A Few Sweet Moments

Today was our last full day here in Oklahoma. Ben and Bridget get back {late} tonight and we'll head home tomorrow. It's always a busy and bittersweet time for me because I want to spend as much time with the family as possible, but I've also got to get everything ready to head home.

Busy. Fun. And, a little sad.

We spent a good portion of the morning and afternoon running errands {yay for my birthday present... thank you Ben!} and came home to find that Grami had walked over from KK's house for a visit.

I love that Noah calls her "Gremi". I'm pretty sure she loves it too, since she was a little sad when Michael learned to say her name properly... and stopped calling her "Dummy".

This Little One was a rascal all day long... and a bottomless pit too.

But she had a few sweet moments like this one with Big Brother and Great-Aunt KK.

And this one. My favorite sweet little moment of the day.

Rock and Roll Marathon

Second {Full} Marathon Completed? Check.

Benjamin, we're all so proud of you.

{I'll post more photos once he and BB get back with the camera.}

Eighty.

We skipped church this morning. Which was good since for some reason, Ellie decided to have a party in my room last night. All. Night. Long. So, since we skipped church and we knew that Addison {my childhood best friend, Lesa, little one} had stayed the night with Marlene {one of Mom's best friends}, we walked over to visit them for a little playdate. The whole walk over there, we talked about how we were going to see our friend Addie and play with her {and her toys}.

Noah was super excited.

And Addie was super excited to see Ellie.

Thankfully, Noah and Addie played well together.

Noah loved her "tassle" {castle} playhouse.


He was sad to leave her {and her toys} and the whole walk home we talked about his "new phend Abbie", her "tassle" and how he wanted to go swim at "Abbie's howse".


When we got back home and while Ellie took a nap, Noah took a little break to eat his snack and watch a hot-rod car program with PaPa. Love it.

I looked over after lunch to see this:

Love it too.

***

Today was my PaPa Snow's 80th birthday. {Happy Birthday PaPa Snow!} We had just loaded into the Sequoia to go over and visit him when we thought to call... and found out they had already left for dinner! Luckily, they were willing to stop by here after they finished eating.

Only one of them is actually looking at me and the camera in this photo, but I still ♥ it.

And bathtime routine is made all the more fun with help from Grami, Nana, and Cousin Morgan.

Especially when you get to play with Nana and PaPa's rotary phone!

River and Daisies

Jessie's best friend, 'Rissa and her little one, River, came over this afternoon after we got home from the family reunion. River is exactly one month younger than Ellie {though, she was only due 10 days after Ellie}, but is already crawling all over the place!

SUCH a little cutie. And I think it's hysterical that every single little girl that we know that was born around the time that Ellie was looks just like their Daddy. River looks so much like Anthony it is uncanny! {And, of course, we all know that Ellie looks SO much like Ben!}

***

After we put the Little Ones to bed, Mom, Morgan and I all worked on making some daisies for the cupcakes for Eric's {Ben's brother} wedding reception. Mom and Morgan were so helpful!


We think they turned out pretty good!

The Relatives Came

It was in the summer of the year the relatives came.

{They} traveled up all those miles until finally they pulled into our yard.

Then it was hugging time. Talk about hugging!

Those relatives just passed us all around...

They hugged us for hours.

Then it was into the house


and so much laughing

and shining faces,

and hugging in the doorways.

You'd have to go through at least four different hugs to get from the kitchen to the front room.

Those relatives!

And the relatives drove on.... they thought about us. Missing them. And they missed us.

{One of my most favorite books ever to read with my students when working on writing is The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. Haven't read it? You should. Especially if you have out of town family. I thought about this book all afternoon while we were at the Snow Family Reunion.}

Heading Out to Rock and Roll!

Ben and BB left this afternoon for San Diego and the Rock and Roll Marathon that he's running in support of LLS. {By the way, it's not too late to still donate!} Before they left, we got in some extra Daddy and Aunt BB time during breakfast,

lunch,


and at the airport.

We'll miss you both, have tons of fun, and see you when you get back!


And Daddy-Ben, go get 'em Tiger. We're SO very proud of you - you are simply amazing, Dear One!

Let the Birthday Celebrations Continue

Nana has spoiled the kiddos with {lots of} toys at her house and by mid-morning, Mom and Daddy-Man's living room always looks like this:

Good thing they love their grandbabies so much!

Since yesterday {my actual birthday} was so busy and we got in so late, we did most of our celebrating today. Nana and Aunt BB watched the Little Ones so that Ben could take me out for a birthday lunch, just the two of us. We barely knew what to do with ourselves, dining out without the kids! {Thank you, thank you, Nana and Aunt BB!!}

After dinner, we celebrated a little more with cake...

and a few presents {thank you guys - I love the blankets for PL, the gift card for more blankets for PL, the shirt and the book too! Ben, Dear One, I'm ordering my new lens soon!}.






Probably my favorite gift though, was the photo book that they put together, titled "30 Reasons We Love Samantha". We all laughed and I cried while I read it aloud.

Maybe turning 30 will be pretty good afterall.

30 {or 29, Again?}

It's been a long day - we've mostly been packing, cleaning, and driving, rather than celebrating! Which, really, was fine with me - I'm still thinking I'm just going to fake it and say I'm 29 {again}.

We finally made it on our way to Oklahoma City after dinner and a torrential downpour. The wind and rain must have knocked down a fence somewhere, because just outside our neighborhood, this "little" llama was wandering around. {Well, we think it was a llama. It could have also been an alpaca. We don't know the difference. I just know it wasn't a camel. ha!} Ben and I were laughing so hard that we HAD to turn around so that I could take a picture.

Noah decided it was a sheep.

"Sheep! Farm! Sheep, Momma!"

When we finally arrived in OKC, tired and with only 10 minutes left of my {actual} birthday day left, we found this on the table:

Last Day of My 20s {Or IS it?}

The kids and I had a fun time tonight during bath time.

Somehow Noah has taught Ellie how to splash too... and they think it is way funny to make Mommy squeal as she tries to keep the camera dry.

The last few views of my last day in my twenties...

{pardon the still slightly swollen jaw... root canals are fun times.}

I've loved my 20s... because it brought me all three of them.