Long over due

Tonight after the funeral and the luncheon, Aaron and I sort of threw together a little "get-together" for all us Payne cousins who hadn't seen each other in YEARS!! (which, by the way, is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!) We all met at Joe's BBQ and ate dinner and chatted a little. Then we headed over to Moms house cuz the six siblings and their spouses were having their own "get-together" at Orphas with Grandma. We all crammed into Moms family room and just told funny stories about our families, and just got to know one another again. I really do absolutely LOVE my Moms family and wish that we were not so spread across the country so that we could get together more often. It was a fun night of precious memories and lots and lots of laughs.

Doug telling the story of "Big Al" and his gold crown........the funniest story EVER!


Nanci, Kati, Ande, Brooke, Emily, Jayme, Abe, Michelle, Deb


Rob, Cali, Abby, Matt, Stacie, Traci


Stacie, Traci, Kris, Jacob, Cassidy, Deanna, Aaron, Nanci, Kati, Ande


Aaron, Steve, Trevor, (boyfriend), Deanna, (boyfriend), Calvin


listening to Doug tell stories......he seriously needs to be a stand up comedian!


Brooke, Emily, Jayme, Abe, Michelle, Deb, Scott

Right before our eyes, she did it!

I came over to my Mom's house to help out Aunt Jane put together the AMAZING memory books about Grandpa that her and Calvin were giving to the six siblings. We were having a grand ol' time (me, Mom, Jane and Cali) just chattin' away, eatin' Cadbury eggs (thanks Jane, I absolutely LOVE those!) and crankin' out the books. We were sort of in a rush to get them all put together because the viewing was in a couple of hours. Cara was in and out of the room just finding stuff to do. She is totally into the whole "scissor stage" and since we were all using scissors, she wanted to join in on the fun. Jane had her sitting right next to her cutting the scraps into little microscopia pieces. Cara then took a big pile of scraps and headed outside the door into the hallway to do her thing. We were all squished tight into the shoebox size guest room. Next thing you know, someone other than me noticed that Cara was holding clumps of hair in one hand and scissors in the other. I had temporary heart failure (the kid has NO HAIR ALLREADY!) and then we all laughed and laughed as I kept finding more and more clumps in the pile of scraps she was cutting. What do you do but laugh? Aunt Jane helped ease my crying and told me that I had better take lots of pictures and scrap about this incident. That always heals my heart knowing I have memories to laugh about down the road. I KNOW Grandpa was chuckling from above about this one.......he LOVED Cara and her spunky personality. She definately gave him lots to laugh about all the time.

She cut two big clumps on her right side and some random parts towards the bottom of her hair


She is telling me all about how SHE cut her hair, but that Aunt Jessica is the only one that is REALLY supposed to cut her hair.....smart girl!


Little bit of hair on her left........NO HAIR on her right!


Me squaw "scalp my head"


I know she was looking at me saying "what are you going to do about it?" or "hey, maybe the 80's bangs and mullet hair is coming back in style?"


"the mugshot"


"holding the evidence"


the bow your head look of total guilt


If she wasn't so stinkin' cute, and her facial expressions justifying her actions weren't so dang hillarious, she would always be in BIG TROUBLE!!

Cinderellie Cinderellie night and day it's Cinderellie....

I headed over to Grannys house to have lunch with Mom for her birthday. We walked in and Cara runs right over to the twins and gives them big hugs, like always. They were not very responsive because they were otherwise engaged in "Cinderella mode" aka sweeping Grannys floor.

Leah showing me how to work the broom


Leah sweepin' away


Cara coming to try and get in on the action


Leah was so diligent and so determined to get every little crumb


Cara was really trying to help her out and she was not liking that one bit


Cara, Emma, and Leah. Leah is clearly getting ticked that she has helpers, when she was doing a fine job all by her lonesome


I caught their attention with bribery of a cookie so that they would not start to fight over the broom. You know they are all thinking they are going to win and not have to share the ONE broom. Who knew? I am gonna invest in brooms from now on.


Someone was behind me holding up the cookies for them to "see" that they really would be rewarded for not fighting and having to share the broom. They really do play well together and love having each other as little friends. I just think that they are so darn cute!

the faces of Cara

Just before we headed out to see my Mom for her birthday, Cara pulling some silly face in my mirror as I was putting in her piggy tails. I bribed her to let me take her picture. She was doing the same silly faces for me. She is the funniest thing and keeps all of us laughing!

I am happy all the time!


I can be quiet and obedient......for a SECOND!


TOTAL MISCHEIF!!


I am some how not readin' ya!


Naughty little STINKER!


Watching and wondering.....soooo precious!


The wheels are turning......and NOT in a good way!


I am not listening and I KNOW I am being a turkey!


I KNOW I am too darn smart for my britches!


and I am sooooooooo funny!!

My Bunko Girls (they got my back!!)

top: Molly, Tiffany, Kim, Cathy, and Melissa
bottom: Krissy, Emily, Tresure, Bri, and Heather

Bunko tonight was just what I needed!! Krissy hosted and her house looked AWESOME! I was not really in the mood to go, but sooo glad I ended up going. I really needed the fun and laughs. As always there was some sort of a food fight (only with candy tonight) and as always there was good food and dessert. Since it was the day before Valentines Day, we all opted to bring "valentines" to each other. It was fun, and I was WAY OUTDONE by the rest of the girls. I sort of threw mine together last minute because I hadn't really planned on going. Simple, but I got some done.

Reeses + pink flower = words of LOVE from Cathy

on bottom- Rachelle, Melody, Melissa, Kim, Sherylene, Mine; Tresure and Bri in middle white envelope; on top- Molly, Andi, Krissy, and Emily
They were all SOOOO DARN CUTE and the treats were YUMMY!!



The absolute VERY BEST PART EVER EVER was the AFTERPARTY!! The normal "late-nighters, aka Sonic girls" hung around chattin' away. The kareoke machine was fired up and the night was turned up twenty notches. Bri did most of the DJing and singing and everyone else held down the dance floor. Krissy's poor husband and kids thought we were all crazy chicks cuz the walls and booties were shakin' and the laughs never stopped. WE HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN!!! You better watch out, you may see us on the next season of American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance!! Some serious energy and laughs were released into the wee hours. I don't think I had laughed that hard in quite a while. I truely am so blessed to have such an amazing group of girls to hang with. We are all in the same season of life, get along really well, have the same sense of humor, know how to have a GREAT TIME, and can turn to each other for ANYTHING!! (needed grocery items, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to fill with frustration, personal triumphs and defeats, companions for "lunch dates", aerobic class laughs, PTO board buddies, and way too many more to list.....but the VERY BEST THING EVER.......we all share the same desire when the sun goes down......late night runs together to SONIC!!!! That poor Sonic I know wants to turn off their lights and shut down when they see all of us load out of the car and plop down for an evening of Route 44's and laughing!!

Kim, Bri, Treasure, Melissa and Molly doin some line dancin'

Heather, Tiffany and Krissy takin to the mics for some serious singin

Emily and Tiffany aka "singin soul sisters"

Kim and Krissy got in the groove while they were doin the dishes. ROCK ON you ALFREDO WOMEN!

Tresure and Bri serrenaded us to some serious versions of "The Gambler". Kenny ain't got nothin on them!

its the "Circle of Love"........and it move us all.......through despair and hope...(I will stop singing now)

Then we played the "what would you look like with Bri's short hair?" game. Some serious laughs took place

Tresure, Bri and Heather all sporting a "Bri-Do"....HILLARIOUS!!

Krissy then got the "salon hair" makeover by Emily and Bri

Eat your heart out Paul Mitchell!!



When everyone was headed home around midnight, me, Krissy, Heather, and Melissa stayed and did a teacher valentine gift Molly had planned to do with all of us. She is the craftiest chick around. We call her "Mexican Martha". My kids loved taking them to their teacher.

I had the kids sign their names on the tag and write a note to their teacher on the other side. They were so stinkin' cute!!

Do you see the hidden treat? Yep, a York peppermint patty in there.....adorable huh


LOVE LOVE LOVE these girls!!