Christmas 2012, a New Year, and New Blessings!

Welcome 2013!!  Wow! I don't quite know where to begin. Once again, time has gotten away from me, and we have had so much happen since my last post. From Christmas, to New Years, to anniversaries, new babies, etc., we have had a pretty eventful couple of months!  Not to mention, Miss Payton is doing so many new things and learning and developing so much every week, I knew I had to take time to write!  People REALLY are correct when they tell you that time goes by SO fast with children! 

Since my last post, Payton has celebrated her second Christmas!  She was a BLAST this year!!  We were still a little afraid of Santa Clause (Payton is currently going through this phase where she gets pretty scared and is intimitaded by older males, and Santa Clause was no exception!  haha!), but she did enjoy opening her gifts, and was a lot more fun to buy for this year, because we actually knew some of her interests this time!  Ryan and I got her a large kitchen set, several baby dolls, a doll house, books and puzzles, and a large car that we can push her in.  In addition to our gifts, she was definitely spoiled by our friends and family members, as usual! We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives!

Ryan took off 2 weeks for Christmas! I knew that the holidays were going to be particularly difficult for him this year, given that this was the first Christmas he has had without his mom.  Because of that, we decided to stay extra busy and focus on spending a lot of time together as a family. The three of us went to Nashville the week before Christmas.  We enjoyed visiting the Opryland hotel, doing some Christmas shopping, and taking Payton to the park and Monkey's Treehouse, which she loved!!  When we got home, we had Christmas at our house before heading to Fairfield for the week to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with our families.  We spent New Year's with Ryan's brother Brent and his wife Ashli.  Grandma and grandpa offered to babysit so that we could enjoy a nice dinner at the Haub Steak House, and boy was it delicious!!

I cannot believe how much Payton is growing and learning at this age!!  It honestly seems like she does something new everyday! I have never been more grateful for getting to spend my days at home with her.   After Christmas, I enrolled Payton in a gymnastics class at the YMCA.  She really enjoys this, and it is again, another activity that gets her used to being with a group of kids, teaches her how to follow directions, and is great exercise for her!  We've kind of gotten into a weekly routine.  We have gymnastics on Mondays, go to 4c's play and learn group on Tuesdays, and have story hour at the library on Wednesdays.  This schedule has been nice, and Payton seems to really enjoy and pick up on the routine of the week. 

Since my last post, Payton has really taken off developmentally!  She tries to say almost every word you ask her to, and has began to put sentences together!  She has also learned some of her letters and colors.  She can correctly identify the letters "A,E,I,O,P,R,S, and W." She can also identify the colors red, yellow, blue, and green!  I am one proud momma!  Also, the most exciting of all...She will say "I love you!"  It's so precious to hear those words! Potty training is just around the corner.  Payton will almost always potty on her little potty every time she sits on it!  We haven't tried a whole lot to enforce it just yet with her being still somewhat young, but she does take a lot of interest and knows exactly what she's supposed to do.  As soon as she can learn to tell us when she has to go, I think we will almost have it mastered!

Also since the holidays, Ryan and I have celebrated our fourth anniversary!  Crazy to think about all that has happened in the last four years.  We've had college graduations, careers, built a house, welcomed a new baby, changed careers, and like all married couples, experienced some challenging times in between these exciting moments.  However, I don't think I have ever been more grateful for the guidance we have had from Christ and his design for marriage than I have been over the last year.  I know that making HIM the foundation of our home has allowed these challenging times to mold into growing experiences. Thankfully, Ryan and I have both felt very strongly about this from the beginning, which has been such a blessing for us! I cannot wait to celebrate many other anniversaries and am very anxious to see where God leads our family next!

Finally, the last, most exciting event that has happened this year is the arrivial of our precious new nephew, Liam Elijah!  Payton now has a cousin and a new little playmate!  Ryan's brother and his wife, welcomed their baby boy into the world this week.  It is so exciting to watch our family members get to go through such a wonderful time, and it brings back so many great memories of when Payton was born. However, as I was holding and admiring little Liam tonight I thought to myself, "there is absolutely no way Payton was ever that small." It's amazing how quickly they grow!!  Holding him was an instant reminder of how important it is to enjoy absolutely EVERY moment, because it's unfortunately not going to last forever!

 Below I have outlined some of the small sentences/phrases that Payton has been saying over the past couple months.  We definitely want to remember these, and I can just hear her sweet little voice rattle them off in my head!  (Boy, I hope I never forget what that cute little toddler voice sounds like!)

Specific phrases:

"Mommy, where are you?"
"I love you mommy/daddy"
"Awe, man!"- says this everytime something doesn't go exactly her way!
"Oh boy!"-says this when she's really excited!
"Where'd paci/blankie go?"
"There it is!"
"Help you, mommy."- which means help me mommy
"ok" -which means yes

 

Our first attempt at making Christmas cookies for Santa!

Great helper!

 

Putting icing and sprinkles on the cookies!

 

The finished product!

 

Our home after Santa's visit! Yes, that is a toilet brush! One of Payton's favorite things to drag out of the cabinet is the toilet brush, so Santa brought her her very own to play with!  Haha!

 

Payton giving daddy her gift she picked out for him!

 

Opening presents!

 

Loving her new car!

The best picture we could get on Christmas Sunday!

 

Waiting on Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve at Grandma Dorothy's

 

Daddy and Payton on Christmas Eve!

Payton getting her gift from Santa!

 

Enjoying dinner with her cousins!

Payton and Aunt Kyla on Christmas morning!

Enjoying the Christmas train at the Opryland Hotel

Our first trip to Build a Bear over the Holidays

 

Snuggle time with grandma!

Sweet girl!

 

Payton's first snow- 12-27-12!

 

Playing with snow inside grandma's house. (We were getting a bit of a cold, so we decided to stay out of the wind!  Haha!)

Story Time!

 

Welcome Liam Elijah Legg- 2-5-13

Daddy, Payton, and Liam!

Our second visit with little Liam!

Halloween/Thanksgiving 2012

Boy, we have been super blessed the past couple months as we have celebrated different holidays, spent a lot of time with family and friends, and have enjoyed watching little Payton grow into this little lady with her own personality. Since my last post, Payton has celebrated her second Halloween and her second Thanksgiving! We really don't do a whole lot on Halloween other than take Payton trick or treating to our close friends and family members' homes; however it is a nice excuse to dress Payton up in a cute costume and take tons of pictures! lol!  This year, Ryan's work designated a time when all the employees could bring their children in to trick or treat.  Of course, Ryan loved getting to show off his little peacock!  Speaking of the peacock costume, Payton absolutely hated it at first, until I took her to a mirror, and she couldn't stop laughing and posing!  Too cute!

Also since my last post, we were able to visit my brother and his wife Amy in Athens, Ohio.  Kenny and Amy moved to Athens last June to plant a church with about 25 other members from their previous church in Carbondale, IL. It is so amazing to see how God is working through them.  All in just a year, they have moved their church from a small theater on campus at Ohio University, to a large building with a worship center, children's church, and nursery.  They also have organized small groups.  Most importantly, they have grown their attendance from the original 25 to an average of 125! I sometimes can't imagine having the courage to do what they are doing, but it is such an example of how God really does put specific desires in our hearts in order to work through us and will always give us the strength and resources we need to fulfill these desires! I have had to remind myself of this often, especially when it comes to parenting! I have always had a strong desire to raise God seeking children and to be home with my kids, and there have definitely been days when I feel like I have absolutely NO idea what I am doing, can't manage to get anything done, and have patience that are worn completely thin.  However, I am SO thankful for God's contant provision, and his mercy and grace that are always there for me when I tend to fail miserably on my own! 

Payton's second Thanksgiving was much better than last year. (We had an ear infection last year.) We had Thanksgiving at our house on Wednesday with Ryan's family and at my parent's house on Thursday.  Wednesday was my second attempt at cooking a whole Thanksgiving meal, and I think it turned out pretty good! 

On a side note, Payton has starting calling me "mommy" this week instead of "ma ma."  Its so cute hearing her say it, but it is definitely a reminder of how she is growing into a little girl! Also, she has been much more in to playing "pretend" with her toys.  I will catch her talking to, kissing, and laying her babies down for "night night."  That is one reason why it has taken me so long to post this blog, for she is always asking me to come play with her, which of course, I will NEVER turn down if I can keep from it!! She has also starting going to story time at the library.  She absolutely loves this!  I have really been impressed at how much she has learned from week to week in the short time that we are there, but she really has learned a lot!  She has caught on to the "routine" of the class, is learning how to behave in a group setting, has learned a couple new songs that she will ask to sing throughout the week, and is learning to take turns and share with other kids! ( We've by no means mastered some of these things, but I can definitely see an improvement from week to week!)  For a 21 month old, I feel like this is a lot!! 

We are very excited to move into the holidays!  Payton is at such a fun age, and I cannot wait to celebrate Christmas with her!!  Oh how I am cherishing these days!!

Payton the Peacock!

Visiting Daddy's Work!

Uncle Kenny and Aunt Amy's Church Plant- Brookfield Church

 

Miss Payton!

Playing outside at Aunt Amy and Uncle Kenny's!

Story Time at the Library

Being a Great Listener!

Payton and Mommy on Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Patch

Payton had a great time on her first visit to Shreve's Pumpkin Patch! We took a hayride, picked pumpkins, and enjoyed playing with Aunt Kyla, grandma, and grandpa!

As you can observe from the pictures, we have quite the little lady on our hands!  I never do realize just how much Payton has grown until I take a minute to look at her pictures. Always so thankful to God for this precious little angel!

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Summer 2012

Summer definitely came and went in what seemed like the blink of an eye!  I am so mad at myself for not posting since May.  So much has happened, and it is going to take me quite a while to get caught up!  I always enjoy writing new posts.  It forces me to reflect on all of God's wonderful blessings, and it is so fun to look back and read about important events/milestones in little Payton's life.  Therefore, it is going to be my goal to AT LEAST post once a month! 

Summer of 2012 has been so much fun to experience with Miss Payton.  She is at SUCH a fun age right now!  It's funny because I think I say that about every stage that she is in, but she is learning so many new things so quickly and gets so much enjoyment out of the simplest things!  I always think about how many times children are referenced in scripture, and how as adults, we should be more like children in a lot of ways.  Living with a toddler definitely gives me a glimpse of what is met by this.  Payton gets SO much joy out of everyday life.  She has more fun playing outside, running in the grass, pointing to the birds, listening to dogs barking, playing in the bathtub....the list goes on and on...., than she would playing with some big expensive toy.  She's also the happiest when Ryan and I both take time out of our days to play with her together.  It's definitely obvious that she values our time, love, and attention more than anything else.  Oh the lessons about life we can learn through our kiddos!! 

Payton is now 18 months old, running around like crazy, and saying more and more words everyday.  Her favorite thing to do right now is read books with me in the mornings, and I am absolutely LOVING this!  I really think many of the words she says are from what she has learned in some of her favorite books.  Her favorite thing to do with daddy is to blow him a kiss as he is leaving for work in the mornings and then run to the front window and wave real big at him as he drives by.  It is so cute! 

This growing and learning phase of Miss Payton's has also brought on some changes in behavior.  Yep, you guessed it...the terrible twos are approaching!  I really don't like calling them the "terrible twos" because overall, there is definitely nothing "terrible" about this stage.  However, like any normal toddler, as Payton's personality is continuing to develop and as she is figuring out how the world "works" around her, she is quickly learning that she can't always have what she wants, that she must share her toys, that she must take a nap even if it's not exactly what she wants to be doing, that she cannot throw her food off her highchair onto the floor, etc. This has made parenting a bit more challenging!  Haha!  Ryan always laughs at me, because I tell him that I always pray that Payton will display the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control) throughout her life.  Well, Miss Payton is currently working on patience, and self-control!  But gosh, aren't we all???

When reflecting on the events this summer, it took me a minute to re-cap all that has happened...just like everyone, we have been super busy!!  Between Ryan's new Engineering position and our photo booth business, which takes up most weekends, we haven't had much free time!! However, we did take the time to enjoy several weekend trips on the boat with grandma and grandpa.  This last boat trip, Payton actually got in the water some, so that was fun!  We took a weekend trip with Payton's Uncle Brent and Aunt Ashli to St. Louis as well.  While there, we visited the zoo, which Payton loved!  She is so blessed to have so many people in her life that care so much about her and love experiencing things with her!  The three of us, Ryan, Payton, and I, also took a weekend trip to French Lick, Indiana where Payton got to play at Big Splash Adventure. (An indoor water park) In addition to these little weekend get-aways, back in August, we took a trip to Destin, Florida with my cousin Cara, her husband Jim, and their 1 year old daughter Harper.  This was so much fun!!  The little ones had a blast playing together, and us adults enjoyed each other's company as well.  It was nice because we were able to schedule in some date nights for each couple while the other couple stayed in with the little ones.  The car ride was quite the experience!  We actually rented a Suburban so that we could all ride together thinking we would have PLENTY of space.  Yeah right!  I always forget until I start packing how much is required for a week's time with a 1 year old.  Well, we not only had one, but two 1 year olds!  Let's just say we were packed to the ceiling! However, we made pretty good time and made it there and back safely, so over all it was a very successful drive!

Now that fall is approaching, I get so excited thinking about all the holidays coming up that Payton is going to have SO much fun celebrating!  This time of year always makes me extra thankful for the all the simple things in life that I so often take for granted!  We have so many exciting times coming up.  We have close friends and family members that are expecting new babies soon, and I cannot wait for Payton to get a new playmate and a new cousin!  I am so anxious for our friends/family  to experience what they already know is going to be the absolute BIGGEST blessing of their entire life. 
It's so funny, because every experienced parent will always try to tell soon-to-be new parents how much having children is going to change their life.  AND, no matter how much as a soon-to-be parent you think you know what to expect, becoming a parent is just one of those blessings that just has to be experienced to be understood. There are no words to describe all of the love, challenges, excitement, growing experiences, joy, happiness, and fulfillment that God blesses us with through our children!

I have attached some pictures below of the highlights of our summer.  Although I was somewhat sad to see the summer come and go, the cooler weather has been much nicer for playing outside!  Now, if I could just slow down the growing on little Miss Payton, I'd be one REALLY happy mama! ;)

Payton Elaine - 18 Months!

 

Exploring the ocean with daddy!

 

 

Hanging out with cousin Harper in Florida

 

We love the boat!

 



 

Petting Zoo

 

 

Zoo Trip!

 

 

Big Splash Adventure

Miss Payton- September 2012

 



 

 

Another picture from Florida!