Happy Easter!

We tried to get a cute picture before church but someone is always unhappy.

So then Sammie and Olivia obliged and tried to be unhappy to balance out the photo.

Then I tried to join in to make things better but with no luck.

After church everyone was much more cooperative.

And then things just got crazy.

Spring Break 2016

This year for Spring Break we went to visit Joey's parents.  Sammie was already sick when we left and I had taken her to the doctor the day before we left because she had a persistent fever for 5 days straight.  After some blood work that we got the results of the next day, the doctor said it was a virus and we headed out of town.  Sammie just wasn't herself for the next 2 days and seemed to feel a little better and then a little worse.  After dragging her around shopping and then going to San Francisco, I called her doctor and she prescribed some antibiotics.  She immediately started to feel better.
The whole reason we wanted to go to San Francisco was so Sammie could visit Chinatown.  She chose it for her State project and wanted to take pictures and get some things for her presentation.
Even though she wasn't feeling great, we went anyway and had a good time.  She and I took turns riding in my wheelchair so neither of us would get too worn out.
We also saw the movie "Zootopia" which we all loved.
We enjoyed seeing Grandma and Grandpa.  I loved watching everyone gather around Jackie as she showed us a memory book she had been working on for herself.  We don't get to visit often enough and Grandpa Jerry had to be extra careful around Sammie because he had a liver transplant a few months ago and is on his long road to recovery from that.  We feel so blessed that he was able to have the surgery that saved his life, but it will be a long road ahead still.
We made it home Saturday afternoon tired and exhausted since we had all been sharing a hotel room and poor Sammie was coughing all night every night.  Except for Abby.  She slept like a log.  We enjoyed being with family and I always find a trip to San Francisco satisfying and refreshing.

Jackie bought Abby this yellow sweatsuit on our shopping trip and all day we kept referring to it as "the banana suit."  We kept telling her if she got lost, we just ask people if they saw a little girl in a banana suit.  She thought it was hilarious.

Crazy Hat and Sock Day

Sometimes I impress myself on a morning when I don't feel well and I manage to pull off something in spite of it all.  It was crazy hat and sock day for Abby and I quickly made her this paper hat to wear to school.  She was thrilled.

Basketball Season

I love the after school sports programs.  My kids have enjoyed the experience of learning a sport without the super competitive edge to it all, and the bonus is that they just stay after school for practice.  Sammie was much better this year.  Just like in soccer, she is learning to be more aggressive.  She took lots of shots and made some and was a great re-bounder.  She was always in on the action and had a great time and made friends with some of the girls in her grade at school.

Perfect Party for a 10 Year Old

Sammie had a fun little art party for her birthday last weekend.  I was a little nervous that the weather wouldn't hold out for us and it actually turned into a perfect afternoon.  It was warm, but little drops of rain would fall.  Not so that it was storming, but just enough so that it was fun to listen to while the sweet birds were chirping.  It felt so refreshing.

Sammie loves art and so this was just perfect for her and her friends.  First, they had a youtube drawing lesson where they learned to draw a simple owl, elephant, and butterfly.  Then we went outside and the girls drew one of their animals on a canvas and then painted it in.  We also played a pictionary game, but didn't have time for anything else.  They each were very careful with their pictures and wanted to do well.  I love how they all turned out!  It was such a fun and simple party to plan.  I love this 10 year old girl!

Double Digits

(Showing off her much needed new birthday back pack.)

Today is Sammie's 10th birthday.  For me, I always find that birthdays are a time that I reflect on each of my children and who they are growing into.  Sammie has such a sweet and tender heart.  She cares deeply for the people in her life and for the things that she does.  She tries so hard to be good and to be good at the things that she is doing.  We love this girl.  She shows us how to laugh and how to work.  She is a loyal friend and and loves to be active and doing the things she loves.  Right now she is enjoying learning to play basketball, is getting great at the piano, and has started violin lessons, and also trying to be a star student!  She is feeling very busy, but wants to try so many things.  I can't think of anything she has done that she hasn't done well or worked to get better at.  We love this tender girl.