Pond Redux

There have been a lot of projects around Stately Payne Manor recently. First, the winter freeze cycles destroyed our front steps and they were repaired by a quite impressive stone mason. Then the gutters needed to be replaced. This week, work continued on the back deck, replacing the rotted surface. And we had the pond repaired. Quite a bit of activity!



The pond needed help. Over the winter, many of the stones that defined the perimiter of the pond decided they would prefer to be in the pond. Additionally, a persistent leak in the ponds liner needed to be fixed. And finally, some of the plants surrounding the pond had given up the ghost.

While we were at it, we added a waterfall and stream to the pond, at the same time upgrading the filtering system. There are even lights!

At least one frog has come back to enjoy the pond (he has set up house inside the new skimmer). Hopefully more will decide to make this their home. Tristan would be quite happy to hear that. And you can actually see the fish now. Yes, there are actually fish in our Koi pond. We weren't quite sure about that until the water cleared up.

Mother's Day

M is for the million things she gave you...

We celebrated Mother Day this year with dinner at home. Steak, baked potatos and corn on the cob were the main course (actually, that sounds like a Father's Day meal).



William apparently enjoyed himself...Hopefully, the moms did as well.

Mini-Mowers

No, we have not embraced child labor, Tristan and William are trying out their bubble mowers on one of the first warm days of the summer (94 degrees!)



The shirtless look started with William being too warm in the outfit Tom picked out this morning and then he got his onesie dirty. Then Tristan had to copy his baby brother.

Fishin'

While Jennifer was out of town, Tom took the boys up to Macedonia State Park to go fishing with Tristan's friend Rory. Rory's dad, Andrew, has supplied the equipment in the past, but this time Tom brought his own nets ($1 butterfly nets from Target).

William figures out the net thingie



Tom and Huck?





Tom is also thinking of become a portrait artist:

Family Tree

Tom's latest obsession is the family tree. His sister, Deborah, started this a long while ago with the goal of seeing how far back the family went. Tom's simply want to understand how his boys are related to Jennifer's sprawling branch of relatives. Check out the tree at http://paynebancroft.myheritage.com.

Happy Easter!

Coloring Easter eggs is very serious business.


OK, not really...



Dad thought the eggs would look nice out in the front yard


But the boys put out their colored Easter eggs in hopes that they Easter Bunny would come in the morning and hide them...




The Easter Bunny made a visit to Paynecentral. And it appears that they boys were quite pleased with the results.

Passover with the Leibermans

Is is becoming something of a tradition for the Payne's to celebrate Easter with a visit to the Lieberman's for Passover Seder.



This year, we were joined by cousin Mikey. It was Mikey's first seder. Here he is reading a portion of the haggadah, the story of Passover, while Tristan enjoys some matzah.



Tristan took some good closeups of our host, Mel.



Here Tristan catches fellow guest, Ron, setting up some wine for Elijah...and himself.