Life With Sami...

Crabby Encounters of the Creepy kind....

... OK, maybe I am being a tiny bit dramatic.  I will let you decide for yourself:

•  I am talking about this little scuttling critter we bought for Sami's fish tank yesterday.  Sorry if the photo is a bit blurry, but he was cowering in shame.  Sami named the crab, "Snap-Snap Crabby Paddy,"  but don't get too attached... this boy is going BACK to the pet store tomorrow. -- Turns out, he is quite the escape artist.  How do I know?  Oh pleeease, let me tell you!  I know because I almost peed my pants this afternoon when I encountered him wandering down the hallway!  Oh my Buddha!  At first glance I thought he was either a little tarantula or possibly some kind of scorpion!  Fortunately, I took a second look before smashing him into oblivion.  Yep, he's leaving this house for sure.

I suppose we could cover the little open space across the back of the tank lid with saran wrap or something, but I doubt I would sleep at night knowing he might cut his way out with his little devil pinchers,   then come looking for me under the cloak of darkness!   Ughhh!  -Sorry dude, I need my rest so you're going back!  Until we take the beast back to Petco, he will be residing in a  secured environment -- a tupperware container with holes punched in the top. 

I  Hope you are all having a great week.  Here's a parting shot of Snap-Snap Crabby Paddy in his new habitat:

So long sucker!

A Fun and Fishy Fourth!

 

It was another wild weekend at our house!  Sami has recovered nicely from her surgery with no complications, so it was full speed ahead on the old activity planner this weekend.  We started out on Friday, when Miss Sami FINALLY got something she has been waiting for, pretty much since the first time we ever walked into a Petco -- an aquarium!  With the long weekend upon us and no swimming allowed (surgery site still healing) for another five days, I decided now would be a fun time to set up a fish tank.  We picked one out and found a spot in her room for it on Friday afternoon.  Then we hooked it all up and filled the tank.  Once that was done, it was off to Petco again to select some decorations for the tank.  I let Sami make all the "design" choices so, needless to say, we have quite the colorful habitat in there!  Pink, orange and blue plants, accented by ceramic creations of a shark, pair of yellow sea horses and a little pretend Nemo fish.  I had to add one touch of my own  -- after all, what fish tank is complete without a genuine replica bubble volcano, just like "Mount Wannahockalugi" of Nemo fame!   The final result is a sight to see!

With the tank all set up and filtering, we needed to wait a couple days for the water be ready for live fish.  I wasn't sure Sami was gonna make it till Sunday!  But she did, and Sunday morning after the gym, we promptly headed over to Petco again and purchased four "starter fish."  Sami promptly named each one as the fish girl plopped them into the bag.  Behold!  The new residence of Blackie, Sharktail, Spot and Blacktail:

 

As I mentioned, waiting to actually get the fish was tough, but luckily we had the Fourth of July right smack in the middle of the weekend to add more fun!  Sam and I started out that afternoon with mommy/daughter pedicures.  Sami insisted on patriotic toes, and the sweet little gal working on her feet did not disappoint!  Check them out:

In case you are wondering, mommy got boring old pink on her toes.  Later in the evening, we picked up some drive-thru chow and headed over to a greenbelt near the local fireworks display to wait for the show!  Here's some shots of Sami in all her patriotic glory!
   
After arriving and selecting what we felt was the primo viewing location, we laid out our blanket and got comfortable.  We asked a passing child to take our picture and this was the result:
 

We ate our drive-thru picnic, chased eachother around a bit, and discovered that, although the sun was gone, we still had about 15 minutes to kill before the show.  We had a flashlight with us, so, presto! - Independence Day ghost story-telling was born, starring you-know who....!

Sami told some long, drawn out tale involving animals and sea creatures where most of the humans die....  I suppose I should be concerned on some level, but I decided to let it go.  If she is still telling the same stories when she's a teenager, THEN I'll worry, --  can you say "Clocktower?"  haha.  Most of you have never seen my kid throw a full blown fit ; but, if you had ever been witness to her mayhem, you'd see the humor.

The fireworks were great!  Unfortunately, after I folded up the blanket and began carrying it all to the car, did I discover we had been perched atop some kinda Chernobyl anthill!  I had these vicious black ants crawling all over me and all our stuff by the time we got to the car!  Yuck!  Naturally, I got bitten at least 600 times, and Sami?- not once!  I think the "mama ant" got me in the arm a couple times because the next morning I had two half-dollar size welts on my arm!  I'll say it again, Yuck!
I suppose in the grand scheme of things it was a small price to pay, and we were lucky the little buggers didn't make it out from under the blanket until after the show.

We closed out the long weekend last night at my friend Camille's house.  Sami is pals with her girls Caitlin and Sophia.  The girls had fun eating pizza and playing, while me and Camille's other friend Beth did a belly-cast of Camille's very-pregnant self.  I had no idea what to expect when she invited me to help, but it was actually quite the fun little project. And the kids were fascinated by the whole process too!  Here's what we wound up with :

She is due next week so, yes- she is THAT big.  Don't ask me what you do with this type of project after it dries....  I am not sure.  The instruction pamphlet had some interesting suggestions though!  She already had one of these from her last baby, so I suggested matching hallway sconces....  Oh come on, where's your imagination?  You could poke little holes all over it and the light would shine through!  Anyway, that's one more craft experience I can cross off my bucket list now..

Hope you all had as much fun this weekend as I did!  Take care.  I leave you with a picture of Bella wishing she was a fish, (or maybe just eating one!)  Peace.

LIFE is Good!

Yep.  We are happy girls.  Monday was Sami's first monthly check-up since her final chemo.  As is the custom at our pediatric oncologists' office, They have a little party for each child when their treatment is over.  Sami had "ordered" a chocolate cake with vanilla filling and as you can see she was happy with the result!  when she walked into the big treatment area, all the staff cheered and clapped for her.  She graciously took a bow and then struck a little pose for them all.   She got to cut her own piece of cake, which was another highlight -- she cut right it across the corner to get the most frosting (that's my girl!)

But she was most elated when she opened her card and discovered a Target gift card!

ahh yes, the prospect of shopping is always a surefire winner with my kid.  Again, the apple does not fall far from the tree.....  Naturally, we had to go straight to Target after the appointment.  Our princess selected a Barbie swimming pool and jeep.   She selected the pool first, then decided the jeep would be necessary so Barbie could "drive" to her new pool.  It was a fun afternoon at our house for sure.  
The next day (yesterday) Sami was scheduled for surgery to remove the port she has had in her chest for the last 2+ years.  Oddly, it stopped functioning properly at her last Dr. appointment, so it was time to remove it.  We have been lucky throughout her treatment, since we never had any problems with the port.  A lot of kids wind up needing port replacements before finishing chemo.  Sami's held on just long enough.  The night before, at bedtime, she started crying and said she was going to "miss" her port when they took it out.  I told her that it was a good thing to get it out, since she is done needing it for treatment.  A few minutes later, she cheered up and informed me that, when they remove the port, her heart would just get bigger to fill in the extra space.  I love my kid.  

The surgery (outpatient) went just fine yesterday, Sam was quite the little trouper and I was a proud mama.  She was having some pain when the local wore off, but we had meds for that, so she didn't have to hurt for long.  I stayed home with her today as well, and she seems to be doing much better.  No pain medicine needed today.  She is standing straighter and not complaining at all.  The big bummer is that she cannot get it wet for 5 days.  While she was happy to hear she would not have to take a bath for a week, she was equally distraught to hear about the no-swimming-either wrinkle in the plan.  It being Fourth of July weekend and all, I could be in for a long one...  haha.

Now, I  need to backtrack a bit to last Friday night -- A momentous occasion as well -- Sami's first time at the circus!  The child had been marking off days on the calendar for a week, and finally the day arrived.  We invited Sami's pal Brinn and her mom Erin to join us, which was definately a good thing.  Now mind you, as an adult, I have never been a big fan of the circus.  Its funny, because my sister does not like it either; in fact, she will visibly cringe if you say the words "circus" or "clown" to her. ha!  Anyway, personal hang-ups aside, my point is this;  There are not many things more enjoyable than watching your child experience the circus for the first time.  She and Brinn were pretty much spellbound from the start and, oh!, when the elephants and animals started coming out, the look on their faces was priceless!  Here's a few shots from the magical night:

Sami and Brinn

 

Animals!  Hurray!   

Amazing......

 

Waiting for the girl to get shot out of the cannon!

 

I admit it, it was a great night!  Thanks to the Coopey gals for joining us!

Hope you all have a GREAT holiday weekend.  I will post more fun and excitement as it happens here at Casa de Sami.

I'll leave you with a shot of chillin by the Barbies by the pool.  Yes, the backdrop is a pizza box -- (there were dishes in my sink.)

Peace Out.

Make-A-Wish ROCKS! -- Hawaii Photos!

 

I finally took the time to upload a photo album of our Hawaii adventures!

I have attached the album, and will add captions when I can.  I have not had a chance to do much editing of the pictures (and some are still sideways!,) but I think you will get the idea - which is:   WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!!!

I can go no further without expressing my sincere and humble thanks to Make-A-Wish Arizona, the fantastic agency who made this dream trip happen for Sami!  They didn't miss a detail, and we didn't have to worry about a thing on our vacation.  After the last couple years of being sick and undergoing treatment, I am so grateful that Sami received such a grand reward for all she's been through.  My daughter earned this trip the hard way, and it was a sight to behold, enjoying Hawaii and all our adventures through her beautiful eyes.

 The trip was a hit before we even left our driveway, thanks to the stretch limo Make-a-Wish sent to take us to the airport!

 

They had said a shuttle would pick us up, so I had Sami at the front window watching for the ole' blue and yellow van, and she said, "hey mom, there's a big car out front, but it is not blue?"  When I explained it must be our ride, she was beside happy!  Tena and Michael were equally surprised when we pulled up in front of their house - Michael thought it was cool he got to ride in a limo before he was old enough to go to prom.  Sami was sitting like a princess back there, grinning from ear to ear as she pointed out gas stations and stores we drive by every day, like she had never seen them before!  I guess it all just looks better from a limo!  Lord help me, she has had a taste of the good life and she liked it!  haha  ! 

Our Wish Coordinator, Aaron, met us at the airport and helped get our bags checked in, then walked us to the gate.  Aaron is a great guy!  Thanks for putting together such a wonderful trip Aaron!

The 6-hr plane ride was smooth and Sami did great - keeping busy with artwork and movies and, of course, chatting alot!  She had only been on a plane once before, as a baby, so she thought it all was pretty neet-o. 

 

When we arrived in Waikiki, we were met by a local Make-A-wish person who presented us all with leis and helped us get our bags and rental car.  Then we were off to the Hyatt Regency on Waikiki Beach!  Our adjoining rooms were gorgeous and we had ocean views from our balconies on the 15th floor.  Here's the view we had:

It was really great to have my sister Tena and her son Michael with us too.  Sami adores Michael, and kept introducing him to people as her big brother.  It was very cute!

The next six days were non-stop fun and adventure!  Sami got to get in the water with "Hoku" the dolphin, we all rode a submarine to the bottom of the sea, and then attended an awesome luau at Paradise Cove!  We also visited the Waikiki Aquarium (Sami and I went through it three times!) and took some side trips to Sea Life Park and the Dole Pineapple Plantation.  In between all these activities, we were playing in the water - both on the beach and in the beautiful hotel pool.  we had lots of great food and even made some new friends! Sami and Eva met our first day on the beach and played together for a bit.  Later in the week, we ran into Eva and her wonderful parents, Jemma and Steve, while waiting for the bus to the luau - and they were going too!  The girls were like a couple of peas in a pod right away, and even got matching dolphin "tattoos. We all had a great time that night.  The next night, back at the hotel, there was a street fair with music going on in the street, so we all went out by the pool and hung out while Eva and Sami put on quite the dance show on the little patio stage.  Here's a shot of the girls that night:

 

We all met up at the hotel pool a couple more times and exchanged contact information before leaving Hawaii.  The best part?  Eva and her family live in Santa Monica, only a few blocks from Sami's big sister Erica, who you might remember we visited this Spring.  I look forward to seeing Eva, Jemma and Steve the next time Sam and I go visiting in California.  In case you are reading, we had a blast you guys!  Tell Eva Sami says HI!

Like I said, this whole trip was fabulous.  Sami asked several times during the trip if we could move there, and she has informed me she plans to live in Hawaii when she grows up...  Oh well, no need to explain economics to her now, -- besides, it could happen! 

So THANK YOU ("Mahalo!")  to Make-A-Wish!  --You made a little girl very, very, VERY happy! 

Enjoy the photos.  I also have some videos of the dolphin encounter and stuff, but I will add a link later, when I have more time.  You have enough to look at for now!

Aloha

Coming Attractions....

 

Yes, we are back from our totally FABULOUS trip to Hawaii.  The face you see above pretty much sums up the whole trip and its impact on Sami!

I have so many photos and adventures to share from this vacation.  But you will have to wait!  I got sick after we got home, and now that I am better, Sami's first dance recital was today and I am throwing a baby shower for my good friend Camille tomorrow....  so a lengthy blog post must wait.  Sorry folks, just wanted you to know we are still here and happy (Mommy is just a bit tired!)

I'll be posting about the trip, the recital and all kinds of fun stuff as soon as humanly possible!

I'll leave you with a little "teaser" from tonight's show:

 

Two of the Reasons I Love America....

...Naturally, there are numerous reasons why each of us loves this great country we live in.  I won't list all of mine now, instead focusing on just two for this post:

Number one is easy-

 

THIS CHILD.

Fresh out of the swimming pool, sitting across from me and coloring a picture of a salmon... Life is good. 

We live in a country with pretty excellent health care professionals and facilities.  Granted, it is not all available to everyone,(yet,) but I feel lucky to have a job that affords me the insurance coverage I have needed, when we needed it.

I feel so lucky to have Sami.  Had she been born even ten years ago, with the same type of leukemia, we may not have had the positive treatment results we have been blessed with.  Thanks to medical research, along with her brilliant doctors and caregivers, Sami is here.  Not only is she here, but in remission and, (as of Saturday,) completely DONE with all cancer medications!  Say it with me, "AWESOME!!!"

Reason number two:

We still have many, many kindhearted, philanthropic and extremely generous people in this country.  There are still so many folks out there willing to help others, just for the sake of doing so. People still volunteer their time, energy and finances to support causes and organizations who help fellow citizens.  The multitude of caring and generosity has become blindingly apparent to me over the last three years, especially since Sami was diagnosed.  Organizations like HopeKids, Andrea's Closet and Make-A-Wish  exist for the sole purpose of making life better for sick kids.  Please check them out at your leisure to learn more.  Sami has benefited from all three organizations, and we owe many a smile to each of them.  Most recently, we have been blessed by the Make-A-Wish Arizona Chapter, in that we are traveling to Hawaii next Sunday for a fabulous adventure!  

I have been eluding to our upcoming vacation in several previous posts, so here's the low-down:  Make-A-Wish had approached me about six months after Sami was diagnosed, to ask about granting her a wish.  At the time, she was only three, and still pretty sick alot, so I asked them to wait until she was older, and could decide her own wish, which they did.  The timing worked out perfectly, (since Sami just finished treatment,)so this is definitely a celebration trip!!!

Sami LOVES all things ocean, especially dolphins and whales.  Therefore, she chose to go on a trip where she could do a dolphin encounter.  The trip she originally chose was to Florida; however, to make a long story short, she has to be six years old to do it there.  Lucky for us, they were able to find a place where she can do it at age five and, oh darn, it is in Hawaii! 

So we are off to Honolulu, where we will be staying at a hotel on the beach for a week.  In addition to Sami's dolphin encounter, we will also be going on a submarine ride, where we will get to see ocean life up close and personal at the bottom of the sea, and to a luau on another night.  They have provided us with a rental car, and several free days, so there will be plenty of sightseeing too -- Sami loves pineapple, so a trip out to the Dole Plantation will be on our agenda for sure and, of course, LOTS of beach time! 

As if all this is not enough, because there's just the two of us, Make-A-Wish is sending my sister Tena and her son Michael with us!!!  This is fabulous on a number of levels-- Michael adores Sami and she loves him like a brother.  Even though he is older, he always pays such kind attention to her and is remarkably patient as well :)  Sami is veryexcited that Michael is coming with us!  I am so grateful to Make-A-Wish-- thanks to them, Sami and I get this oh-so-special adventure that I know will create life-long memories.

So we leave on Sunday.  Don't worry folks- you know me, there will me no shortage of pictures from this adventure!  I wouldn't expect another post till we get back, since I have quite a bit to do between now and then!

Hope you all had a terrific Memorial Day weekend and are happy and healthy!

Aloha!

From the mind of my child.....

On Wednesdays, Sami spends the afternoon with my mom.  Mom picks her up from preschool early, and takes over to their house where Sami hangs with her grandparents for a few hours till I get off work.  Sami really enjoys her time at Grandma's, and almost always has some new artwork to share with me when I come to pick her up.  This past Wednesday was no exception-- Sami had several drawings to show me.  Her pictures usually involve a vast array of animals, her friends and Bella our dog.  However, this week we had a definite "keeper," as Grandma called it, sitting on top of the pile.  Here it is:

 

My mom had asked Sami what his was, and she replied, "It is four people thinking about the same thing."  Sami then further clarified they are thinking about "the things you listen to your heart with."  You know, stethoscopes.....  My mom thought that was an interesting topic for Wednesday afternoon artwork, but you just never know with my kid!   She has spent so much time around doctors that it kinda seems not so shocking, finding stethoscopes in her artwork......  I don't know whether to be kinda sad, or just impressed with her versatility -- I pick the latter.  After all, if you ask Sami what she wants to be when she grows up, she will tell you "A doctor." (.... and "a car fixer, a policeman, an animal helper and a baker.")  Such a clever child.  I hung this one on the wall in my office.

In other news, we are busy with kindergarten  preparations and visits, along with end of the year stuff in dance class and preschool.  On May 31st, we leave for Sami's Make a Wish trip to Hawaii!!!  - More on that in my next post!  Gotta go.  Here's a shot of Miss Sami this morning before school.

Have a great day!

California Adventures and "The Home Stretch....."

  

Yes tomorrow is the day.  The day of Sami's LAST interthecal (spinal tap) chemotherapy treatment.  This has been a long time coming -- two years and two months to be exact!   She will continue on all her oral meds as well until May 23rd, the official end date for her treatment protocol.  I am soooo looking forward to the day when she has NO more poisons running through her bloodstream and her body can just do its own thing.  I feel quite hopeful and sure that her little body will continue to thrive and there will be no relapses.  They will not say "cured" for five years, and she will still continue with regular monthly blood tests for some time, but it sure beats the crap out of what she has been enduring.  So anyway, please keep us in your thought on Monday, while she undergoes anesthesia and her last spinal tap.  I have been trying to make a little movie, to show her Dr visits etc. in an attempt to give a small glimpse to you of all the great folks who have touched our lives in the last two years.  My movie-making skills kinda suck, but I will also try to get some outpatient footage tomorrow of the wonderful bunch at the pediatric outpatient clinic.

As promised, here's a brief rundown of our trip to Southern California in mid-April:

The picture at the top was taken in Oceanside, CA a couple weeks ago on our little getaway adventure.  We had such a nice time in California and got to spend time with all the folks we care about over there! The first two nights we were based at my best pal Lynne's house.  My other best friend Roxi flew down from Park City, so it was great to have some time to goof off and have margarita-enhanced fun!  Miss Sami was especially pleased with the fact they have a solar heated pool!  I think she was in the water within an hour of our arrival!  Lynne's husband Patrick is such a good sport - Sami always kinda gloms onto him.  He spent some much appreciated time in the pool with her.  My favorite part was their blow-up craft race, which was hilarious.  They also have two big sweet dogs, who Sam spent equal time with.  Here's a few shots:

 

Sami went to spend the second night with big sis Alicia at her and Matt's new apt.  Sami had a great time and I was soooooo grateful to Alicia and Matt for having her over!  They did look a bit tired Sunday afternoon when I picked Sam up.... :) Unbelievably, I took no photos of them together.  Thankfully I have many of Alicia and Sam, so it can wait till next time!

 Sunday night we stayed with Sami's other big sis Erica and her husband Uri.  Erica is expecting for the first time (a girl in August!) so we were extra excited to see her "baby belly" as Sam called it.  They have a great place right in the heart of Santa Monica, so we also enjoyed checking out the area.  Here's some shots with Erica on Monday, when we went to see her office then to lunch, before we got back on the road:

 

Monday. it was down the coast to Oceanside, where John's mom,"Grandma Jean" lives.  We have not gotten to see as much of her in the last two years, and kept up to date through phone calls.  I really wanted her and Sami to get some time together, so I got us a hotel there for two days.  We were perfectly located 5 miles one way from Jean's, and five miles in the other directions to the beach! 

 

We had dinner with Jean the first evening.  The next day we spent the morning at Oceanside beach.  Sami had a blast wading in the freezing cold water and picking up seashells.  We also walked all the way out to the end of the Oceanside Pier and saw some dolphins swimming by!  My child was quite happy.  That afternoon, we went to lunch with Grama Jean then back to the hotel to play in their heated pool.  The next morning we saw Jean one more time, then hit the long road back to AZ.   Here are a couple more shots from our morning at the beach:

 

I will leave you with one final photo.  Here's the story:  The day we had lunch with erica, we shopped around a bit after lunch.  We were in Old Navy, and all of a sudden, Sami was not next to me.  I whirl around, ready to start panicking, when I spy her over by the front display...

          

Naturally, I made her stay put till I could fish out my camera.  For some reason, she was really taken with these fake people.  What a goof!

Keep us in your thoughts this week!  Only 5 more "steroid" days!!!

Just When You Thought it was Safe...

...Murphy's Law.  Sami was admitted to the hospital yesterday after becoming extremely dehydrated due to some serious throwing up Sunday night.  It was probably the same flu bug that everyone has been getting around here... But they don't take any chances with the oncology kids, so they admitted her (us) to the hospital last night.  It was a long afternoon/evening because our Dr appt was at 1:30, they started an IV an gave her fluids, then we had to wait in the office for a few hours while they waited for a room to open and be cleaned on the pediatric oncology unit.  The office closed at 5pm, at which time they "turfed" us over to a room in the pediatric ER, where we waited another couple hours-- finally getting into our room at about 8:30 PM.  They had given her something for her tummy, so my little carnivore was begging for a hamburger, but had to settle for soup broth, which we have thankfully not seen again, so to speak.. :)  Right now she is enjoying a bagel and looking much better.  I imagine we'll get released today, so we should be back to "normal " by tomorrow.  knock wood!  I will provide a nice long post with photos from our California trip later this week when I get caught up.  Hope you are all well and happy!

Easter Weekend Adventures...

 
... we started off our weekend on Thursday night at the Disney Stars On Ice.  Sami and I got to go see the show, courtesy of the amazing HopeKids organization.  They organize all kinds of fun events for kids who are battling serious illness and their families.  The activities are always free, usually thanks to the generous donations of companies and individuals.   Many families with a seriously ill child suffer financially, so this is also a great way for families to do fun activities they might not be able to afford otherwise.  We have only attended a few things, but it seems like they have stuff going on several times a week. I also like it because it is a way for Sami to socialize with kids that may have similar health issues - like back when she was going through the more intense treatment cycles, we went to an event and she wasn't the only puffy, bald kid there - which made a difference for both of us.  In any case, Check them out the next time you have the time.  They are also one of the beneficiaries of proceeds from the Thriftsmart in Phoenix, so give Thriftsmart a call to come pick up your garage sale leftovers and household donations!

Sami had a great time watching the skaters and all the Disney characters.  It was a great night!

On Friday, I had the day off work and Sami had no school due to Good Friday.  We colored Easter eggs and decorated them with stickers, etc.  We also made a really good green bean salad to bring to our family Easter party.  -more on that later.

Saturday was a busy day.  Sami's pal Weston had his birthday party in the afternoon - think 15-20 six-year olds, lots of pizza and sugar, and a crazy egg hunt in the backyard.  Fun times.  The highlight of the party was the (very patient, and incredibly calm) very talented balloon animal lady.  She made all kinds of fabulous balloon animals, one for each kid.  Those kids had her backed into a corner, luckily she had an ottoman in front of her as a shield, as she took each request.  Like I said, not everyone could have the sunny disposition required for such a job.  my hat was off to her!  Sami requested a monkey on a vine, and she got one:

Later, it was straight from the birthday party, over to my parent's house for an early Easter celebration.  My niece and brother-in-law both had to travel on Sunday, so we had our dinner on Saturday instead.  It was great food and so nice to be all together with our family.  Seems like we are all so busy these days, we never get together and have a meal like we used to.  Anyway, it was a good time.

Easter morning, Sami was up at the crack-o-dawn, ready to hunt eggs.  I didn't get hardly any pictures, I was just enjoying watching her find them.  Naturally, had I known that we would re-hide and re-find the eggs like 20 more times that day, I might have stopped and taken more photos of the original search...  Also, here's a tip for all you Easter bunnys out there, when you are filling a basket up with little treats, toys and jelly beans that roll...  do not use a basket with a hinged handle.  If you do, the child who finds it and quickly picks it up to show you (with your camera at the ready,) only to have this happen:

This is the point when the dog snaps out of observation mode and decides to take part in your festivities..  yep.  we lost a few jelly beans in the mix, despite mommy's lightning fast reflexes.  We got it all back in the basket pretty quick and I snagged one last shot of the Easter child and her booty.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and it was filled with family and fun!

We are off to California on a visiting trip later this week.  We will be seeing both of Sami's big sisters, Sami's Grandma Jean and my two best friends.  I will provide an update upon our return.

I leave you with a cute shot of our little couch gargoyle, otherwise known as the jellybean thief..