Keep on Keeping on...

So like everyone else in the blogosphere that isn't a professional blogger I quit blogging. Sad but true, it got away from me. I've recently started working on Deakon's baby book using Project Life and have suprisingly ended up looking to this little blog for tiny details that I have forgotten and even pictures that never survived two complete computer meltdowns (learned my lesson the hard way and now am the proud owner of an external hard drive). Searching through my posts reminded me of why I started doing it in the first place. I'm so grateful that I have pretty much Deakon's entire first year documented so I can be reminded of all the little things that time helps your brain forget. 

So I'm going to keep on keeping on with my little family blog. No one may read it anymore but I know that my family down the road will cherish my posts filled with memories and bad grammar. :] 

So for a little fresh start, Deakon has something he is so excited to share...

...we are thrilled!

Halloween Celebration...

We decided to make the most of October and pack it full of Halloween festivities. 

We "boo'ed" a few of our friends with our favorite Monster Mash Treat...

Let me tell you Booing people and trying to do it secretly is super tricky with a four year old. 

 He loved it though, especially ringing the door bell and running like crazy.

 (Deakon getting his boo face on.)

Then we went to Pheasant Farms and picked pumpkins, looked at farm animals, and even found a cute little lady bug. 

Deakon's heart broke when we wouldn't let him bring his lady bug friend home with him. Like, as in had a little meltdown in the middle of the pumpkin field. He even tried to put it in his pocket thinking I wasn't paying attention 

(I'll be checking pockets apprehensively from now on). 

...and of course he was more excited about the Ladybug than picking the perfect pumpkin. 

A week later we carved the pumpkins, The middle is Deakon's. He put his hands in the pumpkin and said "ewe grwoss" after that I ended up carving it. Lame. He did want a mean face though, which I may be a little biased but I pretty much nailed it free hand. Preston's is the creepy one, let me tell you pumpkin carving is not for the faint of heart. By the time I was done with Deakon's my hand hurt so bad. Half was due to a long week of work but by the time I got to my pumpkin I clearly gave up and carved a lame heart. 

Finally Halloween came. His latest obsession has been Planes. If you couldn't tell from his birthday party.  Deakon's costume was his favorite so far. He told me he wanted to be Duddy Duddy Crwop Hopper. So preston and I put this little diddy together. 

He loved the costume so much he went around all night making airplane noises. SO cute. The look on his face made the work completely worth it.

Deakon fell asleep in the car before he even started.  We woke him up and took him to a little suburb and let him go from house to house.  Then we went to our ward trunk-or-treat. They had cars all lined up in the parking lot and a fire in the middle where everyone hung out and visited. 

We then went and treated ourselves with a good dinner. 

October is over. Whew! Happy Halloween. 

A Plane Party...

Deakon's 4th Birthday wish; a "Duddy Duddy Cwrop Hopper party."

If you have seen the movie Planes then you would know that Duddy Cwrop Hopper is actually Dusty Crophopper, which happens to be Deakon's newest favorite thing. So we had a little party to celebrate our guy turning four. He did much better this year at sharing his new toys, taking turns during the games and playing with his friends. (last year, was a different story) Whew! 

What a difference a year makes. 

Team Payne's Summer According to Instagram...

Our first summer in Washington was great! The weather was amazing (I'm told it hasn't ever been this good), we worked a lot and played a lot. Including two trips to Idaho. Whew!... Now we are gearing up for Fall; family pictures, rain boots, hot chocolate, warm hats, pumpkin everything, preschool, and Seahawks Football! not going to lie, it's kind of fun having a "home team" to root for. 

I used the awesome Simple As That 6x12 insta templates and Project Life Blush Edition Digital Paper Packs to make these collages. I print them out and put them in our project life album at the beginning of each month. Love 'em.

Deakon's Room...

So let me just say that this little bedroom has been a labor of love. I knew I wanted to do something that was more big boy than his nursery but we would have plenty of time for a sports theme or motorcycles in the future as well. I fell in love with some striped bedding from pottery barn but with my little budget that wasn't happening. I knew I wanted stripes somewhere (little did I know exactly how many stripes would actually be in the space. Ha.) So I decided to put big neutral stripes on the wall and get solid bedding. 

Well the paint went up and I was in love, a week later I found a knock off of the bedding I loved so much at Target, I bought it thinking that Deakon was not going to be in the room for that long. It's meant to be a nursery and it's connected to our room. We moved him in there when we first moved so he would be close to us. Eventually he would need to move to a bigger room and I loved the bedding to much to pass on it.

 I know that it's a lot of pattern, A LOT. 

Although, right now though our life seems to be stuck in transition mode if that makes any sense.

 Deakon might be in this room for a year or more and he might not be, so I went with it.

 I tried to find pictures of loved one's we miss in Idaho, so something feels familiar for him.

As well as a collage of our past years instagram photos.

 I plan on changing them out and putting them in an album when the year is done.

I re-purposed the magnet board, It was an old decoration that came from my mom's house that framed some quilting (not done by her). I loved the frame to much to give it to Goodwill. 

Alyssa made the prints for the wall, they ended up being really cute. 

We of course had to have some Idaho pride. :]

The little blue book shelves are spice racks from IKEA, that I painted.We are working on our ABC's so these little magnets were perfect for the wall, although when they came in the mail I had two C's and no G (annoying, and possibly confusing for Deakon). I ordered it from one of those daily deal sites online and there was no way to return it or contact the shop it originally came from. Buyer's beware.

All in all I think his little room turned out really cute, he loves it and I love doing it. 

So this one time...

I went on a limb and entered a givaway. A giveaway from a pretty talented chick named Molly that does digital design. Low and behold I won!

 See....

I got a brand new pretty header for this little blog. Isn't it cute?! I have never won anything in my life so I was shocked when I saw my name announced as the winner. She's awesome, I threw a bunch of descriptive abstract words at her and she came up with this. Her shop is Tank and Tink Digital Designs. 

Thanks so much Molly!

I feel like I should go buy a lottery ticket...

Year Three...

1- I have a little piece of my heart and soul walking around exploring this crazy world. That's both exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

2- Patience...Patience...Patience.

3- A little one wanting more independence is both a curse and a blessing.

4- Potty training is hell in a hand basket straight from the devil himself.

5- A nuclear meltdown from a three year old in public can send a mom straight to tears of embarrassment 

(see year two #3 ).

6- I know becoming a mother is the most humbling yet gratifying gift that I could ever be blessed with.