I am so in love right now! Sam is 16 months old and it is a blast! He loves his cowboy boots that were David's when he was little. Sam has a hard time walking sometimes in them, but he can do the cutest jig in them when he gets going! He tries so hard to say "na-na-na-na-na-na-na..gettin' jiggy with it", but it comes out more like "na-na ji da it." Of course, I think it is the most precious thing in the world! He runs to me and grabs my legs and says "mama" all the time and lets me hug him for a minute. He sings "wheels on the bus" and "this little light of mine" everytime I try to put him to sleep!

David and I had an amazing trip to Park City, Utah last month! We went horse back riding and hiking and even went to the spa! We missed Sam in an immeasurable way, but it was so great for our marriage to get out and just be us for a few days. Sam didn't even know that we were gone! When I got home, he just said "mama" in a very excited tone and then said "truck" in the same tone and looked at me like "where have you been...let's play!!" I was glad to play with his truck at that moment!

I have to tell you that Sam has completely captured my heart and I honestly don't know how in the world I could ever love anything like I love him. Which, makes it hard at times to disipline, but then I am reminded that my discipline is a sign of my love to him. What would I be if the Lord never disciplined me for my sin? A MESS!!! So, in the moments when it is hard, I just remind myself ot that fact and it helps me some. I know that every person in the world who is a parent can make parallels to their relationship with the Lord, but I understand a little more now. For example, we will work on something with Sam and I'll think "whew, we're through that one" and then, a week later, we're right back in the same spot and I try to find a new way to discipline him. Of course, the Lord is perfect in parenting and discipline, so He knows that He's not finished with me in a certain area and He doesn't have to "figure out" a new way to discipline me, but I can only imagine that He gets frustrated with my little life sometimes when I go right back to something we just went through! Make sense? Anyway, Sam is great fun, but great work!