Sammy's baptism

We were able to go to Ohio in Nov. for Sammy's baptism. It was such a priviledge to attend this special event with him. He was so handsome and his smile was one of the biggest I have ever seen. Dad was asked to be a witness and I was asked to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. I am so proud of Sammy for making the decision to be baptized. As soon as Sammy came up out of the water, Gideon stood up and exclaimed, "My turn." Sammy was once again being an example to his younger brother, showing him the importance of baptism. I thought this would be a good time to list the things I admire and love about Sammy: * He always has a smile on his face. * He loves life and is excited by everything and always wants to share this excitement with others. * He has a great imagination and is not afraid to try new things. * He has a tender heart. * He has worked hard to overcome the handicap of not being able to see or hear very well. What he has done is pretty remarkable. * He loves to be praised for the good things he does. * He loves to help, especially if it's something outdoors. * He loves being outside. * He loves playing in the snow. * He works hard at everything he does. He is quite a remarkable boy who loves life. He makes everyone who comes in contact with him a better person because of the true happiness he shows. His smile is contageous and is his trademark. I sure love this grandson of mine.

Birthday party

While we were in Ohio we decided it would be fun to celebrate all the fall and winter birthdays. Since Spring's and Mary's birthdays were already past they helped me plan and give the party. We played "Minute to Win It" games and had ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. It was so much fun watching each pair do their game. I loved watching Joshie and Gideon pull out tissues one at a time from the box. They were really getting into it. Sammy and Mary had to sort M&M's one at a time by color. It's harder than you think. Thomas and Spring had to draw a card and place it on the right pile one at a time. Thomas had an advantage since he could stretch farther and Spring had to run back and forth. I should have thought that out better. Jen and Joel used ping pong balls to play tick tack toe with water glasses on the table and Dad and I had to stack dice on the end of a tongue depressor. I really enjoyed being able to celebrate some of their birthdays with them. Since we live so far away it is something we don't get to do.