Happy 6th Birthday Samuel!

Dear Samuel,

Happy 6th Birthday to our Sammy Bammy!  You are one spunky little guy who brings an exponential amount of life and love into our family!  You are a confident, athletic, talkative, snuggly, smart, and fearless little boy!   Your attitude and approach in life is...all in 110%....this goes for sports, tackling your brothers, starting school, and pretty well everything that comes your way!  You have transitioned seamlessly into kindergarten this year and despite wearing a mask all day long, you don't complain and are making lots of friends.  You get great remarks from your teachers and are learning and reading really well.  You continue to be a very fast learner in most things.  You like to sing songs - from the radio and ones you learn at school.  You are super active and LOVE all sports.  This summer you swam like a fish all over the pool, never using a floaty, you are currently playing baseball and also can't wait to start the basketball season next month.  We often find you jumping a game of lacrosse or football with kids twice your age and adults - you are never afraid to walk up and jump right in a game!  You also love board and card games and building Legos.  You love playing rough with your brothers, teaming up with Henry in the yard, and doing crafts with Grace.  You take your own showers and are helpful around the house.  You still love to be tucked in every single night with always one more super long hug and kiss, and occasionally still sneak in our bed in the mornings.  We love you snuggles, your contagious smile, and your sweet cute personality!  We are so thankful for your 6 years with us and ask God to bless us with many many more happy healthy years with our sweet Sam!!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Just a typical day with Sam - ready to fight in the Wild West, with lasers, a midevil sword and a homemade cardboard shield....ready for whatever comes his way :-)

First year playing baseball and is crushing it!!

We had a family party with the Boyles (your Godparents) over to celebrate your birthday.  We had Alessio's pizza for dinner that night and the other nights that weekend you requested salmon on the grill and angel hair pasta.  You were very specific on what you wanted for your birthday cake this year - you requested an ice cream cake with a Darth Vader jelly bean dispenser on top as well as some Star Wars mini figures.  You also requested to have your name spelled in candy pumpkins on the cake board...sooo..this is what I came up with :-)

Grace read from he blessing cup for you.

Hanging out with your Godfather

Henry gave you 2 gifts this year - he worked at least an hour raking leaves to make you a giant leaf pile on your birthday because he knows how much you love jumping in them!  He also built you a wooden piggy bank with his tools!

Grandma gave you a super cool new baseball backpack

From Mommy and Daddy you got an alarm clock (you requested this), some Legos, Knects, Tinkertoys and a couple shirts

Building a set on your own

Grace made a container with popsicle sticks, each with an action to do each day when you pull a stick...such as pray for the poor, help your Mom with a chore, do a kind deed, etc....  I don't have a picture of it but Nicholas drew you two very cool pictures - 1 Star Wars and another spirograph design pic.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!

SAMUEL'S FAVORITES AT AGE 6:

Stuffed Animal - spotted dog

Food - pizza, pasta and chicken noodle soup

Movie - Star Wars - all of them

Show - The Clone Wars

Clothes to wear - Boston Red Sox shirt and VT shorts

Game - Bugs in the Kitchen and Santorini

Snack - goldfish

Animal - cheetah

Song - Star Wars theme song

Book - Cardinals Fredbird Book

Friends - Cohen, Nicholas, Grace and Henry

Drink - La Croix

Outside Activity - play football

Sport - baseball

Park Activity - Frisbee

Inside Activity - Legos

Place to Go - Grandma's house

Fruit - pear

Vegetable - corn

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Veterinarian

What brings you joy?  listening to music

What makes you sad?  when Grandpa died

What do you think heaven is like?  stars, angels, God and the Holy Spirit

 

Fall Fun!

 

On Columbus Day weekend in October we had planned to spend 4 days in Destin FL - a friend had leant us their beach condo.  Unfortunately, yet another vacation had to be cancelled (2 previous beach trips cancelled this summer due to Covid)....this time due to Hurricane Delta hitting the gulf.  It was supposed to bring rain through the whole southeast all weekend so we decided not to pay for another beach or mountain destination and just to stay at home.  The kids, Shawn and I all had Friday off (my first vacation day taken since Feb), and the rain wasn't hitting here till that evening so we decided to plan a fun fall day!  We all did a corn maze for the first time and what a great time!  Between the challenge in the maze, the beautiful fall weather, lots pumpkins and of course corn cannons, goats and jumpy pads.....we had a fabulous day!  While we were certainly sad to miss another vacation, we are thankful for our health and safety and pray those affected by the hurricane can also stay safe and rebuild quickly.  We are also thankful for the relaxing fall weekend at home!  Covid has certainly helped us all work on the virtues of patience and flexibility and making the most of changes and disappointments! 

3 different mazes and we did them all!

Wagon ride time

Samuel came home and eagerly decorated his pumpkin :-)

Great Allatoona Cleanup Scout Camp Out

The first weekend in October the Cub Scout pack (which Henry is part of) and the Boy Scout Troop (which Nicholas is part of) participated in a joint camp out weekend at Wildlife Action Center.  They camped 2 nights - Nicholas on his own with his patrol in one side of campground, and Henry with Shawn with their den in another part.  They had lots of time with their individual dens/patrols to do things like canoeing, camp fires, campfire cooking, and working on requirements and merit badges.  Shawn even taught Henry's den the whittling badge so that was pretty exciting for Henry.  There were also several combined events with the Boy and Cub scouts which included a Lake Allatoona litter cleanup all morning on Saturday, an afternoon hike with the older boys leading and teaching the younger ones, some knot tying lessons from the older scouts, and also a flag retirement ceremony.  They all had a great time with friends and made some great camping memories!!  What a great fall weekend!

The Boy Scouts camp 

Nicholas and Connor helping younger scouts 

Great Allatoona Cleanup - Picking up trash around the lake - a scout serves others and respects nature!

Heading to the other side of the lake to clean up there

Nicholas and his good buddy Connor getting some fishing in

Canoe time

Boys being boys....in a very cold lake!

Henry and Shawn had some great canoeing time

Flag retirement ceremony - an honor that the scouts reverently perform.

So excited to use a pocket knife and learn how to whittle! (Mom is NOT so exited)

Lunch time with friends

So thankful for Shawn's scouting expertise and all the quality time with his boys that comes along with it!

Big boys leading younger ones on nature hike

Henry and his buddy Nathan chillin in their hammocks

Smores time!

Skit time...Henry is quite the dramatist !!

In Boy Scouts the boys do all the cooking

He earned his whittling chip badge!!

a boy and his tent

Scout buddies