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.

Spring Day (Potty Time)

Today I wanted to really get some good quality Samantha & Mommy time. We went to the library this morning. Not for story hour, but just to get out and be together. It's officially Spring, but since we live in Missouri, we still have cold days. It was almost 40 outside. Great day for the library. We played, browsed through the books and read a few. You caught everyone's eye like you normally do. So good, so smart, sooo darn cute!!  We read books about friends, Mommy's love and ducks. There were also some books that I wanted to pick up from the library too. I was interested in the subject of potty time.

Back home we went for some lunch and a nap. 2 hours for you, 15 minutes on the couch for me.

The day of fun continued outside in the warmer afternoon. You and I took turns pulling the little red wagon up and down the street. Then we put that little red wagon to good purpose. A little Spring cleaning was in order for the yard, so Mommy made up a song that goes, "You pick up sticks and put them in the wagon."  The yard looked so much better after the clean up, and we deserved a little snack and rest. It was time to sit down and read some books for a while. We read our potty booked and a few others. You thought those potty books were pretty interesting.

Tonight was bath night which is always fun times playing in the bubbles. As I was drying you off, you asked, "Pee-pee, potty?".   So I let you down and we headed for the bathroom. Now I should add here that you have sat on this potty many times with your clothes on and with them off. So I'm just cleaning up the bath toys while you sit on the potty. I brought you a book to look at to help you relax, and as I'm leaving to get the book, I hear something. I went on cleaning up until you stood up. I asked if you were done trying and we both look into the potty. You know what, THERE'S PEE-PEE IN THE POTTY!!!!!

Oh, we hugged and hugged. I am so proud of you!!  You are so proud of you!!  We told Brandon and he said good job, and will have to wait to tell Daddy because he's working. You went pee-pee in your potty. I got some tp and cleaned you, then have you some to be a big girl. I poured the pee-pee in the toilet and we both put our tp in there to watch it go down as we flushed. What a wonderfully fulfilling and exciting day!!  I love you so much, Samantha.  This is why I stay home with you. You are the most important part of my life.

Almost Two & the Snow Day

Amazing things are happening. Do you know you've grown an inch in 2 months?  I love your little sentences like, "more juice please; I see you, Mommy; I found it; I want it". But, undoubtedly, the one I love the most is, "I love you."
     

You are trying things that I believe to be past your age level. You can almost sing the whole alphabet song, but greater than that; you can recognize letters. You can say your numbers to twelve, but greater than that; you can count objects to 5 or 6. 
    

A few days ago, we had a big winter storm come through that dropped about a foot if snow. You have never seen it snow like that!  I think we sat together and watched it come down for 20 it 30 minutes. It was snowing for about 7 or so hours. You looked outside after your nap and saw that snow on the ground had doubled. When Daddy got home, we once again parked in front of a window to watch the snow shoveling. Your Daddy and brother made quick work of the clean up. I must say that Brandon did a bit more goofing off than work.

 So today, now Sunday, we ventured out into the wild white wonder.  You may have had a little trouble walking in snow that was almost as deep as you legs, but you did enjoy just sitting on the snow to take in the view.  We took a few memorable photos before you said you were, "Done."  They way you said done was just like you do when you are finished eating.  Your arms make the fly out to the side just like a baseball umpire says, "SAFE."  Only you say, "DONE!"

Some of the things I love about you:

--I love waking up next to your sweet face

--I love watching you explore and learn

--I love playing in your room with you and your "people".  (that is Little People)

--I love hearing you talk!

--One of my very favorite moments of every day is just before bed.  You sit on my lap while I read a book to you.  I can hug you and kiss your little head while you just relax against me.  Your hair smells so sweet.

Night - night

I laid you down in bed tonight as you were drinking your juice. I was turning of the lights and turning on your music, when you said  "juice" and handed me your cup. I asked you for a kiss and you very willingly sat up and gave me one, which does not always happen. Most nights you resist bedtime at least a little. But the very sweetest moment is when you turned over to hug your baby and told me "night - night" just before l left your room. My almost two year old. My big girl told me goodnight.

Lazy Sunday

     Our only destination today was imagination land. The whole family joined the fun.  Brandon built a fort for you.  The two of you crawled in and out and hid from each other. Daddy took you flying through the air with bouncy landings on the couch. He flipped you upside down and all around. You and I spent a good part of the afternoon playing with your mega blocks and your little people playhouse.

     After changing out the laundry, I went back into your room to check on you. You were playing with your blocks, and you looked up at me and said, "Play?". Then you patted the floor next to you and said, "Sit."  Well how could I turn down an offer like that?  I'm not sure how long you and I were in there playing, but we sure had fun. The Little People had a party at their house, took a bus trip and a plane ride. Then we built countless structures with Mega Blocks. Singing, dancing, reading books, we explored, imagined and has a great time on or lazy Sunday.

Hopes and Dreams

Samantha Jean,

      Your Grandma Vogt came by today to drop off some farm raised beef for us. She couldn't stay long, but it was still a nice visit. Well, it is January 2013 and we are but a couple months from your 2nd birthday.  You have uttered your first full sentence.  "I want Baby and Blue Bear."  You are saying so many words, I can't keep up with them all.  I can still just sit and watch in amazement at you.  But, you know, I think I'll always just enjoy watching you be you for as long as you let me, no matter how old you get.  You'll be my baby when you are 37 (like me).  Which would make me...73...oh my.  I hope I'm still around to see you.  All my hopes and dreams wrapped up in one little girl, but don't worry, my hope is for you to be happy and my dream is for your dreams to come true.  Some days it will happen.  Some days it will not.  That is life.  Happiness belongs to the people who appreciate it.  Happiness comes in small everyday packages delivered to you.  It doesn't come in some big shiny box.  Happiness, true happiness comes when you choose to see the good in life.

     Now dreams.....I haven't mastered dreams yet.  My dreams for my life have changed over time.  I don't know if that is reality setting in, or my needs changing.  A combination of the two is likely.  When I was in Junior High, I wanted to be an astronaut.  It wasn't until college, when I couldn't pass calculus, when I realized that an astronaut was a bit out of reach.  It was my senior year in college that I realized I wanted to be a mommy, but the time wasn't right.  I was 23 and headed for the Army.  My enlistment was to pay off my student loans.  The military is a great way to go to college for free, but I don't recommend it during war time.  I went through college and the Army without a clear destination other than to make it through.  At the end of my 3 years of enlistment, I came home to no direction or drive whatsoever.  About a year after my return home, I had a dream to be a physical therapist.  Alas, 11 years later, that dream has come and gone. BUT, there is one dream I had when I was 23 years old that came true at the age of 36.  It is a sacred dream shared by many people in our family.  It is a dream that took time and love.  It was my dream to have you.  So I can say without a doubt that I am happy and my dream has come true.  Be true to yourself and follow your heart. If your heart fails to guide you, you can ALWAYS trust your gut.

     So, Samantha, be what you want to be...

a musician

a pilot 

a cyclist

an analyst

a farmer (like Pa-pa)

an at home mom / homemaker 

or a doctor

Follow your dreams...

Hide and Seek

     It is Friday on your 21st  montherday. I took care of all my chores earlier this week to spend the day with you.  You started off the day perfectly by sleeping until 8:30. Ahhh, beauty sleep; we love to sleep in.  This morning we had one of your favorite breakfasts of cheesy scrambled eggs with milk.  We read our books and played this morning before your nap. The fun really started this afternoon when we played a brand new game.  This is game that you'll play for years to come with your friends. It's a little game called hide and seek.  We took turns hiding and seeking. You sure had fun popping out of your hiding place!  I showed you where you could hide, and you ducked down and popped right back up again. We hid in great places like under tables, behind the Christmas tree, next to furniture, under a rug, and covered in pillows.  I especially enjoyed when you found me, because I was Samantha attacked. You said, "Mommy!". When you were hiding, you would say your name as only you do. It sounds like Santha. That's pretty good if you ask me.

     We ate our supper of Chicken Gouda sandwiches courtesy of your Daddy and went on to play some more.  Your Momma always has an agenda. Sometimes my day is shared with you and bookkeeping or cleaning or grocery shopping but today was dedicated to you my precious girl. All for you.

   Well enough typing, the day isn't over. Back to you baby. You are playing with your brother as and its time for Mommy to join in.

Just another day?

     Samantha, I so enjoy your company. We didn't do anything exciting today, but you make everyday an adventure. We went Walmart to get one more Christmas present for your Daddy. You put a smile on so many faces just by being your normal smiling, happy self.  We talk the whole time in the store about what we see and what we need to get. As we were walking in the seasonal decorations department, you smartly pointed out that we were near TREES; Christmas trees, that is. Throughout the store you pronounced your observations:  DOLL, DOG, MONKEY in the toy isle.  You saw MILK and SODA at the back of the store. My goodness, what a trip. You and Mommy got everything on the list with smiles all around, and let me tell you that true smiles during the Christmas season at Walmart is hard to come by.

     After a nice long nap and some food for the belly, we were off to Columbia to drop off the picture files for a custom print I needed done for other presents.  I park on South 9th and get out my baby wrap, which is a long piece of fabric that wraps around both of us and holds you on my front, side or back. It's a little helping hand leaving me 2 hands to take care of business while you are in loving security.  You are in front of me today. As we wait to be helped at the store, you and I chit-chat about our surroundings. That gets old, so you just lay our little head on my chest for a moment and rest your eyes. So precious.

     Once the dropped off to pictures, we headed over to Toys R Us. I wanted to find a chair for your room to read in.  I'm looking for one that can hold both of us, because we love to read together. We didn't have any luck, so it was time to head home.....getting dark.

     At home, more food for the cute belly, then I decided to give you an early bath. It had been a long day of running so I thought I'd make it an early to bed night if you were willing. Bath time is so much fun...
splashing, swishing, filling up and dumping out your cup. Mommy made a spike on your head. You didn't seem to mind, so I took pictures.

Camdenton Airshow

	We have very good friends. This weekend our good friends Curtis and his kids Bud & Lexi with Matt & Erin and their son Mason asked us to go to the Lake of the Ozarks to a condo for the weekend.  Saturday was an airshow in Camdenton.  It couldn't have been a better weekend to be outside.  The sky was clear, the sun was warm and the adventure was new for you.
The condo was on the lake's edge with a lovely view of boat docks, but the view on the balcony was much better.  Just watching you experience new things warms my heart.  You spent a good portion of the time inside trying to climb the full staircase to the 2nd floor.  You did make it all the way up unassisted, but going down in another matter.  It is much scarier when you have to look down.  After this weekend you will have no problems with stairs.  You are the stair master (of going up).
We walked through this cargo/passenger carrier	The Jet Truck
We spent a good part of the day at the airshow, packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed the show.  You and Mason (2 yrs old) played and were happy to be able to walk freely where we parked.  You and Mommy rested a while in the car after lunch while Daddy went to watch that silly jet truck.  We headed back to the condo after that to start supper and relax.  You had no trouble going to sleep that night.  Neither did Mommy and Daddy as we snuggled in on either side of you.  You had a good time at the condo.  We'll have to do it again.

The Swinging Bridge Adventure

	The adventure begins the night before with some research.  The following day  is forecast to be low to mid 80's, sunny and beautiful.  We plan a low budget outing to Lake of the Ozarks State Park to explore parts of it we have never seen before.   The plan is to pack some food and drink, fill up the car and drive a new route to the South East corner of the park.  The countryside is so beautiful in the southern half of Missouri.  We take a highway to a county paved road to a gravel road.  This bridge is off the beaten path, but there were a few people there enjoying it's beauty.  We go across a small bridge made of cable, iron and wooden planks.  The "best" part of this one was the material on the driving surface was corrugated steel.  You know, the wavy metal used for barn or shed siding and roofs.  Samantha enjoyed it.  She was making and ahh noise so it sounded like she was talking into a fan.  Paul and I were glad to be off of it. As we rounded a corner, we saw the bigger bridge; the one I had seen pictures of on the internet.  It did not disappoint.  It stretched over a small finger of the lake with wide gravel beaches.  There was access to the water and primitive camping just after the bridge were a man and his small son were playing with a remote controlled car on the rocky terrain.  We parked near the water to take it all in.  Daddy took Miss Samantha over the uneven ground while I took pictures.  We were able to walk all the way down and underneath the bridge.  The view from underneath this 90 year old bridge was a sight to behold.  The picture to the left does not do it justice.  A design like this really tests the bounds of physics.  To know that a full size SUV can travel on a bridge made well before vehicles became so large.  Spectacular.  For more info on the 2 bridges check out this link: SWINGING BRIDGES, BRUMLEY, MO Once under the bridge, we found a nice open area to let Samantha explore.  No doubt an area created by the many footsteps of visitors before us.  She checked out the ripples in the water and the foliage nearby.  Watching her reaction to every new environment fills my heart with joy.   We left that area to go back down into the water.  I can't be that close to clear water and not put my feet in.  I wear sandals for a reason.  The gravel is small enough that we let Samantha have a look around.  She was wearing her brand "new" Nike shoes, blue jeans, t-shirt and hat. My girl, comfy, casual & ready to explore, not to mention the sunscreen applied to every spot of exposed skin. We were able to see 3 blue herons hunting for their next meal.  We were about 50 yards from one of the herons while it took flight.  Such a beautiful place, we'll have return with our tent and gear to do some fishing, swimming and enjoy the view of the bridge next summer.  Samantha will be 2 1/2 years old next summer and will be unstoppable.  Maybe Samantha and her grandma and grandpa can spend a weekend together while Paul and I have a quiet weekend at this jewel of a spot.  Hmmm....that sounds good.  I don't know, Samantha sure is fun to be around.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Headed to FLORIDA.....Florida, MO

We've been to a river and now to a lake this summer.  It was a cool 85 degrees and we were loving it.  Paul, Brandon, Samantha and I arrived at the beach.  After a few nervous cries and panic upon entering such a large body of water, Samantha finally settled in to play like she saw the other kids doing.  To really get her going, I grabbed her by her swimsuit top and swooshed her side to side.  Then I started swinging that little girl back as far as I could go, through the water and up up up as far as I could go.  When we couldn't go any higher, back down she went.....SPLASH....and back again and again.  When Mommy couldn't swing anymore, we rested on the beach.  

In hindsight, we should have shown her how fun playing in the sand could be.  It is only now, when I look at these pictures that I realize she is just sitting in the sand not knowing what to do other than to look pretty.  She's probably thinking that her swimsuit is a bit uncomfortable.

Well, it would have been hard to play in the sand with that swimsuit on anyway.  We didn't stay much longer because we were headed to Florida!

We went to a scenic view park near Mark Twain's boyhood home in Florida, Mo. to have a little lupper, yes lunch & supper.  It was around 4pm I guess.  Paul and Brandon went out on a rock cliff to push boulders into the water while Samantha and I got out all the food.  I had packed a cooler with some drinks,  sandwiches and some chips to make an easy meal.  After everyone finished we all took off on a trail that lead us over the hill and through the woods to the water.  Samantha was in a stroller, but her Daddy had to carry her most of the way.  The terrain was not stroller friendly.  Once at the water again, Brandon found an old utility pole that he just knew would fall over if he pushed it enough.  He spent a good 30 mins and energy attempting this.  The utility pole won.  We trekked back to the car to head home.  It had been a long, fun day.  

As we approached Samantha's Grandma and Grandpa's house, my Mom and Dad, Paul decided to stop by for a surprise visit and say hello.  They were to meet us at the lake to take part in the fun, but we just couldn't get the game plan together for that to happen.  So the next best thing was to just stop by.  We didn't stay long there as it was getting into evening and we were all ready to be home, but it was nice to visit.

So that was the trip to Florida and back.  Good times at Mark Twain Lake!

Tent Camping at the Meramec River

So, who takes a 16 month old tent camping?  We do.  It has been blistering hot all summer long with temperatures consistently near 100 degrees.  Put that with the fact that taking a toddler anywhere is a large undertaking and you get a big case of cabin fever in the summertime.  Well, I couldn't take it anymore, so I made an executive decision that we were going to find some nice, cool, running water in the form of a river.  The Current River would have been the most ideal for being cool and clean, but the Meramec River is also spring fed and is much closer.  

We fill the back of a full size truck with supplies and take off.  Paul, Brandon, Samantha & I leave the house around Samantha's nap time thinking that she could sleep during that 2 hour drive.  Think again.  She did not because she knew something new was going on.  We arrive at the campground and took one of Paul's favorite spots along the river where the water curves around the bend.  Normally, we would have set up right next to the river, but for safety's sake, we backed off a bit to give Samantha some running room.

Setting up was a sweat inducing event as it was at least in the mid 90's.  Samantha had a few cool down sessions with the truck's A/C before sunset cooled everything down for us.  Between those sessions, we all took turns playing in the water.  Paul took Brandon & I in turn up river with an inner tube, so we could float back down to the site.  Brandon and Paul played in the water near the site skipping rocks and splashing each other.  They were having so much fun out there that Samantha and I just had to join in.  We got into our swimsuits.  Hers had life jacket built in.  I aired up her little water seat and we got wet.  She didn't know what to make of all that water.  Her daddy and I put her in the seat and held on tight while she fussed and decided if she liked it or not.  It really didn't take her long to start splashing and having fun.  Paul and I even pushed her between us to create her first float trip.  

After that, it was time to eat.  We all came in to dry off and change clothes.  We went up to the campground restaurant to eat and soak up some A/C.  The restaurant is adjacent to the cave entrance, so after dinner, we walked over to look at cave artifacts and souveniers  for sale.  
In front of the restaurant we came across Jesse James and his brother along with 2 more outlaws Badlands Brandon and Samantha "the Panther" Price.  Samantha "the Panther" is well known for stealing the show wherever she goes, while Badlands Brandon keeps watch over her.

Playing in the water

You need just a few ingredients to have some summer fun.

Step 1:  Turn on the water sprinkler and add a plastic bowl.

Step 2:  Grab a coffee can and some rocks

Now you're having fun!

5th Year Anniversary

Mom and Dad came over to watch Samantha so Paul and I could go out. We went to Columbia to a Japanese restaurant-Osaka. The food was very good , but the atmosphere left something to be desired. Our chef was a 20-something white guy. The floor was carpet and industrial tile. It wasn't very Japanese.
It was still a different experience and a wonderful time with my hubby. Afterward, we walked off some of the food at Shelter Gardens. It was a very nice 85 outside and beautiful there.

Remembering

We have returned from Farmington after Janet's funeral. It's still so unreal that she is gone. We will never see her again or hear her voice. She was only 42. One of my own brothers is 43. I can not imagine the pain Paul and his family feel. Her widowed husband is also so hurt and lost that I can't describe the emotion. He was so in love with her. That was always so clear to me.


Her mother and sister held strong during the service, but they must be torn apart inside.  How can you not be.  They are such a close group.  There are so many pictures at family get togethers of Kathy, Robin and Janet.  They were 3 of a kind.  

L to R:  Eric, Mitchell, Janet & Taylor
Janet and her sons

I remember meeting Janet and Mike when Paul and I first started dating.  He and his kids were living with her and her 3 boys.  Talk about a crowded house, but they all seemed to get along well with the situation.  The house only had 3 bedrooms but they made another bedroom using some ingenuity.  Paul and his kids all slept in the same room.  Amber and Brandon were young enough that it was more of a game.  Janet's 3 boys were old enough as teenagers that they weren't at the house much anyway.  Janet and Mike had their own room.  


I remember getting asked plenty of screening questions from Janet at her dining room table.  She didn't hesitate to give me a hard time about everything, but once I was finished with phase 1 of interrogation, she was sweet and generous.  

Harold and Janet
Father and Daughter

Janet was the first of Paul's family that I met, so I was closest to her.  She's gone.....so young......so full of life and love.  How do you have a heart attack at 42?  I will miss her.  Paul is in terrible shape.  The loss of his father still cause great pain for him, and now with his sister gone, I hope he can stay sane and cope with his loss as positively as one can.  He's so angry with the world right now.  I pray for him and all the Price family.  They are in great pain.