the Pinewood Derby . . . . I included a collage of instagram photos from the week (most from our morning walks to school).  I just love the titles and word bits on the journaling cards -- today is good, this is what life looks like, remember this.  They just fit so well with our everyday, boring-but-real photos.  This really is what life looks like!

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3

LEFT PAGE // Again, all iphone photos. Conner was Student of the Month, new shutters, shelves going up in the craft room, a visit from my mom and dad . . . I included the invitation to the Student of the Month breakfast of champions in one of the small pockets.

RIGHT PAGE // The whole page is dedicated to Payton's 10th birthday.  The two instagram photos are pieced together thanks to a free download from Design Editor HERE.  I use this file all the time.  Added American Crafts foam stickers on the photo of Payton.  "Payton is Awesome" is another folded journaling card.

HIGHLIGHT // Just some stickers and goodies added on top of the photos so I could get all my journaling/notes in.

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PRODUCTS USED //

Project Life Core Kit - Seafoam Edition

Photo Pocket Pages - Design A

Arrow Stickers - Grey

Roller Date Stamp

American Crafts Precision Pens

Mini Label Stickers

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Project Life is a back to basics approach to memory keeping. I've been dabbling in Project Life since Becky Higgins released the first kit in 2009.  I love that it is simple, streamlined, and keeps the focus on the photos and the memories. (The extra supplies & design-y stuff is totally optional.)  Learn more about it here.

I'm linking up with The Mom Creative for her Project Life Tuesday.

the weekend lens

FRIDAY NIGHT // Went to the Arts Festival at the kids school.  They got to do a few art projects in the cafeteria.  Notice the tongue?

And more tongue.

Payton was really looking forward to this evening because he wanted to show me his dragon.  He says that he and his art teacher went through his art work from the school year so far and selected his very best piece for display.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON // I finally started work on my 2013 Project Life Album!  I am loving the Seafoam Edition -- it is perfect.  I managed to knock out the whole month of January in one afternoon.

SATURDAY NIGHT // Anna performed in her first show with her Glee group.  

They sang 3 group numbers: Not for The Life of Me (from Thoroughly Modern Millie), For Good (from Wicked), and It's Possible (from Seussical the Musical).  The girls range in age from 6 to 10.  And I love that this program works toward developing talents, but more importantly it's all about building confidence in a safe, supportive, and positive environment.

She had me cracking up after the show as she went on and on about her microphone -- how the tape they had to put on her cheek was SO painful to pull off so they replaced it with a band-aid -- and above, "look what they hid in my pants!"

Each girl got to perform a 2 minute solo.  Anna sang "My Favorite Things" and did a wonderful job!  She was just so sweet.

AFTER CHURCH // Had to snap a photo of this handsome boy.  He went to church without the suit jacket, just the vest and he looked very dapper.

And that arm wrapped around me . . . . love!

SUNDAY NIGHT // Inaugural crepe night at the Browns.

I got this crepe griddle for my birthday and since then we've been using it to cook tortillas.  At last, we tried our hand at crepes and they were amazing!  This griddle cooks them so perfectly, so easily, and fast.  I can see a lot more crepe nights in our future!

I am at church. I am learning.

Today we had Regional Conference . . . Instead of the regular church block we had a 2 hour meeting where we got to listen to church leaders via a broadcast from Salt Lake City.  We got there early so we could get padded seats.  Oh ya.  While we waited for the meeting to begin . . . 

Conner brought along piano assignments he needed to complete.  One of his weekly assignments is to copy 20 measures of music onto a blank music staff.

Payton had only brought his scriptures so Scott showed him a few of his favorite stories in the Old Testament.  Elijah and the priests of Baal (here), the battle of Jericho (here), and the youth who mock the prophet Elijah and are attacked by she-bears (v. 23-25 here).  Payton thought they were all very entertaining.

And Anna brought her journal.  This is what she wrote:

I am at church.

I am learning to be nice to one and other.

You need to sing a church song if someone is saying a bad word.

You need to chooes the right.

You need to say a praye with your family.

Y need to linsin to your pareintse.

You need to say good words.

God loves us.

You need to linsin to God.

You need to go to church on Sunday.

You need to read the sckipchers with your family.

You need to be thank ful for God.

You need to say thank you when you get something.

You need to love one and other.

You need to sit revrenty.

I love God.

Miss Atomic Bomb

That's me and Miss Atomic Bomb 1957.  Yes, she was a real person.  From a real beauty pageant.  

Don't you just love her mushroom cloud costume?  So classy.  Back in the 50's, Nevadans were pretty proud of their big ol' Nuclear Test Site in the desert.

I came across a Groupon for tickets to the National Atomic Testing Museum and figured, hey! -- it might make a good date.  At the very least it was something new and different.

First, we had lunch at Johnny Rockets.  You know, the whole rocket/bomb/explosion theme.  Food was *ehh*.  Service was sloooow.  But the butterfinger milkshake was delicious.

Onto the museum which was right next to the UNLV campus.

"In association with the Smithsonian Institution" . . . hmm, makes this place sound pretty legit.  We might learn something today!

And we did.  The biggest thing I learned was that underground nuclear testing in Nevada continued clear up until 1992.  I was like, in 8th grade!  (Above ground testing stopped in 1962).

You know what happens when you push the big red button . . . . . 

This (below) was kind of funny.  And sad.

All in all, the museum was . . . interesting and a little eye-opening (for someone who did not live in the nuclear age).  Not a museum for children -- there really are no hands-on exhibits, just a lot of reading -- so kids would get bored, I think.  But there was a cool little theater (mocked up like an underground bunker) where you get to "experience" an atomic blast -- bright flash of light, rumbling seats, and a big screen that plays a short film.

Despite the little green alien who seemed very inviting, we decided we weren't willing to pay extra $$ to go inside the Area 51 exhibit.

Instead, we came home, played with the kids, cooked dinner, and got to enjoy this sunset from our balcony.

historic railroad tunnel trail

On Monday morning, a day off from school, I woke up early.  And laid in bed.  Once Scott awoke we finished watching the Downton Abbey season finale (we had started it late on Sunday night and couldn't stay awake long enough to finish the 2-hour episode).  All I can say is . . . . Noooooo!!!  

After breakfast, I hopped on the elliptical for 30 minutes while Scott watched Flipping Vegas on A&E.  Our new favorite, random, reality show obsession.  Our plans for the day consisted of absolutely nothing.

But once I was in the shower my mind started ticking and by 10:30am we were on the road, bound for Boulder City and a hike on the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail.  As we walked down the trail I felt pretty lucky that we had access to great outdoor activities (in February!) just 20 minutes from our home.

Here's the backstory . . . Railroad tracks were built in 1931 so that materials & supplies needed for the construction of Hoover Dam could be transported to the site.  They finished building Hoover Dam in 1935.  And the tracks were dismantled in 1962.  Eventually they turned the raised railroad bed, and it's 5 tunnels into a hiking trail.  And in 2013 the Browns went for a walk.

It was a great hike!  The trail is wide and flat. A 5 mile round-trip for us.  (We didn't do the full 3.6 milesl because it ends with a view of Hoover Dam and Payton has his heart set on being the first one in our family to see the dam -- the 4th graders will go there on a field trip this year.  So we turned back after the last tunnel.)

There is the typical rocky, desert terrain.

The occasional helicopter tour flying overhead.

And to your left, views of Lake Mead are a constant.

But the best part is the tunnels, of course.

The kids had the great idea to bring their flashlights.  They aren't needed, but it adds to the fun.

Between the tunnels, old wood frames, the color of the rocks, and the dusty trails . . . . I kept telling Scott that I felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie.  In fact, these tunnels were used in the filming of a Clint Eastwood movie -- The Gauntlet.  I've never seen it, though.

And proof that I was there

If you've made it this far through the photos then you should take 2 extra minutes and enjoy this little video.  It's a pretty good capture of our family dynamics -- loud and happy children, a teasing dad, and a mom keeping everyone in line while capturing the moment.

of dishwashers and drying towels

Our dishwasher died about 2 weeks ago.  Not completely dead.  But injured.  And we had dealt with this problem several times already, and we knew we wanted to eventually replace the black dishwasher with a stainless steel one, so we decided it was a good enough time to go for it.

We had to wait about 10 days before the new one arrived and was installed.  Which meant washing dishes by hand.  A novelty to the kids, I soon discovered.

One evening, early in the washing-by-hand stretch, we were washing & drying dishes together as a family. . . . Like I said, this was something very different and foreign to our evening dinner routine.  You just rely on a dishwasher, you know?!

Anyways, Scott and I stopped in our tracks when Anna said the following:

"It's like we're poor people and we have to wash the dishes."

Uhhhh . . . 

A moment of a stunned silence.  We weren't sure whether to be embarrassed or amused!  A little of both, for sure.

It made me realize 3 things:

1. These kids have it pretty good
2. You never know what is going to come out of a 7 year old's mouth
3. Maybe we need to make "washing the dishes by hand" a weekly family activity.  As much as it was a pain, it was also a pretty great way to pull the family together and to work together.

on valentine's day I . . .

. . . wore pink pants.  And let Anna select her own wardrobe (it was a free dress day).

. . . served the traditional Love Day breakfast for my family.  Cinnamon rolls, sausage, strawberries, OJ.

. . . gave the kids little gift baskets -- conversation hearts, a hershey's bar, helicopter flyers, and a small individualized gift.

. . . kept Conner company while he stayed home sick from school..  All the throw-up had ceased by 4am, and he was okay all day, but still needed to stay home.  It's pretty awesome when your 12 year old can totally take care of himself and you only find out about all the sick the next morning.  And there are no sheets to wash or carpets to scrub. 

On Valentine's Day I also . . . 

. . . watched the installation of my brand-new dishwasher.  After a week of washing dishes by hand we were very thankful for the return of this convenience!

. . . took a nap.  Seriously, so tired.  But 20 minutes was enough to do the trick.

. . . sorted hundreds of buttons, brads, alphabet letters, and embellishments back into their proper organizational drawers.  I "thought" I had securely packed my multi-drawer cabinet for the move.  But . . . not so much. 

. . . received 2 boxes of Ethel M chocolates from Scott.  And 4 days later, I have half of a box remaining.

. . . attended Anna's class party.

. . . ate pizza for dinner.

. . . convinced Scott to take me out to Yogurtland for a treat.

. . . and instagrammed:

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But my favorite instagram for the day came from Becky Higgins:

Love this.  

take a seat -- make a friend

Watch this

I need a ball pit!!

Thank you to everyone for your response to my post about welcoming the "new girl" last week.  In addition to the comments, I've had phone calls and texts about it.  I think it's a topic that strikes accord with everyone.  

We all need friends!

I ran into a woman from church at school pick-up today.  I don't know how but we started chatting about the whole "it takes a year, year-and-a-half, to really feel at home and comfortable in a new ward."  We asked each other, why is that?  But yet, it just is.

It takes time.

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In other news . . . . 

Scott set up the trampoline for the kids.  Wa-hoo!  In the backyard we now have a pool, a trampoline, tetherball, and a ping-pong table.  The kids are not allowed to be bored ever again.

I unpacked my craft room!  And I am in love.  Can't wait to start creating again.

Josh Groban's new album, All that Echoes, has been on constant re-play in my house.  Love it.

We are looking forward to a 4-day weekend!  We don't have much planned, but the time off from school is going to be fan-tastic.  

happy valentine's day 2013

You probably notice Conner's absence from this post . . . . Conner is now in 6th grade - middle school - which means he is too old for Valentine's Day cards and classroom parties.

BUT, he's not too old to share the love.  On Tuesday I chaperoned the Straight A Luncheon.  When we returned to the school the students filed back into the building and I turned to leave.  I got a few steps away when suddenly I was being hugged from behind.  Conner.  :)  The moms behind me said, "aw, I didn't get one of those."  I felt pretty darn lucky, blessed, and loved.

4:45pm, in my kitchen

Lately, I have been loving the light that gently streams through my kitchen in the late afternoon.  The sun is shifting it's angle, so this is a somewhat new occurence here.  I picked up my camera (which is something I'm trying to remind myself to do more often) and for a few minutes tried to capture all the details happening around me.

Here's a little peek around my kitchen - our lives - 4:45pm, on a wednesday.

hello, my name is

 

In the past year I have been the "new girl" at church, twice.  First, when we moved into our apartment last March (and if you've been following this blog you know that didn't go so well for me).  And again in October when we moved into our house.  Things have been much better.  People have been welcoming.  But I'm still trying to find my niche -- which is something that just takes time.

Moving is hard business.  Especially when you are moving far away from everyone you know.  Now I don't have much experience with moving, (grew up in the same small California town until high school graduation -- 4 years at BYU -- 12 years in Oregon -- and now here), so maybe that put me on a learning curve.

I think that moving teaches you a lot about how new people feel and reminds you to include and reach out to others.  I think that has been the most valuable lesson I have learned in this past year.

Now, I have found myself starting to seek out the other "new girls" at church, making conversation, sitting by them in class.  Last week this sweet "new girl" told me at the end of the meeting, "thank you so much for sitting by me."  And I knew exactly what she meant.

I've been thinking a lot about this transition, what it's like being the "new girl", because inevitably everyone goes through this.  New school, new home, new job, new church, etc. etc. etc.

So I jotted down some ideas.  Ways that you can ease the transition for a new girl and make her feel welcomed -- like she belongs.  These are things that I was grateful for in my experiences as well as things that I wished would have happened.  But don't think that I'm going to leave the new girl off the hook -- she has a responsibility in this too.

Maybe it will help someone out there.

{I will preface these comments by noting that I take them from the point of view of entering a new church congregation/ward.  Because that is the core of my social experience -- most of my connections and relationships come from church.  But really, they apply on a broader social scope as well.  }

How to welcome the "new girl"

1.  Introduce yourself . . . twice.  The new girl has soooo many names and faces and family connections to remember.  Sometimes it took me up to 3 interactions with a person before I could successfully get their name ingrained in my head.  So a second introduction is always helpful.

2.  Sit by her in class.  This is the most basic tool of friendshipping at church but I can't emphasize how very important it really is!!!  I've had those Sundays where I ended up by myself and when you look around at all the other ladies chatting happily in the room, you feel very very alone.  Sure, I should have gotten up and sat by someone.  But early on that can be a scary thing to do.  If the new girl is sitting alone, go join her.  And don't leave a one seat buffer.  That is a cop-out.  Sit right next to her.  And talk to her.

3.  Give a compliment.  This may sound like a silly thing, but after moving I really missed my friends who knew me and would immediately notice when I wore a new skirt, or pair of shoes, or when I got a haircut!  It takes a while to gain that kind of familiarity in a new place and in the meantime she can sometimes feel invisible.  Plus, when she spends 4 hours at the hair salon on Wednesday getting a cut and color she just wants someone to notice and say "hey, nice hair!"  So while you may not immediately notice what is new or different on the new girl, compliment her on anything!  Because, really, it's all new to you.  If you think her necklace is cute, tell her.

4.  Make contact mid-week.  This is where the real welcoming comes.  To know that someone is thinking about you and they make an effort outside of church to call, stop by, whatever . . . it is just plain awesome.  Right now, I typically don't have interactions with women outside of Sunday church, other than visiting teaching.  But I am very thankful for that!  I have a great visiting teacher, a great companion, and great ladies that I get to visit each month.

5.  Invite her to do things with you . . . twice.  Whether that be a group date, a trip to the park, carpool to a church activity, or an invitation to join your book/crafting/walking club.  Why twice?  Well, the first time she's probably nervous, worried about making a good impression, and maybe not quite herself.  Or she may think the invitation is a fluke (a pity invite).  But a second invite solidifies the deal.  She knows that you care about her.

 

How to make it as the "new girl"

 1.  Go to every activity.  Every single one.  Show up, make your face known, introduce yourself to people.  It can be tough as first, especially when you go to an activity and feel that awkward-middle-school-you're-not-included-in-our-circle vibe.  Been there.  (And after the tears on the drive home and sobbing to your husband about how it's never going to get better, you get a wonderful phone call 2 weeks later informing you that your house is finally going to close which means a fresh start -- hooray!)  Okay, that only happened once and is an extreme example.  But yes, sometimes the activities can feel awkward -- you don't know where to stand or sit or how to hold your punch.  But again, getting your face out there is what is most important.

2.  It's all about the body language.  Look cheerful.  Smile.  Don't always sit with your arms crossed.  Make yourself look inviting so others will want to talk to you.

3.  Ask questions.  As the new girl it is very easy to sit back and expect people to come to you and ask YOU the questions and do all the get-to-know-you work.  But it's important that you very quickly come to the realization that that is not going to happen.  I don't consider myself a "talker" and sometimes I find it uncomfortable to initiate and carry on a conversation with someone I don't know.  I mean, where do you start?!  But, I have discovered that my favorite question to ask is, "What did you do this week / weekend?"  This helps me get a peek into what others' lives are like, the activities their kids are involved in, possibly her hobbies, what she's reading, how she spends her time, etc.  Just about everyone loves it when people ask questions about them.  Initiating the conversation and showing interest in who she is definitely goes a long way.

I love this quote.  A major "a-ha!" moment occured when I stumbled across it.

Source: toddlerapproved.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

 

4.  Share yourself.  When you're the new girl, your conversations consist mostly of small talk.  A lot of small talk.  After 8-9 months of small talk I was really getting tired of it (where are you from, what neighborhood do you live in, how many kids do you have, etc. etc. etc.).  Like, seriously.  So I decided that I would start inserting more real bits of me into conversation.  Randomly sharing the things I do (blogging, project life, etc.), opinions, random things that I think about, my constant craving for pizookies . . . . just being me.  I like to think of it as throwing a line out there and hoping that someone will bite!

Source: delightintheeveryday.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

I've decided that you can't sit around and play it safe waiting for someone to ask the right question to unveal the real you.  Sharing yourself takes courage!  Because there are always those moments when you share your passion or little quirks and you get silence.  Or "oh, that's nice" because they don't know how to respond or they have no frame of reference.  Been there.  What do you do?  Move onto the next person and try again.  Eventually you'll find someone who loves you.

5.  Invite people to your home.  We did this in Oregon and it definitely got the ball rolling on starting new friendships.  Within 4 months of moving into our home we invited a few families over for a summer BBQ.  When everyone showed up for the BBQ we barely knew each other, really.  But it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and a tradition of summer BBQs at the Browns.  I'm so glad that we took the initiative and made that happen while we were still "fresh" move-ins.  We are creeping up on 4 months in our current house and we have recently come up with a plan to invite people into our home.  Beginning next week we want to invite 2 families over on a Sunday evening for brownie sundaes.  Easy, casual, short.  We hope to do this once or twice a month. It will give us the chance to get to know people, to show people that we are fun ;), and to get the ball rolling once again.

6.  Be the first to say hello.  Easy and simple.  I try to remember this one all the time.  If nothing else, it's good practice at getting your mouth open and making cheerful eye contact.

That was a doozy of a post.  But I believe that every piece of information I shared is so so important and so helpful -- whether you're the new girl or you are welcoming the new girl.  Like I said, over the past year I have learned a lot about how new people feel.  It's a tough road to walk.  But if someone is there to offer a smile, a seat, and friendship . . . that makes all the difference in the world.

Related findings on the web:

5 tips for connecting with other parents -- She has some great ideas.  Click over and check it out.

We won't share our hearts because that's a dangerous thing -- Reading this always touches me.  I think we all yearn for deep friendships.  And yet it is so hard to get there.

February 2013 Visiting Teaching Message - "It takes attentive friends to make new members feel comfortable and welcomed at church."

**special thanks to Payton for being my photographer.

 

Also . . . . . I welcome your thoughts and ideas from either end of the experience.

friday five {valentine's day}

1.  Food passport (write down local restaurants you want to try and then cross them off your list as you go out on dates).  If I hadn't already put together Scott's Valentine's Day gift I would totally do this.  And I still might.

Source: thespottedfox.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

 

2.  Kiss Me Countdown -- I made these one night and quietly hung them on the kids' bedroom doors. It was a fun little surprise when they woke up on February 1st.  The idea & tag download came from the girls at eighteen25.

3.  Notes of love -- On Monday we had a family home evening lesson on love.  For the activity we cut hearts from cardstock and wrote what we love about each member of our family.  Then we taped them all over the kitchen cupboards.  The best part of the activity was going around the table and reading our messages out loud.  There were lots of feel-good smiles.  This, I think, has to be my favorite one . . . 

4.  For the Family Home Evening lesson we watched these videos and then talked about how we can show Christ-like love.

5.  A Date Card -- Scott already received his Valentine's Day gift.  It was a basket full of coupons to enjoy leading up to the holiday, and peanut M&M's (his favorite).  One coupon is for a date planned by me.  And because we've been watching The Bachelor together, no date is complete without a cheesy date card!

double digits

This boy entered the double digits last week.  He is 10.  Cuh-razy.

And yes, that is the Christmas tree peeking out in the background.  We don't usually leave it up this long, but I'm rolling with it.  I decorated it with party hats.

His birthday fell on Saturday which helped to make it truly the best birthday a kid could ask for . . . donuts for breakfast, presents, Wendy's for lunch, video games all afternoon, hamburgers & hot dogs for dinner.  Not to mention having Papa Dan and Grammer Teresa in town for a quick visit.  AND getting to finish off the lid of the Serendipity treasure chest. (We wrapped it in tin foil and have saved it in our fridge all this time!)

10 scoops of ice cream in honor of his 10th birthday . . . . 

Another highlight was having a larger cheering section at his basketball game.  Anna whipped this up during the game

So . . . I thought I would take a minute to share 10 things about Payton right now

1.  He looooves bacon.  If you ask him to choose a place to eat he'll probably say Wendy's so he can order the Son of Baconator.  So that's where we went for lunch on his birthday.  When we go to McDonald's he adds bacon to his Happy Meal hamburger.  And if it's available, he'll throw a strip of bacon on his hot dog.

 (the poor boys' eyes were all watery & puffy that day -- getting over a cold)

2.  When I reach down for a hug, oftentimes he'll jump up and give me one of his awesome monkey hugs.  It's a good thing he only weighs 60 pounds so we can still do this!

3.  Recently he memorized all the counties and county seats in Nevada (part of a 4th grade challenge).  He used a little tune to help him with the memorization - smart idea.  But my favorite was when he got near the end of the list and couldn't resist a little hip-shaking dance to go along with Washoe / Reno.

(Note - the test for memorization was not an oral one, hence his pronunciation of the counties comes from whatever his 10 year old mind could decipher.  This one's all about the written recognition.  I myself only discovered last year that Ely is pronounced "EE-lee")

4.  He is reading the 39 Clues book series and loves it.

5.  Payton is a pretty content kid.  He asks so little of us and he is easily pleased.  Really, he has the best excited/thank-you faces on the planet.  Because of this I often find myself picking up little treats or surprises at the store (chocolate milk, bacon, footed pajamas, etc.) just because I know it will make him happy.

6.  He loves anything Ninjago and Pokemon

7.  Every Sunday morning he likes to watch Dogs 101 on Animal Planet.  And when Super Bowl Sunday came around he began reminding me days in advance that he wanted to watch the Puppy Bowl.  He said it was great, as well as the kitty half-time show.

8.  Many nights Payton will announce that he is going to bed on his own or he will simply disappear and we'll find him asleep in his bed.  He's good at knowing when he's tired and just takes care of business.

9.  He has a funny little habit right now where he is always playing with his lower lip and tongue -- folding, squishing, etc.  He recently discovered that he can do a taco tongue.  Maybe that has something to with it.

10.  We can always count on Payton for comic relief.  A lot of the time it is subtle, but when he gets into one of his routines, though, he can be ultra-animated, loud, and intense.

We sure do love this kid.  On his birthday we pulled out some old family movies and watched him crawl, babble, and laugh through his first year.  He is getting more and more helpful these days and I love it.  And still, he happily holds my hand on the walk to school each day.  Love him!  Happy Birthday, P!