Interview with Sam

It took a few tries but I wanted to capture some of the cute things that Sam is saying these days. He was getting too close to the camera so I had to sit him on his chair, which made it look like an interview!

Idlewild Fun

Yesterday we took Sam to Idlewild, a beautiful children's amusement park in Ligonier, PA. We weren't sure how much he would be able to ride but figured that between walking around and splashing in the waterpark we would have plenty to do. Sam was a real trooper and with only a quick nap lasted through a nine hour visit at the park! We walked through storybook forest, played with balls in the jungle area, rode the train, Mr. Rogers trolley, the carousel and the turtle and played in the kiddie pool and fountain areas. Sam played his first game, fishing, and won...a ball (of course!) We ate lots of good food and just enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day in the quaint park-like setting. Next year Sam will be riding all of the rides in kiddieland...we can't wait!

McKee Playdate

One of my best friends from college was in town this week so we got together for a playdate with our boys. She has twin 10 month old boys that I haven't seen since they were a few months old. It was great to catch up with my friend but also see the boys interact together. It was not easy getting a picture of the boys...Sam was crying for his ball and the boys were trying to fling themselves off of the couch. Finally we just had to hold the boys and join the picture!

Lake Weekend

Last week we spent a long weekend at Conneaut Lake with my sister and her family. We had a great time boating and just enjoying the peaceful lake atmosphere. This was Sam's first time on a boat and he really liked it and he even went swimming in the lake at the sandbar. I went tubing with my sister and niece on the big double tube and screamed my head off as my brother-in-law tried to dump us in the lake. Sam saw his first fireworks for the 4th of July and really liked them. We were across the lake from where they were set off so I think that helped minimize some of the noise. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!

Introducing Layla Sophia

My younger sister, Amanda, made me an Aunt again last week.

Introducing Layla Sophia Vance

Born 7.1.09 -- 7 lbs. 10 oz.

Sam the Toddler

Gone are the baby days...Sam is all toddler now! These days are challenging as Sam just loves to ignore the word no...that boy wants what he wants! Every day I learn a whole lot about patience and parenting and I keep persisting even when I just want to give in, lay on the couch and let him destroy the house! :) Sam is also a sweet, loving and funny boy. I am constantly amazed by how quickly he learns new things and how he tries to make us laugh. He definitely got his expressions from me...and he has a ton of them! What I appreciate most about him is how loving and affectionate he is. He constantly gives out kisses (without being asked!) and will come over and lay his head against my leg and say "mama" many times during the day. Sam is still fascinated with playing ball and says the word "ball" a million times a day. He is an expert walker at this point and will try to run every once in awhile which is such a funny sight. He loves his new house, going for walks and playing in his backyard. Every day I am so grateful to God for blessing me with Sam! Here is a video of Sam walking around (and a sneak peek of the new house).

Vacation Recap

So this is going to be a brief vacation recap since I am pretty far behind in my blogging. We spent a great week on Hilton Head Island, SC with Luke's side of the family. We swam in the pool, biked on the tree-lined trails and played in the sand and the waves. Sam is a water lover and we had to watch him closely because he would just walk right into the pool and ocean on his own. Oh, I should mention that while on vacation he started to walk on his own. I was so hoping he would be walking by vacation and it literally happened on our way down there. I will post a video of that soon. On the way down to SC, we stayed with some good friends of ours from college and went to a children's museum which maybe we enjoyed more than Sam. The best part of the vacation was spending time with family...especially Luke's brother and his family that live in Alaska. We don't get to see them nearly enough and we loved watching our kids play together. As soon as we got back to Pittsburgh we were packing and moving to Beaver...but that deserves it's own post :)