It's my turn to be in the NEWS!

THIS IS THE LAST MENTION OF THIS 1/2 MARATHON... I PROMISE!!!

A friend of mine (thanks Ruth), who married a guy from Choteau spotted me in their local paper a few days after the marathon - - So, I guess Camryn is not the only "FAMOUS" one in the family! Here's the picture that was posted in the paper!

Here's the link to the story. It doesn't mention me, just that the hills were some of the worst a seasoned marathon runner has seen! http://www.choteauacantha.com/articles/2008/08/21/news/doc48aadb38a6f28386387720.txt

Camryn is in the NEWS!

Camryn's made it big!! The front page paper last year, and now the prime time news this year... smaller towns are fun in a way! Notice the empty chair in the middle of the shot! That's Camryn's chair but we were LATE on the first day of school, so she missed being in most of the news report! However, we were ready ON TIME we just sat around at the house waiting for it to "be time" to leave. I wanted to wait till the last second to give Bryleigh more time to sleep because she's been sick! I guess our clock was WAY off! The teacher does use her name and pick up her lunch box!


Click here: http://videos.billingsgazette.com/p/video?id=2116820

Her FIRST day of FIRST grade!

Crossing The Finish Line!!

I was sent a picture of me crossing the finish line so I thought that I would add it! It's not the best but it's me FINISHING THE RACE!

My FiRsT 1/2 MaRatHoN

I am alive and I FINISHED the cOmPletE race! It really was a TON of fun! Crossing the finish line while the rush of adrenaline flowed through my body was truly an awesome feeling!! It might have become addicting! I had just 2 goals for this first race. One, I wanted to finish in under three hours (Yea, that's kinda a long time but they said that the course being as bad as it was can add 20 to 30 minutes to your time), and two I wanted to beat my running partner! I am happy to report that I was able to accomplish both! I finished in 2 hours and 51 minutes and

I beat Mindi by 11 minutes!

* * * * * * * *

Here I am the night before my run, posing with the hamburger that gave me food poisoning! It was rotten & very unpleasant to say the least! Luckily, I detected the yuckiness of it

before I ate very much! It's me, stretching before the start of the RUN - -
This is my "13 miles on that stupid dirt course" FACE!

Really, I had just crossed the finish line - Aren't I HOT??

Mindi and Ceri - So HaPpY to be FINISHED! BUT already planning the next race!Here's a picture of the "breath taking" views the event staff kept taking about! Pretty much a brown desert from AZ! Not much green, not much of anything! A few cows, a couple of snakes, and a real bear ran across the course though! All I have to say is, stupid cows!! They were on the trail at mile 11, I was running all by myself, not person in site, and a cow stuttered stepped at me. It startled me. It scared me, I flinched, and naturally I scurried out of the way and I pulled my groin muscle. Go Mindi!!! This is my running friend crossing the finish line! Since I beat her :) there was no one around to take a picture of me! Isn't she cute!!
We had a great time, so many laughs, too many rotten, under cooked burgers, (yep, there was another one the next night), 2 high priced awful hotel rooms, one included sleeping in a TWIN bed (it may have had bed bugs!!), one very long sleepless night, and a delicious DQ Blizzard! We can't wait for the next RACE!

I love my Royal Payne because...

He makes me feel tan, he's so funny and witty, he's a great daddy, and even better husband, he enjoys his job, he works hard in ALL areas of his life, he respects his priesthood, he loves me, he does the dinner dishes A LOT, he tries to do what's right, he gives the BEST back rubs, he's pretty darn cute, he's super smart, he can write prescriptions for me, he's loves my family, he sees good in everyone, he helps out around the house, he has a positive attitude, he never speaks unkindly of others, he's strong, he supports my wishes and hopes, he puts up with my constant chattering, he takes me as I am, he's brave, he's the father of my beautiful girls, he encourages me to be the best I can be, and of course the list go on... but I gotta go get dinner made! Love you BABY, thanks for loving me back!

Just in Case!

Right before I left and while the girls and I were waiting for Daddy to come home we played around with the camera! I decided that maybe a picture with the girls might not be such a bad idea just in case I don't make it home alive! They can be used for my obituary too if needed!Taken by my smallest Payne, she's 2, turned out pretty good!

Taken by my oldest Payne and she wants all the credit!!

Tomorrow (Friday) I leave for Choteau, Montana to run (on Saturday) in the Grizzly Marathon! Wish me LOTS AND LOTS of Luck! I am pretty nervous as I have been hearing crazy news about the course having lots of hills and a "steady up hill climb the last few miles to the finish line" and being a course where "only hunters and bears go"! It actually starts at the bottom of a hill! They say the ungraded road is part of it's charm! Charm isn't what really comes to my mind. They say that the course is "not so good" so it is not a Boston Qualifying Race! Oh darn, wasn't too worried about that anyway! I hope to find a bear that will let me ride on his back to the finish line!

All WORN out!!!

The BiRtHdAY PaRTy sure wore everyone out! Good Nite, LOVE you, Sweet Dreams!

It's a Party! My oldest Payne turned 6!

Here are just a few pictures of my oldest Payne's Birthday Party! It was an outside water party and everyone sure had fun!Can you pick up the rubber frogs and pretty glass rocks with your toes?? What an

EASY game that the kids sure LOVED!!!
Yeah, BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!

She got so many that she sure enjoyed! Thanks everyone!

Water relay games - - They LOVED this too!! These kids were so easy to please!
Yep, that's the same cake that she's had the last few years! She keeps asking for it so I keep making it! It's yummy too!

The sisters had tons of FUN too!

Staycation at the water park!!

Staycation Morning - Daddy Daughter Donut Date!

We have this yummy little bakery close by that the girls never get to stay and eat breakfast at because when we go there we are usually giving the donuts away to some family for breakfast. So, we HURRY UP and pick out what we want so that we can HURRY UP and surprise a family with donuts before they eat something else for breakfast. Life is really too much of HURRY UP so today we relaxed and let the girls enjoy their donuts selections. Royal Payne enjoyed a delicious BREAKFAST BURRITO! His FAVORITE!!!


Baby Payne ate forever! She just kept eating and eating! We were all very ready to go but she just kept at it till every bite was gone! That's ambition! I really am blessed with good little eaters, I can't complain!

The start of our "StayCation"

My Royal Payne has been so busy at work that we just didn't have time to really travel anywhere as a family this summer. So, we opted for the Staycation! We stayed home, but took a few days to do things around town that we usually don't take the time to do! Royal Payne and I started the staycation shopping for a new computer (thanks middle Payne for spilling the red punch all over the old one). We didn't get a computer yet, but we got the girls staycation gifts that would help make "traveling" more fun! Here's my oldest Payne holding a MP3 player called a Shaker. You shake it to move to the next song and it has 2 earphone slots so the girls can use it together! It also has built in speakers so they can use it like a radio too! They have enjoyed it so far!
My middle Payne loves the DS. We got her a new game that can be played together with her sisters. It came with a carrying case that you can wear like a purse and she loves that I think maybe more than the game.
After the 2 oldest Paynes opened their gifts, baby Payne said "Daddy, I want present tooooo!" We underestimate how much she understands these days. We didn't really get her anything so I pulled out my weight watchers lemon cakes and gave them to her. (She loves them but I don't let her eat them much because they are so darn expensive and who knows what's really in them??) Baby Payne was so excited to have her own box of treats. She provided us with the best smile out of the three!
Baby Payne said, "MMM good!"

Yummy... Grits!

This is the face of a little girl that enjoys GRITS too!Oh, I like it she says!
I will smile if you don't make me try it!
You didn't say I had to swallow it! She's spitting it in the trash!

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

It's true, my oldest Payne has had a birthday! She's now the big 06! Here are some pictures of her birthday breakfast! She was able to have whatever she wanted and she decided on GRITS! She must have PORTER running through her blood! Her pick of chocolate cake without ice cream however, has PAYNE written all over it! What about her birthday dinner?? She requested grilled chicken with plain white rice! I wish that all my kids (me included) could ward off sugar as easily as she can! Happy Birthday Chicken, I love you!

I followed the directions for six servings of grits and she ate every ounce of it all by herself, AND she was still asking for more! (Baby Payne was given a very small bowl, she ate a little but the Birthday Girl licked her bowl clean as well.) Yummy Yummy! H a P P y B i R T h D a Y !!!

Dad got a hold of the CAMERA!

I guess I don't really know what to say! Here's what my Royal Payne does with a camera that has working batteries and a little free time!