Home Is Where The Heart Is

ZUMBA FOR A CAUSE

2011-03-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

Come join me and the MOMS Club of Fishers for a "ZUMBA for the Cause" event on Saturday, March 19th from 9-10:30 am at Fall Creek Community Church in Fishers. 100% of the proceeds will go straight to the Megan S. Ott Foundation, which provides support and resources for families suffering with breast cancer. Not only will you get an amazing workout, but you will be supporting a great cause! I hope to see you there!

Ice Storm

2011-02-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Feb 2nd Keith went out to really get an estimate of how much ice we got. He busted up these two chunks off the driveway - they estimated about 2 1/2 inches! The drive way and roads are like an ice ring. Once more day stuck in doors at least, esp. with this massive ice everywhere. Keith loved it, but just a reminder to me how I need to live somewhere warmer - I hate winter!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-02-02T09:49:00.001-05:00

Ken and Karen came in the weekend before Keith's birthday to celebrate with him (more pics to come - most were taken with the Newbrough's camera). Karen made his favorite meal and a massive ice cream cake for him, then we celebrated with a meal at Outback. They left on Monday, luckily before the winter storm hit on Tuesday - Keith's actual birthday. We spent the day huddled up inside, because fortunately he did not have to go into work. It was a nasty storm, accumulating around 2 inches of ice and as a result nasty roads, and of course those wicked Indiana winds. However, we made the best of it - staying warm indoors (thanks to the fact we did not lose our electricity), and I made homemade potato soup and pepperoni rolls to warm us up. It actually was a nice day and for Keith - it was perfect. The weatherman-wannabe loved the crazy weather and even took Sadie for a walk in the ice storm. :)

Enjoying a family day indoors on Keith's birthday

Do not make fun of his cake - he wanted a piece of a Cookie Co. cake, but did not want a huge one, plus we had 80% of a 9x13" ice cream cake left over from the weekend. But, of course he had to blow out candles - so this was a makeshift cake. ;)

Wearing Daddy's snow shoes - she thought this was hysterical!

Samantha's gifts to Daddy - cologne, a hand-print poem, a sun-catcher that she painted, a new pic of her and a card that she drew a picture in (okay scribbled on, but it was adorable nonetheless) ;)

We used Fingerpaint to make Samantha's hand prints and then by her name at the bottom, she put her own lipstick print kiss - too cute!

What a dedicated man - in the midst of his birthday and an ice storm, he still spent much of the day studying! We both cannot wait until May and these oral boards to be over!!

His main gift - a new 42" TV for the bedroom, which he was so excited about! Now, at least during football season we will not have to fight for downstairs TV, because this is almost as big.

Disney on Ice

2011-02-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

On January 19th, Keith treated us all to the Disney on Ice: Toy Story show in downtown Indy. It was fabulous! Poor Sami was so sick that day, with watery eyes, a cough and a horrible runny nose - but bless her heart, she was a trooper. It lasted from 7-9pm (past her bedtime anyway) and she watched the whole thing, with her baby bear and blanket to bring her comfort. It truly was magical!

Dressed up for the show!

One of her many beloved babies and blanket joined us to help her feel better.

So beautiful - the pics do not do it justice!

So blurry - but the best pic that came out of us.

Another year, another resolution...

2011-01-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

I have decided to do one resolution - easy that it is just one, but at times it might be hardest to keep. If anyone is a great example of this it is my husband - he never complains and probably deserves this as his motto as much as anyone

RESOLUTION:

Live not as if the cup is half empty or half full...rather live knowing it is overflowing!

Playing in the Snow

2011-01-18T14:59:00.000-05:00

Daddy and Samantha love the snow (I am admittedly a warm-weather gal) so they enjoyed some play time in one of the many snowy days we have had. My 2 loves are precious, aren't they?! :)

Merry Christmas

2011-01-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! It was fun seeing Samantha come down to Santa's gifts - she was enamored with HoHo leading up to Christmas, so she was very aware this year that HoHo was coming to see her. We also talked with her about Jesus and how it was His birthday on Christmas. It was great to see her begin to appreciate both of these special parts of Christmas.

While it is not about the presents, it was fun to see her rip into her gifts and play with her toys. At times it was overwhelming for her and we took much needed rest and play breaks - which were wonderful. I also got to bring a piece of my family's tradition to the Newbrough, with my Mom's beloved Sausage fondue that morning (missed you Mama) - a tradition I want to be a part of Samantha's Christmas every year. :) We missed my family, but were grateful to be surrounded by many loved ones and to see Samantha relishing in the day.

Keith's family made Christmas very special and of course spoiled our little girl - she is very lucky to be surrounded by so much love!

Santa brought this cool fashion tent with working runway lights and can be plugged into an mp3 player (or Ipod) to play music. That way Samantha could strut down the runway with all her new dress up clothes. :)

Playing in her tent with baby Mickey

Some toys from Santa and Nana & Papa. This was a great toy that changes from a kitchen to a baby care center, to a school, to a doctor center - she loved it! Thanks - we love and missed you Nana and Papa

Get goofy with her new microphone - this way she can sing louder and with her press of her foot have a backup band. Too cool! :)

Daddy sporting the PJs I picked out for him "What happens under the mistletoe, stays under the mistletoe" - his only complaint...next year get him PJ pants with a button. ;) hehe Also, Mickey was not his present, Samantha put him in the pic.

Sadie tearing through the gifts - hysterical to watch

Our little chef ;) Thanks Nana & Papa for the new baking set :)

Papaw Newbrough sporting his Christmas PJs and a smile - thank you Papaw for all the wonderful gifts and memories - we love you dearly!

Daddy's face shows how difficult it is to get to these kids' gifts - they pack and zip tie them well. ;) Thanks Yaya and Papaw for the cool guitar. :)

Karen (Yaya) opening a special necklace from Ken - Christmas is also Karen's birthday, so we had a lot of celebrating to do. We hope you had a special birthday, Yaya!

Christmas was so special and so exhausting.....

Thank you to all our family - near and far! You all made Christmas so special and we love you all dearly! We are so blessed to have you all in our lives!

And a big thank you to God that Samantha did not come home wondering when she was getting more presents - between an early birthday in NC in November, a birthday party on Dec 21 (early) in WV, us singing happy birthday to her on Dec 22 (her real birthday), and Christmas - whew - I thought for sure, she would think this was a daily event. Thankfully, she was happy as a clam -- good thing, because we are now officially broke. ;)

Christmas PJ Tradition

2011-01-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

Year 2 of the Christmas PJs - as started by Keith. He surprises me and I him, so needless to say we do not pick the most attractive. ;) Even Samantha gets a special pair. The only rule - you have to wear them from Christmas Eve and through ALL of Christmas day! Even Ken and Karen got into the tradition this year.

Christmas Eve Celebrations

2011-01-17T22:43:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas Eve celebration at Tammie's house - thanks for hosting Tammie!

Keith bragging about the Snuggie Tammie got him - I am so jealous! I need my own Snuggie ;)

Samantha did this to me - and wanted the photo. So, oh well - what you do to make your child smile ;)

Rocking out!

Our 2 Year Old!

2011-01-17T22:30:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe our baby is 2! Where did the time go? We are so blessed to have our SamBug in our life. She has filled our lives with so much joy! We look back at the pictures of her first birthday and cannot believe how much she has changed. Now, we have a walking, talking, singing, giggling, crazy girl! She amazes us every day with her funny spirit, her every growing vocab, her silly faces, and her loving spirit.

Since this is as much my journal as a blog, here are the things she is doing/loving at 2...

Her favorite things are:
- Books, books and more books
- Singing any and every song - and she loves creating her own
- Being told made up stories
- Animals - esp. her beloved Schleich
- Animated Movies and of course Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Curious George shows
- Playing kitchen (though, she never wants you to actually eat the food) ;)
- Back rubs - she asks for them before every nap/bedtime
- Baby Bear (her halloween Ty Beanie Baby from her first Halloween)
- Chasing after our dog Sadie or putting Sadie in her room so they can "play together"
- Having her hair done - she likes you to blow dry her hair and put curlers in
- Kisses and cuddles - she is our lover. If I say "mama needs something" she'll say "a kiss and hug" and come over and give me both! ;)
- Skype - she loves to chat with Nana, Papa, Yaya and Papaw on the computer!

She does not like:
- Monsters - I swear she has nightmares!
- She has become super shy around people she does not know - she takes a little while to become vocal around strangers
- ANY green vegetables!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2011-01-17T22:23:00.001-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Samantha Paige! With a Mickey-themed birthday party, we celebrated 2 years with our Princess.

Showing off her curlers that Mommy put in her hair for her big birthday party - unfortunately we left them in too long, so a spray bottle was necessary to get the hair from overly- Curly Sue to cute Sami waves. Oh well, she loves the curlers! ;)

The lady that made our Wedding and Groom cake, made this adorable cake for Samantha - it was vanilla with raspberry filling - YUM!

Bound to happen in a picture - she is obsessed with picking her nose!

Blowing out the candles to 2 great years and many more to come! Thank you God for this precious little girl, but could you please let time slow down some?! :)

Ugly Sweater Party

2011-01-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

Vicki and Stephanie threw an Ugly Sweater Christmas party while we were home before Christmas! We had such a great time! I hope this is a new yearly tradition, because after seeing some of the sweaters we definitely need to up our game next time. ;)

Vicki and Randy - the world's most adorable couple!!

Keith and his dad, Ken - who is sporting his new "Something about Mary" hairstyle!

Karen with her dolled up sweater

Logan and his girlfriend, Stephanie - the mastermind behind the party and all the great games. Thanks Steph! :)

Mallory and her boyfriend, Christian - I know, they are too cute for words, huh?

Stephanie took this pic of us towards the end of the night - by then I had ditched my itchy wool sweater for Haley's T-shirt. No, it did not fit the theme, but wool and shoulder pads can only last so long. ;)

The only pic of our crew together in our ugly Christmas gear - Keith worked the female sweater vest, and I the 80s tribute with waterfall bangs, shoulder pads and high waisted stretch pants. Sadly, some of the attendees liked my clothes and they were surprised to see them happily gifted to them for Christmas - that is what you get! :)

Sick Day

2011-01-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

After many close encounters with friends who had the stomach flu in their house, we thought we had gotten lucky and avoided it. However, it finally came our way and poor Samantha dealt with it in December (luckily before the holidays) - she was such a sad sight for a couple of days. To make her feel better, Daddy got her a new stuffed piggy and this adorable Elmo balloon that she toted around everywhere.

Snow Day

2011-01-15T14:57:00.001-05:00

Well, I am outnumbered - I guess I need to learn to like the snow, because Samantha (like Keith and Sadie) think it is the best thing ever!

Meeting Santa

2011-01-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

We were so excited this year to have Samantha meet Santa. She has been so excited about Christmas - talking about HoHo nonstop and helping me with the daily countdown hanging on our fridge. Last year we didn't have her sit on Santa's lap, but this year we really talked it up to her and she seemed ready for it.

So early Saturday morning we got up and went to "Cookies with Santa" at the Fishers Town Hall. As we waited in line to see Santa, she kept pointing at him and saying "sit on HoHos lap" - she was so excited.....well, until we got to HoHo. ;) Once there, you could not pry her off of daddy! Hence, why he is in the photo - that was the only way she would sit there - she was terrified!. However, as soon as she got up and got a free candy cane, she smiled and all she could talk about ALL DAY was how she sat in Hoho's lap. :)

An Early 2nd Birthday

2011-01-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

Of course while in NC we wanted to celebrated Samantha's 2nd birthday with my family, albeit it early. So the Saturday after Thanksgiving we had a full day of celebration. We took all the girls to see the Tangled movie (by the way - AMAZING - it is now one of my favorite princess movies and all the girls loved it!), then we went to Deadwood restaurant to celebrate Samantha's birthday with rides, great food and gifts. What a special birthday this was - thank you Nana and Papa for putting this special day together!

At Deadwood, which is mini amusement park on the outside, great steaks on the inside -- love it and bonus, so do the kids. :)

Tara, Allyson and Nana on the playground

The Three Amigos - I think this photo alone proves that Tara and I married as close to our father as possible. (I mean that in a nice way Dad. ;) )

Tara and Keith enjoying a moment sans kids. :)

Me and Tara - We had so many wonderful chances to hang out this week. Thank you Tara for everything - the Zumba classes, making over Samantha and getting lots of chances to catch up. I miss you already!

I love this picture of us - usually the rare shots of just us are sad and will never be posted on this blog. But we clean up okay when we try. ;)

After much fun outside we went inside to begin the birthday party! Mom put together gift bags for all the kids and the waiters even came by to sing to Samantha - even though she was so shy that she was buried in my shoulder for the whole song.

Blowing out candles on the princess cake. We went princess themed for the day instead of Mickey, since we saw the movie Tangled.

This is my favorite pic of all time - does it get any sweeter...love that smile and giggle

Yes - of course she had to wear a princess crown - not just for the theme, but also the girl loves this kind of stuff!

I had to show off this cute ponytail - I love that her hair is long enough now. :)

Allyson and Tara - love this pic!

This is mini-Reagan right here! ;) This is her "look" and she will give it on command - God help us all :) haha

The much adored Nana and Papa surrounded by all the kids as Samantha opens presents

What a special, special birthday - thank you everyone!

Thanksgiving in NC

2011-01-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

This year we were suppose to go to NC for Christmas, but planned changed a few months ago and we decided to go Thanksgiving again in NC. We will be sad to be away from my family at Christmas, but what a wonderful time we had together over Thanksgiving. It was great to spend time with Mom and Dad, as well as my sister and her wonderful family. We also got to see some extended family and friends in the area. We definitely packed in a lot for a 5 day trip, including 2 Zumba expos I taught at my sister's gym, Samantha's early 2nd birthday party (next post), a movie date, and lots of gorging ourself on Mom's ridiculous food spreads (I know I probably came home 5 lbs heavier - but SO worth it)! Needless to say, it was an amazing week! However, I did not take as many picture as I should have - just too much going on. :)

Here are some pretty pics Mom took of Samantha in her back yard:

When everyone came for Thanksgiving, we enjoyed the mild weather outside. The guys played football and all us girls played on bikes, swings, etc. So much fun!

Enjoying some family time indoors:

Laughing and being silly with daddy

My cousins - Luke and TJ acting SOOO tough - too bad I have known these guys since diapers, so they cannot fool me. ;) Love you guys!

Typical kid pic - Dani, Allyson and Sami playing around

Uncle Theo, Luke, Aunt Sue and TJ - you all mean the world to us! So glad we could spend Thanksgiving together!

Okay, seriously!? Any ladies interested in these studs - I'll raffle them off cheap. hahaha

Finally, the kind of picture I wanted - thanks TJ ;) In all fairness though, I think I only got this picture because they were exhausted from a bunch of little girls hanging all over them. :)

Finally got a picture of me and my baby doll.

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-04T23:38:00.002-05:00

This year we went to Portrait Innovations to get Christmas pictures and new pictures of Samantha. We were quite proud of some of the great pics we got!

A Visit with Kris

2010-12-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

Recently I was blessed with a call from my one of my dearest friends, Kris, asking if she could make a road trip and come visit. Of course I was so excited and we cleared the schedule to make time! We had a wonderful week of girl time - including lunches, shopping, taking her to my Zumba classes, a lot of late nights sitting up talking, an adults-only movie night and just catching up. I wish we could see each other more often, but cherish these moments together.

My Southern Belle

2010-12-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

If you have ever met my mother you know that she embodies the south and is PROUD OF IT! One thing she always taught me growing up is that a proper woman does not leave the house without a dab of makeup and a curl. Granted times have changed and much to my mother's chagrin, girls now flatten their hair more than curl it and motherhood has made my makeup days less - but she'd be proud to know that her dear granddaughter is a lover of curlers (I know my Grandma and Great-grandma are giggling from heaven). Luckily, don't under-estimate Miss Samantha she is much like her mama as a child, rough and tough while wearing a tutu. ;)

"Monsters Mama, Monsters"

2010-12-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

This Halloween showcased what a change their was between Samantha at 10 months and her at 22 months old. Last Halloween she was no aware of monsters and would have been happy in any outfit I stuck her into. This year she definitely had something to say about both! :)

She (at some point) became very aware of what monsters were. She was now scared of every monster in the stores and even became convinced that shadows were monsters. She get timid and cling to Keith and I saying "monsters, monsters" in a whimper. Daddy did come to the rescue and convince her that monsters could not come in the house and that there were a lot of good monsters, like the sweet ghost decorations in the house. Samantha would even comment "no monsters in the house mama." As adorable as this was, we were worried about what Halloween night would bring.

On top of that, I had visions of her being a beautiful princess, but after our sister and law gave us a chicken costume, which Samantha found hysterical, the princess was out the window. She'd wear the chicken costume around the house weeks before Halloween, looking at herself in the mirror and getting into giggling fits. It was adorable!

Also, in the days leading up to Halloween Keith's parents came in and we embarked on the holiday traditons - making yummy apple-filled goodies, carving pumpkins, and going to the Halloween celebration at Indy's gorgeous Children's Museum.

Sporting some cow PJs in the spirit of Halloween dress-up. :)

Heading into the Children's Museum with Papaw and Yaya

Yep - that is her reaction to the "monster" ;)

Dressed up like a dinosaur and playing with one of the many amazing exhibits.

The toddler room at the Museum is SO cool - Samantha loves the fishing pond, tractor, playhouse, and all the opportunities to dress up and goof around.

Enjoying the Carousel ride with Yaya

On the way home - worn out after a busy day. Getting in a nap before trick or treating that night.

Her Halloween basket from Mommy and daddy since I didn't want her to go crazy on candy.

Finally it was time to get bundled up and dressed up. Here is our Chicken Little:

Okay, so we did have to let her dive into the candy a little bit. :)

What a magical Halloween this was!

Big Girl Room

2010-10-26T22:36:00.000-04:00

So I came to the difficult reality lately that my precious baby girl is now a toddler and getting to be quite a big girl - yes a tear rolls down my cheek as I say this. The past 22 months have gone by in the blink of an eye, but during that time I have been blessed to share every moment with the most beautiful, funny, sweet little girl. As much as I loved the hours of cuddling, the nursing and the quiet sweet moments of her infancy, it has been replaced by sweet chatter, uproarious laughter, hugs, kisses, knuckles, running, dancing, walks (AKA: treasure hunts), hide n' go seek and the "come on Mama" when I am moving too slow -- all indicators that my little baby is becoming a big (little) girl.

To celebrate the wonders of these toddler years I wanted to redo her babyish bedroom. While we live in a relatively small house and don't have a dedicated playroom, I decided to be creative to make her room as special as I could. With the help of my parents (THANKS NANA AND PAPA) and Keith, her baby bedroom got a big girl transformation that melts my heart. We are loving playing in this big girl room. :)

We got this beautiful mural online - I fell in love with it instantly. It is so bright and beautiful and also came with many other flowers and critters that trail along the floor boards of her room. So precious. We also got this beautiful Pottery Barn table/chairs as an early birthday gift for Samantha from her Nana and Papa. She now has a play to play, draw and color - and even an extra chair to hang out with her friends. :)

Enjoying her new Target bookcases and fun baskets. Now, her animal villages are on display and she can play with them at her height. We have baskets dedicated to dress up clothes (one of the many joys of having a little girl - love it!), animals (her beloved Schleich's esp.), and other misc. toys. Plus, we can now house many of her beloved books.

Next step will be the change to toddler bed, but I am in no rush -- lots of changes already for Mama and I am okay with letting some "baby" things sticking around for awhile. :)

Nana and Papa visit

2010-10-26T22:16:00.002-04:00

Nana and Papa came down for a quick visit, driving all the way from NC. We jam packed 5 days with a lot of fun, Christmas shopping (since we are spending Christmas with the Newbroughs this year) and reveling in the joys of fall. Samantha was so excited and clung to them like glue while they were here! Samantha woke up every morning asking where Nana and Papa were and was so excited to show them all the new words that she has learned, songs, read books with them, and show them her toys. :)

Samantha got her first book bag and felt like such a big girl. She still totes it around with her Schleich animals (another addiction thanks to Nana ;) ). Now when we travel, Samantha can have her own bag of goodies to carry around. :)

Here is my beautiful Samantha dressed up for church. I love this smile/grimace she made - hysterical. That is what you get when you ask a 22 month old to smile. ;)

We went to Russell Farms together to enjoy the kid rides, pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay ride and animals. Samantha was in hog's heaven.

Nana, Papa and Samantha making a sweet picture. :)

Picking the perfect pumpkin.

Picture Perfect!

Making friends with a Billy Goat.

Silly Moments with Nana and Papa...

Miniature Papa - same jokes, different age. Samantha entertained us all during dinner with her giggles and spoon tricks.

Sweet giggles at one of Nana Princess stories. Samantha loves being told a story and will ask for "more, more."

Showing us she is a big girl in her big girl chair.

Samantha is a talker and so animated, this is catching her mid sentence about her animals and just prior to her throwing this one away - not her favorite, I guess.

Cuddled up warm to take our favorite daily walks.

Lots of Sweet Moments...

We all enjoyed this precious time with my parents. Samantha is so smitten with her family and loaded them down with kisses, hugs and of course relished in their undivided attention.

Keith and Dad got in some male-bonding, Mom and I shared some much needed girl chats and our dog Sadie even enjoyed some much needed attention. :) Visits like this mean more than I can express, but I just wish they were longer.

Birthday Bonanza

2010-09-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to Parkersburg, WV to visit Keith's family and to celebrate Jeff's 53rd birthday and throw a surprise 70th birthday for his father, Ken. It was a great weekend, despite the colds Samantha and I were fighting. However, despite some restless nights with a coughing baby on my chest (okay, so I did love her sleeping with me, just not seeing my baby sick), we pushed through and have a wonderful time! It was so great spending time with everyone and seeing some of Keith's extended family that we rarely get to see.

Samantha's new friend "Big Dog" (aka: The Brooks' poodle) - she was in LOVE!

Logan and Stephanie - what a cute pair!

Official Corn Hole Tournament set-up! Logan and Stephanie won the pot at the end - a whole $25 dollars. ;)

Vicki strutting it, despite the miserable Corn Hole loss. :)

My Two Loves!

Mallory and Christian (aka: the other man in Sami's life) cuddling with

Sami for an adorable photo opt

Our beautiful Haley

Randy - doesn't he look happy?! Is this before or after the keg was opened????

We are living big dreams that she will be an athlete one day! (Look at that bum!!)

Mackenzie and Ken

Ken's sisters - Pat and Mary. I SO love these ladies. They are hysterical!

I just wish we could see them more.

Karen and her mother, Sarah. What a neat lady she is. I wish she could have had a conversation with my late Great Grandmother Antho and my Grandmother Beach - what an interesting conversation that would have been to listen in on. :)

Sitting Pretty!

Loving on Lo-Lo. :)

Where Are You Baby Samantha

2010-09-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things Samantha says is "Where Are You?" She will often sing this in the house when she can't find you "Where Are you...dog, daddy, mama, etc" and often this is heard via the monitor in the morning if you take what she considers too much time coming to get her. :) But today I think of this comment when I think of how grown up she seems sometimes. Yes, I know...she is ONLY 21 months old! But, WOW the changes have been incredible. She is like this little person now...you know what I mean...her personality, her charm, her attitude, her giggle...it is like you can truly see what type of little person she is - it is AMAZING, but saddens me to see it all happening SO quickly!

On this evening (below) I must have been taking too long to get lunch ready and Samantha to her highchair. I had just placed her plate on the table and was finishing up our meals, when I looked around and saw this...

First Haircut

2010-09-28T23:22:00.000-04:00

Samantha finally got her first haircut! I had put this off for WAY TOO long. Her poor bangs were in her eyes, but after seeing her hair finally come in with those cute bouncy curls, I couldn't get my head around cutting it. But, I took my friend's advice and took her to the cutest kids hair place - Cookie Cutters. They sit your kid in these cool car seats, let them pick out their own movie and afterwards they can play on the indoor slide. Samantha looked traumatized during the haircut, but did not cry once - I was a proud Mama (though I do wish we got a smiling picture!). Keith was not as impressed and still to this day bitches about how a 21 mth old can get a $20 haircut, but I left pleased (and will return). :)

Whew that is over, now time for some serious playing....

Visit with the Tillmans

2010-09-28T23:13:00.001-04:00

We were so excited to have the Tillmans visit us this summer. With them in VA, the visits are few and far between. We miss them and look forward to getting together. With their growing family (4th due in Dec) we feel like we miss so much and the kids change so much between visits! Perhaps one day we will all be closer.

Leah and Noah Tillman - what cuties! :)

Deborah and Annabelle - look at that smile. :)

Go Steelers!

2010-09-28T23:05:00.000-04:00

Since we live here in Colt Country, Keith felt it even more necessary to get Samantha a Steeler's jersey to wear during football season. Since I am not much of a sports fan, I was hoping that this would just be a cute thing, but much to my dismay and Keith's excitement Samantha LOVES "feetball" and will ask for it. Okay, I guess I better learn to watch the stuff... I am officially overruled. :)

Buddies

2010-09-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

Samantha got to hang out with her buddy Ellie one Saturday morning. They are adorable together! This is during one of the few times that they stopped moving, sat down for a snack and enjoyed their co-obsession - Mickey Mouse!

Silly Moments

2010-09-28T22:58:00.000-04:00

I love this age! Samantha is a character and keeps us laughing all day long. On these days in particular she found it hysterical to try on an array of "hats" - a term I use loosely. Some of these odd creations are truly to her credit - I just snapped the pictures. :)

These last two were after she got up and ran away after a diaper change. These are the only two pictures I could post, since she is diaperless and those are the pants that should be covering her hinny. :)

Peek-a-boo

2010-09-07T16:47:00.000-04:00

Samantha loves to play Peek-a-boo in the curtains. She laughs hysterically the whole time - so not the sneakiest kid in the world - but it is so funny to play this peek-a-boo game with her.

Can't be sure, but I think just maybe there is a baby behind that curtain...

Holy smokes...it isn't just a baby it is a crazy-haired little girl on the prowl! ;)

Summer Vacation

2010-09-07T16:43:00.000-04:00

Samantha and I had a very special vacation to North Carolina this summer. We spent 2 1/2 weeks with my parents - the first 1 1/2 weeks at their home in Chocowinity, NC and then Keith joined us for the last week with both of my sisters and their kids at the Outer Banks. What a special time it was, to see Samantha hanging out with all the kids - just think, there was 7 girls 10 yrs and younger. It was crazy, but SO much fun!

The weather was hot and beautiful! We enjoyed it at the pool, beach, playing in the afternoon showers outside, at playgrounds, shopping, eating great food and the adult even had an afternoon on the jet skis. To top it all off, I got to be there to celebrate my sister Tia's 38th birthday and my sister Tara's 35th birthday! I also got to teach at my sisters gym...my first time teaching ZUMBA! It was amazing! I got such a great response and so much support, that it just affirmed this new chapter of my life. It was a great way to get me ready for my fall teaching at Michele's Studio. Thanks Tara for all your support and to Tia for practicing with me many nights at Mom's house and of course, to Mom for watching the kids as us girls worked out!

Of course, as you can imagine I took hundreds of pictures over this 2 1/2 week span, so I am going to try to pare it down. Bear with me! (This is why it has taken me weeks to post this!!) :)

The little lights of our lives (left-->right) - Jackie, Dani, Reagan, Maddie, Grace, Allyson and Samantha. A rare photo with no meltdowns. :)

The picture right after that...yes, Samantha was done! ;)

The older kids romping on the playground. I love this pic and boy do I miss them all! Wish we lived closer!

That right there folks, is what life is ALL about!

A rare photo of the 5 of us -- a strong family blessed by God. And blessed by my brother in law Brian who is taking the photo and wraggling the kids. ;)

I don't know what I'd do without my sisters - they are my rocks and my best friends!

Lots of Estrogen -- and we love it that way!

Wait - how did they manage a chance to sit down and relax!? ;) Good to see Keith home and getting a chance to reunite with everyone. I know Dad appreciates having another man around.

Samantha and Allyson goofing around - they were best buddies this trip. So much fun to watch!

We took the kids crabbing off the marina piers - summer tradition! Everyone had a blast except my sister Tara, who about scared the mess out of all of us, screaming every time a crab moved. Ahhh Tara :)

Me and my Daddy.

Me and my baby -- isn't it funny how life comes full circle!

Tia and her girls. We all missed you Ed -- you were the only missing link!

Tara, Brian and their little girls.

Ocean time with Daddy - Samantha much preferred being in his arms to being in the cold water.

Mama (Nana) and Reagan - a picture worth a thousand words.

My favorite picture of me and Samantha -- yes, she actually posed! She is such a toot!

Tara and Brian -- see Brian no more whining...there are finally some pics of you. ;)

Tia and Maddie celebrating Tia's 38th

This is just giving me a glimpse into the future ... Keith with 2 babies on his lap. What a good man I married.

Mama and Tia :)

Thanks to the two most important people of my life that make all this happen. Thank you for spoiling us, for raising us to know that family is the most important thing, and to constantly be reminders of the blessings God gives us!

Turkey Run State Park

2010-07-27T22:47:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a beautiful day at Turkey Run State Park - our first time there in the 3 years since living in Indiana. It was gorgeous. I had no idea this was so close and we could have kicked ourselves for not going there sooner. We spent the day hiking, having a picnic, and swimming in the pool there. We took dozens of photos, here are just some of our favorites.

Getting ready to walk across the suspension bridge into more of the wooded area. Samantha looks nervous. Though, understandably if you look at the next photos.

God's light shining through the canopy. When you are in places as beautiful as this, you can't deny God's presence. :)

Samantha remained a little scared of the rocks in the beginning and wouldn't let us put her down. Finally, after showing her cool bugs, waterfalls, and the joy of throwing rocks into the stream, she loosened up some. Still, poor daddy carried her most of the day - neither one of us trusted my klutzy nature on slippery rocks. ;)

ZUMBA Advertisement

2010-07-27T22:30:00.000-04:00

It's official!

Playing Dress Up

2010-07-18T15:47:00.000-04:00

I've got a total girl who loves to play dress up. She picked out her attire, I just helped her put it all on.

18 Months old!

2010-07-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

Samantha had her 18 month old appointment on Thursday and it just reminded me how quickly the time has gone! It makes me a little sad, but we truly feel so blessed for every moment we have with her. She has brought so much joy into our life and has truly been the light of our life. So I thought I'd take some time to brag on her some more - my right as a Mama. For those that think - well isn't this what the whole blog is about - WELL YES! Families and the children in it are God's greatest blessings.

Stats:

Weight - 23.2 lbs -- 30% percentile
Length - 31.75 in -- 45% percentile
Head - 47 cm -- 60% percentile (her daddy's big head ;) )

Personality:

The older she gets the more and more her unique personality showcases. However, glimpses of this were evident - I swear - from day 1!
- She is shy around new people or people she hasn't seen in awhile but once she gets comfortable she is incredibly outgoing
- She is a ham -- so funny!
- She hates the camera and will turn as soon as it flashes
- She has a quick temper -- drama, drama -- but can be distracted very easily
- She is so loving - likes to gives out kisses and hugs

Skills:

Watching how quickly they pick up and learn things AMAZES ME!
- Knows about 60 words
- Sits and "faux" reads books (her favorite toys)
- Can point out all her body parts on her and you
- Can point out and name LOTS of things
- Plays pretend - tea party, reads books to stuffed animals, play cooking, dress up & hide n' seek
- Helpful - will bring me things - wants to help unload dishwasher and groceries
- Tells us about 1/2 the time afterwards that she has peed or pooped
- Sings lines from "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Row Your Boat"
- Walks with play or real phone and carries on conversations with people
- Makes 2 and 3 word sentences - "I need...," " Daddy car keys," "One more..." (which means 100 more) etc...
- Sits on side of pool and "jumps" in to Daddy

New Changes

- Likes to be read to and held before every nap/bedtime, but likes to put herself to sleep in her bed
- Picky veggies eater, but really loving her fruit - new favs are grapes and strawberries (everything reddish and round is termed an "apple" though interestingly she doesn't really love apples)
- Obsessed with the pool
- Obsessed with Curious George (poor Mickey has moved to 2nd place)
- Loves her big girl bike
- Loves swinging - esp. on someone's lap!
- Favorite cracker/cookies - Peanut Butter filled cheddar crackers

Moments that make you smile

2010-07-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

Realizing she has your hair at such a young age - my little curly Sue!

I think we prayed too long at dinner - she didn't make it through. :)

Samantha realizing that we are in the car YET AGAIN!

Catch looking for Daddy and being snuck up on.

Being found and now chased!

A stand-off at the pool to get the baby back in!

Laughing because was the pillow really necessary with a belly that big? And does the food I cook contain a sedative or is that her way to get out of eating my cooking?

Realizing that the binky DOES make her THAT happy and that we are going to have a fight on our hands when we take it away.

Meeting Mr. Eli

2010-07-14T00:10:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we drove to Louisville, KY to visit our dear friends Andy and Devon and to meet their adorable son Eli. Sadly, it took us 7 months to see him because of the craziness of life, and our trip was brief - but it was so nice to catch up and to see him in person. Was a precious addition to the Freeman family he is and we are so blessed to be a part of their lives. What a special family.

I wish I could have gotten more pictures, but the weekend went by so fast. Poor Samantha got reacquainted with some baby toys and was fascinated with all of Eli's things. So she ran through their house checking out all the goodies. :) Eli reminded us how chill that 7 month age is and how quickly that goes, as we'd turn around and see our little girl running through the house. They truly grow up too quick! :)

The Daddies with their handfuls. I have taken many pictures of these two guys side by side, but this is truly the most precious.

Andy and Eli - so adorable!

Mamas chatting during swing time with the kiddos.

Eli getting ready for mealtime.

Look closely - yes that is my baby stealing Eli's food tray. Caught ya! ;)

Enjoying all those baby toys and managing to wedge herself into the Bumbo - though getting out took a little help from Mama.

She got to where she was saying Eli's say (or rather "E-i") and when I asked where he was at that moment, she raised her hands in her common "I don't know" response.

Her favorite toys are the books, so we made sure to bring a lot with us.

Enjoying some books with Daddy before bed, while the Mommies sneak off to see the movie -- Eclipse -- SO GOOD!

Little Miss Drama, getting into telling me about the dog - who was chasing her in the yard for the bottle to play with. :)

Eating at Puccini's our last day. This is a typical picture of me with Samantha - I guess since I take 95% of the pictures, my husband has not gotten the act of "get baby's attention first" - I swear the man just barely looks in the camera, snaps and places the camera back in his pocket. Ugh - men. ;) Luckily, the other non-posted picture of us together, Samantha is looking in no-man's land with her hands down my shirt -- so this was at least better. :)

July 4th

2010-07-13T23:51:00.001-04:00

We had a very special July 4th. Our niece Haley came home from WV with us, to stay through the 4th. It was so wonderful having her here - it made the 4th even more special. Of course, Samantha was smitten with her and was yelling for "Hagey" everywhere she went that week!

For the 4th we grilled out hot dogs, corn, watermelon and ice cream pie! Our neighbor Fred joined us for the meal and some intense corn hole competitions. :) Afterwards Fred went home on a high note, having beaten Keith at corn hole, and we went to our first big fireworks display with Samantha at the bridge in Geist.

It was such a beautiful, fun day. Very relaxing! The fireworks were a great end to it, despite the fact that poor Samantha slept through them - she almost made it, but collapsed on Daddy's shoulder just minutes before. But, heck that is still a big day for a baby.

Samantha played peek-a-boo in the curtains while I was cooking - her new favorite game. She'll hide in the (transparent) curtains and yell "Mama, Mama" until I find her. :)

Got her! :)

Fred and Keith in an intense head-to-head battle at Corn Hole. Me, relishing behind the camera to see my dear hubby get beat. I know, I know that sounds bad - but I have been beat by him enough -- karma was due! :)

Chilling at the bridge in Geist waiting for the fireworks with Haley

Crazy girl!

My beautiful firecracker! :)

The next day, Keith's sister Vicki came to get Haley and spend a few days with Samantha. It was so much fun hanging out with both ladies.

Chatting with Vicki and poor Sadie trying to get in on the conversation

Loving on the new baby Vicki brought for her. Thanks Vicki!

Relaxing with some of her babies after a fun, busy day and watching a little Curious George (her new obsession)!

Thanks Haley for spending so much time with us and for you both making Samantha feel so special! We miss you!

West Virginia Roadtrip

2010-07-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

The last week of June we had a whirlwind trip to WV to visit family in Parkersburg, go to Amish country and ultimately end with a trip to Fairmont, WV to catchup with friends, family and to get my Zumba certification. Whew! And all this in 5 days. We literally were in the car traveling anywhere from 2 - 5 hrs each way to a destination. This at times made for a crabbier-than-usual 18 month old, but overall she was amazing and went with the flow! And we all had an amazing time - it was worth the traveling! :)

Our week started with heading down to Parkersburg early Wednesday morning to see Keith's family. It is always great to see everyone and after Samantha gets over her momentary shyness from all the attention, she dives in and eats it up!

Thursday morning we got on the road early and headed to Amish country, where we ate good food, did some shopping, went on a carriage ride and toured some Amish homes. It is a fascinating look into such a different culture and a very traditional way of thinking and living. You can't help but admire them and respect them. The Amish have a passion in hard work, their faith, traditional values and family, much more than the rest of the world seems to. I could not live their life - I love my PJ pants, shorts and conveniences too much - but I think we could all learn a little something from a life lived without so many extravagancies.

Before our carriage ride I got this picture. This is just one of the many types of carriages they use. You had to be careful taking pictures there though, because the Amish cannot be photographed. One of the reasons though I could not be Amish - I have already logged thousands of pics of Miss Samantha in her 18 months of life!

Meeting one of the many puppies running around the farms. Samantha spent the rest of the day trying to chase them and saying "I need a dog!"

Nearby we found a playground for Samantha to play on. It was great until we all got hungry and had to pull her away for lunch. ;)

Friday we headed to Fairmont and it was a whirlwind from there. With a dead camera battery, my pics stop there. But, we kept busy despite the visual proof. :)

Friday night I got to meet my dear friend Aimee for a dinner at Cracker Barrel - yum. (So great to catch up Aimee -- I have missed you SO!!). Saturday morning I woke up early to head out to my all day Zumba certification from 8 am -6 pm. It was so wonderful and I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I know that sounds dramatic, but I am proud of myself for going for it (granted with the prodding and encouragement of loved ones). I love taking on a new challenge and meeting that -- and selfishly it feels good to have something for me, outside of being a mommy. Now I can shake my tushy and get paid for it!! Woohoo!

Of course we also got to show Samantha off to some of Keith's family (albeit she was sporting the shiner in the earlier post) and got to stay with his Grandmother. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see everyone because we were there so quickly.

By Sunday we were back on the road and I swear Samantha was so sick of the car it was turning her goofy. She used this time to discover she could brush her hair with her feet. God Bless that child, she keeps me giggling. :)

Baby Rocky

2010-06-29T07:49:00.000-04:00

Poor baby got her first black eye, when she literally ran off the top of a set of steps at my in-laws this past weekend. Luckily it was only two steps, but she hit her eye. To those fellow mothers, you can probably understand how my heart pounded when I ran to her and how I just wanted to cry along with her. Her poor eye swelled up and the whole bottom was black and blue. The picture does not even capture it well at all - it actually looked horrible in person. Overall she handled it like a pro, but I felt SO bad for her!

Life is Never Boring...

2010-06-29T07:43:00.000-04:00

Samantha is a rambunctious, creative and funny little girl - she is drama at its best. She'll sing you Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star, walk like an old man, turn and dance, talks up a storm, will chase you all over the house and go about 100 mph...she keeps life anything but boring! And, we are loving every minute!

Samantha loves to grab your hand and bring it to her, to love on. She is also a kissing machine, and if she kisses one person she'll make sure to kiss everyone. So precious!

Silly girl :)

Showing off her new lawnmower - now if we can get her to truly mow the yard - we are set!!

We have taught her to do fist pumps - yep...cool kid!

Like I tried to tell my Mom - she is obsessed with anything from a straw. Here she is trying the remains of an Iced Coffee...no lectures, there was barely any left. But, she'd keep coming up for air saying "MORE!"

Always on the go - moving and grooving. Usually by the time you snap the picture, she is gone!

She will stop for the misc. bugs all around - she loves them and will just scoop them up in her hand. However, sometimes to her dismay they don't love her! She had her first bee sting on her finger the other day and yet she still chases them and blows kisses at them. Maybe I have a budding entomologist on my hands. :)

Look at them Daisy-dukes!

Father's Day

2010-06-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

I felt so blessed to be celebrating Father's Day with the two most amazing men I know -- my dear husband and father! These two men have been great examples of faith, love and hard work. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I thank God everyday for the joy they bring me.

For 30 years my father has been my hero, my friend, my support system, and my encouragement. I have looked up to him and have held every man in comparison. It is amazing now to see my husband also becoming that kind of father and how our daughter looks at him with that same doe-eyed expression of love. Something about Daddy's and their baby girls. :)

As part of Father's Day, we all went to our church for a special service and I got some pics of us all outside and in the church. At one point, I look over during the service (when a Father/daughter video is playing) and poor Keith had tears streaming down his face. Just another reason why I love that man so much! He's a keeper.

The competitive streak definitely comes out during the weekend's corn hole and scrabble competitions- I swear I married my father. ;)

To wrap up Father's Day we all went and pigged out at the Outback. YUM, YUM!

Date Night and Anniversary

2010-06-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Keith and I got a rare date night - 2nd in 17 months! A friend's daughter watched Samantha while we went to a dinner for Keith's residency. While we missed Samantha, it was nice getting dressed up and eating a fancy meal. This date night coupled as an anniversary date as well, which was the following day. We celebrated 6 years married and have been together a total of 13 years. We just feel so blessed to have found each other so long ago - what a blessed and loving life we have together!

Papa and "Ninny"

2010-06-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

My parents came to visit for a few days last week. They drove from NC, visited friends in KY and then stopped here before heading to see one of my sisters in CO. Yes, I know we are nomads -- but traveling to our family is a must when we are all so close, yet SO FAR!

We only had a few days with them on this end of the trip, but we made the most of it with playing outside, great food (we made our first Tiramisu cake, a tomato pie, veggie quiche, and my favorite cream spinach broiler -- check out these recipes on Mama's Recipe Swap -- yum, yum), shopping, seeing Prince of Persia at the movies (SO GOOD!!) and just catching up.

Samantha has definitely picked up the name "Papaw" over the last couple of visits with both of her grandparents, but has finally gotten down the name Nana -- or as she says it "Ninny." :)

Mom and Dad brought their dog Mikey with them, and Samantha decided that his bed was just another laid down for her. She literally would scoot him out to lay down.

Okay, don't call child services on me. Samantha also took to Mikey's cage and thought it was hysterical to open it and close herself in -- it was so funny! Later, we would even find her putting her stuffed animals in there, too. :)

For all of you that think my child loves the camera - or must due to the amount of photos I take - this is actually the easy picture to take. If you want a front "pose" of her with anyone, she runs! It takes 50 shots to get 1 good one, but heck...sometimes these funny ones are the best anyway. :)

"Whoa, Ninny...what happened to the cat in the fiddle?"

Nana got this great pic of our cute little sailor girl. :)

What a great few days with Nana and Papa -- can't wait until they come back through for Father's Day! Love you guys!

Strutting her stuff

2010-06-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

Not shy to strut her stuff! Hey good lookin'! :)

Flower Child

2010-06-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

Samantha loves being outside and loves flowers. She kisses the flowers and even chases and blows kisses at the bees -- it is precious! She esp. loves to take her water bucket and water the plants on her own.

Indy 500

2010-06-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

For Keith's birthday in February, I got him Indy 500 tickets and his family and friends got tickets to join him for a guy's weekend. Memorial weekend was the big race, and we had our house packed as Keith's dad, brother-in-laws, nephew, and best friend came up for the game. With them, came Keith's Mom and two nieces for Samantha and I. We might have been scrunched at times in this little house, but we had a wonderful weekend filled with cook-outs, work-outs, and races. Samantha of course loved the full house and all the attention!

Jeff, Ken, Logan, Keith and Randy getting ready to head into the race. It was around 96 degrees in the stands - the hottest day of the race every recorded! Their only cure for the heat, was the coolers packed with beers and sodas.

Logan, Ken and Randy at the Hall of Fame Museum at the Motor Speedway. One of the rare "people" photos Keith took -- give a guy a camera for the day and he comes back with 30 photos of museum cars and since ladies mostly look at this site, I will spare you those photos - despite the coolness of the cars. ;)

What a great experience the guys seemed to have at that race! Of course, my favorite part was seeing everyone the day before during a grill out and a corn hole competition at our house - by the way, I have pictures of this corn hole competition, but due to the heat all of the guys were shirtless and I got threatened with death if I posted the pictures! However, they all better be PRETTY NICE TO ME -- you hear that men?! (Okay, maybe actually I am just doing it to protect the vision of those that look at this site - jk ;) )

While the guys were out at the race, I got to spend a lot of quality time with Mackenzie and Haley. Karen unfortunately was down with her hip and back the whole weekend, but the girls and I had a shopping day, went to the pool and I even got them to Zumba with me! :)

Haley, Mackenzie and Samantha

Some more pics of our weekend together....

Ahhh...she fell asleep in Logan's arms -- Daddy was second fiddle momentarily.

Just wanted to also say a special thanks to everyone who made this such a great weekend - and esp. a great guys weekend for Keith -- we love you all dearly!

Pipi Longstocking

2010-06-01T17:42:00.000-04:00

Finally Samantha's hair is long enough to work the Pipi-esque pigtails - albeit it tiny ones. What a cutie!

Summer time Grilling and Bike Rides

2010-05-11T21:05:00.000-04:00

I love summer and the best parts about it are being outside and grilling out! Luckily, we got to do both today. The sun only peaked through the clouds, but it was still warm enough for a bike ride and for Keith to throw some steaks and corn on the grill. Such a special day.

Thanks to the Dawsons for letting us borrow their bike attachment - we are checking it out to see if Samantha would enjoy one, if we got one. She was on the fence about it, as you will see. But, it is a nice way to get the whole family out.

Initial reaction - I think I'd describe this as pure panic. I'm thinking that her thoughts went something like this "WHAT IS THIS DEATH TRAP YOU ARE PUTTING ME IN!?" We just kept promising that it would indeed be fun and that a "cook" (cookie) would be awaiting her return. Yes, I am not above bribery. ;)

Okay, better without the helmet. But still some resigned hesitation -- the apprehension is written all over her face.

One last look before the tarp came down and the ride began. Frankly I don't know why she seems so traumatized...I'd much rather sit in a cushioned seat with someone driving me around than have that bike seat wedged up my butt the whole ride. ;) Kids have no idea how good they have it!

Finally we got going and it was actually a lot of fun and Samantha truly seemed to enjoy herself! I thought this contraption was SO cool - baby was rolling in style (thanks Heather for the Cadillac of rides for her). ;)

As great as it was to hear her laughing or talking to the things around her, I have to say that I am no bike rider. After 2 bike rides today and an hour workout this morning, I am sore and feeling much older than 30. Ouch!

Lastly, the night was ended with Keith's grilling cuisine. Samantha quickly noticed and became fascinated with our corn on the cob. We tried to shave some off for her, but NO she wanted to whole cob to eat from and boy did she! I think we can succesfully add corn to the veggie-like menu. :)

Tuckered out!

2010-05-06T00:36:00.002-04:00

So sad - Mom and I turned away for a minute while Samantha was eating dinner in NC - when we looked back, this is what we saw. Pour baby was SO tuckered out that she fell asleep eating. ;)

One More Trip on the Newbrough Express -- CALI!

2010-05-06T00:35:00.000-04:00

So, if you can't tell this past 6 weeks has been a whirlwind of company and trips. To jam pack all this in 6 weeks wasn't deliberate, just the way it worked out. Needless to say we are worn out and glad to be back home! But, what wonderful memories we made.

Here are some pics from our last trip to San Diego, California for a conference Keith attended. We tagged along for a whirlwind 5 day trip to the west coast. It was worth it, despite the exhausting travel and time change. Samantha is a pro at traveling, esp. considering she is only 16 months.

Make your own free photo slideshow

Family, Sunshine and Good Ole NC

2010-05-05T23:41:00.000-04:00

We finished off my 30th birthday celebration with a trip to NC. We had so much fun with family. Samantha, esp. ate up the time with not only Nana and Papa, but the kids. SO MUCH FUN!

Hanging out with Uncle Brian (don't tell Daddy, but I had a crush on him ALL week!) shhh..

Having fun at the Cole Brothers Circus in Washington, NC. So mesmerizing for kids and adults. In another life, I want to be in the circus -- just not in the lion's cage.

Allyson and Samantha were buddies -- they kissed, hugged, and talked! Too cute!

Miss Independent

My sister, my friend -- SO wonderful to have some quality time with Tara. Tara -- I enjoyed shaking my hips with you at those Zumba classes. Can't wait to take it from you this August - so jealous! :)

Nana, Papa and Miss Sami -- by the end of the trip she was a pro at saying their names. :) Though "Nana" usually equated outstretched arms and "ehhh" -- meaning "pick me up NOW!!" :)

Still my Daddy's baby -- even with my baby in my arms. :)

Cherishing in some one-on-one time with my Mama! BTW - a major shout out to my Mama for her amazing 15 layer chocolate and eclair filled cake for my birthday -- I am drooling just thinking of it! :)

Can't beat waking up to that view every morning -- I miss it already!

Our Little Nomad

2010-05-05T23:09:00.001-04:00

Samantha just hops in the bag and starts pulling items in with her. Think this is a sign we have a budding nomad on our hands - welcome to this crazy family little one!

My Ideal Day

2010-04-28T10:53:00.000-04:00

Okay, so if you have read any of my blog entries you know how much I adore my family - both mine and Keith's - so it should come as no shock how I wanted to be surrounded by them for my birthday! As you can already tell, my family made my 30th birthday the best ever! One of the most special parts of this birthday was that my mother flew into Indy to share my actual birthday with me. I cannot even remember the last time I got this honor.

It was also cool because Tia left Sunday and within half an hour I picked up Mom at the airport too - never before have I been at the airport to both drop and pick someone up. I loved it!! I'd have company in non-stop if I could. ;)

Mom was here from Sunday until Wednesday, when we flew to NC to see Dad, Tara and her family. While here, we enjoyed lunches out, shopping trips, lots of play-time with Samantha, and just mother-daughter bonding. Keith, Samantha and Mom went out of their way to make me feel SO special on that day. Plus, the birthday wishes, sweet cards and gifts, and the love that poured in from family and friends just reminded me how blessed I am and just how many wonderful people I have in my life. Thank you God!

Birthday lunch at Olive Garden and a girls day out!

Dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse. We were worried - we were the only ones there forever (surprisingly the woman seating us scolded us for being early -- I guess she was worried where to seat us. ;) ). Luckily, the food was pretty good and heck, we can entertain ourselves anywhere - even if it was mostly in giggles about the oriental waitress that kept cleaning our child or the other odd people in the restaurant. Oh well - another adventure. :) As you can see, Samantha thoroughly enjoyed herself.

She eats like her mommy - just shovels that food right in!

Sported this killer set of heals and cute top from my dear friend Kris, who set me up with an amazing Mommy-wardrobe. I think she is worried that I typical wear PJ pants and no-makeup...oh wait, I do do that. Thanks, Kris for hooking me up!! Love ya! :)

Picking flowers (or as Keith sees it, spreading the weeds. ;) )

Boot-scooting EVERYWHERE! Man, they get quick fast!

She definitely wanted to lead - she would go up to everyone's garage door and say "knock, knock" ;)

I blame Nana for this hairstyle. ;)

Yes, sadly I asked for a new whisk for one of my birthday gifts from Keith - don't judge, this happens when you get 30!

And yes, a new toaster -- don't judge Keith, this is what I wanted. Okay, okay - enough with the snickering. And this explains more why my dear, single friend Kris got me the "cool-Mom" heels and wardrobe -- I think it is obvious the frumpy path I am headed down. :)

First Date Night

2010-04-25T00:16:00.001-04:00

My Mom came in the day before my birthday to spend my 30th with me and a few days here in Indy before we flew back to NC to celebrate with everyone.

As an extra-special treat, my mother watched Samantha for Keith and I's first - yes first- date night in 15 months! We got to have a date to my favorite Italian restaurant here called Maggiano's and to a movie. It was just wonderful to have an intimate dinner - I think that is the most we have really talked in well...15 months! ;) It was so special. Plus, I got to get all dollied up and doned my "fierce" 4 inch platforms (wobbly though, since I am not use to heels anymore).

A Birthday Visit From My Sis

2010-04-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

I was SO blessed to have my sister, Tia, and my sweet neice, Reagan, fly down to spend the weekend prior to my 30th birthday with me. It was so special to celebrate with them! Thank you so much for making my 30th so special and for all the great memories made!

We enjoyed girls-outings with shopping trips, days swinging at the park, delicious meals and lots of great talks and laughter. Plus, know girl-time with my sister is even more memorable, because we swap stories, advice and just lend an ear to the joys (and challenges) of motherhood. What would I do without my sisters?!

Thank you Tia and Reagan for coming, you made my 30th birthday SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL. I LOVE YOU!!!

Day Out at the Movies

2010-04-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

The other day we went to see a free viewing of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" at our church, Northview, with Maria and her kids Merrel and Max. We had a great time!

Samantha is a hoot in the theaters, because she loves the movies! She has only been to a few, but she will sit through almost the whole movie. My trick - an idea created by my mother - is to put her portable high chair in the seat, snacks and a sippy cup in front of her. It is truly hysterical watching her get into the movie - she will often giggle, repeat parts and even laugh. Too cute!

Granted we did spend some of the movie doing walking laps in the back, now that she is an expert walking and is a baby on the move! :)

Here are some pics of her settled in...

Best Easter Ever

2010-04-05T23:08:00.001-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday! We got all dressed up for a great service at church, then came back to see what the Easter bunny had left, went to The Mansion for a delicious buffet, and ended our day with an Easter Egg Hunt, a walk, and playtime. Samantha seriously took a total of 30 min. of naps all day long - I think she was just so excited!

Samantha loved all of her Easter gifts! Thank you Nana & Papa Silverthorne and Grandma & Papaw Newbrough!

She was also so cute on the easter egg hunt we set up for her in our backyard. Sadie even joined to help Samantha, esp. once she broke open one egg to find teddy grahams inside. :)

We just could not have dreamed up a better Easter. While we missed family, it was wonderful to have a holiday at our home, to begin some new traditions. We have decided to make Easter our family holiday, where we celebrate it at our house and set all those important traditions into motion for years to come.

Digital scrapbooking design created with Smilebox

Grandma and Papaw Newbrough

2010-03-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

Ken and Karen came down for the week, after the Marshalls left, to see Samantha. Even since Feburary, they saw lots of changes in Miss Sami - esp. in the walking category. What a great visit she had with Grandma and Papaw Newbrough.

Thank you so much for coming!

Oh no - Samantha can now climb up onto this couch herself!

So proud of herself after that climb!

Now, she can romp with the dogs!

"No, Papa - come this way!"

Walking around the house, like it is nothing!

Loving the chair that her mama made her - my inspiration to finish painting it!

Loving on her Peter Cottontail that Grandma and Papaw gave her.

Spring Portraits

2010-03-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

Samantha recently got her 15 month old Spring portraits done at JCPennys. What beautiful pictures! We didn't get them in time for Easter cards due to being sick - sorry. But, she is sporting her adorable Easter dress. :)

Check out more of them at:
http://www.smilesbywire.com/

Username: Dana Newbrough
Access code: LTPP0567107889JCP

Baptism

2010-03-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

When the Marshalls were here, we took them with us to our new church, Northview, for Sunday service. It was a wonderful service that was incredibly moving.

At the end of the service, Pastor Steve Poe did an all-call out to the congregation asking for whoever wanted to be baptized to come on down.

Now, let me regress...two weekends prior there were scheduled baptisms at Northview. But after the scheduled baptisms, the pastor challenged anyone that had been hesitating or had wanted a new life in Christ to just come on down. Hundreds of people got up out of their seat, and went down to be baptized. It was the most moving thing I have ever seen! I cannot explain the feeling that swept over me - more than just emotion watching people, but God truly telling me to get up out of my seat and GO! It truly took force to stay in my seat - why I did, I can't explain - except for thinking that since I had been baptized as a child, that perhaps the pastor wasn't referring to me. However, when I left that Sunday after church, I truly felt like I had disobeyed God. The feeling stayed with me for days!

When he did an all-call this weekend, I was in tears and again (I know human stubborness) struggled with the decision. You see I was baptized (immersed) at the age of around 7 - but truly I cannot tell you much about that moment, other than the white gown and going under - I can't tell you about the emotion or making the decision because I truly wanted change. But, being baptized as an adult I think means even more - I am consciously understanding the decision, the emotion and the hard work that change means in God. So, when Vicki proclaimed she was going, that was the push God gave me. Nothing could have stopped me - I was so excited! To make it even better, Keith, Logan and Haley joined us. We went behind the stage, changed in the clothes provided and walked out together. It was one of the most moving and best decisions I have made in my life!

I wish my family and friends could have been there. But, here are some videos of the moment. Thank you Vicki for having the courage I didn't and for being the push that made me do something that I have wanted to do for SO long! To my Crosspoint family, I wish I hadn't of put it off when I was there - it would have meant so much to have you by my side. I think God knew my hesitation and knew it had be in the moment, not scheduled - for me to just go!

Amazingly, in two weekends at our church - 565 people were baptized. Now, that is a blessing!

What a great way to start this new chapter of my life, right before I turn 30! :)

Visit with the Marshalls

2010-03-29T10:55:00.000-04:00

Vicki, Randy, Logan and Haley visited us for the weekend. I was initially nervous to have them come that Saturday, because Keith and I had just gotten over a nasty bout of the stomach flu that week. But, luckily the weekend was wonderful (despite the icky weather that always seems to occur here when people visit) and his family did not get sick.

We had a nice weekend, filled with a lot of laughter and enjoying Samantha's antics. And, let me tell you - she was loving all the attention! Just a couple of weeks before she was walking 3-5 feet solo at most, but with company here she decided she was ready to put on a show! She walked all over this house - falling quite a bit, and collapsing into the final destination, but walking nonetheless. Now, she is a great walker and can do laps around the house. It is scary and amazing to watch her. I will be posting videos soon.
Here are some great pictures from out weekend together. Thanks Marshalls for visiting - we always love our time together!

One of the rare moments of slowing down enough for a photo. Thanks for playing with me, Haley! :)

Samantha joined in on the guys' Call of Duty game night. Should a 15 mth old really be watching this?!

Ironic isn't - wearing her beloved crown and picking her nose on command - perfect. ;)

Her Mick Jagger impression. Thanks Randy for the sculpted hairdo. :)

Giving Mickey a ride in her birthday suite (well almost). :)

Telling Haley all about her day - the child will talk your ear off, granted none of us have any idea what she is saying. Though, she can clearly say: Good Girl, Big Girl, Baby, Mama, Daddy, and "oh man, oh man, oh man. " haha - I think we need to start being careful what we say around her.

And this clearly shows her love affair with Mickey. :)

Sami's "Monster Face" If you ask her to make the face, she will contort her face like this. Hysterical. If you ask her to make a monster sound, she growls. I know, I know - she is a ham! This I do credit the Silverthorne genes for. :)

Logan giving Sadie attention - poor baby gets left out.

One of the rare Vicki shots - next time I am taking more pics of you, despite your protests. :)

Hanging with Mal

2010-03-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

Keith's niece Mallory and her boyfriend, Christian, came to visit this past weekend over their Spring Break. It was so nice spending time with them, though a tough reality knowing that we are now the old folks (Mal is now 19 and I have known her 14 years!!). We were on a 14 month's old schedule, but we had a great time nonetheless. Needless to say, Samantha kept us all entertained -- what a ham. And, what a flirt - she was totally obsessed with Christian - poor Keith played second fiddle that weekend. Though with this being our first time meeting Christian, he scored big points with us because he was wonderful with Sami -- I think they were attached at the hip all weekend. So, Mal has officially lost her title as "Baby Hog." ;)

Thanks for coming to visit guys - it meant a lot to us!

Her New Boyfriend, Christian. :)

Of course it rained all weekend (I swear it always does when we have visitors) - so Samantha was looking outside and wishing that rain AWAY!!

She moved from the tiarra to the ball cap -- okay, maybe it is more about the attention, than the TYPE of headpiece. :)

Yes, sad to say that daddy taught her that. She thinks it is SO funny!

Waving at herself, as she sees her live video on the computer. Haha

Trying on Mallory's pair of Uggs....one day, Sami!

Samantha holding her Easter bunny - thanks Aunt Tami, Grandma and Papaw for the Easter gifts you sent down. :)

Daddy getting a private conversation with Sami after Christian left - and finally getting her attention back. :)

Pushing her beloved Mickey around the house on her Mickey train -- her idea. Too cute. She definitely keeps us laughing.

Rolls, Hugs and Toothy Grins

2010-03-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

I think I'm in trouble...

2010-03-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

Samantha is a ham and constantly keeps me in giggles. Whether it is her boot-scoot'n to music, her contagious laugh, or her love of chasing and being chased - she keeps you smiling. Yes, she has a flair for the dramatic (as you will see), a quick temper which fades just as quickly (Keith written all over that one), and a child that is also very mellow -- I know sounds opposite to all I said before. But, she loves to play by herself and could sit with you for hours reading books (and often prefers to play with books). However, when she has a ready audience she is ON (yes, you can blame the Silverthorne genes for that one!) ;) And, I love it!

So, I am going around my butt to get to my elbow, as my dad would say (yeah, figure out that saying in your own time). I am telling you all this to preface our hysterical outing yesterday.

Mondays are our grocery store days. With list and weekly menu in hand, we leave after her morning nap (if God blesses us with one) and go pick up a quick lunch together, then go to Aldi and then Walmart. This makes for a full day for a 14 month old. At our first stop - Burger King - I got her a happy meal. The happy meal came with a princess crown.

Now let me regress and say that my daughter loves hats, headbands, etc (probably because I have put them on her since birth) and is lately into trying to put them on herself, as well as socks and shoes (obviously she can't, but she tries).

So once seeing this crown, her face literally lit up! She kept putting it on her head and giggling. If it fell off, she replaced it. Honestly, she was in hog's heaven. So, I assumed this interest would wear off, but no. If it fell off, she immediately replaced it. So we proceeded through most of our day out in public with my daughter sporting a crown and a giddy laugh and smile. And boy did she get attention -- and she loved it!

She is a total girl and a total princess -- and I truly think this is a sign for trouble. But, it just recomfirms how much I love little girls!

Of course I didn't have anything to take a photo in Walmart, but here are some picks from that evening at home. :)

Giggle Fits

2010-02-23T17:40:00.003-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWcvVD3ijV8

Family Moments in CO

2010-02-23T15:02:00.001-05:00

Nana held her for a 3 hour nap - hence why she slept 3 hours! Spoiled, isn't she. :)

And this was how happy she looked after that nap - she was practically giddy and I think Nana went into bladder lock. :)

Still a little dazed!

Catching up on some FOX News with Sami - getting her started early. ;) Samantha certaintly had a great time bonding with Papa - soon I'll be posting some great videos of her giggle fits. :)

Mom hogged the back seat with her, but in her defense Samantha would cry if Nana left her side - can be say attached?!

Tia posing with Reagan, Sami and Jackie. These photos are sans Maddie because there was a little meltdown - happens in a house full of women. :)

What a wonderful week Samantha and I had with my sister and her family, Nana and Papa. It went by too quick and only reinforced by wish that we could all be closer.

Thank you all for a great trip - for all the laughter and great memories!

Out on the Town

2010-02-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

While in Colorado visiting family I got spoiled by some outings that are normally few and far between since the birth of Miss Samantha. I got to enjoy two movie outings, one with and one without Sami.

Shockingly, and to the humor of everyone, Samantha sat through all of the Lightning Thief (amazing movie and books BTW)! I brought a portable high chair and put her in the seat next to me - I was prepared with tons of snacks, a sippy cup, a binky - but I figured I might just get through the previews if I was lucky! However, she ate it up! She sat in her highchair seat happily for the first hour and spent the rest of the time in my lap - we only had to bounce in the aisle for the last 15 minutes. She laughed, she repeated words (we all chuckled when she said "yeehaw" 3 times after an actor said it, she clapped (and yes at the appropriate time) -- she was a hoot! I think I watched her expressions as much as the movie! It was precious! I think we have a lot of good times in the future we us - what a fun kid!

However, I did get to have 2 adult-only outings. The first was to a party with my sister and brother-in-law on Saturday night. Tia set up a babysitter for the kids and after I put down Sami we headed to her neighbors house. The event required a cute dress (thanks Tia for getting it for me), cute heels and makeup-woohoo!! It was nice meeting Tia's friends, socializing with adults and yes, partaking in a Rum & Coke and another of Ed's concotions. Plus, you know me I visited the food tables many times!

Sorry for the booby shot - why dooes black and gray always look see-through on camera. oops. ;)

This time Tia, Mom and I went to a girls-only outing to see the movie Shutter Island. It was great - disturbing, but really good. I thought Tia would never forgive me, though - as she prefers comedy to physological thrillers (see her commentary on her blog). :) But, it was great, the popcorn was good and it totally held up to the book (part of my 2010 challenge - great read!). Unfortunately it was a 9:40pm movie so I thought it was a great idea to head out in sweatpants and a hoodie - not a great photo opt, but had to take a blog pic no matter what. :)

Finally...

2010-02-06T15:54:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Okay people I am taking this as true science, so "AHA" to all those that say she only looks like Keith (don't burst my bubble too much). :)

Antics of a 13 Month Old

2010-02-05T15:26:00.002-05:00

Here is an update with what's new with our little SamBug...

1) She loves pickles!

2) She hasn't started walking yet, but she does stand on her own, push things and has managed to take a few steps along from the ottoman to the couch. BTW - the first time she did this was to her daddy when I was in the bathroom -- I know, I know ...I am the at-home Mom. Welcome to one of the many times you will say as a parent "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

3) Early on she started saying Mama (about 8 mths), daddy (9 months) and baby (in between somewhere), but I have never gotten it on video - so here goes (click on link). Also, she says "yello" (aka hello) when she holds the phone to her ear, but the best in the serious, and very long conversations she will have with you - animations included - though none of the words are understandable. She will even repeat, like "come-on people!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-qDHQp4S4
4) She will pretend to read books herself, flipping pages and saying "yabba-yabba...,"
5) She will open your hand, hand you a book and then turn herself around to sit in your lap

6) She LOVES hugs and will constantly pull you in or grab your hand to her and rest her head on it...my favorite moments

7) If she wants something, she will scream -- "Ahh" and point until you figure it out. Not my favorite thing, esp. in public. ;)

8) In the past 2 months her and Sadie have become best friends! She lays on her, kisses her and hugs on her and Sadie comes back for more! Every morning Sadie rushes to give her slobbering kisses.

9) Child loves to dance, even though I fear she has her father's dancing skills

10) Give her a brush and anything similar and she will brush her hair and yours.

11) The saddest, she stopped breastfeeding 2 weeks after her 1 year birthday. sniff, sniff. But, I was happy to have gone that long

12) This week she has slept in TWICE until 8 am -- that is maybe 2 of the 4 times she has ever done that woo-hoo

13) Her favorite toys - tuberware and spoons on the kitchen floor, and a sack of potatoes -- in other words, anything that has not been bought as a "baby toy."

So, in other words, she is growing up beautifully, but WAY TOO QUICKLY!!

Keith's 30th!!

2010-02-05T14:57:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we went up to WV to celebrate Keith's 30th birthday. We had a nice weekend and were surprised that Keith's nephew Logan and his Grandmother was able to come in. I know it meant a lot to Keith to be around family.

Grandma VanGilder and Samantha

Brooks Family

Marshall Family

Posing with Baby before dinner. BTW Keith's shirt said "It Took 30 Years to Look This Good" -- priceless!! :)

Newbrough Family Photo at the Lafeyette restaurant

Getting ready to plow through gifts - Samantha's favorite part (esp. the tissue!)

Keith got a lot of great gifts, including this WV history book from his sister Vicki, a Wii from my parents, tons of Wii games from my sisters and his, and lots of great accessories and clothes from his parents. However, I think the 2 best presents by far was the scrapbook (where every family member - on my side and his- as well as myself and friends- did 1-2 pages each; personalized with their memories with Keith -- so touching!!) and his surprise guy's weekend Labor Day weekend to see the Indy 500 Race with his friends and family. Definitely a memorable birthday!

And, of course it had to be topped off with Keith's favorite - Ice Cream cake - and a bib that just states it all!

I can't believe my hubby is officially 30. However, since we are the babies amongst most of our friends, I ought not to make too big of a deal about it. ;)

Precious Moments

2010-01-16T20:50:00.002-05:00

Dear God It's Me Dana

2010-01-08T15:14:00.005-05:00

The older I get, I realize that God truly must have a sense of humor. He always brings the most hysterical moments into my life - some that make me laugh and some that put me on the edge of tears. But always moments that make life OH SO interesting.

Like Bad Hair Days on a Baby....

Or a Dog that needs a $1500 surgery for bladder stones and must wear a cone on its neck and a onesie the rest of the week - funny and sad....

Or a daughter that proceeded to point and laugh at the dog everytime she saw it...

Or a sweet image of a recupping dog, just when I was thinking that this "damn dog" was driving me crazy (prior to surgery) -- and yes, all of you mothers out there understand this feeling, about your once endeared pets.

But, the funniest bit of God's humor had to have come on Christmas morning....

Last Christmas, after Samantha's arrival, I woke up with a D-sized chest plentiful of milk and fulfilling my long fantasy for "real" boobs (the joys of nursing)! YEAH!!

This Christmas I woke up to my first period in almost 2 years (hence cramps and break-outs like I was 14 all over again) and small and saggy boobs (the joys of post-nursing -- poor Keith)! I have to say that His funny sense of timing was not lost on me -- had I been bad this year, was this the "coal in my stocking?"

While I was in the process of whining about this to my husband (I blame the onslaught of estrogen), it was my dear, sweet husband that said "Dana, all this is, is God telling you that you can have more babies." I know, let's say a collective "ahhh" for how sweet this is. And, yes for those of you that know Keith, these moments of sweet abandonment are rare...but again another needed twist from God.

I have to say that the Man upstairs keeps it exciting! I think it does it to remind me how lucky I am. It seems just when I am stressed about money, hard on my looks or my value in life, missing family and friends, or just in one of my "whoa is me" moments...he makes me laugh at silly moments with my daughter, reminds me how sweet my doggy really is, reminds me how lucky I am to be able to have children and have the husband I have, and just well slaps me sideways and says "shutup Dana and enjoy life."

Dear God It's Me Dana and I just want to say...THANKS! :)

Christmas at the Cabin

2010-01-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My Baby Turns 1

2010-01-06T10:09:00.005-05:00

My SamBug turned 1 on December 22nd! I have to admit that I was on the verge of tears the whole night - she is such a big girl now. What a special memory. We feel so blessed to have her in our lives - she brings more joy than I could have ever imagined. :)

Keith's sisters got to join us at his parents' home for the party. What great families.

Ahhh...the precious Mickey train -- she is obsessed with it. She can't ride it alone, but giggles like crazy when you push her around or she pushes it.

Posing in her birthday outfit. Too cute!

One of her fav gifts - a big girl seat from Aunt Vicki.

Blowing out the candles and making wishes - okay, Mama wished that this next year would slow down a little. The first year of her life went by WAY too fast!

She plowed into the cake -like mother, like daughter. However, note to all mothers - red icing is hard to get out of hair and off hands!

It did get a little overwhelming -- too much, too many papparazi.

Yep, holding back tears AND giggles - she was hysterical unwrapping gifts. I swear she has OCD - she had to make sure even the tiniest piece of paper was removed. ;)

Keith's nieces and nephews - what a great group of kids. So wierd though, since I have seen them grow up from ages 4-6 when I met them and now they are hanging out with my baby. It makes me feel old! ;)

Christmas in Indy

2010-01-06T08:46:00.004-05:00

As you can already probably tell - Christmas lasts forever in our house! With 2 families spread over 10 hours apart, we alternate Christmases which means that we spend one night opening gifts from one family whom we cannot be with in person. Here Sami is opening some more gifts from my my parents that Mom picked up when she visited in October.

We truly missed my family over the holidays, but were so appreciative of the great gifts for Sami's birthday and Christmas. She has loved them dearly and had a blast opening them!

Sadie is hysterical - she rips open gifts! She helped Samantha with every one.

In case you haven't heard - she is obsessed with Mickey. Thanks Tia for the book - she loves it. That and her singing Mickey from my sister Tara, have been huge hits. :)

New Minnie sippy in hand, while tasting the paper. Had to watch her closely.

My baby will be styling this Spring with a bunch of new clothes - thanks Nana!

Thanks Nana and Papa for the great toys. She loves them all! I feel like we have Toys R Us in our house now, though.

We miss you SO much and can't wait to spend Christmas and her 2nd birthday with you next year!

Early Christmas and 2 Special Birthdays in NC

2009-12-20T22:51:00.005-05:00

Keith and I went to NC for an early Christmas and birthday celebrations, because we are spending Christmas with his family this year. It was great spending time with Nana, Papa and my sister Tara and her family! We celebrated an early 1st birthday for Samantha and Dad's 60th! We will miss them SO much over Christmas, but felt so blessed to have this time.

Nana and my little Diva - yes, I know this kid wears a lot of different hats and headbands --heck, why not until she begins fighting me! ;)

I love this picture - what a sweet moment.

"Mom, seriously!"

After MANY shots, we finally got a few pictures where everyone is looking at the camera. Whew, that is a challenge. :)

Our little snow bunny

Showing off her 1st birthday outfit. Thanks to my friend Kendra for making her adorable tutu!

Dani and Grace were there to help Samantha celebrate.

"Up there" -- Samantha favorite thing is to point - now usually nobody is sure what at, but it is cute nonetheless. ;)

Typical Sami - God help you if you wear glasses in her presence. Sorry Dani! :)

YUM!!! She LOVED the icing, but could have done without the cake (Tara -- she must get that from you! :) )

Happy 60th birthday Daddy! What a year to celebrate God's blessings, after the scare we had around this time last year.

Great to get some sister time - I miss both of my sisters SO much! I just wish Tia and her family could have been here too.

Looking good Daddy - 60 is just a number!

Thanks everyone for making our early Christmas and the birthdays SO special! Thank you Nana for putting together an amazing birthday party for Samantha -- it meant so much to us!

I loved waking up to you all - having coffee with my parents in the morning, going out shopping, hanging out with the neighborhood ladies at the PartyLite party, seeing Dani be a reindeer in her school play, and just soaking up every minute I had to laugh and be in your presence. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and Samantha is so blessed to be surrounded by so much love!

I love and miss you all. Have a Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving with Friends

2009-12-06T20:13:00.008-05:00

This year we couldn't go see family, which we missed dearly! So, since we could visit my sister's family in CO, we decided to spend Thanksgiving with our dear friends, Heather, Freddie and their family. We split up the food and had a feast - including a 20lb turkey (yes, I know), various delicious sides, pumpkin and banana cream pies. yum. Why so much food -- why not!! ;)

While nothing replaces family, it is nice to have such special friends to share the holiday with. We just adore this family and got to meet another wonderful friend of theirs, Wei.

Instead of taking the pictures myself, I put my camera in the trusty hands of Heather's oldest, Kaitlyn. So here is the evening through her eyes. And to be honest, I think it captures the evening better than I ever could. :)

Kaitlyn - the girl behind the camera! :)

No, I am not sleeping on the job, but rather being climbed on by my daughter!

Keith - stop trying to scare the children. hehe

This is an intense competition of Mario Cart on Wiii.

No makeup and a whole lot of food -- so be nice!

Porter even got in on the Wiii action.

Heather - aka - "Super Mom." I keep asking her to write a book. ;) Seriously, one of the sweetest people I know.

Freddie - finally giving in after being chased by Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn - what a goof! :)

Sadie - tons of cute poses in her arsenal

Okay Keith might kill me for posting this - so it might be a limited time viewing.... here is Keith doing the Hula-hoop on the Wiii that night. At least I didn't post it with a suggestive title, like my brother in law Brian did of Tara. tsk, tsk. :) However, I am not above blogging it and laughing at my dear husband's crazy hips - it is like the beast has been unleashed. (I do love you bunches hun!)

Weekend with the Newbroughs

2009-12-03T17:34:00.004-05:00

In early November we went to WV to see Keith's family and to celebrate a belated birthday with his dad, Ken. Logan surprised everyone by coming in that weekend to see Keith and his family. No one knew that he was coming - including his parents - but what a wonderful surprise it made!

Here are the 3 Musketeers - Keith, Logan and Randy - hanging out. It is always nice to seeing them bonding - despite the grotesque humor and football marathon that often accompanies these get-togethers. ;)

For bath time, we took over Ken and Karen's sink. Samantha still loves bath time and now that she is coupling that with brushing her teeth (okay, sucking on the brush and eating off the toothpaste) she really is starting to look like a big girl.

Ken was suckered into buying a moving/barking pup for Samantha that she was enamored with at the mall. She is still fascinated by it, but I think she enjoys Sadie freaking out about it as much as anything.

"How do you get this thing to shut-up, Mama?"

Looking sweet together, but this was just mere moments before she had a diaper blowout that Keith and his mother were left to deal with while I was at a craft fair that day. Keith told his mother to let it wait for me - yes, he truly said that - but when they did change it, it was SO bad that we even had to clean that area of the carpet -- ewww. However, what this does show is how much my husband avoids diaper changes -- just wait till #2 dear Keith, for your avoidance will have to end. ;)

Of course, I put her in one of her many head-bands before we headed out to Red Lobster for Ken's birthday. I swear it looks like she is posing -- do I really take that many pics of her. :)

Haley and Samantha

Ken & Karen

Too many cameras flashing - I swear we all looked at a different one. :)

Vicki and Randy

Sadly, we didn't get to see Tammie, Mackenzie, Mallory or Jeff. Mallory couldn't make it home from college and Tammie was home with the flu - thus, meaning she was kept from coming to visit. Sorry Kenzie -- you can slather her with kisses and hugs over Christmas. We sure did miss seeing you guys, though.

Thanks everyone for a great weekend!