Purse Progress

Beau's arrival seemed to push all of my garage-based endeavors way, way out of reach. So no longer will you hear the loud whirr of the table saw or the up and down rhythm of my scroll saw. I've decided to accept the fact that I'm my mother's daughter and I might actually like to sew. As long as it's super cute fabric and as long as I'm not sewing clothes. And as long as I don't have to use pins. Or be precise. Or sew a straight line. (I'm my father's daughter in the fact that I really can't sew very well.) Sew... :) Here are some fun purses I've been making to sell at a craft show in November. They're for little girls, thus the fun colors and fabrics and smaller size. I'm perfecting it every time, so as my sister Amy says, here are my latest failures...enjoy!

Random Thoughts from a Random Mother

This last week has been pretty rough with Beau fervently rejecting his magic shoes and my biceps fervently rejecting the workout they're getting from carrying Beau around all the time. I've had a lot of time to think because Beau cleared my schedule of everything else, like naps and cleaning and sewing (yes, I said sewing. I, the self-proclaimed hater of the sewing machine, have picked up a new little hobby that I'll try to post about later...). So, here are some of my random thoughts...

1. If I could will certain parts of myself to my children, this is what my will would state:

I, Keri Payne, mother of three children, do hereby will to my daughter Rebekah my mouth, brain, and funny bone. Bekah has proven herself to be a quick wit and she is constantly trying to engage me in telling stories, singing songs, and explaining everything in infinite detail. Beware of a lull in conversation, because Bekah will be there, asking me to tell her a story about a princess who goes camping or shopping or lion hunting.

Next, I hereby will my ears, legs, and that spot on my shoulder to Jacob. Jacob is loud and demanding of my attention, yelling "Mom! Mom!" until I respond. Then he'll say, "Know what? Lion came last night!" And then we'll have a full discussion about whether it was a nice or mean lion, what it did, and whether Jacob shot it or not. Jacob gets my legs because I'm always running to help him, especially for bathroom related issues. I wish clothes came in a roll like toilet paper, and I could just rip off a pair of pants and underwear every time I needed another pair. Jacob would go through a roll in a week flat. And Jacob gets my shoulder because he is a true softie and he's always needing a hug.

Finally, I hereby will my heart to Beau. (And maybe one other part of my anatomy that he has fallen in love with, the guarantor of his chubbiness). Don't get me wrong, I love all of my children, but Beau is the newest and cuddliest and the least irrational, crazy one of the bunch, and when I hold him my heart swells and I want to kiss him until there's nothing left.

2. I've thought a lot about suffering this last week. I read a story about a currant bush that grew too large and got pruned back until it was merely a stump with roots. The poor bush seemed to cry out, "I was nearly half as large as the trees across the fence, and might soon have become like one of them. But now you've cut my branches back; the green, attractive leaves are gone, and I am in disgrace among my fellows." And then the gardener responds, "Do not cry; what I have done to you was necessary that you might be a prize currant bush in my garden. You were not intended to give shade or shelter by your branches. My purpose when I planted you was that you should bear fruit. When I want currants, a tree, regardless of its size, cannot supply the need...and someday, when you see more clearly, when you are richly laden with luscious fruit, you will thank me and say, 'Surely, he was a wise and loving gardener. He knew the purpose of my being, and I thank him now for what I then thought was cruelty.'" (from Hugh B. Brown, Eternal Quest). This story made me realize that my Heavenly Father knows my true purpose, and he knows what I can become. I have to trust him to help me become that person, even if that means that I have to be pruned, or suffer through trials that might seem unnecessary and cruel to me at the time.

3. Again, on suffering, I love the quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, "I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable." (Time, 5 February 1973). This last week I realize I have been mouring the fact that Beau will have to wear his brace for the next three years. My mind seems drawn to all of the scenarios where having his brace will make things difficult, like "Oh, I won't be able to carry him on my hip. He can't sit in the seat in the grocery cart unless I take his shoes off and put them back on. What about when he's potty training and wakes up in the night to go to the bathroom?" Really all of these complaints mean nothing when I kick myself and say, "He'll be able to walk, you ungrateful mother!"

And now some pics to complete the randomness of this post:

Beau on his blessing day, what a cutie!

Bekah and Jacob aka Batman.
Hiking up in Glorieta. Perfect weather and good kids. Bekah walked about 3 miles and Jacob walked about 1 1/2. Rus had the Kelty backpack and the kids took turns riding.
We turned around at this cool old car. Rus saw this pic and got mad at me for chopping off the top of his head. I said there's nothing there on top, so what does it matter!
We were able to get both kids walking by distracting them with stories. I'm getting really good at telling stories about Princess Rebekah and Lion Hunter Jacob.

Beau's New Shoes!

A passerby might pause in horror at the sounds of screaming eminating from our house. "Are they beating their poor baby," he might inquire? A truly nosy fellow might even take the chance of pressing his nose to our front window, so as to personally witness the atrocities taking place inside. His expression would quickly change to one of confusion when he in fact saw a poor, tired mother trying desperately to put shoes on her two-month old son. "Shoes? Shoes!?" The fellow would just not understand and would depart, fingers scratching his rapidly balding head.

Inside the home, the baby, though an infant yet wise beyond his weeks, would see the man, his last glimmer of hope, walk away. "There is no stopping this persistant woman," the baby boy would think in despair. "Doesn't she know that my leg feels like a mashed banana?" The baby would increase the intensity and volume of his cries, but to no avail. The shoes were there to stay. "Hmmm...they are stylish little moccasins," the baby would think, as the last shudder of sorrow passed through his little body.

Just then a toddler boy passed by and his face lit up at the sight of the shoes. "Baby Beau has a skateboard," the toddler cried! The baby's previously anguished face turned into a benevolent smile at the idea of having skateboard shoes, and the poor, tired mother lifted her eyes to the heavens and thought, "Maybe this will work after all!"

So, as you might have guessed, Beau got his new shoes yesterday! Hooray! He is supposed to wear them for 23 hours a day, but his leg is so sensitive and bruised that I'm doing good to just have him wear them for twenty minutes at a time. The doctor said that's okay, and by a week he should be wearing them full time. Not wearing the shoes all the time is the number one cause of regression, and there is no way I want to do the casts again. So my mantra is "Because I love you, I will not give myself the power to take off your shoes." Dumb, maybe, but I want this to succeed, so that's what I'll tell myself when he's sick of his shoes. They are pretty stylish little things...check them out! Can you see how bruised his leg is? Poor guy! He gets really mad when I touch it or bump it in any way. I think it'll be better in just a couple of days, though.

Not a Good Samaritan

A few weeks ago we went to visit my sister Amy in Flagstaff. On Sunday we went to her ward, and Bekah was so excited that they had a Sunbeam class there, just for her. So after church Rus and I were asking her what she had learned. She showed us the picture she had colored of a man lying sick on the side of the road and the Good Samaritan helping him. I asked her what she had learned and she said this:
"The man was sick on the road and a man walked by and didn't help him and then another man walked by and didn't help him and then another man came by and he did help him and made him feel better!"
I said, "Bekah, oh, that's a great story! So, when you see someone who is sick or needs help, what do you do?"
And she said, "Oh, I just walk by because someone else will help him."
I respond (in my surprised voice) "No, Bekah, the story means that if you see someone who needs help, you help them!"
And Bekah said, with finality, "No. A man walks by and then another man walks by and then someone helps him. So I walk by and then Sarah can help him!"

Hmmm...Do you think she got the point of the story?!

Payneful Reunion

For those of you who don't know, Rus's dad Roger is one of twelve children, nine of whom are still living. So when you get nine Payne siblings together, the result is chaos and good food. :) We had somewhere around 175 people at the reunion this past Saturday. Nobody had seen anybody else for years, so we were supposed to wear nametags. Rus's said "who cares" and his brother's name tag said "the good looking son of Roger Payne". Rus was embarrassed that I wanted to wear one with my actual name on it. He said it meant that I must be one of the "good" cousins. It was fun meeting Rus's cousins and aunts and uncles. The kids got to play on those big inflatable jumpers, and Rus brought a water bottle-rocket launcher for entertainment too. Mainly the whole event centered around the food, with breakfast, lunch and dinner being provided (I think so that nobody felt the need to eat the next day). All of Rus's siblings were able to come, and three of us girls had just had babies in the last eight weeks. It was fun comparing the babies, mine being the chunkiest and Carla's getting the nickname "Pipsqueak". Rus told Bekah that Katie's baby's name was "Chicka Chicka Slim Sadie", so she called her that most of the day. Here's some fun pics in no particular order (with the caption above each pic):

Rus's sister Emily and sister-in-law DeAnn striking their super sexy poses. Oo la la!! (DeAnn's holding Beau.)

Rus's mom's mother Grandma Windham holding Beau. She sat in her chair and occupied herself holding grand babies. (There were three to go around.) If one got taken away, she'd yell for another. :) Jacob holding Beau. Happy brothers! (Do you like the latest artwork on Beau's cast? Rus has been begging me to draw a shoe. Next he wants an argyle sock. We'll see. :)
Rus's aunt Mary holding Beau. We love Clay and Mary and were so happy that they could come visit and hold our kids. Mary got to snuggle a sleeping Beau a couple of times, and Bekah sat on her lap throughout the whole sacrament meeting yesterday. She calls her Grandma Mary and is just tickled pink that she has so many grandmas.
Rus, Keri and Beau, Tom, Mary, Clay, and John. Tom and John just came to hold our kids and go shooting with Rus. Beau really enjoyed drooling on Tom and giving John's arms a good workout. We were so happy they came and we took good care of them in hopes that they'll visit again sometime!
Keri and Beau, Katie and Sadie, Carla and Alden. Beau is 8 weeks, Sadie is 7 weeks, and Alden is 2 weeks. With DeAnn on the left and Emilee on the right. DeAnn is expecting a baby in March. Rus's parents were very grateful that she gave them a little more time before they'd have to welcome a new grand baby! Man, what is in the water down here?!!These babes are going to be the best of friends (as long as Beau doesn't roll over and smash one of them before they get the chance!)
And on another note, this is how we've been enjoying our Labor Day...cleaning out our new pop-up! Actually it's really a family pop-up. Rus's dad got it from Louise's brother and is letting us fix it up and keep it at our house. We are so excited to have it and we're already planning our first trip!Bekah loved playing house in the pop-up and she's just as excited to take it out as we are!

And to end on a happy note...