I'm so glad that we went up there. I think it was a great learning experience for us all. Sammy is getting older and I really noticed it on this trip. I think he loves being with his mommy & daddy and I think he loves, LOVES being in nature.

It was so fun to take Sammy to Lefty's so everyone could meet him. The first picture is Tony with Sammy, then below that is Kristy holding him up to the trees... Sammy just LOVES the trees! (At the bottom is Bubba of coarse)

It rained so hard that the streets flooded while Bubby and I went to the grocery store. Then we saw this beautiful doulbe rainbow. We are so blessed!

Sun Valley is building a gondola for tourists, etc. I think it's kinda lame though because the gondola will not go to the top of the mountain, which is where the most amazing view is. There was a storm brewing when I took these shots. Man I miss it u in Ketchum. It is SO BEAUTIFUL, and it feels like home:) Here are all the gondola cars all lined up to be set on the mountain.

Ketchum July 2009!

So a lot has happened lately... Brandon has been up in Ketchum for months now and has only been home a couple of times. He is working his butt off. Finally, Bubby and I were able to go up there and visit. We camped out with Brandon and just had a blast! I mean....look at this view from Trail Creek!

The Miracle in the form of a car... and a new friend!

Okay, so it as taken me awhile to put this up here. The last few weeks have been really hard. I mean, things where already a real struggle, but when Brandon has to go back up to Ketchum, and leave me and Bubby without a car for the second time, I was finding it really difficult to hold it together. I'm usually pretty strong, but I was starting to lose it.
I found myself praying more. I was hoping that Brandon would be safe up there. That we would be safe down here. I was just hoping that HIS car wouldn't break down, etc. We were just on our VERY last leg.
Something told me to put an ad on Craigslist saying that I needed a car. It was a total long shot and in no way did I expect a response. Then, last Saturday night, my prayers were answered... I mean, I think. Now, I am a spiritual person, and I believe that prayers can be answered, but this was pretty extraordinary. Never have my prayers been answered so directly, and at a time when we really, REALLY needed help. It's pretty hard to deny that God was watching over us... I mean it was almost strange and it gave me chills.
A woman by the name of Jena called me up and told me that she wanted to help me. She told me that she had a car she wanted to give a needy mom and she came across my ad on Craigslist, and thought I might be the right person. At first I couldn't believe it. I mean was this a joke? But it wasn't. She and her family came and picked me up the next day (Sunday) and I went to church with them. Church was actually really fun, and I plan to go again. After church we went to her house and she gave me this car!!! It is a 1990 Ford Probe, and I just couldn't be more grateful. Never has a stranger done anything so nice for me! I mean we REALLY needed it. Now I don't have to walk to the grocery store with a backpack just to bring home milk. Now, I can go to the YMCA in the morning to workout and get a much needed mommy break. Now, I can get a night job. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jena. Thank you God! I have a car and hopefully a new friend. They are such nice people too! I'm sure there are more reasons than one that we have met.
Now... I need to pay it forward....
So, here we are with our new donated car (By the way, this is not our neighborhood. I'm in front of Shelly's house... just FYI) I washed inside and out a few days ago. We couldn't be more happy. What a weight off our heavy shoulders:)

Happy Father's Day... a week late

Brandon comes back from Ketchum today. He has been up there working for 12 days now and he missed his first Father's Day with us. That was kind of hard, but it's good that he's working.

I wanted to do something special to show that we love and appreciate him on Father's Day. I was trying to be artsey fartsey, so I made him this collage. I hope he likes it. Happy Father's Day Bubba. You are an extraordinary daddy and Sam and I are so blessed to have you in our lives! :-D

Bethy Comes to visit...yeah!

My friend Beth came to visit me and Sammy a few weeks ago. We had a TOTAL blast! She came from Ketchum down to Boise to buy herself a digital SLR camera... which she did... awesome! Then, we walked around Boise and had lunch (and way too much) coffee. It was SO MUCH fun.It was such a beautiful, happy day. Bethy totally saved us because we had been home all week without a car and all by ourselves. Brandon was camping in Ketchum and finding some work.
Sammy just loves her dog "Tucker" (which is Sammy's middle name aswell). He was so cute... Tucker had his head resting on Sammy while we were driving. He is really the most gentle dog... way more than Maggie, I hate to admit.
By the way, Beth is an insanely good photographer (I'm a little jealous). She took the cutest pics of me and Sam, which I am so grateful for... Thanks girl friend!
P.S. These pics were taken about 3 weeks ago, when Sammy was about 5 1/2 months old. It is shoking to me how much he has grown since then. He's now 6 months and 1 week old. He is growing so fast... it almost makes me sad. My baby is growing up:(

Thank you God for anotherbeautiful day with my healthy baby boy!

Meridian Dairy Days!

Last night me and Sammy went to The Meridian Dairy Days Parade with Shelly and her kids. I had no idea it would be such a blast! We had so much fun, even though it was raining. It's too bad Brandon had to miss it. He's been up in Ketchum working for about a week now and we really, REALLY miss him. I am so blessed to have family near by to do fun activities like this with:)

I gave a baby sammy a lick of my sucker, and he wanted more!

Our first picnic

I'm very behind on my posts, so this was almost a month ago. Daddy took us on our first picnic to Swan Falls (I hope that's the right name). It was great. A magical, beautiful day. We had lunch and Daddy and Chad did a little fishing. Sammy is now 5 months old and weighs 18 lbs! It's hard to type one handed... more later:)

Bubby is really filling out! He loves to stick his tounge out.

We had a wonderful Easter day. We went to Grammy and Poppy's house and had a great ham dinner. Sammy was so cute. Gigi and Pop (my parents) sent us this adorable little outfit with little shoes for Easter. It was size 6 months, but it already fit him. I can't believe how big little Sammy is getting. He is such a little miracle and I am so blessed!

Look at our happy little boy!

Sammy is 13 weeks old today. Wow! It's going by so fast. He went to the doctor last weeks and got his shots... he didn't even cry! He's such a trooper. He weighs 15 pounds now and grew 2 inches. He's starting to laugh and play. He's wonderful!

Around the first of April Sammy started to grab at rattles and toys and stuff. He seems like he was JUST STARTING to get the idea that his hands belong to him and that he can use them. So, we finally got him this little bouncer and in only ONE WEEK he's grabbing his toys. It's amazing how fast he learns! Now he loves to sit in his little bouncer and touch his toys!