Brock's Buck

Brock got a great deer a few weeks ago, and here are a few pictures. (9 point with a kicker) Thick deer or as hunters call it "great mass."

Football Friday...

and Monday...and Tuesday...and Wednesday...and Thursday...and Saturday...NO MORE!!! What a season! Last Friday was our last football game, and we are full of mixed emotions. Most of which right now are relief that it's over! :) We have loved being able to go the games and watch Brock coach, but I have to admit it has been nice to have him home again! Brek, on the other hand, will be sad not to go to the football games anymore. Every day she asks if we are going to the football game. She loves football! She loves watching her daddy coach, her uncle Keyan play (and Kaden), the cheerleaders cheering, and the bobcat. She is scared of the bobcat even though I have reassured her that the bobcat is nice. "Bobcat's nice, Mommy? I scared." - Brek.

These pictures start from most recent and then go to the beginning of the season.

The Payne Family


Brock coaching the offensive line during our last game. He was very proud of his boys.


Brek got at least one football at every game we went to (notice that she has 2), which means that we have quite a collection at home now.


I'm pretty sure that Tyce fell asleep at almost every one of our games. (The poor unsuspecting Bobcat fans in the background have no idea they are going to be on the internet.) :)




Papa Keys, Nana, Papa, Brek and Tyce


Tyce all bundled up


Papa and Brek


Mr. Incredible showed up for one of the pep ralleys. The kids weren't too sure about him.


Oops. How did that nerd get in here? (Nerd day at school)


Brock coaching his boys at a scrimmage


Keyan #14

Yes, we are alive...

I know that many of you have been wondering, and yes, we are still around. :) Lots has happened, and it has been super busy for us here lately.

First of all, we bought a house! We couldn't resist the space and potential (and price!) so we are now the proud owners of 2 houses!




I know that y'all are loving the orange color and desert landscaping, but it's gotta go!

Brock started tiling our first house (aka small house) and everything was a mess over there. No kitchen, laundry room, etc. The bathroom was ripped out of the big house because of disgustingness, but we decided that we would rather go back and forth to the small house for showers rather than go without a kitchen and laundry room a day longer. So we moved over to the big house only to find out that our half bathroom there (our only toilet) had problems. There was a crack in the drainage pipe...or so we thought. Brock ripped out the wall to discover a 3 inch gap in the drainage pipe!!!! Yuck! So for quite a number of days I would wake up in the morning and wait until my kids were fed and dressed before I could go over to the small house to use the toilet! Thank goodness during this time my parents were out of town and we were able to use one of their cars.

Now we have a working toilet at the big house and the drainage pipe is fixed thanks to Brock and other family! Thank you!

Back to my story... We were excited to be able to do laundry at our big house. It was actually the first thing we moved over (the washer and dryer). Well, turns out that somehow in the move over something broke or wiggled loose so the washing machine does not work!!! I was doing laundry and noticed that it was leaking under the washer. I pulled the washer out to see what it was only to pop off the drain pipe which caused water to spew everywhere! Mom was in the living room shampooing the carpets and Brek was with me as I was screaming my head off for mom to come help me! Poor girl may be traumatized by that for a while.

Anyway. We have been without a washer and dryer until just this Saturday when we were able to get a relative's. Hurray for washers and dryers! And of course toilets!!!!

Our plan now is to finish remodeling the small house and rent it out. Oh yes, forgot to mention that the big house has a beauty parlor on the back corner which is rented out. So that pretty much pays for our mortgage on the big house!

Brock has been super busy with school and football (more to come on that) so he has not had much time to remodel, and my children think that taking naps at the same time is a terrible idea so I can't get much done here. So we are kind of at a stand still. Little by little though. Contrary to all of my moanings and groanings, we feel extremely blessed for all that we have!

The rest of our trip to Cali...

Finally, I'm going to give you the rest of our trip to California. We had such a good time. One of Brek's favorite things to do while we were there was to go swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool. She was such a fish! It was so nice to just lounge around by the pool all day long. So relaxing! I'm about ready for another trip to Cali!


Brek loved the slide!
Uncle Brandon, Brek, and Brock


Brandon and Brock


Brandon entertaining Brek

While we were there Brock was able to play in a few church softball games. He loved it! Now I get to brag on my husband. He hit it over the fence TWICE in one game! That's my man! :)


Here is Brek at one of the games. Brock doesn't care too much for these "80 shorts," but I love them!

One of our trips while we were there was to Yosemite National Park. It was so beautiful! We had so much fun looking at the "big trees" and beautiful waterfalls and everything else. As I'm typing this I just remembered the trip home from Yosemite which wasn't so great! We've discovered that Brek gets car sick. Poor Brek got sick on the way home and threw up all over me! Other than that, the trip was a success! :)


The view after you drive through a tunnel to enter Yosemite! Gorgeous!


Brandon and Brek at one of the "big trees" that had fallen over.


Grandpa Todd, Brek, Grandma Kim, and Tyce


All of us at the big trees

Here are a few pictures that we were able to get in Todd and Kim's front yard..







We had a blast in California and can't wait to go back!

The Zoo

While we were in California we were able to go to the zoo. Brek loved it! Such a good idea, Kim! We had a really good time, and here are a few pictures from it...


Brek and Grandma Kim


The elephants


"Hey, Brandon. Let me take a picture of you right there. Just a second. Almost ready. Gotta zoom in. Hold still." - Brock
Fortunately for Brandon his evil plan did not work.


Petting the sting rays with Dad and Uncle Brandon


The Group (plus me)


Tyce and Grandpa Todd


The "snake" was getting Grandma


Brek got a little tired by the end of our trip.


My cutie

3 weeks in Cali

We were able to take a long vacation this summer to California to visit Brock's family. Brek is still under 2 so we had to take advantage of our last time to be able to fly for only 2 tickets. Brock's family had not met Tyce yet so it was really neat for the kids to really get to know their Grandma and Grandpa. We did so many fun things and took so many cute pictures that this is going to be a long post. I apologize...

Our first trip was to the lake.


Grandma Kim fell in love with this little guy. And who wouldn't?


Tubing was so much fun! Brek even got on for a little ride.




Ouch! Brock swears he wasn't trying...


Grandma Kim with Tyce


Grandpa Todd, Bonnie, and Brek


Bonnie, Brek, and Kristin


Brock and Brandon

More posts on our trip to come soon...

Tyce's Blessing

On May 23rd, the weekend of Tamra and Aaron's wedding, Tyce was blessed along with his cousin Kyler. It was a special experience especially because so many family members were able to make it.


The Four of Us


Brock and Tyce


Kenney, Kyler, Brock, and Tyce


Shayla, Tyce, Elizabeth, and Kyler


Grandpa and Grandma Hoer were able to be there for the blessing.


My cute baby Tyce


Beautiful Brek never looking at the camera...