Ice skating: Take 2!

After waking up this morning, the first thing Payton wanted was his ice skates. So after breakfast we bundled up and headed up the street to the duck pond.


Payton "skated" around a bit with Erik then we put his boots back on so he could practice his stick handling.

Payton on ice!

After church today we took Payton up to the duck pond so we, well Erik, could skate! Payton wanted his skates on as soon as he saw Dad flying around the ice!



Payton had a GREAT time and didn't want his skates taken off. But Erik's back wasn't going to hold out much longer!!



Once we got his boots on him, and the tears to stop, he had a great time chasing the puck around with the hockey stick.

Payton can count!!

Okay...so it's only to 4, but that's a huge improvement over last week when he'd only count to two!!!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!!!

Tonight we put up our tree since Erik's parents are here. Of course, Payton was a big help too!!! Luckily ours is fake, takes about 10 seconds to assemble and is pre-lit :) Not much for a 22 month old to help with!


Payton was checking out the lights. Telling us the colors! Everything is "yellow". Sometimes he'll throw a "red" in there.


Smelling the tree. Probably doesn't smell as nice as a real pine ;)

Cheesy grin for the camera!

You know you're a Redneck when....

Your child has decoys for bath toys!

Future hockey star??

Last night we went to watch my dad and uncle (as well as a good family friend) play in the charity game- Chicks with Sticks-VS-Geezers in Breezers. Payton wasn't too into the game, he was more concerned that all the hockey sticks had disappeared from outside the locker room. He wanted to play with them all.

Just hours earlier Payton was having a great time chasing Pauly around the house...he wasn't too sure of him in his goalie gear!

Baba (#19) and twin Uncle Kim (#13) ready for action!

Wearing Baba's gloves! Next year he'll be big enough for skates!! I can't wait!

Toddler + Flashlight + Chocolate Lab = Hours of Entertainment!!

What's a mother to do!

Payton was snuggled up on the couch watching Cars, while I went to clean up the kitchen and get dinner ready.

He was a little too quiet....now I know why! Too bad it's only 5pm!!

Feeding the ducks!

Although we have a quaint little duck pond a block from our house...we've discovered the ducks at Rotary Park are a lot funner to feed!!
My mom and I picked up Mason to join us in the duck-feeding fun!!

Word has gotten out that there is food! The crowd is starting to get bigger!!


AND bigger!!!

They are fearless! These two were eating the bread from my hand!

Payton LOVED it. He kept trying to pet them.

Luckily I convinced him to just feed them instead!

Whirlwind weekend!!!

Payton and I flew to Seattle to see Erik since we haven't seen him in three weeks and he had a few days off while the boat is in drydock! We flew in Thursday late-afternoon and made the 5 hour drive to Spokane the next day to see his parents, brother and sister-in-law (as well as Grandma, Aunt and Uncle, my cousin and her daughter!)

Payton did pretty well for the first 3.5 hours...then we decided to pull over in Moses Lake, find a playground and let him stretch his legs!

He really like the see-saw.

Erik's parents are building a nice log home (from a kit) and chose this weekend to put the roof on. (Another reason Erik wanted to drive over)

We can't wait until it's done!

Uncle Earl surprised us with this beautiful floatplane rocker he made himself for Payton! Thanks to Aunty Dawn for the idea and drawing up the plans :)

Payton liked to sit on it and try and spin the prop. He hasn't quite figured out how to rock.

We also were fortunate enough to be able to visit with my cousin McKenzie and her 3 yr old daughter Tayten. Tayten wouldn't say Payton b/c it was too close to her name :) She just kept calling him "Cousin" then would get frustrated when he wouldn't respond! But overall, they had a great time playing with each other!

Trick-or-Treat!!

Tonight we went Trick-or-treating with my parents, Ana, Alan and Mason. Payton caught on right away that all the houses were giving away candy and would RUN to the doors to get his treat!! He would even say "trick-or-treat" but unless you speak "payton" it sounds more like "dii-o-deeet".

My little Astronaut! He didn't want to keep his hat on...luckily all the candy collecting distracted him!


Payton and Mason...I mean Optimus Prime

Fall Festivites!

It was so neat to be able to take Payton to a place where you can do real fall activities!!

We went to an orchard and picked our own apples.

We had to keep a close eye on Payton because he liked to pick them off the tree and throw them like a ball!!

All that work makes you hungry after a while :)

Leaf Peeping.

[I promise I'm not making it up!]

Payton and I just got back from a great vacation "leaf peeping" on the East Coast. Frances was kind enough to go with us and be our tour guide :) For those wondering what the heck a leaf peeper is: A person (people) who travel to New England in the fall to tour around and see the changing of the leaves.

We flew into Boston and rented a car and drove up to Portland, Maine to visit my good friends Hope and Dave Borg. On the drive up, we stopped in Ogunquit, Maine to let Payton out for a quick stretch. It was quite breezy and a bit cold!!


But beautiful just the same!


Dave and Hope were GREAT hosts and we were delighted when they took us on a tour of the lighthouses nearby.
[I apologize as some of these photos were taken from inside the car...but it was COLD!]






After two days of visiting we continued on to Brattleboro, Vermont to stay with Frannie's Cousin Kelli and her family. Payton took an instant liking to the leaves piled up everywhere!

He tromped around in the leaves like they were the puddles from back home :) Only leaves are obviously much drier and less messy!