Thinking of you today

Samuel,

I'm at work today when I was supposed to be SCUBA diving. I was looking at the blog mommy does for our family and I started thinking about you. You are growing up so fast! I love having you ride in my car and talking with you man to man. You always have interesting things to say! I love playing outside with you and I love how much you help me when I am working. You are the hardest working three year old I know!

I am so glad God saw fit to bless me with a son as special and as wonderful as you. I pray He will give me the wisdom to raise you to be a Godly man. In the meantime, though, I am praying that you and I will continue to have fun spending time together and that you won't grow up too fast!

I love you buddy,
Daddy

Poor Guy

Silly Sammy Slick,
I can't believe it's been OVER a year since I've updated your blog.  I had big plans to catch up yours the same way I did Hannah's.  I just don't think it's going to happen.  I'm sorry you've got such a slacker Mama!

In a year you've:

• been to Maryland to visit your Great Aunt Mary & Uncle Carroll for Thanksgiving
• had a bowling party for your 3rd birthday (I'm going to try to get these pictures up for you!)
• Uncle Dave & Aunt Karen had twin girls in March 2011 - Catherine Louise & Samantha Jean
• You went on your first airplane trip to Houston, TX in April.  You loved the whole thing...the airplane ride, your cousins, Uncle Thom, all of the fun activities we did while we were there.
• in May we went to Panama City Beach, FL for our family vacation.  You're constantly asking to go back :-)
• in May we also went to New Albany, IN for Lori & Mike's wedding.  It was so fun watching you & Hannah dance during the reception!
• In March Daddy brought home four baby chicks.  Then he brought home another four so now we've got 8 chickens!  You love them and are so good about helping us feed/water them.  You even helped Daddy build the chicken coop.  You've always been a wonderful helper!
• July we've celebrated Papa's birthday and spent  a lot of time swimming!

You have been talking more and more lately!  You used to let Hannah do all the talking but now you're starting to speak up and voice your opinions.  I love it!
You also were so shy around Jack S. but now you two are the best of friends.  Yesterday you spent an entire day playing happily with Jack.  You're a little bossy with him but he doesn't seem to mind too much :-)

I love you Sammy.  You make me so incredibly happy and it is an honor to be your mother!  I will update more often I promise!!

Love forever,
Mommy

Here are a few recent pictures of you...

Snow cones at the Earle's during the 4th festivities.

Miss. Emily took you for your FIRST ride on Misty.

Swimming at High Falls with Granny & Aunt Bonnie.  WITHOUT water wings I might add!

My little buddy

Sammy,

This is your daddy. I was just thinking of you today. I am so proud to have such a great little man as my son. You are so cute and funny that I sometimes wonder how you could be my son! I thank God all the time that He saw fit to bless me with a son as special as you and I continue to pray that He will give me the wisdom to raise you to be a man who loves Him. I love you buddy!

Love,
Daddy

simply sammy {in pictures}

[I love this little guy!]

[authentic pouty face...]

the past few months in pictures....

• favorite phrase: "No it's not." or "Mommy did it."
• favorite color: not sure at the moment. maybe orange?
• favorite food: "mashed tatoes"
• favorite book: 'Eat, Cried Little Pig'
• favorite restaurant (if it can be called that): McDonalds
• favorite animal: not one at the moment. we're enjoying reading 'The Very Busy Spider' and making all of the animal sounds.
• favorite snuggle buddy: Mystery - the small velour blanket that had a horse head and tail on it.
• favorite pastime: jumping on the trampoline with Hannah
• favorite person: this would be a tie b/w Mama, Daddy, Hannah & Papa but I'm leaning more towards Hannah :-)
  

Where'd it go?

Hey sweet buddy,
It's been a while since Mommy's written you a letter! Sorry about that! I'm just slow.

Anyway you've been a very busy little boy. You're climbing on top of all of our furniture and jumping down. You can jump off the ground with two feet. You love the trampoline! You follow Hannah around and do everything she does. You're saying more and more words and sentences. All in all, you're growing up too fast!

"Where'd it go?"
"There it is!"
"Come back here!"
"Mama where are you?"
"I'm naked!"
"I like it!"
"Don't like it!"
"'Cuse me Hannah (or Mama or Daddy)"
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Kiss-mas!!"

Your hair is still as blond as ever too! I love it. You got your first haircut a few months ago. Mommy tried trimming it at home but I didn't do a good job so I had to take you to a stylist so they could fix it. They cut off all your cute little curls. But I put them in your baby book so we'll always have them.

We got our Christmas tree last week. Hannah helped pick it out and you love smelling it! You loved decorating it too. It was a little hard for you to hang the ornaments so we had to help you. Everyday you like to turn on the lights and then you walk around looking at all the ornaments. I've finally put more presents underneath and you look at those too. I can't wait to see you when you open all of your gifts.

I'm going to go so I can do some chores while you're napping. I just want to say that I love you very much! You're the cutest little boy in the world!!

Love always,
Mommy

Just a few pictures of what we've been up to lately....

You really enjoyed licking the batter off of the beater when we made Gingerbread Cookies.

You really did not like Santa Claus. You cried when I put you in his lap. Hannah, on the other hand, climbed right up and talked to him. Maybe next year?

Picking out our Christmas tree. I'll put up a picture of it soon.

Finally!!! A good Christmas picture of you guys!!

Such a Big Boy

Hey Monkey!!
I'm sorry I keep taking so long to write you letters! I'm a slacker!! I'm just going to do a quick update and I promise I'll write more often!

Well, summer is just about over and we've been staying home a lot lately. No more gymnastics for Hannah or playgroup for both of you.

We did go to the library yesterday and you guys had a blast. You played with the Dinosaur toys and the puzzles. You both played with the stuffed animals and the puppet theater. You had a blast stacking up the cushions and then knocking them down. You also enjoyed picking out a movie to watch - you got Veggie Tales Heroes of the Bible.

You can do the sign for 'A' and 'B'. We've not been doing sign language lately so I'm going to get us back to that. It's cute watching you do your little signs. We've also started watching 'Baby Einstein's Babies Favorite Places". While watching it you copied what they were saying rather than the sign language. You can say "market" and "florist."

You & Hannah are so sweet together. You play together a lot more and you'll generally do whatever she wants. Sometimes she drives you crazy and you'll yell, "Stop it!" I always laugh when you say that. If I tell either of you that I'm going to get Mr. Sad and spank you, you immediately run and get Mr. Sad for me. Even when it's you I'm threatening to spank!! You are so silly!!!

Some of your new phrases: (sorry if I've repeated any from last time)

• "Be right back." - as you hold up Pointer.
• "Ready get out!" - of the bathtub.
• "I'm done." - using the potty
• "Read it!!" - as you shove a book at me. Your favorite is Moo! Baa! La, La, La!!
• "Candy!!"
• "Drink"
• "Monkers!" - for Monsters, Inc. which you love to watch!!!
• Recently you've started saying, "I get it." and "I did it!! Good job!"

Another awesome development is that you can pee standing up. I went shopping one day and when I got home Daddy showed me how he taught you to stand up and pee pee. We lift the toilet lid and the seat and let you put your feet on the bottom. A few times you've twisted and missed but you do a good job. One day I started to put the potty seat on the toilet and you yelled, "No! Stand up!!" It was sweet. I'm so proud of you.
Today I took you and Hannah to Shoe Show to measure your foot and get the prices on some shoes. You were in heaven!! You certainly have a shoe fetish. You ran up and down the aisles yelling, "Shoes!" while looking at each and every pair. It was hilarious!!

You're still singing, "Tinkle Tinkle Little 'Tar." Only now you sing it really loud and you laugh b/c you know you're making me & Daddy laugh too. It's sweet listening to you sing.

I'm going to go but I will write more often. I love you sweet little buddy!!!

Love always,
Mommy