Memorial Day Weekend

     The weekend started off with wanting to have a barbecue. So your daddy and I decided that a maybe you could go see grandma and grandpa for the weekend. That way they can spend some time with Samantha, and mommy and daddy could have some friends over for a barbecue, since barbecues and little hands do not go together so well. Its been a long time since I've barbecued and Memorial Day weekend a good weekend for it. So Friday, I took you out to you Grandma and Grandpa's house. You were to spend Friday night and all day Saturday with Grandma and Grandpa. Then Sunday morning I was to come out to spend the day with you and Grandma and Grandpa and go around to the cemeteries for Memorial Day.
     So that's what we did. Friday evening you went played with the puppies while they ran around. Saturday you and Pa-paw went out to see the calves and cows. You played inside and outside with Grandma, and I think you and Grandma wore each other out because the word is you both were asleep by 8 o'clock Saturday night which means Sunday morning, you were awake by 6:30 in the morning.
     Now Saturday your mommy and daddy had friends over including your uncle Charlie and aunt Theresa. We had a barbecue, threw washers and talked and talked. Mommy and daddy were both in bed by midnight or so, not too late.
     So then the best part of the weekend came; I got to see you again. Oh how I missed you. Oh how daddy missed you.  I came in the front door of Grandma and Grandpa's house, and you were sitting in your little rocking chair watching TV facing the other direction. And when you turned around and saw your mommy, a big smile came across your face. You came over to me and put your arms in the air, and I picked you up and we hugged each other. Then my favorite part, was when you leaned back in my arms to look at my face and took both your hands and put them on my cheeks with a big smile on your face. It was as if you were saying, there's my mommy, there's my mommy's face. I missed my mommy's face.
     Now the trip to the cemeteries is an annual event. I don't go every year with mom and dad but I have gone with them several times. I have been working on Ancestry.com trying to put together our family tree on both sides: my mom, your grandma and my dad, your Pa-paw. This year we took a camera, a pad of paper and a pen to take in the information from the stones and the locations so we can try to piece together more of the birthdays and date of death and all those things to fill in the blanks.
By the time today was done it was about 4 o'clock when we made it back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. You were pretty tired. You and slept about an hour in the car. But, after that early morning rise, an hour just wasn't enough.  We said our goodbyes and headed home. Your daddy was going to be home from work for his lunch break at 7:20. So, we had to be sure and be home for that. We went home and ate our supper. Crawled up on the big bed and watched Dumbo. Just about the time the movie was over, daddy came through the door. You and Daddy spent a little time together, but not nearly enough. When daddy went back to work, you had your bath and we got ready for bed. It did not take you too long to get settled in and fall asleep on mommy and daddy's bed.
     It was a great weekend for all of us, Grandma and Grandpa got to spend time with you, mommy and daddy got to spend time with each other then have some friends over. Then the wonderful reunion of all of us because we missed you so much. I was so happy to see that little face. My little Samantha.

Warm Days of Spring

Playing in the creek behind the house.  Love those boots!!
My goodness, do we know how to have a good time when it's warm!  This past week has been beautiful for the first week of May.  Temps in the mid-80's.  I have so much fun playing with you.  We spent most of the mornings in the backyard, just swinging, sliding and blowing bubbles.  You recently learned how to blow your own bubbles when Gramma and Papa were here last weekend.  I bought you some bubble blowing supplies like a big one that makes bubbles by waving it in the breeze and one that makes really big bubbles for you to catch.  In the afternoons, we'd go for a walk sometimes with a wagon, sometimes without, and we just talk about what we see.  You are great at identifying objects in your surroundings.	Here's my monkey swinging from a bar.  You do swing in your own swing seat too!!
One day was really great.  We took Brandon to the park on Wednesday.  Yes, we had to take him because his bicycle was broken.  Normally he just rides up there to meet his friends.  Since we were headed to the park, I thought we could stay and play.   After playing in the playground for a while, you wanted to see what Brandon was doing.  So we walked out of the playground, across the road, through the grass towards the lake, around the lake, and over the bridge.  I would guess 500 yards or so that you walked.
	Once we got to Brandon, the two of you played in another part of the park as seen here.  Now let me tell you something about your brother.  He was talking to a girl while his friends were goofing off nearby.  But when he saw you, he came straight for you.  Your big brother left behind his friends to take you down the slide and play for a while.  That's a good big brother.