Campbell's Ticket to "The Ryan Express"

"The Ryan Express"...The Ball Park In Arlington

September 25, 2012

Yesterday, Campbell and I had the great honor of meeting Mr. Nolan Ryan.  I can't put in to words the rush of emotion we both felt as we stood there in the presence of "The Ryan Express".  I remember everything about the man.  I remember watching games on television, at the stadium, and even listening on the radio to every moment that this man picked up a baseball.  He was a childhood hero, and now a legend.  Even now as a grown woman I am still enthralled with the great player!  I know that he had a career strikeout record of 5,714 and pitched 7 no-hitters during the duration of his career.  I know that of the 27 years he played ball that 1989-1993 was perhaps the most significant for me -- seeing as how he left the Houston Astros in '89 to come play for the good ol' Texas Rangers and then retired in '93 in Arlington as a Ranger.  I remember the day he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.  I know that he threw pitches that were regularly clocked over 100 mph, and that he could throw a curve ball like no other.  The speed and control with which Ryan could hurl a ball was absolutely exhilarating and exceptional to say the least.  I remember the day he beat the snot out of Robin Ventura.  I remember loving every minute of it! The way my daddy felt about Mickey Mantle is the way I felt about Nolan Ryan.  Everything about him made me want to play ball.  Not just play ball, but be the best.  Above you will see my son, Campbell standing with the "Colossus of Clout," "The Great #34," "The Ryan Express," and now the president of baseball operations of The Texas Rangers"!  We were on our way to sit in our seats when we happened to catch him coming down from the press box before the game.  It was a date with destiny like no other.  We had been waiting for Josh Hamilton to show up so that we could try and grab his autograph.  After much waiting, and a lot of disappointment from Campbell's end, we were left with "maybe next time".  We had absolutely no idea that we were about to happen upon one of the greatest players of all time.  Campbell is a little young to understand how special this picture is now, but one day he will look back and realize that he had the honor of standing in the presence of perhaps the greatest baseball player of all time!  He will have the pleasure of showing his children the picture, though I hope they can get past their father's CRAZY hat-headed locks.  :~)) -(This momma made her boy remove his hat as a gesture of honor and respect to having his picture made with The Ryan Express).  We enjoy sharing moments like these with you all, and hope you find them equally as enjoyable.  Be blessed!  ~The Smith's         

Well, we finally made it out to our first Wildcat game this Fall season!  This may sound crazy to some, but there is nothing like the smell of the crisp night air with the lingering aroma of grass and pigskin.  It's just hard to explain the way a good hit can ignite a memory from within.  A memory nonetheless of a little girl who spent countless hours watching football with her daddy and brother, examining every conversation exchanged between the two, and longing to understand that mysterious bond and excitement that they shared over a game where men hit the tar out of each other for fun.  Now looking back I realize it wasn't just about a game, or a good hit.  It wasn't about winning or losing.  You see, I have watched my little boy examine his daddy lately in much of the same way.  I have come to realize that this game is much more.  It's the way a daddy holds up his children to see the hail mary in the 4th quarter, the way he explains every single detail of the game in it's entirety with joy a thousand times before his children begin to grasp what he is saying, and the peanuts that never quite seem to be enough.  It's all the hours he spent playing as a boy with his father, and all the hours spent playing with his "now" son.  It's about experiencing a team like they are your family and knowing that in any given instance you would do anything for anyone of them that step on that field. It's much much more.  There is just something about it.  Now I watch as Campbell mimics much of the  same behavior as my brother once did with our daddy.  It is really quite special.  Don't get me wrong, I watch Cameron do the same, but not in the same way.....because for us, it's always been about the half time show!!!!!  :~))  Right mom?  Go WILDCATS! 
Campbell and Cameron with their Captain McKenzie! -(Girlfriend/Hero)

I love the way Cami is looking at Kenzie in this picture!  Thank you Miss. McKenzie for being such a stand up young lady!  I remember looking at a certain young lady by the name of Candy Stipes much the same way my Cami is looking at you now...and that is a totally different kind of special!  Both are equally important, and both so incredibly special.  I love my kids, and I love this life spent cherishing every moment with the two of them.  I am so very blessed beyond measure! 

 

...and We're Back!

After much deliberation on whether or not I should get back in the swing of things and start blogging, I have decided to get back in the saddle -(after nearly three years)!  Wow, how time flies!  I realized that since Nate has started law school, I haven't had near the opportunity to share with our precious friends and family everything that the Lord is doing in our lives!  Here is a quick little update: Nate is finishing up his final year at Texas Wesleyan.  It has been a grueling couple of years, but we are finally starting to see the light at the end of the darkened narrow tunnel that refers to itself as "Law School"!  Nate was fortunate enough this year to be voted President of The Christian Legal Society, and I have really enjoyed watching him serve in this way.  He continues to lead worship at our church, New Beginnings Fellowship Baptist Church, and currently is serving in our youth program as well.  Campbell has begun his second grade year at Lamar Elementary.  He is doing great and loving every minute with new friends, as well as his old buddies from Austin.  He is currently in Cub Scouts, and AWANA's. He has decided to play basketball in January, baseball in the Spring -(because of asthma...broke his little heart that he couldn't play this Fall), and we are still debating karate!  -(Mom is debating)  He is still the same sweet hearted kiddo he has always been and I am savoring every moment of it, seeing as how that preteen attitude rears it's ugly head sometimes when chores or green beans make their debut into Campbell's world.  Cameron has started her first year of preschool at Kid Central this year and is loving it!  She has grown so much, and is really interested in all things, pink, feathery, and glowing with sparkles.  She is currently enjoying AWANA's too, gymnastics two hours a week, and dance for one hour a week.  We most recently have been proud that she was asked to join an invitational only gymnastics class, and we wait in expectation as she continues to excel.  Both children are their father's and my joy!  Our love for them both never ceases to amaze us, growing stronger by the minute.  As for this stay at home mommy; I am enjoying ministry at our church where I am working with the youth and children.  I got the opportunity to go to our children's camp as a counselor this summer, and work along side some of the most amazing adults, youth, and children in serving our Lord.  What an awesome experience!  I have, even more recently, gotten the opportunity to lead a women's worship conference, which I have never done before.  Although a bit nervous, I know that our Lord has great plans, and He will never leave me nor forsake me.  -(Though the crowd of women may)!  So, with that said, prayers are appreciated and I will keep ya posted.  :~))  As for the rest of me, I stay wrapped up in the affairs of my husband and children.  I am still blessed to be able to do so, and I absolutely enjoy every moment of it!  I hope this post finds each of you doing well!  Be blessed beloved friends and family as you all walk in the Light of His Word!  All of our love, Nate, Cara, Campbell, and Cameron! 

Halloween Fun!

Happy Halloween to all! Campbell decided... after much pondering over Spiderman, Batman, Darth Vador, and Optimus Prime... that he just couldn't resist being Optimus Prime... again! For those of you that are near and dear to our family and know our family well, you could already pretty much gather that Optimus Prime was going to be the inevitable costume of choice for our little man. Campbell is a huge Transformers fan, just as his father and uncle were when they were wee lads. As you can see from the picture, Nate dressed up with the kiddos this year as well. -(They absolutely loved dad's costume!)

Dad chose to be a nerd... not to far off from his everyday attire. :) -(Just kidding baby... well sort of.) Cameron was a Pumpkin Princess, and she was absolutely adorable. She wore a black tutu with black tights and the cutest little black crocheted hat along with her orange pumpkin face shirt and orange flower bow. She is still so young so we just kept it simple. -(she only wore her tutu for pics.) She seemed to of had a great time being girly. I know I sure had fun making her costume. :) I was a LNFM this year. -(Lame No Fun Mom.) I didn't dress up, but you try feeding a four month old in a Halloween costume and let me know how that works out for you. :)

Any way, we had a great time this year at the church Fall Festival, and we even took Campbell's best bud Liam and Liam's little brother Brady. The kids were great and had a blast. I hope to always be blessed with such treasured memories as these. You can see the kiddos costumes a little better in the picture above. :)



Here is my stud of a son flexing his big bad Optimus Prime muscles. Quite a sight... all you Decepticons out there better watch out. Having a little boy is so much fun! They are too cute and so funny!


















Of course you know that you can't be Optimus Prime without a blue Mohawk and a pair of Cars sun glasses! Everyone knows that Optimus loves to chill in his blue Mohawk along with his very own Cars sun glasses when he is taking a break from saving the world! This is how Campbell chose to wear his hair to school for crazy hair day. It was red ribbon weak at his school during the weak of Halloween. We had so much fun! Any way, we hope you all had a wonderful time however you chose to celebrate!

~Love The Smith Crew

Go-Go-Gadget Kids

Go-Go-Gadget-Campbell-stomach! Seriously, I think my child might be hitting another growth spurt. Today he came home from preschool exclaiming, "I am STARVING momma! What is for lunch?" This is really no different than any other day accept for the amount of lunch that he consumed. I won't go into too much detail, but the kiddo literally ate half a chicken breast with broccoli, yogurt, and raisins. When this didn't do the trick, he then moved on to a corn dog. When the corn dog failed to fill him up, he moved on to a few of his dad's pizza rolls. After discovering the pizza rolls had failed too, he then graduated to half of a peanut butter and banana sandwich. "He was still hungry folks!!!" I figured, I better stop him before he spewed, so we took a break and started all over again in two hours! Seriously... I wish I could eat like that still, but my Go-Go-Gadget-hips started on me after baby number one! :) Whew! I can't imagine what it will be like when the boy reaches high school. Gives a new meaning to the phrase, "eating us out of house and home!"

Cameron's 4 month stats:
She weighs 13.2 lbs in the 50th percentile.
She measures 25 inches in the 50th percentile.
She is rolling over, and doing her best to sit up alone, but still needs a little practice in this area. She'll also stand for a while if you hold her hands.
She loves Campbell! Anytime he is around her world is a better place.
She loves dancing, singing, swinging, jungle gym time, walks, and eating Campbell's ABC's floor puzzle.
She is talking up a storm, and loves to mimic anything and everything we say.
Favorite words are mama, dada, gag, ba, poo, and Nate! :)
She is still on a mommy's milk only diet, and we hope to start fruits and veggies at 5 to 5 1/2 months.
She has a smile that could light up the night!

Long Time No Blog!

It has been quite some time since I have had a spare moment to update the ol' blog, but I have actually accomplished quite a bit today and thought I would take this moment and catch everyone up on the happenings of the Smith household. -(Not to mention... both kids are down for a nap... at the same time... pigs must be flying somewhere and I'm not talking about the swine flu!)

I will start with Campbell:
Campbell has recently started back at pre-school! This year is exciting and a little sad for momma. This will be my last year of half days because next year my big boy goes to kindergarten! Time really flies and I can't believe how fast he is growing. Campbell has also started soccer! This has been so much fun for the whole family. Campbell started practice a few weeks ago and his first game is approaching rather rapidly. (-At this point, the statement above seems like it may be a little scary.) Campbell spent most of his first practice climbing the goal posts. At one point, I looked over and he was swinging upside down trying to entice one of his other teammates to do the same. I have a suspicious feeling his father may have done the same when he was a wee lad. Any way, he is having a lot of fun playing and seems to be getting the hang of things with each passing practice. Other than school and soccer, Campbell has recently informed his father and I that he will be playing Tee-ball this spring as well! So exciting! He loves his little sister! It has been his joy recently helping me take care of her. -(Of course only in between playing the Wii Cars game and running around the house saving the world from bad guys. He is such a sweet child, and I could not ask for a more loving and caring son. It is my prayer that God continue to radiate His joy from the heart of my child for all of his days.

Now on to Cameron:
Cami is a big girl now! No longer a puny 7lbs and 12oz. She is now 11lbs at 2 months old. She is sleeping through the night consistently from 9pm to 7am! I am no longer a zombie stumbling through my days from one cup of coffee to an afternoon cup of tea. She is so much fun! She has this light in her eyes that could melt anyone's heart and her smile leaves everyone speechless. We have been playing this game lately and I kid you not when I tell you she is a baby genius! The game consists of me making a noise at her, for instance an eww or an ohhh. Then she mimics the sound she hears. She loves this game and is already so smart! She is laughing and cooing almost all day. The only time she pipes up is in the evening, usually from 5pm to 8pm. -(She has acid reflux and it really seems to wear her down around this time.) Other than being in the business of stealing hearts, Cameron loves spending time with her momma. Right now, I hold the keys to Cami's heart and I don't mind it one bit. :)

Nate and I:
Nate is doing great! He has really been a source of spiritual strength for our family lately, and I admire his consistency. Nate has recently begun seminary. This is an exciting step for him as he embarks on the wonderful plans our Jesus has for him and our family. We continue to be highly involved with the youth at our church, and we look forward to what God has in store for all of our kiddo's this year!
I have been quite busy lately! In between new baby, soccer practices, play dates, the youth, trips, birthday parties, bible studies, talent shows, church, and the regular hoopla and organza of activities our every day life brings about, I haven't had much spare time lately. Recently I mentioned to my beloved husband that I wanted to be in the talent show at our church. -(Our church just recently held an auction on baked goods for our Children's Ministry to raise money, during which members could participate in a talent show.) Any way, I mention to Nate in passing, "Cool! I want to be in the talent show!" I am not kidding when I tell you that that goober signed me up to sing a song with him in the talent show without a whole lot of heads up! The talent show was last night, and we sang a song that Nate wrote for us to sing together. Other than being horrified at the idea of singing for the first time ever in front of the entire Shannon Oaks congregation, I really had a great time. -(Thanks Nate for making me step out of my comfort zone, and being my strength when I have none. I love you!)

I feel like I have barely provided a glimpse into our world for the moment, but sister is awake and exercising her lungs to their best ability, so I better quit writing so that I may aide the princess. Else it will be, "off with my head!" I seriously think sometimes that she has this sixth sense that allows her to know when I sit down, get comfortable, and am able to relax. Hmmm... a theory perhaps to be investigated sometime.

Love,
Us Smith's

The Prettiest Lil' Princess

For Cameron's three months pictures, I made her a pink tutu! I am really excited about it, and it actually turned out great. I can't wait for that three month mark, but seeing as how she is only two weeks old, I thought I would play around with the idea a bit. Here are some of the pictures from our first tutu photo shoot. ENJOY!






My sweet lil' ballerina princess laying up on her changing table posing like a true beauty. -(I think she is really trying to figure out what ate her legs! :)

I don't know... you guys let me know what you think and if you have any cute ideas for our three months pictures.

Love Momma Smith

Happy Birthday Princess!

Happy Birthday Princess! Nate, Campbell and I are proud to introduce the little misses, Cameron Marie Smith. Born on Thursday, June 25th, at 4:36pm. Cameron weighed in at 7lbs 12oz and measured a whopping 20 1/2 inches long. Here we are making our way home from the hospital. Mom did great and both mom and baby are healthy and strong. Praise Jesus!

Uncle Nick and Aunt Jamie get in on spoiling the princess. They are so wonderful and absolutely spoiled Cameron with gifts at the hospital... and Campbell says, "He is still waiting for that trip to Chuck-E-Cheese Uncle Nick!" :)



The Campbell boys give their approval as they proudly look on the newest little member of the family.










Campbell holds baby sister for the first time in the delivery room and after they BOTH SMILE for the camera together for the first time, he gives his little sister a proud glance and tells her it's time to take a bath. He is so funny!



Papa and Lovee Smith get in on the fun. They were so good to me before delivery and after delivery. Thank you Papa and Lovee for the cinnamon roll and chocolate milk!






Proud Powpow and Gogo lovin' on the Smith kiddo's! Thank you mom and dad for everything you did during labor... I couldn't of done it without you.







Here the Smith-trio become the Smith-quartet!











Here is mom with the most beautiful flowers that the most precious little boy gave to her as a gesture of welcoming little sister. Thank you Campbell... mommy loved them.






Dad and Cameron get ready to venture home after a long night in the hospital.












Sweet Baby Girl! Here is our little Diva all dressed up for pictures. She has already captured the hearts of many. In other words... mom, dad, and little brother are wrapped.





Blessings to all who prayed for our little miracle. We can't wait to share her with the world. Love to you all.

~The Smith Four!!!!

And Finally Easter:

This Easter was an incredibly special event. Nate, Campbell, and I had the honor of hosting our very first Seder Dinner and had a wonderful resurrection egg hunt. We were visited by none other than "Mr. Easter Bunny" himself, who left colorful eggs hidden all over the house, and had the most wonderful church service with family and friends. Although Easter is always a special event in the Smith home, this year was especially exciting considering how pumped Campbell was that Jesus Has Risen! He Has Risen Indeed!







Campbell decorating the eggs that we colored together.














Campbell after church on Easter Sunday. He is such a little poser... though I must say he comes by this naturally.











The resurrection egg hunt tells the story of Jesus. In each egg that Campbell hunted, there were bible verses along with tangible items such as the cross you see in this particular picture, to illustrate the story of Jesus in a kid friendly manner. He loved it! Each egg was numbered one through thirteen and after the hunt was complete Nate and I had the privilege of opening each egg along with Campbell and reading the story of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection as we explained the items he found in each egg. This was so special!

The morning "Mr. Easter Bunny" showed up! He brought some pretty neat things, but by the time I grabbed my camera, Campbell had everything scattered out all over the house.





Liam, Campbell, and Carter at the preschool Easter egg hunt. They had a great time together.












Here Campbell is showing off his discovered treasures.


The Smith family had an incredible Easter! From our family to yours, we hope this time of celebration of our risen Savior was just as awesome for you!

Never Had A Boy Break My Heart Like This!

I can honestly say, after today, that I have never had a boy break my heart the way my son did today when his heart broke as a result of an escaping mouse balloon. Earlier in the week Campbell went to ChuckECheese with a close coworker of Nate's and her grandsons. It was a big trip! He has never done anything like that before without boring ol' mom tagging along. During this trip, he won enough tickets playing games to get this silly mouse balloon. He was so proud. I wish you all could of seen the look on his face as he told his father about how the balloon came about. Just precious. Today, we brought lunch to Nate at the office, which we occasionally do if he seems to be having trouble breaking away. After our short visit, we arrived at the house where I flung open the door and the dumb balloon flew off before I could grab it. Campbell didn't say anything, but after a few short seconds his big baby blues began to swell with tears as he softly said, "My favorite balloon." He just starred at the balloon in a longing sort of manner. My heart broke! I found myself completely broken and helpless. I couldn't stand the sight of my precious little boy crying because of something that I had done! It was an awful feeling and I couldn't help but grab him, pull him close, and cry too. It was a rough afternoon to say the least. As a result of my careless mistake, I rushed inside and made Campbell and I some milk and cookies, which seemed to ease both of our minds. -(Praise God for oatmeal creme pies and 1%!) I have been asked the question, have you ever had your heart broken, and never in a million years did I think my response to the question would be, "Yes! My little boy utterly broke my heart when he lost his mouse balloon."
~Cara~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY

Nate, as I am sitting here trying to conjure up the perfect words to express my thankfulness for the amazing Godly man that you are, I can't quite seem to put into words how blessed I am to have you as my husband and the father of our children. I am so incredibly grateful for the way you lead our home. You have been a man after God's own heart since I have known you, and that has never ceased to change or waiver. You are quick to admit your need for our Jesus and you have always done your best to seek His will for our family. I am so thankful for the way you provide for our family, not only financially, but spiritually as well. I love your heart. I love that God has fashioned in you the heart of a servant. It has been an honor to serve with you in our life and ministries together. I love the way you love me and I love the way you love our children. You are the greatest encourager and partner that I could of ever hoped for, and though I am far from the wife of noble character in Proverbs 31, you continue to love me and serve me daily. I love you so much and I can't imagine this life without you. You are my best friend, the one person in this world who I can spend countless hours with and never tire of one moment spent with you. As I contemplate this day, I thank Jesus for another year with you and look forward to many many more years to come. Happy Birthday Baby!

~Love Care~

The Perfect Day

If I haven't mentioned in previous posts, I have the perfect husband and the perfect little boy!  On Tuesday morning I woke up to the wonderful smell of eggs, bacon, and hot pancakes with warm syrup.  Yum...and did I mention that my amazing husband surprised me with taking the entire day off?!  Seriously...Campbell and I were so happy!  We decided to go to the Tyler Zoo since Campbell was off for spring break, and we ended up having the best time.  Campbell didn't even have to have a stroller!  What a breakthrough moment in Campbell history!  He walked all day, and not one complaint.  We were so proud!  I even got to read about each animal and their habitat, which was also a first considering that in the recent past Campbell would of been alligator food if we detoured our attention from him for even half a second!  Campbell has recently turned a corner that his father and I are enjoying.  I love hanging out with my best friend and the coolest little boy in the whole world.  Below is a recap of our perfect day.  

Campbell and I are making our best tiger impressions, but from the looks of the tiger in the back ground...I think he thought our attempts were pretty lame.  

Campbell got to feed the birds!  It was a neat experience... until an ornery little bird pooped on his head!  It was really, as Campbell would say, DISGUSTING!!!

This was Campbell's favorite part of our zoo trip!  He loved the reptile and amphibian exhibit.  His favorite, of course, was the rattle snake display.  We were quite the opposite.  As soon as we entered, I couldn't wait to leave.  Seriously, something about that exhibit made my skin crawl. 

Making our best fish faces for daddy!  -(Note to self... when pregnant and swollen, don't make a fish face!  YIKES!!!)

Daddy and Campbell at the crocodile exhibit.  This was my favorite part of our zoo trip!  It was so much fun watching Nate and Campbell growl and roar together.  I basically just love watching my boys be boys.  

Hanging out with the giraffes.  -(Campbell thought they were too funny.)  

Petting the goats, or in Campbell's case, smothering this one particular poor little goat.  Bless his sweet heart.  I am quite sure that the goats were use to this type of treatment though.

After the zoo, we decided to go to Cheddar's where this pregnant momma enjoyed the best Monte Cristo Sandwich she has ever had!  Daddy of course had buffalo wing wraps and Campbell with his usual, enjoyed chicken and friendship fries.  -(Campbell has always called french fries, friendship fries.  Too cute!)  This perfect day ended up coming to the perfect end with three concrete custards from Andy's!  YUM...every pregnant ladies dream.  We could not of had a better day!  Thank you daddy for the greatest surprise ever!  We love you so much and are so incredibly thankful for the way you love your family.  You are the best daddy and husband ever! 

~Love Care and Campbell~     

Six months-

Giving little sister a hug. He is going to be the best big brother in the world!

Six months pregnant, but I mean really... who is counting?!

I love my baby boys' sweet heart. He melts my heart when he stares at me with those big baby blues filled with so much hope and wonder. He is so proud of his little sister and his momma. He really will be the best big brother imaginable. I am so proud of my kiddo's! I could not ask God for a greater gift than the family He has so graciously given me.

~Love Cara~

Mother Moments

~Campbell~
Today as we were getting ready for school, I suddenly began to realize what a big boy you have become. I can't believe that you are 4! As we were eating cereal together I just watched you in complete amazement. When did you start to get you own cup from the cabinets? When did you start to get your own water from the refrigerator? When did you start bringing your dishes to the sink all by yourself? When exactly was it that you began to carry on such grown up conversations? I don't exactly know. I know that you have been doing these things for a while now, but I guess these moments just never cease to amaze me. It seems like yesterday we were in the delivery room and I held you in my arms for the first time in complete awe and wonder. I can't believe that four years has passed us by so quickly. As I was thinking about all of the progress and changes that you have made in the past few months, I remembered we had to hurry and get ready for school, or we were seriously going to be late. As I looked at the clock and yelled, "Campbell it's time to get dressed! Where are you?" I looked up only to find that my little boy had completely dressed himself from head to toe! What a big boy you have become. I am so proud of you Campbell. Though you may be growing and maturing faster than ever.... I want you to know that you will always be my baby and I will forever be your mommy. These are a few moments I have enjoyed with you these past few months. I hope one day you will look back on these moments and cherish them as much as I have.

Campbell Vance Smith 4 years old, and quite the stud if I do say so myself.

Reading the nose book with my favorite little boy in the whole world!

Enjoying the nose book with my favorite little boy.

Your first Tea-Party. You weren't really enthralled about the whole Tea-Party idea, but you still had fun. You always do. You seem to find the good in most everything. I love this quality about your sweet little spirit.

Having Tea and scrumptious treats with your friends at school. From Your right to left: Briley, Carston, and Kasie.

We seem to have the whole not talking with your mouth full rule down, maybe we need to work on not smiling with your mouth full now. Such a sweet smile though.

Finishing the relay race at your school's Valentines Day Party. You did so good! You didn't drop the sweet tart from your spoon except for once! At the end of the race you were suppose to drop the sweet tart in a bucket, but not you. You have never been a wasteful kid either. Instead of dropping the sweet tart in the bucket, you decided to pop it in your mouth! Umm...Yumm? You are such a hoot! You have a presence about you that always brings a smile to the face of others.

The final result of the ring toss. You have always been somewhat reasonable and extremely creative. I mean, if you can't make the rings land on the octopus from several feet away, then scoot up... right?! I love your competitive side! I never quite know what tricks you are going to have up your sleeve to win.

You have always been willing to try almost anything, even if you don't quite agree with the rules of, let's say... a particular ring toss game. -(You were the only one who came close to actually scoring the rings around the octopus from this distance by the way.)

Though you weren't really into decorating the cup cake, you sure did love to eat the result! You have always been the happiest kid. You always find a reason to smile or to make someone else smile. You have always been bursting with joy.

Finally, you are making a rose for mommy in this picture. What a perfect way to end this entry. Something that is so special to me! You love to give mommy flowers. In fact, when you and daddy go to the store, you always tell daddy, "We need to get flowers for momma! She is so beautiful! She needs them for her. She will be happy!" This melts my heart every time you walk through the door with flowers in hand and your daddy tells me the story of how the flowers came about. This particular flower that you have made in the picture below sits on my nightstand and will for many more years to come. Thank you for the beautiful rose son. It's perfect and I love it!

You are the most cherished and treasured gift in your fathers and my life Campbell Vance. We love you very much. I look forward to many more mother moments that the years will have to offer us baby boy. Remembering that you will always be my baby and I will forever be your mother,

~Love Momma~