In with the old...and the new

I've been feeling the need to be better at keeping a personal history.  Since my journal writing is spotty at best, our family blog seems like a good place to do it.  My plan (not a promise, just a plan) is to have a weekly post with something current and something from our not so distant past.  I just can't keep being behind, but I'm sad to leave out all the good stuff (meaning mostly our second child's first year of life...) that's  been going on!  So, without further ado...

Let Freedom Ring!

We had a nice Fourth of July here in Sioux Falls.  We ventured out to the parade in the morning, thinking it might be a little crazy.  Not so!  We got there about 15 minutes early and had almost an entire block to ourselves.  We got the shady side of the street with plenty of space for our chairs and for the kids to play while we waited.  The block eventually filled in and we enjoyed watching the parade.  Dan was a little disappointed, having grown up with Prescott's Fourth of July parade which I hear is pretty great, but the boys loved it and overall it was a successful outing.

We spent the rest of the day at home until heading out to share dinner and fireworks with some friends.  We had to manage to find a place out of town to set off the fireworks (because Dan doesn't get the kind that are legal in town), but didn't want to invite ourselves over.  Thank goodness for good friends!  I didn't get any pictures having to deal with a very tired and scared Sammy most of the evening, but I think it was a pretty good show and the older kids had a blast (yes, that includes daddy)!

One Year Down!

Our little Sammy turned one!  And I've been a mother of two now for a year with no major accidents! James helped me wrap the present and was very proud of it so he took a picture.  We were preparing to leave on a trip (his actual birthday was spent in Idaho with my family) so we  decided to get some gourmet cupcakes and celebrate a couple days early.  The cupcakes were delicious and the activity cube is a hit at our house!

Sam's one year stats: 22 lbs., 30 inches, 100% cute!

His vocabulary has exploded over the last month or so, so this isn't current for the day he turned one, but as of right now he says:
-Amen
-Dog (usually accompanied with a woof!)
-Duck (or quack, not sure which but it definitely means the bird)
-Peekaboo!
-Sat? (while pointing, meaning "what's that")
-Uh-oh!
-Ma
-Dada

This kid is loud, and messy and full of so much personality he can't contain it!  We just love our little Sammy to bits!