Along the Way

I promised myself I'd slow down
because...

the colors in nature are too pretty to rush by every single day

the patterns on 'merica's freckle face are too cute to pass up

she really wanted to help push the wagon ALL the way UP the hill
she's only little once.

Here's Lookin at You, Kid

If I could only see the world through her eyes, I would imagine it's bright, colorful and full of unlimited potentials and possibilities. Sammy currently loves dogs (as established in the previous post), nature (small, smooth rocks that she can hold in her little hands are a must), swimming (polar bears, submarines and back floats) and people. And when I say people, I mean everybody. EV-RY-BU-DY. Whether she's interacting with the sales people at a store, the children playing by the water fountain or the customers waiting inside a restaurant, she really commands attention. Somewhere along the line, she picked a full-on Miss America, parade float, pageant queen wave. And she uses it on everybody. And the dancing. Well, that's new. Back & forth and back & forth to the music, but of course, never on command. I'm thankful for every moment I get to spend with her because we sure have a lot to learn from each other.

Chasing the Afternoon Light

Sammy and I wandered outside to look for the "lost" brown dogs this afternoon. Although raining this morning, the afternoon light was peaking through the clouds and the ground was fresh with "winter" rain and the temperature was just right to do a little exploring so we grabbed the camera and headed out. After hearing coyote howls in the distance and not knowing whether they were coming or going, we stopped under the tree on the way to the pond. And I set Sammy down on the unstable ground and I waited. And I watched. And I clicked. I love seeing the world through her eyes. As though everything is new. Every stick "needs" to be picked up and every rock really "should" be examined up close. And we called, "Ronald. Dog, dog!" because, quite honestly, those are the only two words she actually uses with reference and with force. And as we watched our afternoon light get lost behind the clouds those pesky brown dogs appeared. Frisky and browner than usual and dripping with pond water

Out and About Exploring the Ranch