Remembering Sam

I want to thank everyone for your emails, flowers, phone messages (since I didn't answer my phone Monday), cards and sweet sentimental gifts. They made Monday a special day and made me so happy that people remembered. Thank you!!

Since this week marks the one year anniversary of Sam's passing, I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite pictures of Sam.
The first pictures are of Sam on his mission. I just love these, because he's so happy. The last two Sam is with his brother Kris. Sam served his mission in Brazil.


Sam and I were engaged April 1, 1999. Married in the Mesa Temple June 24, 1999. We sure look young!!

Some of my favorite pictures are of our numerous vacations before Emmet and Emery were born!!

Meeting Santa Clause

Emmet and Emery met Santa today. Much to my amazement Emery loved sitting on his lap. She wouldn't smile, but she liked sitting there. She liked it so much that she threw a fit and I stood in line a second time to give her another chance to sit on his lap. She sat there for five minutes. Emmet on the other hand didn't see any reason why he needed to see Santa, asked me where the reindeer were, and how did Santa get there. My response was if you don't sit on Santa's lap he won't bring you presents and that kept him quiet!

thank you...

So, I'm beginning to feel the emotions of knowing that Monday will be the year anniversary of my sweet husband's death and too my surprise a very heavy package arrived at my door. For me the UPS guy is Santa Clause!! I opened the box and tears rolled down my cheeks. There were fun wrapped gifts from all of my Maryland girlfriends. I am going to do what Kate Smith and Erin Vandre suggested and open one gift a day. But I couldn't help but read what some of my sweet friends wrote. They are sweet loving words of encouragement and they couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I truly do wish you could all be here with me!!

Finally...

I did it!! I got a babysitter and went to a movie all by myself. It was so much fun. I was worried it would be a little depressing, but it wasn't. I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. My kids loved having a sitter, in fact Emmet was mad when we took her home. I'm so proud of myself that I had to tell someone. I saw Enchanted and it was such a fun, cute movie.

Eleven Months--Saturday

Wow--I'd like to say time flys, but it sure hasn't. I think it has really slowed down for me this year. Saturday it will be the 11th month mark and the count down begins to the year mark. Emmet still talks constantly about his dad. He's currently wondering why I'm not having a baby boy. Thankfully his cousin Sol came to the rescue and Emmet now believes we aren't having a baby because a baby can't come out of a mom's tummy unless the dad is there to help!! I encourage him to keep thinking that direction. A year ago Sam was almost home from the hospital. He was coherent enough that Sam and I watched Nacho Libre on his lap top one night in his hospital room.

This was our last family picture. The kids never spent too much time with Sam. I was always afraid they would pull one of the chords and it always took too much energy for Sam to talk to them. Sam always tried hard to appear to not be as sick as he was for the kids!

Thanks to Emmet's picture taking ability, we have my ultimate favorite picture of Sam. I love his eyes in this picture! This was taken a year ago this month. When Sam came home from the hospital he spent most of his time on the couch watching the kids. The kids were great at playing beside him and every morning Emery would go over and pat her dad on the leg to say good morning. He loved that.

A few fun days...

We've had a few fun days to help lift our spirits. We had a cousins Halloween Party that was a lot of fun and our ward's trunk-or-treat. Emmet is a red Power Ranger (of course). He has been obsessed with Power Rangers SPD for almost a year now. His costume has to look like an SPD Ranger, so thank goodness for ebay!! Emery was a princess. I still can not get over how much she loves being girly. She loved her costume, shoes and all.



Okay so the next two pictures, Emmet and Emery are naked. The anal mom that I am could not have their costumes get dirty on the first day of wearing them.


We went horseback riding for FHE and had a great time. I had no idea how exhilarating riding a horse can be. I had the opportunity to really ride a galloping horse. I think in my past life I was a cow girl!! Emmet really could care less about the animals, but Emery absolutely loved them. She loved riding with me. We watched cows being roped and although Emery liked all of this, she hated the smell of poop. She would cover her nose and yell poop, poop. It was quite funny.


Do you love the gang sign? Who is my son?

It's Been Ten Months

It's been ten months since Sam's passing and I was looking at pictures. I was reminiscing about my favorite vacation we took together. We spent a week (before Emmet) in Cabo San Lucas, just lounging around on the beach. Sam made me jump on a bus, take a ride to an obscure beach for surfing and we took a walk off of the beaten path and stumbled upon our favourite restaurant, The Sleepless Lobster. (That's where the picture was taken) I think we ate there three times in one week. I also spent that week reading, Gone With The Wind, which I ended up throwing the book across the hotel room because I hated the ending. It needed to end happier. Anyway, I loved that week Sam and I spent together in Mexico.