The Sweetest Words...

Out of the blue, Sam came up to me, wrapped his arms around my legs and said the best little sentence his little voice has ever muttered...

"I wuv you so much Mommy."

Completely on his own. Each and everyday he is talking more and more so this should not surprise me but it still took me by surprise. And of course, I cried. (I'm a bit of a crier)

Whatcha doin' Daddy?

Whatcha doin' Daddy? This is one of Sam's favorite things to say & I can see Matt's face light up when he hears it. The other day, Matt was working on his truck and was using a jack. Sam went in the garage to check it out. When he asked Matt what he was doing, Matt showed him how to jack up his 4-wheeler (his favorite favorite) so that he could check out the tires.

One of my favorite things about these pictures is that it is a perfect snapshot of my little life and the things I hold dear. My sweet husband, my precious little Sambo, and my big hearted, overweight, lovable lab Owen. All doing simple stuff that you will find on any given weeknight just before bath time.

Labor Day at the Ranch 2009

Every year, the family piles in at the Ranch for some dove hunting and fall fun. This year was no exception. However, I think that this was the first year that Sam fully understood what was going on. He had a blast! He just loves all of his cousins. Here are a few pics...

We kicked off the weekend with a fire and smores. This was the first time Sam has ever really participated in it. I had my back turned and was talking (shocking) and turned around and he was all by himself, just toasting away. He just grabbed a stick, stuck on a marshmallow and away he went.

The next morning, all the kids piled into the old truck and went to look for the longhorns. I think that this was all Sam's idea. He's kinda relentless when he wants something. I don't know where he gets that. Uncle Kelly and Drew & Dalton and Brooks followed on the 4-wheelers. This was the first time that any of the kiddos have been allowed to drive one of the 4-wheelers alone. Since Brooks is the oldest (by about 6 months) he did the honors. When my mom started to tell him all the things to watch out for and not to speed etc, he just put his hand on her shoulder and said as serious as he could be, "Nene, don't worry...I'm building trust". Simple as that.

Next was a little playtime for Sam and Luke (aka Wook) on one of the tractors.

That afternoon, between hunting trips, the guys squeezed in a little touch football which I'm sure will become a new family tradition.

That night, we ate and had a birthday party for Dalton. Aunt Heather (which Sam now calls Aunt Heifer) taught him how to blow a party blower. He was sooo proud!

First Day of Mother's Day Out aka "Monkey Day"

At the Clay compound, we refer to MDO as Monkey Day. This comes from when I was little, my first MDO teacher was named, Ms. Mickey. I called her Ms. Monkey which turned into Monkey Day. The tradition continues with my little peanut.

By the way, this is the first time in his 2 1/2 years that he has fully cooperated and posed for pictures. I about croaked. The sitting and smiling was all his idea. I think it was because he was just so excited about his new "Light Queen" lunchbox and backpack!

For those of you that know my little Sambo, you know that he is quite the Mama's boy. He loves his Mama and his Mama loves him. This is the first time he has been out of the nest with the exception of the church nursery. This being said, we were expecting for MDO to be a full out kicking and screaming torture chamber. He shocked us all! He walked right in, asked for his lunch box and told me bye bye. Of course, I still cried.

The Mod Blog

Hello Blogger friends! I would like to introduce The Mod Blog (http://www.modismodern.blogspot.com/)! Add it to your blog roll for updated Mod news such as new patterns, products and giveaways. Pass along to your friends! We are kicking it off with a strap and bag give away. Check out the blog for details!

Handy Sammy

Sam loves to put his toys inside the hole of Daddy's speaker. This is usually nothing short of a big fat pain. You have to get a screw driver and take the back off the speaker where you find an entire treasure chest of goodies he has been stockpiling since your last retrieval. The other day, he started saying "Where'd train go?" (which he knew good and well where it was) and I said, "I don't know". He then said, I'll get it and took off like a streak of lightening to the kitchen. He weaseled his little 2 year old hand into the drawer, past the "child proof lock" and came back with a screwdriver. He proceeded to correctly line up the end with the screw (a phillips head mind you) and attempt to take off the back. Holy cow. I about croaked. I eventually had to step in and help but it just goes to show you how much they are paying attention. It's kinda cool and scary at the same time :).