Summer 12'

The Summer of Sampson's Life

May - June

After the recital and Sampson's final we headed down to Houston for a few days.  Of course we went out on the boat.  Sampson wakeboarded and showed off his mad barefooting skills.  I was actually really impressed.  Then we headed back to Sampson's parents for Relay for Life.  It is so awesome to be there to support Tim and see all of the cancer survivors.  Phoenix loved hanging out at the farm with Emma and her "cousins".  Hopefully one day she learns to tell the twins apart so they will no longer be the "cousins".  One of the doctors told Sampson that he needed to have the Summer of his life, because this will be his last summer he will ever have.  I laughed because I knew that no matter what we did, as long as it didn't involve studying, we would have a great summer.

After so much time with extended family, we needed a vacation of our own.  After a civil war reenactment (which the girls loved, although Phoenix was very concerned for the soldier who was holding his own bloody arm that had been blown off), we headed to Myrtle Beach for a few days.  We floated around the lazy river for hours...Phoenix hates the ocean, but love the pool.  Good thing our hotel had over 15 different pools and mini golf!

July 

After 2 weeks of dance camp, we headed to the lake house for the next month.  I forgot my camera and the lake house doesn't have internet or cable and I don't get cell phone reception.  I was truly cut off from the world!  Surprisingly it was refreshing and I enjoyed it.  We spent the 4th with Haley and Aaron's family.  We spent days on the boat, exploring caves, and watching fire works.  It is always so good to be with family.  While Sampson shadowed some of the doctors in the ward, the girls and I hung out at the farm eating peaches and berries or we went swimming in the river.  I loved taking them out in the paddle boat to go see the cows.  Phoenix always wanted to get in and swim up to them in the water.  She sure does love the water.  She will just sit and float in the water for hours.  She also loved going wake boarding with Sampson and Aaron.  The kid has no fear.  Sampson got to scrub in on some pretty sweet surgeries and got a good feel for what surgeons do during clinic hours as he sat in on 50-60 patients a day.  It was intense, but he loved it.  Even after all that he still wants to be a doctor....glad we aren't wasting our time ; ) While Sampson had to drive home for a scout camp, the girls and I headed to Texas.  We got to stay at Houston and Nate's new place which is 1 block from the ocean!  It is sweet!  I loved walking to the beach.  It was an awesome summer.  I had no idea what it was like to have a husband around with no distractions! It was a once in a life time experience that has sadly ended.  As we hit the second week of school, I hope that this year won't be quite so hard as the last.

 

Random pictures of Phoenix...

(she is always wanting me to take a picture of her)