Me and Sami on her birthday after an icing fight! lol






Sami getting ready to help her mom blow out candles





The aftermath of giving the baby a cupcake....Dont worry she was like new by the time I gave her back to Beth




This was after she grabbed the cone right out of my hand when I was trying to share with her...lol





Im going to be pretty busy the next couple of days and I have a little time before work, so I figured Id kill some time and talk about my nieces! Cuz they are just so darn cute! They arent TECHNICALLY my nieces, they are my friends daughters and Ive gotten so close with her and the girls that they are like family.

We have a bit of a big event coming on Wed. Sami (the oldest daughter) is 5 and she is starting kindergarten!!!! She is so excited to ride the bus and go to school and I am so excited for her! Ive only known them for about two years but I still kinda feel like Im sure Beth feels about Sami starting school. And the next thing we know Haleigh is going to be potty training!

I love these girls sooo much you have no idea. They are sweet and fun. They are the happiest kids you'll ever meet. They are also so well behaved. Sami never gets in trouble or has to be told twice. Please and thank yous no matter what. They love to dance and sing especially to the Disney channel. Sami loves Demi Lovato and Hannah Montana, Haleigh loves Cookie Monster. And they both love when Uncle Frank picks them up and spins them around. And when Aunt Sami sings and dances with them.

I havent seen them in weeks which breaks my heart cuz I know they are always asking for me, between the random texts from Beth letting me know Im being asked for and when Im on the phone and I hear them in the background. But on Tues I get to hug them and squeeze them and play and watch the Hannah Montana movie which I promised Mini-Me I would wait until I got to see it with her. I know both Beth and I will be crying when Sami gets on the bus for the day. But its a good cry. Shes growing up and she is growing into such a beautiful young lady.

So the other day while I was working I was sat with a table of 3 people. It was a mother, a father and a daughter. As I grabbed napkins and silverware to put down for when I introduced myself and welcomed them to Fridays, I had no idea what I was about to walk into.

I walked up to the table of just the ladies waiting for the gentleman parking the car....

"Hello Ladies! How are you today? Thank You for coming to hang out with me today at Fridays! My name is Samantha and I will be taking care of you today. I hear your waiting for one more person, so may I grab some coffee or some water or a soda for you?"

Im corny I know! But I like to be nice and fun and upbeat right from the start. How people react is one of the best ways to figure out a little bit about them and what their needs might be.

So I come back to the table with drinks and the gentleman has arrived and he is getting ready to sit down when he looks at me and says "Im looking for a Samantha...??" Hes got a big goofy smile and bit of a glimmer in his eyes.

"Well you've come to the right table, your lookin at her"

"YOUR Samantha? My wife and daughter weren't kiddin about those eyes"

(I giggle) "Aw thanks!"

So I take their order and start chatting them up a bit and we're laughing and joking around a bit.
Im not gonna waste time giving you all the mumbo jumbo that happens in between. But by the time they are all done eating, all my other tables are gone and ive been cut (our slang for done for the day, clean up and go home). So we start chatting some more, Im telling them about Frank and moving to CT and about my family a bit. When the gentleman says to me "How old do you think I am?" So teasing a little bit I say "Oh I dont know, I'd say about 32" lol

"Hahaha ya right, but really I promise you wont offend me, how old do you really think I am?"
"Oh man, ummmm 75?"
"Really? Haha well Im actually about to turn 90 and my wife here is 88"
"No kidding. Wow, well you two look great!"

Then taking his hat off his head he starts to show me about 20 different pins, all that signify different battles and such that he has been in since WWII. Hes been across the entire world. Seen hundreds of friends die, thousands wounded. He saw a containment camp and the hundreds of people being killed in front of him. I was so touched. Then he goes on to tell me about how he and his wife have been married almost 70 years! I swear I almost cried.

And do you wanna know another beautiful part of this whole story? He is writing a book about all of it. And his daughter is helping him by typing it for him.
And of course being the adorable wryly man that he was, he asks me "If you saw the book in a store, would you buy it?"

"Are you kidding of course! I'd be telling everyone I know to buy it and read it and Id go bragging all the time about how I had the honor of being your server once"

"Well Ill tell you what, Ill do you one better and sign it for you too. Ill sign it To my dear friend with the beautiful eyes"

"I would love that! But you know that means that your gonna have to keep coming back to see me and keep me updated so I know to go get it the day it comes out so you can sign it for me"

"You got it! We'll be back. See you soon!"

Let me just say, i truly cant wait to see them again. They were beautiful people from the inside out. And they re sparked that keep fighting passion inside of me. Even if I dont see them again, I will never forget, not even a second, of our conversation that day. It was an honor to have met them.

I know I havent been posting and such in months, but you all know how life can be!

So now Im going to take my blog in a bit of another direction.....
Ive come across a very cool little tool called Stumble Upon! Im sure many of you have heard of it. And might I say that I am ADDICTED! Lol So I am going to start sharing with you some of the best of the best things that I Stumble Upon!

I will start with this.....
Its called Dear Dad

A father passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see the bed
was nicely made, and that everything was picked up and tidy.
Then, he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed,

'Dad.'

With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the
letter, with trembling hands.

Dear Dad,

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing to you. I had to
elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with
Mum and you.

I've been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I
knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings',
tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much
older than I am.

But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's pregnant.
Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't, really
hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves, and trading it with
the other people in the commune, for all the cocaine and
ecstasy we want.

In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so
Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit, so you can get to know
your many grandchildren.

Love, your son, Joshua.

P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house.
I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in
life than the School report that's on the kitchen table.