Alligator

What a complete waste of a pair of shoes and handbag!

Bear!

Daddy, Mommy, Grumpa (known now as Papa) and Sammy visited the Safari Club Internatl exhibition here in town last weekend.  Sammy was amazed at all the animals she got to meet!

Only two feet and sooo many possibilities....

If you happen to leave your shoes laying around or if Sammy takes a fancy to your shoes, plan on her trying them on and trying to walk in them.  Nothing is safe.

Kiwis. No, not the fruit. The friends.

This is Sammy's new little friend, Sam Preston.  He was born 4 months ago in New Zealand.  His parents come over once an year and stay with us in January.  Sammy was DELIGHTED with the Baby.  She wanted to hold him ('hodie, hodie!')  I'm not sure what little Sam thought.  I have to chuckle when I think about seeing him next year and he's talking in that cute accent they have!

Birds

Papa got some more 'things' to hang on the walls in his trophy room and he wanted Sammy to see and touch them.  He explained to her that they were 'birds'.  I can only shake my head at what she must think when she goes to Auntie Sissy's and Uncle Dude's house and she sees their parrot.  Yikes!

Gramma in Training

My long time friend, Patti, came to town for Auntie Sissy's baby shower.  This was the first time that Patti got to meet Sammy in the flesh.  Patti is a founding member of Commentors on Daily Samantha.  Patti's daughter and Auntie Sissy played Barbies together and Daddy and Patti's son played t-ball together.  Now Patti's daughter (Hi Mandy!) is pregnant and due 10 days after Auntie Sissy!!  Anyway, long story short, Patti got some Gramma training with Sammy.  They fell in love with each other....

Papa was camera happy and these two didn't notice anyone else but each other.

Sammy makes it easy to love her.

As long as they don't share each other's food.

But spaghetti?  That one's ok.

PS....big news:  Sammy is going to have a little sister!

Posing

Sammy understands perfectly when I ask her if I can take her picture.  Oh yeah.  Here I asked if I could take a picture of her horsie sweater.  You tell me if she can ham it up or not.  (of course, the child has grown up with Mimi having a camera aimed at her since birth!)

Part 10

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The last day of our vacation, we were walking down the steps to have our usual drinks before dinner and guess what was down at the bottom of the steps?????  That's right Sammy's favorite animal a HORSE!!!  It was a great way to end the vacation for her.  The lady that had the horse was so surprised that Sammy got on the horse without any crying and that she actually WANTED to get on the horse.  Apparently not a lot of 1 1/2 year olds like to actually get on the horses.  Needless to say the lady didn't know HOW MUCH Sammy LOVES horses!!!

Part 9

Papa probably had walked away, the reason for Samantha not smiling anymore....haha.  I laugh but it is probably true! 

Part 8

Samantha liked to sit on the edge of the FIRST step in the pool.  But towards the end of the vacation she had ventured down to the BOTTOM step and would almost let go of the railing...almost...a couple more days and who knows what could have happened...a natural swimmer!

Part 7

Samantha loved the 'gator' as she called it and Uncle Kyle.  She prounounced Kyle pretty well too.  Do you think the kid likes the water?

Part 6

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time. These two just had so much fun together. Samantha would yell "Papa" so loud to make sure he knew she was watching him and she wanted to go with him!!  Miss you Papa!

Part 5

Yep, they don't like each other much at all! I can't tell you how many pictures we have of the two of them making each other laugh and everyone else laugh!!!

Part 4

Sammy was not feeling the beach the first time we took her down, she had no intention of walking on that yucky sand....THEN Papa showed her how to make sandcastles and destroy them and the beach became her new best friend. It looks like she is miserable in the sand doesn't it? It was hard getting her to go and clean up....she just kept saying, "more" "more"....

Part 3

Yep these were her new floaties, that she wore maybe twice! She only put them on the second time because she saw another little kid wearing them...but that lasted about 1 minute. I don't think she trusted the floaties to hold her up.

Part 2

Samantha had soooo much fun in the pool with Daddy and Papa!  All she kept saying thru out the vacation were two words "agua" and "go" and as soon as she saw the pool she wanted in...she is our little water baby now!

What I did on my winter vacation. Part 1

Mommy and Daddy has graciously given me the latitude to pick out photos from their recent vacation to post here.  I pick the photos, Mommy comes in behind me and journals what happend.  Thankyouverymuch!  (Or I could do like I most recently did and make up my own stories behind the pictures!)

Snoring

You will have to turn your volume up quite a bit, but you will here her.....and who does she take after doing this?  All of you raise your hands!!

Jet Lag

Sammy got so tired today around noon that she just laid down on the stairs and fell asleep.

The loot

Here are a few of Sammy's Christmas presents....a picnic table and a kitchen.  (personally, I think that Mommy and Daddy's house is furnished by Fisher-Price now!)

Oopsie

{Editor's note:  apparently my posting regarding Christmas Eve events and Christmas Day events is something that I pulled out of my butt.  Papa Ed did not read The Night Before Christmas; he read books from Mommie's childhood.  All by Catherine Coulter Dr. Seuss.  Uncle Kyle and Auntie Sheena did not show up Christmas Day.  They were in Chicago.  At an Oprah taping.  And I'm absolutely positive that Wawa and Papa were there.   Or not.  I hope that I didn't scar anyone by my posting and I'm sure that my colleagues in the Senate and House will stand by me.}

Hola!

Sammy returns today after a week in Mexico on vacation.  Guaranteed that her color hasn't changed. (and boy, have I missed them!!)

Snack time

Sammy's enjoying her snack of cantaloupe sitting in her new chair.  This was the first time we've done that and it was a novelty for her.  She sat and ate all of her fruit (without spilling!) and then asked for more.

Smile Pretty

I absolutely adore this photo of Sammy...just waking up from a nap.

More greats!

This is Sammy's great grandmother on our side of the family.  The only great-grandparent left and we treasure her.  She gets such a kick out of Sammy!  They played with this puzzle together for the longest time...of course Gramma Jeanne used to teach 1st and 2nd graders so getting down with small kids is second nature to her.

Barbie's Horsey

Sammy still feels that she should be able to fit on this horse and go for a ride.  That ain't happenin'.

Christmas Eve

Grampa Ed got to read The Night Before Christmas to Sammy this year!  It's a wonderful tradition with children and I'm so very glad they embraced it.  Sammy's great grandparents, Wawa and Papa got to enjoy the holidays with her, too.  Uncle Kyle and Auntie Sheena showed up on Christmas day to spend some time with the family.  And!  They brought LEGOS!!  Oh, I can remember stepping on those barefooted in darkened hallways....trying not to swear.

Wheeeeeeee!

Sammy also got a slide.  No one realized that she kept her eyes closed sliding down until these pictures!

Te amo!

This is how we got to say bye-bye to Sammy last night as the family is heading off on a Mexican vacation with Nana and Papa R and Uncle Kyle and Aunt Sheena.  What fun!  The video cams that we all recieved for Christmas sure have come in handy and have been loads of fun!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

The new throne

We got Sammy a bean bag chair to replace the doggie bed she so enjoys sitting in.  Verdict?  She likes both of them.

Mom? Dad? I can explain.....

 A belly button ring!!!!  hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa

Seriously, did you expect anything else?

And happy New Year's to each and every one of you!