Weekend

Friday we had a great morning hanging out, experienced the prayer walk at church and spent the evening with friends watching a movie. Saturday was a picnic, and watched the basketball game with some neighbors, I am sure I have said it before, but we have some amazing neighbors on all sides of us!



Payton and Daddy seem to watch "movie" on the laptop a lot on his days off. Payton was trying to love on her daddy and give him kisses.



Focused in on the animals on screen.



Payton is starting to cheese it for the camera, if I am quick enough, I can catch the smile.



I was sitting on the computer and I heard Payton pull her Easter basket off the table. I knew there was candy in it, but didn't think she could get in the wrapping. Boy was I wrong. I started laughing so hard as she walked by me with a Butterfinger package opened, chocolate on her lips and a huge smile across her face! She enjoyed her few minutes of fun before mom took away the candy. The rest of the candy got moved to the counter :)



Picnic on a beautiful day.



Hilary next door, gave Payton bubbles for Easter, she loved watching them fly away.

Spring

Spring is here and we are enjoying it! Some pics of Payton for your pleasure



Now that she has the walking thing down this is often my view of her, she is not afraid to wonder off.



Schedules are out the window right now. Some days we do 2 naps, some days 1. Everyday is different and I am learning to be flexible. Had to wake her up Tuesday at 4:30pm, I wanted to make sure she slept that night. She was so cute with the thumb, she really only sucks the thumb while she sleeps.



Went for a long walk yesterday, she won't leave those glasses on. She won't leave bows in her hair and she won't leave hats on her head.



We had our friends Matt and Mindy over for dinner last night. It was such a nice evening, we sat and ate dinner outside. We had shark stir-fry which is one of my favorite dinners. We lit candles and stayed outside way past sunset and the temp was so pleasant.



Payton not only feeds herself the spoon, she has started insisting on dipping her spoon into the bowl as well. She is an independent child.



Today was a crazy hair day. I think she wasn't feeling well. She is still teething, and when she got up from morning nap she was a hot mess. Her hair was curly and crazy all day.



Enjoying our first popsicle outside. Papa Southards had picked up this picnic table last year at a garage sale. We are so excited to be using it. She looks like a big girl sitting at it.



She wouldn't let go of that popsicle!

Monday Thoughts (on Wednesday)

Steve spoke this weekend, continuing the series Jesus in His Own Words. I am a little late in my commentary, but here we go. Luke 19:28-40

How many times do we have an expectation for something or someone, that quite frankly, is not the reality. Could be a movie that was hyped up, when you went to see it, it just didn't do it for you. Could be a relationship that you had pictured in your head to turn out one way, and when it was all said and done, that wasn't what happen. This might have been what happened for some people a couple thousand years ago. Steve suggested that people expected the Messiah to come in on a war horse, to be strong, bold, outspoken, loud, and turn the government upside down. The true Messiah came in to town on a borrowed donkey. Yup, a borrowed donkey. No glitz, no glamor, people didn't even recognize him (Luke 19:39-40). Maybe that is the reason that on Palm Sunday, the crowd was crying out praises towards him, yet 5 days later the crowd yelled, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Maybe they expected something different. Has there been a time in your life where the outcome wasn't what you prayed for, wasn't what you expected, Christ responded differently to your request? Were you able to see that He had good reason? Are you still frustrated with Him? Be honest with God, He wants to hear those things.

The crowds wanted a King to rule, but Jesus came to serve others. It is our bent as humans to want a God who will make us powerful and profitable, but He wants us to serve others. How can you relate?

The Messiah was expected to come in and change the political systems, but Christ came to change our personal lives. How many times have you thought, if God would only change my spouse, then I can be the spouse He has called me to, if God would only change my work environment, then I could show His love better to my co-workers? God is not as interested in changing the external situations as He is in changing the internal side of you. He wants you to be changed from the inside out, then, if true change is experienced, you wouldn't be so focused on God changing the external, but you doing what God has called/wired you to do.

Be honest with God, He wants to hear how you have felt let down by him. I would challenge you though, to ask him to change you from the inside. Maybe it is the fear of failure, ask Him for courage, maybe it is the uncertainty of the future, ask Him for faith to take one step at a time. God has unfailing love and power for your life, let Him inside, to do His work in you!

Weekend

Friday is Steve's day off, so our weekend starts then. It was a beautiful Spring day outside, still a little chilly, but the sun was out in full force. We headed out to one my favorite places, the Arboretum. I haven't been that often when everything is brown, I look forward to in about a month when this place lights up with color!





Tried Payton in the back carrier with our Ergo. We have only worn her in the front, and really haven't used it that much as she has gotten bigger, I can see myself taking her on walks in the woods this spring with her in the back. We were next to a pond, and she was pointing at the fish. She loves anything that moves right now.

Saturday was Spring Fest at our church. Here are some highlights.



Payton and her BFF Addi both walking! They are 4 weeks apart to the day (Payton is older) and they both have just started walking.



Here is a flash back about 8 months ago, when they were learning just to sit up.



Lyndsey and myself with our girls. They want to get down and move!



Payton really like the bunny from a distance, kept pointing and making squeals, up close, she wasn't as sure.



During her first egg hunt, she sat down most of the time, looking at the candy right next to her.




Mommy tried coaching her to put the eggs and candy in the bag. Daddy tried coaching her to pick up his favorite candy.



The real hunt for her was after most of the other kids left. She saw the cone for the starting line, and that is what she wanted.



Gotcha'



Quick, mom, run, let's get away with the cone. She is walking everywhere now. We had a great turn out for the day.



After Spring Fest, a few girlfriends and I went shopping to an amazing fabric store in Lawrence, KS. This place made me want to redo everything in my house, each room have a different color theme. I will definitely be back there again. Erin (who is right next time me) bought some fabric and made a great dress. Check it out HERE.

Date night

Date night last night. We headed out to dinner at Tannah's, an Asian Fusion restaurant. I remember when I was in high school and would babysit, I didn't understand how parents could go out to dinner for hours, it didn't take that long to eat. Well, now that I am a parent, I completely understand how you can sit for a few hours at dinner with your husband and enjoy every minute of it. Great time to focus on each other and dream about the future together.



A wonderful couple from church Brian and Janie watched Payton. A couple months back, when Brian walked into church, Payton reached out to have him hold her, she left me for him, I believe he was hooked on her since then. When we got to their house around 10, she was still up. They said she wouldn't go down so they were trying to rock her and she looked like she was ready to crash, then jumped up and got a second wind. She was hilarious, she was walking like she was drunk because she was so tired. They have a son in high school and they said she took a liking to him. I am starting to get a little worried because she seems to like older men. She loves her uncle Ben who is in high school too. We ended up staying and watching the rest of the K-State game and she was full of energy. We got in the car after 11 when she finally crashed. She was funny, because she was so happy the whole time until we put her in the car, she screamed for about 30 seconds, then crashed. It was a party night for her as well.



This morning daddy and Payton had breakfast together. One thing her daddy does with her is find videos on YouTube of animals and they watch them together. She doesn't ever watch TV, so she becomes mesmerized. She loves watching animals right now.



It is a sunny day in Kansas today! Looking forward to spending time outside with Steve on his day off!

St. Louis and Indiana

Last week we made a trip to Indiana, stopping in St. Louis along the way. Steve had meetings in Indiana, and couldn't find a flight home on Saturday under $600, so we decided to make a road trip, and drop Payton off at Papa and Gigi's on the way.

We spent the night in STL, and my MIL treated me to a pedicure Thursday before we left. It was so much fun getting pampered. I actually painted my toes turquoise, a fun color that I don't own. I always choose pink, trying to get out my box a little. It was nice to have my toes out of shoes, ready for Spring.






It was such a beautiful spring day! We went for a walk before we left.



The Southards Girls







Payton has learned to say Papa, Gigi, and Ben. She is adding words to her vocab everyday!




Steve and I stopped at Ted Drews on the way out of town. It is a local hot spot in STL for frozen custard that is so yummy!

I didn't get anymore pics the rest of the trip. I often forget to get the camera out and snap shots. We visited with some great friends up there. Steve had his meetings and I had some alone time. I was able to shop at Trader Joe's which made me so sad that we don't have one here.

Payton did an excellent job. Slept well, ate well, played hard. Gigi said she loved the cars, trucks and tractors. She also loved hunter the dog and Oreo the cat. She loves animals right now. We also weaned her while I was gone. Being away for a few days was a great time for weaning. She did an excellent job and hasn't asked to feed from me since we have returned. She had gotten to the point she signed "more" and pulled my shirt up or down. I thought it would be harder on her then it was. I didn't think it would be so hard on me. But I went from 3 feedings to 0 from me in less than 2 weeks. My body is feeling it! Next time I will take the advice of dropping 1 feeding a week.

I left Indy wearing flip flops and shorts, it was 70 degrees. We drove all day Saturday, picked Payton up in STL, then headed home to about 8 inches of snow and freezing weather. I was still in flip flops and shorts. It was one of the scariest drives from Columbia to Kansas City. The weather man described the roads as treacherous. Steve had white knuckles. I do wish we had a picture of him carrying me in the house, because we had to park the rental car outside in the snow and my flip flops wouldn't have worked.

We had a great trip, so thankful for Papa and Gigi who were able to love on Payton while Steve and I had alone time and great time with friends.

Free Dunkin Donuts

Every Monday in March, Dunkin Donuts is giving you a free medium coffee. No purchase necessary, just walk your little self in there, order an iced or hot medium coffee and you walk out without paying a penny. Now of course we had to get a yummy to go along with our coffee, and that does cost you :)



We went with our next door neighbor Sara and her little guy Nicholas. Sara and I swap out watching kiddos often in the daytime, it is a huge help for me. Payton loves Sara and Nicholas (I really think she loves all of Nicholas' toys).



We got a new "toy box" for the family room, since our toys were starting to flow over our little basket. Payton spends so much time sitting in this box as well.



Today Payton has been walking A LOT! She is probably walking more than crawling right now. She will go all the way across the room by herself. Soon enough she will be taking off for good.