Her birthday "cake". Yes. It is a watermelon with candles.
The BallTeam - plus Adam - visiting his favorite cousins.
1: Samantha would exist only on fruit if we let her.
2: When Samantha was less than two, she decided that the contents of her diaper would be perfect to use in painting the walls. And so she did.
3: Samantha has been to the emergency room more than any other child of ours - with one trip for stitches in her knee, one for a dislocated elbow, and once for a super high fever.
4: Samantha's hair is actually very curly. She straightens it religiously.
5: Samantha is great at math. It's her favorite subject at school.
6: When Samantha was about four, she got into a tube of paint. She coated her hands and walked down the hall leaving smears and swirls and handprints as she went. We painted over her trail - all except for one perfect handprint, which we dated and painted a frame around, so we could keep it forever.
7: Samantha is not sure what she wants to be when she grows up. It is my theory that she won't decide because she doesn't want to grow up. Her past aspirations include a marine biologist (on the Great Barrier Reef), a dentist, a Rita's Italian Ice franchise owner. Last week she said she wants to dance for a living. I suggested a professional dance troop, a professions cheerleader or a dance team coach. She said, nope. She just wants to dance - like an event performance - and move on to the next one.
8: Samantha wants to travel to Australia.
9: Samantha is not a morning person. Not. Never will be.
10: Samantha still sleeps with her baby blanket. She calls it baby blanket and it is barely recognizable. It's more a dear dear over loved and cuddled rag of cotton. She insists she will keep it forever.
11: From the third grade to the sixth grade Samantha was a competitive gymnast. She reached level 5 and competed all over the state of Arkansas. Her favorite event was floor, but, she was a beast on the uneven bars.
12: Samantha enjoys seminary. This is bizarre, because she is NOT a morning person and she does not enjoy church on Sundays. But seminary, to her, is just right. I don't question this too much - I'm just so grateful she wants to go.
13: Samantha was in the band in junior high - she played the drums.
14: Samantha as been on the dance team from 7th, 8th, 9th and now 10th grade. She has never taken a dance class in her life. She turned her gymnastic flexibility into dance moves and it works. She was really worried about the very first try out because all the forms asked about dance experience and where each dancer took lessons. We had to leave that whole section blank - but she made the team every time. Junior high dance team and now this year is the big time - high school dance team.
15: As the second of five children in our family, Samantha's place has been really the playmate. She is very comfortable babysitting, but, her little three siblings know that it's Samantha who will jump on the trampoline and play baseball with them.
Carry on Sambalam. Fifteen will be great, I'm sure. We love you and we are so excited to be a part of your journey.
