Lucy,

"That's for David. You're too big." Is something you hear a lot around our house these days.

David . . . so big!

We kept Lucy in our room in the bassinet until she was 6 months old. We planned to do the same with David. As you can see by the picture below, David is pushing his limits in the bassinet at just 3 1/2 months! It makes me happy to see him so healthy and a little sad to see my baby disappearing right before my eyes.
One more great shot of our little (or should I say big) man. He is truly a joy to have in our home.

Canning Pears

Grandma & Grandpa Sampson came over to help us can pears. Lucy was a big help!

And she had lots of fun!

LOTS of fun!

Lucy's 2 Loves

Lucy loves our neighbor, Cardston. These two give one another a hug every time they see each other and yell for one another in the middle of church across multiple pews. The other night Lucy wasn't sleeping well and after Marc comforted her, she laid in bed still calming down. We then heard her say in a very longing voice, "Cardston, Buddy". It was so sweet.
Her second love is her Daddy. She asks to call him on the phone frequently. Seeing her walk around the house talking to her Daddy on the phone is a common sight. Daddy also has the incredible ability of calling almost every time Lucy gets really sad or hurt. His voice is generally an instant cure to any ailment she may have had.
***"Pink" (as seen in the above photo) would be a VERY close 3rd love of her's

Boy vs. Girl

Lucy at 3 months

David at 3 months

Yep,

That's my foundation finger painted all over her chair. I honestly thought it was cute and some sort of right of passage as a mother that my daughter got into my makeup. THEN I found makeup EVERYWHERE (the carpet, her clothes, the tile, her toys, her shoes, the baby. . . ). Not so cute anymore.

Little Brigham Dave's Blessing

The crew who all loves Brigham:


A close up of cute Brigham. David is 2 months older so I think they will be very good friends and cousins forever.

Sometimes Barney shouldn't be so perfect

We apparently watch way too much Barney at our house, but I really wish once in a while that The Big Purple guy could be wrong or at least not so perfect. He always laughs at the perfect time. If there is a problem that needs to be solved-no one else can solve it but him. If people are disagreeing, Barney is the one who helps them resolve their problems. He even is the only one who appears to have the answers to any intellectual questions on the show as well.

I just wish that sometimes he could make a mistake or let someone else have a chance to say the right thing. I'm not saying that Barney won't still be shown in our home. But I do wish kid's shows could do a better job at reflecting what life is really like. That no one is perfect, we all mistakes and in the end each one of us has something valuable to contribute.

Jaemynn's Baptism

Our niece got baptized in Vegas over Labor Day weekend. Here are some photos of the event:
Jaemynn is the one in white. Here are the lovely ladies. I am so glad Lucy has such great cousins:
Our little family at the special event:
Lucy learning how to play like the big girls do! She LOVES being with her cousins!
And whoever wasn't playing with Lucy, was taking care of David. Pretty nice set-up for me!
Here is David getting ready to do his part with baptisms some day . . .

We also saw our nephew, Brigham, get blessed that weekend, but I'll have to wait to get pictures from Becky on those-I guess I didn't take any there-but he sure is cute, so I will post them as soon as I get them.

Funny Lucy

Lucy was holding a stuffed animal dog and I asked her what was the name of her dog. She looked up at me and said, "Name-o". We've been calling him it ever since (and singing B-I-N-G-O).

To remember . . .

There is always HOPE

Women I Admire (Part I)

An ongoing post . . .

My Grandma Sampson is the most spiritual woman I know. She always puts God first and willingly obeys the counsel of the brethren without question. It has been hard for her to be without Grandpa these past few years, but in spite of this, she still finds a way to make you feel like a million bucks whenever you are around her.
My Mother lives for her children and grandchildren. You will never meet a more devoted Mother and Grandma. She would do anything to be near her posterity. She cannot stand the thought of having to discipline any of them. She is always ready and willing to listen to my bad days and does her best to make me feel better.
My Mother-in-law, Kay. This picture of her holding a baby is very fitting. She is so willing to help in any way that she can and does so with a willing heart and a smile upon her face. I have felt comfortable to talk with her about anything since I first met her. She has raised 7 wonderful children who understand the meaning of kindness and charity.
My sister, Kristi. Oh I could go on and on about what this lady does for me. She makes me smile, cry, get frustrated and laugh so hard I just about pee my pants. I always want to be around her. Our time together is never enough. She would do anything for my happiness. She is the best friend that I also get to call sister.
My sister-in-law, Karen. She rolls with things as they come and handles them like a champ. In situations where some may lose it, she remains calm with a smile upon her face as her voice never elevates. And how I wish I could give witty responses like her.
My sister-in-law, Tiffany. To put it simply, she is wonder woman. She does everything she has been called to do with perfection. If I ever feel there is an area in life I am slacking in, I talk to Tiffany about it and she sets me straight again. She is admired by all who know her.
My dear friend, Heidi. Her unconditional love for God is remarkable. Her faith allows her to share so many incredible insights about life. I always walk away from a conversation with her feeling uplifted (even if I still might be confused).
My sister-in-law, Jayna. I have never met a more selfless person than her (except for maybe Ryan, but perhaps that's why they married each other). She not only willingly gives of her material possessions but also her time. I have to be careful what I request from her because I always know she will be there to help me (and ANYONE) in any way that she can.
This post is just the beginning of many, many women I admire. More to come . . .

We went to Vegas for Labor Day . . .

and somebody wanted to make sure they were not forgotten!
More details and pictures about the trip to come . . .

BYU BEATS Oklahoma!

That should be the headline and NOT "Oklahoma loses".

No special occasion

Just wanted to show you some pictures of my cute kids . . .

A great feeling

As of this very moment, my student loans are all paid off!!!
-Katie

Dedicated to Uncle Kevin