Canoeing on the Colorado River

On Good Friday our friends invited us to canoe the Colorado River with them.  It was so much fun!  The perfect river to take a bunch of kids down because it was nice and easy.

Daddy, Tyce, Luke, and Mommy 

Stopping to find shells on an "island" 

 Mommy and Bruce

We were all putting our canoes in when I hear a splash!  Tyce had plunged off his into the water.  I thought he had fallen in, but he "just wanted to go swimming."  It was not that warm so I wasn't really planning on anyone swimming, but I guess Tyce had different plans!  This picture is him later down the river when Daddy let him in to swim alongside the canoe. 

Brek wanted to go on the girl canoe so here she is in the middle in the straw hat. 

Bruce taking a turn to paddle 

Once we got to the part of the river where we stopped the kids all jumped out and went swimming.  Bruce kept running away from me into the water and I kept having to go in after him tennis shoes and all!  Oh yeah, did I mention that Brock dumped me out into the water at the very end?!  I thought he did it on purpose but apparently he tried to put the oar down and it ended up turning us and flipping us.  Luckily it was shallow enough that I saved the phone and other "valuables" (food).  Ha!  

Friend Kevin and Tyce building something fun with their treasures 

All tuckered out from the long day (but I'm not giving up my Sprite) 

They were all asleep fast! 

And after canoeing all day we went over to their house for a little grilling and movie!  I thought they looked so cute watching Pete's Dragon so intently.

We had to go down a bumpy dirt road to drop off the car for canoeing and the boys thought it was so funny!

Spring Break

The weekend to start off our spring break it rained!  We were so sick of being cooped up in the house that I told the kids to get on some clothes to get wet and dirty and let's go to the park!

 Luke

Tyce found the biggest puddle and played in it the whole time! 

Luke 

Brek and Tyce 

Bruce 

 Brek

I told the kids that we would go camping during spring break so they had their bags packed the week BEFORE we were actually going to go!  So on Saturday afternoon for fun we grilled outside and set up the tent.

 

Brock manning the grill

Luke, Tyce, and Brek 

Tyce and Bruce 

Bruce and Luke

Bruce LOVES to help whoever's chore it is to do the dishes!  And there usually ends up being water EVERYWHERE! 

Grandma and Grandpa gave us tons of baseball stuff for Christmas, and we have been practicing!

 Brek

Bruce 

Bruce "smiling" for the camera with his crazy hair 

Tyce went with Brock to go work out one morning during the break and they came back with some crawdads they had caught in a little "pond" at the school.  Tyce is holding one here. 

The kids filled up the pool for the crawdads.

Tyce, Luke, and Brek 

The boys decided that they wanted to eat them so Daddy boiled them up!

They actually really liked them! 

By the time Brock could get away to go camping (he was in charge of powerlifting workouts during the break), all of the spots at all of the Texas state parks were filled!  At least all within 3 or 4 hours of us.  Not giving up so easily, we booked a spot at the KOA in Bastrop.  The kids were still super excited.

On our way to go camping

Luke, Tyce, Brek, and Bruce 

Luke with his walking stick he found

And just in case anyone is wondering...it was ridiculous.  We pulled up to our spot and immediately started calling the state parks hoping that someone had cancelled their reservations.  It was that bad.  The spots for the tents was basically a playground that we all had to share.  There was a light right up above our "site" that turned off and on every 2-3 minutes ALL NIGHT LONG.  We were right by the highway and heard cars ALL NIGHT LONG.  Bruce wouldn't go to sleep for the longest time, crawling and tripping over everyone in the tent.  We couldn't blow up our air mattress because we had to park too far away from our site (our tent is too little to blow up the mattress before putting it in), so we slept on the hard ground waking up every 10 minutes to roll over to find a more "comfortable" spot.  And because the light was on all night, Bruce woke up at 5 AM ready to go!  So Brock was up cooking our delicious breakfast by 5:30 AM.  BUT we put on a good face for the kids and we had a pretty good time.  At least we went camping and the kids had fun. 

Taking silly selfies

Brek, Mommy, Bruce, Tyce 

Tyce working on his pole and Brek playing with the worms

Brock and I had had enough and were ready to just pack up and leave, but Luke was determined to go fishing (we were on the Colorado River).  We were all at the campsite when I noticed that Luke was missing.  I was getting kind of worried when I noticed him up at the car pulling fishing poles out of it (all nice and tangled up)!  So cute.  Brock HAD to take him fishing then. 

Bruce playing with the worms 

Luke the fisherman 

Elizabeth and her kids came to see us the end of the week!  We had so much fun, and it was perfect timing for us since Brock had to be away at the girls' state powerlifting meet.  These kids love each other so much and always have so much fun together!  And I had some pretty good company as well...

Luke, Tyce, Damon, Brek, Kyler

The kids were happily playing with sidewalk chalk outside when we finally realized that they had gotten it wet and rubbed it all over their bodies!  So fun!  But not so much fun to get off of their skin! 

Bruce, Damon, Luke, Tyce, Kyler, Brek 

Damon, Luke, Tyce

Spring break was so much fun!!!  It was so nice to have Daddy home (we have been missing him!!!) and to see cousins (Thanks for coming to see us!)!

A Few Things

Here are just a few things that have been happening at the Payne house...

Lots of playing in the water and sun

Luke jumping in the pool

Bruce and Luke warming up

I challenged Tyce to a race around the trampoline frame.  We ran 2 laps and I told him that he beat me, and I stopped.  He kept going...and going....and going.  HE RAN 200 LAPS!!!!  He would have kept going, but I told him that I wasn't going to count anymore because I was getting too tired counting!  This is one determined boy!

"Executive ability is prominent in your makeup."

Tyce said to Luke, "Ewww!!  You got makeup!"  Haha! 

Just some cuties in their goggles
Bruce and Luke

Luke loves to get out all of my measuring cups and have a band! 

Luke and Tyce made "scarecrows" to scare off the dogs.

Our fence keeps falling down and our neighbor's dog keeps coming in our backyard and pooping in it.  Yay...

Sweet Bruce sleeping 

We were all outside riding bikes when Tyce discovered some old school books that Mom had given to me in the garage.  He sat down and started reading (Mr. Determined) and kept going and going.  I'm pretty sure this was at least a 2nd grade level.  He did struggle on lots of words, but that didn't stop him! 

More fun in the sun! 

The kids took my Valentine's flowers from Brock and replanted them in the backyard. :)

Tyce for crazy sock day 

We were able to go to Brock's regional powerlifting meet.  We had a lot of fun.  So much fun that I decided to leave after 1 hour because my children were doing cartwheels on the floor of the meet.  These kids...

Bruce does this "smile" for every picture now!  So funny and adorable!  And Luke is a stinker now when it comes to smiling for the camera. 

Coach Payne and Bruce sharing some lunch 

Another little girl was there at the meet and gave my kids a ton of stickers.  Bruce ended up with them all on his face! :) 

Bruce and Tyce 

Luke in his fort he built

Dropping the kids off for school.  Tyce is all dressed up for "Texas day"

And to leave you on a happy note...

This is what having children looks like 

Don't you just love when your children leave crayons in their pockets and you don't realize that they're in there until AFTER you've washed and dried a whole load of laundry?!?!  This is my 2nd or 3rd time doing this.  You'd think that working in a dry cleaners checking pockets every day during your teenage working years would cure you of this habit, but I guess not!  Props to you mommas that have yet to do this.  I'm impressed.