Happy 90th Birthday!

Grandma Horst turned 90 this year and the majority of the family met in Las Vegas to celebrate.

Another Year of Joyschool

We started Samantha's second year of Joyschool this week. We lost one kiddo and added a Prince Levi. The girls just love him! They like to play princess and pretend to be sleeping and wait for Levi to come in and wake them up. No kissing...yet. I'll have to keep my eye on this bunch! Sammie, Lauren, Heather and Levi.

Final Pool Days

Sam took swim lessons for the first time this year. She is quite fearless in the water and could get around just fine, but we thought she might actually learn something...and she did! Coach Chandler taught her how to swim with big arms, breathe to the side, dive in and float on her back. She can get from one side to the other...when she wants to. Next summer our neighborhood has a swim team that she will be old enough to race with!

Back to Ballet

Sammie started her ballet classes again this year. She makes such a sweet ballerina. Roll call!

"that boy that is visiting us..."

Blake's nephew Robbie came to visit us...fresh off his New Jersey Mission! He was our first visitor when we first moved into our new house back in January 2008. He was busy hanging pictures, moving furniture and building different projects. This visit was no different...I had him and Blake rearrange the bedrooms to put Sammie and the nursery upstairs, convert Sam's bed back to a crib and rehang a bunch of pictures. Sam absolutely fell in love with him! Every morning she would wake up and ask, "mom, where is that boy that is visiting us?" They were buddies, whether he liked it or not. But, for as much as she enjoyed him, she could never remember his name...maybe that was her way of flirting. Blake took him to a few golf courses and we made it to an Astros vs Braves game.

Tickets for 4 people = $4
Parking = $4
Food for 4 people = $40
Hardly makes sense, but it adds up to a pretty good deal!

Making Her Presence Known

From the very beginning this little one has been fighting to make sure anyone and everyone is paying attention to her. She has found that the best way to achieve attention is through causing complications...of which, she is good at! :)

A quick review and update:

6-10 weeks - small pregnancy sac - less than a 10% survival
(caught up to baby's size after 4 weeks of ultrasounds)19 weeks - low lying placenta, potential placenta-previa
(cleared 6 weeks later)26 weeks - low amniotic fluid and a cleft lip deformity
(referred to high-risk OBGYN)Today, we had a high-resolution/3D ultrasound with our new doctor. Our fluid level was a 12. The last check was 9.6 and low is anything 8 and below. And, our doctor found no sign of a cleft lip or palate.The placenta and umbilical cord are right near her face which is why the doctor believes it was suspected. The 3D ultrasound was great! We got to see her suck her thumb, yawn and cover her face with her hands...which made the doctor a bit frustrated since he never got a clear view of her left side. At only 28 weeks along, we have had a very emotional pregnancy. Our next appointment will be in 2 weeks to check on the baby's growth. She is measuring 10 days smaller than our due date of October 30th. The doctor is "not concerned, just aware."

Stay tuned for the final 12 weeks!

Galveston Island & Kemah Boardwalk

Happy 4th of July from Galveston Island!!!

We've discovered another great way to enjoy the unbearably crowded traditions during the holidays. The key is to avoid getting stuck in traffic with the rest of the world. Fireworks always seem to be a nightmare to get in and out of. This year, we made last minute plans to stay on Galveston Beach at the Hilton to watch fireworks. It was right on the seawall! Blake found a great restaurant off the beaten path, Shrimp 'n Stuff, so we ate and then headed to the beach.

We set up our chairs and Sammie & Papa hit the water! As many already know, Sammie is fearless when it comes to anything...the ocean is no exception. They jumped waves and gulped sea water until it was too dark to see. We built sandcastles, dug holes and fed the seagulls our leftovers from dinner. The weather was perfect!The fireworks were shot off from a pier a few blocks down. We were just far enough away to have a great view and not be deafened by the booms...no ear plugs needed! And, all it took was a quick walk across the street to get to our home-sweet-home. Of course, add in time to stop and pet every dog and buy every overpriced trinket.We spent the next morning lounging by the pool. Sammie had a luxurious shower and ordered us around as a queen with her new septor in her bathrobe. Life of leisure for that girl.Then we headed to Kemah Boardwalk. It was H O T, but fun! Blake and Sammie got all day passes to all the rides. We certainly got our money's worth on this ride alone. Seriously, could not get this girl off of it! Or, this one...notice the loot in the backseat. Blake is a sure win at shooting basketballs!Blake used his all day pass for the big rides! He even talked Papa into a few of them. In the future, Papa will not be included in the big-boy rides...he is done, done, done.We survived the day...barely...if it weren't for the double chocolate-chip shakes at Starbucks and our stop for lunch at the Cadillac Grill, we wouldn't have made it through that hot of a day...to think, it was supposed to rain! Ha!