Samuel's Club (Ben has joined !)

Happy Valentine's !

2009-02-15T14:54:00.000-06:00

SOOOOO behind on posting ! One of these days I'll go back and post our Christmas pics for all you relatives who were there ;>) In the meantime, hope you enjoy some of our Valentine's fun......

Samuel went to a little Valentine party; his friends Claire and Will were there too. They all received way too much candy ;>)

After the party, we all went out to eat and then Amy and I took our kids to the park.

Amy helped Samuel slide. I'm not sure Samuel really meant to go down it the first time. He belly-flopped halfway down the slide and came off the slide onto his belly ! He was pretty shaken up, but actually got back on it again later !

See-sawing with Amy

If at first you don't succeed, try try again.....I thought this was pretty brave of him !

Valentine's Day was full of cards/packages from Alabama and a few gifts from Mom and Dad.

Ben and Samuel with one of their cards

Balloons and candy (M&M's of course) rounded out the day....

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas !

2008-12-24T17:11:00.011-06:00

Just sharing some pics from our exhaustive (exhausting?) Christmas card photo shoot.....

We went from crying......

....to hysterics....

....to hats falling down and tongues sticking out.

We've said it before, but those girls at Olan Mills don't get paid enough ;>) Despite snapping a huge number of pics, we never could get them both smiling at the same time. Here are the ones that did make the cut:

We've posted more of our Christmas activities below. From our house to yours, Merry Christmas !

Our Christmas Parade.....so far

2008-12-24T16:00:00.014-06:00

Just some pics of our holiday activities so far.....

We plan to start some solids now that Ben's six months, but have been so busy with holiday activities we've not done it yet. He decided to take matters into his own hands by putting his face down in Mark's pistachio salad. You think that's a pediatrician-approved first food ;>) ?

Claire & Samuel take turns pushing each other around in the stroller.

Rosie was very sweet to make some Christmas cookies for the kids to decorate. Can you tell what was their favorite part ?

Yes, the S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E-S !! Poor Rosie had quite the mess to clean up !

Mark's brother, Michael, has endeared himself to Samuel by playing cars with him. Michael and Linda came up for a visit recently from Florida. It's the first time they've seen Samuel since he was about 15 months old. Samuel's changed a lot since then !

And, of course, they got to meet Ben for the first time; with Aunt Linda

And Uncle Michael

Samuel went to his first Christmas parade this year. This was the first time we'd ever seen a herd of sheep going down Main Street ! Samuel loved the fire trucks especially.....there were plenty to love too.......there were so many that Mark said he hoped nobody's house caught on fire during the parade ;>)

What's a parade without a flag to wave ? Most nights Samuel takes that flag to bed with him !

The birthday boys, Mark & Norm. Once again, Samuel's not getting too close to those candles ! I don't think we have to worry about him actually becoming a fireman !

Playing with Brian; Samuel just loved the Christmas village.

Ben with Lauren & Brian

This was at a Christmas party Samuel went to with his friend, Will. See what too much sugar does to them ;>)

First Snow, First Dates, & Disappearing Acts

2008-12-12T15:31:00.015-06:00

Our sweet little Ben was 6 months old this week and went to the doctor today for his checkup and shots. Samuel has been skittish when Ben goes in for shots, but we read "Corduroy Goes to the Doctor" this morning and he seemed okay about it. When they took us back, we could hear a kid across from us crying and screaming his head off. He sounded older, I figured at least 6 or 7, and he was screaming things like "You hate me" and "Yes, I'm going to die" !! So much for my calm kids ;>)----they both looked very scared but at least didn't cry. When the nurse came into our room she apologized about it. She said the boy was 12 !!! (I think he needed something besides a shot ;>)

Anyway, our sweet "little" Ben weighs 3 ounces shy of a whopping 18 lbs ! (Samuel was about 19 lbs on his first birthday !) I can't believe how fast these 6 months have flown by (I probably wouldn't think that in the middle of one of our long, sleepless nights but those are becoming much rarer). Mark's mother was saying recently that Ben is acting like he will be crawling soon and she thinks he'll soon have a tooth. I told her I'm in no hurry for either of those things to happen! What's funny is that with Samuel it was all about "when" will he be doing x, y, or z. Maybe that's natural with the first. Now, with Ben, it feels like water slipping through your fingers----it's just going too fast and you can't hold onto it. Here are some pics of our much beloved "disappearing act" ;>) at 6 months of age:

"Whose bassinet is this; mine or Sophie's ?" (Sophie would say hers !)

This is Melanie & Daniel's newborn, Cole, not even 24 hours old. We're very happy for them. He was so close to Ben's size at birth and he was born on the day Ben was exactly 6 months old, so it just reinforced how quickly these 6 months have flown by !

Mark and I went out last night to a concert. The Canadian Brass quintet was playing with the Symphony. They were our "first date" back in the spring of 1998 when they played the Ryman, so we thought it would be fun to "recreate" that evening. We had a great time (if you ever get the chance to hear them, they are wonderful!) but the "re-creation" was somewhat modified with the passing of time. That first time, we had a leisurely dinner at Demo's before going to the concert. This time, in a concession to nursing schedules, naptimes, & bedtimes, we quickly grabbed something from Wendy's and ate it in the car. That first time, Mark picked me up at my office in his new 2-door sports car; this time, we arrived at the concert in our 5-door minivan ! The jazz in the car's CD player from back then is usually replaced with "The Wheels On The Bus and Other Toddler Favorites". And all romantic thoughts driving home from that first date were replaced this time with 2 kids screaming in the backseat almost all the way home. I don't think either of us would change a thing though !

Grandpa with his boys; he and Grandma were on babysitting detail last night.

We left home around 5 pm yesterday, so imagine our surprise driving back from a snow-free area around 11 pm and encountering all this snow the further south we went. There was a big moon and it was a beautiful drive home (more or less, with 2 screaming kids in the backseat ;>). I got the kids out in it for a short while this morning, so Ben could see his first snow:

I think he looks like a seal in his snowsuit !

Ben was rather "underwhelmed" by it all ;>) He looks like he's thinking "Don't you know what the temperature is...?"

I took Samuel & Ben on a wagon ride through the backyard. No time for snowman building though since we had to go to the doctor's.

This is a pic from earlier in the week. Samuel & Will often love to "lead singing" when they get together !

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T13:45:00.039-06:00

We had a busy but wonderful Thanksgiving week. We have so much to be grateful for, but certainly the arrival of our sweet little Ben would top the list this year. We're also thankful for the friends in our lives; we got to have a playdate with a few of them just before Thanksgiving:

Who has the curliest hair, Claire or Samuel ??

It's hard for me to believe that Michael got over here on his own; I guess Ben will be there in a few months !

Will and Samuel goofing off.

Quite a few years ago, we began having some of our Thanksgiving celebrations with the Duggins, when we weren't able to go away for the holiday. It's come to have a special place in our lives and we were so glad to be there this year. Our longtime friends, the Boyds, were there and it was extra special because of the two new babies, Benjamin and Nicolai:

Yes, it was SPECIAL ;>) Actually, posting this first is misleading......this was toward the end of the evening when "tired and cranky" replaced "sweet and cuddly" !

We actually got some good pics of them together (and see who else squirmed into the corner ?) There's about a month difference in their ages, but Nic seems to be as healthy an eater as Ben !

We're SO thankful we do NOT have a piano at our house ;>)

Samuel found a playmate in Tracy.

Anybody who plays cars with Samuel is an instant soulmate ;>)

Not sure if Gary expects Ben to chew it or write with it ;>)

I think this is such a sweet pic of Tracy & Ben.

Dan & Nic.

Amanda & Ben.

Samuel with his buddy, Matt.

Ben knows a "Grandma" when he finds one ;>)

We headed out Friday morning early for Alabama and met family at one of the malls around 11am to snag some deals (supposedly). There were only a few things we were looking for and several of those were long gone to those willing to get out at 4 or 5 in the morning (definitely not us !). We still found a few bargains, but we mostly just enjoyed the time out and about with family. Around mid-afternoon we headed back to my Mother's for some turkey and the trimmings. Here are some pics from our visit there:

Ben with Grandma. In recent weeks, Ben has discovered his feet/toes. He thinks they're absolutely fascinating.....I should wrap them up for his Christmas !

With Aunt Stacy.

With cousin Brooke.

His cousin Trennis tried all kinds of things to capture Ben's attention.......

.....unfortunately what worked was offering his hair to Ben, who's recently discovered pulling hair and was happy to give Trennis more attention than he wanted !

Something sure is funny !

Ben with cousins Peyton and Trennis.

With Uncle Wayne before he and Stacy head to the Alabama-Auburn game.

You'd probably have to be from Alabama (or maybe be Daryl W ;>) to understand that the Alabama-Auburn game is a MAJOR BIG DEAL. And it was so nice to actually be in the state of Alabama on the day they won it big (after many years of losing to Auburn) and be surrounded by all that CRIMSON (versus normally being surrounded by all that "Big Orange"). It only made the wonderful Thanksgiving weekend that much better ;>)

The only unfortunate part of our Thanksgiving was that Mark developed a really severe toothache before we left Alabama, so we had to postpone Part 3 of our Thanksgiving, which was with his parents. We hated that, but Mark was really in a lot of pain. However, we got some clove oil from Janet and since using that yesterday afternoon, he has gotten much better. If that's what cured him, a big "Thank You" to Dr. Janet !! Here's hoping it doesn't recur !

Special Visitors

2008-11-23T21:48:00.010-06:00

I'm so behind on posting; we've had such a busy fall and I have so many pictures, but in lieu of wading through those tonight, here are some pictures from our combination potluck/baby shower last night for Marcie & Lee and their son, Nicolai, who are back from Hungary for a visit over the holidays. It was so good to see them and finally meet 4 month old Nicolai !!

Two of the guests of honor ^. Don't know how it happened, but somehow we failed to get a picture of the proud dad----oops ;>)

Such a sweetie, although an exhausted little sweetie ! There's quite a time difference from Hungary to Tennessee.

We had a very good turnout and lots and lots of food.

Samuel's found a new friend in Melanie----although anyone who'll play cars with him automatically qualifies!

High fivin' with Lauren.

Shane took his turn with both Nicolai and Benjamin.

(1) Any guesses which baby spit up on Shane ?

(2) Any guesses what Shane did after that?

If you said (1) Benjamin and if you said (2) "gave him back", you would be correct ;>)

In addition to Shane, there were several "babysitters" helping me out, which was nice. I think Joe dazzled Ben with his orange.

I like to think Ben is laughing because he's thinking "how can anybody wear all that UT orange THIS season" ;>) I'm sure Mark appreciates that caption ;>)

Happy HalloweeK !

2008-11-02T16:14:00.055-06:00

The scariest thing about Halloween.......;>)

"Peace, man !" ....... But hey, we won the best costume prize.......all the credit probably goes to that 'fro ;>)

Our Halloween turned into HalloweeK; we seemed to be on the run all week with various Halloween activities. It was a lot of fun, but glad this is just once a year ! Although I wouldn't have believed it when I was a kid, I think watching our kids do these things was more fun than when we were little and did it ourselves.

Couldn't resist a shot of Benjamin in the leaves with the pumpkin that Samuel finds SO scary (if any of you remember from last year's post). Maybe Ben will feel differently about it next year. We couldn't even get Samuel to come out of the garage when we got this pumpkin out !!

We went to visit Mrs. Robertson earlier in the week. We decided to "let" Samuel wear his costume, both as a trial run and because we thought Mrs. R would enjoy seeing him in it. "Let" implies he wanted to wear it; "forced" would be the more appropriate word. He was so pouty when we got there, but she brought him out of his shell. He took the costume off after we were there a little while, but she even convinced him to put it back on when it was time to go !! We decided maybe we should bring her to our house Halloween to get him dressed ;>)

We also did some Halloween activities with Samuel's friend, Will, in the week before Halloween. At the Halloween party he went to the day before Halloween, Samuel was perfectly happy to wear his costume.

They made these shirts by dipping one foot in white paint and putting it upside down on the shirt to make a ghost. Of course, my child was the only one shrieking about having to dip his foot in paint ;>)

They also went trick-or-treating at the little party. Samuel and Will make cute penguins and giraffes, don't they !

That same night, we went trick-or-treating at the grands and at some friends. Unfortunately, Samuel was back in "anti-Halloween" mode and it took quite a while for him to warm up, but he finally did.....

He's starting to catch on that that penguin suit = CANDY !

Ben was a little pumpkin, both figuratively and literally !

Grandma's got her orange on too

With Grandpa

We also went to visit Aunt Renita and Uncle Norm. Just like at the Grands, Samuel got double handfuls of candy. His pail was full after just 2 stops !

Okay, now for Halloween day. For the first time since we've been together, we had a chance to dress up for a Halloween party. It was really a lot of fun both for the kids and for us.

Believe me, I am SO glad he's a better dresser and goes to the barber in real life ;>)

We stopped by to trick-or-treat at the Duggins on the way to the party. I think we were their entertainment for the week ;>)

This is Prince Charming and one of the seven dwarfs; Sadie's so content whenever I've seen her, she must have been the dwarf Happy.

The sweetest skunk ever with his grandpa

Wicked witch Jessica needs a nose job, don't you think! She reminds me of that hilarious "I Love Lucy" episode when Lucy has a fake nose. Shelby made a sweet Snow White.

Thing One and Thing Two

Our fun hosts, Tiger, Pirate, Ladybug, and Skunk......

If you notice, Adam has a big earring in one ear and I had big clip-on earrings too, so we were commiserating on how sore our ears were, which is not a conversation I ever thought I would have with Adam ;>)

Snow White and Prince Charming. They got my vote for best costume. Lindsey looked so authentic, I could just imagine the cartoon bluebirds and butterflies around her head. I think the other Snow White (Shelby) thought this Snow White was the real deal !

King Tut and the missus (Adam's parents got Mark's vote for best costume)

"Jimi Hendrix" teaches Samuel & Will how to play the guitar

"You want me to go up WHERE and do WHAT ?" Samuel was a reluctant trick-or-treater at first, but quickly got the hang of it and was soon knocking on doors with the rest.

Once he figured out there was loot (candy) involved, I think he'd do it everyday!

The whole bunch of little monsters

Adam and Rosie had fun stuff for the kids to do----you'd think a penguin wouldn't need a pole to go fishing ;>)

Cleopatra helps Samuel paint his pumpkin

Will seems to be trying to copy Mom's hair ;>)

Samuel's trying the Jackson Pollack method of painting----just throw it anywhere !

Ben says "boo" (or his feet do ^)

Just like in the Disney movie, all the creatures fall under Snow White's spell.

The "wicked witch" after her nose job with our sweet little pumpkin ;>)

Jessica got our little penguin to eat grapes, something we've not had any luck with !

Prince Charming also worked his charms on Samuel and Ben; of course, WHO could resist a guy in crushed velvet and a cape ;>)

Thanks to Adam and Rosie for a fun evening and some wonderful memories !

Climb Every Mountain

2008-10-23T17:06:00.006-05:00

WARNING: You are entering a very long post ;>)

...or just one, once a year, especially if you're taking a 2 year old and a 3 month old. As the song says, we got by with a little help from our friends. The weather was absolutely perfect, cool and low humidity, as opposed to the prior year's sticky heat, which made such a difference, as did staying off that beautiful, but wicked Rainbow Falls trail. We took the shorter but steeper Alum Cave Trail, which was only about 5.5 miles.

We had a friend repeatedly offer to carry Samuel up to the top in the weeks prior to our hike. However, Mark thought we should "bear our own burdens" ;>) and had no intention of accepting. The plan was for Mark to carry Samuel in our back child carrier and I would carry Benjamin in our front carrier and the backpack on my back. I really had my doubts about whether I could do it, but decided to start up the trail (with the car keys), knowing I could always return to the car and go back to our luxurious other cabin (the one with electricity). However, dear sweet Mike was waiting for us at the trailhead and insisted he would carry Samuel. Thankfully (for me anyway ;>), Mark agreed, so Mark carried Ben and I carried the backpack. I really don't know whether I could have gotten to the top carrying Ben----if I had, it would have been much later and with much more pain and suffering during and afterwards ! My new hiking boots were great----kept all of my toenails for the first time in several years. And because of Mike, my shoulders and back were still functional ! This was my 10 year anniversary (although I missed a few years here and there)----the first time I went, Mark and I had been dating about 6 months, and it was something like his 7th time to do it. We did Rainbow Falls and I can still remember throwing down my walking stick somewhere near the top and declaring "I will NEVER do this again"! I wouldn't have dreamed then, that 10 years later, I'd still be doing it and we'd have two kids with us----never say never ! This was also Samuel's third year in a row!

Ben traveled like Samuel did two years ago, except Samuel was old enough to face outwards.....Ben didn't have quite as good a view ;>)

Samuel with BFF (at least in Mom's mind), Mike. This is when we stopped for lunch at the bluff. Mike and Samuel went on without us, as I needed to feed Ben. I worried whether Samuel would cry when he discovered we weren't around, but apparently "out of sight, out of mind", as evidenced in one of the pics further down.

Ben with his "Aunt Renita"

Ben with Mom at our break

We're getting closer.....somewhere around here, we met a man hiking up and he stopped to chat. We found out that this was his 9th trip up this summer, it was 8 weeks since he had broken a rib in a fall while climbing Machu Picchu in Peru, and he was 66 years old. He passed us on his way back down before we ever got to the top. He made us feel about 96 !

A view from near the top

The last little bit, Dad took Ben out of his carrier and carried him in his arms; you can see that made Ben happy.

When we got to the top, this is what we found ^. Samuel was happily occupied with S & J and apparently had forgotten all about us !

......of course, this is ALSO how we found Mike !! He wasn't dead, just dead tired I think !

Relaxing around the stove

With friend Steve, who happily corrupted Samuel by RE-teaching him where his body parts were----elbows on the leg, knees on the arm, etc.

The menu never changes and it all comes out of cans, but it's one of the best meals we eat all year !

Ben with his "Uncle Norm"

Samuel's entertaining Ben on the bunk

Our happy camper

After supper, Mark and I loaded both kids up and hiked the 0.2 miles to see the sunset at Cliff Tops; of course, we got there just AFTER the sun went down. It was still beautiful with streaks of color in the sky and a crescent moon already up----one of the prettiest I've seen there and, naturally, our camera died just as we tried to take a pic ;>)

Later, standing at the water pump, brushing my teeth, and looking up to watch the sky, I lost my balance and landed on my rear. The "rearview" was great though----the sky was SO clear that night, with no electric lights around and very cold, so you could see what looked like billions of stars. We got through the rest of the night pretty uneventfully. I hope our cabinmate wasn't too disturbed by us or our kids. Ben got extra feedings to keep him from crying and Samuel got to sleep with Dad, so both kids were happy.

Getting ready to head back down----at least we're still smiling

We joked that Mike would sneak out of camp extra early the next morning before we got up, but he was still there after all ;>) We stayed together until the bluff and then he and Samuel left us and, once again, "out of sight, out of mind".

Ben will find this pic embarassing one day, won't he? Guess who had a blow-out diaper on the side of the mountain ? Wasn't Mark sweet to clean him up? (Each of the next 2 Sundays, Ben had blow-outs in my lap in "church" clothes, so I got paid back.) Of course, I had to tote the smelly stuff down in the backpack.

As we neared the bottom, Ben enjoyed another break from the carrier.

Reunited at the bottom. Samuel was busy eating Renita's Skittles, so I don't think he missed us at all !

When we got back to our "electrified" cabin, we all got baths/showers, had a good supper, and spent the evening playing games, being entertained, and just relaxing.

Samuel snuggles with Mom while the band plays on.....

Our kids did not lack for attention from all the friends in the group. It was nice to have all that extra help around ! Here are just some of our friends & kids:

We went to eat one night at Apple Barn^----apparently I'm the only person in the Western Hemisphere who had never been ;>)

We also had an extra treat that weekend. Family from Alabama, who had never seen Ben in person, were vacationing in the Smokies, so after Sunday services, we were able to spend time with them. It was a really nice day to end a really nice trip !

Ben with Mom's Aunt Patsy

Samuel had a great time playing with all the kids around.

This is the face....

2008-10-20T17:44:00.004-05:00

that belongs to the little boy
who discovered some toys
bought by Mom for Christmas
because Kohl's had a big sale
in a bag in the bedroom
that Dad said to hide in the closet
but Mom said she might return some of them
and if they were in the closet, she'd forget,
so Mom said let's just keep him out of that room
AFTER Mom forgot to keep him out of that room
and he was told he couldn't have what he found....

Guess sometimes, Father does know best ;>)

Where's There's a Will.....

2008-10-09T15:12:00.005-05:00

.....there's a Samuel ! Samuel went to visit his buddy, Will, and got the chance to see a firetruck up close and personal. He was fascinated, to say the least, as he loves cars & trucks. Two of his favorites are firetrucks and garbage trucks. Maybe that indicates a future career.....probably the latter, as he sometimes seems afraid of fire ;>) AND one of his bad habits we've had to work on is his propensity to throw stuff away that he shouldn't. At various times, this has included a magnet, two $1 bills, two $20 bills, and a bag of M&M's. All but the M&M's were recovered; of course, who knows what we're unaware of.......where did I put that baby ;>)

Here are some Will & Samuel pictures. Our hiking trip pictures will be posted later. We got back late Sunday night, have had a hectic week, and are leaving again this afternoon for a family reunion out of state. Too many Smokies pictures to wade through and post right now.

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain...

2008-10-01T00:12:00.009-05:00

.....or maybe not. We're headed this week to our annual LeConte hike. It's unclear yet who will be hiking---all four of us or just Dad & Samuel. "Some" of us were hoping for heavy downpours, to make the decision easy, but apparently that's not expected to happen. Please pray for rain---just kidding (I think) ;>)

I've had so many ask me if Benjamin looks like Samuel did at the same age. Some say they see Samuel in Benjamin, others say no. So you can judge for yourselves:

Samuel at 3.5 months ^

Benjamin at 3.5 months ^

We went out to eat recently with Mark's parents. Can you tell who's Grandpa's best bud?

Grandma's too, I think !

Check out those rolls of fat !

This is Ben's latest accomplishment----he can now grab the rings on his playmat !

Odds (some VERY odd) and Ends

2008-09-19T15:07:00.020-05:00

I suppose if I posted more often, they wouldn't be so long when I do ;>) Nothing exciting around here like trips, although we have been busy writing checks to repair people. It seems like everything around here has wanted to quit working....A/C, refrigerator, telephone, Mom ;>)

Some of the "odds" :

Our annual hiking trip up LeConte is coming up soon and at least one of us is extremely unprepared. We were in Dick's last night checking out hiking shoes and as I walked by the socks, I noticed a pair for $40. I couldn't believe it, so I got Mark to come see them before we left. They didn't seem like anything that special, but as we looked, we noticed a pair on the rack below for $80! And then, below that, was a pair for $160 !! $160 for a pair of socks ! I wouldn't even pay that for hiking shoes (which may be why I've lost my big toenails for the past few years...) For that much money, I would expect a pedicure and a lift to the top of the mountain ;>)

Samuel went with his friend, Will, to a party recently and someone brought in their very "interesting" house pet---a kangaroo ! Apparently, they raise them (along with camels, zebras, and monkeys) for petting zoos. The woman said she'd even had a baby camel in her kitchen before (fyi---I had to ask how big a baby camel is, but she said they're only about 100 lbs ;>)
There are pictures below. Samuel was, as usual, too timid to get very close.

My sister, her husband, and friends went to the Alabama game in Georgia a few weeks ago and she saw something she thought she never would. At Sunday morning services, a woman came in with a little lap dog. She put it on a blanket on the pew so it could sleep and fanned it during services. She and the dog were wearing matching hairbows (and the dog also had a dress on; of course, that would be expected at church services ;>). When the bell rang for classes to end, the dog barked. We were scratching our heads about these weird Georgia people. I remembered that I knew someone who attended there, so got the scoop from her----those folks were in town also for the Alabama game and they were from ALABAMA !! Uh oh! The acquaintance also reminded me about the verse in the Bible about not giving what is holy to the dogs ;>)

Could this be the "Future Inmates of America" club ???

The baby kangaroo

Amy actually got Will to pet the kangaroo.....

.....whereas Samuel was content to just watch from a distance and enjoy his chocolate cupcake !

Samuel in one of his favorite shirts----ELMO, of course !

Mark isn't as crazy about these next two pics as I am.....that's just like a Tennessee fan ;>)

Our sweet little Ben has started cooing and gooing all the time. He's also begun laughing in recent weeks. I know those must be the sweetest sounds in the world!

These next pics are with our adopted "Great (she really is great !) Grandma Robertson" :

She is 94 years young and Samuel adores her (as we all do) !

Ben loves his bath.

This is Ben with sweet little friend Micheal. Michael is 3 months older than Ben, but Ben weighs a little more than him! Ben was 3 months old last week and we weighed him at home and he was 15 lbs 2 oz. (May need to rethink this hiking business !!)

Micheal has started crawling recently and Ben makes the perfect thing to push up on !

Family, Friends, and Fun (not necessarily in that order ;>)

2008-08-28T14:24:00.027-05:00

Sorry for the mile-long post; it may be boring for everyone but grandparents ;>) We have been on vacation in the Smokies; we rented a cabin for the week. Mark and I used to do that all the time, pre-kids, and would always have such a nice time. It turned out to be more fun than I originally thought it would be, just different, because we had to plan around kids' schedules (they continued to insist on sleeping and eating regularly). We bookended our trip with visits with family and friends. We worshipped and ate lunch (separate events ;>) with Rodney, Tricia, and the kids on the way up. Samuel always enjoys them, although these pics are all of Benjamin with their kids:

with Erin

with Matthew

with Clint

We had specifically booked a cabin with a creek because that was always our favorite thing about our prior rentals (our favorite cabin was no longer on the rental market). We had also wanted something private, so we inquired about what was across the creek, and found out there were no cabins there. When we arrived Sunday evening, we discovered that the creek was dry! (It was inappropriately named "Stream of Dreams" !) Monday, sitting on the wrap-around porch, I kept smelling something I could not quite put my finger (or nose ;>) on. Finally, a herd of cows came into view across the (nonexistent) creek. Ahhh.....now I recognized the smell. They certainly added to the "atmosphere", if you get my drift (which we did when the wind blew just right ;>) Also, I had no idea cows were so noisy ! I knew they mooed, but these also bellowed loudly enough to remind me of some scenes from Jurassic Park. Mark called the rental company about the missing creek, just to let them know we thought they should have told us. Surprise, surprise---they offered to let us move to another cabin on a creek. We hated to pack everything up again, but it turned out to be worth it. The cabin was newer, more private, on a wider creek that actually had water, PLUS there were no smelly cows---what more could you ask for ;>)

One view of the creek at the new cabin

Playing pool with Samuel, whose concept of pool was to kindly retrieve the balls that Mark shot into the pockets---the game that never ends ;>)

Ben watching us eat ice cream at the entrance to Cades Cove. (They have the best soft serve ice cream at the store there.)

Samuel was not a happy camper the day we drove to Cades Cove. We stopped at the horse stables to see about a carriage ride, but decided that would be a waste of money, as he wouldn't get too near the horses. To distract him as we drove through the Cove, we told him to look for a bear. He looked and looked, but no bear, so we bought him this one ^ when we got to the visitor center. He was so happy about it. And, naturally, when we left the Cove, we happened upon a mother bear and her 3 cubs off the side of the road near Laurel Falls !

This was visiting the farm of an artist we're acquainted with in the Smokies; Samuel wouldn't get too near his horses either !

We all played with water pistols bought on clearance at Walmart---who knew 15 cents could be so much fun! Samuel continually shot HIMSELF, but that's okay since we were shooting him too!

Family self-portrait in the creek

Catching minnows with Dad

....and picking out rocks to take home

With mom in the creek

We had such a nice time that we booked an extra day to our stay ! Coming home, we worshipped and had lunch with Matt and Amanda:

We finished our trip by heading to Mark's parents----4 of his 5 aunts and uncles that live in California and Washington were visiting the week we were gone, so we didn't want to miss seeing them before they returned home. Here are just a couple of those pics:

Mark's dad and Ben

Samuel with great uncle J.B.

Ben with great aunt Laura

We arrived home around midnight Sunday night; we've been "recovering" all week, but it was worth it !

Time Flies.....

2008-08-13T14:33:00.019-05:00

when you're having fun.....and/or not sleeping! Benjamin has already turned 2 months old; he weighed 13 lbs 1 oz; that's 2 pounds since his 1 month checkup ! Our little butterball needs to slow down and not grow up so fast. He continues to be a "spitting-up, frequent-eating, sleep-disrupting, sweet and stinky" bundle of joy, and Samuel continues to be a loving big brother. We are very blessed!

Samuel spent Monday at the grands so he wouldn't "freak out" when they gave Ben shots (he had quite a meltdown at Ben's newborn check----why???---we do not know, as is generally the case with 95% of the things our 2-year-old does). Ben's appointment wasn't until after 1 pm, so I looked forward to extra sleep time with him since Samuel left with Mark. After the first feeding of the morning, he was fussy and wouldn't stay asleep. I finally took him to the living room to rock; after quite awhile, he fell asleep. I took him back to bed with me for my extra sleep but he woke up when I tried to put him down. Somewhere in there was another feeding, more attempts at trying to get him to sleep; a couple of hours had gone by, so finally, in exasperation, I gave up and decided to get up for the day. I made a quick trip to the bathroom and came back to get Ben, only to find that he was now sound asleep. I was completely awake by that time, but he slept for close to 2 hours. Of course ;>)

Here are some pics of our recent "goings-on" :

Our little triple-chinner; he's been giving us big "social" smiles for several weeks now, but it seems like we can never capture one on camera; we were close in this pic ^

Samuel usually wears his sunglasses around his neck (see "why??" comment above ^). He was whining in the car about the sun being in his eyes, so he was pleased to find out the glasses could actually help with that !

Our anniversary was last week; Ashley had asked to babysit the boys before she left for college, so we obliged and went out to eat *alone*----I think we'd forgotten what that was like, but it was wonderful ;>) Samuel apparently conned them out of this truck (or maybe it was freely given?); either way, he was quite happy with it. Thanks again !

The next night, we went to the very lovely wedding of Sarah Gwin. I don't think Samuel has ever seen so many dolled up little girls before. Didn't get a picture, but there was a lovely little Asian girl with a beautiful dress on that Samuel just stared and stared at; she stared back and after several moments of looking at each other, Samuel gave her a "hey" flick of his hand (reminiscent of an awkward teenager) and she left ! The above little girl was behind us in the receiving line. Samuel and she also stared at each other, face to face, and then started a game of copycat. She would stomp her foot, so Samuel would stomp his foot; she would pat her hair, so Samuel would pat his hair, etc. This went on for a variety of actions---as if they were looking in a mirror. It was TOO cute; wish we'd had our video camera.

Chloe Gwin shares her doll with a happy Samuel .

Two more little copycats !

Will, Samuel, and Claire on Claire's swingset.

Rosie endeared herself to Samuel by swinging him around several times (and also swinging him in her lap on the swingset).

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream.....

2008-08-05T16:35:00.035-05:00

...."for ice cream" is supposed to be the next line, but in our case it's "because we hate our carseats" ! And I hate them too ! We took our first road trip to Alabama to visit family and Dad couldn't come. I dreaded the drive, just under 3 hours, because Benjamin (as his brother before him) hates being in his carseat. Short drives in town are generally screamfests, so I figured how this was going to go. We were supposed to leave Tuesday, but Ben woke up that morning with blood all over the top of his sleeper. He spit up more blood after he got up, so we went to the doctor instead. The doctor thought it might be related to nursing and he ran some labwork; Ben was fine the rest of the day (and has been since), so he was probably right. Ben took a good long nap after the dr appt because they drew blood and I think he "wore himself out" crying. We had to go back Wed morning for a lab recheck (which turned out fine) before we left, and I think the same thing happened because Ben actually slept in the car for the first 2 hours---yay! So, we just need to have blood drawn from him before every car-ride ;>) I stopped to feed him after he woke up and then he pretty much screamed the rest of the way to my mother's house. Samuel only started whining a little before the finish line, so all in all I considered it a very good drive.

Coming home, I didn't get so lucky. Samuel got up so grumpy from his nap that I had two screamers pretty much the whole time...actually, 3 if you count me yelling at Samuel to knock it off ;>) I drove home looking over my shoulder every other second. Even if Ben would fall asleep for just a little bit, Samuel would wake him up with his carrying on. I tried toys, music, snacks, threats, and a "hands on" approach when Samuel was within reaching distance ;>) but all to no avail. Poor Benjamin was due for a feeding about 45 minutes before we got home, but I decided I couldn't stand to be in that car any longer than necessary, so I just kept driving. Of course Samuel did quit about 10 minutes before we got home, but at that point, what was the point---too late to save my sanity! I probably need to get tranquilizers before I do this again ;>) We have a trip to the Smokies in a few weeks, but Mark will be along to share the misery. And I need to find my ipod before then ;>)

Anyway, here are some pics of our trip and our little screaming banshees---they look so innocent, don't they?

Screaming Banshee # 1

Screaming Banshee # 2

Ben with Grandma

Ben with Uncle Wayne & Aunt Stacy

Ben with cousin Peyton & Aunt Sherrie

Samuel with his bud, cousin Trennis

Trennis, Ben, & Samuel; Samuel was so happy to be able to "take pictures".....even if the camera didn't work !

Samuel with cousin Brooke; Samuel was her little shadow, doing whatever she did. Brooke was a wonderful babysitter with both Ben & Samuel while we were there---as long as it didn't involve prolonged crying or changing diapers ;>)

With cousin Kayla, who just turned 16 & who discovered that "babysitting/babyholding" interfered with her ability to text on her phone ;>) Priorities, priorities.....

"When in Alabama, do as the Alabamians" ......Roll Tide

These next 2 are not from our Alabama trip, but thought they were cute:

Can you guess what Samuel has discovered? Powdered donuts! Obviously, he loved them, but I discovered after he ate the first one, that what he REALLY loved was licking the icing off and moving on to the next one.....a lot of dead donuts there that could have been put to good use ;>)

There IS an Easter bunny.....and her name is Shelby ! (This was a pic Jessica took and I couldn't resist posting it.)

Uncle Sam & Uncle Ben

2008-07-28T19:45:00.006-05:00

While reading Newsweek, I came across an article with "Uncle Sam" in the title. A thought suddenly popped into my head (it happens occasionally ;>) and I told Mark that if Ben ever has children, Samuel will be "Uncle Sam" ! Mark countered that if Samuel ever has children, Ben will be Uncle Ben and maybe they can get together and eat rice :>) Perhaps we should have rethought those names.....

Our future Uncle Ben & Uncle Sam

On the diaper-change assembly line; Samuel's aiming for a kiss

We're finally getting more "alert" pictures of Benjamin

I thought this was such a sweet picture; Samuel with his little friend Will. You wouldn't know it from the picture, but Samuel was quite an "Oscar the Grouch" just a little earlier !

I'm biased, but I thought this was a great picture of "My Guys".

(The non-PC caption would read: "Light, Medium, & Dark".........oh, please......weren't you thinking the same thing :>)

Ben on his playmat; notice the big "baby" in the corner---all things Samuel had long ago outgrown are suddenly new and fascinating when Ben has them. Samuel is such a joy though with how much he seems to love Benjamin.

I left the room with Ben on his stomach on the mat and when I came back, this was what I found. (And no, Samuel didn't do it; our little one is already "growing up" !)

Happy Birthday, Grandpa !

2008-07-28T18:18:00.010-05:00

Samuel & Ben's grandpa's birthday was last week; while we were visiting with friends in Nashville, they treated him to a little birthday surprise !

NOT helping Grandpa blow out his candles ! Samuel kept backing farther and farther away---guess he won't grow up to be a fireman ! (Hope not anyway, or houses will be going up in flames while Fireman Samuel looks on from a distance ;>)

Grandma & Ben; isn't this such a sweet picture ?!

(While I was posting, Samuel was watching & when I put this picture up, he put his finger to his mouth & said "Shh....." as though we might wake Ben up in the picture !)

Lauren & Ben

Samuel with his special friend, Mr. Mike; Samuel has always taken to him

Samuel with "Aunt" Renita & "Uncle" Norm

Playing with Lauren & Norm

Life of the party :>) Samuel always has so much fun with other kids, even "older" ones !

Surprise, surprise !

2008-07-28T17:42:00.007-05:00

We had some special visitors recently that came as a surprise, but we were so glad they called us while they were in the area---our friend, Jessica, and her girls, Shelby & Sadie:

Samuel & Shelby "warming up" to each other

Sweet little Sadie---she was born a month before Ben. She was such a content baby---she enjoyed our swing a lot better (and longer) than Ben does !

Warmed up !

Jessica & Ben

Jessica & Sadie

Goodbye hugs; Samuel was disappointed when they left; he stood on the loveseat watching out the window, whimpering !

Just This and That

2008-07-15T18:20:00.009-05:00

Our little chunky monkey had his 1 month checkup today and weighed 11 lbs, 2 oz.....Mom would love it if he would slow down on the feeding !

Attack of the kiss---Samuel's always planting kisses on Benjamin, and Benjamin's just not sure if he likes it yet !

Snoozing with Dad

Benjamin still spends the majority of his time asleep it seems like......especially during the daylight hours !

A rare "awake" picture; he's in his bouncy seat, which usually doesn't last long

Our little explorer----Samuel confiscated this hat from his Grandpa the last time he spent the day at their house. He has worn it and worn it, but I think Dad snuck (is "snuck" a word ?) it back to Grandpa's house today !

All smiles ;>)

Playtime

2008-07-15T17:23:00.004-05:00

Samuel had some little friends come play recently and they had a lot of fun; Benjamin slept through most of it, so it was pretty boring for him ;>)

I'm not sure what's got Samuel cracked up ^, but he hasn't played with most of these toys in forever---apparently, all it takes is having "someone else" interested to make them interesting again !

Getting a push from Will (this is a real gas-saver !)

Amy with sweet Michael (who was awake a lot more than Ben)

Baby Ben

2008-06-30T20:31:00.005-05:00

Benjamin's favorite place to sleep is in someone's arms, but sometimes we can get him to sleep for awhile in his swing......if he's asleep when we put him in and if we keep our fingers crossed ;>)

Our little "mummy" ! Dad is big on the swaddling thing ! He's a pro at it too; Mom can't begin to do this !

Benjamin can get the most worried expressions on his face, especially if we don't get him ASAP when he starts to cry---it's like he's wondering whether he can trust these people he's been sent to live with !

I suppose they don't count as "real" smiles, but he has lots of sleep grins. It's so sweet---we just find ourselves staring at him to see them----I guess we're in love ;>)

Introducing.....

2008-06-13T15:25:00.008-05:00

Benjamin Michael
Tues, June 10, 6:42 am
7 lbs 10 3/4 oz
19 inches long

Here are a few pics from our hospital stay:

First pic

The nursery nurses described him as a "self-soother" because he would keep his thumb in his mouth with his other fingers covering his face; this probably won't last----it seems to have lessened in frequency (too bad ;>) already

Samuel's first visit with baby brother; Samuel was very interested for the first 15-20 minutes and then got bored and went to play with his cars !

Odds & Ends & All That Jazz

2008-05-08T20:50:00.008-05:00

Doing more catching up.....

Samuel got together for a playdate with some little friends recently

Of course, Samuel loved riding the truck (it didn't hurt that it was Sesame Street too !)

Will on the speedboat

Claire on the truck too

Last weekend, we went to the Jazz Festival. (Samuel's been cutting teeth and has not been in the greatest mood at times recently, but he did much better than we anticipated.) He kept time to the music and, at one point, got down and did some whirling and dancing.

The treasure at the end of the rainbow ;>)

Weekend yard work; Samuel "helped" (see his mower at the end of the sidewalk?), as did Sophie cat at the top of the ladder !

Bama Bound

2008-05-08T20:09:00.013-05:00

(3+ weeks ago......so behind in posting! These are pics from our last trip to Alabama...)

Grandma found a bottle of bubbles and Samuel was thrilled

Just a swingin'

With cousin Brooke

Hope this isn't foretelling a future behind bars.....

Cuddling with cousin Kayla

Kayla's always teaching him goofy faces

On our last day there, we went to the park; it was a gorgeous day but very windy

R-e-s-t-i-n-g......

Sliding with Kayla

Just one of the girls ;>)

Imitating Kayla again (minus the goofy face)

"Sam I Am" is 2 !!

2008-04-09T13:23:00.029-05:00

FYI - This is a long post! As you can imagine, we took a zillion pics so it was hard to pick just a few !!

This is our baby at just a couple of days old....

And this is our baby at 1.....

And this is our baby at 2......guess he's not really a baby anymore !

Samuel's birthday celebrations were sort of haphazard.....Mom was sick the week before his birthday, Samuel woke up sick on his birthday, and Mom was sick the week after, so the celebration plans were sort of "last minute" but it all worked out just fine !

Fortunately, we had shopped enough ahead of his birthday that we did have gifts on hand for him! We let him open our 2 smaller gifts on his birthday and that was about the extent of the celebrating on his actual birthday ! We were too busy wiping runny noses ;>)

One gift was the new baby Elmo. Samuel loves Elmo and we thought this might be a good way to introduce the concept of a "baby" to him ?? Of course, the real thing won't have an "on/off" switch, won't say "thank you" after he's burped, and won't sing himself to sleep ;>)

He also got a small tool bench which, as you can see, made a perfect platform to play with his cars ! Oh well.....

The Saturday after his birthday, the grandparents and other relatives came for lunch and celebrating all afternoon. Samuel had the absolute best time---we all did. He was so happy to have so much of his family around and it was a really fun day!

Opening gifts with cousin Brooke

See how cars make him smile !

Opening gifts with Brooke, Aunt Stacy, and cousin Kayla

Samuel and his parents have been blessed with generous relatives who like to spoil him! Most of his presents were waiting in the garage---it looked like a ToysRUs showroom out there!

I'm not sure there's anything left to get him when he's 3 !!

His other present from us was a sand/water table (although it will probably be a rock/water table for awhile---we want to be sure we can keep the cats clear---don't want them thinking they have a new fancy litterbox!!)

The grandparents got him a basketball goal----Samuel was able to dunk quite a few with it set at this height !

They also got him a tricycle! He can't quite reach the pedals yet, but the cousins helped him along below.....

His other grandmother and aunt gave him a picnic table/umbrella. He'll have to have some little friends over when the weather is better and the illnesses are over. He's already had lunch at it once this week!

After lunch, we brought out the birthday cake (or cupcakes!)

He had to have help blowing out the candle.....

And then it was time to dig in ! The chocolate may have been his favorite part of the day !

Cousin Kayla teaching him bad habits

And just goofing off with her camera

With Dad's parents

Mom's family that got to spend the day

Playing at his new water table one day this week

Thanks again to everyone who made such a special birthday for Samuel (whether you were here or not !) and also for all the people who are such good influences in his life throughout the year......we love you !

Our Easter Parade

2008-03-27T15:07:00.013-05:00

Samuel got his first real Easter basket this year. We put it together ourselves and stocked it with some of his favorite things, including C-A-R-S. He can never seem to get enough of those ! The bunny on the far left was a Hallmark after-Easter find from last year. It was marked down to around $3 and Mom almost forgot it was put back in the closet. It sings "At The Hop" and the various stuffed animals' mouths open and close while singing. It's really corny, but cute, and Samuel's had a blast dancing around to it since he learned where the on/off button is located ! He also got much more chocolate than he did at Valentine's, although we've been doling it out a little at a time, in an effort to control the hyperactivity !

Checking things out, item by item.....

We had Easter dinner at Dad's parents. The grands had a surprise for Samuel----ANOTHER Easter basket !

Checking out the airplanes with Grandpa...

This pic was after services Sunday evening----Samuel decided he could use his basket for an Easter hat !

After Grandma's wonderful dinner, Samuel got to hunt Easter eggs. Hiding them wasn't too hard, as they were kept mostly out in the open.

These 2 pics show Samuel with his basket full, although he left some eggs "unfound".

Besides the fact that it was pretty chilly, Samuel got bored before too long and enlisted Norm's help finding eggs.....

Norm carried his basket for Samuel, and Samuel would put the eggs in......if he felt like it.....some of the eggs he seemed to be particular about and wouldn't pick them up !

Dad's friend, Norm, with Dad and Samuel. (We have a picture of Dad with Norm's boys posed somewhat like this; of course, they're now adults----yikes !)

Samuel with Mom & Dad

Samuel with friends Norm, Renita, and Lauren

Weekend Away

2008-03-17T13:46:00.004-05:00

I'm usually so behind on posting pics but thought I'd get these up sooner rather than later ! We made a quick weekend visit to our friends, the Pitts. Samuel had lots of fun playing with their kids even though they're teens & preteen.

"Engineering" Matthew had made these helicopter-type things to fly that Samuel thought were so much fun.

Getting down with Matthew.

"Aquarium" may be too big for his vocabulary, but not "fish", which of course he found fascinating.

Checking out Erin's cell phone, which he also loves.

I thought these were so cute. They have a Wii, so while people were playing (in these pics, Matthew and Clint), Samuel was standing right behind them, mimicking their every move !!

It was SNOW much fun !

2008-03-12T14:08:00.008-05:00

...or was it !? These first two pics show Samuel's growing annoyance---I guess we stayed out too long and tried to take too many pictures !

But before then, he did have some fun.......

Our pathetic little "snowman" (looks like some sort of injured penguin or something)---we got out around 10:30 am, but so much of the snow was already melting that we just didn't do a very good job !

We did dust the snow off his swing and he enjoyed that for a little bit.

The "person" who seemed to have the most fun was our dog, Sackett !

After we came in, Dad made hot chocolate for us and Samuel had his first serving of that---which seemed to be his favorite thing about "snow day" !

Our (Sweet &) Funny Valentine

2008-02-14T14:10:00.007-06:00

"My funny valentine
Sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart".....

That song fits---Samuel does make us smile with our hearts :>) We decided to give him balloons for Valentine's Day. He had balloons for his first birthday, but didn't seem too interested then. A few weeks ago, a Publix employee gave him one and he was so happy with it, it seemed the obvious thing to do. (Of course, he doesn't know TOO much about chocolate yet, or he might realize he got gypped ! )

P.S. to his Alabama cousins/aunt/grandma----the mail came late today, after the above post, but Samuel loved his cards and little car. He kept saying "oh my" over and over !!

Please explain why......

2008-02-08T11:09:00.000-06:00

a child whose stash of toys could rival ToysRUs, has more fun doing THIS......

.....or pulling the blinds up and down, or getting things out from underneath the bed, or unloading the kitchen cabinets, or dragging the clean laundry around the house before it's put away, or on and on and on.......

He must think Mom is bored and has nothing to do but put stuff away over and over again ;>)

Caught in the act!!.... this is his other big "crime". When I notice things have gotten too quiet, I can often find him here. He'll usually get down immediately and say an emphatic "no, no" but apparently he only feels "remorse" when caught.....

.....and in this picture, I don't think he feels guilty at all ! I must admit, it's hard to be too hard on him when he gives such a cute grin !

Walking Tall

2008-02-08T10:57:00.000-06:00

.....on Daddy's shoulders

Trying on Daddy's hands.....

Big shoes to fill.....

Christmas, Part 1

2008-01-24T18:39:00.000-06:00

This was our best Christmas yet ! Samuel was more "into" it than last year at 9 months. Christmas morning, we had Mark's parents come over to watch Samuel open his gifts and then have a late breakfast with us. Everyone had such a nice time.

What are we waiting for ??

Hanging out with Dad until his parents arrive.

They're here !

Samuel actually opened at least a few of his own gifts this year.

One of his gifts was the TMX Elmo, which he's had lots of fun with.

A lawnmower----(Mom might have thought twice about this purchase if she'd known how loud it was :>)

Samuel's biggest surprise and his most favorite of all---the Little Tikes car his grandparents got him. The video we took shows his excitement better than the pictures; he was THRILLED !

Mowing the floor

"Hugs and kisses" for the grandparents

Christmas, Part 2

2008-01-24T18:17:00.000-06:00

We traveled to Alabama later Christmas Day for Christmas dinner that evening:

With Aunt Stacy

With cousins, Peyton, Trennis, Kayla, and Brooke

Despite the 6 year age difference, Trennis & Samuel have a love of matchbox cars in common!

With Grandma

Samuel got so many nice gifts in Alabama, including another type of Elmo, a parking garage for his cars, tools, and a vacuum cleaner !

As infrequently as he sees Mom do it :>), he was still a natural when it came to vacuuming ! Too bad it doesn't actually pick stuff up !

We wish you a Merry Christmas !

2007-12-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

Just a few of the pics from our exhausting "Christmas card photo session" at home (we've decided those girls at Olan Mills don't get paid enough !)

Are we done yet ???

Happy Birthday, Daddy !

2007-12-24T15:48:00.000-06:00

Dad's birthday was this past weekend; Samuel helped him open his gifts and cards (maybe that means Samuel will open his own gifts this Christmas !)

Yesterday, we went to Mark's parents for Christmas dinner with them. In the evening we all went to Opryland Hotel to look at all the lights and decorations. Samuel seemed to enjoy everything (except the "dancing waters" show----the music and the crowd were just too loud for him). He especially liked the giant stuffed animals floating in the balloons.

Checking things out with Dad

Samuel with Dad and his parents

Spring in Winter

2007-12-24T14:07:00.000-06:00

As cold as it seems now, we had several record-warm days the week before last and Samuel got to be outside to enjoy them....

Out for a drive

Doesn't he look like he's facing a firing squad !

Checking out what's going on with the dog inside the fence

Checking out the play castle

Peek-a-boo !

Although Mom sat him up there, he was not interested in actually sliding down !

Peek-a-boo again !

Sophie cat decides to play for awhile too

She tolerated Samuel for longer than usual !

Going for a stroll with Sophie

Deep thoughts ?

Finding summer toys to play with

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

2007-10-31T14:40:00.000-05:00

....it's off to hike we go....on our annual LeConte hike.

The weather was sticky and "hot" (relatively speaking) and some of us ran out of water before we got to the top. Mark and Samuel got way ahead of Mom----that says a lot, doesn't it ! At least, she FINALLY got there !

Part of our group at the base of Rainbow Falls Trail

Samuel was a great little hiker (Mom would have been too if she could have traveled this way ;>)

Chillin' out at Rainbow Falls for lunch

Samuel and "Uncle Norm"

Samuel with "Aunt Renita & Uncle Norm"

Samuel even slept in the backpack!

The signs near the top always bring a sigh of relief !

Dinner never tasted so good !

Out at Cliff Tops for sunset; of course, it was so overcast (and cold !) there really wasn't much to see in the way of a sunset !

With one of our cabinmates, Chelsea

On our hike down Trillium Gap trail, we met the llamas who take the supplies to the top. They're very interesting to see; of course, they make you "watch your step" as you can find evidence of them all along the trail ;>)

With Mom at our lunch break

With Samuel's buddy, Mike

Still a happy hiker !

We're getting close to the bottom !

Under Grotto Falls

With Mom on the deck of our "real" cabin (the one with running water and electricity) !

Samuel enjoyed the rocking chairs on the deck (actually, we all did !)

We had our usual musical entertainment on Friday evening after the hike

Having fun with Sarah

Samuel with the bear Mom bought him when some of us went shopping and with the pig that Aunt Renita bought him (she does a mean pig imitation herself ;>)

Samuel with sweet Nancy

Samuel is reading Lauren's book to her ;>)

With Dad in Gatlinburg before we left the Smokies

And with Mom

Trick or Treat

2007-10-30T19:15:00.000-05:00

We did a little Halloween photo shoot with Samuel in his pj's, since he won't be here for the trick or treaters. He definitely gave us a trick before we got to the treat part.....

We weren't sure we were going to get ANY good pictures. This was his reaction every time he was put down. We finally figured out he was scared of the pumpkin ! (We got great pictures with the pumpkin last Halloween, but this year it had to go....)

Starting to warm up....

A treat....

And another.....

And another.....too many to post them all, but we're glad we got past the scary part ! Maybe we can sneak the pumpkin back out next year !

Escape from it all....

2007-10-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

We managed to get away for a much-needed, long weekend this past weekend. When we left, we had no specific idea where we were headed. Samuel, in the picture below, is our backseat driver, checking out maps for us.

He "directed us" toward Chattanooga, so we decided that would be a lovely drive for the foliage. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of autumn foliage on the drive, but it was still nice as usual. We wound up on Lookout Mountain and that was more colorful. We stopped at Point Park and Samuel enjoyed walking around......

......and around........

......and around.......He found this monument fascinating. He never got to where he was going......just round and round.

We left Chattanooga after a few hours and headed further up the road. We stopped for the night, and the next morning, headed for the Smokies. That was definitely a good idea ! It was much more crowded than when we went for our annual LeConte hike in September (those pictures still remain to be posted), but it was so amazingly beautiful, it was worth it. The pictures below still don't do it justice.

Since we were still worn out from our hike a month ago :>), we decided to forego anything strenuous. We just stopped occasionally and gave Samuel a break from his carseat (the only miserable part of the trip).

He loved tromping through the leaves.

He was very much Mr. Independent---didn't want his hand held at all, which resulted in the occasional "trip" over roots and rocks.

We saved Cades Cove for Sunday afternoon, hoping the crowds would lessen, and they did. It was also lovely and Samuel got to see some new things on that drive.....

....many deer, around turn after turn. Of course, to get him to look at them, since he was otherwise-occupied, we told him to look at the "big dogs". That seemed to work ! (We took a lot of video too and that's recorded on there, so years from now, we hope Samuel knows that his parents really knew those weren't dogs !)

....a big bear (that dark blob in the middle of the picture.....really ! ). We finally gave up on the camera and actually have better pictures of him on the video camera. He lumbered along through the woods for quite awhile and then crossed the road and left us.

......and best of all, Santa Claus ! When we pulled into this visitor's area, I pointed him out in the parking lot and said "look, Santa". While I was in the restroom, he came up to Samuel to talk and gave him a card with his picture that said "I met Santa". So, we had to take a picture, of course. All the little kids at the area got a big kick out of "Santa". As usual, Samuel warmed up to him AFTER I took the picture. (Doesn't Mark look much more excited about it than Samuel does ?! I guess Mark's been a good boy this year....)

Party Time

2007-10-29T14:14:00.000-05:00

Samuel's little friend, Will, recently turned 1, and Samuel really enjoyed his party.

Riding the wagon train with Julie

Hammock time with Amanda

The birthday boy, Will

Guess who's in the doghouse at our house ?

2007-10-11T13:34:00.001-05:00

....no, not Daddy ;>)

When he's playing outside, this is one of Samuel's favorite places to be...

ROLL TIDE !!!

2007-09-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

Samuel helped his Mom cheer the Tide on to victory over Arkansas in a very nerve-wracking game, to say the least. In Bama's last big play, Mom got Samuel to roll his hand and shout "Roll Tide" (we know that's what he was saying) along with her, and it must have worked because they won !! Maybe Dad should have gotten Samuel into the act with "Go Vols" during the UT-Florida game.....of course, that was probably hopeless :>)

Family Reunion

2007-09-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, we traveled to Alabama for Mom's family reunion. It was VERY hot but lots of fun. Too many pics to include them all here, but here are a few....

Decked out in hat and glasses, neither of which stayed on for very long....

Happy to be here !

Wading in the lake with Mom

Checking out the flowers with Grandma

Samuel's Great Aunt Jeanette and her grandsons, Eric and Brason

Samuel's cousins, Peyton and Brooke

With Dad and cousin, Trennis

Fair Play

2007-08-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

Samuel got his first taste of the fair recently, when we took him to the Wilson County Fair. (Of course, he missed the REAL tastes of the fair.......funnel cakes, cotton candy, roasted corn, and all the other good stuff. He was so-so on cotton candy and seemed to only like the powdered sugar off the funnel cake. I'm SURE he'll come around when he's a little older !)

Unfortunately, he didn't meet the height requirements for most of the kiddie rides, but did enjoy the carousel with Dad. There was still lots of fun stuff to watch though.

Silly rabbit......we even saw some rabbits that probably weighed more than Samuel did !

..... and Turkey Lurkey

The squad car from Dad's favorite show.......Samuel's just not old enough to appreciate the nostalgia of it all......

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

2007-08-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

and seahorses.....

and otters.....

and penguins......

Mom's family came to visit for a couple of days week before last, so we drove one afternoon to the aquarium and Imax in Chattanooga. It was a lot of fun for everyone. Samuel seemed to enjoy the sights and company, and he loved Fun Mommy (or is that Bad Mommy ?) when, if no crowds were around, she would release him in his stroller to fly down the ramps between exhibits. He never crashed and there was always someone waiting to catch him on the other end !

Somewhere in this picture are otters....

Watching the penguins

With Brooke, inside the fish tank

In the butterfly garden with Grandma

On the pedestrian bridge before we left Chattanooga

Posing with Brooke & Kayla and Fido

Reading with Grandma

With Aunt Stacy and cousins Brooke & Kayla

Friends and fun

2007-08-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

Mom's friend-since-6th-grade, Michell, came from Alabama to spend the day with us Friday. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit !

"Put me down......"

Who does Samuel look like?? (Hint: imitating Dad......)

Grand grandparent times !

2007-07-23T15:32:00.001-05:00

Mom & Dad went to a concert last week, and the "grands" babysat for us. We enjoyed our date and Samuel enjoyed some "one on one" time with them !

Sunday was Grandpa's birthday. Grandma had a party for him (and for a friend from the congregation), so Samuel had another fun time visiting !

With "Uncle" Rufus

With Grandma

...and birthday boy, Grandpa

With longtime family friends from California, the Halls

Just poolin' around

2007-07-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

Third World Parenting

2007-07-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

* This is our overflowing garbage can (tomorrow is garbage day).
* This is our child.
* This is our child with the soda can he pulled out of the overflowing garbage can.
* This is our child with the soda can he pulled out of the overflowing garbage can and is happily trying to drink from.
* This is our child whose mother's first instinct was not to grab the "trash can" can from her child, but to grab the camera from the kitchen table.

**At least we're blessed enough that eating from the trash can is a guilty pleasure and not a necessity :>)

(And this is just thrown in as an extra---a picture of a blimp that was flying over our house; I think that's a first too....)

Family Reunion

2007-07-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

We traveled to Mark's brother's home in Florida at the end of June for their mother's family reunion. Although a lot of the cousins didn't get to make it, there was still a good crowd of relatives Samuel had never met before, since many of them live out West. It was a fun 4 days ! Too many pics to post them all here. Samuel got to take his first airplane ride too. Although Mom is not crazy about flying, she agreed that 1.5 hours on a plane sure beat 11-12 hours in the car with Samuel and his beloved carseat :>) Samuel was very well-behaved and even made friends with some of the nearby passengers on the plane. (We had already heard a few comments in the terminal about "hoping the babies sleep", etc., so we were especially glad things went well !) We need to fly a lot before Samuel turns 5----it was really nice being able to board early regardless of our C boarding passes !

The easiest way to travel with baby.....but they wouldn't let us check him with the rest of the luggage :>)

Hanging out with Grandpa (yes, Samuel's pants are wet, but from the pool not an accident!)

On the first evening of the reunion, we all took a sunset dinner cruise on the coastal waterway. We enjoyed a buffet supper and some great scenery. We even saw dolphins several times.

With cousin Erica inside the cabin

Why aren't I moving?? Oh, Grandpa won't let go of my pants !

Outside with Great Aunt Laura and Grandma

Splashing his feet in the pool with Mom

Samuel found this water fountain fascinating

More splashin' around....

Smooching with Uncle Michael

With Aunt Linda

Oh, if they'd only take the cap off this Mountain Dew, I'd really show them what "hyper" means

Grandma Vera and her "contributions" to the family reunion

Just us

Samuel with his first cousins, Erica and Alex

The whole family that made it for the reunion

On Sunday, after worship services, we had lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water.

Isn't Samuel a big guy, sitting beside Erica?

On the restaurant's deck in the bree-ee-ee-ze......luckily we didn't blow away.

In the plane, on the way home. Samuel was also very good on the return trip; it was late night and he slept pretty much the whole way home !

The End !

....To Grandmother's house we go....

2007-06-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Samuel and Mom went to visit family in Alabama last week.....

Hanging out with Aunt Stacy......

who stuck him in a BIG box !

Ready to plow the back forty !

Flying high in the airplane with Brooke ....

....and Peyton

Lots of stuff to ride.....

With Grandma; Samuel loves to look at (and rip to shreds) leaves.....

Just need some peanuts in this Coke (and maybe the cap off !)

Weekend Away

2007-06-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

We had a fun weekend with friends, and Samuel was certainly entertained well by their kids (maybe we should rent some teenagers from time to time).....

"Ladies Man"----Samuel decided he was a chick magnet and snuggled up with these cuties

Hats off to Rodney......and onto Samuel; he only wanted to wear it sideways....

If our porch was big enough, a swing would be just the ticket....

With that "scary man", Rodney :>)

Samuel was fascinated by the fish aquarium

Teaching the boys how to clap; they were quick learners !

May Day, May Day

2007-06-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

Here are assorted pics from our days in May....

Sackett is hoping Samuel will throw him a bone (or at least drop him a graham cracker)

Sitting for treats (or standing, in Samuel's case)

In the suit Grandma Vera gave him; all he needs now to go to the office is a briefcase (well, maybe shoes, too.....)

Grandma and Grandpa have a new pet dog at their house and .....

Samuel seems to love him

Swinging with the grandparents on Mother's Day

FINALLY.......Samuel got to graduate to his big carseat and face forward ! We haven't taken any long car trips yet to see if facing forward cures his unhappiness with being constrained (somehow, we doubt it !)

Just hanging out on the kitchen counter while Mom cooks supper (wonder what he's thinking about doing with those jars of prunes.....)

It's a zoo out there !

2007-05-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

We had family visit from Alabama recently and we went to the zoo one afternoon:

Samuel's rarin' to go .....

He was less than thrilled with the carousel, however !

We didn't have to crane our necks to see the giraffes---they came right up near us !

Checking out the merkats up close and personal !

In with the birds, with Grandma

The strangest thing we saw was these exotic monkeys !

Samuel's favorite thing of all seemed to be the swings in the play area !

And his second favorite was his graham crackers !

With Grandma, Aunt Stacy, and cousins Kayla and Brooke

Our Honey Bunny

2007-05-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

Samuel in his Easter outfit, (with his Easter basket from Aunt Stacy)

There IS an Easter bunny !!

Samuel got to spend Easter with his grandparents

Happy Birthday, The 'Bama Version

2007-05-01T21:53:00.000-05:00

The week after Samuel's birthday, we went to Alabama and had a second celebration, since that part of the family was unable to come here for his birthday.

"Didn't we do this once already??"

He finally gets into the party mood

With Aunt Jeanette

The cousins seemed to enjoy opening his gifts more than he did !

Our little "Shroeder" from Peanuts !

Party time

Samuel with Grandma and cousins Brooke, Trennis, and Peyton

Samuel got his own John Deere tractor; maybe he can help Dad mow the grass :>)

"Happy, happy birthday, baby"

2007-04-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

For Samuel's first birthday, we had a little celebration with Mark's parents. We hope to have a birthday party with Samuel's cousins in Alabama this weekend.

Just like at Christmas, Mom had to open most of the gifts for Samuel. He would look at the accompanying birthday card for a minute and then toss it on the floor; he was more fascinated by the tags on the clothing he got than just about anything; and when it was all over, he spent most of his time playing with his "old" toys from Christmas and before. Go figure !

"Hey people, let's get this show on the road !"

This was unexpected, but Samuel was fascinated by the flame on the candle and tried to grab it! Fortunately, we blew it out before his hand got there. (Hope we don't have a little pyromaniac on our hands ! )

Samuel was not interested in eating any cake. Finally, Mom got him to take a little by eating it off her finger !

Samuel with Dad and his grandparents

One thing Samuel got was a dump truck, which was really too big for him at this stage (especially since he can fit in it !), BUT Mom found it on clearance for almost 70% off and it seemed too good to pass up!

While visiting friends during the weekend, Samuel got another surprise cake & candle !

We didn't realize until after his birthday was over that we forgot to give him his birthday spanking and one to grow on......oh well, maybe he'll make it to 2 without his growth being too stunted !

When did THIS happen ??

2007-03-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Samuel was born one year ago today; who would have thought a year could go by SO fast !

Samuel seemed happy to be here (at first, anyway) ! When trying to compile these pictures, was surprised how relatively few pictures there were from those early months---don't know if that was due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion, too much crying by Samuel (who wants pictures of that !), or what.....(things are kind of boring in the early months!)

Hanging with Dad at 1 month; can't believe how tiny you were !

Happy in your swing at 2 months

Loves to be held at any age; this is 3 months

All dressed up with no place to go at 4 months !

Things start to really liven up around 5 months, especially since Samuel started sleeping through the night !

5 months

His first hike at 6 months; Samuel carried Dad all the way up the mountain on his back !

Swingin' at 6 months

Tough decisions in the fall---dress to please Mom ?.......

Or Dad ?

In his exersaucer at 7 months

First Halloween at 7 months

"First love" at Thanksgiving at 8 months

First Christmas at 9 months

Already reading at 9 months (at least the book is rightside up !)

One of his favorite things......the remote !

First snow at 10 months

Helping with the laundry at 11 months

There's nothing "boring" about life now !! We can't keep up with Samuel !

Already driving at 1 !

A star is born !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAMUEL ! WE LOVE YOU !

Little Visitors

2007-03-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

Samuel's friend, Emily, got to spend a few afternoons visiting with him recently. He loves little kids and loves the extra attention....

Emily "reading" to Samuel

Emily loves Samuel's toys too :>)

We also had a surprise visitor on Saturday while outside; a chihuahua came wandering by (aren't those the strangest-looking dogs ?). It was just the perfect size for Samuel, much smaller than our cats even. Dad went looking in the neighborhood for the owners and eventually the lost doggie was returned home.

Just pix from Alabama

2007-03-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

Fun with Grandma

Enjoying the outdoors with Kayla

Playing with Peyton and Trennis

Reading with Brooke

Samuel's first basketball game; it was a 'high-scoring' game, but unfortunately Brooke's team lost 4-3 ! It was still lots of fun !

With Aunt Jeanette

I ♥ My Aunt Stacy

2007-03-05T19:31:00.000-06:00

On our recent trip to Alabama, Samuel got to spend some quality time with his Aunt Stacy. She even managed to rearrange her work schedule for a day off while he was there...

Mom gladly turns over feeding time to Aunt Stacy

"But I don't want to wear this hat !" (PS - "Check out my camo; I really am in Alabama")

Turning my world upside down

"Cuddle time with Stacy and my magnolia leaf"

Just hanging out.....

Happy Birthday, Dear Grandma !

2007-02-19T10:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Dear Grandma......

Happy Birthday to you !

Grandpa gets down with Samuel

Sharing crawling tips

Hmmm.....stairs represent a new challenge

A sweet trio

Happy times were had by all.....

Puppy Love

2007-02-14T12:02:00.000-06:00

Since we didn't get to take our recent trip to Florida, we had the nice consolation prize of keeping some friends' Golden Retriever puppy. It was a FUN week !

A lovely "Lady"

First snow ?

Lady with her "Fairy Dogmother" !

Viewing at the zoo ! We primarily kept the puppy in the kitchen, so when it was necessary to block off the room, we used an old door that had recently been replaced. It's hard to tell in this picture which one is IN the zoo and which one is OUT.

Feeding time at the zoo was Lady's favorite!

It gave new meaning to the verses in the Bible that talk about feeding the children's bread to the little dogs and the little dogs eating the crumbs which fall from the table! The puppy was a very diligent "helper" at Samuel's mealtimes. In fact, she was accidentally rewarded at one of the feedings.....when Samuel won't eat, we sometimes use various "tactics" such as zooming the spoon like an airplane and pretending to eat it ourselves, etc. (yes, we've sunk to all those "ridiculous" things parents do); anyway, at one of the meals I told Samuel I would give it to the puppy and moved the spoon in the direction of the puppy but not that close (I thought). However, the puppy took it as an invitation to jump up and lick the spoon ! We now know that puppy likes Apples & Chicken baby food! I think Samuel would have gladly let the puppy have the whole jar. (And, yes, I did get Samuel a clean spoon !)

This was a favorite spot, even when the highchair was empty. Must be fond memories...

She was quite taken with Samuel. "Play with me, play with me....."

Sweet babies...

Strange Bedfellows or "Cat's In The Cradle"

2007-02-06T15:29:00.000-06:00

In the zoo we call home, Sophie has found a new "cage". If I forget and leave the door to Samuel's room open, I will sometimes find Sophie curled up in his crib (especially, as in this case, if there's a clean sheet on the mattress!) So when I went to put my screaming little banshee down, this was what I found.....

So, knowing she would immediately jump out, if he was in there, I went ahead and put him down. But she didn't give up her claim as easily as I would have thought. She moved from place to place in the crib, but he kept following her from corner to corner, until she finally gave in (gave up? gave out?) and got out.

So she decided to sit in the chair; he's watching carefully to see where she's at....

She gave up the chair and went to her favorite place of all---lying on the heating vent. No wonder it's cold in here (for everyone but Sophie anyway)....

She was finally evicted from the room...

Snow Bunny

2007-02-02T12:28:00.000-06:00

Samuel bundled up to go out and see his first snow today.....

Ride 'em Cowboy !

2007-02-01T14:31:00.000-06:00

One of Samuel's favorite toys he received for Christmas from Grandma (in Alabama) was his Bounce and Spin Zebra. It bounces and spins around and, like every other toy, has music and lights. It makes galloping and other "horsey" sounds (guess zebras and horses make the same sounds ?..... at least the folks at Fisher-Price think so!) Of course, Samuel doesn't get tired and of course the zebra doesn't get tired, but since Samuel is too small to ride it and make it bounce by himself yet, the one holding him on and bouncing him does get tired ! Hi Ho, Silver !

Wishful Thinking?

2007-01-31T10:51:00.000-06:00

Samuel is wearing the "snowsuit" Grandma gave him at Christmas. It says "Let It Snow" and maybe it will this time (although it hasn't all the other times it's been predicted recently.....)

Having fun with "Grandma" Robertson

A Christmas Story

2007-01-16T11:22:00.000-06:00

(A shorter Christmas story than intended----this Blogger website is frequently a real pain to post pictures to; have tried umpteen times to download the rest of the Christmas Day pics that we wanted to include here and it simply won't update, but here's what finally did post after several days of trying......)

For Christmas morning, we had invited Mark's parents to join us for the "Grand Gift Opening" by Samuel and for a late breakfast. Sitting Samuel down with the packages that he finally had permission to tear at and pull ribbons off of (instead of keeping him away from them), he just looked at us and then sort of hung his head shy-like----as though he didn't know what to make of all the attention! ....Not the reaction we had expected. Of course, with the multiple cameras and fixed stares waiting for him to "perform", maybe it could have been a little intimidating ! Mom started opening his presents and he warmed up; of course, there's one picture (one of the "non-posts") where he is fascinated with a piece of cardboard---it figures !

One of his favorite presents came from Mark's parents----the Little Tikes wagon. (This wagon should be called Big Tikes wagon; he can probably ride in it until he's 16!) Dad and Grandpa got it put together Christmas morning, but it was pouring down rain so we couldn't take it outside; however, he's gotten a few spins in it since and he just loves it.

With Santa Grandpa and Santa Grandma; they were very generous to Samuel.

We headed to Alabama Christmas afternoon for Christmas supper and the festivities there. Samuel with Kayla and Trennis.

Samuel really took a shine to Uncle Wayne.....must be all the Alabama team attire.....

Mom and Dad's best Christmas present ever.....

Samuel with Grandma, and Brason with Aunt Jeanette

With Kayla

Maybe we can get some of the other pictures to post in a separate entry later; this site can be so frustrating........however, we had a wonderful Christmas and were richly blessed. When you're a little kid, you think those are the best Christmases, but watching your own kid at Christmas has to be the best !

'Twas the night (& day) before Christmas....

2007-01-13T07:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve found us spending the day with Mark's parents where we had Christmas dinner and a relaxing time between services.

Christmas Eve night we got to go to a Christmas party and be with some of our favorite people; too many pics to include them all, but we had a wonderful time. The highlight of the evening was a certain "baby".....(but not Samuel !)

Isn't she adorable?!

Matt and Katie

Samuel's not sure at first what to make of this "baby" (he's used to 80-lb dogs) ! He did touch the puppy a few times though (and now Mom wants a puppy) !

Samuel with Kevin

Happy Happy Birthday, Daddy !

2007-01-12T13:30:00.000-06:00

Samuel was helping Dad open his presents until Sophie cat got into the act; she was definitely more interesting than Dad. (Sophie only tolerated Samuel so she could get her paws on the ribbons.)

Happy Birthday!

Samuel's card to Dad; he even scrawled his name on the card for Dad.

Mom and Dad went out for his birthday to dinner and to Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights and decorations with friends, Rodney and Trish. Their daughter, Erin, asked to babysit Samuel, which worked out really well ! (Erin and her brothers were at their grandparents' home.) When we came back, Samuel seemed perfectly content and had found an "extra" grandpa in Rodney's dad.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

2006-12-21T15:11:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS !

She's a real doll....

2006-12-19T15:32:00.000-06:00

Samuel met a real doll at Grandma's house in Alabama over Thanksgiving. She was just his size and they hit it off right away.

Do you think he's "trying too hard"? (Maybe he's acting like he doesn't notice her bad eye....)

Moving in for the kiss.....

Let me hold that eye open for you....

Thanksgiving, Part 3

2006-12-19T15:22:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, part 3 (at Mark's parents) didn't get to happen! We were all sick. However, Mark's parents did babysit Samuel the Saturday night before Thanksgiving and these are some pics from that evening.

Grandpa and Samuel get down on the same level !

Thanksgiving, Part 2

2006-12-15T17:11:00.000-06:00

With Grandma

With Kayla

With Aunt Stacy

With Kayla again

Part 2 found us in Alabama for a short visit over the Thanksgiving holidays. We had more good food and got to visit with family. Unfortunately, Samuel started getting sick with a bad cold and by the time we got home Saturday night, we were all sick.

Thanksgiving, Part 1

2006-12-15T16:12:00.000-06:00

With Janet

And Janet again

Samuel's playing a concerto (notice: he doesn't even need sheet music !)

With Marcie

With Rick

We spent a nice Thanksgiving Day at the Duggins. We ate too much, played games, and just generally had a good time hanging out. Samuel didn't lack for attention....