Family pictures!

(The little fleck on Sam's face must be from dust or something on our scanner.)


Today we got our family pics taken. Sam wasn't too happy about the event. I think he wasn't too pleased when we had to wake him up to have flash bulbs go off in his face. The pictures though turned out really nice.




(We got a big one of this black and white pic.)

G'ma Dodson Visits

Grandma Dodson came to see Sam and give him some lovings. We went today to get our pictures taken, and G'ma went with us. She was pretty good at trying to get Sam's attention to look at the camera. Sam was a bit fussy, so we only got a few pictures taken. We waited until he was a sleep to take a few, but then the flash woke him up again. I don't think that modeling is in his future. :>)

Momma's 1st week back!

This week was my first week back to work, and we are SO thankful to have Velva come and stay with Sam. She is great! It wasn't as tough as I thought it was going to be to leave him all day because I know that she just loves him up all day. :>)



She and Sam usually go for a walk, and she writes down all the "adventures" they have (ie, He ate 16 ounces on Wednesday while I was gone! WOW!). We really appreciate Velva so much, and all her hard work. We know that Sam really likes her too.


Thanks Velva for putting up with our craziness! :>) We are so thankful that we found you!

It is so hard being a baby!

Sam plays so hard under his little frog gym that G'ma Dodson got him.

He really likes to bat at the little danglie frog, turtle, and fish.
But all this exercise.....


...really can wear a baby out!

Happy Birthday G'ma Meads!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday G'ma Meads!
Happy Birthday to YOU!

We hope you have a super duper birthday! We love you lots.


Yeah G'ma! We love you lots. Miss you! XOXOX--Sam

Happy Birthday Brian!

Last week was Brian Hill's birthday, so after the baby shower on Saturday, we headed on over to the Sal's for some burgers.

Nat and Braedyn were hangning out waiting for cake.


Here is Brian using the cake top to waft the candles out.

We had a fun time at the cookout. Cindy talked to Sam and Braedyn.


Sam was SOOOO excited to see her that he pooped all the way up to this neck!
WOW Cindy! Next time you visit with Sam, we will just put him in the bathtub! :>)

...I want you to know that I had to take about a dozen pictures before I got one with Cindy's eyes open....you see what I had to work with here. :>)

Baby Larzo is soon to arrive!

THis past Saturday, Sam and I went to a baby shower for Melissa Larzo. She is expecting a boy....around September 23rd. (Let's hope for the 26th since that is my birthday!) We played games and ate. We had a wonderful time.



Thanks for a nice afternoon Melissa, Lisa, and Lisa. :>)

Sam goes to college

On Thursday, Sam went to Fairmont State University with me to do some errands. We caught up with a few people. We got to cuddle a bit with Nancy.

And Sam showed Nancy how loud he could yell also. :>)

Sam wondered why he has more hair than Phil.


And after visiting around, he took a little nap on the Pam pillow. Oh so comfy! :>)

Welcome Velva!

As many of you all know, we have been looking for someone to take care of Sam. We have really been worried because the last deadline for me to go back to work is HERE. We met with several very wonderful people and finally found VELVA. We really were waiting for Mary Poppins to float out of the sky to come and care for Sammers, and Velva is pretty close to that. She is a very kind and well-qualified lady who we know will really grow to love Sam. You can tell that she does have the touch with babies, and we are SOOOOO thankful to have found her! :>)




Velva came over today to hang out with Sam. AND what did Sam do? Of course!....he cried. He tried sooo hard to stay awake so he could talk with Velva too. Geez!.....It is so hard being a baby!

8 years!

It doesn't seem that long, but Jeff and I have been married 8 years (August 1st). We decided to take this past weekend and get away. We went to Canaan Valley and stayed in a little cabin in the park. We had a lot of adventures with Sam.

Sam went swimming. You can see how having a dermatologist for a dad makes your routine at the pool a bit longer. Is there ANY sun that got to that baby?


We saw a family of deer right by the cabin we were staying in. Here is one of the sweet little fawns that was bedded down under a tree.


We also stopped along the road to check out the HUGE windmills that are on the ridge top, catching all the wind. They are so amazing to see as you drive through the valley.


We checked out blackwater falls which was very low on the water part.


Here is Sam "hiking" the Blackwater Trail.


Thanks Jeff for a relaxing weekend.

Thanks G'ma!

Thanks G'ma for watching Sam while I went to WVU last Thursday. That was the longest that I had been away from Sam, and having you stay made that a lot easier.

When I got home, I found both G'ma and Sam sacked out.

Flood Picnic

Jeff, Sam and I were invited to the Flood's for a picnic. The next day was the WVINBRE Summer Symposium in Morgantown, so many people were there from West Liberty, WVU (Huey Miin) and Fairmont State.

Sam got faned like royalty by Huey Miin.

Amanda was practicing the momma role. (Right Amanda?)


Melinda, Bonnie, and Contessa from FSU were hamming it up....as ususal.




There was even some basketball played by those who weren't afraid of getting sweaty.


Thanks Mark, Lori, and Amanda for having us over and feeding us great food.

Aunt Melanie

Melanie stopped by to give Sam some kisses. (And to bring me a tomato from Papa Sal's garden! Thanks Papa Sal! It was soooo yummy!) Thanks for stopping to see us Mel! :>)


I think that this onsie that Mel got Sam says it ALL!

Spa day

Mom, Dad, Sam, and I went to use our gift certificates for massages with THE best massage therapist in ALL THE WORLD! (Really!....I will tell you how to contact Ronnie if you want the massage of a lifetime!)

Ronnie loved up Sam before we got our massages.


While one was getting a massage, the others kept Sam company. Sam took a big nap in the tanning bed. (It was off [of course], but made a great bed padded with Ronnie's sheets. )



I am sure Daddy is horrified to see his son in a tanning bed. Probably THE ONLY time Sam will experience such a machine! :>)

Thanks Ronnie for an awesome day!

Delivering Dinner

We want to thank the Hancoxes so much for the yummy chicken pasta dinner. You all are so sweet to send us dinner....and those DELICIOUS cookies! WOW!

We of course couldn't send the cooler back empty so we used it to deliver two pans of enchiladas to our friends. One pan went to the Larzos to stock their freezer since they are expecting a baby soon. We appreciated those cowboy beans that you all made for us when Sam was born. They were really good. (And we still have a little container of them in the freezer for a rainy day.)

Sam put up a bit of a fuss when we tried to leave Melissa L's.

Who has the bigger pout here? Sammers or Melissa L? (I think that Melissa is disqualified since hers isn't a real pout!)


The other pan went to the Hancoxes so we could return their insulated cooler. I finally got a picture of Melissa H.......


...and while Melissa was holding Sam, Ashley and Will were having a game of peak-a-boo through Melissa's legs.


Willers kept giving us that toothy grin of his.

Thanks Hancox family. We are glad that you are near us again. (By the way, the chilli that your mom made Melissa was soooo good. Now we have to figure out what to send back to you all! This is a food war!)